Dragonette Dance Party at Good Day Hair Shop

The other day I was at Good Day Hair Shop in Kensington for a little pop-up party and DRAGONETTE was there. The performance was intimate; small venue and less than 100 people. Here’s some photos via She Does the City by Becca Lemire. We decided to kick the party up a notch and dance with lead singer Martina Sorbara. Everyone threw their hands  in the air and sang along. It was a magical moment! Good Day Hair Shop is in Kensington and you can find them at gooddayhairshop.com. That reminds me, I need a haircut!

View Post

Events | Santa’s Log Cabin at The Eaton Centre!

Saw Santa with my sister  the other day at his Log Cabin in Trinity Square outside The Eaton Centre. We’ve made a point to visit the old guy at one place or another almost our whole lives. Despite knowing the truth, the mystery and wonder of Christmas is still alive in our hearts and it’s always fun to get a photo. I guess we kinda look alike 🙂 The front of the cabin features out all the beautiful trees deigned by stylish Toronto notables like Suzanne Rogers and The Chic Canuck. The Chic Canuck Team Jenie used to dance with the Raptors Dance Pak so seeing THE Raptor was trés exciting. He totally remembered her and gave her a salute when she arrived. Thanks Brill Communications for the invite and George Pimentel for the nice photos. Timber Block’s R-30 Insulated Cabin is open Fridays from 4-7pm and features comfy seating, free wi-fi and charging stations. There’s also a neat little tree maze for the kiddies! Or big kids like who who still gave it a go even though I could see over the trees. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  <3 CASIE

View Post

Treat Yo Self! Book A Holiday Hair & Makeup Appointment

I recently booked a professional makeup artist to come over and do my makeup before a holiday event. It was SUCH an awesome experience. Having your hair and makeup done by a professional makes a HUGE difference. It’s amazing how much you can learn from a couple hours with an expert. I had Rimmel Canada spokesperson Vanessa Jarman over to doll me up and show me some tricks. She lined my eyes with Rimmel waterproof eyeliner before anything else, and told me to squish my eyes together ‘like I mean it’. This lined the inside of my eyes with a waterproof liner protecting my makeup from fading over the course of the night. A friend recommended an eyeliner stamp from Lovoir.com for future use. She also taught me to use an angle brush or small eyeshadow brush to set my liner with something dry (ie. eyeshadow). I learned about colours to wear for my skin, blending and layering makeup, and using different sized brushes for different parts of the face. I’d been using a rather large blush brush and learned a smaller one is better for blending blush or bronzer around my cheekbones. Vanessa blended three shadows to create my look and added a few individual lashes to make my eyes pop. We threw some hot rollers in my hair to glam it all up and she did a side braid to add some style. After my makeup was done, Vanessa asked about my dress and décolletage. What would be showing? She pulled out Burt’s Bees Radiant and rubbed it along my arms. I was glistened with an ever so slight brilliance. I’m picking up a bottle for myself today! One of the other really rad things about having a pro do your makeup is that they really know faces…

View Post

Notable Awards for Young Professionals

Today is the last day to vote for your fav people from Ontario in the Notable Awards powered hosted by Notable.ca. I’m nominated in the Best Blog category for Toronto. It’s my second time being nominated for a Notable Award, I was up for Best Personal Brand in 2011. I swore that after winning the Virgin American Provocateur competition I’d never ask people to vote for me again, I know it can be a bother, but here I am. I’m up against some really great blogs that are run by more than one person which is pretty cool. It’s awesome to be nominated with amongst my peers. You can vote for me here and pick out your favs in other categories here.  In other interesting news I’m Nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award (for the second time) in the Canadian Weblog Awards, winners announced next week for that. I’ve been a big supporter of Notable and Julian since he started in back in 2008. In 2009, Julian and Notable document the top bloggers in Toronto, including me. They don’t all blog anymore but you’ll recognize Raymi the Minx, and Lisa Charlieboy in these photos. Below is another one from 2009, we’ve come a long way since then! I had a quick chat with Julian this week about the Notable Awards and what’s next for the company. Scroll down for a recent video I did with Notable for their Icon Series and PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO VOTE. Interview w/ Julian Brass from Notable Julian and I chatted on the phone and I did my best to get it all down! Thanks Julian! Follow him on Twitter at @JulianBrass. What was the inspiration behind creating Notable?? We as young professionals have so much potential, to live our dreams and help other live theirs. Notable is the brand that helps young professionals realize it’s…

View Post

I Got a Vajacial.

A what? A Vajacial is the same concept as a facial, except it’s for the bikini area… I got to Fuzz Wax Bar for my first time. Had been walking around the house for 20 min before I left, was almost late. I was nervous. Asking myself all kinda questions like, what’s gonna happen? Will it be a girl? Where ‘exactly’ does this happen in that region? Is this gonna hurt? I’ve never had a Brazilian. I was nervous. As any aberdeen escortguide.co.uk employee will tell you, looking after your nether regions requires regular upkeep and maintenance, but that still did not stop me feeling jittery. Vajacial Starter pack: sign up, room alone, disrobe, wait for it. The experience was good. Once I was on the table with a towel covering waist to thighs, I relaxed. I Felt calm. A nice young woman did the treatment and her Irish accent was lovely, we had a couple laughs too. It was over in 20 minutes. I did not at any time have anxiety or feel like she went too close to my private parts. This had me nervous earlier. The Vajacial is a five step process and here’s how it went down: She cleansed the skin around my bikini area with antibacterial towelettes. Towels were soft. Second she put on an exfoliator that’s used to remove dead skin cells in preparation for extractions. The exfoliant was really gentle too. I had a blindfold on so I didn’t see this part but she used Tweezers and a lancet to extract any ingrown hairs trapped under the skin. If you have really coarse hair or are prone to ingrown hairs, I can imagine this being a bit painful. She put a mask to help with the removal of any ingrown hairs. Next she…

View Post

Tech | We’re All Just Trying to Figure It Out

This might be one of my fav photos I’ve ever taken. I love it. Snapped with iPhone on a whim while leaving my sisters place. It brings back memories, nostalgia, I’m not even certain what exactly, just old times. Found the quote below over the weekend and it resonated with me. I’ve been reading here and there about impostor syndrome, the inability to unable to internalize accomplishments. When you feel like someone is going ‘figure you out’, realize you don’t know what you’re doing, see right through your whole charade. ‘Impostor Syndrome is the domain of the high achiever. Those who set the bar low are rarely it’s victim’ (Forbes). — CASIE STEWART November 24, 2014 It’s ok to not know what you’re doing, We’re all trying to figure it out as we go. I used to get severe anxiety before going to events, being on stage, speaking. It’s not that people wouldn’t like me, it’s that they would, and sometimes I didn’t know exactly what I was doing but I was going on experience, and making it up as I go. Being in the world of social media before it was a business (or industry!) has taught me to realx and roll with it. Preparation, constant innovation, and trying new things has kept me ahead, made me a ‘pioneer’. (It always weirds me out when someone calls me that, the thought of ME being part of the start of something.) A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:17pm PST So I got to thinking about blogs and authenticity and why people even blog these days, and I thought about why they started. A blog, formerly WebLog was a place for non-tecnical users of the…

View Post

Travel | Take Me Away To…Cuba!

Since it’s winter and we’re all dreaming of sunshine, I’ve decided to get a little more organized with my travel stories. Starting this week and each following Tuesday, I’ll be writing about my adventures past, present, and future. As part of my quest to keep more memories, it’s great to relive those moments and what better time than RIGHT NOW. Guys, it’s -5 in Toronto right now and I’m wearing a big fur hat as I work. This week, we adventure to Cuba! I visited Havana back in 2010 w/ a friend. We stayed at Hotel Nacional, a famous spot where gangsters, famous people, and socialites used to hang out. The hotel opened in 1930 and Notable guests include Ernest Hemingway, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Backstreet Boys, Naomi Campbell and tbh there’s so many! I absolutely love being in a country that speaks another language. Best way to learn I reckon! I danced to the sounds of Buena Vista Social Club, ate delicious fresh fish, and took in heaps of history about Cuba.  Each day I watched different coloured taxis roll up with old white walled tires. It was like going back in time, I loved it.  My dad builds hot rods so I’ve been around old cars like this my whole life. My friends at Air Transat made this video a couple weeks ago and gave away all-inclusive trips to passengers. Did any of you guys see the Cuban Cab? Would you have taken a ride? I can’t imagine the being handed a trip so random like this! I could love to go back to Cuba. Especially today! Stay warm out there! <3 CASIE  

View Post

Fashion | Gifts that Keep on Giving, TOMS for Target

Starting November 16th you can find a special collection by TOMS at Target stores across North America. The limited-edition collection is co-designed by TOMS founder and chief shoe giver, Blake Mycoskie and goes along with TOMS One for One® giving model where every purchase helps a person in need. Along withe the collection they also created this totally awesome ‘Together Sweater’ inspired by TOMS One for One. Naturall, I tried it on with all my fav people. I love togetherness. Sean has agreed to wear it to a ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater Party’ and I reckon it’s a contest winner! Sorry guys, the sweater ISN’T for sale. They’ve got items for for men, women, kids, and home and with this collection, Target is donating a blanket, meals or shoes in partnership with TOMS and North America-based charities American Red Cross Disaster Relief, Canadian Red Cross, Feeding America and Food Banks Canada. Each product displays the corresponding donations so you can easily see how your purchase is helping someone out. I’ve got a couple pairs of TOMS and have picked a few of my fav items from the Target collection below. Love this poncho and am hoping to score one bright and early tomorrow morning. Each purchase will give a blanket so someone in need. Sean’s fav outfit is chambray shirts and jeans, aka the Canadian tuxedo. The plan is to pick one of these up for him and by doing that, TOMS will provide one week of meals through one of their selected charities. The kids clothes are especially cute and by picking something up for your fav lil’ shorty you’re doing some good.  This t-shirt gives 1 week of meals and the hoodie 1 blanket. The housewares items are all under $30 and make great gifts. I’m a fan of these little journals. Nothing like afresh new…

View Post

Fashion | Rudsak, A Sample Sale for The Cool Rebel

Popped into the Rudsak sample sale yesterday just after 10am when it opened and there were heaps of shoppers filling their arms. It comes at the perfect time of year since winter just hit! There’s a ton of shoes, bags, accessories (hats, gloves, wallets etc), as well as winter coats and spring/fall leather jackets. In a preview of the sale the other day I picked up a new leather/fur jacket, purse, and boots. The sale is at 99 Sudbury and runs November 13th-16th. Full details below.       If you’re not familiar with Rudsak you might want to check out my posts from their April sample sale, fashion week, and the store opening at Yorkdale earlier this year. Founded in Montreal in 1994, Rudsak is a brand that celebrates the authentic cool rebel. They’ve got a rock and roll attitude with a focus on quality leather. This year they celebrated 20 years with a capsule collection named after 20 rockstar greats with only 20 of each item available. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the goodies you’ll find at 99 Sudbury this weekend… If you stop by I’d LOVE to see what you get. Yesterday I got Sean a nice black scarf and this hat/scarf for myself.  Find Rudsak on Instagram at @Rudsak, Twitter @RusdakCanada, and Facebook/RudsakCanada. Rabbit fur & wool scarf, perfect @RudsakCanada purchase for this ❄️ weather! #RockRudsak… https://t.co/pMoY3Us0EO pic.twitter.com/q3JkRqZ1fi — CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart) November 13, 2014 CASIE

View Post

Dinner with Chef Chef Nina Compton + Saint Lucia Tourism

On Monday night I travelled to Toronto’s Queen East for a mini escape to Saint Lucia with Chef Nina Compton and their tourism board. I’ve never been to Saint Lucia but I’ve also never wanted to go more than right now after tasting the food and hearing travel stories from other guests. Chef Nina cooked up some seriously delicious food. My fav was the cacao beef short rib with polenta and baby veg. The spicy cacao martini was a nice start to the night. You might recognize her from Bravo’s Top Chef, she was the runner-up and fan favourite on the most recent season. Chef Nina is in Toronto as the first culinary ambassador of Saint Lucia. Now that’s an awesome gig! = Here’s some snaps from the night by the lovely Becca Lemire. Did you know Saint Lucia, aside form it’s natural beauty, has a tropical rainforest and one of the world’s few drive-in volcanoes. DRIVE IN VOLCANO. A DRIVE IN VOLCANO. I can only imagine the other magical wonders waiting there for me. Thanks to the Saint Lucia Tourist Board and Chef Nina Compton for a delicious dinner and some time to catch up with Andrew (aka Dobbernation). I had a great time meeting Charlene who has been reading THIS IS MY LIFE for years had never ran into me IRL. HI CHARLENE. It’s a truly humbling and awesome experience meeting people who have been reading for a while. It’s nice to get to know ya. You know heaps about me! Here’s to a wonderful day. It may be getting cold outside but that doesn’t mean you can’t take the sunshine wherever you go.

View Post

Lifestyle | Interstellar IMAX, Korean Karaoke, Stew

  Found these glasses while I was cleaning up this weekend. They’re House of Harlow by Nicole Richie and I can’t believe I forgot about them. DOH! It’s amazing what you find when you dig through clothes mountain and put your stuff away. On Friday Sean and I went to see Interstellar in IMAX. I liked it. I didn’t know anything about the movie except it had something to do with space. I like seeing things in IMAX but this movie made me a little bit dizzy at times they were spinning around in the station. Matthew McConaughey was great and I don’t know why people hate on Anne Hathaway but I think she’s great too. I deff had space dreams/nightmares that night.  I hope to go to space one day. On Saturday we joined Lozzie and crew for for Karaoke in Little Korea and IT WAS SO AWESOME. I’d never been to one of those karaoke places where you get a room to yourself to sing your hearts out. I can’t even begin to tell you all the songs I sung. Sean loves it too. Despite just meeting the birthday girl that night we really helped out by being the entertainment! I’ve been thinking about why I started blogging heaps lately and it was all in an attempt to keep more memories, documenting people, places, things, and thoughts. I’ve also been thinking about how much blogs have changed over the years. Have you noticed a change? Is anyone even reading this? You know so much about me and I don’t know anything about you. Is that strange? I don’t know! Anyhoo, here’s to a great week. <3 CASIE

View Post

Events | Stanley Kubrick at @TIFF_Net ⬅ Don’t miss this one!

Last week I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek of the Stanley Kubrick exhibit now open at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. IT WAS AWESOME. I was at BOOMBOX, the annual TIFF Fundraiser. You might remember last years crazy Cronenberg exhibit. A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Oct 10, 2014 at 9:14pm PDT Here’s some snaps from the event via at TIFF by Connie Tsang. The Instagram photos are mine of course! A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Oct 10, 2014 at 9:10pm PDT You should DEFINITELY check this out. Great for fans and if you are not a fan yet you will be when you leave those doors. I hadn’t see 2001: A Space Odyssey but after being in the space ship, I had to watch it last weekend. The exhibit features rare photographs, letters, original props and costumes (so cool!), screenplays, production materials, and cameras from his nearly 50-year career. For more information check out BOOMBOX, Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition, @TIFF_NET on Twitter, and  @TIFF_NET on Instagram. <3 CASIE   A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Oct 10, 2014 at 9:23pm PDT

View Post

CottageLife | You Might Just Need An Entire Weekend of Sleep

Hellooooo November! I love summer but there’s something so calming and creative about winter that makes me want to lock myself inside and write or organize the house. I did neither of those things this weekend. I slept at least 25 hours.  I took as many extra hours of sleep as I could find! We spent most of the weekend on the couch watching shows and movies from Netflix or iTunes. The fridge is full of takeout. I was tired. I had work to do but I just didn’t have the energy. Today I feel much better and ready to take on the world! Whenever it’s a new month, year, and sometimes even day I look back and feel grateful for memories or think about how life has changed. Two years ago Sunday, Dad and I did the CN Tower Edgewalk thanks to Mastercard Canada’s Priceless Surprises. Timehop is a great app for looking back on that you posted on Twitter or Facebook that day (see posts about the app). Saw this rusty rat rod truck that made me think of you Daddio! He custom builds hot rods and is working on his own rat rod right now. It’s the start of Movember so I can’t help but think about the MoSistas TO pinup calendar from last year 2012. (Gah, I can’t believe it was 2 years ago!)  The girls and I had a good time getting dolled up. I was May. Apron was Mum’s and I love it. I use it on the regular. I hope I still have that scarf. In other news, Regina George started following me today and I’m already into the Christmas music w/ one of my favalbums by She & Him.   If you need something to cheer you up on this gloomy Monday, press play, or check out THIS happiest Christmas playlist ever…

View Post

Fashion | Ted Baker London & Baker’s Arcade at The Eaton Centre

Friday marks the opening of the second Ted Baker London store on Toronto at the Eaton Centre. It was two years ago when the first store opened in Ontario at Yorkdale Mall and it’s been great fun working with the brand since. I’ve collected a bunch of beautifully designed pieces and had the opportunity to visit Ted Baker London shops in New York City and London, England. Scroll down for some of my fav Ted moments from the last two years and info on the new ‘Baker’s Arcade’ shop at the Eaton Centre (opens Friday). I’m getting a sneak peek at the media preview tonight! Look who did a little shopping at Ted Fifth Avenue… The always lovely @casiestewart! A photo posted by Ted Baker (@ted_baker) on Aug 8, 2013 at 12:09pm PDT   In love with my first @Ted_Baker dress. The Scuba, its neoprene! A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Nov 11, 2012 at 5:40pm PST I can’t wait to check out the new store tonight! The steel ceiling trussles are spray painted in neon pink and series of framed panels of wallpaper, fabric, leather and detailed collections of relevant props define each ‘shop’ area: Umbrella Shop, Watchmaker, Optician, Jeweler, Perfumery, as well as a Tea and Cake Shop. One of the most admirable things about Ted Baker London is the acute attention to detail in the design of stores, clothes, and accessories. My purses and wallet are lined with English Bulldogs,  my camel cape coat has funky orange ribbon lining. I love it! I’ll share some photos on the new shop after my visit tonight. Today I’m visiting the Shangri-La Spa and Evolve Hair Studio, before an audition at 4:30, then Ted’s baler’s Arcade event.  It’s gonna be a busy one! <3 CASIE

View Post

Travel | Montreal Moments

Yesterday I had brunch w/ Montreal Tourism at The Richmond. They were in town promoting all the wonderful events that happen in their great city over the next few months. I was treated to Montreal’s mouthwatering cuisine, charming joie de vivre, and a look into fall and winter adventures. Tourism partners and chefs included Guillaume Cantin from Les 400 Coups, Sophie Ouellet from EVO and Christian Faure from Maison Christian Faure along with Via Rail, Igloofest, Montréal en Lumière, Quartier des Spectacles, Phi Centre, The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, McCord Museum and Grévin Montréal. Earlier this month I was in Montreal to get a look at MTL à TABLE, their food festival starting October 30th. Three Ontario blogs were matched with three Montreal blogs then paired with a Chef to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into making their MTL à TABLE menu. A photo posted by CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart) on Oct 10, 2014 at 3:42pm PDT A photo posted by CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart) on Oct 10, 2014 at 6:12am PDT The group included tour included myself, Amanda Cosco (Girl About Toronto), Taylor Stinson and Natalie Sehgal (Girls on Bloor) from Ontario and Jason Lee (Shut Up and Eat), Adnan Albakri (514 eats), and Na’eem Adam (Mechant Mangeur) from Montreal. Check out this vid Amanda, Girl About Toronto, made of her experience. Read about my trip to a farm and fromagerie w/ Chef Jason Nelson here. For more info about what’s happening in and around Montreal visit their blog at tourisme-montreal.org. To learn about MTL à TABLE  and participating restaurants tourisme-montreal.org/mtlatable. BON WEEKEND! <3 CASIE

View Post

Fashion | CatFootwear in New York City

Last week Brock and I went to New York City with Cat Footwear to visit their pop-up shop at Lexington & 47th in Midtown. The shop is there until the end of October and hosting a series of PR and media events, along with a preview of their SS15 collection (details on their blog). We had a great time meeting the US Cat Footwear team, artists, and NY media.   Loading Cat Footwear challenged five NYC-based artists to look at their iconic Colorado as a blank canvas and create #ColoradoCouture. Here’s what they came up with. It was rad to see the boot transformed so many ways. I’m planning to customize my own pair when they arrive.  Loading   Four of our #ColoradoCouture artists at last night’s opening, all wearing their Cat Boots of course. #catbootsnyc @ivanorama @lizlomax @sparkpretty @blubeard_misha_t  View on Instagram   I fell in love with these platforms, they are my fav from the 2015 collection.  Loading   Whoa CAT daddy, I need you in my life. Platform #SS15 from @CATfootwear. #fashion #NYC   View on Instagram On Tuesday, Oct. 21st, Style Bloggers Adam Gallagher and Sazan Barzani will be hosting a Shopping Night. You can pop-in to shop with them and chat fashion tips and styling advice from 7pm – 9pm. Tuesday nights event in #NYC w @SazBarzani for @CatFootwear you’re invited to!!!! pic.twitter.com/1O6HUSS2ca — Adam Gallagher (@IamGALLA) October 18, 2014 Thanks to the team at Cat Footwear Canada and Elevator Communications for taking us on a fun adventure in The Big Apple.Will share when I have more info about SS15 because I was super impressed with how funky and stylish the collection is. Today kicks off World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto and I’ll be at shows the rest of the week. Tonight I’m speaking at Humber PR’s 2nd Annual Blogger…

View Post

Lifestyle | Weekend Session: ON

After a busy week I’m so glad it’s the weekend. Was at the cottage last weekend for Thanksgiving, then this week, New York City, Buffer Festival, SiriusXM, and had a movie come out on iTunes.  I’m on the couch, watching Netflix w/ my computer, and snacks. Basically heaven. I’ve got heaps of blog things on my list and there is nothing I’d rather be doing right now. Watched The Signal w/ Olivia Cooke & Laurence Fishburne last night. Great movie, sci-fi and futuristic w/ hackers. Found  The Joneses on Netflix today too. Just started American Psycho in spirit of Halloween. This week I found out Behind The Red Carpet documentary is now available on iTunes. Guys, I have an artist page on iTunes! 🙂 This is the film about behind the scenes of one of the worlds biggest and best film events, TIFF. The premiere was the day before Toronto International Film Festival opened, September 2014. BEHIND THE RED CARPET Teaser Trailer from Mountain Goat Film Company I play myself, ‘The Blogger’ along with Natasha from NKPR, George Pimentel, Huffington Post’s Chris Jancelewicz , and President of The Spoke Club President Pierre Jutras.   You can watch the trailer, rent, or download it forever right here. (It’s in the US store right now so, my peeps in Canada, please lmk if you see it in the Canadian store after checking the US one.) In other news, you can listen Thursday’s episode of The Todd Shapiro Show with guests Donovan Bailey, Rend Music, and Kevin D. Foster at toddshapiroshow.com or on iTunes here. Donovan Bailey in the studio. Rend Music performing. Gril crush Rent’s lead singer Carol-Lynne Quinn! The Todd Shapiro show is M-F on Sirius XM, canada Laughs, channel 168 from 4-6. You’ll hear me there on Thursdays! Happy weeeeeeeeeekend! <3 CASIE

View Post

Travel | Savour the Taste of Montreal w/ MTL à TABLE

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Montreal with their tourism board to learn about their upcoming food festival, MTL à TABLE. I had an awesome time discovering their culinary scene, meeting other bloggers/media, and being back in my second fav Canadian city. This is part one of my experience. Scroll down to see what I got up to and get details on how YOU can win a round trip, including airfare to Montreal to experience MTL à TABLE for yourself! MY MTL à TABLE EXPERIENCE – Part One I arrived at Renard Artisan Bistro at 9am to greet Chef Jason Nelson and my blogger partner in crime Jason from shutupandeat.ca. After visiting the smallest coffee shop in all of Montreal and we decided to venture 45min outside the city to get local meat, wine, and cheese, a trip Chef often takes on Sunday afternoons. It was about 10am when we did a wine tasting at Vignoble Vertefeuille. I loved being at the farm. The air was fresh and the wine was good. Not a bad start to the day! Chef gets chicken, rabbit and wine from the farm on a regular basis. Our next stop was Fromagerie Au Gré des Champs where we sampled cheese and said hello to the animals. It was my first time at a fromagerie and I have never tasted cheese so delicious! This award winning fromagerie is one of very few in Quebec that uses raw unpasturized milk to make the cheese. It was DELICIOUS! Loading Love this beautiful lady. We had heaps of laughs on the way back to the city where blogger Jason from shutupandeat.ca and I met up with the other bloggers for lunch. Later in the day I really got my hands dirty prepping dinner. And by dirty I mean I got blood on my hands! This is the…

View Post

Events | Give the Gift of Sight w/ ClearlyContacts on Oct. 9th

Last night I got an email from my friends at Clearly Contacts about World Sight Day tomorrow. I’ve worked with Clearly Contacts to share new products and contests for a while (see posts here) and I’m happy to share their latest charity initiative. In exchange for this post, Clearly Contacts is donating a pair of prescription glasses to someone via Change the View on my behalf. The global  #WHOBLINKEDFIRST campaign that kicks off tomorrow. Over the last few years documenting my life, I’ve really taken time to smell the flowers, literally and figuratively. I take heaps of photos each day and really value my eyesight and ability to see beauty in the little things. I can only imagine how my life would change if I lost my eyesight. For every video shared with #WHOBLINKEDFIRST, ClearlyContacts.ca will donate a pair of prescription eyeglasses, Vitamin A tablets, or UV protective sunglasses to someone in need through Change the View. Challenge your bff to a staring contest and upload to the WSD Gallery here to win new glasses and other prizes for yourself. To learn more at clearlycontacts.ca/worldsightday   Here’s lookin’ at you loves! Share this post to spread the good. <3 CASIE

View Post

Events | The Art of Entrepreneurship + The Art of Maintaining Violet Hair

This violet hair is awesome but it really fades fast. Checked out the bf’s new office space before heading to The Are of Entrepreneurship conference this morning. The day started with rain but before I knew it the sun was shining bright. Shared a few tweets with the one and only Gary Vaynerchuk before getting to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Looking forward to his talk this afternoon. I love listening to other speakers, it really helps me pick out things that make them great to remember for me own talks. The tents are being put up for World MasterCard Fashion Week already. It’s hard to believe it’s already that time of year again! I’ll be attending a few shows this season but don’t have anything mayor planned..yet. Loading Had a Kiwi @eatkanga pie for lunch and discovered @Charge_Spot. Awesome & innovative Canadian product. #meatpie #mobile #vscocam #tech *on the spot charging! SO AWESOME. View on Instagram Alrighty, time to head into the first after lunch session for The Art Of Entrepreneurship. Gary Vee is closing the day after Reddit co-founder  Alexis Ohanian. My fav class in high school was entrepreneurship and one of my highest marks. I took the Gr. 11 course in Gr. 10 and still had the highest mark in the class. I started a business called OUT THERE, Creative Advertising & Marketing.  It makes me smile that all these years later, creative advertising and marketing is still what I’m doing. 🙂 Hope you’re having a great day! <3 CASIE

View Post

Fashion | Rudsak Canada’s New Yorkdale Store + Capsule Collection + Contest

Oh hey there! This week I hosted the opening of Rudsak Canada’s new Yorkdale store with fellow fashion bloggers Julio (fashionights.com) and Nicole (daintygirl.ca). This year celebrates 20 years of the brand and Rudsak launched a Capsule Collection with 20 unique pieces, 20 of each, inspired of cool rebels in rock n’ roll history. Here I’m wearing the ‘Jimi’ hat named  after Jimi Hendrix.  Scroll down for your chance to win one of the 20 limited hats valued at $250! In between styling Julio and I had a few laughs. I pretended to be a rockstar.  My mannequin is wearing the jet black ‘Polly‘ goat fur vest named after PH Harvey from the Capsule Collection.  I’m wearing is my own Rudsak jacket I picked up last year. These are a few of my favs from the Capsule Collection: Joni (Mitchell) shirt, Cyndi  (Lauper) ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ pants, and the Janis (Joplin) jacket. Thanks Andrew Williamson for the photos.  See more of his work here. Win the ‘Jimi’ Hat from the Rudsak 20 Capsule Collection a Rafflecopter giveaway

View Post

Tech | My DNA: 23andMe Launches in Canada

This week I went to the Canadian launch of 23andMe. The privately held company is located in Mountain View, California and they specialize in genomics and biotechnology. I love this stuff. I don’t know heaps about it but I want to learn so I was reading the blog made by Dan Miller that’s all about these types of kits! Using a saliva-based DNA sample, they provide genetic reports on ancestry, family history and connect you with your DNA relatives. They have over 650,000 paying genotyped customers and 20K are Canadian. CEO + cofounder Anna gave us some insight on how 23and me works. Informative article on FactCompany here -> Inside 23andMe founder Anne Wojcicki’s $99 DNA Revolution. I saw Anne on CTV this morning in Montreal. All Canada’s top media was there for the Canadian launch. CBC in my face right here! One of the neat things knowing about your genetic makeup is disease prevention. For example, people who have the BRCA gene are more likely to get certain types of Cancer. Angelina Jolie had a double mastectomy after testing positive for a likely lethal BRCA1 mutation. After learning about the company we were given a 23andme kit with expedited shipping so we could learn about our own genetic makeup. Mine was in the mail by the end of the day! You have to spit into this small container and put on the lid to mix in a chemical liquid with your sample. Once complete it goes into a bio bag and back in the box for shipping. I registered my sample and now I wait. It should take about three weeks to get an email that my results are in. When I get a notification, I’ll be able to login and see reports, ethnicity, ancestry, DNA relatives and more.…

View Post

CottageLife | A Boy And A Girl In A Little Canoe

Back to the grind today after an absolutely wonderful weekend up at the cottage. Sean and I went for a nice long canoe jaunt yesterday in the sunshine. How lucky are we to have this weather!? You can like this photo on Instagram right here. We attempted to go through this tunnel to another lake where our friends cottage is. It was like being inside a beautiful painting. The colours of the leaves are so vibrant and the sky was incredibly blue. We were ill prepared to portage the canoe over this little blunder. Next time I’ll wear better shoes and put my phone in something more secure than a ziplock bag. Did you know you can still use your phone while it’s in a ziplock? The more you know. Learned that trick in Thailand last year. I finally got to float in my donut. The water was pretty cold but I really didn’t care! Went on a crazy fast seadoo. Heaps of fun! MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, MY FAV. This week is gonna be a busy! Tonight my sister and I have a date for the premiere of Gone Girl starring Ben Affleck. I’m hosting a Twitter chat with Hotels.com X Nine West tomorrow then speaking to fashion students at Seneca College. Thursday I fly to Montreal for a couple days exploring culinary awesomeness with Tourism Montreal. It will be the weekend again before we know it! Happy Monday, make sure you soak up some of that sunshine!  <3 CASIE

View Post

Events | Streamers + Smiles: Creative Mornings w/ Tiffany Pratt

Just over a week ago I attended my first Creative Mornings event in Toronto. It was one of the first chilly mornings and trench coat weather. Arrived to have my photo taken by a friendly blog babe instantly made friends with another girl outside too. The day was off to a great start! The theme for September was COLOR and they cold not have picked a better person to light up the room. There was a pink card on each of our seats with Tiffany’s face and contact info, along with a beaded wooden rainbow mandala bracelet, which had been made by volunteers with Tiffany earlier in the week. There were streamers on the door, the floor, hanging from the ceiling. It was a colour explosion! If you check @thetiffanypratt on Instagram you day will be brighter the second her profile pops up. She started her talk with a morning meditation and then threw streamers into the crowd, over our heads. I loved it. Here’s a little Instagram video I made. Creative Mornings just posted about the event and I will update this post with the full video as soon as it’s live. See what I mean. She’s so awesome. Here are some notes I scribbled down on my iPhone while she was talking. Mostly I took in what she was saying and thought about life. There was so much positive energy floating in the room with smiles all around. You need to happen to your life Buy all the streamers Make all the bracelets Gigantic love circus Plant all the seeds Do all the things Velocity Be consistent Putting your brain on paper Beauty happens on budgets And this quote from my #1 fav author growing up Roald Dahl… “And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.…

View Post

Media | Dundas West #LoveMyHood

Throughout September I was featured by Bench Canada in their Love My Hood campaign. You might have seen a couple of these photos on their Instagram or Facebook. We snapped these shot at  the Wallace Ave. bridge that was built in 1907. Their contest ends this week so scroll down for details on how you can enter. The bridge covers the train tracks that are currently being expanded to service the new GoTrain Express to Person Airport. Alongside the bridge, is the West Toronto Railpath that I like to run on and where I took heaps of GoPro photos at last winter. Dug up these old photos fro the depths of the Internet. I love seeing how the city has changed. I think about how the Internet has changed my life in the last 10 years, imagine how this bridge feels?! 🙂  Wearing: Bench hoodie, dress from Brandy Melville, boots from NastyGal It’s your last chance, our #LoveMyHood contests ends in a week! Have your shown us your city yet? pic.twitter.com/tcLCocIG10 — BENCH Canada (@BenchCanada) September 23, 2014 This is the last week to enter their #LoveMyHood contest. You can win $500 and 2 round trip flights anywhere in Canada. Tag your photos #LoveMyHood and make sure you’re following@BenchCanada. Good luck! You can bring a friend so like, if your BFF is away, you can always invite me.  Thanks Bench Canada for this new monogrammed hoodie. I love things with my face and or name on them! See all posts tagged Bench from over the years here. Have an awesome day. Remember, you’ll never be younger than you are today, so make the most of it! <3 CASIE

View Post

Speaking | Social Summit in Kitchener-Waterloo

Are you in KW? I’m heading to my hometown later this week to speak at Social Summit in Kitchener, and visit my parents of course. It’s been ages since I was back in my old stomping ground so I’m pretty excited to be going there to talk about my travels and adventures over the past few years. Speakers throughout the morning will enrich the audience with social media tips, tricks, lessons and more. I’ve been added to the mix to share stories from my social media travels around the world with brands and my blog. I’m digging up photos for my presentation and I hope to leave everyone feeling they can accomplish anything they put their mind to.  🙂     Click to Read More About Each Speaker + Session   If any of you new or old friends want to come out, get a ticket for $20! Use PROMO10 to knock $10 off the $30 ticket. I’d really love to see some familiar faces and make new friends. Thanks to the sponsors, Mad hatter Tech and the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre for having me. If you’ll be there, especially if we have never met, please say HI. I’m a hugger. (Please don’t call me CASSIE.) My Mum will be there too. Here’s to a wonderful week! Looking forward to it. 🙂 <3 CASIE

View Post

Media | Don’t Be A Can’t: Todd Shapiro Show on SiriusXM

Had a great time on The Todd Shapiro show yesterday. There was a bunch of great guests including Tim Warmels, the new star of Bachelor Canada, and Trish Stratus. We laughed our heads off, talked about Rob Ford, and I swooned over Tim.  Radio is really fun. The show starts with original songs that will make you smile. Trust me. Tim is a a really nice guy. Smart, charming, successful, a tech founder, farm boy, part-time model. Click here to listen now! On this Episode:  Trish Stratus, Tim Warmels, and Casie Stewart! You can listen to this episode in a variety of ways Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe directly to the feed at thetoddshapiroshow.com/podcast.xml Click the photo below Look who is beside me on @ToddShapiroShow, the super handsome @BachCanTim. The Bachelor starts tonight at 8! pic.twitter.com/qEToBdDCra — CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart) September 18, 2014 I’ll be back on the show Thursday at 5pm. Have something I should talk about or interested in sponsoring? LMK! HAPPY FRIDAYYYYYY! <3 CASIE

View Post