Browsing Tag

Oscars

Sharing Secrets With Jessi Cruickshank

Jessi Cruickshank and Sarah Prince - Biore Canada

I don’t have many beauty secrets, but I will let you virtually eavesdrop on conversations with TV personality Jessi Cruickshank at Bioré’s event. Jessi and Dan were to MTV what Regis and Kelly were to ABC, so when I was invited to hear Jessi reveal how she becomes camera ready I was psyched.

The theme and hashtag of the evening was #TheCharcoalSecret because charcoal is a key ingredient in Bioré’s new products. The event was just a few days after her infamous Rob Ford interview in LA and Jessi gracefully transitioned from talking about politics to Hollywood and skincare.

Jessi hosted her own mini ceremony to reveal her craziest interview experiences:

Best Actor: Tom Cruise

Did you know he has his own mystic tanner? Hopefully they’re not the same person responsible for so many A-list stars with orange skin at the Academy Awards. Regardless, Jessi was overwhelmed by the size of his entourage, which she says includes assistants for his assistants.

Worst Actor: Kristen Stewart

To put it mildly, “she was very unpleasant.” Unfortunately for Jessi, Twilight fans were so aghast by their televised interview that they sent death threats and complaint letters to MTV.

Most High Maintenance: Mariah Carey

Mariah’s publicist insisted on a standing interview so Mariah would look thinner. OK, no big deal. Once on set, Jessi was introduced to Mariah’s personal lighting director and when she arrived, the publicist said, “I’m going to receive Mariah,” speaking about the diva as if she’s royalty. Looking back, Jessi says that now “I feel like we go back to when we were babies with pacifiers.”

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Rob Ford is in Hollywood right now for the Oscars. The closest I got to Hollywood recently was Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida. The weather was warm, but there were no celebrity sightings, unless Disney characters count. I met Stitch, Woody, Buzz Lightyear and the cast of The Incredibles. Time spent waiting in line for a hug from each of them was time well spent. Without character meet and greets, it would be difficult to call Disney World the happiest place on earth.

As I get into Oscars mode, I can’t help but wish I was back at Disney World on the Great Movie Ride, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the Rock n Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. There’s so much more to Disney World than Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom and as a movie buff, Hollywood Studios is one of my favourite theme parks.

Sarah Prince at Hollywood Studios

Can this be my new headshot?

Disney Hollywood Studios Office

Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream displayed old furniture from his office and the desk he used in Grade 2.

Make a reservation at '50s Prime Time Cafe for a fun and classy dining experience, where the wait staff treat you like family.

Make a reservation at ’50s Prime Time Cafe for a fun meal at a retro diner.

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Watch Disney Movies Anywhere

Disney-Movies-Anywhere

Disney’s new cloud movie service inspired me to return to the happiest place on earth. Now that I’m back, I’m excited to watch my favourite animated movies – especially Mary Poppins. Let’s rewind a bit, #ThrowbackThursday style, to explain the correlation between Disney’s app and my trip.

My former colleagues at Blast Radius designed creative to advertise Disney’s new streaming service and as soon as I saw a preview, nostalgia got the best of me. A few weeks later, I went to Orlando to relax and enjoy Disney’s world-class entertainment. Staying at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort only made me more eager to watch Disney movies, so I’m excited to download Disney Movies Anywhere and tackle my to-watch list.

Disney Movies Anywhere is available to PC and Mac users through iTunes and its movie catalogue has over 400 titles. Working at Future Shop tempted me to buy Apple TV and I know that when I eventually splurge on it, Disney movies will look better than when I initially watched them on VHS sans flat-screen TV.

Disney-Movies-Anywhere-Screenshot

The launch of Disney Movies Anywhere was scheduled to coincide with the release of Frozen, which is nominated for best animated feature film at the Oscars. It was fun to see replicas of Disney’s Academy Awards at the Animation Studio and Gallery in Hollywood Studios and I hope they earn more statues this weekend.

It’s a polar vortex out there, so stay in on Sunday night and cheer for Frozen. In the meantime, check out Disney Movies Anywhere. Bonus points if you make Mickey-shaped cookies to snack on instead of popcorn.

4 Reasons I Love Twitter

I’m officially a university graduate now and the day after convocation, the celebration continues: today is my fourth anniversary on Twitter.

That means it’s been four years since I first tweeted “Jewellery is not a toy” after a beaded necklace that I made broke. I still have those grey beads in a ziploc bag. Today, the manager who worked at Toronto’s Bead Cafe is engaged to a family friend. As Twitter reminds us every day, it’s a small world!

To celebrate this exciting occasion, I’ve created a list of 4 reasons I love Twitter:

1. Twitter Contests

Twitter is responsible for helping me win many products and experiences. Contest prizes have included touchscreen gloves from Target Canada, an Aroma gift card, and a Rob Thomas concert DVD. More recently, I won a free hour of bowling from The Ballroom, which I have yet to redeem. The most amazing prize, however, came from MuchMusic, who gave me tickets to see Arcade Fire!

Arcade Fire

Arcade Fire

2. Job Opportunities

To apply for my current marketing role, I submitted links to my social media profiles, not a resume. And like the characters of The Internship, they hired me following an interview on Google+ Hangouts. Social media is a crucial part of the hiring process now and I’m curious to see how the relationship between social media and HR continues evolving. Twitter helps you showcase your industry knowledge and personality, so share your commentary and keep it clean!

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Toddler Drops The King’s Speech Oscar

The trouble with Oscar statues is that they aren’t packaged the same way Mattel and Hot Wheels toys are – there is no explicit age warning.

As seen in the clip, 15-month-old Lara Egan, the daughter of The King’s Speech’s co-producer, Simon Egan, lost her grip of her father’s Oscar at a celebration on Feb 28, the day after the highly anticipated awards ceremony.

“Like everyone else I was celebrating off in one corner of the garden with some friends when I saw my daughter looking very cute with the Oscar having her picture taken,” Simon recalls.

Immediately after the award fell out of her hands, Simon heard it hit the concrete.

Shortly after contacting the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Academy replaced Simon’s damaged Oscar with a brand new one.

“I had no idea that they had an ‘Oscar Hospital’ on standby,” he told the press.

Thanks to the Academy’s quick response however, Simon no longer needs to worry about how a damaged award will look on his mantelpiece.