It’s one of the most agonizing pieces I’ve written. I’m really hard on myself and I’m never happy. I still have a bunch of irrational fears over the piece that I think all stem from the fact that it’s on The Agenda’s blog. The Agenda is a super serious news entity to me. I’m incredibly surprised they even wanted to acknowledge us fashion bloggers. They did and the piece is up. I hope you like.
We are hosting a champagne-infused all-girl networking sesh + modern cookie exchange.
How it works:
1. Bake (4) dozen cookies the weekend before the event, bring all your baked goods with a card explaining your baked creation. Please no store-bought.
2. Don’t bake? You can still come! Just buy the appropriate ticket.
3. We set-up everyone’s cookies in a giant sugary spread!
4. Bring (2-3) big containers or giant ziploc bags to store your new cookies in.
5. Everyone moves around the table and takes home one of each cookie.
6. Eat the extras, while networking with 200 of the coolest hip + urban girls in the city.
7. Sugar coma ensues! Shop the HUG Mini Christmas Market of local vendors & artisans.
Your ticket includes:
1. A complimentary glass of ‘Open’ sparkling wine, cash bar also available
2. VIP Gift Bag to the first 100 guests to purchase tickets, worth over the cost of your ticket!
3. Access to the cookie exchange, networking party and HUG mini Christmas market
4. Red carpet arrivals and pictures with your new friends in the Hotmail Photo Booth
5. HUG snacks from Summerfresh Foods and Pita Break
6. Fresh *Hot* Crepes from The Crepe De Licious Crepe Stand!!!
Matchstick sent me two pairs of Cougar Boots to review. One pair of rainboots and one pair of winter boots. There were a few styles to choose from and I was lucky to get my first choices.
I was getting pretty bored of my Hunters so I was thinking of buying a new pair of boots. I’ve been looking around and thought about a big obnoxious yellow or purple pair. When I saw the Regal rainboot from Cougar, I needed to own them. They are rubber with a polar fleece lining. They are comfortable, warm and rated from 0°C to -24°C. I’ve only used them in above 0°C situations so I can’t comment on how they work in that weather. They are a sturdy boot, better made than my hunters. Most of all I love the motorcycle boot style. They look great. Regal’s retail for $85.
The winter boot I selected is Ringo Star. I haven’t worn them outside since we have no snow yet. I can’t tell you about function but I love they way they look. They have a polar plush lining and nylon exterior. They are rated from -10°C to -30°C. The faux fur is nice feeling and looking. I probably won’t fold them over to expose the faux fur because then the boots come up to the knee. That feature will be very good in the winter, almost total coverage. Usually my 3 year old Stella’s are my goto winter boot but I think the Ringo Star will take over. The boots are lighter and the shaft is taller. The Ringo Star are easier to lace up than the Stella’s. They retail for $200.
I was surprised at how much I liked the boots when they arrived. I had totally written off Cougar, they weren’t making my childhood boots anymore so I didn’t care. The packaging was very nice and the green plaid liner paper was a nice touch. I’m looking forward winter and the Ringo Star’s might come to Whistler with me. They are easier to pack 🙂
Update: September 14, 2011 – I should update my review of these boots since I’ve had a whole winter and spring to use them.
The Ringo Star is an amazing winter boot. I wore them a lot the past winter and I expect the same this winter. I used the Stella McCartney boots infrequently and only used them on the very, very cold days. The Ringo’s were not warm enough. That’s the only weakness of the Ringo Star boots.
The fate of the Regal rainboot wasn’t so good. They weren’t waterproof and I went back to wearing my wellys. I did love the look of them though.
I received the Zi8 Pocket Video Camera just in time for LGFW this year. I’ve used the HD video feature on the Olympus E-PL1 so I was curious how these dedicated video cameras function. I guess the Zi8’s main competitor is the Flip video camera. I’ve never used the Flip camera before but I’ve held it. The Zi8 is a bit wider but they are very close in size.
The camera has the following features:
Capture video in 720p HD at 60 fps, or 1080p HD at 30 fps
holds a up to 32GB SD/SDHC card
External microphone jack
takes 5MP 16:9 Widescreen HD photos
built-in image stabilization
2.5 colour LCD screen
Internal USB connector, no extra cables
Includes HDMI cables so you can hook it up to your HDTV
Included KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery
I didn’t use the included camera software but I like that it’s preloaded on the device so you don’t need a CD. The software has easy to share to YouTube and Facebook features. These things aren’t features I normally would use. The software is always available if you want to use the camera on a different computer. I don’t usually edit videos I take because I’m lazy, not very good at it and don’t have much time. Thankfully the software isn’t needed to copy video and I just use windows explorer to browse the device. I don’t have an HDTV so I never played with that feature either. I don’t usually use the included software in media devices unless absolutely necessary. I took a lot video of during Toronto Fashion Weeks. Some of it isn’t pretty but most of it is very watchable.
Denis Gagnon Spring Summer 2011
I do have some complains about the camera though. I was trying to film the entire Denis Gagnon Spring Summer 2011 runway show at LGFW. Pressing the middle red button starts and stops recording. It’s also used for the zoom feature with up and down motions.  During the filming I was zooming in and out capturing details of the handbags and the clothing. It was after the show was complete did I realize that I only captured the first 3 minutes of the show. I turned off recording when I was zooming and it wasn’t really noticeable on the screen that I wasn’t in record mode. I was a bit steamed about that. This wasn’t the first time either. I found it a bit difficult to film details with this camera. Video is jerky when using the zoom. It doesn’t help that I don’t have the steadiest of hands either. That’s probably more a critism of my technique more than the camera but I didn’t find it as easy.
The size of the Kodak Zi8 is a disadvantage to me. I’m already such a gadget whore that I hate adding another device to the mix. There were days when I was carrying my Blackberry, iPod Touch, Kobo eReader, Olympus E-PL1 digital camera and the Kodak Zi8. It’s too much. I can see myself bringing the Zi8 it along if I don’t carry the Olympus E-PL1. My Blackberry Torch doesn’t have HD quality video so the Zi8 is preferable. The Olympus takes very good HD video, so the duplication isn’t necessary. I acquired the Nokia N8 smartphone last week and the HD video and Dolby sound blows the Kodak Zi8 and many others out of the water. It also is way smaller. A geekiviews post for the N8 will come later.
This would be a good product for someone who doesn’t have HD gadgets like an iPhone or HD-ready camera already and is looking for something very simple and easy to use. It’s an all in one gadget which makes it easy for beginners. There are no cables to keep track of or lose. It seems pretty durable so it would be good for kids or travel.
There are some more videos taken with the Zi8 during Toronto Fashion Weeks after the jump Read More
Holt Renfrew has partnered with Canada Goose and Polar Bears International to created a limited edition toque. A portion of the proceeds goes to Polar Bears International. The Toronto Uniform crowd will probably want their matching Canada Goose toque in either black or red. It retails for $50 and are available at Holt Renfrew stores across the country. Previously, Holt Renfrew x Marc by Marc Jacobs x VisionSpring came together to create a limited edition tote with a portion of proceeds going to VisionSpring.
Holt’s sent me a black toque and even thought I don’t own a Canada Goose jacket I think the toque is nice. It has a merino wool exterior and a fleece interior. It has a good shape on my head for a beanie type toque. I don’t really wear that style because you need hair to pull it off. The toque is very warm and I can’t wait to see how it does in colder weather.
The Bloor Street store has a large in store display for the toques that is pretty cute.
