Getting to Know You: Claire Rahn

Claire Rahn is our awesome editor and, little known fact, my sister! This stylish Mom of 3 is an ex-pat living in the U.S thankful every winter not to be dealing with Winnipeg's frosty temperatures. She's fluent in German from several years living abroad and loves to argue politics and philosophy - especially with our lawyer brother, which is just as painful as it sounds. Her diverse life experiences and penchant for playing "word nerd" (looking up strange words and getting people to guess what they mean) make her a great editor.

ChickAdvisor:
So dish, Claire. Who is your #1 celebrity crush?

Image via IMDb

Claire:
I have daydreamed about many a leading man, but the one I always come back to is Daniel Craig. His shower scene with Eva Green in Casino Royale was the moment I knew...

ChickAdvisor:
I don't blame you one bit. Who is your fashion icon?
Image credit: GAP

Claire:
Easily Sarah Jessica Parker. She was outrageously fabulous in SATC of course, but still pulls casual clothes together so effortlessly. Even when the paps catch her shlepping to the store, that woman looks amazing.

ChickAdvisor:
Does your closet channel a little Carrie Bradshaw?

Claire:
I wish! My closet is a mish-mash of comfy mom clothes and the gorgeously impractical things my sister convinces me to buy. So, very eclectic! But the main feature of my wardrobe is that it usually has at least one child playing hide-and-go-seek in it, plus the odd piece of leftover candy. And very likely any Star Wars weaponry I've confiscated that day.

ChickAdvisor:
Yes, I agree that I am responsible for all of your best clothes ;)

What do you do in your spare time?

Claire:
Let's see... if I had spare time, I'd probably spend more of it with friends, throwing dinner parties and finally learning how to use Photoshop.

ChickAdvisor:
Ok... so what are you actually doing with your spare time?

Claire:
It's somewhat embarrassing, and I really wish I had never started... but I can't stop watching the Young & the Restless! I keep breaking the habit, then get sucked back in eventually.

ChickAdvisor:
We've all been there, Sister. We've all been there.

Highlights from Claire

H1N1: The Vaccination Debate
* What H1N1 is and what your options are

Chatting with Emily Giffin
* Bestselling chick lit author answers our members' questions

Taking Control of Your Finances
* 5 Tips to get you back on track

Give a Little, Get a Lot from Nine West

Giving is "good for the sole", Nine West wants you to know. They have teamed up with Goodwill to do you a good deed and help you pay it forward.

Bring in your gently used shoes, boots, and handbags to any participating Nine West retail location in Canada from November 20 - December 13, 2009, and you will receive a coupon for $20 off your purchase of $100 or more. Nine West will donate all collected items to Goodwill - easy!

Check your local store for participation and further details.

e.l.f Cosmetics Now in Canada

e.l.f cosmetics is coming to Canada. Do you love it?





The popular (and wallet friendly!) line is now available at Zellers across Canada. Prices range from $4.99 - $12.99.

My favourite product so far is the eyelash curler. What's yours?

Susan Boyle Performace December 21st in Toronto

Who doesn't love Susan Boyle? The Britain's Got Talent Star will perform (and stick around to sign autographs) for a free standing room only crowd at Toronto's First Canadian Place at 12:15pm on Monday December 21st.

This will be her first visit to Canada and she says she's excited to visit and sing for us, but she can't possibly be as excited to see us as we are to see her!

Wanna go?

For people wanting to see the performance, access to the Waterfall Stage and designated viewing area in First Canadian Place will be limited to 2,000 people on a first come first served basis. If you'd like to get an autograph, 500 wristbands will be available at HMV in First Canadian Place only, on December 14 at 10 am.*

*One wristband per person - while quantities last. You must have a wristband in order to enter the autograph line.

Ste Anne's Spa Getaway

Who do you spa with? My friend, Caroline is the one who drags me out spaaing when I get too caught up in the daily grind to take a breather. The Spa at St. Anne's is her favourite. Last weekend we escaped the city for a day and took in the Pure Bliss Day Spa.

After an hour and a half driving through thick fog Twilight styles, we pulled onto a winding gravel road that led us to this:


Well there's no snow yet, so it actually looked more like this:

Built in 1858 by Samuel Massey, this stone mansion was his home. A later owner made additions to the house that led to locals dub it "the Grafton Castle".

The air there is sweet and fresh smelling of pine and lavender. A few lungfuls and we felt relaxed. Check in was quick, and I was whisked away to my first treatment.

The Pure Bliss package includes a $100 spa certificate, lunch, a wellness class and afternoon tea. You also get full access to the facilities and the gorgeous grounds where you can go hiking or book a horse back riding session.

I sampled 3 treatments: Pure Aroma Massage (starts at $65), Coconut Breeze Treatment ($120) and the Caribbean Foot Rejuvenation ($65). To see what I thought of those treatments, read my full review here.In addition to a small gym, various cozy sitting areas and out door hot tubs like this one (SUCH a treat!), they have a eucalyptus steam room that is heavenly for the skin, lungs, throat. I could have spent the day in that steam room. Though I didn't get a facial, my skin glowed and it felt cleansing for my lungs. One of the best parts of my day was sitting in the lounge with my book in my cozy robe, sipping tea and waiting to be whisked off to my next treatment.

We drove back to the city in the dark at 7pm after a full 11 hours of glorious relaxation and agreed it felt like we'd been there the whole weekend. Speaking of which, you can buy weekend packages too, starting at $299 per person.

Have you been here? Add your own review.

www.steannes.com