I know this is a little LATE as we’re approaching Labour Day but now is better than never! Earlier this summer I stopped by the Everlane Summer 2022 preview to see everything from the Vacation Shop and Linen Collection. I fell in LOVE this the oversized blazers, bags, and summer sandals.
This summer I’ve been living in the bright yellow Fisherman Sandals in the first photo and going to work with my black Cactus Tote like you see below in brown.
Here’s a gallery with some of my favourite items! Use this link to save 10% off your first order. I’ve been shopping at Everlane for years and went to their flagship shop in San Francisco a could years ago. They always have well-made items that will be staples in your wordrobe year after year.
We were sent home this super cute white bucket bag that’s perfect for summer days, boat trips or putting in your bike basket for a picnic. Was my first time trying Darling Mimosa, a perfect summer drink in a can. ☀️
Thanks to the lovely ladies at The Mint Agency for having me and gifting me a few goodies! I’ve already got my eyes on a few Everlane items for fall!
Sean and I went to stay with our friend Jake at a cottage in Stoney Lake for a week and it was lovely. I honestly, can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have to work on ‘vacation‘. A career in social means you are kinda ‘on’ 24-7′. I’ve never had a job like Funday/Hvr, where they actually value a break.👏 Grateful to work with such awesome people! This is the first time in my life my work was like ‘no, you’re on vacation‘ and didn’t reach out or ask me to do stuff. It was absolutely glorious!
I took naps, read my book, listened to a whole novel on Audible and did next to nothing. Highly recommend Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister, get the audiobook, great story. My sister and I listened at the same time and texted about it non-stop.
Sean also rented a sea doo (that he later purchased!) and we cruised the lake together in the sunshine. It was magical. I left the cottage feeling relaxed and refreshed. 😎
Where did the last month go? Summer is passing by too fast and I wish time would slow down!
Last weekend I went I took the train to Chatham to visit my family in Kingsville, Ontario. It was so great! I hadn’t seen them in ages and we had the most relaxing time. We’ve not really been up at the cottage much this summer so getting out of a city was just what I needed.
Got my hair done yesterday at Sasson and feel like a new woman. It’s so much blonder and shorter than it was this time last year. Remember my long pandemic hair?
Been pretty busy the last couple of weeks with work and am looking forward to a little break. Next week we’re going to a friend’s cottage for five days. I can’t wait to float in the lake, ride the sea doo with Sean, and work on my tan.
In other news, we’ve released a bunch of new podcast episodes and you can watch them all right here on YouTube or listen on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes come out weekly on Wednesday! This one with friend Brigitte is one of my favs! She’s got such a great attitude and cracks me up. You’ll enjoy learning about her life and career path in television.
I’ve wanted to do a podcast for ages and creating this with Nelson & the Hvr Team has been a dream. I have truly never had so much fun ‘working’ in my entire life.
Nelson & I have spent our careers in media and publishing now we’re setting the stage for industry leaders, bloggers, creators and more to share their passions & perspectives. Each week, guests join us at Hvr Studios for a conversation about their lives, content creation, and business. We’ve had incredible conversations with inspiring people and laughed so much while doing it.
Cast of Creators is presented by Hvr, our new social browser, if you don’t have Hvr yet, download it here! If you’d like a little more info about Hvr, read this blog post.
Our initial guests include Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, performance artist DevoDLive, multimedia host & producer Brigitte Truong, and more. For a peek at other upcoming guests, read our release on Financial Times here.
Hvr, developer of the first social-forward web browser, today announced the launch of the Cast of Creators podcast, hosted by its CEO Nelson B. Thall and award-winning blogger Casie Stewart. The video and audio podcast features perspectives on innovation and the future of content with notable guests including Our Lady Peace frontman Raine Maida, performance artist, DevoDLive, and multimedia host & producer, Brigitte Truong, and is available for download wherever you consume podcasts. You can subscribe to the podcast at castofcreators.com. Hvr is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Financial Post, June 20,2022
Please subscribe/follow on Youtube, Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Listen to our first episode with Jules Mercanti here or scroll down to watch the first three episodes on YouTube. If you like the show, please follow, subscribe, leave a review, or leave a comment!
I look forward to your feedback on our first three episodes. We have weekly episodes on Wednesday so please follow and subscribe to the show!
Episode 1: The Fine Line Between Art & Reality with Jules Mercanti
Episode 2: From Travel blogger to Filmmaker with Andrew Lovesey
Episode 3: The Power of Fandom and NFT’s with Raine Maida
I took myself on a beach date yesterday and it was lovely! It’s been years since I went to the beaches, and I don’t know why I haven’t done this sooner!
Found a nice little spot on the beach and started a great new book by one of my fav authors, Lisa Jewel. Felt like I needed a little escape, found out yesterday that my grandma in New Zealand passed away. She was my last living grandparent. It’s always hard when someone passes but this hits right in the heart and really makes me miss my family in New Zealand.
I walked around the neighbourhood and was reminded how cute The Beaches are. I used to live in the East End years ago.
Stopped into the store my sister works at, Charming Parrot. They have so many nice things in there! Resort wear, cute tops, beautiful silk dresses, and accessories. Say hi if you see her!
I’m planning to get back to the beach more this summer. I want to visit the island too!
I went to Collision Conference 2022 and it was great! I’d been once 2019 and after two years of a pandemic, it was nice to be in a conference environment. There were 35,000 attendees and 600 speakers over three days + events and more. I shared some tweets from the conference on our @FundayAgency account and soaked up as much marketing knowledge as I could.
One of my fav things was the TikTok booth, they had a 360 photo op. I loved it. See the video on Instagram.
Nelson and I attended a few sessions in the afternoon and walked the conference floor. Some of my favourite talks were Global Marketing Trends, What’s in for Gen Z This Season, Censorship in the Era of Misinformation, and the Future of Journalism. Also met TikTok & Instagram superstar, Bruce, aka @falafel.kimchi.
On Wednesday night Nadia went to the Collision After Dark party at Stackt Market. It was super fun.
On Thursday, to close out the conference, Nelson and I did four episodes of Cast of Creators, our new podcast. The first ep we did there was with Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace. We talked about web3, NFTs, connecting with his fans and more.
Collision is back in Toronto next year and if you can make it I highly recommend checking it out. I’m thinking about going to their next conference, Web Summit in Lisbon.
In other news, making our show is super fun! I can’t wait to share the first three episodes of Cast of Creators with you on July 20th. We have really laughed and had some seriously good conversations.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks and I’m back with updates! Events have definitely returned and summer is here. Earlier this month we celebrated the official opening of the Bisha’s summer season, poolside on the roof. If you’re looking for a place to work, stay, and play, this is the place to be. I’ve stayed here a few times and the hotel is amazing.
Hand fun seeing a bunch of familiar faces, many I’d not seen in 2+years, and having drinks with Miche & Nadia.
Saw Bretty Boop IRL, such a cool babe. Girl crush! Have been following her on IG for a while, check her out at @bretttyboop and find her DJing around the city.
Thank you Lori & team for the invite, hospitality, and gift bag! Had a great time and look forward to my next visit to Bisha, especially the rooftop pool. Next time I’m bringing my swimsuit!
We drove up to the cottage on Thursday night to spend the May long weekend in Muskoka. I haven’t been up North much this year but was really looking forward to a few days out of the city. It was meant to rain all weekend but Friday was a magical sunny day. I took FULL ADVANTAGE.
Went for a nice 7K walk/run in the middle of the day and it was beautiful. At Funday, we get a bonus vacation day during our birthday month so I booked mine to make an extra-long weekend.
We took the boat out and Sean wakeboarded even though the water is still pretty cold. I don’t mind being captain lol. Fun times!
Met up with Carmela for a much overdue catch-up. We met in high school and were the best of friends. One summer she spent almost the entire 2 months at my house. We danced, had parties, and got up to some mischief haha.
The last time we hung out was about 20 years ago but as soon as we saw each other it was like we never missed a day. Both of us recently got a jumpsuit from Zara kids so we wore them to match, just like old times!
Friendship like this is a magical thing. We literally laughed together from the moment we got there to the moment we left. It was nice out so we walked home and I got to see where she lives. LOVE YOU CARMELA!
The weather has been kinda nice and that makes me happy. Can finally wear cute outfits & transitional coats. Totally forgot about this stunning pearl duster jacket I got in New Zealand a few years ago.
Had a pretty good week. Spent Thursday/Friday at the Hvr office and Nelson and I are really getting things together for the podcast. I can’t wait to start recording!
Shoutout to Flow Water for sending over a case in honour of earth month. Flow has saved 150+ million plastic bottles from entering the environment and they’re focused on replacing plastic bottles with mostly renewable-resource-based, recyclable cartons. NICE WORK. GREAT WATER.
Last month, I attended the opening of Gladstone House after their huge renovation. The space looks amazing! I’ve been going to the Gladstone for the last decade and it holds a lot of great memories for me. Their last reno was in 2011 and I blogged about it here.
It was great to see so many friends and familiar faces. Hadn’t seen some of those people in 2 years! Can’t wait to go back. Thank you Rockit for the invite!
It was heaps of fun Lauren and I sang karaoke w/ Tim’s Good Enough Karaoke Band! If you haven’t been to an event w/ them I highly recommend it.
After spending the last two years in a pandemic, it’s nice to go out to events again. Even though things are still not entirely back to before pandemic times, it’s nice to have somewhat of a normal experience. I’ve missed going out and being around people. I GET SO EXCITED.
Have a few events coming up this week so stay tuned for fun times!
Busy at the gym, making good meals, getting good sleep, taking care of myself. Before the pandemic, I spent so much time out in the world doing things that didn’t reallllly make me happy. I was in this pattern of going out all the time, eating garbage, drinking. It was fun, at times. I still like to go out here and there, but not as often.
The other night Natalie and I went to Delta Bingo, it was FUN. We dressed up cute and got to the Friday night game starting at 7 pm. I hadn’t gone to Bingo since I was a teenager with my dad. Neither of us won anything and tbh we weren’t taking it too seriously. We ate a lot of snacks and laughed pretty much the whole time.
At one point, a very serious lady player came over to tell us the tricks of the trade. I think she was annoyed at how much fun we were having.
Would deff go back again with a few more friends. Hopefully we’ll get lucky! Bingo babes ftw.
After what felt like the longest winter ever, spring has finally arrived! I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited for sunny days, warmer weather & all the things that come with this time of year. It’s just over a month until my birthday and this year is a big one. 🎉
One of my favourite things about spring is that it’s a time for new beginnings. Everything feels fresh and new and there’s always so much to look forward to. I love seeing the trees and flowers start to bloom and the days getting longer.
It’s a reminder that no matter how dark and cold things may get, there’s always the promise of better days ahead.
In other news I’m going to Bingo on Friday so picked up a couple of dotters for myself and a friend. I haven’t gone since I was a teenager with dad and tbh I am so excited. I’m 100 now.
It was so nice to be at the office today. I love a good IRL LOL. Requested a full-length mirror for the podcast Studio and Nelson delivered! Sometimes I can’t believe my life is real, sometimes when I look back at the day, It feels like a dream.
Last week I was so tired. Pretty sure it was Daylight Saving time, mixed with pandemic anxiety, and maybe a little burnout. I was wiped. Slept for most of the weekend and felt much better going into this week.
IDK about you but I always feel great after I workout. You know, when your heart is pounding and you’re sweating, but you feel alive and energized? Some days I don’t feel like going but I know it will only take a few minutes for my mood to change. Also, I paid for the classes so I REALLY hate to miss one lol.
There’s something about pushing yourself physically that makes you feel alive, saying “I can do this. I am strong.” I love that feeling, it’s been great for my mental health.
If you’re feeling down or stressed out, go for a walk/run, lift some weights, or do something that gets you moving. I guarantee you’ll feel better. ✌️😊
It’s been a hard few months but winter is nearly behind us and hopefully this pandemic too. I’m looking forward to wearing my transitional coats, rain boots, and flowers starting to bloom. Hang in there, things are getting better.
Here are five good things helping me stay positive:
1. Connecting with friends and family. I went to see mum last week, it had been months since I’d seen her. We had a nice walk and laughed over dinner. Nothing quite like a hug from mum. LOVE YOU! 💖
2. Getting outside. Even if it’s just for a walk around the block, fresh air and vitamin D are magic. I try to run each morning but if I don’t get there, I go for a mid-day walk or an evening stroll. Longer days make all the difference. ☀️
3. Keeping busy. The gym has been keeping me busy and I’ve been planning dates with friends I’ve not seen in a while. Now that things are opening up there’s more fun to be had out in the world. 🤗
4. Practicing self-care. You don’t need to wait for the weekend to do that face mask, have a nice bath, or pamper yourself. I love a good self-care hour or evening during the week. I’m pretty dedicated to sleep lately and rarely go to bed without a calming meditation. 🛌
5. Trying something new. A friend and I have started a crypto class and Nelson and I are launching a PODCAST. YAY, NEW THINGS. 🎉 I’m pretty excited about it and it feels good to step out of (…or maybe into?) my comfort zone. I’ll share more on this soon.
Went to the Hippie Market with Lauren & Jen last weekend. It was so fun! Honestly, if you haven’t been, you need to follow @hippiemarketlife and mark the next one in your iCal. See my posts from previous events here.
There were heaps of vendors, vintage finds, and housewares. Lauren and I got matching necklaces and we took lots of photos. Of course. Cowboy, Lauren & Brock’s new pup from Texas came too and he was a hit with everyone!
It was a really cold day but I didn’t mind the walk from home to Dundas & Ossington. The sun was shining and I felt happy in my heart! 💖 A good outfit always helps too!
I asked GTP3 to write a blog post in my voice about getting a bad passport photo and this is what I got hahahahaha.
I recently had to renew my passport and I was absolutely mortified by the photo. I mean, it’s not like I was expecting to look like a supermodel but I definitely didn’t expect to look so terrified. At least I’ll be able to laugh about this photo for years to come. Whenever I pull my passport out to show people, I’ll be able to say “Yep, that’s really me” and watch their reactions. If you’re ever in a situation where you need a new passport photo, just know that it’s not the end of the world if it doesn’t turn out perfect. And if it does turn out bad, just try to laugh it off like I did. I’m going to get a new passport photo taken as soon as possible.
Got my hair done at Sasson then popped around Yorkville before heading home. My hair is very blonde now and I love it! It was time to leave that pandemic hair behind. Kim at Sassoon is legit a blonde MAGICIAN. Bring on fresh blooms, sunshine, and warmer temps. She’s ready for brighter days.
I can’t believe it’s been two years since the pandemic started. It feels like only yesterday that we were all hunkering down and trying to figure out what was going on. We’re finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m really looking forward to summer.
There’s something so peaceful about being up north in the winter. You can stand on the lake and listen to the ice move. The cold air is so refreshing. Easy to find your calm.
We drove up on Thursday and worked from the cottage Friday. It was the first day in a while that I didn’t close the rings on my Apple Watch but, f*ck it, I earned a break. On Saturday, I shovelled snow, played Nintendo, ate snacks, and finished watching Pieces of Her on Netflix. Good show, Toni Collette is one of my fav actors and does a great job playing this role.
Sunday was pretty warm and the top layer of the lake started to melt. I don’t expect the ice will go out until sometime in April. Our lake group usually makes bets on when it will fully melt. I haven’t made a prediction yet!
Things I love: long walks on frozen lakes, the smell of a cold winter day, carrying wood to make a fire, and being at the cottage with you.
Been on a pretty good track record with the Calm app. I usually do a sleep meditation or Sleep Story at night and the 10 min Daily Calm before I get out of bed. I think it’s helping with sleep and focus.
Working hard to keep that calm in my life.
Something you might not know about me is that I always check the wind speed. Every day I ask Alexa about the weather and then I ask her about the wind. If it’s over 10 km/h that means no wide brim hats. If it’s 15 km/h + in the summer I’ll opt for shorts instead of a dress. I don’t like running when the wind is +25+ km/h but I love the strong wind on a hot summer day.
Never really thought much about my own wedding but I’m super excited to be part of Lauren’s! ? Her and Brock are getting married this year so we went to the Modern Bride wedding show. Tbh not usually my kinda thing but as the official Maid of Honor, it’s my duty!
The show had a bunch of vendors and we missed the fashion show but found the wine.? Loved all the photobooths. We can have a good time anywhere and the day was full of fun & laughs. It’s been ages since the four of us hung out!
I’m totally a gym person now. Over the past four weeks of working out, I have amazed myself at my own strength. I’m lifting heavier weights each week and I truly look forward to pushing myself a little harder.
I had planned to only go for the month of February but I feel like I can’t stop now. Today I did a plank (3×45 seconds) with 35 Lbs which is a personal best!
My classes are not more than 5 people and the trainers work close to help you get the right form. When I look back to how nervous I was in my first class I feel like a totally different person. I look forward to my next class the way I used to look forward to going out. ?
I’m still running regularly but I’m terrified of slipping so if it’s icy, no run. One of the best things during winter is getting nice and toasty at the gym.
Let this be a reminder there’s no time like now to start something new and to do it for YOU.
This week I’ve been pretty tired but knowing spring is coming gives me hope. Warmer days will be here in a few weeks and things will get better. We’ve all made sacrifices the past two years and my fingers are crossed that this summer will be different. ☀️
Sending out a little reminder that there are 25 days till spring. Another 25 days after that we’ll be mid-April and flowers will be blooming. Hang in there, we’ll get through this!
On Friday I worked from the Hvr office in Yorkville. We’re gearing up for some very exciting things including a new podcast! Nelson and I are co-hosting with a bunch of amazing creators, brands, and business people. We spent part of the afternoon organizing the main office room for our new podcast studio and Nelson ordered all the gear. Also took my new bag from Spruce Vintage out for a spin, fits my computer and work stuff perfectly! ?
If you’re not on Hvr yet, what are you waiting for? Hvr turns every webpage into a social space where you can chat with friends without leaving the browser app. Visit this link to download on iOS or Android and skip the waitlist while we’re still invite-only. Here’s an example of one of my posts in Hvr, when you’re on the app, you can comment on any page or post to share with friends. Fun. ?
The last few weeks I’ve mostly been at home or the gym. It’s so nice to get dressed up, leave the house and work in an office. Looking forward to spending more time here as we set up the podcast and kick off PR.
Idk if I’ve ever been so excited in my whole life. The best is yet to come! Weee!
Right before the pandemic hit, Sean and I spent a weekend hanging out with my good friend Talia and her husband Nelson. I’d met Nelson briefly in passing but we’d never really chatted. Once we got to talking, he shared what he was working on and we bonded over our thoughts about the web, publishing, and social.
Nelson grew up in the publishing business as his family were co-owners of the Toronto Star. He and his brother Henry were building an app called Hvr that blends the features of browsing and social, bringing engagement back to websites. One of the first things he said was “We’re making browsing fun again” and from that moment, I was on board. As a long-time creator and publisher to the web, I’d never seen something so exciting!
Since 2005 my blog has been my home base on the internet. As social media emerged in 2010, conversations moved to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, taking engagement with them and away from websites. Today, when I hit publish on a blog post, then copy-paste the URL from a browser to a social platform, people will talk about it there. This gives engagement to huge platforms but doesn’t do much for me as a creator or for my website.
Fast forward to 2022, the web is changing, social media is just rented space, the best thing you can do as a creator is have a place you own online, a website.
Introducing Hvr, Where Browsing Meets Social
For the past year, I’ve been working closely with the Hvr team to develop the app by sharing my experience on the web and contributing to everything from design to copy and marketing.
We’re changing the browsing experience by making it easy to follow your favourite sites, discover new content, and share with friends, all in one place. No more copy-pasting links to countless apps to discuss the web.
Hvr creates an easier, real-time hub for my community, so I can stay on top of the commentary without missing a beat. I truly believe Hvr can and will revolutionize the way people consume content from websites. My passion for publishing and creating content has evolved into a passion for a platform, I’m excited for you to join me on Hvr.
The title of this post is a reminder for myself as much, if not more, than anyone else. Focus your power. Believe in yourself. You can do hard things.
A couple of weeks ago when I heard gyms were opening up I was keen to get back into one. I got an email with a 4-week special at a spot REALLY close to home so I went for it.
To be honest, I was a ball of nervous anxiety before my first class. I didn’t know what to expect, what to wear? If it would be too hard if I would enjoy it. In about 5 minutes of being there, my anxiety was gone. I knew it was a good idea and I made a friend.
This is my third week going and I love it. I never really knew how to work out, to use the machines. When I used to go to LA Fitness before the pandemic I did free weights & Nike Training app workouts + running. But NOW I’ve learned to LOVE squats and lifting heavier weights, using ALL the machines.
I’m proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something different.
I had such a great day on Saturday. Such a treat when the weekend rolls around and I have little to no plans. Love a Saturday winter wander, stopping into shops, taking in the sunshine, and letting my mind free.
Started the day at Othership, my first visit the new sauna + ice bath spot on Adelaide. It was amazing. I’ve already booked to go back again and will share more about the experience in another post.
After Othership, a friend and I had brunch at Oretta. It’s the first time I’d been for brunch since at least December 2019. I’m not really a ‘brunch girl‘ but we went for the special and paired our meal with coffee and a mimosa. It was lovely!
I spent the next two hours casually walking home through Queen West and Dundas West, before hitting Junction Triangle. It was cold but sunny and I was happy as can be.
The past two years have been hard but I’ve really found joy in little things like a nice long walk by myself. As the world starts to open up again, I vow to not get caught up in the rat race like I was.
