Dear Diary, today I went for a walk at 3:45 to pick up an order from Indestructible Mfg about 15 mins from the house. I went for a run this morning but I think I really need to stay prioritizing a walk in the day. With clocks changing this weekend I want to make sure I get some sun each day. Having less daylight and the colder temps has gotten the best of me sometimes and I know I need to actively prepare. In 2020 I wrote a series of things to help beat Seasonal Affective Disorder, see them all here. This is the first time, in a long time that I’ve had a full-time job and don’t want to fall into old habits. When it gets dark by 6 pm, it’s easy to keep working and miss the day. Note to self: make a walk work. Used a set of velcro rollers I ordered online and they actually looked better IN my hair than after. I need to practice and use a hair oil when I take them out next time, my hair was mega frizz. In other news, work is going great and I’m excited to tell you (SOON!) what I’ve been working on for the past year. Catch that sun while you can. ☀️

My order from Zara arrived and I’m so happy w/ my latest finds in the kid’s section.? Both this sweater and bright pink jacket are kids 11/12! My post from November 2020 came up in my Twitter memories today, posted a Moonomens IG on that day too. Saw this post by GFDA today and absolutely love following their account, good advice, always. “Burn so brightly that you catch the world on fire”

Checked out a wedding venue w/ Brock & Lauren after work. Hadn’t been here before, a secret location, speakeasy style venue behind a small bar on King West. Perfect mirror selfie spot in the back!

Went to the Stackt Market w/ Cory before our ladies dinner date. It’s so lovely there! Took a bunch of photos, looked around, admired the sun setting over the train tracks, under the full moon. We had dinner at Clio, the new restaurant on the 3rd floor of the old Spoke Club. Gail is a member there so she was able to book us all a table. I had the kale salad, scallops, and broccolini, all delicious. Met up w/ Sean at the office after, stopped on Ossington for one cocktail and was in bed before 11. Nice to be out but I also love being home. ?

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. Ella Woodward Looking forward to an early night and my run in the morning. Sending you sunshine through the internet!

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! Here’s a great (short!) week!

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. Sending sunshine your way! Love from the woods xo

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.

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. Legends of Horror at Casa Loma 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…

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!

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. Here’s to finding personal peace through this crazy time! Sending you flowers!

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! Watch my weekend recap video here! View this post on Instagram A post shared by CASIE STEWART (@casiestewart)

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!