A Toronto Lifestyle Blog. "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." -Maya Angelou
I love awards season. The Golden Globes happened last night, kicking the Oscar race in high gear. Ricky Gervais toned it down, and so went the ratings, but I will always watch! I like to see the mix of television and movies together..along with a drunk celeb.
Modern Family, George Clooney and The Artist were some of the big winners of the night. Check out a full list of winners here!
Like it or not, 90 per cent of award show talk is about who wore what. There are plenty of fashion favourite round ups on the interwebs today, but here are some of my faves:
Shailene Woodley in Marchesa
Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci
Emma Stone in Lanvin
Other highlights:
The funniest joke came from presenter Seth Rogan
George Clooney teasing Michael Fassbender (Clooney is truly the President of Hollywood)
Anytime Sofia Vargerasa spoke
Meryl Streep continues to show why she is amazing: cursing for forgetting her reading glasses!
Jezebel has compiled the best GIF’s to come from last night’s telecast. Tina Fey photobombing Amy Poehler takes the cake.
There was one handsome leading man that truly stole the show, Uggie from The Artist. It’s true what they say about not working with animals!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. I’m coming down from my holiday high. It’s always a transition to go from enjoying Christmas celebrations (as I’ve mentioned, I get excited for Christmas in October) to going to regular life- I get a case of the winter blahs.
Christmas was spent at home with family and friends, overindulging on food and drink. Hmm, think it’s time to check out Toronto’s gyms and yoga studios to whip this lady into shape!
This Christmas I was also, I was spoiled with Tiffany’s and Kate Spade. I used my Christmas windfall to FINALLY make the leap to a smart phone.. I don’t know how an internet/social media obsessed lady like myself was without one for so long (or rather I do-the $$$), but I’ve made the commitment to an IPhone 4.
2011 had its personal challenges and I’m hoping those are behind me. I’m looking forward to what I can back to-building a career, keeping my health together, pursuing my passions seriously, and balancing the budget. Last year school was completed, surgeries were had (which I spent the latter half of the year waiting for, having and recovering from) and I am more than ready to enter the professional world and get myself back out there.
Whether 2011 was your best or your worst, I hope you are entering 2011 with optimism and hope for what you can accomplish. Even if you don’t make resolutions (or if you do and forgot about them by week 3) I hope you use the new calendar year to focus on what you want and how you can make it happen in your life. You deserve it!
I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life. I’ve learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back. I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one. I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Shows are heading into their holiday hiatus and soon holidays will be taken-giving you the perfect excuse to catch up on new television shows you may have been missing! As with every television season there was an onslaught of shows filling the airwaves, but many of them are already not surviving. Here are my picks of three thriving and worthy shows to catch:
Starring Emily Van Camp (formerly of Brothers and Sisters). When Emily Thorne arrives in the Hamptons, there is more than meets the eye.
Synopsis: “Wealth, beauty and status define the people in this town, but one woman is willing to destroy everyone for the sake of revenge. Emily Thorne is new to the Hamptons. She’s met some of her wealthy neighbours, has made a few new friends and seemingly blends into the town. But something is a little odd about a young girl living in a wealthy town all on her own, and the truth is that Emily isn’t exactly new to the neighbourhood. In fact, this was once her old neighbourhood, until something bad happened that ruined her family and their reputation. Now Emily is back, and she’s returned to right some of those wrongs in the best way she knows how – with a vengeance”
Revenge keeps you hooked week to week-infusing intrigue and suspense with dark humour.
An enchanting take on classic fairy tales, Once Upon a Time mixes “real life” with childhood tales, adding a dash of humour and action.
Synopsis: “And they all lived happily ever after – or so everyone was led to believe. Emma Swan knows how to take care of herself. She’s a 28-year-old bail bonds collector who’s been on her own ever since she was abandoned as a baby. But when the son she gave up years ago finds her, everything starts to change. Henry is now 10 years old and in desperate need of Emma’s help. He believes that Emma actually comes from an alternate world and is Snow White and Prince Charming’s missing daughter. According to his book of fairytales, they sent her away to protect her from the Evil Queen’s curse, which trapped the fairytale world forever, frozen in time, and brought them into our modern world…The epic battle for the future of all worlds is beginning, but for good to win, Emma will have to accept her destiny and fight like hell.”
American Horror Story scares the pants off me every week, but I still seem to keep watching. It’s dark, twisted and graphic, definitely not a family show.
Synopsis: “American Horror Story follows the Harmon family, a family of three who have moved from Boston to LA for a fresh start but end up living in a sinister haunted house instead. From producers Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk comes the intriguing, erotic and scary story of life within the haunted house.”
That should get you started as the nights get colder and darker. Curl up with a blanket and some hot chocolate and check out these new shows! What are your favourite new shows of the season?
Lady Gaga is bringing us gifts this holiday season with her own version of the classic White Christmas. Her contribution to the Christmas music canon is much more subdued than her previous offering of Christmas Tree. Gaga is releasing a four song EP on ITunes called A Very Gaga Holiday which was recorded during her A Very Gaga Thanksgiving special. The rest of the songs on her EP are actually not Christmas songs-just live versions of You & I and The Edge of Glory, as well as a cover of Orange Coloured Sky. Check out White Christmas below!
So the blog’s been on hiatus, but it’s Christmas time in Toronto and I’m back! Too much to see and to do not blog about it and I had to finally get my words in order. I was out of commission this fall due to health issues/surgery, so frankly blogging was not a priority. Then I found myself wanting to organize my thoughts and recap the past several months (TIFF, seeing Mumford and Sons live to name a few), but I never could seem to sit down and get it all together. So instead of going over the happenings of the fall, let’s move forward. And what’s happening right now? CHRISTMAS!
Yes, I am one of those people obsessed with Christmas. I was counting down the days till Halloween was over so I could listen to Christmas music without shame. I could apologize for my incessant holly jolly-ness…or not. Some people have hockey obsessions and other winter sports to get them through our harsh Canadian winters, I have Christmas.
This past weekend truly kicked off the holiday season with the 107th Annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade. This was my second year attending and this year’s warm weather made it much more enjoyable. Hundreds of thousands of people came out to catch a glimpse of Ol’ St. Nick (and for the first time Mrs. Claus!) and overflowed the streets. The parade is not for the faint of heart-or the claustrophobic. There are people EVERYWHERE. If you took the TTC at all yesterday, you know what I mean. If you can deal with being cozy with a stranger and get yourself a view of the sights, then the holiday spirit will make you feel like a kid again. My personal favourite was the Muppet’s float. FYI I am so excited to see the Muppet’s upcoming movie, featuring my future husband Jason Segel.
Anyways, if you are into holiday festivities and the weather is nice, the parade can be fun event. However, if you hate crowds and it’s chilly out, I suggest catching the event in the comfort of your own home!
There are a lot of fun festive events I am looking forward to checking out this holiday season in the big city. The Toronto Christmas Market sounds like the most magical thing on earth and I am still mad at myself for not getting around to seeing it last year! I also hope to hit up the One Of A Kind Christmas Show and Sale for some gift ideas. I even want to brave the masses at the Eaton’s Centre to see the Swarovski Crystal Wish Tree.
This is my favourite time of year and I live for the music, events, food and tv specials/movies. Are you as excited for Christmas as I am? What events are you checking out in the city?
Well I’ve been a bad blogger of late-it’s September and all of a sudden it feels like fall is in full swing. McDonald’s Dollar Drinks are over, pumpkin spice lattes are on their way and school is back in session. This is my first fall not going back to school, but that has not stopped me from participating in “Back to School” shopping!
These past few months have flown by, mostly because of all the wonderful things to experience in Toronto in the summer.
This summer I had my first shellac manicure at Urban Nails. As someone with healthy nails, I’ve never had any gels or acrylics applied to my nails. I was intrigued by the long-lasting appeal of a shellac mani, which includes a special polish and UV rays. Shellac is indestructible! It is definitely worth the extra money if you are looking for a manicure that can actually survive day-to-day wear.
Now I am looking trying to find a cure for my post-summer/pre-Christmas blues. It needs to be something other than fall shopping!
So far I am looking forward to seeing Like Crazy at TIFF and the return of television shows.
What are you looking forward to as the season changes?
So here we are in the last full month of summer. As my 23rd birthday approaches (this Saturday in case you were wondering! ), I am truly feeling that time as well as this summer is flying by. Blogging has been lagging, but sometimes you need some time away to disconnect from online and reconnect with family. I’ve been out of the city, visiting family and enjoying things like pools and A/C.
I’m back in the city and ready to take on August! It’s a new month and I’m soon to be another year older.
As our second to last long weekend of the summer comes to an end, I’d just like to post a trailer I just saw of the movie “Like Crazy” featuring Anton Yelchin, Felicity Jones, and Jennifer Lawrence. It looks amazing and has won the Grand Jury Prize and a Special Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Also, Ingrid Michaelson‘s version of Can’t Help Falling in Love used in the trailer is utter perfection. I can’t wait to see this!
Sometimes you need to cool down indoors in this summer heat and enjoy some relaxation time with some entertaining shows. Summer used to be the season of reality shows, but know we have them year round, 24/7. However, the classics always come back in the summer months. Reality shows aren’t the only ones premiering in the summer months though. I’m just going to fully admit what I’m watching these days, without (too much) shame! Don’t worry I’m doing a lot of reading as well.
I don’t know whose idea it was to run BOTH versions at the same time. Usually the American series runs in the summer and the Canadian one in the fall, but they are both on at the same time, meaning there are dance shows airing four nights and a week and way too many contestants to keep track of at this point. I must admit I am more a follower of the American version, but I’ve been following the Canadian version this summer as well. This hardly classifies as guilty though, it’s about dance! However the sheer volume of hours of tv this means I am watching is not something I am proud of!
Oh dear. I used to be a huge Big Brother follower. I watched Seasons 2-8 religiously. If you randomly come across the show it may seem ridiculous and stupid, but trust me you get emotionally involved. Prepare to root for your favourites and want to yell at those you hate. I haven’t seen the show in the past four seasons, ever since they aired a season during the school year (a show on three times a week was too much while in university) but I broke down and caught the premiere last week. There’s already drama, scheming and an exiting houseguest! Big Brother, you’ve hooked me again.
I first dismissed this ABC Family drama last summer when I saw ads for it, thinking I am too old to start watching some teen show. But at the insistence of friends who were obsessed, I started watching and of course immediately became hooked. Its ‘whodunit’ premise grabs you in, proving to be much more dark than other teen fare. The writing is quite witty and of course has got some hot boys and love stories going on. I’m not going to pretend it’s masterpiece theatre-the plot lines are quite implausible and the mysteries keep changing with new characters always popping up-but Pretty Little Liars is entertaining, dark and funny. I also think it’s nice to see a show where there’s a solid friendship between a group of teenage girls who aren’t constantly scheming against each other-I’m looking at you Blair & Serena.
I’m a huge fan of Robyn and her song “Be Mine” is an all-time favourite of mine. It’s great as an up-tempo electro pop hit, and moving and powerful as an acoustic ballad. It was covered wonderfully by Ellie Goulding and Erik Hassle. Now, 6 years after it appeared on her 2005 album “Robyn”, the song has been reincarnated again. Teaming up with rapper Rye Rye, “Never Will Be Mine” is a smooth summer jam. Check it out!
), I am truly feeling that time as well as this summer is flying by. Blogging has been lagging, but sometimes you need some time away to disconnect from online and reconnect with family. I’ve been out of the city, visiting family and enjoying things like pools and A/C.
