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Life has been crazy for months. For the most part it’s a good crazy, so I’m not complaining — pouring over wedding mags, being busy at work, seeing a lot of movies, some concerts, more weddings, parties and celebrations.

Now, I already expect you to know most of those things because there are 101 ways to keep track of me and my meanderings. Possibly more than I’d like to admit, but here are the faves…

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I’m now the proud owner of an iPhone 4S which has a kick-ass point and shoot camera, a battery that works more than 15 minutes and a processor that doesn’t need to contemplate an action for a half hour before performing it. Oh and I’m sure you’ve heard about Siri. Needless to say, this is a vast improvement over my Blackberry Tour.

Since this upgrade I’ve become app-addicted. Hipster Camera+ app? Check. Flipboard? Check. (You MUST get Flipboard if you have an iPad/iPhone) Tumblr? I’m on that too, now. Tumblr is the one I’m most unsure of. If I can’t handle one blog why even attempt a second, right? I’m still trying to figure that out, but I love that it seems a bit more creative and on-the-go friendly.

So for now I’ll hold down both and test the Tumblr waters, but I feel like I should have blogged reviews of the movies, concerts and even weddings and just can’t do that lately. Tumblr might be the answer. I’ll keep you posted.

Xoxo.

TIFF 11

Its been four days since TIFF ended and Toronto settled down to its normality.

While I’m not new to the city or the festival, this was my first year buying a package of tickets, going through the selection process and seeing more than one film.

The ticket process is a pain. The lines suck. The whole thing is a gamble and you can get stuck with nothing but vouchers. But I lucked out and my experience was mainly positive.

Here are my [short] reviews:

The Descendants: While getting downtown for 11am the day after a wedding wasn’t pleasant, this film was very worth-it. Life’s harsh realities are put on display as George Clooney plays a husband to a coma-ridden wife and learning she was cheating on him. Yes, the movie is a sob-fest, but it’s also really funny. With really tear-jerking moments and a lot of laughs, this movie is just… real.

Dark Horse: We chose this as a runner-up to ‘A Dangerous Method’ by scheduling only and not getting the first choice stung. While some of the characters were entertaining (I love Selma Blair’s deadpan delivery), the story was slow and really dark. I wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re a Todd Solondz fan.

Take Shelter: Michael Shannon stole the show from my fave actor (Leo) in ‘Revolutionary Road’ and I was stoked that he got an Oscar nom for it. I love him in ‘Boardwalk Empire.’ Everything he does is intense and this film was no exception. As a husband with apocalyptic visions he’s driven to protect his family from something that just isn’t there (or is it?). It’s gripping, emotional and a definite recommend.

Like Crazy: I was really excited for this one (new fiancé from a relationship that grew in university and spanned long distance and all). It was a bit slow, cute at times, but mostly sad and tormented. Think ‘Blue Valentine’ at age 20 and dialed back a bit. Worth seeing if you like
that sort of thing, but I don’t expect anything come Oscar time.

Martha Marcy May Marlene: Admittedly, I’d have to give this ‘Take Shelter’ and ‘The Descendants’ a three-way tie until I see them again. First of all, who knew MK and Ashley Olsen had a younger sister that was serious about acting? Elizabeth Olsen stars as a young woman who’s fled a cult and trying to assimilate with her fam. With flashes from present to past cult life this film is thrilling, disturbing and amazing.

Moneyball: This prem’d at TIFF but I didn’t technically see it at the fest. Regardless it’s one of the most buzz worthy flicks so why not include it? I’m probably not the only one who pegged Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill as an odd pairing. That said, Hill’s departure from stupid comedy had depth while holding onto his humour. Though an unlikely pair, him and Pitt are what makes me love this movie so much. A must-see.

There are endless reviews for each of these online with differing opinions, but I don’t want to go into detail because movies are best when you haven’t even seen the strongest clips in previews.

Summer’s Last Hurrah

I said yes.

The Ex

Obviously absent from my last post was the Ex, which deserves its own real estate. The official beacon of summer’s end, it’s a tradition for most Torontonians. Without further adieu, here are my fave parts.

The Farm: Baby animals galore! I love animals more than anyone I know so this isn’t a surprising choice. From a day-old goat to month-old mini horse and dairy cow, to piglets and llamas, I could’ve spent all day saying “awww.”

The Superdogs: Similar to the above, growing up with the top-ranked intelligent dog breed (Border Collie) makes me both an avid dog lover and a lover of smart dogs who do neat tricks like break records for pole jumping and ride skateboards. The line can get crazy long, but if you’re a dog person this is a must-see with lots of laughs.

The Food: Despite an insane sweet tooth I’m not one for the bizarre, greasy foods. I do, however, adore the diversity of the storied Food Building. From the it-item of the year (2010: deep fried butter, 2011: doughnut burger, 2012: perhaps just lard in a milkshake cup) to fan fave chains like Pita Pit, I challenge you to not find something to eat. Also deserving of it’s own mention is Tiny Toms doughnuts. Delish.

Everything Else: I love water gun midway games, the random bandshell concerts (Loverboy!), relaxing in beer tents with live music and muskoka chairs and all the cute things that can keep you smiling all day long like shopping the international booths and checking out a celeb chef on the Food Network Stage.There was a time when the rides ranked high, but when the double looper became one ricketly loop I began to lose trust.

My least favourite parts are undoubtedly the parking and/or streetcars and the crowds that sometimes just don’t understand that 2pm on a Saturday is not the ideal time to be pushing a stroller through the midway or At Home building. But this is bearable — it only comes once a year and as Torontonians we embrace it.

Circa 1969.

I’ve Got Sunshine

When summer hit my blog went awol. I thought my iPad would spend sunshine-y days at my side, so I could blog on a whim. While it did accompany me everywhere, I just didn’t.

And here I am, on the final Sunday of August, the unofficial almost-end of summer, reflecting on the season’s greatest hits.

NYC: I spent part of a whirlwind week there for the Promax BDA Conference (TV Marketing) and returned to Toronto full of inspiration from amazing speakers including Al Gore, Spike Lee, Spencer Tunick, Jeff Zucker and Lee Hunt. Long days lead to long nights filled with laughs, great food and a party on the USS Intrepid.

Soyers Lake: Upon returning from one vacation I usually set my sights on another. After spending a week beached in Playa del Carmen I started planning a small cottage week in northern Ontario. Eight of us plus two dogs and a cat went up. We all returned, still loving eachother. Days of sunshine on the dock with beers and sangria, a hot-tub temperature lake and side-splitting antics could have created a whole Molson Canadian campaign.

Taste of the Danforth: Calamari, souvlaki, churros and samosa. Sure, not everything you get at the Taste is Greek, but it’s all in good fun. The bff and I ventured into the feather hair extension trend and met up with the boys on a patio for buckets of Coronitas, which are pretty much the best thing ever. The bucket makes them taste better, obviously.

Everything Else: Some of the best times are the ones that get lost in your memory too quickly: Lazy afternoons spent lounging at the in-laws’ pool, a surprise pool party for my brother-from-another-mother, the Toronto Indy, weddings, my bff’s engagement (!!), BBQs with our closest friends, dinner and drinks on patios, seeing a retro movie like ‘Super 8’ at the drive-in, Jays games, and hot, sweaty nights on the lawns at the Amphitheatre.

Summer — I hardly knew you, but you were fucking unbelievable.

Summer Feet

Commuting in heels (and even some flats) can be hell. Too many stairs, escalators, sewer grates and revolving doors for that nonsense.

Thankfully I have these babies to slip on in the am for a comfy commute (and more!).

Tkees: So many colours! I’m a huge fan of the skin-toned versions. Mine are a mid-tan — too dark at the beginning of the summer, but just right once I’m nice and golden. They’re buttery-soft leather, but they do wear. After all last summer of city-living, I’m due for a new pair.

Toms: Also super comfy, these are my go-to for walking and doing anything that could get dirty. My fave uses are around a cozy cottage fire and riding my bike along the lake. The best part is that for every pair purchased they donate a pair to a child without shoes.

Annnnd… You can have both for around $100. Not bad, right?

Passive Aggressiveness

Funny things happen in offices. Since ‘Office Space,’ these little funny things seem funnier — like today when our entire building ran so low on printer paper that we needed to be informed to be frugal. Awesome.

For more gems like the below do not hesitate to visit passiveaggressivenotes.com immediately.

Happy with a M

Because any health-conscious urbanite needs a reason to binge on fast food, I’m giving you a damn good one (that doesn’t involve a hangover).

Kids.

Today, the 18th annual McHappy Day, $1 from every Big Mac, Happy Meal or Egg McMuffin goes to childen’s charities. The fundraiser has raised more than $32m since inception.

Eat it. But then go for a ride or a run. It’s another beautiful day in Toronto.

Scrub a Dub

I’m a tad embarrassed that my skin, despite its golden-brown colour, has decided it wants to shed a layer from my shoulders to ankles.

I’ve never been an exfoliator. However, whine about an ailment and you shall receive advice. And “exfoliate” was said advice. So yesterday I set off for Sephora with my sights set on a scrub.

I could spend a day in Sephora — smelling and sampling. I have no problem paying for quality products that deliver with a capital d. The scrub selection was delightful — all sugary and salty, and smelling good enough to eat. The winner was Cake, hands down, but I wanted to do some research before purchasing. This was quite possibly the first time I’ve left empty-handed.

The main ingredients in scrubs are oil and sugar or salt. With that broken-down simplicity I concluded that it was time for a DIY attempt. I found a great blog resource that links to Martha Stewart herself. After a quick inventory of my pantry and the properties of essential oils, their benefits and other spices, etc., I settled on this combo:

Olive Oil
Brown & White Sugar
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Honey

After a lot of mixing (till it looked and felt right) I set it aside and drifted off to dreams of amazing skin.

Today was the test. It washes away leaving a nice finish on my skin (though not excessively greasy) and it smells nice. I put hand cream on every morning at my desk and today it wasn’t necessary. My legs didn’t require mid-day lotion. Overall, my skin was noticeably less flaky. I hate to say it works (so soon), but after one application there was enough of a difference that I would encourage others to try.

I’m impressed by my craftiness. Now I can spend the savings on something else at Sephora.

And yes, I did taste it. Delish.

Suddenly Spring?

It’s been awhile. I’ve been busy — working hard and playing hard. After a killer (crazy but exhilarating and rewarding) Spring launch I hit YYZ and spent a week on the white sand beaches of the Mayan.

Annnnd, now I’m back. Honestly thinking that I would be missing the best of the Spring sunshine, I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy that it snowed while I was away. This must be payback though, because the past weeks have been filled with atrocious rain.

Not to be a downer, the rain does have some benefits:

1. Super green grass, leaves budding on trees and pretty tulips everywhere
2. Excuses to shop
3. Not feeling guilty about sleeping all Sunday or watching lame movies with IMDb ratings under 4 (SATC2)

Recent rainy shopping trips have resulted in extra summery buys and wants. And now for the good stuff — the highlights:

Lavanila Laboratories: I was immediately intrigued by this. I haven’t worn perfume since I realized its strong alcohol/chemical base was a trigger for my migraines. These ‘healthy’ fragrances are all-natural and can actually relieve stress and headaches. With a bunch of vanilla-blended scents to choose from (my fave being vanilla coconut) there has to be one for everyone, unless you dislike vanilla (though I don’t believe such people actually exist).

H&M Spring Accessories: From cute faux leather bracelets in peachy and turquoise hues to bright, gauzy scarves with polka dots, I had to restrain myself. The best part is that most accessories are under $20 a pop. Love.

Anything Essie: I used to be an OPI girl, but Essie has long been #1. Two new brights hit my collection, ‘Cute as a Button‘ (a peachy coral) and ‘Exotic Liras‘ (a deep-but-vibrant fuchsia). Pretty polish is my addiction.

MK Double-Wrap Watch: The strap is really more cream than pink, but I could wear this almost every day from now until Fall. Sadly it sits on my “want” list as I can’t bring myself to shaft my current golden, menswear-inspired one just yet.

I leave you with decor j’adore in some of my fave Spring colours. See this and more (amusingly related to Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie’s royal wedding outfits) here.