November 2014

Hip Hop Sunday: Dragon Fli Empire - Ain't Goin' Down

- by Alyson Shane

Happy Sunday, boys and girls.

I'm nursing a huge glass of water and a coffee and putting my feet up after a night of dancing at The Park Theatre. 

We were up till almost 3am lying around on the shag rug, listening to music and being silly. 

As a result this is basically all I'll be doing today:

Hope your Sunday is half as lovely.

xox

yr girl Shaner


 

Date Night

- by Alyson Shane

Went on a lovely, much-needed date last night. After a busy workweek it's always nice to spend some time unwinding with your favourite person.

We hit up King + Bannatyne for dinner and it was amazing. John had the brisket and I had the buffalo chicken and we shared a soup which kept us warm enough to dash from that street to the adjacent one where Across The Board is located. 

We tried out a couple of games while we were there including Bandidos, Mr. Jack and Lost Cities. I generally hate card-style games but John was really patient with me and it was a lot of fun!



(here we're figuring out how to play Bandidos) 

That'll teach me to kibosh something just because it's out of my comfort zone.

By the time we got home it was after 1am and I almost fell asleep on the couch watching the finale of Summer Heights High. 

Tonight we're seeing The Xanad00ds at The Park Theatre. Can't wait!

Tags: Life Dating

 

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

- by Alyson Shane

Specifically regarding the look and feel of my website.

The last year has been an incredible time for growth, reflection and opportunities (see more about those feelings here) and it's about time that my website grew up a bit, as well.

Now it's got a clean, streamlined feel. 
It's easy to navigate and focuses on more than just my blog
(because, hey, I do freelance work too!)
And it's a better reflection of me as a person and as a professional.

I'm so excited to be able to share this with you guys, and I'd love to hear what you think about the new design!

Also, biggest props to John and Rae of The Campfire Union for their help making this thing look sharp as eff -you guys are amazing! xox


 

Week(end) wrap-up

- by admin

Shaner

I'm writing this on a Sunday night in my fleece-lined leggings and one of John's sweaters. I've been largely absent since last week (except Hip Hop Sunday, of course) because I wanted to spend a weekend getting back in touch with the other parts of my life that I let lapse sometimes.

I went to the gym Fri/Sat/Sun which felt amazing; I've been going a lot more regularly and in addition to feeling a million times better I'm seeing results both in how my body looks and in terms of my strength. This week I learned that 5lbs more weight can make a huge difference in how I feel after lifting weights!

Last night I stayed in and worked on an old painting I started months ago. I'm awful for starting an art project and letting everything else in my life get in front of finishing it, so it felt great to sit down and actually work on it again. Btw, all my painting are for sale so if you're ever interested in buying or commissioning a piece, give me a shout!

Today was simple: sleep in, gym, client work, some Wii, and a nice chat with my dad. After a few busy weekends, and feeling under the weather last week, it felt great to "reset" -bring on the workweek!

Here's what happened last week, too:

IMG_3775

Last Thursday I tagged along with The Campfire Union crew to check out Complex Games' open house in their gorgeous office space in The Exchange District.

IMG_3779

It was packed as eff in there -it got even busier after I took this photo!

IMG_3778

I've been playing hermit a lot recently so it was great to get out and catch up with some familiar faces, like Kieran and his lovely girlfriend Alex!

Afterward we went home, ordered some Ethiopian through SkiptheDishes and caught up on American Horror Story. I'm obsessed with the new season!

Also if you're into podcasts and beer, and like podcasts about beer, John and I were recently on an episode of PubChat! Give it a listen here.


 

Hip Hop Sunday: Drake - Started from the Bottom

- by admin

Okay so Drake isn't really "hip hop" but I discovered this amazing Drake Paper Doll that CBC Music put together for Toronto Fashion Week and am obsessed with it

especially the "Sad Drake" face you can use Untitled

and, apparently, this totally repetitive song with this ridiculous video

which I've never watched before today, and am now obsessed with

because how Canadian is it to party in a Shoppers Drugmart?


 

Living on Lenore

- by admin

10259736_10154858499800323_8846281054381277813_n
I've been living in a lovely house (aka The House at Bear Corner, if you ask John)

for almost two months now.

It's been a huge adjustment for me.

I used to always say "I'll never have roommates again, f that noise"

which of course wasn't true because I had a brief stint with a really nice girl in my old apartment before I moved

but this is different -this is a big, busy house with lots of traffic and action and emotions

(mostly mine)

which have mostly been emotions around things like

where did my favourite mug go?

am I hogging the kitchen too often?

why are there dishes left in the living room?

do I even have "alone time" anymore?

and

how long is the blanket fort staying up this time?10801932_10154864862610323_3578621124192642311_n

(This has been a bit of an adjustment, to say the least.)

Last night, after coming home from the gym and chatting with Alex

then hanging out with John and Les

I started making dinner in the kitchen by myself

listening to whatever came on my iTunes and puttering about while it cooked

and Les came back downstairs with a bowl of soup for me

for no reason

which was so sweet and thoughtful and made me feel really wonderful

and I realized that I'm finally starting to settle the fuck down about things

because living in a place that pushes my boundaries and

-for a while at least-

puts me out of my comfort zone of "My Apartment With Just My Things My Way"

is proving to be such a great experience, and a wonderful opportunity to grow.

Here's to my first winter on Lenore -hopefully the first of many.

Tags: Life

 

What Happened to.... The Lo Pub?

- by admin

"It was a shithole, but it was our shithole"

is what owner Jack Jonasson had to say about it in this very sweet and moving little video from The Uniter about my favourite, now-defunct, watering hole The Lo Pub.

Lo was located in a HI Hostel a few blocks away from the UW campus and it's where I spent the majority of my spare time as a first-and-second year student.

I made a lot of memories in that tiny, often over-crowded, noisy little bar.

It's where I attended my first Secret Handshake.

It's where I met Colin and got to know him, Kevin and Adrian who I count as very dear friends to this day.

It's where I saw too many bands -both good and abysmal- to count at this point.

It's where my friend Skot Deeming threw his gr8bit and Data Dance shows.

It's where the Winnitron Indie Arcade Machine lived for a good long while.

It's where I met Abstract Artform for the first time, before he whisked us away into an evening of beers and way too good karaoke.

Most importantly, it's where I spent a lot of time hanging out with people that I loved, and a special place that will always hold so many memories.

Here's a post that I wrote when the Lo Pub closed; it's still hard for me to read.

Places like the Lo Pub live on in our memory and our collective consciousness. They remind us of times, thoughts, and feelings that we let slip away in our day-to-day lives.

Every time I go by the space where my the Lo Pub used to be, my heart swells with pride and also breaks a little bit, and I mourn for the days spent over beers and vegetarian poutine at my favourite shithole.


 

Twenty-Seven

- by admin

_MG_8801It was my birthday yesterday

I'm 27 now.

Which isn't a huge milestone but it gave me pause to sit back
reflect, think
on the year that's come and gone
and how crazy things have been.

I was fired from my first big-girl job
I left a long-term relationship
I lost a lot of so-called "friends"
I've been called all of the awful things you can call a person
and then some.

I cried more than I ever have in my life.

But in all of it I managed to find so much.

A 9-5 that challenges me and is allowing me to grow
Freelance work that's engaging and exciting
Gaining new friends
realizing the amazing potential in older ones

Opening my heart up to someone new

which was the scariest thing of all

but obviously the most rewarding.

It's crazy to think that
not too long ago my dad was sitting in a hospital with my mum
holding her hand as I was being born
instead of golfing
on November 11th, 1987, in Winnipeg, Manitoba

which is the craziest thing of all to consider

because when the fuck hasn't it snowed on my birthday?

Tags: Life

 

Peter Capaldi did the sweetest thing

- by admin



by sending this video to a 9-year old Autistic boy, as The Doctor, to help him cope with his grief.

Screen Shot 2014-11-08 at 5.29.08 PM

Once again showing us what kinds of wonderful good the internet is capable of accomplishing.
 

New life goal:

- by admin

to have a statue of me placed at a famous historic site à la The Hoff.

Tags: Wtf-2

 

Older posts »