the (other) city

[image via blogTO] 

I've admitted, in confidence, to at least a few of you that I'm a closet 'The City' watcher. Now I guess the cat's out of the bag. I just love that doe-eyed Whitney Port and her fabulous entourage, wardrobe, apartment, cringe-y boyfriends and colleagues, etc etc. but mostly I just love New York. 

Once in a while, in the depths of insomnia or a lonely Sunday night at home, I'll even tune into the Hills or, ahem, The Real Housewives of New Jersey. And I never miss an episode of the Bachelorette (admit you love it too).

Having come to terms with the fact that I'm not too highbrow to revel in such smut, I'm in no position to judge... but, aw what the heck! judge I will: What could new Toronto-based reality series, JacLife, possibly have to offer? I love a good dose of CanCon, but cannot imagine who will make the effort to tune into slice.ca to watch six episodes of socialite-in training, Jaclyn Genovese and her crew as they run a Queen West boutique. Toronto may be Canada's answer to New York, but Queen West is no SoHo. Likewise, running a boutique doesn't rate as high on the intrigue scale as, say running a tattoo parlor or promoting a global brand like Diane VonFurstenberg. 

Here's what blogTO has to say about it:

Some more riveting scenes already in the can: Jaclyn in her fabulous bathroom brushing her teeth! Jaclyn in her fabulous store vacuuming the carpet! Jaclyn in her fabulous loft eating cereal! Basically all the things you and I do everyday, but more interesting cause she's rich.

If you'd like to give JacLife the benefit of the doubt (and think you can handle it without barraging the screen with snide remarks), watch the teaser here.

75 best dressed men (of all time)

Because I'm married to an insanely well-dressed man, I quite appreciated Esquire's list of the 75 Best Dressed of All Time (yes, ALL time). 

I love that everyone from Albert Einstein ("demonstrating the proper way to wear a cardigan") to the Marlboro Man to Steve McQueen ("Because no one in history has done more to advance the noble cause of khakis, jeans, cable-knit sweaters, and leather jackets") made the list.

advanced style

Think 'the Sartorialist,' and then add 40 years and you'll have a pretty good idea of what Ari Cohen is doing at his blog, Advanced Style.

I got such a kick out of this blog, passed along to me by my very stylish (but not so advanced) Auntie. Thanks Renee!

I love the photo below, not only because of the awesome overcoat, but also because it depicts a different kind of 'style' icon, Willian Zinsser, author of the authoritative writers' text book: On Writing Well.

point blanket dilemma

Watching all the Olympic footage has made me a very proud Canuck (and Vancouverite!) this past week. I get the same feeling when I stroll by the current window displays at the Hudson's Bay Company—alongside all the Olympic paraphernalia are stacks of thick woolen Point Blankets and like-striped clothing that make me drool and feel a certain Canadian-ness that swells the cockles of my heart.

And lucky me: a couple years ago I inherited a genuine vintage multi-stripe Point Blanket, in all its dusty, smelly, scratchy goodness. I love this blanket dearly but at the moment it is collecting even more dust in our linen closet while I figure out just what to do with it—and for that matter, how to clean it!

It looks great as a bed spread, but is just too heavy to sleep under, so I've been thinking about other uses for it besides emergency-car-blanket.

For starters i love love love Smythe's hooded swing coat. But this might be beyond my sewing ability.

 

[via pretentiousbitties.blogspot.com]

Likewise, if I'm feeling uber ambitious I could use it to reupholster our cheapo/aging Ikea Klippan sofa.

Slightly less work would be to convert it into a bunch of throw cushions and maybe even a sturdy tote.

[image via faffaround.blogspot.com]

But the question I keep coming back to is: is it sacrilege to cut up a vintage Point Blanket? Am I destroying a valuable piece of Canadian history? And, I'm not kidding, how does one un-dust an 80-year-old wool blanket?!

anthropologie at last

I have been waiting a long time for this Regent Street shop to finally open, and open it is! Complete with suspended narwhale and a living wall.

Bracing for a visit next week. Londoners, please, don't push.