Samples: P&G BrandSampler

I like freebies and who doesn't? For a few years now I have been subscribed to P&G BrandSaver which is a fabulous way to get new products in your mailbox about every season/3 months. Sometimes they have special "male" samplers which are equally impressive (I have signed Mr. B on) so it is worth keeping abreast with their emails.

I was really impressed with my last box. Here is a pic of it:

Inside was a Febreze Car deodorizer, a Scope pack with a floss/mouthwash/toothpaste sample, Downey Un-Stopables and a man's Fusion Proglide Five Blade Razor along with coupons for more products.

I don't use Febreze because I can't stand the underlying smell it has that reminds me of a candy I ate as a kid ----yah, that concept is scary---- my Mom uses it. I was intrigued by the new Febreze Car fresheners though and I am excited to try it out in my car once the heat dies down a bit.

The Scope pack I have received before and they are super handy to carry with you if you are traveling.

The Downey is a bit scary. It is really, really scented. I can smell it even though it is vacuumed packed. I am going to try it out with my towels or my sock wash, in little bits though.

The razor is fab. Any free razor is fab. At $10 a pop, I hate buying razors. I have gotten more than one Venus razors (!!!) in the past and love the fact I don't have to buy them. Personally, I find it a good product, but find the razor overpriced and containing too much plastic that will later get tossed into a landfill.

What have I gotten in the past? I have received shampoo and detergent samples, teeth whiteners, food samples and great coupons. Pretty awesome guys! Definitely you should check it out!

The Sisters Brothers (and various thoughts about book critics and publishers)

Around Christmas 2011, there was a huge amount of hype about "The Sisters Brothers" by Patrick deWitt. The idea of reading a Western didn't really appeal to me and thankfully, my father was given the book by my aunt (saving me from buying it!)

While I thought I wouldn't enjoy it, I was pleasantly surprised and would recommend it! The book honestly reads like a short story and it is action packed, quick paced, and fun.

Maybe I associate Westerns with John Wayne and slow plotted movies that film dust storms and tumbleweeds. The basic plot is of Eli and Charlie Sisters traveling towards the west coast of California. They have been hired to kill a man (natch) and are notorious killers to most of the greater public. It really doesn't take much for them to pull a trigger, so expect a lot of blood.

I love the cover art on this book. The size is another story.

Charlie is a drunk. Eli is seeking a greater purpose in his life.  Together they get into strange situations (still trying to understand the witch thing), shoot a lot of people, drink and go to whore houses. It's really entertaining listening to Eli trying to make sense of it all.

Okay, now to a discussion on "funny":

All the critic quotes on and in the book talk about how hilarious the book is. This is not the first book I've read that has been deemed as hilarious where I don't laugh.

I have a sense of humour. This book was not funny. Whimsical, yes. Not, ha ha ha or LOL.

Who determines what is funny? Don't I have a sense of humour? David Sedaris is funny (I'm reading one of his works now). Why don't critics call "funny" works, "quirky"? Or "strange"? Or "weird"?

I think I am officially insulted.

And another thing: 

Is this why is the book is so friggin' big?!?!?!  The type is huge, .... , well, large. I threw this sucker in my purse one day and it practically took up the whole thing.

I am figuring the publisher probably thought that more men would read this book than woman. Do you think that they made the book bigger for "man hands"?

I'm insulted again!

The Sister Brothers is 9" in length and 6" wide.
(Stacked from bottom: The Sister Bros, Visit from the Goon Squad and Sons and Lovers)

Coming from a visual art background, I get the artsy-ness of a large paperback. It's cute. I get it. And I understand that sometimes a larger size lends it self to the story (I can't imagine D. Coupland's "Generation X" in a small format because it includes images, or any graphic book for that matter). And hardcover books tend to be bigger too.

But when novels are almost the size of a magazine, the publisher should consider that the reader may like to carry the book somewhere to read it.

Damn - I don't believe I actually measured it.

Dull to Shiny Rain Boots

Are your Wellies dull? Do they only look good in the rain? Here is a project you will be able to complete over the weekend.

The solution to make your booties shine is to use Armor All Vinyl Protectant wipes for your car. Easy Peasy!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes (or Car Crash Cupcakes)

A kitchen decoration of my dog chows down on a cupcake!

I was sentimental and decided for a family gathering I would make Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes. If you never had these as a kid, you missed out! In making these, I discovered many pros and cons about making them - something I would have never known as a kid.

You need: cake mix, ice cream cones and icing. Candy is good too.

Take your batter and pour it into your cone below the lip. In fact, I would even pour it lower than the batter in this image.

I found that loaf pans work very well to hold the cones. Make sure the cones are level otherwise you will get this or this: (especially if you overfill your cones!)

Thankfully you can pick some of this cake residue off and eat it!

FIRST MESS UP: I made these ahead of time and put them into a plastic container. Overnight the cones became soft from the moisture of the cake. Not cool.

I also made the icing ahead of time (a simple buttercream) and put it into a large plastic bag to pipe onto the cupcakes.

Early morning sunlight casts it's rays onto my icing and cupcakes.

SECOND MESS UP: It was a hot morning and the buttercream quickly became soft. It was not cooperative and soon I had icing everywhere. (Is that really a bad thing?) Top your icing with some candy. I used sour atomic balls.

If you have empty space in your plastic traveling container, fill it out with a ball of wax paper.

Cupcake for breakfast? Okay!

THIRD MESS UP: (Probably the biggest one to avoid): On route to the gathering we got in a car crash by being rear ended by another car and pushing us into the one in front of us. This will topple your cupcakes and make a big mess. At this point, you are allowed to eat any or all of the cupcakes to feel better.

Now if you remember these from your childhood, you will remember that the cone part is not the yummiest from baking. My boyfriend called it "stringy." I would describe it more as stale. I actually like the combo of the cake and cone but it is up to you to decide.

Cute Top...

Had to show you this cute top I picked up at a sidewalk sale....

EEK! Scottie Dogs!!!

A Tour of Luminato's Encampment

Yesterday I had the opportunity to have a look at "The Encampment," a large scale art installation at Fort York that is part of Toronto's Luminato and the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. I have never taken in any of the Luminato events, which never really appeal to me, and seem to consist mainly of dance and music.

Just taking in the website, I notice an artist I like (Dan Bergeron) was involved in an activity under the Visual Arts tab while "The Encampment" is not even listed. Very, very confusing.

The tents with the condo buildings behind. Old vs. New.

Each tent had an installation based on an individual who had lived through the 1812, whether they were a soldier, a wife, a business owner, a Native etc. Some were touching, others verged on paranoia, others promoted the successes of their subject. It was really quite neat and each artist used a variety of materials including trees, furs, furniture, burnt wood, flags - very inspiring!

I had a few friends take part and now I wish I had! Some of the installations were wonderful, while others were, well...not good....but the redeeming quality was, no one was turned away and it truly was a public art project. And with 200 tents, it was impossible to see everything without spending hours.

To learn more about the artists who conceived the project, check out here or to see some of the installations look here.

Oh and I love the blow up 1812 sign. It cracks me up. Seems wrong to have bouncy letters for a war.

Art and Clothing and Consumption and Blogs

I was fortunate to visit the McMichael Art Gallery in Kleinburg recently and had the opportunity to see Fashionality, an exhibition of contemporary Canadian artists who used clothing as inspiration. Despite how the topic can be kitsch, it was a really great show. I admire "process" in the creation of work. In other words, I like to see how the art took time, and patience, and tears, and strength to achieve the final product. I'm sick this way! I wanna see effort!

Day 121 This is a good picture to see all of the work Natalie has put into
her outfit: shoes, grey socks, blue stockings, dress and apron.

For this reason I was impressed by Natalie Purschwitz's Makeshift project. The poor woman undertook the incredible task of making all of the clothing she would wear, everyday, for the course of the year (2009). Everything had to be made by her. 

That is over 365 items of clothing people! Underwear and socks! Shooooooes ---EVERYTHING!

And like "Julie and Julia," she put it all on her blog.

The 2011 installation at the Vancouver Art Gallery.

The nice thing about the McMichael show is a television screen that displays her changing outfits, every second, so you can admire amount of clothing she created. She did reuse some clothing on some days (ie, shoes, socks) but give the girl a break - there must have been smoke rising from the machine. Along side of the television is a long rail with a selection of the clothing, so you can look through her creations.

Day 79

She continues to work in Vancouver and design in Vancouver under the label Hunter and Gatherer. Check out that website here.