Shooting a full-length documentary film by yourself may be impossible for the majority of us but not for Vancouver based filmmaker/photographer Eileen Yaghoobian. It took her four years to film Died Young Stayed Pretty with the majority of the time being spent traveling alone throughout North America. It examines the subculture of gig posters in North America's underground indie rock movement. In 2001 Clay Hayes from Calgary started GigPosters.com, an online community for artists to share and connect with other gig poster designers. The site was where Yaghoobian discovered this form of artwork. There she found out that the imagery used in gig posters and it really captivated her. It was a type of medium where anything goes, from psychedelic punk Seripop posters to cut n' paste silk-screened Bush-hugging Statue of Liberty posters.

Beyond Robson has a pair of tickets and a poster to see Died Young Stayed Pretty, read more for more details.

Christmas to me is a time of overly decorated houses, snowmen in backyards and spending time with friends and family. But here in Vancouver where condos outrun houses and there's a lack of snow, the only thing I can rely on is spending time with friends and family. The good people at Mint Records are putting on a party but not just any party... a Ridiculous Early Christmas Party. Last year Mint Records not only put on a party in Vancouver , but also in Victoria, and the year before that Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand joined Nardwuar the Human Serviette's the Evaporators on stage to sing "Take Me Out". This year will probably be no different and equally full of surprises and good times.

The first night will be all ages and will feature The Evaporators, The Pack AD, Lois, Kellarissa, Thee Goblins and more. Nardwuar will also showcase his videos of his favorite bands and interviews from the "Video Vault". These are those wacky videos you've seen on Much Music and Youtube.

Two of my favourite things are making stuff and buying stuff. These two passions are going to collide in a mega fun packed way in the next few weeks. The first event is featuring local designers selling their handmade goods this Sunday, November 23 at the "We've Fallen for Etsy" Sale. Etsy.com is one of my favorite websites where local designers can sell their handmade goods, and unlike local retail outlets the website does not take a large percentage of profits, just a $0.20 listing charge and a tiny sales fee.. man that's cheap!

If you don't know what Etsy is, get on this bandwagon. It's a great site to buy and sell handmade goods, local designers are able to run their own online store and sell anything from silk-screened clothing to hand built furniture. The "We've Fallen for Etsy" Sale is the first ever Etsy sale featuring 26 local designers. These designers include devilmaywear, Cabin, Smeeta and more. Etsy sale organizer and local designer, Melanie Hull chose the designers by searching them online, "Etsy has a great feature on it where you can Shop local. If you look under the Shop Local for Vancouver BC you can find all your favourite designers there... Selecting a few people from each little category. I looked at what Etsy sellers had to sell and made sure to have something from many categories available to shoppers," Hull says.

There are many well known Canadian authors that use their fame to create television shows or robot hand to autograph books around the world without leaving her house... But then there are authors that simply strive for originality without any regard for glory. Sheila Heti maybe best known for writing the celebrated novel Ticknor and the acclaimed story collection The Middle Stories. Her work has been published in The Believer, The New Yorker, Geist, Esquire, Brick and more. But I believe she should be best recognized for created the "Trampoline Lecture Series".

The Trampoline Lecture series is something that makes us D.I.Y kids proud. The series was created by Heti and hosted by Misha Glouberman. These shows feature three lecturers speaking on subjects they're not experts on, in addition to readings and other activities. The New Yorker praised the series for "celebrating eccentricity and do-it-yourself inventiveness." Lecture topics range from wacky things like "Female poisoners of 18th century France", "Gossip is worse than pork" to less wacky subjects like "Hasidic speed dating" and "Not being naked". Okay... well they're all kinda wacky. Heti and Glouberman started the series in 2001 in Toronto and have sold out every show since.

When I received an invitation for the "To the Dogs" book launch, I found it fitting that a local book publisher that allows dogs in their office will put out a book about these lovable canines. Also it was about time there was a book that documented humanity's historical relationship with dogs. They were with us side by side, in times of hard fought war and in our homes as companions. The book features 150 full page photographs from William Wegman, Larry Towell and Eadweard Muybridg, from dog shows, circuses, dogfights and a dog hotel. Written by Peter Culley, a poet from Nanimo, BC. He discusses the international citizenry of canines and their connections to humans. Culley has published four books of poetry, including, most recently, The Climax Forest (Leech Books). Poems have also appeared in Boo, Credentes, Hole, Ink, Jag, West Coast Line, and Writing. He has published reviews and art criticism in the magazines Vanguard and Parachute.

When I visited an anonymous art gallery today, it reiterated the feeling of how various galleries can be stale and cold. In fact, it may have even once been a place where lawyers and witnesses participated in a dull trial... Grunt Gallery is definitely not giving that impression. They are always trying to bring people together and are hosting a Grunt Gallery Tea Party & Book Launch this weekend.

Grunt gallery is one of twelve artist run centres in Vancouver, formed in 1984 and still going strong with the help of government funds and donations. Artists run centres dont try to earn revenue by selling overpriced artwork to brow clients, but are instead focused on bringing a community together. The Kitchen is one of the features of Grunt Gallery, where artists can come together and stir up new ideas. Everyone is welcome to walk in, sit down with a good cup of coffee, and take part. Grunt Gallerys Tea Party this weekend is an extended version of that idea. Grunt Gallery is also launching the book Access All Areas: Conversations on Engaged Arts.