Penguin Cake

So I love penguins. Not sure why. Actually it's because they are perfectly crunchy cute waddlers. Like get cuter. When I was growing up it was Dolphins but now its definitely penguins. So last weekend I decided to make a penguin cake. I am by no means a "cake boss" but I think it turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. First I baked 2 cupcakes (the feet) and then a rectangular cake for the body. I trimmed the top to get the wings. Then I iced him, thought I would make him wear a bow-tie a la Chuck Bass.

10 Tips to Being Photogenic

So I read these tips in a magazine recently...I will paraphrase and put my own spin on them...enjoy. I do not guarantee any results, but if they make you more photogenic then I will take the credit.

1- Stand Like the Celebs

So basically they said you should stand with your torso twisted, one shoulder facing the camera and one pointing away. Oh and I also heard somewhere else to put your hand on your hip - it makes your arms see slimmer.

2 - Wear Lip Gloss

So maybe this tip is for girls only. The recommend a barry colour since it's supposed to be universally flattering.

3 - Be Sober

No drunk pictures.

4 - Lay Off the Hairspray

They recommend "natural hair", I don't think they mean bedhead though unless that is the look you are going for...

5 - Use a Good Camera

Do I really have to elaborate?

6 - Stick Your Neck Out

Maybe don't overdo this one though, you could look crazy.

7 - Sunrise or Sunset

These times of day have the most flattering light. No glaring sun in your eyeball or bright flash making you look white at night.

8 - Reduce the Shine

Don't look all sweaty, again unless that's the look you are going for. They recommend some blotting powder.

9 - Say "Money"

Don't say cheese say money. I've tried this one and it works actually. The smile is much better. Plus who wants to yell cheese?

10 - Trademark Your Look

o you know how models have a signature walk or stare, that's what the article said to do. This Zoolander. People tell me I tilt my head to the side like 90% of the time when I pose. Practice in the mirror - that's what Tyra tells her models to do.

Now go take some pictures!

Top 5 Songs of December

Meet Me Half Way - Black Eyed Peas

I think I first heard this song (I don't listen to the radio sorry) when they performed it on SNL. They did like a slowed down version that I really liked. There's something catchy about it even though it's not a party anthem song. Wil.I.Am just seems to make things sound good. I don't even hate Fergie in this one.

Empire State of Mind - Jay Z (ft. Alicia Keys)

Okay I know I know, another mainstream song. But after my recent trip to NYC I love all things New York. Also as my friend Amy says "It's such an inspiring and motivating song" (I'm not sure if that's an exact quote, so don't sue me). My friend Tania says it makes her want to be from New York. They also featured it in Gossip Girl this week (like duh they wouldn't).

Ambling Alp - Yeasayer

I think I heard this song 4 times (on satellite radio) on a recent trip to Toronto to see my friends the Pretty Faces play a show. I've always like Yeasayer and this song is no different. It has the same random lyrics and crazy sounds mixed with a rhythmic beat. It's another one I try to sing along to and probably am getting totally wrong.

Let Me In - El Perro Del Mar

So this song isn't "new" but I had gotten it before we saw this Swedish act perform with PBJ last month and hadn't really listen to it much. After seeing them I decided to give it a try again. I now appreciate the simplicity of it. It's different - they are Swedish after all. It has a drifty very Urban Outfitters feel.

Boneless - Notwist

Okay so I thought for so long he was saying "homeless" instead of "boneless". Why? I have no idea since it doesn't sound ANYTHING like homeless. I love how he draws out the word and the little high whistle thing mixed with the like dirty drum machine sound (in the remix version I have). The original track is good to, a good driving song for roadtrips or a song to ponder life by.

Movie Weekend

Last weekend I saw three movies. Here is what I saw and what I thought:

Public Enemy - Some parts were slow, you had to pay attention to follow the story and keep the characters straight. As usual Johnny Depp did a good job "becoming" the character. 3.5/5

Julie & Julia - This one was really good. I loved the parts between Stanley Tucci and Meryl Streep. Amy Adams wasn't my favourite part of the movie surprisingly. I thought it was really good and I really like the actor who played Julie's husband - he was in Away We Go. Pretty sure I'll buy this one - even if it DID make me want to eat after. 4/5

Brothers - Very intense emotionally, like I didn't cry but you definitely have strong feelings for the characters. The little girls in the movie are amazing. It's shocking and I would definitely recommend it. Some critics panned it for the "war" themes but put that aside and it's a decent movie. My one friend said the only thing missing was Jake Gyllenhaal topless. 4/5

Vogue Moment

So while in New York we saw a photo shoot that was taking place across the street from our hotel. We recognized the model (Coco Rocha) and the photographer (Annie Leibovitz), and we assumed it would be for Vogue. So low and behold in the December issue...the photo we saw being shot!

A Mid December Retrospective

So I was going through my computer and deleting old files when I came upon some old photos that I hadn't moved over to iPhoto. So I decided to see where I was approximately a year from today over the last few years. The earliest digital photos I had started in December 2004, I think when we got out first digital camera to go to the Bahamas. Wow that was an amazing trip in so many ways. One of the main things I remember is my sister and I not fighting for a whole week. Now that's amazing.

This time in 2005 I had gotten my dad tickets to see Gwen Stefani (who he has always loved). So here is a picture from her Dec 10 show at the ACC. This was when I was still fairly new to concerts and could count the ones I'd been to on my fingers.

In 2006 I was making cupcakes with my best friend Hollie. We loved decorating cupcakes, it was so "crunchy". I really miss her, and when I look at pictures I remember why. We had so much fun together.

In 2007 the only mid december picture I have is of my driving to school on a snowy morning drinking Starbucks. Well the Starbucks thing hasn't changed. I was in my second year of Management Studies at Conestoga College. I've reminisced about school before and my mixed feelings about it. Well that's where I was 2 years ago.

So what was I doing last year? Well I was apparently at Yorkdale taking this picture in the underground parking lot. We had gone to find dresses for the big James Bond party we were throwing. We shopped and then had dinner at Moxie's.

What am I doing today? Well I went to work, wrote this, and am now leaving to go have coffee with Amy and Tania. Wonder what I'll be doing next year?

Anthropologie

Okay I LOVE LOVE LOVE this store. The clothes are so unique and the details are so special. Nothing seems cookie cutter or like something you could get anywhere. A lot of the pieces are pricey, but they are quality. A lot of their stuff is dreamy and girly. I was first introduced to them by my friend Hollie. We ordered our bridesmaid dresses from the site. Here's my and her sister Hannah in them...

When you walk in the store your eyes are going everywhere trying to take in all the displays with their textures and colours. The first one I went to was in Boca Raton, FL. I must have spent over an hour just looking at everything. Here was one of the displays. When we were in New York we went to the one by 30 Rock and we probably spent 2 hours there. I got an amazing dress and found this beautiful handmade (not in China) statement necklace that was on sale too.

Not only do they carry clothing, shoes and accessories, but they also have a wide variety of housewares including bedding, furniture, dishes and decorative accents. I just recently found out they carry swimwear... it's the prettiest stuff I've seen.

Their catalogues are also amazing. The photography is beautiful and soft, each one could be be featured in Vogue. I would sign up for them, they are free. If you like scrapbooking or just looking at beautiful things it's a nice treat in the mail. I am not responsible if you then want to get the items inside though.

Check It Out: http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/index.jsp

How I Will Remember November

This picture was taken November 8th, I swear. It was probably more than 20 degrees in the sun. It was a beautiful day. The water was so clam and we skipped stones and sat on logs enjoying cold "beverages". I love that we had no snow all month, I mean I know it has to come eventually, but it's here for long enough, so I don't mind the late start.

This picture was taken near Bayfiled, ON at a friends cottage.

Chicago Girls

So I came across this song somewhere...it's kind of funny and catchy. I've never been to Chicago but I'm assuming it's fairly accurate?

Chicago Girls (The XX)- James Dean http://www.mediafire.com/?zdt5mhz5wnu

The Pretty Faces "come home"

I was so happy when I first heard that my good friends The Pretty Faces were doing a tour and coming to Toronto for a gig - a first. I've known Jeff and Thomas (the lead vocalist/guitar and drummer) since I can literally remember. Hannah is Jeff's wife whom I became really good friends with in 2005. The band has been operating out of Southern Florida for the last few years now. They have a great upbeat sound and put on a cool live performance. If you get a chance check them out on iTunes.

After getting stuck in traffic on the way to the show (nearly 3 hours when it should take 1 hour) we arrived for the show at Rancho Relaxo. We had some great authentic Mexican food before hand and I had the chance to quickly catch up with Hannah. I think the show was great too because I knew so many people there. The bands friends and family were all in attendance which made it really special for them. They started their set at midnight, so needless to say it was a late night but well worth it! (PS Hannah I can't wait for your next visit!!)

A Janglin' Good Time

On Novemeber 24th at El Mocambo in Toronto I had the interesting experience of seeing Edward Sharpe and the Magnificent Zeros perform to a sold out crowd. We arrived at the venue just before 8pm (we didn't want to get their earlier and have another confrontation with the door nazi). We did arrive early in the city so we had some delicious apple beer at Rancho Relaxo (a must for their Mexican food!). The venue started filling pretty steadily. The first on stage were the Local Natives, from California. I had just heard of them that day, and I was impressed. They put on a great performance, full of energy. The below photos are from their set. One thing that all the bands did was use an array of instruments.

The second band Fools Gold (also from California) was less than great. They took FOREVER to set up and do their sound-check. I couldn't understand what they were saying when they were singing - because they sing in Hebrew. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but it's not my thing. All the songs were long and seemed to drag. The redeeming moment was the last song when they invited a bunch of people on stage, and a man in a cat mask appeared.

Finally "Edward Sharpe" and his 10 bandmates joined the stage. They had no plan it seems. They would have a little huddle between songs to decide what to play, there were a few discussions between Alex and Jane. (Jane was not what I expected btw). It was kinda neat though, they danced and drank liqueur and took off their shoes and just had a great time with the crowd. Once you got over the fact that it looked as if they hadn't showered in a few days you could really get into their vibe. They only played like 6 songs (I think at the end they kind of ran out of ideas of what to play). They did a little encore where they invited anyone who wanted to "Brother" with them on stage. The rest of the audience sat on the floor. Definitely something I've never seen before Alex admitted that he was thinking of canceling the second date the next night but because the crowd was so awesome they were going to play it.

My Ears Have Bling

When I was in New York in September the first store I think I went into was Henri Bendel. One of my purchases were these iPod earbud covers by Deos, which are encrusted with Swarovski crystals. I love how they look and I had to have them. Something to dress up those generic iPod earbuds that everyone has...

Review - Caramel Brulée Latte

So this winter Starbucks has introduced a new drink: The Caramel Brulée Latte. This is an espresso based beverage that is served with whip cream and little bits of "burnt" sugar on top, just like a real creme brulée dessert. I would normally get it whith no whip and nonfat milk - but still a grande is 310 calories. If you go for the full out version (which tastes the best I must admit) then you are looking at 440 calories with 13 grams of fat. Yikes. If you like the Caramel Macchiato then you will probably like this drink. It has a slightly nuttier flavour to it because of the caramel syrup versus the vanilla syrup in the Macchiato.

Rating: 4 out 5

MTV Aftershow

Yep I like watching the Aftershow. One of my favourite episodes was Dan's Super Sweet 26. I'm not a huge fan of The Hills or PeakSeason or The City but I do like watching Dan Levy and Jessi Cruickshank banter back and forth. So a few weeks ago I got tickets to a taping. We had to arrive between 9:30pm. We checked in, got seated and went through some ground rules. Then Dan and Jessi came out to say hi and watch the episode with us.

Then at 10:30pm we were live. It was all over so fast. It was fun getting to hear them talk and prep between commercials and getting to hear stuff like that they thought Brody was a jerk. They stayed and took pictures with EVERYONE that was there (mind you that was only about 45 people). Jessi is really tall and skinny in real life and Dan seems smaller. enjoyed it, still love them.

Movie Review - "The September Issue"

I wouldn't recommend this everyone, in fact I would probably only recommend it those who read Vogue, have an appreciation for fashion and who want to see behind the scenes of an often mocked industry. The premise looks at the creation of the September 2007 issue of Vogue (the September issue is their largest each year). It also looked at Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington the two that really make the magazine happen. I definitely learned a lot about these women. The movie was like candy for your eyes, with shots of Paris, Rome and New York. You see just how much work goes into a spread and at what an art it really is, while still being a business for sure. You learn to respect Anna, even though she seems like a nightmare at times. I laughed, I was shocked and, well no I didn't cry. If you like this you must see Valentino: The Last Emperor, I DID cry at the end of that.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Shopping in...BUFFALO

Last weekend I went to Buffalo to go shopping for the first time (that I can remember anyways) with Amy and our moms. The night before I could barely sleep because I was so excited - weird right? So we got up early and departed around 8am. We got across the border no problems and made our way towards the Walden Galleria Mall. We were hungry so we decided to look for a Denny's. We took a detour to a Danny's (funny story) and then found a Denny's. We had a yummy breakfast then hit the mall by 11:30am. We shopped til our arms hurt, making various trips to the car. By 7:30 we were tired and needed food. So we went across to the Olive Garden (!) and had to wait an hour (during this wait we went to Borders across the street). We had our meals with salad and breadsticks (amazing!) and then headed to our hotel to enjoy a drink or two. After an interesting nights sleep we had breakfast at the hotel and headed out to do some more shopping. By 3pm we were DONE, like couldn't walk anymore DONE. So we headed home, sitting in line at customs for 2 hours (Amy had GG episodes on her iPod thankfully!) but we didn't get pulled over which was good. I'd definitely go again, there were some good deals to be had.

Top 5 Songs of November

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Yes I will admit I like Lady G. Her new song took awhile to grow on me but now I like it. It sounds cool like this or unplugged on her piano too. Not really sure who would WANT a bad romance, but the song is catchy.

Love Long Distance - Gossip

This song reminds me of a roller rink...oh maybe because I saw the video. I really like the lead singer's voice. It does sound similar to their song Heavy Cross...maybe that's why I like it.

Deadbeat Summer - Neon Indian

This song reminds me of something in an 80's video game.

You've Got the Love (XX Remix) - Florence and the Machine

I just love this song. I love the XX. The end.

Airplanes - Local Natives

I have to give props (who says that?) to my sister since she had the song first. I found out about them and saw them all in one day. They opened in Toronto for Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. I really liked them. This song is good and so is Sun Hands.

Make Up Box of Love

So some of you may seen the glory of the make up box in person. I don't want to even venture at how much the contents are worth...but it's worth it. I love playing with makeup and get giddy every time I set foot inside a Sephora. Pretty sure I have enough to keep me going for awhile now though...

White Lies - Rounds 2 and 3

So as part of my trip to NYC we decided to include a concert. Well it just so worked out that White Lies (one of my favourite bands) was playing back to back shows in Manhattan and then in Toronto. So we scheduled our trip around that. It was cool to see the difference in the crowds. At Webster Hall in New York the crowd was more mature, maybe 25-45, and they were pretty chill. The band played a straight set no encore. Then in Toronto at the Phoenix (which was an early show) the crowd was much more rowdy - mosh pit? crowd surfing? fist fits? and definitely younger. People were getting on the stage and the band thought we were nuts. They said as much at the end. Here's a shot from the New York show of Harry and his shiny guitar...

Top 5 Songs of October

So not all of these are new, some are older but rediscovered:

Wait - Alexi Murdoch

You may recognize this from the movie Away We Go with John Krasinski and Maya Rudoplph. If you haven;t seen this movie yet my only question for you is: Why? Anyways this song is amazing - if you are in a reflective kind of sad mood I'm pretty sure you will cry.

Horchata - Vampire Weekend

I finally took the 2 seconds it takes to find out what Horchata is. It's the name for several kinds of traditional beverages, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or tigernuts. Sounds gross. Nevertheless, the song is good.

Animal (Crookers remix) - Miike Snow

Yes this song was on Gossip Girl but that wasn't the first time I heard it. It's kinda jungle sounding but not so much that it's annoying (at least in my opinion). I particularly like this version. If you like this one try Plastic Jungle - I love driving to that one.

Velvet - The Big Pink

This has 90's feel mixed with a melodic space-y-ness that will probably be used in a car commercial.

Moth's Wings - Passion Pit

This has a harpsichord thing happening at the beginning and it's fun to TRY and sing-a-long to.

NYC = LOVE

So I'm pretty sure NYC changed me. It was MAJOR. I could have just stayed. Like as soon as we got out of the cab we started to acclimate. Our hotel was great, perfect location. We did so much despite or sore feet, the heat and general exhaustion. That was all part of it though. There were so many highs. Shopping at Henri Bendel, Brooklyn Bethel, Times Square, Lunch at the Palace Hotel, Jimmy Fallon, the Russian Tea Room, dinner at STK...I could go on and on. Even the moments that weren't so great are still good memories. I'll never forget my first time and it won't be my last...

Fall Is Here

Yep it's official. I was in denial for awhile but I am now embracing the season. So I've but away my shorts and tank tops and gotten out my hoodies and scarves. I'm looking forward to some hot apple cider and crunching leaves under my feet. I love fall when it's sunny and crisp, so hopefully we'll get some of that. Lately it's just been damp and rainy, not so hot. Last year this time I was in the Muskoka's at my uncle's cottage. This year I will be in Grand Bend. Looking forward to some good laughs and big meals!

This is now the second year of no "back to school" and I don't miss it in the ways I thought I would. It's more random when it hits me. You adjust and move on.

Fall also means more concerts! 2009 kind of became the year of concerts. A really exciting one is coming up...my friends (The Pretty Faces) from Florida are coming to play a few shows in Toronto at the end of November. Definitely looking forward to that :)

OLP @ Elements

Last week Amy, Steph and I went to see Our Lady Peace at Elements Nightclub in Kitchener. They were performing for Conestoga College's frosh week. After finally figuring out the ticket logistics (which turned out to be unnecessary) we got in the venue as close the front as possible, which was pretty close. The set was good, played a lot of their older repertoire and got the audience singing along. at one point Raine made his way to the bar and drank some girl's beer. The opening band was from Waterloo, Will Currie and the Country French. They put on a set of folky indie pop. The guys (and one girl) were really nice, we had a chance to chat with them after the show. We talked about recipe swapping and meeting bands, about where they went to school and the drunk guy Ryan that decided to stand with us.

This is Dan MacPherson of Will Currie and the Country French (he looked like Alex from Franz Ferdinand to us)

OLP playing their set

A blurry one of Raine on the bar

Le Cycle 13

ANTM (America's Next Tops Model for those who don't know) started this week. I have to say it was one of the best season openers ever. Tyra was crazy, Ms J was crazy, Jay was crazy, the girls were crazy and the photo shoot was actually good. Highlights were Tyra's French/British accent rant, the "Jesus" girl's panel interview, and "TyOvers" (Tyra Makeovers). So I'm excited to see what is to come. My top 3 girls are as follows (based on last nights performance):

Erin, Nicole and Rae

2009 Paris Fair-is wheel

So this was my first time going to the Paris Fair. My first observations were a) I can't believe how many people are here, b) Carny people are hilarious/scary, but mostly hilarious and c) why is everything so expensive! Haha the rides we went on were actually really fun, lots of spinning. By the end I was feeling a little queazy. If you want a candy apple, a quote on a new tractor, to be flipped upside down repeatedly or to get a tooth gem (yes they are real) then this is the place to be.

The flavours of Extract

Saturday night after the Paris Fair we decided to go see a movie. After browsing Chapters and grabbing some Starbizzle we decided on Extract. I had seen the trailers and thought they looked funny. The movie is directed by Mike Judge of Office Space fame. I knew that Ben Affleck, J.K Simmons, Kristen Wiig and Jason Bateman were in it so I was expecting it to be pretty funny. Maybe because my expectations were so high this movie fell short. Don't get me wrong, there were funny moments but I doubt it will reach cult status as Office Space did.

Aye Scotland

Last night I watched Stone of Destiny. It's based on a true story of how a group of Scotish university students plotted and went to Westminster Abbey in London to "steal" back this giant stone that was a symbolic emblem for Scotland. It happened in 1950 so that added another cool element to the movie. The acting was good as was the casting, gotta love those accents (some of them were fake but I couldn't tell). It entertained me and I learned something so I'm giving it a 3.5 out of 5.

I was questioning their use of alcohol at this point...

This Better Happen To Me

When I go to NYC I hope we get this close!

Gossip Girl Stalker Gets Some Good Footage

Shared via AddThis

The XX

I wonder if they put their hands together outside a club with those black x's that bouncers put on your hands for people underaged...Well I don't know why they are called The XX, but they are and they are good. The xx are a band from from south west London and formed in 2005 when they were just 16 years old! The four band members met at the same school Hot Chip attended. They even produced their own album which is pretty cool. My friend Amy and I have this thing were randomly all the things we really like are connected - here's another example, they toured with The Big Pink who we also like and are going to see this fall. Their sound is really cool. To me it seems more mature than their 20 years...like chill and kinda sad at times. I also love who it bounces between guy/girl singing...kinda like The Stars, but a different sound for sure. All their stuff is good but my current favourites are : Infinity, Basic Space, Shelter and Islands. Okay forget it I like them ALL. Can't wait to see them in December...

Very 90's vibe in their style don't you think?

Sunshine Cleaning - What a Mess

Don't let the title fool you, it was actually pretty good. From the makers of Little Miss Sunshine, this movie too was dark at times, but it had its funny moments too. Casting was good, love Amy Adams. It was really interesting because you don't normally think of what happens after the crime, to clean it up. The way the plot developed and the story unfolded was interesting as well. My rating is 2.5 out of 5. 

Red or White or Ice?

So this past Saturday I was invited last minute on a winery tour in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I've never toured a winer before so I jumped at the chance. Our group of 8 met at our friend Rudy's house who arranged the trip at 2pm, expecting to be picked up at 2:30pm. Well the driver arrived at 3:30pm, that hour was spent watching YouTube videos and some episodes of Better Off Ted. We jumped into our Sprinter van and met our driver Bill (who proceeded to tell us that he had gone to St.Jacobs to pick up some cinnamon butter...). Off we were finally. We had snacks in the van and made up stories about the other cars driving by.
Inside Bill's Party Van

We arrived at Canyon Run, a fairly new winery. Our tour guide was not there yet so we hung out and just as we were about to start the party ourselves Chris our guide arrived. I didn't trust his orange sunglasses...So we started off at the vines themselves and learned a bit about the soil and the grapes and growing seasons. Then we headed inside for our tasting. The room of stainless steel vats was tiny but we all squeezed in. We proceeded to taste 2 whites and 2 reds. I purchased the unoaked chardonay which was my favourite out of the ones we tasted.

Waiting for Chris outside of Coyote's Run 

Then we loaded up back into the van and headed to Pillitteri Estates which is the largest ice wine producer in the world and the inventors of red ice wine. Our guide there was pretty funny and we saw the cellars and did a tasting of 4 more wines and 2 ice wines (apparantly that's the first time they have done 2 ice wine samples). They were so delicious. I picked up a bottle of the 2007 Gewurztraminer Reisling Fushion which has 1% ice wine and a bottle of the Cabernet Franc ice wine. While waiting for the other bus group to finish up one of them came to our bus, opened the door with a CASE in his hands and was like "Oh this isn't my bus is it?" We should have grabbed the case and shut the door. We died laughing.

Outside of Pilliteri Estates 

Then we were off to Trius Hildebrand. The property an buildings were gorgeous. Perfect for a wedding. We had an outdoor tasting beginning with sparkling wine. Then Trius White and Trius Red. Then came the ice wine, it
had a apricot/pineapple taste. We ended up getting 2 or 3 samples. The bottles were $70 so unfortunately didn't buy any. We were sufficiently happy at this point and were ready to get some food.

Chris pouring samples for Stevie and the rest of the gang

Amy and I sampling at Trius Hildebrand

We arrived at Casa Mia, a gourmet Italian restaurant. We were seated in a private room and our waiter Andrew was great. With each course was a bottle
of wine (ice wine at dessert!). We had an amouse bouche, appetizers,
sorbet, main course and dessert. The food was REALLY good...see the pictures below for proof (smoked salmon and tiramisu). 

All in all it was a great day and night. When I finally home at 2am I was thinking I can't wait to do it again :)