The Birthday Weekend That Was...Saturday Edition

...When I arrived in Toronto, I couldn't wait to get off the plane and get back in the city. I really had missed it, more than I'd realized. After dropping my luggage off at the hotel, I walked down to one of my favourite places of all: the St. Lawrence Market. I've talked about the Market a few times in the past, and how much I love it, so it really shouldn't come as a surprise that it was literally,( after checking into my hotel) my first stop on my trip.




The market has long been one of the spots I always visit when I'm in Toronto, because as much as I love St. John's, there's nothing of the St. Lawrence Market's equivalent in my hometown. This is the place I think I miss the most. Coming here every Saturday morning, stocking up on my fresh, local fruits and veggies, buying some perogies and pasta, picking up a bouquet of fresh flowers....I loved it.

One place I love in the Market is a little vendor outside on the southwest side. A local artist, originally from England, sells her watercolours from her stall almost every Saturday. I came across her a couple of years ago and bought some handmade greeting cards and a mini painting from her, and fell in love with her art. Before I moved back to Newfoundland in October, I went to the Market one last time and went to her stall. I bought one of her paintings and it hangs in my office today. So, when I decided to come to Toronto for the weekend, I knew I had to seek her out and buy some more artwork. 


I managed to find her email address a few days before and asked her if she’d be there that Saturday, and she said she hoped to be. I hoped and hoped, and sure enough, as soon as I arrived at the Market, I sought her out and found her in her usual spot. We chatted for a while and then she let me peruse her artwork until I decided on a couple that I thought would hang nicely in my new living room.

Pleased with my purchases, I said goodbye to the lovely artist and continued my shopping. Of course, I had to stop and pick up some perogies from my favourite Ukrainian place, and get some delicious fresh pasta and sauce from the pasta place upstairs. Both were just as delicious as I remembered. I really love how they actually make the pasta right in front of you, and you can try scrumptious samples anytime. I'm one of those people that goes and gets a sample...and then goes back 15 minutes later for another one. I can't help myself! 

After I finished my Market shopping, I headed to lunch with my old roommates. We’d stayed in touch after we all went our separate ways when our lease ended last summer, and as soon as I booked my trip, I contacted them to meet up. It was great seeing the girls and catching up on all their news. Jobs and wedding plans and exotic vacations filled the stories we told. It’s always so nice to catch up with friends after long absences.

Another one of my favourite things to do in Toronto, and anywhere, really, is get my nails done. It's one of my vices. I can't help it. I know some people might think it's silly, but there's something about getting a manicure that can make a girl feel like a million bucks. And what better place to go then a salon where everybody knows your name? (It's like the Cheers of nail salons.) Shortly after I booked my trip, I emailed my friend and nail tech at the salon and set up an appointment. It was great to see her again and to catch up on her news, and of course, get a fresh new coat of polish on my nails. There's just nothin' like it!


Later that night, I had dinner with some of my Indigo TweetUp ladies. We went to our usual spot, CANTEEN, where I had a delicious meal, a great time catching up with some pals, and some covert celebrity spying. (One of the guys from The Vampire Diaries was there that night, but I don't watch the show so I didn't really know who he was. Ha!) It was so fun to see the ladies again, it was like no time had passed at all.

To end off the night, I walked back to the hotel, stopping at Marble Slab on the way for a yummy ice cream, and then it was off to bed. I'd been awake for almost 24 hours and I desperately needed some sleep to be ready to tackle all the things I had planned for the next day!

Sunday and Monday are yet to come! Check back soon!

The Birthday Weekend That Was...

As I said in a previous entry, on March 27, I celebrated my 27th birthday, also known as my Champagne birthday. Now, here's something you may not have known about me: I like to make a big deal out of things. Whether it's birthdays or Christmas or Valentine's Day, whatever, I'm all over it. (Remember the Royal Wedding this time last year? Yeah. I was up at 3am and hosted a Royal Wedding breakfast for family and friends, complete with fascinator. All while wearing my PJs. It's how I roll.)

So for something that only happens once in my lifetime, I really had to make a big deal about it. I hummed and haa'd, and decided a party wouldn't be enough. I usually have a party, but this year had to be different. I needed to really mark the occasion somehow.

I had been missing Toronto a lot lately, and kept reminiscing about all the places and things that I used to visit and do there, and then, at the beginning of March, it hit me: Why not go to Toronto for a weekend? I kept looking at my schedule, looking at all the work I had to do, and checking the prices of flights, and I just didn't think I'd be able to do it. I was pretty bummed. So I went back to moping about the lack of celebration surrounding my big day.

About two weeks before my birthday, I received an email from Air Canada, advertising a 50% sale on flights throughout Eastern Canada. I checked, and sure enough, there was a cheap, cheap flight from St. John's to Toronto's downtown airport. I thought it through and finally decided there really was no way I could ignore this opportunity. I could go to Toronto for a long weekend and come back to Newfoundland the day before my birthday. So, I checked with the boss and then I was off!

For the time leading up to the trip, I was pretty much giddy all day long. I planned my three days there down to the hour, figured out where I'd visit and who I'd see and what I'd buy. When 5am on Saturday, March 24th came, I was on my way...

Check back in a couple of days to read all about my weekend, starting with the fun-filled Saturday!

Recommended Reads Part 2

A couple of weeks ago, I talked about five of my favourite blogs to read, and explained some of the things I love about them. I promised a part 2, and I don't like to disappoint; so here's Part 2 of my Recommended Reads!

a diary of little things and curiosities

I can't even remember how I came across Laura's blog, but from the first post I fell in love with it. Laura has this way of writing that sucks you in and makes you want to go back and read all of her blog entries. Whether she's blogging about where she lives or how she feels about something, her style is captivating. My favourite part of Laura's blog is her "Today I Believe" series, which I've blogged about before. She has a way of putting into words exactly how I feel about something, but can't seem to put into words myself. Her blog is a great read!


Notamodel

Amanda and I went through our PR program together a few years ago, and back then she was a blogging pro. I love reading Amanda's blog and catching up on her photo series, or her reviews of products that she's tried over the years. I also really like the premise of her blog "not a model", meaning that nobody's perfect, but everyone is beautiful in their own way. That being a notamodel is more about accepting yourself and embracing yourself. It's a refreshing read for sure!


It's a Colourful Life

Meghan and I have been best friends for over twenty years and ever since we were little, I knew she was really artistic. Whether it was doodling on the corners of notebooks or decorating display boards for school projects, Meg has always been creative. So when she started an interior design program last year, it really came as no surprise to those of us who know her. Since she started her blog last year, she's filled it with pictures of great decorating ideas for the holidays, beautiful furniture and creative ways to use the most random of items (like mason jars!) For some design inspiration, check out Meg's blog; you just might get some ideas for your next DIY project!


Gravitas & Giggles

Sara is one of my best friends from university who I did a term abroad in England with. It didn't take us long to become fast friends with our shared love of things like ruggedly handsome foreign men and coffee. Sara is a wonderful writer who composes poems, short fiction and has even written some children's stories. She posts her writings every once in a while on her blog, along with musings about books or her thoughts on the art of writing and of literature. What draws me to her blog the most is how she writes - so thought out and words carefully chosen, her poetry isn't the only writing that's magnificent; even just her every day blog is.


stephanie fusco 

Stephanie is a fellow PR girl who lives in Toronto and blogs about fashion, lifestyle and living in Toronto. Like some of the other blogs I enjoy reading, she writes products reviews and tells about her experiences at events around Toronto. She recently attended the launch of Banana Republic's Mad Men collection, which had some gorgeous pieces, like the Betty dress. Stephanie and I share a love for the colour pink, so usually when she posts about an article of clothing that comes in our signature colour, I fall in love with it too! Check out Stephanie's blog for some great posts about fashion, TO events and PR musings!


So there you have it - my weekly reading list. These blogs never fail to educate me on the latest trends in fashion, the hottest new restaurants in Toronto, great design ideas for my home, and new ways to cook healthy treats. I always enjoy posts from the bloggers listed above and in Part 1, and if you check them out, you might find that you enjoy their blogs too. :)

Happy Reading!

This Blogger's Recommended Reads!

I've been thinking about this week's blog post and I've been trying to figure out what to write about. Transatlantic Tastes is still on hiatus, but will hopefully be back next week. In the mean time, a blog post by my cousin-in-law, Colleen, got me thinking about blogging.

Colleen is a faithful blogger who posts nearly every day. Almost every morning when I come into work and turn on the ol' computer, one thing I do while I'm waiting for my email to load is go read her latest blog post. Doing this yesterday made me think about the other blogs I like to read regularly.

So, in the same sort of way people on Twitter participate in "Follow Friday" and recommend Twitter users other people should "follow", this post is my recommendation to you for blogs that you may enjoy reading, because I sure do!

{Every Day}

My cousin-in-law, Colleen, writes a wonderful blog from her perspective as a new mom. She talks babies, family, recipes and running, just to name a few topics. One of the reasons I love Colleen's blog is because she always posts amazing recipes, and her photography displays her culinary creations beautifully. As well, I always love seeing new pictures of my new little cousin, and her blog is a great way to keep up with how much he's been growing!





Shades of Aquarius

Katie and I went to PR school together a few years ago, and back then, I knew she was super fashionable. I think this girl has always been fashionable. But what I didn't know, and soon learned from her blog, is that she's also an amazing cook. Katie has blogged about so many delicious-looking and sounding dishes that she's made, I've had to make a list of the ones I'm dying to try myself, just to keep track of them all. I always enjoy reading her blog because I get to see what's happening with the latest fashion shows in the industry, and learn a new recipe while I'm at it.


It's a savoury life

Rebecca is a friend of mine from high school who lives in Ontario and works as a dietician. Her blog is generally consists of recipes and ways to take better care of yourself in terms of food and health. One thing I love about Rebecca's posts, however, is that as a dietician, she explains everything that she's posting about, like telling you the health benefits of different beans, or listing out a recipe for a deliciously healthy pizza and telling you which veggies would not only taste great on it, but the nutritional information that goes along with them. Her blog has made me stop and think about different foods that I used to avoid, but now include in my diet regularly.



The A List

Alanna is another former PR classmate from Toronto who writes the super popular blog, The A List. If I ever want to know what's happening in the celebrity world (and really, who doesn't?) I turn to Alanna. I love catching up on all the latest gossip and videos that Alanna posts, especially the videos about Sophia Grace and Rosie these days! Alanna also attends a lot of entertainment functions around Toronto, so it's really cool to read about her experiences at things like TIFF.




the rural knitter

Kayla and I studied abroad in England together during our undergrad, during the best months of my life (and possibly hers). Kayla's worn a few different hats in her time, (figuratively) but these days, her recent hobby has her wearing many different hats (literally). A newcomer to knitting, she picked up the skill faster than I could ever hope to, and has made some amazing pieces, one of which I'm sporting in the picture below. I love reading Kayla's blog and seeing what new piece she's knitted. Maybe I can wrangle a pair of mitts of of her sometime, to match my gorgeous pink hat. :)

So, these are some of the blogs that I read regularly and always look forward to new posts from. If you're looking for something to add to your reading list, why not check out one or all of these wonderful blogs?

I'll post Part 2 of my Recommended Reads next week. Until then, have a happy week!

This Time Last Year...

We're taking a brief hiatus from cooking this week in our Transatlantic Tastes series, due to visitors to our respective homes. And when we cooked last week, my camera died just as I was about to take a picture of all my ingredients, so I don't have a write up about that recipe just yet...but, I decided to blog about food this week anyways!

I was browsing my Twitter feed on Saturday afternoon, and my pal Sarah tweeted that it had been a year since our Indigo Tweetup at LUMA. What a great experience that was! It was so nice to meet fellow food and book lovers, and to come together to talk with people from our favourite bookstore; we all had so much fun. Not to mention the fact that having a delicious meal prepared by one of Toronto's finest chefs, Jason Bangerter, and meeting three of Canada's most well known celebrity chefs, Chefs Massimo Capra, Jason Parsons and Michael Bonacini, definitely made the experience one of the highlights of my Toronto life! The food at LUMA is absolutely to die for. If you ever have the chance to eat there, you must. Chef Bangerter is a culinary genius.

We did have a mini reunion in September just before I left for Newfoundland, which Sarah blogged about, and it was so nice to see the ladies again. I'm hoping to plan a weekend trip to Toronto in the next few months, and one thing that will definitely be on my To Do list for that trip? Another meal with my Indigo Tweets ladies. :)

So instead of writing a whole new entry about our fabulous dining experience this time last year, why don't you read about it right here?

Have a great week!

A Dining Experience Like No Other!

One thing I really love about living in Toronto is that there are certain opportunities here that just don't exist in Newfoundland. Whether it's something like a concert, a sporting event, or even a book signing, Newfoundland doesn't see a lot of famous faces or play host to many cutting edge events. At least not as many as a place like Toronto does. So while in "The Big Smoke", I'm determined to see and do as many unique things as possible. One of those things happened on Friday night.

On February 18th, I had the pleasure of attending Indigo's first TweetUp. Having been asked a few weeks ago by the lovely gentleman who runs the Indigo Events Twitter account if I'd be interested in participating, I happily agreed and met the rest of the group at a Chapters downtown, where our evening began.

Leaving the bookstore, we dined at Luma, feasting on dishes from the new 3 Chefs: The Kitchen Men cookbook, which were prepared by the amazing Chef Bangerter. The five course meal was unique, delicious, and exquisitely presented.

The 11 of us discussed how Indigo is doing in terms of its engagement with consumers and suggested ways they could continue to grow their followers.

A surprise visit from the 3 Chefs themselves made the evening extra special, along with a giftcard and the brand new cookbook to add to my growing collection!

It was a fantastic evening, and I'm so grateful to the Indigo Events team for inviting me to be a part of the night!