Posts tagged toronto
Leaving Liberty: New digs, ahoy! + SebastiAn and other things.
Apr 17th
Hey hai happy humpday ladies and gentlekids! Now please, for the love of cripes, chill.
I did not delete my blog (okay, I did, but not on purpose or for very long) I am not lying in bed just like Brian Wilson did (see?) and like, thank you white knights for your “IS EVERYHING OKAY?!” messages but I do not need your *hugz* or “to talk?”
I’ve simply been busy… and perhaps a little bit too forthcoming with the emo-stagrams?
COME ON, IT’S ENDLESS WINTER! You’re depressed too.
In all seriousness though, I’m good.
Work is awesome awesome awesome, my comedy stuff is progressing nicely, and sheet, I’ll be darned if the exhaustion of Lau is not the evolution of Lauren as well.
In fact, I have some exciting (for me) news to share on that front…
BUT FIRST — please enjoy my new favourite (actually, second favourite… actually, third favourite) dance-centric French music video of all time; Embody by SebastiAn:
UNF! Right? Such a sick video.
Also grand? This image I found on Reddit the other day called “1993″ vs “2003″ :
This white-nosed black squirrel I found in a bush on King St. yesterday (!!!) :
This :
Ha!
Annnnnd Anthony Jeselnik, Daniel Tosh (it’s Tuesday) and pretty much everything I Tumbled last night.
My longform blog here may be suffering under the weight of my schedule, but I’m active as ever out there in the weirdo clickyverse. If you want bite-sized funny, hit Clusterfizzle or Twittah.
But I digress.
Here’s what’s up: just over one week ago today, I signed the lease on a brand new pad — My first real grownup apartment. No roomies, no parents, no boyfriend, just me. BOOYAH / Holy f–k.
As cool as that is, it’s scary too. I’m stressed out about moving my stuff again, kind of nervous about being responsible enough to manage my own householdish, and still very much dealing with the circumstances surrounding this move — but I’m also stoked as heck to be in a place where I can finally afford my own apartment in downtown Toronto.
I’d always kind of assumed that as a young journalist I’d have to sell at least 50 3D-printed kidneys on the black market BEFORE I could spend money on things like… lamps and tables for lamps to go on… so this is a big thing for me.
Leaving Liberty Village was a very conscious decision – one that was bittersweet.
I loved this neighbourhood when I first moved into it a few years ago, but the deluge of new condos has made it feel like even less a part of the city than it was before, which is shocking considering how closed off it already is. There’s so little culture here too that the vibe feels almost… suburban.
My building has become choked out by new condos around it, overcrowded with obnoxious yuppies and uh, bye bye awesome view.
Judge for yourself. The rest of Toronto did, and I’m not just being a hipster. Liberty Village has changed — and in this girl’s opinion, not for the better. I will miss my crystal castle, but I’m happy about where I’m headed too (also downtown west.)
You’ll see tons of “LOOK AT MY NEW LAMP” photos once I actually move in a few weeks, but for now I’d like to reflect upon the apartment hunting process itself — because if there’s anything more hilariously frustrating than trying to find a second dancing James Brown doll to lampify, it’s trying to find a nice yet affordable 1 bedroom place to rent in a cool neighbourhood in the heart of Canada’s largest city.
Spoiler alert: I worked really effing hard.
(To be continued…)
Toronto Fashion Week (s) F/W 2013 : What I wore and other stuff
Mar 25th
Hey hi haaaARRGGGGHHH…
Toronto’s Fashion week(s) for Fall / Winter 2013 (World MasterCard Fashion Week + The spattering of off-site “rogue” shows around it) just happened or something — though you’d never know it for the BLISTERING COLD WEATHER OUTSIDE and the terribly whiney way I just started this post.
Sorry. Springtime shivers and sleeplessness do not become me.
Apparently though, my Bart sweater does! Enough so that FLARE Magazine snapped me for a street style gallery as I ran around David Pecault Square on Monday. Score!
Ironically, I was there to do the same thing for work (or, rather, to help Evan do it. His photos are dope, clickez!)
We ended up producing some fun street style stuff of our own.
I went pretty light on the WMCFW stuff this season all around, by necessity — not choice.
I loved skipping across the street to catch shows on my breaks and in the evenings last year, but this time around my schedule was a little bit more intense at work — which is a good thing.
And even outside of work, with apartment hunting, fitness stuff, Canadian Music Week and everything else going on in my life right now, shhhsbeencray.
Fashion had take a back seat, but FASHUN did not because it never doeeeesssss!
I wasn’t able to stay for long, but I actually made it to the tents every day but Friday — and I hit the shOws (which are comparable to, if not better than the main dealie) the week prior for one day too.
Jean-Piere Braganza was blowing my mind on that gothic samurai tip.
Jean Pierre Braganza FW13 at London Fashion Week via StyleSight
I was digging the sparkly socks at Comrags too.
Here are some more photos of what I wore, what I saw, and what I liked from WMCFW FW 2013. Fingers crossed I can go harder next time around when things have simmered. I really do like fashion season. Also: Neeson Season (an oldie but a goodie.)
Back to the grind of apartment hunting for me… a frustrating yet lulzy game. I can’t wait to get settled and start vlogging again. Wait for it, homies. Summer is coming
The evolution of animated gifs: Podcamp Toronto 2013
Feb 26th
My shortbangs bring all the boys to the yard, and they’re like “Did you cut your own bangs with dirty kitchen shears or something?”
Dang right, I cut my own bangs with dirty kitchen shears or something — I could teach you, but I’d rather just talk about animated gifs because I’m not very good at cutting my own hair.
And that was Saturday. Wake up, butcher bangs, go to present at a conference. I ain’t even mad.
That there is the description for the “Evolution of the animated gif” talk I gave at Podcamp Toronto 2013 on Saturday Here are my slides, but be forewarned that animated gifs don’t appear on SlideShare. Or Prezi. Or Sliderocket. Or anything I’ve been able to find in the cloud. I had to run the entire thing from my MBP! KEEP UP, SOFTWARE.
This was my fourth year attending the annual “unconference” at Ryerson’s Rogers Communications Centre, and while many things have changed since 2009, nothing brightens up a dreary February day like getting together with some old like-minded friends. I always have a great time at Podcamp.
Asking Picard about Star Trek guys with the things on their foreheads
Last year, I gave a presentation on internet memes, which feels pretty trite already after only one year. It was funny though. There were lots of people and they laughed.
I feel as though this year’s presentation was less hilarious, more informative. I spoke about the history of the animated gif as both a file format and a unit of culture; its ups and downs throughout the 90s and 2000s (oughties? god, I hate writing about that decade) as well as its contemporary use in news and entertainment media, business, art, fashion and online communities.
There were cinemagraphs and lenticulars and FASHGIF and even Myspace glitter graphics.
If I’d have given myself more time to prepare, I’d have built my own physical gif for the occasion. Maybe.
This 6 and a half minute long video from PBS (who is absolutely KILLING IT online lately, no joke — one of the best web content producers in the game right now) will sum up most of what I said in my presentation and then some in a far more entertaining way than clicking through my slides.
The website for twohundredfiftysixcolors (a “16mm film that traces the arc of increased complexity and pointed use of the animated gif”) has some great, more academic resources too.
And if you’d just like to see how the presentation and my morning went in real time, Here’s a wee Tweet / Vine / GIF dump for y’all.
BONUS for me; some guy said I looked like Sailor Moon in that outfit. I’m not even going to try and misconstrue that as creepy (Not a Cosplay kind of convention, yo) because of how flattered I was. Moon… Prism… BEDTIME.
All I really want is GIRLS (Season 2. Right now.)
Dec 9th
Allison Williams liked my sock bun. Photo by Ryan Emberley
HBO is a network that gets away with things most others can’t; gory vampire orgies, full frontal male nudity, storylines that would make Sue Johansen blush and like, infinity boobies, everywhere, all the time.
It is the best.
Thus, it stands to reason that HBO could get also away with throwing a weeknight party in the east end of Toronto (I’m talking PAST the Distillery District) and still draw a pretty hype crowd.
Hashtags don’t lie: Toronto loves Girls.
This particular Torontonian is OBSESSED with the show (and watching old people freak out over it), and much like Game Of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and every other series I binge-watched this year I’m dying for the next season to start. Have you seen the trailer for Season 2 of girls yet? It made me laugh and cry and want to go buy things. God bless America.
Fortunately, Season One of girls is on DVD now to tide us all over until January 13 (now THAT’s a gift bag goodie I won’t be regifting. Thanks mother HBO) and cast members have been doing the rounds to promote it, and the upcoming second season.
Allison Williams was at HBO’s party on Tuesday night for a little Q&A with Shinan Govani:
She didn’t give out her dad’s phone number or any dirt on the rich-kid art school douchebags she works with, but she was funny and charming and emphasized the importance of getting an education (homegirl went to Yale, where she was on an improv troupe. I love her.)
Later, there was a mob&greet of sorts. I got to chat with her for a few minutes about school and hair and clothes and just being a girl in her 20s. Her dress was Oscar De La Renta and she was stoked to be wearing it, saying something along the lines of “I feel lucky whenever I get to wear something like this.”
She was so gracious. Humble. Kind. Chill. She even touched my sock bun! We took a selfie:
Allison Williams: Rules
For more on the party, here’s Paul’s comprehensive review on The Grid. All the deets you want and need except for the fact that this song played at least 3 times in the hour and a half that I was there.
Bon nuit, mon amis! I’m off to dream about manbearpig and personal butler robots who bring me plates of bon bons like the one in that Cheeky Bingo ad and living in New York City with my own hit TV series and a pug to walk in the park…
Futuristik Funky-Fresh: Hot Pop Factory’s 3D Printed Jewelry
Dec 4th
Y’all act like you never seen a 3D printer before, jaws all on the floor like this necklace just burst in the door:
And Dr. Dre said… NOTHING you prettykids, this isn’t an Eminem song it is my blog, HELLO!
I felt like easing you into this post with something that’s pretty much retro before dropping a shot of wow-wow on your brain.
That sounds better than “I’ve had The Real Slim Shady inexplicable stuck in my head all day and when I sat down to blog that’s what came out,” right?
Check it: The most recent additions to my collection of geeky-chic wearables, both by Canada’s own Hot Pop Factory, both made with a Makerbot Replicator (which, as you may know, I’ve been in love with since grad school.)
This necklace and pair of earrings are from Hot Pop Factory’s first collection of 3D Printed jewelry, Stratigraphia.
Each and every piece produced in the line is 100 per cent unique, just like a fingerprint, thanks to the nature of the manufacturing process.
Toronto-based architects Matt Compeau and Bi-Ying Miao are the masterminds behind the line, constructing everything from their living room.
According to Treehugger, they’ve been “exploring the potential of 3D printing to seriously disrupt the way people consume manufactured goods.”
Very maker culture. I love that.
WICKED, right?
Wait until you see the cute little geometric gift boxes they come in:
The peaque necklace is my favourite because it reminds me of a Space Invader, sort of.
I’ve been rubbing it between my fingers all day. Such a fun texture. I love the fact that each side has a distinct look and I LOVE LOVE that double chain. I have a feeling I’ll be wearing this one a lot.
I tried the earrings on Thursday evening when I got in. Also very cool. I’m wearing them tomorrow.
Interested in owning a pair of your own? Hot Pop Factory’s offering FREE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE over the holidays so go go go.
They’ve got an Etsy store too, where you can buy these limited edition SPEARHEADS on Japanese-made rope. I want five, obviously.
You can read more about Hot Pop Factory and how the company came to be here, here, here and about a zillion other places because they’re making waves. Google it.
Now, please join me in welcoming PONTIFEX to Twitter, tweaking out over whatever this heck is, and celebrating the fruit that is horse.
I went to the ROM with Sean yesterday and saw dinosaur bones. Also this bear. More on THAT later. Maybe.
Greta Constantine SS13: Living in a Young Century
Dec 2nd
Show notes from Greta Constantine Spring Summer 2013. CLICK TO EMBIGGEN.
At the risk of sounding like one of those people who get mocked by snarky fauxshion writers for hyperbolically raving over the things I see on runways in my own city (who am I kidding – I AM one of those people), Greta Constantine’s Spring / Summer 2013 collection is like woah; really, really good. The most exciting collection I’ve seen from Toronto’s own Jersey Boys ever, in fact — perhaps due to their focus on something other than those very jersey gowns they’ve become known for… Something distinctly more structured. Youthful. Modern. Fresh.
These were the Lolita-chic dresses that dropped my jaw. Kawaii! (images: Jenna Marie Wakani, Toronto Life)
Please forgive my horrid iPheSnaps. Forgot my camera at home.
Never ones to follow the crowd (or crowds, in this case,) Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong showed their most recent collection Thursday evening in the Distillery District — a full a month after Toronto Fashion Month Week had officially wrapped, and mere weeks before it was set to hit stores.
Something about that was so “Ha HA!” to me, knowing that they’d already managed to secure buyers from all over the world during Paris Fashion Week.
They didn’t even need to have this show, but they did. For fans, for friends, and, presumably to whet the appetites of their most loyal hometown fashion plates as the holiday season approaches.
“It’s really more of a trunk show at this point,” remarked a stylist sitting next to me. If only we could have purchased right then and there. I actually would have.
My face in the background of this photo, captured by Barbora Simkova, probably says more about how much I loved that particular dress than words ever could.
Image from barborasimkova.com
That sexy-sweet, Lolita-chic, flouncy but structured, enigma of a showstopper screams Lauren – more so than anything I could ever have conjured up myself. After Instagramming the heck out of, a few of my friends said the same thing. “That dress is so YOU” — which speaks to how different this collection is than anything I’ve seen from Greta before.
I made it a point to rave over the eyelet. I loved it, and also felt pretty cool just for knowing that word.
I’ve always found Greta Constantine’s dresses beautiful, but not in a way that I would or could actually wear them. The super slinky jersey numbers felt too mature for me. Too black tie. More Angelina Jolie than Alexa Chung, ya know?
Much of this collection speaks to an edgier, more youthful Greta girl. Still very sophisticated, but cooler — so modern it almost feels futuristic. I’d wear so many of these dresses; black, white and navy (but mostly the white) in all of their monochromatic glory. “A refuge from print and colour,” as the show notes say. I love that. It’s exactly what I need.
The hyper-detailed pieces with the Origami-like folds made me think of Japan… also the makeup. Also the music. I think there may have been some Geisha inspiration here.
Images by George Pimental
Coincidentally, I decided to go low-end Canuckified Japanese school girl that night. It’s kind of been my thing lately… the later in the day, the wider my eyeliner gets.
As per usual, the boys hosted a great party after the show. Wicked venue, too. I stuck around long enough to take a few silly fots with frands:
TUNECHI @casiestewart @sfygf @beelauratee instagr.am/p/SowIJrDaCW/
— Lauren O’Neil (@laurenonizzle) November 30, 2012
The Breakfast club!!!! Breakfast today includes veggie samosas. @casiestewart @beelauratee @sfygf instagr.am/p/Sox2mXDaD3/
— Lauren O’Neil (@laurenonizzle) November 30, 2012
WHAT THAT NECKLACE, MARGIELA?
Why yes, yes it is. And to homeboy flossing his pink candy-wrapper clutch like it aint NBD even though he KNOWS it is, we’re on to you.
Frig, I want that bag. And one of those white dresses. But not for the same outfit. Or maybe… Maybe in Tokyo…
For more on Greta Constantine SS 2013, I recommend Barbora’s review. It’s very very good.
Night night,
Coltrane Cutouts, Buffalo Bill hoodie, Kitty Cat Island and the ones that got away…
Nov 29th
Winter changes people, mangs.
They get pale. Sullen. Reclusive. COLD.
Some people gain weight in the wintertime. Me? I gain shoes. (And also soup stains on my white shirts because winter is a time of increased soup consumption and I’m really bad at eating.)
This is what happens:
Going for long walks around the West-downtown on the weekends is one of my favourite things in life to do.
I’ll go traipsing through Liberty Village and Queen West, West Queen West, Parkdale, over to Ossington, Dundas West, sometimes even Kensington Market and Little Italy. I don’t go looking for an adventure, but I often find one. At the very least, I see tons of great art and meet a few interesting people / animals.
Cold weather can’t stop my walking, but it does alter my path a little bit.
Instead of walking through alleys or parks, I walk alongside my favourite shops; the good boutiques along Queen West, from Bellwoods to Bathurst and Beyond.
I pop into one every couple of minutes to defrost and look at pretty things, but looking always leads to touching leads to holding leads to trying on and then I’m DONE. HOW ON EARTH DID I LIVE WITHOUT THIS DRESS THAT’S GOING TO SIT IN THE BACK OF MY CLOSET FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS UNTIL I WEAR IT ONE TIME AND THEN FORGET IT EXISTS?
I won’t forget that one though. You know why? Because I DIDN’T BUY IT.
It’s the ones that get away that haunt me the most. I might go back to Fitzroy on Saturday to pick it up for a holiday party if it’s still there. I tried on this dress by Bardot while I was there too, but I don’t need another LBD knowhatimsayin?
I was still thinking about how maybe I should have bought that dress when I walked into Jacflash. Perhaps that’s why I decided to buy my new Coltranes the second I set eyes on them (in the flesh.)
I’ve been seeing these sick Balenciaga knockoff cutout boots all over Tumblr and Instagram over the past year. I even looked into purchasing a pair one time, but alas, every major Jeffrey Campbell retailer online has bee sold the frick out for months.
ENTER JAC! Not only did she have a pair of metal cap-toed Litas ON SALE, but COLTRANES! In my size!
I didn’t even realize I was doing the NastyGal pose abover until just now. I spend too much time (browser) window shopping, maybe.
I was tempted to buy both of these Unif dresses too (CAUSE THEY LOOK SO FLOSSY WITH DEM COLTRANES) but I decided to hold off, as there are in fact bills to pay in life. Plus, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the top part of the first one looks like it was fashioned from something that puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again.
Speaking of, Would you rock this hoodie that makes it look like you’re a dude without his shirt on / a head transplant recipient / Buffalo Bill?
HAHAHA, NOPE. And more importantly, No.
No more frivolous purchases for me. I’m saving up for a trip to cat island, which is a place that exist. Cat island is a place that exists. In Japan. Cat Island is a place that exists in Japan… Heaven… Japan… Cat Island…
Sweet dreams
PS: This song.
Brand integration, street style stalkers and douchelarity supreme at Toronto Fashion Week S/S 2013
Oct 28th
At World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto, FASHUN is the main event. Cothes&clothes&clothes&clothes and accessories too, I guess.
Joe Fresh S/S 13
But what’s a meal without some interesting sides? Much like a traditional roast beef dinner, the accoutrements at Toronto’s fashion week appealed to me far more than the main course (in most cases.)
This makes sense, as I don’t eat cows or have thousands of dollars to spend on fashunclothes. I do enjoy me some sweet potato pie and glazed carrots doe, What up. #ThisIsWhyImOrange
Here are 5 of the most interesting-to-me components from Toronto Fashion Week Spring / Summer 2013:
Toronto Fashion Week(s) S/S ’13: Dressing for teh lulz
Oct 18th
HAY GUISE, IT R FASHUN TIIIIIME!!!
Get it? Hehe…
I love the bi-annual fashion week(s) of Toronto in the same way that I love TIFF, minus all of the tourist-hating (because there aren’t any,) plus an actual interest in the content of the shows (because clothes. DUH.)
Make of that what you will.
Ooooh alliteration!
Toronto Fashion Week (and I use this as a blanket term, encapsulating all of the fashion shows taking place in and around the official World Mastercard Fashion Week stuff at the white “tents”) is kind of late and disjointed (two separate production companies are hosting multi-day fashion show series’ outside of WMCFW this year, both packing enough talent to seriously rival the main event.)
It makes for some wonderful outfit watching and lulzy good fun though, if you can take the clipboard clutchers with a grain of salt.
I haven’t been following much of the coverage yet due to one heck of a newsy work week: McGuinty resigned, Romnobama debated, iPad Minis invites went out, Felix Baumgartner jumped from space and a bus driver uppercut some chick in Cleveland Mortal Kombat style.
Next week though, I’ll be hitting some shows. Hard. Being that DPS is a mere 20 second walk from my office, I’ll likely be skulking about before and after work almost every day, maybe even on my lunch break, because I love the clothes.
I’ve already planned out which shows I’d like to cover, but I’ve barely given a thought to what I’LL be wearing — and it’s GOT to be fly if I have any chance of getting street style snapped in head-to-toe cats at NYFW.
Here are a few options / WYRI items:
TOOTHY SHOES:
These are the “Predator shoes” by APEX, and yes, those are freaking DENTURE TEETH… 1050 teeth in total.
I’ve never been the type of girl to turn down something gold tooth related, but hot damn if those don’t look incredibly fragile. Right?
Whatever. Even if I only get to wear them once before the teeth start snapping off under me all click clack chitter chat, it’s totally worth freaking out my friends one snowy morning by walking slolwy in circles around their homes…
THE HULA HOOP BAG BY CHANEL:
I don’t have any jokes for this. I actually just kind of want it, and not even just kind of.
But while we’re on Chanel’s recent show at PFw, I might as well mention the sweet cottage cheese necklace in that collection…
Eco chic! Mmmmmm….
SWEATPANT ONESIES:
The Lazy Grow Leisure Suit: Where jogging pant meet snuggie (which, coincidentally, is story of my Sunday night when you toss in a 2 liter of diet coke and some mustard stains.)
I just ordered 12, express delivery — one for every day from now until the end of fashion week.
If for some reason nothing above pans out, I plan on draping myself in a duvet from K-Mart.
“It’s Margiela for H&M… I got it early because I’m like, actually FRIENDS with the designers… Want to see a photo of us together? SIKE! You can’t see the picture. I’m not aloud to show anybody…”
Image via Vogue UK
Paws Gala 2012: 99 Problems but a Bitch Ain’t One (ft. Theron Humphrey & Maddie)
Oct 10th
Thursday, Thursday, THURSDAY!
Scratch that — let’s call it FURsday! *ba dum tisk* Waka Waka Waka!
When I was little I would say that line constantly, just like Fozzie Bear on the Muppet Babies after he would make a joke — except weird little Lauren would say it after everything.
“Mommy, Can I have some apple juice? WAKA WAKA!”
If I were a rapper, I’d name myself in Fozzie Bear’s honour and wear a $100,000 chain featuring his likeness around my neck erryday… IF SOMEONE HADN’T ALREADY DONE THAT!
Waka Flocka Flame: “Welcome to the Goodburger, can I take your orrrrder?”
Me: “Yeah, I’d like my steez back, please.”
Waka Flocka Flame: “It was mine first, and who says ‘steeze?’ anyway?”
Me: “I don’t know… people in California circa 2007?… Whatevs. We can share this Fozzie Bear thing if you give me that chain and two veggie burgers to go.”
And then this happened:
Waka Flocka Fozzie by Raheem Nelson
Now that the obligatory “Slap my discoloured duckface onto something else’s body” and “Make fun of rappers” bits are out of the way, Let’s talk about Paws for the Cause.
Paws for the Cause is a Toronto-based organization that raises money for a different animal welfare organization every year.
On Thursday, the group hosts its annual fundraiser — The most adorable in Toronto by far, if you ask me. (And you should ask me.)
Proceeds from this year’s gala will be going to the Central Toronto Veterinary Referral Clinic’s Cares Foundation to help subsidize lifesaving surgery costs for animals in need. Funds raised will also go toward the Chloe Award, which has been presented to an outstanding University of Guelph veterinary student.
Last year’s gala raised $75,000 — that’s a whole lot of canine lives saved!
This year, the Paws Gala will feature an art exhibit with Instagram sensation Theron Humphrey of This Wild Idea and his famous dog, Maddie the Coonhound of Maddie on Things.
SHE CAN STAND ON ANYTHING!
I’m going to ask Theron if he can balance Maddie on my head. We’ll see how that goes.
Here are the deets:
When: Thursday, October 11, 2012
No, but WHEN?: 8pm till late
Where: 99 Sudbury
How: Tickets can be purchased here. Wear something cute. It’s a fashionable people party.
Woof,
