As a part of the happyfrog Testing Team I’ve had some cash at my disposal to go ahead and spend at local businesses or on local products. I came across a super neat handbag in a magazine a few days ago and although the bags aren’t handmade in BC (they’re from NYC) the store in which you can purchase them is 100% locally owned and eco-friendly so I’m hoping my listing on happyfrog is justified.
I took the 19 Metrotown bus over to Burnaby the other day (a great alternative to bus/skytrain connections) and on the way back I hopped off at Main and Kingsway. After meeting up with John, we skipped down to Lark, which is at 2235 Main Street. They didn’t have the Beck(y) Sk8bags out on display so I had to inquire about them. The sales girl was very helpful and emerged from the back room with an armful of styles, including the square tote, two clutches and about a dozen iPod cases.
Now the iPod cases are pretty clunky – seeing as how all these bags are made from recycled skateboards, so the Lark staff suggested they be used as a camera case and showed us how their Canon Powershot fit perfectly into the satin-laced pocket of the holder. I tried it out on my iPhone and decided that a leather case with satin on the inside and a wood plank on the outside would be pretty safe for whichever electronic device I wanted to store inside.
I’m actually pretty sure anything would withstand being dropped in this case. I was pretty much sold on the items before I waked in the door but after a couple of handy suggestions I sealed the deal and bought a nifty holder. Why not go with the clutch ($135)? I usually have too many things to carry and a purse with a strap is my best friend. The square tote would have been perfect but with a hefty price tag (more than the clutch), it just wasn’t in my budget.
I understand that I did end up spending a heck of a lot on a simple device holder but this is pretty much what the happyfrog assignment was designed to do. Get me out of the house spending dough on enviro-cool items at local retailers or salons and reporting back about how you can look up even more places on the happyfrog directory.
I’ll be creating a listing on happyfrog for Lark since they have locally designed merchandise, like handmade scarves from an organic alpaca farm but also environmentally-conscious doo-dads like the PO-ZU biodegradable slippers:
They come in boxes made of coconut and natural latex which is also used for the cushion inside the sole. With the box comes a packet of seeds which can be planted in the winter in your home and then in the summer you can take the whole box and plant it in your garden and it will biodegrade. [Lark’s blog]
The first thing we did in 2008 was smooch (yeah I know you wanted to know that). The next was hang out a bit more with the Carlsons, then we walked the 3 blocks home and snuggled into bed. The first thing we’re doing now that we’re up-and-atom for January 1st is snuggling on the couch, watching the Winter Classic. Even though the Pens and Sabres are playing, O! Canada is being sung since the game is taking place outdoors in Buffalo, which looks pretty darn cold since even the goalies and wearing toques over their masks.
After the chorus of “God Bless America”…. and the flyover by Blackhawk helicopters, the game will be underway. With the fireworks, excitement, and overhead shots of the PACKED stadium displaying our nation’s flags this game makes me wonder how on earth our 2010 Olympic ceremonies can compare (even to something like this) when they’ll be cramped inside BC Place.
This game is good for the America fans although we know most people watching right now are probably Canadian. The CBC’s coverage is pretty decent, actually calling the game while the announcers on NBC are talking about the weather. This is a real league game – not an exhibition – so we’ll see how it unfolds with the snow falling on the choppy ice, and how many more goals Sid can initiate since he just got an assist 21 seconds in.
Here are our first photos of 2008, taken with my iPhone:
Winter Classic 2008: Much needed warm up skate
Winter Classic 2008: Sid in Pens’ retro ice-blue
Lil’ hockey player Adam
Ariane organized a great event at the Alibi Room, where we had dinner
I’ve heard from some people that actual New Yorkers don’t ever venture into Times Square, that it’s more of a touristy thing. Regardless, this year they have the usual party in the street, a new LED ball, interactive messages that you can text to the big screens above, and you can even go to this website to get a message printed on a piece of confetti that will fall on revelers.
NYE 2007 Skytrain Party
As for Vancouver… what the heck is going on tonight?
The only site that seems to come up during a “New Years Eve Vancouver” search is Club Zone, where you can choose which 19 year olds you want to hang out with, the ones in white miniskirts at Caprice or the ones in mini jean skirts at The Roxy.
For an alternative, the City of Vancouver didn’t really come up with any more options like a First Night, that used to be held at the Library. Neighbouring cities have family-oriented events (I’ve found some in Surrey and Burnaby so far) but it seems as though Vancouver is content on leaving all the partying to Granville, which will be closed to vehicle traffic tonight. Apparently news outlets are also reporting that people in Metro Vancouver are “too scared” to come downtown due to “gang violence” so they’re just going to stay put at home. Is it really that? Or is it that there are no safe alternatives to our entertainment district?
[poll=13]
To view and vote on past polls, visit the Miss604.com poll page.
What a year it’s been for John, me, and the other element in our relationship, Miss604.com. Here are a couple items of note for 2007, including my most popular Flickr photos of 2007:
Stats: My monthly readership grew 410% from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007.
Number of Posts in 2007: 882 (including this one and counting til tomorrow).
I realize that most of the tips and tricks I include in this new series (categorized under: iPhone) will be useful to both men AND women but they’ll certainly have my own spin.
Here’s a current list of apps I’ve installed using Installer that have made life easier (remember, I’ve only had the thing for four days).
Customize – for reordering and changing system icons – remember to never include Customize under your “hidden” icons.
Summerboard – for overall theme and icon selection (I’m currently using “Oren”) and you can rename processes like changing “Slide to Unlock” to “Miss604 Rules”, for example. Although, there’s a SERIOUS lack of nice colourful themes out there. Most are OS based or vintage looking.
Screenshot – take snapshots of anything happening on your iPhone (the photo on this post was taken with this app).
Apollo – Instant Messaging App (Kinda like Adium) on which you can use your AIM, MSN or Google Talk account.
(There’s some more info, including how to start from scratch, on LifeHacker).
Also, to make WordPress blog post publishing quick and simple, there’s a plugin – for WordPress, not the phone – called WPhone.
Big thanks to John Biehler for all the resources. More updates and adventures to follow.
