Day 127: Girls Night!

Today we had our first summer guest since the start of quarantine, the one and only Jen Kirsch! Jen and I have been friends for years, we’ve travelled to Spain, New Orleans and been to hundreds of events together. She’s been isolated with her dad in Richmond Hill and we thought it was a-ok to finally have her up. We played games in the living room, danced, and went to our Monday night regular hangout, ‘Vinyl Night’ at Communist Daughter via Zoom. It was so much fun! I’ve really loved her new podcast Lockdown Love with eOne Entertainment, download it here and follow her on IG here.

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Day 105: A Fear of Impending Doom

I took a selfie and didn’t realize how dark the sky had gotten. Sean is inside Canadian Tire while I wait in the car. We’re meeting someone at McDonald’s in 20 min to buy some lights for the cottage.  I’ve felt anxious for days. I’m tired. Yesterday I napped for almost four hours, today I napped for one. I hardly ever take naps, I guess my body is exhausted? It’s Pride today and it’s gone online like everything these days. Last year we were in the parade with Telus. A couple of years ago we were on the Netflix float with the cast of Orange is The New Black. I’m finding it hard to locate happiness, I have to actually put down my phone and look for it outside in the world. The phone is full of things that stress me out. I watched CP24 today and there is a lot of gun violence, riots, fighting, sickness, and death. It’s hard to handle. I’m grateful I saw my family on Friday. It makes me smile just thinking about hugging and laughing together in the sun.  Jen Kirsch published an article in The Star that pretty much summed up how I’m feeling. Been thinking about how she mentioned the anxiety we feel with this pandemic, the risk, the guilt, sadness, regret. Going out, seeing people, did we say/do the right thing? I feel some guilt that after about 80 days of blogging, I’m behind on 10 days. But then again, that’s pretty amazing I blogged that much at all! Can’t feel guilty, gotta let it go, it’s ok.  The sky cleared up a bit and the sun is out. Sean is walking to the car and we have 7 min to meet the guy.  Everything is gonna be ok.

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Day 65: Look Around, There’s Beauty Everywhere

I spent most of the day working on that documentary submission w/ Sean then picked up some packages from the office. It’s been months since I went there. Went for an evening walk in the neighbourhood and it’s so beautiful. After being in the woods for months I’m really noticing all the colour, street art, greenery. I love this area so much. I love the cottage but it feels good to be home.

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Day 35: Stages of Isolation

I’m at the stage of isolation where I have now cut and dyed my hair. It’s just temporary but I feel like a change, so why not?! Nothing holding me back from making things and doing stuff at this point. Inspired by Briony (amazing Toronto artist) and Martina Martian (fav artist in Australia), I’ve been drawing on iPad Pro more. Made this line drawing yesterday. Took ages but it’s nice to just sit and create. Click to see the video animation from image to art! View this post on Instagram A post shared by CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) on Apr 19, 2020 at 5:33am PDT I used to love drawing on iPad and when I got my first one a decade ago, my old blog Borderline Artistic was thriving. I was drawing almost daily and posting art I made. Around that time I created the ‘Unnecessary Wheels Collection‘, might start that up again. It’s nice to get back to creating just for fun. Not sure I can stop now! I also bleach dyed a pair of denim and they turned out AMAZING. WHAT WILL I MAKE NEXT?!

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How To Avoid a Video Chat Faux Pas

Since we’re all faced with this new reality of connecting from home through technology, my friend Jen Kirsch FaceTimed me to chat about how to avoid mishaps on your video chat. The article is in the Toronto Star today, click below to read. Read on the Toronto Star Over the past few weeks, I’ve been more social than normal. FaceTime, Houseparty, Zoom, Google Hangouts, it can be exhausting! During the first two weeks o(f isolation), I was video chatting with several people a day! Tips for Video Chat Success: If using a phone, get a tripod or stabilize the phone (simple iPhone tripod, or tripod with a ring light) Check your wifi settings, faceTime needs wifi, if you’re in a limited wifi area, data might be your best option Wear something presentable for your meeting ex. casual attire for work, a shirt when chatting on Houseparty, maybe something spicy for a date or friends hang. Pants optional and not required. Log in to the video chat early to check your lighting Brush your hair or wear a hat If in a big group, someone should be leading the chat ex. boss, host, or person having a birthday I personally like lip gloss and mascara for daytime If using Zoom, change your background with something fun or download one of these nice design ones to give your home a makeover (or hide the mess!) Find more tips in the Toronto Star article! Have a great day!

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Day 22: Make Something Each Day

Yesterday I made granola, a chickpea lentil curry, spicy roasted chickpeas, roast potatoes, and Sean made meatballs. I spent some time drawing on my iPad and decided to test out my old Crimper. It still works! The granola was a recipe from Pay Chen in The Kit. I modified for what I had and MY GOD IT IS DELICIOUS. I forgot how much I love granola. I am now a forest dwelling, yoga lady, who makes her own granola. I am not surprised at all. Em made a mask from an old bathing suit and we went through my art supplies. I did Soca Yoga and some stretches while watching movie in front of the fire. TY Amy for the reco, great class! There was an Amber Alert to stay home that came thorough our phones. This is the second time it’s happened, the last alert was for anyone who had travelled outside the country. We have not left the compound for one full week and Sean is planning to get supplies Monday. I’m gonna stay here with Em while he goes out. We made the strategic decision for him to go during the week so people who can’t go M-F, can have the weekend. We have a running Google doc with everything we need for the house and he will wear gloves, a mask, and change clothes as soon as he gets home. Aside from some groceries, need a part to fix the washing machine. Made a pavlova for Jake Gold’s birthday party on Zoom. We don’t have birthday candles so a big one had to do. It was BYOC – Bring Your Own Cake, everyone lit candles and sung HBD at the same time. Welcome to life in the year 2020. Sean and I started Unorthodox on Netflix…

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Day 12: Baking & BBQ

I swear if it wasn’t for this quarantine diary I would have no idea what day it is. It’s hard to believe we’ve been up here for over a week already, the days have started to mesh together. I’d have a hard time thinking about what I did to pass the time if I didn’t write it down. via GIPHY This morning Sean let me run with him which he has never done before. I only went to the end of the road & back which is 1.25km, he continued for about 6k. At the gym I used to run 1-2km, it felt nice to be back. I’m on track to get 40Km this month. These little goals are really keeping me stay motivated. Taking a break from beers & hangouts today. Thinking I’ll try some new recipes, do a bit of work, and relax. I made these amazing black bean brownies. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! We made steak & potatoes on the BBQ for dinner with a salad. It was nice to sit at the table together. I heated up a couple of brownies & added dairy-free chocolate fudge ice cream for dessert. Sean painted my nails for me after the disaster manicure I did yesterday. He did a pretty good job! I have limited supplies here so the colour selections are very limited. ? I haven’t been talking much about COVID19. We can all read the news and it’s anxiety-inducing to stay on it all day. It doesn’t look like the curve is flattening and it seems to just be climbing. As of today, Canada has 27 deaths and last week the first death was recorded in the Muskoka region where the person died at Barrie hospital. Adding this to my diary so I can look back, once this is…

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Day 8: Alone Together

Hi from the woods! ☀️??❄️Went for a nice walk this morning. It’s very cold but refreshing. Saw one neighbour out for a run and shared a smile & wave with the 2 cars that passed us. There is true beauty in the way we are all connecting right now through technology. ? How are you doing? I did yoga this morning w/ Misfits Studio and watched Snoop Dogg on IG Live. I think today I will try some new recipes and see what other workouts I can join in on IG Live. At noon I did a bit of the Fit Factory and some Barry’s for about 15 each. I didn’t feel like doing the whole class but something each day is better than nothing. Sean packed a couple of film cameras and has been shooting film. Yesterday he cleaned the whole fireplace. He hasn’t seen it that clean since he was a kid. He put a GoPro on the remote control truck. It’s pretty rad! Yesterday was so cold & gloomy I didn’t feel like doing anything. I basically lazed around all day eating snacks. The sunshine today makes me feel alive again. I have a feeling tonight’s internet part will be LIT, lol. If the internet was ever going to crap out, tonight’s the night! Everyone will be online. I wonder who will be going live? I might hang out with my BFFs on FaceTime and put IG Live on the iPad. Tonight is going to be the biggest internet party in history. — CASIE STEWART ☀️ (@casiestewart) March 21, 2020 Sending you love & sunshine!

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Day 5: Routine

Today we started the day with a trip to town to pick up our Click & Collect groceries. It was the first time we’ve ordered them like that and it was quite convenient. They had to substitute a few items for smaller quantities (ex. 3 avocados instead of a bag) but it wasn’t an issue. I forgot a couple of things so had to run inside, making sure to distance myself and leave the aisle if I saw an older person coming close. We all have to do our best and we’re living under the notion that we could all be carrying this virus. I also ran into the LCBO, I have cut down on drinking over the past year but honestly, it’s challenging times so I want to have a few things on hand. I had a FaceTime with Talia & Nelson who are also up at their cottage. She took me for a walk in the woods, I gave them a tour of the cottage, and we watched Nelson hit some targets. I did a workout from Fit Factory TO in the kitchen and then we made salad & cannelloni for lunch. I watched Miley Cyrus hang out with Cameron & Lauren from Love Is Blind and there are so many people going Live right now, there is lots to watch. We got our cottage WIFI properly active as there was a delay from Bell because they have limited staff on hand. I am able to login to our account and watch our home cable on the iPad. Sean also got the hot water working so I finally had a nice shower. I needed one after all my workouts lol. Sean and I went for a walk on the lake which I thought would be romantic but tbh…

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2020 Home Renovations: The Plan

It’s happening! We’re starting renovations on our house and I am so excited. This past summer a good friend reached out to me about her client to see if we had any plans to renovate our bathrooms at home or the cottage. After a few months of talking, making plans, and sign-off, we’re renovating both bathrooms at home with American Standard. I am 100% at the age where things like this give me great joy. I loved picking out fixtures, toilets, sinks, and faucets. For years, Sean and I have been thinking about doing renovations but it can be kinda overwhelming. We’re also planning to paint and make some changes to the kitchen. I’ve been building a Pinterest board with ideas and DIY tips for ages. All the current bathroom fixtures and accessories will be moved to the cottage to update that space and saved for our future shipping container project. During our staycation at Hotel X Toronto, I was admiring the nice toilet in our suite when I noticed the brand, American Standard. This is the Townsend Vormax toilet we are getting! Yes, I ‘m excited about a toilet, this is my life now. For the upstairs full bathroom, we’ve picked out matte black fixtures from the American Standard Studio S Collection. They’re modern and similar to the ones below. I can’t wait to paint, tile, and install everything. I’ve been looking up a nice radiator to keep it warm and found some good heating tips. We’re planning to do most of the work ourselves, both Sean and I are pretty handy. We’re starting with the downstairs bathroom in February and making our way to the second larger bathroom next. If you have any tips or thoughts to share about home renovations, I’m all ears! My goal is to…

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Beat Winter SAD: Take A Vacation

Last winter was really hard, we had one of the coldest seasons in ages, there was ice everywhere, and my arm was messed up. I spent most of the winter inside our house going Marie Kondo through every cupboard and drawer. This winter, I’m determined to find joy in simple things and actively make an effort to warm myself up and beat winter SAD. I wrote a few posts with ways I’m trying to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder with the hope it will help make our days a bit brighter. Some take a little more money/planning but others you can do at home right now. I’ll update this post with a link to each so you can scroll once they’re live. Vacation The easiest way to boost your mood in winter? Take a vacation. I know this isn’t an option for everyone with work/family/finances but if you can do it, it’s so nice. This year, I took a 7-day all-inclusive trip to Cuba with a friend. We have been talking about doing a low-key beach getaway at the start of January for 2+ years and finally did it! Cuba was a good option because we were not going for luxury, our conditions for the trip were affordable, beach, sun. The beach was beautiful and the sun was hot. The food wasn’t luxe but we managed to eat simple, the main things I ate were bread, rice, fruit, pasta, and eggs. I read an entire book, took heaps of photos, and finished the week well-rested and refreshed. We went to bed early (and sober) most nights. I stuck to Amy’s 1K a day challenge and did some type of activity each day (long walk, dance, NTC). It was just what I needed and a perfect reset to start the year. I…

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We All Wear Crowns ?

Feeling excited today! The sun is out, it’s layering weather, and I’m expecting mail. I’m really looking forward to the weekend, Sean and I are going to the cottage for five days, just the two of us. I’m planning to cook, read books, have a fire, relax, it’s going to be so great., The photo above is my outfit from the Booby Ball ‘Under The Sea’ event on Friday night. Thank you Ryan Emberley for the snap! I went as a mermaid queen and made a crown + shell phone to complete my look. I’m so happy with how it turned out., This winter will be all about DIY projects in my little boudoir studio at home. I got a couple of shipping notices today for stuff I ordered recently and I can’t WAIT for them to arrive. These Chloe glasses are on their way from SmartBuyGlasses.ca. I wanted these in the summer and when they reached out about doing a post on the blog, I was so happy to pick these out! This weekend I finally ordered a hat from Lack Of Colour Australia. I’ve been creeping the website and Instagram for months and have wanted one of these for ages. I’ve also found a few great hats on Amazon lately like this black boater hat. See my store here! Two weeks ago I went to a plant event with Native Shoes and was given a gift card. I finally decided on these super cute, warm, waterproof boots ‘Chamonix Junior‘. They fit a bit big so I went for the kid’s ones. They’re out on the truck for delivery today! We have an exciting meeting today at 1188 and I really hope it all works out. Here’s to good vibes and great things happening!

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Just Make The Thing

A couple of months ago, the guys at Occupied VR and I got really into AR filters on Instagram. The first one approved in the app was for The Holy City VR at Cannes Film Fest. The Spark AR program is now out of Beta and now anyone can submit filters to Instagram to be approved. Monday I submitted my first filter to the app! IT IS NOW LIVE!!! TRY MY ‘HELLO’ FILTER HERE! I had been wanting to make one for ages but hit a couple of roadblocks as developing a filter involves learning Spark AR, a program from Facebook. About a week ago I decided to send Sean some text I’d made on iPad to see if it would work for a filter. It totally does! He made the background pink and they added the same hearts you see on this very blog. I was so excited to try it for the first time! Big thanks to Sean & Daeve for helping me. Check out Daeve’s other filters here! Earlier this month, I started a blog post called ‘make the thing’. For the past few months, I’ve been very tired, uninspired. I needed to take a break to get my mojo back. I spent heaps of time at the cottage this summer and also declining events to stay home. It feels good. September feels like a new start. There’s 4 months till Christmas and 2020. What’s your 2020 plan? Make it happen. Start now. Buy Zithromax online Strattera no prescription buy Cytotec online Buy lasix

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Interview: Vocab Comm Influencer Tuesdays

I recently did an interview w/ Chrissy, longtime friend, OG PR, and founder of Vocab Comm. I talk about the social media landscape, influencers, and my career. I included part of the interview below, read the whole thing here. Chrissy used to host MMVA and celebrity gifting lounges at the beginning of social media, we worked together on a few. This was a fun one. Tell us a little about yourself. I grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. My parents immigrated here from New Zealand and my dad had a custom Hot Rod shop growing up. I created my first business in grade 2 and at 14 I wrote a book and started a publishing company. I went to Conestoga College and last year was given an Alumni Award for my work from the President of the college. I went to university in Australia and have a B. Com in International Business. I have lived in Toronto since 2005 when I started my blog. Through my blog, I’ve built some amazing brand partnerships (Pepsi, Telus, Aeroplan, Sassoon) and traveled to incredible amazing places in the world (Thailand, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Disneyland). How do you define an influencer? I think the word ‘influencer’ has really taken on a whole new (kinda negative) meaning with the rise of Instagram influencers. To me, influence is a product of something someone does. It’s not something you get by having a lot of followers. My influence has grown from being a pioneer in a new industry and constantly innovating. I share my life with the world and love discovering new things, my influence comes from building trust with my audience. What advice do you have for other people looking to become an online influencer? Don’t do it. Find something you love and do that! Don’t…

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