I am going to write this blog about something not many of you will want to read about: BOOKS. Yes, I sound like an old boring English professor, but I am willing to take that risk! I knew I had to do something after I started using “lol” in real life...

TV, MySpace, Internet, comics, etc., all serve a purpose, all have their place in today’s world, but PLEASE don’t forget about books! I believe one of the best ways to “get in touch” with your creativity and expand your mind is by reading.

Hi all,
 
Tasha here from Lillix. We are still on our western Canada tour, having arrived in Saskatoon last night! Once we arrived, Lacey and I stayed up watching Max Fleischer's Color Classics cartoons late into the night. It’s a collection of 33 rarely seen cartoons. Some of my favourites are Betty Boop’s Poor Cinderella, Grampy in Christmas Comes But Once a Year, and my ultimate favourite, Somewhere in Dreamland. Made in the 1930s, the animation in these cartoons was very advanced for the time. It’s funny how I get shook up when I watch these movies; they remind me of my childhood and how I will never be able to get it back. I will never be three years old again and it’s kind of sad. The other element that made these cartoons so special was the music. The music touches on every emotion from laughing to crying, and sometimes it can also cause a feeling of disturbance.

-Tasha-Ray

This week I’ve had trouble thinking about what to write. This morning I sat at my computer, opened up my iTunes and set it to “shuffle.” Who should happen to grace my speakers on such a hazy morning? Otis Redding! I thought to myself, Yes! I will write about Otis.

I got into Otis about a year ago, though I have been familiar with his classic “(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay” for years. I can’t believe I waited this long, but I’m glad I found him when I did. Music is meant to be relevant, important, interesting, soulful... Otis’s music possesses ALL of these qualities without sounding calculated or (dare I say) boring. When you listen to his voice, you can HEAR his emotion, like he is crying or laughing instead of singing—such a rare quality, especially nowadays when it seems nearly every radio-friendly singer has lowered the quality of their sound to something I could compare to processed cheese or a Styrofoam cup. Sad. What happened? Oh yeah, AutoTune (an “audio processor” that corrects the pitch in vocal and instrumental performance—thank you Wikipedia!)

Anyway...

Eating Healthy.

In today's world, people think eating healthy is inconvenient. That is only because fast food is so readily available. It's up to the individual to put some effort into it, get off the couch and go to a grocery store. Almost every grocery store has organic produce and products now, so it's available to everyone.

Eating healthy can be fun, too, because you get to invent your own tastes. Be your own little chef. Don't be lazy and buy McDonalds. You know the saying "You are what you eat." Well, it's true. If you want to look like a greasy cheeseburger, then just keep eating them.

What about the other saying "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Yes, it is. Make sure you always have some good tasting multigrain cereal or fruit and yogurt at home, so you never have an excuse not to eat breakfast. If you tend to pig out toward the end of the day, that's because you didn't eat a big enough breakfast or you're just not eating enough period. If you haven't seen the movie Super Size Me, I recommend watching it. You will never look at fast food the same way again. That movie will make you realize how sick the fast food world is. Ultimately, it will motivate you to make some real good lifestyle changes.

Tasha-Ray Evin

So this week I decided it is time to show you all a little taste of what I have been listening to. I know it can be hard to find new music sometimes, especially in your late teens/early twenties when you have NO idea what you like, but here is a little sample of the songs that have made life just a little better. And, as 2006 has showed us, your taste in music pretty much decides if your cool or not. Am I cool? Please say I scored some cool points with this playlist. *sarcasm*
 
 
1. Forever Indebted- Shout out out out out (amazing band from Edmonton I think? Maybe, maybe not. Makes you want to dance your face off)
2. Only Shallow- My Bloody Valentine (just a sample of this beautiful, beautiful record)
3. On Some Far Away Beach- Brian Eno (if you don't know Eno's earlier music, here is your chance to get into it. Its tops)
4. Junior Kickstart- the GO! Team (amazing sample)
5. So Long Marianne - Leonard Cohen (I'm Canadian, of course I have to include Mr. Cohen)
6. The Cure- I'm a Cult Hero (this is a b-side from Seventeen Seconds, the lyrics are GENIUS! and somewhat ironic)
7. The Smiths- William, it was Really Nothing (do I need to say anything? if you don't know the Smiths, get on it!)
8. Heavy Lifting- Ambulance LTD (which leads me to the next group...) 
9. Candy Says - the Velvet Underground (one of the bands that restored my faith in music. is that melodramatic enough? i hope so)
10. Glass Danse- The Faint (not my favorite Faint song but still one of the best ones to get a new fan hooked)
11. Out on the Weekend- Neil Young (obviously)
12. Walkin' After Midnight- Patsy Cline (the voice! the song! yes!)
13. Hold on Hold On- Neko Case (one of my favs from this year)
14. I wanna Be Adored- the Stone Roses (yes, yes, critically acclaimed, blah blah blah)
15. Oh, you Pretty Things- David Bowe (my all time favorite song EVER)
16. Funtime- Iggy Pop (hey baby we like your pants)
17. Gold Soundz - Pavement (not everyone loves pavement, but when you do, its magic)
18. Alone Again Or- LOVE (I also love the Damned's cover, Calexico does a great one too, but this is the original and should be recognized, yo)
19. Tainted Love- Nothern Soul feat. Gloria Jones (no not the Soft Cell or Manson cover. the original! its very nice!)
20. Morrissey- Everyday is Like Sunday (this song captured my mood perfectly one summer.... Nothing beats the feeling you get when a song sings your exact mood or feeling)
21. Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton-  Crowd Surf Off a Cliff (i hate to end on an odd number but I can't make a playlist without an Emily Haines song. this album is perfect.)

-Louise

Hello Readers!

How is everyone doing? Since this will be the last blog by Lillix for Fashion18.com, I would like to say thank you to Fashion18 for asking us to be part of the weekly blogs and also a big thank you to you readers!

So, let me re-cap what have I written about... Ok, The Pressures of the Entertainment Industry, The Beauty of British Columbia.. and then a great big survey about myself? Hopefully that didn't come across too coinceded.
hehe. I'm kinda stumped here, let me think... I should write something profound and thoughtful, somthing the readers can relate to. Well, the holiday season is coming up, how about that!