On this eve of New Years Eve, I wish every one of you a safe and wonderful celebration of the end of the year and all the best for 2008! I'm not sure if I will get a chance to post again tomorrow so I'd like to wish you all the best.

(Just a little reminder not to drink too much and even if you've had a little holiday "cheer", please do not get behind the wheel of a car... take transit or a taxi, alright?)

Lola

If I never see another spoonful of mashed potatoes, it will be too soon. I don't know about the rest of you, but I just feel so stuffed after the Christmas dinner my mother made. Every year, I swear I won't eat beyond the size of my stomach and the next year, I forget this oath and end up not needing to eat until the new year.

I just wish my mother wasn't such a great cook!

That said, it was great to spend the holidays with family and friends. It all but makes up from the discomfort of eating. Today, I've escaped so that I can get some exercise and to post an update.

I hope that you will check out the new link that I posted yesterday. It's quite interesting. I always appreciate these kinds of sites that show people doing some really amazing things with their hands. (Keep your minds out of the gutter, alright?) As a person with a talent for creative, hand produced items, I find this kind of thing inspiring. Perhaps it will inspire me to get away from my mom's leftovers and do something constructive.

Anyway, that's it for me. I hope that everyone out there is having a great holiday and I wanted to say hello to my friends in Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Mexico, Slovakia (Hey S! Did you see the Canada vs. Slovakia hockey game?) and the United Kingdom who are away from Canada during the holidays. I'd also like to wish those of you who read this blog from France, Iceland, Ireland, Hungary, India, Japan and the US all of the best for the holidays. Take care everyone!

I thought that you might be interested in checking out a site that my friend has passed along. It's called pingmag MAKE and it’s a Japan-based magazine about people and making things that is updated weekly. It also goes on to say that they are passing on the passion, ideas, skills, and life stories of people who are building today and exploring tomorrow: craftsmen, engineers, entrepreneurs, and inventors.

I've taken a look and it's pretty interesting. I hope you enjoy it.

Hmmm. I just noticed that I've spent a lot of time posting about fashion over the last week or so. Not entirely in my nature, I know, yet it's better than not posting at all. I hope that you can forgive me.

Actually, this whole fashion thing reminds me that I reconnected with this amazing young man that I met at work. He was one of those people with an amazing level of energy and it was always quite infectious. In fact, Victoria hasn't really been the same since he left here for Toronto all so long ago. And, luckily for me, he's now back on the West Coast!

We got a chance to hang out while I was in Vancouver and we talk incessantly and wandered about the city just catching up. One of our topics was fashion and I think that is what got me so reinterested in the topic again. I lost touch with it ages ago but it was great to get involved in it again. So, I'd just like to say thank you to Monsieur Tai. I hope that we will get together soon.

I was wondering if anyone else out there has noticed a new phenomenon this Christmas. Have you, like me, seen people's yards all covered with what looks like piles of nylon fabric strewn all over? At first, I thought it was tents or people cleaning up their garages during the day. Then, the light bulb inside my head went on. It was the deflated remains of those air-filled decorations that are shaped like snow globes and inflatable santas. I can't help thinking what a mess this makes in people's yards. It makes me want to move in next to them and park old rusting cares and metal just to see how they react. I would just call them decorations (or even sculptures).

What I wonder most of all is how much electricity these things use? I'd be interested in researching how much extra cost is added to a person's electric bill during this season. It's just another example of how we consume so much during this so-called holiday season and reaffirms my convictions in avoiding the gift-giving and over-decorating at this time of year. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Instead, I make more of an effort to see people that I care about and share some time together.

The next week or so will be so busy for me that way so I cannot guarantee that I'll be doing much posting during that time. I hope that you all have a great holiday season.

I'm almost finished my socializing for the day. I'll be spending the rest of today recuperating from my gingerbread house-making injury to my back (that'll teach me from bending over the oven too many times) and catching up on "Ugly Betty". In a way I'm glad for the writer's strike because I missed a whole lot of the season when I took my Sound Recording class.

Take care and have a great holiday. I cannot say that I will have much time to post and in case I don't, best wishes for 2008!

Saskatoon's Evan Biddell wins inaugural 'Project Runway Canada'.

Congratulations Evan for winning this competition! In my opinion, the judges were absolutely right. Now you just have to work it! We're all waiting for your collection! (I hope to see a website up for you soon) In the meantime, you can view Biddell's winning collection for Project Runway Canada by clicking the link.

I watched the final episode yesterday and was happy with the result. I think Iman was correct is saying that we'd seen Lucian Matis' collection before. There is no doubt that he is a stickler for perfection but I cannot help thinking what a snob he was when he basically said that there is no worthwhile fashion coming out of Canada. There are some truly talented people designing here and he should remember to be a bit more humble. The one comment that stuck with me about him is that he's already been in the design game for quite a while and if he hasn't made it by now, there has to be a reason. I think part of that reason is that he lacks vision. He is just really great at making pretty dresses.

However, I will not dwell on the negative here. Evan Biddell is the one to look out for although, I also know that Marie-Genevieve and Carlie Wong are also pretty amazing talents. I'll definitely watch for them as well.

Finally, another name to watch out for and who was not on the show is Jean Okada. I think she'll be releasing a line as well. Good luck to her as well.

Cheers from my temporary position as fashion editor.
Lola

It's the fifteenth day of December and just what have I seen?

One reality show contestant,
Two small snowfalls,
Three malls packed full of people,
Four hundred dollars of shoes,
No golden rings,
Poor bus service,
Too many plastic bags,
Several flocks of pigeons
a couple of holiday films
and legions of people begging for change.

Okay, so that's a sad attempt at a holiday song...

Interestingly enough, I haven't had enough time to be bored. Besides getting more than my share of sleep, I've also managed to catch up with many of those friends that I haven't been able to see due to our conflicting schedules in 2007. It's been so much fun. And despite me swearing that I would have a holiday free of scheduling, it hasn't really worked that way. I've once again become a social butterfly this holiday so far.

The only dilemma with this is that I have not been able to embark on much in the way of creative projects. I had wanted to shoot some more film but haven't had a chance. And, barring putting any pressure on myself, I will try to do this sometime soon. That, and I will have to do my end-of-the-year clean up that is a tradition I have.

It's ironic that this is supposed to be a joyous season, yet everyone I encounter looks so stressed out. Mostly because of the gift buying thing. I'm so glad that I abolished that tradition quite a while back. I'd much rather spend time with those that I care about than spend too much money on gifts that should probably be re-gifted. (That said, I'd like to thank Slash, Romi & Eri-chan for their thoughts. And yes, they were lovely thoughts... as it very thoughtful. I'm glad as well that we got a chance to hang out before you left the country.)

Anyway, I just wanted to wish all of you out there a happy holiday season. Please take time to relax.

For those of you that I owed letters to, please know that I've tried my best to write to you. I won't name names so that it will be a surprise.

I'll try to post again before Christmas. Take care everyone!

Okay, so I was wandering down the street with friends the other day and who should I happen to almost run into but Evan Biddell of Project Runway Canada. I was wondering what this guy would be doing leaving an Aveda Salon in Victoria but nevertheless, there he was really quite the distance from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Now that the contest is officially over, I'm sure that everyone on the show would know even though those of us who have to wait for the finale next Monday are still in the dark about it.

Seriously, I hope that either Biddell or Marie Genevieve wins. I cannot stand that transplanted European snob who thinks that Canada is just beneath him.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll be on my way as I'm still on holiday.

Oh, and Mister Anchovy? There have been so many dues paid for that month of holidays. I don't wish them on anyone...

Here it is, the first real day of my annual vacation and I dropped by the local cyber cafe to post a few lines. I'm glad to be out of the house to day at least. The weather has been extremely ugly here since December started.

Weirdly enough, we had snow here on the first which meant that the running shoes that I live in were hardly enough for the elements. I suppose that I need to purchase some boots. I discovered though that living with orthotics also means there are less choices for shoes. I don't mind paying good money for shoes but they have to be just right. Anyway, I should get to shoe shopping this week. I might even have to get to Vancouver if I cannot find any here.

I stayed home all day yesterday watching telly because of the heavy precipitation and the high winds. So much for the "I'm going to wake up every day on my holidays and do whatever I feel like" ideal that I had laid out for myself. Apparently yesterday, I felt like I wanted to get up and be a slug. It definitely put a damper on my desire to just live for the day. I've got to be a bit more ambitious. That, or I'm going to have to resort to planning out every day of this holiday and chuck the whole idea of spontaneity out the window.

That said, it feels nice not to have any responsibility to the office. I can be the master of my own destiny... Which means that I can write, take photos and visit with people to my heart's content. Oh, and I can ponder some of those ideas of being my own boss as well.

Anyway, I had thought that I would have some sort of creatively written post for you today however, I need to sit down and record some thoughts so that I don't forget them. It works out better for all of us if I do.

So, here's hoping that the weather in your area is tolerable. Here? We're supposed to have loads of rain and subsequently flooding in the low lying areas. Nice.

And, to those who are idiot enough to get into their car in a snowstorm and drive along treacherous roads despite not being prepared for it, grab a brain. Just stay where you are until it's actually safe to drive...