Toronto’s Fall Home Show 2011 - Better Living Centre – September 22-25, 2011

Discover innovative products, new ideas and great deals at Toronto’s largest Fall Home Show from Thursday, September 22 to Sunday, September 25 at the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, featuring more than 300 renovation and décor specialists offering advice, solutions and inspiration for a wide array of projects for your home.

Runway to Room - Thursday, Sept 22 through Sunday, Sept 25
Using the latest fashion trends to drive and influence home décor, celebrity designers Ramsin Khachi (lounge – Seeing Spots), Glen Peloso (dining room – Mod Men) and Sabrina Linn (bedroom - Swinging Sixties & Seventies), share their creative concepts for fashion-inspired living by designing a room as part of the Runway to Room feature on display during the Fall Home Show from Thursday, September 22 through Sunday, September 25.

Fashion and home decor express a personal style and an individual’s personality, which designers Khachi, Peloso and Linn use as the foundation for their individual rooms. Each designer took their inspiration from a fall fashion trend created by stylist Ji-Yun Timperon and drew upon the colours and patterns of the outfit to add accents and personality to the rooms.

Style At Home Main Stage presented by HGTV - Thursday, Sept 22 to Sunday, Sept 25
From home décor to renovation, local experts and celebrities will offer insight, inspiration and advice on all home improvement needs on the Style at Home Main Stage presented by HGTV during the Fall Home Show from September 22 to September 25.

Celebrity guest speakers include Style at Home Editor in Chief Erin McLaughlin, Style at Home Managing Editor Tamara Robbins Griffith, Style at Home Senior Design Editor Margot Austin, Style at Home Design Editor Jessica Waks, host of HGTV ’s Disaster DIY Bryan Baeumler, Benjamin Moore colour and design experts Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault and Sharon Grech, interior decorator Jackie Morra, home décor expert Vicky Sanderson, financial planning expert Jenn Killins, renovator Michael Upshall, interior decorator and designer Laura Stein, Cocktail Deeva Dee Brun and Runway to Room designers Ramsin Khachi, Glen Peloso and Sabrina Linn.

Guest speakers will discuss renovating and décor tips and designers Khachi, Peloso and Linn will share the design concepts and fashion inspirations behind their Runway to Room feature rooms during a 30 minute moderated panel. Designers will be available in their individual spaces following the panel and Q&A session.

SHOW DATES AND HOURS:
Thursday, September 22 - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, September 23 - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, September 24 - 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, September 25 - 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

ADMISSION:
Adults: $14.00 at the door / $11.00 online
Senior (65+): $12.00 at the door / $9.00 online
Children 13-17: $12.00 at the door / $9.00 online
Children 12 years & Under: FREE

Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place, 151 Princes’ Boulevard. Visit www.fallhomeshow.com for more details, tickets and complete schedule.

images provided by the Fall Home Show

Danforth Sighting

Part of the beauty of this city is the unexpected adventures that present themselves to you if you’re open enough to embrace the opportunity.

Last night, opportunity brought Ashley to The Only for a late night drink, which she ended up sharing with (well, drinking beside) one of her favourite Canadian musicians, Holly McNarland.

Always a sweetheart, Holly politely asked if she could share the sheltered bench and chatted briefly about the weather and the night before giving her attention back to the company she shared.

Holly is currently in the process of recording a new album and often does little gigs in and around the city, keep an eye on her Facebook page if you’re interested. Those pipes – she’s still got ‘em.

image from google images

2011 Fall TV Preview - Episode Seven

ASHLEY'S PICK FOR NEW SHOW
New Girl (Premieres Sept 20 @ 9pm – FOX)
Starring: Zooey Deschenel

Jess Day is an offbeat and adorable girl in her late 20s who, after a bad breakup, moves in with three single guys. Goofy, positive, vulnerable and honest to a fault, Jess has faith in people, even when she shouldn't. Although she's dorky and awkward, she's comfortable in her own skin. More prone to friendships with women, she's not used to hanging with the boys - especially at home. As their relationships progress, they come to realize they need each other more than they ever thought they would and end up forming a charmingly dysfunctional family.

Why I’m watching: Okay, so I have a weakness for quirky or strong female leads. Sue me. Zooey Deschenel has charmed me with her doe-eyed pixie magic in the majority of her film roles (other than The Happening, but let’s forget that piece of garbage ever happened). While the premise of the show seems to exploit the trend of dorky, awkward people being the new cool and I don’t have much faith in its original comedic or general plot lines, I’m curious to see what the crew of weathered producers can do with it.

VERONICA'S PICK FOR RETURNING SHOW
The Walking Dead (Premieres October 16 @ 9pm - AMC)

Looking back on season 1, I realized that I was rather underwhelmed by the direction it took. It didn’t follow the comic all that closely and took a couple of turns that I’m not sure I really liked. Season 2 will continue where we were left last fall with the band of survivors of the zombie apocalypse, led by Rick (Andrew Lincoln), look for a safe place to call home. I’m hoping with the 13 episode order this time around, we can expect bigger things. And hopefully better things. If you’ve never read the graphic novel, I highly recommend that you do. It will fill in a lot of the lingering questions you may have from season 1.

Why I keep watching: I pretty much watch anything that has even the faintest whiff of the reanimated dead. And any time a graphic novel is turned into a movie or show, I’ll watch. I’m a nerd at heart.