A Note from Jane

When we started Wish five years ago, it was our plan to bring you the very best of fashion, beauty, home and food – because busy, stylish women, like you and me, want to put our best foot forward every day. The editors and experts at Wish worked overtime to find the solutions, deals, shortcuts and options to help make life easier – I can’t tell you how much we’ve enjoyed every step of the way.

Our loyal readers also pushed us to give more. It’s hard to imagine our 20-Minute Supper feature without wine pairings, but it was Jane from Ottawa who first suggested it four years ago: “I just received the second issue of Wish in the mail and read it from cover to cover. Then I went back to the website. We just had the Pesto Chicken Pasta – it was great! Next time, could we have a wine recommendation with the recipe?” Since November 2004, every Wish 20-Minute Supper has been paired with a complementary beverage suggestion.

Which brings to mind all the reader recipes we’ve printed. More than 1,000 entries to our 20-Minute Supper contests have helped raise the bar at dinnertime for hundreds of thousands of Canadian households. And you can still join the club! To find a fresh recipe for every night of the week or to track down one of your favourites, check out wish.ca/20minute – we’re still going strong.

In our last issue of Wish, editors and experts have identified many easy ways and insider ideas to build more wellness into your routine. I don’t think it has to mean giving up our favourite treats, just finding a balance. So, as we suggest in the pages of our last issue: Feel great. Look great. Eat well. Sleep well. Exercise (even when you’re pressed for time). Never get sick. Whistle while you work. Smile at strangers. Laugh – just because! It’s time to kick-start the best year of your life.

Experts have told us this is the beginning of the end of many of our favourite things. The current economic climate has made it impossible for us to continue delivering all you’ve come to expect from us here at Wish. It is with sadness – and many fond memories – that I say goodbye on behalf of every Wish staffer, supporter and contributor. It has been our pleasure.

- Jane Francisco, Editor in Chief

Online Outlet

I practically had to pinch myself when I found Miu Miu, Michael Kors and Miss Sixty at deep discounts – and only a quick click away! Newly available to Canadian customers, overstock.com, the online American outlet, now ships north of the border. Shoppers are automatically geo-located so that prices are in local currencies (even adjusted for fluctuating exchange rates). Check out the Designer Store for big label accessories or peruse the Worldstock collection for handmade gifts, the sale of which benefits underprivileged artisans.
-Caitlan Moneta, Assistant Fashion Editor

Slow Food Nation

This year’s Slow Food picnic at Toronto’s Evergreen Brick Works was another success. The weather was glorious, the crowd animated and the smells – grilled meats and harvest-fresh produce – alluring. Each table showcased freshly picked ingredients and finished products in tasty, bite-size goodies, served up by top restaurant chefs (like Jamie Kennedy, seen here) and paired with quaffable, local beers and wines. I sampled goods grown, made and cooked here, in Prince Edward County, in the Niagara Region and everywhere in between. Highlights included Berkshire pork sausage, white fish brandade and red fife crostinis. Most impressive was the easy interaction between regular Joes (like me) and the chefs and producers. Experience it yourself – visit your farmers’ market before season’s end (talk to vendors about how best to cook their produce – they know!), eat at restaurants that proudly feature local ingredients and learn more about the Slow Food movement at slowfood.ca.
- Tory Healy, Food Associate

Beauty Review

Although I blame city weather and my newly-single status for causing recent breakouts, pointing the finger won’t make them disappear. But with so many different skin cleansers in stores, finding the right product seemed like another unnecessary chore. Luckily, I’ve been visiting Makeup Alley, an online database featuring actual user reviews of beauty and skincare products, rather than company-produced press releases. You have to sign up to use the site, but registration is free. Once registered, a plethora of skincare solutions awaits. Plus, comprehensive search options make browsing products a snap!
- Tasia Rivero, Online Intern

Check it out at makeupalley.com.

Power of Purchase

Aid to Artisans – an international, non-profit organization that helps artisans in developing countries learn business skills, and links them to new markets and buyers – is gaining style status not just for its compassionate and clever mission but also for the savvy designs its artisans produce. Their pieces have been showcased in various magazines, including Wish (we featured a Tatu table by Artecnica in our Summer ‘07 issue). While assisting artisans economically, the organization has also accomplished a long list of impressive improvements, such as removing the lead poison from glazes used in Mexico, to helping women suffering from HIV and AIDS in South Africa, to helping redesign traditional clay planters in El Salvador for better marketability. Each purchase funds these critical projects. Check out their website to donate, volunteer, sponsor an artisan’s training, or just to buy something from their easy online shop. Every little bit counts!
- Andrea Mills, Home Associate

Tandem Tagines from Morocco, about $27, aidtoartisans.org.

Virtually Made Over

Taaz.com is a virtual makeover website that lets you upload a photograph of yourself and experiment with different makeup and hairstyles. As soon as my face popped up on the screen, I began to test out looks I would never have the guts to actually try. First I was a blonde with blue eyes (a complete contrast to my naturally darker complexion), then, with the program’s special “Plump Lips” feature, I tried on a pair of scarlet, full lips à la Angelina Jolie (which apparently don’t suit everyone). The fun definitely didn't stop there – the program offers advice on choosing colours, gives application techniques and tells you the exact brand and name of every product you select. If you’re ever thinking about changing your look drastically, “Taaz” yourself first.
- Alyse Nahmias, Fashion Intern

Check it out at taaz.com.

Pay It Forward

Have you told someone they’re beautiful lately? Dove is offering Canadians a chance to pay beauty forward. By submitting ideas on how to inspire confidence and self-esteem in girls young and old, you could be one of 100 winners given $500 to implement your plan. Stuck for inspiration? Start simple by logging onto the website to send an e-flower to a girlfriend, sister or colleague. Good luck!
- Caitlan Moneta, Assistant Fashion Editor

Submissions accepted at paybeautyforward.ca until November 30, 2008.

Vino 2.0

Recently, I was trying to source a rare bottle of Pinot from the exclusive Sine Qua Non winery in California as a special gift for my uncle, who’s a bit of an aficionado. The winery distributes by mailing list only, so I turned to the web for help and came across vinfolio.com. The site sells an impressive variety of hard-to-find wines (including some from Sine Qua Non), and even offers to source brands not listed – at a price, of course. It’s a must-visit for anyone looking to expand their private cellar, and a great resource for the rest of us looking for a special occasion splurge.
Note: All wine purchased must be shipped to a licensed distributor in Canada.
-Sarah Rogers, Online Editor
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It's Easy Being Tall

As much as I've tried to deny it, every time I go shopping for pants, there's no way around the truth. At five foot eleven – okay fine, six feet – I'm tall, and the generic 32-inch inseam that most stores carry will just never do. The solution for my too-tall shopping woes? Long Legs boutique in Toronto. The store carries everything from fun weekend wear and denim to stylish office attire and yoga garb, with generous 38-inch inseams all around. And we're not just talking pants – tall gals will also find fitted shirts, jackets, skirts, dresses and more, all designed to fit the long and lean. The best news of all – you can also shop from the comfort of home at longlegs.ca.
- Sarah Rogers, Online Editor

Personalized Jewellery

I was a wreck last week when I couldn’t find my favourite charm necklace. It’s a simple silver chain with a series of tokens I’ve collected along the years – a silver starfish my father gave me, a classic Tiffany & Co. lock and a rocker-esque rose and thorn charm (for some reason this odd combination feels very me). But in its absence, I designed a new necklace from Vancouver-based Luxe Design. You start by choosing a base from several styles of silver chain, then fill it up with charms – everything from flowers and gemstone beads to empowering words and personalized, stamped name plates. In about a week, you’ll find a unique piece of jewellery at your door. I’ve since found the necklace I was looking for, but I’ve made room on my neck for this new one, too.
- Alison Lawler-Dean, Fashion Associate

Silver charm necklace, $145 (as pictured), Luxe Design, luxe-design.com.