Courtesy of Toveren.ca

Ever since she was a little girl, playing dress-up with her grandmother’s jewelry, Carleton Eckhardt has had an eye for design and beauty. After graduating from fashion management at George Brown College, she set out as an entrepreneur launching her very own Toronto based jewelry line: Toveren. Chatting with this budding designer, we found out more about these all natural, high-end statement pieces, and how we can get our hands on them!

Pony: What made you get into making jewelry? And how has your style evolved since you started?

Carleton: I remember making friendship bracelets using embroidery thread, beads and hemp when I was younger – I’ve always loved creating things. When I really fell in love with jewelry was when I discovered my great grandmothers vintage costume pieces. It was that chunky, glam look that I couldn’t and still can’t get enough of! I started to have visions of something that I’d want to wear and became obsessed with creating it so I started making costume jewelry pieces for myself. I’d search flea markets for vintage findings so that my jewelry had that one-of-a-kind feel. My first pieces were long single feather and chain earrings that I’d pair with a stud.  Family and friends started asking me to make them earrings and it really just went from there.

Pony: You’ve got a nice mix of day-to-day and statement pieces in your collection. Which do you find to be the most popular?

Courtesy of Toveren.ca

Courtesy of Toveren.ca

Carleton: My aim is to create pieces that stand out but are still wearable for day-to-day.  The MOLLY bracelet is very popular because it has a chic simplicity when worn alone and can also be layered with multiples of the same bracelet or others. All my rings are adjustable from a size 6.5 – 11 so they work for just about anyone on any finger. I also do custom work upon request so there is something for everyone!

Pony: What made you choose Toveren as your name?

Carleton: I come from a Dutch background and the word “toveren,” means to ‘practice witchcraft,’. When I heard the word, I really thought that it was a great fit for my pieces. I love to work with natural materials and have done a lot of research pertaining to their various properties for which I have acquired an appreciation and understanding.

Pony: You’ve worked and studied fashion over the years, would you consider collaborating with any young designers?

Carleton: Yes, one hundred percent!

Pony: What sort of pieces can we expect to see in the near future?

Courtesy of Toveren.ca

Courtesy of Toveren.ca

Carleton: I’m working with various fabrics, wood, crystal and bone to create bold, eclectic pieces; great statement necklaces and chunky cuff bracelets are just a couple of examples. I will also be doing some mens pieces in the near future.

Pony: How long does it take you to make each piece? What’s the process like from start to finish?

Carleton: The length of time to create a piece varies. I hand select all my materials and before I work with certain crystals and stones, I’ll cleanse them as they are meant to embody the individual energy of the wearer. I make all items by hand and spend the time to make sure that my pieces will go the distance – quality is everything.

Pony: Where do you get inspiration for your materials?

Carleton: I was born and raised here in Toronto, but always loved the beauty of nature and the outdoors. I love to combine elements from the two by using natural materials and adding a little edge. When I was young my sister, cousins and I used to collect rocks and natural quartz at our cottage – I was always really interested in different types of fossils, rocks and crystals.  My current pieces really embody a little piece of my childhood.

Pony: Where can we buy your pieces?

Carleton: I am currently selling my pieces on Etsy, my website Toveren.ca, and specially made-to-order through email (info@toveren.ca).

– Emma Farquharson

Courtesy of Eddie Della Siepe

There’s something about Eddie Della Siepe that seems different these days. Following his path as a stand-up comedian, we’ve watched him grow from a Yuk Yuk’s Amateur Night teen to Much Music‘s Video on Trial host, and now, to headlining specials on Comedy Now. He’s maturing; growing into his act and enticing his audience with a humble and playful approach.

So why is it that we can’t seem to get enough Edmundo? How has he managed to captivate us with his charming smile and self-deprecating humour all these years? I decided to ask him myself:

Pony: What do you think is the secret to success in this cut-throat industry?

Eddie: The secret in my opinion is to find out what you’re good at and have a knack for it, whether it be stand-up, improv, writing etc. and really put your all into it. The doors will start to open.

Pony: Has your taste in humour changed over the years? Does it affect your performance?

Eddie: In the beginning I was dirty and trying to be “edgy”, but now I try to be more accessible. As I get older, I find my taste is more about being clever and silly.

Pony: So, Comedy Now! This must be a big moment for you – how did you go about the show?

Eddie: This is my first ever comedy special and I actually approached it like it was just a regular show in a great venue with an amped up audience. I had a lot of fans there so I just relaxed and had a great time. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever done.

Pony: How did it compare to live shows such as Yuk Yuks?

Eddie: I guess the idea of your own special can be quite daunting for some people. Four huge cameras, a lit audience and of course the pressure of it being on television can weigh on you. Luckily for me, being on Video on Trial so much has made me comfortable in front of the cameras.

Pony: How did it go, overall? What are we in store for?

Eddie: Be prepared for observational humor mixed in with quirky and silly twists and concepts. I don’t ever cross the line but on occasion I may come close. All in all I think people will like it.

Pony: Are there certain jokes they forbid you to make on the show? What are the guidelines they give you beforehand?

Eddie: I think if you’re talking about really touchy subjects like abortion or rape, chances are it won’t get on the show. We have the freedom to swear on Canadian television so the people from The Comedy Network feel swearing is okay as long as it’s for comedic affect and not sprinkled casually throughout your set. Other than that anything goes!

Courtesy of Eddie Della Siepe

Pony: Does your mind ever go blank on stage? What do you do when you get nervous?

Eddie: I’m fortunate to be quick on my feet and I don’t usually draw a blank on stage. If I get nervous before a show, I usually just give myself a pep talk, breathe, and just walk on stage.

Pony: What’s next for you? You’ve rocked all the comedy networks and venues in Toronto. Where do you go from here?

Eddie: I’ll keep working on my craft. Stand-up is like a golf swing, you never master it but you keep working on it. I’ll be shooting more episodes of Video On Trial for Much Music and I’ll be making more moves towards establishing myself in the  U.S market.

Pony: What is the best or worst advice someone has ever given you in the industry?

Eddie: I haven’t gotten a lot of bad advice in the business.  If I have a gut feeling it’s not good advice, I don’t take it in. The best advice I’ve gotten was by a comedian named Mike Wilmot, “make the women laugh, and then everybody laughs.”

*Watch Eddie’s Comedy Now special at 10:00 pm, August 20th on CTV!*

– Emma Farquharson.

Courtesy of David Tran

He’s been featured in several magazines and commercials, and is now starring in his first movie role as a professional kite boarder. But Dan Steiner is still the same long-time friend and biker buddy I know and love – zipping around Toronto on his Aprilia Mana, embracing the outdoors and living life to its fullest. Chatting together, I learned more about the sport that changed his life and his new movie, Within Reach.

Pony: Of all the board sports, what made you gravitate towards kite boarding?

Dan: I’ve always been into board sports whether it be surfing, wake boarding, skateboarding etc.  I wanted to get into a water sport that was relatively new and something you didn’t need a $100,000 wakeboard boat in order to ride. Kite boarding appealed to me because it was a purely ‘wind-driven’ sport and it just looked like a lot of fun.

Pony: Is it as difficult as it looks?

Dan: No. Don’t get me wrong, its not EASY. It takes hard work and focus but the technique is really what’s important.

Pony: What would you say the biggest misconception is with kite boarding?

Dan: That you have to be super strong in order to do it. Yes, it is a physically demanding sport but it is far more technique oriented than brute force oriented. I’ve also been asked if “you need a boat to do it,” or if “you use helium to get the kite in the air?”

Pony: Was it tough to get sponsors?

Dan: Yes, at first. But honestly, I wasn’t really trying. I was just in love with the sport and wanted to ride. As I got better and started working in a shop, I got hooked up with Naish Kiteboarding and they have sponsored me for the last four years. It really helps because gear can get pricey, but it’s a two way street. In order to be sponsored you have to promote your brand and do everything in your power to gain exposure for them (magazines, videos, articles etc.)

Pony: How many different kinds of boards are there for a pro kite boarder?

Dan: There’s a TON of different gear that people can use but I try to keep it pretty simple. I have “wave” specific kites that I use when I’m riding in waves and I have “freestyle” specific kites that I use for freestyle. As far as boards go, it’s the same. I have my surfboards I use for wave riding and my twin-tips for freestyle.

Courtesy of Dan Steiner

Courtesy of Dan Steiner

Pony: Are you nervous about getting back out there since your leg injury? You fell 35 feet was it?

Dan: I’ve been on the water since my injury so I’m not really worried. Having said that, I don’t think I will be trying the move that I broke my leg doing anytime soon. There is definitely a mental block there. I am sure my leg can handle it but my mind is saying “take’r easy cowboy!”

Pony: How did you get involved with Within Reach?

Dan: My friend, Brendan Schnurr, is a kitesurfing buddy and videographer. He had the idea of making a film that showcases all the best spots to ride in Ontario. We started shooting and conducting interviews at each spot and have been compiling footage for the last three years or so. It’s been a long process with a lot of traveling and hard work but completely worth it.

Pony: What are we in store for?

Dan: There are a ton of places to ride in the Great Lakes and we showcased all of the best spots. You can expect in-depth interviews about each place, world class freestyle riding, wave riding and a whole bunch of wipe-outs. Oh, and don’t forget the bonus section – The Steinbag Chronicles.

Pony: Where’s your favourite place to surf?

Dan: Maui, for sure. It’s got the heaviest wind and the heaviest waves. The island is amazing for any adventure sport enthusiast – surfing, kite surfing, paragliding, mountain biking etc.  It has it all. Cabarete, Dominican Republic is also right near the top of my list.

Pony: Is there a specific move you’re known for?

Dan: My riding style is geared at keeping the kite as low as possible to create as much power for the types of tricks I do. Although I am known for riding strapless and smashing the tops off of waves!

Courtesy of David Tran

For more information on Within Reach, check out their website here or head to the Crocodile Rock on May 28th for the official premiere. Guest list is full so you’ll want to show up right at 8:30!

– Emma Farquharson.

Courtesy of Google Images

The Toronto FC is back with a new coach and a new outlook on their fifth season. But will it make any difference? Talking with The Score‘s Will Farquharson (no relation. Yes, really.), I learned about what to expect from the team as they draw inspiration from the unrelenting support of their fans.

Will: TFC blew up their front office this past off-season and brought in a new Dutch coach, Aron Winter. He comes from Ajax, a very historically significant club from Amsterdam. They invented this snazzy style of play coined “Total Football” in the 70′s and was predicated on a very fluent game of soccer. So really, the idea is to install that mentality into TFC which has played pretty much the least fluent game of all time. They also got rid of their best player in franchise history, and one of the best Canadian players of all time: Dwayne De Rosario. He basically wanted more money, and instead of doing that, we shipped him off to New York. He is aging and with the team’s new rebuilding mentality, it didn’t fit.

Pony: Explain this “Total Football” strategy more.

Will: Total Football means that one player in one position can move into another player’s position and keep playing with the trust that the other player falls back to cover his original position. This way, the game is fluent and always moving, and every position is always covered.

Pony: So what do you think the team as a whole is in for this season?

Will: Looking at the standings so far, TFC has 1 win, 1 loss and 3 draws. I think that sums up how things will go this year. As the team grows into its new philosophy, there will be bumps along the way such as the loss to Vancouver. But they have enough of an experienced core set of players among all the newcomers to be competitive in the league. Unfortunately, it may not be enough to reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. But time will tell, it’s still really early in the season.

Courtesy of Will Farquharson

Pony: What teams do you think have the right approach? What changes should TFC be making right now?

Will: The thing with the MLS is that it has lots of parity, so lots of teams have a good approach. Because it’s a lower-tier league in terms of world football, the salaries and overall quality of play is much lower than other leagues. So the best approach a team can have is good management. TFC didn’t have that for years, there was plenty of internal squabbles that really crippled the team on and off the pitch. But they’ve made the right change for now, and for the future with a new management team that (hopefully) will remain trouble-free. You can tell they’re trying to rid all problems by dealing De Rosario and his contract issues away, even though he’s the best player the team has ever seen. The rest will just take time.

Pony: And what’s with the fans being so die-hard? Is that something Toronto specific or is that just how the world of soccer works?

Will: Toronto’s die-hard fans are a microcosm of the soccer world, where things are even more die-hard in many other places. We’re obviously a multi-cultural city with people from all around the world and we bring those soccer-loving passions to the stadium with us every game. Now some of that has died down since the team first came to town after some pretty poor results, but the passion is still on par, if not stronger, than pretty much anything other than the Leafs in this city.

Pony: And what about you? Will you be playing much soccer this summer?

Will: Absolutely! I play soccer year-round, rarely ever do I miss a week!

For more soccer updates and info, follow @WillFarq on Twitter, or check out The Score.com. And now, a gratuitous photo of David Beckham about to bend it at last night’s TFC game.

Courtesy of Mushy Pony

– Emma Farquharson.