ShopCrawl over 90% Sold Out

Quick Reminder for Toronto-area Chicks: There are just a few ShopCrawl tickets left. I doubt they'll last through today, so hurryhurryhurry!

See latest updates here

UPDATE: The tickets have now sold out. See you at the Crawl!

Newsletter May 27 2009

Recessionista ShopCrawl Thursday June 18th, 2009

Hey Everyone!

We have another fabulous ShopCrawl lined up for Thursday June 18th! Our 5th ShopCrawl, Recessionista will be in the Toronto Bloor/Yorkville neighborhood and is guaranteed to help y'all forget about... uh, the recession! How you ask? Because the discounts are silly good, and you get so much for free it doesn't make financial sense NOT to go!

Your $25 ticket gets you:
Shopping Deals - Guided shopping with exclusive discounts from participating boutiques including - The Body Shop, The Stillwater Spa Boutique, Nine West, Roots, Diesel, Over the Rainbow, Calvin Klein Underwear, eleven boutique, The Gap and Banana Republic.

Swag - Over $150 worth of free swag per person from Maybelline New York, Dove, The Body Shop, Stillwater Spa, Nine West.

Party - A complimentary cocktail and snacks from Flow in Yorkville, a chance to win some great prizes and a fashion walk off for the best outfit purchased that night. Makeovers will also be available from our makeup expert, Joy David-Tilberg.

Tickets - $25 and must be purchased in advance online here.

No idea what a ShopCrawl is? Check out the vid from our last ShopCrawl starring some of you!

New Wedding Series
Wedding expert, Cynthia Martyn will be sharing her best wedding tips with brides-to-be in a recurring monthly advice column. The first article, Choose the Perfect Song for your First Dance is posted here.


New Book Club Opportunity
We are working some major authors and publishers to discuss their latest popular books. An upcoming interview will feature Emily Giffin, bestselling author of Baby Proof, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Love the One You're With. She answers your burning questions and is offering some free books to Club members! Submit your questions for Emily on the dedicated forum post here. If you aren't part of our Book Club, click over for more information.

More goodies to come. Stay tuned!

XOXO,
Ali & The ChickAdvisor Team

ShopCrawl 50% Sold Out

The Recessionista ShopCrawl is already 50% sold out.

Don't delay! This ShopCrawl is our biggest one yet - your swag alone is worth over $150, plus free food, prizes, makeovers.... the list goes on.

Click here to buy your $25 ticket

Full details and the latest updates available here

This Week on ChickAdvisor

It's that time again! Get your tix for THE shopping event of the season
What's big in hair (hint: it's not Big Hair)
Our Wedding Series kicks off
Food you can use on your face-- yes, really
Hot Topic: Flirty sundresses showcase your beautiful legs. But what if those gams are looking a little nawsty? Share your tips with us!

Canadian Deal of the Week: 50% off Danier's entire inventory of jackets!




American Deal of the Week: 40% off your entire order at Stila!

Talking to Emily Giffin

Any fan of chick lit is more than familiar with Emily Giffin, best-selling author of 4 books (and counting): Baby Proof, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, and Love the One You're With.

You're about to get to know her just a little better. She has graciously agreed to field your questions in an upcoming interview! Please submit your questions this week on this dedicated forum thread and look for the interview coming in June.

photo credit: EmilyGiffin.com

MonkeyBiz Artwork Empowers Women

Ingram Gallery has partnered with Eat My Words to present the first Canadian Exhibition of MonkeyBiz beaded art. MonkeyBiz is a non-profit organization that promotes empowerment and employment opportunity for disadvantaged women in South Africa through beaded artwork.

MonkeyBiz supplies the colourful glass beads to women artisans to create dolls and animals. Each of the 450 women involved in the project are paid for the artwork they produce. Since they work from home, they can look after their families and avoid transport cost. All the funds generated from the sales are put back in the community as well as the MonkeyBiz Wellness Clinic which provides skills, training and health support for low income HIV-positive women.

We had the opportunity to attend the opening reception of the Bead By Bead show at the Ingram Gallery in Toronto. Each African beadwork tells a different story and shows the great talent of women in South Africa. The beautiful beaded artworks range from $50 - $1000.

The Ingram Gallery is running the collection from May 15 – 23, 2009. For more information, visit IngramGallery.com.
by Sumaya Khan

Ali's Dolce Vita Moment

This falls under, "how cool is that?" and I just had to share. Over the long weekend, Alex and I spent some time meandering around Yorkville, poking into flower shops, small boutiques and new stores that recently opened. This is called research.

On our way back to the car, I noticed a tiny new Italian espresso bar called Zaza. I was carrying cut roses we had purchased from the flower markets on Avenue Rd ($12 for 12 roses!), so I was anxious to get home and put them in water, but I couldn't resist because it was exactly like the espresso bars David Rocco talks about in my favourite cookbook in the world, David Rocco's Dolce Vita.

Owner Raffaele was singing and dancing as he worked the machine, churning out two velvety espresso macchiato, served Italian style with a small glass of water on the side. As I mentally started writing my review ( I do this all the time now whether I remember to write it down or not), I noticed a group of older Italian gentlemen sitting outside and a younger guy that looked just like David Rocco in the center of it all. I commented to Raffaele that his espresso bar was just like what I'd read in this cook book and that the guy outside looks just like David Rocco. "Ya, that's him! We grew up in the same town together! He's my good friend!"

I couldn't resist the opportunity to introduce myself and he was so kind. I felt like a bit of a boob interrupting the conversation but given the circumstances, can you blame me? ;)

What's on ChickAdvisor This Week

Gorgeous new flavors from Breyers - free to 50 lucky PRC members. Delish!
Nip in to the pub for a pint
What's hot on the swimwear scene, featuring SHAN
The Best in Bottle Bronzers
Hot Topic: What made your day today? Our most popular forum topic 3 months running!

Family Deal of the Week: Get a 4-pack of tickets to any Six Flags park for just $99 (compare at $40ish when bought singly); click over for more Six Flag deals.

Ben & Jerry's If I Had 1,000,000 flavours

Today on top of the world's tallest building (for now),  Bare Naked Ladies joined forces with Ben & Jerry’s to announce the launch of the first-ever Canadian Ben & Jerry's flavour: If I had a 1,000,000 flavours. All the proceeds from this delectable ice cream will be donated to support ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation. 

If I had a 1,000,000 flavours is a delightful mix of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, peanut butter cups, chocolate-coated toffee chunks, white chocolate chunks and chocolate-coated almonds. Just like Bare Naked Ladies’ song, “If I had a million dollars”, this little tub of goodness will sure to become a classic Canadian hit.

Starting May 12th, Canadians can go to www.benjerry.ca to download the band's iconic song or enter to win a year's supply of the new ice cream. 

 Photos taken by Mandy Fok

ChickAdvisor Book Club: The Time Traveler's Wife

Thank you to everyone who completed our recent informal survey. By popular demand (and really, you didn't have to twist our arms very far!) we have selected The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger as our latest Club pick.

A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

This back-cover blurb hardly does it justice. See what some of our reviewers had to say about this book.

The Time Traveler's Wife is widely available at most major store and online retailers.
Best Canadian price: Amazon.ca, $16.06
Best U.S. price: BooksAMillion, $9.70; or Amazon.com, $9.72

We plan to start discussing this book near the end of May. Readysetgo buy your book now!

Want in? The club is open to any member worldwide, as our discussions happen right here on site in our ChickChat forum. Click here for more information.

A Shout-Out to Mom

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and we hope you had some special time with your Mom!

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said: "Youth fades, love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; a mother's secret hope outlives them all."

You cannot fully understand a mother's love until you are one yourself. This is a lesson I knew was coming when I first discovered I was pregnant, but never understood the scope until I held my daughter in my arms for the first time.

Now a mother of three, I know what Edgar Watson Howe meant when he said, "If there were no schools to take the children away from home part of the time, the insane asylum would be filled with mothers."

My mother assures me that I will miss the insanity when I, like her, have helped them move out on their own and suddenly realize that my greatest calling was also my greatest joy. A bouquet of a dozen dandelions squashed between tiny dimpled fingers; the knowledge that only mom's kiss heals a scraped knee; the pride felt when your son scores his first goal on the soccer pitch. It is all too fleeting!

Some of you shared your touching tributes to Mom:

Nik05 literally owes her life to her mother, who braved the scorn and life-changing circumstances of teen parenthood because she refused to terminate her pregnancy. She didn't stop there: her hard work kept her on track to finish high school on time and make a stable life for her daughter.

Becky's mom is self-sacrificing. She puts her whole heart and energy into her kids, working long hours at her job but always making time for the smallest of needs. Her willingness to take a drive at 3am when Becky needs to talk, or teaching her preschool skills by letting her scribble with chalk on the floor, were just some of the many ways she showed her love and devotion.

For my part, I would tell you my mom is the most gracious and gentle person I know. She strives to see the good in everyone she meets, hurts when I hurt, and gives me sound advice when I'm frustrated. She never holds against me the stupid things I said during my verklempt teenaged years, and I know she'll be there to hold my hand when my kids do the same to me.

We are not all so lucky to have caring, selfless mothers as these. If you have a beloved grandmother, aunt, or neighbor who has filled that void in your life, make sure you tell her so.

This Week on ChickAdvisor

50 PRC members will test-drive the new full-sized Maybelline Pulse Perfection mascaraA delicious new appy... and it's vegetarian!
The bags that stand the test of time, and where to get 'em
Take your sweetie somewhere unexpected

Book Club members: Stay tuned this week for the announcement of our next selection. We're going with something a little more mainstream and hope you'll participate! Haven't heard of our Club? Click here to find out more.

Monday Morning Blah Buster

So it's Monday, and since most of us are sitting at our desks waiting for lunch time, here's a fun little time waster for your Monday pick-me-up. Give it 45-50 seconds to get started; it's crazy!



Need to blow a little more time? Check out the full-bodied version here (which we think, if nothing else, makes a great workout), and then get a last laugh here... You don't have to watch the whole thing; you'll get the drift pretty quickly.

Thanks BargainMoose!

Server Upgrade - Minor Downtime this morning.

Hi Everyone,

Due to the growth in traffic over the last few months we're taking steps to make the site faster. One of these things include doing a minor upgrade this morning on our systems to increase the performance.

ChickAdvisor.com will be down for an hour this morning, Saturday, May 9.
Thanks for your patience and support.
Alex

Weekend Movie Recommendation: Marley & Me

I know what you're thinking. It's going to be a cheesy Jen Aniston Chick Flick. But it's not. It's funny, clever and surprisingly real. Even if you don't have a dog, you will really enjoy this.

Smoking Kills: NFB "Ashes of Doom"

New Book: Opportunity Rings

Amazon.com, $14

When fashion meets technology, there is one person who knows best of the two worlds: Sheryl Steinberg. Resident fashionista and author, Steinberg has come a long way from her work as advertising copywriter. A quick Google search shows her many credentials in numerous media publications, including The Globe and Mail, Style & Home and Chatelaine. So when we were invited to her first book launch at Indigo, we just had to be there.

A natural comedian, she instantly made the crowd laugh and engaged in what she had to say so it’s no surprise that her open book personality is transparent in her new novel. Opportunity Rings combines technology, fashion and relationships - or what we like to call the holy trinity.

The story revolves around a Rockit marketing executive, Erica Swift, who is forced to reboot her own life when her husband leaves her for an older woman who is also his assistant (can it get any worse?).

Can Erica stay on course while meeting eligible bachelors, executing one of the biggest Rockit product launches and keeping up with the tech savvy world? A great chicklit for the long commute or the lazy Sunday mornings! It mixes lust, humour and drama while staying genuine to the story line. The book asks when opportunity rings, why not answer it?

by Sumaya Khan

SPANNER Store Now Open at Don Mills

We recently attended the new SPANNER store opening at the Shops at Don Mills. If you haven't checked out Don Mills yet, you must. It is beautiful. It is done in the same style as the out door open concept malls in California. We were giddy just driving into the place!

SPANNER has been around for 35 years and is carried in select boutiques in addition to this new flagship store. We were treated to a preview of their Fall '09 collection.


If you're still looking for Mother's Day gift ideas, she would probably enjoy picking something out in this beautifully decorated space. The collection featured bright bold fabrics, lush textures and patterns.


SPANNER is currently available at over 1000 fine specialty retailers across North America in sizes XS-XL & 2-18; Petites 2-14 & Woman's 14-24.

Review SPANNER on ChickAdvisor

www.spannerstyle.com

This Week on ChickAdvisor

We chat up Project Runway Canada winner Sunny Fong
Grilling with friends on the agenda? Get your meaty tips here
Protect your skin, nails, and hair from sun damage. We recommend...
Easy and dirt cheap - make your own eco friendly home cleaning products!
Hot Topic: Is self-motivation a problem for you? The ladies are sharing their secrets for a swift kick in the rear!

Mother's Day Preview Deals of the Week

Canada: Buy One Get One free Cirque du Soleil tickets in select cities




United States: Bath & Body Works' VIP tote is only $15 with a $40 purchase, but is valued at over $100! Plus, use the $10 off $30 coupon for even better savings.

Fashion and Beauty Event presented by Elle and Toronto Fashion Incubator

Image by Paul Toogood

We recently attended an excellent event put on by Elle magazine and the Toronto Fashion Incubator. The day event was full of exciting fashion shows, beauty and hair workshops and some great shopping. Some of the highlights included, speaking with Dino Dilio, a make-up specialist, who did personal consultations for colour contacts by CIBA Vision FreshLook.

It was also a pleasure to speak with the girls at BALMSHELL about their fun line of lipglosses. Their glosses are made of high quality ingredients, with added moisturizing ingredients such as jojoba oil and lanolin oil.

We all love a little chocolate from time to time, so it was great to see that Cadbury had set up a very unique exhibit from their Chocolate Couture Collection. Clothing outfits crafted of actual chocolate were showcased, and designed from many of Canada’s top fashion designers!

Fashion shows were also running throughout the day, and some of Canada’s hottest designers took the stage, including: Simon Chang, Renata Morales, Tavan & Mitto, Marie St. Pierre, Shan and Andrew Majtenyi.

The top three finalists of the hit show, Project Runway, also showed off their collections on the runway.

In the evening the Toronto Fashion Incubator (TFI) hosted a fabulous “New Labels” Fashion Design competition, dinner gala and silent auction.

Image by Krista Fox

The four finalists of the design competition, Cheryl Gushue, Jody McMillan, Sonja den Elzen, and Faren Tami, showcased their collections at the evening TFI fashion show.

Image by Krista Fox

The winner of the evening was Faren Tami, with a very sleek and sophisticated collection.

Images by Paul Toogood

Jody McMillan's military inspired collection was one of our favourites! The looks were very reminiscent of the 1940’s combined with trends and styles of present day fashion.

Images by Paul Toogood

We also saw some an amazing swimwear collection designed by Cheryl Gushue.

Images by Krista Fox (l, ctr), Paul Toogood (r)

The Elle Fashion and Beauty Event, and the TFI fashion show were both events to remember!

by Amanda Schulze

Newsletter May 1: News, Deals and Perks

Happy Friday everyone! It's also May Day, the half-way mark to summer celebrated around the world with flowers left anonymously on neighbors' doorsteps, Lilies of the Valley exchanged for a kiss from your sweetheart, and - if you're Scottish - a dive in the chilly loch in the nude. Hmm... maybe not.
New Product Review Club Offers

ChickAdvisor has spring fever too, starting with our latest Product Review Club offerings. Free chocolate, anyone? Or maybe you'd rather test drive a new foundation? If you're not a member of our popular Review Club yet, click here to find out how you can get free full-sized products to review!

Canadian Designer Series

Our popular Canadian Designer Series continues next week with Sunny Fong, winner of Project Runway Canada 2! Catch up on recent features you missed in our Shopping channel.

Sweet Summer Recipes

Warm, sweet-scented air tempts you to leave work early for an indulgent picnic in the park. Our restaurant channel is chock-full of new recipes!

Deals & Blogs

We are constantly adding new deals across North America to our deals section. Take advantage of them or add your own!

Don't forget to add your blog to our blogger directory. Get more details here.

ChickAdvisor Book Club

Since you're lounging in the park, you may as well bring along the latest ChickAdvisor Book Club pick to read. We're already discussing our first title and gearing up to announce our second. Click over here for details and a link to the sign-up page.

At ChickAdvisor HQ, we're working hard on some new features and getting ready for the next round of our popular events, so stay tuned!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

XOXO Your ChickAdvisor Team