Kids are awesome and moms love their kids...but between the Raffi and the playdates and the nurturing and such, sometimes you need a quick break. Take a breather from the "mom (or dad) zone" for a few minutes. Put the baby in the crib, grab your tea, put your feet up and enjoy!
Holey Moley! Fashion Week is well under way. I've got to get dressed up to hit the front rows of all the shows. This Denis Gagnon dress will be perfect:
It's still pretty cold out, so I'll throw this jacket and this scarf on top:
Now I just need some shoes and a bag to carry around all my Fashion Week essentials, and I'll be all set:
All right! Ready to go! See you in the front row luvvies!
There's quite a bit of Canadian content on Netflix Canada. If you ever want to watch episodes of Republic of Doyle or Trailer Park Boys, Netflix is the place for you.
The film Love That Boy is from 2003 and is the story of an overachieving girl, about to graduate from university, who finds love with the boy next door...the 14 year old boy next door. Filmed in Halifax, the film's cast includes Ellen Page in a small role.
Ridiculous Factor?
Keeping in mind that this was filmed prior to the government raising the age of consent up to 16, it is still pretty crazy for someone in their early 20s to date a 14 year old kid.
Verdict?
This movie is worth a watch. It's cute, quirky and is styled very well. If you can get past the icky factor of a woman dating a teen boy (which isn't super hard as Phoebe, the main character, looks young) then you'll probably enjoy this movie.
You might have read the post that I put up last week where my 'lil peanut Arlo gave advice about dressing for occasions. That post was just for jokes, but it did get me thinking a bit about dressing up for specific occasions. In Canada, there are some occasions that are pretty Canada-specific. This week, I'm giving my suggestions for looking fine while livin' it up in the Great White North:
May 2-4 Weekend at the Cottage
Do you like people giving you this look?
You'll get a similar death stare if you mention to someone who lives in a warm climate that you're going to open up the cottage, rain or shine, on a weekend when you'll be guaranteed to encounter black flies and freezing water. People who live in Canada won't bat an eyelash. Being at the cottage in May means dressing in layers, as lord knows what the weather will bring. This cute little striped dress is perfect. Wear it with a sweater coat, tights and rainboots if it is cold/wet, or just a light cardigan, flats and bug spray if it is somehow warm.
It's pretty much a given that you'll need warm clothing at some point during the weekend. This poncho works as maternity wear, or as a warm layer to wear over top of you and your little one.
Beer Garden at the Sloan Concert
(can substitute any of the following acts: Rush, Tragically Hip, Guess Who, Kim Mitchell, Trooper)
You've got to love when a beloved Canadian band or musician hits up your city or town for some sort of Midnight Madness/Fair action. I can't wait to sit out in a park, beer in hand, jamming out to the songs of my youth. Hopefully it will be warm, so that I can wear cute shorts and a top.
Poutine Restaurant
I go out to eat poutine waaaaaaay more often than I should. If you're going out for poutine, make sure to put on something that won't show gravy stains too easily. This cute little dress is perfect!
Because Canada is such a large country, there are more provincial and regional events than I am able pull looks for. If you have a specific event coming up that you're having trouble selecting an outfit for, close your eyes and picture yourself at the event, having fun. What are you wearing? Start there, and look around until you come up with something fantastic to wear. Good luck!
Good morning, good morning...hope you had a relaxing weekend. It's Fashion Week here in Toronto this week, so I've decided to focus on Cancon this week with all of my posts. If I'm being honest, I tend to look to other places (New York, London, Paris) to influence my personal style. I make a point of keeping up with the best Canadian bands and films, so it's time for me to start paying attention to the best in Canadian fashion too.
There are some pretty fantastic designers here in Canada (my current fave is Phillip Sparks) and some pretty great blogs - I Want I Got and Toronto Is Fashion are two that I check out regularly.
Unless you are magic or well-connected, you're probably not going to snag tickets to any of the Fashion Week shows or parties at this point. Instead, why not support home grown fashion and design by checking out the One Of A Kind show later in the week? There are so many cute things to check out...you will spend some cash so be ready.
If you're more interested in parties than shopping, go party it up at Eternal Sunrise: A Benefit For Japan on Wednesday night. All funds raised at the event will be donated to Plan Canada.
You should also go and say hi to the friendliest man in Toronto, the doorman at Holt's, while you still can. He always brightens my day! If you prefer to check out the fashion action from the comfort of your couch, there will be tons of coverage via the bigger media outlets (like Toronto Life).
It's Friday, Friday...partying partying...fun fun fun fun
Hello! How is it going buddy? Is that frown because you need some help picking out fashions? Arlo is here to help!
I've got some special events - weddings, showers, parties - coming up, and it got me thinking about dressing for specific events. Putting together an outfit based on a general concept (day look, dinner out on the town) isn't too hard, but coming up with the right look for something very specific can sometimes be tough. Nina Garcia has a really great and comprehensive book on the subject. There are a few things missing...so Arlo is here to fill in the gaps! This time I used some toys and Cheerios to help him with the flash cards, mainly so he wouldn't rip up or eat the pictures. Let's get to it!
Q: Which look is better for going to see the Charlie Sheen concert - jacket & shorts or a short dress?
Arlo thinks that wearing a dress like this Gucci look on Diane Kruger is perfect for winning at the Charlie Sheen concert.
Q: Which look is better for babysitting a classy baby - cashmere sweater & skirt or print dress & coat?
Arlo prefers the cashmere sweater and skirt look. Expensive taste already!
Q: Which look is better to wear to the all-you-can-eat buffet - roomy pants or tight pants and 3 purses?
Arlo already knows right from wrong (so proud!) and picked the roomy pants look. I probably would have picked the 3 purses (filled with ziplocs, obviously) but I'm glad he's got a moral conscience. Yay Arlo!
Q: Which accessory is better to wear to the Farmer's Market - bucket hat or neckerchief?
Neckerchief wins! Probably because it is Ralph Lauren, and everyone knows that Ralph Lauren is always appropriate to wear at the Farmer's Market.
Q: Which spring trend is better to wear to the Royal Wedding - floral print or cobalt blue?
This was a tough one for Arlo. He went with the floral dress first, but then remembered I said Royal Wedding and not regular wedding. He ended up picking the more demure solid-coloured dress.
Q: Which look is better to wear to Lady Gaga's birthday party - furry suit or cape & pink wig?
Surprise win for the cape & wig! I would have for sure thought he would choose the furry suit, because he loves his stuffed animals. I guess he was thinking that the suit would be too hot to wear next Monday. Don't worry, if we do end up going to Gaga's party, Arlo will wear jeans and a top (nothing crazy).
Bonus Q: which activity is more appropriate for the little black dress - kayaking or riding a penny-farthing?
Penny-farthing wins!! Penny-farthings are so hot right now!
Another week, another predictable episode of ANTM. My 'lil peanut will not let me cut his fingernails unless he can watch tv, so I let him watch the show In The Night Garden when I give him a manicure. Even that show is less repetitive than ANTM...and the goal of In The Night Garden is teaching kids to talk through repetition! Either Tyra thinks we all need to learn about modelling as simplistically as a baby would (by making each cycle identical), or her editors are lazy. Seriously, go back and watch episode 5 of any of the past 10 cycles of ANTM, and I bet it is structured identically to tonight's snoozefest! Despite the predictability, there were a few chuckles to be had this week. Let's check it out!
"Six of you stand before me, but I only have five photos in my hand..."
What did we learn about Tyra this week?
This was another episode where Tyra doesn't show up until panel! Uh oh...did Molly threaten to beat the smize out of Tyra for having Molly's horrendous weave re-attached? I would hide too, Tyra, that weave is beat!
At panel, Tyra must have brought her bodyguards with her because she was back to being wacky. She advises my bff Andre Leon Talley that she smells good because she's wearing Eau D'Andre.
Anna Wintour, help!! Tyra stole my hat feather!
The guest judge this week was ubiquitous fashion stylist Rachel Zoe. I read on the gossip blogs today that Rachel had a little boy yesterday, so congrats to her!!! Yay babies! Anywho, I'm excited that Rachel is on the panel because I think she is way less likely to pander to Tyra's antics than most guest judges. First off, Rachel wins by wearing bigger shoulder pads than Tyra, whose cycle 16 "look" has been jackets with big shoulders. Nice one! Rachel does crank out a couple of smiles and chuckles at Tyra's attempts to be funny (contractual obligation?), but she isn't a shrinking violet to Tyra at all. My fave was when Tyra ordered Rachel to send her a jacket from her faux-fur line. I bet one of Rachel's assistants will be ordered to fart on the coat before sending it to Tyra.
In addition to the faux-fur in the photo shoot, Tyra gives us a faux-Jamaican accent. Maybe she will give a guest lecture on accents at Harvard? She can have Robin Williams help her. Tyra also busts out her best Elvis impression:
"Thank you very much"
Worst of all, Tyra does her annoying soap opera-y "emoting" thing when discussing Mikaela's photo during deliberations. She even tries a "LISTEN to me!", combined with grabbing Nigel's neck. Dang, Tyra, don't you know that "LISTEN to me!" has been trademarked by the finest soap opera character of all time -- Victor Newman? You do not want to mess with Victor Newman! Think of how you get when people try to steal "smize"!
Tyra Quote Of The Week: "You need to grab onto the handlebars of fierceness, and don't let go."
Did anything else happen this week?
A few cycles ago, friends pointed out to me that you can tell who will be voted off each week in the first 2 minutes of the episode. The girl who is getting the snips usually has a soundbite about how this week she is really going to step it up. This week we get a snippet of Dalya telling us she's going to do really well this week. Dun-dun-dun!
The challenge this week was to film a video for Covergirl, featuring Covergirl Natureluxe Foundation, with the winning video to be featured on Covergirl's website. Interesting timing, as last week on Marketplace they talked about how the marketing for this product is on the shady side. Anyways, the girls are randomly divided into teams of 3 and are assigned duties within their team: talent, writer and director. The team of Britanni, Mikaela and Kasia win the challenge, even though Mikaela swears like a sailor and Mr. Jay informs her that Covergirls do not swear.
Poor Team 3. Molly and Monique try hard to do a good job, but sadly Alexandria is the talent on their team. She is lame (surprise!) and argues with them. I'm not the biggest Monique fan, but she does a really good job of trying to manage Alexandria and she is the reason that the team does pretty well.
Most of this week's episode centers around Alexandria being Alexandria. Another horribly predictable element of all ANTM cycles is the one "bad girl" whom everyone dislikes. In Alexandria's case, I'm starting to think that she's a bit of a victim of a bad edit. The editors make her seem really oblivious this week (with her proclaiming herself a "positive, artistic, California girl", for example), and frame a comment of hers relating to her parents' abusive marriage with footage of the girls talking about how crazy Alexandria is. Low blow alert! The other contestants, lead by Monique, mean-girl out and read Alexandria's diary. Even if Alexandria is a bit of a diva, she's nowhere near as bad as Tyra...and Tyra is the most successful supermodel ever! I hope that Tyra's Harvard dorm-mates read her diary and make fun of her behind her back too.
Dear Diary, Tyra is making me wear this hat. So mean!
The photo shoot this week is at the old LA zoo. The girls are made up to look like "fashion versions of animals" while wearing Rachel Zoe faux-fur. Plus, there is a baby jaguar (or "jagwire" per Monique, or "jagwa" per Tyra)!! This leads us to find out that Monique hates cats and that Kasia does not know how to hold pets!
I iz too scareay fer teh models?
Aside from the Rachel/Tyra one-up-manship, panel is a bit blah this week. Tyra mortifies poor Jaclyn by calling her photo "freaky deaky" and pointing out that you can't see what Jaclyn is doing with her hand behind the coat. Tyra, nice of you to imply that Jaclyn was masturbating in her picture. That's so great of you...especially since YOU PICK THE PHOTOS SHOWN AT PANEL! Pick one where you can see her hand if it is that much of an issue for you.
Plus-size lady rights activist Rachel Zoe tells the panel during deliberations that she thinks Kasia looks cheap in person. Kasia is the only model she calls out. Hmmm...I wonder if she would still look cheap if she weighed 90lbs? Kind of offensive, no? Also, Tyra brings back fiercely real™this week.
We're using fiercely real again? Must we?
Hannah wins top photo, and Molly and Dalya are in the bottom 2. Molly's photo is pretty bad. Nigel's description of the photo is pretty funny: "which part is problematic...the crossed eye, the big hand, the fact that you can't see the coat or the fact that she has her sister's hair". Molly's photo is worse than Dalya's, but she gets to stay because of her horrible weave. Tyra gives her a talking to, letting her know that she should have good photos despite her weave. That being said, going with my theory that Tyra is scarred that Molly will cut a bitch, Tyra lets her stay and promises to get rid of the weave for good next week.
Don't let them cut your giant hand off too!!
Dalya is sent home. I feel bad for her because I think she was eliminated for staying drama-free and being a bit safe. She is pretty and has a great walk. Her photo was not that bad either. Sorry girl!
Next week: Tyra is back at the girls apartment! Tyra teaches the girls what she learned at Harvard Business school! The models meet their (paid extra) fans! Muddy photoshoot! No more weave for Molly! See you then!
RIP Dame Elizabeth Taylor. What a wonderful woman she was!!! Talented actress, philanthropist, class act. She was also one of the most beautiful women of all time.
50's/60s-era Elizabeth Taylor has been a style inspiration for me since I was young. I started bleaching my hair at age 16, but seeing Dame Elizabeth look so gorgeous on screen helped me feel confident enough to go back to brunette a few years later. Her red lips, black-lined eyes, statement jewellery and figure-hugging dresses are all style staples for me. Her style was timeless and elegant.
If you haven't seen any of her films -- my faves are Giant, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf and Butterfield 8 -- please do yourself a favour and rent one. I know in her later years she's been mostly portrayed as an eccentric maneater, Michael Jackson BFF and tacky perfume queen, but the lady was such a talent. She will be missed.
The Juno Awards are this weekend. I don't usually watch the Junos, but I prefer them to the Grammys at least. Drake is hosting the show this year and there will be a Bieber sighting, so if that's your thing you should watch for sure.
I have mixed feelings about the Junos. They seem kind of out of touch. Why would they nominate Caribou for best new artist? I have seen him like 8 times in concert, even back when he was Manitoba, and he's released multiple albums. Not new. They should just nominate him for Best Artist, as he's pretty great. They will probably nominate these dudes for Best New Band next year:
Oh snap, they were actually nominated for Best New Band in 2001! O Canada indeed!
Enough with the snark -- lots of talented musicians were nominated in the various categories. Best of luck to them, especially Chromeo. They should be nominated for Album of the Year (instead of Hedley...no thanks), but Best Dance Recording will have to do.
Blech...I had a dream last night that I was back working my 9 to 5 job. I'm going to have to head back there soon enough, so a new work look will definitely help to improve my mood. Dressing up always helps! This Stella McCartney blazer is formal enough for my corporate home away from home:
I'll throw this Bruce II wrap dress underneath. I can take the blazer off after work and go for cocktails...or take the 'lil peanut to get a snack or something.
If you're a regular reader, you'll remember that I'm for sure going to need new shoes for work. These are a good place to start:
Who knows...maybe I'll win big in the lottery in the next couple months and can stay at home and wear my bathing suit everyday instead. Here's hoping!
Not too much new on the Netflix Canada front, so I decided to check out something in the "Mystery" genre. I was really tempted to watch The Secret, which looks hilarious, after reading this awesome review of the film. The movie Flourish appeared to be similarly wacky, so I thought I'd check it out. I was also sold because Leighton Meester is one of the film's stars. She is awesome. I will even watch that Gwyneth Paltrow country movie on DVD because Leighton is in it.
The film is about a lady who is insane and is the only one who knows how the 16 year old girl she was babysitting was murdered. Who did it? Is she really crazy? How long is this movie?
Ridiculous Factor?
This is one of those movies made in the vein of The Usual Suspects where the narrative jumps all around. You will have to suspend your disbelief in order to get into the film as well, as the plot is pretty out there.
Verdict?
Honesty time - I fell asleep about 20 minutes into this film. There was a lot going on. The acting was good, but the story was not. The film was shot in digital video and didn't look that great either, which I am not picky about but can be a problem for some film fans.
On the bright side, this movie marks the return of Dorothy Jane Torkelson! I loved that show.
Put your mind to it, go for it, get down and break a sweat!
Spring is finally here!! Let's just ignore the snow outside and pretend it's for a movie shoot or something. Even more so than New Years, I associate the beginning of Spring with trying to get back into shape. I was pregnant last spring, and while it's totally safe (and recommended) for pregnant ladies to exercise, I chose to lay around and watch tv most days. This year I'm itching to get outside and get some exercise! Whether your a gym person, a yoga/pilates studio person, a bootcamp person or a runner, having workout clothing that you feel good in will make you more excited to get moving. This post contains some of my suggestions for cute workout gear.
One of the best things about workout gear is that it is forgiving. I found that, while pregnant, I still fit into my sweatpants well into my 3rd trimester. There are lots of maternity workout clothing options out there, but you're probably all good if you just get non-maternity tops and pants one size bigger than normal.
Pregnant ladies should double-check with their doctors to make sure their exercise routine is a-ok. If you've already had a baby and are looking to get back into shape, make sure to talk to your doctor about what exercises are fine for the first 6 weeks after giving birth. Also, if you're nursing, don't relax around in your sports bra once your workout is done; a too-tight sports bra might affect your milk supply.
On The Top:
Get a good quality sports bra. Invest some money here. You can wear Bargain Harold's everything else for exercising, but your body will thank you if you wear the right bra and shoes. Make sure to go to the store and try on a bunch of different styles; don't just grab one from Winners that "looks like the right size". Lululemon has lots of different styles and different levels of support:
If you are hardcore into the exercising, it's a good idea to get tops in a fabric that is designed for working out. A microfibre that is breathable would be ideal. This tank is designed for hot yoga, but would work really well in the gym too:
If you're going to be working out in nature, make sure you have something warm on top to wear on colder or rainy days:
On The Bottom:
I've spoken about my issues with sweatpants already, but they are great for working out in. These T by Alexander Wang sweatpants are super cute. Just be careful to wear them for workout purposes only!
Roots is my go-to sweatpants brand, and they have really cute yoga wear too. They are a good alternative to Lululemon, as their clothes are a bit more affordable. I really like these yoga capris:
I am a fan of working out in shorts. These 3.1 Phillip Lim shorts look like they would be comfy for running or doing cardio in. Yay shorts!
The most, most, most important part of your workout outfit (after your bra) is footwear. If you're doing yoga or pilates, put some polish on your toes and you are all set. For other workouts, go to a specialty store and get some runners that fit well and will suit your fitness needs. These Asics, for example, will work if you're into running:
What are you still doing reading your computer? Get moving! Well, maybe put on some clothes first...and then get moving!
What did we learn about Tyra this week?
OMFG...I learned aplenty about Tyra this week. She was doing the talk show rounds this week, promoting her new website typef.com. I'd recommend Tyra's website if you like watching videos of Tyra being Tyra (i.e. don't bother). When Tyra was on the dreckitude show that is Chuckles In The Night With Jimmy Fallon, she mentioned that she has been attending Harvard Business School so that she can build her brand. Her heroes are Richard Branson and Walt Disney. Best of all, SHE HAS TO LIVE IN A DORM!!!! Ladies and gentlemen: I have found the perfect topic for my first screenplay. Imagine if you had to live in a dorm...WITH TYRA! Holy crap!
So yeah, this episode has nothing on the hours I spend this week picturing dorm life with Tyra. I'm not even going to start throwing out the scenarios I came up with. Hopefully you will see for yourself on the big screen soon enough.
So what if I ate your cereal roommate? Whatcha gonna do? PS: cereal is a cheatie.
During the episode, we learn that Tyra hates the contestants, as she orders them to be lit on fire during their challenge and has them act in the worst commercial ever for their photo shoot. It seems like this cycle the challenges and shoots are less about teaching the girls modelling skills and more about trying to have them endure as much ridiculousness as they can without snapping. Tyra must have learned these tricks in one of her Harvard classes.
During panel, Tyra is back to being wacky and ALT is back to being her straight man. It was fun while it lasted ALT! I blocked out most of Tyra's silliness this week as I kept picturing the 3 sad, crying girls that have to share a dorm with Tyra at Harvard Business School. I picture them looking like this:
"Tyra, did you really just eliminate me from the dorm?"
Tyra Quote Of The Week: "I've got my whip outfit on to-night! Whooo honey, be scared!"
What else did we learn this week?
The main thing we learned this week is that Sara is pretty awesome, which of course means that she was eliminated. They had lots of footage of her cracking jokes and having fun. She also opens up about being a feminist and coming from a poor background. She seems pretty self aware, which is a change from some of the dummies that have been on ANTM in the past.
Like Jade!!!
I got annoyed this week when the girls had a discussion about if modelling or college is more important. Sara tells the girls that she wants to have an education so that she will be able to provide for her family when her "looks run out". Alexandria is of the opinion that, even if they don't win, the girls should head to New York and pursue modelling anyway. I don't really think that either point of view is unreasonable, but I don't like how the reaction shots were edited to make Sara seem like she was talking crazy. Just because Sara is being practical about her future does not mean that she is any less qualified to win ANTM. Just don't apply to Harvard Business School Sara, or you might have to share a dorm with Tyra!
The challenge this week is a runway show where the girls have their hand set on fire. It's pretty lame, except for Miss J's Perfect 10 Lemon Meringue Pie outfit:
At this point they don't even pretend that the runway shows are in any way real. Check out the crowd! It's full of tourists and kids.
Hey green shirt, are you the new Terry Richardson?
Hey Miss Cutie, are you the new Tavi Gevinson?
Dalya wins best Fire Walk With Me, and her prizes are 2 ugly dresses by Lady Gaga's favourite designer. Great! Miss J teaches the girls in the bottom 3 of the challenge (Kasia, Hannah, and Sara) by making them walk home. Hannah is annoyed and thinks she needs pepper spray as they are walking through a "ghetto" area. I'm hoping that Miss Hannah is not equating ethnic with ghetto. I highly doubt Miss J would have them walk through Compton or anything.
Oooooo...an office building. So scary!
The photo shoot this week is actually a commercial shoot for a fake coffee invented by Tyra ("fierce roast"). It's a Mad Men-esque shoot and the girls have to act flirty in pairs. Molly (who gets her weave taken out for the challenge and photo shoot), looks almost identical to Betty Draper!
Some girls (Kasia, Jaclyn, Hannah) do an awesome job, and some girls (Britanni, Sara, Alexandria) do not. The video director, who we are supposed to think is the sexiest guy around, is annoying. He kind of reminds me of a better looking Marcel from Top Chef. Not sexy!
Alexandria is still acting rude to everyone, including the staff on set. When Francesco/Marcel calls her out for trying to take over as director, she seems surprised and tells him she's just trying to help. The girls would like Alexandria to go home because of her attitude, as would I at this point. Tyra calls her out for being rude, and she ends up in the bottom 2, but she is spared going home because of Sara.
It was great seeing lots of fun Sara footage this week, but she deserved to go home. She made a big deal about the commercial not being her thing and how she would be embarassed for her Femcore friends at home to see it. In the real world, if someone is paying you to rep their product, you have to suck it up and try your best. I'm sure all of those models in herpes cream or adult diaper commercials aren't super jazzed for their friends to see them either. Sara was unprofessional and didn't put much effort into the ad. She knew as much, and left with a classy voiceover. Bye Sara!
Next week: swears during the Cover Girl web commercial! Alexandria is bitchy! Diaries are read!
Oh...I almost forgot. Molly debuted her new weave at panel. She seems thrilled about how great it looks:
