Christine Rochet-Jacob

The 40 most common cooking mistakes

2012-02-11T09:32:00.004-05:00

If you just lamented the poor result of your efforts in the kitchen, and cried out: 'Oops, I did it again!' Then this post is for you!

RESORT 2012 : FLORAL AND SEE-THROUGH_CELINE STYLE

2012-01-26T12:18:00.003-05:00

While in Europe, last month, I got a chance to check out these amazing styles in Geneva's Celine store, a blast!

For more, go to: Style.com

CELINE + PHOEBE= LOVE!

2012-01-25T16:57:00.005-05:00

CELINE PRE-FALL 2012.
Thank you, Phoebe Philo!

For more looks, go to Style.com

YSL: pre-fall 2012

2012-01-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

Now that looks like a stunning collection! Reinterpreting the styles, going through YSL's archives. Very inspired/-ing! Thank you, Mr. Pilati.

See the whole preview, go to Style.com

What's up, Doc?

2012-01-24T12:02:00.000-05:00

DR. MARTENS - S/S-12 COLLECTION: NOT YOUR TYPICAL DR. MARTENS!

I recently went through the new Dr. Martens collection and wow! that is quite a 'shoe-lift'!

A combination of the brand's grassroots legacy and an innovative future is reflected in the new S/S-12 collection.
"There is the hand-crafted M.I.E (Made In England) range, the pinnacle of the brand; elsewhere there are contemporary reinventions using modern leathers or materials; and finally there are surprising styles which are unashamedly breaking new ground." (Lotus Leaf Communications)

Here are my faves:

THE M.I.E COLLECTION (UNISEX)


THE POISE COLLECTION (FOR WOMEN)

THE WINDSOR COLLECTION (UNISEX)


THE WINDSOR COLLECTION (UNISEX)

Feeling a bit down and out this winter... Go see Dr. Martens for this spring 2012, it will immediately lift up your spirits, literally off the ground!

For more details on Dr. Martens:
- brand website: www.drmartens.com

2012: on the starting blocks!

2012-01-18T08:45:00.002-05:00

Et voilà! Nous sommes rentrés de notre petit périple de fin d'année. Après un mois de festivités en France, les bagages sont maintenant défaits et rangés au sous-sol.

Lola, Marco et moi avons bien remis nos horloges biologiques à l'heure torontoise. Toute la famille a pu bien profiter des vacances de Noël en famille et entre amis sur le vieux continent; il faut dire qu'entre la campagne iséroise, Lyon, Paris et Genève, le dépaysement a été garanti.

Il est aujourd'hui temps de dire : Bonjour 2012! Eh oui, le mois de janvier est arrivé avec sa ribambelle de bonnes résolutions et autres 'goooood vibrations'. Après 6 mois d'interruption pour congé maternité, la reprise au travail s'est faite sans trop de heurts hier pour la nouvelle maman que je suis. Bébé Lola est restée à la casa avec papa, et tous deux ont passé une journée fantastique, à rire, manger et dormir. Ah, la belle vie!

Photo Cédric Roulliat

J'ai hâte de découvrir ce que 2012 nous réserve... Happy New Year to you all!

Get ready to be totally Magoo-ed this Christmas!

2011-12-06T23:40:00.001-05:00

I could not resist this one. Here is my gift to you for Christmas...and there are six parts to it. Start it and you will not be able to stop!
Hope you like it ;O)

Il est temps de prendre votre Sublime Revanche!

2011-12-02T09:17:00.001-05:00

Si, comme moi, vous les avez manqués lors de leurs débuts à Lyon, réjouissez-vous! Camille Germser et ses Girls sont de retour dans La Sublime Revanche, et avec quel panache!

Photo Cédric Roulliat- Photos presse libres de droit

C'est le spectacle à ne pas manquer, celui qui "buzze" (pardon my French!) à Paris actuellement.

Mon petit trio familial aura la chance de les voir le 30 décembre prochain au Vingtième Théâtre à Paris.
Il semblerait bien que les places partent comme des petits pains chauds, alors réservez vite! N'attendez pas la dernière minute.

Oulala! J'ai hâte d'être abasourdie par l'extraordinaire fracas de plumes et de paillettes qui, d'apparence légère, semblent se charger soudain d'une toute autre dimension. Une pièce de théâtre musicale à l'américaine (au style détourné), teintée d'une certaine gravité bien ancrée pour mieux faire décoler notre imaginaire.

Si certains d'entre vous l'ont déjà prise, cette Sublime Revanche, n'hésitez pas à partager vos impressions ci-dessous.

Sing along - Sing a song

2011-11-28T14:51:00.001-05:00

I hope you will be moved by the following two performances as much as I was.
Gently striking. Like butterflies landing on your shoulders.
Breathtaking.

Sing along. Sing a song...

The haze of time

2011-11-16T09:31:00.001-05:00

Photo de Miguel Jacob.

Reflections on/of the past.
Happy recollection.
Photo d'archives retrouvée ce matin...
Tiens! J'étais drôlement amusée, le regard un peu espiègle.
Marco, adossé contre un miroir, après avoir essayé son smoking de futur marié....juin 2009.

Un, Dos, Tres...Lanvin F/W 2011-2012

2011-10-15T10:32:00.005-04:00

YSL at the Bata Shoe Museum

2011-10-03T15:46:00.000-04:00

"YSL – Classicism and Transgression "
An Illustrated Talk by Laurent Cotta

@ the Bata Shoe Museum
Wednesday, October 12 2011, 6:30pm

'Towards the end of his life, Yves Saint Laurent defined himself as “the last great couturier”. Before the end of his career in 2002, he was certainly the last active couturier to have lived through the glorious period of Parisian design in the 1950s. Recognized by Chanel as her heir, and taking after classic French tradition, Saint Laurent offered an understated fashion which glorified women and gave them the assurance needed to assert themselves in this transitional period.Join art and fashion historian Laurent Cotta from the Musee Galliera in Paris, as he discusses how through his classic designs Yves Saint Laurent accompanied women in their emancipation and fashioned a clothes-closet that is contemporary even to this day. ' (Alliance française de Toronto)

For more info, go to: http://www.alliance-francaise.ca/en/cultural-calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2011/10/12/24/-/-

On the Moon with Björk, Inez and Vinoodh

2011-09-28T09:04:00.000-04:00

Falling for Edwards Gardens in the Fall

2011-09-26T22:59:00.001-04:00

The light in September is my favourite! Less crude, more gentle - it seems to adorn and enliven everything it caresses with a golden touch.

Now, suffice it to say that I basked in this lovely September sun yesterday, how I rejoiced! I spent my Sunday afternoon strolling the picturesque lanes of Edwards Gardens and humming like a butterfly in the adjoining Botanical Gardens.

Fountain Grass

Purple Beautyberry

Believe it or not, it had been a year since I first wanted to discover the Gardens, but without a car, it is quite a hassle to go all the way up there, all the more so with a baby... My father-in-law wanted to spend some quality time with us so I suggested we go to the Gardens to celebrate the glorious sun and Lola's 12 weeks. He was clearly happy with the idea and drove the three of us there, reminiscing all the while the last time he had visited the gardens in 1985.

À bientôt, Edwards Gardens! We spent a blissful time taking in the surrounding beauty of these gardens in the fall.

PS: Don't be surprised if while you are sitting at the Gardens Café, you sea a furry silhouette passing by you...There is a very special guest at the café...Apparently this raccoon is family there. I thought he really behaved like a "begging" dog... Smart little masked scoundrel!

Déjà! 2 years already!

2011-09-20T21:09:00.002-04:00

Last night, Marco and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. Already!
He invited me to join him in a cafe with our baby Lola well tucked in the stroller, and there... SURPRISE! He offered me 2 big bouquets of flowers. I love being offered flowers in a public space, it is so beautiful to be spoilt in front of total strangers who for a second share an ounce of your joy!

Once back home, there was another surprise; a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne cooling down in the fridge waiting for us to pop the cork, which we did! Our gift to each other was to spend some quality time and cook a meal together. We had watched a Jamie Oliver show that had inspired us and had decided on the menu for the night: a tray of fish with a spinach salad, salsa verde and the best potato salad in the world! We prepared the whole menu by the book, except for the Banofee pie that will have to be experimented and savoured for another special occasion. For dessert, I had already made some lemon and poppy seeds madeleines to match our vanilla ice cream.
To see the video of the Meals in Minutes show in question, go to this link.

Jamie Oliver making a salsa with extra virgin olive oil - gorgeous!

Marco and I cannot get enough of Jamie Oliver's culinary verve, he is so colourful and genuinely enthusiastic about food that you feel like cooking as soon as the show is over. And oh boy, does he love his extra virgin olive oil, Marco and I have this private joke about him, we call him Jamie Olive Oil- we love him soooo much!

Well, needless to say that we had a glorious night, cooking, eating, drinking, and celebrating our newly born trio with Lola. Yes, we sure paid a fair tribute to the Veuve's golden bubbles and finished the whole bottle that very night...

From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk, J-P Gaultier in Montreal

2011-09-13T16:35:00.000-04:00

I want to go...badly!

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts:

From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk

From June 17 to October 2, 2011

A stunning 'in-the-navy style' gown.
Image from the exhibit, courtesy of Cristina Austin.

Kooks, our song for Lolita

2011-09-11T20:06:00.002-04:00

As we were listening to our favourite David Bowie's album this morning, Hunky Dory, Marco and I realized that the song Kooks was addressed to a child. So I researched and found that the song had been written for his son, Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones, born on 30 May 1971. We voted it our song for Lola, Lolita de nuestro corazon!

For a more robust version of the song, listen to this one.

KOOKS, Hunky Dory - David Bowie (1971)
[CHORUS (x2)]
Will you stay in our Lovers' Story
If you stay you won't be sorry
'Cause we believe in you
Soon you'll grow so take a chance
With a couple of Kooks
Hung up on romancing

We bought a lot of things
to keep you warm and dry
And a funny old crib on which the paint won't dry
I bought you a pair of shoes
A trumpet you can blow
And a book of rules
On what to say to people
when they pick on you
'Cause if you stay with us you're gonna be pretty Kookie too

[CHORUS]

And if you ever have to go to school
Remember how they messed up
this old fool
Don't pick fights with the bullies
or the cads
'Cause I'm not much cop at punching other people's Dads
And if the homework brings you down
Then we'll throw it on the fire
And take the car downtown

[CHORUS (repeat ad inf.)]

The O-House

2011-09-09T18:12:00.000-04:00

For more about the O-House by Philippe Stuebi Architects, go to Yatzer

Miguel Jacob, photographer: the blog

2011-09-09T14:42:00.000-04:00

Challenge gravity and check Miguel Jacob's blog!

Where to find quality farm products in Leslieville?

2011-09-06T20:40:00.001-04:00

At Rowe Farms, of course!
Marco and I stopped by at their Leslieville location last Saturday and found it hard to refrain ourselves...We ended up with a basket full of goodies: a scrumptious baguette, 2 marvelous buns to match the incredibly yummy burgers that we got, maple ham for a quiche, zucchinis and a bag of fresh yellow beans, a cream of mushroom soup, some chicken breasts, and the cherry on the cake...a delicious eye of round roast beef (for less than $22 /kg).
The very same night we made the burgers: to die for! The next day, Sunday we had our baguette toasted for breakfast (yes, I am French!), and for lunch, we cooked our Sunday roast - medium rare ;) to perfection- with a side of beans and finger potatoes. What a Sunday!
To this day, we are still enjoying the leftovers of cold meat with a bit of mayo and a fresh salad.
Ça, c'est la belle vie!

Lola today: 2 months old!

2011-09-03T11:23:00.001-04:00

Lo-lee-ta

2011-09-02T22:24:00.006-04:00

‎
A day in Lola's life: late-morning nap in the backyard, twist and shout on the rocking chair and then enjoying a little impromptu dance-photo shoot with "maman & papa"... C'est le 'fun'!

Lo.

Lee.

Ta.

"Lo-lee-ta; the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta" (Nabokov)

Oh, Lola! by Marc Jacobs and by Marco Jacob...

2011-08-19T16:26:00.003-04:00

M'enfin, il ne va pas bientôt s'arrêter de nous copier celui-là!

----

But when will Marc Jacobs stop copying us???

Oh, Lola!, by Marco Jacob

A-Goo at the AGO or Art and Leisure according to Lola!

2011-08-11T23:46:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday, we took Lola to her first museum exhibit at the AGO at age 4 weeks and 6 days. An early age to be exposed to art, I know. She was carried by her daddy in a front carrier and enjoyed the atmosphere so much that she slept through most of it ;o) Thanks to her grand-mother's talent, she uttered her first a-goo, which sounded serendipitous in a place called the AGO... Food for thought. Amusing.

On at the AGO until September 4th.

“I'm interested in expressing the big emotions—tragedy, ecstasy, doom." – Mark Rothko

Before the AGO excursion. Getting ready for modern shapes and colours.

After the AGO - Agoo exhibit, Lola diva relaxing at the Beaches.

Lola today: morning dance routine

2011-07-30T17:31:00.005-04:00

Photos by Marco Jacob

3 semaines sur la Terre!

2011-07-27T17:38:00.003-04:00

Lola, Sunday, July 24th: celebrating her 3rd week with us!
Lola, le dimanche 24 juillet : 3 semaines déjà!

Lola Inès Felicity Jacob - Après la pluie, le beau temps!

2011-07-12T15:21:00.005-04:00

The subject of my last post preoccupied my thoughts for a while (see: Au nom du père).

Now as life always has it, that big dark cloud has found its silver lining. The most beautiful gift has been offered onto my husband and I, her name is Lola Inès Felicity. Born on July 3rd (her due date!), she is the Light of Our Life Associated, the glory and joy of her father and mother.We just celebrated her 1st week in the outer sphere with the family and a cup of bubbly wine, my first cup in nine months!

Oh Lola! Thank you for being such a bundle of fun and bringing so much peace and love in our newly formed trio.

Lola, 1-week old.

Food for thought:

I must admit that the first few days after delivery I rediscovered very simple joys...To my fellow pregnant women, do not despair, your extra kilos will melt away ( after one week, I have already lost 10 kg!), your swollen feet will eventually get back to normal and putting on your favourite summer sandals will not be a challenge anymore; although I must admit that I enjoyed being helped by my dearest husband ;o).

And yes, you will also be able to bend forward to cut your toe nails, rub your feet, pamper, pick up something you dropped, etc. All these amazing skills will come back in one foul swoop!

Lola, 1-week old

Still I marvel at the idea that this little being (3,2 kg- 52 cm) is actually as she was in my womb, what a miracle!

Au nom du Père

2011-06-19T00:17:00.003-04:00

In the name of the Father.

Félix Rochet & Marco Jacob / Château de Césarges- Sept. 19, 2009

En cette fête des pères, j'aimerais célébrer la mémoire de mon père qui s'est éteint le samedi 11 juin 2011 à l'âge de 75 ans.
Repose en paix, mon cher papa.
Ton esprit ne cessera de voyager avec moi.

On Father's day, I would like to commemorate the memory of my dear father who passed away last Saturday June 11th at the age of 75.
Rest in Peace, daddy.
Your spirit will always travel with me.

Waiting for baby...

2011-06-06T11:08:00.004-04:00

* Baby shower on June 4th at Rob and Trel's, in their lovely backyard: Wonderful!

*Prepping the nursery (wallpaper, crib and other staple ingredients): OK- checked!

Old-fashioned wallpaper and hanger (Mike Scapillati)

*Baby + mummy bags for the hospital (3 weeks in advance, just in case): OK- checked!


I got this Skip Hop, Dash diaper bag: compact, handy and roomy - swell! Love it!

I also got this amazing SoYoung Charlie diaper bag from one of my friends who knows the mother who designed and started her own business selling this highly versatile bag. The ideal mom-traveller's diaper bag or just a super stylish bag to go back to work or travel the world with!

Double bill : LOL with a bit of a bittter twist!

2011-06-01T19:53:00.000-04:00

Just so you know, I cried of laughter in front of this film...A bitter-sweet comedy that was surprisingly way more funny than I expected.

Memories...I was 7 in 1977... This film had the effect of a "madeleine de Proust" on me. The music, the styles, the Baronne de Rotschild ideal housewife-style played by Catherine Deneuve ( not so naive, though), Georges Marchais and his fight in defense of the massive waves of labour strikes, not to forget Aujourd'hui Madame, the TV show with the unforgettable opening music. Un portrait assez finaud d'une société embourgeoisée mise à mal où eau de rose et vitriol se mêlent allègrement. Jubilatoire!

L'extase du dernier jour de travail

2011-05-30T19:47:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow is my last day at work...and then I am on mat leave, another sort of job is awaiting me ;O)
I can't wait for tomorrow 4 P.M.!
I could well swoon with ecstasy.
--------
Demain, dernier jour de travail avant mon congé maternité...Vivement demain 16h!
Je pourrais bien me pâmer d'extase!

Cédric Roulliat Photography

Coup de coeur pour Bill Cunningham

2011-05-18T21:22:00.001-04:00

Bill Cunningham New York, the documentary film by Richard Press, introduced me to Bill Cunningham, an extraordinary fashion photographer, an ascetic aesthete whose passion for his art cannot but inspire. This old gentleman with his Tati-like gait rejuvenated me through to through. An inspiring, invigorating artist whose uncompromising vision of life rekindled my flame.

If you haven't watched the film yet, run buy your ticket for the next show.

PS: Thank you Chris and Andrea for the good tip!

Bill Cunningham New York Trailer from Gavin McWait on Vimeo.

Read more about Bill:
- Bill on Bill , published in the NY Times and written by Bill Cunningham himself.
-On the Street...:

Heavenly surprise weekend

2011-05-16T20:55:00.004-04:00

Because the whole second floor has been undergoing renovations for the last two weeks....

Because our bed and wardrobes have been moved downstairs, in the living room...

Because I have started moving like a beached whale...and because it was my birthday weekend...

Then, Marco and I decided to get away. We finalized our destination on Saturday morning, just an hour before departure time! Marco booked a mysterious idyllic place that he found through the good tips of our friend Olivia Stren who had written an article on Picton for the Toronto Life. We drove south east for about 2 hours,....

and there we were! Ah, Picton's Claramount Inn & Spa came to our rescue just in time.

Me, admiring the view from the window in our room, Room 7

the view on Lake Ontario

One of the room's reader's corners.


The sitting room.

This weekend getaway did me a world of good. What a splendid birthday gift! I was treated to a hot saltwater pool, to a prenatal massage, to extremely delicate foods and other delights. Total relaxation. Not much to do anyway as it was a rainy weekend ;O) We stayed in, enjoying the spa facilities and only stepped out to go antique shopping in the area - our treasure hunt had us find 3 amazing 1960s-1970s decorating books, course books edited by Better Homes and Gardens. Perfect!

Step out and do the Turkish Delight Dance !

2011-04-30T22:01:00.002-04:00

Spring has sprung! You feel like jumping high and low and rolling in the grass, you are not alone...
I bet you will not resist these improvised moves! A dance lesson from Turkey, which I would like to call the Turkish Delight dance for the occasion.

Marco and I started the day watching this video and it really made our day right from the start! Thank you, Rob. ;O)

Subtle Trouble

2011-04-17T12:17:00.002-04:00

Click on the photo to watch the trailer

Watched Jane Eyre directed by Cary Fukunaga, I enjoyed the director's vision of Charlotte Brontë's classic tremendously! Casting and direction of photography are simply breathtaking.

The best adaptation of the novel I have seen so far.

Now You need Miguel Jacob's Now I need You

2011-03-22T19:10:00.006-04:00

Click on the image for the full video.

Miguel Jacob's short film "Now I Need You" will be screened at the La Jolla Fashion Film Festival on August 5-6, 2011.

Karl Lagerfeld, Bruce Weber and others will also be showing films there!

Kudos, Miguel.

The Pandorian interviews Cédric Roulliat

2011-03-20T19:08:00.001-04:00

PLEASE""""DoN't MisS this GrrRRReat interview!
http://thepandorian.com/2011/03/cedric-roulliat-interview/
You will discover my friend Cédric's talent and irresistible sense of humour.

Bonne expédition au pays de Cédric & Co.!

The video of Factum Jacob by Candice Breitz : now available!

2011-03-20T18:44:00.002-04:00

"Like the near-identical paintings by Robert Rauschenberg, Factum I and Factum II, 1957, on which Factum Jacob is based, the duality of the two prints is permeated with differences which may not be apparent at first."
Candice Breitz, Factum Jacob, 2009, stills from a two-channel video installation.For more info on this photo, go to:
White Cube, London
or The Power Plant, Toronto

Factum Jacob...This title might sound familiar to your ears. On October 27, 2009, I already published a post on the subject of Factum, this special Power Plant/Partners in Art commission to Candice Breitz but, at the time, only photos were available as the video still needed to be edited.

A few days ago, Candice Breitz sent us her love from Singapore where she finished with the installation of the whole Factum series last week. The show is up and running now and Candice is very happy with the installation. It took them very long hours (2 years!) in order to finish the edits but now everything is done and they were happy to let us know that the final demo version of Factum Jacob is now available today!
You can download the film via this link (it takes a little while to upload, be patient!):

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9247688/FactumJacobVimeo.mov

Please remember that the actual art work is shown in a loop. That means that the viewer cannot see a beginning or an end of the portrait.

I have waited 2 years to watch this video, so I was very happy to discover this final edited version. I learnt a lot about my husband, Marco, his twin brother, Miguel and their quite unique relationship.

I hope that you too will enjoy watching it.
Let me know of your impressions!

Where to buy gorgeous vintage clothes and learn to play poker...

2011-02-17T20:43:00.005-05:00

Go to Harlow Black (594 Markham St, Toronto)!

Last Saturday, Marco and I went there to say hi to Ashlene and Dave, the great couple behind Harlow Black. When we got in, happy to find a toasty place to shelter us from the cold, they were playing cards all snug in their sofas. Great! Marco quickly accepted the invitation to share a game or two with Dave, and off they went...playing poker! Believe me Marco was very proud to have learnt how to play basic poker in an hour. I myself fretted around, all happy to look for new clothes with Ashlene. She had to help me find out comfortable yet good-looking dresses to fit my currently curvy shapes... I NEEDED a couple of new dresses as I have entered the pregnancy season and have started to feel like the incredible Hulk. It is all based on facts, the other day I was wearing a dress that didn't feel tight at all (see picture below) but I literally ripped the zipper just by yawning...Of course, I was at work but the blazer that I had on top covered the damage ok until the end of the day, pfeww!

The dress (found at Harlow Black too) that I ripped along the seam in the back, with the very blazer that saved my day when I turned into the Incredible Hulkette!

La Vie en Rose, ok, but with Grace, please!

2011-02-13T17:45:00.000-05:00

Grace Jones - La Vie En Rose

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Allez, bonne St Valentin les Zamoureux!

C'est Paris, c'est la Vie... selon Daphnée!

2011-02-10T18:16:00.005-05:00

The other day in my French class, just 10 minutes before the end and as I was going to log out from our online session, one of my students suggested that I connect to Daphnee.tv . He had just discovered this app in the great selection offered by the internet globosphere to learn how to speak a better French and wanted to introduce us to her. Hum, I must admit I was quite charmed by the funny, infusing energy of Daphnée's pedagogical approach - which I also found somewhat irritating... Fasten your seat belt, you won't be spared any juicy stereotype!

Now, if you haven't met flamboyant Parisian 'Daphée', don't be shy, pay her a visit. You might enjoy her teaching a lot, actually ;o)

Crêpez-vous le chignon mignon!

2011-02-01T17:47:00.004-05:00

~ February 2 is la Chandeleur (Candlemas), a holiday that is traditionally celebrated in France by making crêpes.
So don't forget to crêpe it up!

Come to Luis Jacob's show!

2011-01-27T18:55:00.005-05:00


Elaine Yau, 1988.

Luis Jacob
Pictures at an Exhibition
Curated by David Liss. Organized by MOCCA

NATIONAL GALLERY OF CANADA
AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY CANADIAN ART
Cabinet (NGC Toronto)
Curated by Luis Jacob

SPECIAL PROJECT
Geoffrey Pugen
Sahara Sahara

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
952 Queen Street West Toronto ON M6J 1G8

www.mocca.ca
www.mocca.ca/ngc

Luis Jacob, They Sleep With One Eye Open (detail), 2008. Courtesy of the artist and Birch Libralato, Toronto.

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art is pleased to launch our 2011 season with two projects by internationally-acclaimed, Toronto-based artist Luis Jacob, and a special presentation of Geoffrey Pugen's two-channel video, Sahara Sahara, taking place in our galleries from February 4 through March 27, 2011.

Luis Jacob | Pictures at an Exhibition is the second chapter in a multi-city, mid-career survey of his work and features a carefully chosen selection of early and recent work, including Album X, the latest in a series of narrative sequences consisting of hundreds of images culled from a variety of published sources mounted together to form an "image bank". In addition to small hard-edge and monochromatic paintings, the exhibition also includes a selection of large-scale canvases from the series They Sleep With One Eye Open, (2008). In each of these, two hallucinatory eyes emerge from a dazzling patterned background, like spectral faces from murky depths. Installed together they appear to watch visitors with an intense gaze, and suggest the possibility of an uncanny but living work of art endowed with animistic powers.

In conjunction with his exhibition in MOCCA's main space, Luis Jacob has been invited to curate an exhibition for the recently inaugurated National Gallery of Canada at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art program. For Cabinet (NGC Toronto) Jacob combines objects drawn from various collection areas of the National Gallery not ordinarily displayed together, extending the thematic notions of viewership, perception and the light of artistic inspiration embodied in Pictures at an Exhibition. This Cabinet, like others in the series that Jacob has curated for other venues, can be seen as a "model" or "performance" of a museum—a museum within a museum—presented as a coherent work of art in its own right.

Together these exhibition projects consider the essential components and fundamental dynamics of aesthetic experience: light, color, pictorial form, the context of the exhibition. Jacob conjures a vision that is about vision; that is about looking, seeing and understanding.

Luis Jacob has achieved an international reputation, particularly since his participation in Documenta 12 in 2007, with solo exhibitions at the Städtisches Museum Abteiberg and the Hamburger Kunstverein, and in Canada at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery, the Darling Foundry and Musée d'art de Joliette. In 2010 his work has been on view at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in the exhibition Haunted: Contemporary Photography/Video/Performance, and in the Kunsthalle Bern in the exhibition Animism. Luis Jacob is represented by Birch Libralato, Toronto.

In the face of the global resource shift, Geoffrey Pugens' Sahara Sahara depicts speculative pre-apocalyptic myth-making. The 2-channel video follows a small organized group of misfits that are vandalizing local technologies and the fossil fuel industry. Cinematic and absurd, the video occupies the heist, action and dance genres to seductively address machismo and the recent economic crisis.

A graduate of OCAD and an MFA graduate in Film & Video at York University, Geoffrey Pugen specializes in photography & video, and shows internationally. With theatrical absurdity, he explores the relationship between the real & the perceived, the natural & the virtual, man & animal; all through altering and manipulating media. Insightful, yet humourous, Geoffrey asks us to question what we think we know, society ís perceptions of us, and our preconceived notion of self, through fictitious construct. Geoffrey Pugen is represented by Angell Gallery, Toronto.

Media Contact
Fayiaz Chunara
416.395.7490
fchunara@mocca.ca

The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
www.mocca.ca | www.mocca.ca/ngc | 952 Queen Street West Toronto ON M6J 1G8 | 416.395.0067 info@mocca.ca | Gallery Hours | Tuesday – Sunday 11 – 6 | Admission: Pay What You Can

Les mains ont la parole...

2011-01-25T18:44:00.002-05:00

As a child from the 1970s, I grew up watching a strict selection of channel 2 and 3 programs for kids, like Récré A2. One of the feature shows was "Mes mains ont la parole" (1979) which, to me, was so intriguing as it had a certain soothing and poetic effect on me, like magic. The show was originally created for the hearing impaired young public, it was the first one of its kind on French TV. Everything appealed to me from Mozart's opening music to the beauty of their hands moving so deftly to form the symbols of sign language.

Once the Mozartian introduction (from Piano Concerto n°21) died away, Marie-Thérèse L'Huillier-Abbou would start telling us a story in sign language and the voice over would put it into words. It would always start like this:

'Regardez, regardez mes mains.
Elles vont vous raconter une histoire.
L'histoire de...'

Now here is why this memory came back to my mind... Last weekend, I was offered a spectacular duo of illusionists who pulled the strings of their art in front of my mesmerized eyes.
I spent Saturday in the good hands of Sylvain Chaumet's L'Illusioniste, a gently melancholy and absurd animated cartoon about tricks and tricksters, and magicians. Yes, magicians exist! Suffice it to laugh our way through Tatischeff's ordinary and less ordinary magical trips to get a hint or a whiff of what sheer magic is. Fragile, tender like the pages of a book blown open by the wind and whose shadow form the fluttering wings of a bird. The screenplay was based on Jacques Tati's script, so there are no real dialogues. Don't force it if you are allergic to Tati's films!

Sunday afternoon we sat, watched and listened with great care to the 'octopus playing' technique (as Marco coined it) of grand pianist Hélène Grimaud at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Yes, last weekend was really all about illusionists.

Les mains ont eu la parole et, croyez-moi, j'ai bien écarquillé mes yeux et tendu l'oreille!
(Their hands did talk and believe me, I stared wide-eyed and pricked up my ears)

Pape Manor-Work in Progress!

2011-01-17T21:44:00.002-05:00


Our tree in the garden, from our bedroom window.

Welcome to our house!

The first piece we bought for the house was this late 1950s Sputnik brass chandelier (found at Zig Zag) to playfully greet us in the hallway!

Please don't forget to put on your slippers, we just sanded the floors.
Let me show you the main floor...

The kitchen (through the window you can see the sun/mud room, which we might get rid of). The sun comes in from the garden!


A smart way to keep your dirty dishes away from your guests' sight! Our oldy-worldy butler's pantry, the sink is on the right by the window. We will ultimately turn this tucked-away pantry into a washroom when we renovate the kitchen.

The front room

The dining room

Now I'll take you upstairs to the second floor!


Our not-so-functional bathroom. To be improved, sooner than later!

Typical 1930s ventilation technique. The chimney goes into the attic and out through a pipe.

Our bedroom

The middle room or the guest room/ baby room.

The office with a walk-out balcony onto Pape Avenue- great for inspiration and relaxation from spring to autumn!

Hope you enjoyed the "petite visite guidée de la maison".

For your information:
Here is an update of the renovation works we have set as priorities for Operation Pape Manor, Phase 1:
1- Floor sanding and waxing: done before we actually moved in. It changed everything, not only the floors, but the whole look of the house.
2- The 'knob and tube' was put to code just before we moved in (hence a lot of small holes in the walls). Before we patch them, we now have to get the electrician over to shift a few switches, add more outlets, etc. Basically we need to make the electrical more functional : to be done this current week...
3-Energy-saving audit: done! Now we need to get a quote and get started with the insulation job + other energy-friendly improvements. This will have to be done before end of March in order to benefit from an Ontario energy-saving program that will refund us some of the money invested.

Painting, wallcoverings and bathroom reno will come next in Spring (Phase 2).
The kitchen and the sun room will probably not be dealt with before a year time (Phase 3).

No rush!
I am learning how to be patient ;O)

Chi va piano va sano e chi va sano va lontano!

Our first Christmas at Pape Manor!

2011-01-09T19:17:00.003-05:00

Taking a ride at night through Toronto during the Holiday season was quite something! Torontonians can easily get over the top when it comes to illustrating their vision of Christmas, and any LED (or not) garland was used to display a certain sense of wonderland.

As seen on Margherita Street ;O)

So bearing this possible extravaganza in mind, we decided to deck our halls in a slightly more sober way... A clear lights garland outside on the front porch, a wreath on the front door, a big tree in the living room and Pfew, done - let the magic happen!

We had a wonderful Christmas filled with the love and warmth of our family and friends who visited us. This is a very promising beginning for our adventures at Pape Manor - as a friend of ours amusingly called it. To be continued!

Epiphanie & Cie.

2011-01-06T20:32:00.005-05:00

Since the Middle Ages, in celebration of the Epiphany (Kings' Day), French people traditionally eat Galettes des Rois. Galette des Rois is called King's Cake in English. Here is a song called J'aime la galette, meaning I Love Cake, that French kids sing on Kings' Day!

" J'aime la galette,
Savez-vous comment ?
Quand elle est bien faite
Avec du beurre dedans.
Trala la la la la la la lère,
Tra la la la la la la la la,
Tra la la la la la la la lère,
Tra la la la la la la la la."

Today was the 12th day after Christmas, the Epiphany.
In my new hometown, Toronto, this Christian landmark is not as celebrated as in France.

Never mind. I still intend to bake my "galette des rois" for this coming Sunday as we have guests over for tea, that will be a good opportunity for them to discover a new tradition without choking on it, hopefully... ;O)

You don't have a clue what I am talking about... See what Clotilde says about the tradition, it should brighten up your wintry, snowy skies with the recipe of a buttery and fluffy galette!

"It is a typically French tradition to celebrate l'Epiphanie: this holiday celebrates the day on which the three kings Gaspard, Balthazar and Melchior came to pay their tribute to the world-famous baby born just a couple of weeks before. In French those wise men go by the cool name of Les Rois Mages (the Magi), and their first names are totally coming back in fashion these days, let me tell you. (Well, except maybe for Melchior, that's a tough one.)
Like many a Christian holiday, this one has lost its religious significance in most French families, gaining a sweeter, much more buttery one in the bargain: on the day of the Epiphany, families share a Galette des Rois, a flaked pastry pie filled with frangipane, a butter-rich, smooth mixture of crème d'amande (almond cream) and crème pâtissière (pastry cream)*.
The actual date on which to have the galette has gotten fuzzier and fuzzier: some families celebrate on the 6th, some on the first Sunday in January, but it's mostly considered fine to celebrate it all through the month of January. (I must however protest against the sale of galettes before the new year, and sometimes as soon as November. I mean, really.)
The fabulous thing about a Galette des Rois, apart from its deliciousness, is the family ritual that goes with it: the youngest child of the family hides under the table, an adult divides the galette in even slices, and the child calls out which slice goes to whom.

Why all the fuss you ask? Aah, it is just this small thing I haven't yet mentioned: la fève is hidden in the galette. Historically a dry fava bean (hence the name), it is now a little porcelain figure. (That figure used to have some kind of religious meaning but that, too, has gone the way of the dodo.) Whoever gets the fève in his serving is named King (or Queen) for the day, gets to wear the golden paper crown that came with the galette, picks who the Queen (or King) will be, and glows with pride for weeks hence." (From Chocolate & Zucchini)

2011 good reasons to express yourself!

2011-01-02T11:26:00.005-05:00

Any plans for the new year? Whether action-packed, or/and very laid back, I wish you all the best to get it right - your way.

Whether it is by sipping on a cup of tea in a swimming-pool, or by learning Spanish to better dance the salsa, nothing will stop us in 2011. Let us declare 2011 the year of better self-expression!

Go, go, go forward and don't look back in anger !

PS: Thank you Cristy for sharing the link to the video. Thank you for sharing your fantasy and magical world. Your incredible performance of Sam Brown's I love my Tea, at dinner time the other day, will sure remain a classic in the archives of my memory.

Happy Holiday Season with Julie Andrews in Antwerp!

2010-12-24T09:23:00.010-05:00

May all be moved
May all be loved
May all be dancing out of joy well into the new year ;O)

P.S: Long live Belgium!
------
En cette fin d'année, je vous souhaite d'être ému et d'être aimé.
Que la joie vous emporte dans un tourbillon étourdissant pour allègrement célébrer 2011 ;O)

PS: Vive la Belgique!

So moved!

2010-12-11T10:34:00.001-05:00

Totem#7

Totem #9 Totem #3

Totem #8
Photos by Alain Delorme (thank you for the link on your blog, Lauren!)

... that we have moved. Et voilà!

We did it in two stages. We first moved out of our rented apartment on Dec.1 to move in a house that we had just bought. But as we first wanted to get the floors sanded and waxed, we could not settle down the very first days. We thus shoved all our furniture (not much really) in the kitchen, pantry and sunroom to let the floor sanding workers perform their art freely, i.e without sanding our belongings at the same time. And after 4 days, the two storeys were finished, pampered and rejuvenated- they looked totally different. It is beautiful to see what expertise and a lot of TLC can do to a place!

Now, we moved in for good last Sunday, Dec. 5! Today, Saturday December 11, we are enjoying our first real weekend in our new abode. The excitement is climactic! I can feel a new source of energy flowing in every single vein of my body.

On the menu today, unpacking more boxes, getting organized with our clothes (at long last I am going to unpack my traveller's suitcase that I've been living out of for the last week!) and a few errands to run like get gorgeous but very affordable chandeliers that Marco spotted at a vintage store, AND to buy a Christmas tree! The house won't be fully furnished for Christmas, but believe me it will be cosy with a big Fraser fir Xmas tree ;O) We'll just need our friends and families to help us complete the picture, and warm up the place for good.

Acne Paper: my favourite!

2010-11-22T19:51:00.004-05:00

I hereby officially declare the Acne Paper the best magazine I have ever read - both regarding content and design, that is.

"Each issue is created around one key idea – a timeless theme that in various ways touches all those working in the creative fields regardless of age, cultural background or social status. In an eclectic yet coherent mix portrait, fashion and art photography as well as interviews, memoirs and prose the editorial narrative aims to unite artistic minds of all generations. It pays tribute to past luminaries whilst still keeping a firm grip on the present, evoking something timeless, something nostalgic yet refreshingly modern." (David Carlson for David Report)

I can do that!

2010-11-13T11:46:00.010-05:00

The kind of translator every international firm should go for...

PS: Bonus. One last for the road! Because French is an important language...
"Oui, Lauren, il faut que vous parlez (*parliez) en français!"

Thank you, Mel Dark, for introducing us to Catherine Tate last night!

The Red Shoes of Despair...

2010-11-11T09:49:00.002-05:00

Bryce Dallas Howard in "Despair"
Photographer Alex Prager turns director with this 50s chiller.

I am in awe!

Always on Camera...

2010-11-07T18:44:00.002-05:00

ALWAYS ON CAMERA: MIGUEL JACOB
Opening Reception: Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010, 7pm - 10pm
Exhibition Dates: Nov.10 - Dec. 12, 2010
Gallery Hours: Saturdays & Sundays 12pm - 6pm, or Weekdays By Appointment

Alison Milne Gallery
49 Ossington Ave.
Second Floor
Toronto, ON
M6J 2Y9
416.203.6266

ALWAYS ON CAMERA, the first solo show of 37-year old Miguel Jacob, features a selection of black-and-white portraits photographed from December 2009 to May 2010. During this six-month period, the photographer set up six Saturday "sittings" in which he would invite several subjects to perform in front of the camera, scheduling them sequentially one after another in 40-minute time slots. The subjects, who were mainly unknown to the photographer and were often contacted through Facebook, include artists, musicians, drag queens, eccentrics, dancers, models, designers and activists.
Rather than attempting to capture the "personality" or "soul" of the sitter, Jacob is much more interested in the performance, geometry and the way in which the body and the chosen costume and/or accessories interact with minimal props (such as a stool, a chair or cube) in a vacuous studio space creating unique, graphic and arresting images.

Hope to see you there on Wednesday for the opening reception!

A Nowhere Boy who ended up being Here, There and Everywhere...

2010-11-03T11:21:00.002-04:00

We saw the film last night and enjoyed it tremendously! It managed to make me feel the wind of musical revolution that was ablowing in the UK in the late 50s.
Nowhere Boy is the well-wrought tale of an angry Liverpool kid, namely John Lennon. I felt thankful to the the director, Sam Taylor-Wood, for not falling into the pitfalls of Beatles nostalgia. The casting is impeccable, and so is the art direction.
If you haven't seen it yet, I warmly recommend it to you!
For more, go to the official website.

Wallpaper Obsession...

2010-10-31T20:42:00.010-04:00

We just bought a house dating back to 1935. It is a beautiful house with healthy bones, in need of some tender loving care though, which we are more than happy to provide!

As we are just realizing what happened, we are getting house-ready. So now has officially started our quest for wallpaper inspiration, fixtures, door knobs and other good-to-start-with and affordable decorative adornments.

Here is a sample of what we stumbled upon:

* Last weekend, at the grand re-opening of the Spadina Museum, Historic House and Gardens

All photos by Christine Rochet-Jacob

* This weekend was dedicated to wallpaper ideas for the living room and/or the dining room...We therefore meticulously browsed through the internet and through our pile of World of Interiors magazines...Here are a few patterns that caught our attention.

Marlborough- Paris Grey, by Little Greene

Maharani collection, May 2009. By Henry Wilson for Osborne & Little

Rose Chinoise, by Colefax and Fowler

* We also got inspired along the way of our weekend trip that took us to a few shops on the Designers' Walk of Toronto. For your viewing pleasure, check: Cole & Son; Brunschwig & Fils

Dagobert Peche, Antinous Wallpaper; Designed 1922, produced by Brunschwig and Fils. Neue Galeri e exclusive.

* Not to forget the reference arts and crafts master, William Morris & co.

William Morris

May Morris

* And then we entered the world of contemporary wallpaper designers like Georgia Horton, Timorous Beasties, and Neisha Crosland. Dazzling!

Oriental Orchid, by Timorous Beasties

McGegan Rose by Timorous Beasties

Designs by Neisha Crosland :

Et voilà! À suivre...

Step by step, we will build our nest!

Ryuichi Sakamoto's Out of Noise

2010-10-27T17:12:00.005-04:00

Photo published in the Toronto Star on Mon Oct 25, 2010

Last Sunday, my husband and I paused the current hectic pace of our lives to immerse ourselves in a very inspiring performance by Ryuichi Sakamoto, who made a rare Toronto concert appearance at the Queen Elizabeth Centre.

He, like me, likes the music of the rain...“It was raining this morning in New York, and I was struck by the sound. So I recorded it with my little recorder because it was very beautiful. I don’t know where, but I’m sure I’ll use it in my music somehow.” (R.Sakamoto, in an interview to NOW magazine)

Read more about Sakamoto:
- in NOW magazine
- in the Toronto Star

A Saturday in Autumn

2010-10-18T14:19:00.005-04:00

A few photos of our weekend escapade - Don Valley's Evergreen Brick Works, Toronto.

Sprezzatura at its best!

2010-10-14T09:10:00.001-04:00

Errol Flynn

P.S: Thank you, Cédric, for sharing this great picture!

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

2010-10-08T01:30:00.001-04:00

Photo by Cédric Roulliat

Provocative Visioning Launches Speaker Series at OCADU

2010-10-06T11:13:00.003-04:00

'Hylozoic ground' by Philip Beesley architects for the Canadian pavilion at la Biennale d'Architettura di Venezia 2010 ( Photo Marco Jacob)

"The Goethe-Institut Toronto, in cooperation with the Faculty of Design at OCAD University (OCADU) and the MaRS Centre, present a speaker series as part of Ecology.Design.Synergy: Green Architecture & New Ideas from Germany & Canada. The series will launch with Provocative Visioning: The Artist/Designer as Eco-Provocateur, bringing together the remarkable creative explorations of Berlin-based Friedrich von Borries and Canadian Philip Beesley, with presentation of their work and ensuing conversation, at OCADU on Thursday, October 7, 6 p.m."

Read more on OCAD's website.

See you there...

The World is Ready for Luis Jacob

2010-10-06T09:12:00.001-04:00

FYI: The Toronto Star recently published a great article about Luis Jacob's work.

Read the article.

France-Italy, Summer 2010: through the arcades of my memories!

2010-10-04T16:50:00.006-04:00

Last summer, my husband and I travelled in France (Lyon-Paris) and Italy (Torino, Milano, Verona, Venezia) to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary.
For your viewing pleasure, here are a few vistas that we contemplated.
Do you recognize any of them?

L'été dernier, mon mari et moi avons voyagé en France ( Lyon-Paris) et en Italie (Turin, Milan, Vérone, Venise) pour y célébrer notre première anniversaire de mariage.
Voici un petit pêle-mêle de souvenirs en images.

Marco Jacob's Public Displays of Affection in Toronto

2010-09-29T21:46:00.003-04:00

Edmond Place side chair. CNC routered baltic birch plywood (clear varnished or laquered)

Last Thursday, September 23 was the Opening Reception for an exhibition of Public Displays of Affection at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel. PDA for Edmond Place is an exploration in community-engaged design. Over 60 pieces of locally designed and built furniture were on display.

My husband, Marco Jacob, presented the design of a new chair.

Mad about Mad Men, Soundtrack Vol.1

2010-09-20T12:10:00.008-04:00

Just bought the album yesterday! My husband and I listened to it with a big smile on our faces, singing along while sipping from a glass of "brut" Champagne to celebrate the sweetness of our 1st wedding anniversary. A certain idea of happiness.

Now, there are 2 other volumes, one for Season 2 and another for Season 3...We will most certainly indulge, and this very very soon.
We need more music from that era. Any recommendations?

PS: (a few weeks later....) We ended up buying Mad Men, Vol.2 (not as good, but still pleasant!), and more Julie London, Her Name is Julie - absolutely charming!

-------------
Nous avons tout juste acheté l'album hier! Mon mari et moi-même l'avons écouté, le sourire aux lèvres, tout en sirotant un verre de champagne brut pour célébrer la douceur de notre premier anniversaire de mariage. Eh oui, une certaine idée du bonheur.
Maintenant, il y a 2 autres volumes, un pour la saison 2 et un autre pour la saison 3...Nous pensons sérieusement nous offrir le plaisir de plonger tête baissée dans ces deux autres albums, et ce au plus tôt!
Nous aimerions découvrir plus de musiques de cette période. Des idées?

Over your cities grass will grow

2010-09-15T17:42:00.001-04:00

Last night I enjoyed the screening of a documentary film that my friend Emilie Blézat (Sciapode Prod.) just co-produced:

Sophie Fiennes’
OVER YOUR CITIES GRASS WILL GROW
at the Toronto International Film Festival
AMC 4 September 14th, 8:45 pm

AMC 9 September 16th, 6.00 pm
AMC 2 September 18th, 9.00 am
in the Visions section.

OVER YOUR CITIES GRASS WILL GROW bears witness to German artist Anselm Kiefer’s alchemical creative processes and renders as a film journey the personal universe he has built at his hill studio estate in the South of France.

I was very much interested in discovering the process of Kiefer's work, which I must admit I really did not know before. Sophie Fiennes's choice of Ligeti's subtle musical pieces achieved a perfect dialogue with the images.

Go see it if you can, and let me know of your impressions!

Inspirational Holidays!

2010-09-07T18:17:00.002-04:00

I am back to Toronto.

The least I can say is that I had a very refreshing and inspirational month and a half travelling in France and Italy. To share the joy, I will soon post a very strict selection of photos.
Every year, it is the same. After the big summer break I look forward to the back-to-school excitement that September brings. I like the idea of starting anew: I have reorganized the plants, scented candles, and framed pictures in our apartment, refilled the spice rack, weeded through my shelves and wardrobe, and I feel ready to let new ideas in.

I am in a very soft dusty pink mood for this September season...

Now just for your viewing pleasure, let me show you the trailer of a classic, The Thomas Crown Affair (by Norman Jewison, 1968) which my husband and I savoured a couple of nights ago. A lesson in style with the breathtaking Faye Dunaway and Steve McQueen, and the most erotic scene over a chess board ever, well that is according to me...

Frankreich: Vacances à la Campagne!

2010-08-07T06:17:00.002-04:00

Vue de ma chambre au réveil, ce matin 8h.

En vacances en France pour un mois, je me repose à la campagne, chez mes parents.

Ce week-end, je vais aller passer une semaine dans les Hautes-Alpes, à la Joue du Loup, pour profiter du bon air de la montagne et faire de belles randonnées dans le Massif des Ecrins, et peut-être même aller faire un tour du côté de Grasse et de Nice...

Puis, lorsque mon cher et tendre époux m'aura rejointe, ce sera l'Italie pour une semaine!
A suivre...

Top of the morning to you!

2010-07-27T19:19:00.002-04:00

These last few days, I've had to rest at home for health reasons (thank you very much, I am perfectly well now!;)).

The experience reminded me of my childhood's sick days when my mum would tuck me in bed and bring me a very comforting bowl of soup (little alphabet noodles were one of my faves) or a plate of ham and mash.

This time, my mum had been replaced by my loving and caring husband, but the scenario was quite similar: "Lie down and rest!" I have never felt bored when obliged to rest, it is just that now I feel more... restless, and it is more difficult to stay in just resting...So just like when I was a child, I took a good pile of books and magazines to go through, and asked my husband to pick up a short list of musical comedies to cheer me up. And it worked! 'S wonderful!

Here are 2 of them for your viewing pleasure:

Top Hat

An American in Paris

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

2010-07-15T20:16:00.001-04:00

Photo by Shayne Gray

The Secret in their Eyes & Nine Queens

2010-07-13T10:19:00.002-04:00

The Secret in their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos), directed by Juan José Campanella (2010):

& Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas), directed by Fabián Bielinsky (2000):

Happy Birthday Get-Away Weekend!

2010-07-05T16:39:00.014-04:00

1812 Antiques Shop, Grafton, a treat for the eye curated by Patricia Poussin, a British lady from Tunbridge Wells, Kent

The gardens of 1812 Antiques, Grafton.

The underwoods leading to Cherry Hill Antiques, Grafton.

Cherry Hill Antiques, Grafton

Last Thursday, July 1st was Canada Day, but most importantly to me, it was my husband's birthday!

To celebrate we decided to get away, which happened to be a wise decision knowing that the weekend would not be quiet in our neighborhood. Toronto's Pride Festival, with its million participants, celebrated its 30th party all weekend in our back yard, so to say.

Our trip through the picturesque countryside of Ontario took us to Cambridge, Elora, Port Hope, Grafton, and finally to a cottage in rural Hastings, along the Rice Lake.

Marco and I relaxing at the beach, Port Hope.

On our way, some of our favorite things : antiquing again and again, in Port Hope and Grafton; walking along the beach of the Marina in Port Hope; gaping at the stars in a pitch black sky in rural Hastings, marveling like kids in front of the beautiful local fireworks (supported by a band of ecstatic fire-flies flashing their lights in the bushes); sleeping overnight in a wooden cabin-style cottage, and waking up at 7AM in the midst of nature; observing the porcupine move slowly in our friends' cottage's garden; improvising a stop-over at Barnum House museum (on Highway 2) to enjoy a tour of the house and a scrumptious tea party in the front garden of this gorgeous historical house.

All of these mentioned above and a little something more made it a unique and memorable celebration!

----------------

En français s'il vous plait...

Ici, au Canada, le 1er juillet est synonyme de fête nationale, mais pour moi, le 1er juillet, c'est avant tout l'anniversaire de mon tendre et cher!

Afin de le célébrer cet anniversaire dignement, nous avions décidé de partir en week-end pour nous mettre au vert, loin des foules agitées de Toronto et de notre quartier qui, aux mêmes dates, célébrait la 30ème édition de la 'Gay Pride'.

Notre escapade bucolique nous a permis de mieux découvrir de magnifiques régions de l'Ontario. Au programme, Cambridge, Elora, Port Hope, Grafton, et pour finir en beauté, un BBQ festif que nous avons partagé avec des amis dans un 'cottage', ou un chalet, situé dans la commune de Hastings.

Voici en résumé quelques uns de nos meilleurs souvenirs glanés sur le chemin du retour : les multiples magasins d'antiquités découverts à Port Hope et à Grafton; la promenade le long de la plage de la marina à Port Hope; l'étonnement enfantin ressenti face aux feux d'artifice de la commune de Hastings (accompagnés par les feux intermittents des lucioles, cachées dans les buissons du jardin); le fait de s'endormir dans un chalet en bois et de se réveiller au milieu de la nature; l'observation méticuleuse mais prudente de mon premier porc-épic rencontré dans le jardin de nos amis; la pause-thé improvisée au Musée de la Maison Barnum (sur l'autoroute 2) où nous avons pu profité d'un délicieux thé après une visite guidée de cette résidence historique.

Tous ces merveilleux souvenirs, et un petit je-ne-sais-quoi de plus, ont fait de cette célébration une occasion unique et mémorable!

La Terra Trema in Toronto!

2010-06-24T17:29:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, at 1.41PM, the earth shook...I was working at home and for a very short lapse of time (probably less than 20 seconds) I felt the floor, the walls and the ceiling move. I understood it was more that the metro vibrations we sometimes feel in Toronto, si-si, la Terra trema in Toronto!

I stood up to stand under the frame of a door in the living-room. That felt weird. Fortunately enough, the Victorian house we live in was built on solid foundations and resisted the magnitude 5.0 earthquake.

To read more, click here.
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En français, s'il vous plaît
Hier, à 13h41, la terre a tremblé... Alors que je travaillais sur mon ordinateur à la maison, j'ai senti pendant un bref moment (probablement moins de 20 secondes) des vibrations dans le plancher, puis dans les murs et enfin dans le plafond du salon où je me tenais. J'ai compris que cela n'était pas les vibrations du métro que parfois nous ressentons à Toronto, non. C'était bel et bien les ondes d'une secousse, la Terra trema à Toronto!
Je me suis alors levé pour aller me placer sous le cadre de la porte du salon. Un drôle de sentiment. Heureusement, la maison victorienne dans laquelle nous vivons a des fondations solides et a pu résister sans sourciller à cette secousse de 5,5 sur l'échelle de Richter.
Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici.

Happy Papa's Day!

2010-06-20T11:08:00.003-04:00

"Her name is Barbarella, and she makes science fiction something else!..."

"Elle s'appelle Barbarella et, avec elle, la science-fiction devient quelque chose d'autre!..."

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

2010-06-11T08:55:00.004-04:00

Cédric Roulliat Photography

Film Noir du Soir

2010-06-07T09:40:00.003-04:00

Last night, we watched the epitome of Film Noir, The Third Man by Carol Reed (screenplay by Graham Greene) with Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard. A masterpiece. And the unforgettable musical theme by Anton Karas on his zither, which I am sure you know...

---------------

Hier soir, nous avons regardé un film noir, Le 3ème Homme de Carol Reed (scénario de Graham Greene) avec Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles et Trevor Howard. Un chef d'oeuvre du genre.

Et la partition inoubliable d'Anton Karas au zither, que vous aussi connaissez sûrement sans même avoir vu le film...

Bewitched by Haider Ackermann A/W 2010 Show at the ROM

2010-06-02T10:09:00.001-04:00

Last night, I headed to the Royal Ontario Museum to attend the Haider Ackermann A/W 2010 show. It started at 8PM and was a total experience: I was bewitched! The sophisticated elegance of the styles, the sharp choice for the models (an Elmer Olsen model exclusive show- Ahh, Tara Gill!) and the powerful music (exact same soundtrack as for the show in Paris- I Put a Spell on You + other piano and cello variations) made this show a very theatrical & very well structured entity...

More photos from Style.com for your viewing pleasure.

Lost Civilizations/ Les Civilisations Perdues

2010-05-28T10:32:00.005-04:00

This week, I have been busy travelling in time with Time Life's Lost Civilizations (1995), and have enjoyed every minute of it!

The series covers 7,000 years of history. Digital effects technology and dramatizations re-create rituals and events. Original location cinematography in 25 countries takes you from Cuzco in Peru to Petra in Jordan, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern Tibet.

Part 1: Mesopotamia: return to Eden.
Part 2: Ancient Egypt: quest for immortality.
Part 3: Aegean: legacy of Atlantis.
Part 4: Greece: a moment of excellence.
Part 5: China: dynasties of power.
Part 6: Rome: the ultimate empire.
Part 7: The Maya: the blood of kings.
Part 8: The Inca: secrets of the ancestors.
Part 9: Africa: a history denied.
Part 10: Tibet: the end of time.

I highly recommend this series for your viewing pleasure.
My advice: just forget about the melodramatic musical score and you'll be fine!

Keep me posted!
----------------------
En français , s'il vous plaît!

Cette semaine, j'ai eu l'occasion de voyager dans le temps avec la série de Time Life intitulée, Les Civilisations Perdues (1995), et croyez-moi j'ai apprécié chaque minute de cette grande expédition!

La série recouvre 7 000 ans d'histoire. Les effets spéciaux et les reconstitutions ont permis de recréer les rituels et les événements historiques comme rarement vus auparavant. Les tournages sur les lieux d'origine nous emmènent dans pas moins de 25 pays, de Cuzco au Pérou, en passant par Petra en Jordanie, ou bien encore de l'ancienne Mésopotamie au Tibet.

Je vous recommande vivement cette série qui, j'en suis sûre, saura capter votre attention pendant les 5o minutes de chacun des épisodes.
Mon conseil: n'accordez pas trop d'attention à la musique du générique qui est une peu trop dramatique, à mon goût...

Dites-moi ce que vous en pensez!

Friday's Eye Candies /Histoires sans Paroles

2010-05-21T10:18:00.003-04:00

Cédric Roulliat Photography

The Art of Swordsmanship

2010-05-20T18:10:00.001-04:00

Calligraphy by Denis Brown, 2004
Click Here to explore more calligraphy by Denis Brown.

"What do you write, my lady?

Words, words, words."

(not to faithfully quote Shakespeare's Hamlet, II,2,193-194...)

I have just been offered a Calligraphy Set for beginners!

Interested both in drawing and writing, I can now fully enjoy my immersion into the art of ink and get dirty... I have but started practicing my pen and nibs on the paper to form the different lettering styles, and I am already amazed at the potential beauty of their morphed imprints.

Does calligraphy appeal to you too? Let me know, I am curious. ;o)

--------------------------

On vient de m'offrir une trousse de calligraphie pour débutants!

Intéressée par le dessin et l'écriture, voici que je prends un malin plaisir à plonger mon nez dans l'encrier.... Certes, je viens tout juste de commencer et me familiarise encore avec ma plume, mais déjà, la satisfaction est là! Et je m'émerveille face aux multiples empreintes de beauté potentielle laissées par ses volutes encrées dans le papier.

Est-ce que la calligraphie vous intéresse aussi? Laissez-moi vos impressions, je suis curieuse ;o)

Page 40 : Photos - Souvenirs

2010-05-19T00:12:00.012-04:00

Samples of the album entitled Christine's 1970's birthday tea party.  Yes, I have just turned the 40th page of the book of my life. These pictures, by Shayne Gray, have been fixed with his 1970's sensibilities.

A memorable celebration, shared with my Canadian friends and family.

Photo by Marco Jacob
This outfit used to belong to my mother, who wore it a lot in the late 1970s...
The coffee cake (delicious!) I am holding was typical of the 1970s.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Nutty Chocolaty Swirl

Swirl
½ cup sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped or 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden) or dried currants
2 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 ¾ cups sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
*************
Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9-to10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan, dust the interior with flour and tap out the excess.

To make the Swirl:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.

To make the Cake:

Whisk together the flour, baking power and salt.

Working in the bowl of a stand mixer or in another large bowl, rub the sugar and zest together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and aromatic. Add the butter. With the paddle or whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat on medium speed for 4 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each egg goes in. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the sour cream. Still working on low, add the dry ingredients and mix only until they disappear into the batter.

Give the batter a last stir or two with a rubber spatula (just to make sure all the dry ingredients are properly incorporated), then scoop about one-third of the batter into the Bundt pan. Evenly sprinkle on half of the swirl mixture, then spoon in the rest of the batter. Make a shallow indentation in the batter and fill it with the remaining swirl mixture; then cover the mixture lightly with the batter on the sides of the indentation – the batter probably won’t cover the mixture completely, and that’s fine.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and let the cake rest for 10 minutes before unmoulding.

Just before serving, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

-------------------------

En français, s'il vous plaît!

Petit échantillon de l'album intitulé Goûter d'anniversaire de Christine, style 1970.
Eh oui, je viens tout juste de tourner la 40ème page du livre de ma vie.
Ces photos, prises par Shayne Gray, ont été retouchées par lui-même avec sa sensibilité années 1970.

Une célébration mémorable, partagée avec mes amis et ma famille canadienne.

Back then, in the 1970s, a girlfriends' tea party... Colourful!

Let's Pop it out! Iggy is coming to town...

2010-05-17T21:05:00.006-04:00

IGGY & THE STOOGES

Dear Torontonians,

Just in case you hadn't heard about the big musical buzz of the summer, here it is for you: Iggy & The Stooges are visiting us in Toronto next June for a unique performance!

Date:	Saturday, June 19, 2010
Time:	8:00pm - 11:00pm
Location:	Virgin Mobile Stage (Yonge & Dundas Square)

FREE show @ Yonge & Dundas (part of NXNE 2010)

Hope to see you there... amidst the multitude of spectators, who knows?

----------------------------------

Chers Torontois,

Juste au cas où vous n'auriez pas encore entendu la grande nouvelle, Iggy & The Stooges seront en ville en juin pour un concert unique!

Date:	Saturday, June 19, 2010
Heure:	8:00pm - 11:00pm
Lieu:	Virgin Mobile Stage (Yonge & Dundas Square)

Concert GRATUIT @ Yonge & Dundas (pour plus d'informations : NXNE 2010)

Au plaisir de vous y voir...dans la foultitude de spectateurs, qui sait?

Glenn Gould's Ode to Toronto

2010-05-13T22:07:00.012-04:00

(une version française suit la version anglaise)

In case Toronto is still a mystery for you, here is a film directed by Glenn Gould in 1979 that should answer most of your questions. With many a historical reference and a pinch of witty humour, he introduces us to his definition of Toronto.

But enough with my writing about it. I will let you enjoy the visit of the city that I too love with Mr. Gould as your special guide for the day... And what a guide!
-----------------------------

L'Ode de Glenn Gould à Toronto

Au cas où Toronto serait encore un grand point d'interrogation pour vous, voici un film réalisé en 1979 par Glenn Gould qui devrait répondre à bon nombre de vos questions (hum, désolée, la vidéo est en anglais). Avec moult références historiques, mais aussi avec une dose subtile d'humour, Glenn Gould brosse le portrait de sa ville natale. Cette ville qui, selon lui, n'impose pas son urbanité avec force, et qui lui permettait de toujours retrouver une certaine tranquillité d'esprit.

Mais je vous laisse le plaisir de découvrir cette ville que j'aime tant, en compagnie de M.Gould. Vous avouerez que je ne vous laisse pas dans les mains du premier guide touristique venu!!

En français, s'il vous plaît!

2010-05-12T09:09:00.009-04:00

Dear reader,

I am happy to let you know that I will now be publishing my posts both in English and French, starting with my latest post, entitled Herb & Dorothy.
Hope you will enjoy the bilingual experience!

---------------------

Chers lecteurs,

Je suis heureuse de vous annoncer que je vais désormais publier mes articles en français et en anglais. Comme vous l'aurez sans doute constaté, le processus a en fait déjà commencé avec l'article intitulé: Herb & Dorothy.
J'espère que vous apprécierez l'expérience bilingue.
Bonne lecture!

Herb & Dorothy

2010-05-10T13:40:00.012-04:00

(Une version française suit la version anglaise...)

Herb and Dorothy Vogel, two exemplary model citizens, are the subject of a documentary feature directed by Megumi Sasaki in 2008. The Vogels are this kind of everyday heroes you sometimes walk by on the street; simply amazing people that like going unnoticed and don't need to appear in the VIP pages to seize the day! People with a real vision, but who do not necessarily want to impose their views on you. This documentary film, Herb and Dorothy, shows their insatiable hunger for Minimalist and Conceptual art, and how they started buying art pieces back then in the early 1960s when no one wanted them...

(see more trailers)

All in all, the film shows the way a postal clerk and his librarian wife managed to give their life its true meaning through their restless and passionate quest for art. 'The art world was their habitat.'

"After thirty years of meticulous collecting and buying, the Vogels managed to accumulate over 2,000 pieces, filling every corner of their tiny one bedroom apartment.(...) In 1992, the Vogels decided to move their entire collection to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The vast majority of their collection was given as a gift to the institution. Many of the works they acquired appreciated so significantly over the years that their collection today is worth millions of dollars. Still, the Vogels never sold a single piece. Today Herb and Dorothy still live in the same apartment in New York with 19 turtles, lots of fish, and one cat. They've refilled it with piles of new art they've acquired. " (from Herb and Dorothy, the website)

Marco and I watched it last month and loved it so much that we felt we had to share it with the Jacob family (there are many artists in this family...). So much so that we turned it into a party: we organized a Herb & Dorothy event at our place! And yes, it met with great success.
I recommend you too share the joyful message of that determined couple.

It reminded me that whatever the passion, we should stick with it uncompromisingly, push it forward, and not trade it for the tempting but often quite vain attributes of life.

"Art is mute when money talks"(Patrick Mimran) as read on a big sign in the film.

----------------------------
Oui, Herb and Dorthy, sont deux personnages hauts en couleurs! Des héros du quotidien. De la trempe de ceux qui, efficaces et discrets, n'ont pas besoin de faire les choux gras des pages VIP dans les magazines pour être heureux et aller de l'avant. Un couple, dont la passion commune pour l'art minimaliste et conceptuel, les a poussés à investir la moitié de leur revenu modeste dans des achats d'oeuvres, et ce depuis le début des années 1960, alors que personne n'était trop intéressé par ce type d'art.
En 30 ans, ils ont accumulé plus de 2,000 oeuvres d'art dans leur petit appartement de New York. En 1992, ils prirent la décision incroyable de sauver leur collection en lui donnant plus d'air et d'espace! Après mûre réflection, ils ont donné l'intégrale à la Galerie Nationale d'Art de Washington. Une collection dont ils n'auront jamais accepté de vendre une pièce pour ne pas la dénaturer. En bref, leur collection a été leur oeuvre d'art. Et quelle oeuvre! Herb & Dorothy Vogel sont des gens bien peu ordinaires. Même lorsque les sirènes ont fait résonner leur chant en faisant miroiter des sommes astronomiques pour une ou plusieurs pièces, ils ont toujours été intègres avec leur collection. Des sirènes qui en auraient tenté plus d'un, car comme vous les avez sûrement...

Lucio Pozzi
Robert Mangold
Sylvia Mangold
Pat Steir
Robert Barry
Chuck Close
Lynda Benglis
James Siena
Will Barnet
Richard Tuttle
Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Lawrence Weiner

...sont désormais tous des artistes reconnus, et leurs oeuvres se vendent pour des sommes considérables.

Herb & Dorothy est un documentaire précieux qui, à travers une série d'entretiens (dont certains se recoupent parfois, mais ce n'est qu'un bien petit défaut) démontre que l'amour de l'art n'est pas réservé à une élite instruite et fortunée. Qu'il suffit simplement de savoir ouvrir son oeil et son coeur à la beauté, aussi inédite soit-elle.

Herb & Dorothy Selected Clip #2 from Herb & Dorothy on Vimeo.

N.B: Marco et moi avons tant aimé regarder ce documentaire le mois dernier que nous avons décidé d'organiser une soirée spéciale H&D avec toute la famille Jacob (une famille riche en artistes, comme vous le savez maintenant...). Ce fut un succès unanyme!

Je vous souhaite donc de partager ce film avec ceux que vous aimez, et puissent les passions dévorantes de tout un chacun être encouragées par leur extraordinaire initiative! ;O)

L'un des messages, écrit en caractères gras, que l'on voit sur une publicité dans le film cite Patrick Mimran: "Art is mute when money talks". (L'art est muet lorque l'argent a la parole)
Oui, vraiment, Herb et Dorothy, des gens peu ordinaires ... J'en suis encore bouche-bée!

Cher and Julie Andrews: not one wrinkle!!

2010-05-09T10:34:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was a cold and rainy Saturday...As the raindrops were slashing the window panes in a regular fit of liquid ecstasy, we decided to cuddle up a bit. And so we browsed through our newly acquired VHS standards (found at Goodwill for 1$) that were waiting for us on the shelf. We picked one for the early afternoon (Moonstruck), and a second one for the late night show (Mary Poppins). How delightful! These two films have aged extremely well! Let me prove it to you...

Moonstruck (by Norman Jewison, 1987), with Cher and Nicolas Cage: Crazy romantic - infectious!
A few quotes:
-Ché bella luna!
-I am confused!
-It's that crazy moon!
-Snap out of it!
-Do you love him, Loretta?...Oh, Ma, I love him awful...Oh God, that's too bad!

...and the great Mary Poppins (by Walt Disney, 1964). A treat, take my word for it!
A few of my favourite quotes:
-Just a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down... in the most delightful way!
-A thing of beauty is a source of joy in life.
-Close your mouth, Michael, you are not a cod fish!
-First of all, let me tell you something...I never explain anything!
-There is a word for it: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (sing along with the video: a good tongue-twisting exercise, guaranteed!)

Now as you perhaps already know it, there is also an edited version for a fictitious film entitled Scary Mary, which has a little something of Poltergeist to it...

Critical Mass

2010-05-08T12:33:00.005-04:00

Robin Givhan // Jeanne Beker

Last night, the HOT DOCS speaker series concluded with guest Robin Givhan*, the Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion critic and style writer with The Washington Post, where she covers the news, trends and business of the international fashion industry. Her work, distinguished by the way in which it examines fashion through the lens of popular culture, politics and social anthropology, is well-known for being controversial.

Hum, I must admit that I didn't know her before, but now I understand how and why she is controversial! I think I am turning into a big fan of hers, and have decided to start reading her articles in the Washington Post (the most recent is dated April 14, on U.S first Lady, Michelle Obama and the age of youth).

Robin Givhan had conversation with Toronto's legendary Jeanne of CTV Fashion Television.
The discussion between the two ladies was fecund, and thought-provoking, casting new light on the increasingly popular but deceptively accessible subject that has become Fashion nowadays. Among other controversial subjects was the plus size models. As North America's population gets fatter our models get skinnier on the runways; possibly a symptom of our denial, she said...

* Givhan received the Eugenia Sheppard award for journalism from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and, in 2006, won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism for her fashion coverage. In 2009, she began covering Michelle Obama and the cultural and social shifts stirred by the first African American family in the White House.

Eclectic sources of Inspiration on a Thursday night!

2010-05-07T15:26:00.022-04:00

Photos by Geneviève Caron, represented by Lisa Bonnici, photographer's agent.

Last night, we went on an art cruise. The trip took us first to the Gladstone Hotel where part of the Contact show is currently exhibited. Strangely enough, my attention got caught by the photographic works of two Genevièves... Geneviève Caron and Geneviève Thauvette.

Photos by Geneviève Thauvette

Then while browsing through the Gladstone floors, we got invited for a drink by a friend, artist Bruno Billio, resident of room 209. This stop-over in his room sure crowned our visit to the Gladstone with a certain sense of Sprezzatura. Bruno's interior offers a subtle dialogue between the ultra-modern and the classic, which might well reflect his own personality.

And last but not least, we ended up at the Enter OCAD 2010 show. Simply breathtaking! If you have the occasion this weekend to spend an hour or two in the university’s Faculty of Design, you will sure enjoy the eclectic mix of their graduating students' works- ranging from drawing and painting, printmaking, photography, criticism and curatorial practice, integrated media and sculpture/installation in the Faculty of Art, to advertising, environmental, industrial and graphic design, illustration and material art and design (jewellery, fibre and ceramics).

What a night!

UGGs and Kisses: From Australia with Love!

2010-05-05T18:17:00.016-04:00

Last night, Marco and I were invited to the UGG Australia F/W 2010 preview. The show took place at the Palais Royale, a great venue that had been even more impressively set thanks to Lotus Leaf’s event planning skills. The show also helped raise awareness for The Mary Katz Claman Foundation for Alzheimer's www.mkcfoundation.com. CTV Fashion Television's, Jeanne Beker introduced the evening's presentation featuring UGG Australia footwear and apparel, Jay Malinowski, America's Best Dance Crew 'Blueprint Cru', and MuchMusic VJ Liz Trinnear, who made her catwalk debut. The show had a fantastic buzz to it!

Jeanne Beker introduced the evening's presentation

On a personal note...I find the pastel palette chosen for the classic UGG boots new collection very cute. The hues remind me of scrumptious macaroons - yes, I love macaroons! Although I am not inclined to wear the classic boots, I could totally go for their Abbie clogs this summer as they better match my "style Cricri", to quote my husband ;O)

Yes, UGG really knows how to hug you and throw a memorable party!

For more info go to: UGG Australia www.uggaustralia.com

Of Feathers and Bandage...

2010-05-03T17:42:00.004-04:00

Photo by Cédric Roulliat

What is the story behind the scene?
Leave your impressions in the comments' box, and I will forward them to the photographer...

On my wall of inspiration...

2010-04-28T20:16:00.008-04:00

Pina Bausch, Nelken (Carnations), first performed Dec. 30, 1982

Ettore Sotsass (1917-2007)
5 totems, "Flavia" set. Signed: "Flavia Bitossi Italy E. Sottsass 1996 "

Céline S/S 2010 collection, designed by Phoebe Philo

Release the Gentlewoman that is in you!

2010-04-26T20:16:00.005-04:00

Hello dear Gentlewomen and Fantastic Men!

Today, Marco and I took a trip to La Maison de la Presse (Yorkville, Toronto). We just got the newly released Gentlewoman magazine, at long last! Remember Fantastic Man's girlfriend? Well, we got ours, but it was tight as only 2 copies, out of 15 received last Friday, were left. This Gentlewoman has been quite popular... I recommend you go check by yourself if you find her success well-founded! Don't forget to let me know. ;O)

A History of the World in 100 Objects

2010-04-25T10:17:00.005-04:00

Through my brother-in-law, artist Luis Jacob, I discovered an amazing program available online. It's called "A History of the World in 100 Objects", produced by the British Museum and the BBC. It showcases 100 different objects found in the British Museum collection, and uses them to tell a story of human culture.

Each segment is a morsel-sized 15-minute audio description, and features interactive views of each object described.

I'm hooked, and I thought you'd be interested to know about this.
Here's the first object, and you can get from there to the second object, etc....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/sogITE3FSKStlk12qd2W3w

Enjoy!

The Guggenheim is Haunted: don't miss the experience!

2010-04-20T18:22:00.009-04:00

Luis Jacob's Peru Album IV is part of the collective exhibit HAUNTED,
currently at
the Guggenheim Museum, NYC
(March 26 - Sept.6, 2010)

Amazing Grace!

2010-04-17T10:24:00.003-04:00

Grace Kelly: Style Icon

at the V&A
London

Kick-Ass (pardon my French!)

2010-04-16T17:39:00.005-04:00

Saw the film last night and loved it!

NB: The action is supposedly based in NYC, but (as often) we noticed that most of the street scenes were shot in Toronto, more precisely on Yonge street. Oh, and the scene outside the cinema (at the beginning) was filmed just outside the Scotiabank Theatre on Richmond street. Incidentally that is the theatre where Marco and I saw the movie last night- it felt a bit weird...

To watch the trailer, click here.

If you go see it, let me know...

An Introduction to Scrapbooking...

2010-04-14T11:34:00.010-04:00

End of March, my husband and I decided to start a scrapbook. So we went through piles of magazines* that we had previously discarded for recycling. Here are images from my scrapbook so far...

I am so grateful to Marco for having introduced me to scrap-booking. I've always enjoyed collage and montage, so laying images out in a book is like a revelation to me- an epiphany, really !

What about you?
Do you like scrap-blooking?

*Mainly Vogue (Paris, UK, US), Colors, W, Harper's Bazaar, The Face, and I.D

Facial treat-ment!

2010-04-10T14:09:00.009-04:00

Dear dear dear!
Last Thursday I finally indulged and enjoyed the very unique spa gift (through WaySpa.com) that some London-based friends offered to us as a wedding present last year. I relaxed into a wonderful facial treatment. What a plunge!
Yes, the picture would have been flawless if... the blackheads removal had been reported missing. ARGHHHHHH! I hate this! 'Are you OK, dear?' 'Yeeees, fine, fine...'. Just biting the bullet...Trying to be polite, when I could have punched the beautician in the face, once or twice perhaps, just to release the pain. Did I say how much I hate this?
Promised I'll do the exfoliating twice a week, and will apply a hydrating mask once a week to fight against these nasty eye wrinkles, promised!
Anything that can spare me the blackheads torture again.

Two excellent reasons to fly to Paris...NOW!

2010-04-06T20:17:00.009-04:00

Photo by Jean-Loup Sieff

YSL Retrospective

at the Petit Palais
11 March - 29 August 2010

Villa Drusch built in Versailles in 1963

Claude Parent, Architectural Work/Graphic Work
at La Cité de l'Architecture & du Patrimoine
20 Jan - 02 May 2010

Voyage, voyage!

2010-04-05T18:52:00.004-04:00

Wonderful! Vacation time!
One week off. No trips to any exotic places but a lot of "voyages immobiles"...
I am now in a very good place.