Why Aren't Bath & Body Works and Victoria's Secret in Canada?

Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works and all you other American chains who refuse to come to Canada, I have a bone to pick with you.

What's keeping you from gracing us with your presence north of the border? Every time I'm in the U.S I go hog wild in Bath & Body works and for that matter, so do most of my Canadian friends. Victoria's Secret, what's your excuse? Did it ever occur to you that we too would like the opportunity to look like Giselle Bündchen? We plan pajama parties around your catalog so we can buy in bulk, yet after all these years, you still haven't opened a store here.
If Abercrombie + Fitch could do it, so could you! It's hard to pass by their scented stores with half naked models standing in the entrance flexing with their $200 holeseverywherejeans, without thinking fondly of the good 'ole U.S of A. (BTW, is that spectacle supposed to be sexy or funny?) But, I digress.

We Canadian Chicks can't think of a single good reason for you not having stores in Canada. That is, of course unless you're scared. Ooooh! Can't handle a little competition from your compadres La Senza, La Vie En Rose, Fruits and Passion and The Body Shop?

Or maybe it's the weather?

Busted! Misschickie Breaks the Law for a Plate of Brownies

This morning I was running some errands and stopped by my husband's office to drop off his phone that he forgot, and some brownies I made to bribe his coworkers into adding stuff for my website - er, I mean, just for the heck of it.

Because his office doesn't have any parking whatsoever, there was nowhere legal for me to park the car temporarily. I couldn't unlock Alex's treo to call him to come down to the car because I forgot the password and I didn't have my cell phone with me either.

So, I broke the law. I parked in a little mini driveway beside his building that dead-ended at a chain link fence, which was padlocked and didn't look like it'd be opening any time soon. I admit there were signs everywhere that said no parking, but I only needed a minute. I put my hazards on and ran inside.

I was literally inside for 3 minutes but when I came back to the car I was attacked by two furious old ladies. Apparently that chain link fence does open and their car was trying to get out.

"You almost got ticketed and towed away, you know!" The first biddy bellowed.

"That's right", chimed in biddy #2, "We called the Police on you!"

The Police? Whatever happened to the good 'ole parking ticket guy?

I apologized profusely and told them I just ran in to drop something off. "I don't care why you did it!! You had no right to park there! We couldn't get out because of you!"

"The Police are on their way!" shrieked biddy #2.

Okee dokee. Clearly they were not feeling my apology. I got in the car and sped away. I passed 2 policemen on the way home and my heart was racing. Then I realized how ridiculous the whole thing was and laughed all the way home.

I know it was inconsiderate of me to park in a no parking zone, but please. I'm sure the police have better things to do with their time. Such Drama!

I bet those old ladies scolded about it for the rest of the afternoon.

Bigger Profile Pic's + 20 Questions on C.A

When we release new stuff on ChickAdvisor, I'll talk about it here too so that you all know what's going on.

You can now upload a bigger picture of yourself for your profile. People no longer have to squint to see you :) If you've already uploaded a picture previously, you'll have to upload a new one in order for it to be bigger otherwise it would be very fuzzy.

We've also added a fun 20 Questions tab to your profile. You'll have the option of filling this out when you register for ChickAdvisor but if you're already registered you simply go under your profile, click on the 20 Questions tab and fill it out. Here's mine.

For both the picture and the questions, make sure you submit the changes in order to update your profile.

I'm looking forward to seeing what people write!

My Super Secret Up-Coming Show!

I've been working on something that I'm very excited about and I really want to talk about it, but can't really until it's ready.

Let's just say I'm working on a little podcast that has been a dream project of mine for a few months. My first filming was last week and it was a lot of fun.

People act so crazy around cameras. They'll make weird faces, give you bunny ears and hoot as they walk by or come and stand right in the shot and stare into the camera or worse, wave. At one point, this old lady came and stood right beside me while I was doing my opening stand-up and glared into the camera. My crew started laughing hysterically but since I didn't see her I thought it was because I'd done a bad job with my stand up. But when I reviewed the footage and saw her.. hello Baba!

Some random photographer started taking pictures of us. Now try performing with all of that going on. Luckily it didn't bother me too much, I mostly thought it was pretty funny as long as it didn't ruin the shot. You'd think people were used to cameras by now but I guess not.

I'm shooting again on Saturday. Let's hope the weather cooperates!!

My show will be ready some time in November. I'll keep you posted.

Toronto Fashion Week Spring/Summer '07

I had the privilege of attending a few shows last week including my absolute favorite, Andy Thê-Anh, whose collection was gorgeous as usual. I tried to snag an interview with him before the show, but he just looked at me like "who are you?" promised to talk to me later (a polite way of saying bugger off) and then scurried away. It was the nicest brush-off I've ever had. I'm like, "Sounds great, Andy!" like we're old friends or something. He probably just took one look at my cheapie camera, my less than fashionable outfit and went, see ya later.


Ah well, his collection was amazing.
Gorgeous shimmery lace dresses, blouses that ruffled at the elbow, sexy body skimming skirts with a little gathering of ruffles at the back... I wanted every piece. Even the swimwear was to die for, though it would require 24/7 effort at the gym to pull it off. The hair and makeup was stunning. Very French. Thick black eyelashes, black eyeliner, perfect brows and deep red lips.
I love that he has kept the lady in style this season.

We also took in the fun flirty collection from Bustle. Think Lacoste meets Abercrombie + Fitch. The models strutted down a stretch of fake lawn sporting blue tooth, cell phones and ipods with cute tennis skirts, polos and jackets. Fresh crisp colors like white and green were the themes.
The whole experience was fun as usual and I had it filmed by no other than an Emmy award winning Director who spent a season directing the Oprah Winfrey show (yes, for real!!) His name is Dale LoFranco and he helped me out as a personal favor. My knees were literally knocking as I stood out on the runway between shows doing a standup student style in front of this guy. I kept thinking this man has filmed Oprah. Oprah!! (My personal hero and person I would most love to meet). I must have looked like such a fool in comparison. But he's an incredibly nice man. He's an American in Canada with his own company but looking to work locally so he can travel less and help take care of his 2-year-old grand daughter suffering from a rare form of cancer. I was honored to have him helping me and I'm putting together a little piece on Fashion Week that I might just post here (providing my editing skills don't embarrass me too badly).

According to Canadian designers, the bottom line for spring '07 is short short skirts, crisp white or classic black, long thick eyelashes, and show a lot of leg.

I think I'll be spending a little more time at the gym from now on...

Find Your Dream Jeans With Zafu

It's so hard to find the perfect pair of jeans. With so many brands designed for different body types, how do you know which is the best fit for you without trying on 100 pairs? The Jean Team at Zafu.com has the answer.

Using a fun and easy quiz format about your body type, how jeans typically fit you, what kind of style you're looking for and your weight, measurements and preferences, they find a slew of options that will best compliment your figure.

Your personalized results show you a batch of jeans that will best fit you, another batch that will fit you well, and then pages and pages of other options to choose from. They tell you what size you should buy, and link you to stores online where you can buy them.

Sweet! You no longer have to wrestle it out alone in the change room.

We tested it ourselves and were surprised to find that some of their top recommendations were a pair of Citizens (Ava) we'd already tried and fallen in love with, and a few we'd been eyeing. Yup, we’re sold!

If you’re still a scaredy cat of online shopping and live in the Toronto area, try Body Blue Denim Lab for excellent personalized service and selection or Hill Street Blues for buy one get one half off for a huge range of designer brands all the time.

Oh My! What a Dirty Purse You Have!

A friend of mine recently told me something about handbags that every woman should consider. Think about all of the places you plop down your purse: On the kitchen counter, on the floor of a public washroom, in a grocery cart, in a gym change room and if you're a mother, on a restroom diaper change table.

Now how many of you go home and wipe off the bottom of your bag before you put it back in the closet? Not me! While my bags have touched every one of these groady surfaces (and often!), I've never wiped them down and worse; I usually chuck them on the table or counter when I get home. Just think about all of the bacteria that's been collected. Yummy!

Last spring, CBS3.com tested the bacteria found on the bottom of the average bag and the results are horrifying: "We found pseudomonas, staphylococcus aureus, e-coli family and we also found salmonella... Pseudomonas can cause eye infections, staphylococcus aureus can cause serious skin infections and salmonella and e-coli found on the purses can make you very sick."

I'm thinking I'll never put my bag on the floor again!

Oh! And if you think that's gross you'll probably never wear outdoor shoes inside the house ever again either because shoes have it worse.

Calling All Newbies

If you are, or know of, a new company launching something fabulous for women, we want to talk to you.

It could be a brand new nail bar, a new cosmetics or jewelry company or a new restaurant. Whatever it is and wherever it is we want to know about it.

Good stuff to come!

Please contact me at ali (at) chickadvisor.com for more info :)

Britney Spears... Is a Tiger??

Heavy breathing, tiger growling, Britney becoming a tiger. I'm sorry, but when I see something this dumb I have no choice but to make fun of it.

Brit's official website is under construction. I shudder to think how the rest of it will turn out. Perhaps she'll be stalking a gazelle or licking herself... Ummm, I'll just leave it at that.

Who Do You Tip?

It seems everyone in the service industry should be getting a tip these days. This was a big discussion I had recently with a couple of friends and we all came to the same conclusion: We're confused.

One friend is from New York City where she says tipping 30% at restaurants is the norm. My other friend and I both moved to Toronto from the Prairies where only exceptional service would generally earn a tip above 10%.

Aside from the confusion over how much to tip, we're also confused about whom to tip. New York Friend (NYF) says service is taken very seriously in the Big Apple. Door men remember your name, what you're doing, what your plans are and help you carry your things (Yes, just like the movies!!). When Christmas rolls around you tip each doorman generously and don't forget to add a Christmas bonus for your hair stylist and colorist.

In Toronto I know to tip 15 - 20% at restaurants, 15% at hair salons and spas, a couple bucks to the cab driver, and a few to the delivery guy, and that's about it.

NYF said she tips the plumber when he comes by and basically any kind of repairman. Prairie Chick and I were like, what??

Recently I had my messy apartment cleaned by CleanFreaks and I realized I had no idea if I should tip them or not. I should have asked them but I was embarrassed by my ignorance and didn't say anything.

So, what I'd like is a comprehensive list of people I should tip in every major city. I'd hate to be the jerk that shafts someone.

So, lets make this a little informal poll. Who do you tip in your city and how much is appropriate? You can add your comments with your city below.

Winnipeg is Live on C.A!

We've just launched Winnipeg on ChickAdvisor!

It can be viewed by changing the pulldown on the right green panel under MY CHICKADVISOR.

Thanks to the gals who entered so many awesome reviews that we launched that city much faster than we intended to. We'd planned to get to it eventually but a few of you put in so many fantastic reviews we had no choice but to flip the switch early. We'll be working to get some exclusive deals for Winnipeg like we did for Toronto under the deals tab in the near future.

Enjoy!

If you'd like to see your city on ChickAdvisor faster, add reviews and get your friends to do the same. Once there are enough reviews for each section (at least 10), we'll flip the switch! If your city isn't on our list, email us and we'll add it just for you!

Thanksgiving With The In-Laws

The weather was gorgeous but the drive out to visit the In-Laws was grueling. What was supposed to take 4 hours took 7, and we promised each other, as my aging standard rocked in and out of first gear, never to do that to ourselves again. Long weekend travel out of Toronto is historically a nightmare yet somehow we thought we could beat it this time.

We arrived safely late Friday night and the In-Laws had hugs, pizza and wine waiting for us when we got there.

Before we left, Alex warned them that we would have to get a little work in while we were there since we can't very well shut the website down for the weekend.

My in-laws are fantastic people. They came to Canada as students, got their PhD’s and raised several children. They also happen to both be amazing cooks. I really admire them. However, I'm still getting to know them and I find myself from time to time stepping on their toes without meaning to.

This weekend I stepped on them again.

I spent the bulk of Saturday with my M.I.L running a few errands, having lunch, going for a walk, going to her favorite boutique. She showed me around the yard, we smelled the flowers and then late in the afternoon, she took up the paper to read for a while. I thought, what a perfect opportunity to get a little work done! We were both sitting in the living room and I pulled out my laptop and began working. As she read the paper she commented on what she was reading and I, being the able multi-tasker I am, responded and we carried on pleasantly for quite some time.

When Alex and my F.I.L came back to the house, M.I.L announced (and I only use accents here so you feel like you were there), "Aleee has not es-stopped workeeng this chwhole afternoon."

I looked up awkwardly from writing my story on reducing stress with flaming cheeks. I closed the laptop for a moment or two but no one really reacted and everyone started doing something independently. Alex plopped down on the couch beside me and turned on the TV. My F.I.L poured himself a glass of red wine (with ice) and my M.I.L did something in the kitchen. Thinking it was no big deal, I opened my laptop again to finish what I was doing. No sooner had I done that than she walks over and says, "Alex, she chas been working almost allll afternoon!"

I elbowed Alex discreetly. We have this rule that I deal with my parents and he deals with his for the simple reason that we each know our own parents best and therefore how to handle any given situation. That plus I was trying to remind him that he was supposed to have discussed this with them in advance so I didn't feel like a first class boob working while we were there.

He got the hint. "Ma, think of it as an experiment you're working on. You can't just leave it because it’s the weekend. We have to check in on ours too from time to time."

"We deedin't schedule ours for the hol-e-days!" She went back into the kitchen. F.I.L gave a disapproving look in my direction. I closed my laptop.

And so, I didn't get much work done this weekend, though I had hoped to wrap up a few new articles since the category level ones are getting somewhat crusty and my blog has been much neglected.

On the bright side, the turkey dinner on Sunday night was unbelievable and we made the drive back in 4 1/2 hours. They treated us royally, we shared a lot of laughs and late-night scrabble; and with my own family living thousands of miles away, I was very grateful for my time at the in-laws despite getting in trouble.

Share Your Opinion and Enter to Win 1 of 5 $100 Gift Certificates for Sephora!

Love sharing your opinion on products and services for Chicks? Love makeup?

Regardless of what your answer is, this is the contest for you. Why? Because Christmas is around the corner and precious little beats a $100 gift certificate for Sephora. All you have to do is click on the banner ad that *magically* appears on the homepage and enter one review on a product or service for women and voila! You're in!

Enter up to 3 times to increase your chances of winning!

The contest is open to American and Canadian residents, excluding where prohibited by law. You will be asked to create a ChickAdvisor account if you aren't already a member.

Good luck!