It had been ages since I was inside Broadview station. I used to go there all the time. The second Toronto house I lived in was on Playter Crescent, Danforth and Broadview. Playter Estates, it was beautiful. I moved in after ending a relationship and had been living in Fort Wayne, Indiana. My sister came to rescue me and take me home. I was so thankful for her. For the first few months, I slept on a cot in the dining room. It wasn’t that bad, I was with my sister, in a big old house for the first time in ages, and I was back at my old job.
We lived in the big brown house on the left, top two floors. I eventually moved into my sister’s old room when she moved out. It had huge windows with full sun all day. It was bright and I love the morning sun. I think back to the two years I spent there with changing roommates. There were 4 bedrooms and at first, it was my sister and girls from school and by the end, it was me and a couple other roommates. We had so much fun living there. Hanging out with the neighbours. Sun tanning on the roof. I was nice to go back and remember those moments.
Bloor Viaduct
Broadview Station
I live here now.
I went to Pape Station on my way there and home via Broadview
Here I am on the TTC again. I really wish I had headphones but they’re still in my travel bag at home. I’m heading over to Centennial College to chat with a class of Advanced Social Media year 3 students about my life and work. I try to say yes as often as I can when a friend or close contact asks me to chat with their class. It’s always an opportunity for me to learn.
Love these windows!
Beautiful day
Advanced Social Media Class in Session!
I’ll just grab this desk here!
I love their questions. I love reminding them that the job they’ll have one day might not, and probably doesn’t even exist. It’s ok if they don’t know what they want to do yet. I remind them to find something they love doing and become really, really good at it. I tell them to explore creativity and try new things. To not be afraid of other people who can’t see their vision or grasp their unique idea. There have been so many times in my career where the person/people I was working with or for, didn’t get my idea. Most the time it was because only I could see so far ahead, not as far as me. They weren’t there yet.Having the skills and knowledge to see an idea before anyone else will often keep you ahead of the pack.
When I worked at CTV for Much/MTV Canada I remember telling my boss it would be a good idea to put the show hashtag on the tv screen. He totally thought I was crazy and made me feel bad about my ‘dumb’ idea. We all know how that turned out, eh? Another time at an agency job I suggested we get this cool InstaPrint thing from NYC. It involved hiring a guy to man 4 machines onsite for the event that would print little photos of any Instagram w/ the hashtag. I had to fight for it to stay in the budget and I’m glad I did. The launch event trended across Canada and thousands of photos were printed that night.
The talk was good. I sat at a desk like everyone else in the class and told them my story. Shared some challenges, exciting things, and took questions. No presentation, I was there for a talk. I wanted to be on their level.I asked them things too! Instagram was the most popular app in the room. One guy sends a lot of memes via DM. They’re still on FB. Some like Snapchat. Left an open call for interns.
The students varied in age but they all laughed at my jokes.
Thanks Jessica for inviting me to speak with your students!
If you or someone you work with is looking to have a guest speaker at school, office, conference, or host an event, get in touch with my speaker agency or send me an email!
Last week I attended an event at Telus HQ in Toronto to celebrate how they’re creating change in communities across Canada. Telus is unleashing the power of the internet and mobilizing people around the world to donate an hour of their time to collectively donate a MILLION HOURS this year for Canada 150.
As a company, Telus is working with partners and local business leaders to make the future friendly. They’re collectively dealing with crisis, addressing social issues, and building a brighter future for Canadians. They’ve created Telus community boards for community giving with 13 boards across Canada and 5 globally.
In 2016, Telus gave out $6M in charitable grants & 600 projects in Canada. Earlier this year, Telus made a donation in my name a charity of my choice. I picked SKETCH, a Toronto arts-based charity that helps youth and the donation went towards their new Media Arts program. I’m planning to get involved with the program!
One cool project supported by the Telus Media Fund last year was CUT OFF a documentary by VICE. It was shot by Sean’s company OCCUPIED VR! You can see his business partner J Lee with Chris Mooresby beside the camera, behind Justin Trudeau below. Watch the doc on VICE here.
IN OTHER NEWS…
I was totally caught off guard when a very cool person on the Telus team asked me about my iPhone and then surprised me with A NEW PHONE. I’m now on the new iPhone 8 Plus and will be testing out new features and sharing my thoughts on it soon.
If you’d like to get involved with the Telus #MillionHours initiative, check out this link and sign up! Here’s to making the future friendly!
You know this already but I'm on Team Telus and have been for years! Check out previous posts and giving back efforts we've worked on together over the last 8 years here.
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.
