TIFF | Bask-It Style Lounge

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.

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Venice Film Festival

At the start of September, Sean and I flew to Italy for the Venice Film Festival. His immersive documentary, Spots of Light was accepted into the Venice Film Festival competition! It was also my first time in Italy! We arrived in style with an Official Festival car picking us up from the airport and taking us to the airport boat dock. I’d been dreaming of taking a fancy water taxi and arriving just like Lady Gaga’s iconic arrival in 2018. It was close to that, aside from the paparazzi and me dangling my feet off the side of the boat lol. We arrived at the Excelsior Hotel (where all the celebrities are dropped off!) and were whisked away to another festival driver for hotel delivery. I was loving every moment!

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Yorkville Murals: Jules Monson

Over the past 2 months, I’ve been working with Weaver & Loom through Funday to bring this exciting project to life for Yorkville Murals featuring rugs designed by Jules Monson. 👩🏻‍🎨🐍🐍🐍 This was especially exciting because Jules is a friend, our first guest on the Cast of Creators podcast, and I have a few of her pieces on the walls in my room. Using the Weaver & Loom platform, Jules created a series of rugs for her ‘Sssnakes’ installation at the Manulife Centre. This installation includes 18 unique snake-themed rugs, available in three different color schemes and various sizes. This collaboration has shown the incredible opportunity for artists like Jules to transform their art, both new and existing, into exquisite, high-quality floor coverings. We worked closely with Jules throughout the entire process, from design and initiation to production and shipping, completing this remarkable project in just two short months. Weaver & Loom’s digital platform streamlines the traditional rug-making process by removing layers of middlemen, making project delivery more efficient and cost-effective than this industry has ever seen. If you’re in Toronto, check out Yorkville Murals this weekend to experience Jules Monson’s large-scale installation inside the Manulife Centre, near Over The Rainbow. 🌟 If you’re an artist/interior designer and want to explore the platform or dream of creating your own beautiful bespoke rug, shoot me a DM.🌟 Photos by @jgazze

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Be My Light, Be My Yellow

This summer has been so busy, can hardly believe we’re almost half way through August. WHERE DID THE TIME GO? These bright yellow photos were from the KIND Summer Fair last month. This week I’m taking some time to recharge at Stoney Lake with Sean and some friends. I’ve been swimming, tanning, sea-dooing, cooking, laughing, running, reading, and doing yoga. It’s amazing how a few days at the lake will refresh your perspective, help you sleep, and brighten your mood. Sean and I did this almost every weekend for years. Yesterday I did a self-tape for a commercial from the cottage. I can’t tell you what it’s for but if you are reading this please put out some good vibes that I book it! Can you spot two differences in these photos?? We’ll be back in the city on the weekend then it’s the homestretch of summer before we go to Italy in September (more on that later!!!). 😁 In other news, this is one of my fav songs right now. Good lyrics.

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Grounding Yourself!

When was the last time you kicked off your shoes and felt the soft, cool grass beneath your feet? Taking a moment to connect with the earth and embrace the simple pleasure of lying in the grass can do wonders for our well-being. It might sound a bit woo-woo, but trust me, there’s science behind it. Studies suggest that grounding can reduce stress, improve sleep quality, and even boost our immune system. It’s like hitting a nature reset button for your busy life. When I was home visiting Mum I took a few minutes to lay in the grass each day, look at the sky, close my eyes, and take a few deep breaths. If you’re feeling stressed, try grounding yourself in nature. It doesn’t have to be complicated, find a (clean!) patch of grass, take off your shoes, and let the earth do its magic. Tune in to the sounds of birds chirping, the rustling of leaves, and let a feeling of calm wash over you. Your mind, body, and soul will thank you for it. 🙏 Stay grounded my friends. Have a great week!

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HOME SWEET HOMEY

Went home recently to spend a few days at Mum’s with the fam. My uncle Jimmy (Mum’s twin brother) passed away in New Zealand and I wanted to be there for her. I didn’t realize how much I missed spending time together. My sister was there for a couple of days too! We went for nice walks in the neighborhood by the river, checked out the local thrift shops, and drive around remembering the places we used to hang out. I had three days off work and stayed a few extra days to work remotely. Grateful to have a job where I can work anywhere. Before heading home, Bonga and I went for wings at our old stompin’ grounds, Moose Winooski’s. It’s changed a lot since we used to go there on Thursday nights back in high school. The wings there are just as huge as I remember tho, so good. This is the first summer in 15+ years that Mum & Steve have been home and not sailing on the boat. Already planning a trip back soon. 🤗

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Trying New Things: I Have An Acting Agent!

I recently signed with The George Agency, one of Toronto’s top talent reps! It’s been 5+ years since I had an acting agent. She’s back baby! I’ve done a few commercials and movies in the last ten years and did my first commercial at 15. I’m really excited to be represented by my friend Summer (from my college era) at this agency, who recently switched from actor to agent. Over the past 2 weeks, I’ve had a couple of auditions but haven’t booked anything yet. I hope I get something soon! This image is from a self-tape for a commercial that called for pets. I asked my bff & professional actor Cory Lee to come over with her pup Quincy Bonez to help me out. It feels great to be doing this again! Stepping a bit out of my comfort zone with this but I like it. Here’s to trying new things & new opportunities!

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Don’t Worry Be Happy

The other night Sean and I went out for dinner to Dotty’s around the corner from our place. The menu was looking extra cute and so was the patio. I wore one of my all-time fav jackets designed by Valfre, an artist & illustrator from Mexico. My first post about her was way back in 2011! I remember being so excited for this jacket to arrive, love that it says ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’. Not sure if the skeleton & dragon are dancing or fighting. ☺️ I’d recommend Dotty’s for cocktails, fries, and the house-made pimento cheese + Ritz crackers. Patio is cute! We had the burger, Caesar salad, and chicken sandwich, unfortunately, neither of us really enjoyed the mains. Dessert was amazing though. This lemon square tasted just like the ones a family friend made when I was a kid. I’ll go back just to have it again! Overall Dotty’s has a nice vibe & design.

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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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Trying New Things: Vettä Nordic Spa

The other weekend we drove up to the cottage to visit the parents’. It’s been ages since we’d been up North. On the way home we stopped at Veta Nordic Spa for a little R&R. We also stopped by Currie’s Music in Gravenhurst, my fav vintage shop in the area. They have a fab curated selection of vintage finds in the back of the music shop. This yellow number had my name on it but was much too big. Almost got this cute prom dress! It’s always fun to try things on even if you dobn’t end up buying them. Our experience at Vetta Spa was very nice. 100% would visit again. It’s very quiet. You can’t use your phone. There is a bar and 2 restaurants. The cold plunge pool was about 7 degrees which was warm for a seasoned dipper like me but still, it was nice. All you need to show up wth is yourself and bathing suit. You get a robe wen you register in and can rent slides. If you have sandals I would recommend bringing them. Look forward to going back, probably in the winter!

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