Canadians Love Life

Shot Through the 'Art!

2012-01-29T02:23:00.000-08:00

I moved to London, and a parallel world of colour, graphics, new mediums and art opened up too. Most of the new works I saw were from Ty's classmates (and the occasional gallery he brought me to), but the most adorable was certainly through a work friend. Mark Jones does illustration work - children's bedrooms, story books, photos, cards, etc. Like Ty, he's an SVA grad from NYC (although Ty

5 reasons why today was awesome

2012-01-26T16:16:00.000-08:00

The past 24 hours have been awesome, mostly from a professional standpoint, but generally too! For me more than anyone else (how's that for writing to your audience!) I wanted to encapsulate. 1. I got a Droid for work purposes, and it. Is. Awesome. (I still love you BlackBerry!) 2. I did a presentation about SEO this morning with my colleague for a group of young PRs. It went really well, and

382 Days Later - Into the Great Canadian North

2012-01-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Joni Mitchell, one of our more famous Canadian songwriters, sang "You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone." I spent a whole year away from my home and native land. I'll tell you, THIS is one of the things I missed most. Look at that glistening white stuff; winter's beautiful gift, and sometimes curse. West coasters may consider themselves lucky to skip out on it, but no, this

Signs I'm Not British: British Pudding

2011-12-11T14:52:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year when Sainsbury's displays mincemeat pies the way Americans wave their country flag. Mincemeat pies are to Britannia like the Queen and the red phone box. If you didn't love then already, the advertising alone would lure you to indulge - and being on offer for two-for-one - you may as well. The same offer was on last year, and to Tyler's delight, he threw the duo into

The Oddities of Being a Tourist

2011-11-27T06:23:00.001-08:00

Being a tourist is such a funny thing. Tourism isn't just an escape from your regular surroundings, but it feels like an escape from yourself too. I don't make a habit of visiting churches (although I'd like to more!), photographing myself in front of monuments, trying the weirdest thing on the menu because a friend of a friend told me to or learning about ancient Roman bathing rituals.

Australian Edition: Never Had I Ever...

2011-11-20T03:52:00.001-08:00

....Eaten Fairy Bread White bread cut into triangles with butter and sprinkles on top are an Australian/Kiwi treat. Put them in a room and it evokes the same school girl reaction as a New Kids on the Block concert to an 80s baby. Crunch into a piece and the juxtaposition of the slippery spread and the popping sprinkles might make you spit it out. It's got that ants on a log-like nostalgic

Weird and Wacky Traditions

2011-11-06T03:38:00.000-08:00

Do you remember, remember the fifth of November? Chances are, unless you're from the UK, that doesn't mean a thing to you. If you're a North American, however, the weird and wonderful traditions of All Hallows' Eve might overshadow it somewhat. Apparently Halloween has only really infiltrated British culture in the past five years. Children trick or treat, but you won't see too many

A Girl Goes into a Library

2011-10-22T02:04:00.000-07:00

Imagine you could take a step back from your life, and actually see your proverbial glass it was - half full, overflowing, however. You'd wake up one day as an outsider to your own movie, having forgotten everything you ever knew. If you could start from scratch with a clean cerebral slate from amnesia, thrust into whatever situations you'd created for yourself, would you still respond

Places to Love: Crystal Palace Park

2011-10-16T14:43:00.000-07:00

Today Ty and I took a trip to south London where I've been wanting to go for months! The area is known as Crystal Palace because back in 1854 it housed a giant exhibition hall that had apartments for the queen, a tropical animal zoo, a giant stadium, and lots of other stuff. See Crystal Palace. Anyway, this hall as it was no longer exists. In 1936 it was destroyed by a giant fire

Devon's Best of London List

2011-09-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

This list is a work in progress, but I don't want to forget these things, so I'm writing them down! Based on my very limited experience here, here are my recos. BEST OF.... Shopping Vintage: Brick Lane/any charity shop, especially Age UK Trendy on the cheap clothes: Primark Work clothes for women: Warehouse/Zara Tea/fancy nibblies: Fortnum and Mason Tourism Acoustics to hear a church choir

Greece and the Tanless Ginger

2011-09-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I met my girl friend in Athens to take a page from the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2. With enough SPF to drown an elephant and the widest of hats, we set out exploring Athens, Rhodes and Santorini. Trips highlights include: - Touring Athens with my Greek friend, a Brit, and my Canadian friend Nancy. Climbing around the Acropolis, seeing sunset at the highest

Ballet is arabesque-ing my butt

2011-08-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

I think I pulled a butt muscle in ballet tonight. In keeping with the graceful dance, I should probably say "glute" instead, but man, what an awkward injury! As I limped back from class, I was thinking about how the dance has become somewhat of a medicine for me. Spiritually, not physically, that is. Admittedly, I started because of Black Swan, but being able to don a unitard and attempt to raise

In Oslove

2011-08-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

In the quest to cram as much of Europe into one summer, my sis and I ended up in Oslo this past weekend. The city may have made it into the news for sad, violent reasons recently, but I saw a happy, relaxed and peaceful city. Apparently Oslo has one of the highest quality of life ratings in the world, with next to no unemployment, good wages, thrush natural resources and beautiful fjords (lakes)

On the Ex-Pat Lifestyle

2011-07-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

The scary thing about living abroad is that life goes on without you. Captain Obvious would give me a slap for saying that, but it really is something you have to understand and accept before committing to an ex-pat lifestyle. Being an ex-pat (however temporarily) certainly brings an layer of intrigue, and creates a natural conversational jumping-off point. It's a bigger reason for friends/

Sisters Race for Life

2011-07-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

I maintain one of the best ways to get to know an area is to run it. Motivating oneself to run though when there are galleries, new friends, restaurants, and all the hustle and bustle around can be quite hard however. I decided to sign up for a 10k so I'd get myself into some kind of routine. It's been great! A new bud at work and I have been running along the Thames on our lunch hours, and I've

A Paris

2011-07-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

I was about to organise this post into themes, so the food shots didn't punctuate the story quite so much, but I considered that deceitful. After all, a city break is meant to be indulgent. And as if Paris weren't magical enough visually, it tastes just as good. If you're lucky, the sun will shine and the road will rise up to meet you. We struggled with the rain, but I dare say we got the latter.

One Year Glasses Free!

2011-07-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

As of yesterday, I've been one year glasses/contacts free! Anyone who follows this blog would know that I had a difficult time healing from my PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) surgery. There was some irritation in the beginning, but it was more the emotional turmoil of thinking I'd maimed myself permanently and voluntarily that sucked. It took me a solid month before I could rest assured, and

Sweet Dreams Till Sunbeams Find You

2011-07-17T05:51:00.000-07:00

London is taking a shower today. I'm looking out of my window wishing I were doing this instead: With London's many green spaces, in the absence of lawns or even balconies, the parks become our backyards. I have a waterproofed picnic blanket for the rain-soaked grass. Picnicking whenever/wherever possible is necessary. I have to give myself kudos for becoming somewhat of a park/picnicking

Having a Ball/Dancing the Night Away

2011-07-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Alanna is studying at Oxford, and I'm reaping all the benefits! Case in point: The Ball. On Canada Day, after an un/healthy dose of poutine in Trafalgar Square, I hopped a train to Oxford to get our glamour on. I wore a dress I found in a vintage store during our trip to Brighton, and a fascinator in my hair, inspired by my girl crush K Middy. Fancy = fascinator, non? Also donned my red

The only sunburnt girl in Scotland

2011-07-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

After nearly seven months (!!!) of not seeing my mumma, I got a chance to see her and Scotland again with Mini last week.Observations:- The Scottish are a better looking bunch, and possible the kindest people I've met as a whole- The roads are barbaric. Sheep, reindeer, rain and severe turns/blind spots are intense, but even more so is the fact they're often single-track! We almost lost a mirror

Places to Love: Oxford

2011-06-12T02:34:00.000-07:00

I love Oxford. Want to see why?The buildings are many times older than Canada and the grass patterns are so perfectly coiffed, that generally, you're not allowed to walk on them.The weather could not have been more perfect - 25 and sunny - and we couldn't have asked for a better tour guide! We got exclusive views of the colleges including the one above (Magdalen). Can you believe this is some

Different Ways to Say "Douche"

2011-06-05T12:39:00.002-07:00

You know the saying “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”?I take it to mean we’re meant to live like the locals, and try adapting their customs and habits when we travel. I presume this means adapting native speak as much as possible as well. Well, I remember reading in Jeremy Clarkson’s For Crying Out Loud that there is nothing worse than hearing an American trying use the

Rocking the Royal Wedding

2011-05-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

Last month something kind of big happened in London, something white, something blue, something borrowed... you know the drill.I didn't go to the Mall or Trafalgar Square for fear of trampling (I also hate crowds). Instead I donned my finest frock with a group of ladies at a pub.We toasted champagne and took snaps of the TV when my friend saw two of the boys she nannied for singing in the choir.

Places to Explore: Greenwich Village

2011-05-31T11:46:00.000-07:00

I sure chose the right time to move to England.Not only did my sis, BF and good friend move as well, but we had two four-day bank holiday weekends in April, the Olympics are coming up next year, a Royal Wedding happened and I magically ended up with 20 vacation days.With a goal of leaving no stone unturned, or in this case, park, I explored Greenwich in southeast London. It's an adorable little

Being Here

2011-05-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

I so wanted to keep up this blog to somehow time encapsulate my experiences here.Not possible! It's so fundamentally of the moment, and about this sense of fleeting time and place, that defines how it is to be a small fish in this city. Everyone always says live like there's no tomorrow, and you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. So I suppose moving here has been one big lesson is

Uncategorised fun: Roof Gardens, The Crypt Gallery, Egg Jarping

2011-04-23T00:43:00.000-07:00

Kensington Roof GardensOur partner agency hosted a Social Media Week after-party a few weeks back at a rooftop garden in High Street Kensington. This area is known as Mayfair, and it's full of lovely town houses and high end designer shops.According to the History Channel on Foursquare: "Above 99 Kensington High St can be found the largest roof garden in Europe, an exclusive hospitality venue

Canadians Love Life: Majorca

2011-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

You know how I know life is good?I just came back from a free massage - a willing subject to a masseuse in training - just days after returning from Spain.Six days in Majorca and no darker, but my vitamin D stocks are at all time high. No shock that there weren't a lot of knots to knead tonight.The events in Japan rerouted my friend's holidays which left her scrambling for a back-up plan and

Uncategorised Fun: 10 Downing Street, London Fashion Weekend, Ballet

2011-04-03T02:19:00.000-07:00

So I've had a few things happen that I thought were really neat, but don't necessarily require a whole post. Here's a little compilation:Going to a Meeting at 10 Downing StreetThis was work-related (so I'll keep my purposes there confidential), but yes, this is me in front of the Prime Minister's house. I've heard that years ago the public could come this close, but not now. I had to show a

A Day at the Boat Race

2011-03-30T12:13:00.000-07:00

As a Canadian who isn't particularly drawn to sporting events, I've never known the kind of mania that a European football or even cricket match can ignite. Moving here, I was told that in some cities, you can't even wear team colours at pubs because people get so aggressive. Best to stick to monochromes.When my friend Alanna invited me to see a boat race a few weeks back, I naively thought it

British Humour

2011-03-12T04:09:00.000-08:00

I'd like to think I have a dry sense of humour, but now I know it could use a little dehydration in this country. Because it has taken a while, but I've learned, sometimes the humour here is stealth-like and under the radar. And that's truly the funny thing.I went to a comedy show in Leicester Square last week called the 99 Club. There were three acts, a gay Indian doctor-turned-comic, a lanky

Stormtroopers in Stilettos

2011-03-12T03:11:00.000-08:00

Growing up, Freddie Mercury had a kind of reign over my house.My brother provided the soundtrack, with every cassette there was (and later CDs) and concert tapes. Later my mother accompanied on piano with sheet music.So naturally, when I heard there was a travelling Queen exhibit near Brick Lane, with early year memorabilia that included fancy dress, I felt a sort of familial duty to go. It was

Me, Mini and Brummie

2011-02-21T05:23:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to visit my sister at the University of Birmingham.I love getting a reaction when telling people of plans to go to the home of metal."What did you do wrong?""Why?""Poor thing."Then there's the awkwardness of trying to even pronounce the place right. "It's not Alabama" I hear, when I distinctly get the "ham" in there. It should be more like "brrrrr-ming-m."Funny enough,

Places to Love: Dulwich Village

2011-02-16T00:39:00.000-08:00

I took a bus from Clapham to what felt like another county: Dulwich Village.It's only really 40 minutes or so south of the river, and it felt like the further I went the bigger the houses got. It also seemed to get greener. This city has so many parks that they don't even shout out in the tourism books.I found myself at the Dulwich Picture Gallery. Founded in 1881, it was England's first public

Places to Explore: Canary Wharf

2011-02-06T11:05:00.000-08:00

I started off today with the best lazy Sunday pick-me-up: Sunday Roast.I'm learning that there are a few subtleties to this British pub culture that make it sustainable. I presume Sunday Roast is one of them. After a night out, an afternoon meal of Yorkshire pudding and thinly sliced rare beef - complete with the hair of the dog - is a boost to get your day going again.My mentor Lar took me to

Central Saint Martins Interim Show

2011-02-05T03:31:00.000-08:00

Aside from fulfilling a lifelong wish to live in Europe, the main reason I actually moved to London was because my partner was doing his Masters of Fine Arts at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.Before moving, CSM was familiar to me because of its brief reference in the Pulp Song "Common People". I soon learned it is way more famous than that, and has quite an affinity within

Places to Love: Hampstead Heath

2011-01-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

There's this place my friend lives that makes me think of memories that aren't even my own.It's the embodiment of English literature. It's the setting of every Daphne du Maurier novel. I haven't even read Wuthering Heights but somehow it propels me into its pages.Blue circles mark heritage buildings. A lot of the buildings are polka-dotted; reminders of poets, architects, and other important

Oh, snap 2011

2011-01-04T10:51:00.001-08:00

My new year's resolution is to take one photo a day.One photo - mundane, narcissistic, scenic, whatever - will somehow capture this place and this era in my life. I'm no longer relying on fleeting memories. Girl's gone digital!I learned from the "summer of Devon" list (making memories one check mark at a time) that when you commit to documenting your life, you also commit to making it something

My new flat gets the best light

2010-12-12T04:35:00.000-08:00

And its too bad it has the effect of making me not want to leave it.Isn't this pic My Space-esque? You'd think I had a 5-stone badunk-a-dunk with this pose. Admittedly got a little Narcissus on myself. But seriously, look at that light! I even have a cute little basil plant just bathing in it in the window. Cooking with fresh herbs is now completely possible. Before Carl and Phyllis (our balcony

Ceilidh Dancing

2010-12-11T03:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I had quite a unique experience that now brings relevance to many a pub name.My friend Rachael from Edinburgh invited me out for a taste of her culture. So whilst others were heading to the drinking holes of Camden, I had strapped on my dancing shoes beelining for the community centre. It was no salsa, swing or modern dance you'd see on Strictly, but a proper Ceilidh dance, rife with

The Story of the Charmless (wo)Man

2010-11-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

That's right, just quoted a 90s tune in the header.But let me tell you the story of a charmless woman. I've seen her thrice now, and she shocks me every time. A little exploitative light bulb goes off over my head, and I think, Twitter content! Alas, in efforts to keep a professional front I don't tweet about her. Instead, I blog about her. Makes sense?First time I saw the charmless woman she was

Getting edumacated

2010-11-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

When I moved here I was told it would be an easy transition. We're all English, after all. Ohhh, these people who told me this do not work in PR! Because while we're all English, there is definitely a translation process. I am loving the novelty of being North American amongst the British. Now when I meet other North Americans, we're the minority, and it's an unfamiliar -

An itch to get out of the hostel

2010-10-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived the hostel. I lived 31 days in the oldest one in London, which stands to reason that it also hosts the oldest dirt. I know this because a cockroach handed me my wooden spoon while cooking in the kitchen.On days one to 28, it was the plight of the bed springs digging into our backs. We then had to move rooms.At about day 29 in the hostel, I started getting itchy. I chalked it up

Locked in the Loo

2010-10-21T09:30:00.001-07:00

The other night, Ty and I got to see how real Londoners live. I mean, retired, successful English folks who settled in London proper.We went to visit Ty's mom and aunt who were staying at a friend's flat at King's Cross. The couple who owned the flat (who are in their eighties) sold their house in the country and traded it in for a two bedroom condo with two washrooms and two balconies. It was

Ankle boots and leprechauns

2010-10-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

I've got a back-blog of days to go through, and it reminds me why I started this project in the first place. If I don't write it down, my sieve-like memory will lose track of my life. And then I'll be wrinkled and toothless. I mean useless.I've broken the threshold for linguistic monotony. The number of times I've used "unreal" to describe my days/life in the past week has been stupid. Actually,

Cheers

2010-10-16T02:08:00.000-07:00

Cheers to youCheers to meCheers to friends who will always beBut just in case you don't agreeWell fuck you cheers to me- A cheer I learned at Tech PR drinks the other nightCheers to these nights that go off in directions I can't predict. Case in point: walking into a bar and a room of people I've never met. Leaving with job leads, a new cheer, and Jager stains on my shirt.Ohhh London.

When things are settled...

2010-10-12T14:24:00.000-07:00

I may be dead!Before I moved here, I reached out to a number of people I'd like to meet and get to know professionally and personally. One person was a tremendous help in providing housing assistance, and a connection through the president of my former workplace. Another is Tyler's best friend's ex. Another is a social marketer extraordinaire. The fabulous list continues..I've developed email

A Case for Dressing Up

2010-10-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

I was going to wear the red heels last night.I figured I'd end up a dodgy pub drinking £1 beers, however, so I didn't. Where I actually ended up was the world famous Saatchi Gallery, at a black tie fundraiser.I'm in this lovely limbo between prospective employment and a TBD social network. When you're in this unknown territory, best to just seize all opportunities, I think.So when Tyler wanted to

Early birds and overzealous chipmunks

2010-09-30T10:32:00.001-07:00

With the pressure of flat hunting off, I can finally tour the city without fixed locations and price points in mind.Oh, didn't I mention? Bam! Blond went down!Yesterday I called the real estate agent to let him know about our continued interest in the flat. I also mentioned that we had called early enough in the day that had we gotten a viewing earlier, we could have claimed it earlier. So, in

Must eat chocolate

2010-09-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

There comes a point in every flat hunting mission when you can safely say, "This is it."We hadn't even gotten in the building before we knew. Unfortunately, the blond lady got there first. We saw her eyebrows jump off her face when we approached, and she had the agent on her mobile before we could even tour the place.We toured it anyway. It was right in the best neighbourhood to suit both our

Wi-flying thoughts from Sbucks

2010-09-27T05:08:00.001-07:00

I just asked for a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks. The barista looked at me like I had three heads.Oh please, please, please let me have a taste of fall. I take it she's new since I seemed to accidentally weasel a free cafe mocha out of her. I asked about Wi-Fi and while she fetched the explanatory brochure, I waited to pay with my card out. She thrust the brochure at me and went on to serve

Quote: This is it

2010-09-25T15:15:00.001-07:00

At the risk of waxing a little bit too poetic, I thought I'd share a quote that I have been thinking about for months now.It's a quote from Benjamin Button, and more importantly, one my mentor shared with me when I was having a really hard time at work. I'm really happy she did share it, because I always find it inspiring:For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be

Flat Hunting in London

2010-09-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

I just had the deepest sleep. It was like I was in a giant cradle, the gentle rocking making way for my dreams.Then Ty woke me up at our stop. This flat hunting business is exhausting!Thus far I've checked out the following places:Whitechapel, where Jack the Ripper used to haunt but now it's hipster chic, allegedly. I however disagree.The flat was pretty much social housing. It was a studio with

How to Spot a Scam Artist on Housing Sites

2010-09-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

They're the ones who don't post phone numbers.Below are FIVE (allegedly different) responses we got from responding via email to different ads on gumtree.com that did not offer contact addresses.Note the obvious content recycling, blatant copy format, and ridiculous content overall. I find the contact names amusing too.Somebody is going to be mega duped by this.From Fred Blaze:HelloThanks for

Canadians Love Life Goes Abroad

2010-09-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Today while waiting in the customs line to enter and inhabit England, I realized why I don't like crowds.I start wracking my brain with statistics when I scan the people. By the numbers, at least one in five will have cancer, at least that many will have an instance of genital herpes in their life, and who knows what other things are afflicting them... It hurts to be this neurotic.I entered, and

Letter to a Serial Killer

2010-09-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

When I was in first year I had this hilarious diary:It would be found within the humour section of the bookstore, because it's basically an outrageous self-improvement manual giving you 365 ways to make your life kookier and more fun.We definitely had some laughs putting Post-It notes all over the cafeteria and slyly raising our middle fingers during mundane tasks. Every day was over-the-top. I

The Hills, Humber Style

2010-09-16T08:25:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. Purple people raid U of T and the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is reaping in its annual cash flow through tiny collection boxes. My fall/winter wardrobe is looking shiny and new again. Coloured leaves are almost as thrilling as the new TV lineup. September smells like crisp autumn air and

Greyhound stole my show

2009-08-16T15:17:00.001-07:00

I had a pretty extreme Coulda Woulda Shoulda experience this weekend.Essentially, Greyhound made me miss a wedding ceremony that was 13 years in the making. No, it was not my wedding, but it was a wedding of two adults for whom I have the utmost respect and adoration. I would have loved to see it!And so I... Coulda gotten there on time, if Greyhound followed its 6:15 p.m. scheduled arrival time (

One Week

2009-08-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

If you knew you only had one week to live, what would you do?This was the premise of a movie I recently watched after a stumble into my favourite movie store, Queen Video. The movie was a bout of Canadiana, including oversized tourist attractions (a nickle, paperclip, chair, etc), Tim Horton's, Gordon Downie, being nice. I loved it. I particularly loved the soundtrack.So when vacation '09 rolled

Toronto Fringe Festival: Charles Manson and Timothy Leary at Folsom Prison

2009-07-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

A week ago, I had the distinct pleasure of seeing Charles Manson and Timothy Leary at Folsom Prison at the Tarragon Theatre. It was only the second show I've ever seen that was part of the Fringe Festival, but my experience so far has been overwhelmingly awesome. What I love about Fringe is that anyone can submit a play and perform because it's done by lottery. What you end up getting is a real

Birthday Season

2009-07-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

My sister, GBF and boyfriend all had their birthdays in the past week, so this officially makes it birthday season!I don't know how it came to be, but it seems my people all love the classic dance party in the living room (see #18 of my roomie's Summer Fun List). See the little squirt in the top left (sister) and last night's party in our living room (bottom right: roomie) for photo evidence.Of

How I ♥'d (and art'd) NYC

2009-07-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

How I got to NYC the Big Apple:From Brooklyn - where I stayed In the loft of the School of Visual Arts - where I grew enamoured with the art of up-and-comers, their quirky fashions and the free-flowing Canada Day drinksOn a Hansom Cab Ride in Central Park, where I (once) wore an A-line dress (twice) red heels and (three times) was quite a lady!Along the shore of the Hudson River, where the (fire)

Pleasure War: GBF edition

2009-06-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

Chris and I met near the end of J-school, and what a fantastic experience it's been getting acquainted!We went on a series of Sundaytes that involved chips, drinks, and inevitably, a rendition of "I don't want to wait" a la Dawson's Creek. Now we're roomies, so our dates aren't just relegated to Sundays anymore. For example...Monday: Fat-fests (poutine, cackling a little too loud at the other

Cottaging

2009-06-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I fell in love. I mean, look at this place!On Georgian Bay in Collingwood the wooden house lies; filled with generations of family and the art, seashells, liquor and incredible woodwork.I knew I was in a small town when I shopped in Thornbury that day, only to have two of the sales ladies say "You were in my shop today!" at the party that night.This was the kind of place and

Pleasure War: Flip Cup Tournament

2009-06-07T18:18:00.000-07:00

This week's pleasure war reeks of your undergrad years, so in case you forget them, here's a reminder!You've got your red plastic cups and a row of your favourite drinking buddies on both sides of the table. You know the drill: cheers, drink, flip, next player go! It's a waterfall of debauchery and "Ole Ole Ole." Your spewing mouth full of beer can't stop your rosy cheeks from extending

Pleasure War: Circus

2009-05-31T14:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend I flew through the air with the greatest of ease... Or, not. But I tried!It was my friend Amanda's 27th birthday, and her birthday wish was to learn some skills from the circus. So, this weekend's pleasure war involves a trapeze lesson!We headed to the Toronto School of Circus Arts on Sheppard West for an hour of flips and falls and me, embarassingly, squealing at every swing. So fun

Keeping it Real

2009-05-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?""Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you

Pleasure War: Garage sailing

2009-05-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Grab someone, some sun, some day - I'm challenging you to a pleasure war. Your first fun to trump: that day I spent garage sailing.The setting was a 22-acre farm in Caledon, where sleeping dogs lie, BBQ paints the air and gardens spill out onto the freshly cut grass. You know that feeling you get when you're nostalgic for a place you've just discovered? Like finding a park in the big city to run

J'Adore Montreal

2009-04-26T16:34:00.000-07:00

Last night the wind bathed my ankles with its southern force while the stars showered summer onto the Montreal rue. I jumped on Tyler's back like I was two year's old, and we ran to the movie store while the dogs upturned leaves with their noses.Five hours away felt like a plane ride away - and my three-day weekend was nothing shy of a vacation. Even if it took 24 hours to alleviate the week's

A Rant About Social Media

2009-04-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

My colleague and I discussed social media over sushi Friday."The problem with blogs," she explained, "is you have to keep up with them." She explained how writing and maintaining her blog has been a challenge, given her long work hours, social obligations, errands, life. It's easy to fall to the side and remain stagnant.Blogs really are a commitment, we agreed.To my Canadianslovelifers, I offer

Ladies and gentlemen we are floating in space

2009-03-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

At least, I am.(Cue music)I have reached that fateful time in any quarter-lifer's life, when you are simultaneously green for your youth while reaching for the stability that comes with older age. I admire my aunt's bone china teapots and my uncle's pension, while longing for days when the only bill I had to deliver on was my health.Today, out of curiosity, I went to see if I could get by on my

The Shoe Review: Part Two

2009-01-18T17:43:00.000-08:00

I know I've left this too long because my 2008 finds are no longer found online... so today's Shoe Review will require some imagination!2008 was a great year, and I brought in way too much new, economy considered. So in keeping with the trend, 2009 will involve trying something else completely new - being a recessionista.But just an FYI - judgment should really be withheld for those who do spend

D.A.N.C.E! (That's how you make it right)

2009-01-18T14:43:00.000-08:00

I went to Belleville to visit my sisterfriend Sarah Dea this weekend.The town is a cauldron of teenage pregnancy, with a really cute clock tower and a diamond-in-the-rough thrift store.We ventured into the white snow-ridden streets to party with 20-year-old pirates and wenches and danced like we knew how.If you too want to know how, YouTube provided us hours of entertainment. Move over Julia

I'm a sucker

2009-01-12T18:51:00.000-08:00

A very charming male model just flirted his way into me agreeing to a membership at the Yorkville Club."You know, I've never been attracted to a redhead before," he said, as I signed my rent away.At $80 biweekly, the quesadillas over the D'angelo soundtrack will not compensate for the gravity of my signature. I envision myself living in the shoe box in which I'll store my Nike Airs... the only

The Dance Floor is a Zoo

2009-01-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

A Canadianslovelife look at Canadian love lives. Case study: the dance floor.New Year's Eve offers a cauldron of activity for the solo flyer in Toronto's club scene. Whether you're lurking on the sidelines, flirting with your latest or jumping on the singleton express, a few key players illuminate the stage and provide a flurry of giggle-ridden whispers for the girls on your next brunch date...

Blondo: The Canadian Dream

2008-12-10T20:06:00.000-08:00

Stepping out in these, my friend asked, "Are you living the Canadian dream?!"The Canadian dream - finding a comfortable, dry and inoffensive winter boot.Thank Blondo and Browns, I did it.Not ugly, not hot. At $198, they're also not cheap.Alas, after winters with soggy feet a la Aldo, I am the envy of Canucks across the land.If you too want to live the dream, Browns is having another ridiculous