a wicked hard challenge ...

since the last time i sat down to write to all of you out there in the blogosphere i've been back and forth across the country. that's right, travelling. honestly, i used to think that a job that made me travel a ton was exactly what i wanted but after all this one day in vancouver, one day in calgary and back again business, i will openly admit that i'm VERY happy to be stationary for a whole week. yes, i really do like being stationary. or mellow, as my new roommate mike likes to call it.

easing my way back into the mellow was easy this time around as i'm in the middle of a wicked hard challenge. some people like to be challenged by others, winning races or starring contests. i, however, like it hot. and when i say hot i actually mean temperature hot.

today marks day 18 of my 30 day hot yoga challenge. every day for the last 18 i've been waking up earlier than anyone should have to. i've been walking penny in the dark and spending the last ten minutes of class falling asleep in shavasana until peter, possibly the most wonderful yoga instructor, comes back in to wake me up in time to get ready for work.

now i understand that not all of you would enjoy placing yourself willingly into sauna level temperatures while doing odd contortions. but even though it might not be "your kinda thing", you should definitely try it. you'll sleep better, you'll breath better and you might even learn how to sit still for more than two seconds. things you really do need to know to make life better. i promise, if there is something that can get me through the junos and the cne with my sanity in tact it (for sure) deserves a shout out.

if you want to join me, i'm at moksha yoga downtown every morning at 7. the best days to try are mondays with leah, wednesdays with rebecca (this class is silent though, so come prepared for no talking at all, not even the instructor) and thursdays with peter. and when you're on the way do listen to one of these tracks (they get me going every single morning!!!):

just say yes - snow patrol

until we bleed - kleerup

they will get you to the studio. you'll just have to do the rest.

i'll save you a spot. just let me know when you'll be there and there will be a mat waiting!

yoga in lake louise

i will openly admit that i'm really not the greatest at this whole being a serious blogger business. i don't think i will ever make a living from it or even more, become someone that has a major cult following as apparently i do not dedicate myself to the craft. and trust me, i know it's a craft. i have been lucky enough to be surrounded by people who are extremely talented at this whole blogging thing (michael - www.mikesbloggityblog.com - and lainey - www.laineygossip.com to name a few) and know that there is no way this is an easy job. it totally, 100% is not.

however, i will say that when things like this weekend happen i feel there is no better thing to do than tell the world about it. in this case the metaphor "scream it from the mountain tops" actually is quite suitable as right now i'm sitting in the calgary airport (after a very extensive pat down -- apparently i was preselected for a further poking ...) as my flight home as been delayed. so i have some time to reflect the past few days and, without much thinking, definitely think they qualify as something that "tiffany likes". correction: loves.

last wednesday saw me jump on a plane and head out to vancouver for a day to see the one and only jason mraz in concert. it was insane. thanks to maria who hooked me up LARGE (photos to follow, they are currently stuck on my bberry that has decided to not work at this very moment) and to the crowd at GM place for loving mraz almost as much as i do. it was an outstanding show -- and more importantly, completely worth the flight to vancouver and back.

thursday saw me jump on a plane (yes, again!) to calgary -- this time to see the one and only kevin murphy. ok, and jason mraz. it only seemed fitting that i should see him again in calgary two days later. how could a real fan pass that up? right? exactly, it's not possible.

calgary was amazing to me this time around. the last time i was here was two years ago, for the juno awards, and lets' be honest, i saw three blocks. this time i walked. i walked and i walked and i walked. i won't lie, so i saw a drug deal or two go down, but i also got to meet some really great people (insert REALLY GREAT here) and watch one of the most interesting mraz shows to date. it was glorious. and the fresh air -- you know that kind that doesn't smell like slaughter house -- was possibly the best thing my deep breathing yoga lungs could have asked for.

sigh. if only i didn't have to go back.

i've decided that when i'm not working i have to be at lake louise. how is it that we, as canadians, have gotten SO lucky to live in a country that is so outstandingly gorgeous. ok, so i won't lie, it was frickin' cold. but the snow was beautiful. the lake was SO pretty. and it was quiet. creepy quiet. i want to do yoga there. possibly every day for the rest of my life. can someone find out if that's at all possible?

thank you to everyone who made this trip amazing. to eileen who kept my fur baby happy while i was away. to michelle who took care of my ever so large (and therefore consistently lonely) house. to jon for the hotel room and the best friends i could ever ask for in calgary. kevin, you're my favourite. michael, thanks for loving me through my MAJOR jason mraz dance-a-thon. jenn, thanks for forcing your parents to pick me up AND picking the westin. damn. jonny, matt and julia -- thanks for making me laugh, always. i had the best time ever.

but honestly, if you haven't been, GET TO THE MOUNTAINS. i think every canadian HAS to see them. at least once. you'll die when you scroll down to see these pictures. yes, there is snow in october. but it's pretty snow. really, really pretty.

i also strongly suggest that you all do something that you think is completely crazy. follow your favourite musician for two shows in completely different cities. go to an amazing coffee shop and order hot chocolate (and if you do, please try to figure out how that whole latte art stays on top of the hot chocolate, even after each time you take a drink). get lost in a city that is your own and find your way back. just take a break. and remember that, in general, we all have it pretty lucky. even on sunday nights (you know, the ones just before monday mornings).

enjoy the pics!

get me a stage name, stat!

In my line of work I am very fortunate to know a whole bunch of very talented people. From performers to directors and producers to publicists, there are always those who continuously blow my mind. Many of them would kill me for mentioning them by name, so I will do my best to keep my mouth shut, but I will say that it is these people who tend to lead me to the things I like most.

As many of you may know, I’m an avid music fan. Ok, maybe in this case avid is just slightly not descriptive enough. Maybe we can call it mildly OCD. My iTunes library at work alone hosts over 3000 songs and I personally have suspended my spending on new music until I can fully appreciate everything I have. I think that’s only fair to the songs already in the collection as I definitely don’t want them feeling neglected.

However not too long ago a dear friend of mine was working on a project that he thought I’d love so he passed along a few tracks. Before I knew it, I was asking for more. You see, it was that kind of music that just infects you. And in the good way, not in the “I’ve got the chicken pocks and am going to die” kind of way. I was hooked from the first song and the second one began the addiction. I mean honestly, when’s the last time you got to hear the whole percussion section of a marching band in a quasi-pop song? Exactly. I can’t remember, either.

Because of that, the ever so talented Michael Bernard Fitzgerald has made his way into my “Top 25 Most Played” list on iTunes, alongside the likes of The Umbrellas, Damien Rice, Gomez, Sigur Ros, Jason Mraz, The Weepies, Fionn Regan, Ingrid Michaelson, Pat Robitaille, Snow Patrol and Coldplay. That’s a pretty good place to be, I’d say. Especially with a record that isn’t even out yet!!!

So today, if you’re feeling like a flash back to the 80s with one of those really awesome power ballads (Maxine is the name of the tune, it’s the only track on his myspace page from the upcoming record, totally fun in it’s own right), I invite you to introduce yourself to my newest iTunes addition, Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. His last record is also available on iTunes and has earned itself some really great reviews.

But kids believe me when I say that this new record OUTSTANDING. You will be very happy to be able to say “Oh, I knew about him ages ago” when your friends start raving about this new, super cool artist they’ve finally come across. That’s what I’m here for, to give you the foot up on the competition. Actually, let’s be honest.  I simply want more people in my overwhelmingly indie music corner because I know once you make the move you’ll never want to leave.

I will leave you and Michael alone to get yourselves acquainted with each other. Maybe, just maybe, if the two of you become close, you could suggest that he think about getting a stage name. Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is pretty long, for any kind of poster! 

forever a free agent in halifax

I just took one of those god forsaken Cosmo quizes that are supposed to tell you what is wrong with your life, and how you can fix it with expert advice from a therapist who lives a gazillion miles away from you and whom you could actually never afford to see even if they did.

The name of this quiz? "Are you a closet commitment-phobe?" Amazing. Actually, this is something I've always wondered, so I figured, why not take it?

Needless to say, my fears of being perhaps the one girl who will never convince herself to be in a relationship have been realized as Cosmo has just told me that I'm "forever a free agent." They actually compared me to serial flaker George Clooney. Wow, I have to admit I'm not sure if this realization has made my day better or worse. I guess either way Cosmo has given me the advice that says I "have to be willing to stick around long enough to profit emotionally from situations that seem promising." I guess, dear readers, that means you're stuck with me.

The thing that I can say I like about today is the fact that I'm in Halifax. Even better, I just finished eating Subway while sitting on the Waterfront and am working on what I'm hoping won't be the worst farmer's tan in life. The sun feels glorious -- maybe that's because I should be in the office right now but am not. Or maybe it's because I should be breathing in Toronto air but instead am taking in deep breaths of fresh East Coast harbour air. Whatever it is, today I really do like Halifax and I love the East Coast even more.

Another thing that is making today even better, besides the fact that I'm going to the movies with my little brother and might be seeing my mom, is singer/songwriter Greg Laswell. I have been listening to about three of his songs ("Not Out", "The One I Love" and "Comes and Goes (in waves)" since leaving Toronto. He seems to fit in perfectly with the calm and water that is Halifax. I think I'll even bring him to Citadel Hill with me later. I think he needs to feel what real grass feels like under every one of your limbs on a sunny day. I mean everyone needs that, at least once.

Although last minute, this trip has been amazing and the most perfect break from the place I now call home. Things here are slower. It smells a lot better and cab drivers say things like "That weather guy must be drunk on coffee. It can't rain tomoorow, you see, it's SUNday. Yes, he must be drunk on coffee." Too bad the fast paced life of Wednesday night adventures is now constantly surging through my veins. If it wasn't I could almost see myself moving back here. Or just moving here period seeing as I've never actually called Halifax home. Maybe someday. I mean if my dear, sweet Cristin Fraser can do it, I most certainly can.

I hope this finds you all easing into the second last week of May. Yup, it's actually that late in the year. All I can say is at least summer is here!! Well, it is here in Halifax, who knows about anywhere else! My fingers are crossed that it's in Toronto tomorrow, when I'm back. Go and listen to Greg. Even if you're not close to the water or sitting in the sun he'll slow down your heart rate and remind you that the reason we are all here is not work. Or stress. Or fear. We're all here to be happy, even if sometimes it doesn't feel like it.

I'm going to explore some more. Know that I am crazy about you all. And very thankful that you read this. My void is the best void there is.

xo

go. listen to the narrative.

team tiffanylikes:

i have seconds to write to you all today -- mostly because i'm the WORST report writer in history and am working on an insane deadline (don't believe the world when they tell you procrastination doesn't work, because it does. the pressure, somehow it just makes you much better at pulling everything together in your brain and getting it out on paper). 

i DO want all of you to check these guys out though as i've just recently learned of them AND they are going to be in toronto on may 22. that's right. MAY 22. come and listen to music with me. it will be fun.

www.myspace.com/thenarrative

ok, listen to them and i promise to be a bit more witty and charming in my next post. you see, i'll be writing that after i'm done the 2009 juno final report. 

xo

music monday brings you serena ryder

Truth of the matter is, I don't really like female singers. I feel that many of them sing about the same thing -- being broken up with or sitting at home crying their eyes out because the boy of their dreams has left them, AGAIN. Maybe it's the fact that I've been single for the greater part of my life or because I'm a touch jealous that my years and years of being in choirs didn't really lead anywhere, but whatever it is, in the 3300 songs of my iTunes work collection, probably less than a third of them are female. 

It wasn't until two years ago during my work with the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame that I came across one female performer who broke through the huge barrier I have up and convinced me that there are girls that I can listen to. Who is she you ask? Well, no one other than the lovely Serena Ryder all the way from Peterborough, ON. 

You see, Serena has this amazing ability to sing about things that aren't only heartache. Actually, my most favourite Serena song (Weak in the Knees) is about how a girl can be strong and walk away, even when she doesn't want to. I think more female artists need to be like Serena; grounded, lovely in person and able to sing about things that matter and have you listen without making you want to jump out of your own skin. 

From her Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame performance, Serena continued to grow on me with her 2008 JUNO Awards nomination for Best New Artist. Winning made her even more special, as she was perhaps the most excited winner -- which is always refreshing to see when you're sitting backstage. My adoration of her was solidified however at this year's JUNO Awards as she ran off the stage on Saturday night after winning for Adult Alternative Album of the Year. She had broken the JUNO curse. And she was estatic. 

So yes, today, on my day of hiatus from all things stressful, I implore you to all introduce yourself to one of Canada's best, Serena Ryder. You will not be sorry. She continues to make really great music AND today, May 4, she has lent her song "Sing, Sing" to Music Monday. I mean even the kids like her (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQhPVJSYSZM). 

To those of you who actually read this daily (yes, I know you're small but mighty) I'm sorry for being MIA this weekend. You see, I also love weekends outside with Penny. I'll try to learn how to balance the two so to not leave you alone for so long ever again. 

Happy Music Monday!!!  

sorry for not sharing, but it's a surprise.

There are some things that just make you extremely happy. You know, like the first snowfall (Come on, you know it's true -- people honestly don't think about all the rest of it to come when you see that very first flake ...) or a really great surprise party. Or surprises in general. Yeah, I more than like surprises, I LOVE them. Especially when they come at the most perfect time.

Today in Toronto has turned into a really wet and dreary one. I knew it was coming. You see, I've recently learned that one should tune into The Weather Network before leaving for the office in the morning (yet another thing the wonderful Chris McDowall has taught me). But just because I knew it was coming didn't make it any better. I didn't wear my rubber boots to work, heck I didn't even bring an umbrella. My fault I got soaked on the way home -- I guess it's the consequence for tempting fate.

Lucky for me, about ten minutes ago I got the best surprise a girl could ask for. And believe it or not it came in the form of an email. Even better, it came in the form of an evite, an invention that I tend to not like so much (please don't ask me why as I'm really not sure. I just think it's the pressure of saying yes or no in front of so many people ...). So with all that in mind, a HUGE surprise.

Sadly, I cannot share with the world what this surprise is as it isn't only for me. And ruining it here would not be fair. But it did allow me to write to you all and say "I like surprises." It also brings me to the fact that each and every one of you should plan some kind of surprise for someone in your life soon. No matter what people say, they LOVE surprises. Surprise gifts, surprise birthday parties, surprise proposals. They are all the best thing that will happen to anyone all day, this I can 100% promise you.

Stay tuned for the surprise reveal on Monday. I'll have the most perfect blog that day. Or at least I'll try. Until then I will leave you with something else I like: Billy's new found ability to pull off the artist ponytail.

Now go. Get out of here. Surprise someone with gerber daisies. Ok, maybe surprise me with gerber daisies. I'm pretty sure you all know where I work. :)