things i'm loving lately

a few things i'm utterly obsessed with lately.

1. my wunder unders. spending a week and a half in a truck, and then spending another 2 and a half weeks continuing to live out of suitcases. that is one of the few scenarios during which leggings can become a second skin, and be perfectly acceptable. not fashionable. acceptable. i lived in my lulu leggings for over a month. there's something about not having a home, and being in an item of clothing that still makes you feel comfy, that is so perfectly appropriate for living in a rainy, sort of lost feeling, city. they were washed and retired to the closet for a period of time when we moved into our new place - don't worry.
2. alan's war. i received this graphic novel from my dear friend leigh right before i left toronto. for some reason i've been in a huge WWII kick, in which every book i read (unintentionally) is about WWII. this one fit right in. but instead of being depressing (wait! don't get me wrong. it was heartbreaking), it was also beautiful. and i've read 2 more book since this one, and i can't stop thinking about it. sometimes i take it off of my shelf and just look at the drawings. i highly recommend it.
3. the botanical kinetics toner from aveda. so here's a story. imagine 2 people are driving across the country (hypothetically, of course), and they have everything they own shoved into the back of a truck. THEN imagine they stop for gas, and one of those people opens the back truck door, and out tumbles some stuff... and *SMASH*. a bottle of aveda kinetics toner packed so neatly and protectedly within a box smashes all over the parking lot of said gas station. and now imagine this.... imagine that REALLY HAPPENED. to me. on our way here. needless to say, all i can think about when i wake up, and when i go to sleep, is how much i miss my spray toner. and how when i get a job, the first thing i'm going to buy is more toner. until then, i've literally been having dreams about it. this toner is the best toner i've ever used, and i challenge anyone to tell me otherwise. *before said challenge, remember mine smashed in a parking lot in winnipeg. soooo.... yea.
4. the no. 5-J necklace. so, recently i did a huge shop update, and posted a ton of new stuff i made here in vancouver. but then this little necklace was staring at me from my desk... so sad and without a person to wear it. so sweet, and lonely. so, i had to make one for myself. not the same (i didn't have the same materials - the only downfall of working with vintage), but close. and at least now, they have one another (the original is still available for purchase here)
5. my moleskin journals. i can't say much else about this, other than i've used my moleskines that i brought with me every single day since i arrived. grocery lists. song titles. photo editing lists. phone numbers for jobs (ha! yea right). jewelry organizing. it's all in there. i have at least 2 on me (in different sizes) at all times. i don't know where i'd be without them.
6. jj bean's vegan double chocolate brownie cookie. ok, i admit, this photo is actually from here. and i DO realize that the photo makes them look like piles of undesirables. but let me tell you something. imagine this - standing outside, on a half rainy, half cool but sunny day, with a stranger (who became a friend by the end - i like to think the cookie had something to do with it), for hours on end. duriecting people to another location. over 6 hours. 5 people came. now, inject chocolate brownie cookies... and then my discovering that THEY ARE VEGAN. i now live in a city where vegan goods are a natural part of the menu. and this coffee place - jj beans - incorporates multiple vegan options daily... including a to die for vegan zucchini chocolate chip muffin. and not only that.... they are literally some of the best things i've ever eaten. ever. i think i may currently be living in heaven. if you ever get a chance to eat one of these cookies, please do yourself a favour and do it. i promise you - you would never ever ever ever ever know these are vegan. even the ever discriminating jeff agrees.

what are you loving every second of every day lately?

my travel essentials

while planning to spend a week in the car, it's vital to plan minimalistically. think - things that you can grab in one bag, and take into whatever home you have for that evening. think, small versions of everything, and only the most vital. think, staying in touch with family and friends so mom knows i'm still alive, and cousins know when i'll arrive to scam a night's stay off of them. think, things that make a week (and 2 days) in a car much more bearable. think.... sometimes a girl just needs to her most important jewelry to keep her feeling safe.
so, i share with you some of the things i kept closest to me throughout my trip. a few things in my purse, and in my carry-in (that's like a carry-on, but that you carry into people's homes when you are leaching on them for a night's stay).

clockwise from top left: opi nail envy  //  burt's bees herbal blemish stick  //  aveda hand relief  //  paper airplane necklace  //  rosebud salve strawberry lip balm  //  bronze ring

OPI nail envy  //  when i get ultimately stressed, i pick and chew my nails. it's a disgusting habit, and one i can't kick. so, i need to constantly have something on my nails. normally, that would be nail polish, or more recently shellac. but, when on the road... that's not possible. so, instead, i bring with me OPI nail envy. it's a good base coat, it's a bit shiny, and it helps keep my nails from splitting and snagging (ahem.... from being bitten). 

burt's bees herbal blemish stick  //  road trips = stress = breakouts. seriously. there are a million photos of landscape from this trip, and barely any of me. my face reacts horrendously to stress. so, add up packing everything you own, and then spending a (unintentionally) stressful chunk of time in a car. breakout central. burt's is incredible. a more natural option. and since i lost the cap from my tea tree oil, this roll on stick was ideal for my purse. 

aveda hand relief // anyone who has not used this handcream - go. now. buy some. it's worth it. i also have the large version in hand and foot. it's thick, but not greasy, and it smells like every other aveda product - un. believe. able. spending so much time in the car, and driving through so many climates through canada (and snow storms galore) my hands were a disaster - think, the desert mixed with the surface of the moon. thank goodness for a hand cream you can depend on. 

paper airplane necklace  //  this is one of my staple necklaces... simple. mixed metal, so able to swing working with anything. and, what it meant. from one of my favourite small stores in vancouver, it was only appropriate that i wear it across the country. paper airplanes, to travel to a place i've wanted to live for so long? was an easy choice for something to wear all week. love it. 

rosebud strawberry lip balm  //  i am in constant possession of at least 13 lipbalms at all times. however, i'm also the queen of losing lipbalms. so i ALWAYS have a tin of lipbalm with me at all times. for some reason, i am much better at losing tube lip balm than tins. so, tins rule on road trips. rosebud lip salve is to die for. it's not sticky, smells like heaven, totally moisturizes forever and ever, and it lasts just as long. and, i'll admit it, i've used it many times for cracked knuckles and cuticles (probably against all lip balm rules, but, whatever. it works). you can buy it from sephora, both in store and online here as well. 

bronze ring  //  this is my daily ring. a re:claim ring - part of a stock of vintage rings i gathered - i kept one for myself, before selling the rest. i'm on the hunt for more, as they are my absolute fave thing in the world to sell (even though i didn't make them myself).

clockwise from top left: a killside krafts pouch which was a gift from a friend  //  my trusty blackberry  //  a sandqvist iPad case (with iPad)  //  burgundy re:claim wallet  //  sunglasses  //  small disc activated heating pad  //  pens with 

striped pouch  //  a friend of mine gave me the gift of this striped pouch, and the iPad case just before my departure. the pouch was a fantastic friend for cord management. since every day came with a need to charge every electronic device i have, it was nice to know exactly where those cords were. though i must say - i can't wait to use this pouch for something FUN now that i don't need it to store cords.
blackberry  //  what can i say? we have a love hate relationship. it keeps me in touch, but provides me with endless sources of frustration. oh well.... worked for this trip.
sandqvist pouch and iPad  //  my constant companion. this case was a gift before i left, and it is perfection... totally my style. it was so nice to have a case that was light, but didn't look like a iPad case.  love it. and of course, my iPad. unspeakable. love it.
burgundy reclaimed leather wallet  //  this was my first foray into leather goods - the first thing i made. i intended on making pendants for necklaces with some reclaimed leather i gathered, but ended up with this little goodie. and i've never looked back. it holds all my cards and cash. and ensures i don't carry too much. i love it.
sunglasses  //  not much exceptional about these, except that they're tortoise shell outside, and pink inside. which i like. i lose sunglasses so often, my shades are constantly changing. these will likely be gone in a week or two.
heating pad  //  with a back injury, the first thing people say is 'do not spend excess amounts of time sitting'. tee hee. so, 2 heating pads came with me on the trip - a plug in one, and this marvellous splendid wonder of science. it's a heating disc that uses sodium acetate to react with a small metallic disc in the pouch. it heats up for about an hour, then, you boil it to reset. it's PERFECT for a car, when you can't plug something in. i survived by this little scientific miracle for the 9 days.
stylus pens (pen with stylus tip on end)  //  i picked them up on clearance at chapters a little while ago, with the intent of using them for handwriting on my iPad. would you believe they are also the best pens i own? having a pen is vital when roadtripping (and, turns out, when buying a new car). so glad to have these little puppies. i also brought with me a 7 year pen that was a gift from a friend, for my 'every day memory book'. all necessary items.

and that's what a roadtrip with me looks like. what are your daily items?

(lots of people have asked me about where to get the airplane necklace, and the burgundy wallet. the necklace is from walrus in vancouver - you can check out their online store here, and you can check out their website, and go visit them too. they are wonderful! the wallet is one i made from reclaimed leather. once i'm established with an apartment here in vancouver, i will be posting some of my reclaimed leather goods in my shop)

day to days getting me through the day to day

since i've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off, little things have lost the luster that i know i should be savouring and appreciating. things like an amazing cup of dragon ball tea. or, things that work, versus things that haven't for a while and i just don't have the time to replace them. or a new exciting thing that i just haven't had the time to appreciate as i should.
so. a few of the things getting me through life lately.

1. joe fresh and his wonderful lip products: with less time, comes even less time than before for primping (and anyone who knows me, knows primping is among my least favourite things to do). so, when i stumbled upon some lip glass and then cream lipstick at joe, and realized that if i wore it, i could get away with wearing no other makeup.... bingo. i'm in. red has never been something i bought into, but joe does it right, with a gloss, AND i can make it look edgy with no eye makeup, when in fact i'm actually just lazy. 

2. reusable cup: i live on tea. literally. i have dozens of looseleaf teas in my cupboard, and haven't gone a day without tea in probably 6 years. and yet, i can never ever find a travel mug that i like, and/or can remember to bring with me places so as to not waste paper ones, if i get that tea at starbucks, or elsewhere. enter beautiful sleek cup. bought for CHEAP on sale at canadian tire (go figure), this cup keeps tea SO WARM it's not even funny. and it's practically sized, so it fits in cupholders, the 'warm holder cozy thingy' (that's my technical term) is sort of grippy, so i drop it WAY less than normal (this seems like a joke but it's not) AND places like starbucks actually know how much to charge you. it's brilliant. and, those of you lucky enough to have a dishwasher, it can go in it. beauty.

3. my teva boots: lame. I know. I should be posting some fashionable boot that helps me look great and get around the city. but, anyone who knows me, knows that I very infrequently care about looks over my back care, and long distance walking ability in the city. that, mixed with my need for replacement hiking boots (and my sister’s access to inexpensive Teva’s), led me to these suckers. if you have never ever tried tevas? go. now. this is serious business. hiking boots that weigh less than shoes, AND have about an inch tread. these are a dream. and they are men’s – thus confirming I care more about an inch deep tread than how good they look with my nice new pants (sources say they look AWFUL with my nice new pants – I could care less).

4. my Ipod: I recently got a new ipod. It was about 6 years in the making (I bought my former ipod in university – refurbished). then, jeff came into my life, and when I say things got better, I mean lifewise, and technology wise – he alerted me to the fact that my model of ipod was recalled, and I was eligible for a FREE new one. free. f-r-e-e. brand spankin’ new. obviously, I didn’t believe him, and said, ‘prove it’. and he did. and now I have a fancy schmancy ipod. I should also say that my ipod served as a stereo for the last 2 years, as the battery would hold a 30 second charge. so can you IMAGINE my delight when I could take my ipod OUT OF THE CHARGER and do things with it?!?!? amazing. I feel like I’m reborn. now I remember why I bought one of these things in the first place – and can’t imagine how I lived without it!

5. my new cord wrapper: along with having a brand new iPod (i am sooooooooo with it. and hip) this, I am a renowned cord tangler. I have a habit of meeting people on the street, taking my earbuds out, and stuffing them in my pocket… then, tangled mess. so, when I found a ‘cord manager’ for sale ($2!!) I figured, ‘why not?’ and blessed be. it is a LIFESAVER. honestly. I’ve never felt so organized in my entire life. not to mention, I look all snazzy. people take me for someone who actually organizes their life – little do they know……

6. this layering tank: ok. i'll admit. every now and then (aka. when i brave shopping at the eaton's centre with tourists and teenie boppers), i stop into aerie, and see what's hip and happening with the kids. that, and, i can still fit into teenage sized bras (*ahem). sometimes they have AMAZING deals on underwear and pyjamas*, and listen - a girl needs to look good at sleepovers! so i stopped into aerie one day, as i noticed in the mirror that morning that my basic black tank top from lulu (that they no longer make... boo!) had a hole in it. utter devastation  so i "splurged" (are you noticing a trend here?) on a $15 black tank. then had immediate buyers remorse. fast forward 6 months. i wear this tank top 5 days a week. no exaggeration  it is long enough to double as a dress when in a pinch (or under flowy dresses that you need a slip type thing for), and instead of most tanks that have a racer back, it has regular tank style straps, so it even works under wide neck or boatneck tops. it doesn't look like much, but i assure you, it's amazing. i'm sorry i doubted you aerie. (hey everyone - go buy 5).

*pyjamas has a Y IN IT???? wow. spellcheck is lifechanging.

my soulmate in a pizza place

this is an edit from my previous posting on my fave places in my hood. and i do this only because i didn't want to divert attention from the other fabulous places that i love.... that, and, PL deserves it's own post because i spend so much time (*cough*money*cough*) there. and love it. and the people. etc. love.

my soul mate - pizzeria libretto. 

you already clearly know everything about it because i talk about it so much. but can we please further delve into it's wonder? they will take your name for a waitlist, and CALL YOU WHEN YOUR TABLE IS READY. aka. i don't have to sit or stand, blocking their entry, waiting for an hour for a table. instead, i can drink $4 beer at the lakeview! win, win, win. their pizza cooks for 90 seconds - because, well, we be busy people! - at 900 DEGREES. i'm not sure if you understand the magnitude of what i'm explaining here. that means: burny crust bits; chewy inside; bubbly cheese; wonderous beauty in pizza form. 

wait... what's that, you say? did jamie say cheese? do those photos have meat in them? but i don't understand - i thought she was vegan? psych! i am. kind of (that's a whole other blog post). since i'm vegan for political and environmental reasons, i choose to consciously eat meat and cheese sparingly (think - once a month, if that), and only if i know where it comes from, and i'm comfortable that it is produced in a sustainable, and responsible manner. enter PL - local ingredients, from local farms, who farm responsibly (you can ask more when you get there). they know what they're doing, and they're doing it right. this is how they feel about it.

still not convinced? fine. they are certified. as in, they have VPN certification that their pizza is the real thing from naples. that's the real thing, ya know? they have a pizza oven made by a 3rd generation oen maker in naples, and they use the real ingredients - to be certified legit. too legit to quit. 

the atmosphere is the most fancy casual restaurant i've ever been to. want to take a date? no prob. want to impress someone fancy? you can absolutely do that. want to have lunch in jean shorts on a sunday afternoon? sure! (but only if it's a late, after 4 lunch). this place makes you feel like a million bucks - like a celeb - without making you feel like you need to know the creme de la creme of table manners. case study. i'm not a classy gal - i like to talk loud, i burp, i eat with my hands, and i don't really own nice shoes (they're all birkenstocks, blundstones, and moccasins). taking me to restaurants is a bit awful for some people. here? i am accepted. a table full of women who like to share pizza, and talk about likely totally inappropriate things? acceptable. honestly - you'll feel good here. 

and i can't go without saying that the people who work here are phenomenal. they remember you, they are funny, and sweet, and just plain good at their jobs. they know everything about everything, and they recommend things without hesitation. case study: my friend and i wanted to know which of the 2 cheapest bottles of wine on the menu was better - our server, without hesitation, told us. and made us feel normal for being cheapskates. love him. sitting at the bar, ordering food, drinks, various things of delectable nature, and chatting with the lovely people working the bar area - what other restaurant can you go into and integrate their service staff into your evening comfortably? these people are the perfect balance of professionalism and service and easy going (ness?), and fun. 

birthday celebrations for a babe at PL (photos from nicole and erin)

just go to this place. you will not regret it. sometimes i tell people about it, and i get all worked up and worried that they'll get there, and hate it. but that's ridiculous. nevernevernever has anyone not wanted to immediately go back. (sorry 'bout that double negative) 

tell them jamie sent you. it won't mean anything, but it'll be funny.

girl in da hood

i love where i live.
i can honestly say that for one of the first times in my life - despite my feelings of not belonging anywhere, or missing something that's not yet come - i love exactly where i am.
i live in the most wonderful neighbourhood in toronto. the people are hilarious and quirky and lovely and wonderful and talented and enagaging and perplexing. the streets are lined with trees, and they have space for familes and babies to walk down them, and kids to ride bikes, and hippies to wander and have front lawn picnics late into a friday night (yes - this happens frequently on my street). the stores are all perfect - they are mom and pops, they are independantly owned. they're old or just opening. they serve a purpose or they are just trying to fit in.

and always wanting to be somewhere else, is NO GOOD for being where you are. 

i've done a city guide tour of some favourite things in the world for seattle, but what the heck? i'm the worst torontonian ever. when my friend was moving into the hood, and asked about my faves, it occurred to me i haven't written in one place about my gems in toronto.

duh. 

so here you are friends. my neighbourhood guide for my fave hood (which also happens to be MY hood... coincidence??).

i should note - this is by NO MEANS an exhaustive listing of things to do in toronto.... the city is a big one. that would be a whole other listing of things to do. this is contained to the area that i live in, and spend most of my time in. i've definitely left some of my favourite toronto things out!

i live in little portugal. dundas west. parkdale. it's amazing and wonderful and filled with the majority of my favourite places in toronto. not only do i not go east of yonge (well.... on rare occasion, and only for the very bestest people in my life), i rarely have occasion to leave my hood, because i can find most of the best in one place. why bother!? so. here's what you do when in my area of town...

things you find when walking the streets in my hood

trinity bellwoods park. little can be said other than, you can literally do ANYTHING here. i paint. and drink. and bead. and talk. and read. and listen to music. and watch people do yoga. they have concerts, and really plain hip people to just stare at. it's our central park - but way better. go.

go for walks - lots of them. you'll find the best views of the city, lovely people, good secret quiet tree lined streets, and lots of perfect graffitti and art. some of my most favourite times in my neighbourhood have been just walking - up and down dufferin, brock, ossington. out westward to roncesvalle, and down queen street. there's something so so lovely about the cross section of people who interact and live together in these cramped quarters we call duwest/parkdale/little portugal.

i love every second of it. 

 the city from here

go see music - anywhere really. all of the bars up and down queen street and dundas almost always have bands. the gladstone, the drake. red light. cadillac lounge... basically just walk. you'll find music. and it's worth it.
then food and drink. my most favourite. so i'll spend some time here. enoteca sociale. sister restaurant to PL (see below). a true roman style pasta and wine bar... with again, local ingredients. this restaurant is a dream come true. the food comes in moderately sized (read: normal) portions, and is simple, basic, but so so intricate. my recommendation for two people, for example? order either a cheese plate, or an apitizer (or 2) to start, 2 pastas, and desert and coffee. and wine - oh don't forget wine. they also have custom beer on draught (like PL). and they're so good sometimes i go just for them.

pasta.... oh sweet delicious dreamy pasta.

the service at this restaurant, is.... unspeakable. they are attentive, knowledgeable. wonderful wonderful people. i would come to this restaurant if the only thing they served here was bread, simply for the service. these people deserve accolaides coming out the wazoo. anyone who has ever worked in the service industry? go visit. you'll appreciate it to the moon.

a latte and desert after dinner....... dream world.

OMG baked goods - easy as pie to choose as fave. they have the best foccocia in the city, a ton of gluten free baking (think - cheesecake and other amazing delectable dishes - including gluten free foccocia to order!), and vegan cupcakes. though i can likely blame them for single handedly contributing to my weight gain while i was off work, they're cupcakes are my heaven. think: neon icing. yea. i know. if nothing else, go for the cupcakes. also important fun facts: their signs are wonderful chalk drawings of fabulousness (i don't know who does them, but i constantly admire them when i walk by); they have a stupendous gingerbread house contest/auction in the winter (which is SO SO rad.... check it out when it comes); when i tweet them about things (i.e. putting aside gluten free schtuff for my visiting friend), they happily oblige. they are tha best.

fave bars in the area? easy. 1. my fave bar with no name (at 1602 dundas) - name changes nightly (as does the sign!). the bartenders are the best in the city, the place is not stuffy, but comfortable. and they have chips. i can eat CHIPS at this bar! 

1602 - and lovely elliot tending bar; elliott's wonderful chalk name signs (this one, inspired by us!)

2. lakeview - my go to for PL (see below) wait time. they have tons of good beer on tap (and a $4 beer special EVERY night - usually with 3 different beer every day!). they are open 24/7 (i'm a night owl), and they serve good food. tons of poutines. it's perfection. 3. reposado tequila bar. guys - they have blood orange margaritas, and a bajillion types of straight up tequila. once, for a friends birthday 5 of us went in and (because we're SUUUUUPER classy), asked for a shot that would taste better than puke, but didn't cost $15. they delivered. they are charming, lovely, and the space is so dark and mysterious. good date place. they have a secret back patio. in summation and i love it. 4. cocktail bar. for maximum fun, and for just plain good cocktails, made by people who know what they're doing (but aren't pretentious dicks about it). 

5. the rhino. i love because of a) they're HA-UGE patio, b) their amazing beer selection (and prices!), c) it's easy to be at (so relaxing, and not uppity, or too trendy/hipstery... essentially, even i feel moderately cool there), d) the huge rhino head. need i say more? then, in no particular order: the crooked star (great beer on tap, super relaxed and easy going); the grove (a VERY new find, and already one of my top faves - nicest owner i've met in a while, and a beautiful space. GREAT cocktails), churchill (funky, quiet, perfect for an unassuming, good drink), 

gin lemonade at the grove

and i save the best for last. because. well. a) it's my blog (deal with it), and b) it's my fave. not in my neighbourhood - in the whole city. people from LA know of this mythical place, and have been there purely because i rave about it. i would spend every day/night there if i could.... and i have standing dates with people who don't even bother asking where we're going anymore, because they know it'll be here. my soul mate - pizzeria libretto. 

i can't say enough good things about this place - so i tried to say as many as i could think of (but here... in its own entry).

it's amazing and wonderful - a dining experience you WILL NOT regret or forget about. but please - for your first time, don't just do lunch, and don't do time limit. go in, take your time, drink some wine (or prossecco, because.... uh.... it's amazing?), eat pizza and appetizers, and enjoy the company of the service staff. they are wonderful. it's a great place, with a great atmosphere. spend some time and really take it in. it'll be worth it. and if you want more (which you obvs do), here's more about my fave here.

ok.... moving on. just because i haven't said much about them, doesn't mean i don't love them... so don't forget to stop in/check out the brazilian bakery (for tarts, and lovely baked bread); multiple organics organic grocery shop - cause duh. they fed me when i was off work for 8 months; the henhouse, because even though you have to guess when they will be open, they make AMAZING food, have pretty cheap beer, good brunch, and they're just plain lovely to hang with; the common for coffee - amazing baristas, beautiful space, and they have WINE AND CHEESE AT NIGHT; birthia, for super awesome, unique, pieces of jewelry, clothing, accessories (bags, etc.) by local artists (and me!); 

re:claim jewelry on display at birthia

so if you're visiting, living here, wandering around the city... visit me. visit us. we're awesome. and you won't regret it.

we're a little rough around the edges, but we're friendly and we like new people!