Caitlin Cronenberg Portrait Studio at NKPR’s #ITLounge

During TIFF I was a busy little bee. one of my stops was The IT Lounge, hosted by Toronto- and New York-based public relations agency NKPR. In an exclusive collaboration with fashion magazine W, Caitlin Cronenberg took the helm of the portrait studio, snapping photographs of some of the most highly anticipated celebs. The theme was Modern Vintage (which I LOVED) featuring elements of heritage and classic. Décor included antique furniture and trompe d’oeil sets, with the concept for her Portrait Studio based on Casa Susanna. There were also a ton of great brands present in the lounge including Avon, Tweezerman and Roots Canada, Cold Stone Creamery and Italian heritage brand Barilla. Natasha & NKPR, thank you SO MUCH for all the goodies. Avon was lovely and sent me a bunch of lipsticks and the Tweezerman set are the best I’ve ever had. Check out all the portraits from the NKPR portrait studio at  itlounge.nkpr.net and see the work of Caitlin Cronenberg on her website.  Happy Friday! <3 CASIE  

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Toronto International Film Festival 2019!

I’m not sure what else to say right now other than, I’M SO EXCITED! Today is media day for TIFF, the day before the festival officially opens. This is my 10th year as a media (blogger) type person and each year I cover events, entertainment, lounges, and of course, film. So far this year I’ve seen pre-screeners of two Canadian films, Black Conflux, and White Lie. (I’ll share a movie reviews post early next week.) Last night I attended an event for Warner Bros ‘TheGoldfinch’ This is my attempts at painting a colourful ‘goldfinch’ at the event last night w/ The Crazy Plate Lady. Check out her amazing work here, she’s INCREDIBLE. Yesterday I started my day with a fresh manicure then picked up a sweet red Volvo S60 so I can drive around to everything which is INCREDIBLY CONVENIENT. Today tho, today is one of the most wonderful days of the YEAR. I’ve got a full day of visiting TIFF gifting suites to experience a range of products and services including a facial, botox, makeup, a blowout, and more. What is a Gifting Lounge? A gifting suite (or lounge) is a popup location, often during an award show of film festival, where companies give products to celebrities in exchange for the famous person takes a photo with the product, wears the gift on a red carpet, or while standing in front of a step & repreat wall displaying company logos. One quick google search for ‘celebrity gifting TIFF‘ will bring up a slew of articles about the business of TIFF gifting. As a media, I get to go behind the red carpet to see and experience some of the stuff celebrities do. Media receive heaps of things but I will tell you right now, the celebrity bags are jam-packed with high-end designer items and…

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ALL I THINK ABOUT IS KARMA.

First, been listening to the new Taylor on repeat and I like it. I feel like she’s grown up the last for years and is probably sick of everyone’s bullshit. I can totally relate to that because I am 35 now and in my ‘I don’t give a f*ck’ stage where I will do what I want and not let anyone else’s expectations dictate how I feel. Second, this summer I’ve really taken time to relax and chill out. I’ve still blogged and updated the internet but it’s been less than years prior and it kinda feels good. I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon but I’ve learned it’s really important to give back to yourself. I’ve had a few meltdowns over the years after being totally exhausted and overwhelmed by trying to do too much. On that note, I’m realllllllly looking forward to TIFF this year. This week I was at the annual NKPR ‘Festival Countdown’ and it was so great to see everyone. I’ll put together a post about that exclusively. I’ve got my list of gifting lounges to check out in the first week and there will without a doubt be a bunch of parties. Yesterday I signed Sean and I up at the new LA Fitness near our house. I paid for it with my own money and I have been going for about a week now. I have never joined a gym before and I really like it! After doing yoga religiously this year, I feel ready to take it up a level. I refuse to spend this winter sitting on the couch again! Years ago Sean said I would be really fit if I only worked out as much as I watch Young & The Restless so that’s now what I try to do. Kinda silly…

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Watch ‘Behind the Red Carpet’ on The Hollywood Suite Network

In 2004, during TIFF, I was filmed for a documentary about the festival. I was followed around to events, parties, and interviewed about what it’s like behind the scenes, behind the red carpet. Alongside me, the films stars celebrity photographer George Pimentel, PR pro Natasha Koifman (NKPR), and national journalist Chris Jancelewicz. The film is playing on Hollywood Suite network in Canada all month. If you are keen to watch it and don’t the channel, you can get it on iTunes, Amazon, Playstation, GooglePlay, or xBox. Details on the website here. About Behind The Red Carpet Behind The Red Carpet introduces us to the movers, shakers and key players behind all the happenings and craziness of the Toronto International Film Festival. We follow five lead characters who are the top in their field including Toronto/New York based publicist Natasha Koifman, a foremost journalist, Chris Jancelewicz, Casie Stewart, world famous blogger, George Pimentel, Canada’s most renowned celebrity photographer, as well as Pierre Jutras, venue operator and president of The Spoke Club. Our key players are thrown into the fire as they try their very best to appease the biggest and brightest stars from around the globe. We are on the inside lines of the biggest red carpets with the hottest stars. It’s about being at the right place atthe right time, red carpet call times, media arrival times…photo opp…any time! After the whirlwind of festival…which of our characters is left standing…who has had the most success, who has thrown in the towel and who is ready for more? This week is gonna be a busy one. Busy and exciting! We’re heading back from the cottage today and for the next week I’ve got films, afterparties, gifting lounges, and more. I’m planning to share them all on Snapchat, Instagram (and Stories), Facebook Live, and Twitter. FOLLOW…

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Checking Out The New Terrace at First Canadian Place

Last week I stopped by First Canadian Place in the Toronto financial district to check out the new food terrace. Years ago I used to work in the area, it seems so long ago… Jetting out the door at 7:30am in a full business suit, heels, briefcase, and Windows Thinkpad, to make a daily 8am status meeting. I was a corporate recruiter specializing in tech, PMP Certified Project Managers, java & php developers. I forgot how fast everyone walks down walks down there, suits, pencil skirts, and lunch buddies everywhere. It was neat taking a stroll down memory lane and seeing the changes. The new elevated food court brings fresh design and a modern touch to FCP. There’s a great outdoor patio when the weather is warm and great food that’s well priced. That area can be expensive!   I picked up a few of my favs from Maman including their lasagne and a couple delicious cookies. This @mamantoronto is brining ☀️ to my day! TY @FirstCanadianPl, new #fcpfoodterrace is ! pic.twitter.com/zlV4K9IuiS — C∆SIE STEW∆RT (@casiestewart) November 27, 2015 One of the reasons to check out the First Canadian Place Food Terrace this week is they are donating 10% of sales to Community Food Centres Canada. With partners across Canada, CFCC brings people together to grow, cook, share and advocate for good food. Something awesome BESIDES FOOD at the new terrace is THERE ARE OUTLETS EVERYWHERE. It was near impossible to find a place to work on my blog at lunch back when I worked there. These little red booths are a hot spot (with outlets), perfect for catching up with a friend or catching a few private minutes alone in your busy day.  There’s more dining options being added to the terrace including Greenhouse Juice Co. and Five Guys burgers. Currently, you’ll find  Maman Toronto, The Cactus Club, Amaya Express, Jimmy the Greek, Maxim, Ruby Thai,Tim Horton’s, Pumpernickel’s, Mucho Burrito, Mr. Sub…

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