I read a short article on the CBC website about how Canadians have less sex than the rest of the world and how we are known for making up excuses for not having sex. The research was done by a pharmaceutical company that makes drugs for erectile dysfunction so the article itself was, in my eyes, not meant to be taken seriously. What I thought was great were the pages and pages of comments following the article. It was full of amazing, Canadian excuses for why our collective sex drive seems to be below the international average. Here are some of my favourites:

It`s the CBC`s fault for bombarding us with bad news all the time. It kills the sex drive.

I had an exquisitely sensual dream about 10 years ago where I was in an empty room with random people. We had each been given a gift in plain foot square cardboard boxes.
I just sat feeling mine as slowly as my fingers could move until I was alone. The people had all ripped open their boxes with varying speed, and left the room. The gift inside each of theirs was an Elvis bobble head playing guitar.
Anyways, I woke up as if from a wet dream. All dewy and scrumptious feeling. My box was unopened. It was neat to close my eyes and feel a cardboard box in awake world. Cheap thrills and who'd have thought cardboard can be sexy. 

There’s an episode of My So-Called Life (this is going somewhere, I promise) in which Angela, the angst-riddled teenage protagonist, is dealing with pressure to have sex with her boyfriend. I can’t say the episode resonated much with me, even as a teenager, because her boyfriend is played by JARED FREAKING LETO and tappin’ that seems like a no-brainer.

That being said, there’s a scene with Angela musing (via agonizing internal monologue) about the sex lives of everyone around her: peers, parents, teachers, etc. [Side note: best line from the whole episode? “Sex was just this thing people had… like a rash. Or a Rottweiler.]

This video is hot! It's new-to-us work from a female director from Sweden, who lives in Spain. We rent and sell it. Check it out: www.artofloving.ca/dvds/erotica-dvds/life-love-lust-dvd

I think Erika Lust's other porno, '5 Hot Stories for Her' will also pass the Aimee test: They don't talk much. I feel chemistry and like looking at the people. The sets are stylish, and the lighting is sexy.

I watched it over my friend's shoulder while we made flatbread pizza the other night, and in case we missed anything; pressed replay twice for our dessert. I want more! More savvy delights from lascivious directors, please.

Consent, beyond “good touch, bad touch” and “no means no”, is a hard thing to define ever, let alone in a relationship. Liane’s recent blog about sleep sex had me thinking a lot more about it recently.

A while ago, my partner expressed the desire to be woken up with a blowjob, something I would never do without being asked. Nothing against blowjobs, it’s the sleeping part that throws me off. It walks a finer line than I’d usually be willing to and raised a few questions for me in terms of consent. Namely, if my partner is into something one day, is it alright to do it without asking the next? Does practicing good consent have to come at the expense of spontaneity?

When you meet somebody new, you start to consider some sort of relationship. You might want to become friends with this person, maybe you'll start crushing on them or immediately want to sleep with them. You might even hate their guts on the spot.

I've been reading up on some "red flags". Things we are meant to be looking out for when we meet this new person. Some of them are strange. Like avoiding people who eat ketchup with their eggs. Or people who are attached to their pet if their pet is not a dog or a cat. I don't like ketchup in general but I did cry a little when my praying mantis died.

A big one for me is when someone is unnecessarily rude to a waitress/waiter. Immediate asshole.

Last night my inbox had a graphic invitation to some more playtime with an ex. Fun way to start the new year? While the chemistry was fantastic, we had parted ways only when I realized his uniqueness, his often brilliance was actually him deteriorating mentally.

We got some new art books in recently which means it’s that time again! Time for me to gush over the gorgeous cyber-gothy-s&m-bondage-genderfucking sexy goodness that is Michael Manning’s Inamorata. The movement, the expressions, the threesomes! I will spare you my fangirling over his line work and my weeping with talent envy (seriously, I feel like Rob Liefeld right now) and leave it at this: the dude’s fantastic.

I definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you share my strap-on fetish. It’s taking all of my self restraint not to buy this collection, if for no other reason than to have some of the more decorative/patterned pieces in it converted into a bedspread.

I was hired at the shop to cover for Aimee while she took her 5 week extended vacation/adventure overseas. There has certainly been a huge learning curve for me in getting to know about products and becoming more informed through seminars held at the shop.

Although I am now more comfortable and knowlegdeable I have also come to realize that I still have a lot to learn! It has been a great experience for me and I was happy to find out this month that Vera and John have decided to keep me on part-time, allowing me to grow and learn further.

I really just wanted to extend my thanks to the whole team at the shop for making me feel welcome. I look forward to being here in the New Year and continuing to be a part of the team.

See you soon!

Candice.

Way to go, Netherlands - Gender bending at its retail best!

Check out male model Andrej Pejic sporting a mega push-up bra and pulling it off pretty damn well. 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/

Who wants a quizzie!? This one has 4 questions which I think is a nice feature. The quicky.
My mom repeatedly drilled into my head that generosity, NOT quick wit, or a perfect 'ahem' fit should be the deciding factor ultimately in dating someone. Oh, ya and white hot chemistry is alright in the mix.
Generosity as I've discovered speaks volumes at whether the he or she has the capacity for life I (and her) feel deserving of. Damn straight. Best advice ever if there is one only on relationships. Generosity has been the difference in truly happy unions and so-so ones according to yet another study of marriage.

My partner and I are planning our wedding for next summer. Because he is currently out of the country, I've been sending him sexy little stories to think about in between our many conversations about wedding planning and logistics.

A while ago I decided to turn a planning session into one of these sexy stories. You know the way it goes: "We'll say our vows, and then I'll reach into my bag and instead of taking out a ring, IT'S A DILDO!" and so on.

I haven't actually confessed this to my partner (yet), but now every time I look at pictures of potential venues, I look for spots where we could have sneaky sex or at least get away for a quick make out session.

I have some pretty basic criteria for potential partner material. You have to be a feminist, you can’t vote conservative, you gotta like The Clash. I once dropped a guy on the first date because told me we shouldn’t have a government but he wouldn’t admit he was an anarchist. Another guy for wearing one of those ironically mass-produced Che Guevara t-shirts. You know, regular things.

I mention this because a woman came by today with a great idea. She told me that she dumped a guy after their first date because he was afraid to come into the store.

You know what I love? Terrible euphemisms. Especially when they have to do with sex. We get them all the time here in the store, but they are usually pretty safe. We hear things like "doing it", "making love", "man juice" and so on. I recently found a few lists online compiled by people who have a strong hatred for sexual euphemisms and after reading a few of them, I can understand why! Still good for a laugh though. I thought I would share some of my favourites:

I find the argument around whether or not erotica should be considered art pretty exhausting. For one thing, it relies on there being a set definition of art, which there isn’t. And for another, it implies that the (cultural/artistic/whatever) value of an art piece is dependant entirely on subject matter, which, again, it isn’t. In my experience, a person’s position on the debate says a lot more about them than it does about erotic art.