I HEART New York, I HEART NYE

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If there's one thing the Twenty York Street crew knows is that it knows a great party when it sees one! Brace yourself Canada for when the clock strikes midnight on the eve of the 31st, no one's turning into a pumpkin! No one's going to need a fairy Godmother but do feel free to polish your glass slippers as you are going to hit the hottest dance floor in the nation's capital!

You may not be able to see the world famous New Year's Ball drop in Time Square but Ottawa has the next big thing, if not even better! What's the best way to celebrate 2011 and welcome the New Year?

Celebrate the New Year in Ottawa, New York City style. This year, STARFISH creative events + inspiration is thrilled to invite you to it’s annual New Year’s Eve party set at the fabulous Ottawa Marriott Hotel. Twenty York Street is also very excited to announce that we are giving away a pair of the HOTTEST NYE Tickets in town to one very, very lucky @20YS follower!

What's in store for you and your guest this New Year’s Eve?

Winner to be announced: December 30th.

Party for a cause at the 4th Anual STARFISH Events – New Year’s Eve Party in support of MusiCounts!

When:    Saturday, December 31, 2011
                Doors open at 8pm
Where:   Marriott Hotel | 100 Kent Street, Ottawa
The HOTTEST details: A multi-level party space with 2 floors, appetizer stations, party favours, champagne and cake at midnight and lots of surprises!

To WIN a pair of this highly coveted tickets, you must be:

* Be a Friend of Twenty York Street:

    - Follow this blog via www.twentyyork.com

    - LOVE us in Facebook: Twenty York Street

    - Follow us in Twitter: @20YS

Leave a comment here with your e-mail address and make sure you post in Facebook and tweet about Starfish+NYE Party! Sharing is oh so sexy!

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But if you can't wait for lady luck, get your tickets now, they are selling faster than you can pop that champagne! Tickets are only $65, which gives you the chance to party with the city's most fun-loving people and  One of the highlights of the night is the auction  of 12 Prizes for 2012, including a fabulous weekend getaway for 2 to New York City and tickets to the Juno Awards in Ottawa this March 2012!  100% of auction proceeds support MusiCounts (www.musicounts.ca) – the official charity of the Juno Awards.

We HEART New York and We HEART NYE.

Do you?

www.NYEOttawa.com

A Whole New Year of THANN

Sometime not too long ago, I met something/somebody that has changed my entire year, if not my entire life, forever. It was perhaps one of those serendipitous moments that you never see coming... it's something so magical, so breath taking... I never thought something like this would ever happen to me.

But that one moment changed me.

And I'm about to share that beautiful thing with you too.

When I first walked in to the THANN Flagship Store in the Glebe (in Ottawa, Canada) last summer, I came thinking I'd come to learn more about this highly talked about skincare line from Thailand, perhaps, even write about it if the line was compelling enough.

It wasn't compelling. It was life-changing. The very second I put it on my skin, my life was complete!

Made with only the finest ingredients nature can ever make, the THANN Shiso Body Butter boasts of one key ingredient that has been lauded as one of the most innovative miracle worker in the skincare industry. Yes, it is Paraben-Free Body and made with Cocoa butter, Licorice and Nano Shiso  extracts, which nourishes and protects dry and sensitive skin from harmful pollutants. Yes, it is an antioxidant, a moisturizer and anti-histamine all in one.

But much more than that, the THANN Shiso Body Butter is also an experience in and of itself. There has never been a time when I slather on the THANN Body Butter that I don't stop and just thoroughly enjoy the moment. Smoothing it on my body becomes such a pampering experience that is all about me - no matter if it only take a few seconds - this top of the line body butter just takes me away to the stunning yet peaceful land of the Orient and in those precious seconds, it is all about me.

That luxurious feel of the rich cream deeply and quickly penetrates the skin. It nourishes and restores elasticity, it helps heal inflammation and most of all, it smells so heavenly that I swear to God, I just can't stop smelling my skin.

You know what else I can't stop doing?

I can't stop asking other people to touch and smell my skin too! Ask anyone who's been around me lately, they have been asked to the mandatory touching and smelling 20YS! And I just can't stop talking - no RAVING - about it!

Believe me, I have not been the only one. THANN has had an incredible 2011 - it has been all over media and social media, especially this year as it has thousands of followers in Facebook, has trended in Twitter and has been featured in Television,  Radio, Newspapers, Top Beauty and Fashion Magazines here in Canada and all over the world! It has recently been featured in FAVE Magazine (see the FAVE Feature story and interview below), where 3 THANN top products were chosen as 'FAVE' picks!

THANN Feature in the Fall/Winter of FAVE MAGAZINE.

FAVE Magazine interview with Mr. Fadi Ghaby, Owner/President of THANN North America.

So, in the very giving spirit of Christmas, Mr. Fadi Ghaby of THANN Skincare (Stay tuned for Twenty York Street's up close and personal interview with Mr. Fadi Ghaby soon!) has partnered with Twenty York Street and has generously agreed to gift one lucky 20YS Follower a...

Are you ready for this?

A one-year supply of THANN Shiso Body Butter!

Yeah, you heard me:

ONE ENTIRE YEAR OF THANN SHISO BODY BUTTER!!!

Approximately $600 retail value.

How to win?

For a very Merry Christmas, check off the following and you'll be entered for this once in a lifetime chance to win a One-year supply of THANN Shiso Body Butter:

* Be a Friend of Twenty York Street:

      - Follow this blog via www.twentyyork.com

      - LOVE us in Facebook: Twenty York Street

      - Follow us in Twitter: @20YS

* Be a Fan/Friend of THANN Skincare:

      - Follow the THANN Blog via www.thannskincare.blogspot.com

      - LOVE LOVE THANN Skincare in Facebook

      - Follow THANN in Twitter: @thannskincare

Leave a comment below for 1 entry. 5 more entries for posting the THANN + Twenty York Street button on your site and 10 more entries for blogging about it! Trust me, Christmas gift for you or your loved one just can't get any better THANN this!

Sharing is sexy! Please don't forget to tweet it, post it, share it!

Give-away open to residents of Canada and the United States.

Ends Boxing Day: December 26, 2011.

That Marvelous Thing Called Motivation

 

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Special guest post by Laura L. Benn

www.acquiredtaste.org

Pursuing a creative path in life, be it in the name of fashion, writing, music, performance or art, is never easy. We're told as we grow up that it will be difficult, impossible even. Often it is gently suggested that perhaps we should consider a more conservative career, that passion should take a back seat to practicality and that dreams can only come true in the mind of an optimistic child who doesn't have bills to pay.

  Pursuing a creative path in life, be it in the name of fashion, writing, music, performance or art, is never easy. We're told as we grow up that it will be difficult. Often, it is gently suggested that perhaps we should consider a more conservative career, that passion should take a back seat to practicality and that dreams can only come true in the mind of an optimistic child who doesn't have bills to pay.

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Yet we stubbornly refuse to give up on the idea of possibility and continue to juggle ways of keeping our creativity very much alive. Anyone trying to 'make it' in a creative field knows first hand that it is like nothing we could have ever imagined and that yes, indeed, there is inevitable heartache, frustration and self-doubt along the way. Hard as we try to keep the faith strong and the motivation alive at all times, alas, there are those days when the clouds are just a little grey...

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So here are a few suggestions for maintaining that marvelous thing called motivation:

1)    Create something every day. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, merely something shaped by you. Take a photo, scribble in a notebook or play a tune – it doesn't have to be directly related to your genre of interest either, it just needs to be something that allows you to express and thus connect with your inner self.

2)    Surround yourself with great people, both past and present. This one doesn't need explaining but it is often the one thing that we tend to neglect. Invest as much time into your friendships and relationships as you do into your pursuit of a creative career, because at the end of the day, it is the people around you who makes life the wonderful adventure that it is. Also, people are intriguing characters in and of themselves and often times the unwitting providers of incredible inspiration. So read the biographies of others, drink in their stories, have ridiculous crazy fun with loved ones and celebrate togetherness.

 

3)    Give back. It's important to maintain perspective, especially if you find yourself drowning in rejection letters or unsuccessful auditions. Giving back is a meaningful way to get out of our own heads for a time and realize that there are more important things happening around us then what occurs in our tiny lives.  You discover new things about yourself when helping another person/cause and volunteering is a powerful way to realize that you do indeed have the power to evoke change. 

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These aren't absolute rules that must be followed when forging a creative career but they certainly have proven helpful at times. There is no secret recipe for success of any nature, no guarantee that we'll 'make it,' and everybody will have their own ideas for rekindling passion and motivation as they make their way in the world. All we can really do is try, persevere and believe that with enough passion and dedication, dreams really can come true. 

What are your dreams?

How do you stay motivated?

 

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Editor's Note: Twenty York Street is very honoured to have the brilliant Laura L. Benn, published Editor/Writer of Acquired Taste and Founder of PAWSH Magazine.

What is Acquired Taste?

[ACQUIRED TASTE - n. An appreciation for something that is unlikely to be enjoyed by a person who has not had substantial exposure to it.]

A simple blog based in Ottawa that celebrates the little things in life with big style. Written by Laura L. Benn. Acquired Taste was created in early 2010 as a showcase of various creative musings that stem from a literary and design background. It's purpose is to slow things down a frame or two for just a moment each day, long enough to observe and appreciate something that may otherwise never be seen and often features Laura's photography and snippets from her many creative projects.