Hairstyle Dilemma

My brother and his fiancee's engagement is coming up soon and I need to find the perfect hairstyle for the event. Because my dress is sort of backless, I would like to wear my hair up but I don't know what kind of updo would like nice! Here are some I have been looking at.

Awesome Music: William Fitzsimmons

William Fitzsimmons is a singer/songwriter I recently fell in love after hearing his song "After Afterall" on So You Think You Can Dance Canada (surprisingly!). Don't be fooled by his rugged and disheveled look, he has the voice of an angel, which fits perfectly with the soft and intense acoustic music he sings. If you like artists such as Iron & Wine, Joshua Radin and Sufjan Stevens, then you will definitely enjoy William Fitzsimmons. His song I Don't Feel It Anymore includes an anonymous female vocalist and is the perfect example of a heartbreaking acoustic love song. Hope you like it!

It's Been Awhile!

Hello! I can't believe I have neglected my blog for this long! I think it's because I was unhappy with the direction I chose for it. Although I'm obsessed with reading, it really isn't the only thing I want to talk about. In fact, I want to talk about all of the things I like to indulge in (hence the new title lol). Books are great, but so is eating dessert and going shopping! I'm also really going to try and write more often, not just once a month! lol. Anyway, hope you enjoy it!

Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Yesterday morning before school, I started to read The Gazette's review of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. The article discussed how the Games suffered major devastation and setbacks, with the death of the Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili as well as horrible weather conditions and a technically flawed opening ceremony. Despite all of this, I believe that Canadians, both athletes and spectators, demonstrated how truly respectful, classy and talented they are. Winning fourteen gold medals is an amazing accomplishment and it is an understatement to say that Canadian pride has soared due to the achievements of our Canadian athletes. The article also explained that the closing ceremonies acted as a satirical representation of Canada, with dancing beavers, lumberjacks and gigantic mounties. Today, my friend Olivia showed me a wall post from people in the U.S. who ridiculed the closing ceremonies for being tacky and predictable. This made me angry but I also had to laugh because they entirely missed the point of the entire ceremony, as the purpose was to expose the stereotypes of Canada that people like those in the U.S. take seriously. Although I have to admit that William Shatner and Catherine O'Hara were somewhat embarrassing, the closing ceremonies did do a good job of poking fun at major Canadian stereotypes. Overall, I believe that the Vancouver Olympics were a success despite the major challenges they were faced with and Canadians should be very proud of our country's hospitality as well as its athletes.

photo courtesy of google images

Shaika Cafe

Shaika Cafe is a really cute and trendy coffee shop in N.D.G. that is perfect for doing homework, writing and reading a good book. Located on Sherbrooke Street and Old Orchard, the cafe has an international and natural feel, decorated with dark wood tables, lots of plants and beautiful paintings. What is even more amazing about this cafe is that it serves fair trade and organic coffees. It is somewhat like a Java U but is much more unique and way more cozy. It also has wi-fi internet, like most coffee shops, which is perfect for getting essays written. They also promote and support local Montreal musicians, putting on shows various times a month. If you are bored of the regular Starbucks and Second Cup atmospheres, I definitely recommend Shaika Cafe. It is the perfect place to meet and talk with friends, read a good book or get some homework done.

As a side note, if you like Shaika Cafe, you might also like the owner's other restaurants. Also located in N.D.G. and Westmount, La Louisiane, Bowfinger and The Claremont are all amazing restaurants, each with their own unique and diverse styles and menus.

Website: www.shaikacafe.com

Audrey Hepburn

I have long been a committed fan of Audrey Hepburn (as you can see from the title of my blog!). Recently, I have been reading her biography called "Enchantment: The Life of Audrey Hepburn" by Donald Spoto. A New York Times Bestseller, the biography does a fantastic job of retelling Audrey's life, beginning from her childhood in Belgium and Holland, proceeding to her lessons in ballet and then her subsequent career first as a dancer and then as an actress. It outlines Audrey's life as a celebrity and spends time explaining what her life was like while she worked on movies like "Sabrina" and "Breakfast and Tiffany's" (two of my absolute favourites). It also gives a detailed account of her love life as well as her work with UNICEF and other charities helping the sick and poor in Africa. As an added treat, the biography also includes many photographs of Audrey throughout her life, my favourite being the one of her sitting on the fire escape singing "Moon River" in "Breakfast at Tiffany's". If you are an Audrey Hepburn fan, I definitely recommend this biography as it more than adequately details the life and career of one of Hollywood's most classic and beautiful actresses.

(photograph courtesy of ebooks images)