The subway is kinda weird. I don’t mind the streetcar. I used to take TTC to work every day from Broadview station to Yorkdale, then a 15min bus to the office. It was my first job after university when I moved to Toronto. I remember writing TTC Tales on my morning commute and posting to the blog when I got to the office. On the way home I’d write about my day. I don’t think WordPress mobile had photo uploading back then. I used Picasa to upload and get a URL then added that to the HTML tab in WP-Admin. Those early days of blogging were what made me fall in love with journaling. I know it’s really helped me live a better life. I love looking back at people, places, things. It’s a great reminder of where you came from and good motivation for where you’re heading.
They say there are all kinds of benefits to writing and keeping a journal. I highly recommend it. It’s kinda like finding a friend in yourself. Although my diary is public, I’m often writing letters to my future self, talking through feelings, or making memory notes. A couple years ago my mum & her bf sailed to the Bahamas and lived there for a year. During that time I would write a lot of notes to her so she could read what I was up to when she had wifi. Hi Mum!
There’s a lady’s crotch fairly close to my face, she’s wearing a pager and reading a medical paper. Someone who really smells like BO just came near me. Thank god this is my stop. xo
This week I’m *finally* getting to all the goodies I received during TIFF this year. I had such a fun time! One of my fav events every year is the Essentials Lounge hosted by EGPR. In its 8th year, the one-day lounge exists to equip media with TIFF survival items to heal, hydrate, and help them through the festival fun. All photos by the amazing Ryan Emberley.
I arrived just before lunch and slipped into something a little more comfortable aka Keds then had a fabulous express facial from the team at SkinCeuticals. Before the treatment, I put my head into the contraption below and was given an in-depth skin analysis and a selection of skincare essentials to pamper my skin.
Tweezerman hooked us up with a set of personalized Slant Tweezers, a Mini Nail Rescue Kit, plus a Mini Brow Rescue Kit filled with their brow essentials. Dior was onsite to touch up my makeup and hook us up with a few of their fav items. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been loving the Dior FIX IT 2-in-1 Prime & Conceal Face – Eyes – Lips and FLASH LUMINIZER Radiance Booster pen.
I’ve been known to be a bit silly so when the Michael Kors team said I could get my ‘sexy Ruby’ engraved with 3 letters, I went for something fun. LOL!
* took this one using Portrait Mode on iPhone 7Plus
Some of my other fav things from the lounge were TuckShop Trading Co. ‘City of Neighbourhoods’ Collection Tee, plus 6 Panel Wool Ball Cap. I picked Queen West, obvs. I’m a fan of Green & Black’s chocolate and was happy to find a few in my gift bag. Sean and I broke into them last night after dinner! ?
Thank you Esther, Jessica, and the wonderful team at EGPR for the invite and hosting a great event. I’ve been attending the lounge since it started (I think?) and have watched the team and client roster grow. Check out EGPR here.
Took home these cuties from the Keds X Rifle Paper Co. collection! Cuuuuuute!
Had a great weekend after my super relaxing day on Friday. Saturday morning I went to yoga at 8:45 am, then came home and went to the Yoga & Wellness show w/ Sarah. It was pretty small so we walked around the whole show and went for lunch. I bought a beautiful rose quartz/gold/sandalwood bracelet. We walked to Terroni and got a gorgeous little table by the window upstairs. I ate the Saturday Special lasagna (my fav) and washed it down with a nice glass of wine. It was perfect.
The last year or so I’ve been trying to make more time for my friends not to just hang out but to hang out in pairs/small groups, to talk, listen, and make memories. For so long I spent heaps of time going to events and not really listening or opening up. I feel so grateful to have smart & talented people around and I wanna cherish that. I may not see some of my good friends all the time but when we do hang out, it’s magical.
Last week I went over to visit my friend Sasha who just had a baby and the other week I sat down with an old friend for a tarot reading. So energizing!
If you’re ever having a bad day, or want to make your good day better, write down 3 friends you haven’t seen in a while, call them. If one doesn’t answer, call the next! You’ll feel a smile on their face when you say hello and you’ll both feel an electric charge.
Yesterday I had such a lovely afternoon. Earlier in the week I was looking my schedule and feeling overwhelmed. This entire month has been so busy. I’ve got a sore foot (long story) and decided to cancel attending an event I had planned for Friday. Then wen online and booked a couple treatments at Hammam Spa instead! I love it there because of the steam room. I can lay in that place for hours. According to Hammam it has been over a year since I treated myself to a visit. I arrived about 15 min early to leisurely get changed and have a few minutes to steam my stress out before my massage. It was so nice.
After, I went back to the office to meet Sean and we took Emily to an art show. The artist, an old friend of his, Jonathan Craig was showing ‘Abell on Noble‘ photos of 48 Abell before demolition back in 2011, curated by Bridget Light. That building was a legendary space for so many people, a hub of artists, creatives, and other interesting characters. It’s condos now.
We picked up two from the collection. One photo I really wanted was sold but it said ‘NANCY IS A CUNT‘ on a wall in marker. Apparently, Nancy was the landlord and everyone hated her. When Jonathan went through the building with his camera and another landlord (man) they found the ‘message’. That landlord man from 48 Abell was also the one from Noble Street Studios, so when we walked into Jonathan’s show, he said ‘THAT ONE’S MINE’.
Last night, when we got home, I watched Will & Grace on my iPad in bed, while scrolling my phone, eating snacks. Then I caught up o Young & The Restless and fell asleep on the couch.
Sometimes the most joy is in the simplest things!
I love this quote and general life reminder from my old friend Anne Donahue, she tweeted it last night:
FRIDAY NIGHT TIP: don’t go anywhere you don’t want to go
It is no secret that I love Halloween. Every year my friends and I dress up for as many outings as we can. October 1st is Saturday which also happens to be Nuit Blanche. I will 100% be kicking off All Hallow’s Month with some type of elaborate costume.
One year I was practising zombie makeup at 10:30am on a Tuesday, then decided to go get groceries, about 2 weeks before Halloween. I got heaps of stares with my scary face but I loved every single minute of it. Thank goodness for the internet because I was able to find a selfie from that exact moment.
This year, I got the jump on Halloween supplies via Amazon. I ordered a bunch of new wigs and decorations last week. FYEAH Prime! I’m not sure exactly what costumes these wigs will be for but I don’t really care! Bring on all the costumes!
I’m planning to have a few friends over the weekend before Halloween for some spooky spirits and a haunted photo booth. The backdrop I ordered via Amazon Prime arrived today and it’s perfect! Earlier this year I ordered a backdrop stand and we have it set up in the living room ready to go. Halloween Headshots all month!
Earlier this month I attended the Best Buy #LifeandTech event at YD Square. This is my second year attending and honestly, it feels like Christmas for tech lovers! I got to test out and bring home some of the coolest tech around. You can find everything mentioned in this post at BestBuy.ca. I’ve been working with Best Buy Canada for the last couple years and it makes ME SO HAPPY. I love being invited to test out the latest wearable tech, smart home gadgets, and overall life-enhancing products.
Here’s a few of my favourite things from the Best Buy Life and Tech show!
SMART HOME
SECURITY: One of my ultimate favs is this Ring Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Pro. I haven’t set it up yet but I can’t wait to creep anyone who comes to my door or walks past. Since moving into a house with a front door (from a high-rise condo) I get so freaked out when I’m home alone and someone knocks on the door. Who does that! Unexpected! Gah! I get all packages delivered to the office so it’s extra weird if someone sends something to the house. I feel that this new burglar alarm will give me peace of mind and make me feel much safer. I like that I can see everything in real-time too, so if there was a burglar, I would be able to have an instant description of them!
With the new Ring, you are able to monitor hour home with audio and video from anywhere. The rep I chatted with was from Minnesota and he showed me his backyard while we were chatting in YD Square. He’s able to record video, sound an alarm, or say something to an intruder if he see’s someone suspicious around. So cool! Imagine yelling ‘HEY BUDDY GET OFF MY LAWN‘ from another country, haha! Especially if you have it paired with something like Crestron Lighting along with your home security system!
BIG SOUND for INDOOR OR OUTDOOR: Talk about boom for your buck! This little UE Wonderboom speaker has loud, 360 sound, and is waterproof. I took it on my recent trip from Toronto to Montreal and New Orleans, the battery lasted the whole trip for hotel room dance parties and background noise while I worked (up to 10 hours battery!).
I also tested the waterproof-ness at the cottage over the weekend and can verify, it is definitely water safe. I only tossed it in the lake for a couple seconds but the speaker can be immersed in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. It’s also avail in pink, red, black, lilac, and grey.
WEARABLE TECH
MEDITATION: I got one of these a couple years ago around TIFF and I can tell you Muse, the Brain-Sensing Headband definitely helped me feel calm. Muse is like a personal meditation assistant, it measures how calm or active your mind is, then helps you channel that energy with guiding sounds. It’s created by Toronto company Interaxion and the co-founder Ariel Garten is a friend!
FITBIT: Fitbit’s new wireless headphones are so cool! Since I’ve been working on trying to live a healthier life, I’ve come to really love my FitBit. I currently have the new Fitbit Alta HR and Sean has the brand new Ionic (with Fitbit Pay!). These headphones can withstand the sweatiest workout, have great sound, 6-hour battery, and have music & call controls. This is my first pair of wireless headphones, I love the future! I wish there had been more headphones featured at the show because I know there have been some big steps taken recently in sound quality. The latest headphone technology includes things like 360 audio, how cool!
DON’T LOSE YOUR STUFF: What is that tiny little gadget you ask? This is TrackR Bravo, a Bluetooth tracking device you can add to your keys, wallet, luggage, purse, child, anything, then keep an eye of its whereabouts from the app. I used it recently on my luggage and although I was only doing carry-on, I knew where my stuff was at all times.
You know when it’s a full flight and they still make you check your tiny suitcase? This is a great way to make sure all your outfits are on that plane. I also keep one inside my purse, god forbid I ever leave it somewhere!
Another great moment from the day was chilling in this Lamborghini w/ Alcantara interior. Microsoft was on site to highlight the Alcantara fabric used in the new Surface Laptop. I tested the Surface Pro earlier this summer, great machine! The laptop has a 13.5″ PixelSense touchscreen and Alcantara fabric covers the keyboard for comfortable, quiet typing. Find it at Best Buy here.
I’ve missed a lot of yoga classes thing month due to work. My schedule is usually pretty chill but the last 4 weeks have been non-stop events, travel, and work w/ 1188. It has been really fun but also very exhausting. I’ve been hustling pretty hard, up early in the morning to get blog things done before heading to the office, working on things late at night, rinse repeat.
Today I went to an event, had some chats, a meeting, and was really not in a good mood after. I missed doing something kinda fun due to the meeting. It was hot. I was tired. I was being snarky to my bf. It’s not all rainbows and sunshine all the time, ok? I was laying on the bed in my yoga clothes, thinking about bailing when I got off my ass and out the door.
The hot, fresh air, riding my bike to class felt so nice. I felt free. The sun was shining bright and lighting up the studio as I walked in. I was already glad to be there. Our class was hot and sweaty, I worked hard. I breathed right into my back, side ribs and let the air out slowly. It’s amazing what a good yoga class will do.
At the start of September, Lauren O’Nizzle (my bff) and I packed the car with all our gear and hit the road to Camp Timberlane in Haliburton for Two Islands Weekend. Imagine, 250 campers, mostly 30-40, sleeping in cabins, eating in a mess hall, doing group activities, and an open bar for the entire weekend.It was so much fun!
The organisers invited me early in the summer to come to camp as a guest and my email reply was something like ‘OMG YES I WANT TO COME OMG‘. I went to camp as a kid but this place sounded legit amazing. There were heaps of activities like Beyonce Dance Class, archery tag, dance party, karaoke, talent show, jazzercize, movies, camp sing-a-long, and heaps more.
We were a bit of a situation when we arrived. Both of us were super excited after the 3hr drive, parked the car, and walked down the big hill past everyone, wearing huge sunglasses, city clothes, and more luggage than two people need for a weekend. We were so extra, haha!
Attention everyone, we’re heeeeeere!
For our first event, Welcome Drinks, we wore matching INTERNET sweaters by Shelfies from a shoot with Becca Lemire a few years back. Everyone stared at us like we were weird but we didn’t care. We ARE weird! And matching outfits were part of our weekend plan! Also duh, internet is our jam!
I don’t know what I was expecting but it was totally a real camp! There were about 8 girls in our cabin and we slept in stacked bunks. We made heaps of new friends and had so many laughs the whole weekend. The organizers did an amazing job of wrangling everyone to and from activities and meals. Thank you!
Welcome to Camp!
Girls this way!
Our bunks!
The place was huge!
Our Cabin, G3!
Outside of Cabin
Sports theme dinner!
Dance Party!
Love this wig!
Onesies from The Drake!
On the last night, there was a talent show followed by a dance party. I really pulled out all the stops and busted some fire ? moves on that dance floor. It felt so good to just let go, I even left my phone in the cabin. I wish there was a video of my dance solo to ‘Single Ladies’ because I drew a crowd and they all cheered after. It was so much fun. I love dressing up and busting moves!
Aside from all the drinks, new friends, sing yelling, hangovers, AND losing my voice, the best part was the environment. They have a zero-tolerance policy for hate, discrimination, or bad vibes, everyone was accepted. When we first arrived I had a flashback of high school like ‘omg, they’re gonna hate us‘, but that never happened! Everyone was so incredibly nice and fun. It was something truly magical.
They were also super accommodating of different diets and allergies, offering vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-specific foods. There was no shortage of snacks and the food was good. Special thanks to Great Lakes Brewery for ALL the beers I drank, love you! ?
Thank you so much to the team for having us as your guests. We had an incredibly memorable time. I would love to make Two Islands Weekend an annual thing and go back to see the camp crew.
This weekend was so lovely. Spent a bunch of time sitting outside staring at the lake. Went out on my stand-up paddleboard. Had a great BBQ and family dinner. Pie and Kawartha Dairy vanilla ice cream. Slept in. Took naps. New book. Drank hot coffee & read magazines in the still morning sun. The weather was the best we’ve had all summer.
Let’s hope we have a few more great days. Soak up that sunshine. Let it charge your batteries!
It was SOOOOO nice out yesterday. Biked down to the office. Put in some directors notes on a spot then packed up and met Lauren in the park. There were heaps of people hanging out and enjoying what’s left of summer.
Look for my face on Queen West!
This weekend we’re up at the cottage for what is looking like the best weekend of the year. Got a cute mani yesterday. Can’t wait to take my SUP board out on the lake.
Here’s to a great weekend w/ lots of laughs, love, and sunshine! ☀️❤️✌?
