Author Archive

Dan Levy & Lainey Gossip take center stage at the SMUT Soiree.

Gossip is just plain fun. And nobody knows this better than celebrity culture experts Dan Levy and Lainey Gossip.  Between the two of them, Dan and Lainey have tons of insider knowledge on all the naughty and scandalous happenings in Hollywood and beyond. The pair were recently in town to host the SMUT Soiree, an evening of gossip, cocktails and trashy good times. It seemed like a bit of an oxymoron to me; a soiree is a classy affair whereas smut is much less so. “High-low, baby,” Lainey simply puts it. “It’s where class meets trash in an evening of debauchery, scandal, and intrigue,” Dan adds. Oh, the Kardashians would be so proud.

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Name: Catori Hania (it means “spirit warrior”)

Breed: I’m a mutt ok! But I don’t let that get me down because I am one pretty pooch if I say so myself. My humans think I might be a Coyote Shepherd crossed with some border collie and husky as well…but they’re not entirely sure, because I’m just so mysterious.

Human Family: DeeDee and Shelle, Nia, Kerbie and Bruce

Fur family: Holly(Basset hound), Eliza (Basset hound), Ivy (Chesapeake Border collie X)

Favourite toys: I really like squash balls, small things that I can throw in the air, snow and hands (so much fun to chew on and bark at). I also like to chew sticks until there’s a million tiny pieces all over the floor.

Pet-Peeves: I don’t like it when people touch my feet, or tail, or ears and don’t even get me started on hugs!

Favourite food: Meat (I really like hamburger!),chocolate and beef bones

Favourite things to do: I like to roll on the keyboard of your laptop while you’re typing. I really like to tell you all kinds of stories! I even sometimes tattle on my fur-sister when she’s being mean. I also really like playing hide and seek though I always hide in the same places. It’s so much fun!

Least favourite food: Carrots, pickles and potatoes. Yuck.

Occupation: Intermediate dancer, beginner sled dog and expert burper.

Got an awesome dog? EMAIL us and let us know about your best pal. We may share your story on Calgary is Awesome!

 
Jody MacPherson loves living in Marda Loop, working for the City of Calgary and taking photos

     Have an interesting or unique photo of Calgary? Share your photos on our Facebook page or Flickr account and you may see your photo In Focus.

Blip. Bloop. Bleep. These are the sounds that greet you as you enter Dick & Janes. A Tetris arcade machine isn’t what you would normally expect inside a clothing store, but in D&J’s, it works. This charming boutique on 17^th Avenue is the lesser known sister of rockabilly fave Blame Betty, but has just as much spunk and moxie. Offering fresh and modern clothing and accessory alternatives, you can find anything from colored jeggings to lomography cameras to rabbit ear picture frames. “The Dashboard Jesus figure is really popular,” says Megan Erickson, social media and store manager for Dick & Janes. “People like to buy them to put in the car2gos to share with others.” Now that’s just awesome.

In general, the whole store is an awesome utopia. In every nook and cranny are colourful dresses, tops and other fashion finds (and stuff for the guys too). There are also endless knick knacks to choose from too. “We like to sell things we enjoy and that we also think our customers will enjoy such as quirky items like Mac-n-Cheese band-aids. We like things that make people laugh and are functional too so you’re getting your money’s worth,” says Megan.
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Summertime in Calgary means festivals galore! The city is filled to the brim with niche scenes ranging from music, comedy, theatre, film, ethnic and more. This year, Calgary’s festival scene is going to get even more awesome with the Badlands Music Festival, running July 5 to 7 at Canada Olympic Park. Get ready to get your dance on because this line-up is pretty amazing. Electronic performers Afrojack, Kaskade, Pretty Lights and Steve Aoki are headlining but even secondary acts such as Matt & Kim, Excision and Mord Fustang are just as highly anticipated.

The interesting thing about Badlands is that this electronic-based music fest will be taking place over Stampede. Festival co-promoters Aqua Audio have been promoting dance music in the city for over a decade and are beyond excited to bring Badlands to their own backyard. “We realize that ‘country is king’ during Stampede but the music landscape has shifted and there has been a rise in demand for electronic. There are lots of venues that have huge success with their electronic music programming, so we thought that we could pull off an event like this. Since our announcement we have received nothing but compliments and words of support,” says Mikey Da Roza of Aqua Audio.

Badlands sets itself apart from Calgary’s other summer fests as it is the only 100% dance/electronic/indie line-up. Revellers can look forward to Afrojack’s first-ever appearance in Calgary, with over 20 artists on hand over the course of the three-day festival.  “The overall line-up is well-rounded and there is something for everyone. I don’t think people will be disappointed. It was our chance to have all these amazing artist under one banner and create a festival environment and some true excitement for dance music fans,” says Mikey.

With less than two months to go, the Badlands team still has a few surprises in the works to deliver.  With so much hype and excitement already garnered for an inaugural event that has yet to happen, does this mean that we can look forward to Badlands being an annual tradition? “Our goal for this project has always been to grow it into a yearly event,” says Mikey. “We are excited to see what is in store for us and how we can grow this next year, to something even bigger and better!”

Are you excited for Badlands? We’re sending one lucky reader to the show – enter our contest here!

We’ve partnered with the folks behind the new development at Bridgeland Crossings to take an intimate look at this awesome Calgary neighbourhood, the people, and the homes themselves.

People are discovering Bridgeland again. With the closure of the General Hospital back in the mid-1990s, vacant lots became the norm in the area. Slowly, but surely this older neighbourhood is finally getting back on its feet. As part of The Bridges development, many more people will be calling Bridgeland home as buildings such as Bridgeland Crossings come to life over the next couple of years.  With great businesses in the area and awesome transportation options, it’s easy to see why this community will become a well sought-after address. Bridgeland Crossings will welcome 151 spacious homes in an 11 storey tower.

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Have you ever wondered what happens to an apple core in a landfill? That’s a trick question – it decomposes… right? That was my answer too until I learned more about why recycling and composting is so important for diverting waste from landfills.  The apple cores, banana peels and all sorts of food scraps we throw away don’t actually break down in a landfill. Check out this interesting video from The City that shows how the things that you think are garbage are actually valuable materials that can be turned into notebooks, compost, cars and more. Some things are really just too good to waste.

There are so many new restaurants popping up in Calgary, it can be hard to know where to take your tastebuds. 17^th Avenue in particular, has become home to a number of new restaurants, bars and pubs. Two relatively recent additions to the scene are Roosevelt (which was revamped from one of my favourite haunts, Classic Jacks) and 80^th & Ivy. Both locations are part of the family-run Group 933 (which also offers more bier haus options with its 1410 and 1600 brands). “17th Avenue has grown to become the heart of our city. We have found that there is great opportunity for us to be a part of the YYC energy in this area,” says Blair Bullied, Group 933’s marketing rep.

Each restaurant is full of great energy and ambience, but in very different ways. 80^th & Ivy is a casual fine dining concept that harbours an earthier feel while Roosevelt favours a modern-diner style with classic menu options with a twist. Both commit to local, fresh ingredients which really stood out to me when I sampled their menus. “We really work as a team and as a family in everything that we do. This has been translated through to the product we are producing, and Calgary can tell. Calgarians are smart, authenticity is key,” Blair explains.

What exactly do these new restaurants offer then? Check out these side-by-side photo comparisons and see for yourself!

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“This photo was taken in early February on a gorgeous winter afternoon in downtown Calgary.  The Suncor Towers are an example of the amazing and unique architecture to be found throughout our wonderful city, and they were looking particularly gorgeous bathed in the late afternoon sunlight.”

David Smith, Calgarian and photographer

Denim. I had never seen so much denim in a single place before (and that includes Stampede!). Dark wash, light wash, jean jackets, pants, skirts, dresses and even a jumper or two – all crafted of denim. But such is the devotion of Michael Bernard Fitzgerald fans. They all showed up en masse in their Canadian tuxedos to partake in MBF’s Birthday Spectacular a few weeks ago.

“The birthday spectacular was great. I was totally amazed to see so many beautiful Canadian tuxedos. People got really creative with their denim outfits,” Michael says appreciatively. And what a night it was. In addition to all the denim, Village Brewery was on hand serving up tasty brews, Mandy Stobo painted live during the concert, and MBF’s full 12-piece band ripped it up on the stage.

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