So Misguided

Ya! My friend Clive and his cool company, Pixton: DIY Comics, is on this vidcast by mutual friend Haig Armen of Lift Studios. This is part 1.

Posted by Monique at 09:24 AM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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Since releasing her self-titled debut album in September 2008, the Montreal-based chanteuse has become one of Quebec’s hottest acts. Her songs are consistently on the francophone Top 10 list…and she’s earned a Juno nomination…and a spot on the longlist of nominees for the Polaris Prize. Coeur De Pirate was Q’s live performer for a special show recorded in CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio. This is the first song she performed ‘Comme Des Enfants’.

It is beautiful and I love it every time I hear it.

Posted by Monique at 08:56 AM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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It’s been a week of books and art. Here are some of the things I’ve appreciated most:

The Design Files: Interview with Nicholas Jones
I love these stunning sculptures made of beautiful old books.

Daily Imprint: We Heart Books
I want to hang these flash cards on the wall. L is for Ladybug.

Another book loving artist is Cara Borer.
The photographs are as wonderful as the sculptures. 

And everything in this Fun Forever post is amazing!
I especially like the George Russell cutouts. Alice in Wonderland is one of my favourites.

Found Shit: Words Create Worlds
Anagram Bookshop Art Ads

And please go look at Rachael Ashe’s altered book series on Flickr. I want to buy some for my office.

Posted by Monique at 08:15 PM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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Follow me on Twitter or become a fan of the Boxcar Marketing Facebook page to be entered into the draw for a Reading Is Sexy Calendar.

I’ll make the draw on December 16 and promptly mail you the calendar. I have 2 calendars to give away, 1 for the Twitter followers and 1 for the Facebook fans. So yes, you could get more than one chance to win.

The 2010 Reading Is Sexy Calendar promotes literacy and raises funds to help kids and adults with dyslexia. Proceeds go to the Canadian Branch of The International Dyslexia Association.

Buy the calendar.

You can look at my lovely mug for all of January.

See Emme’s behind-the-scenes photos.

Buy the calendar.

Posted by Monique at 09:00 AM. Filed under: Books • Marketing • News • Party Tricks •

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Attention Readers: This calendar is hot.

The 2010 Reading Is Sexy Calendar goes on sale this week to promote literacy and to raise funds to help kids and adults with dyslexia become literate.

Buy the calendar.

I sat down (virtually) with Emme Rogers to talk about the calendar.

Who does the calendar supports?

The Canadian Branch of The International Dyslexia Association
http://www.interdys.org/
http://www.idaontario.com/

Our goal is to promote literacy and raise funds to support those with dyslexia.

What was the impetus behind the idea?

Back in the spring, Ian Martin (http://www.twitter.com/IanAMartin) was starting up his publishing house, Atomic Fez Publishing, and was trying to goad me into saying “Reading Is Sexy” as often as possible on twitter. This sparked the idea for doing a “Reading Is Sexy” calendar promoting literacy.

Initially the calendar was supposed to be shot “calendar girl” style, like the one Bryne Pen did on Salt Spring to raise funds and awareness for The Land Conservancy. Alas not all our models understood what I meant by that, so it will likely be our theme for next year.

We chose the International Association of Dyslexia as our charity because they interact with Emme online (@onbida) and Emme is dyslexic. That said, she is one of the lucky kids who had access to help, so she has never treated her dyslexia as a crutch, but rather as her secret superpower.  It is why she looks at the world in a different way, is not limited to typical rules dictating how things work, and has approached life with perseverance, hard work and problem solving.

Who is Emme?

Emme is the girl next door. You know the one. She was the Tomboy who always out climbed the boys to reach the most precarious limits of the tree in the yard. The one who you just gave the ball or the puck to on the soccer field or hockey rink for fear of her side tackle or crosscheck. The one who loved making mud pies, but wouldn’t be caught dead at a tea party.  You know the one.  The one whose Mom couldn’t watch what she was up to for fear that she’d have a heart attack. That girl.  The one whose friends you didn’t mess with, not because she was manipulative, but because she hated injustices and wasn’t afraid to say so.  Just ask the boy next door.  Maybe he’ll pull out the photo of the black eye he was sporting the day he was a ring bearer.

We’ll Emme’s all grown up now and she’s no longer “Leo the Late Bloomer.”  A homosexual drama teacher has taught her how to put on makeup. Somewhere along the lines she lost her fear that her bum is too big and she wears fitted clothes now.  And, if wonders will ever cease, she actually likes to put on a party dress, minus the runners and hockey jacket.

So in essence, Emme represents that secret hidden voice in many of us women—the things that go through the heads of our mothers, girlfriends and ourselves—the only difference is that she says these things aloud, and rather then be embarrassed about these thoughts or insecurities she screams them aloud for all the world to hear. 

And yes, she’s a total character and given her tomboy past finds it totally hilarious that she is now seen as Vancouver’s / Canada’s gal-about-town and go to girl on all that is hot and sexy in this lovely world of ours.

Who’s in the calendar?

• Lori and Richard Yearwood
• Patrick Tubajon (http://www./twitter.com/iheartgudrun)
• Ian A Martin (http://www./twitter.com/IanAMartin)
• Raul Pacheco-Vega (http://www./twitter.com/hummingbird604)
• Rayne
• Lorraine Murphy (http://www./twitter.com/raincoaster)
• Mark Leiren-Young (http://www./twitter.com/greenpieces)
• Monica Hamburg (http://www./twitter.com/MonicaHamburg)
• Ian Ferguson
• Monique Trottier (http://www./twitter.com/somisguided)
• Emme Rogers (http://www./twitter.com/EmmeRogers)

Photographers

• Robert Shaer (http://www./twitter.com/robertshaer)
• Tris Hussey (http://www./twitter.com/trishussey)

If you’d like to support the Canadian Branch of the International Dyslexia Association, please buy the calendar.

And if you’d like your calendar signed by the men and women of “Reading Is Sexy”, please come out to the Launch Party and Literary Celebration on Thursday.

Local: Gudrun Wine & Cheese Bistro (150-3500 Moncton Street, Steveston, BC)
Date: Thursday December 3, 2009
Time: 7 pm until late

Stop by for author readings, calendar signings by the models, and the auctioning of some of Robert Shaer’s photos from the shoot. Plus Gudrun goodies, wine and beer will be on sale.

Oh, and have a closer look at Miss January.

I’m reading Andrew Zuckerman’s photography book, Creature.

See Emme’s behind-the-scenes photos.

Buy the calendar.

Posted by Monique at 09:21 PM. Filed under: Books • Marketing • News • Party Tricks •

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Just taunting you.

Posted by Monique at 04:06 PM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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My friend Rachael Ashe brings photo canvases from imagination to life. She is currently working on a portrait series and recently I was in the camera light. But what really caught my eye was the altered books that she’s been working on.

If you like my photo, check out other work by Rachael.

Rachael’s Website
More Portrait Series and Other Photos on Flickr
Etsy for Rachael’s photography and altered books

Thank you Rachael for taking such a beautiful photo. And book nerds, you’ll notice that the majority of the books I picked are Canadian.

Posted by Monique at 06:32 PM. Filed under: Books • Party Tricks • Personal •

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My friend Anita has reduced the price of her super cute Alert Bay house. This week July 1st to 4th will be open house viewing by appointment.  Please call 250-650-1204. 

http://britishcolumbia.bytheowner.com/home-for-sale-alert-bay-british-columbia-121866

Posted by Monique at 09:12 AM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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sheddie
... a person who enjoys creating a comfortable space within an outbuilding (shed); not only for working on projects but a place to enjoy a pint and some darts as well.
In a sentence: All that sheddie does is drink beer by his woodstove and play darts.

At the beginning of May, James and I ventured over to Bowen Island to visit the Glave family and to stay in their Eco-Shed. (We drank wine instead of beer and, as you’ll see, there were no darts.)

Construction of the Eco-Shed is chronicled in James Glave’s book Almost Green (published in 2008 by Greystone Books). The book is an entertaining examination of the difficulty James went through when designing his eco-friendly, sustainable writing studio.

Having read the book, I knew that I wasn’t going to sleepover in some drafty garden shed, but I had no concept of how lovely the eco-shed really is.

Pretty little stove to heat the place. Kitchenette for toast and jam in the morning.

One of the most comfortable beds on the island.

Little writing nook and view of the mountains.

The fourth wall is all windows and looks out on this lovely garden.

And I’m a sucker for a cute bathroom. Think walk in closet but this one is tiled in green, and like a sailboat bathroom, everything is self-contained (toilet, shower). It’s beautiful.

For more news and notes on the Eco-Shed, visit Jame Glave at Glave.com, go to the official Eco-Shed website at Eco-Shed.ca or check out the photos on the Eco-Shed Flickr Pool.

Posted by Monique at 06:36 PM. Filed under: Book Publisher • Books • Party Tricks •

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photo credit: BMann

Posted by Monique at 08:54 AM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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Hey kids this is what we called a rotary dial telephone. It was used to make and receive phone calls. Weird, I know.

Posted by Monique at 09:27 PM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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Oh it’s time for band camp, or performing arts camp. American friends you have the privilege of watching MTV Camped Out this Saturday, 12 pm.

“Summer camp is not just about building fires and making smores anymore. Tune in on Saturday, April 25th at 12pm – 2pm et/pt as MTV News & Docs premieres with a 2-hour special of “Camp’d Out”. This special will take viewers inside the lives of three individual campers: Alana, Lauren, and Mia, and their different summer experiences at French Woods Performing Arts Camp.”

Reality tv. Bands. Music. Teen Madness. What could go better?

Why do I care? Because Canadian band Two Hours Traffic plays the theme song “Stuck for the Summer” and I really, really want it to be summer.

Matthew Snyder roped me into being in love with this band and helping them promote the MTV gig and because I like Canadian music I said yes. We are going to Victoria to see the Weakerthans next week. Independent Canadian music is what keeps me going.

Good luck guys!

Posted by Monique at 11:25 PM. Filed under: Party Tricks •

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From Farm to Table: A six-part Food and Culture series on sustainable food systems hosted by Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks and Farmfed

I’m helping Anthony Nicalo and Natalie Jensen of Farmfed, a non-profit organization dedicated to building transparent, sustainable food systems, promote their six-part food and culture series entitled Provenance: You are what you eat.

If you want to help, grab the widget in the sidebar or pull some info from below. Or just come to the events! Hope to see you there.

From Farm to Table. Provenance: meaning source or origin. You Are What You Eat

Over the course of the series, experts will join host Anthony Nicalo for classes directed at understanding the origins and sources of the meat, seafood, wine, and produce that appear on our kitchen tables and restaurant tables.

Location
* Part 1-5: Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks in Vancouver at 1740 West 2nd Ave.
* Part 6: UBC Farm at UBC

Tickets
$65 for individual tickets or $360 for all 6.
Call Barbara Jo’s Books to Cooks at 604.688.6755.

Net proceeds from the series will benefit programs supporting transparent, sustainable food systems.
http://www.farmfed.com/programs/provenance/

Tuesday, April 21
Join Anthony Nicalo for the official book launch of Provenance: a blueprint for the modern eater. Guests will learn to assess the sources for food they eat and will learn practical tips for buying clean, healthy food.

Monday, April 27
Special guests include Mike McDermid, Program Manager of Ocean Wise, and Chef Robert Clark of [C] Restaurant discussing the importance of understanding seafood’s impacts on our oceans. Guests will enjoy sustainable seafood hors d’oeuvres prepared by Chef Robert Clark and fish-friendly wines.

Tuesday May 5
Jason Pleym, founder of Two Rivers Specialty Meats will shed light on what is really going on in grocers and butcher shops, while guests taste naturally raised meats.

Wednesday May 20
Mark Bomford, the Program Coordinator for the Centre of Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm will share tips for buying and growing sustainable produce.

Tuesday May 26
Farmstead Wines founder Anthony Nicalo lifts the veil on wine marketing and connects guests to authentic wine and artisan farmers.

Saturday June 6 at UBC Farm
This special fundraiser features international food expert and author of In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan. Pollan will share his manifesto for eating. Guests who participate in the full series will receive a gourmet picnic lunch at UBC Farm.

“Having these experts share their knowledge with us is very empowering”, remarked Anthony Nicalo. “Because the food we eat has clear implications for everything from clean water and climate change to hunger and obesity, the power to change the world is right in front of us, on our plates.”

If you can’t join us in Vancouver, the series will be broadcast live online via Ustream. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/farmfed

Posted by Monique at 08:23 AM. Filed under: Books • Marketing • News • Party Tricks •

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Freaky. Yes it works. I printed out the page.
http://ge.ecomagination.com/smartgrid/

Posted by Monique at 10:02 AM. Filed under: Party Tricks • Technology •

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