Step Out of Your Comfort Zone, Find Magic

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone, Find Magic

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Been loving my walk to work the last week. It’s great to be in a creative office surrounded by art and internet.  Our building is about 10 minutes from my door, major score! Greeted by this sign when I walk in. There’a all kinds of creative, vintagey things around here. Will give you a tour one of these days.

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I did not wear the right shoes for snow! Doh. Shoudl really know better.

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Yesterday I took my mentee to the AGO for his first visit and to see the Guggenheim exhibit. We walked around and talked about her future eventually coming up with a plan and some actionable items. Vanessa Grillone won the HTC One contest earlier this year and part of the prize was mentorship from me. See her post about winning here and a guest post on my blog here.

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I absolutely love the AGo and have been a member for a few years. It’s an amazing place to go and get inspired. Many times I’ve just walked through for 15 minutes and stopped to visit a few favourites. I never miss Andy Warhol or walking through Gallery Italia (above).

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Saw this art on my way to work today.

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Made this before I left the house 🙂

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One of the things I chatted Vanessa about yesterday was stepping out of your comfort zone. That’s where the magic happens guys. This is an excellent time of year to reflect on the year passed and think about where you want to be this time next year. I don’t even know where my comfort zone is anymore I step out and do the unexpected so often! Don’t be afraid to try something new, you’ll most likely be surprised at the opportunity it creates!

Have an awesome day!

<3 CASIE

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(I drew this a couple of years ago!)

BlogTO + Shopify Open Popify This Weekend

BlogTO + Shopify Open Popify This Weekend

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Sounds like a bit of tongue twister but trust me it’s cool. My friends from Jet Cooper now Shopify have partnered with BlogTO for a cool pop-up shop that I thing might be the future of retail. Located at 165 Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market the stop is part gallery part shop.

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The cool thing about it is you can see and touch all the merch then using Shopify’s payment system on the wall mounted iPads (below) you make a purchase and it’s delivered to your door, before Christmas of course. I think this concept is rad. I love online shopping and this bridges it with retail for a totally new experience. All those asking is Shopify good? Well here’s your answer. They’re innovating and adapting to market trends – and it really shows. I’ve seen a few of these stores online or came across them while doing online shopping since some eCommerce store use companies like Victorious to help with their digital marketing. I know lots of people who use Shopify daily and they love it. It’s cheap, it’s easy to use and it even has a mobile app. Of course, there is always the question of ‘Wix vs Shopify‘ but it’s down to personal preference which platform you prefer. If you own an online store, Shopify could be a great alternative online shopping experience, shipping out your products with custom retail packaging to your customers. For anyone that would be pretty sweet, but having a pop-up shop surrounding it is just plain awesome.

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If you’re out and about this weekend check out Popify. More details on the website here.

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<3 CASIE

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TBT: New Zealand Fashion Week 2010

TBT: New Zealand Fashion Week 2010

Next year is my 10th year of blogging and marks 9 years of casiestewart.com. Can you believe it’s been so FREAKING long? It amazes me when I think back to why I started this  bloggy blog and where it’s taken me since. THIS IS MY LIFE has been a public diary to keep memories and I’ve travelled round the entire world writing stories about my adventures.

One of my fav trips ever was going to New Zealand for Fashion Week. A contest I knew online told the peeps at NZFW that I was a Kiwi and a Canadian blogger they should have attend. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I get to stick around for an extra week to spend time with my family.  I made friends on that trip I’ll have for life.

This is me hanging out w/ top NY celebrity stylist Derek Fabulous and world famous designer Nicole Miller.  I blogged heaps that trip and you can creep them posts right hurre.

I did a few interviews on that trip and one earned my first EVER magazine cover. Me, cover! Photo was taken by fashion photog Lynsie Roberts as press shots before I left. Click image to check out her website.

 

Here’s to more great adventures and TBT stories. Mum, TBT means Throw Back Thursday.

<3 CASIE

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Canon Blogtography: Holiday Portrait Session

Canon Blogtography: Holiday Portrait Session

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

I  LOVE the holidays! Nothing like meeting up with friends, letting your hair down with colleagues, boxing day deals, and making memories. In our most recent Canon Blogtography Session at Herman & Audrey, I was pleasantly surprised to see Christmas decorations, a tree, and lights.  It may have only been November but there was no stopping me from putting  on the Christmas music! You can bet I started with Mariah!

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

In this session we learned how to take portraits. It was my most favourite session all the ones we’ve had so far. We went over a variety of ways to shoot perfect holiday portraits and what lenses to use. We worked on depth, putting things in focus, and shooting under low light. ex. candle light.

I’ve been taking my own portrait since 2004 when I started this blogging so it was really wonderful to learn how to actually do it right. Our session was lead by top Canadian portrait photographer Steve Carty.  He’s taken a few of my portraits before, see here and here for video.

Tips on Taking Portraits from Canon Canada

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

My Portraits from Our Session

We were encouraged to snap shots of each other. These are a few of my favourite shots from the session. I’ll share some they took of me before Christmas comes!

Andrew Dobson 

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Corinne McDermott

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Steve Carty

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Nelia Belkova

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

It definitely helps to have a tripod when you are shooting group shots like this around the table for example. You can pick up a tripod from any camera store. I love to use a tripod and the self-timer for taking self-portraits and making sure I’m included in group shots.  Aren’t they cute? 🙂

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

For more tips and tricks on taking great photos visit canonoutsideofauto.ca and check out Steve Carty’s portraits for creative inspiration.

Happy Holidays form the Canadian Canon Blogtography Ambassadors!

#CanonBlogtography: Holiday Portrait Session via @casiestewart #thisismylife

<3 CASIE

so what i’m crazy, that leaves me with all the freedom

“People will laugh at you because you’re different. You will laugh at them because they’re all the same.”

This quote came in a Twitter post by an experienced blogger I follow on Twitter named John Chow. People have always said “You’re crazy” or as I dance by myself in the middle of the dance floor with my arms over my head “That’s Casie, she’s crazy“.
 
For a while I thought, “Oh no, they think I’m crazy” but that was followed by thinking, “no, you are just different and they are all the same.” (Yes, I have had this conversation with myself more than once.) I would rather be seen as crazy, than ordinary any day.
 
 
As soon as someone says you are crazy, they really give you the power and freedom of expression to do whatever you want. You can transcend all boundaries of what people consider normal because they already know you’re ‘out there’.
 
This motivates me.

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Coffee on the Road, Wherever She Goes

Coffee on the Road, Wherever She Goes

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I didn’t have far to go this morning so I took my coffee on the road. There’s a story about this sign that I’ll tell you one day soon.

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Have made myself a delicious breakfast each day this week and packed healthy snacks. It’s been quite lovely! Purple cabbage was a fav as a kid and I still like it, so it’s replaced chips in my snack routine. I dropped a few LBs in Thailand so I’d like to keep that going, Agency Life added a few unwanted pounds!

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Heading to the Ontario Science Centre tonight for a special preview of their newest exhibition, The AstraZeneca Human Edge. Taking lil’ EmBot for a girls night. Should be fun!

Hope day is good. Tomorrow is ‘little Friday’ as Kenny would say, and as Keri would say “best night of the week!”

<3 CASIE

And When Those Blue Snowflakes Start Falling

And When Those Blue Snowflakes Start Falling

Blue Christmas via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Found this blue wall on a walk in my hood today and started singing Blue Christmas. That and Jingle Bell Rock are my fav Christmas songs.

Try and not swoon over this…

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My tan has practically disappeared already. I’m  feeling jet lagged like never before and having trouble sleeping. It’s quite strange and I hope it goes away soon! Next week and the one after are full of holiday parties so I really need to be back on my A-Game. We’re doing Christmas w/ Mum this weekend before she heads of to NZ to see the family. It’s so warm there now I wish I was going too!

Blue Christmas via @casiestewart #thisismylife

 Club Monaco jacket, Joe Fresh silk, Alice & Olivia vest, essence  lips

Hope your day has been lovely!

<3 CASIE

Please RT this for my sister @CarynnMichelleR! #B1BlazersCarynn

Please RT this for my sister @CarynnMichelleR! #B1BlazersCarynn

Here’s the deal! Carynn is participating in the B1 Blazers bartending challenge. She needs to get as many votes (mentions) of her hashtag #B1BlazersCarynn.

I don’t  ask for much from you guys but this is for family! Carynn is the oldest of my four sisters and she’s really lovely. Carynn is a sassy little bartender who can whip up a mean cocktail with epic skills. Hopefully by doing this she’ll really dazzle me at Christmas this year! (hint hint love you Care!)

The next round finalists will be announced at 5pm on Wed (this week) so we have until then to rack up the votes!

Tweet this Nice Little Message to Carynn w/ the Hashtag in 1 Click!


Plz vote for me to make the Finals for "B1 Blazers Challenge" by  retweeting w/ #B1BlazersCarynn

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Travel | Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao, Thailand

Travel | Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao, Thailand

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

We went on an afternoon snorkelling cruise with Good Time Adventures around Koh Tao, Thailand. It was absolutely amazing! Our crew was so much fun and we drank, swam, jumped off the boat, and visited beaches. The shot of Jenni above was assisted by our Tour Leader, Luke, way to go!

These photos were taken with my Canon Rebel SL1. To see the group I was travelling search #ContikiThai on Twitter or Instagram and visit this Twitter list.

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Good Time Adventures in Koh Tao via @casiestewart #thisismylife

Thank you to Contiki, Tourism Thailand, and Good Time Adventures for this experience. It was absolutely amazing. I’ve got a few more pic from this cruise on my Instagram here too.

Hope this warms up your Monday!

<3 CASIE

Check out ‘We Got Snow’ by my friend Leah Daniels!

Check out ‘We Got Snow’ by my friend Leah Daniels!

Leah and I were in Thailand together and got along really well, heaps of laughs. She’s a Canadian Country singer and this little tune is a great way to kick off December 2013.  Our crew on the trip was anxiously awaiting the release of the ‘We Got Snow’ video after it was stuck in our heads most the trip. I love the kazoo part.  It’s perfect timing for the holidays! Get it here on iTunes.

They made this great set in her basement and it was directed by none other than the awesome Tim Deegan, former MUCH VJ.

Leah Daniels – We Got Snow – Official Music Video

Have a great day my friends, the holidays are just around the corner and I’m already filled with joy!

<3 CASIE