This morning we awoke to a much-buzzed about royal wedding. Unless you’ve been living under a proverbial rock, you know that today Prince William & Catherine Middleton tied the knot. (Here’s a link to the couple’s official wedding site.)
Like so many others, for me it was about seeing her dress. I liked it, except for the neckline. What did you think?
And while we’re on the subject, what did your wedding dress look like?
(Speaking of tying the knot, don’t miss this fun More.ca exclusive story: Former magazine editor becomes a first-time bride…at 48.)
Happy weekend!
-Helen
Isn’t it fun to flip through a roundup of shoes online? We at More.ca thought it might be, so with the help of writer (Styleathome.com senior web editor and shoe lover) Natalie Bahadur, we pulled together this gallery of sultry summer sandals at a variety of price points.
14 summer sandal ideas
Lo and behold, this was our most-viewed piece of content yesterday with more than 1,000 views per page, linked to in the Haute Flash newsletter (sign up here), where Linda Lewis also chronicled her recent swimsuit splurge.
Have a look at these shoes and let me know what you think!
Photo courtesy of Rockport.
-Helen
Today I’m taking a break from sharing my usual thoughts (such as my profound look into the unsexiness of trouser socks) to point out some of the content our wonderful web producer Grace M.T. has put up on More.ca. Here goes:
What you need to know about makeup for a changing face
And its companion slideshow: 5 makeup products you need for a changing face
Health bloggers you’ll love
Former wedding magazine editor becomes a first-time bride at 48
And if you haven’t already, come “Like” our Facebook page (we’re exponentially growing…we’ve added about 400 new followers in the last month) and follow us on Twitter @more_ca.
Last but not least, come leave a comment! Good, bad, indifferent…we always want to hear what you have to say.
-Helen
At lunchtime I ran a few errands, and decided that I should buy a couple pairs of sheer trouser socks, aka knee-highs, to tide me over until I can go barefoot in flats (and whenever is that going to happen? I don’t know about where you are, but we’re freezing here in my parts). I bought a patterned brown pair and a plain black pair.
Whenever I buy trouser socks I feel granny-ish, even though they are so practical. Do you wear them? Do they make you feel frumpy or do you not care because they are functional? Can they ever be sexy?
I saw a photo of a model-type wearing a pair with open sandals and a skirt at Coachella, an outdoor music festival. She was so attractive, but I thought the visible knee-highs were hideous. So my estimation is no, they can never be sexy. Correct me if you think otherwise.
-Helen
One of the upsides of my recent review of the Kobo is that I’m reading a pile of Edith Wharton novels (ok, they’re not actually in a pile as they’re on an e-reader, but you get the drift). First it was House of Mirth, then Age of Innocence and now Summer.
I’ve been intending to read her works since approximately 1993, when the movie The Age of Innocence came out. Remember that one? With Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder? I am such a sucker for a costume drama.
I suppose I am enjoying these novels or else I would have put them away, but I’m also finding them stifling and depressing. All the oppression and repression of the Gilded Age — I’m so glad I am alive now and not then. Sure, you may have had silk dresses from Paris and a country estate (if you were wealthy), but are those things any good when you can’t speak your mind, do what you choose or marry outside of your social circle or even vote?
I’ll take my modern life as a Canadian woman with its impatience, lack of work-life balance, digital encroachment, and impending global doom any day. Edith Wharton is making me realize I’m happy to me be, right now.
So why am I drawn to both costume dramas and classic novels? (And why are you? Because I’m not the only watching these movies and reading these books?)
-Helen
I got the idea that a netbook could be useful when my cousin came back from an extended trip to China. Instead of bringing a clunky laptop, she brought a tiny sleek Asus netbook. What is a netbook? It’s a small laptop that lets you surf the web (thus the name), store photos, and probably do almost everything you do at home on your computer. I tried an Asus EeePC 1015PEM.
The good: It’s small! What a delight to take a device about the size of my kid’s portable DVD player (but with a full keyboard) on a family vacation. If I had my MacBook, I would have been sorely tempted to work. But the PC platform threw me just off-kilter enough to not be tempted by the siren call of checking work e-mail or using Facebook, yet was familiar enough that I felt comfortable Googling the best Thai resto in the area. It holds many, many photos as well. My dear cousin stored upward of 3,000 digital pics on hers. The charge held for about 8 hours in my case, compared to the paltry two that I get with my laptop.
The bad: I’m a touch typist, and I couldn’t get used to the smaller keyboard. Many times I thought I was hitting the Shift key, but I was pressing Page Up, which would either jerk me up to the top of the page or obliterate what I’d just typed. The Asus also wasn’t weighted quite right, it was heavy in the rear, causing it to tip back when I had it perched a certain way. If you are a PC user, you’ll probably love this little device for vacations, for the kids or teens, or for yourself. If you’re a Mac user, I’m not so sure.
And that concludes my review of the iPad (read that one here), the Kobo (this way) and the Asus netbook. Now it’s time to tell me what you think!
-Helen
The next device in my three-post-long series is the Kobo eReader. My coworker actually sat down next to me to tell me for 10 minutes how much she loved hers and how I should try it. Seeing as we web-editor types are usually head-down plucking away at our keyboards, that in itself speaks to how much she loves this e-reader. She also said that between the Kobo and her partner, she would probably have to pick the Kobo if it ever came to that. So I tried it.
The good: The Kobo is a small, thin handheld gizmo that doesn’t do much except display e-books using a technology called e-ink. While that doesn’t sound particularly impressive, e-ink is rich and dark, nothing like the pixellated screen of a laptop, or of the iPad for that matter. It comes with 100 pre-loaded (read: free) classics that are in the public domain, so if you want to catch up on some Joyce or Austen, you’ll find plenty to keep you occupied. I downloaded some (free) Edith Wharton I have always intended to read but never have. When I’m finished, I ‘m thinking of trying a new release from Chapters who has the Kobo for on sale for Mother’s Day, I just noticed. This e-reader is a pleasure to read on, and is great for long flights and even the beach, because the e-ink can still be read in bright daylight (unlike the iPad).
The bad: Trying to type anything on the Kobo is arduous (and necessary if you want to buy books using its wifi-enabled “shop” feature). You don’t actually type, but toggle and choose between letters using the buttons. It takes about five times as long as it should and makes you want to knock your head against the wall. Luckily you have the option of plugging into your computer and downloading it that way — much faster. Then there’s the cost of e-books, which is another contentious matter altogether. Prices for new releases seem to hover anywhere from $9 to $19, which depending on how you look at it, is either a bargain or not worth it. It’s also in black-and-white, so this isn’t a reader to enjoy lush photography or illustrated books on, by any means.
Would I buy it? Maybe, if I read and travelled more. It’s inexpensive (less than $150) but I don’t know if I’d use it enough to merit yet another screen and worse, yet another cord in my life.
See what I had to say about the iPad, here.
-Helen
As per my last post, I promised I’d give you a take on three devices, the iPad, the Kobo and an Asus netbook. Today I’m going to tackle that darling of gizmo-lovers across the world, the iPad.
The good: This is a perfect device if you want to combine a little web surfing and a lot of entertainment. I thought I’d use it for checking email (as I still haven’t gone over to the smartphone darkside…I’m terrified of what a Blackberry will do to my sleep patterns) but instead, I have discovered that I am obsessed with games. For free, I downloaded the apps Word Solitaire, Word Genius and Angry Birds. It’s the best thing that’s happened to my commute, as the 40 minutes on public transportation fly by instead of being grindingly painful.
The bad: It’s heavy. The iPad 2 is supposed to be considerably lighter, but this is not really a device you can hold up for long periods of time, making it less than ideal for reading e-books. The screen gets dirty and smudgy like nobody’s business, which isn’t surprising given that is a touch screen. And it’s hard to type without a keyboard, period.
Would I buy it? Yes. I did buy the iPad 2, but it hasn’t arrived yet. I’m into my second week of the iPad loan, and while I enjoy it, I’m worried now that I purchased one in haste. After having this loaner virtually glued to my hand the first week I had it, I’m finding now that I’m not picking it up quite as much. Will this device have the lasting power of a laptop in my home? Time will tell.
Check in for my next two posts on the e-reader and the netbook.
Update: Read my review of the Kobo, here. Or if a netbook’s more your speed, check out this Asus review.
More reading: Makeup for a changing face and 5 products you need for a changing face. Don’t miss our Weleda beauty package contest.
-Helen
We had a spirited debate on the More.ca Facebook page recently about e-readers (including the iPad) versus books. Reactions were decidedly split into three camps. Camp #1: “I would never buy or use one.” Camp #2: “I am a convert.” Camp #3: “My spouse has one and likes to rub it in.”
So I arranged to borrow three devices: an iPad, a Kobo e-reader, and because I like to have a keypad, which neither the iPad nor Kobo has, an Asus netbook.
Over the course of my next three of my blog posts, I’m going to give you my opinion on each one, not as a web editor, but as a harried layperson who splits her limited free time between reading books and surfing the web. Interested? Stay tuned.
-Helen
Update: My review of the iPad is up, here.
Before Jenn Gruden went on mat leave, we had a short discussion about getting Botox treatments. As I recall, she wasn’t keen on it — no kidding, she was pregnant — but I think in general she is wary of it. (Jenn, if you’re reading this, feel free to correct me.)
Me, I’m on the fence. Actually that’s not entirely true. I want it. I just don’t want to drag myself down to yet another doctor’s office when I’m already putting off seeing my GP for a checkup. And there’s no way you’ll find me at a Botox party after reading Vanessa Craft’s “The truth about Botox.” Check out the comments in this article, too.
I’d like to hear from you, particularly if you have any sentiments about Botox that go beyond “I love it” or conversely, “I wouldn’t want to inject a toxin in my body.”
-Helen
