Over time, I accumulated more games (some would call “girly” I would argue them to be unisex): Tetris, Kirby’s Adventure, Yoshi’s Cookie and even Doctor Mario. I hated any game that did not stimulate my mind like Tetris and Yoshi’s Cookie did, and Kirby’s Adventure was just fun to play.

Unlike me, my cousins received the Sega Genesis system with Sonic the Hedgehog and Ecco, that lovable dolphin. Sure, it was a nice change from playing Tetris all the time, but I could not abandon my NES. I was happy playing Duck Hunt incorrectly, with the piece held flush against the television because I had a terrible shot. I was happy never getting anywhere near completing Super Mario Bros. and dying the instant I started the game.

A few years after receiving the NES, another Christmas brought another gaming system, Game Boy. I thought that I was the coolest kid for getting that tiny piece of technology. It wasn’t in colour, but I didn’t care, I had my Tetris and I was the happiest kid in the world.

Fast-forward to present day, I still have my NES and Game Boy, and they are in perfect working condition (yes, even the gun for Duck Hunt). I brought my NES with me to university and again in college, and everybody who came over went absolutely nuts when they saw I had the system (and Duck Hunt). Houseguests could not be peeled away from the system if their life depended on it. It was a nice trip down memory lane for everybody.

But that is the problem, my NES and Game Boy are retro… obsolete. Today, games are no longer made for those systems because everyone is fixated on Wii, DS, Xbox, PlayStation, etc. While all of my friends were upgrading, I was left behind in the dust as I played my retro system. Each time a new Nintendo system came out, I would ask for it, but never got it and I was told that the ones I had were enough. As my friends were playing The Legend of Zelda or Mortal Kombat, I was clearing levels with Kirby on his adventure.

A few months ago, my best friend’s dad bought a Nintendo DS Lite, and now her family has a few in their home. My friend was raving about all the retro games that are available online to download, and all the great games that are available for the system. “You should totally get one,” she told me, but I was happy without one. However, over time, I saw how entertaining the games were, and the television commercials for some of the games were pretty convincing.

This past Sunday, I caved in. I went to the store, laid down my money, and bought a DS Lite. The whole ride home I kept thinking about how I made a mistake and was abandoning my retro roots. “The Game Boy is still fine,” I thought to myself, “it still works, I just turned it on the other day.” The moment the battery was charged in the DS, and a game went into the system, I was hooked. I went out the next day and bought more games, one of them being Tetris (I am keeping a little bit of the retro, don’t worry).

I know that it will take getting used to, I mean, I have never had to use four buttons, let along a touch wand (seriously, what are X and Y for anyway?). Moving into the future with the rest of the world was a bit of a struggle, but I am managing. Besides, if I want to take a trip down memory lane, I know that I can because my old systems are in perfect working order. Plus if anyone wants a serious game of Tetris, I’m game!

For the past two summers, RBG has put on a summer art exhibition called Zim Sculpt, bringing in artists from Zimbabwe and their pieces into Hendrie Park Gardens. The artists were on site, chipping, carving and sculpting new pieces for visitors to purchase, and if you were lucky, you could try your hand at carving too.

Zim Sculpt was a huge success; however, this summer RBG wanted a change, and introduced a new art series and exhibition revolving around sound, sculpture and the Earth. Thus, Sound Art, Sculpt Art and Earth Art were born.

Sound Art saw Anne Karhu from Finland come in and record sounds in and around RBG gardens and properties that were later mixed in with pre-recorded sounds, giving the visitors a natural and surreal experience while walking through The Rock Garden.

Earth Art was the next exhibition to open to the public (July 18), and welcomed 10 world famous Earth artists from around the world to RBG. Working for approximately one month, these artists assessed the garden areas, meticulously gathered their materials and constructed one-of-a-kind pieces - some permanent fixtures - that are located in RBG garden areas, RBG Centre, as well as on RBG property.

The final of the three art series is Sculpt Art. Welcoming over 10 Canadian artists, Sculpt Art will take place in Hendrie Park Gardens, and will bring together art and nature. The sculptures will be set into the garden, and pieces from each of the artists will be available for purchase.

I am not writing this blog because I was asked to by my boss, but rather because I have seen the preparation for these exhibits, and I have even been part of the planning process. I feel like this is a part of me, especially Earth Art, since I created a photo blog of the pieces and artists in progress. I know many of you reading this are more than likely not from Ontario, but I would suggest this. If anyone is planning a trip or vacation, consider coming to Ontario and Royal Botanical Gardens to check out the art series. I can promise you will not be disappointed with these unique and one-of-a-kind art exhibitions.

If you would like to read up on the art exhibition, check out the Art in Paradise page on Royal Botanical Gardens’ official website.

Sound Art runs now until Labour Day; Earth Art Exhibition runs now until October 13, 2008; Sculpt Art runs from July 25 until October 5, 2008.

*Source: http://www.rbg.ca/pages/artinparadise.html
Pictured: Neville Gabie
Picture Source: Rachel Longo-Tosoian (that’s me!)

Every time one of those Christian Life commercials showing children and families from Third-World countries came on the television, I would grab the remote and change the channel. “If they know they are so poor, and can’t afford to eat, why do they keep having children?” I would always say to my mother. She would just shake her head at me and tell me I had no compassion, and I would agree with her.

Up until a few years ago, I was still acting like a spoiled little brat. I had no sympathy or compassion towards anyone, and often times, I would turn my nose up at less fortunate people and charities. While browsing in The Body Shop, I came across a bracelet the store was selling where 100 percent of the proceeds went to researching AIDS. I don’t know anyone with AIDS or HIV, but something inside of me went on like a light switch, and in that moment, I felt like the Grinch, my heart grew.

As I was staring at the box of bracelets, the girl at the register asked if I needed help picking out a colour. I decided to go with the red one, to coincide with the AIDS red ribbon. The price of the bracelet was not even $14, but the best, and most rewarding part of that purchase was the Body Shop employee saying, “Thank you for your donation.” The main idea behind the bracelet I bought is that the person wearing it is supposed to keep it on until there is a cure for AIDS. On the inside of the bracelet it reads, “Until there’s a cure” and offers the website, www.until.org. That was almost four years ago and the only time I have taken it off has been to clean it.

Last December, I became aware of TOMS Shoes. The idea behind TOMS is that for every pair of shoes someone purchases, a pair is donated to a child in need in a Third-World country. Once again, something in me lit up and I wanted to help I spent a mere $40 and felt so fabulous knowing that I had just helped someone in need. Whenever I wear my TOMS I feel great and whenever people ask where I got my shoes, I tell them, but I also tell them what TOMS Shoes does.

Slowly but surely, I find myself wanting to do more. A few months ago, I sponsored two friends in a run for cancer. I felt so good after and I wasn’t even participating. It is definitely easy for this generation to become more active in charity work, especially with all the celebrities campaigning (think Bono, Bob Geldof, Paul McCartney, Ryan Gosling). Behind every celebrity is a charity of choice, whether it be for children in poverty, war ravaged countries or animals, advocating and campaigning has gone beyond the point of being trendy, it is a necessity.

So what can you do to help? Here are some things to start you off:

1. Clean out your closet.
We buy so much and hoard everything, so why not take a take to clean and sort out everything that you do not need or are not using. Donate everything to a thrift store, the Salvation Army or the Red Cross.

2. Educate yourself.
Not educating yourself about world issues is probably the worst thing anyone can do (or not do). Read up on Darfur, or what a local charity does in your community, because guaranteed, you will want to help once you know more.

3. Volunteer your time.
Lend a hand in a soup kitchen, or become a street team member to advocate. Write a letter to your local politician about an issue you are passionate about and ask for change. Who knows, your one letter could start a domino effect.

4. Spread the word.
Once you have educated yourself, do not hold onto that information. Tell your friends about what you have learned, how they can help, and what you can do as a team to help others.

The most rewarding part is knowing other people are benefiting from your kindness and charity. You do not have to donate hundreds or thousands of dollars to charities to make a difference, a donation as small as $1, or even an hour of your time can a big difference.

At first, I could not be bothered, and my friend Dara and I would just roll our eyes with sheer boredom. As she became less and less interested in the class, I became more fixated on blogging and the Internet. I was one of the very few students who updated their blogs more than once a week because I was genuinely interested in what I was writing about (Public Relations and Popular Culture).

As my program was winding down, past graduates and PR professionals were invited to the college for a Professional Development Day, that included seminars on compiling a portfolio, resume writing, a mock job interview and a an open Q&A. the woman leading the Q&A group was Zoe Siskos who works for Social Media Group in Dundas, Ontario.

She is like a social media guru, and her company works alongside many very well known companies, establishing them in the realm of the Internet and becoming more social media savvy. Zoe began talking about how awesome and important social media was in today’s world, and she name-dropped a site called Twitter. “That’s an interesting name for a social media site,” I thought to myself. Zoe explained the concept of it to us and described it as micro-blogging. I took down the website address, and forgot about it for about a month.

When the class ended, so did everyone else’s blogs (with the exception of a few). I decided that since I had grown to love blogging and social media so much, that I was going to continue updating. I also remembered that Zoe mentioned Twitter, so I signed up for an account and was on my way.

Fast forward a few months, I am working full time now. Many of the projects I have been working on, and have been assigned have had a very youth oriented and social media feel. It is now my job and responsibility to create fan pages on Facebook and MySpace, establish a YouTube account, and the biggest, and most important task I am responsible for (and it really is my baby), is the photo blog created to help promote an upcoming event at my work. 

I definitely do not mean this in a harsh way, but many of the people I work with and around, have no idea what is going on in the world of social media, or what it really means. During my job interview, I mentioned my online activity and the Special Events Manager and HR Associate looked at me bewildered and asked me to explain further, what exactly a “Twitter” was. The pair were amazed that I was blogging for a website thousands of kilometres away in Texas, while I sit and write from my home in Ontario. While my co-workers are busy planning the events, I am busy promoting them online.

Sure, I would have been able to do the majority of the things I complete at work without the help of that social media class, but just knowing how to create and maintain projects has really helped. Because of that one small step I made, I find myself more and more interested in learning about social media and dipping my toes into the waters of Web 2.0. There is more to life than Facebook and MySpace, and I kind of like it.

Not only that, but because of Zoe and her passing along of information about Twitter, I would not have met so many great and amazing people from around the world, been able to share and exchange ideas with my new friends, and the most important part, I would not be contributing to Culture Feast.

As you walk up the steps to the diner, there is a patio with red picnic tables where you can sit and enjoy your meal. As you enter the doors, a pinball machine greets you to your right, and the staff is busy placing orders and calling food numbers. It does not matter what time of day you visit, there always seems to be a crowd.

Easterbrook’s offers over 15 different varieties of hot dogs alone, including the Wonder Dog, the Belly Buster and for the vegetarians, there are veggie dogs too. Any topping you crave on your hot dog, you can get, and Easterbrook’s does not draw the line on anything. The diner caters to just about everyone. If you want chilli and onions on your hot dog, it can be done, or if you just want it plain, nobody will judge you. In 2007 alone, Easterbrook’s sold over 2,000 kilometres (that’s about 1,300 miles) of hot dogs.

To go along with the long list of hot dog varieties, Easterbrook’s has an impressive selection of ice cream flavours. Everything from the usual chocolate and vanilla, the list goes on and on, including orange sorbet, chocolate chip cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, cherry cheesecake, moose tracks, and my personal favourite, birthday cake.

Items on the menu are fairly priced, making family trips, and even a first date Easterbrook’s affordable, and fun. The moment you step foot in the door, you are instantly taken back in time. The small booths seat two very cosily, and there are business cards and people and couple’s names written on the walls. Hanging all over the diner are headshots of famous Canadian actors and other local celebrities who have dined at Easterbrook’s and left a little memento.

Easterbrook’s is a fixture in the community, and holds a special place in the heart of many. If anyone is ever in the area, drop by for lunch or dinner and stay for some dessert, because it is not every day that you can tell someone that you have eaten at a famous landmark whose roots are deeply planted within the community and surrounding area.

USS is a two-piece group based out of Toronto, Ontario, with Ash Boo-Shultz on acoustic guitar, vocals and ehur, and Human Kebab, dubbed as the turntablist hype man extraordinaire.

Their Facebook page describes their music as “Where Grunge, drum and bass, and 2-step converge,” and that sounds pretty good to me. Welding the C:/ is, by far, one of the best pieces of work I have heard from any artist in a very long time. The EP is a breath of fresh air from the generic pop, stale rock and Top 40 music that is littering the airwaves. Just the combination of acoustic guitar and turntables is not something you would see or hear everyday.

I first heard about USS on my favourite radio station, 102.1 The Edge (Toronto) (www.edge.ca) where DJ Barry Taylor saw them perform one night and has been raving about the pair ever since. I was instantly drawn to their sound because it was so different and unique. The first single, Hollow Point Sniper Hyperbole was in heavy rotation on The Edge due to people constantly calling in and requesting more information about the band. Everyone seemed to want more of USS. During this time (a few months ago), USS didn’t have a CD out and it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that their EP was released.

Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker’s second single, 2 15/16 has been on repeat in my house since I bought the EP. Ash’s voice can only be described as hypnotic and captivating, and with the combination of sounds and beats from Human Kebab, I have often found myself in a trance listing to the EP.

Over the past few months, USS have seen a lot of success playing intimate venues around Hamilton and the GTA, but the cream of the crop will be playing Edgefest on July 12 in Toronto in front of thousands of people.

I think it is safe to say that as of right now, Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker is the best-kept secret Canada has. At the rate of their success, the world will be in on our secret and dancing along to their amazing songs. The pair is definitely worth checking out. Hit up their Facebook and MySpace accounts for more information and sample some of their songs and videos.

Musical cues in films help the audience to feel a certain way, whether it is happy or sad with sappy violins or pianos, alerts of upcoming danger with sharp and eerie notes, or signals the end of a film by playing upbeat Top 40 songs.

I just finished watching Jurassic Park, and the musical cues in this film are very evident. The main theme for the film plays throughout the film and becomes very familiar and very comforting. The composer for the film created wonderful scores; most that made me feel for the characters, but more importantly, the dinosaurs. The music within the film is definitely one of a kind and still to this day, is easily recognized, much among the ranks of the music from Jaws.

However, here is a question for everyone reading, have you ever seen a film that had absolutely no soundtrack or musical cues?

I had never really thought about musical cues before because I had become so accustomed to them, and they literally just melted into and became part of the films I watched.

Two years ago, I watched the film, Caché (Hidden) staring Juliette Binoche, a story about a family who receives strange videotapes of someone filming the outside of their house, and later, receive clues to the husband’s mysterious past and childhood.

To be quite honest, the film was so intense, and I was so engrossed with the plot and the characters, that I didn’t even notice that there was no soundtrack or any musical cues. Not a single note, even for the opening or closing credits.

When I watched the film again, I took note of the missing music, and it became much more eerie and haunting. It was far more terrifying than a film that includes music to tell its viewers how to think or react.

Soundtracks and musical cues have become a staple in blockbuster films; there is no doubt about that. Trusty and reliable pop culture songs and artists litter the film almost to the point of distraction, and after watching Caché, there is definitely something that about the lack of music that adds so much more to a film. I can honestly say that I have never been so attentive, and terrified at the same time while watching any film, horror movie, thriller or other wise.

For all those reading, I would highly recommend renting Caché. It is a great film with some great twists and is composed of an extremely mysterious plot. And to think that all of this is heightened with the absence of music.

The drive to the conservation area did not look any different from what we were used to seeing back home in the city. Pizzerias, brand name grocery stores, McDonalds, you name it, and we drove past it.

Right outside the conservation area, there was a convenience store. When people forgot something at home, or just wanted a slushy, a bunch of us would go jump in our cars and drive over to the store or into town to get what we needed for the weekend. This was quickly termed “Fake Camping.”  

Year after year, our “camping” got worse. Because we all had been so often, we knew what the conservation area offered and where and what the best sites were: radio zones, group sites and flushing toilets. Yes, this was a group of 30 plus teenagers and 20-somethings all acting like divas, and sadly, I was one of them.

The ladies needed the flushing toilets because there were sinks so we all could wash our faces, put on our makeup, wash our hair and just have the luxury of a not using an outhouse.

Instead of swimming in a lake or river, we swam in a swimming pool, regulated with chlorine and even offered us a diving board, where many of the boys showed off their high diving skills.

In no way could our three-day camping excursion even be considered real camping. We were city kids, and our idea of roughing it was to bring a mini barbeque, air mattresses for our tents, and all the toiletries you can think of. Anything to make our time away from the luxuries of home was welcomed.

I think the idea of authentic camping scared the crap out of us. We could barely manage dealing with dousing ourselves in bug spray, being bitten by bugs in spite of our DEET baths, huddling around the campfire only to complain about how cold it was outside, or freaking out when a spider found its way into a tent. Who knows what would have happened if we actually took a real excursion to Algonquin Park and roughed it in the bush (Susanna Moodie, anyone?).  

It must be my generation. We are so used to living in the laps of luxury that our idea of camping is driving out to a conservation area in the Boonies. Forget hunting for food, we have hamburgers and veggie dogs to cook on our portable grill. We don’t need to chop wood to make a fire; the employees at the site already have some pre-packaged bags ready to be sold. And what are the most threatening things we encounter? Not bears or snakes, but mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies.

The idea of roughing it in the bush is almost like a fantasy, something idealistic. Perhaps one day I will be brave enough to venture into the wild like my Canadian ancestors before me. I don’t know how long a vegetarian like me would last out in the wild, so maybe my adventure would have to be cut short to just one weekend.

After years of watching Sex and the City, idolizing the lives of the four women, one of the characters drastically stood out to me; Samantha Jones. She owns her own Public Relations company, rubs elbows with the best of the best in New York City, throws first class parties and attends her fair share of them. She knows all the best hot spots in the city and has a Rolodex overflowing with names and numbers of the biggest, best and most elite of New York.

For eight months, I studied at the post graduate level Public Relations, and I went into the program thinking that PR was more like a lifestyle than a career. Take Samantha Jones for example, she is her own boss, she is fierce and she makes a lot of money (and let us not forget about her amazing fashion sense either). All of these desirable things had been over shadowed by her age. This character was in her late 40s on the show, which would mean she had to work for everything she had and obtained in life.

On the first day of class for my Principles of Public Relations class, the students were instructed to write down what he and she thought Public Relations was, and what it meant to each of us. I chuckled to myself as visions of Samantha Jones briskly walked through my head in her $500 a pair Manolo Blahnik shoes. Five star parties: check. Elite guest lists: check. Raking in the cash: check, check, check. Samantha was living the (fake) life I so desired to be living, and I thought that this was an accurate portrayal of the average Public Relations professional.

Little did I know just how wrong I really was. All of my pleasant thoughts and dreams were suddenly put on hold as a sat dumbfounded in grammar class. Who knew that Public Relations involved such hard and dedicated work, long hours, time management skills and proper spelling and grammar at all time, among the extensive laundry list of dos and don’ts?  Certainly not me.

As classes resumed, I could not help but feel out of place. Was this really what I wanted to do with my life? Why had the media (but more importantly, Samantha Jones) forsaken me? I felt as though I was falling into a perpetual downward spiral. “I don’t remember signing up for this,” I would tell myself almost everyday, “Why isn’t this more glamourous? More fun?”

As weeks and months passes, I became more comfortable with what I was learning and somewhat willingly disregarded (at least some) of those silly hopes and dreams I had been building up since my younger years. Public Relations just was not about throwing and attending lavish parties, it was about networking and putting on events (see the difference?). We learned that not everything was going to come easy, we had to work our way up the ladder to success and recognition, it just was not going to be handed to us or have it dropped off in our laps. PR is about communicating with the public and the media, not hiding behind a “No comment” statement.

So much was to be taught and learned during my short time in the post graduate program. Computer skills needed to be refreshed and updated, intense sessions of grammar and writing could not be over looked, and not to mention, correctly planning and executing events played a vital role of my time.

The biggest wake up call to reality was learning that issuing a “No comment” statement is not only completely wrong, but that it also makes any PR practitioner look foolish and that he or she may be up to something. I don’t think that I have had anything drilled into my head more than this. All those celebrity publicists who have been using this statement since the dawn of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous have been doing it wrong. Who knew?

PR just is not about throwing and attending parties, rubbing elbows or even raking in the money. I am now able to take what I have learned and feel confident to go out into the workplace. I will be able to rub elbows through networking, put on fabulous events that everyone will want to attend, all while making a name for myself as I begin my ascent to the top of the ladder of success while looking fabulous, just like Samantha Jones. 

The constant flow of information from the feed on the Facebook main page is enough to overwhelm the busiest of minds. But is it necessary to update your relationship status on Facebook? Your friends should already know that you are currently dating someone, and I’m more than certain the people you just collecting as friends could really care less.

Maybe that’s it; it’s to show off to everyone your new boyfriend/girlfriend and that you - yes you - have the ability to be in a relationship. But when do you switch over your “Single” status to officially be “In a Relationship?” Do you discuss this with your new love first, or should it be done right away, or even after a few days? (A little personal side note: when my last boyfriend and I were an “official” couple, I waited a few days, as not to seem overly excited to be dating him.)

But wait, what if you and your sweetheart get into a big fight? Hey! You have an option for that too. Just throw your status to “It’s Complicated”, I’m sure nobody will wonder or question what’s going on in your relationship, I swear. If you use the “It’s Complicated” status, you are just asking for trouble. A friend of mine left that as her status for months, even though she and her boyfriend were perfectly fine and completely over their previous fight. I know if I were dating someone who left their status as that, I would feel a little insulted and question their motives, but that’s just me.

Now, what if you and your partner break up, what happens now? All of your friends, including your significant other’s, will now see that you two have split. That’s pretty embarrassing if you ask me. Something like a break-up is a private matter, people need time to heal and cope with the new changes, and the last thing I would want would be my friends leaving me messages on my wall asking if I was OK.

So is there a Facebook relationship status etiquette? I have always wondered what the grace time would be to changing back your status from “It’s Complicated” or “In a Relationship” back to “Single” and vice-versa. I’m not completely innocent, I have changed my status a few times during the course of a relationship, but the constant feed of information has made me see the light. Now with the introduction of the non-collapsible mini-feed, I can see all the information I have missed throughout the day as I snoop through people’s profiles and get a lot of juicy details about their lives that I really have no use for.

It has become more of a nuisance than anything else, the constant flow of information overwhelming my main page. That’s why I opted to completely remove my relationship status from my page. It’s no business of anyone’s really to know whom I’m dating or whether or not I’m single or in a relationship. The relationship status is just that, a novelty status and a “Look at me! Look at me!” cry for attention. Serial status changers should really get with the program, because nobody wants to have their main page updates flooded with the manic back and forth of single/taken. But then again, that’s just my opinion.

I was shuffling though my music library on my computer and noticed that I have, what most people would call, embarrassing music. Spice Girls, Ashlee Simpson, Hilary Duff, A Flock of Seagulls, Ace of Base, and the list goes on from there. Although this is a small fraction of my musical taste, I know that I like, and listen to “better” and more “mature” music.

I grew up listing to and loving Top 40. I ate, slept and breathed pop music, everything from Hanson to the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync. However, I grew up, so did my taste in music, and I left those corny and cheesy bands behind (or so I thought). When I want to feel a little more youthful, I throw on some old-school pop music or even this generation’s take on pop.

I personally don’t feel that guilty pleasures should exist because nobody should feel guilty about doing anything. There are more important things in life to worry about than if your friends find out that you bought (and like) the new Jonas Brothers album. If you want to listen to that Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton song, go for it. I’m not one to judge because I have some of their songs on my play list too. Music shouldn’t make anyone feel embarrassed about enjoying it, and isn’t that the point, to enjoy it?

Don’t feel like you have to crawl into a hole in order to listening to some Top 40 songs or ultra sugary pop ballads. They were created to be catchy for a reason.

Stop purchasing CDs from Amazon because you are too embarrassed to walk into your local record shop or HMV. On the next nice day, roll down your car windows and crank some Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus, because you know all the people on the street and in the cars beside you will be singing along.

Placed in a display all to themselves were historical figures, but not just any historical figures, Canadian historical figures. John A. Macdonald, Sir Isaac Brock and Sir Wilfred Laurier packaged up and being sold as action figures under the Canadian Legends line. 

I was completely intrigued by these Canadian heroes, so I decided to Google the product to try to find more information. I found the site, Legends Action Figures (www.legendsactionfigures.com) that offers a lot of information about each figures and everything each one comes with (a 20-page colour bilingual booklet detailing the life of the figure, a display base and accessories).

I am not overly convinced that these Canadian Legends action figures are such a great learning tool. I mean, how much can one person learn in the span of 20 pages? It is just enough to wet one’s whistle to go and learn more and bone up on their Canadian history. But why would any child want Sir Isaac Brock when he or she could have Wolverine, The Hulk, or even Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

As a Canadian, I could not be less interested in purchasing these products. I think the only circumstance would be as a joke to my friend who attended Brock, the same Alma Mater as I, so we could have a good chuckle at the expense of Canadian history. Does that make me a bad Canadian because I am not interested in my history, probably not, but it is open for debate.  

To me, these Canadian Legends action figures (and I do use that term loosely) are purely for the history nuts and those who collect everything under the sun. Just like any other collectable, it would stay fresh in the box, never to see the light of day or come out to play with all the other super heroes and action figures. I don’t know how much action these figures would get in the home of a child, but I would wager my money on not much.

Rachel Zoe, the famous celebrity stylist is. I made a recent trip to my local library and stumbled across her book, Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty & Everything Glamour, purely by accident. The colour of the cover did not jump out at me, but the words “Style A to Zoe” did. I inquisitively picked up the book, leafed though the pages, and saw that it was more than just your regular picture book of celebrities.

Reading this book, I was extremely surprised at how talented and knowledgeable Zoe is. The tabloids and gossip blogs have obviously done her no justice. For the past few years, all the information I was getting about Rachel Zoe was from online tabloids that only associated her with Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton and their “not so great” fashion selections. This is far from the truth. Zoe offers personal photographs of how she works and whom she works with. Included are personal entries from top designers, including Valentino and Frank Zambrelli who praise Zoe’s talent and eye for all things style related.

Zoe’s book is made up of eight chapters, including a detailed introduction of her life and the reasons why she became interested in the fashion industry and why she became a stylist. Included in her stylebook is a glossary of terms (A to Zoe), something that I thought was a cheeky way to finalize her work. Throughout the pages, Zoe dishes about how to properly accessorize (or as she puts it, “excessorizing”), how to pair chunky jewelery with smaller pieces, selecting the right shoes for the right outfit, selecting a classic bag over the “It” bag, how to correctly apply makeup, and even offers tips on how to design and style your home by incorporating art, fabrics and functional furniture.  

What I enjoyed the most about reading Rachel Zoe’s book was the fact that she related to every female in every age demographic and every salary bracket. Zoe insisted throughout to explore vintage and thrift stores in search of jewellery and signature pieces that make you the fabulous woman that you are. She encourages everyone reading to host their own red carpet event and not to be afraid of getting dressed up and looking (and feeling) great.

Rachel Zoe’s expertise with style and fashion was a great and easy read. Her tone was set as if she was sitting across from me as we chatted over lunch or coffee. Her tips were fabulous and any woman who thinks of herself as being fashion forward (or not), should pick up this book because they will find at least one piece of advice to take home with them to use over and over again.