Whole Foods Wedding Cake - Wonderlust Photography

Alternatives To The Multitier Wedding Cake

 Instead of a single—and expensive—multitier wedding cake, some couples are serving up something different.

Whole Foods Wedding Cake - Wonderlust Photography

 

TREND ALERT | Traditional multitiered wedding cakes are expensive. Top Vancouver pastry chef Peter Fong of Ganache Patisserie charges on average $9 per guest for his wedding confections, while Sweet Thea, former pastry chef at some of B.C.’s very best restaurants, charges between $5 and $6 for hers. There’s no doubt that both of these talented cake makers make cakes that look and taste exquisite, but with so many other expenses plus guests to wine and dine, is it really necessary to spend between $600 and $1,000 (for an estimated 100 plus guests) for a delicious, eye-catching wedding cake? Read more

ResQue

Rescue Me: How To Escape A Sinking Car

How to escape a sinking car—plus an inexpensive tool that could make the process easier.

Skagit River Bridge - News 1130

 

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE | When an Alberta truck driver hauling an oversize load struck a steal beam on the Skagit River Bridge in Washington state last week, sending a segment of the bridge and two passenger vehicles plunging into the water below, the thought crossed my mind, as I’m sure it did yours, what if one of those vehicles had been yours.

How would you react if you found yourself in a sinking car? What should and shouldn’t you do? Are there tools you can have on hand that will facilitate your escape? Read more

Swarovski Spiral Ring

The Swarovski Is The Bling Ring To Own

With no more illustrious performer than Justin Timberlake furnishing a seal of approval, the Swarovski crystal spiral ring is now a must-have fashion accessory.

Swarovski Spiral Ring

 

CULT PRODUCT ALERT | Anyone yearning for a Cartier trinity ring or a set of Tiffany’s channel-set semiprecious stackers (both pictured below) will be attracted to the Swarovski crystal pavé spiral ring that featured prominently in Justin Timberlake’s recently released music video, Mirrors. And they’ll be even more smitten when they learn the price. Read more

Griffith Observatory - 123rf

L.A.’s Best Free Attraction: The Griffith

But not like you think—the Griffith Observatory is the best free attraction in the city.

Star Gazing In L.A.

 

TRAVEL ADVISORY | It always surprises me when I hear that friends who’ve vacationed in Los Angeles multiple times haven’t ventured up Mount Hollywood to visit the Griffith Observatory, the most interesting FREE attraction in this town after the sun and the beach. Read more

Sophia Vartanian - Modern Farmer magazine

A New Magazine For Modern Farmer Types

This new international magazine with a Vancouver connection is for anyone interested in where their food comes from.

Sophia Vartanian - Modern Farmer magazine

 

NEW NOW NEXT | While magazine publishers everywhere are getting out of print, Vancouver billionaire philanthropist Frank Guistra is jumping in. Last month, Modern Farmer, a new quarterly magazine on farming, which comes in both print and digital versions, launched in the U.S. with Guistra’s name listed prominently on the masthead as equity partner. Guistra is betting on the public growing ever more inquisitive about where their food comes from, how it’s produced, and how they can participate in the modern farmer movement. And he is counting on the talent and international connections of editor-in-chief Ann Marie Gardner, who made a name for herself as a writer and producer at Monocle and New York Times T: Travel, two stylish magazines known for nailing the zeitgeist. Read more

Color coded keys

Never Mistake One Key For Another Again

A quick way to differentiate the keys on your keychain is to use nail polish to colour code them.

Color coded keys

 

THE CREATIVE SOLUTION | Do you have keys on your keychain with bows (the handles used to turn the keys) so similar that you continually confuse one key for another, an activity that wastes time and causes frustration? You could use plastic key caps to distinguish important keys, but key caps are bulky, often fit poorly and don’t last all that long. Another less obtrusive way to differentiate your keys would be to use nail polish to colour code them. Read more

Microdermabrasion

Beyond The Mask: Try Microdermabrasion

The skinny on the most effective light-cosmetic way to improve your complexion.

Facial Mask-Wikipedia

 

MONEY BETTER SPENT | As someone who subjected her face to a variety of professional spa treatments over the past six months in a one-time push to see if I could significantly improve my complexion, I can now report that of all the treatments I tried—steam, exfoliation, extraction, masks, scrubs and massage—not one of them brightened my skin tone the way microdermabrasion does. Read more

Face Washing

Skincare 101: How To Super Clean Your Face

The easiest way to remove eye makeup; when not to wash your face; and how to apply toner cost effectively.

eyemakeup

 

SATURATE — When removing eye makeup or waterproof mascara, start with a good-quality makeup remover. Soak a cotton pad with the makeup remover and gently press and hold it against your eye for about 15 seconds—don’t rub right away! Read more

Duncraft Black Hawk Decal

Give Birds A Chance: Use Window Clings

Each year thousands of birds are killed when they crash into windows and glass doors. Here’s how to put an end to the slaughter.

Baby Bird

 

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE | I’d been meaning to do it for a few years, but it wasn’t until I experienced three horrible deaths in a single week, each one the result of a small bird crashing into the picture window in my home office and then dropping into the reflective pool directly below it and drowning, that I decided to make a preemptive move. Read more