curious pages

Looking for books about teddy bears or rainbows or feelings? You’re at the wrong place. Here we celebrate the offbeat, the abstract, the unusual, the surreal, the macabre, the inappropriate, the subversive and the funky.

I pretty much love every post over at We Love You So - especially their post about Curious Pages, a hilarious blog devoted to peculiar children's books. When I was young, my parents religiously read to me, but stuck to more conventional material - the Merchant family favourites were The Berenstain Bears, Madeline, Each Peach Pear Plum, Goodnight Moon, and, of course, Love You Forever. For someone who teaches her fair share of children's books, I could certainly add some inappropriate tales to Curious Pages' list - Chunk the Chick (a story about a lonely chicken who is too 'chunky' to have any friends), and The Sad Clown Brigade (two clowns quit their circus jobs, become janitors at a hospital, build a rapport with a sick kid, giving him the best day of his life after which he promptly dies). Anyway, I digress. Curious Pages is a treat, serving up equal hits of nostalgia and joy. Check it out.

dream job TK

In just three short days I'll be finishing up my internship and moving on to bigger and better (ie: more financially viable) things. Well, that's the idea at least. I've been doing a lot of soul searching since I finished my M.A. last spring. I celebrated for week, had a little bit of a meltdown for a month, bought numerous books on dealing with the so called "Quarter-life crisis," and then finally got an internship. For the past three months I've learned more than I ever did in school (about the real world at least) and have been paying my dues in the hopes of securing an editorial position on the bottom rung of the increasingly wobbly magazine publishing ladder.

Anyways...next week the job hunt begins. Wish me luck everyone.

say cheese

Its that time of year again when all I seem to want to do is curl up in front of the fire (newly adorned with designer stockings - thanks Mom!) and watch Christmas movies while snacking - continuously alternating between my two favourite food groups: chocolate and cheese. While i've never really thought of myself as a cheese connoisseur (just because you really like something doesn't make you an expert) you could say I'm a pretty dedicated appreciator. A recent work assignment took me to the east end neighbourhood of Leslieville (one of my favourite not-quite gentrified 'hoods with the perfect mix of upscale independent coffee shops, rough around the edges locals, and vintage antique stores) for an evening Wine and Cheese class at the Leslieville Cheese Market. While I was strictly there on business I was invited to indulge in a smorgasbord of gourmet cheeses and wines that I usually can't even contemplate purchasing as they are outside of my $7.50-$13.00 price range. The cheese night school classes, taught by resident fromage fanatic Julia Rogers, include tasty tutorials on the finer points of pairing. I would invite any foodies (or cheese loving individuals like myself) to spend an evening at the popular cheese emporium (there is also a second market in the west-end, confusingly called the Leslieville Cheese Market aswell) to partake in one of these delectable classes.

freebie

While being an unpaid intern is rarely glamorous there are some perks in working in the wonderful world of magazine publishing. This morning a spanking new lipstick in a vampire just bit my lip shade of red landed on my desk courtesy of my editor in chief (by way of Chanel). I have been meaning to pick up a fire-hydrant shade of lipwear for a while now but I always seem to make a last minute decision that pinkish beige is a much more appropriate choice. This little treat has brightened my day and will be brightening my mouth all weekend long (assuming I can pull it off that is).

coffee break

Yesterday I got to leave work early to go on a variety of photographic adventures around the city. For an hour or so I managed to squeeze in some time for a cafe au lait and light reading at the Balzacs Coffee in Liberty Village. I forgot how wonderful it is to simply sit in a cafe and read. Most of my reading these days happens while wedged up against suit-clad commuters on the GO train and most of my coffee drinking happens at my desk while replying to the slew of emails crowding my inbox. I'm going to make a vow to find time for this simple pleasure more often, especially because Balzacs is so delicious and my current book of choice has such a beautiful cover.

dress me

I would like the whole Margaret Howell fall/winter line in my wardrobe now, please.

Like an egyptian

Having never been the type to get too excited over ancient artifacts (I generally prefer paintings to pots and porcelain) I'm not really that jazzed about the upcoming King Tut exhibit at the AGO. And I am certainly not as eager as the entertainment editors over at the Toronto Star who have been painfully stretching their week-long Tut coverage to include recipes for Egyptian cuisine and today's feature on Sodom nightclub's (yes that's right) upcoming dance party featuring a nearly nude male model in pharo-like body paint. But I can't help but think that the photo above is kind of cool. The larger-than-life and then some Pharo statue (or wait..is it a rabbit?) is currently looming large over Dundas St. in order to promote the much-hyped exhibit that will be opening in the city in just a few days. And since I'm kind of important now (ahem...okay not at all) I will be tagging along to the media preview event at the gallery tomorrow morning. I assume I'll get a glimpse of some of Tut's treasures, including what I'm sure will be some pretty sweet gladiator sandals, and hopefully some complimentary finger foods. I guess it's time to make like The Bangles and Walk Like an Egyptian.

Side note: I just noticed that the 'hot topics' toolbar on the Toronto Star's website includes breaking news categories like H1N1, Maple Leafs and Vampires?! I'm so glad I subscribe to a newspaper with my kind of priorities.

who said there's no such thing as a free lunch?

For those of you who assume that the world of unpaid editorial internships isn't all that glamorous, well you're right, for the most part. However this morning I experienced what may turn out to be one of the highlights of my professional career. Katie and I both are avid (if not slightly amateur) food photographers (obviously) and today I managed to parlay my love of snack snapshots into an actual work assignment. The intersection of King and Bay is not only home to one of my favourite Starbucks in the city (cozy leather armchairs and attractive suit types included) but also a popular little bakery backed by the Marc Thuet culinary empire (anyone who enjoys TO based reality show Conviction Kitchen knows what I'm talking about). The aptly named Petite Thuet provides gourmet sandwiches of all sorts to the financial district corporate types who can afford the hefty price tag. Anyways, this morning I had a date with head chef Peter to snap some shots of one of their bestsellers - Organic Turkey and Brie on fresh baked baguette - for an upcoming dining feature in the January issue of Where Toronto. After vogue-ing with the lunch meat for roughly 20 minutes, I walked away with 100 images and, you guessed it, a free lunch. My new pal Peter also threw in some complimentary pastel coloured marshmallow cubes for the folk back at the office - although I'm considering hording them for myself.

Dinner date?

With too little time to work 9-5 and blog I figure I might as well blog about my work. This week I’m working on the new dining listings, which involves writing up quippy little sentences about the fresh meat (if you will) on the TO dining circuit. Unfortunately no one is sending this unpaid intern/minion out to any of these trendy new restos to sample dishes and take notes on the ambiance – but nevertheless, it’s not a bad assignment. I’ve put together a little list of my personal faves that I’ll be looking to try in the very near future – if anyone’s interested in a dinner date.

Newly opened Buca is giving Terroni and Pizzeria Libretto a run for their money in the battle to become the west end’s premiere thin crust pizza joint. This renovated boiler room in King West boasts beautiful sandblasted brick walls and 30-ft ceilings – giving the interior an industrial chic vibe. If you can find it (the resto is tucked away in an alleyway alongside Cheval) then be sure to sample charcuterie from the onsite meat curing room.

Apparently, dive bars are the new supper clubs (thanks Drew Barrymore) so it wont be long before all the hip young things in the city flock west (oh wait they already do) to loiter outside the newest hot spot along the coveted Queen Street strip, Double Deuce Saloon. The décor lends itself to a dive-bar-chic vibe with neon signs, worn in floorboards and a stuffed boar’s head above the bar. Plenty of interesting beers on tap and a tasty, moderately priced menu of smoked meat sandwiches and chili served with sweet buttermilk cornbread and fresh guacamole. This cool yet casual spot offers a quieter alternative (for now at least) to the crowded hipster hangouts in the area. And if you’re wondering about the origins of the bar’s kitschy name, turns out it was chosen as a result of a Facebook naming contest – the winner received a $1,000 bar tab … I hope to befriend him soon.

And while I rarely find a reason to go out in the Entertainment District, Spice Safar has peaked my curiosity. This self-described boutique/bakery/café/lounge hybrid is an all purpose space done up with wood and velvet, giving the room a luxurious yet mellow vibe. During the day, there’s plenty of artisan coffee and baked goodies to be had while browsing the eclectic products for sale at the on-site boutique. At night, the after work crowds nibble on tapas style fare and sip premium ‘mixology’ martinis (I’m not sure what that means other than “we can charge $15 for these”) made with made-in-house absinthe.

on the mark

"I tried taking pictures, but they were so mediocre. I guess every girl goes through a photography phase. You know, horses... taking pictures of your feet."
- Charlotte, Lost in Translation

I feel as though I'm having a bit of a photography phase at the moment, living in a foreign country and all - and while I enjoy it, I do feel most of my pictures are a bit mediocre - namely because all I want to photograph is food. Someone whose photographs are a far cry from mediocre? Stacey Mark - she takes the dreamiest pictures (and used to be the Photo Director for Nylon). She first tried her hand at photography during a trip to the Toronto Film Festival, where she shot actress/director Asia Argento:

"Asia had no idea that I'd never shot a photo before. She looked at me as she would look at a photographer - she looked at me with trust, and through her eyes, I became a photographer"
-Stacey Mark

Her clients include Kate Bosworth, Lula Magazine, Juliette Lewis, Bazaar UK, and many more. So lovely.

she's a, a diva

Confession: I sort of love Beyonce. This not-really-guilty pleasure began with Destiny's Child - 'No, No, No', 'Bills, Bills, Bills', 'Say My Name' and even 'Independent Women' and 'Survivor' - really, the list goes on ('Dangerously in Love', 'Nasty Girl', 'Emotions'...). Then her solo career brought about probably the best dance song ever, 'Crazy in Love' (and that incomparable booty shake). I also love that she's married to Jay-Z, and never made a huge public fuss about it. She's got some pretty fierce dance moves and some equally fierce curves and fashion sense (metal gloves, lots of fringe, armour, catsuits). Not to mention her amazing break-up anthem, 'Irreplaceable'. I also can't get enough of the incredibly cheesy 'Halo' (and know a few other friends who, too, like to indulge). Plus, she sang (and cried) at Obama's inauguration. Beyonce is performing tonight in Seoul and I'm so sad that I will be missing it due to work - I've heard she puts on quite the show. Oh and of course I love 'Single Ladies' (because really, who doesn't). Ms. Knowles certainly knows how to work it out.

Toronto Fashion Week

Thrown on your bunny ears and studded Louboutins 'cuz it's fashion week in the city. All week long Toronto, in its ongoing bid to try and be even half as cool as NYC, will be playing host to a bevy of well-know (and..lets face it, a lot of not so well-known) Canadian designers showcasing their Spring 2010 collections. And while our little not so notorious fashion week comes on the very intimidating heels of some pretty high profile shows (London, Paris etc) us fashion starved Torontonians will take what we can get.

And what are we getting exactly? While there are some labels you might recognize strutting down the runway this week (Joe Fresh and Pink Tartan to name a couple) and plenty of Project Runway Canada winners and runners up – there are also some fresh faces on the local fashion scene that are worth getting a little excited about. My personal fave is recent Ryerson fashion school grad Monica Mei’s label AIME. Obviously anything remotely pretty and French sounding gets my attention and Mei’s flirty designs are no exception. Her fall collection from last year, entitled Paris Je T’AIME of course, was full of edgy yet girly black and white pieces and even featured Petit Beret’s in a couple cameo appearances.

Her Spring 2010 collection hits the King West runway tents this Thursday and while I did manage to score an invite (one of the perks of being at the bottom of the media totem pole) I don’t think I can attend as it on during the middle of the workday. Sigh.


I would have loved to catch a glimpse of her “Escape to the Mediterranean” springtime designs. I guess I’ll have to wait and read about it when uber hip Toronto journo/blogger SNP covers it for Eye Weekly.

On that note I will be giving my own commentary (kind of) on Toronto Fashion Week for Where Toronto all week long. Check back here daily for updates on all the shows and exclusive events that none of us are invited to.

Shameless self promotion.

In my grand effort to become a real life journalist I sometimes write things in random places - well, to clarify...random media related places, not bathroom stalls. This particular little piece is a result of scouring Craigslist for writing opportunities.

lovely legs.

One of the things I love most about my new working girl lifestyle is having the opportunity to get dressed up in the morning. Today I strutted my tired self to work in my new Chanel inspired tights. I of course purchased the much more affordable Wilfred version of these two toned beauties...but I still managed to garner some double takes in the Starbucks lineup.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, my time management skills are lacking. I miss being able to write frivolous blog posts at 10:30am while wearing pajamas sipping on a double tall latte. Now I spend my days fact checking and stuffing envelopes...and subsequently getting paper cuts on my lips...yikes.

I'll be back soon, I promise.

First Day

I have my first day at my new internship today. If anyone's a little bit curious I'll be fact checking here for the next three months. This is my first foray into the real adult working world (ie: not making lattes) and I'm pretty nervous. The office is on the same floor as Fashion and I have a feeling I'm going to feel a lot like Ugly Betty stepping into the offices of Mode. At least i'll be sans poncho and braces. Wish me luck.