Dear Mica:

My brother is planning a huge camping trip with his buddies to celebrate his birthday in July and he’s invited me to come along. The only problem is…I hate camping. I’d tell him I was too busy but we only just became friendly again in the past few months (we didn’t talk for years). Meaning,  I can’t get out of it. They go camping every year for his birthday and it’s the first time they’ve invited me so it means a lot to them. What do I do?

City Girl Forever

When I lived in Korea, I would often see women with only one or two nails painted and the rest left plain, when I finally let my curiosity get the best of me and mustered up the courage to ask a woman why she only had one nail painted, she smiled widely, threw her hands in the air and announced “NO TIME!”

It’s the last Monday in our Gossip contest. We’re giving away three copies of their new album, Perfect World, on the release date, May 22.

How to Win:

Go to our Facebook page and watch out for when we post the Gossip trivia question. Answer the question in the comment section to enter for your chance to win.

Winners will be announced on May 22.

You’ve probably seen the food trucks parked around the city.  Been invited to one of the El Carnita taco & art events or Toronto Underground Market events on Facebook.  Or if you’re an experienced and curious foodie, you’ve probably tasted some of the food from Toasted Tangerine, El Gastronomo Vagabundo or Gorilla Cheese.  There is a huge movement hitting Toronto right now (for those in the know) and it’s the Food Truck movement.

While Toronto isn’t the original city of the Food Truck movement (one foodie I spoke with told me that Toronto is about 3 years behind the ‘movement’), cities like New York, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles trail-blazed a path for how Toronto could operate and set up shop.  Shows like Food Network’s “Eat Street” put a glaring spotlight on the industry and people were becoming more and more interested in these bite-sized eats that you could grab street side that weren’t just hot dogs and french fries.

We love all things beauty related here. Who doesn’t?

Recently, a new company, Deca Cosmetics, has been created in Toronto that distributes high quality mineral based cosmetics that have been clinically tested as up to par if not better than the leading top quality cosmetics brands we use today.

The Gossip’s new album, A Joyful Noise hits the internet for sale May 22nd, and it’s worth a buy for the following reasons:

1. They make albums. You can put it on and listen throughout. It’s probably the perfect getting-ready-to-get-laid album, not in the sense that The Weeknd gets people in the sexy mood post 2AM (seriously, who hasn’t hit it to at least one of those Weeknd EPs in the past 6 months) but in the “getting my hair did to snag me some tail” kinda way. It’s the well rounded dance floor fluff that gets you singing along while you get your dancing shoes on.

2. There’s some amazing throwback bitchery. “Get a Job” floored me on first spin. Not only is it catchy and exciting like a strutting George Michael “Freedom 90″, but the lyrics are killer. Sample: “Poor little rich girl, you don’t know where the money went…you need to get a job! What kind of life is it when every day’s a weekend. How quickly we forget when I’m at work, you’re sleeping in…you need to get a job!” It’s harsh and beautiful, it has ton’s of dance floor potential for remix and catchy as all hell. “Get Lost” also rocks a chorus with piano line that is reminiscent of  a genre we all know and love called “old Madonna”.

3. It’s just enough of a departure to show growth, but not so much that fans will feel turned off by the dread Zooropa curse. This album is more electronic and poppy then past efforts, although you wouldn’t know it from the single, “Perfect World”, which is vintage Gossip. There’s a lot more synths, but a general even-ness to the tone that keeps it poppy light.

If you’re just looking for the “hits” then download:

-Get A Job-for it’s “you betta work” potential

-Move in The Right Direction-for its drag queen struttability

-Perfect World-if you like songs that get stuck in your head for days

-Get Lost-cause it’s like some old new Madonna ish (post Vogue, pre Frozen)

Photos by Alice Xue

Last month he directed Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” video and now Director X is gearing up to take on the Toronto International Music Summit on May 26, 2012. A self proclaimed “mercenary,” X is the brains behind the visual elements that accompany the music to many of the most well recognized artists of today including, R. Kelly, Nikki Minaj, Drake, and The Wanted.

The Toronto Inside Out LGBT film Festival officially starts May 17th and goes to May 27th. Everything from screenings, artist talks, panel discussions, installations and parties. So many events for everyone to check out. This LINK gives you a tease to movie trailers for the films this year. You can follow them on Twitter @InsideOutTO

The Festival started in 1991 out from “a small community of people who yearned to see film and video created by and about lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people.” It is now Canada’s largest festival of it’s kind and in the top five world wide. Over 200 films and videos from Canada and around the world will be welcome to the over 35,000 who attend. In short, The Toronto Inside Out LGBT Film Festival has a reputation “as an international leader in the presentation of queer film.” This year, the Festival celebrates their theme of “Fearless, Shameless, Timeless” with films that have come from international film makers. There is so much to see, and do this year. My blog is merely the surface of what is available this year at the Festival.

Gossip, the American indie-rock trio, is coming out with a new studio album, Perfect World, on May 22nd and we’ve got three copies to give away.

Check out the PinkMafia Facebook Page on Monday’s until the Album release for our Gossip Trivia question.

How to Win:

When you see the trivia question (the time will never be the same, so you have to make sure to keep a look out for it) answer the question in a comment on the post. Commenting the correct answer enters you in the contest for a chance to win. The more you answer, the more ballots you receive.

AHHH! I seriously cannot believe how much Whedon their has been in my life lately. From the Buffy reruns that air everyday on MUCH MUSIC, to Cabin In The Woods, and now The Avengers, Joss is all I can/want to think about :)

JOSS WHEDON IS A GENIUS,  a clever cult genius. It’s actually kinda strange (in a good way) that we’re getting so much Joss in our lives considering mostly everything he does is not well received by the average overweight American public…BIG SHOCK! But thankfully Paramount and Marvel Studios have faith in him to write and direct not only the best blockbuster of the summer, but one of the greatest superhero movies OF ALL TIME.

Originally set for release in 2009, through MGM Studios, but because of bankruptcy issues, it’s been thrown around so many times through development hell up until now.  Joss Whedon’s Cabin In The Woods could not have came out at a better time to coincide with the hype for the major epic super awesome summer blockbuster, The Avengers, and to make this cult icon a soon to be a household name.  In true Whedon fashion, you have no idea what you’re in for, but I guarantee it’s a hilariously gory ride into the unknown.