The Airborne Toxic Event

The Airborne Toxic Event is one band I can't get enough of and I just found out that they will be performing an hour outside of Vancouver. I would definitely drive to see and hear them play a live show again. Squamish here I come, August 26th!

I've got thousands of songs spread out among several iPods and computers but I think this song is one of my absolute favourites...

New York Adventures Part 2

Back with part 2 of my recent New York adventures after an insane stint of presentations and school work! It's truly amazing what we accomplished in only four days! If you thought our first day was busy wait to till you read this post! Here's a brief run down of some things we did and that I highly recommend you to squeeze into your New York itineraries!

Day 2: Good Eats

First item of the day? Pastrami sandwiches from the famous Katz's Delicatessen! (Anyone seen that famous scene from When Harry Met Sally? That restaurant.)What's a fabulous lunch without coffee and dessert afterwards? Next stop: Sugar Cafe.In between our food sessions we did some shopping at C Wonder, EasySpirit, and Uniglo, and a quick stop at the Philippine Embassy.
Then on to Bloomingdale's and The Forty Carrots for the most amazing fro-yo!After all that, believe or not, we went home just to get ready for dinner in Little Italy, at a place called Angelo's.
Day 3: A hockey surprise...

After a slow start, we had lunch at a charming place called Fig and Olive in Midtown Manhattan, followed by another stop at Uniglo.While my mom, aunts and uncle (four people on the right side of that picture) went to the country for the night, I stayed in the city with my cousin (he and I are standing on the left). We took a quick train to new Jersey and watched the Vancouver Canucks - fabulous surprise and treat from my cousin.

Day 4: Independence in Manhattan... and I filled it up with as much as possible!

I made a decision to skip the museums this trip and spend on my other passion: theatre. The spending began with an early start at Wicked: Behind the Emerald Curtain tour!I have more fun pictures to come. This insightful and super fascinating tour was followed by a freezing walk all over Times Square as I tried to decide what Broadway show I would watch that afternoon! I settled on How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.If I was a big fan of Nick Jonas, I probably would have screamed when I saw him appear on stage. This seriously entertaining Broadway classic was followed by chilly, windy walk to Juniors to get cheesecake for my dad back in Vancouver (yes-I hand-carried a cheesecake along with pastrami).
I worked off all the food on this trip when I had to walk 8 blocks over and up to try and catch a cab back Uptown. Before I knew it, I was packed and headed to the airport. I wasn't ready to go home!

Travel Tip: Be friendly and charming to the airport employees. I know from personal experience, both as a traveller and as an airline employee, the difference it can make just to smile at the check-in counter or in the security line-up. We were treated to lounge access even though we flew economy and I got a birthday hug (a month early) from the passport check guy.

Hope you enjoyed my adventures! I'd love to hear yours!

The More Loving One

I was watching a show when I heard the characters talk about a poem by W.H. Auden called, The More Loving One. I wonder what it must be like to write poetry like that. Anyways, the second stanza is my favourite and I think the favourite of many people who read this poem. Enjoy!The More Loving One
by W.H. Auden

Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell,
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total darkness sublime,
Though this might take me a little time.

Image via The Thought Experiment

The Night Circus

Hello hello! Did you all have fabulous holiday celebrations? I definitely did. Skiing didn't quite happen (thanks to foggy bad weather) and I didn't get to see White Christmas on the stage (no time this year). But I did watch White Christmas on television and plans for Whistler are being made and we did have a fabulous Christmas Eve feast!Pictures to come but first, my darling Jessica W.N. of MUAHjwn introduced me to a new book entitled, The Night Circus. It is so magical and filled with unbelievably vivid imagery. Author Erin Morgenstern truly paints pictures with words...It makes me feel... inspired! Time to pull out the sketchbook.

Roost: a Simple Life

Lamento - Sergio Mendes ft. Maogani Quartet

First of all, thank you to all who take the time to read and subscribe to my blog! Life has been a major juggling act the last few months and Moi Je Joue has been difficult to maintain regularly. Second, Roost: a Simple Life...I love looking at food photography! Caitlin (or Coco) is the woman behind the magic of these dishes and their photos. Even more appealing is that she didn't study photography but rather, through trial and error, taught herself!She also has beautiful shots of her travels!And a good eye for decorating and staging...Hope you enjoyed and check out her blog for more beautiful photographs and inspiration. Now back to work for me!
All photos from Roost: a Simple Life.

DO & CO Hotel, Vienna

How fabulous it would be to go on vacation...right now. I don't think I've ever been this busy in my life! How about you? I'd love to visit Vienna again (I don't remember much of my first visit). It's an amazing city, full of history, old and new. I wouldn't mind staying at the DO & CO Hotel. Judging from the pictures, it features a very interesting blend of styles and a fabulous view of the city (it's located right in the heart of Vienna)!Wow! Can you imagine dining here?!

Glee's New York Colours

Hello everyone! While organizing my new purchases (school supplies for theatre design!), I realized that the season 2 finale of Glee was playing in the background. I loved the costumes and the colours. And the tunes were pretty fun too. What do you think?It would be fun to see Manhattan like Glee! Touring Broadway, dining out, exploring the city with a group of close friends! By the way, if you are planning a trip to Manhattan and wish to see a Broadway show, you have a very good chance of getting a cheaper ticket by going straight to the theatre box office shortly before show time.

How I got my ticket to Catch Me If You Can:
20 mins to showtime, I went straight to the box office and asked if there were any tickets left. There were! Instead of paying $120, I got a centre orchestra seat for only $79! So close to showtime, I think they are happy to fill the seats.
Okay. I love Rachel's outfits but I don't know if I could ever pull off a striped coat like this one!
Breakfast at Tiffany's anyone?

Condé Nast Traveller: September Visionaries Issue

Lebo M. - Busa

I was so inspired by this video. At first the beautiful photographs caught my eye and then I watched this video. I'm not one of those crazy "I love you Drew Barrymore" Drew Barrymore fans, but she seems like a cool person. Condé Nast Traveller thinks so too!This September is the Visionaries issue, featuring trailblazers like Drew, who is a World Food Programme ambassador by the way. Apologies for the ads at the beginning of the video clip but I promise they are worth sitting through. Cheers!

Affordable Makeup

I say a little prayer - Aretha Franklin

Happy Saturday! I received a question yesterday about affordable makeup brands. What are some good options for a lower budget? Probably all of us love to shop at Sephora, but with so many other expenses that's not always feasible!
So Jessica W.N. has kindly provided some answers about what makeup brands work well and don't completely break the bank!OOO0o0. Well, it depends what products you are getting.

For face products, I would recommend:
- Revlon foundation (Colorstay or Photoready)
- Almay loose powder
- Physician's formula ANYTHING (their bronzers, blush, powders, foundations are all natural and organic with lovely minerals and most are under $20)
- Rimmel Anti-Fatigue under eye concealer (only 4 bucks!)

For eyes:
- L'Oreal and Maybelline consistently make great mascaras, my fav cheapies are L'Oreal Voluminous with the curved brush and Maybelline The Falsies.
- Annabelle smoothliner for pencil eyeliner and also Annabelle eyebrow pencil
- L'Oreal Lineur Intense for liquid liner
- as for eyeshadows, I do believe you must spend a little more to get decent pigmented eyeshadows. Lots of people swear by the Maybelline eyeshadow quads, which come in lots of different colour combinations (4 each) and are really cheap. Annabelle's eyeshadows are also not bad. Personally I spend a little more in this area, for example on Urban Decay or Make Up Forever palettes (more pricey but if you get a GOOD neutral set they can last you YEARS).

Lips:
- Really... anything. Just browse Shoppers Drug Mart and you will be attracted to all the pretty colours and all of them pretty much do the same thing.
- CoverGirl Lip Stain pens are AWESOME
- Rimmel makes awesome gloss and lipstick!

Hope this helps!
Jessica ♥

Water for Elephants

I saw Water for Elephants over the weekend and it was really lovely. I've never been a crazy Robert Pattinson fan but I have to say that he was quite good in this movie. Reese Witherspoon and Christopher Waltz were great as well! But the best part of this film? The stunning visuals of a 1930's circus! The costumes were gorgeous! Sara Gruen truly wrote a beautiful story when she put pen to paper on this novel...How adorable is that elephant!
Such beautiful designs by Jacqueline West (interview via Zappos.com)...