Yesterday was such a whirlwind day. I’m feeling a bit frazzled from it all and kinda overwhelmed. I’ve not even had a chance to think about today, Thursday, and the Press Screening of Behind The Red Carpet Film. Apparently we have interviews before and I don’t even know what I’m wearing. (WHY DIDN’T I PLAN!) Mum is in town and coming by in the AM to be my date. If I’m ever in a bigger movie I’d happily take her as my date like Jared Leto or some other cool celebrity.
It was super nice to get a few deliveries yesterday, they were perfectly timed! Upper Canada Mall sent a bunch of Mac lipsticks in all my fav reds/pink. It’s part of the #SWAKforheart campaign for Valentines Day. Durex sent a red box of goodies to spice up the vday romance. I’ll share more of these details when I’m not so exhausted!
My chocolate covered Lays chips arrived and they are SO FREAKING GOOD. Took them to two meetings and the bag is nearly gone. They’re dangerous! See my Valentines Gift Guide edition 1 here.
Had a great meeting/snack session with Shop for Jayu and the other bloggers (JodiBlk, Victoria Simpson) at The Pink Grapefruit for the #JayuBloggedII photoshoot this weekend. I’ve got sourcing/planning to do but it was great to go over each of our looks with the photographer, hair, and makeup. It’s going to be a really fun day. Can’t wait till Sunday!
Wearing this awesome Jayu ants necklace for the press screening.
Today is another crazy day. Nervous/excited is my fav feeling but it can be overwhelming! A good sleep helps. Good quotes too. This is my mantra right now…
Wishing you a great day. Make sure you’re following me on Twitter AND SNAPCHAT (casiestewart) for realtime updates! Exciting!
I don’t usually do gift guides but I really like Valentines Day and it’s an excuse to treat yourself/someone you love. I know it’s a Hallmark holiday, but I don’t care! I adore all the hearts in store windows, the pink and red all around. I’m all about spreading the love! I love the idea of treating yourself (or your loved one). Even if the gifts are expensive (like the ones found at https://giftunicorn.com/1000-dollars/), it’s nice knowing that someone was happy to spend all that money on you and treat you to something really nice.
* photo by Becca Lemire
All the things below make great gifts for you and/or someone you love. Ladies, send this post to your boyfriends.
Ted Baker Accessories
Ted Baker has a quite the sale on right now and there’s some great things for both men and ladies, especially accessories. If you’re in Toronto there’s locations at Yorkdale and Eaton Centre. I have the ARBA faux fur neck collar below in black. It’s super warm and goes with everything.
I have never in my adult life had softer, more clear skin than I do now that I’ve been using a Clarisonic. I was given one in November last year and have used it almost everyday since. It’s great for evening skin tone, brightening complexion, is waterproof, and pre-timed for 6o seconds. Great gift (especially for yourself). You can find the Clarisonic at Shoppers Drug Mart Stores, good use for those Optimum points!
A spa package is always a good gift. However, if you’ve not got the time or funds to fork out for regular pedis, the Amopé makes a great gift. It’s a quick and easy way to get your feet extra soft and smooth. You can find this at Shoppers too!
FitBit Flex from Telus
If you’ve set a goal to be healthier the FitBit Flex is a great gift idea. Sean and I have his & hers wearables to track progress towards our fitness goals. If you buy a fitness tracker from Telus before Feb. 28, they’ll give $20 to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Get yours online or at a Telus store in your area.
For the Fashion Lover, Call it Spring
If you’re looking for something lovely and stylish, Call It Spring has a whole bunch of gift ideas under $50. I really dig this purse shoe combo. I love the matching prints trend and might just pick this up for myself, and still wrap it up for VDay.
Magnolia Heart Inspired Jewellery
Magnolia Silver Jewellery has some wonderful pieces to make your heart flutter. Below is a preview of love-inspired jewelry available. See the whole collection here. I’ve got a little something heading my way and will show you when it arrives! Jewellery is a great gift since you can either spend thousands, or you can spend a few dollars. It’s completely up to you! If you want to buy your loved one something a little more special, consider visiting Mauzie’s Fine Jewelry store to get a piece of jewellery that can be treasured and kept forever. There are loads of different types of jewellery that you can get for your loved one. So if you’re not too sure about what to get, then it’s a good idea to take a look after and see what else is out there. You might decide to go to a store and check it out, just so you can see what sort of jewellery they have.
Lays Wavy Milk Chocolate Chips
Yes, these are real, real salty and sweet. I love chips, throw in some chocolate coating and it’s heaven. I’m waiting for a delivery of these as you read this. You really can’t go wrong with a bag of these while sitting on the couch with your bae (or alone). Put on the Netflix and call it a night! These are around for a limited time so if you see them, get a few bags before they’re gone!
I’ve got a whole board on Pinterest full of more lovely things for Valentines Day below. Click through for more ideas for him, things to wear, and stuff to make.
Nothing planned for vday as of yet but I’d be quite content watching a romantic movie and eating a bag of these Lays chips TBH. All by the light of a custom photo lamp of us two side by side in a loving embrace…. now that’s a beautiful date.
For the last few weeks I’ve been on a team of Beta Testers for the new SeflishStoria app. With Storia you can build stories, collaborate with others, or keep them private. Something that makes this different from other social apps is you can make your stories public or private and still share them with people you choose. It’s a more provate and curated feed than something like Facebook.
Last week I had a chat with Anastasia Ashman from Storia about some cool ways people are using the app including house hunting, sharing family photos, and couples things you want to keep between the two of you.
On the weekend I was part of a collaborative, real time story about Superbowl Sunday between Selfish users. It was cool to see what everyone was up to. See the full story here.
Below are a few of my public stories. I’ve been documenting my ukulele progress and different nail designs. I’m on a LOT of social networks but the content is kinda all over the place. With Selfish I’m updating stories based on topics and documenting as time goes on. My ‘Lights, Camera, ACTION!’ board is documenting behind the scenes of a few shoots I’ve had recently.
I would love to know your thoughts on SelfishStoria and collaborate on stories with you. You can download it from the app store and it will soon be on the Google Play store for Android. You can also sign up and use the web version at storia.me. It was originally developed as a web app so there’s a bunch of features and editing options to check out!
When you wake up and realize it’s Friday! Get outta bed and do that FRIDAY DANCE!
Did you know that back when Men In Black came out I was kinda obsessed with the move after my high school dance crew did a routine to the theme song. We even performed at a Cineplex on opening night. I know this move oh too well.
Yu show up to work like “oh hey, it’s just me, chillin’ working till the weekend’
At lunch you DGAF, just relax, take a few extra mins to shoot the sht with your homies.
Say wha? Someone called a meeting at 4pm. On a FRIDAY? Who DOES that!
Ok, 5pm rolls around and no matter how cold it is outside you feel like, yeahhhhh.
You dance again.
You have a cocktail.
Or maybe you have a pizza? Who doesn’t LOVE PIZZA?!
It’s heaven on the inside. Even if you’re like me and you’re only at home watching Netflix, it feels so good to be THE COUCH. It’s so cold and totally ok to stay home and hibernate. Tonight Sean and I are going to a Murder Mystery dinner tho. I wonder if I should wear a costume?
Yeah, Netflix is awesome. HHhhuhhh, huuuhh. Been streaming The Fall Season 3 this week and it’s SO GOOD. Have to stop myself from binging the whole season. OH YEAH, it’s February today almost February and HOUSE OF CARDS is back Feb. 27th. Mark your calendar. I’ll be staying inside that whole weekend to watch it. I’ve missed Frank & Claire.
On that note, I send you my love across the whole wide Internet and wish you a wonderful day. Strut like a Spice Girl, hold your head high, and smile like you mean it!
It’s been ages since I wore/had a watch but just before the holidays I was contacted by JORD and got to pick out my fav wood watch from their classics collection.
I was looking for a ‘boyfriend’ style, androgynous watch and went for the Fieldcrest black in a classic midsize. I like the monochromatic wood face that shows the intricacy of the grain. Here’s a better photo from their Instagram. If you need help choosing a watch, take a look at reviews on www.hotrate.com.
Since I picked such a unisex style, it’s been worn mostly by my BF! He absolutely loves it. Ladies beware, if you get one and have a BF, you might not have it for long. The collection is reasonable with prices ranging from $120+. There’s some really beautiful woman’s watches in Turquoise, Rose Gold, and Silver. Love, love , love! I think the Rose Gold wood would suit me quite nicely!
Thanks again JORD for the gift! If you’re interested in getting some wood for your wrist or someone you love, check out woodwatches.com. FYI all US orders placed by Feb. 10th will be delivered by Valentines Day. 🙂
Last night I spent a few hours in the dance studio with my crew from the Army of Sass. It feel so good to 1) be doing something fitness related and 2) be around an amazing group of fine ladies.
You might remember two years ago I was in the Army of Sass group and we did two shows at the Mod Club. It was so much fun. I absolutely LOVE being on stage. The AOS was founded by Carla Catherwood and she’s an amazing inspiraiton and GREAT teacher. If you’re interested in joining the AOS check them out on Facebook here.
I took a couple videos of our rehearsal but I’m not ready to share them yet. I’ll have lots to tell you about the Army of Sass and our upcoming shows over the next few weeks. We perform in March and the show is called 50 Shades of Grey! It’s gonna be SO HOT!
YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT IN THIS WORLD, GO OUT AND GET IT!
I know today is Bell Let’s Talk day and I’m not sure how to talk about the depression and anxiety that I face or if I even want to. Being on the Internet in itself gives me anxiety. Some days I just don’t feel like it at all, written about it a few times. Sometimes I want to hide and pretend I don’t even have a blog. (Or Twitter, tumblr, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, Selfish, Rdio, Google+, Vine, or phone.) I like keeping to myself on on those days, not sharing stories. Being alone.
My dad battled depression growing up and it was really hard for our family. He moved back to New Zealand to be with his family when my parents split up and it was tough for us. It sill is sometimes.
* Thanks Andrew Mitchell for drawing this photo of me. I love it.
I want you to know that I too have days when I’m down and I’ve been through some very dark times and almost not made it through. It’s not always sunny where I am but I do try to bring my own sunshine to the internet each and every single time I make an appearance. My blog is a place you can count on to have bright colours and a fun photo. It’s helpful for me to look back and remember the good times too. This is a place to make you feel happy when a cloud tries to rain on your parade. I’ve worked through a bunch of sad days wondering what to do with my life and I made it through. Don’t ever give up. I wanted to quit blogging a few times over the last 10 years and I am damn well glad I didn’t. I want you to know, I am actually happy most of the time and I really do smile a LOT. Really. If you’ve ever met me IRL you know it’s true.
People always wonder where I get all my energy and I don’t know what to tell you? I find inspiration in everything around me. When the sun shines through the clouds. A couple green lights in a row. When a song comes on the radio and I know all the words. An actual phone call from someone you like and miss. Turning on the TV to find the movie you were JUST thinking about is on. Old photos. A pair of tights with no holes in them. Clean sheets. Accidentally spilling glitter on the floor and not even getting mad. There’s joy in the little things, I’ve gotten good at finding it.
Thinking of you and sending warm positive thoughts with each keystroke. You’re not alone, we’re here together.
OK, don’t mind all the crap behind me because I’m going to clean it up right now after seeing how much of a mess it is! I’ve been talking about ‘getting the home office in order’ or months and really have been so focussed on doing work I’ve neglected the space. I would just die if someone came in with a TV camera from Hoarders right now. Don’t even go there. It gives me anxiety to think about cleaning and all the crap I’ve collected, then I drown myself in the Internet and pretend it’s not there. (Update: I’ve spent another 45 minutes writing this post and not cleaning. Cue anxiety even more.)
So, I was all like AHHH I have a client Skype call. They’ve never met me before! I better get dressed! I should shower! These jogging pants, time to do laundry. AHHH! So, I put on a nice shirt, makeup, lipstick, brushed my hair, fur vest, smile. AND GUESS WHAT… it was audio only. So, selfies. (BTW did you read my 10 Tips for Better Selfies? I’m a pro!)
Note my sewing machine, new, just sitting there. I’ve promised myself for two years that I’ll use it. This year, I will. I’m actually pretty good at sewing. I’ve just not made time to sit down and make anything. (*Note to self, GET OFF THE INTERNET!)
Ok, time for me to clean this mess behind me! I’ve got two hours an hour and a half of good daylight for cleaning. In due time I shall have a beautiful, Pinterest worthy workspace.
Yesterday was SOOOOOO fun. Lozzie and I posed for the camera in studio dressed in outfits we picked out from Le Chateau. They brought together a whole bunch of bloggers from Toronto to Spread Le Love in a Valentines Day shoot.
Here’s a little sneak peek! I’ll for sure be sharing the shots once they’re out in the world!
Thanks Caroline Levin for the GREAT makeup. When I met up with Sean later he said I looked like a doll. Once we got home he said ‘are you gonna take that stuff off now?’. It’s cute that he prefers my natural face. Gah, I’m so cheezy and in love! Just wait till you see the shots from the shoot I had with him last week. They’re A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E.
Finished the night with a huge bowl of Pho and came home to watch The Fall.
If you haven’t watched it on Netflix yet, I highlt recommend it. It’s a sexy murder mystery with 2 seasons starring that hot babe from the 50 Shades movie coming out next month. MEOW!
I’ve got a conference call shortly that is VIDEO and I’m not even dressed or showered. Working from home is great when nobody can see you! Gahhhh. Ok, always rushing. Back in studio for Army of Sass tonight. Woo hoo!
Had another ukulele class last night and I feel like I’m starting to get it. I knew learning a new instrument was going to be a challenge but it’s really like learning a new language. Fortunately, I can read music and the chords already. Also, a simple strum on the ukulele sounds quite nice.
I’m finally getting the G7 chord and my fingers are moving in time to make strumming sound like an actual song. I’ve really got to make a point to practice more though. Even if I pick up my uke for a few minutes a day I’ll have it by summer. If I sent 10% of the time I spend on computer playing I’d be a pro!
I’ve been documenting my progress on Selfish app with a story called Learning Ukulele. The photo below will take you to the app so you can check it out. I’m digging this app so far. Have a few stories about travels, my nails, blog stuff, etc.
Thanks to The Gladstone Hotel and Toronto Institute for the Enjoyment of Music (TIFEM) for great classes. I’m hoping they have a few more at Gladstone to help me along my ukulele learning journey. TIFEM has a whole bunch of classes including a free class on Sunday afternoons.
Had my nails done yesterday and I’m convinced they help my play better! Have any ukulele apps I should know about? Songs for beginners? I’ll take all the help I can get!
Can’t wait till I can play a little ditty for you! Have an awesome day.
