Technically, my mom’s best friend, Lana, is my brother’s Fairy God Mother, not mine. However, even though I am a God Mother-less child, I like to pretend she is mine too. Not only is Lana one of the most incredibly stylish women I know, she is also one of the most kind, generous, talented and loving. One of her many great skills is being an incredible gift-giver – that woman is a spoiler! And y’all know how much I love to get spoiled. A prime example of her generosity and taste is her most recent “Happy Birthday + Christmas” gift to me: an Alexander Wang trench coat. Every year, Lana treats me to shopping and dinner around my birthday and we pick out one major gift to split between the celebration of getting older and the holiday season. This year, she asked me to meet her at Jonathan & Olivia on Ossington, and before I could get a few feet through the door, she came rushing over with coat in hand –  ”look no further, I’ve found your gift. Try it on right now!” she said. As you can probably tell from the photos, it fit perfectly and that was that – shopping done! When I first put this on, Lana said “oh, darling, it’s fabulous! I see you wearing this showing a lot of leg.” So, Lana, not only is this What I Wore post dedicated to you, but I also styled myself to your specifications. Thank you once again! xo

What I Wore: Alexander Wang trench coat from Jonathan & Olivia, vintage Esprit silk slip, Christian Louboutin heels.

All images by David Gillespie, hair by Ronnie at SheShe Beauty.

When hearts begin to appear all around in the run-up to Valentine’s Day, you can find them in almost any form: usually paper, chocolate, hard candy or plastic. But it’s not often that you come across individual hearts made from leather. It was love at first sight when our eyes met these leather heart-shaped zip pouches from Roots.

This year, we say forego giving cards to your sweethearts in favour of these. There are three colour options, so remember: white for a friend, pink for your crush and red for your love.

$18. Available at Roots, 220 Yonge Street, 416-593-9640

When a box of Playboy’s Play It Rock perfume landed on my desk, I had a laugh and thought “As if I would ever wear that!” The bedazzled bunny and red snakeskin background of the packaging had me scared for what might be hiding inside. However, what was found surprised me, the bottle was simple, classic and a bit tongue in cheek. Instantly, it reminded me of their vintage covers that I love so much (check out some of my favourites below). What’s even better is that the scent is quite light and sophisticated with notes of blood orange, saffron, orange blossom, vanilla bean. Who would have thought I might actually love (and wear) a Playboy perfume? Not me, but alas it is true.

30ml bottle $25 available at Shoppers Drug Mart

Happy Hump Day everyone! FYI I am leaving for vacation this evening and will be away for the next twelve days. Tonight, we (me + parentals) fly to Paris, then hop over to Dusseldorf, Germany to visit/pick up my baby bro and head to Marbella, Spain on Sunday for a week. Internet access will most likely be quite limited so please be advised that the next week and a half might be a little bit quiet from me. However, do expect some super duper awesome travel posts/updates whenever possible, and most definitely upon my return. See you soon!

Ps. How great are these vintage postcards? Love how the first card I clicked on to look at the writing on the back was addressed to a Grace!

All images via Google Image.

Working multiple jobs, tagging-in and out of their recording space, and never compromising their sound or mission, The Sheepdogs are the makers of their own success. They have been making music together for more than six years, and from the release of their first album in 2006 to their latest LP, Learn and Burn, their diverse influence, ranging from The Doors to the Beatles, shine through. Following what might be called the ‘Neil Young’ model, this group of Canadian musicians never gave up the classic Southern rock sound that inspires them. Rather than making concessions and tagging on to industry trends, the group continued to create and strive for something unique and completely contrary to everything else currently making waves in pop music.

Their ‘70’s inspiration doesn’t end with their music. One look at their Rolling Stone cover is enough to throw one back in time; the beards, bell-bottoms and long hair together conjure the legendary men and women behind the vintage sounds The Sheepdogs own songs pay tribute to.

Away from the madness of the bands throngs of fans, FILLER sat down with bass player Ryan Gullen’s in the band’s tour bus to talk about the whirlwind he and the boys have experienced over the last few months, their new found position as fashion icons, and the makings of their unique vintage sound.

You’re from Saskatoon, but you sound like you’re from the South. Where’s the connection?

Southern Saskatchewan (laughing)… just joking. I think the connection just comes from the type of music we like to listen to. I mean, there isn’t a sound that pertains to Saskatchewan necessarily but we just like music and a lot of Southern music. Would be no different than bands like The Rolling Stones or the Kinks or something like that, who took an old American sound that they like and made their own spin on it. We are kind of the same. We aren’t pretending we are from the South. We have a song called Southern Dream that is about being in Saskatchewan and being cold and wishing that you were down somewhere where it was warm and there are more interesting things to do than being in Saskatchewan. We don’t pretend that we are from there, but it kind of comes from the music that we listen to I guess.

The same goes for your vintage sound I’m guessing, does that also have to do with using vintage equipment?

Not really, Ewan and Lee have older amps. They have old 70’s amps, but a lot of that comes form the way we recorded it, in a funny way. We didn’t have any money and so we couldn’t afford to go into the studio, and so we just recorded it ourselves. And on account of that fact that we had to use two microphones, with the set up we had that was all that we could do, and so we had to do that. So we researched a little bit about how they did old recordings with fewer mics, and we tried to make it sound old. And it’s the way it is mixed as well. I mean, older equipment does sound better, but my base amp for example is a brand new one. It’s just the way you dial it in I guess.

How much influence does the band’s hometown of Southern Saskatchewan have on its songs?

Maybe not on an artistic level, but I think it is reflected though in the fact that I mean in the winter in Saskatchewan, there is very little to do because it is so cold. A lot of bands will spend a lot of time rehearsing because you spend a lot of time inside. Like, in January it gets as cold as minus 40, so maybe that has influenced it, and the desire to go and see other places.

What about other musicians, who do you count as the band’s biggest influences?

As far as influences go, we don’t really look to one person. People will say ‘why do you make music that sounds old, and our response typically is that the type of music that we like is not modern music, and so as a result our music is very derivative of the music that we like, which is older music. So of course Allman Brothers would be in there, but also The Band, Neil Young, Derek and the Dominos, or even bands like Sly and the Family Stone, and listening to old soul music, we kind of try to take elements of older music that is missing in modern music, like guys singing together in harmony, and really good melody in shorter pop songs, or guitar harmonies and things like that, stuff that doesn’t exist in modern music for the most part. We try to introduce that to our music and make it more modern.

How about you personally, who’s inspired the way you play bass?

There are kind of two people I really like. They are different but they are the same in the sense that they fill sound out by playing like busier base stuff. I don’t like bass players that just play the same one note thing thing. And that would be either Paul McCartney or Pete Cetera from Chicago. Now Pete Cetera got really weird in the 80s and he kind of ruined that band, but in early recordings, like 69 to 75, he was pretty cool. Paul McCartney as well, kind of fills music out by playing busier bass parts of not out of control.

I can see the connection. Let’s talk a bit about the band’s current fan mania, it’s been almost six months since the Rolling Stone cover, do things feel basically the same or has the spotlight changed things?

The music is the same. We are the same guys. People always laugh when they meet us and when we do meet and greets and people come, and hang out. They are like you guys are so down to earth. We are still just guys from Saskatchewan, its not like we have big egos about us. We were very fortunate in the way that things worked out, we spent a lot of time working really hard, and then to kind of be thrown in the spotlight and as a result have people enjoy the music, that’s way cool. And that stuff hasn’t really changed. We are not going to be any different because we are on the cover of Rolling Stone. Obviously lots of things did change as far as people knowing about our music and stuff like that, which is very welcoming. We are pretty much just the same guys, aside from the fact that we can do this full time, versus working jobs and being in a band.

Do you find things are different now that you are doing music full time?

It just means you can focus on it more. We haven’t done a lot yet aside from touring, but it’s meant we got to tour a lot and then we start recording in January. So we will see how that pans out, with us having lots of time to do it.

Well, if your current success is any indication, I think things are going to turn out just fine. Anything sorta strange about this whole fame thing?

Probably, getting recognized. Its one thing if you are getting off a bus and people are standing out front and they see you, but a lot of times we get to a city early in the morning and then we go to the mall or walk around town and getting recognized, that was weird for me. I guess I never really foresaw that we would be very recognizable. I mean obviously we have a recognizable look, but it still really surprised me. I was in Kensington market last month and a 70-year-old woman came up to me and was talking my ear off about how proud she was of us, and I was thinking ‘how do you know about our band?’ But, I guess a lot of people obviously do.

Any more strange or surprising chance encounters to share?

We have met some pretty interesting people. One person I didn’t think I would ever meet was Kid Rock. We went to Atlantic City to hang out with him, and he was supposed to give us some advice, but was just like “don’t let anyone change you, lets go party”. Apparently he is a pretty big fan of our band, and so we went up to his hotel room, and rev Run from RUN DMC was there. And the other funny person we met was Larry David.

Those are some characters for sure. What about the publicity you guys have been receiving — how has that affected your music?

The only affects should be positive. The last album we recorded by ourselves, but also we were working jobs. Id work all day and some of the guys would work on stuff during the day, and then I’d come at night but some of the guys would have to go work then, so the fact that we can focus on it. As far as publicity goes, I mean publicity doesn’t really affect your music unless you listen to some sort of album review that was negative and decide to take that to heart. But we haven’t really done that I guess, our reviews have been relatively positive.

Aside from the press you guys have gotten, you’ve also done celebrity appearances, specifically a spot on Project Runway. How did that come about?

We didn’t actually have any choice in the matter; it was tied in with winning the [Rolling Stone] cover. I am not entirely sure how it worked, but we were just told we would be on it. At first we were like, this could be alright, I had never seen the show, knew nothing about it, I was like this might be kind of cool, fashion designers making us clothes, sure, why not. But the whole experience was really funny. Did you see it? The clothes were so bad. I felt like they. They just were so out of their element with us. Obviously it was entertaining for the general public but it was weird for us. We rolled along with it and they were very accommodating, but we were definitely out of our comfort zone.

I can imagine it’d be a pretty unusual experience for anyone not in fashion.

The other thing that is kind of weird is that we probably have been recognized, especially in the states, more for being on Project Runway than being on the cover of rolling Stone, which is a bit of an indication of how our society is these days. (Laughing) But whatever, it meant that we got to play our music for people who probably normally would have never discovered it. I mean, you talk about wanting to reach people, people read us in rolling stone and that’s cool, and then that is a completely different side of things. We meet a lot of people that are really excited about our band that say they probably would never have heard us if it wasn’t for Project Runway, so that’s cool.

You obviously have a unique style, would you say The Sheepdogs have an interest in fashion?

Yes, but… we don’t like to over think it too much. I mean obviously we like older stuff, we like vintage clothes and wearing different things. When you are on stage, whether you are thinking about tit or not you are obviously going to dress a certain way, wear a certain T-shirt, even if you say you don’t care. We don’t necessarily coordinate what we wear, but we are definitely conscious of it. We like to look good in what we are wearing. Its one of those things that a lot of people would hate to admit but you definitely think about it, for sure.

And how do you describe the bands style?

Its definitely inspired by stuff that we like. It’s a combination of being comfortable and being vintage inspired. We like old clothes, we like old music, but we aren’t necessarily pretending, we aren’t going full out. Its not like I look at a picture of Peter Frampton in 1971 and exactly wear what he is wearing, that would be kind of outlandish. We like to wear stuff that is different.

There’s just something about “His & Hers”  knick knacks for the home that get me off like nothing else. Ahem, I mean when it comes to cute apartment decoration, thanks very  much! Needless to say, the mug and pillow sets I stumbled across while looking through Refinery 29‘s Valentine’s Day gift guide for the “Anti-Hallmark couple” got me oooh-ing and aaah-ing all over the place. I need those pillows!!

Whether you like it or not, that day dedicated to love (plus all things pink, red and heart-shaped) is only a couple of weeks away. I happen to be one of those few people who doesn’t love to hate Valentine’s Day. In my family, it has always been celebrated as a day to show extra appreciation for everyone in your life that you love, whether its with a kiss, a card, chocolate or simple “I love you”. In my opinion, if more people shared that same view they wouldn’t be so miserable about the whole thing… single or not.

Most think Valentine’s Day is just about buying more crap and proving how much you love somebody with an elaborate gift. Hell, I effing loooove getting presents and I’m not going to sit here and tell you I don’t like getting a little treat on V-Day but, I mean, it’s not really “just” about that, is it?

There’s nothing I appreciate more than finding others who love to love Valentine’s Day as much as I do, and recognize the power that some of the simplest gestures can have on someone. The team at Miracle Thieves have been crafting their hearts out like little Valentine’s Day elves over the past few weeks and that just makes me so stupidly happy! Check out what they’ve been up to…

Don’t those just warm up your icy heart? If not, then, I don’t know what to say besides… Ps. I love crafts!

Steph to Me: “This is us.”

Gabbi to Me: “Thought of you…”

Me to Brooke: “HONEY BOO-BOO CHILD!”

Brooke to Me: “FYI I only talk like Bon Qui Qui now. RUDE!”

(ps. watch the linked videos, I don’t know why they won’t embed today. Probs cause its Monday)

Oh snap! Friends with Cooking Skillz just went next level, we got a REAL chef in tha house y’all! Yes I did just go there. Remember that NXNE Diary post about attending a six-course pop up dinner at The Mascot in Parkdale on the first night? Well, that was Chef Matthew Sullivan’s BOXED pop up restaurant – a locally sourced, ingredient-driven “restaurant to go” that roves around the city of Toronto. Matthew is an incredibly talented chef who has worked at some of the best restaurants in the world – The Fat Duck in England, Gramercy Tavern in NYC – and is launching a new pop up in February.

Although exact dates and the west end location are all to be confirmed, it will probably take place while I am on vacation in Europe (early-mid Feb), which is quite devastating to me. Why? This pop up will feature a modern asian menu of 7-10 courses for $100 a head. Only 8-10 seats will available each night for its five night run, so if you know what’s good for you …. Book.Your.Seat. Reservations can only be made by emailing info@boxedtoronto.com, and seats are going fast so hurry!

Since I am so sad that I’m going to be missing out, I suckered Matthew in to having me over and teaching me how to make something that would reflect his new menu. Can you believe he said yes? Here it is…

Recipe: Cured white fish with chicken crackling, pickled daikon and apple

Fish cure:

1/2 cup kosher salt

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon ground coriander seed

(put aside 1/2 table spoon for radish)

Chicken crackling:

Chicken skin from thigh of chicken (most decent grocery stores will set aside skin for you and give it to you for free)

1/2 tablesoon kosher salt

Pickled daikon radish:

1 cup of julienne radish

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

juice of 1 lime

1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce

1/2 tablespoon of fish cure

Scallion Oil:

1/3 cup of thinly sliced scallions (green part only)

1 teaspoon brunoise of ginger

1 teaspoon brunoise of garlic

1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon chopped mint

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Preparation:

- Start by covering a 6oz fillet of white fish with the cure. Refrigerate for 45 mins

- Lay the chicken skin out on a sheet tray. Season with salt. Place sheet tray over chicken skin and weigh it down (a pot filled with water works) put the tray in a cold oven. Turn oven to 350 degrees. The gradual heat increase with render out the fat from the chicken skin and essentially fry it in it. Once the oven has reached temp, check the skin every 5 mins or so. The skin easily goes from perfect to burnt.

-Set skin aside to cool and reserve.

-For the radish just combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate. You should let the radish sit in the pickling liquid for at least 20 mins.

-Puree half the scallions with the olive oil and mix the rest of the ingredients.

- Rinse cure off fish, pat dry and slice into half inch slices. Line on plate.

- Drizzle some of the scallion oil over the fish and around the plate.

- Season fish with salt and pepper

- Add a very small handful of radish to each piece of fish

- Break chicken crackling in to bite sized pieces and arrange on and around the fish

- If you like finish the dish with a few drops of siracha around the plate and julienne apple (something tart like granny smith)

And there you have it! This was amazing, so try it! Thank you Chef Matthew!!

The donut: once a beloved friend during childhood, it is now considered to be the arch nemesis of an adult diet. That’s not to say that we don’t look back on those days together fondly. We decided to rekindle the relationship when we came across this delectable tote bag by local designer Avril Loreti.

We must say, the sprinkled donut has never looked better, and even if we give into its temptation, there can’t be that many calories in a cotton bag.

$25. Available at Shopgirls, 1342 Queen St. W., 416-534-7467

(post as seen on PostCity.com)

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was so fun! I got to dress up at Holt Renfrew in tons of new season duds by my favourite designers – think Celine, Stella, Lim, Acne – and got chased around Yorkville by a cute photographer named Adam Moco. People passing by totes thought I was famous!  Next month, the pictures will appear on Holtsy’s new blog: Holts Muse. Aren’t you so excited? I am!

Stay tuned…

xo

Gracie