sharing the randomness - 25 casie facts

This has been floating around Facebook since January. I figured since I've been tagged by a ton of friends it is about time I shared 25 random facts about me.

The rules go as follows: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. Blah, blah, blah...

Here we go:

1. I was born in Canada to New Zealand parents and have dual citizenship (Canadian/New Zealand).
2. I danced ballet, tap and jazz as a kid and completed in competitions across Ontario as well as Showstopper in NY & Myrtle Beach, SC. I was 5 with fake lashes and red lipstick!
3. I wrote a book and became a published Canadian Author at 14. It was titled Jeans: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose. The Toronto Star wrote and article about me titled "Push Over Keats, Teen Muse Steps Ahead".
   
4. I went to Uni in Australia and lived at Bondi Beach. It was the best year because I learned the most about myself and WHO I really am.
   
5. I hate scary movies. I get queezy and I don't like to put bad images in my head. I'm crazy enough already!
6. I still have all my Barbies and their vintage outfits. I hope to get them made in my size one day.
7. I have a Green Belt in Tae Know Do and once knocked out a boy (Note: James Roszell) in grade 8 at school. Mum thought I'd get in trouble but I said "Mum, do you think he's gonna tell anyone?"
   
8. I hate the number three. I don't do anything in threes.
   
9. I grew up around vintage cars and vintage clothes. My Dad builds hot rods and mum was a photog for Canadian Street Rod Magazine.
   
10. I named my sister Jenie because EVERY doll I had before she was born had that name. I love her.
    
11. When I was 16 and had braces, I did a commercial for an electric toothbrush that aired in the US.
    
12. My Mum is my hero. She is so inspiring to me and has instilled good values and confidence.
    
13. I'm a very loving, positive girl. I tell my friends I love them all the time just so they know ♥
    
14. I ride an red vintage bike with all summer and it makes me feel free! I love it!
    
15. I am very artsy. I like to draw, paint, write, make jewelry, sew clothes, pastels, chalk, you name it I do it. Borderline Artistic.
    
16. I went swimming with wild dolphins on the coast of the Bay of Islands in New Zealand.
    
17. My middle name is Diana after Princess Diana. My mum loved her.
    
18. I have more clothes than any friend I've ever had. It's an issue but I wouldn't change it!
19. I have conversations with myself. I think I'm funny. We're best friends.
    
20. I've won a beauty pageant and a bikini contest. Once I was a Sunshine Girl. My hair was long and red and I had huge boobs.
    
21. My favorite gift I ever received was a hardcover Thesaurus from my parents in 1996.
    
22. I'm addicted to Twitter. I love it. I learn so much and get smarter and smarter each day. Follow me @casiestewart
    
23. My Dad was a professional gymnastics/trampoline coach when I was a kid. I'm flexible and can still do the splits.
    
24. I have a bad memory. I started my blog to keep more memories and no one read it but ME for at least the first year. Now I write about things that can help make the world a better place, review products people send me and share my thoughts on life. It has really helped my memory and writing is my passion.
25. I have lots of different talents and believe I can achieve anything. My career goal is to be the Awesomest I can be.

one more day and i'm one year older

Each year when I birthday rolls around I feel a bit of anxiety planning something that's 'all about me'. I know that seems surprising because I write about myself each day, but this is like a diary and I write to remember. I love planning events, but events for other people, charity and helping others. It's easier when it's not all about me, although I obviously like the attention. So, when everyone asks 'what are you doing for your birthday?' I rarely have one answer and it usually results in anxiety. I'm gonna be home tomorrow night and have some friends over. I think it would be asshole of me to expect a big shout out when I don't have the cash to pay for it all. Wait till next year...I'll start planning waaaay early to alleviate the last minute anxiety I'm facing now. All week I've been seeing friends and doing fun things. The things is, that's not much different from all the other days. I try to make sure that my friends know I love them and that I am very thankful to have them in my life. This the best birthday gift anyone could ask for. This picture I love.

write on. this is a run on.

today i am feeling a bit of a cold and possibly by the news reports with all the tragedy and gun fights that happened last night some others are feeling cold too i'm staying in all day and i'm wearing a pirate shirt and i put the zombie tattoo on again last night because i love it i've got pen and paper and links in my fingers to share and i'm going to write about things that i like because that is what like to do and it makes me happy when i do it and i'm glad to know that other people like reading it because there is nothing more fun than making art and sharing it with people you like andy warhol told me once that being good in business is the best kind of art and i totally agree with that its the best and most free that you can be just creating things and putting it out there

Map & Quest

Create that Roadmap,

Flip that switch.
Focus. Sit down.
Distractions become meaningless.
Think it through.
Write it down and
Read it back.
Life's an elastic
pulling you in,
and you're gonna sink
if you don't swim.
- Casie Jan 22, 2008

closer to god

The day begins to come to an end and I find my mind wandering, wondering. I listen to CBC Classical online. I feel relaxed and look forward to riding home and the breeze in my hair. I'm picking up my Edie Sedgwick dress from Peach Beserk this evening. Made to order and tailored to fit. I always liked Andy Warhol, as long as I can remember. I was walking through this outdoor mallway over the weekend, I think it's beautiful.Listening to this music I feel inspired to write, to read more Ogden Nash and to create things that never existed before. My coffee is warm and so is the air around me. It's comforting and leaves me feeling safe. My shoulders are bare and the light is barely coming through the clouds. I really love the movie Closer, there is something so real about the relationships between the characters and their melancholy love tales. Natalie, Clive, Jude and Julia, good kids. I feel it in my legs, the biking from yesterday. Tomorrow there is a Billabong sample sale at 67 Mowat Avenue. Two weeks ago I wished they would have one so I could get a new bathing suit for my birthday, then I got an email a couple days later. Thank you universe, you listen to my thoughts and you bring me closer.

my friend has a beautiful voice

i'm going to see her

thursday october 30
8:30 back room cameron house

if you go to her site you can hear her sing
i am listening to her as i write this
her voice enters my ears as a sound
fills my head as a song
moves through me like music
and comes to you
from the very tip of my fingersthe internet is fun. sharing is fun.
connecting to each other is also very fun.
if you are around of looking for something
come thursday and we will enjoy it together

...maybe i'll have my zombie on since it's devils night too ♥

Is that Fey or Palin?

Tina Fey is cool but Palin is not so cool.
Check her out 'raising the roof'.
it inspired me to write a little som'tin som'tin...my name is palin and baby i'm failin'
raisin the roof like i'm raisin concern
in a few weeks i'll be back on that stage
in a pageant with girls half my age

one kid in the war and one a teen mommy
SNL & tina already got one up on me
throwing out hate to reach for the votes
and right in my face you're all making jokes

she spent so much money to get fancy clothes
yet not she's not even stylish wherever she goes
her leading man is so fucking old
and comments she makes are so often so cold

she's got ol' dirty bush, ODB, on her side
but barry obama's taking them for a ride

my name is palin and baby she's failin'
written by me today

2009 ArtVenture: The AGO (Ontario Art Gallery)

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the AGO, again. TGFFW (Thank God For Free Wednesdays). I love it there. So many inspiring ideas which arouse my wild & creative mind. I decided to make my own art and snuck a few shots in. Please don't be mad my dear AGO or Mr. Gehry for it is so lovely I just could not help myself. This is my favorite. You know I love Andy.I really enjoy some of the modern stuff and photography. I was looking at some of the pictures and I saw this total stud, I don't know what it is about him. I have a thing for nerdy dudes.I love the staircase. How is winds around and shows beautiful views of the city lights. It makes me happy to dance around the stairs as they twist and turn and travel higher.Its is super busy on Wednesday's since it is free. The gallery opens at 6pm and closes at 8:30pm. This is not enough time to get around the whole place. There are many nooks and cranny's of artistic expression. Coat check is $1 and you have to check your bags. You are allowed to sketch in pencil, but not in pen. I like to write.

run.on.sentence #328

borderlineartistic.november20098

today i am feeling a bit of a cold and possibly by the news reports with all the tragedy and gun fights that happened last night some others are feeling cold too i'm staying in all day and i'm wearing a pirate shirt and i put the zombie tattoo on again last night because i love it i've got pen and paper and links in my fingers to share and i'm going to write about things that i like because that is what like to do and it makes me happy when i do it and i'm glad to know that other people like reading it because there is nothing more fun than making art and sharing it with people you like andy warhol told me once that being good in business is the best kind of art and i totally agree with that its the best and most free that you can be just creating things and putting it out there

Be Inspired

I sat in on a friends class a few years ago at University of Waterloo. I do not remember what she was taking as her major but I have always taken a liking to university classes no mater what genre. The class I attended this particular day was on focused on Shakespeare. It made me think "Shakespeare is fascinating, I want to be fascinating". I came up with two things inspired by the class. Often, when I am in class, especially when not a registered student, I am inspired by a variety in topics and unexpected ideas of interest.

acutely ironic
a bird writes a sonnet
sings the sonnet
out of tune
across the river
to a loon

Prof, English

speak prof speak
for what you say
is what you teach

teach prof teach
for i sit here
and yearn to learn

read prof read
for what you do
is how you lead

lead prof lead
for i sit here
and fight to write

beautiful losers - make something from nothing

As kids you write, create, draw, you make things. I was constantly making things with Mum and my sister at the kitchen table or in the garage with Dad. I painted, sculpted, drew, cut, copy, paste, glue, paper mache, you name it, I was doing it. This film is a collection of stories from artists who all felt at times that they didn't fit in and now have shifted their ideology from being nerds, or weirdo's to cool nerds and creative people. I'm waiting on response to see about showings in Canada. This movie 'celebrates the spirit behind one of the most influential cultural moments of a generation.'

Beautiful Losers film trailer from beautifullosersfilm on Vimeo.

"In the early 1990's a loose-knit group of like minded outsiders found common ground at a little NYC storefront gallery. Rooted in the DIY (do-it-yourself) subcultures of skateboarding, surf, punk, hip hop & graffiti, they made art that reflected the lifestyles they led. Developing their craft with almost no influence from the "establishment" art world, this group, and the subcultures they sprang from, have now become a movement that has been transforming pop culture."

"Starring a selection of artists who are considered leaders within this culture, Beautiful Losers focuses on the telling of personal stories. It speaks to themes of what happens when the outside becomes "in" as it explores the creative ethos connecting these artists and today's youth."

Blackberry Messenger: Pending Problem

This is how you fix the problem when you try to add your friend to Blackberry Messenger and it stays in 'pending'. It is reallllllly annoying if you don't know how to fix the shit.

First write down your friends PIN or copy to Clipboard. Then, while in the messenger window, select menu / add contact / scroll to the top / highlight use once / menu /request by pin/type in friends PIN/VOILA!

Here's where I got the tip!!

arts & culture writer = me

I wrote an article a few months back about a fascinating artist named Michael Golland. Afterwards, I found out that it was going to be the feature cover story! I was quite excited given I'm yet to have 'write a cover story' checked off my list. An excerpt is below. You can read the whole article here. "He wants people to be captivated, to find and immerse themselves in their flow of consciousness. Michael’s art is about finding the Zen within and connecting to its powerful energy. His paintings are unique and recognizable. Fluid lines dance across the canvas creating trajectory spaces filled with monochromatic colors. He aims to draw connections between the objects, the lines, the space, the spirit within and the essence of life itself. Michael was born in Yorkshire, England during the Second World War." [get all the juice]

fond, found, fortune, fashion, focus

I'm wearing a mum outfit today. Her old belt that still smells like New Zealand and a shortened Dashiki that matches my orange vintage boots. Tomorrow is going to warm but today its so windy and cold. I think I'm going to write on my way in more often. I lost my computer and ipod so now I use what I got, my device and thoughts and spend less time on the actual computer. I'm inspired in the morning, except for sporadic days when I am not. I usually wake up with a smile. Damn its cold. This morning I woke up to a message from a friend that said he's in London England and the style there reminds him of me. I think that's the nicest thing ever. I've never been to London but I know about style there. I can't type as fast as thoughts fly, I can barely talk that fast and when I do its funny and I sound like a nut. I missed a call from a magazine editor last night. I wonder what he wants? H has the closing party for his art show tonight and I'm also planning to chat with Poster Boy. I'm going to make some. Cut and paste was one of my most favorite things to do at the kitchen table when I was younger. It still is along with writing. I wrote a poetry book in 1996 called Jeans. It's not on Amazon because its out of print, its time for a new book. We started our publishing company without Internet and did it old the fashion way. We learned a lot. Its seems so easy now. I forgot my sunnies, the vintage ones from France. They would have matched perfect. As I take off my jacket I forget I wore this. I smile thinking of Mum and also what my friend is going to say. He makes fun of my clothes all time but its because I'm unique and he knows I can take it. It's fun. I hope you have a great day.

that's a scary thought

I was on Facebook this morning and I saw this pic in Armand Diego's album "NYC: Outsiders NY, VMAN party and the KOOL AID MAN". Scarrrry thought. I'm considering being Sara Palin Zombie. I bet that would be a little too scary and I'd rather not give her the satisfaction of having me be her. Not that she would ever know or care but if I put it on the internet she could see it and comment on it. What if 'Casie the Zombie Palin' became the new 'Joe the Plumber'.

Like, seriously, am I really ready for that. Is she? Is anyone? I don't think so. But...tomorrow is another day that is part of Halloween Week in the Wonderful World of Casie.

I just found this out. Todd Mitchell Palin (born September 6, 1964)^[3] is an American oil field production operator and the current First Gentleman (self-styled "First Dude")^[4] of Alaska. He has taken some college courses but does not have a degree. Gregg Erickson, columnist for the Anchorage Daily News, said that Palin "obviously plays an important role ... I've seen him in the governor's office, and I know she's conducted interviews in the governor's office with him present." Mr. Palin is copied on e-mails dealing with official state business. He helped write the state budget, has been involved in personnel matters, and has called lawmakers when he or his wife have disagreed with what they have done." Check Wikipedia.

Vintage

i can't write today
somethings wrong
i can't smile today

life is a sad song
my heart hurts...
so does my foot
in my shoe
today is a sad day
without you
Casie Stewart, Jeans Publishing, Circa 1995

HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY!!!! Who wants a present??!!

This holiday season I have partnered with Givenchy to give away a lovely Organza Gift Set including a 50mL spray, 75mL silky body veil and a 75mL shower gel. This package is valued over $80 and would make an excellent gift for yourself of someone you love.

Givenchy Holiday Sets are beautifully packaged in a classic sequined box with everything you need to celebrate the season. Organza highlights the femininity of every woman- that of the mother and the lover. Organza awakens a goddess that lies hidden in every woman. This is the perfect fragrance for an exceptional and timeless woman; a combination of elegance with richness and purity.

TO ENTER CONTEST:

Please tell me your most meaningful holiday memory in about 100 words or less. I'll pick the one that makes my heart the warmest and contact you for shipping details.

Please write your story in the comments of this post or email me at casie@casiestewart.com. I'll only post your emailed note if you want it to be published. Totally posting the winner ♥

Contest closes December 15th to ensure you will receive it before Christmas, Hanukkah or whatever it is you may be celebrating this year!

I'm looking forward to hearing your holiday memories!

she's gonna grow up and write a book about you

I had a blog before this one, it was on myspace, it still is. It's called it 'It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be" after a favorite book by Paul Arden. It's all writing and poetry. I revisited it today, it had been since 2007 that I logged into myspace. I guess you could say I've been kinda busy. I have two accounts casieandjenie and misscasiestewart.

November 25 2004

I am spinning, sitting here thinking.Thoughts of you run from my heart, past my mind Turning round in my head. Touching me all day. One day, you might be mine. You light my fire, you are my star.Will I see you tomorrow? Will I ? I will be with you again.I feel your energy, moving in the air.When you are around, you put a twinkle in my eye.I want you close to me, I think you want me too.

August 10, 2006

crazie//: casie.racie.spacie.energetic. dynamic.distinct. animated. always entertaining.fastmoving. neverslowingdown. sexy.preppy. intellectuallystimulating. delicate and decent. like diana, ladylike, its her middle name. a very laid back kind of girl. sort of radiant. sparkling the way the sun shines, when even out of sight and glowing, gleaming. she even she has a sister stewart. sibling. she's also social & s.m.a.r.t.
May 22, 2006
There is no price imaginable that could buy all my creativity, for it is infinite and contagious.

We are all units and we are all united.

change your perspective

Have you been feeling down? Is the cold weather and season giving you a reason to frown? Have no fear for I am here and we will take that thought and toss it!! Change your perspective. Each day, hour, minute that passes is one closer to Spring, Summer and sunshine. There are a million things to be happy about. Each day is a new day and you have new thoughts and new things come into your life. Be happy about that. I never know from one day to the next what will come up in this online diary. It is exciting for me to write my thoughts down, the memories are what keeps me going. Pictures of the beach and me make me smile too.

cartoon motion

Sometimes I wish I was a cartoon. I would run up walls and jump and fly and all kinds of super things. I saw Wolverine movie last night. Hugh JACKman should be called 'Hugh jacked man'. He's massive. I really like the Bloor Varsity - VIP section. You can order a bevvy & food to your seat.

Did some serious writing when I got home last night. The book gets closer every day. I paid my friend whose laid off to clean my room. What a surprise to come home to, a floor and closet full of clothes. An old book from the 1940's lay on my desk from Mum. I picked up the book and as I opened the fragile cover I read "The Face is Familiar: Selected Verse by Ogden Nash". He died on May 19, 1971 and was one of the worlds best humor poets. He inspires me to write/publish some of my quite funny ones. I like his style very much, I do.