TD Canada + MusiCounts + Serena Ryder in Ottawa

Last weekend mum and I went on a trip to Ottawa. I was invited by TD Canada & TD Music to bring a guest to see Serena Ryder and attend a special ceremony where TD Cafe & MusicCounts made a music announcement. It has been a loooooong time since mum and I went on a plane together (NZ in the 90’s) so we made the most of every moment and it was so much fun. We flew Porter Airlines which involves taking the worlds shortest commercial ferry to the island. It’s a wonderful flying experience! MusiCounts is Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to help keep music alive in schools across Canada. TD Canada has been working with MusicCounts since 2012. They support Community based organizations, schools, and picka  MuciCounts teacher of the year. This year’s winner was Steve Sainas from BC and he received the award at the JUNOS. TD Canada has worked with some great Canadian artists through MusiCounts including Arkells, Kevin Drew, and Tegan & Sarah. They’re excited to add Serena Ryder to the mix.  WThey also work w/ the JUNOS team to partner with artists. TD Canada is committed to music as an organization with a genuine interest in music and communities. They’re not just a cheque signing bank, they actually follow through and make communities better. Serena made a $25K donation to Musicounts.ca! These kids were SO EXCITED to hear the donation news, receive violins, and to find out they were performing on stage WITH Serena Ryder herself. It was a magical moment.  A photo posted by Gracie Carroll (@graciecarroll) on Jul 3, 2015 at 2:39pm PDT The concert was at TD Place in the new Lansdowne Centre and was opened by The Strumbellas. They were amazing. The 6 piece band rocked…

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Monday, Make It Great!

Had a wonderful weekend! Mum and I really enjoyed Ottawa and seeing Serena Ryder, photos and stories about that tomorrow. Queen’s Plate yesterday was really fun too.  Today I went to Vaughan Mills to do some shopping for an upcoming project. I’d not been to the mall there before and HOLY MOLY there are so many stores and great deals.      In between doing work today I also got a new mani. 💅🏼   Saw this sweet Camaro.     Absolutely loving this warm weather. We’ve planned some dedicated time up at the cottage this month and I CAN’T WAIT.   Hoping your week is off to a great start! 💛 CASIE  

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Heading to Our Nations Capital, Ottawa!

Friday morning Mum and I are heading to Ottawa and it’s her first time flying Porter Airlines. I’m so excited to be travelling with her! Last time mum and I went on a trip together I was in middle school. We don’t often get to hang much, especially not in the summer is mum is usually at the boat and we spend heaps of time at the cottage. We’ll be seeing Serena Ryder, with special guests The Strumbellas at TD Place Stadium to celebrate Canada Day weekend. Earlier in the day, TD Bank and MusiCounts will be be announcing the 2015 MusiCounts grant recipients and have a special surprise planned for a local Ottawa recipient.  I’ll be doing a short interview w/ TD Canada about TD MusicCounts and sharing it with you next week. Oh hey @serenaryder! See you on July 3rd! #tdmusic #lansdowne #tdplace A photo posted by TD Place (@tdplace) on Jun 18, 2015 at 1:09pm PDT Feeling excited to take mum on a press trip and hang out at the hotel together. We don’t leave until 4pm the following day so hoping to take a walk on Parliament Hill. I’ve never been to Ottawa around Canada Day. Last time I was in Ottawa was March 2012 for Ottawa Fashion Week and it was very snowy. Looking forward to some fun times w/ mum and lots of laughs! 💛 CASIE

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Make The Most of Each Day ☀️

Took the subway earlier this week as the thought of driving across the city seemed like a nightmare.  Especially the highway.  There’s new HOV lanes that require 3 passengers so the others are all jammed up. People have been buying mannequins and jacking up their cars w/ ‘passengers’. Haha.   In case you don’t know, Toronto is hosting the PanAm Games and the city is preparing for it all to start this weekend. There’s a ton of things affecting the regular city flow and none of the people have arrived yet. I don’t have tickets yet but I’m sure I’ll check out something. I’m hoping to retreat to cottage country after next weekend. There I can watch the chaos unfold via mobile from the dock. I like riding the subway during the day. It’s peaceful without crowds of people around. I used to take the TTC over an hour headway to work when I first moved to Toronto.  I worked in the fashion industry and it wasn’t glamorous but I was certain about following that path. Excited about visiting Ottawa this weekend. Calgary last week was fun. It’s been a while since I discovered my own country. All in a days work! ?? CASIE

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New Bike, Snacks, Shoppers, #SMDay

Well hello my friends. 😎✌This photo was taken yesterday and although I look very smiley, I’m not feeling great. I’m so tired. I’m not sure if it’s the small time change last week with my trip to Calgary or lack of sleep but I’m lethargic. I miss the cottage. It’s been weeks since we’ve got to have a good cottage hang and it’ll be at least a week before we get back up to Muskoka. I’m in Ottawa this weekend then back for The Queen’s Plate. In other news, I had some good things yesterday… I used to have a Red Schwinn cruiser bike that I LOVED. I rode that baby all over town for a coue simmers, Junction to Beaches and back. Unfortunately some jerk vandalized my bike and it was unridable, went to the bike graveyard. RIP. 2 years ago I purchased a new one from Bikes On Wheels, Queen West and it was stolen before summer was over. Last year I didn’t ride at all it made me sad. YESTERDAY, my brand new Schwinn Cruiser was ready for pickup. 🚲👍 Schwinn Canada has welcomed me as a bike ambassador and I’m back on the road baby! I’ve got a few things to add (bell, basket, lights) before we’re full time but one little cruise yesterday made my heart sing. 💛 If you stop by your local Shoppers Drug Mart you might see their new ‘Summer Covered’ Campaign. Next week I’ll be sharing some of my fav products for summer roadtrips and cottaging. I’ll also be featured on the SDM social + website. Received a shipment of this yesterday. Have you tried it yet? It’s Social Media Day today and in 2010 and 2011 I spoke at Toronto events. It’s amazing how social media has changed my life and taken…

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156th Queen’s Plate is THIS WEEKEND at Woodbine Racetrack! #OffToTheRaces #QP15

Who’s ready to get dressed up and join me at the racetrack? This weekend is the 156th Queen’s Plate at Woodbine! I’ve been the last couple years and it’s really fun. Food, drinks, fashion, and the chance at winning a few bux by betting on the horses! I love seeing all the big hats, beautiful millenary, and overall style of attendees. Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect. At the event, you’ll be able to sip champagne on the grass while playing croquet, horseshoes or bocce ball, while keeping an eye onstyle. Your red carpet photo (from the party) will be on the Woodbine Racetrack Facebook Page here post event. As the Official Charity Partner of the 2015 Queen’s Plate, $1 from every ticket and program sold will be donated to Rethink Breast Cancer. Things to Note for The 156th Queen’s Plate Races begin at 12pm Queen’s Plate Post Time is approximately 5:38 p.m Parking and Admission are FREE Walk the red carpet in style at the Hats & Horseshoes Party presented by Stella Artois Enjoy live performances by Emerson Street Rhythm Band & more There’s heaps of food trucks onsite, so come hungry! A couple weeks ago I attended Woodbine Oaks, first leg of the Canadian Triple Tiara series where I learned how to bet on horses (read here). At the Queen’s Plate, the The Betting Impact team will be roaming the Hats & Horseshoes Party to teach the Basics of Betting. You can pick based on the odds or get a little wild and just pick your fave horses name or number. Click here to read more about horse racing betting. For Queen’s Plate notes and early probability see here. Read more about the Queen’s Plate race at queensplate.com and learn about upcoming races by visiting woodbineentertainment.com.…

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