Nat in a Hat

Clever Ikea Commercial

2011-09-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

Creative. Simple. Innovative. Design focused. I could easily be referring to Apple here but I"m not. I'm talking about Ikea; a brand whose commercials never cease to inspire.

Colourful Denim

2011-08-26T18:10:00.002-04:00

I love that brightly coloured denim, generally reserved for Spring, is becoming the new "must-have" item for Fall! On a recent trip to the States, while browsing through Barney's, I was overjoyed by all the brightly coloured hues adorning the denim racks. Fall is generally a time for deep purples, burgundy's, browns and colours that remind us of back to school. Why be boring when you can be vibrant? There's no point in letting the cold weather makes us grumpy. Instead, we should embrace the new season with brightly coloured legs!

My picks from top to bottom include:

* Ksubi - Super Spray On Jean $170

* J Brand - Bright Orange Jean $176

* Rag & Bone - Cobalt $169 (this was the pair I bought at Barney's and absolutely love!)

* The Gap - Island Palm $79.95

Repurposed Furniture

2011-08-07T15:41:00.000-04:00

While reading a recent issue of Conde Nast's Traveler Magazine and last Saturday's National Post Newspaper, I was impressed and inspired by creative ways that common household objects have been given new life as original pieces of furniture.

Instead of tripping over children's blocks, why not use them to create a colourful chair?

A chandelier comprised of coffee mugs? That sounds like a buzzworthy idea to me.

But if it's not your cup of tea, try wine glasses with their stems removed for a classier effect. And if you do actually try this, please send me a picture!

The top two photos feature the works of designers Nic Roex, Pepe Heykoop and Geke Lensink. The cup chandelier is by Sander Lucas.

The Courvoisier Collective

2011-07-06T13:54:00.012-04:00

Have you noticed the silhouette of Napoleon incorporated into a scannable QR code around billboards in Downtown Toronto? For those of you oblivious to advertisements, please see the photo above (courtesy of Media in Canada).

While QR Codes are exciting at first, their novelty wears off pretty quickly. Wouldn't it be a lot more interesting to stare at a piece of art done by a local Torontonian, while stuck in traffic on Adelaide Street West?

I think it would and so do the masterminds behind The Courvoisier Collective, a contest for local artists to submit pieces that explore the theme of "renewal" in relation to the revolutionary role of art.

Artists can either explore the capacity of art to revolutionize its own content and form, or, they can express art's potential to challenge the status quo, something which Napoleon succeeded in.

Courvoisier, a cognac devoted to craftsmanship and innovation, has always prided itself on revolutionizing the art of making cognac without compromising its nature. You can bet that the judging panel expects to see the same passion and revolutionary spirit in the winning artwork.

Art can be submitted through http://www.courvoisiercollective.com/ and voted on to gain billboard or gallery status!

The public can vote online for their favourite pieces, begining on July 15th and ending on August 5th.

Here are some more important dates:

July 8th: Deadline for submissions in order to be considered for "Billboard showcase" and prizing.

July 15th: Deadline for "Gallery Award" submissions. Submissions chosen by the public and judging panel will be included in an exhibit at Gallery 1313

July 15th - August 5th: Online public voting for the "Gallery Award" submissions. Voting can be done by visiting http://www.courvoisiercollective.com/

August 1st - 26th: Three winning "Billboard showcase" submissions displayed on high traffic Toronto billboards

August 5th - 8th: "Gallery Award" winners selected for display at Gallery 1313 in Parkdale

August 11th - September 4th: "Gallery Award" Exhibition at Gallery 1313

Submitted artwork can use such media as photography, painting, mixed media and printmaking. Submissions can easily be made by uploading an image in digital JPG, GIF, TIF, or PNG format.

Below are a few of my favourite pieces so far.

Make sure to visit http://www.courvoisiercollective.com/ and vote for your favourites too!

Artwork by Rob Mclelland

Artwork by Justin Broadbent
Artwork by Lynn Soehner

Bicycle Wine Rack

2011-06-15T17:23:00.001-04:00

The perfect gift for the eco-conscience oenophile is finally here and just in time for Summer! This handmade leather bicycle rack makes it easy to buy wine on your way home from work without worrying about it breaking in your basket or bag.

Perfect for a romantic ride to the park, followed by a picnic in the grass, watching the sunset with your unscathed bottle of wine. Just make sure that you're not wobbly when you get back on your bike for the journey home!

The Bicycle Wine Rack is made in Montreal from recycled oil-treated vegetable tanned leather that gets better with age; hopefully the same can be said about the wine its holding. Available to puchase on Etsy.com for $30.

French Colours at The French Open

2011-06-06T17:24:00.005-04:00

Raphael Nadal (shown in blue) and Roger Federer (shown in red) were both clad in Nike tennis attire during the French Open Finals yesterday. Although red, blue and white are the colours of the French flag, I was surprised that Nike chose to dress Nadal in blue and Federer in red.

Nadal is outgrowing his wild and brutish personality and playing style, but is still not as calm or graceful as his rival, Federer. Thus, I would've have chosen red for Nadal, as red is a colour of aggression, while blue is a cooler colour, suitable for Federer's smooth persona.

Furthermore, Federer wore blue at the Internazionale BNL d'Italia, only three weeks prior. (See picture above). Sure it was a slightly darker hue than Nadal's blue outfit during the French Open, but it's still part of the same family. To confuse fans even more, he wore baby blue at last year's French Open, which was pretty much the same colour as Nadal's shirt this year.

Nike, what is going on with your colour choices? Why not use some consistancy and make it easier for fans to quickly recognize the players. This is especially important when they both happen to be tall, dark and handsome.

Jump into summer with the Jumper

2011-06-03T17:12:00.009-04:00

The Jumper, more affectionately known as "The Romper" and commonly called the one-piece or onesie, is a casual summer option that has been gaining popularity over the years. It's a throwback to the '80's, to childhood, floral patterns, cinched waists, buttons, pockets and comfort. Perfect for the beach or a picnic in the park, the Jumper is my favourite summer staple of this season.

From top to bottom my picks include: Juicy Couture (first two), OBEY, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Beatrice Holloway and Levi's.

Button Power

2011-06-02T09:10:00.000-04:00

I have an old black Theory blazer that I got on sale, about ten years ago, at Holt Renfrew. It came with the boring looking buttons pictured above. The blazer fits perfectly but I wasn't wearing it that often because the buttons were nothing special. I'm a firm believer that clothing should make you feel awesome and I just felt ordinary wearing my black blazer. At first I couldn't figure out why, thinking that maybe my tastes had changed over the years, until I realized that the greyish/light brown/black buttons were the culprit.

The buttons would have made more of an impact had they been one solid colour instead of three different ones trying to unsuccessfully mesh. Rather, they just looked dirty, as if they had originally been black but had faded overtime or picked up dirt which made their colour lighter in spots. Strange that Theory would use such ugly buttons, but hey, maybe that's why the blazer was on sale.

Regardless, I decided to love my blazer and buy cool buttons to make it pop! Hence, the photo at the top of this posting which shows the polished gold buttons that I picked up to replace the dull ones. It's hard to tell from the photo above, but my blazer looks a thousand times better. Friends and family members think it's a new purchase and I feel like gold when I wear it which just goes to show you the power and potential of buttons.

Boot Camp

2011-06-01T14:12:00.004-04:00

Today marks the first day of June and the weather is finally heating up. Summer is around the corner which means it's time to get ready for bikini season! My friend and I attended our first boot camp class of the month this morning and can already feel the results, or shall I say, muscle soreness.

The one hour class was comprised of variuos short, intense, repetitive motions that targeted our arms, legs, tummy and butt. Squats, push-ups and boxing punches were just a few examples of the rigorous routines we were subjected to. Although there was a lot of pain, there was also a lot of gain!

I was surprised to learn how much of a workout I got without using weights. By simply using my own body's resistance and motivation from the drill sergeant instructor, I was dripping with sweat and getting toned pretty quickly!

I highly recommend boot camp for those that want to get in shape fast and don't mind being yelled at.

Image taken from www.workoutaustin.com

Basil Fawlty

2011-05-30T09:07:00.007-04:00

In a recent post I talked about my adoration for summer beverages, specifically the Caesar, and my appreciation for inventive bartenders that add creative twists to classic concoctions. About a week after being smitten by the Caprese Caesar, I encountered the Basil Fawlty, which also left me utterly impressed, amused and a little bit buzzed...
The Basil Fawlty, named after John Cleese's character from the sitcom Fawlty Towers, may look like a minty mojito, but is actually comprised of gin instead of rum. It also contains orange blossom flower, lime juice and of course, plenty of fresh basil.

Drinking this beverage felt like frolicking in an English Garden and left me thirsty for more adventure. Fortunately, I was dining at Black Hoof, known for boundary pushing cuisine and deliciously daring drinks.

Another green summer drink worth sipping if you're not in the mood for alcohol, is Lemon & Green Tea from MangaJo, a company based out of the U.K.

I normally opt for water instead of flavoured beverages since the latter tend to be jam packed with sugar and artificial flavours. MangaJo's products however, have no added sugar and provide a refreshing way to quench your thirst on a hot summer's day.

Lemon & Green Tea are a delightful combo that provide antioxidants and caffeine to sharpen your mind when the sun casts its sluggish spell. Not to mention that the bottle is adorable and made out of glass instead of no good plastic. MangaJo also has other tasty flavours like Pomegranite & Green Tea, Acai- Berry & Green Tea and Goji-Berry and Green Tea. They're sold at Pusateri's in Toronto and retail for around $2.

The Best Jean Shorts for Summer

2011-05-19T10:31:00.001-04:00

Like their older sibling Denim, Jean Shorts are cool and stylish. Some people wear them all year round (either they live in warm climates or they wear tights underneath). Others, wait till Coachella, which unofficially marks the beginning of jean short season!

Denim shorties go with everything and can be dressed up or down. Opt for ones with timeless tailoring and classic style. No need for dangling threads unless you're in high school or cut them yourself. Here are my top pics for this season:

1.) J Brand Dita High Rise Shorts - I absolutely love these shorts. The dark colour and high waist offers a flatering option for short legs (like mine!)

2. The Hudson Hampton - the sky blue colour of these shorts really pops and screams "let me outside!"

3. William Rast Scarlett Shorts - I love the big back pockets of these shorts. The contrast colour of the stiching and cuffs really makes them stand out.

Editor's Note: Top photo is courtesy of www.dustfactoryvintage.com and the one beneath (of Coachella) is from http://aviva.buzznet.com

It's Fiddlehead Season!

2011-05-18T11:04:00.014-04:00

WooHoo! It's Fiddlehead season and to celebrate I made a salad based on a recipe from this month's LCBO Magazine. The recipe called for fresh fiddleheads (I got mine from the Sorauren Farmer's Market), feta and edamame. I added olives since they go so well with feta and offer a nice colour contrast to all the green. Pine Nuts would also act as a nice accompaniment.

Fiddleheads are an aquired taste (sort of like Asparagus) and to be frank they're not my #1 choice when it comes to green veggies but they look so cool and are really healthy so why not pick some up well they're in season? They also add a great hue to soups and pair well with leeks.

Customizable Golf Shoes

2011-05-17T13:32:00.002-04:00

When spending the day at The Golf Club, it's important to look stylish and feel good. FootJoy is a brand that's known as having the #1 shoe and glove in golf so when I heard about MyJoys, their line of customizable golf shoes, I was pretty excited to create my own unique pair.

Golf, as most people know, has a history of being a conservative and preppy sport and most of the golf shoes that I looked at were pretty boring. My customized FootJoy's on the other hand, have bright green & yellow stripes, along with an adorable looking penguin, for those hot and sticky humid days, when you really wish you could take a short trip to the Arctic.

Note: Photo taken using the Instagram App for the iPhone

The Caprese Caesar

2011-05-16T14:09:00.000-04:00

The Caprese Caesar, which I ordered at the bar on the 2nd floor of the Bell TIFF Lightbox, combines my favourite salad with my favourite drink, perfect for a pre-dinner meal (to wade off starvation) or any time you're craving cheese, as the drink is garnished with a bocconcini skewer, drizzled with balsamic and loaded with pieces of fresh basil!

Kudos to the barstaff at TIFF for extending the organization's mission of creativity to its beverages. The food at the bar was pretty good too.

If I come across anymore exciting variations of the classic caesar, I'll be sure to take some photos and keep you posted.

Photo taken using The Instagram app for the iPhone.

The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar

2011-05-13T13:31:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine who understands my addition to dark chocolate, recently brought me back several bars from Trader Joe's when she was in New York. I happened to open this one first and haven't gotten around to trying the others yet because this one is just way too tasty to put down.

At first I was a bit reluctant to try an 85% cocoa since I'm used to bars with a 72% content, similar to how there's a huge difference between getting a B or an A in school, there's also a big difference between the 70's and 80's when it comes to cocoa percentages in chocolate bars.

But with just one small bite I was instantly hooked! The chocolate is dry at first with a mild nutty smell but quickly becomes this intense flavour, taking over your tatesbuds, reminiscent of a double chocolate fudge cupcake!

I love being able to have one square of chocolate and feel like I'm eating a sinfully decadent cupcake. What's even better is that the higher cocoa content means you're getting more flavonoids so you don't have to feel guilty about your addiction. In fact, you should be quite pleased, as flavanoids have been shown to lower your blood pressure? (FYI: I happen to have very low blood pressure)

What's even more remarkable is that there are two chocolate bars tucked away inside the package, each individually wrapped (in case your friends make your share) and the bar retails for only $1.49 (U.S.) which means it's even cheaper in Canada!

Now if only Trader Joe's would open up on this side of the border...

Back in the Hat

2011-05-12T13:32:00.001-04:00

Well it's been about a year and a half since my last blog post and what a crazy past year and a half it's been! I fell in love, got a new roommate (my boyfriend), took up cooking, travelled extensively and played in two hockey leagues, all while working in the high demand industries of marketing and advertising.

I apologize to my loyal readers for my absense and hope that you'll continue to read my blog, be inspired and comment on my posts. The next several of which will aim to get you in the mood for summer, because I've had enough of all this rainy weather! Every day I think about sipping a caesar on a patio in the sunshine, wearing a cute summer dress, after having played a round of golf. Is that too much to ask for?

Top 5 Halloween Costumes

2009-11-03T10:28:00.002-05:00

I was particularly impressed by this year's creative costumes and didn't see nearly as many Swine Flu, Balloon Boys, Lady Gaga's and Michael Jackson's as expected. The most creative costume I saw was definitely "The Blue Screen of Death". It was created by a young woman who was wearing a blue bristol board with the frightening white words you see when you own a PC and it's about to crash.

Here are some snapshots of my top 5 favourite costumes that I saw out this year:

"Ghetto Fabulous"

"Wanda", Waldo's photo taking girlfriend. Looks like she's searching for her man.

"Carlos" - the baby found in a hotel room from the movie "The Hangover"

"Trolls!" This was definitely a blast from the past and also a welcome surprise. The girls dressed as trolls used to play hockey with me at McGill and I hadn't seen them in a few years!

"The Last Supper" - Halloween Styles: Half as many attendees including The Invisible Man, a Cowboy, (me - Nat in a Hat) Jesus in the centre, DJ Johnny LaRue, Ghetto Fabulous and a Pinata ready to be smashed so that chocolate and candy can be eaten for dinner!

Photo credit to Julia Schneider for photos 1, 2 and 3.

Crawling Tecumseth (to come see)

2009-11-02T21:40:00.023-05:00

Last month, the Canadian Friends of the Israel Museum Young Associates Toronto branch, held their 2nd annual art gallery crawl along Tecumseth Street just south of Queen West.

Like its predecessor, Crawling Nyood, this gallery crawl raised funds to send children of all religious backgrounds and ethnicities to the National Art Museum in Israel.

Participating galleries included: Susan Hobbs, Georgia Scherman Projects, Birch Libralato and Diaz Contemporary, where the crawl concluded with Kelly Mark's neon infused hues, DJ Will Munro's solid tunes, drinks and dessert.

Here are some pictures from the event: If you missed out, stay tuned for other upcoming art related parties.

Proud committee chairs and event organizers

Checking out the art embedded in the wall at Susan Hobbs

Georgia Scherman Projects

Sudoku?

Changing Chocolate Choices

2009-11-02T13:28:00.008-05:00

The rise in popularity of dark chocolate continues to be more evident and ubiquitous. With Nestle offering its standard fare in 70% dark chocolate and my local convenience store carrying Green & Black's Organic 70% bars and Cote D'Or's 86%, life has just become a lot more sweeter!

I'll admit that I'm a chocolate snob and would never touch the sugary garbage contained in a Mars Bar, but with real dark chocolate appearing in common snacks, please break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar!

Now that Halloween's over, I thought I'd cheer you up by recommending some delicious dark chocolate to increase your endorphins. Here's a list of some recent chocolate that I've been snacking on:

Light's out for this pumpkin

Nestle's 70% Aero Dark Chocolate Bar - $1 at convenience stores
Cote d'Or 86% Dark Chocolate Bar - $3.50 at Shoppers Drug Mart
Maestrani - swiss organic fair trade espresso 72% Cacao. $4.69 at Pusateri's

Here is a picture of the Maestrani chocolate:

Wish List:
* Peanut, Peanut Butter or Almond Dark Chocolate M&M's
* Reese Peanut Butter Cups with Dark Chocolate and fudge cookies in the middle. The fudge cookie Reese cups were around 10 years ago and added the perfect crunch to an otherwise too soft snack.

TIP: Sprinkle some cinnamon on your Reese Peanut Butter Cups for added flavour

Viral Contests

2009-10-25T12:55:00.005-04:00

Viral marketing contests are a great way to connect your target consumer with a brand or product. They force the consumer to spend hours engaging with the brand on a more personal level, showing why its attributes are a part of their lifestyle. This, in turn, leads to stronger brand trust and loyalty.

It's also an honest and easy way to spread the word about this brand or product to others in the target market's social network. With YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook Pages, it's free and simple for marketers to create these contests and for contestants to enter.

Here are two current viral marketing video contests that I've been following. The first is for S-Trip's World Intern contest which is affiliated with MTV. Click here to view my favourite entry, or check it out on the video bar (to the right).

The second is for Vancouver's new Lotto Max contest where you can win a tropical vacation for you and seven friends. Click here for a very creative way to spend $50 million dollars.

Don't forget to vote for your favourites!

Halloween Art'd at Marben

2009-10-20T14:42:00.004-04:00

The monthly art show which I curate at Marben Restaurant & Lounge with Pink Mafia just got a nice little write up on toronto.com! Here's what they had to say:

"Monthly pop up gallery Art'd inspires revelers and diners with themed art installations, infusing the restaurant with a semblance of a traditional gallery. The final edition gets a ghoulish makeover with a Halloween theme, as Marben is swathed in images of, or inspired by, creatures of the night.

The use of local art and up-and-coming artists lends the series a particular poignancy. The Halloween edition features Bowman, Andrew Foerster, Ian Bethune, Jean-Paul Langlois and Lisa Vanin, whose works remain in the restaurant until November 25 and are available for purchase."

The fun gets underway at 8pm, with spooky art, $4 Steamwhistle Beers, half price appetizers and a prix-fixe Harvest menu for $35.

Hope to see you tomorrow night!

Costumes optional.

Nuit Blanche 2009

2009-10-06T13:42:00.025-04:00

Aside from Halloween, Nuit Blanche has become my favourite night of the year. The city is filled with positive energy and excitement as thousands of Torontonians take to the streets to celebrate contemporary culture.

The concept of Nuit Blanche is well suited to the diversity of Toronto. The three zones chosen to showcase art offer different themes representing their neighbourhood's characteristics. For example, Zone B, which comprises the Financial District, offered spectators a chance to witness local (and somewhat famous) Torontonians playing a live game of Monopoly with real money.

Although I was intrigued by this idea, along with an installation featuring a pool of vodka in Commerce Court (a reflection of the intoxicating power of the high life?) I chose to stick to Zone C.

It's quite difficult to navigate through all three zones in the course of 12 hours, especially while bumping into old friends, drinking and dancing so I figured that one zone would be enough.

Zone C, which was sponsored by Heineken, offered tours taking place in Liberty Village which proved to be a wonderful way to see and makes sense of the art installations. The theme was "Urban Disaster/Catastrophe/Survival Actions" which I found quite fitting for an area of town with "Liberty" in its moniker.

I particularly enjoyed "Bicitycle" or "Bike City" an interactive mobile installation from Japan. The artist was inspired by the lifestyle, innovation and survival skills of homeless people. By attaching recyclable materials and natural resources to the backs of bikes, spectators were invited to ride around and feel what it would be like to bring their necessities with them wherever they went.

I was also extremely impressed by "A Sultry World", another exhibit from Japan, featuring a young woman dressed in a huge scarlet skirt that enveloped the warehouse in which we were standing (in awe). The stark contrast between the white walls and deep red dress was startling.

We were invited to crawl underneath the dress and discover the sensory chamber created in the three meter high space from the stool that the woman was sitting on. In this peaceful alcove, we took turns writing our thoughts in books that were placed on red velvet pillows.

The woman, to my surprise, was wearing army pattern underwear. I assumed that she'd be wearing red velvet lingerie, to match her flowing dress. Then I read the artist's statement and learned that this exhibit was inspired by a friend who contracted HIV. Perhaps the army motif was a sign of defense against the unknown and a symbol of protection from the vulnerability of being a woman.

The Apology Project, from Maria Legault of Toronto, was a cool concept, with 55 people wearing large paper bags over their bodies, crowding a hallway and bumping into people while saying "I'm sorry."

Waiting in line to enter the hallway, I felt like I was gearing up for a game of Red Rover. Unfortunately, the aggression that I was expecting turned out to be nonchalant chants of "I'm sorry". No one actually tried to block me from passing. It was all a bit too easy and lost the effect I was hoping for. The exhibit was supposed to be a reflection of passive aggressive behaviour and comment on the Canadian custom of constantly apologizing. Maybe that's why I was disappointed; the exhibit was too accurate - Canadians really are passive citizens, or at least the 55 chosen to participate were.

Fortunately there were caldrons of hot chocolate and lamb sausages courtesy of Jamie Kennedy to keep the communal spirit of exploration burning. The exhibit "Fire and Sausage: Small Mercies" which was found throughout Liberty Village, tried to create a post apocalyptic environment, in which to count our mercies and share the surplus. There was a definitely a calm aura that descended over those who were sitting on the communal benches sharing blankets and stories.

Finally, we ended our tour by creating our own art in the Heineken Lounge on a digital graffiti wall. Here's my final creation:

Good times indeed! Every year Nuit Blanche gets bigger and better and I can't wait to see what 2010 will bring. Check out this amazing video featuring 10,628 photos from Zone C, which I found on Fotografic Memory's Vimeo page.

Check out this

Toronto's White Night - Nuit Blanche [Zone C] from Fotografic Memory on Vimeo.

">amazing video featuring Zone C in 10, 628 photographs, posted on Vimeo by Fotografic Memory.

Summertime House Music

2009-07-11T18:02:00.007-04:00

Happy House is the latest hit from the DFA dance duo, The Juan Maclean. This track always gets me moving and is a sure bet on any popular electronic DJ's summer playlist. The odd thing about this song is that it sounds awfully similar to Sunday Afternoon by Eddie Matos, one of my all time favourite house/acid jazz songs.

Even though the latter conjures up images of chilled out beach parties on a Sunday afternoon, I first heard it while at an apres-ski party in Whistler, B.C. at The Four Season Hotel bar. Substitute snow for sand; sweaters for skin and you get the picture.

The jazzy interludes of this upbeat track were perfect for the classy atmosphere of the lounge and still managed to give me goosebumps (even though we were sitting in front of the fireplace). Happy songs work well in Whistler because it's such a happy place - especially when the sun's shining and there's plenty of powder.

Aside from the different octave levels and the fact that there's singing in "Happy House", these songs still manage to remind me of each other. Whether it's the similar pattern of beats at the 1:20 mark of "Happy House" or just the positive vibe that they both radiate, it's remarkable how energized they both make me feel.

While on the topic of happy house music, I'd like to recommend a blog that I've been checking out daily for poolside lounge music. Binary is a family of L.A. based dance music producers and artists that has some great tunes for your listening pleasure.

So What Records also offers terrific soul/house/jazzy music with a Latin/Afro-beat feel that's perfect for the summer. Based out of Tel-Aviv, Israel, it makes sense that these guys are experts when it comes to playing music for beaches and sunshine.

Finally, I came across this Holy Ghost (also from DFA records) remix of this Jazzanova song that I absolutely adore! The track is called I Can See and is featured on Jazzanova's most recent album Of All The Things which came out in December 0f 2008. Usually remixes tend to speed up songs, but this one slows downs the lyrics, thereby emphasizes the powerful vocals of Ben Westbeech. The fleeting electro twinkle that tends to come & go throughout the track really highlights the uplifting qualities of the song and reminds me of a shooting star.

Pale Horses

2009-06-24T14:27:00.008-04:00

Check out this beautiful video for the song, Pale Horses, off of Moby's latest album which comes out on Tuesday, called, Wait for Me.

The song and video remind me of a dream sequence where you're running into someone you once loved & lost and the happy and excited feelings associated with this chance encounter.

Like the popular children's novel which I read in French class, Le Petit Prince, the song emphasizes that harsh reality that even if love is ever lasting, people (or animals and plants in the case of The Little Prince) are ephemeral.

The song's haunting melody complements the video's monochromatic colour scheme nicely and the cartoon medium makes this melancholy video enjoyable to watch.

Music Spotlight: Lioness

2009-05-08T17:52:00.002-04:00

The name Lioness is an appropriate moniker for one of Toronto's up & coming indie alternative rock bands. With a sultry voice that's powerful and majestic, Vanessa Fischer, lead singer of Lioness, is establishing a reigning title over the music kingdom.

With the help of her bandmates (formerly of controller.controller) Lioness has crafted a dark, addictive disco sound that's mesmerizing to both the ear and the heart. Their hit single "You're My Heart" has been remixed by such prominent DJ's as Mansion, Pilot Priest and Ccenturiess.

You can check out the Mansion remix by clicking here.

Don't you think that Vanessa's voice sounds awfully similar to the lead singer of The Gossip?

If you live in the Toronto area, I'd recommend checking out Lioness tomorrow night when they DJ at Marben for the K-OS after party, or next Wednesday when they play live at MTV.

Tassoni Brasil

2009-05-05T10:00:00.001-04:00

I recently attended the Tassoni Brazil fashion show in the Distillery District during alternative fashion week in Toronto (F.A.T.) and was blown away by the sophisticated but edgy styles from the Resort '10 Collection.

Tassoni Brazil is the creative product of fashion forward designers, Joseph Tassoni from Toronto and his Brazilian partner, Andre Chiarelli.

Their look is upscale boho-chic, combined with sexy swimwear influenced by the beaches of Rio.

I absolutely love this Boldly Brazilian Green Bathing Suit!

The black and white stripes on their men's shirts add a nice contrast to the bold colours and whimsical animal like caricatures.

Notice the jewelery and scarves that the models are wearing. Everything is made in Sao Paulo but can be ordered and delivered to North America by emailing sales@tassonibrasil.com

All photos featured in this posting were courtesy of Geoffrey Knott, except for the top one.

Fashion Takes Action

2009-04-24T10:43:00.007-04:00

We all know that bottled water is bad for the environment along with other forms of plastic or wasteful material. Aside from items that we consume, did you ever stop to think about how items that we wear can be detrimental to our surroundings?

Fashion Takes Action, ("FTA") is a Toronto based company with a mandate to inform the public about where clothing comes from, how it's made and the environmental cost associated with its production.

To coincide with Earth Day, FTA will be launching tonight with a HUGE party targeting hip, style conscience Torontonians at the legendary Burroughes Building penthouse lofts, known for housing trendy, cultural and often late night parties.

Several of Toronto's most buzzed about DJ's will be providing the soundtrack for the night, including ANDY CAPP, DIRTY DALE, and BRENDAN CANNING.

Andy Capp is the founder of "Bang The Party" one of Toronto's most loved party nights and is also the co-creator of the popular MOTOWN night. Check out one of his mixes here if you want to feel good and dance dance dance!

Dirty Dale is one of Toronto's most eminent DJ's who has been busting out the deep house sound for over 15 years - mmm gotta love good house music! Thanks DD!

Brendan Canning is the co-founder of what is arguably Toronto's most influential indie rock band of the last decade, Broken Social Scene. Aside from being a talented musician, he also has an impeccable record collection and will be sure to play some funky gems tonight!

There will also be a fashion show from Ryerson students featuring clothing made out of recyclable material and an OPEN BAR featuring organic beer from Mill Street and other delicious, good for you and good for the environment beverages.

Tickets are $40 ($30 if you're a student) and can be purchased at the FTA website. Limited $50 tickets will be available at the door.

I'll be wearing GREEN and look forward to seeing you tonight!!

Spin, Booze or Draw

2009-04-20T21:49:00.016-04:00

I recently chaired a fantastic event at The Edward Day Gallery called Spin, Booze or Draw. The fundraising art lottery featured the works of 18 up and coming Toronto artists. With the help and support of our enthusiastic guests, combined with the curatorial brilliance of gallery owner Jamie Angell, the event turned out to be a huge success!

Below are some of my favourite photos from the party:

This is the entrance to the Edward Day Gallery, located right beside the Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art, just west of Queen & Shaw.

Here's a shot from the inside of the gallery, as the party was getting started.

My handsome co-chairs of the event, Jamie & Laurence.

Guest Karelle Steiner, winner of the Min Hyung painting behind her, flanked beside Media sponsors, Anna Von Francis of Pink Mafia and Jen McNeely from She Does the City.

Rina & I standing in front of Danielle Hession's artwork. Guests stuffed their raffle tickets into the pig that Rina is holding, in order to win art by the corresponding artist. My Mom ended up winning Danielle Hession's painting of the boy on the horse which she absolutely adores, as she used to ride horses as a child.

We called up the artists who were in attendance to smash their pigs and give away their art. Here's a picture of artist Mike Hammer in action - gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Hammer Time!"

Laurence, Jamie or myself would then pull a ticket out from the crushed pig and call out the lucky winner.

I really wanted to win some art by James Olley, who is represented at Angell Gallery. Here is one of his pieces that I love. It's called Bands of Light.

Instead I won two prints and four books that were donated from Studio Gallery. Vanessa Gronowski, also known as DJ Vaneska, is the owner of Studio and also provided us with amazing music all night! If you missed the event, stay tuned for a possible Spin, Booze or Draw in 2010...

Fashion Week in Toronto

2009-03-18T20:25:00.018-04:00

This week is Fashion Week in Toronto where the big names of the Canadian fashion industry get to strut their stuff on the catwalk while locals wearing gloves and mittens skate next door on a giant rink; gotta love Canada!

I was invited to the opening night festivities which featured the fall collection of David Dixon (featured in the photo below) as well as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the quintessential fashion icon, Barbie.

Dixon's clothes were stylish and sophisticated with a throwback to the 80's power woman. I noticed lots of cinched waists, one shoulder tops, colourful belts, wrist warmers and patterns galore!

Notice the pink stilletos that appear in Dixon's Barbie collection; courtesy of Town Shoes.

I love the hat & wrist warmer combo. It gives some practicality and edginess to this feminine fall outfit.

A special thanks goes out to Cameron McLellan for the fabulous photos which appear in this posting.

It'd be fun to check out more of LG Fashion Week, but I am busy planning a huge art lottery charity party which I'll blog about soon. So stay tuned for that as well as a wrap up of Canadian Music Week!

Nature Calls

2009-02-09T09:12:00.001-05:00

Imagine being in the great outdoors on a camping trip and stumbling upon this modern day sanctuary of an outhouse. Such was my delight when I found this unexpected environment in a predictable space, during The Gladstone Hotel's "Come up to my Room" design exhibit in Toronto this past weekend.

Canadian artists Laura McKibbon & Jasna Sokolovic have created a visually stunning restroom which plays on our conceptions of sharing private space with nature. Just watch out for the bird poo.

February Haiku

2009-02-04T16:45:00.009-05:00

down the hill we go

twirling backwards spinning fast

soft snowy landing

Artist Spotlight: Kim Dorland

2009-01-26T15:05:00.010-05:00

Kim Dorland is a Toronto based painter who's colourful work suggests a modern take on our relationship to nature, focusing on both urban space and landscape. Born in Red Deer, Alberta, Dorlands' paintings offer familiar Canadian images but with a hipster twist. I love the bright neon colours and bold brushstrokes that make up his signature style.

Check out Angell Gallery in Toronto's Art & Design District for more of Dorland's work.

Spacing Contest

2009-01-21T13:34:00.001-05:00

In an attempt to improve Toronto's public space, Spacing Magazine came up with the ThinkToronto urban design competition. My favourite ideas included the following:

* Giving eyes to the PATH - for those unfamiliar with the downtown financial centre of the city, the PATH is a large, convoluted underground mall that connects clothing stores, coffee shops and food courts with banks, law firms and other prestigious Bay Street offices. It's great in the winter but can be quite confusing for those who aren't regular PATH-takers. By placing convex reflective surfaces (known as oculi) above the PATH, pedestrians will have a better idea of where they are in the downtown core, as the PATH is extremely easy to get lost in. The oculi will also offer rays of sunshine to those suits & ties who don't get out much.

* 5 Minutes - this winning entry helps locals and tourists decide where to go within 5 minutes of getting off the subway. It proposes using red touchscreen signs at transit station exits, that tell users where they can find the nearest bakery, record store, park, museum, etc. I think that this concept should be connected to toronto.com's website OurFaves, which features the favourite local places of Torontonians, in order to make the system even friendlier.

* Facebook for the Subway - Springboard, is an online social network for subway riders, that would show the profiles of other passengers in your car who subscribe to the service. Their profiles would include a photo, which stop they get on & off at and their interests which can be matched up to yours, offering an easy method to chat up that cute guy you always see on your morning commute. I love this idea as it makes riding the subway more exciting and interactive.

Happy Inauguration Day!

2009-01-20T19:16:00.007-05:00

Legoland in California celebrates Obama's Inauguration.

Atlas Shrugged vs. 24

2009-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

I recently read a fascinating article in The Wall Street Journal that pointed out the similarities between Ayn Rand's classic novel, Atlas Shrugged, and our current economic/political situation. You can read it right here.

For those of you who have not read Ayn Rand's work, I urge you to so immediately - it will change your life!

To briefly summarize, Rand believes in a theory called Objectivism, which emphasizes that a person's happiness should come from personal hard work. Communities will flourish when they are filled with creative, determined individuals who are true to their own beliefs and ambitions. Rand, who lived through communist Russia, was not a fan of big government, as its power can be stifling to individuals' creativity and progress.

The author of the WSJ article argues that the themes in Rand's masterpiece novel, Atlas Shrugged, which was published 52 years ago, still ring true today, specifically with respect to the current economic crisis gripping America.

The numerous programs, laws and taxes that governments create, end up interfering with the natural progress of its citizens accomplishments' only to weaken the economy and create further damage. This is what's happening now and it happened in Atlas Shrugged.

This is especially true for clever businesses who have managed to succeed during the current economic turmoil. Instead of rewarding them, the government is using their tax money to help bailout the weak.

The theme of corrupt government, is also explored in this season's 24 (season 7). Jack Bauer, who is an American hero, having saved his country from numerous terrorist attacks, is being tried for criminal charges since he broke some laws while trying to protect his country. Like the protagonists in Atlas Shrugged, Jack Bauer is being punished for his hard work, even when his efforts have helped thousands of citizens.

For those of you who watch the show and have read Atlas Shrugged, here are the character parallels that I see:

Jack Bauer = Dagny Taggart

Tony Almeida = Francisco D'Anconia

Chloe = Hank Rearden

Bill Buchanan = John Galt (think about how they both look)

Renee Walker ? = Danneskjold

I have a beautiful vision in my mind of the former CTU'ers living peacefully in the utopic valley that the heroes from Atlas Shrugged (or "strikers" as the book calls them) escape to at the end of the novel.

Only 2 more years till the movie comes out!

Cactus Life

2009-01-15T19:06:00.009-05:00

On a recent trip to Arizona, I fell in love with the gorgeous cacti that adorn the State's dry land. Here are some cacti pictures that I took while hiking through the desert. The Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is shown in the above photos.

When people grow old, or are injured, they often rely on canes or walking sticks to help support their stance. Similarly, as cacti age, they grow arms to help support their posture. One can determine the age of the cactus by the amount of arms it has. Cacti only begin to develop arms between the ages of 50-75. Check out the younger cacti pictured below. Notice that they are armless.

Another common cactus that I spotted during my hikes/bikes was the Teddy Bear Cholla (pronounced Choy-ya). Although this cactus (pictured below) may look soft & fuzzy like a teddy bear, it is actually quite dangerous as it's covered with sharp, yellowish spines. These spines serve as protection from rabbits and other herbivores that inhabit the desert. They also provide protection from intense sunshine and can serve as a cooling mechanism for the cactus.

After a long and enjoyable life in the desert, it's time for the cactus to decay and become a skeleton. Check out this ghost of a cactus that I found on the golf course. Scary stuff!

Top 5 of 2008

2009-01-05T08:00:00.005-05:00

Although many social commentators on pop culture are lamenting the death of the album, as new technology has made it easy to download just singles, I believe that 2008 was a great year for music albums as demonstrated by my top 5 pics.

These were albums that I couldn't help but listen to from beginning to end, over and over. The different songs were placed in a specific order to either tell a story or create an emotional response for the listener. Most managed to accomplish both, except for Feed The Animals which is too convoluted to tell a story but is brilliant in its thought process, leaving the listener's voice and feet exhausted from constant singing and dancing.

Nat's Top 5 Albums of 2008:

5) Jason Collett - Here's to Being Here

4) MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

3) Kings of Leon - Only By The Night

2) Girl Talk - Feed The Animals

1) Radiohead - In Rainbows

While on the topic of "Best of 2008" here is a list of the 5 movies I enjoyed the most this past year. These are movies that kept you thinking after you left the theatre. Movies where you felt like you knew or wanted to know the characters outside of the big screen. Movies where you forgot that you were sitting in a dark room full of strangers. Movies that gave your emotions a work out.

Nat's Top 5 Movies of 2008:

5) The Dark Knight

4) Forgetting Sarah Marshall/Vicky Christina Barcelona

3) Iron Man

2) Slumdog Millionaire

1) The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Hopefully 2009 will continue to bring wonderfully entertaining artistic pleasures to our eyes and ears.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-24T17:55:00.007-05:00

To all those celebrating the holidays, merry Christmas and happy Chanukah!

I don't believe in gift giving, but if someone would like to buy me the mini Strida in bright blue, please do so!

I could fold it up and take it with me to Arizona where I will be spending the next few weeks. Although the Strida is not suitable for mountain biking, it's definitely a stylish way to get around. Like the ipod, the Strida is clean, compact, comes in varying sizes, vibrant colours and makes travelling more fun!

If you live in Toronto, you can purchase a Strida for me at Curbside Cycles or Ministry of the Interior. Thanks & happy New Year!

Ketel One Vodka

2008-12-03T13:20:00.010-05:00

Two years ago, while living in Boston, a friend brought me a bottle of Ketel One Vodka, which he excitingly described as tasting better than Grey Goose but not being as expensive. I had heard about Ketel One and seen it at certain bars in the States, but was not too familiar with the product.

Last night I attended a vodka taste test at Kultura in Toronto, where I was informed that Ketel One is quite popular in America, extremely popular in London, England, but has only entered the Canadian market recently.

Since I"m the type to only drink vodka with Red Bull, I have never been able to distinguish between different vodkas and usually just buy Absolut, Smirnoff or Iceberg because they're all reasonably priced. So, I was very excited to attend a vodka taste test, especially since it was at the beautiful Kultura where the food looks and tastes even more outstanding than the gorgeous 2nd floor room in which we were seated.

We were told to smell each of the three vodkas presented in front of us before tasting them. The first one was Ketel One and it smelled like alcohol and had a slight burn.

The second vodka was Grey Goose which had an even stronger smell and stronger burn. Strange, I thought, since Grey Goose has always been marketed as an expensive, uber-premium vodka for the high rolling set.

Finally we tried Absolut, which didn't really smell like alcohol at all, but had a wretched taste accompanied by an intense burn that I needed to wash down with my complimentary Cosmo.

Once I could think clearly again, four important thoughts surfaced:

1) Thank God I had a chaser nearby

2) Never drinking Absolut again - it tastes like poison

3) Grey Goose has a genius marketing department

4) I'd like another Ketel One Cosmo, please

It's funny to think of all the extra money big spenders throw away on premium names like Grey Goose when they really aren't getting the best bang for their buck. That's not to say that Ketel One is cheap. It's still pricey but less expensive than Grey Goose and much better tasting.

Settling for nothing less than perfection, a member of the Nolet family (the family that started brand over 300 years ago) always tastes each batch of vodka to approve its release and its right to bear the Ketel One name.

As someone who cares about health and well being, its nice to know that what I'm putting into my body has been tried before and is regulated to meet high quality standards. Hopefully this equates to less of a hangover the following morning.

It would've been interesting to have been able to compare Ketel One with other high class vodkas like Belvedere, Pravda and organic labels. Until I do, I highly recommend drinking Ketel One, especially if you enjoy the finer things in life.

Matchstick Marketing, the company responsible for the vodka tasting event, is looking for feedback from anyone who may have seen my posting about Ketel One Vodka. If you click on the link below and complete the survey, you will be helping them by donating $2.00 to the Redwood Women's Shelter. Please click here to take their short feedback survey.

Thanks!

Naked & Famous

2008-12-03T09:34:00.001-05:00

Naked & Famous is a new line of premium raw Japanese denim coming straight out of Montreal. With no embellishments, rips or unnecessary designs to distract from the gorgeous beauty of high quality denim, these jeans are surprisingly cheap, at least in Canada. Ranging in price from $100 - $125 depending on cut and colour, these jeans look hot on both guys and girls.

I own a pair of the black skinny girls, as pictured above, and love the fit which is slightly higher in the waist than shown on the model. I haven't had my jeans shortened yet, since you aren't supposed to wash raw denim for 6 months and they might shrink when washed. In the meantime, I either tuck them into my cowboy boots or roll the cuff up. With normal jeans this wouldn't look so good, but with raw selvedge denim, it looks fantastic and keeps the leg looking sharp. (Definition of selvedge denim is courtesy of the Haute Concept blog)

A.P.C. and Nudie Jeans are other brands that use selvedge denim but their prices are more expensive and they aren't made in Canada. I'm excited to see what characteristics my jeans will take on over the next few months as they accompany me through their first snowy winter.

It's nice to see a more personal connection being offered to the owner and his jeans. It brings denim back to its historical and durable roots of being a reliable second skin, making the wearer feel naked and famous.

Naked & Famous Denim can be purchased at Over The Rainbow in Toronto and at Holt Renfrew locations across Canada.

A Little Bit in Love

2008-11-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

Have you ever been a little bit in love? It's definitely an exciting feeling. Kind of like when you get a song stuck in your head that you always want to hear cause it just sounds so good and puts you in the best mood. But deep down you know that this love is ephemeral and 2 months down the road you'll have a new obsession.

Well I have a confession to make. I'm a little bit in love with this upbeat remix of Lykke Li's catchy tune. Local Toronto DJ's AutoErotique (formerly known as VND/LSM & now signed to the Dim Mak label - woah!) have created a masterpiece that I'm a little bit addicted to.

Have a little listen here

The Royalty & Riches Report

2008-11-24T09:00:00.002-05:00

Check out the following pictures from a charity event which I was recently involved in organizing.

The regal affair was aptly titled "Royalty & Riches" as it was held in Toronto's historic Casa Loma and was in conjunction with Christie's, the world renowned auction house.

Christie's Jewels

In order to make the party less pretentious and more attractive to young patrons, we decided to play up the bling factor and invite Kanye West.

our bling

Due to a heavy touring schedule, Kanye was unable to attend. Instead he sent us some of his backup dancers dressed up as jesters to fit in with the party's theme. With the help of local Toronto DJ Dougie Boom, emerald ring pops and chocolate covered coins, we managed to make the first snowy night of the year, one worth celebrating.

All the money raised from the event, goes to fund free admission for children of all backgrounds and ethnicities to learn about art together at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. If you're interested in becoming involved, or just enjoy attending art themed parties that support a good cause, please send me a message and I'll add you to our email list.

Special thanks to our fantastic photographer, Zach Slootsky.

Bright City Lights

2008-11-22T11:41:00.004-05:00

Do you live in Toronto and want to be a part of something really cool, creative & colourful that will have a big impact - greater than the top of the CN Tower?

Tonight's the night. Join fellow art installation enthusiasts and help string together 1,500 LED lights to balloon supported fishing wire in order to light up the sky.

Aside from decorating the city and making Torontonian's smile, other benefits include the possibility of new friends, glowsticks and free hot chocolate. Sounds like a bright idea to me!

For more info check out the Newmindspace website and to make a donation click here. The fun gets underway at 7pm at the U of T front campus, 15 King's College Circle.

Girl Talk in Toronto!

2008-11-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Ever since I bought my Girl Talk ticket, 5 months ago, I have anxiously been anticipating the 12th of November. Luckily I had quite a few other momentous occasions to keep me occupied (Canada Day, TIFF, Halloween, Guy Faukes Day, the American election... to name a few) and now the day has finally arrived, quicker than expected!

Girl Talk, a.k.a., Gregg Gillis, is a young DJ who knows how to get the dance floor moving! He is well loved and loathed for his signature style of mashing up popular songs from different genres and decades to create a unique tune that makes you smile at the clever incorporation of songs you never thought would work together, but do.

Some critics hate his concept of stealing other artists' music. I think that he incorporates their work in a brilliant way and would be honoured if Girl Talk borrowed one of my songs. (Too bad I don't have any)

His latest album, Feed the Animals, is a splendid cacophonous masterpiece and can be downloaded for any price you like, right here.

United States of Change

2008-11-05T19:14:00.006-05:00

Two years ago, while living in Boston, there was lots of buzz surrounding Obama and I knew that he would be president. No, I'm not psychic, I just realized that the States needed a new image and Obama was the man for the job. His platform of change was supported by his skin colour and passionately articulated with his Kennedy like oratorical radiance.

Thus, while watching the numbers on tv at a friend's intimate election party, I was not surprised by the final results but was quite excited by all the records that were broken on November 4th, 2008. These statistics are great proof of the change that Obama represents:

* No democrat has won North Carolina since 1976. Obama won it last night.

* No democrat has won Indiana & Virginia since LBJ was in power (think 1964).

Obama won them both.

* Nevada, Ohio, & Iowa, historically all Republican states, voted for Obama.

* The voter turn out,which typically averages around 50%, was at a whopping 64%

Sweet! Good job America. Should be an interesting next four years.

R.I.P. Halloween

2008-11-03T19:15:00.012-05:00

Halloween, my favourite holiday of the year (tied closely with St. Patrick's Day) has officially come to an end. After prolonging the Hallow's Eve into a full out weekend, I have come to the realization, with the aided visual of decaying pumpkins, that we must wait another 362 days for creative costumes to adorn our leafy streets.

Fortunately, a good friend of mine has suggested having a halfway Halloween party on May 1st. This can either serve as practice for the real deal, or as another excuse to dress up and have a good time because we tend to lose our inhibitions when we are dressed as someone else.

I met so many fantastic people this weekend and I have no clue what they really look like but they had the right attitude and Halloween spirit which made me like them right off the bat.

Speaking of spirits and bats, here are a few of my favourite costumes from the weekend.

Surprisingly, I only saw 2 Sarah Palin's all weekend and no Obama's, although I"m sure there were plenty in the States. According to a recent poll, the most popular costume this Halloween for couples was Lindsay Lohan & Samantha Ronson who unfortunately I did not run into this year. Instead I saw the same old recycled Amy Winehouse wig and Borat jumpsuit.

I also saw quite a few business people dressed up during the day on Friday which is always a good idea. When else can you wear a stuffed bunny's head with your suit and tie? I swear I saw a man doing that on King Street Friday afternoon. He reminded me of the guy in the Daft Punk video "Da Funk" who walks around the streets of NY wearing a dog's head and no one seems to notice. It's a fantastic video that raises a lot of questions and I've posted it on the side to help you get over your Halloween malaise.

West Elm Toronto

2008-10-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

West Elm, the younger sister to the gorgeous and rustic home decor store, Pottery Barn, has arrived in Canada, opening up in Toronto's trendy but still rather quiet, Liberty Village.

The open concept loft space and hardwood floors of West Elm Toronto offer the perfect environment to house the modern cottage like furniture that West Elm reasonably sells.

My design savvy friend, Jess, who invited me to the opening party, wrote a fabulous review of the store which can be read here.

Aside from running into milk. audio DJ, Gani and eating delicious mini quiches, a highlight of the night for me was noticing the clever use of a rock as a name card.

In addition to being environmentally friendly and having the option of keeping a personalized paperweight, the cleverly stylized rock was a good indicator of the type of modern & practical pieces that can be found at West Elm.

For those Canadians who still miss shopping at Caban, West Elm offers a wonderful alternative.

A Cool Thought

2008-10-29T09:00:00.002-04:00

With the increased emergence of flavoured water flooding the competitive bottled beverage industry, why not create flavoured ice cubes? Or corporate ice cubes to help compete for advertising space? This would be especially popular for sponsors of important events and would also be a great idea for companies trying to target the hard to connect with 20 something generation who are so saturated by online marketing initiatives and are looking for something more memorable.

The above photo is my attempt at recreating the Volkswagon logo.

Impromptu Haiku

2008-10-28T09:07:00.002-04:00

sunshowers are rare

droplets full with rays of light

leaving a warm glow

Toronto Fashion Week

2008-10-27T09:08:00.003-04:00

Saturday night marked the end of Toronto's Fashion Week, with Maroon 5 providing the closing festivities at Nathan Phillips Square. That's right - Maroon 5, an American band, was chosen to perform instead of a Canadian artist, since we already saw enough local talent over the week.

I guess Maroon 5 appeals to both of the demographics in attendance at Fashion week: celebrity/pop culture obsessed ladies + gay guys. Anyway, to a worldwide company like LG, whom was sponsoring the event, it doesn't matter where the band's from as long as entertainment + lifestyle can all be connected to their stylish new phone.

Aside from the few designers who showcased samples from their collections last night, the only full show I attended was the Joe Fresh Spring '09 one. I hate the simple, boring and cheap clothes that Joe Fresh offers but was nonetheless excited for the event as my friend DJ FLOH BACK was providing the soundtrack which definitely drew more rave reviews than the clothes.

To emphasize the lack lustre clothes, anorexic models with boring super flat hair were chosen to frown as they walked down the runway in extremely high stilletos that totally clashed with the K-Mart-esque styles of Joe Fresh.

I know it must be hard to market a cheap clothing line to the fashionistas in attendance, as they would never be caught buying clothes at a supermarket or in the suburbs (where most Joe Fresh stores are located) so why try to appeal to trendsetters by not being true to your brand image?

The show could've been a lot more realistic had healthier looking models been chosen. The models should have smiled too - because at Joe Fresh you can buy a knock off Ralph Lauren cardigan for $20.

No matter who your audience is, you have to stay true to your brand image, because having a confused brand makes things difficult for the consumer. Although I guess Joe Fresh doesn't really have its own brand identity since it just copies other designers' fashions.

Royalty & Riches

2008-10-20T09:05:00.002-04:00

Attention Toronto residents: Next Tuesday, October 28th, is your chance to....

Party in a castle

with a queen & king

an open bar

& lots of bling!

The Canadian Friends of the Israel Museum is an organization that throws really cool art themed parties around the world. This month, the Toronto chapter has teamed up with Christie's to bring you an exclusive viewing and briefing of gems, jewels & watches from Christie's New York.

The excitement is taking place at Toronto's own historic Casa Loma. DJ Dougie Boom will be supplying the beats so make sure your dancing shoes match that party dress.

All the money raised from the event goes towards funding free admission for children of all faiths and ethnicities to learn about art together at Israel's national museum. Pretty cool stuff.

For more information and to buy your tickets click here

Dancing Mascots & Other Nuit Blanche Highlights

2008-10-08T17:29:00.019-04:00

Nuit Blanche 2008 was a night to remember and one that took several days to recover from. As mentioned in my previous post, there were a lot of exciting DJ sets to check out. My fellow art committee members and I started out at The Drake, Toronto's art & cultural boutique hotel, to hear Mike Relm DJ on the rooftop patio. I was a bit disappointed by his performance since it was 90% identical to his last show in Toronto in 2007.

We then headed back to my place for a few pick me up drinks and some delicious cheese. The Ski Queen Gjetost cheese that I inhaled, looked like peanut butter but tasted like caramel. Incredible.

After refueling, we ventured back to Toronto's Art & Design District where we were amused by the red lights in Trinity Bellwoods Park and the random art displays in the numerous galleries and alleyways lining the strip. It was also fun to experience the unplanned run-in's from co-workers and friends who were amongst the thousands of people frolicking in the street.

Next stop was my friend's birthday party on Ossington where we practiced our dance moves at Levack Block, only to show them off when the bar closed at Rolly's Garage, which was one heck of a dance party!

The pics below are of the 84.85 at Rolly's Garage. Colin, the rapper, is in the green hat, while Jay, the DJ, is spinning his magic.

I didn't think the night could get any better until we hit up OPOPO's 2nd annual impromptu Nuit Blanche Take Over the Street Dance Party!!!! The energy in the air was so intense that we decided to head over to Liberty Village around 5am to cool off. Sometimes too much fun can be overwhelming.

We stumbled upon more random art installations in corners, alleys and even coming out of windows, like a giant waterfall! At first I thought I was dreaming cause I was so tired but there was actually a waterfall coming out of a window from one of the old historic buildings in Liberty Village. Click on this youtube video if you don't believe me

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To end off a fantastic night, we danced to early 90's happy music at Lamport Stadium with an assortment of mascots as our guides. Seriously. Check it out on the youtube video bar to the right of the page. Enjoy!

Nuit Blanche

2008-10-03T11:00:00.001-04:00

Nuit Blanche, or White Night, for those of you who don't speak French, is an all night art event that started in Paris and has spread to many other world class cities. Torontonians seem to love Nuit Blanche and have doubled their attendance rates from the 2006 inaugural year to last year's recorded number of 800,000! With some major sponsorship money coming in from Scotiabank and a general positive vibe from locals and media outlets, it looks like this year will be bigger & brighter, filled with more exciting nighttime treats.

Last year I ended up at an adhoc car wash party on Queen West near Gladstone Avenue where I danced till the sun came up to the awesome electronic/house beats of OPOPO & Operon. This special event was not part of Nuit Blanche but anything goes on a night where art is in charge! The boys who DJ'ed knew that no one would care if they were taking over private property to play really loud music when people down the street were watching random objects being thrown from the roof of a building, all in the name of art! If this type of stunt is of interest to you, be sure to check out SMASH! Droppin' Stuff! in Liberty Village.

Unfortunately the car wash has ceased to exist in order to make room for more condo's (surprise) Fortunately, rumour has it there could very well be another sporadic dance party taking place nearby, but the location for now remains a secret. My recommendation is to hang out in the Queen West area and you'll be sure to stumble upon some kick-ass beats at 4am, not to mention tons of cool art installations along the way.

I"m going to try and check out Mike Relm who will be performing at The Drake earlier on in the night. Mike Relm is one of the coolest and most original DJ's I"ve ever seen as he incorporates videos (often controversial) into his music in order to keep the listener thinking while dancing.

After his performance I'm going to head over to an abandoned garage on Ossington to catch The 84.85 in action with Syntonics. It's not every night you get to party in an abandoned garage and Nuit Blanche helps local residents remember that art can be found anywhere at any time of day, in numerous forms.

So next time you see that random looking object on a sidewalk corner, you might want to have another look. Maybe it has a deeper, hidden meaning that only a young child can understand, or 1 million Torontonians on a magical night.

Nuit Blanche runs from 6:52pm to 6:52am on Saturday, October 4th - 5th.

DJ Spotlight - Boys Noize

2008-10-02T08:30:00.001-04:00

Boys Noize are playing in Toronto tonight and I am so excited!!! I missed their show last year at The Social, a much smaller venue than This is London, where they will be DJing tonight with Montreal's A Track, brother to the lead singer from Chromeo.

Aside from hosting a pre-drink for 14 of my fun & crazy friends, I also can't wait for tonight because Boys Noize are an extremely talented electro duo that still charge reasonable covers for their gigs (unlike Justice who's ticket prices have gone up 75% since last year).

From Snoop Dogg to Feist, these German musical geniuses have remixed quite the diverse range of artists and made their songs more conducive to partying. Click here for a glimpse of their electrifying performance at Coachella this past April and get ready to dance!

M is for Moose

2008-09-30T20:21:00.007-04:00

C is for Charlie. C is for Canada.
C is for Coincidence.

Charles Pachter is a world renowned gifted artist with a penchant for all things Canadian. In the same way that The Group of Seven were famous for their landscapes depicting the beautiful and rustic nature of our homeland, Charles Pachter has become renowned for his social commentary on Canadian values, such as hockey, the Queen and moose.

He recently came out with a gorgeous children's alphabet book full of his favourite images of our country that can also be found in art galleries, private collections and now in the laps of children

(another C!)

C is for Cheer!

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms

2008-09-26T13:12:00.006-04:00

What is one of the reasons why Toronto has such a great nightlife/live music/party scene? It's because so many of the talented DJ's and musical acts that are creating a stir, come from Toronto and naturally tend to play at many of the cities' parties and clubs.

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms are a terrific example of a live electronic/dance act that is "making a scene, doing it right, taking the party to another height". Their humourous pop culture songs are full of a raw energy that makes you want to dance, sweat and enjoy living in the moment.

I recently saw them put on a wild & crazy performance at a launch party for a clothing line from L.A., taking place at Lileo in the Distillery District of Toronto. Some of the footage from their performance can be seen by clicking on the link above.

To see this incredibly fantastic dynamic & creative band perform before they get too big, check out Sneaky Dee's tonight, if you live in the Toronto area, for the Shit La Merde 4th year anniversary party.

Be prepared to witness some of the best dance moves since Hammer Time.

A Chocolatey Buzz

2008-09-25T11:14:00.007-04:00

I recently tried two different kinds of dark chocolate bars, both offering the exciting addition of espresso. Sometimes one is just too full for a cup of coffee after a meal, which is why a piece from one of these chocolate bars offers the perfect form of dessert, by providing a sweet pick me up to jump start your afternoon, or evening.

The Zing Energizing Maca & Ginseng Espresso Chunk Organic bar, has a 70% cacao content and is part of the Zazubean line of fair trade chocolate bars. It has a rich, delicious, espresso smell but does not have the accompanying bitter taste.

The Ghiradelli Intense Dark Espresso Escape bar, has a slightly lower cacao content of 60% but offers a sharper espresso kick than the former.

As someone who is not an avid coffee drinker, I prefer the Zing bar. As it's name suggests, the Ghiradelli bar is a bit too intense for me and I enjoy reaping the benefits of maca, ginseng and astralagus which are found in the Zing bar. It's nice to know that you're improving your immune system by delighting in a dark chocolate dessert. Seconds please!

Hotel Gansevoort in Toronto

2008-09-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

I recently read that the uber trendy Hotel Gansevoort of New York (also with a location in South Beach) will be opening up in Toronto in 2011, most likely at the end of the summer in order to reap the benefits of TIFF.

The picture above is a projection of what the asymmetrical and LEED certified hotel & condo will look like in Toronto.

For those of you who don't follow celebrity gossip, Hotel Gansevoort is a sylish mecca for movie stars, famous DJ's, party girls and high rollers.

Naturally I assumed that the hotel would open in Toronto's trendy King West District which features many upscale dining and entertainment options, but few hotels. Aside from the Soho Metropolitan, the aging Travelodge is the only hotel I can think of in the area and it's truly an eyesore on the rapidly gentrified King & Portland 'hood. With Freed's new high end condo being constructed across the street, the Travelodge would've offered the perfect venue for Gansevoort goodness.

Instead, The Gansevoort will be opening in the John & Richmond Entertainment District which I found quite surprising. Although the notoriously touristy/905ish zone has slightly increased its cool factor with the addition of Circa, drawing hipsters over from Queen West to check out the latest Parisian DJ's, Toronto's Entertainment District is still one worth avoiding if you don't feel like getting your stilletos stuck in puke, or being bombarded with flyers for crappy clubs.

Perhaps The Gansevoort will revive the area with some much needed style? Or will it be transformed by its surroundings and develop a trashy image? Who knows? At least one thing's for sure; it will offer its guests close proximity to the best late night burritos and street meat in town!

Stylish Protection

2008-09-17T09:11:00.002-04:00

Love biking, blading, skateboarding and other dangerous sports? Hate wearing a helmet because it doesn't look cool? Thanks to Les Ateliers Ruby, helmets have become fashionable accessories that make extreme sports that much more enjoyable and SAFE!

Made with carbon fibers for ultimate protection and a lightweight feel, Ruby helmets are also kind to the hair, with burgundy nappa lambskin caressing your locks while absorbing sweat.

With an assortment of stylish colours and patterns that appeal to both sexes, it's tempting to buy more than one. Too bad they retail for 500 pounds! High quality fashion does not come cheap. Yes, but according to the Ateliers Ruby Helmets website, "Life is the most precious thing you have."

What about creating life?

In keeping with the theme of safety being fun & original, check out these new condoms from One Condoms. Like Les Ateliers Ruby helmets, which derive their designs from graffiti and urban artists, One Condoms incorporate pop culture into their packaging to help ingrain the idea of wearing a condom into our society.

Each condom comes in a round wrapper and has a unique design on it. Fans of the brand can submit their own designs or vote for the ones they like the best. The condoms also come in a silver tin that can be re-used for other fun small items.

My favourites from the condom collage above include:

Rubber ducky, you're the ONE

Twenty ONE (with the King & Ace of clubs)

ONE Love (with the tennis ball motif, naturally)

Like the fashionable Les Ateliers Ruby helmets, by making condoms fun and creative, there's more incentive to be safe!

Brand New Remix

2008-09-16T11:28:00.004-04:00

The 84.85, whom I blogged about last week for having one of their tracks remixed by Toronto's up & coming DJ Barletta, recently played a crowd pleasing film festival show at The Drake Hotel. Jay, the 84 behind the 84.85, has come out with his own remix of OPOPO's popular electro-rock song, "Blast Blast".

Click here for a listen. Caveat: You might get a little sweaty.

OPOPO recently played at Toronto's 3rd annual Virgin Festival where some crazy guy attacked Noel Gallagher from Oasis. (If you're into watching messed up people do stupid things, click on Noel's name to se the attack)

Consequently, Oasis cancelled their New York shows which were supposed to have happened over the weekend. Sorry Toronto fans, but there's no way they are ever stepping foot in our city again and perhaps even our country.

Crystal Castles Craziness

2008-09-14T21:36:00.009-04:00

During the recent film festival, I attended the Vice Magazine party at The University of Toronto's Hart House. It was an excellent venue for an excellent party with free booze, hors d'oeuvres and hipster DJ's. Everyone was having a great time and enjoying the beautiful evening in the Harry Potteresque courtyard.

However, in keeping with the magical atmosphere, when the clock struck 12, the mood totally changed. Crystal Castles, the overly hyped electro-punk duo from Toronto, came on stage and turned the civilized chilled crowd into a frenzy of angry and aggressive fans. All of a sudden I was being pushed back and forth like a ping pong ball as Alice Glass, the vocalist of Crystal Castles screamed into the microphone and threw a hysteria fit on stage.

Crystal Castles are definitely a very talented duo and I must admit that I'm slightly addicted to the tracks Crimewave, Magic Spells and Vanished, but I hate the violent undertones in their performances that evoke a similar reaction in their audiences.

To read an incredibly well written and accurate portrayal of Crystal Castles, please check out the blog, Passion of the Weiss.

Fix That Speaker

2008-09-12T15:32:00.004-04:00

Mr. Scruff, one of my favourite artists on the incredibly impressive Ninja Tunes label, has come out with a brand new track called "Fix That Speaker" which can be heard at the JusLikeMusic blog, one of the better music sites out there. This song is instantly likable due to its jazzy beat and soulful saxophone solos. It's a great track to listen to in the evening, post dinner with a glass of wine, before heading out for the night or going to bed.

For some reason this song also reminds me of the Fall, which is just around the corner.

Check out this stunning picture of Mount Royal Park in Montreal which I took last October. Even though the Film Festival is coming to an end, at least we'll still have some moving images to look forward to come Fall.

McCain's Mighty Marketing Tactics

2008-09-11T18:32:00.003-04:00

An acquaintance of mine from McGill, Jason Maghanoy, has also been following the presidential campaign and analyzing it daily on his Facebook blog. Jason is a Toronto playwright and self-confessed Obamamaniac. He wrote an excellent piece on McCain's marketing strategy which I'd like to share with you.

Man them McCain people are running a wicked campaign. Sure they're not as organized as Obama, and they don't raise the same kind of money and have the same kind of operations across the country. But they're energized and when they throw punches they're the drunk asshole with the trucker hat kind of punches that don't hit you square, but man do they sting. They just graze ya...and leave an annoying mark.

What are the top four punches of the McCain campaign?

1) Picking Palin, Palin, Palin. Man. Those on the right feel the same way about her that Obama supporters feel about Obama. It's a crazy feeling. A maniacal feeling. A feeling that allows you to forgive your candidate's glaring weaknesses. "Inexperience? How about you go fuck your mom?"

2) They've changed the narrative of the election away from the issues, and into the realm of biography, which was one smart, sly move. The GOP don't do issues man. Issues are for suckers. Besides, you can't beat McCain's "I was tortured almost to death defending my country and goddamn it I'm gonna be the best president cause of it" routine. And don't get me started on Sarah Palin's retarded baby. He's gold. Gold I tell you!

3) They've gone negative, and we're talkin bat-shit, crazy, condescending negative. This kind of negative holds on to its humor. So we get Obama's "The One" ads as opposed to "McCain fathered an illegitimate black baby" Karl Rove style ads. We get ads that are horrible, but man are they a laugh at the water cooler. Check out McCain's latest ad blasting Obama's education stance: "sex ed for kindergarten kids? Sex before they can even learn to read?" The ad is utter genius.

4) The McCain camp has bought $500,000 worth of time on the national networks, with an eye towards advertising nationally during daytime TV shows. Among the shows McCain has bought time during: The Price Is Right, Guiding Lights, and Days of Our Lives... Oh my fucking Allah: he's targeting the Sarah Palin's of the world! Holy fuck of Jesus are there a lot of them out there! Imagine all of them, en masse, dropping by their local school to vote for McCain in between their favourite soaps. If them voters don't tip the balance in his favor (you see how close those polls are getting?) I don't know what will.

Like I said. Brilliant (again).

TIFF Updates

2008-09-10T09:15:00.005-04:00

Tuesday night I had the privilege of attending the premier of "Toronto Stories", a movie based on 4 different relationship tales centered around a lost boy that all take place in Toronto. The movie was directed by Sook Yin-Lee (pictured above, 2nd from the left, with the other directors & producers) and featured excellent actors and beautiful scenic shots of the different neighbourhoods and people that are part of Toronto.

Considering that new immigrants make up a growing number of the population, it was refreshing to see glimpses of the lives of different people that create our culturally diverse city. It was also heartwarming to hear the actors describe the challenging but wonderful experiences they had when making the film.

The little lost boy, played by Toka Murphy and pictured above in Union Station, was absolutely adorable and is definitely a star on the rise. I was also particularly impressed with the performance of Samantha Weinstein, who played the adventurous red headed Cayle from Riverdale.

Here are some other buzzworthy movies that friends and people at parties have been recommending:

* Faubourg 36 - a tear inducing French film
* Slumdog Millionaire - an extraordinary film shot in India, based on a best selling novel
* RocknRolla - a tough and rough Guy Richie film
* Cooper's Camera - a hilarious Christmas comedy taking place in the '80s

* Medicine for Melancholy - premiered at SXSW in Texas, about the evolution of a one night stand and the regression of life in San Francisco. I was able to make it to this film and although it was quite enjoyable, I preferred Toronto Stories.

TIFF Exclusive: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

2008-09-09T09:15:00.001-04:00

Last Saturday night my friend Jess (pictured above in the black) and I attended the after party for the TIFF gala screening of Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist, the latest Michael Cera film. The quirky teen romance film has been getting rave reviews and comes out nationwide in October.

The after party was tons of fun as it was full of the young cast members who enjoyed dancing to the classic rock & indie pop music that was appropriately suited to the theme of the movie and the venue of the bash, Tattoo Rock Parlour.

Colour coated candy lined the bar and typical teenage food was served, including mini burgers, pizza, chicken quesadilas, mac & cheese, chinese food in take out boxes and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

Rock star sunglasses and headphones were provided for photo ops and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, especially the adults who were all over the cute & scrawny Michael Cera. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to him as I did with the charming Jason Reitman, director of such fantastic films as Juno and Thank You for Smoking.

I also chatted with Danny Masterson, who is a lot cuter in real life than he is as Hyde on That 70's Show. He has beautiful blue eyes and was covering up his curly locks with a stylish top hat. I invited him to come to The New Deal concert which I was attending later that night, thinking that he would enjoy the live breakbeat house sounds, as he himself is a talented DJ.

Unfortunately I did not see him at Lee's Palace, the location of The New Deal's 10 Year Anniversary show. In typical New Deal fashion, the show was incredible, with tantalizing light, sound & movement captivating the audience. For those of you who missed out, the show was recorded and will be available shortly under the "This is Live" series.

A New Tennis Champion?

2008-09-08T09:14:00.006-04:00

Today marks the final day of the U.S. Open in New York and tennis fans around the world can hardly contain their excitement for the championship match.

Nadal is out of the picture for once and Federer is back where he belongs, taking on the UK's Andy Murray, ranked #6 in the world.

I saw Murray lose to Nadal last month at the Roger's Cup Semi-Finals in Toronto and I'm thrilled that Murray, who put up a great fight, was given a second chance to beat the brutish Spaniard. He's a gifted athlete with a lot more grace than the bum picking Nadal. He's much better looking too.

I"m also glad that Federer is out of his slump and back in the finals, where he rightly deserves to be. Even though I'd love to see the underdog win, I miss Federer's reign as tennis champion and I'd like him to continue to be seen as a threat to Nadal.

TIFF '08

2008-09-05T15:10:00.002-04:00

The 33rd annual Toronto International Film Festival commenced yesterday leaving us lucky Torontonians with nine action packed days and nights full of movies & parties.

Last night's gala screening, Passchendaele, was a fitting feature to start the Festival as it's full of Canadian content. The romantic war epic was filmed in Calgary and directed by the talented Canuck thespian, Paul Gross who also stars in the drama.

Below are several films which I look forward to seeing over the next week and a half:

Detroit Metal City - about the lead singer of a Japanese metal rock band who really just wants to be the next Backstreet Boy. As someone who studied Japanese film at school, I'm looking forward to watching a comedy instead of the traditional violent sword fighting epics so prevalent in Japanese culture.

Burn After Reading - Brad Pitt. George Clooney. John Malkovitch. The Coen Brothers. Black comedy. Could this be a modern day Fargo taking place in Washington?

Toronto Stories - because I love Toronto and Sook-Yin Lee

Synecdoche, New York - because I love New York and Charlie Kaufman

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Michael Cera. Killer soundtrack. Need I say more?

Rachel Getting Married - I'm looking forward to seeing Anne Hathaway's acting skills put to the test in a more serious role than the Princess Diaries crap she is often a victim of. Directed by Jonathan Demme, who's dramatic films are often full of interesting characters, Hathaway plays a sarcastic young woman who takes a break from rehab to create some tension at her sister's wedding.

Remix This

2008-09-03T01:01:00.002-04:00

The other night I was at a beach party where I heard Sultans of Swing being remixed with a Justice song! Sounds pretty crazy but it also sounded great. Recently I've noticed other collaborations with classic rock & electro tunes and I've been liking the results. MSTRKRFT has been following this trend for a while and two of my favourite sexy results include The Gossip and Metric remixes (not quite classic but definitely rock).

Also worth checking out is the new single from Southern Rockers' Kings of Leon, who's latest album, Only by the Night, debuts on September 23rd. (Only 20 days left!) Each Kings of Leon album has been amazing and I can hardly wait for their 5th mark of brilliance.

The video for their new single, Sex on Fire, can be viewed at the toolbar on the right. Enjoy!

What's in a Name?

2008-09-01T18:30:00.005-04:00

What's the deal with Sarah Palin's children's names? For those of you who aren't interested in one of the most historically fascinating presidential campaigns, the 44 year old Ms. Palin is McCain's surprise pick to run as his VP. The former Alaska governor is the epitome of Republican, with her anti-abortion and anti same-sex marriage viewpoints. Did I mention that she's also an avid hunter and fisher?

So why is she so liberal-hippie when it comes to the names she chose for her 5 children? Bristol, Willow and Piper are the names of her daughters while Trig & Track are the names of her sons. Yes, I am being serious. WTF? It doesn't make any sense to me. Feel free to leave a comment if you can figure out this dichotomy.

Do any of the young ladies above look like a Willow to you? What about a Bristol?

Making a Splash

2008-08-29T10:45:00.001-04:00

In order to add some colour to grey rainy days, or keep my feet dry at muddy concerts, I hop into my green frog rainboots and hit the puddles! Fortunately for me, I have small feet so I can buy rainboots for little kids, because it seems as though rainboots for adults are either boring or hard to find. Who wants to wear something boring on their feet? Not me!

Thanks to I Love My Design, more people can enjoy colourful rainboots. With sizing going up to a women's 9, I Love My Design offers paintable rubber rainboots and a starter kit with six different colours, paintbrushes, a mixing palette and instructions. The non-toxic paint is waterproof but comes off easily with specially treated pads, allowing wearers to unleash their inner artist and make a splash in rainy weather!

As mentioned in a previous posting about customized footwear, why not just do it yourself? It's a lot cheaper and more original. I Love My Design's paintable rain boots range in price from $34.99 - $39.99 and can be purchased at Mastermind Toys.

Feel like Dancing?

2008-08-28T00:05:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday, the weekend is just around the corner and it's a long one! Click here for a kick-ass remix of The 84.85's hit track, Don't Worry, courtesy of DJ Barletta to get you hyped up for the start of the last official weekend of summer!

Don't be sad though, it only gets better from here. Film fest is exactly one week away, which means tons of incredible parties and a 4am last call for selective bars & clubs around Toronto! Bring it on!

(In order to hear the above remix more clearly, feel free to click on the gold necklace of the dude holding the juke box on the middle right side of the page, which turns off the background music)

$8 for a beer?

2008-08-21T22:34:00.010-04:00

A few weeks ago I found myself at the legendary Horseshoe Tavern for the release party of The Stills' latest album, Oceans Will Rise. Now I'm not much of an Indie music fan but I figured that a free concert with good company would make for a fun Tuesday night.

Turns out my expectations were exceeded by the melodic and passionate voice of the lead singer. The Stills' sound was more lyrical and rock based than Indie inspired, which I much preferred.

The fans at the jam packed show were really into the music and didn't seem to mind the humidity and awful acoustics that add to the nostalgic element of the Horseshoe. However, the fans who were waiting outside the venue were probably pretty pissed off that the release party was held at such a small place. Sure an intimate vibe was created, but the nostalgic aspect of the night wore off as soon as I ordered an imported beer and the bartender asked for $8.

Yikes! $8 for a bottle of beer at The Horseshoe? I decided to order a Blue instead for a more reasonable $5 but was dismayed to learn that such a dirty bar with an awful sound and ventiliation system had the nerve to charge so much.

A friend of mine recently visited the newly opened Biermarket at King & Portland and also complained about spending $8 on a beer. However, she ordered a pint and in my opinion, $8 for a large glass of a unique type of beer at a clean and pleasant venue, is much more acceptable.

Crawling Nyood

2008-08-19T09:00:00.002-04:00

As previously mentioned on Nat in a Hat, I was involved in organizing a charity art gallery crawl that culminated in a sensual bash at Nyood, Toronto's latest supperclub to hit the Queen West district. The event, which took place a few weeks ago, was a huge success and for those of you who couldn't make it, here are some pictures from the fun-filled night.

The crawl consisted of visits to three of Toronto's most buzzed about galleries in the art & design district.

The first stop of the evening was at The Angell Gallery where owner, Jamie Angell, chatted with guests over glasses of sangria (both red & white) in his charming backyard.

The next stop on the crawl was the Stephen Bulger Gallery which is connected to the Camera Bar, an intimate event space that can be rented out for private parties or film screenings. Stephen Bulger spent some time explaining the meanings behind his photographs, many of which complimented the evening's theme of art & nudity.

Guests kept their drinks in hand as they ventured west to Dovercourt for the last gallery on the crawl, The Thrush Holmes Empire.

Thrush Keats Byron Holmes, as pictured above, has led an extremely fascinating life which you can read about in Toronto Life's July issue. To see more images of his compelling and often controversial mixed media paintings, click here.

The art continued at Nyood, where images from The Israel Museum, which the event was raising funds for, were projected onto the high, loft style, concrete walls.

Guests enjoyed delectable hors' doeuvres, drinks and nude themed cookies & models. Hipster music was provided by the DJ duo, The 84.85. To top of the evening, the talented artists, Team Macho, generously donated a painting they designed for the event, which is shown at the top of this posting.

The night was a huge success, with money being raised to help fund free admission for children of all backgrounds and ethnicities to attend the Israel Museum and learn more about art and culture. Stay tuned for more details about the next art party coming up in October.

Colourful Cottage Country

2008-08-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Check out these colourful Muskoka Chairs I spotted while eating crispy fish & chips in the tiny, picturesque town of Thornbury, Ontario.

Aside from brightening up lacklustered wood, these chairs add some fun to the traditional cabin look and make a trip to the cottage that much more exciting.

They are also a clever advertising concept for Benjamin Moore paints. By taking a standard cottage country object and brightening it up, all of a sudden the laid back cottage vibe has been interrupted with a smile, causing consumer's to take notice of a product without feeling intruded by city type billboard ads.

Good job Mr. Moore!

Paris Hilton for President

2008-08-15T23:40:00.005-04:00

Due to popular demand, I've added the Paris Hilton presidential ad which is much classier than the McCain-Obama attack ads have been. Paris Hilton + classy in the same sentence? You bet.

This was definitely a smart PR move for the blond heiress who eloquently speaks about the election issues while looking hot and sophisticated in a one piece leopard print cut out swimsuit.

I'm not sure who makes her suit but I do know that Diesel sells similar ones, as shown below, at their stores in the States.

The Human Canvas

2008-08-14T21:21:00.010-04:00

Using one's body as a canvas has always been a common practice around the world. Tattoos, denoting positive or negative meanings have been prevalent throughout history. Some people consider tattoos as an art form, others as an insult to God.

The happy medium?

Having an artist paint your body for a special event or for marketing purposes.

This temporary display resonates much more deeply than a painting or advertisement on a wall as its medium is alive, moving and really cool looking!

Check out the amazing work of Dorota Buczel, a professional makeup & visual artist living in Toronto.

I recently helped organize an art gallery crawl with a nudity theme. We hired topless models whom I was given the pleasure of painting. (Or maybe they were the ones with the pleasure)

The goal was to have a solid black line across their chests to resemble the censored symbol commonly seen in music videos and in the image below.

Instead, my amateur painting skills made the censor line look more like a black bandeau top from Le Chateau. Either way, the models looked hot and the guests were happy. Very happy.

Stay tuned for more details on the art gallery crawl.

Zune vs. Ipod

2008-08-12T08:48:00.015-04:00

The Zune player, Microsoft's version of the Apple Ipod, is probably a better product, but will it ever dominate the market and become synonymous with the name MP3 player, the way that the Ipod has? Unlikely.

The Onion, "America's Finest News Source" recently poked fun at Microsoft for trying to compete with Apple in the MP3 category, with a news story titled "Thousands Wait Overnight at Microsoft Stores for Second Generation Zune." True? No. Familiar? Yes. Reminds me of the time, not too long ago, when thousands waited in line for the Apple iPhone.

Since the birth of the Ipod, Apple products have become a way of life for the cool and hip or for people who want to feel cool and hip. In addition to the fact that Apple is arguably North America's #1 brand, the Ipod was also the first MP3 player of its kind. The Ipod has revolutionized the way we listen to music and is a leader in the market. Most consumers want the original product and not the imitation.

Contrary to the Ipod, the Zune player is black with black ear buds. It has a larger screen and weighs slightly less. Like the Ipod, it comes in different sizes with different amounts of available memory. It's extremely easy to use. You simply glide your finger up or down to scroll through the settings which include two additional features than the video & photo Ipod, those being radio and social.

The Zune is trying to create an online social community where music fans can share music with each other. One of the best features of the Zune is the ability to send a song to a fellow Zune buddy simply by pushing a button. This makes getting new music very easy and cheap. There is also a Zune shop, similar to Itunes, which offers unlimited music for only $14.99 a month. Not bad considering that the average album on Itunes costs $9.99.

The Zune also has cool accessories like the Ipod, including the ability to have a design engraved onto the back of your Zune to help customize it as you please.

So, even though consumers want to feel unique by controlling what kind of music they hear through their own playlists and engraved music players, they also want to feel connected to something larger. The Zune offers an online social community whereas the Ipod offers a membership into the Apple brand, which seems to be the more popular choice.

What should Microsoft do?

Why not give out free Zune players to people who buy Microsoft computers? This could be a limited time "back to school" offer but will not only offer incentive for students to buy PC's, it will also put the Zune in the hands of more consumers.

This idea will enhance the unique song sharing feature that makes the Zune desirable since the more friends you have with a zune, the more songs you'll get for free.

To make the product even more accessible, Microsoft should make the Zune's software compatible with Macs. Then maybe we'll start to see more of a balanced competition.

Attack Ads

2008-08-11T15:38:00.006-04:00

Having taken a course in U.S. presidential campaigning, I've witnessed and written about countless attack ads that presidential candidates use to scare voters by resorting to the pre-school tactic of bullying. Unfortunately, since both parties are victims of this historical practice, we continue to see child-like behaviour representing the United States' future leaders.

Pathetic.

There's been a lot of controversy over the recent John McCain ad, starring none other than Paris Hilton & Britney Spears. In the video, which is shown on the YouTube bar to the right, McCain tries to make Obama look useless by claiming that he is simply a celebrity, who doesn't have the proper experience to lead a country.

There have been angry articles claiming that McCain is comparing Obama to the party queen, Paris Hilton, and that the ad stirs up racist fears of black man versus young, white, innocent women....

Woah! Talk about exaggeration. First of all, Hilton is by no means innocent.

Second, Obama is not into partying or singing over-sexualized love songs like Spears.

Third, and most relevant, Hilton & Spears are only in the video for a split second at the beginning. Their faces are shown to set the background of the video so that the viewer knows that Obama is at a large and important event where the United States' favourite people are present.

I think that this ad is actually quite clever because it catches the attention of the large demographic in the States that has no interest in political events or in commercials. Old and young, male & female, U.S. residents love gossip about Spears & Hilton. If viewers were channel surfing or zoning out during commercials, and noticed the image of one of their favourite blond bimbos, their attention would definitely be undivided for the whole duration of the 30 second commercial.

This means that they would hear and see the 5 words claiming "Higher taxes. More Foreign Oil," which translates to:

Wow that would suck. Guess I"m voting for McCain, after all the Hilton family endorses him.

Daily Haiku

2008-08-11T15:37:00.002-04:00

the third time's a charm

according to the Irish

what about the French?

Organic Comfort Food

2008-08-11T15:16:00.005-04:00

Sold at The Healthy Butcher, (2 locations in Toronto) this organic mac & cheese is one of the best out there.

I've eaten a lot of mac & cheese in my life and this one wins the award for interesting ingredients that don't detract from the original taste as many fancy mac & cheeses tend to do. Rather, the natural tastiness of mixing pasta with cheese is enhanced by using different smoky cheeses, organic bacon bits, caramalized onions, sun-dried tomatoes and crisp bread crumbs.

Absolutely delicious! At a reasonable price of $4.95 a portion, this mac & cheese is sure to please.

Daily Haiku

2008-08-06T12:00:00.002-04:00

off to Montreal

Radiohead in the park

poutine late at night

The Football Factory

2008-08-06T11:37:00.006-04:00

Heads up soccer fans, The Football Factory is on its way to downtown Toronto.

What is The Football Factory? A google search indicated that it was a 2004 film based on an award winning novel. It is also the name of a bar/restaurant opening up down the street from where I live. The space is small and looks upscale with logos of a soccer ball dipped in a martini glass.

The interesting thing about this place is that there are no other bars located right near it. Sure you can walk north or south and be on either Queen or King Street but it is rare to see a nice looking bar on Bathurst sandwiched in between tiny houses and a homeless shelter.

Also, with a name like The Football Factory, it's hard to tell what image the bar is going for. They are still renovating the space but by peering through the window it appears to be an upscale lounge. Will The Football Factory be the first high end sports bar in Toronto? Is this the start of a new niche market? As an avid sports fan and martini drinker, I think that this combo is a wonderful idea and hope that it takes off.

I'll keep you posted on further developments when I return from my vacation in Montreal.

Daily Haiku

2008-08-05T21:54:00.002-04:00

popcorn at breakfast

better than buttery toast

saltier than eggs

Haute Chocolate

2008-08-05T21:12:00.009-04:00

Xococava is a new upscale chocolate boutique that recently opened in the Yonge & St. Clair neighbourhood of Toronto. Xococava, (pronounced Shoco-cava) offers sweet treats courtesy of Chris McDonald, the same talented chef who owns Cava, the gourmet tapas restaurant next door.

Aside from offering such exotic and original truffles such as Black Trumpet Mushroom, Masala Chai, Chroizo and Spanish Coffee, Xococava also offers my favourite treat, ice cream!

Like the truffles, the ice cream flavours are quite tasty and imaginative. I enjoyed sampling the Honey-Canela, Chocolate Hazelnut and Mangaro Chocolate Sorbet, which was my favourite out of the three. It had a rich dark chocolate flavour that would pair well with a scoop of Espresso ice cream.

Licorice-Caramel also seemed like an interesting flavour but the Honey-Canela flavour had such an intense taste that I was concerned that the former would be too sweet. One of the helpful Chocolatiers informed me that the ratio of natural ingredients to sugar/cream/fat is much higher than other ice cream places, making their summertime treat healthier and also more true to the flavour's name.

In addition to ice cream, Xococava also features candy and desserts like black currant marshmallows, churros, biscotti, triple chocolate chunk cookies, pain au chocolat, milkshakes, heart warming "hot xocolata" and coffee.

Xococava is a reflection of our society's enhanced desire for fine desserts. From the old dingy candy store and even older Baskin Robbins that used to occupy the corner space of Delisle Court, Xococava is a huge improvement and welcome addition for those who appreciate the finer things in life.

special thanks to tasteto.com for photo #1

Daily Haiku

2008-08-01T15:59:00.001-04:00

popcorn in my bag

leaving the movie theatre

breakfast tomorrow

A True & Crazy Story

2008-08-01T14:29:00.009-04:00

The other night I went to go see the sneak preview of the Judd Apatow produced stoner flick, "Pineapple Express". I was not high when I saw the film but was possibly still somewhat affected by all the marijuana in the movie because on my way home, I ended up leaving my purse on the streetcar! YIKES!!!

What was inside my gorgeous 5 month old tanned leather purse from Roots?

* Ipod with expensive headphones

* Zune player with expensive headphones

* Nikon Digital Camera

* $200 cash

* tanned leather wallet from M0851

* Driver's License

* Original Ontario Health Card (for those of you not from Ontario, these are irreplaceable)

* Visa & Debit Card

* Quad spinning punch card (still good for 5 more spin classes)

* Ray-Ban Aviators

* Stila lip-gloss

* Keys to my place with a Jimmy Key Keychain - also irreplaceable)

* Etc.

YIKES!

Clearly I was in dire need of a miracle or a super hero so I called my Dad. He picked me up and we ventured over to the TTC King West Streetcar Depot, which reminded me of a deserted retirement home. The TTC staff tried to be helpful but ultimately I was out of luck. They suggested that I call the "lost & found" department the following day as it was getting late. Being the optimist that I am, I decided to try and get some rest and hope for the best.

I was about to call it a night when my phone rang and a guy asked for "Natalie?" in broken English. Turns out this sketchy character had picked up my purse on the streetcar and was holding it safely for me at 105 West Lodge, the notoriously slummy apartment building in the dangerous neighbourhood of Parkdale.

He insisted that I pick up my purse from his apartment as he had company over and didn't want to leave his guests unattended. He was giggling at the excitement and nervousness in my voice.

Was this some kind of joke? Why couldn't we just meet at a convenience store or other public brightly lit space? What if this guy and his buddies were using my purse to lure me into their apartment so that they could do inappropriate things to me, shoot me, or make me take more money out of my bank account with my debit card that was in their control?

In order to get these nasty thoughts out of my head, I called upon my super hero to accompany me to the low-income, poorly built, scuzzy apartment building, where my purse was patiently waiting, hopefully unharmed.

Through muffled phone calls where I could barely make out the English language, we agreed to meet at the bus stop across from his shady apartment building.

My Dad and I relaxed a little when we saw three young people walk towards the bus stop, with a guy in the front carrying my unscathed purse. The man and the woman behind him were a cute couple who had just moved here from Tibet. They spoke no English but greeted us with huge smiles. Jan Yang, the broken English speaker who I had been conversing with, handed over my purse full of all my valued treasures mentioned in the list above. Everything was exactly as I had left it and all the cash was still there.

When I offered Jan Yang a monetary reward for his kindness and honesty, he looked hurt and frowned. He explained that the act of doing what is right is a reward in itself. True happiness comes from helping others, not from dirty cash. He then bowed to me and my father as we drove away dazzled and amazed by how lucky I was to have had a Buddhist Tibetan find my purse on the King West streetcar.

Daily Haiku

2008-07-30T09:13:00.002-04:00

sometimes I want you

but you have control over me

passive agression

Style in Progress

2008-07-30T08:54:00.007-04:00

Check out these local graffiti artists getting down and dirty in the summertime heat, to make our city walls more decorative. Such was the scene during the annual Style in Progress event a few Sundays ago in the alleyways around Queen & Portland Streets in downtown Toronto.

Although many of the designs looked quite similar and tended to blend into one another, these two realistic images of men's faces caught my eye for their simplicity and lifelike nature.

Most passerby's don't recognize graffiti tags as they all seem to get lost in the business and commercialization of the downtown core. However, a calm face that appears to be watching you with wisdom is a great way to humanize the streets.

Daily Haiku

2008-07-29T13:19:00.002-04:00

if it's there somewhere

you have to keep on looking

gold glistens through dirt

The Rogers Cup

2008-07-29T12:26:00.011-04:00

This past weekend in Toronto, marked the end of a surprising tennis tournament, where stars like Federer (in the drawing below on the left) and Djokovic, were ousted in the early rounds. Conveniently situated inbetween Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, The Rogers Cup allows Canadians to cheer on their favourite tennis players with tournaments happening in both Toronto and Montreal.

This year I was privileged to attend both the semi-finals and final matches of the men's tournament in Toronto.

The semi-finals match was definitely the most interesting. In previous years, Federer or Nadal were always in the semi's and the finals was the match worth catching. This year, however, the first semi-finals match was between Gilles Simon, a young Frenchman and Nicolas Kiefer, who at the age of 31 has been playing some incredible tennis. The two were well paired to play against each other and the 3.5 hour match couldn't have been any closer. After countless deuce points and tie-breakers, Kiefer ended up victorious, only to lose quickly to Nadal in the finals. No surprise there. Below are some pictures I took of Nadal serving. Check out his form; no wonder he has so much power!

Nadal also beat Murray in two sets in the second semi-final match on Saturday evening. Murray, was the young Brit who beat Djokovic earlier on in the tournament. He is definitely a star on the rise, as the calibre of play between Nadal and Murray was on a much higher level than that of Kiefer and Simon. It was highly entertaining to watch Kiefer and Simon battle it out as they resemble normal athletes. Watching Nadal play, on the other hand, is like watching a superhero trained in tennis. A superhero, however, would not be caught picking his ass before every serve, which Nadal tends to do as the Nike shpants he is paid to wear are pretty tight in the butt.

Nike - please make pants for Nadal that are looser in the butt and more condusive to playing tennis in front of millions of spectators.

Daily Haiku

2008-07-28T17:47:00.002-04:00

my watch is falling

fading down into darkness

glowing second hand

Daily Haiku

2008-07-23T00:32:00.002-04:00

pelicans are pink

alliteration

popsicle pete points

DJ Spotlight - Chromeo

2008-07-22T22:41:00.011-04:00

As my loyal blog readers are well aware, I have a "thing" for the Montreal bred DJ, David Macklovitch, a.k.a., Dave1 from the well loved duo, Chromeo. It's definitely not a crush; as I"m not into the tall & skinny Waldo look. Rather, it's an appreciation for an incredible DJ who knows exactly what kind of music I want to hear. It's like we have some kind of telepathic communication system going on where he can read my thoughts which are controlled by my running shoes (red & black DC's with red laces) as my feet won't stop dancing or jumping, which tends to happen from too much excitement.

Part of the reason why I get so excited during Chromeo DJ sets, is due to the constant upbeat energy that emanates from the crowd. This enthusiasm is controlled by Dave1, who radiates happiness through countless smiles, fist pumps and the occasional joyous jump. I've never seen such an acclaimed DJ get so excited by performing for his fans and it's truly a remarkable experience.

I was fortunate to see Chromeo DJ twice on Sunday!! Once, during a "surprise" set in the Nokia tent at The Rogers Picnic. And then again at the after party held at The Social, where Aaron LaCrate and The Cool Kids shared the DJ duties.

Unfortunately the same energetic-love for life-contagious feeling that was experienced during these DJ sets was not felt when Chromeo performed live on stage at the rained out Rogers Picnic. Rain and bad food are the worst things to have at a picnic. Luckily for concert goers, the food selection was adventurous and delicious. I must commend Rogers on using local Toronto restaurants, including personal favourites, Big Fat Burrito and Shanghai Cowgirl as vendors. The rain, however, was not a lovely sight and fans were too busy holding umbrellas to bust a move.

Crawling Nyood

2008-07-21T15:18:00.003-04:00

If you live in Toronto and appreciate art, parties, good music and sangria, then buy your ticket now for Crawling Nyood, an after hours art gallery crawl along Queen Street West. The galleries involved in this night of sensual pleasure include:

Angell Gallery

Steven Bulgar Gallery

Thrush Holmes Empire

This event is going to be HOT so get your ticket now before it's sold out.

Daily Haiku

2008-07-21T03:05:00.002-04:00

poppyseeds are blue

they like to hide between teeth

unexpectingly

The 2008 Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit

2008-07-18T12:03:00.023-04:00

Last weekend marked the annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibit at Nathan Phillips Square. Always one of the more enjoyable weekends of the summer, the event lived up to its high expectations of showcasing different kinds of art from emerging talented Canadian artists. Below are a few of my personal favourites:

Ceramic art from Julie Moon

Cleverly reconstructed purses made out of old books by Noelle Hamlyn

Mixed media and custom art by Danielle Hession

A recent grad from Ontario's College of Art & Design, the juxtaposition between her vintage images and modern choice of mixed media, results in beautiful and fascinating pieces. If you would like a custom picture, Danielle can incorporate personal photographs into her work.

Funny Toronto t-shirts by Yasmine Louis

"there was smog in my head"

"I spent the day getting on and off the Spadina car, hoping for something to happen"

Toronto images painted by artist, Rob Crawford

Fine art photography of intricate Ontario landscapes, by Janusz Wrobel

Unique photography that makes you smile by Quebec's, Jerome Bourque

Don't fret if you missed this year's art exhibit, the Queen West art crawl is just around the corner and features many of the same artists who were at Nathan Phillips Square. It's happening at Trinity Bellwoods from September 12th-14th.

Daily Haiku

2008-07-17T22:42:00.002-04:00

do not go inside

the New Era store calls out

but it's dangerous

Customized Kicks

2008-07-17T21:44:00.011-04:00

I owned my first pair of Chuck Taylor Converse All Stars at the tender age of 9. They were navy blue high tops and I loved them. I think they retailed for $43. Yesterday, I saw a pair of the same kind of shoes, but for $179! Sure prices have gone up in the past 15 years and these shoes are customized, but still $179 for a pair of shoes that you could colour in yourself?

How much are people willing to pay to feel unique?

Or, is it right to charge extra for art? Even if the art looks like it was done by an 11 year old?

Don't get me wrong. I think that the designs by Paul Otvos & Markus Ahab Vurrgh are tons of fun and I love their use of bright colours. They are very Keith Haring-esque, one of my favourite artists who did very well with his simplistic child-like designs. If I had a high paying job and no free time I would totally buy a pair.

But for $179 you could buy enough paint to decorate 2 pairs of Chuck Taylors and still have money leftover for some argyle socks to clash with your kick-ass new shoes. Then you'd really feel like a work of art.

Daily Haiku

2008-07-09T16:58:00.002-04:00

look at her walkman

old skool shiny and purple

vintage collector

Chocolatea

2008-07-09T16:19:00.007-04:00

Not only is this chocolate good for you, (in moderation) it's also organic and delicious. The 71% Matcha Green Tea dark chocolate bar comes to us from the great folks at Cocoa Camino.

Cocoa Camino products are fair trade and this bar was brought to us by La Siembra, a Canadian worker co-operative whose members envision communities empowered through democratic co-operation and high quality chocolate.

I've always been a firm believer that Matcha Green Tea tastes better with chocolate. Whenever I get green tea ice cream after a meal of sushi, I tend to crave chocolate sauce on top or another scoop of chocolate ice cream in my bowl. Don't feel the same way? Check out Timothy's Chocolatey Matcha Green Tea Latte or order the Matcha Monsoon smoothie from Booster Juice but have them make it with chocolate soy milk instead of vanilla soy milk. Your taste buds will thank you.

Back to the bar. Every bite releases the perfect balance between sweet & bitter, sharp & smooth. The hint of Matcha Green Tea is definitely refreshing but also provides a little kick which can be great for an afternoon pick me up.

Caveat: This bar is addictive and its small size makes it easy to finish in one sitting. I recommend opening the bar when others are around so that you are forced to share its superb taste. Even though the antioxidants found in the bar make this a healthy treat, it's still chocolate and should be enjoyed in moderation.