Music Mosaic In The Desert Air

Angie & Mila

In 14 days I'm desert bound. Off to Coachella with 6 other girls. An epic adventure, sure to be a tradition in the making.  While the rest of Whistler rejoices over the late March powder, I'm turning my thoughts to bikinis, martinis, and music. Hailed as one of the top music festivals in the world, Coachella is undoubtedly the most glamorous. $1500 a night Safari tents often sell out before camping spots, and hotels have been fully booked since December. With visions of our dust caked selves at Pemberton flashing in our mind, and armed with two friends that work for the Hilton, our 6 pack will be staying at the La Quinta Resort and Spa, boasting 41 pools and 5 top ranked golf courses. Our adventure starts April 13 and lasts a week, allowing us two days of fun and sun before and after the festivities. 

However, with sun, comes summer clothes, and with summer clothes come that panic in your stomach feeling. Enter my currently uneventful and honestly quite boring life. Since waking up the morning after Canada won gold, with the ultimate "I've been partying for 2 weeks straight" hangover, I've been on a health kick. Fresh Nikes on feet, I have been religiously hitting the gym three days a week, not going down any stairs to enjoy a beverage (all the bars in Whis are underground) and eating a well balanced diet. I currently wake up every morning hangover free, and just recently completed my first 5k. Fabulous right?

Whoop dee doo. I have never been so bored in all my life, and if it weren't for the fear of winter skin in skimpy clothing, combined with my affinity for this season's baggy short, crop top look I'd throw in the towel right now. However, being the Gemini that I am, I'm determined to follow through with this extremist side of my dual personality. Welcome to the final days of my Coachella diet...all 14 of which will be Sugar Free.  Buh Bye cereal, Starbucks, and Mini Eggs. I better see major results or I may eat my entire Easter loot on the plane to Palm Springs. 

Here's my current Workout Playlist - all of these artists will also be at Coach!

1. Head Will Roll - Yeah Yeah Yeahs

2. Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z

3. Black and Blue - Mike Snow

4. Violent and Young - Iglu & Hartly

5. Stillness is the Move - Dirty Projectors

6. Ghost - Deadmau5

7. Sleepyhead - Passion Pit

8. Quicksand - La Roux

9. Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

10. Crystalised - The XX

11. Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation

12. Run This Town - Jay-Z

13. Animal- Mike Snow

14. In For The Kill - La Roux

15. Sexy Bitch - David Guetta

16.  Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap

17. Lisztomania - Phoenix

Something Pretty

A pretty blonde strolls the streets of Paris, stumbling upon a bridge covered in locks. Some with notes, some tied with pretty string, all with no explanation. This blonde is my friend Charlotte. You never know where she is in the world, or what she is up to, but her life's always an adventure. 

I haven't been to this bridge, nor to Paris, but when I saw this picture I had to have it. I'd like to believe that people in the city of love, take these locks and fasten them to this gate to signify their love for one another. Years go by, relationships grow, change, end, but the locks remain the same. A reminder to us that love is all around us.

Happy Friday

M

The Whistler Girls' Guide to Whistler Guys

The Real McCoy

With a girl to guy ratio of 1:5 finding a guy in Whistler should not be a problem. However, sit in on any girls night and the complaints are loud enough to deter any girl from pursuing her "Whistler Boyfriend" dreams. Shocking, I know. So why when there are so many young hot boys from all over the world, is it so damn hard to find a boy in Whis?

The Key word here ladies is BOY.

Welcome to Whistler, also known as Never Never Land. We get as many Lost Boys here as we do days of rain. Very few members of the opposite sex move to Whistler to find the girl of their dreams, and live happily ever after. Please, keep that in mind before you hop on a plane from Australia, England, or Ontario, prepared to wow all the Whistler guys into submission with your amazing style, great hair, and "really good at dating a pro" ways. I mean how could they not want you? They must be getting sick of all the hardcore snowboard girls by now right?

Without further adieu, allow me to introduce our first Whistler Guy:

The Peter Pan - Coming on 30 this guy is a Whistler staple. He knows everyone, and everyone knows him, they're just not really sure how, or why. Most likely a washed up pro snowboarder/skier turned product rep, these guys still hang out with actual pros who are usually about 18. Never one to settle down, this guy keeps getting older, while the girls he dates stay the same age. My advice? If you catch one, run before that's not all you've caught.

The Pro - These guys are good at everything, getting girls being no exception. With the confidence that comes with way too many friends, too much money, and a plane ticket out of here next week, these guys will sweep you off your feet and onto your back before you can tell them you're "not usually like this" Usually found in packs of 5-10 dudes, all decked out in Monster/Red Bull gear, you know you've got one when he gets more text messages at 2 am than anyone you know, and insists they're from his sponsors. Have as much fun with this one as you like, just remember he probably has a girl like you at the base of every mountain.

The Semi Pro - One of the more annoying types of all Whistler guys, these boys are hardcore shredders. So dedicated to the idea of being the next  big name, these guys shred all day, and talk about shredding all night. Often found in the Black Park, making home videos to send to sponsors, you know you need to upgrade to the real deal when you find out he lives with 13 dudes so he can afford a ski pass and he's turning 25.

The Real McCoy - This one may be a born and bred Whistler local, or his family may have had a place up here since Whistler was called London Mountain, either way he is a true outdoorsman. He back country skis in the  winter, rock climbs in the spring, and hikes in the summer. As a great adventurer and ultimate go getter, this guy is a keeper for the right lady. Just remember to throw out your heels and invest in a pair of hiking boots.

The Aussie Mate - You'll hear this one before you spot him. Usually drunk and belligerent, these boys are here for the Partay. Dressed in the worst combination of next years Burton and Volcom outerwear, this charmer has chin length blonde hair that may never have been washed. Add a crocheted bandana and some neon and what's not to love? That is until you realize he lives in Staff Housing and has no money. In my personal opinion...you are not "all roight mate"

The Bar Boy - This one shouldn't even need explaining. He may be a bouncer/bartender/ or manager at your favorite club, or it just may seem like he is because he's always there. You have him on speed dial and for good reason too... no line/no cover is a hot commodity in this town. Obviously good looking, if maybe a tad too well groomed these guys wheel and deal every pretty girl the same. Keep them close until the clock strikes 2, then vanish before you or they turn into a pumpkin. DFMO's are way more awkward with the lights on.

Disclaimer: This is intentionally sarcastic, and not intended to hurt anyone's feelings. Pffffff

READ THIS: The Omnivore's Dilemma

I have a reading problem. Some people devour Twinkies, I devour books. It became such a problem while I was traveling in SE Asia, that I actually had to choose between 3 meals a day, or a new book.

With 18 books read, in 2 months, none under 500 pages, the answer is obvious... I chose books. Seeing as this isn't high school, I'll leave the nerd defense behind, and simply say that people who don't read, are often horribly boring and have terrible spelling and punctuation. Now, I must admit that when it comes to books I vary rarely discriminate, I'll pretty much read anything. I don't stick to a particular genre, nor am I hugely loyal to any author. However, the one and only recurring trend on my bookshelf seems to be "The Controversial." I like books that get people talking, that fill my head with random facts, and that can basically hold their own in an educated conversation. You'll never get an interview if your recently read book list begins with "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea." Thus without further adieu please allow me to introduce to you "The Omnivore's Dilemma."

Written by investigative journalist Michael Pollan, TOD attacks the nagging question of "What should we have for dinner?" From this simple question Pollan takes us through the social, ethical, and environmental impact of our food choices, describing in vivid, often horrifying detail, how our food gets from its source, to our plate.  It may be an unexpected, and not very pretty truth, but it's one that every eater should know. 

Every time you go into a grocery store, whether it be Whole Foods, or Safeway, the choices you make on what foods to buy and how to spend your dollar, cast a vote. We have choices, but we are often unsure of what they are. Pollan's book, gives a clear, unbiased, non text-book-like look at what our choices are and how they effect the earth. You will not finish the book a converted Vegan, nor will you leave with the same blind confidence you once had in Organics. However, you will hopefully gain an educated opinion on where your food comes from and what you are actually putting into your mouth.

If you think that buying organic, being vegetarian, and shopping at Choices is casting the right vote..this book is for you.

If you think that eating meat, buying what's cheapest, and enjoying bananas in February is casting the right vote...this book is also for you.

Something Pretty

I first saw this poster a couple years ago, on the front cover of Domino magazine and immediatley had to have it. However, I apparently wasn't the only one who felt this way, and by the time I tracked down how to get one, they were out of stock and not planning on reprinting. UNTIL NOW. 2 years later the amazing people at Village have reprinted the poster and it is available to order. Now if I only had $100 to spend on a poster, and a place to put it (I'm in a bit of a transition stage right now with all my furniture in storage.) Anyways if you love it, or just love me, feel free to purchase it for me at vllg.com. :) And if you are like my bf who just simply doesn't see the magic in it, well consider the fact that maybe it doesn't see the magic in you either. To each their own...except this is my blog, so you better agree with me.

Created by the same people, this one is equally as lovely. Designed to inspire that feeling of carving yours and a loved ones name into a tree or telephone poll, how could my bf not go for this one? Either way, if we ever make that big move, he'll have no say in the decorating process. That is of course unless he would like to sacrafice the option of having a tv or a certain gaming console. ;)  

The Whistler Guys Guide to Whistler Girls

The Highschooler

Growing up in Whistler, our school teams would often travel to small towns throughout the Lower Mainland to compete in basketball and volleyball games. As our team van would roll into places like Squamish,Pemberton,and Courtney, we would howl with laughter at all the "townies" hanging at the 711 and local gas stations. We were confident that while we came from a town that was actually smaller in population than most of the ones we visited, we were much more sophisticated and worldly than these kids hanging at the local Sev. It is this same mentality that makes me feel entitled to act as an expert as I comment on Whistler Girls and give unsolicited dating advice.
  
Whistler Girls:

The Guy Girl - Often seen with unwashed hair, this girl loves to shred, wear boys clothes and sneer at city girls in dresses and high heels as they wait in line at Garfs. The idea of femininity and overall cleanliness is usually lost on this specimen. Can be found at Tapleys, Crystal or wherever else is serving 15 cent wings that night.

The Gear Girl - While this little filly loves the mountain as much as any boy, she's usually a sponsored rider, wearing only next years clothes in perfectly unmatched colors. She may snowboard with the best of them, but she does so with uncompromising style. At night you can find her working at a local hot spot, or creating drama at some high profile snowboard movie premier.

The "Local" Girl - These are the girls that moved to Whistler, for the scene, not the mountain. Probably from somewhere out east, these girls work exclusively for local clubs. They know everyone, and everyone knows them.  Blonde and usually poised behind a beer bin, if u can spot extensions and a glowing tan in mid February, you know you've caught one.

The Highschool Gal - Three letters : TNA, and if you think I mean Tits and Ass, your a total perv. These girls go to Whistler High, shop exclusively at Aritizia, wear $400 jeans and most likely work at Earls for the sole purpose of scoring fake ID. Can be found at Alpine Meadows Market, or dressed in black posed as your resident door whore.  Buyer beware, if she looks 16, she probably is.

The Real Girl - This girl is all about the fresh air. She skis in the winter, bikes in the summer and owns everything from Escape Route and Lulu Lemon. Throw some yoga, triathlons, and cross country skiing in the mix, you've got yourself a winner if you can manage to keep up. Oh, and yes....her arms are bigger than yours.

The City Girl - Lately these ladies have thrown me for a loop. Usually easy to spot by their fake Cowichan sweaters, artfully layered under leather jackets; perfectly blow dried hair, Ugg boots and stunner shades (even in the snow.) These princesses have undergone a total transformation since HBC released their Olympic wear. What was once deemed cute for a "Whistler Winter Weekend" is now passe next to the sea of red white and navy. Extra points for matching beanie, mitts and Canada hoodie.

The Ladies Who Lunch - Also known as a WASP this is probably your mom I'm talking about. Moved to Whistler in the 80's when she was a "total hippie that loved to smoke dubes" this pretty lady loved to ski until you came along. Decked in a mixture of Lulu's and Mount Cashmere, she works only as hard as the Phillipino nanny allows. You can take this one down....if you drive a Cayenne.

Stay tuned for The Whistler Girls Guide to Whistler Boys.

Disclaimer: This is intentionally sarcastic, and not intended to hurt anyones feelings. Pffffff

Judge Me..

I know I know. It's a sappy teenage movie about star-crossed vampires, filled with cheesy lines and debatable acting prowess...I'll still be at the theater opening night, sitting in the front row in my Team Edward tee.
So what.
I love vampires.
Go watch Jersey Shore why don't you. Ugly people with terrible accents are no better than vampires offering eternal love. :)

Watch This - SHARKWATER

Ok, Im not a huge environmentalist, and I only dabble in vegetarianism, but this like so many documentaries these days, broke my heart. I often find myself watching, or reading books about the cruelties we as humans perform on other species. Perhaps, it's because I want to make educated choices, or ensure that when I use my power as a consumer to vote, the right people get the message. Whatever the reason is, Im drawn to these kind of stories. However, when the movie is over, or the last chapter is read I'm always left with a sense of overwhelming insignificance. I want to help, its just hard to know how and to what degree. It's equally as difficult to not feel like "you're just one person" and that it's out of your hands.

Sharkwater is a 2007 Canadian documentary film written and directed by Rob Stewart, who also plays the lead role. In the film, Stewart seeks to deflate current attitudes about sharks, and exposes how the voracious shark-hunting industry in places like Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and the Galapagos, is driving them to extinction. As species of sharks are becoming extinct due to poaching, you can do your part by telling your friends to see Sharkwater and pass on the message that sharks are not man-eating monsters and need our help! So watch the trailer, post it to your Facebook, Twitter, or Blog and stop feeling like one person with just one voice can't make a difference.

And of course, don't support restaurants that serve Shark Fin Soup.

Something Pretty

My first posts on this blog were just random thoughts floating in my head, ideas that needed expressing, or gratitude unheard. Over the last few days though I've visited many blogs, and have come to the realization that the ones that I enjoy the most seem to have a theme. Feeling a little deflated over this discovery, I tried desperately to come up with a theme, but nothing really felt right. Plus, I created this blog to write, not to showcase pictures I took,  or clothes I love (however, there will be some of both)  So I have decided to do the best of both worlds : I will continue to post my thoughts on daily life, but I will also incorporate a category of posts called "Something Pretty" Anything in this category will be something that inspires me, that I covet, and that makes me happy. I Hope you enjoy the first post of the series. I love flowers, they fix everything. Peonies are my absolute favorite. 

"I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."

- Audrey Hepburn

My Cat's Dating Quatchi, and I'm Cool With That

Once upon a time, a small little town called Whistler, placed a bid to be the host town of a big sporting event full of ubiquitous sports that very few people actually care about. Much to many a local's dismay, little Whistler won the bid, beating out super powers, and communist countries alike. Flash forward ten years, ten thousand complaints, tens of millions of dollars, and the Olympics have come and gone from our magical town, turning many a naysayer into the ultimate Olympic groupie.

I have to admit, I didn't attend a single official event, go to an official house, or sleep with any amazing athletes. However, I did stroll the village everyday, basked in the sunshine, caught multiple free concerts, collected endless shwag (thanks MOD), and talked to many a person who was having the time of their life. Whether you rooted for them from the beginning, or were an 11th hour convert like myself, I think we can all agree that the Olympics were bigger and better than we could have imagined. The positive energy in this town was truly inspiring. It's as if by sharing our town with the world, we finally remembered what Whistler used to be - what Whistler should be.

So screw you bad weather, bad snowfall, bad gondola towers, bad press. We invited the world, found our national pride, put on the best show possible, won the most gold medals and in the process remembered why we live here and why we're proud to be Canadian.

Check out the video that inspired this sappy, could be an advert for Whistler, rant, as well as some of my personal Olympic Spirit highlights below!

2010 Winter Olympics Montage - Stephen Brunt Video Essay

Facebooks Identity Crisis

I love facebook. I check it constantly, update it neurotically and in general get kinda pissed off when nothing exciting is happening on it. Also, having worked in marketing and currently trying to get a job in PR, I see its powerful ability as a marketing and networking tool. However, lately, my love of Facebook seems to be being infringed upon. How can a website that was designed and created initially for young adults, transfer itself smoothly into the business world, without losing or jeopordizing its primary clientelle? Facebook has an identity crisis.

The Facebook was launched in 2003 as a social networking site, geared primarily to American university students. Unlike its competitors, MySpace, Friendster, Zanga, hi5 and Bebo, Facebook was exclusive, requiring users to be attending a select few universities. In 2005, Facebook opened its doors to Canadian Universities, and high schools in both nations soon followed. Flash forward 5 years and Facebook has over 400 million active users, who divide their time between their personal pages, event pages, fan pages and business profiles. Everyone from your mom, to your boss and your dog are now on Facebook.

Thus, enter my frustration. I was recently told that I ought to tone down my Facebook before applying for jobs. My response of course to this was, "You can't see my profile unless you are my friend, I have high security settings" Which was quickly rebutted by, "They are going to ask for access to your profile, they will want to be your friend"

Soooo I ask u..how does one, who has been posting pictures, chatting, and updating since 2003, manage a profile that is acceptable for a variety of audiences? I don't know how to enjoy Facebook, AND make it acceptable for the less youthful generations..nor do I really think I should have to. In my opinion, a potential employer, asking to see my Facebook profile is unethical, and an invasion of privacy.

Facebook was designed by kids, for kids, as a way to express, connect and converse. I appreciate that it has segueyed into the business world, but I think that before our elders start poking fingers at what is and what isn't acceptable to post on your profile, they need to take a step back and consider what their motives for being on Facebook are in the first place, and secondly, whose turf they are really on.

As a side note, I'd just like to say that I am completely against anything trashy, naked, or blazed being shown on the book. However, a couple (or a 1000) photos of pretty girls at the bar..never hurt anyone. And if anyone disagrees...welp, I hope they enjoy reading my "About Me," cuz when I Limited Profile you...that's all you can see!