A Perfect Spring Accessory

Although last month may have marked the beginning of spring, it hasn't quite felt that way in Michigan; however, the temperature is slowly rising and flowers are finally in bloom. So what better way to kick off the season than with a fresh burst of color in your wardrobe. That's why we're rocking these gorgeous, one-of-a-kind, tie-dye scarves by Brightly Twisted.

The eye-catching scarves are hand-made and Zack McKeever, who works as a designer for the brand, says that there is no real limit to the range of ways you can wear their products.

"The right piece from Brightly Twisted will be the most versatile accessory you own," said McKeever.

A wonderful addition to almost any outfit, we suggest keeping it simple and wearing one of the scarves with a pair of jeans and white t-shirt. This chic but effortless look is a staple for anyone's wardrobe, especially for ladies.

Hot Jam: Give a Little

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After performing their newest single "Give a Little" on Dancing with the Stars this week, we have our fingers crossed that Hanson is again on the rise. The infectious, soul pop/rock direction of their latest album Shout It Out is proof that this band is versatile and insanely talented. Above is Hanson's music video for "Give a Little"; it's so fun you may have to get up and dance.

Up and down....

Life has been so up and down lately... one minute I'm smiling like crazy and the next minute I'm crashing into a wall of unhappiness.

If the sun continues to shine I will definitely put my worries behind me.
Maybe I'm bitter because I attempt to eat healthy and go to the gym but when I fall behind it just snowballs into another mess of alcohol and junk food. But...it's just so hard to say no to that glass of wine at the end of the day!
In the mood to ramble a bit. Keep up somehow with this blog. Stay connected to a simple form of "art" as I like to consider it.

I miss Toronto oh so much. My friends who are still there - cherish it! The restaurants, the bars, the suits, and the shopping!!! Don't take it for granted.
In other news, I will be going to Elton John in Calgary with my mama for her mother's day gift from me! Glad I can spend some hard earned money on her and spend a weekend alone together.
Til next time.

Movie Review: Water for Elephants

Though many may hate me after this remark but it's like my friend said as we left the theater, "Who knew Robert Pattinson could act?" That same friend was, of course, referring to the actor's latest flick Water for Elephants and the sheer quality of it in comparison to the Twilight saga. Let's be honest, though, how hard is it to look amazing next to Ms. Reese Witherspoon? Twilight film jokes aside, Water for Elephants is an excellent love story/period piece set with the backdrop of an odd American pasttime — the circus. Based off the New York Times bestselling novel by Sara Gruen, the film had excellent material to work from and was classic entertainment from start to finish. If you're looking for action or something fast-paced, this is definitely not the flick for you; but if you love animals, you love to see the bad guy go down and you love love, we recommend it highly.
Best on-screen moment: When Rosie the elephant pulls her stake out of the ground, walks across the tent, drinks lemonade, walks back and puts her stake back into the ground.

Sustainable, Wooden Watches

If you haven't already discovered, we love watches and we love all things "green." So, naturally, what we're about to share makes us all giddy inside.

Los Angeles-based company WeWOOD has found a way to "rediscover nature" through their line of sustainable watches and has since become an emblem of eco-luxury and design. WeWOOD aims to ensure customer confidence in its brand, maintaining a philosophy of "One Watch – One Tree – One Planet."

The watches range from $119 to $139. Shop the collection HERE.

Get the Look: Dakota Fanning

In this dreary, rainy weather, we're taking a note from Miss Dakota Fanning for our latest "get the look" series. Check out some great finds below (FYI, those are the exact cargos she has on!).

Jacket Lightweight Utility in green, Gap, $80
Pashmina Scarf Journee Collection (faux) in white, Target, $20
Handbag Chapel Hill Satchel by Etienne Aigner, eBags, $96
Cargo Jean Battled Houligan in smoked topaz, J Brand, $260
Combat Boots Kimberly by Type Z, Zappos, $65

Album Review: Femme Fatale

We all know her. Many of us love her. And some of us hate her. But none of us can deny that the woman knows pop music and is a force to be reckoned with throughout the entertainment industry. Here name? (As if it needs stating) Britney Spears. Spears' latest effort, like all of her albums, takes pop music to the next level and remains ahead of its time. With seven of the 12 tracks hailing from hitmakers Dr. Luke and Max Martin, Femme Fatale was almost guaranteed to bring it ... and that it did. From the club-thumping lead single "Hold It Against Me" to the Eurodisco-inspired (and Ke$ha penned!) "Till the World Ends" to pretty much every other track, Femme Fatale is the first Britney album we've loved from start to finish (well, there may be one or two tracks in there we could do without); a great way to kick off (fingers crossed) summer.
Most notable tracks: "Trouble for Me," "Gasoline"

Tonight: Interview with playwright Catherine Banks

Tonight we're interviewing Nova Scotia playwright, Catherine Banks. In 2008 her play Bone Cage was awarded the Governor General’s Award for Literature (English) Drama.

Catherine's new play, It is Solved by Walking, is premiering this week in Calgary through Urban Curvz Theatre, our local women's/feminist theatre company!

The play runs from April 28 - May 7 at the Joyce Doolittle Theatre (in the Pumphouse Theatre). Tickets are $22 for adults, $17 for students and seniors. There is a "Pay What You Can" preview performance on April 27.

For ticket purchase and information call 403-263-0079 or visit UrbanCurvz.com.

Have you seen this poster? It might just make your day.

As you stroll about Calgary, you might stumble upon one of these “Booty Camp” posters and wonder what they’re all about.

The posters were created by “Two Big Fat Revolutionaries” (two self-identified fat feminists) who were tired of seeing posters advertising boot camps, which are fitness programs geared towards women. They were pissed off that these advertisements make women feel shitty about their bodies and imply that only slim bodies are healthy and sexy.

So the Two Big Fat Revolutionaries decided to do something about it. They got together, ate a giant pizza without feeling an ounce of guilt, and came up with their own Booty Camp poster in hopes of starting a movement of self-love through fat-positive guerilla art.

The Revolutionaries and their friends postered the city in early April, and continue to put up posters whenever they can. A few weeks after the posters went up, I met up with a friend and she was excited to tell me about the Booty Camp poster she had seen, and how she was absolutely thrilled by it. She took one of the “You are beautiful” tear-offs, and kept it in her pocket. The next time she wore those jeans she rediscovered the note and was stoked to be reminded that she is beautiful.

A poster like this can really make a person’s day. It’s nice to see something that reinforces a positive message about our bodies and doesn’t make us feel like we need to be slimmer, fitter or firmer. As the poster says, “The widespread depiction of uncommonly thin women defines what we consider beautiful, so sometimes it’s hard to remember: YOU are BEAUTIFUL!"

If you want to get involved, put up some posters or just get more info, email the Two Big Fat Revolutionaries at juliet.burgess@gmail.com.

Tonight: Activism & Feminism in Spoken Word Poetry

Spoken word poetry has become, and is traditionally based on, activism. It's a tool utilized mostly by younger generations to express their opinions and tell their own stories. Spoken word is the poetry of people who have been repressed in some way; it has been an important aspect of the feminist, anti-war and anti-discrimination movements (among many others).



Tonight we'll feature works and stories from some amazing men and women of Spoken Word. Below are some links and videos to works and interviews from some of the artists that we'll be discussing on the show tonight:



Sonya Renee - What Women Deserve



Alix Olson - Cunt Cuntry



Lauren Zuniga - Girl:Exploded





Sunni Patterson - We Made It





AlJazeera's One on One : Suheir Hammad

Quote of the Day: April 18

"I get hugged a lot, which is fun. Mostly it’s all good, positive energy that comes to me. I like people. And at the end of the day, we’re all just people, you know? We’re all just going through it."

—Reese Witherspoon, actress and mother, on being a public figure to Vogue.

Ever Wonder Where Movie Titles Come From?

Well ... most derive straight from the movie itself. The below video proves this theory by speedily glimpsing at scenes from 80 different flicks as the characters reveal them.

Make Your Mac Even Cooler

Maison Binoclette is the product of two artistic professionals' obsession with the very objects they do all their work on: their Mac computers.

The result? A collection of affordable decal "glasses" for Apple computers

Buy any of the chic designs for around $8.50 HERE.

Movie Review: Scre4m

Ah, the Scream franchise continues, a true classic in the horror genre made even better by the fact that in each flick characters point out horror conventions. Sometimes its hard to tell whether the audience is laughing at or with the Screams but this newest installment brings back everything audiences love about Wes Craven's masterpiece series. When it comes to horror, we don't like to give too much away but we will say that Scre4m brings a hot young cast, classic franchise characters, big twists and turns, and plenty of gore. So ... what's your favorite scary movie?
Best on-screen moment: Gale (Courteney Cox) goes back inside a party to check on her camera and Dewey (David Arquette) is able to watch her attack as it happens.

How Feminism Changed the World

On March 5, 2011, the National Post ran an article, How Feminism Changed the World, by Robert Fulford. The article begins with a few paragraphs that describe how profoundly feminism has impacted Western nations. Upon reading this, I couldn’t help but feel proud to be part of a movement that has done so much for so many people.

It is easy to forget how much feminists have accomplished because our ideas are scorned, we’re brushed off as radicals, we’re told no one cares about feminism and our long list of successes is rarely celebrated. So, I wanted to share these few paragraphs to remind all the awesome feminist ladies (and men) out there that we have accomplished much in a relatively short period of time. [Feminist high five!]

Feminists have fundamentally changed society throughout the democracies of the West... and changed it much for the better. Around 1970 the “second wave” of feminism took hold, so named in deference to the “first wave” suffragist campaigns that flourished a century ago. At first, the second wave seemed merely a footnote to what women had already gained. Instead, it proved far more significant than its historic predecessor. It transformed the texture of society, leaving no corner untouched. It altered all our means of expression, from the tone of public media to the style of private speech.

Some organized attempts to improve the lot of humanity claim limited victories; others do more harm than good. Only feminism can claim to have broadened, permanently, the lives of half the humans in the West. Its success, based on earnest arguments and improvised political strategies, is without parallel in the last century. Nothing since the Industrial Revolution has done so much to expand opportunity.

Feminism has altered a whole culture’s ideal version of sexual roles. It has changed the professions, most strikingly medicine and law. It has affected how children are raised, how the law deals with domestic life, how corporations and public institutions are staffed.

In short, feminism is fucking awesome! To read the full article, click here.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

Sick of boots but not ready for sandals? Us too. Check out some of our favorite flat-shoe ideas below (featuring one of the hottest footwear trends this season - animal patterns!)


1. Wham by Robert Clergerie
If you love the classic oxford look, as we do, this style by Robert Clergerie is perfect. We love the "hole-y" detail and think classic white has the potential to look good with almost anything. Purchase the pair for $550 HERE.






2. Osborn X ALTER
Obviously, we just can't seem to get enough of oxford shoes. These styles are a result of the collaboration between footwear company Osborn (think TOMS Shoes) and Brooklyn retailer ALTER. Three versions of the Osborn shoe designs are available through ALTER's site for $175 each. Shop the collection HERE.






3. Kenya stripe TOMS
Finally, always a VIM favorite, TOMS Shoes has come out with yet another style we just can't say "no" to. The Kenya-inspired collection is available for both men and women for $69 per pair and just screams "African safari." And that ain't bad. Purchase the style HERE. **NOTE: TOMS also has a fabulous new spring collection available here.**

Thanks for Coming Out!

All of us at VIM Magazine wish to thank everyone who came out to support our organization and especially to help Japan on Thursday, April 7 at our Fashion For Japan fundraiser. We were able to raise quite a bit of money for the cause and could not be more thrilled. Below is a miniature gallery of images taken throughout the evening by VIM photographer Abbey Moore. (For the full gallery on our Facebook page click HERE.)

A special thank you goes out to our co-host for the evening, Todd (TJ) Duckett, as well as everyone at Club RUSH/Harper's of East Lansing for all their help throughout the evening.

heart.

Quote of the Day: April 11

"“Some of our memories are shared. We don’t know what actually happened to whom. One of us was stung by a bee, but we can’t remember who, because we both felt it.”

—Mary-Kate Olsen, business mogul, on her relationship with twin sister Ashely to Vogue.

Ecko Launches Fashionable Scrubs Lines

This one's for all the future doctors, nurses and veterinarians at Michigan State:

koi design, LLC recently teamed up with global fashion company Mark Ecko Enterprises to design two bold lines of scrubs for medical professionals everywhere: Ecko UNLTD. (for men) and Ecko Red (for women).

Whoever said hospital attire isn't sexy definitely just got proven wrong.

Check out the full collection HERE.

Michigan-filmed 'Answer This!' to screen at Capital City Film Festival

Filmed in Ann Arbor, the new comedy flick Answer This! will be showing at the first-ever Capital City Film Festival (which runs next week, April 14 through 17) on Sunday, April 17.

If you recall from VIM's Fall 2010 issue (see: Michigan: Hollywood's New Hot Spot), the movie follows the life of a University of Michigan graduate student who finally begins to figure his life out when he enters a citywide pub trivia tournament with his friends. Answer This! stars Chris Parnell (TV's Saturday Night Live), Christopher Gorham (TV's Ugly Betty) and Arielle Kebbel (John Tucker Must Die) among others and also marks the first time U-M has lent its name to a film.

To buy tickets to the screening, click HERE.

For the entire calendar of events check out the Capital City Film Festival website.

Wheels are in motion for Slutwalk Calgary!

On April 3, 2011, thousands of women and men in Toronto rallied the streets to take a stand against Toronto Police, who announced earlier this year that women could reduce their risk of sexual assault by not dressing like “sluts.” Join Slutwalk Calgary in their mission to spread the word that those who experience sexual assault are not the ones at fault. The onus should not be placed on women to reduce their risk of rape... it is the assaulters themselves who bear full responsibility for their crimes.

SlutWalk is coming to Calgary (date to be announced) – and if you want to be a part of this, make sure you follow Slutwalk Calgary on blogger, Facebook or twitter! If you'd like to get involved please email slutwalkcalgary@gmail.com

To see more great pictures from Slutwalk Toronto check out The Best 30 Signs at Slutwalk Toronto

Quote of the Day: April 4

"I got into [books like The Stinky Cheese Man...] because I didn’t like fairy tales when I was younger. I found a lot of fairy tales scary. They really didn’t sit well with me."

—Amanda Seyfried, actress, on fairy tales to Interview Magazine.

VIM Hosts 'Fashion for Japan' to Benefit Relief Effort

Come to Club RUSH this Thursday (April 7) and help VIM and former Detroit Lion Todd (TJ) Duckett raise money for Japan disaster relief.

Check out (and RSVP to) the Facebook event HERE!

Keira Knightley for Coco Madmoiselle

Actress Keira Knightley has recently generated a lot of buzz due to her starring in the above short film (advertainment) for new Chanel fragrance Coco Madmoiselle in addition to the release of the campaign's print ads. Check out what all the fuss is about above!

Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld Designs Limited Edition Coke Bottles

For all you fashion and Diet Coke lovers out there (like me!) this is some big (and pretty cool) news.

Seventy-seven year old Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has come up with his own haute couture spin on Diet Coke bottles. The limited edition packaging will feature Lagerfeld's signature silhouette and stray from Coca-Cola's standard red design color, instead incorporating a hot pink. Lagerfeld has been quoted saying, "... As everybody knows, I drink Diet Coke and nothing else, night and day."

The bottles are expected to hit shelves this June along with an accompanying advertising campaign that will feature models Coco Rocha, Heidi Mount and Jeneil Williams.

Monday April 4: Interview with Roller Derby girls!

On April 4, Geea and Allison will interview two ladies from the Calgary Roller Derby Association, Lexi Fatale from the Thrashin’ Lassies and Cheetah von Teese from the B52 Bellas. Their season opener is coming up on April 16th at the Triwood Arena! Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. Check the website for details!

After the interview, we'll discuss the following news stories:

Women hold fewer than 1/3 of top news media jobs - Women do not occupy positions in media management at nearly the same rate as men. Women hold 27% of managerial jobs such as CEO, and 39% of senior management/editorial positions, like managing editor or bureau chief. Even for lower news gathering/writer/editor jobs, women only make up 41% of these positions.

How does Charlie Sheen get away with abusing women and become the highest paid actor on TV? Feminist blog Jezebel lays out 20 years of Sheen's history of abusing women, reminding us that he's been accused of assaulting, threatening, harassing, abusing, and—in one incident—shooting women.

In an excellent article from the New York Times, The Disposable Woman, Anna Holmes discusses how nobody's talking about Sheen's abusive history, and instead shrug him off as being just a "bad boy" or "rebel."

Quote of the Day: April 1

"Well, so long as I can have one for the dartboard at home, I'm happy to oblige."

—Prince Harry, of the United Kingdom, on having his photo taken to British GQ.