Vitamin Daily

Summer hols have been and gone but we think you can do better than a measly screensaver of that week in Paris

Immortalize the Eiffel Tower (or Lake Memphremagog) with a giant wall canvas. Upload your favourite vacation snap at digitaltocanvas.ca and they’ll print it on poly-cotton canvas up to 24 by 36 inches (from $59). We love that you can choose a single or three-panel design and the fade-proof pigment-based inks make it look like original art. It even comes with ready to mount hanging wire.

Shipments arrive in two to three weeks, just in time to start planning Christmas in Curaçao.

www.digitaltocanvas.ca

Bombarded by pics of post-rehab Lohan we occasionally forget that life extends beyond the borders of Tinseltown.

Get a powerful dose of reality at the World Press Photo exhibit presenting the best photojournalism of the past year. See 2009 winner Pietro Masturzo’s image of discontented Iranian voters on an evening rooftop, casualties of drug wars in Colombia, and George W. Bush’s last days in office.  While many are haunting, there are lighter moments like the extreme skateboarder flying over a 27-meter mega ramp and the determined face of a 99-year-old table-tennis player in full swing.

Will Lindsay’s pout make the cut next year? Only time will tell.

World Press Photo 10, until October 3, Just for Laughs Museum, 2111 St-Laurent Blvd., Montreal, 514-845-4000, www.worldpressphoto.org

Babies are the very definition of cute but must that mean uniforms of duck-print onesies?

For the enfants terrible in our life we’re gifting affordably cool duds by Montreal clothiers MiniMe.  Its new all-cotton Sookie Baby line features screen-printed skull with rattle bone bibs ($5.99), flying guitar booties ($5.99), hot pink drum kit hats ($5.99) and, if you really must, black duck onesies ($9.99) that scream fashion-forward baby.

Cootchie coo.

At www.minime-baby.com

Just in time for back-to-school, we've compiled a list of our favourite words and catchphrases—this round is sure to make Oxford's next edition.

Eat Pray Loved (v.): The act of leaving one's spouse to embark on an Oprah-approved journey of self-enlightment (may include an independence party, book club and ashram)
Usage: Did you hear about Sally and Paul? She eat, pray, loved him!

Tweethearts (n.): Couples who are infatuated with each other over Twitter but whose relationship would never exist in real life.
Usage: I hope my boyfriend doesn’t mind that I’m spending all weekend flirting with my tweetheart.

The jardigan (n.): When a jacket and cardigan meet—surely more staying power than jeggings?
Usage: If his jardigan weren’t cashmere I wouldn’t have taken it. But I just can’t resist good Scottish cashmere.

Bagacitis (n.): A reoccurring inflammation of the shoulder and upper arm area as a result of carrying a heavy handbag.
Usage: Just the thought of the It Bag being back in style has made my bagacitis flare up.

For more Vitamin Daily coinage, click here.

Sure she’s daddy’s little girl, but it’s your closet that Little Miss Dress Up raids come playtime.

Spare the Loeffler Randall sandals, but spoil her inner Rachel Zoe, with Dace Paper Dolls. A collaboration with Philadelphia fashion illustrator Dallas Shaw, the doll and the fall 2010 Dace fashions to dress it with are a free download. The first look featuring a knit dress, ankle booties and a billowy jacket is now online, and more will follow in the next couple of months.

Suddenly saying “cut that out” sounds so obliging.

www.dace.ca

For a bit of fall fun, take yourself on a long weekend to Manhattan, the city that never sleeps.

do
Whether it’s your first trip or your fifth, launch your big apple adventure with a stop at the sleek NYC Information Centre. Use interactive touch-screen maps to get local celeb recommendations or create itineraries that can be emailed to your phone. 810 Seventh Ave., New York City, www.nycgo.com

shop
We squealed with delight upon discovering vintage-inspired dresses (from $178) at James Coviello. This girlie boutique on the LES carries soft floral numbers that hint at a time when swingy skirts and hourglass figures were the very definition of subtle sex bomb. 70 Orchard St., New York City, 212-695-0842, www.jamescoviello.com

sleep
The four-poster beds are divine but you won’t want to sleep at the new Gansevoort Park Avenue. More midtown chic than its Meatpacking sister, it has six bars, a heated roof top pool and spacious rooms with step-out balconies. Order cocktails and nibbles from your assigned iPod GPS and staff will track you down on any floor. And for trips around town, dial up the hotel’s chauffeur-driven Porsche Panamera. How 21st century. Rooms from $325, 420 Park Avenue S., New York City, 877-830-9889, www.gansevoortpark.com

eat
We love Sachiko’s On Clinton for traditional Kushiage made from crisp, panko-breaded beef, chicken or veggies served on skewers ($24/10). Sit in the back garden or in view of the restaurant’s striking David Hockney collage. If you’re lucky, Sachiko herself might bring out a bottle of sparkling Nama Sake from behind the bar. 25 Clinton St., New York City, 212-253-2900, www.sachikosonclinton.com

Catch one last outdoor concert before summer flies the way of the Canada Goose.

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is launching its 2010-2011 season with a free open-air event featuring music by Strauss, Stravinski and Gershwin. An homage to Haiti, the show takes place in front of the MSO’s future l’Adresse Symphonique home with narration by Quebec writer Dany Laferrière and performances by Luck Mervil and Cirque Eloize. 

That all sounds fab but we’ll be focused on the sexy flip of Kent Nagano’s hair as he waves the baton.

7 p.m. September 2, on the Parterre of the Quartier des Spectacles, Montreal, 514-842-9951, www.osm.ca

We love re-stocking our fridge while re-vamping our wardrobe, but sometimes we need some fashion focus.

Joe Fresh's new 14,500 square-foot freestanding Studio is a jewel to behold. Housed in the stately Jean-Talon train station, it carries women’s, men’s and kid’s togs that had us feeling decidedly single-minded. We spotted a grey silk blouse ($39), matching mom-and-daughter motorcycle jackets ($49/$29), black stretch capris ($16), and a delicate pink lace bra ($16).

Put them all together and we’ll be multi-tasking in style.

Joe Fresh Studio, 395 Jean Talon St. W., Montreal, www.joe.ca
See photos from the store opening today on our Editors' Diary.

A new season calls for an adult attitude to lunch.

We’re kicking off the ‘school’ year with a natty lunch kit ($32) from UK designers black+blum. Made from BPA-free plastic, the lime-trimmed bag comes with a watertight container that divides into two bowls (for hot and cold), utensils, a sauce-dipping pot and healthy recipe book. Even better, the waterproof tote opens up to create a placemat or mini blanket that’s perfect for long lunches in the park.

Sure beats the Scooby Doo number we had in grade school.

www.iddko.com

Some people prefer their sushi hand-rolled. We like ours a little bit twisted.

Our heads were spinning after tasting Noa’s unconventional sushi-fusion, including the savoury Big Mak (modeled after its fast food namesake) with beef, mustard, tomatoes and a slice of cheese ($13). We adored the 5 Stars roll, served freshly fried with fish tartare ($12) and sushi pizza on a crispy crust topped with mozzarella ($15). Sipping gingery Saketinis ($12) on the South Beach-style terrace, we concluded we were never that keen on sticking with tradition to begin with.

That’s just how we roll.

Noa Sushi, 3509 St. Laurent Blvd., Montreal, 514-903-4439, www.noasushi.com