scary-guy-1.jpg

I think the title says it all, really. This is a truly scary guy.

do you see what i see?

it was a mixed bag of happy and sad last week when the
e-n-t-i-r-e fischer family came to visit.

happy: the e-n-t-i-r-e fischer fam came to visit.

sad: grandpa ted passed away... so the weekend was full of funeral business.



more happy: i had a full dose of fischer-ness. went to lunch with jamie {she thinks i was ONLY excited about seeing carrie.... silly.}, mat and mel, topher, carrie and duben, and katie. and when we were done? back to grandpa ted's house to see the parents... and like 907534457 other members of the fam.

more sad: it didn't get to see them nearly as much as i'd like. i GUESS they had other, more important and timely, things to do that weekend. but geesh...

three's company.

the long awaited day has arrived. jen is moving in. thank heavens. the dvd collection just grew exponentially. the san diego charger flare just doubled. the amount of hollywood gossip on the coffee table just multiplied. the cans of diet coke are back for an encore. the house just gained a "token male" - convenient for difficult household duties. and the world just became a better place.

oh, we are a force to be reckoned with. and it is going to be such great fun.

who what where when why wednesday.

q:

what is your biggest fear?

a:

that someday, long after i am married, there will come a day that i will run out of things to talk about.

{like the scene in forrest gump when he runs, runs, runs across the united states... and then, poof! he just quits.}

i can hear the eyeballs rolling now... aubry. running out of things to say. yeah, right. but really, i'm afraid.

and, frogs. i am very afraid of frogs.

Straightedge Toast

This guy maybe has my favorite bad tattoos of all time. Ever. Period.
Possibly because I have a real soft spot for straight edge tattoos and punk/hc tattoos, possibly because they are just hilarious.




Description from the horse's mouth below:

All my friends have toast tattoos, because when you're poor and dumpster for your food bread is always readily available - it's this thing that kinda unifies us at this point in our lives. The Earth Crisis theme came about when some silly hardline XVX kids were staying at this punk house and talking about how belittling a band with serious issues is a bad thing, and how EC was cool and really helped push ideas into hardcore, and then they started insulting the people who lived at that house by degrading them and saying they had bad views, even making someone get near the verge of crying because she ate sparingly fish.

I realized that the lyrics for the beginning of Firestorm worked really well with toast (the original lyrics for those who don't know are "Street by street/block by block/taking it all back", referring to cleansing a neighborhood of drug dealers.) I went and got the tattoo done in an hour, showed them, and started drinking and eating cheese for the rest of the night (even though I was vegan at the time.) They stopped talking to me, and left shortly after.

I'm going to be getting a tattoo really soon that is based off of the anarchist atheist saying "No Gods, No Masters", but its gonna say "Dogs, No Masters" and have a kennel on fire and someone holding a leash with his brains blown out, and upside down crosses made of milk bones. I didn't think up that saying, though

home.

i'm coming home!

{view at sundown... from the back porch. }

last year, i didn't make it home ONE SINGLE TIME between christmases. that meant:

one whole year without seeing the babies...
one whole year without shopping at loehmann's....
one whole year without fashion valley and bloomingdale's....
one whole year without the delish greasy mexican food....
and one whole year without seeing my family.

{not necessarily in that order...}

i'll have a full agenda. people to visit. cupcakes to taste. clothes to buy. photos to take. hills to run. babies to kiss.

... and lucky me, i'll have andi by my side!

{photo courtesy of my big (super amazing talented better-photographer-than-you) brother, matt. freaking genius, i tell you.}

primul sertar

in primul sertar gasesti scarba mucegai frunze moi si frunze uscate gandaci morti rugina bateria de la baie picura buruieni borduri prea mari copii prea galagiosi prea multe lucruri prea putine dulapuri vase nespalate haine nespalate haine pe care nu apuc niciodata sa le port dar cumpar mereu altele noi prea multe filme prea multa muzica prea multe carti, cutii de acuarele si acrilice si pasteluri si panze neincepute oameni faini cu care nu mai am ocazia sa vorbesc pentru ca sunt departe "get to know you're parents, you never know when they might be gone forever" - haven't ticked this one either....
nopti pline de miros frumos pe care nu stiu cum sa le pastrez, atatea ganduri pe care nu stiu sa le pun in cuvinte, parul de pe picioare, my bright future, masele cariate, ambalaje vechi de ciocolata, frustrari, vinovatie, celulita...

inchizi sertatul si citesti eticheta - 5 cm de scoci de hartie scris cu markerul permanent : " Lucruri care ma apasa, ma depasesc, in legatura cu care as putea sa fac ceva dar n-am chef, nu stiu, nu pot, nu vreau..."

Opera Atelier: The Coronation Of Poppea

Additional photos from Opera Atelier's production of Claudio Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea playing at The Elgin Theatre.

Soprano Peggy Kriha Dye is terrific as the sensual, scheming Poppea. Previously she was nominated for a Dora Award for her role in Opera Atelier's Idomeneo.

Bass Baritone Olivier Laquerre plays Ottone, in love with Poppea but driven to attempt her murder by the jealous Empress Ottavia.

The interplay between Michael Maniaci's Nero and Poppea is laced with hot sensual moments, but also dark shadings and foreboding. Based on the true infamous story of the Roman courtesan, Nero in fact ended up brutually murdering Poppea just four years after her ascencion to the highest position of Empress depicted in this opera.

Lighting Designer Kevin Fraser bathes the entire production in heavily gelled lighting that mimics a Renaissance painting. It's almost as if the opera is being performed by candle light. While beautiful to the eye, photographically this is a bit of a torture test for the camera's white balance as even a custom white balance reading off white or grey elements of the set fails to completely compensate for the heavy warming effect. It's always a bit of an adventure shooting Opera Atelier.

One of the reasons I often recomend Opera Atelier to visitors interested in attending opera for the first time is the variety of arts disciplines in each production. In addition to the operatic performance, you have the always excellent Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra providing the orchestral and choral element, and productions are enhanced by the artists of the Atelier Ballet lending a choreographic interpretation to the piece.

The Coronation Of Poppea plays at The Elgin Theatre April 25, 26, 28, 29, May 1 & 2.

Photographed with the Olympus E30 with Digital Zuiko 50-200mm 2.8 lens

All rights reserved. No reproduction of text or photos is allowed by law without prior written permission. Copyright Torontowide.com 2009

new favorite shop.

apt. 202.

ninth and ninth district.

quite possibly the sweetest street corner in all the state.

it's a perfect mix of pretty and posh. and fancy and fun.

{robin: consider this "research" for you next visit. i promise, i am in NO WAY having fun when i visit these places. purely research.

... but we MUST go to children's hour next door. MUST.}

photowalk v 2.0

wednesday at wheeler farm. it was a bust. too bright outside. too many small children to dodge.

but, these are a few of my favorite things.

mmm... especially loving frank. loved that one. LOVED it.

Toronto Alternative Arts And Fashion Week

In addition to Toronto's two regular Fashion Weeks, Winter collections in March and Spring Collections in October, once a year we also have Alternative Fashion Week which takes a slightly more eclectic look at fashion, design, art, photography, and live performance.

Alternative Fashion Week acts as a showcase for younger, less established designers, but also casts a wider net delving into elements of design, art, and performance. There are even live bands in between shows.

Taking place at the Distillery District for the rest of this week, it's sort of a half sized version of the regular Fashion Week. Half the crowd (a good thing), half the space (less of a good thing), half the lighting (definitely not a good thing) and the shows are about half the length of it's bigger sister.

One thing that never changes with fashion ... every show is at least half an hour late in starting.
Alternative Fashion Week compensates for the smaller individual collections by grouping three and four designers into each show segment, and often there are performers interspersed with the fashion element. Here an aerialist performs between designers.

All this is not to denigrate the event. The clothes are fresh and often experimental, the atmosphere within the cozy confines of the Fermenting Cellar harkens back to past versions of Toronto Fashion Week when it was held at the Liberty Grand, and there is a nice relaxed energy to the evening. I found myself enjoying shooting this event.

One thing I noticed was that the models better represented the city I live in with different ethnicities and skin colours represented, even a few plus-sized models seamlessly blended walking the runway with the waifs in the shows I saw on Wed.

Toronto Alternative Arts And Fashion Week continues at The Fermenting Cellar, Distillery District tonight and tomorrow evening starting at 6:00 PM each day. Showcasing 200 innovative designers, visual artists, musicians and performers from across Canada, admission is just $20 for the night. There is a lounge area and cash bar to relax in between shows.

All photos above were taken with the Olympus E30 at ISO's from 1600 to 400, with Digital Zuiko 50-200mm lens, single focus AF, IS off, noise filter to low.

Comparing these directly to the photos I shot at LG Fashion Week just a month ago on the E3, it's obvious that the E30 had much better ability to hold highlights, and the files are much, much less prone to banding in post.

All photos and text copyright Torontowide.com. No reproduction in any medium allowed without prior written permission.

All rights reserved.

you know you belong in the city, when...

you're out to lunch with co-workers and you recognize an 801-266-... number on your phone and you proclaim, "nordstrom's calling... i've gotta take this..."

who KNOWS the phone number to their local nordstrom?

i do.



and how about when you walk up to the dior counter and the girl says, "hi aubry..."

oy.

who what where when why wednesday.

q:

what household chore do you absolutely dread the most?

d-r-e-a-d...

a:

putting away the laundry.

i mean, why did the home builder HAVE to build me a window seat? it whispers, "here, pretty laundry, right here... take a rest. you've just been soaked and tumbled. it's been a long day. just sit here for a while and hang out."

i'm ashamed of myself for two reasons.

1. i just proclaimed my practically-perfect-in-every-way-hood to robin on her blog about the creeps, all the while, i have one hundred pounds of laundry haunting me every time i enter my bedroom.

heck, i proclaim my practically-perfect-in-every-way-hood to everyone by virtue of this blog.

shameful.

2. my mom gave me the genes to be the best laundry folder EVER {*cough* mexican heritage *cough*}. i earned my laundry folding merit badge by age 6. something's gotta be said about not using your talents.

boy, can i fold a load of laundry.

i feel this talent slipping through my fingers....

in this mix, i found 6 pairs of jeans, 5 concert tees and 16... count them... SIXTEEN cardigans... amongst other things.

and how is all of THAT supposed to fit in THIS: ??

i, once again, encounter the closet issue. seriously - this was my closet BEFORE the laundry was put away.

cardigan-itis. it's a compulsive disorder. no cure, as of yet. i'm hopeless.

a sweet treat.

it's pretty much all i ever wanted...

a spring saturday with weather perfect enough for flip flops... which, in turn, is perfect enough for a pedicure at nailed! and lunch at tulie to follow.

the first time i visited, i endulged in the world's biggest, creamiest lemon bar. really, really... out of this world. but that left a whole display case of desserts for me to try next time... and the time after that...

this time, i didn't limit myself just to desserts. tulie has a wee small menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches. you know me... blend it up in a soup, send it straight into my veins and i'm guaranteed to love it.

the BEST tomato soup. the BEST grilled cheese panini {with fancy-pants guyere cheese. mmmm...}

and for dessert? a fresh berry tart {and} coconut cream tart.

...delish!

this sweet boy.

is two years old today!

happy birthday, sean man!

(he used to be sean baby, but with the addition of another digit n' all... he's a man now.)



he's sweet and loveable.



and when i ask him if he misses me, he responds with "oh, freak yeah!"

RCPM.

as if one night of wild and crazy, late night concert going wasn't enough... i pulled double duty and hit up another show on wednesday night.

... and you couldn't get more other-end-of-the-spectrum than britney spears and roger clyne and the peacemakers.

RCPM - miss jen's all time local fav. the band she's been raving about for as long as i've known her. they originally booked their show for april 14. *gasp* the same night as brit's show. we'd like to think they bumped their show back a night all because of jen... but who knows.

regardless... the show was FANTASTIC.

anyone else completely irritated by the RIDICULOUSLY LARGE HUMAN BEING in this picture? try standing behind him. ugh.

this pretty well sums it up. mexico and beer. and a totally good time.

good in theory

it's a mad mad world...

si fiecare crede ca e singurul care tre sa treaca prin asta...e aiurea...cateodata misepare ca suntem toti niste sobolani cu ochelari de cal si vedem numai problemele mici si imputite care ne intzeapa in everydaylife numa ca noua ni se par imense si inexorabile. de fapt nu e asaaaaaa...

who what where when why wednesday

in honor of last night's show, i'm sticking with the britney theme.

q:

what is your favorite britney spears song?

a:

all time fav, through and through: baby, one more time.

sassiest lyrics: piece of me.

sentimental moments: i'm not a girl, not yet a woman. or is it lucky? geesh, this is hard.

to dance like a wild maniac to: womanizer.

you're lying to me if you tell me you don't have a favorite. she's britney spears... everyone loves a catchy tune...

you think i'm crazy?

i'm pretty sure the pictures speak for themselves. but i'm still in awe.

i saw BRITNEY SPEARS*. with my OWN EYES. amazing, right? and to think - all that time i was seeking amy... she was right there! right in front of my eyes...

*those who question my taste in entertainment, i refer you to this manifesto.

yep. still in awe. it was a circus. a real circus. hundreds of performers. ringling bros-esque magic tricks. cirque du soliel-esque gymnasts. and dancers like you've never seen before.

.... i got your crazy.

More amazing back pieces

What happened to this angel's feet? Don't they look just like stumps? Also why is one angel stomping the other one's head? I think I see some horns on the bottom angel there, so maybe it's Lucifer being shown what's up.
Let me show you a wonderful trio of ridiculous back tattoos:


Now I know that this photo was taken mid-scabby-stage so I won't be *too* harsh about the quality of the tattooing here, because it's really hard to tell. HOWEVER, it's impossible to tell what's going on! I do see some flaming dice, and a '3', but what are the weird globby things on each shoulder? They look like rotting lettuce.


Okay, now this one just confuses me. I am under the assumption that it's not finished. The triangle thing on the left is one of the worst tattoos I've seen, but seems like a pretty explainable bad tattoo to get. The Japanese guy on the right is not actually that bad, and obviously isn't done yet. What REALLY baffles me though, is what is on the bottom. It looks like a scratched on sunbathing girl at the beach! IT CAN'T BE SO! sdlkfjslfjs! Amazing.