We did all the typical stagette stuff - scavenger hunt, hootin' and hollerin', hot-tubbing, taking pics, drinking & dancing at Buffalo Bill's. Props to Michelle's cousin Kim for getting it organized. This beat my sister-in-law's Boone County shindig by miles (literally!) (no offence to my sister-in-law of course).

• Hot is, H&M, "thrashy novels," long & skinny clothing, and filigreed details on everything from jewelry to prints
• Not is, overtly ornate interior decorating, faux ponytails, white plastic patio furniture, and mixing patterns.

What kind of Hot or Not list is that?!?!?! First of all, it doesn't go into any detail whatsoever and does not give the reader any reason why something is 'hot' or 'not' or just completely fails at reason. Of course faux ponytails are not cool. I think that goes without saying. Whoever wrote this garbage is catering to suburbanites who think Robson St. is "exotic", and must have been pressed for deadline because they clearly did not do any research whatsoever:

• H&M is not British. It's Swedish. Or Scandinavian or something. Just because the stores are all over England doesn't mean it's a British brand. Hello, McDonald's?
• Other than The Devil Wears Prada, can we get some ideas on other chick lit novels to read? I'm over Marian Keyes and Sophie Kinsella.
• Long and skinny clothing. How about some pictures, not suggestions to shop at Aritzia.
• I'll give them 'filigreed details'. They probably picked that up somewhere else. Good call, though.
• Overtly garish interior decorating means 2 things: no taste, or too much. Plugging a satirical book doesn't count.
• Faux ponytails. See above comments.
• White plastic outdoor furniture - hey, not everyone can afford wicker.
• Mixing patterns? Come on.

I think I'll stick to regular magazines for style inspiration rather than count on a hack job on a website. Pleh.

1. I'm rooting for Portugal.
2. I have a 'new' favourite player, Maniche! who has upstaged Ruud van Nistelrooij of The Netherlands in my mind with an even better name that Gary Bloom (World Cup's main English announcer) proclaims every couple minutes or so. Netherlands still beats Portugal with the orange jerseys, though.
3. Soccer celebrities inhabit, on the world stage, rockstar status to the effect that they can become known by single name only... and it doesn't even have to be their own name. Maniche!, for example, it's not even his real name! It's Nuno Ribeiro or something; he got the Maniche! from some other soccer superstar named Manniche who apparently he plays like. Also, he's called "The Beaver" according to Wikipedia. Lord knows why... hehe. Likewise, his teammate Deco also shares the same one-name persona that isn't his name. I mean Cher and Madonna - those are their real names. Wow. The balls. The cajones. The nerve.
4. There are some hawt soccer players out there. Henry, van Persie, Cristiano Ronaldo... Owen Hargreaves (Canadian contingent) is not hard on the eyes either.
5. Among the hawt soccer players and all their teammates... a whole lotta man love going on. I'm just saying!
6. I agree with the Neil Morrison of 99.3 The Fox (Rocks!)... everyone hates Italy except the Italians. I can personally attest to this: one day last week after Portugal won against the Netherlands, all the Vancouver Portuguese were outside the PCOV on Commercial celebrating; Simon and I took off towards downtown or something and happened to roll up next to some Portuguese revellers who were hanging outside their trucks while on the road, and Simon yelled "Go Deutscheland!" or something to that effect, and the driver of the other car smiled and said, "So long as it's not Italy!"
7. Lots of these players have the flowing long hair (see Maniche!) And they keep it out of their faces with headbands. So macho. Although in the case of the Argeninians, they use it as a defensive ploy: flowing hair acts as a whiplash against the opposing player, especially when running after a ball.
8. This Portugal affinity may be tested if they play Germany in the finals... but you'll hear me yelling "Maniche!" every time after Gary Bloom does...