We got a suprise when White Spot dropped off three Pirate Paks last Friday afternoon. We spent the rest of the afternoon hunting for gold coins and Prosecco.

From the bride files: managing editor Maria Tallarico in Wedding Bells. What do you get when you cross 6 bridesmaids and 6 groomsmen, 300 guests and an open bar? Find out here.

We got a sneak peak at the Keg's new Yaletown location and we were wowed by the huge space (four floors with a quadruple-tiered marble firepace to match!) and stunning art collection.

Seems like we've found a new place to trove for booze and brokers after work.

The Keg opens today...look for our upcoming dose—including deets on the rooftop patio— this week.

Chocolate cheesecake, lemon drop, strawberry shortcake oh my! And the list just keeps on goin'...

With locations in Kits and downtown, we're sweet on Big City Cupcakes. And for cleanse-friendly (sort of!) dessert, try the  egg-, glutten- and dairy-free options.

Have you been cupcaked?

www.bigcitycupcakes.com

Vancouver artist Karin Bubas is most known for her cinematic photography, but her latest medium is pastel and paper, with inspiration drawn from a smaller, yet no less theatrical, screen (a little show you may have heard of called The Hills). Here, our Q&A with her about her exhibition With Friends Like These.... 

Vitamin Daily Vancouver: How long did the series take?

Karin Bubas: I did them all in 3 months, averaging 3 per week.

VDV: The show was inspired by one you saw at Musée d’Orsay. What was it specifically about it that inspired you?

KB: I was in Paris last fall and saw the fantastic pastel show called Le mystère et l'éclat. I’d been thinking about doing some sort of ambitious painting or drawing project for some time and when I saw the exhibition I realized that I had to give soft pastel some serious consideration. The raw pigment seemed to glow off the paper in a magical way and I think it has been an undervalued medium. Also, there is something about a painted or drawn portrait that has an emotional resonance that a photographic portrait does not. I knew I wanted to work on portraits and it was a matter of who and what. When I was back in Vancouver, I began watching a lot of television, specifically The Hills, and realized that the emotional display of the cast members would make excellent subject matter to begin experimenting with pastel. Also, I was intrigued by the idea of the collective social experience in relation to drawing from stills of The Hills.

VDV: Who's your favourite Hills character? Who do you loathe the most?

KB: I'd have to say Lauren is my favourite. I wasn't sure about her at first but as the seasons progressed I began to empathize with her and the situations she found herself in. I really like the Whitney/Lauren, Teen Vogue/People's Revolution story lines. I think it is something that will be greatly missed in the upcoming season with Whitney and Lauren's departure. Most hated is definitely Kristin Cavallari. I recently watched Laguna Beach so that I could get the scoop on her and I found her to be quite terrible in a leading role. She seems to consistently speak in a low-joking sarcastic mumble that is incredibly irritating. Add "Stacey the bartender" to the mix and I think The Hills is going a very trashy route.

VDV: You've also done watercolour paintings of Dynasty characters, what inspired that? 

KB: The fashion and the dramatic situations seemed like an interesting point to start watercolour character studies. I was looking for source material to paint portraits of raw emotion and the Dynasty cast did an excellent job.

VDV: Any plans for pastels of The City characters? Any other projects you're working on? 

KB: Originally I was going to do a blend of The City and The Hills and I do have many stills that I took from City episodes. In the end I decided that it would be better to focus on The Hills for a more cohesive theme. I have had several requests for an Olivia drawing though. Perhaps I will give The City a try. Maybe I'll just have to see how the next season is. I have a few new photography ideas, so I'll just have to see where everything takes me.

My sister Kara (intrepid photographer) and I (intrepid reporter) braved the high temps last weekend to see some high profile acts take the stage at the Virgin Music Festival in Deer Lake Park. Here we are before we sweat through our clothes.

On the festival fashion front, there were plenty of ladies stripping down to bikinis, but this stylish threesome collectively decided serious looks, bowler hats and blousey tops were the way to keep cool.

It's hard to keep the many ever-changing members of Broken Social Scene straight, but Lisa Lobsinger is someone you should get to know. The Calgary singer's unordinary updo gave us some major hair envy.

Our Lady Peace took us back to 1997 and we didn't mind too much because Raine Maida looks just as foxy now as he did then. Not surprisingly he inspired some enthusiatic singing-along from the crowd.

On day two, Spinnerette brought tough chick garage rock and Jarvis Cocker brought the moves (if fact, we caught some on tape, click here to watch).

To finish off the fest, Ben Harper and his band The Rentless 7 showed us his tats and bluesy rock.

By far the most beautiful sight that weekend was the kaleidoscope sky brought on by the unexpected thunder and lightning storm on Saturday night. Mother Nature sure knows how to close a show.

If Jake Gyllenhaal smiled at us with yellow, coffee-stained teeth would we be as turned on? Probably not. And we certainly can't ask Jakey-poo to have pearlier whites if we're not willing to do the same (being egalitarian and all), so when Jason Alcott of Shades Brighter offered to whiten and brighten my smile, I couldn't pass it up. Here are our highly accurate before and after photos:

Before

During (it took just two back-to-back 10 minutes sessions, that gets two thumbs up!)

After

All kidding and Photoshop fun aside, my chicklets did get a full four shades whiter. They'll come right to you too, so that means whenever we need a pick-me-up, we can pop in Moonlight Mile and have our teeth whitened while we watch. That's something worth smiling about.

Professional make-up artist Tana Lynn came prepared, armed and ready to conquer with her giant make-up kit.

TLC Mineral Makeup is made of all natural ingredients, so you don't have to worry about yucky preservatives or bacteria.

Here's Sarah, our Editor-in-chief, getting a pair of super long lashes (to match her legs). 

You can never get enough Vitamin Daily and minerals.

We celebrated Bastille Day in style this year with French-inspired cocktails and canapés at the lovely C Restaurant's waterfront patio.

As you can see, our team was hard at work...all the crystal mussels, Bordeaux, and mingling. 

There was fabulous décor and awesome giveaways (including Narcissist, Estée Lauder, and H&M gift cards). 

We managed to snap a shot of Sarah (Editor-in-chief) schmoozing with some guests.

Then there was Lisa and I, guarding the door and only letting in the fashionistas invited to the party. Don't we look like intimidating bouncers? 

The soirée was a hit -- we could tell when the guests were still lingering till the wee hours of the night.

C'est la vie!

Au revoir