POLYVOOOOOOOORE

Yael introduced me to polyvore.com last night and my life is officially complete. Well, a paying job would help. But near completion, sartorially speaking. This site allows you to create "sets" comprised of pieces you love. Sources range from Delia's and ASOS to Balmain and Balenciaga; you search based on the name of the designer or the type of item you want. You then compile items into an outfit. It's like playing Vogue fashion editor and creating layouts, only without Ms. Wintour there to kick your ass if you do a bad job. You can also create interior design sets.

Here is my first set:
A simple, Acne tunic dress is the perfect canvas for a mix of tough and feminine accessories. Thomas Wylde studded sandals and the most-versatile Proenza PS1 contrast with gilted bangles and a festive, feathered headband. My favorite watch, classic and timeless (not literally, I hope), the Hermes double tour Cape Cod. Think summer, lunch at Frank and a stroll through the AGO.


Wish Canadian winters were warm enough to wear this by jesspollack

Who got game?

I got game
she's got game
we got game
they got game
he got game
it might feel good
or sound a little somethin
but fuck the game if it ain't saying nothin

A little Public Enemy there for you. But, seriously, I just finished reading The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists. I know it's been out for a while but I saw it on my boyfriend's shelf a few months ago and my interest was immediately piqued; my boyfriend definitely does't seem the type who would read a manual on seducing and picking up women. He told me it was actually an interesting story so I would read a chapter here and there when I was at his place until it got to a point when I had to abduct the book and take it home.

As a woman, there were obviously times when I was enraged by the objectification and manipulation of women so rampant amongst the pickup artists (PUAs). However, my rage was joined by a feeling that this could never happen to me, that I am not like those other women. I'm sure this is a common sentiment amongst women reading this type of book (although I can't honestly say how true it is). As a journalist, I was so intrigued by Neil Strauss's years-long dedication to understanding and dominating this underground society and the witty yet poignant way in which he chronicles his experiences. He vividly paints the "peacocked" characters within the community while exploring the internal elements that make each PUA and, accordingly, each PUA's theory, so different.

It's shocking how intelligent and even brilliant so many of these master pickup artists are - I can only imagine what they could have achieved in other fields. But a central idea in the book is that, at it's prime, studying with the PUAs not only improved your chances with women but also opened you up socially in all areas of life. When it went well, these otherwise socially awkward, introverted men ended up more confident, more gregarious and more comfortable standing out in a crowd. When it went poorly, they became social robots unable to discuss or think about anything other than the game. In the end, this became so rampant that Strauss had to fuck the game.

Strauss alternates between a narrative of his experiences as a student and a master PUA, traveling around the world and living at Project Hollywood (PUA central in LA) and actual posts taken from the dominant medium of communication for PUAs - web forums. Having an interest in psychology and anthropology, this was definitely up my alley as a cultural exploration and a study in human nature. Overall, I give it a thumbs up.

A welcome to you sir, and a welcome back madam

Two new blogs I'm excited about (with no bias WHATSOEVER)...

a) rantingsofashopaholic.blogspot.com - the lovely Ms. Yael Latner, self-proclaimed shopaholic and Toronto fashionista, will be gracing us with her every heart's desire...and then some

b) blogligated.blogspot.com - pensive, fictional tidbits from insomniac P.T. Beckett (an alias, of course)

If I had any semblance of a following they might actually thank me!

woot woot

Robert Polidori

I think Robert Polidori's photography is exceptional. I don't fancy myself a photography buff, so my opinion comes devoid of any expertise on the subject, but sometimes isn't raw, uneducated perception as meaningful? It's certainly as true.

Polidori has extensively photographed Versailles under restoration, New Orleans after the hurricane, Chernobyl and Havana. The juxtaposition he creates in his photography really hit me - for example, the pristine paintings in Versailles set against the worn, tarnished walls of the palace. (At times, the paintings in the photographs are so clear and vibrant it's hard to tell if the entire picture is, in fact, painted.)
I have always been fascinated by the contrast of old and new and, like many a naive traveler, returned from India with visions of a photography show centered around this very contradiction (so pervasive in India).

Here are a few of my favorite photographs. The opulent bed and stairwell against the almost generic, checkered, tile floor really speaks to me.

MAZEL TOV

Congratulations Alexander Wang!! I do very much enjoy Obedient Sons and Daughters; for what they are trying to do they really nail it on the head. They're also an adorable family and always look effortlessly great. But Alexander Wang is a wunderkind designer with talent seeping out of every pore. He's come so far in four years and I look forward to his every future collection!

I love this

"A room full of nerds, mouthbreathers and high school kids..."
mouthbreathers
ha

True Blood

Truly so good! Some characters are better than others - some become exceedingly annoying at times. But the concept of the show is brilliant and the creepy context, the hillbilly accents, the incestuous nature of such a small town; compounded they create a general feel that often leaves your skin crawling. Alan Ball is a genius and creates these kinds of moods so flawlessly. You need only watch the opening credits (long but exceptional) to understand what I mean. Oh to hear Bill the vampire say the name "Sookie" in his deep, steadfast yet slightly drawling voice - deathly serious (literally; he IS a vamp, after all) but slightly funny at the same time. Fans of Six Feet Under have probably already checked out True Blood, though the storyline and characters aren't nearly as relatable as those in Six Feet. Try it on for size, like those plastic fangs you bought at a costume store for your 5th grade halloween costume...you just might like it!

My friend Yael made an excellent point - I neglected to mention that the relationship between the humans and vampires in True Blood mirrors and speaks to race relations and discrimination in the United States (and worldwide). Tara, one of few African Americans living in Bon Temps, constantly and antagonistically plays the race card at various points of the season, neglecting to realize the hypocrisy of her own discrimination against vampires. Sam Merlotte also mistreats the vampires despite a very intriguing secret of his own (watch to find out!!)

On a side note, the new South Park speaks to our current interest in vampires (Twilight, True Blood, etc.). It's hilarious, as usual. Check it out!

Morning Sweep

Being unemployed affords you the luxury of fluttering around the web with your morning coffee, looking for interesting things of note. I have a few intriguing (and sometimes oddball) things to share on this one such morning...

1. A Toronto band with an unpronounceable name
Apparently they played a 12-hour show in NYC recently (in the LES Rogan store!) which is extremely odd as they are a hardcore, "non-conformist" freakshow whose name is so vulgar it can't even be printed. They have a song that is pro-pedophilia. The lead singer, "pink eyes", sometimes breaks bottles on his head or cuts himself with razorblades (I'd literally become week in the knees and pass out on the ground, only to be trampled, no question). Moby was there (and covered Blitzkrieg Bop), Ezra from Vampire Weekend was there, and so was some other dude from Dinosaur Jr.
It all comes back to the question of why on earth they were playing where they did, with said guests, and how they got even a semi-positive review in the Times...if anyone has anything to share about this phenomenon, or, better yet, if anyone was there, do tell!

2. Great, witty essay by Joe Queenan lamenting how overly positive reviews can be as detrimental as, if not more detrimental than, their negative counterparts
www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/books/review/Queenan-t.html?ref=books

3. Chanel Spring 2009 RTW
I wonder if Coco (and I don't mean Rocha) could have ever imagined a PVC-esque (I guess Karl would use leather) bandeau at Chanel? Yes, Karl is practically as inherently a part of the double C as Coco - he just gets it - but this is out there. And what is up with the floral, Little House on the Prairie, luminescent disaster?!
Also, I'm not afraid to admit that I love love love the shoes with the pom pom heels!! Overall, though, the collection was fascinating, with inspiration ranging from a decades-old portrait of Coco Chanel to Flamenco dancers and Parisian streetwalkers.

Some of my FART (faux art)...

They're all painted on canvas, with acrylics. If I knew anything about art I might know how to use something other than acrylics...like oils, or that fancy ink stuff, or one of those crazy spatula things. All in good time...

Paradise FOUND? More like paradise LOST!

Sitting on the couch tonight, drinking wine and watching new episodes of Californication and Entourage, I became quite complacent and started perusing the October issue of Nylon (yes, I'm a little behind on my reading). I came upon an article on Tamarindo that made me a) wish I had written about Costa Rica first and b) wish a more realistic picture of Tamarindo had been painted.I spent a full month this summer in that ratty little town (save for a few nights in a true yuppy paradise, Nosara) and this image of the city as a found paradise in the midst of Central America can only come from having experienced it on crack. Although I can't vouch for that assumption...I've avoided it, living my life according to the age-old adage that "crack kills". But alas, I digress. Having learned to surf on Tamarindo's reasonably beautiful beaches, I willingly admit that the beginner surf in front of Witch's Rock is surpassed by no other, this being the allure of Tamarindo. And the nachos at Eat@Joes, heralded as being "as big as your ass", are likewise an excellent selling point. However, what paradise can be found ends there. Tamarindo is a little-big town, in the process of being overdeveloped with hotels and luxury condos, where finding a drug dealer (speaking of crack) or a hooker is as easy as finding a surfboard. In a word, the town is seedy. It's also populated for the most part by fratboys and jocks and their ubiquitously midriff-bearing female counterparts. When a surf town has club promoters handing you fliers while you try to enjoy a local casado, you know it's gone to shit. The real reason to go is the surf - where else can you sit on a board five feet away from Robert August? The truth is, there are numerous beautiful resorts outside the cities that provide the opportunity to explore the beach on horseback and watch the sun set on a catamaran, amongst other activities that so excited the author of the Nylon article. The saddest part is that, sitting on the beach at Tamarindo looking towards the increasingly developed terrain of cranes and condos, one gets a sense of what Tamarindo used to be, how lush the hills used to be with palm trees and vibrant flowers, before they were spattered with summer homes... a true paradise. Oh, to have been there 10 years ago!

Please note: Witch's Rock is an amazing surf camp with great food and great people. We've stayed at Witch's a few times and have definitely had great times, spending most of our time around the camp and out in the water. Although the town is ugly, the author gets it right in mentioning the mantra that a true Costa Rican visit includes extending your ticket at least once...I speak from experience.

ASHISH via MIA

I may once again be dazedly wandering about, out of the loop and oblivious to what's going on, miles behind fashion's far less flighty virtuosos. However, I am still thrilled to have had my first encounter with London (via India) designer Ashish Gupta, whose debut at London Fashion Week in fall/winter 2004 garnered much praise and was considered "a delightfully bright and cheery catwalk debut".

I was reading a Fader interview with MIA from last month (which was great, by the way - she is such a unique and interesting artist) and she mentioned Ashish as an underrated designer she favors. I immediately went to the Ashish website and checked out a few of his most recent collections. I can't necessarily pull off MIA's horizontally-patterned, tight-as-spandex onesies with bomber jackets, but I would happily wear much of what I saw on the runway at Ashish. His earlier collections are more off-the-wall, more MIA, mixing tye dye tights with printed outfits in seemingly clashing colors.

The way he has used sequins and fringe in recent collections is so unique and playful. He uses sequins to make camouflage prints, plaid and gingham,or punctuates sequin pieces with holes, and the dresses have sexy details like plunging backs. India is one of my favorite countries in the world and yet I'm not familiar with any Indian designers, which definitely added to my excitement about Ashish.

Ashish has also created a collection for Topshop, which isn't able to showcase his true abilities at more reasonable prices, but which definitely earns him props in my books (as does any designer who creates more affordable clothing lines for fans who can't otherwise afford their clothes).

If you're a fan of MIA, you'll understand immediately why she would love these clothes; if you're a fan of fun, original designs, you'll immediately love Ashish.

Check out the website to see more:
http://www.ashish.co.uk/content.html

Update: I heart Pierre Hardy

I still love Pierre Hardy, although his current collection doesn't touch me in the same way that past collections have. However, here is a story that will no doubt tear at your most resistant heartstrings.

This past spring, I somehow acquired my first pair of Pierre Hardy shoes (yes, I'm talking about the beauties you see in the picture). They went so perfectly with my dress that I knew it could only have been a match made in heaven. I had bought the outfit for a wedding I would be attending with my boyfriend in New York.

As I slipped on my deep blue dress and zipped up my gorgeous shoes the night of the wedding, I felt fantastic. As I waited for the elevator and made my way to the lobby, I was beginning to feel the slightest bit off kilter. During hors d'oeuvres following the ceremony, my discomfort was growing exponentially by the minute but the compliments I was getting (many from allegedly fashion-savvy men) still left me predominately walking on air.

Then came the dancing. Oh, the dancing. Such discomfort I cannot even describe. The first slow song came on and I attempted to dance with Jared but I couldn't even sway from side to side in any organized fashion. I think he was baffled by my rhythmic disabilities and we had to give up prematurely. Oh, the shame.

But I was determined not to remove my shoes. I knew that the second I did I was admitting defeat, and I was not about to be dominated by a very costly pair of shoes. Beautiful shoes. I wore them all night and somehow found a means of dancing along the path of least awkwardness. I twisted and shouted; I jumped; I even brought my own unstable brand of sexy back.

Still, I've never felt better taking off a pair of shoes at the end of the night. It's even possible that I freed my feet from their bondage in the hallway leading to our hotel room.

But now I'm not sure what to think. While I prefaced this as a heartbreaking tale, I realize now that it is more triumphant than anything else. I made it through the night. I dominated the shoes. And while the tragedy might lie in my fear of ever donning them again (sit-down occasions excluded), I managed to find a middle ground with the Hardys. I think Pierre would be proud.

Is that a banana in your pocket?

Perhaps the most amazing part of being human is that we are able to learn so many new things every day. My mind is constantly being led this way and that, with surprises around every corner and endless information to absorb. I regret to say I forget a large portion of it; however, I doubt I'll soon forget one of today's new tidbits. Cut to... banana slugs!!!

Not only are these bad boys (and girls) hermaphrodites: they all have penises that can rival their bodies in size! And did I mention their average body size is 6-8 inches? Impressive even by human standards! But wait, I think I've jumped the gun. I have science to back me up right now. While there is an ongoing debate as to the existence of more than one species of banana slug, the proposed second species bears the name A. dolichyphallus , which, when translated, means "giant penis". How's that for a classification?

But it only gets better. Although their hermaphroditic sexuality allows them to self-fertilize - for evolutionary purposes that will soon become clear - banana slugs prefer to engage in paired reproduction. Owing to their huge "endowments" the two slugs must first check each other out, circling one another for an extended period of time to ensure that their giant penises will fit each others genital openings. Once satisfied with their compatibility they take turns penetrating each other.

Now here's the zinger. Banana slug couples often become stuck to one another during intercourse. And, being that they're slugs and have little in the way of appendages with which to attempt separation, the slug being penetrated bites off the other slug's penis.

Scientists purport that these slugs have maintained their hermaphroditic capabilities to accommodate the fact that so many hand over their penises with their virginity. Others say this bobbitization is meant to evolutionarily favor smaller penises. Either way, this is by far the most bizarre mating ritual I've ever come across.

So guys, next time your girlfriend is giving you trouble, be glad, at the very least, that she won't later have to bite off your dick.



This picture is dedicated to my boyfriend. Not only is he probably the sole reader of this blog, but I also think this is what he'd look like as a banana slug, 'stache and all.

MACifying your PC

I've been a PC user my entire life. Actually, my experience with computers began in primary school playing "Digger" on my dad's DOS. We also used DOS in my high school typing class, which is really unbelievable when you think about it (I was in grade nine in 1998). But for the last five years or so I've been using a Dell laptop.

When I started my internship at Canadian Living I had to adjust to using a MAC and I quite liked it. This year my dad got his first MAC, a macbook pro, and it's actually like a new child to him. He's in love with his computer! People fall head over heels in love with their MACs!

Being that I'm unemployed, I don't see myself being able to exchange my Dell for a MAC for at least another year. So, in the meantime, I've downloaded a program that allows me to pretend I've already got that snazzy new macbook. It's called Rocket Dock. Much like on a MAC, it allows you to place applications on a dock positioned at the bottom, top or side of your screen. When you run your mouse over the applications, they become enlarged. Windows can be minimized to the dock and retrieved later. I like to keep my dock at the top of my screen so it doesn't interfere when I'm browsing online.

Aesthetically, I love rocket dock. It's obviously very practical but it also looks great. Check it out!

Television can be this funny?

I want to take a moment to applaud a television show so funny it hurts. You know that feeling when you laugh so hard your back tenses up and you have to seek refuge from the source to make it stop? It's simultaneously one of the best and worst feelings (kind of like when your foot locks up during sex). That feeling characterizes It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia in a nutshell, and I mean this in a twofold way. First, the show incites recurrent episodes of laughter so hard it hurts (take, for instance, Charlie's All-American rant in the episode "Charlie goes America all over everybody's ass"). Second, the general feeling you get when watching Always Sunny is a hybrid of hilarity and incredible discomfort. There is nothing PC about this show.

The show follows the self-serving exploits of four remarkably self-involved 30 year olds. The three guys own the Irish pub around which the show centers, and the one girl (a twin of one of the guys) is the bartender. From the second season on, Danny Devito joins the cast as the twins' off-the-wall father. I dare not say anymore for fear of ruining anything. All I can say is I haven't had so much fun with my tv since 30 Rock and The Office...only I think Always Sunny takes the cake!

P.S. Charlie is, without a doubt, the funniest character I have ever encountered (apologies, Jack Donaghy).

Revamping the Blog that Needed More Foresight

Starting over, yet again. Four words that once horrified Charlotte York but actually give me great comfort. What may not give me comfort is the fact that I reference fictional characters on a regular basis. But back to the point at hand.

After yet another lengthy sojourn from my blog, spending months in India, Bali, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Peru and Equador, I am back in Toronto and ready to write! I have left The Good, The Bad, The Weird (aka. South Korea) once and for all. In the spirit of professional writers (one of which I hope to someday be), I will, from now on, write in a more commendable style. I will make use of capital letters and periods (or full stops, for the Brits). I will write in paragraphs rather than rambling clumps of uncapitalized words. I will mind my spelling and my grammar and make use of the thesaurus. As I shed a single tear, I think I'm growing up...

P.S. Please note that the above drawing was made using Microsoft Paint. Who uses Microsoft Paint anymore? I do. It is the laudable writer of yore's feather pen. Quite rightly.

quote of the day (aka is my blog becoming an homage to the office?)

I saw Wedding Crashers, accidentally. I bought a ticket for Grizzly Man and went into the wrong theatre. After an hour I figured I was in the wrong theatre but I kept waiting. That's the thing about bear attacks...they come when you least expect it.

- Dwight K. Schrute

sam and cheese

last night the cheese gods were shining on corb and i. i dont know if this is a common known fact that i happened to overlook, but good cheese is really hard to come by in these parts. not to mention, when you do happen to find a delicious brick of cheddar or a nice round of brie (costco aside), it's hella expensive. as foretold in a previous blog, i was at sam last week and a cat peed on my hair. what i didn't mention was that i waited until the following evening to wash it. but that's a whole other story. last night when we went back to sam for a glass of wine, we noticed the people at the next table had a delectable-looking cheese platter. as it turns out, and unsurprisingly, it cost a whopping 18 dollars. as if. so we asked our friend if he could make us a half size tray. he agreed and we were ecstatic. but it only got better. when he brought the tray of cheese (which included, but was not limited to, brie, camembert and smoked gouda) he said it was gratis because the cat 'made my hair wet last week'. i guess it was worth having cat urine in my hair for 24 hours!
speaking of cat urine, the new south park is seriously ridiculous. it has it's moments but i'm just still not sure if enough time has passed for holocaust references... thoughts?

i heart pierre hardy

i have always believed true fashion to be an art form and pierre hardy a true artist...he continues to enthrall me at every turn









this purse makes me wanna...

too good to be true

i just found out that MIA is the new face of marc jacobs spring/summer 08 MENSWEAR...i know, get the net...i'm just a little behind on this side of the world...
but either way is this not the most brilliant thing eva? possibly one of my favorite recent collaborations. i am beyong excited to see the rest of the campaign...

peep show

peep dioramas are the most fun ever...check em out here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/
2008/03/21/GA2008032101983.html?sid=ST2008032102694

formalizing the subway busker

one of the subway stations in seoul has a full-out mini stage where performances take place...i've never seen anything like it, having become so accustomed to buskers sitting on the floor in dirty corners
it makes sense that street performance would be injected with a dose of pride in these parts...pride is the cornerstone of life in korea
this dude was singing english songs while an audience member jammed along on his guitar...pretty cool





furthermore, we ate some fast food for a late lunch (lotteria) and i conveniently charged my phone at the counter, complete with a small, floral basket

diamonds are forever

went to sam last night which was so much fun
the cats had snazzy haircuts similar to this little guy only they are grey and were both wearing sweaters (one was argyle)
i picked one up and it peed in my hair
then we drew pictures and i drew the cat peeing in my hair
which the cool dude who works there didnt want to put on the wall
so i put it up on the wall in the bathroom (shhhhhh)
they played remy shand, which was funny, and a lot of shirley bassey, which was amazing...she is wonderful
then i came home drunk, ate udon soup, tried to rewind my first roll of film with my new plastic camera and FUDGED IT
all in all, a good night

quote of the day

"Bros before hoes." Why? Because your bros are always there for you. They have got your back after your ho rips yours heart out for no good reason. And you are nothing but great to your ho, and you told her that she was the only ho for you, and that she was better than all the other hoes in the world... and then... and then suddenly she's not yo' ho' no mo'.

Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin

now you can see alexander's wang

here are the alexander wang pics. i want to adjust my former conclusion slightly in saying that the show was homeless hoooker chic. it is actually androgynous, post-apocalyptic, late-night, maybe homeless, sometimes hooker chic. yes. i'm satisfied with that. and so very satisfied with the collection.
it's not that he's broken any boundaries or shown us something utterly and completely new...it's just that he continues to produce wonderfully wearable pieces, and this collection is full of them...and it's badass!





this chick's waaaaaay too thin
update: she's an up-and-comer from toronto...represent

love irina

um...hookers

too tired to post pics but alexander wang's fall 08 collection is chock full of pieces i want in my closet NOW. i love it in the sense that i could wear most of it on a daily basis and be comfortable but also create a million looks from so many of these pieces.

is it offensive to say the theme of the show appeared to be homeless, hooker chic?
because that's really the feeling i got

is it even more offensive that i got a homeless hooker feeling and still want every item?

will post pics when i adjust to waking up at 7:30 every freaking morning and no longer rise to suicidal thoughts...

quote of the day

Jack: How was your evening with Thomas?

Liz Lemon: You mean Gretchen Thomas, the brilliant plastics engineer slash lesbian? What made you think I was gay?

Jack: Your shoes.

Liz Lemon: Well I'm straight.

Jack: Those shoes are definitely bi-curious.

at least an 'a' for effort

my first drawing with pastels
never was a strong drawer
how does the water stretch up into the mountains?
not so sure... can i say magic?