I wasn’t sure if I was going up to the cottage this weekend because rumours of a snowstorm were floating around. Once Friday rolled around, the weather was clear so we headed north after work.
Being in the city, I kinda forget how beautiful it is up north this time of year. The cold temps, snow, and ice embody such magic of winter. I love it. A decade ago I used to complain about the cold and count the days till spring, but now I look for joy no matter what the temperature.
We went for a nice long walk on the frozen lake and had some fun with a purple smoke grenade. The cold air is so refreshing and the views were breathtaking.
Went for dinner with Erin & Natalie at Hemingway’s. Was nice to be out! I had fish & chips and it was kinda greasy (obvs) but I wanted something that reminded me of New Zealand.
Wore a cute outfit and wasn’t out late. Sean picked me up at 8:30 and I got takeaway tacos.
My last visit there was summer 2021 when bars opened after lockdown, Natalie and I had a ball of a time lol. If you’ve been reading my blog a long while you’ll know I used to work at Hemingway’s 10+ years ago. I love that place and all the New Zealand nostalgia. Always a good time!
Cory and I made a date to go for a nice Saturday walk in the sun. It’s hard to stay positive with the compound stress of seasonal affective disorder, Covid, and general life anxiety, but seeing a friend and getting outside always makes me feel better. One great way to beat winter SAD is to plan a day with plant stores & vintage shopping.
The Urban Gardener is my fav local plant shop, I swear just walking in there will boost your mood. It’s warm, green, and filled with beautiful growing plants. I picked up a new lil’ guy to bring home with a nice new planter pot for him to live in.
Our next stop was Pictus Goods on Dupont which is filled with heaps of lovely goods for your home, candles, jewellery, and fresh flowers. Super cute shop! Highly recommend checking it out. They also have a GREAT selection of nice cards.
Our third stop was a private shopping appointment at Nouveau Riche Vintage which DID NOT DISAPPOINT. Tbh, IDK if I have EVER seen such an incredible collection. They have heaps of items for sale including designer, denim, coats, and accessories. The best part for me was the exclusive rental section we got to check out that’s filled with the best outfits you can dream of. SO GOOD.
I didn’t get anything but Cory scored a few goodies. I will deff be back there again!
This week has been pretty good. I’ve been out running every day except Monday when we had a massive snowstorm. I find it really helps my mental health. I remind myself daily to KEEP GOING no matter how cold it is or if I’m tired. I miss going out and seeing people but I’ve also made new routines that include making nice dinners, taking better care of my skin, and going to bed early.
On Sunday I met up with some friends for a hike around High Park, it was cold but refreshing. Didn’t realize there was a skating rink there! My skates are at the cottage and since I broke my collarbone a few years ago, my skating skills are not what they used to be. I’m scared of falling!
Trying to not let the winter SAD get me down and am working at finding joy in little things. If you’re looking for some ideas to boost your mood, I wrote a few posts about beating winter SAD.
I’m a firm believer that there’s no bad weather if you have a good outfit. Not a lot going on here these days with the panini running the show, but that doesn’t mean you can’t treat the sidewalk like your runway. For most of the pandemic, I got up, got dressed and did my hair. Getting ready always makes me feel like I have my sh*t together, even when I don’t. These days I’m a little more lax on my WFH outfits but I still make an effort.
Although we’re not doing much, I love putting on a cute outfit when I go for a ‘mental health’ walk. DAY OR NIGHT.Me and my outfits have deff brightened a few peoples days during this panorama, mostly senior citizens but I’ll take it. You have no idea the power of a great outfit until you put it on. Go for it.
I solemnly swear that if you feel like garbage, putting on a whole look and going for a strut will brighten your day.
Me and my outfits have deff brightened a few peoples days during this panorama, mostly senior citizens but I’ll take it. Advanced style! The bar for fashion is pretty low in a pandemic. Go for it, you literally have nothing to lose.
When I need the motivation to pull it together and leave the house, this song always comes to mind. Do you know it? A Fatboy Slim jam from my party girl days “when they know what is what, but they don’t know what is what, they just strut, what the f*ck“. Works every time to get my ass in gear.
Last weekend I walked down to meet a friend on Ossington and went to a winter garage sale. I didn’t buy anything but it was a breath of fresh air. Thought it was kinda cute that my reusable bag matched the print on my jacket and the shopping bag matched my hat. I’m here for simple pleasures these days!
Well, well, well, guess who’s back? I really jumped the gun when I stopped counting the days about a month ago because shortly after, Omicron took over our lives. December feels like a blur, I was mostly at home, Sean was up north. I hung out with friends, went to an event, things started to feel normal, right before they weren’t. Covid was everywhere.
Sean and I were both sick over the holidays and spent Christmas alone together in the woods. I really enjoyed a break from work, life, and the city, even though I was sick for 90% of the time. The past year has been exhausting for a suite of reasons and it was nice to check out for a bit.
I have opened this blog to write something more than a handful of times but I just couldn’t do it. I haven’t felt like myself and I haven’t felt like sharing. Up until this week, I still had a brain fog that left me feeling like a dull pencil needing to be sharpened. I took a break from running and didn’t start the New Year with goals and aspirations like usual.
BE CONSISTENT
This year I commit to ‘Be Consistent’, that’s my theme. I will keep running, eating well, drinking less, and working on myself. I am going to come out of this damn pandemic a better person. ARE YOU WITH ME?
Over the past week, I’ve been back to my morning runs, got my hair done, and have been cooking great meals in our new air fryer. I’ve not been doing much other than watching Amy on Jeopardy, finishing 3 seasons of Succession, taking care of my skin, and going to bed early. I also started a class on crypto with a friend. It’s boring-ish life but I like it.
We will get through this and hopefully, come out stronger. I’m determined to look back on this pandemic time and see how it changed me for the better.
Sending sunshine through the internet.☀️ Hang in there, 67 days till spring. ?
Earlier this year I was a model for HSG Fur’s Fall/Winter campaign. It was so much fun to get dressed up and wear all the fancy coats. This was still peak pandemic so it had been ages since I was in front of a camera or in a studio. These are few of my fav photos from the shoot!
Herman Sellers GoughFurs has been Toronto’s full-service furrier since 1880. The HSG Fur store in Yorkville is closing soon as their lease is expiring so they’re having a massive sale where their entire inventory is up to 75% off. This includes furs, accessories, gifts + a vintage selection. They’ll have a new store open next year.
HSG Furs @ 1255 Bay Street / 416-962-2597 / 11am – 6pm Monday to Saturday
One of my goals this past year was to do more modelling and this year I was in a few campaigns, not just as an ‘influencer’ but an actual model! I spent a couple of years modelling when I was a teenager and I love being in front of the camera. More of this in 2022!
It was so lovely out today! Had a very slow morning watching holidays movies in bed and playing Nintendo. After doing some stuff around the house I put on a cute outfit and biked over to the Holiday Hippie Market on Ossington.
This new location was so GOOD. Heaps of vendors and such a great vibe. It was pretty busy all day and there was a huge lineup when I left. Hopefully, that means they’ll be back to this same location again soon. Highly recommend checking it out, follow @hippiemarketlife on IG for updates. See posts from my past visits here.
Stayed in last night, ordered pasta, and finally watched the first two episodes of ‘And Just Like That‘ (the new Sex and The City). I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it but I will 100% be tuning in as new episodes come out.
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!
Starting my day w/ a run has been such a life changer the last two years. Never thought I would be this person but here I am! 7:15am leggooooo! ?? pic.twitter.com/Dy9NzrejCl
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.
I’m done counting the days and as we say in film “that’s a wrap”! This panini may never be over but I want to focus on the future, the positive. There’s no way possible of knowing how long we’ll be wearing masks, need vaccine passports, and have the threat of Coronavirus. As the holidays approach, people are getting together, things are opening up, I’m calling quits on my daily pandemic diary. Back to regular blogging! It’s been 600+ days since I started counting and to be honest, pretty proud of myself for keeping it up this long.
Looking back through the posts from the last two years is pretty emotional, to be honest. Day 1: Social Distancing was on March 13th, the last day I went to the gym. I shared a lot of myself during this time, the good days, the bad days, the crafts, the fun, and the anxiety. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with all these posts but it’s a nice time capsule to keep memories of this moment in history. I’m basically a historian haha.
I got a new Apple Watch charger today finally.
Today, I’m writing this from a restaurant, after work, while having a glass of wine. Mask off as per regulation, Vax Pass scanned. Our lives will never be the same but maybe they can be better? I’ve changed so much through this experience, today I feel stronger and hopeful for a bright future.
Behind the scenes of what you see here or on social, I’ve been working on some really cool stuff and I’m excited to share it with you.
