Tuesday, September 30, 2008

I am In Love With: Smashbox O-Gloss


On my visit to the Smashbox Swag Lounge during the Toronto International Film Festival I got one of their O-Glosses. I love it - it isn't crazy sticky like some lip glosses and gives my lips my own natural pink hue - totally perfect for getting a little colour on your pucker without transferring it anywhere. I have no idea what Goji Berry-C Complex really is except that it reacts with your own "lip chemistry" to create your own personal pink hue. I don't even want to know what really is in it. I love it too much.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Supporting Our Canadian Arts & Culture

Actors Colm Feore and Wendy Crewson sat down with Q host Jian Ghomeshi to fiercely argue the notion that Canadian arts and culture are niche based needs.

Watch the video here:

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Kanye's Locking His Love Down

I truly think Kanye West is one of the most amazing, creative artists of our time. His concert in the summer blew me away - it wasn't a concert it was more of a hip-hop musical. I don't think he's arrogant - I believe arrogance is based on insecurity, and Kanye certainly isn't insecure. I just think he has a healthy ego. His new album is coming out in November, and you can listen to his new single Love Lockdown on Kanye's blog. I can't wait!!!

Adele's New Video - Make You Feel My Love

Adele's new video for Make You Feel My Love was released yesterday.

This girl is just amazing and if you ever get a chance to see here live - GO! I saw her perform in the summer at her first concert in Toronto at the Rivoli. There were only 100 people there - it was intimate and her performance was goose-pimply good. I was lucky to meet her after the concert and she was so sweet and real. I wish her a long, long career.

Friday, September 26, 2008

To be creative is, in fact, Canadian by Margaret Atwood

Mr. Harper is wrong: There's more to the arts than a bunch of rich people at galas whining about their grants

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

What sort of country do we want to live in? What sort of country do we already live in? What do we like? Who are we?

At present, we are a very creative country. For decades, we've been punching above our weight on the world stage - in writing, in popular music and in many other fields. Canada was once a cultural void on the world map, now it's a force. In addition, the arts are a large segment of our economy: The Conference Board estimates Canada's cultural sector generated $46-billion, or 3.8 per cent of Canada's GDP, in 2007. And, according to the Canada Council, in 2003-2004, the sector accounted for an “estimated 600,000 jobs (roughly the same as agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, oil & gas and utilities combined).”

But we've just been sent a signal by Prime Minister Stephen Harper that he gives not a toss for these facts. Tuesday, he told us that some group called “ordinary people” didn't care about something called “the arts.” His idea of “the arts” is a bunch of rich people gathering at galas whining about their grants. Well, I can count the number of moderately rich writers who live in Canada on the fingers of one hand: I'm one of them, and I'm no Warren Buffett. I don't whine about my grants because I don't get any grants. I whine about other grants - grants for young people, that may help them to turn into me, and thus pay to the federal and provincial governments the kinds of taxes I pay, and cover off the salaries of such as Mr. Harper. In fact, less than 10 per cent of writers actually make a living by their writing, however modest that living may be. They have other jobs. But people write, and want to write, and pack into creative writing classes, because they love this activity – not because they think they'll be millionaires.

Every single one of those people is an “ordinary person.” Mr. Harper's idea of an ordinary person is that of an envious hater without a scrap of artistic talent or creativity or curiosity, and no appreciation for anything that's attractive or beautiful. My idea of an ordinary person is quite different. Human beings are creative by nature. For millenniums we have been putting our creativity into our cultures - cultures with unique languages, architecture, religious ceremonies, dances, music, furnishings, textiles, clothing and special cuisines. “Ordinary people” pack into the cheap seats at concerts and fill theatres where operas are brought to them live. The total attendance for “the arts” in Canada in fact exceeds that for sports events. “The arts” are not a “niche interest.” They are part of being human.

Moreover, “ordinary people” are participants. They form book clubs and join classes of all kinds - painting, dancing, drawing, pottery, photography - for the sheer joy of it. They sing in choirs, church and other, and play in marching bands. Kids start garage bands and make their own videos and web art, and put their music on the Net, and draw their own graphic novels. “Ordinary people” have other outlets for their creativity, as well: Knitting and quilting have made comebacks; gardening is taken very seriously; the home woodworking shop is active. Add origami, costume design, egg decorating, flower arranging, and on and on ... Canadians, it seems, like making things, and they like appreciating things that are made.

They show their appreciation by contributing. Canadians of all ages volunteer in vast numbers for local and city museums, for their art galleries and for countless cultural festivals - I think immediately of the Chinese New Year and the Caribana festival in Toronto, but there are so many others. Literary festivals have sprung up all over the country - volunteers set them up and provide the food, and “ordinary people” will drag their lawn chairs into a field - as in Nova Scotia's Read by the Sea - in order to listen to writers both local and national read and discuss their work. Mr. Harper has signalled that as far as he is concerned, those millions of hours of volunteer activity are a waste of time. He holds them in contempt.

I suggest that considering the huge amount of energy we spend on creative activity, to be creative is “ordinary.” It is an age-long and normal human characteristic: All children are born creative. It's the lack of any appreciation of these activities that is not ordinary. Mr. Harper has demonstrated that he has no knowledge of, or respect for, the capacities and interests of “ordinary people.” He's the “niche interest.” Not us.

It's been suggested that Mr. Harper's disdain for the arts is not merely a result of ignorance or a tin ear - that it is “ideologically motivated.” Now, I wonder what could be meant by that? Mr. Harper has said quite rightly that people understand we ought to keep within a budget. But his own contribution to that budget has been to heave the Liberal-generated surplus overboard so we have nothing left for a rainy day, and now, in addition, he wants to jeopardize those 600,000 arts jobs and those billions of dollars they generate for Canadians. What's the idea here? That arts jobs should not exist because artists are naughty and might not vote for Mr. Harper? That Canadians ought not to make money from the wicked arts, but only from virtuous oil? That artists don't all live in one constituency, so who cares? Or is it that the majority of those arts jobs are located in Ontario and Quebec, and Mr. Harper is peeved at those provinces, and wants to increase his ongoing gutting of Ontario - $20-billion a year of Ontario taxpayers' money going out, a dribble grudgingly allowed back in - and spank Quebec for being so disobedient as not to appreciate his magnificence? He likes punishing, so maybe the arts-squashing is part of that: Whack the Heartland.

Or is it even worse? Every budding dictatorship begins by muzzling the artists, because they're a mouthy lot and they don't line up and salute very easily. Of course, you can always get some tame artists to design the uniforms and flags and the documentary about you, and so forth - the only kind of art you might need - but individual voices must be silenced, because there shall be only One Voice: Our Master's Voice. Maybe that's why Mr. Harper began by shutting down funding for our artists abroad. He didn't like the competition for media space.

The Conservative caucus has already learned that lesson. Rumour has it that Mr. Harper's idea of what sort of art you should hang on your wall was signalled by his removal of all pictures of previous Conservative prime ministers from their lobby room - including John A. and Dief the Chief - and their replacement by pictures of none other than Mr. Harper himself. History, it seems, is to begin with him. In communist countries, this used to be called the Cult of Personality. Mr. Harper is a guy who - rumour has it, again - tried to disband the student union in high school and then tried the same thing in college. Destiny is calling him, the way it called Qin Shi Huang, the Chinese emperor who burnt all records of the rulers before himself. It's an impulse that's been repeated many times since, the list is very long. Tear it down and level it flat, is the common motto. Then build a big statue of yourself. Now that would be Art! Adapted from the 2008 Hurtig Lecture, to be delivered in Edmonton on Oct. 1

OCTOBER 14th BE SURE TO VOTE!!!

VitaminWater Everywhere!

A couple months ago a delivery of VitaminWater came to my work in a super long box - free juice? Woo! Then I was delivered individual juices - one a day for a week with a cute little card telling me things like:

you've just tolled into "the office" and your breakfast didn't quite cut it. you need something citrus before you handle the tasks at hand.

solution: take a swig of essential - orange orange (c + calcium). it tastes great and gives you an extra shot of vitamin c and calcium to kick start your day.
Now, I'm not one to easily fall for marketing and promotions, but I just can't help but see VitaminWater EVERYWHERE - from the CNE, store openings, fashion shows, and events. I've even seen the truck a few times around time. This is one aggressive marketing campaign. An actor friend of mine said the other night she'd also been getting bottles delivered to her house and said it's great for being on set - she'll drink it instead of coffee. How's that for a free ad?

Obviously it's not as healthy as you think - it's loaded with cane sugar, but at least it's not aspartame. (I just won't do diet.) But it's certainly one of the best choices out there if you want some juice with a little vitamin kick. I just wish it would tell us exactly how much of each vitamin is actually in there.

UPDATE: Men's Health has named VitaminWater the Worst "Healthy" Drink stating that it has as many calories and sugar as a can of Coke! Maybe it's not so great a choice after all...

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Congratulations Danielle!

Fashion illustration and friend Danielle Meder was announced as the Panel's pic for the Dr Martens Design Contest.
Sign up to find out when and where you can buy Danielle's boot here: http://www.dmbootdesign.com/winners/buy.

Piggy-backing the success of that contest, Dr Martens just launched a t-shirt design contest - erm, right...

My Current Fave Tunes

Juvelen - Don't Mess


Private - My Secret Lover



Good poppy good times!

Soos at The Clothing Show

Join SOOS Rocks at The Clothing Show on Friday, September 26 from 3pm till 9pm, Saturday, September 27 from 11am till 9pm, Sunday, September 28 from 11am till 7pm at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place.
Our favourite accessories designers have slashed their prices on their handbags, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more. See who else is showing at www.theclothingshow.com.

L'Oreal Fashion Week Spring 09

Registration for L'Oreal Fashion Week is now open for media and industry with passes for industry and web media going for $75 and media for the entire week (FYI - last season those passes were $50). Public passes will be available for purchase on September 29th through the F List.
On the schedule include Canadian designers David Dixon, Joeffer Caoc, NADA, Pink Tartan, Lucian Matis, Katya Revenko, Evan Bidell, Thien Le, RUDSAK, Denis Gagnon, and Morales. Bridal designer Alfred Sung opens the week on Monday, October 20 while the week ends with LG's Fashion Fusion show where Maroon 5 will perform. Check out the website to see the entire line up of "fabulousness."

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Jessica Jensen Handbag Sale!

Every girl needs a nice handbag or two or three... So why not hit up Jessica Jensen's Spring & Fall 08 Sample & Inventory Sale on Friday, October 3 from 6pm - 9pm and Saturday, October 4 from 10am - 5pm at 150 John St - 5th Floor (Queen West & Richmond.)

Up to 80% off Spring 08 Samples * Up to 60% off Spring 08 Overstock *Up to 30% off Fall 08 Inventory * Cash, Debit, Visa or Mastercard * ALL SALES FINAL.

See her collection here: www.shopjessicajensen.com

Dita's Science of Bras


Dita Von Teese just launched her line of lingerie for Wonderbra, "Sexy Science by Dita" in Europe. Sadly the bras only go up to a DD cup - you'd think after their last campaign for Wonderbra's D to G, they'd keep that going, but alas - I'll just stick to Freya.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Fashion sCares Announces Host

Tickets went on sale for Fashion sCares to the public on Saturday, September 20. At a press conference at the Brant House on Wednesday, September 17, Chair Michael King announced that Sir Elton John's husband David Furnish will be hosting the event. I wonder if Sir John himself will show?
Photography: Koby

Performers announced include Katy Perry and Canadian singer Kreesha Turner - who performed recently at DSQUARED2's fashion show during TIFF. King also made a hint that another performer will be announced shortly, but all he could tell us was that it was a "Dame". My bets are on Dame Shirley Bassey - how cool would that be? Tickets always sell out fast - get yours while you can and start thinking costume ideas. Get them here: www.ticketmaster.ca.

More info on Fashion sCares can be found on their website www.fashioncares.com.