LADIESFUND®

By T. U. Dawood

DelectablyChic! is excited to present its 3^rd Annual Summer Bridal feature, this time a four part series on Wedding Prep, Make Up & Beauty Must-Haves for the 2012 Summer Bride, The Wedding Day, as well as Wedding Related Ideas.

We begin with Wedding Prep.

Once the engagement ring is on, the official Wedding Prep begins including wedding etiquette:

Something New

There are some fantastic books on wedding etiquette.  We recommend Something New: Wedding Etiquette for Rule Breakers, Traditionalists, and Everyone in Between by Elise Mac Adam, which is a very modern, relevant handbook to ensure your guests feel comfortable, even in the stickiest of situations.

C.R. Gibson Wedding Planner, Now & Forever

Even if you decide to go with a wedding planner, it can be handy to have your own Wedding Planner book full of checklists and we simply love the Now & Forever Wedding Planner book by C.R. Gibson.  If you are planning your own wedding, this is a fantastic guidebook full of worksheets to keep the bride organized and on schedule, invaluable tips, as well as room to record everything from the guest list to the bridal registry.

My Fair Wedding

Once you know your wedding etiquette inside out and are completely organized by your planner, it’s time to think of those how to add an extra oomph.  Check out David Tutera’s My Fair Wedding: Finding Your Vision . . . Through His Revisions! which highlights how a little tweaking can make your wedding much more special and memorable.  The book has examples of common or traditional ways of doing things and then has David’s innovative revisions which add that certain flair or panache to the same element of the wedding.  This book and its inspired ideas are for that bride who wants that certain something extra.

While the wedding organization is critical, it is even more important for the bride to look radiant on her special day.  Hence, the other really critical wedding prep that should be begun immediately is ensuring the bride is healthy, glowing and looking her best.

Brides have traditionally taken time off to be pampered, massaged and well rested.  However, even modern, busy brides can still look their best with a few insider beauty tricks.

For the Face:

Vasanti’s Detox Nutrient-Rich Purifying Facial Cleanser feels like heaven on your face and almost like a nightly mini-spa treatment.  Although you can start using this anytime, we recommend at least one month before your big day to ensure a natural bridal glow.

If you want a more intense facial cleansing and plumping, consider a Silkpeel Dermalinfusion facial by trained Esthetician Rose Cruz at Ivory Salon & Spa.  This is a more advanced technique than microdermabrasion and is said to work wonders with acne and sun damage by intensely hydrating the skin and stimulating the growth of new healthy cells.

For the Hair:

For your hair, try Salon La Coupe Volume, Moisture or Curl Refresh dry shampoo.  We recommend using this shampoo at least two months prior to your wedding day to ensure your locks will be in tip-top shape.

Or, if you want to lighten your hair naturally, LUSH Cosmetics’ BIG shampoo is quite an industry secret.  Made of seasalt and citrus, it breaks down henna and not only adds volume (hence the name) but gives your hair a sunkissed look with a killer bounce.  It’s very potent stuff, however, so you should be careful not to use it more than once a week, particularly if you have baby fine hair.

For Overall Relaxation:

For overall relaxation, try LUSH Cosmetics’ Relax, Take a Bath trio of stress-relievers.  Indulge in a hot, steaming bath fragranced with lavender and chamomile in the three different bath products – a Waving Not Drowning bath bomb, Bathos bubble bar and Dreamtime bath melt.  Use them one a week for the three weeks leading up to your special day, or indulge in one a day for the last three days prior to your wedding.

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Every year, dynamic idealists gather at Koerner Hall, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto for a powerful meeting of minds. There was no triskaidekaphobia at Moses Znaimer’s 13^th ideacity presented byBlackberry, which even began June 13 with the theme “Lucky 13.”

Moses Znaimer addressing the audience

It turned out to be a lucky event with plenty of opportunities for chance meetings with some of the world’s greatest thinkers and extraordinary trailblazers.

This year’s roster of 50 speakers included guitar legend Liona Boyd, illusionist Simon Coronel, politician Preston Manning, Wealthy Barber author David Chilton, singer Jann Arden, pianist Michael Kaeshammer, possibilian David Eagleman, and so forth.

Jann Arden

Most of the speakers stayed throughout the conference and enjoyed hearing one another and mingling with each other and the guests, many of whom were extraordinarily successful or interesting in their own right.

Liona Boyd was particularly delighted because when she met the The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario The Honourable David C. Onley, O.Ont. at ideacity, he promptly invited her to receive one of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Awards being awarded this week.

Liona Boyd

The networking lounge

This year’s ideacity theme was “The End is Nigh” or TEOTWAWKI, which stands for “The End of the World As We Know It.”  Recognizing that “every new beginning comes from other new beginning’s end,” ideacity found that its audience was 81% optimists and their cheerful outlook and hopeful nature did not change over the course of the conference.

Composing the Toronto Symphony

Some of the most memorable moments included sexologists Ogi Ogas & Sai Gaddam calling poutine “the shemale porn of international cuisine”; illusionist Simon Coronel seamlessly making a card appear and disappear from a variety of places; composer Tod Machover creating – in collaboration with key Canadian musicians – live on stage the genesis of A Toronto Symphony, a work he is composing with the entire city of Toronto; one week job worker Sean Aiken reminding us that at any age we can work toward finding our true life passion; David Jay sharing his story of Asexuality and discovering that 3% of ideacity attendees were asexual; Dignified Death advocate Wanda Morris speaking of respecting an individual’s right to determine the nature and timing of their death; the entire audience performing Kabalah Yoga with Audi Gozlan, Shimmy belly-dancing with Shivaun Corry and bhangra-ing with BollyFit’s Reshmi Chetram.

Sean Aiken

Shimmy

Pinball Clemons

It’s not surprising that the crowd was so happy because in addition to being constantly mentally stimulated by the jam-packed speaker roster, each guest received their own Blackberry playbook with the ideacity app preloaded, was given a trendy Roots leather bag filled with goodies, was pampered with Aveda aromatherapy neck massages, enjoyed decadent networking delectables including oysters and shrimp hors d’oeuvres, and socialized at the famous afterparties at some of Toronto’s poshest hot spots including Spice Route, C-Lounge and Rosewater Supper Club.

A worthwhile and unforgettable conference that the guests look forward to all year.

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

Arts & Culture, business trends, career development, entrepreneurship, events, making money, money and happiness, money and power, money and relationships, women leaders 85 Broads, A TORONTO SYMPHONY, annual event, ASEXUALITY, DAVID CHILTON, DAVID EAGLEMAN, DAVID JAY, ideacity, IDEACITY 2012, JANN ARDEN, LIONA BOYD, MICHAEL KAESHAMMER, moses znaimer, O.ONT., OGI OGAS, POSSIBILIAN, PRESTON MANNING, preview your life, Rosewater Supper Club, Royal Conservatory of Music, SAI GADDAM, SEAN AIKEN, SHIMMY, SIMON CORONEL, THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF ONTARIO THE HONOURABLE DAVID C. ONLEY, the rational optimist, TOD MACHOVER, tudawood, WANDA MORRIS, WEALTHY BARBER, WEALTHY BARBER RETURNS, ZOOMER

It’s June 17^th and the question on everyone’s minds is “what’s hot for Dads?”

In fact, even literary icon Margaret Thatcher just tweeted, “Happy Fathers’ Day! (Tie: too 50s? Knife set? Golf item? Vinyl LP? BBQ accessory? Case of Moosehead? Trip to Mars? What’s hot for dads?).

Whether it’s for the man who has always spoiled you or the father of your children, here’s our annual guide to how to great last minute gifts for his special day.

For the Tech Guy:

Get your Dad the Canon EOS 60Da.  The shots taken with this tech gizmo are simply mesmerizing.  This high tech camera is designed for astro-snaps specifically and is an 18-megapixel, APS-C CMOS has an ISO range that runs to 12,800, letting in enough light for you to capture the stars.  A gift your father can enjoy in moments of solitude with shots that he can endlessly show off to his friends.  Also, a great bonder for granddads and grandkids.

For the Hair Guy:

If your man has Justin Bieber hair or sexy locks, check out a limited-edition Father’s Day Gift Set by Schwarzkopf Professional’s brand new men’s line 3D Men Hair effect.  With neon green and black packaging, it’s uber masculine to look at and is fabulous product that will effectively and easily shape his do in a high impact, manly way. The brand has a great slogan: Men like to keep their options open.  No wonder, men expect their hair care to be just like them.

For the Book-Reading Guy:

Robin Sharma’s books make great gifts for Dads.  For the noble man who has always been your inspiration, The Leader Who Had No Title is a fabulous guide to showing leadership, having power and playing at your peak, regardless of position.  Similarly, Robin Sharma Daily Inspiration is an uplifting book of quotes that truly energize and transform the lives of readers.

Conrad Black’s A Matter of Principle is another hot read, as are The Impossible Dead by Ian Rankin and The Big Miss: My Years Coaching Tiger Woods by Hank Haney.

For the Sporty Guy:

LUSH Cosmetics The Guv’ner is an unforgettable gift for your Dad.  It is an “odour-busting blend of sage, lavender and patchouli in a super absorbent charcoal and lycopodium base” and was tested every day for 3 months wearing white shirts. Pure magic, this loose powder deodorant is a pain to use (grey powder goes everywhere) but somehow it works and works better than traditional drugstore roll-ons and aerosols.  The moisture-absorbing charcoal also contains antiseptic and astringent sage and patchouli for its cooling, astringent properties on the skin.

For the Pampered Guy:

L’OCCITANE is always known for luxury products but their hot Verdon Energy Moisturizer is like putting a bit of heaven on your face.  Created especially for active guys, it intensely moisturizes and soothes the skin after a shave.  It contains purifying peppermint essential oil, sea-buckthorn moisturizing water, nourishing and energizing oil, and protecting genepi extract, which have been selected in response to specific needs of men’s skin.

For the Sexy Guy:

The scent of musk is considered a principal attraction between the sexes. If you gift The Body Shop’s White Musk Eau De Toilette Pour Homme to the father of your children, this is definitely a gift the two of you can enjoy.  It’s a modern, masculine and seductive infusion of musk and woods with crisp, fresh, and aromatic notes; think of the male gift alternative to sexy lingerie!

For the sportier male, this musk comes in a Sport version as well which has a zesty touch with notes of grapefruit and lemon fused with sensual amber.

********THE BODY SHOP & LADIESFUND® POST FATHER’S DAY CONTEST*******

For those readers who forgot Father’s Day, are apart from their Dads or believe their Dads should be pampered year round and really wish they could show this special man how wonderful he is, The Body Shop Canada & LADIESFUND® have teamed up to come to the rescue with a special giveaway to the father of a fan who has the most heart-warming story of why her father deserves to be pampered.  This gift package (a $70 value) will be sent to the very deserving father and will include the following items:

· For Men Maca Root Shave Cream ($10.00)

· For Men Maca Root Deodorant Stick ($6.00)

· For Men Maca Root Face Wash ($12.00)

· White Musk For Men Eau de Toilette ($28.00)

·         White Musk For Men Hair & Body Wash ($14.00)

To win, just post your name, city your Dad lives in, and comment on why you think your Dad deserves this post Father’s Day gift.  All entries must be received by Wednesday, June 20, 2012.  You get a bonus entry if you follow @ladiesfund on twitter and tweet about this and then comment here in a separate comment that you’ve tweeted about it.  Good luck!

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Cleopatra was known to be the Queen Seductress.  Whether it was rolling out of carpets or seducing two uber alpha males:  Caesar and Mark Antony, she was reputed to be truly devastating.

She was also renowned for her beauty secrets.  So when we read about Madonna going on an all salmon diet (for those omega-3 acids, baby) and drinking Kabbalah water and magically looking decades younger, it’s obvious some beauty secrets do work.

Cleopatra used to bath in milk and always extolled its virtues.

Soya milk is said to be more hydrating than other types of milk and The Body Shop came up with Soya Milk Foaming Bath Powder, both to cleanse and soften skin, way back in the ’80s.

Today, they have enhanced the formula with vitamin E, oat flour and Community Fair Trade organic soya oil from Brazil.

You can use as much as you want at a time, depending on how “milky” you like your bath.

Soya Milk Foaming Bath Powder comes in a really cute reusable organic cotton bag created by a Community Fair Trade supplier in India.

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The National Women’s Show took place this past weekend in Toronto. Billing itself as the “Ultimate Girl’s Day Out,” it was truly a Brandapalooza with more than 450 exhibits ranging from “food and wine sampling, fashion shows, celebrity guests, free makeovers, health, wellness & beauty secrets, cooking demos, home renovation advice and travel ideas!”

The Norwex Enviro Products booth

Jam-packed with variety and there was definitely something for everyone. For the foodies out there, things ranged from balsamic vinegar to cupcakes.  Some of the best food stalls included Purdy’s Chocolates and their English toffee, Trinidadian Roasted Garlic sauce and Tassimo Hot Chocolate. However, even the seemingly straight-forward stalls like canned tuna were exciting since gourmet chefs prepared live truly decadent recipes. The Samsung Cooking Stage also featured a revolving roster of top chefs.

Skincare and beauty options were abundant with lots of alternative methods in the mix. For example, Neob Lavender which is a Canadian grown lavender based skincare line and Norwex Enviro Products which are water and cloth alternatives to soap, yes soap!!! At the same time, commercial beauty brands like SmashBox Cosmetics and Vasanti Cosmetics had smalls.

Some fun stalls included belly dancing classes, test-driving a Chevrolet and spinning wheels for prizes. There were also plenty of health and wellness products being showcased including The Well Adjusted Chiropractic Centre which did abridged free spine scans, FitChicks! and GoodLife Fitness. There were also stalls for toothpaste (commercial and herbal), vitamins and even digestive help.

An example of a booth at the National Women’s Show, Toronto

PlanToday.ca had an Oxygen Bar. There were fashion shows galore. Celebrities like Eric Braeden from The Young and the Restless, the Property Brothers and Dr. John Gray made special guest appearances. Marc Jade, the international psychic/medium, wowed the audience, while Albert Graves taught flower arranging. Toronto Maple Leafs’ Phil Kessel proved to be a major draw.

Dr. John Gray

The Show takes about 4 hours to go through and there are plenty of freebies, samples and good cheer along the way. It’s a family show for all ages and a great place to shop, discover hidden treasures or the latest foods, gadgets and opportunities. There are even travel adventures you can sign up for as well as a whole host of newly invented or cutting edge work out equipment, weight loss procedures and fashion forward items.

A very unique and productive way to spend the day with your favourite girlfriends.

Photo Credit: T U Dawood, courtesy of The Art of … Public Relations

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

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T U Dawood & PM Julia Gillard

T U Dawood & Lisa M Scaffidi, Lord Mayor of Perth

Dawood Global Foundation and LADIESFUND® have also been asked to help found a Women’s Commonwealth Business Council, which is being spearheaded by the International Federation of Business and Professional Women (led by Freda Miriklis, President) and British Association of Women Entrepreneurs (led by Deb Leary, OBE, National President UK).

Freda Miriklis, T U Dawood & Deb Leary

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By T. U. Dawood

The Art of … Productions just held a fabulous 5 world class speaker event in Toronto on Leadership.  This inaugural The Art of Leadership conference featured five internationally renowned bestselling authors and visionaries: Patrick Lencioni, Ann Rhoades, General Rick Hillier, Tim Sanders and Tom Rath.  Ron Tite hosted the event.

The day’s biggest draw was Patrick Lencioni who is not only the Founder of The Table Group, but a New York Times Bestselling Author of multiple books including “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” & “Getting Naked,” both of which he quoted from repeatedly during his presentation. He was full of insight and charm and very clearly worked through the importance of building an open dialogue based on strong trust in one’s workplace. These same pillars apply equally well to a marriage or any important relationship.

Ann Rhoades spoke next, focusing on “Corporate Culture & Employee Retention.” The former Chief People Officer at Southwest Airlines & Bestselling Author of “Built on Values,” Rhoades was truly genius and my personal speaker of the day. To the point and full of gem after gem of solid tips on top customer service, she was possibly the best speaker on Customer Service I’d heard and someone whose examples I found both logical and inspiring and whose roadmap for accomplishing culture change was actually full of practicable steps. Her speech alone was worth the admission to this seminar.

General Rick Hillier followed, focusing his talk on “Leading Change & People Development.” The former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Canadian Forces & Bestselling Author of “Leadership,” General Hillier had the crowd enraptured from beginning to end of his witty, engaging speech. There was a lot of common sense substance to his words and he made the key to leadership seem simple and possibly even easy. His real life examples from his family and career effortlessly supported his core analysis and system of team building.

Tim Sanders spoke next and his topic was “Talent Management & Future Trends in the Workplace.” The former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo! & New York Times Bestselling Author of Love is the “Killer App,” Sanders did not have as much charm or ease on stage as some of the earlier speakers but his real life example of what Yahoo! Did wrong during the crisis and ways they could have done better and opportunities that came their way that they neglected, was an insightful and valuable talk nonetheless. His speech also spoke to the heart with roots in the works of Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie and other great teachers on the importance of understanding life’s gifts are abundant and there is plenty to go around.

Tim Sanders autographs books

The final speaker for the day was Tim Rath who talked on “Employee Engagement & Strengths Based Leadership.” The Global Practice Leader at Gallup & #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of “Strengths Finder 2.0” & “How Full is Your Bucket?,” Rath was another highly anticipated speaker. Although he too was not as engaging on stage as some of the other speakers, his insight into the importance of focusing on people and company strengths rather than weaknesses and how the impact on that can be measured was very interesting to learn.

Overall, this was one of the strongest The Art of … Productions events with a lot of substance and insight – as promised “an exciting blend of cutting edge thinking and real world experience” – and was well worth attending.

Photo Credit: T. U. Dawood

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

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Realizing that the number of products and gift choices available can be overwhelming, we have selected some of the most dazzling this season and for your convenience has organized them by occasion or recipient.  Gift one of these and the recipient is sure to appreciate your thoughtful and well thought out gesture.

Best Hostess Gift:

Philosophy's Holiday Hostess

Philosophy’s “Holiday Hostess” combo of Sugary Cinnamon Icing shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath and body lotion is an ideal gift to give when you go to a holiday party.  The frosted blue packaging is very charming as is the tag line “every hostess deserves the mostest.”

Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate Body Wash

Another surefire way to make your hostess happy is a gift set of Crabtree & Evelyn’s Pomegranate line.  You can have a customized gift basket made from their scented soap, body wash, body lotion and even foaming bath powder. The scent and texture of this line is pure luxury and the colour and packaging (deep pink and white) epitomizes the holiday season.

Best Gift for your Make-Up Loving Friend:

Cargo Cosmetics Lumieres du Monde eyeshadow and blush set

Check out Cargo Cosmetics’ Lumieres du Monde eyeshadow and blush set.  It makes quite an attractive gift with its sleek packaging and bold colour choices and is sure to please any make-up loving friend and at just $29 (with retail value $159), it packs quite a punch as a present.  It’s also a great gift to give a working gal pal who tends to go straight from work to cocktails as it’s perfect for freshening up at the office.  We just wish there was a snap seal to this set as it’s the sort of make-up goody one wants to protect.

The Body Shop Spiced Vanilla Body Butter

If you would prefer to give something more bath and body-oriented, we simply love The Body Shop’s Spiced Vanilla Body Butter (very sexy) or even their warm and welcoming new Cranberry Joy shimmer lotion.  Perfect scents and textures for the dark and dry winter.

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Shimmer Lotion

Best Gift to Give A Child:

Hank & Jojo Socks Set

We are in LOVE with the Hank and Jojo Kiddie Collection Kids Socks Set.  This four pack of striped socks made of 80% Bamboo and AZO free dyes, is placed in a CPSIA approved gorgeous tin lunchbox.  The workmanshop of the box is top-notch and the socks are very cute.  All packaging is recyclable.  Now that’s clothing a child and teaching her eco-friendly ways, all at the same time.

Best Gift to Give Your Creative Friend:

Mastering Color Knitting

Knitting Block by Block

Have a friend who loves to knit or gift wrap?  “Mastering Color Knitting” by Melissa Leapman and “Knitting Block by Block” by Nicky Epstein are two books that are fresh, fun and full of invaluable hints.  The former book is a detailed look at colour knitting with finesse and the latter book puts a new spin on block knitting and includes 150 patterns for sweaters, scarves, afghans and even bags!

Creative Paper Cutting basic techniques & fresh designs for stencils, mobiles, cards & more

One of the coolest creative books we’ve come across in a long time is “Creative Paper Cutting: basic techniques & fresh designs for stencils, mobiles, cards & more” edited by Shufunotomo.  It has tons of tips on how to make unusual greeting cards, invitation cards, party decor and even Christmas tree ornaments.

KONAD Stamping Nail Art Special Set

For a gift that’s both a boon to beauty and to creativity, consider KONAD® Stamping Nail Art Special Set.  Funky over the top animal print nail designs? Stripes that overlap in just the right way? Innovative colour combinations?  For a truly unique nail, no better way than having the complete nail art set handy so that you can sport whatever design strikes you fancy and change it as often as you like.

Best Gift to Give Your Social Media Loving Friend:

LUSH Cosmetics Christmas Tweets

LUSH Cosmetics’ Christmas Tweets ($27.95) is a celebratory box of vanilla and marzipan scented goodies.  We love this mix because it has a variety of pampering products perfect for a friend who is not taking enough time for herself.  Smitten hand cream, Snowcake soap, Vanilla Fountain bath bomb and Lil’ Lush Pud bath bomb are the treats in this box of Tweets.  Now, that’s something to “tweet” about.

Best gift for all your BFFs:

Soulo Sport Velocity Watches

If you are in a circle of friends where you want to give everyone the same gift, check out Soulo Sport’s Velocity Watch.  They come in a rainbow of colours (if you want to give each friend a different colour) including the perfect day-to-evening black, are lightweight to carry and easy to giftwrap or stuff in a stocking.  They feel like you are not even wearing a watch and yet they look sleek and stylish and perfect for today. Best of all, they are made of Tourmaline which facilitates the natural detoxification of the body and improves sleep, relaxation and meditation.

Mini Shopaholic

For a more literary choice, gift “Mini Shopaholic” by Sophie Kinsella which you can always count on for a good laugh.  Little Minnie, daughter of Becky and Luke, is more shopzilla than shopaholic and is a welcome addition to this beloved series.

Best Gift for Your Health Conscious Friend:

We’ve all been reading about the dangers of freezing or microwaving things with plastic and how it releases Dioxin Carcinogens which cause cancer, particularly breast cancer.  Green Seal has come up with microwave safe, freezer safe, universal fit space age polymers that vacuum seal food, keeping it apparently up to five times as fresh, all without releasing any dangerous chemicals.

Best Gift to Give Your Friend Who Has Too Many Bad Hair Days:

MOROCCANOIL® Shampoo & Mask Holiday Set

You will be so loved by someone who struggles with her hair if you gift one of Moroccanoil® Holiday promo vanity cases.  We tried the one with Intense Hydrating Mask, Moisture Repair Shampoo and Moroccanoil® Treatment.  It not only repairs chemical and environmental damage, it makes your hair shine. Bliss!

Best Gift to Give Your Girl Friend Who Has Just Moved into Her Own Place:

Apollo Precision Tools 135-Piece Household Pink Tool Kit

The Apollo Precision Tools 135-Piece Household Pink Tool Kit is a very thoughtful gift to give a female friend who is constantly having to tweak things in their home.  Durable, easy-to-use, portable and best of all pink, this set includes a box cutter, a rechargeable cordless 4.8-volt screwdriver, a measuring tape, a level and a putty knife, all systematically displayed and organized so that each piece is easy to find and easy to store.  Available at Canadian Tire, with a portion of proceeds going to Canadian charity re-Think Breast Cancer.

Best Gift for Your Friend Who Loves to Cook:

Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

For a more traditional gift or for the mother who enjoys cooking, Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook is choc-a-bloc with fabulous recipes and most importantly, easy to follow instructions and time-saving techniques.  Even Martha Stewart’s Cookies is a lot of fun with many creative and tasty recipes like “Chocolate Malt Sandwiches,” “Cigarette Russes,” “Meringue Porcupines” and for a Christmas treat “Stained Glass Trees.”  For a quick and easy method to get ideal holiday treats, check out Decorating Cookies Kit by Annie Rigg that contains a cookbook and cookie cutters.  We particularly liked the stained glass star cookies.

Martha Stewarts Cookies

Decorating Cookies Kit

Holiday Cupcakes

Whats New Cupcake?

Why not combine the traditional with the modern and gift, serve or give a hostess cupcakes this Holiday season.  Holiday Cupcakes is a great intro book to “Christmas Wreath” cupcakes, “Christmas Trees” cupcakes and “Snow-Ho-Ho-Men” treats.

If you really want to wow ‘em though, check out What’s New Cupcake? by Karen Tack & Alan Richardson which has advanced techniques to ensure your little treats are truly water-cooler conversation worthy.  There are great tips here for shaping your cupcakes and top recipes including “Blow Up Lawn Santas” and “Frosty Mugs.”  For mouth-watering cupcakes recipes (that you can later decorate using one of the earlier books mentioned), don’t look further than The Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes and Muffins Cupcake kit, which even includes 100 cupcake cases.

The Hummingbird Bakery Cupcakes and Muffins Cupcake kit

Best Gift for Your Mom:

Vasanti EYE WONDER

Vasanti has this magical Eye Wonder triple action eye treatment cream that is flying off the shelves.  It reduces the appearance of puffiness, wrinkles and dark circles, whether due to hereditary, thinning skin, inflammation or lack of sleep. Botanicals and peptides are the key active ingredients and by the way it actually works, there is probably also some secret magical formula.   Your mother is likely to love it so much, she might just ask you to gift more to her on her birthday and Mother’s Day as well.

Best Gift for Your Dad:

The Body Shop's Jolly Orange Bath and Shower Gel

Men generally love scents with a little zest to them.  While The Body Shop’s “Jolly Orange” bath & shower gel is a unisex product, it’s something extra special for the man who has always pampered you.

Best Gift to Make Your Man Smile?

Tip Alert

Want to have a little fun with your gift-giving?  Canadian Al Howard has invented TipAlert which attaches to the bottom of the toilet seat to remind users (i.e. men) to put the seat back down when they are done.  It makes a sound and has flashing LED lights when the seat has been left up.  The intent is to bring humour to a long-standing tense point between couples.  So if your man has a sense of humour, this can be a very cute gift.  If not, then probably not the best idea …

Best Gift to Give Your Artsy Chic Green Friend:

Totem National Ballet T3 hip city messenger bag

Fashionistas will not be able to resist the Totem National Ballet T3: hip city messenger bag.  These casual chic bags are super stylish and are perfect for carrying around your laptop, papers and essentials.  Styles include “Romeo & Juliet,” “Nutcracker Suite,” “Swan Lake,” “West Side Story” and my favourite, “Sleeping Beauty.” It’s made out of upcycled vinyl truck tarp & a National Ballet promotional banner, straps from upcycled seatbelts and handle from a bicycle inner tube.  Best of all, it’s Canadian.

Best Gift to Give Someone Going Through a Hard Time:

Spencer Johnson's The Present: The Gift for Changing Times

Spencer Johnson’s The Present: The Gift for Changing Times is one of those very special reminders of the importance of appreciating and living life now.  It’s a great for anyone of any age and could prove to be a lifesaver for a friend who’s experiencing some hard luck.

Key to Living the Law of Attraction

A more action oriented book is Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction: A Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams by Jack Canfield and D. D. Watkins.  This “How To” Guide contains some very powerful chapters like “Emotions,” “Focus on the Positive” and “Create Your Day Visualization.”

Best Holiday Party Show-Off Item:

L'Occitane's White Blossoms Scented Candle

L’Occitane has a decadent “White Blossoms” scented candle with the perfect soft and subtle floral fragrance that will make your powder room have that special finesse that’ll have your guests talking.

Best Holiday Packaged Gift Sets:

Philosophy's Melting Marshmallow

Philosophy's Candy Cane

Philosophy's Peppermint Bark

Philosophy is well renowned for its packaging, but I must say, this year, even they have outdone themselves.  Since their entire holiday range is oooh and aaah worthy, choice can only be made by preference in fragrances.  “Melting Marshmallow” is a nice three-piece combo of shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath, body lotion and lip shine.  “Candy Cane” is also a gorgeous packaged round tin which features the same 3-set but candy can scented.  Our favourite out of the entire collection, however, is “Peppermint Bark,” which is a metallic red coloured pepperminty-scented line.  This duo comes in a candy-striped keepsake tin with lip shine and shampoo/shower gel/bubble bath.  The same combination is also available in cherry flavour called “Have a Cherry Christmas.”

Philosophy's Have a Cherry Christmas

This article was originally published in DelectablyChic!

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Movie Review: For Colored Girls

By T. U. Dawood

For Coloured Girls - cast bonding moment

Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf is a celebration of being a woman and being black.  Her gift for rhythm elevates her poetry to soaring heights, and was only enhanced in the original stage adaptation by the powerfully choreographed dance sequences that peppered and punctuated the various rites of passage her female characters faced.

Whether it was losing one’s virginity, facing date-rape or surviving domestic violence, these women were presented as strong and surviving by Shange’s luminescent writing, which underscored at all times that while they may have suffered, they were never victims.

Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman) adapts this play to the silver screen with great ambition and an all star cast including Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad and Thandie Newton.  Newton stepped in when Mariah Carey who was originally cast as promiscuous Tangie became pregnant in real life and the Mission Impossible 2 and Crash star delivers a stand-out performance, possibly the best of her career.  Also worth a special mention is Macy Gray who makes a chilling and noteworthy cameo as a drunk back-alley abortionist.

Where Perry struggles is not his casting, however, but his prose.  Perry combines Shange’s exceptionable words with his own and in doing so, makes a fatal mistake. His plot-progressing language is mundane, meagre and all too often clichéd.  Then, suddenly, he throws in entire passages of Shange in critical scenes, allowing a particular actress to shine in a dramatic, poignant, philosophical moment, but then the Director returns right back to his homeboy dialogue and vacant prose, making the contrast so stark it leaves the viewer with whiplash.

That being said, the highlights of the film are the moments when these very talented actresses get to bring to life Shange’s words.  A particular favourite is Loretta Devine reminding herself (and all of us) of the importance of self-respect in the Shange masterpiece “Somebody Almost Walked Off Wid Alla My Stuff.”

That’s where the rainbows at … in a world of self-respect and personality responsibility.  If Perry had kept the focus more on those moments and on that energy – as Shange had done – For Colored Girls would have been more than Enuf.  Unfortunately, as it stands, this film is just a colorless Rainbow that will be easily forgotten when it ends.

This review was originally published in LisaLiving.ca

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Reviewed By T. U. Dawood

Sunday, 26 Sep, 2010

THE life of Oprah Winfrey is simply fascinating. A spellbinding storyteller, an insightful interviewer and an Oscar-nominated actress, she is a true representation of the American dream. It is not surprising then that she is Kitty Kelley’s latest subject matter for a biography.

Oprah: A biography is chock-a-block with information on the queen of daytime television. Kelley interviewed the diva’s relatives, former lovers and coworkers. Remarkably, most of the people Kelley interviewed were not on the best of terms with Winfrey, including her cousin and father (who, it is alleged, might not be her biological father after all). Kelley had a clear thesis while writing this biography and she positions her work to fit that vision.

Regardless of what’s in the biography, we all know that Winfrey is quite the philanthropist. Kelley does mention her many achievements and her charitable work, but follows these positive statements with a ‘but’, all the while attempting to underscore, over and over again, that Winfrey’s generosity is often self-serving.

There are a lot of details present on Winfrey’s preferences. Kelley talks about how Winfrey does not enjoy taking the stairs, has a bathtub to fit her body and does not want to be photographed by the paparazzi in her bathing suit. Do all these revelations come as a real surprise? Not at all.

Kelley’s trademark that markets her books is incorporating one shocking revelation to tantalise readers. From Laura Bush selling dope in college to Nancy Reagen and Frank Sinatra having an affair are examples of full-blown secrets revealed by Kelley in her earlier best-sellers. The only semi-interesting unearthing in Kelley’s book on Oprah Winfrey is that she once dated John Tesh. In fact, Oprah dated both John Tesh and Roger Ebert before meeting her longtime partner Stedman Graham, but these relationships are simply not the hidden scandals that sell books. However, Kelley did discover one very potent piece of information in her research: the true identity of Winfrey’s father. Yet she chose not to put this salient detail into the biography.

Why not, you may wonder. Kelley apparently gave her word that she would not reveal the name because it is Winfrey’s mother’s place to tell her daughter and over the years she has still not done so. Since the book has come out, The National Enquirer has reported the true identity of Oprah Winfrey’s father to be 84-year-old Noah Robinson Sr., a retired Mississippi farmer and World War II veteran, who since then has requested a paternity test. Yet the truth is still to be known.

Kelley time and again returns to writing about the demons Winfrey herself has revealed, specifically focusing on the sexual abuse the talk show host suffered at the hands of her cousin, uncle and family friend beginning at the tender age of nine.

Winfrey first shared her history of abuse on her show in 1986, the year her show went into national syndication. It was a decision that was very controversial at the time, but proved to catapult Winfrey as well as the show to untold heights, although most members of her family still refuse to believe any such abuse took place.

Winfrey’s diva behaviour and her sway in the industry are very prominently discussed in the book. In fact, according to the Washington Times, the biography had an initial printing of around 500,000 copies. Yet, according to Kelley, some major news organisations refused to schedule interviews for fear of incurring ‘Oprah’s displeasure.’

Despite those setbacks, Kelley’s book is a great success. Her style is as engaging as ever. Even though comprising 544 pages (Winfrey’s authorised biography was just 200 pages), most people will read a good half of it before feeling the page count. There is a steady rhythm, enough energy and sufficient content to prove Kelley has done her homework.

After a while, it does feel almost like an overdose on too many People magazine articles, but for the most part it is a harmless guilty little pleasure.

Oprah (BIOGRAPHY) By Kitty KelleyRandom House, New York ISBN 0307394867544pp. $30

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