Television at it's finest

During the past decade, there has seemed to be a real resurgence of QUALITY television programming.  With the premium cable networks like HBO, FX, and AMC being able to push the boundaries like never before; the shows that are airing have such a high production value, they rival what is being done on the silver screen.  With so many amazing choices out there, I find it difficult to choose what I should spend my time (and bandwidth) on.  With the mid-season premieres beginning, I wanted to write about my current top 3 shows that are either airing now or returning soon.

1. GIRLS on HBO
I recently began watching this show after Lena Dunham (the show's writer and lead actress) won the Golden Globe for best actress.  I watched the entire first season in 2 days (it's that good).  Often referred to as the "new" Sex in the City, both HBO shows follow 4 young women living in New York City. The similarities end there.  This show is so raw and honest about the issues that girls in the 20s face in their day to day lives.  It's laugh out loud funny without trying too hard.  I highly recommend anyone (yes, even guys) to watch this well-written, addictive drama.  It's only 30 minutes, you can definitely find time for this gem. It airs Sunday night at 9:00pm on HBO Canada.

Marnie, Jessa,Hannah, and Shoshanna

2. American Horror Story (Season 1 and Asylum) on FX
Not for the squeamish, this program is the perfect mix of creepy, gorey, and twisted.  Each season contains its own unique storyline, the first being set in a Haunted House, the current taking place in an Insane Asylum.  Although the stories vary, the show keeps the same cast each season, which makes for a very unique experience for the viewer.  The cast is extremely talented and the writing is incredible (in the most frightening way possible).  For those of you who have sworn off of horror movies because they keep you up at night (RIGHT HERE!), the show is so well written that it's worth checking under the bed (and every closet in the house) before you go to sleep. Trust me. The show airs at 10pm Wednesday nights on FX.

Creeptastic!

3.Game of Thrones on HBO
Any best of TV list needs to include the ever popular fantasy series chronicling several houses' quest for the Iron Throne.  Believe the hype! The complicated plot interweaves story lines following a vast array of characters (making names sometimes difficult to remember).  Based on the book series by George R. R. Martin, the show does a good job of simplifying the story enough to be very watchable.  In contrast to my first pick (GIRLS), GOT can appear to be geared towards the male gender. Ladies, please just watch ONE episode to realize that this is not the case.  The gorgeous scenery and effects, phenomenal acting, and Khaleesi (everyone's favourite character), make Game of Thrones the show for everyone. Season 3 premieres March 31st on HBO.

Khaleesi and her Dragon Child

Honourable mentions: Downton Abbey on PBS, Breaking Bad on AMC, and Revenge on CityTV.

Happy watching!

photos via Hellogiggles.com FX Canada CNN.com

Who Wore What...

It's awards season! By which I mean, it's time to see what everyone is wearing to the awards!! I really could not care less about which film/actress/actor wins what, but I DO care about the fashion successes and face plants that are sure to arise during this time of year. Ever since I was a little girl, I have been a big fan of E's Fashion Police with Joan Rivers and her gaggle of fashion critics. This awards season will be no different. So here we go...

GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS:
Hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, the award show went off without a hitch (and surprisingly quickly with the exception of some of the speeches...not naming any names).  The ladies (two of my faves I might add) did a terrific job hosting, keeping the awards show fresh and fun, which really is quite a feat if you ask me.

Now for the important stuff: THE FASHION! We saw an abundance of RED or any variation of red, along with a lot of neutrals.  In addition to the similarities in colour, the style of the night appeared to be the mermaid or trumpet shape, seen on Jessica Alba, Amy Adams, and Hayden Panettiere. Do all the stylists of these ladies get together and decide they will dress their clients identical? Oh well.

Jennifer Lawrence, Emily Blunt, Jessica Alba

 My vote for best dressed goes to : Jessica Alba wearing a coral Oscar de la Renta trumpet gown. Alba looked radiant and fresh while channeling classic hollywood beauty.

Honourable mentions: Jennifer Lawrence wearing yet another coral dress,this time by Christian Dior Haute Couture.  The actress also took home Best Actress for the film Silver Linings Playbook. Still have to check out this flick, definitely on my list before the Oscars air.

 Emily Blunt in a golden cut-out Michael Kors dress, accessorized with John Krasinski.

Sienna Miller Fashion Mis-step

The actress that I think earned a "Needs Improvement" would be: Sienna Miller in a custom Erdem top and skirt. The usually flawless actress looked like she had popped out of a 1997 Seventeen magazine prom ad.  I know the 90's are back but let's keep it flattering, shall we?

That's my two cents! Looking forward to seeing if Joan agrees! 

Happy Monday!

photos via Us Magazine and  just jared

Tarantino does it again.

By now it seems that everyone and their mom has seen Django Unchained, the new Tarantino film released on Christmas Day.  Being a Tarantino fan (I love myself a quirky gorefest), I felt compelled to check this one out at the theatre. For the few that have yet to see this film (and still plan to), I won't go into details but I do want to say that it did not disappoint. A little less bizarre than some of his other films (think Death Proof and Kill Bill), Django posed itself as an old time Western dealing with issues of racism and slavery.  As always, the film's soundtrack was quintessential Tarantino, with motown, country and western, and  90's hip hop scores lending as much to the film as the visual effects.  The music, in fact, was my favourite part of the movie, as it altered and enhanced the viewer's experience of the events happening on screen.  This film is not for the squeamish, then again, what Taratino film is?  We have to expect a certain amount of blood and gore from this man, and Django certainly holds true to this motif.  Knowing full well that he can get away with it; Quentin Taratino plays around with very strong language to an almost comical level.

Dr. Shultz, played by the genius Christopher Waltz, was by far my favourite in the film.

 Overall, the film was thoroughly entertaining.  I decide if I like a film by judging on how well it held my attention and if I was ready for it to end.  By these criteria, Django had me glued to the screen from beginning to end and, after 180 minutes, left me wanting more.

Maui, where dreams come true!

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to visit Maui, HI this past week to celebrate a dear friend's wedding.  I have to say, I have been to a lot of beautiful places but the island of Maui is truly paradise! Perfect weather, beautiful scenery, and friendly people are the hallmarks of this magical place and I, for one, cannot wait to go back some day.

The Highlights:

1. Our Mustang Convertible: Steph and I originally thought we were getting a Rio to drive around Maui for the week. When the Hertz dealership offered us a Mustang Convertible at no extra charge, we couldn't turn it down.  After a bit of adjusting to the size and the power of the car (we both drive compact hyundais at home), we fell in love with driving anywhere and everywhere with the top down. Seriously, how could you drive with the top up in MAUI?!

On our way down the Haleakala Volcano, top down obvs.

2. The Wedding: The main event! Having your wedding in Hawaii basically guarantees that it will be beautiful but Cat and Dave's special day was more stunning than I could ever imagine.  The wedding was held at the Sheraton Maui on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The bride looked stunning, the groom super handsome, both of them overshadowing the beauty of the surroundings.  Anyone in attendance would tell you the love coming from these two was overwhelming, as evidenced by the amount of emotion (tears, we're all cry babies) observed throughout the night. Here's to a lifetime of love, laughter, and fantastic food you two!

The beautiful ceremony, the bridesmaids, Us!, The Newlyweds

3. Scuba Diving: During the week leading up to diving, I was having a bit of a panic attack doubting that I would be able to handle it.  I, myself, am slightly claustrophobic with a fear of drowning (smart idea to go scuba diving, eh?) so as the time neared I was dreading the event.  But guess what? I DID IT! and I LOVED IT! With only a small panic attack at the beginning of the dive when I entered the water, I successfully completed two 1 hour dives! During our dives, we saw sea turtles, fish, an eel, and 2 white tipped reef sharks. I would do it again in a second.

4.The Food: During our stay, Steph and I were on the hunt for the best fish tacos on the island. Although I couldn't find any that topped Cali's fish tacos, we found many delicious alternatives.  My favourite meal of the week was an oceanside New Years Eve dinner consisting of coconut calamari, Ahi Tuna Steak, and of course, Mango Mojitos.

 

Mojitos!, My Ahi Steak, The gorgeous view on New Years Eve

5. Maui: If you ever get the chance, just GO! One of the best places to relax, unwind, and just appreciate life.  You may see in the near future that I have packed up and moved there...not even kidding.

Hope you all had a terrific holiday season! Here's to 2013 being chocked full of love, laughter, success, and new experiences!

Beach Wedding Steez

The countdown is on! 2 more days left of work, 6 more days until Christmas, and 1 week until MAUI! My lovely friend Cat and her fiance Dave are getting "maui-ed" (they have approved the use of this pun) next week on the Hawaiian island of Maui and I am travelling out to see their special day.  I've never been away to a tropical destination during the winter holidays and I am so excited, I can barely sit still. My friend Stephanie and I are arriving on boxing day for the festivities and I am currently trying to figure out exactly what to pack.  We've decided that we are only bringing carry-ons for the trip (this is very brave for me) so I really need to stream line my usual over packing style. Besides the tiny suitcase I am limiting myself to, my next concern was WHAT TO WEAR to a beach wedding.  I've only attended a handful of weddings in the past (this will all change next year) and have never been to a beach wedding so I had no clue how to dress for such an occasion.  After careful deliberation, I have decided on the above outfit for Cat's special day (the VS dress is the actual one that I purchased!).  Long flowy maxi dress, cute but functional gladiator sandals, bright envelope clutch, aviator sunglasses, and of course, 
a beautiful lei!
Let me know what you think! Happy Holidays everyone!

It's just around the corner folks!

CHRISTMAS (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate) seems to be ruling just about everybody's lives right now. Let it be the holiday parties, the decorating, or the last minute trips to the mall to find the perfect something(s), the holidays are definitely in full swing.  I, for one, thrive off the festivities and this weekend I had the chance to really embrace my obsession with holiday season.

On Friday, my girls and I met up for our holiday dinner, complete with Secret Santa gift exchange.  Everyone did very well with the $10 limit (I snagged myself some sweet neon xmas tree pjs-thanks Stephanie!) and enjoyed an amazing meal at 7 Numbers on Danforth www.sevennumbers.com. For those of you who don't make it east of Yonge st. ever (I'm looking at you Downtowners), I highly recommend checking out some of the restaurants on Danforth (between Broadview and Pape mostly).  Less crowded, great service, and fantastic food (even if you're not getting Greek). 

Half the the table, The ladies after dinner, My balls and I (we couldn't help ourselves),The other half of the crew

As someone who is rather fond of Christmas and crafting, I made each of the ladies homemade Christmas cards (with some inspiration from Pinterest, naturally). Glad you all appreciated them gals! They were so much fun to make and I definitely like them better than the generic cards I was finding in the stores. Cheaper too!

 The Ladies' Christmas Cards

I continued with the Christmas theme the next afternoon with a trip to the Toronto Christmas Market in the Distillery District.  I'd never had the chance to check it out down there and now that I have, I will be spending my entire summer there. The entire area is so beautiful with historic buildings and adorable shops (and most importantly, the breweries).  I had myself some "Mulled wine" which Collin described as "Apple cider with some wine poured in".  I'd have to agree with this description, and as unappetizing as that may sound, it was delicious.  The Christmas Market was the perfect way to appreciate the holiday season (and the perfect way to score free booze). I HIGHLY recommend you to check it out next year if you did not have the chance to visit this winter.

The cobblestone streets of the Historic Distillery District all dressed up for Christmas :)

My weekend ended with a trip to the Eaton's Centre with my Mom who desperately needed to get some last minute shopping done.  I somehow had finished all my shopping (how did this happen?!?!) but agreed to accompany her to the apocalypse that is the Eaton's Centre at this time of the year. I am one of the few people I know that actually ENJOYS busy malls during the holidays. They did an amazing job with the decorations this year, erecting HUGE, sparkling reindeer throughout the atrium of the mall. It was a very successful trip and allowed for some quality holiday bonding time with the mere.

And that was my holiday-injected weekend wrap-up for you! I hope that all of you are enjoying the holidays as much as you can. Get those gifts bought, those lights hung, and relax as much as possible. And remember, most importantly...

DON'T BE A COTTON-HEADED NINNY MUGGINS!

30 is the new...

Last night I celebrated my friend Marissa's 30th Birthday.  Always the thoughtful party planner, Marissa's "Roaring 20's" themed party (sending off her twenties and launching into her 30s) was chock full of little details. From the little photo booth with 1920's accessories to the vast array of desserts and "nibblies", the entire room was decked out to suit the theme. Thanks for throwing such a great party love! Happy Birthday!

 The sprawl of delicious treats, the party time nails, the birthday girl and I in our 20s headpieces :)

Upon being invited to this celebration of sending off your 20s in style, I began to think about how I will feel when I reach this "milestone". Historically, I feel that turning 30 meant that you had figured out where your life was heading, where you would be living, who you'd be spending your life with, etc. Thinking about this view, I noticed that those living in a larger city like Toronto don't necessarily follow this trend.  I'm not sure what it is about living in a bigger city that seems to put off this type of "maturing" but most of my friends, although successful and very content with their lives, do not seem to be in rush to "figure things out".  I hope that when I do turn 30 (which will happen in 3 very short years), that I do not feel the pressure to know exactly what I will be doing with my life.  I think that not quite knowing where your life is going, although somewhat unnerving and anxiety inducing, makes things a bit more exciting and allows for a a certain freedom that I don't want to lose quite yet.