The Conveyor Belt - A Fashion and Lifestyle Journal

Live Music 101: Shows on my Radar

Over some delicious beers with a dear friend today at Havana’s, we surveyed upcoming shows in Vancouver and man, are there a lot I want to attend. Here’s the rundown:

Radiohead, with Liars. Sold out, but I just scored a ticket within an hour of finding out I no longer have to work tomorrow. Huzzah!
Beck, with Band of Horses. August 28. Beck would be cool to see, but I am deadly obsessed with Band of Horses right now. And at the Orpheum…stellar.
!!!. August 31, at Richards. !!! pretty much sums up how I feel about this.
Steve Aoki, September 5 at the Commodore. At the Miss Sixty opening party at M Bank last summer, I danced so hard it will forever stand out in my memory as one of the sweatiest, sexiest nights ever.
Fleet Foxes, September 16, Richards. Not a dance party show, but a goodie nonetheless.
CSS, with Tilly and the Wall, September 17 at the Commodore. I got hooked on CSS after becoming enamoured with “Let’s make love and listen to Death From Above.”
The Raconteurs, September 18 at Malkin Bowl. I have never yet been to a show at the Malkin Bowl, if you can believe it. This has to change.
We are Wolves, September 27, the Bourbon. Very good live show, saw them at Pat’s Pub last time around and will definitely be going back for more.
Cold War Kids, September 28 at Richards. Thanks for tipping me off to this band, E-Roc.
Iron and Wine, October 7, Commodore. No friggin’ way am I missing this show.
Cut Copy, with the Presets, October 9 at the Commodore. Cut Copy at Richards last time around was a fantastic time, however I was feeling under the weather and couldn’t give’r on the dance floor. Never again.
Born Ruffians, with Plants and Animals, October 10 at Richards. Two supremely good bands, do not miss this show.
Black Kids, October 11 at Richards. These kids opened for Cut Copy last time around, lots of energy. Again, didn’t have the opportunity to dance.
Stereolab, October 19 at Commodore. Pretty, pretty.
Crystal Castles, October 27 at Commodore. Last show at Richards, they played with all the lights off. It was a bit annoying, so I danced and partied up on the balcony. Couldn’t see anything from downstairs anyway, so that was a good call. I’m willing to give them another chance.

See you at the venue(s)! Let me know if I missed any other amazing shows coming up..

(Backstreet Boys, September 4 at GM Place, anyone? I dare you!)

Published by Terri on August 18, 2008 in Arts & Culture. 2 Comments

Best Banana in Vancouver!

This place gets 110% Persian approval AND they have a fabulous name. Banana Tans is the most remarkable tanning spot I’ve visited in the city. They pay extra attention to their customers, and believe me, I’ve shopped around.

I called roughly five various tanning salons before I settled down with Banana Tans. Their drop-in fee of only $5.00 before noon is ridiculously worth it.

The cherry on top? They provide you with protective eye wear, AND a mint. If you need to touch up your hair, hair products are available, as well as spray on deodorant– just in case you forget your own!

Conveniently located at 148 East Broadway (Broadway & Main), of the five spots I dialed in survey of the best tanning salon, Banana Tans upheld a high standard of customer service and etiquette.

Note to the cautious: the hi-tan bed is as strong as they advertise, so stick on the safe side. I overestimated my Persian skin tone and ended up with a deadly burn - something that has never happened to me before at a Tanning Salon! Especially since I’ve taken the same time limit at other salons in similar beds.

Their website is extremely helpful and informative, so I recommend you check it out.

*Note: this post is not to promote fake tanning or Banana Tan specifically, but to simply inform those who are interested.

Published by Pariya on August 18, 2008 in Beauty and Lifestyle. 2 Comments

Vancouver Craigslist’s “Freebay”

During my recent move, I was in a position where I had to re-acquire heaps of furniture and household items. I started out on craigslist, looking in the furniture for sale section. After not much luck a week later, I started checking out the free section, and couldn’t believe the gems that people give away just for the convenience of having someone pick it up. Some of the best things in life really are free:

This loveseat could be refurbished and made into an even lovelier piece. I love the wood trim.

This is an old ferry chair - I believe there was a set of 4 to give away.

If I had a separate dining room in my new pad, this would make a terrific buffet piece.

I am still on the hunt for the perfect coffee table, and hopefully I will score one for free. My “freebay” hunt has turned up some very weird items, though - I inquired about some free 9″ long church pews, hoping to take just one that could line a wall of my studio, but got no response. And then there’s this:

Jar with 3 screw top lids, free to a good home.

My number one tip for free shopping is this: move quickly. If you see something you like, call and set up a time immediately to pick it up. I lost a beautiful retro couch and armchair because someone else offered to pick them up an hour before I was scheduled to go “look” at them.

Published by Terri on August 18, 2008 in Lifestyle. 1 Comment

Terri is a Tampon Trader

As you may know, the girl (woman, questionably) who founded this site is Terri Potratz and she is apparently a tampon trader.

Earlier, I posted two posts on the OB trails for Matchstick Marketing. Terri’s move to a new studio unearthed a box full of toiletries, where we found this evidence:

Her defense: she WOULD buy OB, if only they were sold at Costco.

My response to her defense: WHY would you trade such convenient little packaging for a hefty plastic applicator with a wide-load “pon*”?

Any words from our editor?

*Term coined by Terri Potratz

Published by Pariya on August 18, 2008 in News. 1 Comment

You Don’t Look Pretty, You Look Fat.

Do fashion trends influence societal weight gain?

The other day while having dinner on a patio in Yaletown, one of my finest friends asked a question I have had to ask myself certainly more than once this summer: “Is that girl pregnant, or is she just fat?”

The “flowy” fashion fad has ballooned across the nation, which may indicate a Hollywood-led baby boom…or it may be that we just want to stop sucking in all of the time. Whatever it is, I think people are underestimating how tough this look is to pull off.

The golden rule of maternity shirts is this: if you’ve got a belly, don’t wear them, or else someone may be staring at you trying to determine weather you’re pregnant or just trying to pull off the trend.

What I have noticed is that when this style was first made popular, I didn’t notice this problem. It’s only as of recently that I’m really starting to wonder if it’s the maternity shirt that gives us that extra little room to cheat, allows us to take that extra bite - and perhaps even discreetly unbutton the tops of our pants while in restaurants?

I know I’ve gone out for dinner on more than one occasion and stuffed myself silly with the comfort of the extra material building a curtain around my swelling belly - so the question is, have flowy and oversized shirts enabled us to get fatter and fatter?

Ed: This reminds me of the chicken vs. egg riddle. Which came first, the fat or the flow?

Above: Lover shirt; Insight dress, some fine examples of very pretty pudge hiders.

Published by Pariya on August 15, 2008 in Fashion. 9 Comments

95 Crave Fashionista Search

Here’s another great contest for you all to consider: 95 Crave and Wear Else are looking a fashion blogger to write about trends and style for their website throughout this Fall and Winter season.

To enter, write your 250 word fashion blog and submit it online before August 29. 5 finalists will be selected for an on-air audition (who knows what that will entail), and a panel of 3 judges - including one from Crave, one local blogger, and one individual from the local fashion industry - will select one finalist to win a $10,000 credit to Wear Else and become 95 Crave’s official fashion blogger!

Published by Terri on August 11, 2008 in News. 2 Comments

Obakki 75% off sale

This sale hasn’t yet been advertised anywhere, but Obakki has upped their end of season sale to 75% off all clothing in store! Get there ASAP as sizes are getting picked over quite quickly.

There are plenty of great items for both men and women; check out the fantastic men’s coats, there are a few styles worth trying on. I’m loving the linen pieces from the women’s collection - short shorts, wide leg trousers, fitted trousers, two blazer styles, and a long robe style belted jacket. Head to the first rack of white linens for special markdowns above and beyond 75%!

44 Water St.

Published by Terri on August 10, 2008 in Fashion. 1 Comment

Tampon Update

On being the Tampon fairy:

Lucy: Okay Parka (my childhood nickname due to an unfortunate fifth grade social studies presentation), we’re probably going to start the bbq at around 6pm so you if you and Dan can make it for roughly 6:30 it would be perfect!

Me: Lovely! Should I bring anything?

Lucy: Just your pretty little selves! (Because it’s true, I’m really pretty) (Dan is too, but not as much).

Me: OH!! I’LL BRING TAMPONS FOR ALL OF THE GIRLS!!

Lucy: Well, you’ll be really popular!

And I was.

–

Tracy: Girl, it’s an emergency, I’m at work and you need to bring a box of those OB’s to me, stat. For serious. Like, right now.

Me: I’ll be there in 5.

Tracy: Meet me in the bathroom.

It’s like drug deals, with tampons. Discreet passing of the ‘pon is so much easier when there’s no applicator to palm.

Published by Pariya on August 10, 2008 in News. 0 Comments

47 Hours to Vote

The FASHION Magazine Reporter Search is closing this Monday, August 11th, and I am just slightly behind in votes! It’s entirely up to online voters to decide who will get a year-long contract to write for Fashion Online, and I really want to be the Vancouver representative.

Please pass the link along to your friends, post it on your blog, go nuts because there’s just two days left. Practically one. Practically none. Go vote! It’s ridiculously easy, you don’t have to input any information, just one click and you’re done.

Copy this link, spam this link:

http://www.fashionmagazine.com/reportersearch/vote/form/19

Thank you for all your support, the comp has been neck and neck the whole way through and I just need one final and major push!

Published by Terri on August 9, 2008 in News. 2 Comments

Tampons? Yes.

Okay, it’s no big secret that bloggers are often handed little goodies to blog about. It’s really a three-way beneficiary situation. You, the reader, get the dl on the goods/services we’ve had to painstakingly examine; we get something to write about (which is hard, especially daily) with the freedom to give an honest opinion; and companies get their product mentioned on the internet, for better or for worse.

In a recent case, it went a little bit like this:

Product Marketer: As you may have heard, OB Tampons is the only tampon made by women, for women…

Me: Okay, stop right there. I’m a trusty OB faithful. I totally get it. BUT– my roommate, NC, recently got like, twenty boxes of Playtex Sport Tampons, and she’s been raving. So I’ve decided to give those a whirl. If she says they’re magnificent, they must be.

PM: Well, I can send you a package of free OB tampons anyway, and can do what you wish with them - use them or hand them out to friends.

Me: I couldn’t possibly turn down being the Tampon Fairy. Send them to my boyfriend’s office!

Now, my period had not yet started at this point. I hadn’t had a chance to discover the terror that was to come from this new Playtex tampon I had been referred to. Also, I was unaware that my roommate would have the same experiences.

At first it was a welcomed change. I enjoyed the convenience of the Playtex applicator, however throwing out a small tupperware container worth of plastic seemed quite wasteful. I spent the majority of my light period wearing a slender, super-sized tampon. A little larger than the OB variety, slightly different, but nonetheless a pleasant experience.

Two or three days post-switch, I realized that regardless of how often I would take a bathroom break to check up, I was always leaking. Serious leaks. Sometimes major leaks. On a light period. So I highly suspect that this new brand had intensified my flow.

In a rush I ran to the laundry-closet in my boyfriend’s townhouse. I headed for the cute little reusable bag the agency had sent me and I grabbed an OB tampon. Insert, remove. Insert, remove. It was all back to normal. I was no longer in complete paranoia.

I was back on my OB. I appreciated the lessoning of guilt in the plastic applicator department. Always may be the ones to have bought this slogan, but with OB I’m having a “happy period.” Paying less for my tampons also makes for a happy period. That’s necessary money I could be spending to keep myself well caffeinated. (Not a joke) (Well, kind of)

Published by Pariya on August 9, 2008 in Lifestyle. 2 Comments