School Yourself! Life is One Big Lesson

Seeing so many school photos today made it feel like back to school. The craziest thing for me is seeing friends who have kids that are the age they were when I met them. It’s so weird/cool I guess? Gah, how old am I, I still feel young! Still learning new things all the time, excited about life. This week is an exciting one with all kinds of new experiences and people. Today I am going to the TIFF Stylist Box and then attending Toronto Fashion Week for a show. It all kind of gives me anxiety but this year I’m trying harder than last to prepare, plan accordingly, and not stay out too late. Today felt kind of like back to school because I saw hundreds of kids! Mostly on FB but we also went to Em’s first day, which is exciting. One of my friends said that she has to listen to songs for children on the way to school with her kids in the car. They love listening to these songs because they’re educational, and most of their friends listen to them as well. School has changed a lot, there were no videos like that for us to listen to when we were younger! Now that I think back to actually being in school, I really liked it. I mean, I still left all my projects to the last minute and dragged on doing homework but it was great! School teaches you so many things you don’t learn in class. Problem-solving, giving and taking constructive feedback, working in teams, being a leader, creating. Sometimes I see myself teaching, although that would be kinda like going back to school. But then I think about those who can’t, teach’ and I’m like no way. Maybe just a couple classes…

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Long Live Summer Chill Vibes

Sat out on my patio w/ some wine thinking about the last few months. It’s been nice to spend the last two weekends in the city but most my summer weekends were at the cottage. I’ve mentioned a whole bunch this year how I’ve been working hard to maintain balance. With social media and the life I’ve created surrounding it, it’s hard to keep balance. I’ve actually had to learn and discover what balance means for me. Part of that has been yoga, reading more books, and getting to bed earlier. At the start of August Sean, and I spent a glorious 11 days at the cottage. We had a few nice days and it rained for 5 days in a row. It didn’t even bother me because I watched 2 entire seasons (Ozark + OITNB5) and read three whole books (How to Murder Your Life, The Killing Circle,  The Currency of Love). Each was a different story that took me to another place or made me think about my own life in a new way. I’m looking forward to September, the change of seasons always brings a new energy, change of pace. Autumn is great for layering outfits. I ordered a few great items online that should *hopefully* all arrive in time for TIFF. Next week is going to be really busy with the film festival and Toronto Fashion Week. I’ve got tickets to a couple films and fashion shows along with a few gifting lounges. I will be documenting EVERYTHING. I live for/love this time of year. It’s a chance to see heaps of colleagues, friends, and media related people I don’t see in my day-to-day stuff the rest of the year. SUMMER FOREVER / LONG LIVE SUMMER Shoutout to Jacob’s Creek winery from Australia. They sent over a few of…

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ALL I THINK ABOUT IS KARMA.

First, been listening to the new Taylor on repeat and I like it. I feel like she’s grown up the last for years and is probably sick of everyone’s bullshit. I can totally relate to that because I am 35 now and in my ‘I don’t give a f*ck’ stage where I will do what I want and not let anyone else’s expectations dictate how I feel. Second, this summer I’ve really taken time to relax and chill out. I’ve still blogged and updated the internet but it’s been less than years prior and it kinda feels good. I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon but I’ve learned it’s really important to give back to yourself. I’ve had a few meltdowns over the years after being totally exhausted and overwhelmed by trying to do too much. On that note, I’m realllllllly looking forward to TIFF this year. This week I was at the annual NKPR ‘Festival Countdown’ and it was so great to see everyone. I’ll put together a post about that exclusively. I’ve got my list of gifting lounges to check out in the first week and there will without a doubt be a bunch of parties. Yesterday I signed Sean and I up at the new LA Fitness near our house. I paid for it with my own money and I have been going for about a week now. I have never joined a gym before and I really like it! After doing yoga religiously this year, I feel ready to take it up a level. I refuse to spend this winter sitting on the couch again! Years ago Sean said I would be really fit if I only worked out as much as I watch Young & The Restless so that’s now what I try to do. Kinda silly…

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Yes, I am Still At The Cottage

But I’m starting to get cabin fever. I’m ready to come home. It’s been about two weeks up here and mostly just Sean and I here together. I’m so looking forward to friends, events, a conference, and my good blue shampoo. (If you are blonde, you’ll understand! My hair is yellow!) I also really need a manicure. Today I screamed at a chipmunk that startled me, like a total crazy woman. I want a Starbucks. I got a couple new bug bites taking out the garbage this morning (it comes on Mondays) and I just about lost my shit. Enough damn bugs! The views are beautiful but everyone has a breaking point. Sean and I cooked a great surf & turf BBQ last night w/ aglio olio (Italian pasta). Then we had a dip in the hot tub and watched a beautiful sunset. But I’m still ready to come home. Tomorrow Lauren and I are attending an entrepreneurship conference that includes an aerial yoga class. So fun! I’ve got a media preview at the Spoke Club after then a Sweat yoga class. I miss yoga. I’m not as good as I would like to be at self-starting a practice on my own up here. I do at home! I don’t know what it is about the cottage that makes me so lazy and eat all the snacks, I guess that’s what they call ‘relaxing’. I sent an RSVP for a TIFF event this morning and I am really getting excited about it. I’ve been doing TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) for about 10 years now and it’s fun. The city is so alive! The first couple days are the best and I love media day before the official opening. I’m going away to adult summer camp (Two Islands) on the…

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We Made Cement Planters! ?

I really wanted to make some of these after seeing they looked pretty easy on Pinterest. AND WELL THEY WERE! Embot and I gave it a go this weekend so she could give one to Grandma for her 70th birthday this week. I followed this video by TO’s own Sorry Girls but I have a few tips to add because they made it look more graceful. ? I used the smallest bag of sand concrete you can get at Canadian Tire. You mix it with water 4/1. We used old juice containers (ie. tetra pack bottoms) and put empty water bottles cut in half with a weight inside to hold the form. The bottle will rise up without a weight. Next time I’ll round up some juice containers before we do it. The concrete can also be messy make sure you put something down on your work space and I high reco doing in the garage our outside. One of the planters was made from a 2L pop bottle and it looks kinda neat because of the bottoms.The concrete takes 24 hours to dry. The water bottles inside the form were kinda hard to get out so we’ll switch to paper cups next (they use Tim’s cups in the video). This was a last minute idea I was kinda just wingin’ it with what we had around the cottage. They still turned out fine! I’ve been dying to get some copper (rose gold!) Krylon paint. I follow/girl crush on Tiffany Pratt and she’s been using it to paint things a lot lately. I put tape on the design I wanted and put on a couple thin coats of Krylon spray paint. Let it dry. Apply a thin layer of wet look concrete sealer to protect the concrete from staining and…

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It’s Always Summer In My Heart

Last Week of Summer? Doesn’tFeel Like It! Today is SO HOT OMG. I’m wearing shorts and t-shirt and feeling so happy. We had a great weekend at the cottage. It was just Sean and I for a few days. Lots of relaxing, naps, great food, laughs. I love the VIEWS but something else I really love about the cottage is the drive up together and driving long, winding country roads. There’s something so magical about it, laughing together, singing old songs.  The leaves are just starting to change and I said ‘I LOVE IT THIS TIME OF YEAR’, his reply? YOU LOVE IT ALL TIMES OF THE YEAR! It’s true, I really do. Each season and type of weather has it’s beauty. Today I’ve got an afternoon with TELUS to meet with 2016/2017 Team TELUS Advocates. I wrote about that here. They sent a welcome package last week with the INSTAX printer! I love this thing so much. I’ve been carrying it around in my purse ever since. THANK YOU GUYS! On our way to the cottage we stopped at Rocket Fireworks, Sean loves fireworks so much. I got up each morning and went out on my stand up paddle board. I love this outfit, denim bathing suit, flannel. Perfect fall cottage attire. Finished reading ‘in a dark, dark wood’ this weekend. Good book. crazy story about old friends and one of them getting married, a hen party gone wrong. Received it at the Essentials Lounge by EGPR during TIFF. I have to admit, it was kinda weird picking up a book-book spending the summer w/ my Kobo. [See my list of summer favs here!] While out for a Sunday drive we discovered Wahta Reserve, aka the BEST PLACE TO BUY FIREWORKS. Look how happy this guys is! Spent the last night out for…

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Watch ‘Behind the Red Carpet’ on The Hollywood Suite Network

In 2004, during TIFF, I was filmed for a documentary about the festival. I was followed around to events, parties, and interviewed about what it’s like behind the scenes, behind the red carpet. Alongside me, the films stars celebrity photographer George Pimentel, PR pro Natasha Koifman (NKPR), and national journalist Chris Jancelewicz. The film is playing on Hollywood Suite network in Canada all month. If you are keen to watch it and don’t the channel, you can get it on iTunes, Amazon, Playstation, GooglePlay, or xBox. Details on the website here. About Behind The Red Carpet Behind The Red Carpet introduces us to the movers, shakers and key players behind all the happenings and craziness of the Toronto International Film Festival. We follow five lead characters who are the top in their field including Toronto/New York based publicist Natasha Koifman, a foremost journalist, Chris Jancelewicz, Casie Stewart, world famous blogger, George Pimentel, Canada’s most renowned celebrity photographer, as well as Pierre Jutras, venue operator and president of The Spoke Club. Our key players are thrown into the fire as they try their very best to appease the biggest and brightest stars from around the globe. We are on the inside lines of the biggest red carpets with the hottest stars. It’s about being at the right place atthe right time, red carpet call times, media arrival times…photo opp…any time! After the whirlwind of festival…which of our characters is left standing…who has had the most success, who has thrown in the towel and who is ready for more? This week is gonna be a busy one. Busy and exciting! We’re heading back from the cottage today and for the next week I’ve got films, afterparties, gifting lounges, and more. I’m planning to share them all on Snapchat, Instagram (and Stories), Facebook Live, and Twitter. FOLLOW…

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End of August Thoughts & Things

This week has everyone talking about how summer is ‘over’ but tbh guys, there’s still a bunch of nice days left. It was so hot out yesterday. It’s that perfect time of year when the days are warm, nights cool for sleeping, and there are NO bugs. As I mentioned the other day it’s a great time to ditch old habits, clean out that closet, and make a new routine. I really need to get my ass in gear when it comes to what I’m eating and exercise. Maybe I just need to workout more? People always said that after 30 your metabolism slows down and damnit they were right!  A photo posted by ? C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Aug 30, 2016 at 6:07am PDT We hadn’t planned to be at the cottage this past weekend but in a twist of events, it was vacant so we jumped in the truck and hit the road. We never stop for anything but burgers (Webers!) on the way up BUT Sean asked if I wanted to go to the 400 Market. It’s just before Barrie on the 400 HWY and neither of us had ever been. WELL, it’s a sight to be seen. Before we event went inside the building I fell in love with this fur coat. Sean tried on an awesome leather biker jacket with a half-naked lady on the back. I wish I took a photo but only posted it on Snap. ? Sorry! Follow me over there: casiestewart.  There were so many treasures in there. We got some amazing hot sauce, samosas, a couple sausage rolls, sunglasses, and a few other knick knacks. SUMMER OVER? ??WHATEVER. ✌?️ New jacket from market. ? @weare1188 ? #furbaby #winter #cottagelife A photo…

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4 Companies Offering Great Customer Service

One of the things I really love about Telus is their commitment to customer service. They feel great customer service starts from the ground up and they’ve made a commitment to telling Canadians they need to Expect More from their telcom providers. Today I’m sharing a couple other great customer experience stories from other companies putting customers first. Little Burgundy – Broken Boots Near the end of summer I purchased a killer pair of boots designed by Jeffrey Campbell from littleburgundyshoes.com. I’ve been wearing them regularly but recently the cool cut-out heels broke.   I didn’t want get stuck on the phone ringing customer service so I sent a tweet with some photos to @LittleBurgundy and they replied within about 30 minutes. It took about 5 min to fin d a new pair of booth in store and the return was easy. I really love when a company is socially connect and able to help their customers over Twitter.  Nice work guys! Now I will check out the sales and probably buy more. 🙂 @LittleBurgundy hi guys, @JCshoes I ordered <2 mo ago broke this week. Both of them! Can you help!? ?? pic.twitter.com/eiXtpAEHnK — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) October 21, 2015 Go Daddy – Server Upgrade I’ve been with GoDaddy for my website hosting since switching over to WordPress from Blogger.com years ago. I’ve had nothing but great customer service from their team. I’ve had them renew my domain (until 2022!) help with a hacking situation (on the 1st day of TIFF!) and more recently with a server upgrade. GoDaddy recently changed their hosting and the plan I was on no longer had analytics. As a blogger and online business owner, the stats are important to me. I had considered switching to another host when their help team offered to look into my situation. Instead…

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Fashion | RUDSAK x Emily Haines + AW15

Last night I went to the opening of Rudsak’s new store in the Eaton Centre. The special guest was Emily Haines of Metric who is collaborating with them on a new collection. I was fan-girling inside when Emily Haines walked in because my sister and I to listened to her Live It Out album about 100,000,000 times. Bag Rudsak, Shirt dress Joe fresh Last year Rudsak (est. 1994) did a capsule collection for their 20th anniversary inspired but rock musicians in history. This is the first time collaborating with a musician. The partnership came together though Rise Branded Entertainment, a division of Universal Music Canada. “I’ve always been fascinated by the close relationship between fashion and music. Suppose it’s because personal style is such a powerful form of self-expression, it’s very much an art form in itself,” – Emily Haines Her twist on the classic cropped moto will be showcased at four Rudsak stores this month: Calgary’s Market Mall, the Toronto Eaton Centre, Carrefour Laval in Laval, Que., and on Ste-Catherine Street in Montreal. We were all given a little envelope with a key in it. ONE lucky person’s key would open a bird cage and inside was a customized Rudsak jacket. The jackets are amazing. I have 2 moto styles from the last few years I live in them as soon as the temp cools. Spent some time reading the new lookbook on the way home and there’s heaps of nice items. I’m quite keen to get one of these leather iPhone cases ASAP. In other news, THE APPLE ANNOUNCEMENT IS TODAY.  Starts at 10am PDT. Will update you with the look book after this week. Have TIFF things all day and am feeling pretty excited because I’ve got 3 events before 2pm and the Apple announcement in the middle. Must know all things about new gadgets.  ALSO, I’m speaking…

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This is My Life | Aaaaand We’re Back! That’s a Wrap on Summer

Yes, I know ‘summer’ isn’t officially over but if you’ve been away from school or work, it’s pretty much over. The feeling is gone. Back to the routine. New notebooks, new clothes.  ✏️  Maybe a new attitude?!   This time of year is exciting, I love when seasons change. If at any point you feel meh, remember that Halloween and Christmas aren’t far away. The season of Netflix & Chill is right around the corner and it’s a great time to clean up your house, diet, friends, thoughts.  I was thinking I was on my game this morning but am an hour EARLY for something, so I really screwed up. Got Emily ready for school but didn’t get to go w/ Sean to drop her off.  Mixed up timing on something this AM. COOL START TO THE DAY! pic.twitter.com/CEoHaUTKo5 — CASiE STEWART (@casiestewart) September 8, 2015 The drive back from cottage country was bittersweet yesterday. We took the long way to avoid being stuck in traffic. The sun was beating down and the air was warm. Picked up some fruits and veg from a stand along the way.  Saw this sweet ride.  Spent some quality time on the new deck reading the September issue (Vogue of course!) and soaking up the sun. ☀️ We’ll be back a few times before the seasons actually change, the leaves are so beautiful up there.    If you’ve got the blues today, save this on your desktop or phone and daydream of cottage life….    Sending you good vibes for a great week. I know today can be a challenging one after a long beautiful summer. I’ve got a few giveaways coming up including a MASSIVE TIFF package w/ NKPR.  Share a smile with someone today, they just might need it. ? CASIE     …

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This is My Life | You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes.

Helloooo! It’s Friday and the long weekend is almost here. I’m sitting in my fav office, the cottage side deck. Keri is here and we’re working away. The skies are blue, the air is warm, and it’s not tooo hot yet. Will jump in the lake when that time arrives!  Saw this quote today. I love Dr. Seuss quotes + poems. Another fav is Shel Silverstein and this week I picked up A Light In the Attic and and was pleasantly reminded of his work. Back when I was a teenager I wrote & published a book of poetry. I’ve written about it a few times over the years.  ? “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.” — Dr. Seuss   Yesterday I checked out a TIFF press screening and went on a massive bike ride. It was so hot but I loved it. My new Schwinn bike is incredibly conformable. It’s still avail at Canadian Tire if you’re in the market for a cruiser. I put a basket and flowers on the back and I smile every single time I look at it. Sending you sunshine from cottage country, CASIE ☀️☀️☀️

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This is My Life | Sirius XM, NKPR, Greta Constantine, ALO Restaurant, H&M Studio

This week was a busy one! I was looking through photos and decided it would be a good idea to take a look back. Monday I was back on Sirius XM co-hosting the Todd Shapiro Show. It was super fun. Listen to it here.   I’m working on a big project at 1188 and we had a meeting over foot massages. SMARTEST IDEA. There’s a little spot at Queen/Portland, $25 for 30min. Not prices like Thailand but the massage was just as good! Work work.  Tuesday was the NKPR pre-TIFF media event at Natasha’s house. Tahnee was there! It was great to see all the fashion/media peeps after a long relaxing summer. The crazy is about to begin! Can’t wait for TIFF. Recognize these bachelors? Tim (L) and I shot a TV show earlier this year with NKPR. Todd isn’t a bachelor anymore tho. Brad (R) is on TV in Canada and a former Bachelor for those of you not from here.   The NKPR IT Lounge has been going on for 10 years. It’s a VIP gifting suite and portrait studio. Caitlin Cronenberg is shooting it for W Magazine again this year. I’ll be popping by on Sept. 9th. Wednesday night Greta Constantine hosted La Piscine. A glamorous night held at 77 Admiral Road, a three story brick mansion with beautiful backyard and pool. See more photos of peeps at the party on shedoesthecity.com.   Recognize this babe? Abe Hotaki was there stomping grapes in his underwear. He was at our cottage this summer for the Archibald Men magazine shoot.  Next week I’m attending a top secret party hosted by Rickey, if you don’t know Rickey, you will soon. #ChezRickey is sure to be an amazing night.  The tips I ordered for my new Jeffrey Campbell boots arrived. I…

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Behind the Red Carpet is Now on Amazon & iTunes!

Around this time last year we premiered the film Behind the Red Carpet at The Spoke Club in Toronto just in time for TIFF. It was so exciting! The film documents what goes ‘behind the red carpet’ of the Toronto International Film Festival. (It was filmed at TIFF in 2013). Earlier this year Behind the Red Carpet premiered’s on CBCs documentary channel. I’m happy to share that it’s now available on Amazon and Vimeo on Demand! Here’s a video of me & Chris Jancelewicz talking about the film with Natasha from NKPR on Rogers Your World This Week in February. About the Film: Behind The Red Carpet (60 & 90 min documentary) directed by Michelle Daides.  The film is produced by Michelle Daides and Tom Strnad and stars PR Maven Natasha Koifman, Celebrity Photographer George Pimentel, Lifestyle Blogger Casie Stewart, Venue Operator Pierre Jutras of The Spoke Club and Lead Entertainment Editor of Huffington Post Canada and Moviefone Chris Jancelewicz. CBC’s documentary Channel aired the Canadian Television Premiere in February 2015.

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