Only one more day

I’m starting to get sad as we’re enjoying the last few days of the festival. It has been a really meaningful experience and the reaction to our charitable initiative has been incredible. I think in this harsh economy, people are really starting to get how imperative it is that we support those in need, as charities are impacted the most in this economic downturn.

I was super excited yesterday when Ed Norton stopped by the Lounge. He was such a nice guy! Ed is training for a full marathon and I’m training for a half, so while being gifted with a pair of Brooks running shoes, he andI bonded over our love of running. Ricky Gervais also stopped by and was excited to receive the Kiehl’s Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Toning Mist, which he promised he would share with his wife. Kardinal Offishall wasso touched by the Camp Oochigeas mission that he bought a J.Rox Camp Ooch bracelet, after learning that 50% of proceeds go back to the camp.

Last night was the InStyle event. The fans were lined up around the block for this party, notorious for being one of the most exclusive during the festival. Inside, it was very elegant. Nicholas Cage was there, and let me tell you, he looks much better in person. James Purefoy arrived, garbed in a tux, straight from the AmfAR dinner where he helped raise some much-needed funds for AIDS research. Clive Owen was as handsome as Colin Firth was shy. And of course, Harvey Weinstein was his usual amazing and boisterous self. It was a fantastic and elegant evening.

I can’t believe today is our last IT Lounge day. Even though we still have today left, I’m already thinking about next year! I’ll write again tomorrow to update you on our last day at the IT Lounge. Speak soon! xo

And even more IT Lounge tidbits!

I know I keep saying it, but it really does keep getting busier at the IT Lounge!

Yesterday was jam-packed. The beautiful Jennifer Garner was rushing to the elevator in the Windsor Arms, but when she got word about the charitable initiatives taking place in the Lounge, graciously agreed to take a minute to have her photo snapped in front of our charity wall. Jennifer's daughters Violet and Seraphina were gifted the cutest pink plaid jumpers and fur-embellished vests from Please Mum. Thanks to Jennifer's visit, Please Mum will donate an outfit to a child in need in Africa through World Vision. Kyle MacLauchlan also was super impressed with the IT Lounge's charitable initiatives, and also had his picture taken in front of our charity wall.

Russell Peters came in and cracked everyone up while walking through the Lounge. He was thrilled to be gifted FILA sneakers and a jacket. He was also super excited about the SoU! vitamins which he claimed he desperately needs this festival. Ivana Santilli was so moved by the teddy bears at Sharpie, that she parked herself on a chair outside and decorated her bear for Big Brothers, Big Sisters Toronto for over half an hour! Her camouflage-printed bear turned out super cute. The So You Think You Can Dance Canada crew (Leah Miller, Tre Armstrong, Jean Marc Genereux and Luther Brown) got a kick out of the new Kiehl's Acai Damage-Repairing Toning Mist and were spritzing each other like crazy! Marcy Playground loved their Richart chocolates and Toronto Maple Leafs Jamal Mayers and Lee Stempniak were excited to take a break from their skates to receive some awesome Brooks sneakers.

I should get going. It's been a long day for me. I was on Breakfast Television this morning talking about the IT Lounge and all of the participating charities. Stay tuned, tomorrow I will tell you all about it!

More IT Lounge Tidbits!

Each day is busier than the last at the IT Lounge! Yesterday I was so excited to have James Purefoy come in. He was so amazing in Rome and his current project, The Philanthropist which really teaches us about the importance of giving back – everything the IT Lounge stands for this year! James was so sweet and he truly loved all the products. He even asked for extra Penny Protein Plan Muffins and Squares!

Academy Award Winner Sissy Spacek also visited yesterday, but not before making herself a take-out box of candy at the in the SKYY Vodka Media Lounge! She loved, loved the Teva wrap around sandals and because of her visit, a Teva-staffer will volunteer one hour to the Waterkeeper Alliance. Defendor director Peter Stebbings was inspired by the Camp Oochigeas story and was delighted to take home the limited edition Camp Ooch bracelet from J. Rox. He also happily selected tennis racquets as his sport of choice to be donated on his behalf by Kiehl's to Camp Ooch. All of the IT Lounge visitors have truly been touched by the Camp Ooch story.

Australian actors Brian Brown and Rachel Ward also visited the Lounge. Though they were traveling light, Brian loved the Teva sneakers so much he couldn’t resist a pair! Rachel was gifted by J. Rox and loved her bracelet so much, she put it on immediately. Socrates loved his Fila gear and was delighted to hear that the charity ParticipACTION will benefit because of his being there.

More busy days ahead. I can’t believe we only have 3 more days! Talk soon!!

Hello! Magazine Party

It was another great day at the Lounge. It was buzzing when Jason Bateman visited in support of our 12 charity partners. Kat Dennings from Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist also visited the Lounge and loved her J.Rox Jewelry by Jane Apor. She was so very sweet and after being gifted Kiehl’s Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection, she was thrilled to hear that a tennis racquet will be donated to “Ooch in the City” on her behalf. She also spent a long time making sure her special teddy bear for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto was decorated perfectly in her favourite pink Sharpie.

Last night’s HELLO! Magazine Party was fantastic!! There was a great crowd, excited to catch a glimpse of their favourite star. I loved, loved Sook-Yin Lee’s vintage Betsey Johnson jacket. She was absolutely stunning! The ladies from HELLO! were an amazing inspiration to everything super-glamorous. Ciara Hunt, editor of HELLO!, was beautiful and was wearing, in my opinion, the most amazing dress of the festival – an amazing electric blue sequin dress. Corey Sevier and Laura Van der Voort from Smallville were so gracious; they both sported their Camp Ooch bracelets as they walked the red carpet. Russell Peters was his usual funny self and the crowd went crazy when he arrived. The public just LOVED him. The crowd also went totally wild when the judges and cast from Canada’s number one television show So You Think You Can Dance Canada walked the carpet.

Looking forward to more great days in the Lounge. Only a few more left… I’ll keep you posted on any cool tidbits!

Day 1 at the Lounge!

Had an amazing day 1 at the Lounge! It was jam packed with media and talent visiting. We were fortunate to also have some of our charity partners in the Lounge today. Rob Dryan from Camp Oochigeas was there, and spoke to Lounge visitors about how the camp is partnering with Kiehl's, J. Rox Originals and the Penny Protein Plan, who are all raising funds for the camp. Cathy Denyer, president of Big Brothers, Big Sisters Toronto (BBBST), was also in the Lounge and shared with visitors the partnership between BBBST and Sharpie. I loved having them there and I think it really added to the experience for those visiting the Lounge who were able to really partake in a charitable experience all the while receiving some incredible goodies!

As promised, here's the update on who visited the Lounge today and what they picked. Supermodel Monika Schnarre toasted her visit to the IT Lounge with a SKYY C"Oh"Conut Dream, and then signed a Sharpie Bear, which will later be auctioned off with funds going to BBBST. Please Mum gifted Tonya Lee Williams with a Puddle Jumper raincoat, which Tonya said she will give to her goddaughter. For each celebrity that visits the IT Lounge, Please Mum is donating an outfit to a child in need in a developing country in Africa through World Vision. Actress Lisa Ray and director Rubba Nadda were fixated on Kiehl's newest line of skin care products, the 100% Natural Origin Acai Damage-Repairing Skincare Collection. After receiving their products, they had the opportunity to select and donate much-needed sports equipment to Camp Oochigeas as part of Kiehl's charitable initiative. Actor Lyriq Bent visited the Lounge and sampled SoU! liquid nutrition and got a festival boost, and a charitable boost as well, as funds donated to the SoU! Foundation will help maintain the integrity of our environment. Mike Lobel noshed on Richart Chocolates, who will be donating a specially-made gift basket to be auctioned off with proceeds going to the SickKids foundation. Photographer Caitlin Cronenberg (in the pic below) was most excited about the cozy Teva Montecito boots, adding one hour of volunteer work for Teva who is contributing one hour of volunteering per celebrity to the Waterkeeper's Alliance. It's really amazing when you think that for each item these celebrities scooped up from the Lounge today, a charity will really benefit.

One more sleep until the Artists for Peace and Justice Gala. And then one more sleep after that until the Hello! Magazine party at Birks. So excited! I'll be blogging tomorrow with more scoop on the Lounge and the APJ fundraiser. Talk soon!!

Three day countdown!

I can't believe we've arrived to our three day countdown! After months of planning and hard work, the pieces are all coming together. I can't even express how excited I am for film fest 2009. I just love the excitement and buzz the festival creates around the city.

For the fourth year, we are opening up our gifting suite the IT Lounge! Every year, I am excited about the IT Lounge and the brands that are featured here. Some IT Lounge favourites are back and include Goody, Fila, Brooks and Kiehl's. And some newcomers: the energy-boosting Penny Protein Plan, the iconic Sharpie, and the delectable Richart Chocolate straight from Paris! Yum! Even though we love giving to the amazing talent that comes to Toronto, it has always been very important to give back to the community.

Every year, we have partnered with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto to raise awareness for this wonderful cause. This year, we challenged all the IT Lounge participants to raise awareness and funds for causes that were near and dear to them. And rise to the challenge they did! Every single brand in the Lounge has made a commitment to a cause of their choice. From protecting the environment to increasing physical activity and literacy to donating clothing to those in need, each sponsor found a meaningful way to give back to more than a dozen difference causes. In these challenging economic times, it's the charities that have been most affected. It was gratifying to see the IT Lounge brands really pulled together to make a difference. I secretly call it "the gifting suite with heart.."

Of course, there is always more that can be done and earlier this year, when I was asked to sit on the advisory board for Artists for Peace and Justice(APJ) -- an incredible charity that donates 100 percent of funds to the children of Haiti, the Western hemisphere's poorest country-- it seemed natural to widen our philanthropic goals. We extended our charity component to include a fundraising benefit that we are hosting on September 11th at the Windsor Arms Hotel. Academy-award winning director Paul Haggis founded this powerful charity and has donated his time, along with actress Olivia Wilde, to host this event. Amazing auction items from stars like Diane Lane, Oliver Stone and James Franco have been donated to raise money and will be featured at the debut fundraising for APJ. We donated our time and resources to ensure that this event will be a success and make significant difference in the lives of Haitians children. Check out what some of the media have to say about this initiative:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090831/tiff_haiti_party_080901/20090901?s_name=tiff2009&no_ads

http://woman.ca/movies/1802-paul-haggis-and-olivia-wilde-work-the-red-carpet-for-artists-for-peace-and-justice

Only a couple more sleeps until the opening of film fest, IT Lounge and APJ! There's still loads to do, but I'll be posting daily so stay tuned!

The Breakthrough - Globe and Mail

Join the Globe and Mail's online discussion with me on Friday March 20th at 1PM!

SOME AMAZING THINGS HAPPENED AT NKPR IN 2008 - HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The 2008 IT Lounge celebrated its most successful year at this year's Toronto Film Festival with the biggest stars and the most generous support for Big Brothers and Big Sisters! Here are our TOP PICKS from this year's Lounge*:

Best IT Lounge Red-Carpet Style Sightings: ESPRIT fall men's wear at the HELLO! Legendary Couples party worn by Lyriq Bent, KC Collins and D.B. Sweeney.*

Best IT Lounge Moment: Paris Hilton and Benji Madden signing the Big Brothers and Big Sisters wall followed by dressing up in the ultra "hot" Right Hand Gal Hero Necklace.

Best Heroes with Big Brothers and Big Sisters at IT: Scott Speedman, Petra Nemcova, Queen Latifah, Paul Gross and Tristan Wilds (90210 newcomer) and others shared who their heroes are for the Wall of Heroes for Big Brothers and Big Sisters; some of the heroes included: Madonna, Oprah, Nelson Mandela, Mom, Dad, Grandpa/Grandma, Brothers, Sisters.

IT Items Voted Most Likely to be Worn Later That Day: Fila vintage track suits and F-word tees. The comfy and cool factor was hard to resist and stars such as Cheech Marin, Tie Domi, Jason Isaacs, George Stroumboulopoulos couldn't wait to relax or hit the red carpet in them!

Best IT Items Most Loved by the Ladies: Emmanuelle Chriqui, Debra Winger, Kelly Carlson all stopped by the Goody Hair station and received styling tips from LOOK hair studio. Gloria Reuben and Monika Schnarre received the lastest skincare to hit the market from Olay Definity.

All images except (*) courtesy of Central Image Agency.

IT Lounge 2008!

Last year's IT Lounge was such a big hit we're doing 'IT' again and we're super excited! Celebrities go through a grueling schedule so we’re trying to make it a little easier for them with a special collection of survival must-haves for the 2008 Toronto Film Festival! Speaking of grueling schedules, here are a few of my personal Survival Tips for TIFF!

CLOTHING

You usually don’t have time to think about what you’re going to wear on any given day. So on my floor, I lay out my clothes in a grid – Day. Night (night’s usually just a different pair of shoes). And you’re done. Just one more detail that I don’t have to think about!

SHOES

It’s all about the shoes. I’m big into wearing a heel because I’m 5-foot-4, so I like the height. But a casual shoe is great on a day like Media Day at the IT Lounge, when I’m really busy. So the red little Mary Jane from Teva, for instance, is perfect on a day when I’m going to always be on my feet.

SLEEP

What sleep?! During the Festival, I probably get about three hours per night. I’m up really early and go to bed really late. And that’s why I need a lot of really great skin cream like Olay skin cream, the Olay Definity Collection.

DIET

Dr. Penny Kendall Reed and The No Crave Diet. It just works for me. I’ve been doing it now for eight months - and I asked her to participate in the IT Lounge because it’s changed my life. And I can tell the difference even now. Normally at this stage I’d be up by five pounds. But not this year!

September is Big Brothers and Big Sisters (BBBST) month and the IT Lounge is eager to show its support once again. Celebrities will have the opportunity to donate gifts from the Lounge to assist in raising money for BBBST programs.