The Great Canadian Clothing Exchange

I recently attended my very first clothing exchange party, and let me say, it was a huge success! Who knew that one woman's trash could be another woman's treasure? It was a small intimate gathering with a few close work friends. We all managed to put together a big bag (or two, or three, or in some cases five!) of unwanted clothes to exchange at the party for someone else's unwanted clothes. Hence the name - The Great Clothing Exchange! And in the end, we all got to walk away with a new(ish) wardrobe. But it wasn't just clothes; purses, hats, and shoes we also thrown into the mix - we had it all!

So if you're thinking of hosting your own clothing exchange party, follow some of these tips to ensure your party will be a huge success!

The Plan


1) Send out an invitation - invite those who you know will have unwanted/unworn clothes that they would want to get rid of. Try to invite people with similar tastes and dress sizes. That way, everyone is sure to walk away with someone "new".

2) Encourage people to bring anything and everything (except the kitchen sink!) Hats, scarves, heels, jewelry, even a ripped up t-shirt (Flashdance styles) anything is fair game!


The Day Of


2) Have snacks and wine kicking around. Or better yet, make it a small potluck style gathering/BYOB.


3) Play music. It'll surely make your party a lively, and fun one!


4) Have a full-length mirror (or two) handy in the room so people can see what they're trying on.


5) Most importantly, have a camera standing by. Memories last a lifetime and you don't want to miss out on some great and embarrassing moments :)


The Exchange


4) You may wish to set some ground rules, but it's up to you. There are a few ways to conduct this party successfully and efficiently. Whatever you choose, make sure it'll fit the setting of the party and your guests.

Here are some options:


A) Have everyone divide their stuff into allocated, separate piles (t-shirts, sweaters, jeans, shoes, etc). Once that's all set up, divide people up into small groups (2-3 depending on size of party) and have them start at a certain pile, eventually moving on to the next pile. When everyone has had their chance to peruse through all the piles, people can start trying on their clothes. Remember to take pictures! If some of the clothes don't get taken, it can be put back in the piles for someone else to grab.

B) Everything in the pool! Once your guests arrive, have them pour all of their clothes into one big pile in the middle of the room. Your guests can begin to go through them, making sure they make their own small piles on the side of what they want to try on. Clothes can be put back in the main pile if someone doesn't want it anymore, which will be up for grabs again. People can then start trying on clothes.

C) If it's a small party, have everyone individually take out each piece from their bag(s) to show each other. If one garment is wanted, someone should yell "dibs" so they can have it. Otherwise, begin putting it all in one big pile. As I said, this should be done in smaller groups. It would take forever for everyone to individually take out piece by piece to show everyone, especially if there are TONS of clothes and TONS of guests!


The last option is what we decided to do, mainly because it was a smaller gathering. And let me tell you, there were a lot of laughs! Everything from ripped t-shirts, stained dresses, and hideous pants, we all had our fair share of making fun of each other. We posed and took tons of pics; it was definitely fun times all around!


The Aftermath


5) Whatever doesn't get taken at the end of the night should be given to Charity. Call a local Clothing Donation business so they can come pick it up from your house, especially if it was like our party - we had 7 full garbage bags left over from the party!

Girls, definitely think about planning a clothing exchange party in the New Year. It's such a great alternative that kills two birds with one stone (or should I say three birds) - you get to see your friends and party, you're able to get rid of an unwanted wardrobe, and best of all, you get to walk away with something new! What more can you ask for :)

It's A One Of A Kind, Show!

This year I decided to check out the One Of A Kind Show in Toronto at the Direct Energy Centre. On from November 26-December 6, this trade show sells some of the coolest, never-before-seen (one of a kind) products. There was anything and everything you can think of that's crafty - fashion accessories, home decor, body care, ceramics, furniture - the list goes on and on and on! If I have my facts straight, there were nearly 800 artisans at this show. So you can imagine how exciting it was to finally go Christmas shopping!!! We did pretty well when it came to tackling this ginormous mission! My tip? You must start from column A and work your way up and down the aisles all the way to the bottom of the alphabet.  It's draining, and you may find yourself having to take a break or two (or three), but that's honestly the best way to see the show at it's fullest. 

Think about it - what other strategy would you have to seeing 800 kiosks in one afternoon? So that's exactly what we did. Up and down we went to every single artisan that was out there. We saw some really neat things, things that you wouldn't see anywhere else! Handmade Tea Pot Cozy's, Crooked furniture (yes, actual crooked furniture, tilted almost 45 degrees!), and 3-D artwork made out of wire. But I had my favourites and ended up doing some Christmas shopping for the fam

and even got something nice for myself!

All in all, it was a great fun-filled event that I will definitely have to see again next time around. If you're in the area, make sure you check it out. And if you buy your ticket online, you save a few bucks too ;)

A Newbie at Online Shopping - With a Whole 'Lotta Concerns

While getting my weekly dose of celebrity gossip via Perez Hilton (shameless plug), I couldn't help but notice a rather sophisticated and fun fashion advertisement on the side of this gossip guru's website. It was an ad for an online clothing company called Mod Cloth specializing in vintage, super cute, and girly one-of-a-kind pieces. Ok so I admit, I don't really go on Perez that often. But I have gone on enough times to notice this ad. And I never click on ads, but this one intrigued me. It looked cute. So I did what every advertiser would want a consumer to do....I clicked on the link! And I swear, it took me to this website and really opened my eyes to vintage clothing, cute fashion styles, and most importantly - online shopping! This is just a sample of some of the cutest stuff ever on their website! I want to buy everything! And the best part of it all? The price points aren't all the bad. They're actually quite affordable!

But here's the thing. I'm about 10 years behind schedule on this whole online shopping thing. Don't get me wrong though. I do my fair share of online shopping at Ticketmaster and Chapters/Indigo, but I've never been brave enough to buy clothing over the Internet. What if the measurements don't match? What if it looks way better on screen than in person? What if it just looks plain fugly on you? 

The whole idea of shopping for clothes online is plain scary. Yeah, yeah. I know, online shopping is supposed to be made simple. You buy the garment, if it doesn't fit or you don't like it, you can easily return it and get your money back. And seriously, get with the program. Everyone's doing it!

My point is this - have you bought any clothing over the Internet before? What's it like? Is it really that simple, especially when you want to return it?  I'm sure it is, but I'm a newbie at online shopping, with a whole 'lotta concerns. But the moment I get my piece of mind, I swear, I'll be buying everything from Mod Cloth. You guys sell amazing pieces! So cute for any occasion. Check it out for yourself Mod Cloth :)

Happy shopping (at least I can live vicariously through you all until I get the nerve to do it myself)!

My Love For Vanity Fair

It was one of the things I promised myself I'd have to see before it ended. 

If you had the chance to visit Toronto lately and the many exhibits that surround this city, then surely you've heard of the Vanity Fair Portraits exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum. Until January 3, 2010, the ROM will showcase a variety of star-studded iconic photographs from Vanity Fair's beginning periods to what we're used to seeing now. It's called "Vanity Fair Portraits Photographs 1913-2008" and let me tell you, it was what I had expected and more...

...Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to take any photos in the gallery. But this is how far I got before security started hawking me:

Imagine seeing what photography was all about in the early 1900s - with cartoon-like animations and drawings - and being able to juxtapose them and see how photography has evolved. I've managed to find some photographs and portraits online that were part of the exhibit. Here is a minute taste of what I saw. Hope you like them as much as I do!

Vanity Fair Cover: July 1916

Vanity Fair Cover: November 1916

  Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joan Crawford: 1929

Jean Harlow: 1934

Louis Armstrong: 1935

Demi Moore: 1980

Helen Mirren: 1995

Madonna: 1996

Liza Minelli: 2001

Hollywood Cover: 2001

Jennifer Aniston: 2005

Barack Obama: 2008

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson: 2009

The last photo of Twilight Megastars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson are not included in this exhibit, but I couldn't help but include them. Yes, I am a Twilight/New Moon fan, but that's an entirely different blog in itself, so I'll leave it at that for now!

I was amazed how the exhibit was put together, and would definitely recommend all fashion, entertainment, and photography junkies out there to check it out. I promise, you won't be disappointed! 

Why Do All Good Things Come To An End?

I work as a television production and news freelancer and my recent contract has finally come to an end. For the past three months, I have worked on one of the best new reality series on TV called "Battle of the Blades" for Insight Productions and CBC in Toronto.

For those of you who didn't follow the show (tisk tisk), it's about pairing renowned Canadian figure skaters (Jamie Salé, Isabelle Brasseur, Marie-France Dubreuil, Jodeyne Higgins, Barb Underhill, Christine "Tuffy" Hough-Sweeney, Kristina Lenko, & Shae-Lynn Bourne) with retired Canadian hockey players (Ken Daneyko, Claude Lemieux, Ron Duguay, Tie Domi, Glenn Anderson, Stéphane Richer, Bob Probert, & Craig Simpson).

It's like Dancing With The Stars - but on ice!

It was such a thrill to be part of the show - we filmed in historic Maple Leaf Gardens and our schedules were insane! We never slept, had a mere one or two days off, and we were FREEZING! It was September when this adventure started, and I remember pulling out my winter gear - jackets, hats, gloves and all - just to keep the feeling in my body. We didn't end up getting the heaters turned on until well into the season, but when that day finally came, everyday was like an unseasonably warm day - it was great!

But alas, all good things must come to an end. And even though my contract is done, I will never forget the memories I had at the venue.

Below are some of the snapshots of this season - I will always remember our Friday dance parties in the office, the crew skate, and the unforgettable wrap party! Take a look!

Despite it all, I've managed to make great friends, and had tons of laughs along the way. I don't take for granted for one minute what I've learned there. But most importantly, I hope to work with these wonderful people again!

A Tourist In My Own City - TORONTO!

I got back from a month long backpacking trip in Europe three months ago - with two of my best friends. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever encountered. The breathtaking sites, the history, the people, and not to mention the food, I can honestly say I'd go back there in a heartbeat!

At a Violin Museum in Venice, Italy. From left to right: me, Jeanne, Meghan

In front of Big Ben in London, England

We were really there! In the Coliseum in Rome, Italy. 

Because Paris wouldn't be the same if we didn't visit The Louvre!

Being home for nearly three months now, I wondered what it would be like to transform into a tourist in my own city. I walk the streets of downtown Toronto everyday, and pass some of the most gorgeous landmarks that make Toronto what is it today. So what better way to pay homage to my own city, than to take my travel buddy Jeanne with me, cameras in hand, and travel, travel, travel!

                                  

Starting the day off in Good Ol' Distillery District

                                    

Next pit stop: St. Lawrence Market on Front St.

Inside St. Lawrence Market. Too bad there weren't that many food samples!

Third stop on the agenda: A tour of the Steam Whistle Brewery

Free beer! Not too shabby!

This is only a small portion of what we did that day. We're definitely going back to tackle the rest of the city. But in the meantime, I would highly recommended doing this one day. You wouldn't believe how much there is to see. And to be able to take in all the beautiful sites and sounds, it makes you grateful to be living in such an amazing metropolis - I've learned not the take it for granted.

And a full city tour wouldn't be complete without our other partner in crime. Next time, we're hoping to tackle:

- CN Tower

- CNE

- Casa Loma

- ROM

- AGO

- Lakeshore

What other touristy sites and landmarks would you recommend?

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Living in the city my whole life, with all the hustle and bustle that surrounds my everyday living, I've come to appreciate the finer things in life. The walks in the park, cooking with friends, shopping, stuffing my face with food from a new cafe in town, movie nights, and always enjoying a good glass of wine. These have all inspired and shaped me to become the person that I am today.

Lately, I've been obsessed with going to Chapters/Indigo, and I've managed to pick up a couple of things that will continue to inspire my journey through the city:

I LOVE cooking - currently I'm loving the cookbook by Heather Whinney called "The Illustrated Quick Cook: Easy Entertaining, After-Work Recipes, Cheap Eats"

This hardcover (weighs a ton!) has inspired me to try new things and create some of the best dishes for my friends and family this holiday season - isn't that what it's all about?

Recently, my friend and work buddy Katie brought into work her very own recipe book that she made entirely by herself! Taking her crafty skills to the next level, she took an old novel and artfully put her favourite recipes together on each page!





I went through this book 4 times! FOUR! And photocopied some of her recipes to try on my own. And now, I'm definitely going to buy my own recipe organizer for all the dishes that I love! She's bringing out the crafty girl in me!

Check out more of Katie's creation at http://www.flickr.com/photos/superflash/3482448262/

And now - from cooking to fashion.

I LOVE Fashion - anything that's a bargain or just simply cute! I don't mind splurging once in awhile, but I'm quite the die-hard H&M girl (considered costly or not). Hey! If it fits, looks good, and the price is right, then why the heck not?! And I blame it all on this book: WHO WHAT WEAR

I feel the subtitle says it all - "Celebrity and Runway Style for Real Life" - REAL LIFE (sigh) I love it when fashionistas can bring high fashion back down to earth - to real life. The authors (Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power) didn't forget about us normal, city girls. It's an amazing book! And it has inspired me to look at clothes with a professional, fashion-loving eye from now on. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all about finding a good piece at the right price, and I'll continue to do that. That's who I am. But this book has taught me about piecing together the right garments, colours, and accessories. And I now know who my "doppelganger" is (Check out the book, and you'll know what I'm referring to)

So these are some of the things that inspire me, albeit not nearly a quarter of what makes me who I am...but this is just a taste.


Now I ask, WHAT INSPIRES YOU?