dr eye candy

Our Canadian Love Story

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 20:17:00 +0000

It has been such a long time since I've last written.

But life has been good to me and here's an update.

Starting February 8th you can help us (myself and Rebecca my illustrator) publish Our Canadian Love Story and allow el señor Giacomo and mademoiselle Jacqueline to fall in love.

400 is our lucky number. That’s how many $25 donations it will take to make Rebecca and I dance across the rainbow.
With your support this can be as easy as pie. For every donation you contribute, we promise to send you a signed hardcover copy of Our Canadian Love Story.

All of our thank yous make beautiful gifts.

Of course there are many other special thank yous to be had...like signed and numbered copies of Rebecca's original illustrations for the book, thank you mentions, in print, forever or even your very own custom character. I'd be happy to customize my author's message for you. Imagine owning your very own character. A twelve string acoustic guitar playing owl (already taken), a bongo playing panda or a trumpeting giraffe? Your character will be part of el señor Giacomo and mademoiselle Jacqueline's band. Of course we will introduce the cast in the thank you section of our book. Perhaps you'd like to dedicate a character to your child, your niece, your unborn baby? You could also dedicate the Thank You to your business, your rotary club or pretty much anyone you like.

More support equals a more awesome package for you filled with more love from us.

By publishing Our Canadian Love Story we sincerely hope that our little tale will inspire dialogue within your families, schools & playgroups about what immigration means to the fabric of our joint Canadian life.

And if you’re feeling a little less philosophical: then it’s simply a whimsical story about two jackrabbits who fall in love...with each other and with Canada.

El señor Giacomo and mademoiselle Jacqueline, the main jackrabbits of our tale, arrive in Canada much like you did…or maybe your mom and dad or gran and pop, or oma and opa, or nonna and nonno*…because somebody they knew said to them:

“There is a place where the horizon is endless. Where the sky dances with the light that is the music of our planet and where the ground is dusted in white diamond powder. And the best part is, that it tastes and smells like sweet sugary maple, right from the Atlantic coast on the East all the way to the Pacific coast on the West.”

Help them pack their bag in a land far away from ours. Learn why jackrabbit fur changes colour. Watch them chug a spoonful of courage and fly to Canada on an Air Canada Goose flight. You can wave as they arrive at Terminal 1 of Canada International Airport.
Take a seat in the front row as they fall in love and start a band.

What will your belief & support help us achieve other than a dance over the rainbow?

I wrote Our Canadian Love Story on three Air Canada puke bags. The story spilled out in one go and turbulences didn't allow me to reach for my notebook. You will agree that said bags are no suitable medium for a children's tale and even less so for a tale about love.

Rebecca is so magicaly gifted and I am so grateful that she imagined my words into pictures.

Together we are on the road to self-publishing.

$10,000 will allow us:

* to start up Silk Web Publishing

* because important book sellers only buy from real book publishers

* keep it local and print with Friesens (employee owned and truly Canadian)

* written in Canadian air space

* illustrated in Canada

* printed in Canada

(for the same reasons we love & support farmers markets)

* print professional quality

* Hardcover: 100 lb. Gloss over 100 pt. board; 4 process colours

* Trim Size: 8.25 x 9

* 32 pages plus endsheets, plus casebound cover

* 80 lb. Matte White; 4 process colours throughout

* Endsheets: Offset White; one PMS colour one side of each (solid wash)

* raise our voice
         * create a website
         * advertise to independent kid’s store, the library people etc.
         * bribe our favourite social media folks to toot our horn

* get our acronyms right

* ISBN, EAN, CIP want more?

* there’s a lot of stuff that goes on books and some of it costs money

When will you get to hold your thank you?
This is an all or nothing campaign. We can only honour our thank yous if me meet our goal. Of course you will be refunded every cent of your belief in us if we can't dance across the rainbow together.
We are hoping to publish asap. If things stay on track we will be able to ship out your thank you much sooner than August 1st. We will keep you posted.

Other ways you can help us once we're live?
* Raise your voice about what we’re doing: Our story makes for great small talk on buses, in cost-co line-ups or pretty much any time you find yourself in possession of a mega- or microphone (at an Indian wedding, a karoke bar…)
* Bribe YOUR favourite social media folks to toot our horn
* This is the time to rally up your mom, uncle and grandma to show them how easy Indiegogo makes sharing things on facebook, twitter & youtube.

On February 8th our campaign will go live on www.indiegogo.com/canadianlovestory.

For now you can like our project on facebook.

Here's the indiegogo pitch trailer:

Thank you. So very, very much.

Let’s hold hands and run across the rainbow.

Penned from me to you with love, smiles and gratitude.

dr. eyecandy

Maple Sap

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:43:00 +0000

…it’s official I am no longer a Miss…and that can only mean one thing…I’m on target!

A while ago life threw me a curve ball and instead of adjusting my swing I tried to stare it right down. SMACK, CRACK...into my skull and out of my socks.

You live and you learn and YES it is all about rethinking your attitude and surrounding yourself with the people you call home and the ones you can trust.

Did I learn? I suppose…now when life’s coming at me with a slant, I take a second to breathe, relax, slow down and re-angle my vision and aim.

In fact I suggest you get your fly-fishing pants on and wade right into the gooey mess. Best way to keep your feet dry, connect to the ground. You may in fact be fast to stumble into the underlying goodness and onto the path of recovery much quicker. I sure wish I hadn’t lurked barefoot in the yucky mess by myself for as long as I did.

Instead of avoiding down time I have learned to embrace it. It's a valued teaching moment that shows me how precious life is and how much I should adore it…down time is just a reminder to re-focus my vision.

Makes sense…what could be worse than "worst"? So whatever lies ahead is bound to be good in comparison…just brace yourself for good and then better and then incredible and then amazing and…well you get the idea. The direction is up!

Who knew that just a few stairs up from “ewwww” lives “phenomenal”. Make sure you take the stairs, regardless of the type of crutches it takes...the view from up top is simply breathtaking.

If you’re having a sad day…lean back, relax…the sun’s just about to come up behind that peak…it always does (even here in Vancouver, you may just have to practice your patience)…it’s just the way the sun works.

Thought I’d share the maple sap!

From the top of the staircase...with another one just around the corner for my climbing pleasure…beaming...dr eyecandy

ENJOY d'Soleil's beautiful capturing power...thank you Daniel for digitizing our memories...

You may also want to read "slumbering seed"...if you haven't shared it already...

Picture Perfect at Any Size...Lending a Face to Obesity

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:57:00 +0000

It was the kind of event that made the back of my neck tingle with excitement and joy.

I've long felt exhausted by the faceless 300 pound, three scoop ice cream cone holding, hamburger consuming torsos accompanying today's obesity stories.

As one of the few remaining prejudices, obesity discrimination and stigmatization has become so entangled in the fabric of obesity reporting that even the most genuine media story about this chronic condition is undermined by image pollution through the use of unflattering, demeanig and often offensive stock photos.

I strongly believe that it is our responsibility as a society to resist, oppose and address weight bias in all of its hideous guises. I am proud to say that we got a head start today:

Two members of the Canadian Obesity Network, myself and Meredith, as well as a good friend from a special place within Alberta Health Services' pediatric obesity program, Thea, teamed up with photographer Rob Tinga to take a stand against the negative reinforcement of obesity stereotypes. Surely this endeavour required models...and we got the best we could have asked for.

We spent the day on the grounds of the colourfully leaf spotted Hawrelak Park and welcomed six families who braved Rob's camera to help us launch a "Picture Perfect at Any Size" image gallery. The idea was to create an image resource made available to all Canadian Obesity Network members as well as the media where they may now access royalty free, beautiful, positive and reality reflecting stock photos of people living with obesity.

The result is everything we had hoped for and more. CTV came and covered the story. They watched us as we picnicked and played...shared stories and laughter.

The mood was infectious and I truly felt that I was a part of something ever so necessary and novel.

I tip my hat and bow in gratitude to all of our wonderful models, as well as to all of their families and friends. We held hands today as we took baby steps in the right direction. Thanks to Robert...this happened one click at a time!

Thank you all for sharing your smiles with us today! You inspired me and gave me hope.

Thanks also to the team...(to the right) you rocked!

Click here to watch the story on CTV...(search 'Picture perfect at any size') although it may only be up for a short little while.

Smiling,

dr eye candy

Fleetwood Mac - The Chain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcawnRIyeok&feature=related

Ready, Set...Give!

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 19:25:00 +0000

The best news I have received in forever:

The story below is my boyfriend’s. Figuratively speaking, Nico just fathered a child that is not mine…and I couldn’t be prouder. Please take the time to read this beautiful story!

“On January 21^st I received the most beautiful news of my life. My little patient is alive. His infant body survived the bone marrow transplant and is in excellent health.

Thanks to my bone marrow donation his tiny body has resumed the production of healthy blood cells. The 15-month young French monsieur checked out of the hospital and returned to the loving embrace of his family and their home.

No message has ever resonated with this much force. I’ve never been this proud. I’ve never been this touched. The news about my little boy’s wellbeing put so many banal occurrences in their appropriate order of importance. Learning about his health shifts priorities into their respective drawers of priority.

I would like to ask you to register yourself as a bone marrow transplant donour. It only takes a second to register. Organizations such as onematch.ca will send you information about the next drive in your vicinity. Some organizations even administer kits with a cutip that you swab with saliva and return to sender. Done! Just think of the life you may be saving. You could pontentially be gifting someone the most important thing we have…health and life.

It doesn’t hurt to register. To know that you’re not helping someone does.

Please become a donor. I thank you with all my heart.

Nico von R.”

Ready, Set...Give! I'm starting a young professional Rotary Chapter here in Edmonton and growing the Bone Marrow Registry will be our biggest local cause. I couldn't gift my best friend a new brain when she got diagnosed with cancer...God knows I would have. We can however share something most of us have enough of: Bone Marrow. So let's share and save lives.

Visit onematch.ca to find out about how you can save a life!

Smiling because the little french boy now looks forward to a bright, healthy future and one day may father a child of his own. If that's no reason to smile, what is?! Therefore I'm smiling...dr eyecandy.

I Now Pronounce You Husband And Wife

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 18:15:00 +0000

I am a self proclaimed exercise junkie. I teach Pilates, shake my boo-tay to Zumba, dance Salsa, adore my Cardio Core class…I’m a water rat, a snow bunny, and a hiking mountain lion.

Sure my YMCA involvement helps me to keep fit. But let’s forget the calories I burn! I exercise for the pure endorphin high that’s better than any sugar rush. For the smile it brings to my face, for my overall wellbeing. I dance against depression, I do Pilates and Yoga to calm my soul and I play on the slopes and in the ocean for my pure love of nature.

I am a great believer in engaging in exercise that doesn’t feel like a workout. It needs to be intense and sweat breaking, but I need to enjoy it to an extent that makes me forget that I’m putting in blood, sweat and tears.

Here is a project that I feel can take off. So here they are: Husband Heal Thy and Wife Enjoy Able:

By the power vested in me by the love in exercise and fun, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

ENJOY!

(subsribers please visit dreyecandy.com to view the clip)

All smiles...dr eyecandy

The Dog Days Are Over

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Can't stop listening and dancing...Hearts for life flying out of every pore of my body!!!

(subscribers please visit dreyecandy.com to watch this year's soundtrack to happiness)

smiling...especially at my darling steph...dr eyecandy

My Smile I Share…It’s The Gift Of My Soul

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:23:00 +0000

In the months of desperation I found joy in the silent pleasures of life recently celebrated by Neil Pasricha’s 1000 Awesome Things.

I found my smile in the ten dollar a day parking pass that an anonymous giver had kindly left in the ticket machine for me to find, which I later gifted to the next patron.

I found sunshine in my role as the floating fruit punch fairy at the Rotary club’s annual Laundromat Turkey Dinner for the young and old citizens of Edmonton… who might otherwise not have shared a Thanks Giving meal at all.

I found my peace of mind in teaching my senior Pilates class at our local community hall. Mary Ann, my 92-year-old angel wills me to grow old with the same gracefulness and zest for life that pours out of every pore of her being.

When everything in life eluded me, it was my smile…the seed I carefully nurtured even through the darkest of times…that I readily shared with the world and that kept me connected.

Recently the love of my life shared a book with me that lifted my way of living into words. As a non-denominational earthling I have never found gentler words than those of Khalil Gibran’s “Prophet” to sum up my parents’ teachings in such a profound way…I’d like to share his chapter on giving while I challenge you to live in alignment with his words. Perhaps, like myself, you’ll find it will be the ultimate gift to yourself:

“Giving:

Then said a rich man, "Speak to us of Giving."

And he answered:

You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?

And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?

And what is fear of need but need itself?

Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, thirst that is unquenchable?

There are those who give little of the much which they have - and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.

And there are those who have little and give it all.

These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.

And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.

And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;

They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.

Though the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.

It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding;

And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving

And is there aught you would withhold?

All you have shall some day be given;

Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors'.

You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving."

The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.

They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.

Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights is worthy of all else from you.

And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.

And what desert greater shall there be than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?

And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?

See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving.

For in truth it is life that gives unto life - while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.

And you receivers - and you are all receivers - assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.

Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;

For to be over mindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the free-hearted earth for mother, and God for father.”

I smile and I am moved as I live in harmony with Gibran's words and the world around me. Finding that the concept of giving has swiftly become second nature…a state so fulfilling that I will never let it slip away.

Smiling and grateful…dr eyecandy

Slumbering Seed

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 11:32:00 +0000

If only you knew how fast my heart is beating as my trembling fingers strike my keyboard's keys, while I write my first dr eyecandy contribution since May 25th, 2010.

I have been a slumbering seed...thought dead under a blanket of snow. After my best friend's passing in November 2009 I slowly withdrew from life- ceased dancing in January, ceased taking forest walks in February, ceased smelling flowers in April, ceased writing in May, ceased dreaming in June, ceased smiling in July and finally in August ceased wanting to live.

The soul striptease I am about to engage in is not a desperate plea to pull the spot light in my direction, nor is it an attempt to provoke your pity and affection.

Instead it is an honest tale about one of life’s truths that we will all come to discover…in the one hundred or so years we are each gifted on this shared planet of ours we will all hit rock bottom and some of us may stop believing in life altogether.

In a frantic endeavour to retrieve my ability to smile…my beaming ray of sunshine that I had always taken for granted…I frequented the self help section and read my way up and down, in and out, from back to front, from front to back through every isbn number on the self help shelf of bookstores around this world…only on days I summoned the strength to leave my bed that is.

When your soul stops feeling and simply forgets the natural response to stimuli that used to excite you…you know you’re in trouble. When you count the hours you need to be awake until you may sleep again…you know you’re in trouble. When you eat uncontrollably hoping to add flavour to your otherwise bland, underspiced, and tasteless life…you know you’re in trouble. When you stop dancing, stop writing, stop travelling, stop playing, stop singing, stop listening to music, stop cooking, stop baking, stop reading, stop watching the news, stop showering, stop loving and finally stop caring…you know you’re in trouble…AND IN TROUBLE I WAS.

How did I get out and back in the saddle? In retrospect it’s as easy as ONE TWO THREE. I wish somebody had told me then…hope and knowledge may have carried me here sooner.

I became aware of the problem. Pushed my guilt and shame aside and faced the music! I was clinically depressed and let’s be honest…I wasn’t going to get out without professional help and the relentless and unwavering support and love showered on me by the ones who cared for me the most…my two sisters…my close friends…but MOST importantly the two people who gave me life and who believe in me the hardest in this world…my loving parents. In case I haven’t said it enough I will say it again:

THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER FOR LETTING MY LIMP AND EXHAUSTED DRAGONFLY BODY REST IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND WHILE THE SUNRAYS DRIED MY WET WINGS. THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES OVER FOR BEING PATIENT WITH ME AND SUPPORTIVE UNTIL I COULD SOAR IN ALL DIRECTIONS OF THE SKY ONCE AGAIN!!! I WOULD NOT BREATHE WITHOUT YOU AND I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU!!!

I consciously reduced my life to the simple pleasures…walked barefoot across the rain shower drenched lawns of Tiergarten (Berlin’s green lung) on a warm summer’s day hand in hand with my friend Denise…you mean the world to me darling and I wish you love, sunshine and happiness. I found refuge in my sister's comfortable bed where she held me and allowed me to feel safe in Toronto (I love you Rashmi and I’ll do anything to see you smile)…and finally moved in with my parents who have cradled me and nurtured me while allowing me to leave the responsibilities of my adult life in the umbrella stand by the door and resume my role as their little girl once again. (Yes I’ve officially joined the ranks of the boomerangers *please click and enjoy*…listen to this interesting CBC discussion on my generation’s epidemic.)

Finally my smiles started melting through the clouds…my belly growled at the smell of the wholesome fresh meals I cooked with fresh Albertan farmers market produce…my muscles began twitching and finally dancing to the songs I’ve always loved…and before I knew it I couldn’t sleep for the fear of missing out on the new adventures and exciting twists and turns that life now throws at me.

I am more focused and more authentic than ever before…truly happy from deep within. At peace with the world, and myself...while I’m embraced by loved ones. Finally I AM indeed genuinely centred and glowing.

Believe it or not…I found my smile in a -45 cold, snow covered town in the middle of nowhere. In a little aesthetic desert they like to call Edmonton. If you’ve ever been forced to visit, you’ll know that my happiness can’t possibly be provoked by artificially created external stimuli. Instead it has been the friends I’ve made here, the passion for work I’ve found here, the love for the arts and life I share here that have cooperatively put me back on the map as a force to be reckoned with.

As the stakeholder relationship manager for an NGO that's close to my heart I have found my calling and professional fulfilment. As the girlfriend of a wonderful young German/French man, who I’m importing to Canada in April, I have found the love of my life and the future grandfather of my children’s children.

Here in the open planes of Canada I found rainbows and rhythm in the simple pleasures of life…endless dinners with friends, baking ten batches of five different varieties of German Christmas cookies, watching El Señor Jacomo, our own street's pet Jack Rabbit, run around our yard while breathing in the dark blue Albertan skies as I feel the snow crunch under the soles of my boots. Here in Edmonton I have found life. And more importantly I found MY LIFE.

The only dilemma being that now I can’t sleep because my life is better than any dream I’ve ever dreamt so I dare not shut my eyes…

Yesterday my father shared this TED talk with me and it sums up everything I’ve practiced to get where I am right now….on top of the world…MY WORLD. Neil Pasricha’s *please click and enjoy* TED appearance convinced me that I’m ready to share my story with you as I’m comfortably settling into my director’s chair of life once again.

I’ve missed you all and I can’t wait for 2011 to unfold. Happy New Year and welcome back! Thank you all for staying tuned…for the words of support throughout my absence that poured into my mailbox and for your unwavering loyalty.

Smiling…brighter than ever…and here to stay...dr eyecandy

You've Got To Dance Closer To The Ones That You Love

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:35:00 +0000

Berlin, Toronto, Miami, St. Kitts, Nevis, Miami, Toronto, Zurich, Berlin, Kiel, Berlin: I've most certainly been dancing close to the ones that I love.

I recently busied myself shaking up the little microcosm, I call life, and will soon be orbiting around the things dearest to me.

The black board at one of the island churches in Nevis read: "Happiness is not a destination, but a day- by- day Journey!! Be Happy!!"

The goal is to live life as though I am in dreams awake (well put Sir Thoreau). It's not a fairytale life that I'm after...after all, the implication of 'fairytale' suggests that it is an interesting but often highly implausible story.

My life story is indeed plausible. I tend to design it that way. Life is what you make of it. Thus, I have decided to move my 'one woman show' to the federation of St. Kitts and Nevis this September and become a 20 something eligible Kittitian.

After setting foot on this passion injected tropical Carribbean paradise...housing turquoise waters, butterflies, hibiscus and green sea turtles...I feel my heart and soul have found their perfect temporary match in terms of inspiring environments. Who am I to argue...so I choose to follow the two wherever they'll take me. St. Kitts and Nevis it is!

My life is a musically infused roller coaster often veiling what's around the next sharp corner...this time I really love what's there.

I can't wait to return to Shabana, Natasha, Nerusha, Helen, Marc & Stella, as well as their gorgeous darling girl Sharon, Roger, his beautiful wife and their sweet boy Adon, AJ, Late, Talbo and all the other great new companions that are anxiously awaiting our September reunion.

In the meantime I'm finishing my first novel, planning a public reading along with two talented columnists and the voices of three inspiring young ladies, starting my column with Epoch Times and generally enjoying Summer as well as everything implied by the most wonderful of season.

I intend to keep dancing close to the ones I love...as I pray they'll dance with me.

All smiles and tummy butterflies...dr eyecandy.

Infamus (subscribers visit blog to listen)

MIA

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Wed, 12 May 2010 11:48:00 +0000

It's beautiful to lounge in a place where I reside on the list of soon to be extinct species...meaning even the store mannequins sport DDD. I wouldn't know where to start...the American dream has officially gone polyvinyl chloride...and isn't that what people used to use for their kitchen flooring?

Miami didn't disappoint. Our Hotel was boutique, the ocean shared all its facets of turquoise with us and the life and people are pastel!

After a night of rooftop night dreaming on the terrace of our our new friends on Ocean and 14th, my sister and I are on route to the Caribbean island of St. Kitts.

Clearly smiling...dr eye candy

Happy Mothers Day

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sun, 09 May 2010 13:53:00 +0000

I'm so glad I get to spend mine with my mother! (Though she just walked out on this awesome mothers day contribution by Mr. T)

On our way to a belly dancing class with my sis and queen mom!

Smiling...dr eyecandy

My Culture Is Happiness

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sat, 08 May 2010 13:28:00 +0000

When my sister's midwife colleague recently asked her ten year old daughter what "culture" means to her, the little girl answered: "My culture is happiness". Kids say it best! (By the way...watch BABIES...it's sugar)

Although I initially planned to return to Berlin tomorrow, the nomad in me changed my travel itinerary...thus, a 10 day round trip to Miami, St. Kitts and Nevis awaits my baby sister and I.

"Welcome to the exotically beautiful island of St. Kitts. Like no other island in the Caribbean, St. Kitts seems to embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually associated with the South Pacific. The atmosphere here is palpably luxuriant. It is an intoxicating blend of sunlight, sea, air and fantastically abundant vegetation." (st.kittstourism.com)

An added bonus: the ferry crossing between St. Kitts and Nevis is described by many as one of the most scenic ferry crossings in the eastern Caribbean...how could I refuse to go and confirm this statement first hand.

I can't wait to dive into the islands' culture...feel the Caribbean heart beat and sample the exuberantly vibrant way of life attributed to this island paradise.

My culture is happiness. I wholeheartedly pledge to stay true to my culture!

Smiling...dr eyecandy.

Baby Smiles

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Fri, 07 May 2010 13:22:00 +0000

Toronto at the time of 'HOTDOCS', the annual film fest of documentaries, is a gem. Looks like I'll be spending some time in a cushiony velvet seat as I finally watch Banksy's "Exit Through The Gift Shop", as well as "Babies". Both are showing at my favourite Yorkville theatre...Cumberland 4.

I purchased the most beautiful calendar...proceeds go to Seva, an organization that gifts children their eyesight...my grandfather founded a similar foundation in India and I believe the cause is golden.

The calendar images are shot by fine art photographer Jon Kaplan. These kids' smiles truly make my world a contagious smile and a rainbow brighter and gear me up for "Babies" the documentary (click to watch trailer) that I blogged about months ago.

Looking forward to a gorgeous day of baby smiles and popcorn.

Smiling...dr eyecandy.

Life

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:52:00 +0000

"The most unfair thing about life is the way it ends. I mean, life is tough. It takes up a lot of your time. What do you get at the end of it? A death! What's that... a bonus?!? I think the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get it out of the way. Then you go live in an old age home. You get kicked out for being too healthy, go collect your pension, then, when you start work, you get a gold watch on your first day. You work forty years until you're young enough to enjoy your retirement. You drink alcohol, you party, and you get ready for High School. You go to primary school, you become a kid, you play, you have no responsibilities, you become a little boy(girl), you go back, you spend your last 9 months floating with luxuries like central heating, spa, room service on tap, then you finish off as an orgasm!!Uff...

Now that's what life should be!!"
- George Calin (American stand-up Comedian, Actor and Author)

smiling...dr eyecandy

So Not What Mom Would Wear

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:37:00 +0000

As we walked across the border bridge at Niagara Falls, taking in the magnificent view while in between Canada and the US, the day couldn't have been off to a better start.

Blue skies above, turquoise, rumbling currents below, sea gulls up in the air and the light wet trickle of the falls gently veiling our bare skin. Nature is alive on an early spring May morning in Canada...cherry trees in pink blossoms, dandelions in yellow bloom...all reminding us of what's truly beautiful.

We hit up a store at a US mall that specialises in gorgeous "voluptuous wear". Not your typical: 'here's a potato sack to hide your fat' kind of deal, but a shop with an entire palette of nicely chosen fabrics to hug a real woman's curves.

Their lingerie selection was sexy and dreamy...making me wish I had the bust to fill these lacy colour splashes.

It was a new shopping experience alltogether and I am happy to share the brand's seducing commercial that ABC and FOX refused to air.

Here it goes ladies and gentlemen...enjoy:

So sexy, so not what mom would wear

Although I'm happy to report that my mom does. Hey, who doesn't feel glamorous in gorgeous, curve hugging, silk and lace...no matter your size!

Smiling...dr eyecandy

Don't Forget To Breathe

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:18:00 +0000

For considerable time now I've been forgetting to inhale and only just realized that without air I find living too painful.

It seems that I was holding my breath for something special. Some grand awakening in regard to my future perspective and next career move.

When all I had to do was read between the lines, seeing that all this time my current calling has been right in front of me.

For an entire year now I've been writing my first book and recent sleepless nights have resulted in an incredible final outline that only requires me to fill in the few missing blanks.

I used the mental dreyecandy.com timeout...while the site got provider locked as some of you may have noticed...oops...my apologies.

My absence led me to mentally re-sharpen my focus...with plenty to say about true beauty....healthy priorities...and about the love of life itself.

Breathe

Smiling while on route to Toronto this morning...while never again forgetting to breathe...dr eyecandy

Sad Faces and Fake Smiles

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 15:04:00 +0000

A while ago I blogged about "Toddlers and Tiaras".

Here's a disturbing compilation of beauty pageant images on youtube.

Click here to view Sad Faces and Fake Smiles!

Smiling...about as sad and fake as these abused little beauty queens...dr eyecandy

Why Are You Trying To Look Like Somone Else?

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 06:06:00 +0000

Sophia, age 4, has an important message she would like to share with you all.

So STOP!!! And most importantly: LISTEN!!!

Beauty Is Not How Skinny You Can Be

Smiling...and "NO", darling Sophia...we want you to grow up to look just like YOU...dr eyecandy.

In Pursuit Of Ultimate Beauty

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:48:00 +0000

Julie (one of my readers) commented: "Globally we seem to be suffering from the "ideal"/unreal, check out photos by Zed Nelson; both fascinating and disturbing"...personally I couldn't agree more Julie...thanks for the link.

As the New York Times reports, "The photographer Zed Nelson found over time that the faces looking back at him in countries around the world were becoming more and more alike.

“Globalization hasn’t just given us Starbucks in Beijing and shopping malls in Africa,” he said. “It is also creating an eerily homogenized look.”

Check this out!!!

These images are phenomenal and capture exactly what is wrong with our quest for "beauty"!

Smiling...because Zed Nelson's lens captures an important and disturbing trend...dr eyecandy.

Wet Dreams, False Images...Reality Check

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:05:00 +0000

A blog entry from days gone by *first posted in May 2009:

One of the most renowned and emulated photographers of our times, Peter Lindbergh aka "the poet of glamour", slams the usage of Photoshop.

As the New York Times reports this week, Lindbergh says, “My feeling is that for years now it has taken a much too big part in how women are being visually defined today, heartless retouching should not be the chosen tool to represent women in the beginning of this century.”
I personally can't agree more...hurray!

Relax male readers...I am aware that the dreamy model on my favourite GQ cover may certainly have been Photoshop 'enhanced' and 'improved' as well...it's not just us girls being crushed by the pressure of living up to media suggested beauty ideals.

I mean we've all seen the brilliant Dove evolution spot, but have you seen this? Wet dreams and false images (check out the trailer) is a Sundance award-winning documentary that is a humorous approach to the whole 'digital post production' trend. The film raises some critical questions about the marketplace of commercial illusion and unattainable beauty standards of physical perfection. I think the approach is pure genius and 'dude with wall of porn' in the trailer is a true comic.

Rightfully so, a debate has been set off in France that challenges magazines and advertisers to publicise whether or not an image has been 'digitally improved'.

WARNING: Acne, wrinkles and scars erased; boobs enlarged; legs infinitely stretched; eye colour changed from grey to emerald green; digital lipo on thighs, arms, love handles, belly, tush and chin; vaginal lobes perfected to look like 'designer vagina' (America the Beautiful)...you get the idea! Not sure that advertisers will see eye to eye on this issue...yikes.

Now here's another picture that shows you just how far the 'retouching' trend has taken us.
Am I rightfully scared? Even babies are feeling the pressure...I think my 3 year old neighbour nicked my false lashes when she came to see me yesterday. Pretty Please!!!

And as if we didn't have enough to worry about with the current dilemma at hand...and I hate to do this to you...there is also CGI.

You may scream whhhaaaat???? while covering your ears and eyes.

But I started so I gotta finish this...CGI is short for Computer generated images...the new kid on the block when it comes to ultimate image creation. Forget fixing flaws...let's just create perfection from scratch. Las Vegas based (no surprises here) CGI expert Andy Flessas generates mouth watering and yummy looking burgers...that wait a minute...are not real...aaagghh. All images are created from scratch using 3D animation programs such as Maya (shout out to all my fellow robot creators in our 3D animation class at McMaster. Oh weren't they lovely those cute little robots. We gave them life). 3D software used by the right creative minds can generate anything starting from the Audis and BMWs you see on telly ads, delicious burgers, chilled beer bottles and even girls, boys, men and women that are hotter than Vici's combined angel crew. Scary isn't it.

On that note have yourself a real weekend...and try to look a little closer at whether or not reality has anything to do with the images media flashes at you 5000 times a day.

Thanks for reading...dr eye candy

Mirror, Mirror

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 12:47:00 +0000

"Darling, does this make me look fat?" There it is...that dreaded minefield of a question most our 'darlings' dread dearly.

Now GoTryItOn.com has got all boyfriends', husbands', roommates' back and an answer for those in doubt and in dire need of an outsider's opinion, when it comes to wardrobe concerns.

26-year-old New Yorker Marissa Evans created the solution. GoTryItOn.com allows users to upload their date/interview/gala outfit choices and enables the 'doubtful' to receive immediate feedback on their current pick.

God knows there are plenty of people who should consult such a service before leaving the house...and belonging to the 'darling' league I'm finally off the hook. I have a feeling that many relationships will be saved by Evans' new service.

Smiling...though baffled that people really do consult the Internet in hope of solving all their styling dilemmas...dr eyecandy.

Make Love Not Porn

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 10:29:00 +0000

The ever increasing presence of the Internet has led to an infinite availability of porn.

Consumed by appropriate age groups there is no problem per se. The picture changes entirely when pornography consumers are well under age.

Recent media discussions highlight the unnerving fact that 12 year olds find themselves in the fangs of the world wide web's hardcore porn platforms.

This unprecedented over exposure to hardcore pornography at a young age may in fact currently be distorting the way an entire generation thinks about sex.

In a blunt, graphic and desensitized European manner (that may not sit well with everyone) 'makelovenotporn.com' (18+ content...though if kids watch the other stuff they should view this as well) launcher Cindy Gallop courageously raised an issue that deserves to be tackled.

Stop and think about the effects that 'average', comparably harmless photoshoped beauty campaigns have on our self esteem, body image, and self perception. Now apply this same model to the potential effects that hardcore pornography can have on a child's understanding about romance, sex and physical love.

This is especially disconcerting seeing that 'sex' is a topic of utter secrecy...especially in North America. If all these kids know about sex, comes from the clips they secretly view, it is our responsibility to address the issue and teach them otherwise.

To think that 'Dirty Dancing' and the occasional 'someones dad's Heffner publication' was the worst I saw growing up...I was practically raised in Disneyland.

Not smiling about the prospect that children may miss out on romance and true sensitivity...dr eyecandy.

A Warm Embrace

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 10:14:00 +0000

Fully resting in myself and enjoying the city's slow awakening this spring season, I find myself busier than ever. As I cycle from Pilates client to Pilates client, from Spanish class to Basketball, from a cafe to a night club, I am at peace with the world and the universe...save one fact...I miss a warm embrace, a heartfelt cuddle, someones bodily warmth, someones skin to touch mine.

I believe that physical closeness- the need to be touched and stroked- is as natural and necessary as breathing. Isn't it true that infants die if they feel no warmth and aren't touched after birth?!

I caught myself absent mindedly googling the word embrace and here is a piece of true beauty that I would like to share with all of you.

My favourite site 'Ted' features a presentation by fellow Jane Chen, who has spent years working on health issues in the developing world.

"In the developing world, access to incubators is limited by cost and distance, and millions of premature babies die each year. TED Fellow Jane Chen shows an invention that could keep millions of these infants warm -- a design that's safe, portable, low-cost and life-saving."

Click here to watch this incredible story.

I hope that one day soon my sister, who is training to be a midwife, along with her colleagues will be able to provide this gentle embrace and warmth to children around the world.

Smiling...because this is a tale of true beauty...dr eyecandy.

Me, Myself and Mey

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:56:00 +0000

The traditional German undergarment label 'Mey' surprises consumers with its recent 'Me, Myself and Mey' campaign.

The brand opted for famous German stars and starlets with real bodies and true curves.

Photoshop varnish was kept to a bare minimum in regard to body shape altering.

Using relatable 'real' people, rather than fairytale Vicy models, makes this campaign stand out and will surely spark sales within the brand's target market.

Smiling...job well done Mey...dr eyecandy.

'Last Supper' : Portion Sizes Have Grown

noreply@blogger.com (dr eye candy) — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:35:00 +0000

HealthDayNews reports that according to recent research, Michelangelo's "The Last Supper", "might serve as an early warning sign of bigger appetites: Over the past 1,000 years, researchers say, paintings of Christ's final meal have shown increasingly larger portions and larger plates".

The ceiling at the Sistine Chapel is only one testament of artists' depiction of 'The Last Supper' amongst the study's 52 analyzed works.

Brian Wansink, a professor of marketing and applied economics and director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University points out that "the last thousand years have witnessed dramatic increases in the production, availability, safety, abundance and affordability of food". Thus, this change in artistic depiction is proof to the fact that portion size has indeed gradually increased over the millennium.

Wansink, author of a book titled "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think", states, "we think that, as art imitates life, these changes have been reflected in paintings of history's most famous dinner".

I am not entirely sure that I needed this 'accepted truth' to be proven through the analysis of frescoes...though judging by my last meal at an American Eatery, I dare agree and accept the results of the researchers' findings.

Overeating appears to be the most common eating disorder affliction in modern western society, and goes hand in hand with 'universal all you can eat buffet' behaviour.

Food consumption has been reduced to a mindless process of food hording...piling on all you can carry...resulting in the typical 'my eyes were bigger than my stomach' phenomenon. The respect and attention that should be offered to each meal has escaped through the fire exit, only to be replaced by a frivolous eating pattern that fails to value quality over quantity.

Smiling...as I'm preparing to cultivate my personal herb garden this spring...more taste- less mindless eating...dr eyecandy.