Earlier this month I was invited to a demo and info session for Kiss My Face, a line of natural personal care products and cosmetics. I walked away with a huge basket full of goodies to try out and although I haven’t even got to the certified organic whitening toothpaste, lip balms, or the cold & flu eucalyptus and menthol shower gel, here are some of my reviews so far:
Kiss My Face – Lip Gloss
At first I went for the small stick of Sheer Organic Shine tinted lip balm since I’ve had bad experiences with goey lip glosses (ie. my lips stick together and my husband cringes when I kiss him on the cheek and leave sticky mess). The stick is all natural mineral color, 100% natural and 91% organic. I’m in love with the ruby shade which adds just enough colour while refreshing your lips with a pleasant peppermint scent and tiny green tea-like after taste. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The Whistler Film Festival will be taking place next week, from December 4th until the 7th and Miss604.com has been accredited. I won’t be able to make it up to the snowy cobblestones of the village however freelance journalist, actress, and friend of mine (since before the term ‘BFF’ was even coined), Michelle Kim, will be covering the festivities for the site.
The 2008 Whistler Film Festival will showcase 90+ films, including premieres from some of North America’s top directors, and will award over $42,000 in prizes and commissions. This premier event will also feature innovative industry programming through the Filmmaker Forum as well as several special events…
… The Festival kicks off with the Opening Gala, winds up with the Celebrity Challenge, a free outdoor screening and Tributes to some of the industry’s greatest talents, peaks with parties, and winds down with the Awards Brunch and Closing Film. [WFF08]
Atom Egoyan’s Adoration will be screened, along with Fifty Dead Men Walking, that won an award at the VIFF this year, and Centigrade – the amazing short film by Colin Cunningham whom I got to interview for E! Online last month. [Festival Guide]
I’m looking forward to Michelle’s coverage as she not only knows her way around a gala, she has also published articles for periodicals like the Globe and Mail and the Korea Herald. She spent time working for the BBC World Service in London and has also been seen on stage in local theatre productions.
She’ll have a festival recap before jetting off to Seoul, sharing the atmosphere, the party scene, and of course the film highlights of the WFF 08. Check back in a week for her coverage and if you’d like to attend the festival yourself, tickets for most films are from $10-$12 and passes are available online.
If you’re getting in the holiday spirit and are looking for some music-filled events to fill up your social calendar take note of these two concerts happening back to back next weekend.
December 5, 2008
Time: 7:05pm
Where: Ukrainian Hall, 905 E Pender at Hawks
Tickets: $8 in advance and $10 at the door
Mint Records’ Ridiculously Early Christmas Party Night One
Nardwuar Nite featuring The Evaporators, The Pack A.D., Lois, Kellarissa, Thee Goblins and some goodies from Nardwuar‘s video vault.
December 6, 2008
Time: 7:00pm
Where: Cambrian Hall, 215 E 17th Avenue at Main
Tickets: Available at Zulu, Red Cat and Scratch Records
Mint Records’ Ridiculously Early Christmas Party Night Two
Featuring Novillero, The Ramblin’ Ambassadors, Hot Panda, Young and Sexy, The Awkward Stage, Bella, and Vancougar. Door proceeds go to support the ALS Society of Canada and the first 75 concert-goers to arrive will receive lovely gifts.
For more events around town check out UQ Events for dates, times and listings. Feel free to give yourself a small education on the punk history of Vancouver as well.
Jennifer Lines and Todd Talbot
Photo by David Cooper
I’m really beginning to cherish my nights out on the town, catching the best in live local theatre and last night was no exception. John and I headed to Granville Island to see It’s a Wonderful Life at the Arts Club and we both really enjoyed the show.
Artistic Director Bill Millerd came out first to welcome the audience and we were touched that he gave Ballet BC a shout out and encouraged us all to support them in seeing The Nutcracker (Ballet BC having announced earlier this week that they 17 performers and most of their staff [CBC]).
I’m always impressed with the unique sets and audio/visual effects at Arts Club productions and using clips from the film, It’s a Wonderful Life, helped to add context while not take away from the dialog or flow of the play – it only enhanced it.
One thing that caught my eye during this production was the costume design as well as the great retro hairstyles. In the last scene I would totally want Mary’s dress and hairdo for my next Christmas Eve party.
Miss604’s guide to the ultimate holiday evening in Vancouver:
Catch an aquabus from downtown to Granville Island
Meander through the market (consider buying some wild board sausage from Oyama Sausage), check out the works of local artisans, perhaps pick up a few Christmas gifts.
Head to the Backstage Lounge (right underneath the Arts Club) and have a tasty dinner. There’s quite the selection of entrees, burgers and sandwiches and their appies come in very large portions (ie. we had a small mountain of zucchini sticks last night – perfect for sharing).
I also just discovered today that if you have a ticket to a performance that day, you can get 15% off your bill (food only) at the Backstage Lounge.
Since you’ll already be in the building, you can stay for a drink before showtime or head in to the Upstage Lounge for a glass of wine or a quick beer before taking your seats. You can also pre-order your intermission drinks, which is recommended.
Sit back, enjoy the show, and get in the holiday spirit.
After last night’s enjoyable performance, I would also suggest you head back to the box office and purchase tickets for Beauty and the Beast at The Stanley and repeat all of these instructions but replace “Granville Island” with South Granville.
It’s a Wonderful Life is showing from now until January 3, 2009. The Arts Club is also a sponsor of the Best of 604 so the winner of the “Best Events Site” category will be receiving a nice prize from them as well. (Note: Best Events Site can be a site, a directory, or a blog that lists events, reviews, coverage, or recaps.)
Last year I was waking up in a cozy room with frosted windows that looked out onto snow-covered streets while the warm aroma of a roasted turkey dinner embraced me and my Hawkeyes sweatshirt.
We were lucky enough to celebrate Thanksgiving with family in Iowa last year and unfortunately due to so many big events happening around town today, John wasn’t able to take time off to have a mini Thanksgiving at home with me – let alone a dinner at home since he’ll be working into the wee hours of the morning.
As a result, I’ve been following Tweetsgiving. How it works: Tweet “Thanks” to @4thanks, then make a donation in honor of anything you’re thankful for. Spread the gratitude by following @Tweetsgiving on Twitter and pass along information about the cause. $10,000 has been raised for charity over the last 48 hours by people all over the world coming together (virtually) in this way.
We’re hoping to get back to John’s hometown later this holiday season but for now, I’ll do my best to whip up a nice home-cooked meal (and some margaritas to boot) as John and I will have our own Bollwitt Thanksgiving tomorrow.
I’d like to wish all of our friends and family south of the border a very happy Thanksgiving. Please know that although we cannot be with you, we’re thinking of you and will do everything we can to get back and see you very soon.
