Media | Dundas West #LoveMyHood

Throughout September I was featured by Bench Canada in their Love My Hood campaign. You might have seen a couple of these photos on their Instagram or Facebook. We snapped these shot at  the Wallace Ave. bridge that was built in 1907. Their contest ends this week so scroll down for details on how you can enter. The bridge covers the train tracks that are currently being expanded to service the new GoTrain Express to Person Airport. Alongside the bridge, is the West Toronto Railpath that I like to run on and where I took heaps of GoPro photos at last winter. Dug up these old photos fro the depths of the Internet. I love seeing how the city has changed. I think about how the Internet has changed my life in the last 10 years, imagine how this bridge feels?! 🙂  Wearing: Bench hoodie, dress from Brandy Melville, boots from NastyGal It’s your last chance, our #LoveMyHood contests ends in a week! Have your shown us your city yet? pic.twitter.com/tcLCocIG10 — BENCH Canada (@BenchCanada) September 23, 2014 This is the last week to enter their #LoveMyHood contest. You can win $500 and 2 round trip flights anywhere in Canada. Tag your photos #LoveMyHood and make sure you’re following@BenchCanada. Good luck! You can bring a friend so like, if your BFF is away, you can always invite me.  Thanks Bench Canada for this new monogrammed hoodie. I love things with my face and or name on them! See all posts tagged Bench from over the years here. Have an awesome day. Remember, you’ll never be younger than you are today, so make the most of it! <3 CASIE

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Big Bang Baby

She was ready for a change! Went back to Hair by Beni in Yorkville and got a little trim. I have had bangs so many times in my life and I was happy when he said ‘let’s cut your fringe’. I have seriously never loved my hair more. The mirrors and lighting in this salon are next level. Also, the title of this post is a song by Stone Temple Pilots. The chokehold this song and Scott Weiland had on me as a teenager! I loved his dance moves, the green pants, everything. The cutest thing about me showing up at Saon Jie on this fine Saturday morning was that Beni and I were wearing the same bright yellow! It was so adorable, love him! We met up later that night at Do West aka Dundas West Fest and had the best time.

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TIFF 2022: Twitter x The Woman King

I didn’t go to many TIFF events this year but I hate to miss a Twitter event! I had the day off from work to prepare for Lauren’s wedding so it worked out perfect that Twitter hosted a TIFF lunch that day for ‘The Woman King’. It was a panel Q&A w/ Academy Award winner Viola Davis & the cast of the upcoming film. Joining Ms. Davis were four other stars of the film: Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, & Sheila Atim. Leveraging the important themes from the film, this panel conversation was focused on celebrating Black women & how we can all #TakeUpSpace. i can’t even begin to explain how powerful the conversation was. Twitter’s global director of culture and community God-is Rivera (@GodisRivera) was the moderator and TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey (@cameron_tiff) was also there to introduce the guests and give opening remarks. After, I took a stroll with Natalie before going to Yorkville to pick up Lauren’s dress. Traffic was insane, it took me almost an hour to get from Yorkville to my place in Dundas West. I look forward to seeing The Woman King in theatres., Find your local times here! Thank you Twitter Canada for another amazing event!

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Winter Wander with Ease

I had such a great day on Saturday. Such a treat when the weekend rolls around and I have little to no plans. Love a Saturday winter wander, stopping into shops, taking in the sunshine, and letting my mind free. Started the day at Othership, my first visit the new sauna + ice bath spot on Adelaide. It was amazing. I’ve already booked to go back again and will share more about the experience in another post. After Othership, a friend and I had brunch at Oretta. It’s the first time I’d been for brunch since at least December 2019. I’m not really a ‘brunch girl‘ but we went for the special and paired our meal with coffee and a mimosa. It was lovely! I spent the next two hours casually walking home through Queen West and Dundas West, before hitting Junction Triangle. It was cold but sunny and I was happy as can be. The past two years have been hard but I’ve really found joy in little things like a nice long walk by myself. As the world starts to open up again, I vow to not get caught up in the rat race like I was. I’m looking for a simple kinda life.

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Back on My Morning Routine

I’ve been back on my morning routine this week and it feels so good. Running first thing in the morning is an incredible way to start the day! I set out my running gear before bed so I can roll out at 7 am jump into my clothes, grab my AirPods, and hit the road. This week has been kinda cold but once you get moving it’s super refreshing. I love running to the south end of the West Toronto Rail Path and seeing the sun come up over Dundas West. It blows my mind that I’ve been running consistently for over two years. I started on Daylight Savings in 2019 and I’m extremely thankful for starting this habit before the pandemic hit. I feel like it saved my sanity through those hard months. Let this be a reminder, it’s never too late to start a new habit. It’s also ok to skip a day, think long term, consistency is key! In other news, I’ve been listening to Will Smith’s new book on Audible and it’s great, raw, real, honest. After seeing him on tv and in movies for so long, it’s nice to hear him tell stories about his own life. Highly recommend! I enjoy listening to audiobooks on my runs because when I feel like taking a break or slowing down, the words keep me going. Some other celebrity memoirs I’ve enjoyed on Audible are by Mariah Carey, Matthew McConaughey, and Jessica Simpson. Happy listening, reading, or running!

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Day 586: When Life Gives You Monday

After work, I biked over to a last-minute vintage sale on Queen West. April was going to meet me there but she had to work so I went solo. I wasn’t really looking for anything particular but I left with a beautiful silk blazer (with shoulder pads!) and a glass bowl I plan to use for plant propagation. Took home something for April in my bike basket. ? It was absolutely beautiful outside and it felt great to be on my bike in the sun. I cruised down the West Toronto Rail Path, down Dundas West, and back. Loving these warm October days and hope they stick around past Halloween. When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day. Ella Woodward Looking forward to an early night and my run in the morning. Sending you sunshine through the internet!

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Day 580: What’s Behind Door Number 2?

Feeling pretty good today! We’re heading up north to the cottage tonight and I’m really looking forward to being in the woods. After getting my nails done yesterday I popped into Door Number 2 Vintage on Dundas West, they have three floors of treasures tucked away. I’ve been looking for a small rug to go under my desk chair so it doesn’t roll on the concrete. Well, I found the perfect one, a bright red/pink Moroccan rug that was hiding in the basement. That’s the thing I love about vintage shopping, you never know what you’ll find. In other news, Everlane sent me a package with The Way High Jean and a beautiful cashmere sweater. I used to be obsessed with Everlane and went to the opening of their store in San Francisco a few years back. If you’re looking for well made, sustainable, stylish items, use this link for 10% off your first order. You will not be disapointed!

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Day 495: She Wore Red Lipstick

On Day 495 she wore red lipstick and felt a renewed sense of self. With her dark pandemic locks, she put her unwashed hair in a braid, threw on some jewelry, and headed out on her vintage-style bike. She met up with a friend to catch up, the daily download on everything. The girls walked backstreets of Dundas West and got popsicles on Queen West. On the ride home, Casie stopped to take a photo of ‘billboard’ and thought, ‘that would be a great place for my face’. And as she typed this she thought, “Why don’t I write in the third person a little more? It’s kinda fun.” At home, she opened her mail to find a Tiki Party gift complete with Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum. Although she had work to do, knowing she had ice in the freezer, she reached for the blender. She worked and typed will dreaming of Pina Coladas in a tropical destination. Thought about buying some nice jewelry from Hestia Jewels. One day, she will travel again, her suitcase is ready and waiting. Outfits too.

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Day 429: Meet Me in The Park

A couple of years ago I was doing yoga almost every day with Sandy at Yoga Yoga in the Junction. I hadn’t seen her in ages and this morning to text me about going for a walk together. It was perfect timing as I didn’t have plans and Sean was back at the cottage. She said ‘Meet me in the park‘ and we decided to hang out on the grass at Sarauren Avenue Park. Idk why I’ve never really hung out there as it’s such a nice park. Bellwoods has been really busy lately, this week there was someone with a gun, and people keep leaving garbage there. Nice to discover a clean & safe place right around the corner from our house. One of my fav sunset views is this one along Dundas West right at the top of Sterling Ave. It’s not exactly spectacular but idk, I just like it. I biked home feeling energized and inspired. It was so nice to laugh with Sandy again. In other news, I ordered THE CUTEST set from Aerie. I posted to my Story and ended up sending the link to a bunch of friends when they asked about it. I ordered another similar set in blue. It fits so nice and the material is very stretchy, kind like a swimsuit. Week is off to a great start! I took a vacation day on Friday so it’s a short one! Weeee!

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Day 388: Follow The Sun

I went for two runs love. I love my morning runs but after work, I was feeling stress and anxiety so I went out again. News is circulating that we’re going back into a stay-at-home order tomorrow. They’ve closed the schools again. Cases are rising. I don’t even know what to say. It’s hard to believe this is really happening. I’m trying to stay focused on the positive and stick o my workouts because it’s the only thing I have going on right now (aside from work). Grateful to have started work at Funday last month because I look forward to the projects on my plate and it gives me something fun to focus on aside from the news. I love this spot on Dundas West at sunset. As I exited the path, I turned to face the sun and it was shining so beautifully. I like to follow the sun when I’m running and soak up as much as I can. That’s all for today. Hang in there, we’ll get through this.

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Day 352: A Good Old-Fashioned Phone Call

Today I booked a meeting with someone and when she asked for my phone number I was so RELIEVED. In her email, she mentioned Zoom fatigue and I was like ‘YES I AGREE’. We ended up having a great chat for 30 min before even getting to the meat of what we planned to talk about. It’s amazing how wonderful a phone call with a friend or family member can be. I ring mum about once a day to chat about the day. Sometimes when I have a good day, I call her a couple of times! I miss seeing people so much but there’s something so personal about a good old-fashioned phone call. These days gabbing with my girlfriends is the best way to connect, if we’re not able to meet for a distanced walk. In other news, I’m on a good streak with Peloton workouts and discovered a new fav today. There’s a 20min Bad Boy Entertainment full body and it is SO GOOD. I’ve been a HUGE fan of Puff Daddy & the Family since the 90s! Went out for a run at magic hour and she did not disappoint! The sky was so beautiful. As I arrived at the Dundas West bridge on my way to Roncy, the sun was just setting on the horizon. The cotton candy sky had me smiling as I ran the rest of the way home. I think this is gonna be my new thing, I usually run in the morning but a night run is a great way to close out the day. It made me feel alive and free! I am living for these longer days when I can get outside AFTER Young & The Restless and it’s still light out. Hahaha!

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Day 349: Talk To The Moon

Met up with Michelle to go for a nice walk in the sun. I was thinking of taking the King Streetcar from Bathurst back to Dundas West but changed my mind. Decided to follow the sun and head west on foot, picked up some flowers, and walked home. Went through Trinity Bellwoods then along Dundas, when I passed Lansdowne, the sunset lined up perfectly with the bridge at Sterling Road. Got home as the sky turned to night. Was feeling big moon energy and said my 6 wishes under its bright light. Learned this manifestation from mum and always go out and talk to the moon, tell the universe exactly what I want. It’s amazing how fast the universe responds if you go confidently in the direction of your dreams, leaving doubt behind. For the full moon, I attended on an online sound bath hosted by Sound Meditation Presents. A sound bath is an opportunity to travel inward, explore your thoughts and feelings through sound and breathing. In January 2017, after 3 crazy days of CES in Las Vegas, I drove to LA. I offered to drive a friend back and he brought 2 friends for the ride. I was on a solo mission so didn’t mind the company. One of the friends was Suzy, who invited me to join her for Sound Bath LA. Had no idea what it was but I went. We grabbed blankets and pillows and drove with her friend to a dance studio. It was such an incredible experience, I wrote about it here. I left that night feeling like a different person, I’d changed. Spent the next week in LA, alone, staying at different Airbnbs and going on adventures. There is nothing like traveling by yourself to rediscover who you are. I was forever…

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Day 322: Saturday Sun

I had been looking forward to this day all week! April and I planned to go for a big walk in the sun and it was GLORIOUS. I started out from my place in the Junction Triangle, met her Dundas West, then we went to Kensington. I hadn’t been in that area for ages since being at the cottage for most of the pandemic. It was pretty busy there so we grabbed a quick coffee, kept our masks on, and headed to Queen Street. Since we aren’t able to gather with friends right now, we were hoping to run into people we knew along the way, and we certainly did! It was so nice to catch up with a few random friends neither of us had seen in ages. We continued west on Queen to Parkdale and I walked back home to the West Toronto Rail Path. I did about 19,000 steps! Once I got home I changed into loungewear and parked myself on the couch for the afternoon. Amazing how a big walk & heaps pf fresh air will tucker you out.

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Day 192: Follow the Sunshine

Did a 30 min guided run today with the Nike Running Club app. Pretty sure my legs will be sore! I love this app so much, the guided runs connect with Apple Music and the playlist today was so good. I’m not going to make my 70Km Monthly challenge but I’m happy to be back into my groove of at least doing 1km/day. There’s always next month! Spent most of the day working at home on a couple different projects. It feels SO GOOD to be back working. I loved the creative-COVID break but I also really enjoy being part of a team and contributing to something bigger than me. Went for a bike ride to meet Michelle after work and it was so nice out. Stopped at a bar on Dundas west and grabbed one of these cutie-cute little strawberry vodka sodas from Ace Hill. Love supporting local!

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