Had a nice little Sunday with Cory Lee! We popped in to see Morgan Lovely and her new spot, THIC Studio, a beautiful hair salon + studio you can rent to shoot in. The space is stunning with beautiful light, great details, and lots of plants. Morgan gave me a bang trim and I got a B12 shot from the TIGHT Clinic who was onsite. Very thankful for the much-needed bang trim as I’m having colour done at Sassoon later this week. ?
Late last year Morgan created THIC, the hair inspired company and introduced a Daily Hair Perfecting Oil. I’ve been using her product since January and it is SO LOVELY. It’s really helped my hair to grow and feel healthy. I have fine hair so I was hesitant to try and oil on it but I swear it doesn’t make my hair greasy. I use it almost every single day.
Saw this little window box as we were leaving and of course, I stopped Cory to take my picture. You gotta find joy in the little things!
This is around the corner from our house and I love it. So simple and random but yet so deep.
The leaves are really pretty right now and I’m looking forward to going back up to the cottage. Not sure when I’ll be there but it’s always on my mind.
After work, I biked over to a last-minute vintage sale on Queen West. April was going to meet me there but she had to work so I went solo. I wasn’t really looking for anything particular but I left with a beautiful silk blazer (with shoulder pads!) and a glass bowl I plan to use for plant propagation. Took home something for April in my bike basket. ?
It was absolutely beautiful outside and it felt great to be on my bike in the sun. I cruised down the West Toronto Rail Path, down Dundas West, and back. Loving these warm October days and hope they stick around past Halloween.
When life gives you Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day.
Slept in a bit then went for a nice walk w/ Sean. The leaves are so beautiful. I left without my phone but ran back to get it. I should have changed out of my platform Crocs (not great for long-distance) so I only went to the end of the road and back.
I took a little detour when Sean went off on his run and went into the woods to surround myself with trees. I just looked up and took in their beauty, breathed in the fresh air. F-yeah, forest bathing. ?
We had a pretty chill afternoon. Sean had a broth cooking with the turkey leftovers and we watched a couple episodes of ‘Bad Sport‘ on Netflix. I spent a bit of time in the sun reading my new book, The Perfect Neighbour by Susana Beard. I absolutely love the new outdoor couch.
Around 5 pm when it was nice and warm, we took the dock out. It’s always a little bittersweet and seems like a daunting task before we do it. Managed to finish the job in about an hour with no major injuries. Always a worry, trust me!
The water was cool but refreshing. Looking forward to colder temps and making a nice ice hole for winter cold plunges. It’s insane to think we’re both are looking forward to the lake freezing, who are we!?
Hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend to celebrate the harvest. We’re returning to the city and after 5 days in the woods, I feel refreshed. Also, the blog is back on track and we’re up to date!
Woke up, had brekky, and spent most of the day watching shows. Was inside most of the day when there was a break in the clouds, ran out in my suit to soak up the Sunday sunshine.
Feeling pretty relaxed and recharged. Looking forward to getting home to check on my plants and any new leaves that might have sprouted over the last week.
Spent most of the day getting the cottage ready for our guests to arrive. Sean and I worked together to prepare all the food. I made the most beautiful pavlova and can’t believe I didn’t take a photo! I hardly used my phone all day.
Thankful for friends, family, time to relax, and being up here for the long weekend. We’re staying until Monday so we can be back in the city for work on Tuesday.
Hope you and your family are having a lovely weekend!
Have you watched Sqid Game yet? We’re about to finish it tonight and I can’t wait. If you’re sensitive about death or murder, you’ll want to skip this one. I watch quite a few murders shows and found it too gory at times, had to cover my eyes.
Pretty sure Squid Game will be the most popular Halloween costume this year. I looked for a few online and most are $$$$ or sold out.
Looking forward to seeing how this show ends! Season 2 is confirmed, watch the new trailer below.
It was so nice to wake up here today. I love being at the cottage w/ Sean, this beautiful view never gets old. It’s hard to have a favourite season up here because they each have their own beauty. Right now the leaves are bright with colour, days warm, and the night cool enough to put on a fire. Soaking up every moment of cottage life like a woodland creature.
I’m working today but taking a trip to town mid-day to go to Curries Music w/ Sean. This weekend we’re having two guests for a harvest dinner. I’m planning to do food prep tomorrow night so Saturday can be stress-free. Wish me luck haha.
Feeling pretty good today! We’re heading up north to the cottage tonight and I’m really looking forward to being in the woods.
After getting my nails done yesterday I popped into Door Number 2 Vintage on Dundas West, they have three floors of treasures tucked away. I’ve been looking for a small rug to go under my desk chair so it doesn’t roll on the concrete. Well, I found the perfect one, a bright red/pink Moroccan rug that was hiding in the basement. That’s the thing I love about vintage shopping, you never know what you’ll find.
Before the pandemic, I was religious about having my nails done. Every 10 days or so, for about 4 years I’d pop into Ivy Nails for fresh shellac. Today was the first time since March 2020 that got a mani-pedi. ?
I know salons have been open for a few weeks but I just wasn’t ready to sit inside and go through the process. But today I was home alone, work was good, the sun was shining, so I figured why not!
I ordered one of those pedicure tools with a blade from Amazon so my feet weren’t that bad but it was time to make them look better. It felt so nice to have my nails fresh again!
I got one hand pink and one hand orange but when I left, I realized they almost look exactly the same. Oh well!
Left a nice tip then biked around the neighbourhood a bit. It was so lovely out, here’s hoping these warm temps last a few more weeks.
Spent the whole weekend working on my room and WHOA what a job it was. On Saturday I had a bit of a meltdown once almost everything was outside on the roof, the thought of putting it back was overwhelming. Thankfully I stuck to it and am nearly done putting everything away, throwing out the carpet, and organizing my stuff. I also watched the entire season of MAID on Netflix, kinda sad but a good show.
In other news, I am SO happy with my plants. Saw a TikTok Plant Hack (PlantTok) about putting an aerial root from a monstera in a small glass jar to help them grow. It works! I’ve got two tiny glass jars on different plants and a bunch of new leaves sprouting. It took about 2 weeks to see new growth.
This monstera is the same large plant that I shared cuttings from in my post the other day.
I am yet to post anything on my own TikTok yet but I must say, I am loving all the plant hacks. Learned so much the last few weeks and look forward to growing more and more plants over the winter.
Sean and I went on a date for the first time in ages. We walked about 4km to and from Geary Ave to check out the Geary Art Crawl.
The whole area was alive with music, art, and eats. We sat in the grass to watch a performance by Seastill Music, Fezz from Occupied VR‘s latest project. The light and sounds were elevated by the train shaking the ground as it went by. There were some really rad light shows by Matt Mansion too, aka LED Daddy.
I’ve seen this tag a few times around the city, “you are not your mistakes”. I like it. The funny thing is, as I waited for someone else to take a photo of the sign, Sean pointed out that someone was in the alley…making a mistake? Haha. A dude stopped to take a wee and I wasn’t going to take a pic but it was just too perfect. See photo. ?
Woke up and decided today was the day to ditch the carpet. Had to take almost everything out of the room, move shelves to rip it up. Big job but I’m glad it’s almost done. Still have a section of carpet under the bed but I’ll do that another time.
I’m looking forward to reorganizing the space and maximizing the look of the concrete floor with some vintage rugs. The whole place is going to feel cleaner once we’re done. Thankfully it was REALLY NICE OUT so I could safely use the patio as storage.
Over the winter I plan to do a full ‘Marie Kondo’ like I did a couple of years ago and clean out everything in the house that doesn’t bring us joy. How the hell do we accumulate so many things?! There’s stuff everywhere!
I went to the media preview of Legends of Horror at Casa Loma tonight with some friends. SO FUN. I love spooky season. Was so stoked I wore my witch hat the whole night.
The experience takes just over an hour and it is AWESOME. There’s so much space at Casa Loma and Legends of Horror takes it all. You’ll find yourself winding down spooky stairs and wicked woods, then running through the castle basement and more, all the while being scared by creepy characters.
here are some details from legends of Horror about covid/entrance etc. Tickets are ~$40pp but if you haven’t had a lot of excitement lately, I say totally worth it. MI was at the media preview so I didna have to buy a ticket but I am considering going back with friends and buying tickets.
PARKING: Paid parking is available at George Brown College (south of Casa Loma off Macpherson Avenue). This parking is closest to the entrance at Walmer Rd. and Davenport Rd. There is limited paid parking onsite at Casa Loma, subject to availability.
A SAFE EXPERIENCE FOR ALL GUESTS
FACE MASKS/COVERINGS All persons (staff and guests) entering or remaining on the premises shall wear a mask or face covering which covers the nose, mouth and chin as required under City of Toronto by-law no.541-2020.
PHYSICAL DISTANCING Guests will be required to follow social/physical distancing guidelines carefully, maintaining 2 metres (6 feet) of space from others. Family members and others (a “family unit”) who live in the same household can be closer together.
GUEST SCREENING/CONTACT TRACING All guests are required to complete guest screening and contact tracing upon arrival. Contact information will be kept for 30 days for potential COVID-19 Contact Tracing.
PROOF OF VACCINATION Proof of vaccination is required to enter the Captain Morgan Lounge to drink/dine. Proof of vaccination is not required for the Legends of Horror experience itself.
Went to an event after work tonight with San Rafael, a brand by Aurora Cannabis. You might remember the San Rafel events I went to quite often when legalization was first introduced. Heaps of good memories with this brand so although I hardly go out anymore, I was keen to see what they’ve been up to.
I sat down at Mrs Robinson on College for a menu tasting of food & drinks curated to match the terpenes of their new strains. The food was delicious and the drinks too. My fav part was when I felt anxious and sat by myself, then the most lovely two people joined me, Luna & her friend. They made my night! We laughed a lot and it was kinda funny bc Luna and I were both wearing cute pastels, many rings, and both have tattoos. It’s like they knew to sit her beside me.
Met some really lovely ladies thanks to San Rafael! We all hung out on patio chairs after the event and had a great chat. Overall, super fun time. I shouldn’t be scared of going out, people are a-ok!
Had a relaxing weekend at home. We tore up a bunch of the carpet in my room and it’s mostly concrete floor now. I’m into it, looks cool. Have wanted to do this for a while and after we had a leak from the rain, it was time.
I’ve mentioned my love for propagating plants a few times and I am so proud of my latest creation! I have successfully propagated two different types of Monstera.
I took a few cuttings from my biggest plant, Monstera Deliciosa, the most common variety of monstera. I grew the cuttings in water for about 2 months and planted them in rich soil today. They’re flourishing!
The leaves seen here with the holes are Monstera Adansonii, a plant I picked up a few weeks ago from The Urban Gardener. This beautiful plant was healthy and primed for cuttings from the day I got her. I grew the cuttings in water + root hormone and they grew had 1″ roots in about 2 weeks.
I can’t wait to share these plant babies with friends and build my little jungle at home!
It’s been ages since I went out and tonight I went to a party in the neighbourhood. It was fun! A bunch of us got together at April’s then took an Uber over to Geary Ave. Ran into a bunch of people I hadn’t seen in ages. I’m still a little weird about going out but it’s really nice to see people and laugh together. Most of the night was outdoors which was good, hoping these warm temps hang on a few more weeks.
I know it’s been a little while and if anyone reads this in the order years later, they’ll never really understand. Living through a pandemic is weird, some days it’s like everything is normal and others, it’s like you don’t really what’s going on in the world.
I’ve mostly been updating in batches since August when I had a crazy week that threw me off my game. I’ve started using WordPress mobile again and forgot how convenient it is. I’ve been tracking the days since the pandemic started and even though I don’t always publish on a schedule, I keep notes and photos to remember the days.
I don’t like getting too behind, documenting this experience is important to me. I started blogging in 2005 as a way to keep more memories and I know that looking back on pandemic life is something I’ll want to do. There are so many things that happen in a day it’s hard to remember details, even a picture and a couple of words helps to bring back the memories of the moment. A picture truly is worth a thousand words!
Now that salons are open again, I was so excited to get an appointment at Sassoon Toronto. I’ve been going to Sassoon for almost 5 years and they’ve seen me through every hairstyle from a shaved head to long hair. I absolutely love the team there and always leave feeling fabulous.
It had been nearly a year since I had my hair done and I’ve grown to quite like my natural look. I had bleach blonde hair for over a decade and hadn’t seen natural hair since I was about 12. I didn’t really know what colour my hair was!
I’d been cutting my own hair for months and was certain I’d done a good job, well…I WAS WRONG. Look how lopsided my hair was! First two photos are before, second two are after my cut/colour. Tricia asked if I was left-handed, she could tell by how I’d cut my hair. Ha! Won’t do that again.
Since my hair was a bit of a mess, I asked what kind of things they’re seeing from other people post-lockdown??? Turns out, a lot of people opted to grow out their natural colour. During the first lockdown, they had a bunch of clients who turned to drugstore products, then had to have their hair fixed when salons opened. During the second lockdown, a trend emerged to not go the DIY route and wait it out.
If you happen to have roots and you’re not sure what to do next, give Sassoon a call or bookanonlineconsultation. There’s heaps of low maintenance options where you can brighten your look and still keep it natural.
During the lockdown months when SassoonToronto was closed, they took the opportunity to do some upgrades to the studio and their online presence. They now have a revamped website atsassoontoronto.ca with online booking, cancellations, info about each stylist, and the ability to buy products.
I’ve been using a few items from the Blonde Absolu line by Kérastase lately, the line is made specifically for blonde hair. The hair masks keep my highlights from going brassy between salon visits.
After a consultation with the team, I decided to go with a bit of balayage (first time!), keep the natural roots, and even out the ends. I love it! Turned out so good. My colour was done by Tara and the cut was done by Tricia.
I’ve developed a slight obsession with colourful cardigans and cute collars. Looking forward to switching over my closet this weekend and rediscovering fall/winter clothes. It’s been a pretty great summer, spent lots of time at the cottage, biking through the city, and meeting friends outside.
I was reading an article this week about ‘cave syndrome’ that people are developing after bring home for so long. I’ve really learned to love being at the house and have no shortage of things to keep me busy. I don’t imagine I’ll be doing much over the next few months and tbh, not mad about it. I used to be out soooo much and can’t imagine going back to that life. I feel so much more at peace without the pressure to go places with people. I make time to see the people I care about and that’s about it. I do have a couple of events coming up but nothing like the large in-person events we used to frequent.
It’s Election Day in Canada and we voted first thing this morning. Had a good day at work. Went for a bike ride after to get some movement and sunshine.
The Harvest Moon is tonight and I’ve got a few things planned to summon the good vibes. I like to put a big jug of water outside to charge in the moonlight with my crystals.
I usually have a nice bath with essential oils and set a few intentions. I always go outside on a full moon to make my 6 wishes (like Mum!) and say a mantra. It may seem silly but if it makes me feel good AND there’s a chance it helps bring good things my way, I’m here for it. If the moon can move the ocean, it can move me. ?
Sending you good vibes and energy through the internet. I hope the next few months bring you heaps of joy. You have everything in you to create the life you want to live, go get it! ?
We had such a lovely time this weekend. I finally caught up on blog posts and took some time to relax. Sean had his last wakeboard rip of the season before we took the boat out. I finished my book and soaked up the sun on our new outdoor lounge set. It was so hot out!
We watched a bunch of shows this weekend and finished Tell me Your Secrets on Prime, and on Netflix, we watched On the Verge, The Chair, Untold: Caitlyn Jenner, and Nine Perfect Strangers. Overall, pretty productive considering relaxation was my goal. ?
Heading back to the city early tomorrow morning to vote and get to work. Feeling refreshed and gonna try and carry this vibe with me as long as I can!
Hit the open road after work and headed up north. I can’t wait to be back up there and sit by the lake, read, relax. I’d gotten a bit behind on the blog and feel good to have caught up. Keeping this diary is very therapeutic and although I’m not doing much, it feels good to keep memories.
We’ve been in this pandemic for over 500 days and without documenting, they all kinda mix together into a blur. When I started blogging 16 years ago, one of my main goals was to keep more memories. Now looking back, I’m so glad to have this archive of my life.
Here’s to a wonderful weekend and soaking up the last lovely days of summer!
Took myself on a little date after work and biked down to Queen West. Felt inspired by this post from Olivia Herricks Design, she posted a reel where you screenshot to get your mantra for the day. I love the idea of ‘sit outside in silence with no agenda’. See the post here to get your own!
TIFF 2021 looks a little different than past years! We went to the Visa Skyline Drive-In at Ontario place to see Lakewood. Thank you Proof for hooking us up! The movie was pretty good but I think our fav was the local food trucks.
I thought sean would enjoy this film as it’s called Lakewood and was shot in northern Ontario. It follows Naomi Watts as the main character and she spends most of her time running through the woods and dealing with a tragedy at her kid’s school. We both left thinking about what we could shoot up and around the cottage with a couple of cameras and the drone.
Got dressed up and went over to Brock & Lauren’s after work. He did a surprise proposal! I’m so excited for two of my BFFs to be getting married! They’re so great together, congrats guys!
Sean and I also attended the TIFF premiere of the Triumph film ‘Rock & Roll Machine’. It was nice to be out for an event but to be honest, it was also weird. I’m so not used to being inside an event venue with a large group. Didn’t stay long and went back over to celebrate with Lauren & Brock.
Lauren asked me to be her Maid of Honor. I’ve never been involved in planning a wedding before. Ahhhhh! Blondetourage wedding ftw!
