Thanksgiving Time!

Getting ready for American Thanksgiving!

With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching Thursday, November 24, 2011- I’m gearing to get back to the States! It’s a great time to reflect and for me there is so much to be thankful for each day. My family and friends are so important to me and I’m quite thankful I will get to spend much needed quality time with them this week.  

If you are reading this blog a big “Thanks” to YOU too!  I'll update this blog next week upon my return! Hope you have a wonderful and safe weekend!!

Veterans Day 11.11.11

11.11.11

Veterans Day! 

Today we show our support for our men & women in uniform and thank them for their service. We are grateful for all your sacrifices you make for our freedoms. Today and everyday, we thank you for everything you do for our country!


Sources: http://www.countdownto.com/veterans-day-2011/

Yuk Yuk's

"Funny" Treat!

I recently went to Yuk Yuk’s in Kitchener Ontario (located in the Walper Terrace Hotel) and it was the first time I’ve been to a live comedy show! I would think the club could only hold about 100 people but it was great to be so close to the comedians onstage. The MC was hilarious as he picked out people of the audience to joke around with (and yes, I was in that group of people picked out from the crowd)! We also saw comedian Mark Walker who did some great celebrity impressions and had some funny insight into living in downtown Toronto. If you get a chance to see Mark Walker live- definitely check him out!

The history of Yuk Yuk’s is quite extensive in Canada. According to their website, “Founded by Canadian icon Mark Breslin, Yuk Yuk's Comedy Cabarets have the best of the funniest, edgiest comics around. Alumni include Howie Mandel, Jim Carrey, Norm MacDonald, Harland Williams, Rick Moranis, Russell Peters, and many more”. Next on my “to do” list is to visit the Yuk Yuk’s in Toronto!

Image Source: http://www.yukyuks.com/location.aspx?LocationID=6

Canadian Olympic Team London 2012 Collection

I love watching the opening ceremony for the Olympics and seeing the creative styles for each Country! I remember watching the Vancouver Olympics 2010 and loving those famous Canadian red mittens with the white maple leaf in the palm. I couldn’t wait until I got a pair!

The announcement for the new Olympic Team Collection for London 2012 created quite the buzz on many internet sights and blogs. These new styles by Hudson’s Bay Company do not disappoint! Check out the clip above for a preview of the new line- including a new style for those red classic maple leaf mittens and patch filled denim jackets. You know I’ll be on the lookout to purchase some of these items above!

The Civil Wars

 The Civil Wars

 John Paul White & Joy Williams @ The Phoenix in T.O!

"Music" Treat!

What a fantastic night! I finally got to see The Civil Wars live in concert here in Toronto at the Phoenix Concert Theatre. The venue was a perfect space to embrace the unique sound this duo creates. If you don’t know who they are yet- you must check them out!

John Paul White and Joy Williams are a perfect blend of light-hearted banter with strong vocal range as they performed a repertoire from their debut album Barton Hallow. They even managed to slip in some cover songs (from artists such as Michael Jackson and Smashing Pumpkins) that are so cleverly crafted it really becomes their own unique mix and sound. They even performed a fantastic new song called “Oh Henry” (in which she commented it was not named after the famous Canadian candy bar)! Their vocal harmony is so unique and blended so well you can’t help but appreciate how masterful these two are when they sing together!

A quality that was so endearing and genuine from these two was the fact it seemed they couldn’t believe people would come out to see them. It made everyone in the audience cheer and smile when Joy would say to the audience, “Wow. Are you all STILL here?” and when she would clap toward the audience (after a song) just because we were cheering for them! It was great!

The quick wit of John Paul White was also a wonderful quality as he played off the audience and Joy Williams so well. He reminded me of my brother (who actually got me into this band) with his sense of humor and quick wit that made everyone instantly love him. John Paul showed off his French when he introduced their song, "C’est la Mort" to which many in the audience giggled at his pronunciation with that southern drawl. Meanwhile, Joy Williams chimed in and started speaking fluent French to much delight of the audience. Throughout the set John Paul White would randomly interject and say "LA MORT" which he got instant laughter and cheers from the crowd.  Everyone loved these two!

If you get a change to see The Civil Wars in concert I highly recommend it. I have a feeling that these small venues may dwindle as their popularity continues to skyrocket! What a great show!

Image Source: http://www.myspace.com/thecivilwars

Love of the Mixtape

"Gorilla vs. Bear" Treat!

I love listening to and putting together playlists for things such as long car rides, parties, songs for summer, etc. If you are a fan of the good ol’ Mixtape then you must check out Gorilla vs. Bear. The Mixtapes that are put together always introduce me to new and exciting music that I tend to love instantly.

Last night was Halloween- and the 2011 Halloween Mix did not disappoint! Gorilla vs. Bear put together a plethora of artists like Birdlips, Grouper, Nicolas Jaar, Sun Araw, Massive Attack vs. Burial, Chromatics, and Grimes. Far from the tunes of Monster Mash!

For a background of Gorilla vs. Bear I wanted to quote directly from their website. “Gorilla vs. Bear is a Texas-based music blog. Once called “the New Yorker of hipster blogs,” who blog about relevant artists of the day, with no particular genre-specific focus. Newsweek thinks they’re “influential.”

In 2008, Gorilla vs. Bear was recognized by Rolling Stone as one of the web’s “Best Music Blogs” in the publication’s annual Best of Rock issue. GvsB was also voted “Blog of the Year” in URB Magazine’s annual readers poll, beating out such luminaries as Kanye West and the Huffington Post. In 2009, GvsB was named one of the “25 Best Music Websites” by The Independent UK, alongside famous weblogs eMusic, the Hype Machine, Pitchfork, and Kanye West.

One of my all-time favorite mixes was the mp3: SUMMER-ISH mix. This featured two artists who I fell in love with instantly called Panda Bear and Peaking Lights. Because of these wonderful mixes put together by Gorilla vs. Bear, I always find new and unique music that always reach my “Most Played” section in my iTunes. Big ups to Gorilla vs. Bear- keep doing what you do best!