CASIE STEWART

THIS IS MY LIFE • BLOG EST. 2005
Fashion

Don’t Worry Be Happy

The other night Sean and I went out for dinner to Dotty’s around the corner from our place. The menu was looking extra cute and so was the patio. I wore one of my all-time fav jackets designed by Valfre, an artist & illustrator from Mexico. My first post about her was way back in 2011! I remember being so excited for this jacket to arrive, love that it says ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’. Not sure if the skeleton & dragon are dancing or fighting. ☺️

I’d recommend Dotty’s for cocktails, fries, and the house-made pimento cheese + Ritz crackers. Patio is cute! We had the burger, Caesar salad, and chicken sandwich, unfortunately, neither of us really enjoyed the mains. Dessert was amazing though. This lemon square tasted just like the ones a family friend made when I was a kid. I’ll go back just to have it again! Overall Dotty’s has a nice vibe & design.

Related Posts

Tech

Collision Conf 2023 – See You There?

Next week, Toronto’s biggest tech conference is back! Collision Conf is like the ‘Olympics of Tech’ and brings together people and companies redefining the tech industry.

Nelson and I were there each day last year and it was so much fun (see blog post here!). We even filmed a couple of Cast of Creators episodes in the glass podcast booth. Including one with Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace!

Trending Topics to Watch

I chatted with the Collision Conf team this week to see what sessions and topics are trending:

  • online experiences
  • influencer marketing
  • ChatGPT and AI (of course!)

There are some big-name speakers (see here) and I’m looking forward to hearing from Geoffery Hinton, the founder of artificial intelligence. Early registration is open this weekend at the Union Station UP Express platform and then onsite at Beanfiend Centre from Monday to Thursday. I’m planning to get my badge this weekend to avoid the chaos.

I’ll be at the opening party on Monday night and then at the conference each day. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and meeting new people. My experience last year was so great I left feeling excited, inspired, and with a few new friends!

If you’ll be there LMK, download Hvr to leave a comment on my blog!

Related Posts

LIFE

Big Bang Baby

She was ready for a change! Went back to Hair by Beni in Yorkville and got a little trim. I have had bangs so many times in my life and I was happy when he said ‘let’s cut your fringe’. I have seriously never loved my hair more. The mirrors and lighting in this salon are next level.

Also, the title of this post is a song by Stone Temple Pilots. The chokehold this song and Scott Weiland had on me as a teenager! I loved his dance moves, the green pants, everything.

The cutest thing about me showing up at Saon Jie on this fine Saturday morning was that Beni and I were wearing the same bright yellow! It was so adorable, love him! We met up later that night at Do West aka Dundas West Fest and had the best time.

Related Posts

LIFE

Trying New Things: Vettä Nordic Spa

The other weekend we drove up to the cottage to visit the parents’. It’s been ages since we’d been up North. On the way home we stopped at Veta Nordic Spa for a little R&R.

We also stopped by Currie’s Music in Gravenhurst, my fav vintage shop in the area. They have a fab curated selection of vintage finds in the back of the music shop. This yellow number had my name on it but was much too big.

Almost got this cute prom dress! It’s always fun to try things on even if you dobn’t end up buying them.

Our experience at Vetta Spa was very nice. 100% would visit again. It’s very quiet. You can’t use your phone. There is a bar and 2 restaurants. The cold plunge pool was about 7 degrees which was warm for a seasoned dipper like me but still, it was nice.

All you need to show up wth is yourself and bathing suit. You get a robe wen you register in and can rent slides. If you have sandals I would recommend bringing them. Look forward to going back, probably in the winter!

Related Posts

Fashion

Sweet Summertime Sets

In the winter I was really all about wearing jumpsuits. So much that my friend Raymi asked if I was a janitor bc I wore them so often. LOL! See Raymi’s blog here. In warm temps, one of my absolute fav things to wear is summertime sets. They’re the best! I have so many different ones and I can’t wait to wear them all.

Posted this cute one in my Stories yesterday and it’s been ages since I got so many DMs about an outfit. If you want to match me you can buy it here.

In other news, have been going to the gym and mixing up workouts with more yoga. Still running a few times a week. It’s almost getting too hot to run later than 8 am now! I love it. Today I walked High Park for an hour at 7 am.

Got a delivery from my friends at Smartwater yesterday, roof top fridge is stocked! I feel this alkaline water is the best water and I will drink all of it in no time. TY Smartwater Canada!

Do you use Slack for work? I thought this was quite cute. I love how Slack has a lil’ sense of humor.

Remember you’ll never be younger than you are right now so make the most of it! Have a great day! Wear sunscreen.

Related Posts

PLANTS

Planting A Herb Garden w/ ChatGPT

Today was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, and I decided to get my hands dirty and plant a herb garden. I’ve been super excited to breathe some life into this raised bed container we had previously used to grow cannabis. She’s got a green thumb!

I saw something on the internet recently that said you should plant certain things together and wanted to make sure I did it right. Sooooo, we called upon our trusty friend ChatGPT to see which herbs should be planted together. 🤓

We put in the exact size of the container and the different herbs, then asked which should be planted together for optimal growing. In less than the time it would take to Google, I knew exactly what to do: oregano and basil beside each other, chives and cilantro together, and peppers to separate the dill. It even had instructions as to which herbs preferred more sun.

It was such a therapeutic experience getting my hands into the soil. The fragrance of these herbs as I planted them was divine. I look forward to more rooftop BBQs and adding fresh herbs to our meals.

Cheers to new adventures in gardening and tastier meals!

Related Posts

Fitness

Trying New Things: Toronto Marathon!

Last weekend I ran 5k in the Toronto Marathon! It was my first race and the first time in about 2 years that I’d run that far! About a month ago, my BFF Sarah mentioned she was doing the half marathon and I decided to sign up for the 5k.

Before the race I was by myself and sure sure where or when to line up in the corrals. I saw this tiny blonde woman with big glasses ask “is this where we line up?”, I replied, “I don’t know I was wondering!”

Next, she popped right through the metal barrier and started walking to where everyone was lining up. In her words “if we’re not supposed to be here, they’ll let us know“. Her energy and attitude really helped to lift my spirits before the race. Thank you, Kelly, I hope to meet you again!

I kept a steady pace for the entire race and when I came to the finish line, I was ready to keep going! Next time I’ll do a 10K and then in spring 2023 I’ll sign up for the half marathon.

The vibes were so high that I stuck around to watch Sarah cross the finish line for the half marathon. It was such an exciting moment to watch her run past!

In a surprising twist, I came in the TOP 20 for my category! I’m feeling more motivated than ever to keep training!

You truly never know what you can accomplish until you try! Here’s to more adventures & new things!

Related Posts

LIFE

Another Trip Around the Sun

Today is my birthday! I woke up and went for a run in the sun. I feel better than I have in a long time. I’m happy, healthy, and excited to see what the next year will bring. Growing older is such a gift and I intend to continue celebrating each day!

Tonight I’ll be attending my fav class at the gym, eating a healthy dinner, and going to bed early.

Cheers to another trip around the sun, HBD to me!

Related Posts

LIFE

Tomorrow’s Sugar

What a difference a day makes. 

Your heart breaks, your body aches, 

you need rest. 

It’s a test, a level to pass. 

The feelings you’re having won’t last. 

Get some sun, read a book, 

find a mirror, take a look. 

Like hummingbirds at the feeder, 

tomorrow’s sugar will be sweeter.

I don’t know if it’s all this rain or a phase but I’ve been feeling down. I’m ready for spring and sunshine, long walks, bike rides, and park hangs. Maybe it’s the universe reminding me my birthday is days away? Every year, no matter how much I try to deny it, I get this feeling leading up to May 8th. I look back, I look forward, I look around, and feel each moment with my head and my heart.

Related Posts

Cannabis

Trying New Things: Decorating w/ Cry Baby Cakes

Image via Toronto Life

Had an absolutely lovely afternoon last week! On April 20th I was invited to a cake decorating class w/ Firebird Delivery and Cry Baby Cakes. I discovered Brooke Cowitz, chef & owner of Cry Baby Cakes, a few months through my friend Charley and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Her cakes are incredible, each one is a work of art. Look at these!!!

Firebird Delivery brought together a stellar group of women to learn from the best and decorate with Brook at her Cry Baby Cakes studio. The space is so cute, it’s full of light and filled with carefully curated new & vintage. And lots of plants!

Cry Baby Cakes Workshop

Brooke took us through a workshop and Firebird delivery provided us with everything else we needed to celebrate 420 together. It was perfect. 😎

I really wasn’t sure how to decorate mine so I scrolled crybaby.cakes Instagram for inspo and decided on a flowery design with pink & yellow buttercream. It got more elaborate as I went on, I added pink gumballs, a ribbon of vintage-inspired icing, edible flowers, and glitter. Voila!

There were about 10 of us there and each cake turned out so unique. Highly recommend following Cry Bay Cakes and keeping an eye out for her next workshop! If you’re looking to get anything cannabis delivered to you fast AF, check out firebirddelivery.com. 👍

I cut into my cake when I got home and it was delicious. Gave a few slices to friends so I didn’t eat the whole thing!

Related Posts

Fitness

CN Tower Climb: 1,776 Steps in 21.5 Mins!

This weekend I did the CN Tower climb for the World Wildlife Foundation! I made it to the top of the tower in 21.5 minutes. It was hard but I was really determined to beat my last time of 23 minutes.

Some of the fastest times I saw were around the 14-15 minute mark, the fastest of the whole climb was 11 minutes. I don’t know how that is humanly possible! They must have run the whole way, 2 steps at a time!

I probably could have done it a little faster if I wasn’t out late the night before but oh well! 🍻 Happy with my results and tbh idk if I’ll ever do it again. Twice is enough for me!

Overall, proud of myself for doing it. Thought I would be sore the next day but I was totally fine. Running has clearly paid off! My next big fitness activity is the Toronto Marathon on Mother’s Day in May (I’m doing the 5k!). 😁

In other news, check this out! I had a shoot a couple of months back for my gym, The Body Engineers, and I’m on the poster for the new challenge that starts this week. If you’re interested, sign up here.

In the last challenge, I came in 2nd place out of the whole gym and was the only woman in the top 3. 🎉

She’s a fitness girly now!

Related Posts

Art

The Artist Project Toronto: Feel It For Yourself

Went to opening night of The Artist Project Toronto last night, one of my fav events of the year. I can’t believe how many friends, artists, and people I knew, it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces.

Wore a cute outfit, a see through dress with daisies, and my fav hat from Lack of Colour Australia. I’ve been living in my new platform Vans lately. Have always been a Converse girl but, these little shoes go with everything and they’re so cute.

The Artist Project is on all weekend and 100% worth checking out. It’s happening at Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place from April 14-16, and there here are 250+ independent artists. So many nice things to look at. Grab your friends, go on a date, take the whole fam, it’s great.

“Explore thousands of artworks, large scale installations, enjoy curator led art tours and take home that special work that truly resonates with you.”

The Artist Project
Get Tickets Here

Here are a few of my faves from opening night. There was so much to see, this is just a small sliver of all the things to look at. Get a ticket and go. This post isn’t sponsored, I just truly love supporting independent artists and fun events! I came home and blogged it right away so you could know about it!

Follow @tanialacaria
Follow @danielstamant

Feel it for yourself. Discover original works of art.

A couple of nice pix of us by Ryan Emberley.

Related Posts

2023

Being Yourself is Exhilarating

On Saturday, April 1 at 10 am, Sean and I hopped in the car, drove to Budapest Park, and went in the lake with 20+ people. SO FUN! The cold dip was hosted by my friend Meghan Yuri Young x Soho House Toronto x Othership. The water was cold (obviously) but the sun was shining and the sand felt warm on my feet. We started with breathwork led by an Othership Guide, did 2 min in the lake, then had coffee and hung out at the beach.

On the way there, I got a notification from the Co-Star app that said ‘Being yourself is exhilarating”, what perfect timing! I’ve been leaning into trying new things and honestly, it’s so much fun.

When we got home I walked over to Lucky Tiger Vintage at Lansdowne for their first-ever bin sale. I waited about 45 mins but it was totally worth it. Everything was $5-20 and I came home with a huge bag of goodies. 🤗

10/10, a fabulous day!

Related Posts

Fashion

Spreading Joy w/ Evan Biddell & The Playsuit

If you’ve missed me talking about the Biddell Playsuit the last few years, you’re sleeping! There’s a good chance you’ve seen it on TikTok, in a fashion show, all over Instagram, or on the news. Since creating and selling the playsuit during the pandemic, Biddell has now sold OVER ONE MILLION dollars in Playsuits alone. This outfit is legendary and if you don’t have one yet, visit his shop and add CASIE20 to your order for a little present.

SUMMER PLAYSUIT FASHION SHOW

I’ve known Evan for a decade (at least) and last week, he was a guest on our podcast, Cast of Creators. IT WAS AWESOME. He is so honest about his career, time on tv shows, ups & downs of running a business, starting a TikTok. It’s a great interview and so much fun. Tap the play button below or listen on the website.

Last week I was a model in Biddell’s ‘WALKOFF’ at Lavelle on King Street. It was so fun. When I got there he said Iooked like Pamela Anderson and someone else said I looked like Nicole Richie. In the words of Paris Hilton, I was SLIVING. (I’m listening to her book right now.) I loved the whole night and especially everyone who slayyyyyed in the walkoff.

Biddell has a show at Fashion Art Toronto next month and it’s going to be epic. Who says epic anymore? Ha, whatever. I’m ready for fashion shows & fun events light up the city again! Bring on spring and strutting down the sidewalk. 😁

Related Posts