HERITAGE WINNIPEG’S VOLUNTEER CALL

DOORS OPEN WINNIPEG 2011

Heritage Winnipeg is looking for volunteer ambassadors and tour guides to represent buildings for our 8^th annual DOORS OPEN WINNIPEG EVENT. The event, which features historically, culturally and architecturally significant buildings, takes place during the weekend of May 28^th & 29^th, between the hours of 11am to 5 pm. Shifts are three hours and buildings will be assigned. Volunteers are asked to attend one of the volunteer orientation sessions being held at the Millennium Library on either Tuesday, May 17^th or Thursday, May 19^th between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm.

To register visit us online at www.doorsopenwinnipeg.ca or email our office at info@heritagewinnipeg.com.

End of an era


It's all over. The caffeine fuelled all-nighters, the mad dashes through hallways, assignment in hand, desperate to prevent lost marks, the impromptu pizza parties held with friends in The Projector office on late production nights.


Instead of relief or joy, I feel... Strange. I have three weeks of work placement remaining before I am fully done my course, all my assignments are handed in and the knowledge that I will doubtfully see the classmates I love on a regular basis again hangs over me like a (pardon the cliché) cloud.


Add to that the stress of embarking on the epic quest to find my first post-college job, become a grown up and fully take responsibility for my life and my future and you have one terrified 19-year-old girl.


I'm looking forward to it though. Or at least I think I am looking forward to it. I aim to keep in touch with the people I have grown to respect and adore so much, keep motivated to work harder than I ever have before and keep sane with the help of the friends and family that have stuck by me for this crazy ride known as Creative Communications. I can't thank you all enough, you have inspired, pushed, helped and motivated me in ways that I can never express.


Keep in touch.


Please.

We've got you covered
Winnipeg fashion part 3: fall

The most-challenging season of the year can also be the most rewarding for the fashionable Winnipegger. The low temperatures, icy winds and constant risk of frostbite means that layering isn’t just a fun option. It’s a necessity. All visible flesh must be protected by layers of wool, down feather and leather and overt sexiness becomes impossible.

Stay away from: Exposed skin

For obvious reasons, looks that revolve around a cleavage-baring neckline or exposed calves are out for the winter months. As hot as your body doubtlessly is, you just look cold and stupid if you put it on full display despite the -40 degree temperature. Hats, gloves, scarves, socks, and parkas were made to ensure that every part of you, except for your eyes, is safely covered at all times. Make sure to invest in a great hat and warm gloves and don’t you dare go anywhere near your strappy sandals for the next couple of months.

Try out: Faux fur

There’s nothing glamorous about animal cruelty but a great fake fur is warm, gorgeous and the epitome of rock and roll glamour. Think Penny Lane in Almost Famous or a more animal friendly Anna Wintour and you’ve got the look down pat.

Wear with: A pair of skinny, camel colored corduroy pants, flat, over the knee leather boots, extra-long leather gloves and extra long strands of faux pearls (or real if you can afford them!).

We've got you covered
Winnipeg fashion part 3: fall

Fall is probably the easiest Winnipeg season to dress for. The weather ranges from crisp to balmy and the mild temperatures allow you to do one of iPeg’s favorite things in the world: Layer. Scarves, cardigans, tights, boots, necklaces and knits. Layer them, layer them and layer some more. The trick is to look like an Olsen twin in bag lady chic, not an actual bag lady.

Stay away from: Small bags

With all of these layers, anything smaller than a grocery bag is going to look ridiculously out of proportion. Store your miniature cross-body satchels and tiny clutches till spring. If you’re unsure about whether your purse is hefty enough, simply do the iPeg iPad test, if your iPad doesn’t fit in your purse, it’s too small.

Try out: Opaque tights.

Nothing layers quite like a great pair or two of thick, footed tights. They provide an easy way to transition your wardrobe from summer to fall and make flirty shifts, skirts and wedges weather-appropriate. Go with a dark color, either classic black or an unexpected eggplant or hunter green hue for maximal leg lengthening, thigh trimming effect. Make sure that they are made of strong but stretchy fabric and that they are long enough for your body type, there’s nothing attractive about a low hanging crotch.

Wear with: Black, high heeled oxfords, tweed shorts, an old band shirt, oversized chunky knit cardigan and huge scarf.

We've got you covered
Winnipeg fashion part 2: summer

Once the streets have dried, Winnipeg sinks into a muggy, steamy couple of months commonly referred to as “Summer”. The cold-hardened Winnipegger is caught unaware by the scorching sun and dripping heat and profuse sweating and unappealingly greasy hair can ensue if not prepared with the lightest fabrics and breeziest dresses imaginable.

Stay away from: Pants.

As tempting as it is to whip out a pair of hippie-chic bell bottoms or a pair of linen trousers, your best bet for keeping sweat-free and comfortable is to get a great leg wax and show off those mile-long pins.  

Try out: Vintage skirts

Browsing through one of The Exchange District’s great vintage shops or your local Good-Will store will reward you with a variety of breezy, second-hand skirts. You can purchase skirts of every length and print imaginable for a few dollars with a guarantee that no sweaty stranger will be wearing the same thing as you. Depending on the length, you can choose to wear that floral maxi-skirt pulled high and belted as a dress or with a simple white tank top tucked into the waistband and leather gladiator sandals.

Wear with: A pyramid stud belt, leather covered wedges and over-sized cat-eye sunglasses.

We've got you covered
Winnipeg fashion part 2: spring


Spring is often heralded for its beauty and gift of new life. However, as the three feet of snow that coats Winnipeg during the winter months begins to melt, turning the streets into water-clogged canals and muddy ravines, we are taunted with the harsh reality that the cute open-toed pumps strutting down Marc Jacobs’ dry, mud-free runway just won’t work, so follow these tips instead and stay dry while looking cute.

Stay away from: Suede.

Though there’s nothing quite like a buttery soft suede bomber jacket or a pair of chic suede ankle boots, suede is one material that does not do well when mixed with moisture.

Try out: Wellies.

Ever since Kate Moss rocked a pair of black rubber rain boots with denim hot pants and a studded belt at the very muddy Glastonbury Music Festival, the dreaded “wellie” has gotten a chic make over from high end designers and bargain shops alike. Once you get over the fact that the last time you wore them you were probably forced into them by your mom you’ll fall in love too.

Wear with: Distressed jeans, a crisp white shirt, a boyfriend blazer and way too many rings and bangles courtesy of your local thrift shop.

We've got you covered
Winnipeg fashion part 1: intro

Staying fashionable in a city with weather, about as stable as a mentally-ill homeless person can be difficult. Actually, “difficult” isn’t quite the word that we’re looking for. “Near impossible” is more appropriate. Throw in a tight budget, a bus pass that makes you walk half the way to reach your destination and a limited selection of clothing retailers to choose from, and you have quite the challenge on your perfectly manicured hands.

Luckily, the makers of iPeg have been there through the -50 degree blizzards, battling mountainous snow drifts in knee high boots and faux fur. They triumphed over sweat stains in the hottest, most humid nightclubs imaginable, remaining cool and dry in wispy mini dresses and wooden wedges. And come spring, they rocked a pair of rubber boots with dark, skinny jeans and a well-cut blazer.

Regardless of the season, or the insane weather Winnipeg throws your way, you can and will look good. Just follow the tried and tested iPeg guide to dressing for Winnipeg weather:

High

I was absolutely blown away by this video for my classmate Jeremy Giacomin's IPP, shot and edited by the incredibly talented Jeremie Wookey. I'd watch this drama.

Tumblr: if Twitter and Blogger had a child

I have to admit to ignoring my lonely, little blog this year. Ignoring, pretending it's not there, trying to forget that it even exists. Maybe it's because I'm busy, maybe it's because I'm lazy but most likely it's because of Tumblr.

I originally joined Tumblr on a whim, encouraged by my friends and their talk of artistic inspiration and a constant cycle of ideas, humor and madness, controlled by your interests and tastes. What I didn't expect was the addictiveness. 24-7, constantly updating visual stimuli had design-loving me sucked in and wide awake at all hours of the night. 

The way that Tumblr works is very similar to Twitter in that you follow users who you are interested in and then receive their posts in your dashboard. Where Tumblr steps past Twitter is in it's visual nature. Writing still occurs but my dashboard is a mishmash of art, fashion, humor and infographics making scrolling through a smooth, impossibly addictive process that leaves you inspired and wanting to share what you've found.

And when you do want to share, it's a simple reblog away, sending popular images and quotes tumbling through your blog to your followers, continuing the constant cycle of information sharing.

While I appreciate a good old-fashioned blog, I'm definitely a Tumblr girl now.

IPP aftermath

A whole year of stress, planning, client relations and long nights of business card designing is finally over. The presentations have been completed and the celebratory drinks drunk.  After all this time and energy has gone into this huge project I'm left with the question, where do I go from here?


The event was a success, the clients sales were phenomenal and I've handed all the promotional materials that I designed and wrote off to a very happy client. It's time to move on to my next project and my first foray into the world of freelance communications.

In that awkward stage between wrapping up school and getting my first 'real' job in the communications industry it's a welcome safety net to have a contract to work on over the summer months as I job hunt. I'm nervous of course but most of all I feel excited, motivated and driven to do well and that feels absolutely amazing.

JUNG typology test

I’ve taken a few personality tests in my time, sadly none of which has been administered at a Church of Scientology (It’s on my to do list), but I found the JUNG typology test to be not only accurate, free and informative but…. Really, really accurate, shockingly with out cost and jam packed with information about why I do things the way I do them.

After answering 72 Yes of No questions that ranged from whether I felt involved when watching TV soaps (No) to whether I thought that objective criticism was always useful in any activity (Yes) I had my answer. I was a proud, unabashedly social ENFP, the “Inspirer”.

E= Extraverted

N= iNtuitive (I don’t quite understand that one, shouldn’t I be an EIFP?)

F= Feeling

P= Perceiving

The following description is from http://www.personalitypage.com/ENFP.html and is…  well… For those of you who know me, you be the judge.

ENFPs are charming, ingenuous, risk-taking, sensitive, people-oriented individuals with capabilities ranging across a broad spectrum. They have many gifts which they will use to fulfill themselves and those near them, if they are able to remain centered and master the ability of following through.

To take the test yourself and find your type visit: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

How much I love LOVE

The free iPad LOVE issue 4 app for the iPad has had me in a tizzy of high fashion montage love.

Not only is it free (did I mention how free it is?) but this interactive, video version of the magazine features top models in underwear, brushing their hair and teeth, Victoria Beckham performing a monologue in the role of a bunny named “Victoria Bunwin” and various visually stunning pieces of madness.

If you have any interest in fashion, videography, photography, or art you simply have to download the LOVE app to your iPad.

Fashion hypnotism is guaranteed to occur.

Top 5 iPad games

Sooziz HD $1.99

This gravity defying and very cute platform game has a similar feel to Super Mario Galaxy with its planet hopping fun. Simple game play and adorable graphics make this a great option for kids and adults alike.

Mirror’s Edge for iPad $9.99

My favorite game discovery by far for the iPad is this exciting free-run platform game. It gets top marks for beautiful graphics and innovative use of the iPad touch screen.

Angry Birds HD $4.99

Every one knew this one had to be on the list. The best-known and most popular iPad game made my list as well. With so many levels and addictive, bird-chucking fun, you can’t help but fall in love with this game.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars $9.99

If you have an interest in making sweet drug deals and driving recklessly, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is a must buy. Extremely similar to the same title for Nintendo DS, this game takes an above car view that can be confusing at first for those used to Grand Theft Auto for the PS3.  The graphics are awesome and game play is extremely smooth.

Babylonian HD $2.99

Super addictive, puzzle solving fun is how to best describe this game. Navigating two brothers through various mazes, you use each brothers special skills to get a little closer to unlocking the next maze. Extremely fun and quite challenging as well.

Blogger’s block.

Closely related to the common “Writer’s block”, blogger’s block occurs when a 19-year-old advertising student just doesn’t know what to blog about. 

Said student finds herself avoiding visiting blogs of any sort, pushing guilty thoughts to the back of her subconscious and averting her eyes guiltily when others talk about recent blog posts and activities.

Luckily an easy remedy comes when the advertising student realizes that she has evaded posting a blog for weeks, kicks her self in the proverbial butt and reminds herself that she is letting down her grandma Dorothy every week she doesn’t post.

Grandma didn’t save her blog address in her site favorites for nothing. Time to start posting again.

The Game Layer

Ever since my friend and fellow layout editor for The Projector, Glenda Ollero, first exposed me to the world of TEDtalks I have been addicted to the innovative talks and peeks inside the minds of some of the worlds most brilliant innovators.

As a communicator and advertising student my main goal is to persuade and motivate my target audience to a response or action. Understandably enough my favourite TEDtalks are often hosted by communicators and those who aim to persuade an audience using new and innovative techniques. One of the best TEDtalks that I have watched features Seth Priebatsch, a 'proud Princeton dropout' who's goal is to build a game layer on top of the world.

Rather than to try to explain what this means I'll post the video below,

After watching the video I began to see FarmVille and it's equally addictive FaceBook game counterparts as the completely genius pieces of work that they are and to examine my own gaming habits. I have been an avid user of roiworld.com since discovering the Korean fashion dress up site (think paper dolls meets Asian street fashion) in high school. Formerly only designed for the Korean market, Roiworld.com has in the last few years transferred over to an English language format and transformed the simple dress up concept into an addictive money maker by adding a game layer on top of the site.

A must try for any one interested in fashion and trends or simply anyone wanting to see a perfect example of the persuasive game layer that Priebatsch talks about in his TEDtalk, roiworld.com is well worth signing up for and completely addictive.

Try it out, sign up! And mention my username (prettyjimmy) when you do, so I can get 50 tokens to spend on avatar clothes. I really need to get that handbag to complete my look...

Nine Lives Fashions Grand Opening and Family Night in the park

Five days till the big day!

After one month of mad and incredibly hectic planning the Nine Lives Fashions Grand Opening is only five days away. 

Come shop the amazing selection of affordable, previously-loved, woman's and children's clothing and for Family Night in the park, featuring a free LuLu and the TomCat concert, prizes and face painting.

See you there!

The good, the apps and the ugly.

From the moment my hands parted the sleek white packaging and touched it, I knew.

I knew I was going to have to try really hard not to break this expensive and very beautiful piece of technology know as the iPad. It's only been one week, but so far my baby has remained unblemished and unharmed despite my general clumsiness and I have to admit, I am completely addicted.

Apps, apps, apps, apps, apps, apps, apps. Great apps and tacky apps and apps that cost more than I generally spend a day on food. Muddling through this jungle of apps has allowed me to discover more than a few of everyones favourite kind of apps, free ones.


1. Flipboard

An app built like a customized magazine, specially formatted to be filled with your interests and passions. This app takes your Facebook, Twitter and your choice of seven other contributing sources and mish-mashes your friends status updates and latest TEDTalks videos into the coolest magazine, online or print that I have ever seen.  Did I mention that it's visually stunning and sleekly designed with great photography from across the net? Seriously people, go get this one.

1. AppShopper

On the prowl for free and on sale apps? Then this free app is for you. It does all the searching for you, automatically updating itself with the newest and cheapest apps the iPad has to offer. Very useful and a great way to save a little cash while shopping for Apps.

3. Aurora Feint 3

The best free game I've found for the iPad by far is Aurora Feint 3. It takes full advantage of the iPads beautiful screen with some of the most gorgeous and well-done graphics I've seen in a free or bought iPad app. Along with beautiful graphics the game is addictive, fun and challenging with a format that could be the love child of Bejewelled and World of Warcraft. Very fun, very free and very addictive, be prepared to spend some time on this one if you get it.

4. NET-A-PORTER Magazine.

By far the best free fashion publication I have found online or in the apps, this magazine acts as free entertainment for the fashion obsessed and 47 pages of advertising for online luxury retailer, net-a-porter. The magazine is filled with gorgeous editorials and photo spreads, video content on almost every page and the fun ability to shop the issue. Every item featured in the magazine can be bought at net-a-porter.com by simply touching the provided link. It's fun, free,  and as high quality (if not higher) than the best paid for fashion magazine apps available.

If you're interested in more information on the best free apps as I find them, let me know in the feedback below.

Vampire Weekend just blew my mind.


I am about to have an epileptic seizure from repeatedly watching Vampire Weekends music video for "Cousins".
Montage inspiration anyone?

Mom in the media

Julie Hesketh, nurse practitioner and my mother, is telling her story in today's Winnipeg Free Press. Check it out here.


She was also featured on CJOB this week, resulting in several excited texts from my fellow Cre-Comms asking 'Is your mom on the radio?'. I was proud to text back, 'Damn right she is!'


I love you mom.

Twit-book

For many of my friends, Facebook and Twitter are simply a part of the daily routine. Check your friends latest pictures on Facebook, receive news about Marc Jacobs Spring, 2010 line via Twitter, all before breakfast. The two sites offer similar alerts and services for the busy, young, thing on the go, and its rare for anyone under 30 not to have an account at one or both of these sites.


This huge audience of receptive and easily accessible young people is a tempting demographic for the PR professional. The challenge that PR professinals face is that they don't want to be sold anything. The users of Facebook in particular are much more likely to use the site for entertainment and recreational purposes. Unless you're offering them something, they would rather not listen.


Twitter is a slightly more receptive audience, with a format that is better suited for promotions and reaching a specific target audience. Twitter users readily sign themselves up to receive a streaming feed of profile updates, news and semi-disguised advertisements from the people they follow. 

Facebook is most useful to PR professionals for its fan pages and events. Many companies and organizations now have Facebook profiles with a huge audience of 'friends' from all around the world. Facebook offers a slightly more personal and friendly promotional approach to PR that while tricky to navigate can lead to impressive results.

New media has given us a unique opportunity to forge relationships and dialogue directly with our customers. By creating strategies that take advantage of both Twitter and Facebook, PR professionals have the chance to reach a young, ready to listen audience and get great results for their clients.