Pricy, Prim and Proper.

Even though my parents are not from England, my house has often felt like a modern day finishing school. My mother, who pursued ballet in the UK following high school and my dad who studied BBC prime and the Antique Roadshow following work have always given the impression that they are rather royally inclined.

Good manners at the dinner table were reminded through way of the British. My friends still tease me with my Dad's classic line, "Would you eat that way if you were were sitting with the Queen?" Pot pie was also an acceptable Tuesday dinner. Either way, my parent's love affair with the English has been passed on to my sister and I. We often find ourselves "ooo" and "aaaing" over British country prints and attic nick nacks, while my brother in law rolls his eyes in dismay.

I have been raised to belive that British editions of fashion magazines and HELLO magazine are truly top notch, while America lags behind in class and sophistication.

Karen Phillips, a UK blogger, prides herself on her quintessential English nature. She uses her site to show readers design inspiration for emulating the look of a country side. At this point, you may be to patriotic to fully convert to this style, however, do not shy away. Karen's tips can be helpful for just about anyone.

Check out Country Style's Classic British Buy's for Spring

Twas the night before iTablet, when all through the publishing house

Twas the night before iTablet, when all through the publishing house

Not an executive was sleeping, they reached for their mouse

They read many news reports signaling the end,
For St. Jobs had a press conference he would soon attend;

The techies were tweeting 140 characters or less
Dirty visions of touch screens made them a mess

And Bezos in Seattle, and I in the Great North,
Had just settled in for a long eBook war

When out in Silicon Valley arose such a clatter,
Publishers and app co’s wondered what was the matter;

Off to New York I went in a flash,
Just last month I raised $16M in new cash;

Publishers were uniting and considering new prices,
$9.99 eBooks had their pensions in vices,

When what to my wondering eye should appear,
In just 18 hours it will all be so clear;

As CEO I raced to prepare for the iTablet,
Miss this opportunity and from the Board I will have it,

So I whistled and shouted and called them by name:
“Hey developers, marketers, biz dev, get on your game!”

Random House, Harper, Simon & Schuster,
Now’s the time to voice all the power you can muster;

eBooks are here! eBooks for all!
Choose Kobo dear friends, we’re having a ball;

Like a kid Christmas morning I can’t wait for iTablet,
I know for our industry it will be great;

But Apple you must, keep the platform open,
For with iPhone we know the consumer has spoken;

The more apps the more fun, and more units sold,
Lock it down and you’ll leave users out in the cold;

Sleep well technophiles, tomorrow we’ll see.
A “new creation” our friends will envy .

- adapted from Michael Serbin's blog, CEO of KOBO books

A Helpful Reminder?

It did not take very long for me to realize how special my hometown was. One harsh winter back east and it soon became apparent, that I in fact was a proud Vancouverite. The harshness of the winters and the intensity of the daily grind became daily reminders that I should never of taken my hometown for granted. I would dread my oversized Northface down coat and would avoid any contact with the outside temperatures. These became clear indicators of my deep seeded love for my city by the bay.

But if -30 degree temperature were not enough, thanks to the 2010 Olympic Games, every g-d for sakin celebrity and athlete felt the need to tell me every commercial break, how wonderful Vancouver was.

Clearly, I did not already need the reminder. Was it helpful? On the contrary, it merely made me homesick.

Apparently I gotta be there? Well thanks for clearing that up.

BZZZZZZZZZ

For those of you who aren't already loyal Gmail users, you may be unaware of a new feature known as Google Buzz. As someone who has never gotten the hang of twitter, this new feature seemed rather redundant and useless to me. However, after I gave it some thought, I realized that I had been twittering all along, just in a highly selective manner. Yes, I will admit it, when people whom I respected posted a link, 9/10 times I would click and see what they were tweeting about. For anyone whom I respected was already a Gmail user, and would be found hanging on my sidebar. So with the inception of Buzz, I find myself checking out what all those respectable Gmail folk are saying. I may not be bzzzzing just yet.. but I am reading.

Geekosystem gives the who what and where on this new bzzzzing feature!

The Techno-Dominator

The brand of Alexander Wang is forever ubiquitous. This is not just because Alexander's looks are being picked up by all the top fashion editors and celebrities. Wang is connecting himself to the public in a way that no other fashion designer has done before him. Coined the techno-dominator by Style.com, fashion week 2010 saw Wang launch a live streaming of his show in the middle of Time Square, proving that fashion is no longer constrained to the runway.

Although Wang is surprisingly modest and has been quoted saying that he only expected small crowds, history shown us that Wang's influence can entice crowds even when he is having a party at a gas station.

Check it out at Style.com

Michael Jackson: Healing the Fashion World?

Nearly four months since Michael Jackson shocked his fans one last time and sadly passed away, his influence is as strong as ever, rippling through the tides of fashion, music, art and dance across the globe. His unique rhythms and stylistic creations serve as a platform for artists and dancers, while his contagious sounds still blast from stereos in cars, clubs and in department stores. Although Michael Jackson may be most remembered for his profound impact on Pop music, one cannot turn a blind away from the bad boy’s significant influence on Fashion. Fall 2009 is the season of Michael.

With studded jackets, leather skirts, black loafers, sequined dresses and eccentric accessories dominating Montreal’s fashion scene, Michael’s ability to govern are ever so present. Thriller may have debuted in 1983, but it appears as if, just about everyone is doing his moon walk down Rue St. Catherine. Whether battling zombies in a red leather jacket for Thriller or performing in fedoras and metal, Michael's style was insidious, innovative and incredible. To commemorate Michael, the fashion gurus have sent a message to loyal fans- Michael’s influence won’t stop till you get enough.