Woke up in Beverly Hills and checked to make sure the car was there, it was! (I parked on the street and thought it was a safe spot but in the morning I learned that was actually a red zone. All good!)
Left my airbnb to drive around Rodeo Drive before going to The Academy, The Broad, and the Arts District. I’ve been busy so will break things up a bit, heaps of photos! ☀️???✈️
My goal for this LA trip was to spend time doing what I want when I want. I needed a reset. I needed a break. I wanted to explore LA, see friends, and take in the whole experience while driving a convertible. Well, check that off my 2017 list baby because it’s exactly what I’ve done. Yay! ?
First trip of 2017 starts bright and early tomorrow morning.I’m heading to LAS VEGAS!
I’ll be joining a bunch of journalists + influencers from North America for CES and my trip is sponsored by Harman Kardon (JBL, Bang & Olufsen etc). They’re hosting us at the Hard Rock Hotel and on Friday night they’ve got STING playing a concert in the hotel bar.
I AM SO EXCITED.
Aside from my set itinerary, I’ll be exploring the conference floor, attending talks, and rounding up all the hottest tech trends.
▶︎ Later this month I’m speaking on a panel at WeAreWearables Toronto about tech trends from CES. Get a ticket for it here! I’m also checking out VR stuff for Sean’s company Occupied VR.
I can’t wait. CES is so freaking exciting. I went a couple years ago, tech heaven! It’s also a bit warmer there than Toronto. I’m also hoping to check out the Neon Sign Museum and maybe do a helicopter tour over the Grand Canyon.
After Vegas, I’m driving to LA with a friend and staying in Venice Beach for the week. I can’t wait to document this trip.
Did you have a nice time over the holidays? I did! I took a break from blogging and IG to recharge my batteries and I feel so alive! It might help that yesterday I went for a b12 shot and IV of vitamins at REVIV. In 2017 I am excited to focus on doing great work, telling stories about tech, and helping others.
As I was driving yesterday the sun was going down and it was so bright and beautiful I stopped to catch it lighting up my face.
Lovin’ that first Sunset of 2017!
Over the holidays I did a couple volunteer shifts for different charities including cooking & serving lunch at Evangel Hall on New Years Eve w/ the #GivingBackVibes crew. [We did this last month too, see here.]
Jen and I with a HUGE salad
I fulfilled my dream of wrapping presents at the mall before christmas w/ Nneka Elliot at TD centre in support of StepStones For Youth. The day before I volunteered to help sort clothes with the NuScreen Digital team at Brands for Canada. I feel so good that I was able to give some of my time to help others. You’re going to see more of this in 2017.
I went home between Christmas and New Years to spend some quality time with my parents. Set both mum and dad up with new tech gadgets and had lots of laughs over great food. They’re only an hour away so this year I want to spend more time hanging out.
On New Years Eve, Sean and I went to Ikea to get some organizing stuff and things for Em’s room. We watched the Minimalism doc on Netflix a couple days before which kickstarted a HUGE purge on the entire house. It feels so good going into 2017 with more room and less clutter.
The bed I ordered from Amazon is all set up in the Boudoir (nickname for third floor) and it’s the blogging studio I was dreaming of. I’ve got a couple more lights for my home photography setup and can’t wait to take more portraits this year.
Got a b12 shot yesterday after a drip of vitamins at Reviv. They’re the global leader in IV infusion and booster shot wellness treatments. The IV boost I got is a mix of vitamin and nutrients that restores your body w/ minerals, anti-oxidants, and electrolytes. I might check out their LA or Vegas locations this week!
This morning I went for a run in my neighbourhood. I’m so loving the Junction Triangle! I usually run on the West Toronto Rail path which is being extended all the way to King Street/Liberty Village. I learned this weekend that The Drake Hotel is building a spot in the area right beside the Tower Automotive Building, where the the new Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art will be.
I’m feeling really excited and optimistic about this year. Thursday I’m heading to Las Vegas for CES then I’ll be in LA all of next week.
Mum wanted me to share this with you as a reminder you can do anything you want in your life. You are the author of your own life story.
This week I was a guest on the final episode of the UrbanizeTHIS Podcast with Matthew Slutsky & Ara Mamouran. We had a blast recording and a bunch of laughs before and after. I chatted about the web, influencer marketing, social media, and real estate.
Click the play button below to listen!
I got to try on my first pair of Spectacles from Snapchat since Ara has a pair. I AM SO JEALZ OMG. I didn’t connect my Snapchat to test out recording but they felt cool. These glasses allow you to handsfree record videos and post directly to Snapchat. FOLLOW ME ON SNAP: CASIE STEWART
I am hoping to try and track down a par at CES in January! I’ll also be in LA so if the Snapchat Bot is anywhere near, I WILL FIND IT!
Subscribe to the UrbanizeTHIS podcast here. I you have a topic suggestion or guests you’d like to hear from Tweet @aramammo or @iSlutsky. (Yes that’s his REAL NAME! ?)
This weekend I did more than just watch Netflix, I made a thing! On Friday night I saw this cool bed table laptop stand thing found it on Etsy. It was $60 but then $40 in shipping and I was like HELL NO. So I decided to make one!
Original inspiration from Etsy
Saturday morning I went to Home Depot and picked up 1/2″ copper pipe, 4fittings, and 4 steel flange. I asked a dude who worked there for help to save time and he cut the pipe for me too. I didn’t think about cutting the pipe so this was a huge help!
I used a large cutting board we had around the house as the table top. Next time I’ll use a bigger piece of nice wood from the bunch we’ve got at the cottage. I think rougher edges would look nice.
All the pieces cost just under $50 and it didn’t take long to put this stuff together. The glue is to hold the pipe bits together and I let it dry overnight.
So happy with how this turned out. I saw it, wanted it, and made it! I’m no expert on DIY, yet but I’ve got a long list of things I want to make for the house and cottage.
This does however mean that I am going to have to invest in some more tools! Most important of all, I need to find a good cordless drill. The staff over at Coolest Gadgets made a comparison of the top-rated cordless options, so I will definitely be checking out their article for some inspiration.
Making things gives me so much joy, I used to spend heaps of time in the garage with my dad growing up. This DIY category is about to grow.
