TIFF | Bask-It Style Lounge 2023

This year’s Toronto International Film Fest was so much fun. I was hot off the heels of Venice Film Fest and the whole experience felt like a movie. One of my favorite events every TIFF season is the Bask-It Style lounge hosted by Glo Communications. They bring together a variety of brands spanning fashion, beauty, and lifestyle, inviting media to discover what’s new and take home a great selection of items. Natalie and I met up to view the brands together and it was truly a great time. We had our makeup done by Stila, hair by Marc Anthony, tried on glasses by Victoria Beckham, and more. One of the BEST gifts was the Philips Sonicare Prestige, it has Bluetooth, an app, and uses AI to get to know your mouth. Incredible! We sampled wine from the Rueda region in Spain. A personal favorite of mine, ever since I visited the region back in 2019 (see here!). Wine sommelier Renée Sferrazza was on site to take us through the different blends and I took home a 2020 bottle of Nēkora by Diez Siglos. Renée was a guest on our Cast of Creators podcast earlier this year, listen here.

View Post

The Artist Project Toronto: Feel It For Yourself

Went to opening night of The Artist Project Toronto last night, one of my fav events of the year. I can’t believe how many friends, artists, and people I knew, it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. Wore a cute outfit, a see through dress with daisies, and my fav hat from Lack of Colour Australia. I’ve been living in my new platform Vans lately. Have always been a Converse girl but, these little shoes go with everything and they’re so cute. The Artist Project is on all weekend and 100% worth checking out. It’s happening at Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place from April 14-16, and there here are 250+ independent artists. So many nice things to look at. Grab your friends, go on a date, take the whole fam, it’s great. “Explore thousands of artworks, large scale installations, enjoy curator led art tours and take home that special work that truly resonates with you.” The Artist Project Here are a few of my faves from opening night. There was so much to see, this is just a small sliver of all the things to look at. Get a ticket and go. This post isn’t sponsored, I just truly love supporting independent artists and fun events! I came home and blogged it right away so you could know about it! Feel it for yourself. Discover original works of art. A couple of nice pix of us by Ryan Emberley.

View Post

Shoppers Beauty Event 2023

I recently attended Shoppers Drug Mart’s 2023 Beauty Event and oh my, there were so many great products! I came home with a bunch of goodies that I’ll be testing out over the next few weeks months. Fun fact you might now know about me, I used to work at Shoppers Beauty in my hometown while in high school/college. 🤗 We got to learn about the latest product launches from top skincare & beauty brands and also a peek at the 8 new brands coming to Shoppers this month. I had my makeup and nails done, which was perfect timing as I was speaking at an event later in the evening. It was the first time in ages I’d been to such a massive event filled with creators, beauty editors, and influencers. I loved catching up with OG bloggers and friends. One of the best parts was my friend Ryan Emberley taking photos, everything aside from my selfie in this post was snapped by him. For years, I’ve been helping Ryan out at events with product shots so here are a few of my favs. We had a good laugh going around and snapping pix of the best products. My beautiful suit is from Fitzroy Rentals, wore it for my panel on sustainable fashion & the circular economy. More on that later! Have a beautiful day!

View Post

We All Wear Crowns ?

Feeling excited today! The sun is out, it’s layering weather, and I’m expecting mail. I’m really looking forward to the weekend, Sean and I are going to the cottage for five days, just the two of us. I’m planning to cook, read books, have a fire, relax, it’s going to be so great., The photo above is my outfit from the Booby Ball ‘Under The Sea’ event on Friday night. Thank you Ryan Emberley for the snap! I went as a mermaid queen and made a crown + shell phone to complete my look. I’m so happy with how it turned out., This winter will be all about DIY projects in my little boudoir studio at home. I got a couple of shipping notices today for stuff I ordered recently and I can’t WAIT for them to arrive. These Chloe glasses are on their way from SmartBuyGlasses.ca. I wanted these in the summer and when they reached out about doing a post on the blog, I was so happy to pick these out! This weekend I finally ordered a hat from Lack Of Colour Australia. I’ve been creeping the website and Instagram for months and have wanted one of these for ages. I’ve also found a few great hats on Amazon lately like this black boater hat. See my store here! Two weeks ago I went to a plant event with Native Shoes and was given a gift card. I finally decided on these super cute, warm, waterproof boots ‘Chamonix Junior‘. They fit a bit big so I went for the kid’s ones. They’re out on the truck for delivery today! We have an exciting meeting today at 1188 and I really hope it all works out. Here’s to good vibes and great things happening!

View Post

TIFF 2017: #EssentialsLounge8 Recap

This week I’m *finally* getting to all the goodies I received during TIFF this year. I had such a fun time! One of my fav events every year is the Essentials Lounge hosted by EGPR. In its 8th year, the one-day lounge exists to equip media with TIFF survival items to heal, hydrate, and help them through the festival fun. All photos by the amazing Ryan Emberley. I arrived just before lunch and slipped into something a little more comfortable aka Keds then had a fabulous express facial from the team at SkinCeuticals.  Before the treatment, I put my head into the contraption below and was given an in-depth skin analysis and a selection of skincare essentials to pamper my skin. Tweezerman hooked us up with a set of personalized Slant Tweezers, a Mini Nail Rescue Kit, plus a Mini Brow Rescue Kit filled with their brow essentials. Dior was onsite to touch up my makeup and hook us up with a few of their fav items. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been loving the Dior FIX IT 2-in-1 Prime & Conceal Face – Eyes – Lips and FLASH LUMINIZER Radiance Booster pen. I’ve been known to be a bit silly so when the Michael Kors team said I could get my ‘sexy Ruby’ engraved with 3 letters, I went for something fun. LOL! Some of my other fav things from the lounge were TuckShop Trading Co. ‘City of Neighbourhoods’ Collection Tee, plus 6 Panel Wool Ball Cap. I picked Queen West, obvs.  I’m a fan of  Green & Black’s chocolate and was happy to find a few in my gift bag. Sean and I broke into them last night after dinner! ? Thank you Esther, Jessica, and the wonderful team at EGPR for the invite and hosting a great event. I’ve been attending the lounge since it started (I think?) and have watched the team and…

View Post

Best Buy Appliances Dinner at Baro w/ Celebrity Chef David Rocco

This week I had a totally amazing dinner on Wednesday night with about 100 other media people from around the city. We were ushered up to the 3rd floor of Baro, King West, and greeted by an amazing tablescape and cocktail bar. I was happy to see Ryan Emberley, friend and amazing photographer who I credit for the great photos! The dinner was hosted by Chef David Rocco and Baro Executive Chef Steve Gonzalez presented by Best Buy Canada to showcase their new appliances. We are hoping to renovate our kitchen, so checking out new appliances is something I do now. Yay, adulting!  The chefs used the most pimped out badass appliances I can only dream of having! LG’s 4-Door French Door Refrigerator with Ice & Water, Samsung Smooth Top Induction stove, Bosch Built-In Dishwasher, and a few other smaller kitchen appliances for making the meal. They all cater to the new trends of being energy efficient, compact, stylish, and connected. I wrote about Best Buy Smart Home earlier this year here. It was great to see a bunch of friends. I’ve been really hibernating this summer so it was nice to be out of the house and share laughs over a great dinner. I sat with Gunnarolla and Gracie. We were all invited into the kitchen to help David Rocco and it was amazing. He is so nice and fun. He was prepping some cheese to put into the risotto when he cut a piece and handed it to me on the end of a sharp knife. I was totally swooning at that moment! Dolce Vita! David Rocco Interview Time! What is one ingredient you always have in the kitchen? Always have two olive oils on hand. One for drizzling and one for cooking. One litre of olive oil is made up of 1,375…

View Post

Thomas Sabo AW ’15 Press Cocktail: LoveBridge + #CharmClub10

Last week I went to a beautiful event at Malaparte in side the TIFF Bell Lightbox. It’s a great event space that’s bright, with a bar, and theatre screen. I was last there for the Nike Women NTC training sessions earlier this summer. Media and editors gathered to sip champagne and check out the latest Fall Collection for Thomas Sabo. You might remember a couple posts about Thomas Sabo and my trip to England with the brand a few years ago (see here!). The brand is originally from Germany and is planning to open 6 more stores in the GTA. I had an opportunity to meet the founder in England in 2012. The Canadian flagship is at Yorkdale Mall. Thanks Ryan Emberley for this snap. I’m wearing one of my favourite Ted Baker dresses. They gifted us all with a customized Love Bridge bracelet from the new line. Mine says CASIE. I’m kinda wishing I got something a little more creative or inspiring. Next time. Thanks Ryan for this snap too. Love it. I saw the balloon, looked at him, and he knew immediately what was about to happen. After the event I was invited to an intimate dinner with bloggers and editors. We each had little cakes at our table setting and an invite to join the Thomas Sabo Charm Club. Over the course of the dinner we picked out charms to add to our bracelets. Mine’s been ordered and I’m looking forward to it arriving. Mostly because it will be a huge surprise given I don’t remember what I picked! Doh. Thanks Faulhaber and Thomas Sabo teams for the invite and gifts. Find Thomas Sabo Canada on Twitter at @ThomasSaboCDN and see all charms and available jewellery at thomassabo.com. <3 CASIE * All photos except last 3 by Ryan Emberley. Check out some of his work…

View Post

#TIFF14: The Annual Essentials Lounge #ESSENTIALSLOUNGE5

Yesterday I went to the Essential Lounge by EGPR and at the Templar Hotel, Toronto. I can’t lie, going to lounges is one of the most fun parts of TIFF! It’s a gathering of media, friends, brands, and it takes a great PR team to pull it all together. We get a glimpse of how the stars in town for TIFF are treated and to see what brands are gifting. I love rummaging through the goodies and sharing them with Mum, my sisters, bf, friends that come over. Here’s some of my fav moments all shot by Ryan Emberley. You’ll recognize a few faces! I started out with an express facial by Skinceuticals and went on to have my makeup done by tarte Cosmetics and hair by Schwarzkopf. I was gifted a fantastic new bra from Calvin Klein and switched into it, tossing my old one before picking up a cute new pair of flats from Rockport.   Lauren O’Nizzle, BFF from CBC & laurenoutloud.com Liem Vu from Global’s Morning Show Nelia from styleblog.ca The essentials lounge happens right before TIFF to hook up press with products that’ll help them survice the TIFF madness and recover after the whirlwind.  and a swift recovery. Canon Blogtography crew Andrew Dobson (Metro & dobbernationLOVES.com) & Nelia Thank you Esther, Jess, and EGPR’s team far having me! Here’s to Essentals Lounge 6 and a happy TIFF ’14! <3 CASIE

View Post

Pop Up Perrier – Playground Party Photos!

Last week the Burroughs Building on Queen West was host to Pop Up with Perrier, a playground themed party for grownups. I worked with Community Agency to invite some of my closes friends, media, and socialites from the city to come out and get down. The 5th floor was filled with green lights, old school arcade games, ping pong, and more. Photo credit to Ryan Emberley for these great shots. Pop Up Perrier @ The Burroughes Becca poppin’ the ping pong table! Fashion peeps in the haus hey hey, Shawn Hewson & the Greta Constantine team My silk shirt is from from Philistine Toronto. Clearly I was loving life at this moment! Jess from NKPR and Sabrina from NOW lookin’ babely Dirty Harry & Patricia J. One of my fav things was that all the drinks were pre-mixed in bottles. My fav was Grey Goose, Perrier, watermelon mint. Can someone let me know when & where there are available? I need a case for the cottage! On the second night I wore my all over print Ryan Gosling shirt and it was a hit. People were taking photos of it all night. Lauren and I had fun chattin’ up our friends and taking selfies of course. 🙂 Thanks to everyone who came out, it was great to see you! <3 CASIE

View Post

Grey Goose ‘Taste By Appointment’ at Soho House

Last week I was invited to the Soho House as a guest of Grey Goose for an exclusive dinner for 10. It was an occasion called ‘Taste by Appointment’ where we learned all about taste, flavours, and of course, drank Grey Goose. I ran into my old friend Mr. Brainwash AGAIN too. (When I say old friend it’s because I met him there the week before!) I’ve been a fan of GG for ages and last year at Community Agency got to work w/ Grey Goose where I learned all about their latest FLY BEYOND campaign. The food at Soho is excellent and totally chowed down on the steak pictured below. Thanks to Ryan Emberley from C Daily for the photos, see the whole set here. Now who’s ready for a cocktail!? <3 CASIE

View Post

Ah Sey One Reggae Night During TIFF

During TIFF I went to an intimate & awesome reggae show at Harlem in King Street w/ Steve Carty. Show was awesome. Lots of cool peeps were there. TIFF seems like ages ago now! Thanks to Ryan Emberley for the photos. See the whole set on C Daily. The night was hosted by TIFF’s Cameron Bailey and the monthly event is a production by Sceneopolis. Performances feature Brendan Canning on turntables and The Sattalites. Happy Friday! Have an awesome day 🙂 CASIE  

View Post

Sazerac Lounge Media Dinner

A couple weeks ago I was invited to Sazerac ok King to sample their menu and have a few drinks. I love these kind of events. We all sat down and tried the best from the menu paired with drinks to complement the selections.  I sat with Brock, Pay, Dan, and Notable.ca. Andrew posted about all the things we ate on his blog dobbernationloves.com.  Photos by Ryan Emberley via his site C Daily.  Thanks Sharyn & team for the invite!  Sazerac is located at 782 King Street West. [NEW BLOG] My 360th #Toronto Restaurant Review, dinner at @sazeracloungeto new hot spot for beat loving night hawks. bit.ly/RUbT9a — Andrew Dobson (@dobbernation) September 26, 2012  

View Post

Media Dinner at Alimento Fine Food Emporium

The other day I was invited to an intimate Italian dinner for media at Alimento Fine Foods on King at Bathurst. I live right around the corder but wasn’t sure what was going on there. It looked kinda intimidating in there TBH. Inside is a huge selection of groceries, mostly imported from Italy & around Europe. There’s heaps of gluten free pasta options, and a massive selection of meats & cheese. There’s a great dining area and bar. We ate a ton of amazing food and drank lots of wine. It was wonderful. I suggest you check it out. Find Aliemento on Twitter at @alimentofoods or at alimento.ca. I seriously loved the lasagna, I had two pieces. The owner had the chef bring me out another piece! I was kinda embarrassed but I didn’t even care. GAGA GARFIELD STRIKES AGAIN!  Thanks to Ryan Emberley for the photos and this great shot of Pay Chen and me. Follow her, she’s awesome. See all photos from the night at cdaily.ca/AlimentoMediaDinner Salute!  

View Post

Strong Desire to Wander and Travel the World

The photos are up from last week’s Smith Hotels event at the Spoke Club. Was so nice to see everyone, kinda felt like a kick off to spring. This time of year gets super busy with events and things leading up to summer. Photo cred to Ryan Emberly for these shots and cheers to Marcello for a fun evening. See the full album on Facebook. Hope to cook up somehting cool with the Smith Hotels team. Love you Team Best Fan <3  I’m not sure what this drink was but there was grapefruit, vodka, Campari perhaps? Whatever it was, super refreshing.  Summer, come–hither!! Roger is a legend.  Best conversation of the night happening here 😉 I’m dying to get away to somewhere far. Europe, I have my eyes on you! Next travel spot is Florida in May. Found this great read today, 55 gentle ways to take care of yourself when you’re busy busy busy. There are SO MANY good things that will energize your soul. I’m trying to catch lots of rest lately. Here’s a sexy song from Lana Del Rey’s unreleased album, Nevada. Bon nuit!  

View Post