CHILL Ice House

Last weekend, P and some close friends came down to Toronto for a visit. We wanted to try something a little bit different than usual, so a stop at the CHILL Ice House was necessary. It was a nice change from the hot summer weather as the weather inside of the lounge was set to -5 degrees. We were given tokens for free ice glasses which would have otherwise costed us $2 a glass. I had a chance to try the Elderflower Cosmopolitan (I highly recommend this!) and P had some beer.

 

After enjoying drinks and ice sculptures (hello Olaf!), we decided to relax in the heated back room before leaving for the night. I definitely recommend this lounge as a relaxing night out with friends. You can grab a quick drink and still be able to hear yourselves talking since it isn't as bustling as a club. Let me know if you've had a chance to visit and if you try any of their other drinks!

Japanese Festival X TNT Nightmarket

This past weekend was a bit of a blur. I accomplished a lot while at the same time not a lot. Photo and video editing has taken over my life and  I feel a little bit more immersed in my blog. So although it may have been time costly it's been well worth it.

We stopped by the Japanese Festival in Dundas Square on Sunday to see what was happening. It was mostly food stalls from several local restaurants. Many sold similar style food to the night market, which made it easy for us to leave and catch a cab down to the harbor front.

After being dropped off by the cab, we quickly ran through the gates to snatch up sticky rice and mangos. Our enjoyment didn't last long as the rain soon came down relatively hard. The weather forecast called for thunderstorms but luckily for us the weather didn't get that bad until later on. We sacrificed a couple hours waiting in line for some delicious teriyaki squid and gushi chicken only to be heavily rained on. A quick run back to the cabs secured us a safe ride home where we dried off and enjoyed the rest of the evening indoors.

A Change in Pace

Last week, I took the plunge of a lifetime for myself. I accepted an internship, packed up my belongings and moved from Ottawa to Toronto. The city 5 hours away from my home town is my new home for the next several of months. And if things go according to plan, hopefully my new and permanent home.

I've always loved Toronto and the fast paced atmosphere it's downtown core offers. Compared to corporate Ottawa, Toronto has that and so much more to offer me. With a large majority of the nation's creative core located in this city, I'll finally have the chance to expand my blog and experience in the field of social media.

With the move, I've had to say goodbye to my close friends, family and boyfriend. But the 5 hour drive away won't stop me from going home often to visit them. So far, I have trips planned for every 2-3 weeks to return home and visit my loved ones. The next one being next weekend, you can be sure I'm more than excited to see my family and friends. It definitely was hard the first couple of nights, but my loving boyfriend accompanied me here for the move and was able to stay with me for a couple of days. He helped me unload my belongings and reassured me that everything would be ok. At first I thought that the worst part would be adjusting from seeing him everyday to seeing him once every 2-3 weeks. I quickly realized that the moments we get to spend together would be much more appreciated this way and that our time together would be sweeter. In about a week I'll be able to see him again and everyday I wake up feeling giddy knowing that I'm one day closer.

For the time being, we stay in touch mainly through iMessage and Skype. Even though we're 5 hours away from each other, we'll always be connected. Here's how my past week in Toronto has been through a recap of my Instagram.

 

1. Enjoying a bowl of ramen with friends the afternoon before I was truly to be on my own in Toronto
2. A night out with the significant other a couple weeks before while arranging my future stay in the new city
3. Enjoying creature comforts, well at least my creature comforts (love me some macarons!)

 

1. My favorite go to sandwhich when I'm trying to stay healthy. Is anyone interested in a recipe?
2. I lightened my hair for the summer quite a few weeks ago
3. Literally today's outfit, plus a cute new gift from work! Thanks guys!

 

1.  I'm now obsessed with cold-pressed juicing but it's so expensive! Doe anyone else have more affordable alternatives in the city?
2. Spent an entire day strolling the harbor front with the significant other and another couple, one of the more entertaining days I've had in awhile
3. Millie's Creperie is hands down the best crepe shack in the city!

Ripley's Aquarium

A couple weekends ago, I took a few days off to travel to Toronto with my friend Kathy for a relaxing girls' weekend involving, eating, sightseeing and shopping. What else do girls do right? I've recently been working a lot so the weekend getaway was much needed and well deserved. One of the main places I wanted to visit while in the city was Ripley's Aquarium. I've always loved sealife and visiting aquariums whenever I travel to a destination that has one. While I'm patiently waiting for my trip to Greece in June, the aquarium will have to do in place of wild sealife. I also made a really special purchase while I was in Toronto that means a lot to me which I'll be showing you guys in an upcoming post! In the meantime, enjoy the photos from my visit to the aquarium, I highly recommend stopping by if you want something different to do while you're in the city!

Cozy Travel Wear

I promised to do a post related to what I purchased at the H&M pre-launch party, but with midterm season weighing down heavily on my back, a meager outfit post will have to suffice (I hope).

Last week, I took my bi-annual trip down to Toronto during my fall reading week in search of a change of environment. I find that traveling every once in awhile refreshes my mind since my day-to-day lifestyle can be very routine. Although Ottawa is rapidly expanding, I find that Toronto never fails to offer new and interesting things to try. With restaurants open till 4 AM, outlet malls and any thing that I can dream up of within a 30 minute walking distance of my living arrangements, I could definitely make a trip down to Toronto and never return.

My constant travels to Toronto have taught me how to dress wisely in order to stylishly maximize comfort. And this becomes much easier when the weather transitions to sweater season. As a passenger of a 5 hour drive, I always ensure that I am able to keep myself warm against the air conditioning, yet cool enough to not sit in a pool of sweat. I love the fact that this sweater has a thick yet loose knit so body heat can escape but I don't get a draft through the stitching. The loose fit also allows me to strategically sit in different and odd positions in the seat of the car, I'm flexible don't blame me.

Although I have a serious passion for sweaters (my recent H&M haul almost completely consisted of sweaters), I hate admitting that winter is coming and that the temperature is dropping. So instead of sporting sweatpants or dark denim, I decided to get one last outfit out of my light washed polka dot jeans. The adorable dots never fail to brighten my mood and erase the realization that my daylight hours are waning.

I also wanted to take my leopard loafers out for one last spin before they're packed away for the season. I love how easy it is for me to slip in and out of these shoes in between curling up in the seat and picking up food at rest-stops. So with this passing week, I bid my loafers adieu and welcome back my combat boots and knee-highs.