VANESKA

Happy Canada Day!

Flyer art by Colin Bergh.

Check out Bad Day Magazine.

There will be fireworks.

Mike Bayne, Red Door, 2009. Oil on panel, 4 x 6 in.

On the way up to the cottage last week (Tobermory; photos soon), we saw many homes that reminded me of Mike Bayne’s oil paintings (bet you thought they were photos!):

You can see more of Mike Bayne’s work in the newest issue of Border Crossings (cover art by Aurel Schmidt, also recommended).

Mike, if you read this, I heard you have a cottage on Wolfe Island. You’re invited to attend the Wolfe Island Booze Cruise ‘09, hosted by the Mattson - Schumacher family. See you there!

Trailer for the 2009 Bicycle Film Festival:

Guess which letter I am (sadly, I couldn’t fit into the ‘V’).

Video directed by Marco Mucig and music by Ex-Otago.

Toronto’s BFF is happening August 19-22.

This will be your chance to finally see Where Are You Go:

“Four months on a bicycle between Cairo, Egypt and Cape Town South Africa is not your typical African safari.  En route with the Tour d’ Afrique, the world’s longest bicycle race and expedition, the Zenga Bros. (CAN) and Brian Vernor (USA) make light of this physically daunting trip by sharing a universal love of the bicycle with Africa’s roadside mechanics, sporting racers, and innumerable curious strangers.

Traveling more than 70 miles per day, 50 racers and expedition riders experienced the boundless Nubian desert of Sudan, the great majesty of Victoria Falls, and finally the cold rush of the Atlantic Ocean.

Where Are You Go captures the 7,000 mile expedition as a constant adventure full of playfulness and mysterious beauty, and is a testament to the endurance of human curiosity.”

Check out the trailer for Where Are You Go (it will give you goosebumps):

I recently made a summer music mix for Aritzia. I recommend you visit a store near you for the full music + shopping experience, but you can also listen to the mix here:

DJ Vaneska Aritzia SS 2009 Mix

Track listing:

Favorite Things - Golden Filter
New in Town (GoldieLocks remix) - Little Boots
Walking on a Dream (Treasure Fingers remix) - Empire of the Sun
Saturdays - Cut Copy
Dans Ta Vraie Vie - Yelle
One Week of Danger - The Virgins
Down in LA (Shazam remix) - Munk
Dance, Dance, Dance (Buraka Som Sistema remix) - Lykke Li
Two of Hearts - Stacey Q
Embrace (feat. Ladyhawke) - Pnau
Heartbeats (Rex the Dog remix) - The Knife
Let’s Make Love - CSS
Paper Planes (DFA remix) - M.I.A.
Genius of Love - Tom Tom Club
Wake Up - Sliimy
Cheap and Cheerful - The Kills
Heartbreaker - Metronomy
Cross the Dancefloor - Treasure Fingers
Acceptable in the 80s - Calvin Harris
Extrabot (Breakbot remix) - Yuksek
Paris (Aeroplane remix) - Friendly Fires
Shooting Stars - Bag Raiders
Great DJ (Calvin Harris remix) - The Ting Tings
Sea, Sex, and Sun - Serge Gainsbourg

My inspiration for the music was Aritzia’s Summer 2009 lookbook, as photographed by Canadian fashion photographer Geoff Barrenger.

Also worth a look is Aritzia’s blog for fashion sneak peeks, new music, cool art, and behind the scenes pics.

Oscar Mayer 2.0.

Really want to get my hands on that sex font

This year’s must-have summer shoe

Hank Willis Thomas at Jack Shainman Gallery

Busy P really is the busiest man I know

MasterCard likes to waste paper (and my time)

Convenience store shopping for the really lazy

Shary Boyle’s wang at Jessica Bradley

I bought a jesus bracelet from Teresea Aversa’s Catholic shrine at Board of Directors

Viagra’s competitor?

Saw this in the girl’s stall at the Social.

Did you know Toronto has a bedbug epidemic?

Artwork (?) by Kyle Morrison

This is what happens if you pass out too early at my place. Or if your name is Hugh.

This hearse is parked behind the Comfort Zone everyday.

Breakfast for 2 (or 3 if you ask me) at OddFellows

I wonder who the graphic designer is