382: The Sun Made the Drive

This week I had a genius moment. I took my seamless background stand for photoshoots and set it up using only half the width. It’s perfect for video calls, IG Stories backgrounds, or Reels. I have heaps of really nice wrapping paper I can pop to use as backgrounds.

Sean and I drove up to the cottage after work and the sun made the drive so beautiful. We’re spending the weekend up north, just the two of us. Looking forward to a nice lazy weekend, running in the woods, and watching the ice melt on the lake.

We stopped for groceries on the way so we don’t have to go out anywhere in the Muskoka region. It’s kinda crazy these big-box stores can be open with heaps of people while all the small businesses can’t. I feel so bad for them especially hair salons and personal services. They’ve had 300+ days of being closed and I can only imagine the stress and weight of the financial burden to try and stay afloat.

I can’t wait to go back to Sassoon Toronto and see my team there but for now, we will wait patiently. I did a poll on IG to see if people think I should go full blonde again or keep the natural look, lucky for me, ‘natural‘ won the vote. Gonna give myself another haircut this weekend, I’m getting pretty good at it by now.

Sending love from the woods. Hope you have a nice long weekend!

Day 381: Starting to Bloom

Took the TTC to Yorkville after work and went for a nice walk with Natalie and Chloe. So nice to see flowers starting to bloom. We grabbed a bite to eat, chatted about the good ol’ days, and stopped into Nordstrom before heading home. Although we were wearing masks, it was great to feel a little bit ‘normal‘. I found a great pair of red boots on sale and I can’t wait to wear them to the grocery store. ?

Day 380: Always Be Growing

Today was a good day. I feel like I’m learning more about myself at high speed the last 2 weeks, testing my abilities by doing new things. It feels good. I’ve been on a 7-week streak of Peloton workouts and consistently running 2km before I get ready for work in the morning. I find getting outside first thing really sets me up for the day. I have time to get fresh air, exercise, put things in perspective, or burn off some anxiety.

I know I said this the other day but I love smoothie bowls, honestly, they’re so beautiful and easy to make. Delicious and extremely good for you. Look at this vision of beauty. I stan.

One of the characters in the show I’m watching (The Arrangement) said “If you’re not growing you’re dying” and it really stuck with me. I often used to say, “innovate or die” and I think it’s really important to always be growing.

Day 379: BTS w/ HSG Furs

Walk, walk, fashion baby! A couple of weeks ago I was a model for HSG Furs. I absolutely love being on set and in front of a camera. Here’s a little sneak peek of some of the looks behind the scenes.

I’ll share a few of the campaign photos once they’re out. Herman Sellers Gough Furs has been Toronto’s full-service furrier since 1880. Thank you Jaq Darling for inviting me!

I would love to do more modeling this year. My sister and I were teen models in our younger years and both won the Miss Teen pageant in our hometown. I did my first commercial in high school, it was for an electric toothbrush. ?

Day 378: Home Studio Setup

This weekend I’m taking it easy and spending some time doing things around the house. Last week was pretty busy so I’m looking forward to recharging my batteries and prepping for the week ahead. Brought home some of my photo equipment from the cottage to shoot a campaign I’m working on with Clover Botanicals. Got a nice little home studio setup going!

A couple of weeks ago, they sent an amazing package filled with their organic teas and the box was made with recycled boxes (see below!). It was one of the most creative and 100% the most sustainably made press package I’ve ever received. I grew to love their products and was 100% attracted to their bright coloured branding. This week we have a giveaway on my Instagram so make sure you are following @enjoyclover x @casiestewart.

Their certified organic teas are crafted with adaptogens, antioxidants, and superfoods. Each tea has targeted benefits and my favs are Energy in the afternoon, Rest at night, and Cleanse anytime. I’m excited to share the final result with you when it’s done!

Day 377: Friday, Feeling Good

Friday, Fri-yay! Feeling good after closing out my first week as a FT employee! Yay! I only took an evening nap 2/5 days, haha. It’s been 5+ years since I was in a FT role but after working freelance for a while, I’ve got a good handle on time management. Always room for improvement tho! ?

Started a new show called The Arrangement on Amazon Prime and plan to watch a good chunk of it before Monday as I putter around the house and get ready for Monday.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Day 376: You Make Me Happy

you make me happy, casie stewart, toronto

This week has been good. I’m getting into a workflow and figuring it out as I go. Most days I get up at 7-7:30, go for a run at 8 am, do a short Peloton workout, then get ready to start work at 9:30. If I’m at my desk or working inside the whole day, I like to put on something I’ve not worn in ages and go for a walk. Sometimes it’s just around the neighbourhood, other days it’s a nice long walk with a friend.

YOU MAKE ME HAPPY

The title of this post ‘you make me happy‘ is also a song also used in my latest video here. When I put on this jacket, it instantly made me smile. Made me think about how my clothes make me happy. So many of them have fond memories of a time or feeling. After spending 90% of 2020 at the cottage, one of the things I was really looking forward to was being home with my stuff. I love playing dress-up or sorting through things I haven’t worn in a while.

While the world around us is so different, I find great comfort in the familiar things. Might be my Taurus nature to love home so much. I don’t have many family heirlooms but some of my most treasured things are clothes worn by my parents or anything from nana.

Remember the other day when I mentioned Transitional Coat Season? Well, here we are again with another coat! I ordered this one 5+ years ago from one of my fav artists, Valfre in Mexico. It didn’t fit for years but I couldn’t bear to part with it, no matter how many times Sean said “you have too many coats“.

Glad to report she fits great now and Valfre is back in rotation. On the back, it says ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy‘ with a skeleton and fire-breathing dragon. The Levis’s I’m wearing here used to be all one colour, I dyed them with bleach last April. If you want to make a similar pair, check out this post from Day 36.

As I was taking photos, two ladies walked by, smiled, and said “you look like you’re having fun, love your jacket“. I smiled back, and we shared a little laugh, totally reminded me of hanging out with mum. I would call that a win for jacket of the day and a sign I should bring ‘er out more often.

Made a new Reel but you’ll have to watch it on IG by clicking here. It’s IG not me, they don’t play nice with bloggers anymore, we can’t embed posts.

you make me happy, casie stewart, toronto, considerate goods, levis
Mask is by Considerate Goods, Levis are hand dyed by ME

Day 375: Healthy Meals for Me

Ya girl is kinda exhausted! I took a nap after dinner and then went for a walk before the sun went down. Moving to FT from PT is definitely an adjustment. I enjoy the job but it’s just different being on for so many hours a day. I feel like WFH vs work in an office is a bit harder to handle. In an office you have camaraderie & water cooler chats, whereas being at home, it’s just you and the computer or Zoom-style meetings.

In other news, I’ve been testing out some new healthy meals and thought I’d share! As part of my fitness journey over the past two years, I’ve moved towards a more plant-based diet. I’ve been doing intermittent fasting to curb my late-night eats and trying to up my intake of fruits, veg, and fiber. Some meals I’ve been really enjoying are smoothie bowls and these high-protein, vegan breakfast patties from TMRW Foods. I also ordered their burger & ground products to try later this week. I find that I’m less tired when consuming fewer meat-based products and my skin feels better. ?

This dairy-free coconut yogurt from Liberté is also SO GOOD in a smoothie or bowl topped with fruit, creamy coconut oatmeal, and All-Bran buds. I love how beautiful smoothie bowls look and they are absolutely delicious as an afternoon snack!

That’s all for today, going to bed early so I can get a full 8 hours. Since getting an Apple Watch I’m committed to completing my fitness and sleep goals. I’m still running each morning and it’s been so nice having warmer temps. YAY SPRING!

Day 374: Transitional Coat Season

You know the season I mean? That Transitional Coat Season in spring where you can wear all your jackets that only work for temperature between 5-15 degrees celsius. Sean always bugs me about having too many coats and each year in the spring/fall I try to wear as many as I can to justify keeping them all. ?

This fur number was a gift from a friend and I’ve had it hanging up all winter waiting for a day when the temp was warm but still not hot. I will deff be wearing it a few more times because I had no idea how great it looks on camera, I LOVE the bright red collar & inside.

Today was a great day, peace out!

Day 373: Social and Culture

Today I started my new FT role at Funday Agency as Social & Culture Manager. My job is focused mostly on internal communications & operations relating to building company culture. Last year I came to the realization I didn’t want to work specifically in social media anymore. I was looking to expand and do more things related to general marketing. That beung said, it’s been 5+ years since I’ve worked FT and I expect there will be a *bit* of an adjustment.

Today’s lunch was provided by Do Rueda in Spain who sent over a delicious selection of Spanish tapas and wine to taste. I saved the wine for after work but tuned in for a lunchtime seminar with several sommeliers from the region. Back in 2019, I went on a press trip to Spain where we spent a week visiting 13 wineries in Do Rueda, Spain’s top region for verdejo & white wine. See those posts here!

Another great surprise today was the delivery of new blue light glasses from gry mattr, a new company from Joe Mimran (the founder of Joe Fresh). I picked this design on a whim without realizing they would look almost identical to my old fav glasses I wore when I first started Twitter (see small image here).

I had this same black & white photo as my Twitter image from 2009-2012. Back then, I used to wear glasses ALL the time and I absolutely love these new ones from gry mattr. Thanks Joe!

A BIG thank you to everyone who reached out via social or LinkedIn to congratulate me on my new gig. Excited for the future! Have a great week!