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Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

WW188: JULIE MADLY DEEPLY, WAFFLE TATERS, and JUST ONE JOB


Happy 'Wonderful Wednesday' to you!
So here are the 5 things that I think you should LOVE this week!!!

1.) This one is for my friends who love show tunes - like I love show tunes……
      Julie, Madly, Deeply. I am so happy that I got to see this show!!! It was super fun!


If you like cabaret - if you like musicals - if you like those crazy Brits - most of all if you like Julie Andrews - THIS is the show for you!!!!
Yes, it is 105 minutes of delightful tribute to Julie - from her SUPER FAN Sarah-Louise Young!
SUPER TALENTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here is how Mirvish describes the show:

Adored by millions, Dame Julie Andrews is a genuine legend of showbiz around the globe. This charming and cheeky musical show features songs from The Sound Of Music, My Fair Lady,Mary Poppins, Victor/Victoria and many more.

Julie’s incredible career is celebrated by a true super-fan: the award-winning singer, West End actress and international cabaret star Sarah-Louise Young, who has been named by Time Out as one of London’s Top Ten cabaret performers.

The brilliant songs are linked by stories and anecdotes about Andrews’ own life, from her beginnings as a child star to the recent challenges of losing her famous singing voice. What emerges is a delightfully funny and candid love letter to a true show business survivor.

Don’t miss the show’s North American premiere in this strictly limited engagement, direct from a sell-out West End season and UK tour. Singing along is not compulsory but few can resist!



Honestly, it was such a fun night out! Sarah-Louise Young was super funny.
So go get tickets…...BUT GET ON IT FAST!!! 
There are only 3 dates left!
Thu Oct 16, 8PM
Sat Oct 18, 2PM
Sun Oct 19, 7PM
at Panasonic Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto

2.) This is for my peeps who like great architecture……or who love nature……or BOTH! Let's all go to Sydney, Australia and marvel at ‘One Central Park‘:


It is ‘the world’s tallest vertical garden’. It is designed by Jean Nouvel in collaboration with PTW architects. Now check out this cool cantilevered reflector installation with motorized infrared panels, designed to redirect sunlight to otherwise shaded areas of the plan. It also becomes a cool LED light at night!






I like that there is greenery on EVERY UNIT of this apartment building! The plants help reduce energy consumption with leaves that trap carbon dioxide, emit oxygen and reflect less heat back into the city than traditional fixed shading. BRILLIANT!!!!!!
SO LET'S GO!!!!!!

photographer murray fredericks, courtesy of frasers property and sekisui house

3.) A is for ADORABLE! Anna Kövecses, made this fantastic book for her four year old daughter!


 “This book is the result of a very personal project aiming to introduce a little girl to the 44 letters of the Hungarian alphabet. Illustrations were carefully designed so that every subject that appears in this book is something she’s currently very much interested in. So in one way this book is not just a tool but also a diary documenting a four-year-old little girl’s world in the summer of 2013 on an island in the Mediterranean Sea…”

WOW! That is amazing. So sweet! But I also love these retro-y very graphic art pieces!


Anna self-published this book on Blurb.
So let's all learn the Hungarian alphabet and buy her delightful book!
(thanks to The Jealous Curator for finding this for US!)

4.) WHO'S HUNGRY?? Darn you Cheeky Kitchen on Tablespoon.com


JUST LOOK AT THIS REVELATION!!
Tater-tot waffles:

OMG!
MUST TRY THIS! (and tell Husband that I thought it up myself! ;-)
Remember to check out other great recipes on Tablespoon.com

5.) Thanks to Deb….I now have a favourite Twitter feed……..it is "you had one job" or @justonejob (as the kids say)….it chronicles the failures of people and the things they create as part of their jobs…….let me show you some recent tweets:

I LOVE THE CHINESE FLAG!

…...TOTALLY uncomfortable with this failure…...

Harry Potter and the Deathly Prime…..
Racists who hate juice….it is so unapPEALing
(get it - like pealing a fruit - for juice…)





Wednesday, May 7, 2014

WW166: SILICON VALLEY, BIBLIO-MAT and DREAM CARS!

5 things I want you to like this week…………

1.) Silicon Valley is a very enjoyable new TV show on HBO (pronounced Hobo).  It's not just for nerdy types……..it is a really great underdog story!

The story centers on six programmers who are living together and trying to make it big in Silicon Valley. It has a cast of people I didn't know….as well as Kumail Nanjiani and TJ Miller two comedy guys that I already enjoy from my podcast listening……oh…and did I mention….it was created my Mike Judge……..very amusing…here's a clip:

(or see it HERE!)

2.) Hey all you Toronto book lovers…..and lovers of vintage looking  things…..CHECK THIS OUT….
The Biblio-mat is an invention of The Monkey's Paw right her win Toronto! It is the first device of its kind, allowing curious bibliophiles to sample the excitement and mystery of antiquarian-book hunting for the cost of a single $2 coin. The Biblio-Mat was designed and constructed for the Monkey's Paw by animator Craig Small.

The BIBLIO-MAT from Craig Small on Vimeo.

(here is a link if that did not work!)
(Thanks Cindy!)

3.) Ok…..THIS…..can we go to this???? The High Museum of Art in Atlanta is presenting a new show….. "Dream cars: innovative design, visionary ideas" starting on the 21st and running through Sept. 7th 2014!

It's not that I am a big car guy……BUT THESE….WOWSA!!!

 Here is the description:

"17 concept cars from europe and the united states, on view for a major exhibition spotlighting innovation in automotive design. ‘dream cars’ will feature some of the rarest, most imaginative vehicles by ferrari, bugatti, general motors and porsche, from as early as 1930s up to the 21st century. the chosen four-wheelers are renowned for their super-sleek design aesthetics and progressive engineering, which pushed the limits of ingenuity, creativity and foreshadowed developments in the industry. the exhibition will pair concept drawings and scale models alongside realized cars, illustrating the ways in which their exploratory visualizations have changed the automobile from an object of function to a symbol of the future."




I WANT TO GO TO THERE!!!
See more HERE!
(via DesignBoom)

4.) Neato.  US based artist Pei-San Ng creates these gorgeous pieces from vintage matches…..


I like them….although I DO worry about setting my home on fire…….but then again….for the sake of art……maybe…...

5.) This is kinda funny……Thank you Jimmy…….Sally - you just KNEW she would win a swear off!!!!
OR GO HERE TO SEE IT!

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

WW165: GLAD DAY, FARGO and THE SKULL SPOON!

Hey all! Here are the 5 things I want you love this week………

1.) Again…..I am not a HUGE bird lover……but these art pieces really make me want to change my mind…….Artist Juan Fontanive's pieces are REMARKABLE!
-4-COLOR SCREEN PRINT ON BRISTOL PAPER, STAINLESS STEEL, MOTOR AND ELECTRONICS. 20 X 21 X 3.7 IN. 2014


Still don't get it??? WATCH THIS and have your mind blown! ;-)


(if that didn't work - see the AWESOME videos HERE)
COME ON!!!!
(via Colossal)

2.) Fargo! Well…it's everything you might expect……this dark comedy-crime drama series created by Noah Hawley is based on the 1996 film of the same name written and directed by the Coen brothers. And it is Coen brothers worthy re-dux!

This story (just like the movie -- almost 20 years ago) chronicles the stories of "regular people" that spin violently out of control in a frozen small-town in Minnesota! If you like dark humour, subtle menace, and bursts of violence -- then this quirky, slow unravelling show is for you! Need another reason to watch?? How about the cast, which includes Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks, Bob Odenkirk, Kate Walsh, Adam Goldberg, Oliver Platt , Key & Peele, Keith Carradine…etc……
CRAZY GOOD! Here's a clip:

3.) Glad Day Bookstore. Ok folks, this is a great story! In a world where it seems like big conglomerate companies own everything, and books become more like antiques…..the gay community can STILL come together for something good…….and I am GLAD!


Opened in 1970, Glad Day was the Toronto (and Canada's) first bookstore targeted to the gay community….and moved to its current location in 1981. It is NOW the oldest surviving LGBT bookstore in North America.

In 2011 the store went up for sale due to declining revenues but was ultimately rescued by a collective of 22 community members! Under its current ownership, the store is revitalizing its role as a cultural hub, with an event space to host author readings, performances and community group meetings! My first visit to Glad Day was in 1994 (the year I moved to Toronto) and I was overwhelmed by the 3000+ titles!! It was a very important part of my induction to the Toronto gay 'scene'…..and it is still vital to our community!!!

You can find their online store at Glad-day-bookshop.myshopify.com
Let's support them!!!!!!!!

4.) I LOVE THIS! The Sugar Skull Spoon………yes…….I want a whole set of them! (Don't you Deb? ;-)
Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign last year, UK design studio Hundred Million has now brought the Sugar Skull Spoon to YOU….(or maybe ME???)

These special stainless steel teaspoons are also available to purchase at The Foodiggity Shop!

5.) This. Jimmy. Emma. NOW!
(for those of you who can't watch this….GO HERE!)

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

WW131: LINDI ORTEGA, BROSMIND, AND BETTER BOOK TITLES!

Welcome!
Let's get to it.....five glorious things that I DON't want you to miss!!!!!

1.) I know what you are thinking.....Rob, I do not waste enough of my time on the world wide interwebs.....can you show me something that will help spend time getting absolutely nothing accomplished? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!! I give you Tonematrix:
Useless? YES!
A solid waste of time....CHECK!
Enjoy this. (Thanks Deb)

2.) I heard this from a Facebook friend......and cannot stop playing it. LOVE her voice!
Now is the time to make a confession........it has taken me a long time to admit this.....
I love country music. That's right folks, I am coming out of the country closet!
As a country music fan, I am happy to share with you this Toronto grown gem of a singer.....
Lindi Ortega. here is a little wiki-bio:

Canadian singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. Now living in Tennessee, her voice has been described as a blend of Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris. She spent nearly a decade as an independent artist in the Toronto music scene, releasing two albums and an EP in that time. She has been described as "Toronto's best kept secret" and nicknamed "Indie Lindi". Ortega toured extensively as a backup singer for Brandon Flowers, the lead singer of The Killers. She has been nominated for two Juno Awards. She also has a brand new album coming out in October!

Here are a couple songs:



Now...go to her website - or iTunes and get a little country in your life!!!

3.) Thanks to Cindy....and a bit of research (aka time wasting) I found this website.....Better Book Titles, once you see the names of these books....you will NEVER see the old names again without thinking....oh ya......that WAS a better title!! Please enjoy this SMALL snippet......








Check out more HERE!
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!!!


4.) This is weird...but WONDERFUL......

It's a unicorn covered in cute food!! The work of Spanish artists {and brothers} Juan and Alejandro Mingarro, aka Brosmind. Their Barcelona based studio is the hub for their very successful illustration company. Their wacky personal projects are the real treat though.



I also love the Brosmind WAGON. "a hilarious car covered with beanbags and powered by pedals. It was created for the collective exhibition ON! Handcrafted Digital Playgrounds, taking place at the Contemporary Arts Center of Cincinnati, Ohio (March-September 2013). 



All the visitors attending the exhibition are invited to drive it in order to tour the exhibition from a funny point of view. Technical support by Isaac Salom. Pillows manufactured by Woouf.

5.) Ridiculous. There. That's all I can say.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy8FjcmDgck&feature=youtube
(thanks Warren)