The Little Honey Bee

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-25T04:58:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday!

Perfect treat for a cold morning

2010-12-24T10:14:00.008-05:00

I absolutely love baking. And this is definitely the time of year to get your mixing bowls out and your ovens going. What better way to enjoy a cold winters morning them with a cup of tea or coffee and a warm Orange Cranberry scone?! This recipe comes courtesy of my beloved Ina Garten, and can be found here. Words can really not describe how good these little babies are. Sweet and delicious and flaky. The trick is to keep all the ingredients cold. They may not be the fastest thing to whip up, but they are definitely worth the effort.

And for some reason everyone is REALLY impressed when you make scones. I brought them into work and they got snapped up in record time!

If you know a girl who runs, this is what you should buy her

2010-12-21T15:50:00.010-05:00

So, a busy social and work schedule prevented me from doing a big holiday shopping guide this year. For this I am sorry. However, there are a couple days left before the BIG day. And if you have a girl on your list who is a runner (or you are a girl runner and want to treat yourself - which is what I did), then these running gloves from Lululemon are a MUST! They have the great slim fit glove design I loved about the pair I bought last year, but they've added a windbreaker mitten flap! Perfect for those cold blowy days I know are coming.

But the BEST part, is that the thumb and index fingers have little slits in them, so you can easily use your iPod/MP3 player! Brilliant! At about $30 a pop, they make a perfect last minute gift.

Oprah's got nothing on us

2010-12-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

Step aside Ms. Winfrey, there is a new Book Club in town! My girlfriends had the great idea the other month of starting our own Book Club. Our goal is to read one book a month. Brilliant. Our first pick was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I LOVED this book. The story centers around a group of women in Jackson Mississippi during the civil rights movement. Most nights I was up super late because I couldn't put it down.

Just as great as reading the book, was getting together with the girls to discuss it. We had some yummy snacks and plenty of good wine. You know when you wake up with a bit of a hangover that your Book Club is a great success!!

I've been a delinquent

2010-12-12T10:46:00.002-05:00

Hello there friends. I've been a total blogging delinquent lately. Apologies. Work's been busy. I've been exhausted. And rather social. New posts will start again tomorrow. Promise!

Lavender Honey

2010-11-26T05:53:00.000-05:00

I don't know about all of you, but for me, the last couple of weeks have been just manic! Between busy-ness at work, and social obligations my life has felt a little stressed. So each night when I get home, I like to unwind, and relax. Try to de-stress. Now ideally, this would be done with a lovely glass of wine. But I've needed a nightly destresser so often that I'm afraid this much wine would quickly turn me into an alcoholic. Which would then cause me greater stress. So instead I've been having tea (yeah yeah, I hear you already, tea is not the same as a lovely glass of wine, but let's pretend shall we?). But not content with just plain Jasmine tea (which is delightful) I decided to "kick it up a notch" as my Dad would say. While on a recent trip to the St.Lawerence Market I discovered Lavender Honey. It's ever so slightly less sweet then regular honey and has this really pretty delicate lavender taste at the end. A small spoon of Lavender Honey in my Jasmine tea each night, and I'm feeling pretty mellow...

Charm School

2010-11-25T16:22:00.023-05:00

Every once in a while when I visit my parents, my Mom goes through her old jewellery and lets my sister and I have some pieces she doesn't wear anymore (this is a truly fun activity!) Fortunately for me, my sister can't wear silver, so I automatically get all that stuff. One of my FAVOURITE pieces is my Mom's old silver charm bracelet. I have a deep love for charm bracelets. This one is like a little look into Mom's teenager years. Charms from trips she'd been on. Charms for interests she had. Charms given to her by my beloved Grandpa. To me, it's a very special piece. But I had begun to worry that perhaps I was getting "too old" for such sweet things. But the other weekend I had some of my very fashionable friends over for Bad Movie night, and noticed that almost all of them were wearing pretty little necklaces with small charms! Horseshoes, initials (I must say, I've been eyeing these ones from Tiffany's for a while now), and of course the ones we got from our San Francisco marathon. So I took this as a sign - charms are still ok! They give you that classic preppy look that pretty much sums up my style.

So now, everyday I happily wear my marathon charm with a smaller piece my Mom gave to my sister and I the other year for Christmas. The pearl is from a necklace that was my Grandma's, and the diamond was from a pair of earrings my Grandpa gave her. Like every charm should be, they are personal and well... Charming!

Bottoms up!

2010-11-16T22:27:00.002-05:00

A couple years ago my best friends introduced me to what has become my favourite drink - the Aperol Spirtz. It's orangey, a little tart, a little bitter, not to sweet, and very refreshing. But you could really only get them at certain italian restaurants. (We always get them at Terroni's) You couldn't buy Aperol in Canada, and believe me, we searched. At best there was a store in New York that sold it. Not exactly convenient. When I was in San Francisco we found a fancy gourmet food store that carried it and I immediately grabbed a bottle. Then lugged that bottle around for a couple hours. Then had to carefully pack the bottle in my suitcase and pray that it did not break on the flight. All this only to discover the LCBO now carries the stuff! Sheesh!! Oh well, this stuff was well worth all the effort, and now I don't need to ration it!

To make my beloved Aperol Spirtz combine 2oz. of champagne or sparkling wine, 1.5oz. of Aperol, a splash of Soda, ice and a slice of orange. Stir and enjoy!

What have I been missing?!

2010-11-02T05:40:00.000-04:00

Growing up, we did not eat garlic. My mom and sister both have a rather severe allergy to it. It wasn't until I was well into my 20's and living on my own that I really started cooking with garlic. I had become so used to omitting it from recipes that I didn't really think I was missing much. Then I tried roasted garlic. Amazing! I could eat clove after clove of this stuff! It's great mashed and spread on a thick slice of toasted bread (best garlic bread ever!). Much milder and sweeter then raw garlic, it's fantastic in soups and sauces. And SUPER easy to make! But be warned - a good ventilation system in your kitchen is highly recommended. While I was making this my little apartment smelled like roasting garlic for about an hour.

Ms. Martha Stewart has a great recipe you can find here.

Apparently if you demand it, I will bake it...

2010-11-01T05:18:00.000-04:00

This is a dangerous habit for me to get into - Baking on demand. The problem is I like baking, and I like making people happy. And the two just seem to go hand in hand. I had joked with friends at work that when a big project finally kicked into high gear, I'd start bringing in baked goods to help get us through the day. They have decided to take me up on this joke. And now they want some treats! Considering I had a freezer full bananas, I figured this would be the perfect way to get rid of some. Banana Chocolate Chip muffins to the rescue! This recipe can be made in a jiffy (I made them one night after work while watching a basketball game). And they taste great. A little tip - add some chopped walnuts to the recipe for added deliciousness!

Thankfully, my coworkers are happy now!

But for how long...

Urgh, this is embarrassing...

2010-10-31T23:08:00.001-04:00

I'm ashamed of myself.

I'm embarrassed.

I can't believe I'm actually going to say these words. But when you have a problem, it's important to admit it...

My name is The Little Honey Bee, and I love Twilight!

Urgh! I never thought I'd say those words. I have made fun of this series for months! They are absolutely ridiculous books. Ridiculous. The writing is terrible. Just really really bad. I roll my eyes while reading them. I often want to smack the characters. Their conservations are repetitive. And painful. But despite all of this, these book are addicting! Once you start, you can't put them down! They take me back to my pre-teen V.C. Andrew days.

So if you're looking to indulged in a little guilty pleasure and want a (VERY) easy read, consider picking up the Twilight series. But be warned, you may hate yourself for it!

The San Francisco Treat

2010-10-30T22:25:00.001-04:00

My friends and I had a BLAST in San Francisco. We ran a marathon(!). We went to Alcatraz. We toured the Napa Valley. And we ate. We ate a LOT. San Francisco has some amazing restaurants. And we certainly enjoyed a few. Here are some of the great places we enjoyed ourselves at:

John's Grill - A friend of Sonia's recommended this steak and seafood restaurant. It was the site of our first official meal in San Fran, and did it ever get things started off right! With so many fantastic menu options, it was really hard to choose, but I eventually opted for the broiled halibut. Incredible! And the portions were huge! I couldn't even finish mine. John's Grill also has a great wine list. We ordered a bottle of the house red and I have to say, it was one of the best bottles of wine I've ever had!

Tartine Bakery & Cafe- I heard about this place from my weekly Goop newsletter (thanks Gwyneth Paltrow!). When we arrived Saturday morning to this small cool Mission District spot, the line up was out the door and down the street. We knew this place MUST be good! Thankfully the line moved quickly and we were soon inside and able to make our selections. Lesson learned: traveling with people who like good food as much as you do is the BEST! We each ordered the quiche (p.s. BEST quiche EVER!) and something extra. My something extra was an almond croissant. Heavenly!! And totally justified as pre-race carb loading!

The Slanted Door - Following our race it was time to celebrate! And the very hip Slanted Door is where we went. I recommend going with a group of people and ordering several dishes, as things here are served family style. We had beef, chicken, lamb, halibut and tofu. Not to mention a couple of appetizers to start. But the best was the Confectioner's Plate we had for dessert. The peach cotton candy was incredible - and super fun!

The Plant Cafe Organic - The day after our race we were feeling a little gross. Not from the large amount of food the night before. But from the large amount of Gatorade, Gu, and sport beans consumed during the marathon. We needed something fresh. Thankfully Sonia had spotted The Plant while we were out the previous night. This place was just what the doctor ordered. Super fresh breakfast burritos (I'm a sucker for anything with avocado) and a large glass of their Body Cleanser raw organic juice and I was feeling like a new woman!

Pier 23 - My parents and I had seen this place on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It looked like a casual fun spot, so we decided to check it out. It was a little dead on the night we went (it was a Monday night), but no doubt this place is hopping on the weekends. The Zinfandel and ceviche I had while we sat on the heated patio were delightful! This place was also the site of one of our funnier conversations ;)

American Cupcake - It was quite the hike to get to this place (literally, walking the streets of San Francisco is liking hiking!). But it was well worth it! Now, sadly they were out of the Red Velvet Fried Chicken we had heard about, but we still managed to enjoy waffle fries, club sandwiches, mini pulled pork sliders, and mac-n-cheese. Then it was time for dessert! Not content with just getting one cupcake, we decided to get a cupcake and whoopie pie (each)! This place is very fun and girly. Rainbow coloured lights dance along the ceiling while 80's tunes flow out the speakers. Definitely a good time!

So as you can see, we ate a LOT while in San Francisco! What made things so great was that we did all the research and planning before hand, so every night we knew we'd be getting a great meal! And for my last bit of cheesiness, the best part of each meal was the company - Sonia, Kathleen, Katrina and Sam were fantastic dining companions!

If you're going to San Francisco...

2010-10-26T21:33:00.001-04:00

Be sure to wear flowers in your hair. Or at least that's what the song says to do. We opted not to do that, and instead booked some fabulous tours. Now that the marathon was done, it was time for us girls to have some fun!

First up was Alcatraz. Also known as The Rock!. I had heard good things about this tour before we went. People who had been had raved about it! And with good reason. It's a REALLY well done tour. You take a boat out to the island and can walk around a bit once you get there. When you enter the prison cell building make sure you pick up the free audio tour guide. Now I'm not usually a fan of the audio tour. I rarely get them when I go to museums. But this audio guide is a MUST. First of all, there was not much written info offered before hand, nor were there many signs or fact on the walls (like you get in a gallery or museum). The audio guide is narrated by former prison guards and prisoners (ekk!) who direct you around the building and tell you stories about it's history - the battle of Alcatraz, the famous escape from the Rock, famous prisoners, and life on the island (guards families with young children lived there?!?!). While walking around outside you also get fantastic views of San Francisco and the surrounding area. I personally went a little photo crazy! The whole tour only takes a couple of hours and should not be missed. But be sure to book your tickets in advance. The tours sell out everyday, so if you just show up on the day you want to go, you'll likely be S.O.L

The second tour booked was the one I was REALLY excited about. A wine tour through Napa!! A comfy shuttle bus picked us up in the morning we drove us out to wine country. Once the morning fog cleared we got to see that Napa is unbelievably beautiful. Miles of mountains, and vines with the warm California sunshine beating down on us. We got to visit four wineries - Domaine Chandon, V. Sattui, Whitehall Winery, Franciscan. The sparkling wine offered at Domaine Chandon had me quickly feeling a little tipsy (and it was only 10:30am), so you knew you were in for a fun day! A picnic lunch by the vineyard and a fabulous tasting at V. Sattui soon followed. Whitehall Winery had us walk through their processing area (very cool to see), and at the Franciscan we sampled wine among the vines, picking the grapes to try with it. The day was absolutely perfect! By the time the bus dropped us off at the dock for the ferry boat ride back to the pier, I was seriously considering a career change. I'd happily move to Napa and pick grapes for a living!

My First Marathon - the good, the bad, and the ugly

2010-10-24T21:34:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe it was only a week ago today. A week ago today I ran my first marathon! I'm not officially a marathoner!! Not to be a major cheese ball, but it was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life.

The Good - The course was absolutely stunning. San Francisco is a beautiful city! After making our way out of Union Square, we ran up to the waterfront where we were greeted by a gospel choir and cheerleaders. Past the Embarcadero we made our way up to Fishermans Wharf. After this the hills began. First small, and steep. Then LONG and STEEP. No amount of hill training could have fully prepared me for how tough these hills were. But the views along the way were incredible. At the top of the hill we could see the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Gate Park soon turned into beautiful residential neighbourhoods. And more hills. But now we had views of the ocean, the beach, waves crashing into the shoreline. Amazing. I began wishing I'd brought my camera along for the run. Never before had I seen such inspiring scenery.

The Bad - Things remained good until about the half way mark. The weather had been good. Cool and overcast. But somewhere around mile 12, it started raining. At first only lightly. It was actually nice, helping to cool us off a little. It was also around this point that the half marathoners separated from us full marathoners. We went from being surrounded by tons and tons of people to only a few dozen. It was a little hard. Knowing that they were almost done, while we still had 14 more miles to go. At mile 16 we started making our way along the Great Highway. From here it was about an 10 mile out and back. It was also at this point that the rain and wind picked up. Mental fatigue was also starting to set in. We had been running for a LONG time. I really just wanted to be done! Slowly the mile markers continued to pass us by.

The Ugly - We'd been running for hours. Several bathroom breaks and a tougher then expected course had squashed any hope of finishing in our predicted time. (After the first 6 miles we decided to ignore of watches and just run for fun) The rain and wind were now coming in fast and cold. While the ocean view was gorgeous it seemed never ending. I just wanted to get to the finish line! Then finally... there it was... Like a mirage... The Finish! I forced my now very tired body to push itself over the finish line. Now the fun stuff! The tuxedo wearing firemen handing out the Tiffany necklaces. I was close to tears as a very cute fireman handed me my little blue box. Then my bubble was burst. An event coordinator came up to me "honey, we've run out of the necklaces for this year. This one is from another year. We'll mail yours to you". I stood there in shock for a minute. WTF!? They RAN OUT?! How is that possible? The race had been sold out for months! They knew how many people would be running. I was now upset and freezing cold. I asked a volunteer where the heat blankets were, and was informed that they had run out of those as well. Meanwhile, volunteers were walking about with 2 of them wrapped around themselves. WTF!? Now I was just shocked. Frozen. Shivering. I managed to stumble over to the bag check pick up, throw on my dry sweat shirt and quickly get on the shuttle bus. It was on the bus that I discovered my necklace was not only from the wrong year (2008) it was also slightly tarnished. Great. Thankfully after a very long hot shower back at the hotel I was able to polish the necklace back to an acceptable state. A couple days after the race I received an email from Nike letting me know that my necklace would be mailed to be in 10-12 weeks. 10-12 weeks! Grrr....

The Conclusion - It took a couple of days to process that days events. Yes, I was disappointed by the finish line issues. But I decided not to let that take away from what I was able to accomplish. I ran a freakin' marathon!! My first! And while my finish time wasn't the greatest, the point was that I finished! I ran 42.2km of a very tough course. And better still, I'd consider running one again (not any time soon mind you!)

And I can't finish this tale without giving a BIG shout out to Kathleen and Sonia (the "we" I've been referring to). We travelled down to San Francisco together, and I wouldn't have been able to do it without them! Love you girls!!

Leaving on a jet plane

2010-10-15T05:24:00.002-04:00

EEEEKKK! Well dear friends, today is the day I leave for San Francisco. The marathon is on Sunday. Where the heck did the time go?! I remember signing up for the lottery to this race back in April, and now I'm less than 48 hours away from actually running it! I'm nervous. Excited. Anxious. Did I mention NERVOUS? Oh la... the idea of running 42.2 km is starting to sound a little crazy. But there's not much more I can do now. I've put in the work (at least I hope I have), now it's time to just enjoy the journey.

BIG thanks and much love to my family, friends, coaches and fellow training mates for all the support and encouragement these last few months. I can say without question that I would not be able to do this is if we're for all of you guys!!

Fingers crossed the race goes well!! And good luck to everyone running the Toronto Goodlife race this weekend!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-10T07:30:00.001-04:00

I have SO many things to be thankful for. And thankfully I'll be spending the day with my fantastic family. I hope everyone has a great day. Happy Thanksgiving!!

(now I'm off to eat some turkey!!)

Absolutely Gourd-geous

2010-10-08T23:24:00.000-04:00

Well Fall is finally here! You can feel it in the air! No literally, it's in the air, the temperature has dropped... I couldn't be happier, as Autumn is my favourite time of year! The weather is cool and crisp. The leaves are change colour. Food offerings become hearty and comforting. And decorating ones home becomes a snap! My friends and I are obsessed with mini pumpkins and gourds. Some much so that last year when my dear friend Lindsay got married she decorated her wedding reception with them. They come in all colours, shapes and sizes and add an instant touch of festive Fall to any room. I like them in little groupings along my window sill. The tiny white pumpkins are a particular favourite - so cute! Perfect for decorating your Thanksgiving table this weekend - and they'll last until your ready for the Christmas decorations!

Easy listening

2010-10-05T22:21:00.009-04:00

So this just might be the BEST album EVER. Ok, I might be a bit biased (as I do know these guys). But the new Bedouin Soundclash album Light The Horizon is dope! Do people still say "dope"? Whatever... The album is unbelievably catchy. And while just about every song is my favourite, I really Really REALLY love Chance of Rain (which you can download for FREE here - aren't these guys generous!), Rolling Stone, and Brutal Hearts.

Bedouin will be playing in Toronto at the Sound Academy on Nov. 19th! I've got my tickets, be sure to get yours!!

I'm also sorta (majorly) in love with the album We Are Born by Sia. A little pop, a little folky, and little soul. Like Adele meets Lenka meets Amy Winehouse. The song Be Good To Me has my wishing I could sing, and the piano/vocal version of I'm in Here is hauntingly beautiful.

I dare you to listen to either of these albums and not dance. Go ahead, just try! I dare you...

Is it still a signature scent if I have three?

2010-09-30T23:12:00.002-04:00

I know it's possible to have a signature scent. But are you allowed to have three? Because I just can't make up my mind. You see, smelling good is sort of an obsession of mine. The idea of smelling bad terrifies me. (As someone who rides the TTC everyday, I know this is not a fear everybody shares...) But I've never been a fan traditional perfumes. They all smell the same to me. Too perfume-y. You know what I mean? That sort of over powering, strong floral smell? I really don't like it. Thankfully, over the years I've been able to find perfumes that smell perfectly amazing. Here are my three signature scents:

1. Clean - The name says it all. This line of perfumes smell clean. Like beautiful soap. There are many different smells in the Clean family of products. I LOVE pretty much all of them. But if I had to pick a favourite it would have to be Provence. It's light, crisp, fresh, and well Clean! You can buy Clean products at Sephora.

2. Lollia - If I'm going to wear a floral scent, it's going to be Breathe No 19 by Lollia. The scent is really lovely and light, not over powering at all. Very feminine. And the bottle is really really pretty. I can't remember where I last bought this stuff, but I'm fairly certain I've seen it at Anthropologie and Teatro Verde.

3. Satsuma - My friend Katie would likely argue that this one should be considered my signature. Only because I've been wearing it since high school. Back when Body Shop perfume oils were all I could afford. To this day I still love the warm citrusy scent. But only use a drop or two. This stuff can be very strong, especially if you apply it your pulse points (the warmth of your body intensifies the smell)

I like to dress cheap

2010-09-22T05:43:00.001-04:00

More accurately, I like to dress nicely in clothes that don't cost a fortune. I've mentioned my LOVE of Joe Fresh before. But I'll say it again. I LOVE Joe Fresh! You've got to get there soon. They have a fantastic Fall line in right now. Amazing collection of cozy sweaters. I got this cardigan which looks like something my Mom would knit (high praise as my Mom is a world class knitter), for the low low price of $19. The super cute stripe boat neck shirt was a mere $16! The perfect top for a casual Saturday brunch. So run on down to Joe's before I buy up everything!!

Bad Movie Night

2010-09-19T21:08:00.003-04:00

TIFF is now done. There were many great movies. So I thought we'd talk Bad Movies. I LOVE Bad Movies. And I have a bit of a gift for picking them. Now let me back up here for a moment. Bad Movies have a time and a place. I do not see Bad Movies at the theatre (not intentionally anyway). No no, if I'm going to spend approx $30 - 40 on a movie (ticket, popcorn and soda), then that movie better be good. Bad movies are most definitely something you rent.

Let me clarify what I mean when I say "Bad Movie". A Bad Movie is one that thinks it's good. It takes itself seriously. And yet, it is so terrible, so ridiculous, so BAD that is becomes good. And highly entertaining. A Bad Movie is also one where paying close attention to the plot is not really necessary. You can take a bathroom break during a Bad Movie and not worry about hitting the Pause button. You can talk during a Bad Movie. In fact, talking is encouraged! One of my favourite things to do is have Bad Movie night with my friends. We get some sort of take out (usually Thai or sushi). Alcohol of some kind is present (usually fun cheap champagne). An assortment of sweet snacks is always on hand (the Popcorn from Two Dishes cookbook is a must!) Combine all that with comfy lounge clothes and my uber comfy sofa and you've got yourself a fun evening. Once you press Play, the good times begin. While watching a Bad Movie, we chat a bit about our lives, talk back to the characters in the movie, or (and my personal favourite) make up our own dialogue.

If you've had a stressful/bad week (or even if you haven't) I highly recommend having yourself a bad movie night. And to get you started here are some of my favourite Bad Movie picks:

Twilight 1 + 2 - I know this may get me some haters, but these are absolutely brutal movies. But brutal in the best way possible. Watch Edward's face and tell me if doesn't look constantly constipated...

I Know Who Killed Me - this might be my all time favourite. Never heard of it? Don't be surprised. It did not make a lot of money. This is one of the movies Lindsay Lohan did after Mean Girls. Let's just say it involves pole dancing and a fake battery powered leg. Need I say more...

Disturbia - Now I like Shia LaBeouf. But this movie had us yelling at the T.V. It does have some fun suspenseful moments that made us hide in our sweat shirts, but by the end we had renamed it Stup-urbia (get it, because it was stupid)

Rosemary's Baby - Now this was a little long (over 2 hours). And not nearly as scary we had thought it was supposed to be. But... the "special effects" are hilarious (they were after all from 1968). And the story is rather ridiculous. It's a classic for a reason

Primeval - The story of a giant crocodile run a muck in Burundi. Halfway through I remember turning to my friend and saying "I'm sorta routing for the crocodile at this point!"

TIFF!

2010-09-13T22:15:00.003-04:00

The Toronto International Film Fest is now in full swing! I love the film fest but hadn't planned on going to any of the premieres this year. So imagine my delight when my lovely cousins Holly and Jason offered me tickets to the opening night party last Thursday! My friend Lisa happily agreed to go with me. So that night we put on our chic party girl finest and headed down to the Liberty Grand. The opening movie was a hockey musical, so naturally everything at the party was hockey themed. There was a hot dog station. Poutine station. Hockey rink shaped dance floor. And many many stocked bars. After we finished our poutine and grabbed a beverage we headed outside to the gorgeous patio. We both brought our cameras (just in case we spotted a celebrity!), and Lisa started scanning the small group of people around us for someone to take our photo. She settled on a petite blonde girl in a very cool gold hooded mini dress.

"Excuse me?" Lisa politely asked. "But would you mind taking our photo", gesturing towards the two of us.

"Sure! No problem", the blonde replied. She enthusiastically took Lisa's camera and snapped away. "I'm going all Mom-like on you right now", she even joked.

After she handed the camera back to Lisa I really took a good look at her. She looked really familiar. The cool blonde hair. The rock and roll outfit.

"Lis, I think that's the lead singer of Metric..." I whispered

"It does kinda look like her", Lisa whispered back

"No, I think it IS her Lis!"

So Lisa then politely taps her again and asks, "Umm sorry... but are you in a band?"

"Yeah, we all are" the blonde replies, gesturing to the two cool looking guys she's talking with.

"OH MY GOD! Lisa, I told you we just asked Emily from Metric to take our photo!!" I yelped.

They laughed - thankfully! While we were mortified that we had just asked the famous people to take our photo, they joked about how awesome it was. We chatted with them for a few minutes. Talking about their new album. Talking about their recent gig at Lollapalooza. They could not have been lovelier. So we decided to push our luck a little more. I must admit. We are not cool party people. We get excited about seeing famous people. So yeah, we asked if we could have photos taken with them. They were kind enough to grant our request. So we snapped a couple pictures, thanked them, turned our backs for one second... and they were gone!

But it didn't matter. That 10 minutes made our night! And it gave us a great new way to approach famous people... You walk right up to them. And then ask them to take your photo! We tried it again later in the evening when I recognized a former star from Degrassi the Next Generation. He however was NOT into this. He clearly thought we should have immediately acknowledged who he was. And because of this, we obviously didn't.

So I must thank Jason and Holly again for the great party tickets! It was TIFF-rrific!

Beat the heat on your feet

2010-08-30T21:30:00.000-04:00

This Summer heat... It just won't give up! Every time I like we're going to get a break, Mother Nature throws some more heat and humidity at us. Like this week. The temperature is supposed to be ridiculous this week. Which means being hot. And sweaty. And potentially smelly. But the WORST is when you're feet get hot, and sweaty and smelly (sorry if this is grossing anyone out, but we've all been there). The Body Shop has a great product for just such a problem. Their Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray is heavenly. With just a little spritz, your feet feel instantly more comfortable. And if you want SUPER cooling effects, store the bottle in the fridge. At $10 a bottle, it's a perfectly affordable feet treat.

(and to my running friends, this stuff is FANTASTIC after our long runs!!)

It's Grrrrrr-eat!

2010-08-25T21:05:00.000-04:00

My cooking spree is still going strong. More and more I wonder why I would ever consider buying something that I could make myself - from scratch!

I've made this granola many many times. It's an Ina Garten recipe, so you know it's going to be good! Whose Ina Garten you ask? (and if you have to ask, we may not be able to be friends anymore, plus I've blogged about her previously, so there's really no excuse). She is the Barefoot Contessa, also known as one of my favourite chefs. She is my queen of home cooked comfort food. And not only are her recipes delicious, but they are also easy. Like this granola. You can make it in large or small batches, and adjust the nuts and fruits to your personal taste. I also like to add a dash of cinnamon to mine. Sprinkled on top of non-fat plain yogurt it is the perfect fast and healthy breakfast - much better then anything you'll find at Starbucks!

Click here for the recipe

p.s. When I met Ina at a book signing a couple years ago we talked about this granola!

We jammin'

2010-08-21T11:54:00.001-04:00

My mom often jokes that I was born in the wrong decade. Based on my tastes in music, clothes, and decor, she says the 60's would have been a good time for me. She of course is referring to the 1960's. However lately I've been thinking the 1860's may not have been so bad either, as I have decided to take on a new hubby in the form of food preserving. (very Little House on the Prairie)

The idea started the other week when my friend Sibylle and I decided to start cooking more on the weekends and freezing the extras. We'd made gazpacho and pesto and were searching for other food ideas. I had been wanting to make my own jam for a while, so we starting looking for recipes online. This of course also brought up links to storing homemade jam. Immediately we were excited about the idea of making and jarring our own jams and preserves. A quick check on the Martha Stewart website brought up a 10 minute how to video, at which point we realized we may be in a little over our heads. There was some equipment we were going to need to purchase (thermometers, funnels and tongs - oh my!). Then there is the whole issue of needing everything to be uber sterilized. And all this before we even knew if the jam we make would be any good! So I decided to take the endeavor in baby steps. Step 1, was to just make a small batch of jam...

So last Saturday I walked over my local fruit market and picked up a HUGE container of blueberries. They were insanely cheap, about $4 for 4 pints. When I got home I immediately stuck half of them in the freezer (which is quickly being filled with some fantastic items!). The remaining berries (about 2 cups worth) got put in a small pot and sprinkled with a bit of sugar. This is the great thing about making things from scratch. You get to control every single ingredient. I don't like super duper sweet jams, and most of the recipes I found on the internet called for a large amount of sugar, so I just used less! Next was to bring the berries up to a boil, then turn down the heat and slowly simmer for about 45 minutes, until the mixture had thickened. I let it cool slightly in the pot, then transferred into a tupperware container. Once it was completely cooled it went in the fridge for me to start enjoying! And let me tell you - It. Is. GOOD! Fantastic on plain bread, or a small drop added to plain nonfat yogurt.

Now that I know how easy the jam making can be, I can start experimenting with more challenging recipes and yes... the preserving aspect...

To be continued...

The Little Honey Bee turns 1!

2010-08-21T11:34:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday to the Bee! It's my little blogs birthday! Yay! Thanks to everyone for reading!!

(p.s. The cupcake is Dufflet. You can buy them at Loblaws!! Yum!)

Apparently I like singing the F-word...

2010-08-20T19:43:00.002-04:00

I've had this song on repeat all afternoon. It's amazingness is completely stuck in my head! So upbeat and catchy! Almost makes me wish I had recently been dumped so I could call it my breakup anthem. Oh well, I'm sure if I think really hard, someone will up into my head... ;)

p.s. NOT an appropriate song to play near children!

Click here to play

Ready to start racing?

2010-08-17T23:58:00.001-04:00

We interrupt the many recipe posts to bring you a marathon training update...

This Saturday is sort of the kick off to my racing season. It's the Mid Summers Night 30km. I'd like to say that I'm not at all worried. Cool as a cucumber (or a bowl of chilled gazpacho). But sadly, this is not the case. The Summer heat and humidity have been kicking my ass for weeks. EVERY run has felt like a massive, horrible, sweaty challenge. It's hard to tell if I'm improving, or getting stronger when I feel just as exhausted 13 weeks into training as I did at week 1...

So Saturday's race is 30km. Followed in a few weeks by the Scotia Waterfront Half Marathon. And then the San Francisco FULL Marathon a couple weeks after that. Yes, as of this weekend my goal race is only 8 weeks away. To some, this may seem like a long time. Nothing to worry about. However I remember not too long ago finding out we got into the race. At that time, race day was 25 weeks away. Those 23 weeks have FLOWN by. Which means the next 8 weeks will likely fly by also. And in addition to my upcoming races, there are also the most difficult training runs still to come.

Nerves are creeping up. Doubts starting to set in...

So now may just be the perfect time to pull out a book my friend Yvonne at work gave me for Christmas. It's called "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running". To quote Yvonne, "I saw it and thought it was everything you were about - Japan and running!". It's a fantastic little memoir about author Haruki Murakami's experiences over the years as a long distance runner. Now I personally am not a fan of the Oprah approved, chicken soup for the soul, hug yourself daily self help genre (I refused to read "The Secret" even after my mom tried to pawn it off on me after she accidentally stole it from Costco - that's a funny story for another day...), but while reading this book I found myself constantly tagging pages or underlining sections that I found inspiring or could relate to. The quote that struck me most, the one I will now be repeating to myself before each race or difficult long run "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." I'm running a long tough distance. It's going to hurt. It may suck. But how much I let that effect me is totally under MY control.

"What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" is a great book to read in general, but if you're a runner, it's an absolute MUST!

But for now, wish me luck for Saturday. Or as we runners sometimes say - Hope I can kick asphalt!

Pesto Party!

2010-08-14T20:47:00.001-04:00

So in our effort to save a few bucks and eat healthier, Sibylle and I have decided to have Saturday morning cooking parties. Not only do we get to have fun hanging out and cooking in their fab kitchen, but we end up with loads of tasty food in our refrigerators and freezers!

This weekend we decided homemade pesto was on the menu. I love pesto, but buying it at the grocery store can be a little pricey. Especially if you want good quality. Fortunately for us Sibylle had a great pesto recipe from her sister. We bought the cheese at Costco (which is quickly becoming one of my favourite places) and the produce at a local fruit market. This was a much more economical then buying the ingredients at the grocery store. You'll need a LOT of basil for this (we needed about 10 cups). At the grocery store Basil was about $1 per stem. At the fruit market we got a MASSIVE bag for about $3. Well, we think it cost us $3. We bought 4 items and were only charged for 3. It's possible the cashier liked us. We left the store and started reenacting that Ikea commercial, running down the street laughing "start the car, start the car!!" Bottom line, grocery expensive, fruit market cheap!

When we got back to Sibylle's we quickly got to work prepping all of the ingredients. With everything ready to go, and a super powerful food processor, we were able to make quick work of this. I recommend doing this in several batches.

The trick is to taste every batch you make, adjusting quantities as needed. Then you mix all the batches together in a large mixing bowl, so you end up the a perfect mixture.

The results were DELICIOUS! We filled 15 jars with the most amazingly flavourful pesto I've ever tasted. As Sibs and I licked the mixing bowl clean we came up with a million different ways to use this gorgeous green sauce. The best part is knowing that I have a freezer full of this stuff!

Here's the recipe we used. This makes 1 batch:

3 cups of fresh basil

7 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup of pine nuts

1/2 cups of parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of pepper

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/3 cup of lemon juice

Add all the dry ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times, then add the lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse until you have the desired consistency.

Summer in a bowl

2010-08-09T05:12:00.000-04:00

The other weekend I had dinner at my friends Traven and Kristin's new house. It was a beautiful summer evening. We ate on their fantastic third floor patio. But the beautiful summery setting was no much for the beautiful summer meal Kristin made. We started with a wonderful bowl of chunky cool gazpacho. I can not remember the last time I tasted something so fresh and amazing. It was like a big bowl of Summer! Tasted delightful AND super healthy! The next day I had to email Kristin for the recipe, which she was kind enough to pass along to me. I knew Sibs would love this as much as I did, so we decided to make some on Saturday for dinner. With the help of the food processor, it took us about 5 minutes to make.

I only wish there was a smell feature on this blog. Because it smells incredible! So good in fact that we kept sticking our heads in the fridge while it was cooling just to get a good sniff! If you're looking for a fast, delicious and SUPER healthy summer meal, I absolutely recommend making Kristin's gazpacho:

- 6-8 ripe tomatos
- 1 cucumber (seeds and skin removed)
- 1 red pepper
- about 1/2 cup onion (green, red or white, they're all good)
- 1 clove of garlic
- about 1/4 cup olive oil (more if it's a bit bitter)
- about 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- parsley (optional)
- salt and pepper

Why can't everyday be Saturday?

2010-08-08T08:00:00.000-04:00

Stress free Saturday morning breakfasts are the BEST! This weekend I wanted to make waffles for Sibylle and Steve (they make me dinner ALL the time!) Any good waffle needs a good topping. The three of us are trying to eat healthier, so I thought a warm apple compote would do the trick.

The results? Amazing! The apples have the perfect sweet/tart balance and are perfect on top of the waffles. This compote is also delicious on ice cream or plain yogurt (should you feel like being healthy!)

Just like all food I love, the apple compote is SUPER easy to make:

Cook chopped apples with a pinch of sugar and cinnamon, squeeze of lemon and a little water. The apples take about 15-20 minutes to cook through and start to break down. Mash slightly for a more apple sauce like texture. This compote is also great pears.

So what do you drink with homemade waffles and apple compote? Homemade lattes of course! While I prepped the food, Sibs whipped up these fantastic drinks. She's even working on her foam art

I'm not sure, but I think this little fellow was supposed to be Steve...

If only every morning could be so tasty!

Letting the market speak to me

2010-08-07T22:10:00.003-04:00

In the Summer months I love going to the fruit market with absolutely no plans of what I want to make. I let the produce "speak to me". I buy what looks good. Figuring out what to make as I go along. Last weekend EVERYTHING looked good! The fact that I had been running for over 3 hours may have had something to do with that! It was hard to restrain myself. But I decided to make a fresh bean salad and roasted potatoes.

The bean salad was SUPER easy to make and SUPER tasty. If you only add the vinaigrette right before serving you can make this in a large batch and enjoy it all week! Here is the recipe:

- yellow beans

- green beans

- thinly sliced radishes

For the vinaigrette:

- 3 parts olive oil

- 1 part rice wine vinegar

- 1 part sesame oil

- sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds

- good pinches of fresh ginger and garlic

- salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the beans then toss with the radishes. Mix together the vinaigrette and lightly dress the beans. Eat and enjoy!

My Summer of Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll!

2010-08-03T05:00:00.002-04:00

I love having great books to read in the Summer. But I usually want something on the lighter side. One Summer I read The Incredible Lightness of Being. I can assure you, there is nothing "light" about that book! But I can't do the "chick lit" thing. (The last time I was at my parents house I decided to read Something Borrowed to help me fall asleep. I became enraged instead!) But this Summer I think I've found the perfect alternatives. First up is East Riders, Raging Bulls, a fascinating book about how the New Hollywood of the 70's saved the movie industry. It's page after page of insider stories about some of the most iconic films ever made. It's got the drugged up craziness of Denis Hooper. The bed hopping of Warren Beatty. And is anyone cooler the Jack Nicholson? I think not.

Next, it's Furious Love, the story of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. I am VERY excited to start reading this book. Last month Vanity Fair published sections from the book and it is a REAL page turner. Those two drank hard, fought hard and loved hard. Who needs Brangelina when you've got these two!

I'm Tee'd off!

2010-08-02T11:04:00.003-04:00

I have loved running for a few years now. I still love it. Will always love it. But it's not "new" to me anymore. Yes, the marathon distance is new. And I can certainly improve my run times. But it's still just running. For the most part, I know what I'm doing now. (Though at times that is up for debate!) I was starting to feel like I needed a new challenge. Enter golf! Sibylle had decided to learn this summer so she could play with Steve. She asked if I'd be interested in taking lessons with her. Always up for something new, I agreed! And what fun it has become! We signed up for lessons at the Dentonia golf course in Scarborough. It could not be more convenient, right outside of the Victoria Park subway station. The lessons were great (VERY reasonably priced). We got instruction from a very patient golf pro once a week for an hour. The funniest was when he'd watch us take a few swings. We look up, eager to hear what he had to say. His usual comment - "Ummm... okay...." then he'd walk away. It was hilarious. But thankfully, my swing has gotten better. I can't wait to go out and play a round.

One of the BEST parts, this has opened up a whole new world of fun equipment/apparel! Polo shirts and golf gloves?! Yes please!

Four!

Chill out

2010-07-25T21:02:00.000-04:00

So yeah... this has becoming one HOT Summer. Keeping cool has become my mission. It's not been easy. My apartment doesn't have air conditioning. Some nights I've had to sleep with an ice pack under my neck while a fan blasts me at full speed. The last thing I want to have when my apartment gets this hot is an even hotter beverage. Which was putting a kink in my weekend morning routine of enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee. So when my cousin Holly recommended the Starbucks Via iced coffee at home packs I picked some up right away. Well thank you Holly! These are awesome. The mix dissolves easily in cold water and is already lightly sweetened. But one pack does make a whole lotta iced coffee, so either use only half, or be prepared to drink a lot!

Stay cool my friends!

I'm Mad!

2010-07-23T05:54:00.000-04:00

I'm MAD for Mad Men!! Season 4 starts on Sunday!! Are you watching? I hope you're watching. If you're not watching I'm not sure we can be friends. It's been a long few months without my favourite Madison Avenue fellas. Oh Don Draper, how I've missed you....

(Above is a picture of me with the Sterling Cooper boys. Look at them trying to get me drunk!)

I like it fast and easy!

2010-07-21T23:48:00.001-04:00

If something is quick and easy to cook, I'm all for it. If it's also delicious, well woohoo sign me up! I got the recipe for these tuna cakes from the Martha Stewart Everyday Food blog. I LOVE them. They are quick, easy, delicious AND cheap. Click here for the recipe.

I've made these a number of times. You can switch up the fresh herbs depending on what you find at the grocery store. I've done these with cilantro, parsley and dill. I also like to add a small amount of Terroni hot peppers. Served with a light arugula salad, it's the perfect weeknight dinner. (And one batch can last a single gal 2-3 nights!)

Paris, je t'aime

2010-07-19T22:05:00.001-04:00

I blame Montreal. My recent visit has reignited my love of all things French. Movies. Music. Clothing. If I close my eyes I can see myself on an old fashion bicycle in a stripped shirt cruising the streets of Paris while Edith Piaf plays in the background. Padam, Padam, Padam... sigh. Sadly I have never been to Paris. It's probably not like that at all. But a girl can dream!

And while I can't go to Paris (well at least not any time soon) I can watch my dream city in the movies. If you haven't seen 2 of my all time favs, you simply MUST! First up is Amelie. I. LOVE. THIS. MOVIE. I love everything about it. The story, the acting, the music. Everything about it is charming and delightful. You can not help but smile while watching this film. Every time I watch it I want to BE Amelie. I silently curse the fact that I am not a tiny charming French girl! Amelie's Paris is what Paris in my head is like. Perfection...

My other favourite Paris film is Paris, je t'aime. The film weaves together short 5 minute stories by 20 different filmmakers. The common theme: love in Paris. Some of the stories are silly, some sad, some charming, some just plain strange. But all are very entertaining. They made a similar film with my other favourite city (New York) as the background, but this original is MUCH better.

So slap on a beret, grab a baguette and some wine and enjoy two movies about a city I really need to visit!

Montreal, je t'aime!

2010-07-18T21:14:00.004-04:00

So I had taken a little blogging break. I needed to restore my "creative" juices. (And find new things to write about!) So last week I took a much needed little vacay to Montreal to visit friends Lindsay and David. So for this post I present The Little Honey Bee - Montreal addition! I had SUCH a good time while there. Fun. Relaxing. L + D really know how to show a girl a good time! Should you be lucky enough to find yourself in Montreal for a couple days you must check out the Atwater market. Filled with beautiful pastry shops, fruit and vegetable stands, and cheese shops (on the cheese shops!).

The next stop, rent a Bixi Bike. For $5 you can rent the bike for a day. They can be picked up and dropped off at spots all over the city. Oh how I wish Toronto had these little babies! They were SO much fun. Well maintained, cheap and a GREAT way to get around the city. Exercise and sight seeing all in one!

We rode the bikes over to Old Montreal and after walking around the old streets a little bit settled onto a shady patch of grass in the Old Port where we unpacked our little picnic. Baguette, cheese, olives, tomatoes, plums, cherries and wine! It made for a fantastic little feast.

Sigh. It was such a fantastic trip. I can't wait to go back and visit Linds and David again. Montreal, je t'aime!!

and now that I've started blogging again, hopefully my lovely (and supportive) family won't gimme a hard time anymore! ;)

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T05:18:00.000-04:00

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads! But especially mine, because he's AWESOME!

Feeling hot Hot HOT

2010-06-15T21:06:00.001-04:00

So perhaps you've noticed, but it's starting to get hot in Toronto. Like HOT hot. Like sweat your face off HOT. Now I normally do not do well with HOT weather. Don't get me wrong, I like warmth and sunshine. But I don't like walking outside and feeling like you've stepped into the bowels of Hades. Not cute. But for some reason I'm not minding it as much this year. (I say this now, after we've only had to deal with it for a couple of weeks) I'm really trying to embrace the heat this year. Sleeveless shirts are great - especially now that I'm starting to get a tan. I am discovering a multitude of new ways to wear my heavy hair up (bobby pins and headbands are my new best friend). And nothing looks as hot in HOT weather as a HOT colour like HOT pink on your nails. Seriously, this colour from Essie (Punchy Pink) looks like I cracked open a pink highligher and went to town! Perfect, and just in time for Summer! If this pop of colour is a little too intense for your finger nails, it's the perfect shade for your tooties!

I give up(do)

2010-06-12T05:35:00.003-04:00

As someone with thick heavy long-ish hair, the hot summer months are not easy. While I'd love to wear it down and either poker straight or with loose waves, once the humidity sets in, my hair has other ideas. I can not count the number of hours I have spent in the mornings, coaxing it into perfection to have it frizz and go bananas the second I step out side. The other problem with having my hair down is that, gosh darn it - it's hot! Not hot like Gisele hot. But like "oh dear lord I'm sweltering" hot. Not good. So this year I've decide not to fight it. I'm wearing my hair up as much as possible. But I don't want to get stuck in a ponytail everyday rut (not that there's anything wrong with that). I just want to spice it up a little. So here are a couple of websites I've can across with cute (and they sound easy) updo styles to help get you through the summer:

Real Simple

Elle

Also, you can't go wrong with a fun headband or handful of black bobby pins. I actually really like when you can see the bobby pins all over - very Carrie Bradshaw circa Season 5. The best bobby pins EVER are called Lady Ellen and can be found at The Beauty Supply store. I get them at the Yonge and Heath St. location. I also prefer when my updos look a little on the rough and messy side. It keeps you from looking like you should be at a wedding or prom. Bumble and Bumble's Surf spray is great for this as it gives your hair a fantastic beachy texture.

Accessory DIY

2010-06-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

I have a love for big bold accessories. The only problem with big bold accessories is that they can have a big bold price tag to go along with them. I love walking the around the beautiful glass display cases at Holt Renfrew, admiring the bright and beautiful pieces that would cost me half a months rent. Clearly, I am NOT about to spend half a months rent on a couple of bracelets. Especially not when I can make a couple for about $20. The other week I was at The Paper Place on my lunch break and picked up a couple of plan wood bracelets. They have samples there with Japanese paper Mod Podged on to them. Really pretty. But even prettier were the strips of hand dyed ribbon. All the I needed to do was glue one end of the ribbon to the inside of the bracelet and carefully wrap the ribbon around, finally securing the end with a little more glue inside. Presto! Instant big bold accessory! And I can still afford to pay my rent!

Protect your fruit!

2010-06-05T22:48:00.000-04:00

Nothing makes me sadder then a bruised piece of fruit. Ok... That may be a slight exaggeration. But bottom line, I love fruit, hate when it's bruised. And it happens without you even realizing it. You pop a perfect banana into your bag in the morning. Then when you take it out in the afternoon, it's not so perfect anymore. For a while, I thought this was just a problem I had. Perhaps my bag was just somehow REALLY hard on fruit. Something I was just going to have to accept and deal with. That was until I discovered fruit guards. Fantastic plastic containers, shaped like the particular fruit in question, designed to protect your produce from getting banged up with travelling. I have one for bananas and one for pears/apples. Now WARNING. While I love these things, they do not look "cool". In fact they look anything but cool. The banana cover in particular looks quite ridiculous - and depending who you ask, possibly sexual (guys I've worked with have teased me endlessly about the banana guard). But I promise you, if you can get past the nerdiness (which I can), these little babies are awesome!

The Last Supper

2010-06-01T05:33:00.000-04:00

One of my best friends (Lindsay) and her husband (David) have moved to Montreal. This makes me very sad. But for one evening we decided not to be sad about it, but celebrate. So the other week Linds, David, Sibs, Steve and I decided to have our version of the Last Supper, and send our beloved friends off in style.

We are all BIG fans of Terroni, and Steve and Sibs had been raving about Terroni's sister restaurant Osteria for a while now, so we decided to check it out. Good call! There is MUCH to rave about! This tiny little gem is would be great for groups of any size. The menu changes daily. You start with 5 antipasti - small in size but BIG in flavour. The night we went the items were: white bean and potato soup, lentil and calamari salad, goat stew, focaccia and ham sandwich and (the best ever) meat ball in tomato sauce. The best part of this is that you get to try many different options and flavours. We practically licked the little dishes clean. You can then choose a Primi (pasta) or Secondi (meat). Lindsay and I decided to share one of each, opting for a fantastic seafood pasta and the most incredibly tender beef tenderlion. The food is brought out slowly, allowing you to relax and enjoy each course. There is no rushing through this eating experience. You are really encouraged to linger. Enjoy your food (of which we had a lot). Enjoy your wine (of which we had a lot). And enjoy your company (we love our friends). Our meal ended with the most amazing flourless dark chocolate cake. Don't even try to share this with someone. You will want your own!

All in all, the evening was fantastic! But I will miss L + D.

Aperol hearts

(Osteria is located at 106 Victoria St. in Toronto. They take reservations! Click here for their website)

Cool Runnings

2010-05-31T21:33:00.004-04:00

So there has been some BIG news which I can't believe I haven't shared yet! My friends I and got into the Nike San Francisco Women's marathon!! I'm so So SO excited about this! After all, any race where a fireman dressed in a tuxedo hands you a Tiffany necklace at the end is bound to be good, right?! The race is in October, and training officially kicked off last week. You remember what it was like out last week? 30+ degrees and sunny everyday? Yeah. We were running in that weather. Which I'll admit, is slightly ridiculous. You know the evenings run is going to be unpleasant when the 4 minute walk from the subway station to the Running Room seems unbearable...

Thus began my quest to find running gear that I could be comfortable in as the mercury continues to climb. My new favourite so far? Lululemon's "I Just Wanna Run Tech SL" tank top. This tank has a great loose fit which I love, because really, there is nothing worse then having tight clothes stuck on you when it's a thousand degrees out. It comes in fun bright colours. And the fabric is super duper light weight. So you barely feel it at all. It's almost like you're not wearing a shirt at all! Now if I can just find shorts that feel the same way..

In a word - Mmmmmm

2010-05-12T04:49:00.000-04:00

Last week while cursing a food blog I came across a recipe for Salted Toffee Chocolate squares. They looked AMAZING. I thought perhaps I'd make them on the weekend. The next day I was flipping through the pages of the latest Everyday Food magazine and found another recipe for Salted Toffee Chocolate squares! Well that sealed the deal. I now HAD to make these things. I was visiting my parents on Saturday and enlisted the help of my sister. (She was in charge to chopping the almonds and holding the basket at the grocery store) These squares are SO easy to make. But are they as good as they look? In a word - Mmmmmmmmm!!

You can find the recipe here.

GO JOE!

2010-05-10T05:11:00.001-04:00

No, not G.I. Joe. I'm cheering for Joe Fresh! I've loved Joe Fresh for awhile now. What is there not to love? Super cute clothes that are super affordable. But this Spring they've out done themselves. The collection is gorgeous! The BEST pieces are the ones with the rosettes. They have them on tee shirts, tanks, skirts and this jacket that I bought. I LOVE this jacket. When I tried it on, my friend Laura started yelling, "Oh my god! Michelle Obama, Michelle Obama!" Then everyone in the change room area started staring. And insisting that I spin around and model it. It has ridiculous! Also ridiculous? The price. At $69 this coat is a steal! So get to Joe soon. Because at these crazy prices, these beautiful items won't be around for long!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T13:05:00.002-04:00

Hope all the Moms out there have a great day. But especially my Mom. Because she is the BEST!

Yummy in my tummy!

2010-04-26T22:37:00.002-04:00

My lovely friends Sibylle and Steve recently invited me over for a BBQ. I always jump at the chance to have dinner at their house. These two foodies have a beautiful kitchen and love for cooking, so the "eats" are ALWAYS fabulous. As this was a BBQ I had been invited to, I expected to see burgers and hot dogs. Boy was I mistaken! In a GOOD way. Upon my arrival, to my utter delight, my dinner plate was quickly filled with grilled zucchini, baked potato, the BEST BEST BEST steak I have EVER had (cooked perfectly by Steve) and this really good edamame salad. The meal was delicious. I wish I could eat it all day, every day. But sadly, I don't have a BBQ (nor the food budget to buy steaks that amazing). But what I can make is the edamame salad. Granted, it's not a steak, but it was really really good. And as I discovered the other day, really really easy to make.

Cook edamame (not in the pods) according to package directions. In a large bowl mix together cooled edamame, cut cherry tomatoes, a small amount of finely chopped red onion, a bunch of roughly chopped cilantro, lemon zest, juice of one lemon, splash of red wine vinegar and splash of olive oil. The amounts of each item aren't exact. You can alter depending on personal taste. Just make sure you have enough of the liquids to lightly coat (but not drown) everything. Prepared like that, this salad makes a great little side dish. I decided to pump it up a little and added quinoa for a more substantial lunch option. Either way, it's delicious!

A little weeknight DIY

2010-04-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

I'm a gal who likes to keep busy. I LOVE having little projects to do. And if said projects allow me to be creative or get a little messy, all the better! Ever since I moved into my new apartment in January, decorating it has been my little pet project. I have all the basic pieces that I need: bed, comfy couch (thank you Sibs and Steve), comfy chair (thank you Holly and Jason) table and chairs (thank you Ikea). But there are a couple pieces of accent furniture that I'd wanted to replace - side tables and a night stand. I have been searching high and low for a cute bed side table. Nothing too big or too formal looking. Just something I can put my fabulous reading lamp on as well as a clock, a book, and maybe one or two cute decor items. I didn't think this was asking too much. But it was proving to be quite the challenge. About 2 months ago I was looking for a place to put my cute little Ikea wooden step ladder, so I decided to use it as my bed side table until I could find a suitable replacement. Well wouldn't you know it, but this little ladder was absolutely perfect as a table! I couldn't find any actual bed side tables that I liked better (at least none in my price range). All this thing needed was a little TLC. Enter a can of Benjamin Moore Ruby Red paint. Last week painting this little ladder became my after work project. Within 2 nights it was done. The perfect little accent table for my bedroom. Now I'm just searching for the next project to get my eager little hands on!

I feel the need... the need to... clean!

2010-04-19T22:53:00.004-04:00

I was struck with an urge on Saturday. An urge to do something I don't often (if EVER) want to do. I was struck with an overwhelming urge/desire to clean and organize my apartment! Fortunately, having only lived in the new place for 3.5 months, there really wasn't too much cleaning/organizing to do. But nonetheless, I was determined to do some Spring Cleaning! My first stop was to IQ Living on the Danforth. To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure what I was looking for, but I was certain they'd have it. And have it they did! I picked up a cute little bathmat and towel hook for my bathroom. The hook is one of those the hangs off the top of a door. I've now got my bath robe hanging on it. I LOVE this thing. I also feel in love with this white First Aid box.

I decided to wall mount it and use it for storing my daily necessities: iPod, keys, subway pass, sunglasses. Now everything I need to grab quickly in the morning is right were I can find it.

(No more running around like a mad woman!)

After my very successful trip to IQ Living, it was off to purchase cleaning supplies. I treated myself to a Swiffer mop (you're jealous, I know!). Happily bogged down with all my new cleaning/organizing items, I skipped back to the apartment to begin a whirl wind cleaning spree! My little haven is now spick and span! I love it so much. So much so in fact, that Saturday night I found myself wandering room from room (this didn't take to long as there are like 3 rooms in total) just to look at how cute and clean and organized everything looked! Now the difficult part. Keeping it this way...

Why wait til May?

2010-04-13T20:55:00.001-04:00

April showers bring May flowers. Well that's all well and good, but apparently I don't want to have to wait until May for some florally goodness. While putting away my laundry this week I realized I've got A LOT of floral prints hanging in my closet. It's a floral wonderland!

And then I noticed... Not only are these floral prints taking over my clothes, they're taking over my accessories too! On rings, on necklaces, on bracelets.

What's next? My art collection? Oh... wait...

One for me. One for you

2010-04-06T22:13:00.002-04:00

So I've said many (many) times that I like shopping. But I also like doing good. I like helping people. (I've actually helped an old lady cross the street thank you very much!) So when I can do both, it's win win! Enter TOMS Shoes. Toms are super comfy slide on canvas loafers. They're cute and slipper like comfortable. The PERFECT casual weekend shoe. But the BEST part about these little babies is that for every pair sold, TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need in a developing country. It's One for One.

Now before you start to worry that these shoes may be a little too comfy looking or "tree huggery" fear not! After I bought them I saw them in the latest issue of InStyle. They've also been featured in Vogue. If they're good enough for Anna Wintour, they're good enough for me!

(You can get them at getoutside on Queen St.)

Time for a treat!

2010-03-31T05:00:00.001-04:00

Having recently completed a 30km race, I think I've earned the right to indulge just a little. Thank goodness it's Easter this weekend! We will be having a big family get together at my parents place this weekend. I LOVE our family gatherings! There's always lots of fun, lots of laughter and LOTS of super yummy food. I will be making my popular lemon sugar cookies. They are super easy, super delicious, and as we discovered last year, very popular with the kiddies (one of my little cousins ended up with blue icing in his hair...)

These litlle babies make a great Easter treat! Or get different cookie cutters and find a reason to make them any time!

The recipe can be found here. For the icing I mix icing sugar with lemon juice and a little food colouring.

Happy Easter!

Around the Bay in 30k

2010-03-30T16:44:00.002-04:00

Well it's DONE!

I DID IT!

The first milestone on my way to the marathon has been completed - The Around the Bay 30km! It went surprisingly well. I had been worried for the entire week leading up to it. But while the race ended well, it did not start well... There was one slight start line hiccup - my iPod decided not to work. Which I realized would mean running for approx 4 hours with NO music. I don't like to run 20 minutes without music! This had the potential to be a MAJOR ordeal!! (Especially considering I had spent over an hour the night before perfecting my race day playlist). My first reaction: F - - - - - - - CK! But then the start gun went off and I had no time to think about it. The first 2km were not pleasant. My knees and shines were killing me. "Great" I thought. I'm going to be in pain and without tunes to help distract me. But thankfully, there were tons (and I mean TONS) of spectators along the route, cheering on the runners. This helped things. Before I knew it I was at the 6km mark, and all lower body pain was gone!

The rest of the run seemed to go by in a blur. I remember being thankful for the kilometer markers along the way (Note to my coaches - it would be awesome to have those on our practices runs - you guys should look into that! lol) Each marker also had fantastic running related phrase. At 3km it was "There is no such thing as bad weather. Only soft runners". 12km was "Just Giver!". At 29km "You are your own hero". I LOVED these. And then there were the spectators! I can not say enough good things about the people watching this event! They were everywhere! Along the entire course. Cheering and clapping. Holding up signs. It was amazing! Literally the music to my ears!

But the BEST part of the day, was running to the finish line inside Copps Coliseum. Hearing them call my name on the speaker and seeing my friends and fellow runners cheering in the stands! Not to get all cheese ball, but without the support and encouragement from the fantastic group of people I train with, I would not have been able to do it! You guys ROCK!

So now that the first step in training has been successfully completed, I'm ready to keep going. Autumn marathon - you are in my sights...

I'm a sucker for a good accent

2010-03-19T20:18:00.001-04:00

My friends and I are goofs. We like to have goofy fun. Sometimes this fun takes on the form of silly accents. It's not uncommon for us to pretend to be British. And I like to think uur British accents are pretty good! Ok, they're actually probably pretty terrible, but we love them.

Another type of accent that I love? Accent walls (nice segway non?). When I moved into my new apartment earlier this year, I decided to paint. Typically, I like to have colour on all my walls. And colourful art. And colourful accessories. (I like colour) The problem with this however is that after a while it starts to feel like a crayon box exploded in my home. So this time around I decided to tone it down a little. I went with white walls. Benjamin Moore's Snow White in fact. It was recommended to me by my cousin Holly. Excellent recommendation. It's clean. Crisp. Bright. LOVE it. But... I couldn't have every wall white. I needed a little injection of colour. Enter the accent wall! The colour in my bedroom is my favourite. It's called Excalibur (again by Benjamin Moore). In daylight it looks cool and grey. At night, it turns smoky purple. It adds just the right amount of POP!

Downsizing

2010-03-14T20:00:00.000-04:00

Don't worry, I'm not talking corporate downsizing. This is about makeup bag downsizing. My dear friend Lindsay sent me an email a while back suggesting I do a post about makeup bag refreshing. And with the weather starting to turn warm my thoughts turn to Spring cleaning. So I decided to include my makeup bag in my Spring cleanup this year.

Step one was to buy a new bag. Something smaller then my current one. I won't be able to carry around as much stuff. This is a good thing, because really, it's not like I need (or wear) several shades of eyeshadow. Or eye liner. Or blush. So why the hack am I lugging it around? I think my new bag is very cute. (and I got it on sale at Anthropologie!)

Step two was to toss the old stuff I haven't been using. This was actually a little difficult. Why am I so attached to old makeup? It's like I have this worry that once I throw it out, I'll suddenly need poppy red cream blush. If actually tossing your old products is too traumatic, I suggest taking them out of your bag and storing them elsewhere. (I guarantee, after a couple weeks, you'll completely forget about them).

Step three was to refresh the products I decided to keep. I bought a new bottle of my favourite lip stain. My tube of my favourite mascara. I cleaned my makeup brushes. (If you're looking to buy new brushes, the Quo line at Shoppers Drug Mart is great). Got some new blending sponges. Now everything feels fresh and clean and new (which is good considering this stuff goes on my face!)

Another thing to keep in mind as we move into Spring. Spring leads to Summer (who knew!). And with Summer comes hot weather (again I'm blowing your mind right?!). No one wants to have pounds of heavy makeup on when it's warm outside. Less is more. Sheer is better. So if you do decide to pick up some new products, look for tinted moisturizers, stains, and gels. Light washes of colour will look natural and feel much better!

Couch + vanilla tea = rockin' Friday night

2010-03-12T20:57:00.004-05:00

I've been very bad about new posts recently. Between my regular job, running, and a freelance project I've taken on, I've been swamped! Now add to that the fact I'm starting to get sick! Urgh. I've got NO energy for anything extra. I've got nothing but the overwhelming desire to sit on the couch and drink tea.

My desire for tea has increased enormously ever since I started adding a couple drops of vanilla extract into my cup along with my sugar. Sooooo good. And if I'm feeling SUPER indulgent (like say on a cold and rainy Friday night) I might even use a little splash of light cream instead of milk. It's rich and sweet and delicious!! And that's about everything I'm looking for at the end of a long week.

Strike a pose. VOGUE!

2010-03-05T19:30:00.000-05:00

If Fashion is a religion, Vogue magazine is the bible. The September Issue just came out on DVD. It's the documentary version of The Devil Wears Prada. But the real life personalities are far more hilarious then any scripted character. The movie focuses on the editors of American Vogue magazine in 2007 as they put together the all important September issue - the largest magazine of the year, and the longest magazine EVER published. Anna Wintour is the icy editor in chief. Impossibly skinny and always hiding behind her large designer sunglasses. She's decisive. She's cold. Everyone at Vogue is afraid of her. Then there's her right hand woman - Grace Coddington. Anna's polar opposite. She's wildly creative. She's warm. Everyone at Vogue loves her. Anna is the business woman. Grace is the artist. Watching them butt heads is hilarious! Add to this the LARGER then life personality of editor at large Andre Leon Talley and you've got comic gold. Seriously, this man is amazingness. It's worth watching the movie just to see the scene where he plays tennis - wearing a giant Louis Vitton towel around his neck and the diamond covered watch (his version of a tennis bracelet he explains). And I thought my Lululemon running gear was fancy - Ha!

If you're at all interested in fashion or publishing, it's really a VERY entertaining film. Watch as Anna and crew comment again and again about Sienna Miller's (September's cover girl) teeth and hair (they are shocked that she won't chop off her hair for their shoot!).

It's a famine of beauty, honey. My eyes are starhhhving for beauty!!

Marathoning Update - with the good, comes the bad...

2010-03-01T20:44:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd give a little update on how my marathon training is going (I'll have some silly flaky posts later this week). Up until this past weekend, things had been progressing nicely. My tempo runs were finally getting faster. My body was feeling good. I could feel the positive changes taking shape. Then came Sunday. My training was dealt it's first major hurdle. A soul crushing 23km run. This was the furthest I've run ever. I had been a little anxious about it all week. I woke up that morning (7:00 am on a Sunday!) in a bit of a bad mood. I really wanted to stay in bed. But I knew I had to get up for the group run. As hard as it is to run 23km with a group of friends, I knew it would NEVER happen if I had to go out alone.

Things started off ok. But around 8km my knee started to get a little stiff. That's when the worry started creeping in. Why am I sore already? Is this the beginning of another injury? What if I can't do this? So I decided it best to slow my pace down just a little. But in doing so started to fall further back from my pace group. Throw in a couple of long red lights and soon I lost sight of them altogether (which was ok, given my grumpy mood I would not have been the best company). Now I've hit 14km and I really don't want to run anymore. Several times I find myself checking what street I'm on, thinking of quick ways to get back to the Running Room (home base). But I tell myself to keep going. Maybe it will get better. It doesn't. The streets are icy and I almost slide around a lot. I start HATING everything. The weather. The ice. The route. The fact I'm not in better shape. The people who are in better shape. You name it, I was cursing it. Mental exhaustion now starts to set in. I'm taking unscheduled walk breaks. Things hit an all time low when at 21km I found myself alone and exhausted in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. This is normally one of my favourites places to run. But not on this day. I was taking a walk break; My legs (feeling good) were telling me to start running again. My brain didn't want to listen.

"GO! We can do it", cried my legs. But in my head all I could hear was "You're done. You can't do this. Why did you think you could? If you can't run 23km, how are you ever going to run that 30km race? Or the full marathon?". It was at this point I burst into tears. Or what would have been tears provided I had not been so dehydrated. All my bodily fluids had been sweat out and I had nothing left for tears. So instead I was left making that ugly cry face. Totally pathetic. This went on for a good minute. I FINALLY some how ended up running again. And after that things were fine. I finished the remaining 2km with no problem. In fact, there was a little zip in my step. I entered the Running Room to the sound of cheers and congratulations. My fellow runners and friends all every happy that we had completed such a long tough run. It was a very welcome sound!

So what did Sunday's run teach me? Physically I can do it. But as strong as you need to be physically, you need to be just as strong mentally. As soon as you start doubting, it all falls apart. I'll have a chance to put this to practice again on Sunday. We're running 26km! Cross your fingers!

Dear Canada, We. Are. Awesome!

2010-02-28T20:48:00.001-05:00

Oh Canada! We ruled the podium! Most GOLD medals EVER at a Winter Olympics. Simply Amazing! I will be going into Olympic withdrawal over the next few days.

And not that all of our GOLD medal moments weren't amazing - but did you see that Men's Hockey game?! I didn't know it was possible to have an aneurysm at my age!

Now time to watch the Closing Ceremonies!

GO CANADA!!

Can I have Soma more please?

2010-02-23T21:08:00.004-05:00

I do not like chocolate. No. "Like" is not a strong enough word. I LOVE chocolate. Adore it. Crave it. Worship it. (You see where I'm going with this. I'm a bit of a fan...) Shops that sell only chocolate are my idea of heaven. (Just in front of stores that sell only cheese, olives, bread or wine). When I was little and my family would rent a cottage in Fenelon Falls, we'd take day trips around the Kawartha's. One of our favourite stores to visit was the Nutty Chocolatier. The strong chocolate smell as you walked in the door was intoxicating. It was IMPOSSIBLE to leave without purchasing a little (or large) treat.

The same thing happens whenever I visit Soma Chocolatemakers in the Distillery District. I tell myself "Oh, I'll just stop in for a look. See what they've got". Who's kidding who? I'm FOR SURE going to buy something. And that is exactly what happened last week. I was in the area on my lunch break getting my (gorgeous) Leif Benner ring cleaned and had some time to kill. I popped into Soma for a look. Immediately I wanted to buy everything in the store and chug their hot chocolate. But, surprisingly I managed to show some restraint. I only bought a small bag of chocolate covered coffee beans. Have you ever had chocolate covered coffee beans? Oh sweet Jesus they are good! Especially the ones at Soma. They cover Balzac coffee beans in dark Peruvian chocolate. Amazing! And so addictive. After eating some back at the office I eventually had to hide them in my drawer. I would have easily demolished the whole bag and that much coffee/chocolate/caffeine is likely not good for you. My work friend Seb and I (yes, I did share) managed to make them last for two day. I think that was quite an accomplishment!

(I would have loved to have gotten a photo of them, but they didn't last long enough... they're so good)

Dreams of GOLD!

2010-02-22T05:05:00.004-05:00

I've got a fever. Olympic fever!! I've become a crazy, patriotic, maple leaf wearing, Oh Canada singing, gold medal weeping Olympic freak. I'm now obsessed with watching sports I've never been that into. And SUPER obsessed with sports that I LOVE. Like figure skating. Last week Lindsay and I watched the Men's Long Program together. (Linds is a HUGE Patrick Chan fan) I wore my Canada hoodie. Lindsay wore the BEST outfit EVER! An actual figure skating dress!

Lindsay you see, used to compete in figure skating. I am rather envious of this, as it was always my secret childhood dream to be a professional figure skater. I had the whole scenario scripted in my head. I was a relative new comer who burst out onto the scene. In my first Olympic appearance. The competition would be tough. I was the underdog. In the short program I would stumble, placing me fourth going into the long program. But this was where I wanted to be. I would be the last to skate that night. The Russian skater (we'll call her Natasha) who was currently in first would skate before me. Natasha was good. Almost perfect. But a stumble on her last jump would leave me some room. I'd take to the ice. The music would start - something classical and dramatic. My first jump would be a triple triple combo. I'd jump them high and land them perfectly. Towards the end of the program, I'd pull out my big surprise. Knowing that it was all or nothing. I'd throw in a quad! Four perfect rotations. Perfect landing. The first woman ever to land a quad in competition! The crowd would erupt! The TV announcers would go crazy. The performance of my life. My scores would come up - 6.0, 6.0 6.0 5.8 (that Russian judge is tough!). I'd be in first place. GOLD MEDAL!!

Now, I sadly will never get to live out this dream. But I am so happy to cheer on the efforts of our actual athletes. I hope your watching! GO CANADA!!

(The photo is Linds in her skating dress. I'd like it noted that all the male skaters had more glitter then she did. She also managed to land a single axel in her apartment. Yeah. She's awesome!)

(High) Tea for two

2010-02-18T17:16:00.003-05:00

Since taking her for Mother's Day last year, my Mom has become quite the high tea fan (who wouldn't love high tea?!). Last year we went to the Lobby Bar at the Four Seasons. We decided to try some place different for her birthday - The Windsor Arms Hotel. I must say, I was very impressed. First it should be noted that my Mom has a dietary issue. She is allergic to garlic. We are always amazed when eating out the comments we get when wait staff hear this - "Oh, well there isn't a lot of garlic in this dish" or "You can't taste it". Super annoying. So when I called the hotel to make reservations and told them that we had a food issue, I was pleasantly surprised that they said it wouldn't be a problem; the kitchen would be informed. My surprise continued when we arrived for tea and discovered that the kitchen and waiter had made sure that all our tasty treats had been prepared first, so that they didn't come into contact with any garlic. Amazing service!

And what tasty treats we had! Goat cheese and caramelized onion tarts (so good Mom and I could have easily eaten 30 more). Lovely little sandwiches. Perfect (and still warm) scones with fresh devonshire cream and jams. Gorgeous little pastries. And just when we thought we couldn't eat another bite, they bought out cups of fresh strawberries with whip cream. Heavenly! AND the tea was fantastic also! Beautiful tea rooms also. We got seated beside a fire place, under a giant crystal chandelier. High Tea at the Windsor Arms makes a fantastic gift for your Mom! (But be warned, if you're thinking about going for Mother's Day, make your reservation early. Seating is limited. They only do 2 tea servings and spots fill up fast)

Sometimes I have good taste in music...

2010-02-16T21:00:00.006-05:00

My taste in music is often called into question. It's lame at best. Friends have made fun of it. Co-workers have made fun of it. Anyone who's read my post about music I listen to while running can see why. I like lame top 40 pop music. Bad music. But every once in a while I get it right. The group Bedouin Soundclash definitely falls into this "right" category. They are a fantastic band. Now, granted, I may be a little biased. I know these guys. They are friends from university. The lead singer Jay has just realized a solo album. I've had it on repeat all day. The album is called Bright Lights & Bruises. It's beautiful. I've already got a couple of favourite songs - Life is a Gun and Loving Hands. Jay will be performing around Ontario in support of the album in early March. He plays the Rivoli in Toronto on March 6. I can't wait!

Go get the album!

I'm so Jaded

2010-02-14T22:07:00.001-05:00

Ever since Karl Lagerfeld sent models down his Fall 2009 runway for Chanel with jade green nails, I'd been in search of this colour. But it's been impossible to find. Sold out every where in the U.S. and not available at all in Canada. I thought I'd be smart and order it off Ebay. Well my head nearly exploded when I saw it being sold for around $100. I liked. But NOT that much. So me and my pocketbook were happy to discover that Essie makes a very similar colour called Mint Candy Apple. Of course it is also becoming difficult to find! But I managed to find it as part of a mini four pack at Trade Secrets. Not only do you get the much sought after green, you also get a bright red called Lollipop and a pretty soft pink called Rock Candy and a clear glaze. Get it before it's gone too!

(If you want to get a jump on the Spring nail colour trend, Chanel's 505 Particuliére, a beautiful taupey mushroom colour is sure to be a top seller.)

For the girls only...

2010-02-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

This post is for girls only. Sorry fellas. (I know there are a couple of you out there) Here. Check out this website while we girls discuss girly things....

Ok. Now that it's just us ladies, lets get down to business. Today we're talking underwear. We all know "grannies panties" are comfortable. But they are certainly not always cute. My favourite brand of cute underwear has to be Hanky Panky (the name alone is reason to love it, non?). Hanky Panky's are bright, girly and lacy. And they make a style to suit everyone; regular thongs, low rise thongs, bikinis and boy shorts. Super cute and comfy! You may never want to put on the "grannies" again!

You can find them in various specialty lingerie stores around Toronto, but Holt Renfrew has the best selection. And if you're in the market for a sassy bachelorette gift, they have a great bridal line.

"Do we need to stage an intervention?"

2010-02-11T05:00:00.001-05:00

This was the question asked by my friend Laura at work this morning. No need to worry friends. I do not have a substance abuse problem. She was referring to an exercise addiction. Let me give you some background...

So with this whole "I'm going to run a marathon" declaration this year came some worries. I'm not talking about the worry of running 42.2km in one go (although, believe me, that is a bit of a concern). My worry was injury related. You see, I'm what you might call injury prone. Not like "Opps, I just slipped on a pack of ice and bruised my bum (although that has happened once or twice). No I'm talking "Ouch! I just slipped a disc in my back" or "Ouch! I've torn my LCL (that's Lateral Collateral Ligament in case you were wondering). So while many of my fellow runners have goals that relate to finish times, my main goal is to not get injured this year. Which means more training. Cross training. On the suggestion of my fantastic running coach, I decided to check out Energia on the Danforth. They offer yoga AND spin classes. Just what the doctor ordered. For $20 I got a week of unlimited classes (only valid for your first week). After that you can buy class passes (takes away the guilt of not using a gym membership). Saturday I tried spinning. Monday was Yoga for Runners (which made me realize I need to be doing A LOT more yoga). Wednesday morning was Spin again. But the class was at 6:30am. After I had been running the night before. This is what prompted Laura to ask if an intervention was needed.

I've assured Laura (and everyone else who thinks I've lost my mind) that I'm ok. This is all needed. I'm feeling good. And only a little sore. (Like "Hello muscles! Where have you been hiding?" sore)

I heart you!

2010-02-10T05:01:00.001-05:00

It's almost Valentine's Day! Have you gotten your Cinnamon Hearts yet?

Don't old people use those?

2010-02-09T05:11:00.000-05:00

For ages, anytime I've complained about sore muscles people have recommended I have a soak in Epsom salts. But until recently I didn't have a bathtub (my new apartment has one!). And for some reason I had always associated Epsom salts with old people. Maybe because old people also complain about aches and pains. Anywho, I was happy to discover that you can get scented Epsom salts. Shoppers Drug Mart Life brand makes them in citrus and lavender scents. Lovely! I've had some very relaxing soaks with these. An added bonus? Applied directly to your skin, the salt makes a fantastic and gentle scrub!

(An additional and delightful discovery I've made is that my singing voice sounds amazing in the bathtub! I sing along to a little David Gray. Some John Legend. Dave Matthews Band and Coldplay. Considering contacting these people about doing a duet. The only snag is that I'd have to bring my bathroom into the recording booth. Don't know if it would fit. And the sound engineers might find it weird. Might not be too practical. Probably best if I just continuing singing in the bathtub...)

Wet your whistle

2010-02-08T05:02:00.000-05:00

With my new marathon training comes some not so easy tasks. I'm not talking about cross training. Or stretching. I'm talking hydration. It's very important to drink loads of water in order to stay hydrated. Now don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't like drinking water. It's just that it can be difficult to consume glass after glass of plan old boring water. I needed something to jazz it up. Enter Tetley Tea Infusions - liquid tea mixes. I LOVE these things! Yummy single serving flavourers that you add to your water. There are four flavours: Green tea, blueberry, pomegranate and lemon. With the help of these little babies, I've been able to drink 3 litres of water a day! Bottoms up!

My new favourtie

2010-02-07T15:25:00.000-05:00

So I've mentioned previously my LOVE of fresh flowers. It's great to have a nice pop of fresh lively colour in the dead of winter. The only problem? They don't always last that long. Depending on the type, sometimes only a couple of days. So I'm always happy when I can add a new bloom to the list of long-lasters. But I was VERY surprised to discover that orchids were such a flower. I had always assumed that orchids were super expensive, very delicate and died quickly. I was apparently very wrong. I'm told that potted orchids actually last a really long time and are relatively easy to care for. Cut orchids are much the same. I've had the ones pictured above in a small vase of water for almost 2 weeks now. And they still look gorgeous! The best part, they only cost $5.99!

I put that sh*t on everything!

2010-02-02T05:30:00.002-05:00

This stuff is good. No GREAT! Have you ever tried Balsamic Glaze? It's amazing. Rich. Sweet. Tart. Tastes good on everything. Drizzled over pasta or bread. Delicious. The only potential problem? The cost. Any grocery store I've ever found it in sells it for a small fortune. So imagine my delight when I found it at Terroni's for less then $10 a bottle?! Sold!

(If you want a REAL treat... Buy yourself a loaf of sourdough bread from Petite Thuet and lightly drizzle this over thick slices. Oh la!)

Tastes like chicken!

2010-01-31T14:39:00.000-05:00

So far this year, my goal for healthy eating is going well. But I continue to search for interesting meal options. While it would be easy to stick with poached chicken and steamed vegetables, life would then not be worth living! Now I should mention that I'm a big meat eater. I love meat! Steak and chicken and lamb - oh my! I love it all. I am the last person who would become a vegetarian. Or even (gasp!) vegan! Tofu is not a friend of mine. But, I do understand that sometimes going meatless is a good idea. So one afternoon not long ago I was watching Oprah. She had on a well known vegan chef. He had Oprah raving about this product that looks and tastes like chicken, but is made up of soy protein, wheat gluten, and ancient grains like quinoa. It's called Gardein. I was intrigued. Luckily, the Loblaws near my house sells it. I picked up the Tuscan Chicken Breasts. They take only 2 minutes in the microwave, so they're perfect if you're looking for a fast and easy dinner. And surprisingly, they do taste pretty close to chicken. Similar look and texture also. Not a perfect match, but close enough. The best part - they're low in fat and calories, and are an excellent source of protein and iron. They come in a variety of flavours - Dijon, Tuscan, and Santa Fe. This healthy eating thing just got a whole lot more interesting!

What have I gotten myself into...

2010-01-25T20:42:00.001-05:00

Well. It's official. I've registered for a full marathon training program. I won't be running a full marathon until the fall. But I've got my game plan. I thought I'd start out "slowly" with a 30km race. Then "drop down" to a half marathon in the spring. Then ramp back up to the full 42.2km in the fall. Yes. You read that right. I'm now at the point in my running career where 30km is slow, and a half marathon is taking a break. What the what?!

Am I nervous? You bet. Scared? Oh Yeah. Shaking in my trainers? Oh hell yes! But I gotta stay positive. Need to channel my inner Little Engine That Could - I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!

So ask of you a small favour. Please keep your fingers crossed for me. And heres hoping that I kick some asphalt!

(Oh, and don't be surprised if we now experience bad weather on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Those are the days we run. If history is any indication Mother Nature is not always kind to us!)

By request

2010-01-23T20:49:00.001-05:00

This post is for my friend Katie. The other week Katie sent me a Facebook message that cracked me up:

Hey!
Driving home I thought of something you could write about for your blog (aka, I need help). How to keep your hair from being static-y!! I know that it's a real problem out there and I'm sure you have some kind of secret solution! Also, maybe you could blog about a hairspray you know of that doesn't make your hair stiff.

Great! Can't wait to read all about it!
K.

I loved that this read like something to an advice column. Dear Honey Bee... Signed Static Head. So I decided to help Katie out. (I'm such a good friend!) I had to research this problem. Try out some possible solutions. And I had to do it quick - Katie was hounding me! (She's actually messaging me as I'm writing this!) So after a week of trial and error, I came up with what I think is a good fix. First, volumizing shampoo. This is key. I like Herbal Essences Body Envy. I had been using moisturizing shampoo and it was making my hair too soft. I've realized that too soft equals static. Second, after drying my hair I apply a small drop of Loreal's Tec Hot Style Iron Finish cream. I find that just the small amount of product helps add the right amount of weight to my hair. Keeps it frizz free. Finally, a little spray of L'oreal Texture Expert - Infinium 4 Extreme Hold Finishing Spray. You really don't need much of this. And it can also serve Katie's second problem able wanting to find a hairspray that doesn't make your hair stiff.

So there you have it K. Advice on static free hair, and non-stiff hairspray. I hope it works for you! Now get off my back!

(Katie's already made a request for another post. This time she'd like help with how to use chop sticks. I'll see what I can do...)

How illuminating!

2010-01-21T05:18:00.003-05:00

Lighting. Oh my goodness. I had no idea how difficult it was to find good lighting. Who figures finding a nice lamp is going to be hard?! I certainly didn't. BOY was I wrong! Of course, it doesn't help that I'm picky. Or that I read a lot of design magazines and blogs. I couldn't decide what I wanted. But it had to be cool. I searched high and low. And I did find many lamps that I liked. The one problem? I did not want to pay $895. How the heck does a little table lamp cost $895?! Craziness. So I continued searching. In stores. Online. Back to stores. Back online. Then finally I found it. My perfect little bedside lamp. The Pablo Tube Top lamp. Molded acrylic base and mesh shade. It was perfect! Just what I wanted. And it was completely affordable! Now the problem. Deciding what colour to get. I was torn between the yellow and pink. So I did what all indecisive gals do, text messaged my design savvy best friend. Sibylle liked the hot pink for a bedroom lamp. As always, she was right on the money. When turned on it casts a fabulous pink light. Very flattering. (The yellow would have made me look jaundice.)

Where did I find this little baby? Morba. It's a fantastic home store on Queen Street West. Loads of mid century and contemporary stuff. Both reproduction and vintage. They also have a great website. That's where I ordered my lamp. If you don't want to pay a ridiculous shipping fee, and happen to live in Toronto, they have the option of ordering from the site and picking up in store. That's what I did. I had my lamp the next day. What a bright idea ;)

Four thumbs up

2010-01-19T05:08:00.000-05:00

So this weekend I saw two films that are sure to be nominated for Oscars - Up In The Air and Avatar. Both very different, both fantastic!

Saturday night was Up In The Air. It could not have come out at a better time. The story of a man whose job is to fire people, realizing that he may becoming obsolete. Perfect. The performances? Brilliant. George Clooney as always is perfection. But the real star is Anna Kendrick. She goes toe to toe with Clooney and steals every scene. As for the writing and story, anyone who has ever had to travel for work a lot will find it totally rings true. It's funny. It's touching. It makes you think. GREAT!

Sunday afternoon was devoted to Avatar. I say devoted because it is a full afternoon event. It's a long movie. Over 3 hours. But it was great! While the story is not the most original, it's visually AMAZING! Stunning. It took some time to get used to the 3D glasses. (Although they are rather cool looking. Not the old school red and blue variety. These ones looked like modified Rayban sunglasses.) Definitely a movie you need to see in the theatre. And Sam Worthington in 3D? Yes please!!

I give each movie two big thumbs up!

My kind of animal print

2010-01-18T04:36:00.000-05:00

I like animal prints. But they can be tricky to wear. Leopard print looks great on a pair of ballet flats. But on a jacket or blouse? It can go terribly terribly wrong. But the print on this shirt from Anthropologie? Well it's just so right! SUPER cute! This is MY kind of animal print. Can't wait for spring when I can wear it with my boyfriend jeans. And maybe my leopard print ballet flats... Roar!

Enjoying the simple (and pretty) pleasures

2010-01-17T06:54:00.000-05:00

For Christmas my parents got me a gorgeous Le Creuset kettle. I was with them when I first saw it in a shop on the Danforth. They knew I loved it (I may have said so about 30 or 40 times). They bought one for themselves and we continued shopping. When we ended up in front of the kitchen store, on the other side of the street my parents stopped about 5 feet behind me. Started whispering. I see my Mom hand my Dad a credit card. Then he says "well sweety, I'm tired and going to sit in the car while you and Mom finish up shopping." My Mom says she and I should continue walking along the Danforth a little longer. Subtle. They are lovely people, but not very stealth. So I was VERY happy (if not very surprised) to get the kettle on Christmas morning! Thanks Mom and Dad!

My favourite thing to do now on Saturday and Sunday is make coffee using my new kettle. I used to have a french press. I love it, but always ended up making way to much coffee (there's only so much a girl can drink!). So now I use the Starbuck Via single serving instance coffees. I don't normally like instant coffee, but these are actually really good! Sure, using a stove top whistle kettle may not be super fast, but it's so nice to putter around the apartment Saturday and Sunday morning and relax. It's the simple pleasures that I love the most!

Forget Summer. I'll take (500) Days of Joseph Gordon-Levitt...

2010-01-15T05:09:00.000-05:00

The other week I rented (500) Days of Summer. I had been wanting to see it forever. It's a great movie. I guess you would classify it as a romantic comedy. It's not a chick flick. Or a love story. But it is funny. Cute. Charming. And very relatable. Real. Not at all cheesy. And the actors are delightful. I want to be styled like Zooey Deschanel. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the BEST. Loved his character. Want to find a guy like his character. The scene where is dances in the park? Please. Amazingness! Definitely worth renting. The Little Honey Bee gives it 2 thumbs up!

(Not worth renting - The Ugly Truth. I wanted to stab myself in the face after the first 10 minutes)

Some like it hot...

2010-01-14T05:14:00.002-05:00

I love my Mom. And I love her cooking. But she and my sister can not eat spicy food. At all. The only problem is that my Dad and I LOVE spicy food. The hotter the better! Growing up, we had really tasty meals, just not spicy meals. So if we want anything with heat, we have to add it ourselves. In university I discovered Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce. My friends and I used to go to a Thai restaurant that had it on the tables. I loved it! But the stuff was super hot! I could only use a couple of drops without tearing up. Well that was six years ago. NOW I can drizzle it like ketchup! (It's amazing in scramble eggs) I have developed a mouth of steel!

Or so I thought...

Friends Steve and Sibylle recently turned me on to Terroni's hot peppers. You can request them when at the restaurant. AND you can buy them by the jar. They are REALLY hot. More then a couple sprinkled on a plate of pasta and my mouth is on fire! Just like I like it!

Oh Canada!

2010-01-12T05:08:00.005-05:00

Blame it on the Olympics. I've been feeling every patriotic. I can't wait to watch snowboarding and figure skating and hockey (yes, hockey!). Cheering on our athletes! Going for gold! I'm loving all things Canadiana. Having said that, I'm not the biggest fan of the official Olympic clothing line. That's why I was so happy to see Lululemon came out with a line of their own. Now, they can't call it Olympic clothing. Legally, they can't reference the Olympics, the Games, Vancouver etc. So they decided to create "Cool Sporting Event That Takes Place in British Columbia Between 2009 and 2011 Edition". The line features hoodies, hats, scarves and mittens for the four countries that Lululemon thinks will do best: Germany, Sweden, U.S.A and OF COURSE Canada! I bought the mittens. LOVE them. They have a sort of 70's/80's vibe. And they are super warm.

And while I'm at home watching the Games, I can keep warm, bundled up under my Hudson's Bay blanket. I sadly couldn't afford the wool version. Fortunately The Bay also offers a fleece version. Oh Canada!!

By the way, have you seen this commercial? LOVE it. Chills chills chills. I've loved this song forever!

Nutritious and delicious!

2010-01-10T08:36:00.001-05:00

In typical New Year's resolution style, I've decided to try and start eating healthier. Less junk. More home cooking. But I enjoy snacking. So I've been looking for healthy snack options. Something more exciting then baby carrots. So I was very excited to once again stumble upon a recipe for roasted seasoned chick peas. I've made spicy cajun ones in the past and loved them. This new recipe comes from the cookbook Two Dishes. Their recipe uses sage, rosemary, thyme and lemon. Super tasty. They are the perfect guilt free snack. Good for you, filling and delicious.

Basic recipe: Mix a can of drained rinsed chickpeas with 2 tbsp. of olive oil and whatever seasonings you want. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400°F for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an air tight container for up to a week. But trust me. They won't last that long...

Are you ready to ROCK?!

2010-01-09T19:11:00.000-05:00

As far as my musical tastes go, heavy is not a word I would use. I'm a pop music sort of gal. Heavy metal never really did it for me. I never would have imagined going to a heavy metal concert. I certainly never would have imagined enjoying a heavy metal concert! Well that all changed last night. Allow me to provide some background...

Back in November my friend Lindsay and her husband David had been raving about a movie called Anvil! The Story of Anvil. It's about a Canadian heavy metal group from the 80's. They influenced groups like Metallica, but themselves faded into obscurity. I loved the last music related documentary Lindsay had recommended (Young @ Heart*) so I decided to rent Anvil. The film was awesome. Funny and surprisingly touching. Despite their hardships, the band stayed together the past two decades. Recorded MANY albums and continued to tour. They are men in their 50's who talk like they're teenagers. You meet their families. See them at work. Watch them struggle. And finally succeed. GREAT movie! So when Lindsay told me that my birthday present was to see them in concert with her and David I was thrilled!

This brings us back to last night. We decided that if we were going to the show of an 80's metal band, we should look the part. I borrowed my cousin Jen's awesome leather jacket, we teased our hair, applied insane amounts of black eyeliner and were ready to ROCK! The show was awesome! High energy. Fun. Crazy! So if you're lookin' to ROCK OUT, go rent Anvil! The Story of Anvil.

* Young @ Heart is a movie about a senior citizens choir. Sooo cute. So fun. And so sad. I was crying so hard by the end I almost threw up. BEST movie ever!

What a difference a year makes...

2010-01-06T05:38:00.000-05:00

This time last year I was a little worried. Actually, more then a little. After returning to work after the holidays I and all my coworkers had been informed that we were being laid off. YIKES! I had two choices: freak out and fall apart, or (and not to be cliche) take this as a sign that all things happen for a reason, and that things will work out in the end. I opted for the latter. Decided to stay positive. Optimistic. Hopeful. Thankfully, the "universe" took notice. I found a new job. A great job in fact! As I had hoped, positive thinking always pays off in the end.

So I like to keep myself surrounded my positive people and positive things. That's why I love the Keep Calm Carry On posters. Although they were originally designed as a motivational poster by the British government during WWII, I think the message can still hold true today. (Plus I think they look really cool).

New Year, new apartment!

2010-01-05T20:19:00.002-05:00

Happy 2010! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! I've certainly been a busy little bee...

In November my work contract was extended for another year (!). This sent me on an immediate search for a new apartment. Happily I found one right away. A great one too! I decided a January move in would be perfect - new year, new home, new start. This sounded like a great idea at the time. I would soon realize that trying to prepare for a move over the holidays was a rather stressful undertaking! I was going to need help. Moving is the WORST. So I decided to get professionals. I did some internet research and got recommendations from friends who had recently moved. I settled on El Cheapo Movers. They had come highly recommended by my friend Laura at work. But still, with a name like "El Cheapo", I was a little worried. As it turns out, I had nothing to be worried about. The two man crew arrived early on moving day. They were super friendly, polite, careful and QUICK! They had everything loaded into the truck in less then 45 minutes. The entire move took just over 2 hours cost only $275 and everything arrived in one piece. I would recommend these movers to anyone! Totally made the day much less stressful.

Now I'm in my new place, completely unpacked and organized! So far, 2010 is starting off great!

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-24T04:12:00.000-05:00

From my family to yours, The Little Honey Bee would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas!

Let the holiday sugar high begin!

2009-12-21T05:22:00.000-05:00

Holiday baking is the best. Best. BEST! It seems everyone has their family specialty. Usually some sort of cookie. Recipes that have been passed down over the years. Perfected over time. Only made at Christmas time. Loved by all. My favourite Christmas cookie recipes come courtesy of my aunt and Mom. Growing up my Auntie Sue would make shortbread cookies. I'm not entirely sure where the recipe came from but I LOVE them. At some point, I became the one who makes them for our family Christmas dinners. Now each year, I bake them on Christmas eve. My Dad acts as official taste tester. They are his favourite. Every year he insists I make a double batch. Telling me that if I don't, then he'll make them himself. This has yet to happen...

My other favourite Christmas cookie is this mint chocolate sugar drop thing (I don't know their official name) my Mom makes. They have mint chocolate chips and are rolled in sugar before baking them. Little bites of heaven! My sister is now the one in charge of making these. (the kid does a fine job!)

Whatever your cookie or dessert of choice, now is the time to start baking! Let the sugar high begin!!

Design friendly finds

2009-12-20T20:24:00.000-05:00

I love the Distillery District. Shops, restaurants, galleries - what's not to love?! One of my favourite stores is Bergo (my absolute favourite is Leif Benner Designs). Bergo is a beautiful industrial looking shop filled with equally beautiful and unique items. They seem to have it all - watches, jewellery, furniture, home decor and kitchen stuff. I LOVE it all! Everything is super cool and contemporary. Great place for the design conscious person on your list.

An after you're done shopping, you should walk out the door and right into the Mill Street Brew Pub. As all the places in the Distillery its kept its old industrial charm. Lots of tasty beers on tap and delicious menu items. I recommend the chicken club sandwich or grilled steak and smoked gouda wrap. Perfect post Christmas shopping reward!

Give the gift of pretty

2009-12-17T04:15:00.002-05:00

My love of Sephora is well documented. They carry all my favourite lines: Stila, Benefit, Smashbox etc. All these brands have products that would make fantastic gifts! But Sephora also has great gift sets available. Bliss has several yummy smelling gift sets (anyone would be delighted to get Lemon Sage Body Butter!) You also can't go wrong with the Bliss Glamour Gloves or Softening Socks. Perfect gift for a Mom that needs some pampering.

If you're looking for festive smelling products, you must get something from Philosophy. The Gingerbread Man lotions will have you smelling like a cookie. I also love the Cinnamon scented products - like a pack of cinnamon hearts in lotion form!

If it's cute stocking stuffers you're after, Opi by Sephora nail polishes are perfect. Tons of great colours, and the very trendy new matte formulas!

Bubbly fun!

2009-12-16T04:20:00.002-05:00

The holidays are a time to have fun and celebrate! And what's more fun then champagne?! Every time my family gets together, my cousins mother in law Mary brings a couple bottles of bubbly. GOOD bubbly! And only the girls are allowed to drink it. It's a rule. And I'm a stickler for rules...

A couple years ago, my cousin Holly and her husband Jason threw a family holiday party and introduced us all to Fresita. It's a sparkling wine infused with strawberries. It's delicious and pink and fun! (It's also a GREAT price!) And while it's not technically champagnge, you do get to pop a cork - very festive! CHEERS!!

Sale sale sale!

2009-12-15T21:46:00.000-05:00

I've mentioned before that I LOVE Anthropologie. But I discovered today even more reasons to love it. The pre-Christmas sale is amazing! On the second floor there are racks and racks and racks of clothes on sale. Major discounts! Dresses, jackets, sweaters, shirts, lounge wear - you name it, it's on sale.

But it's not just gorgeous clothes. You'll also find great deals on kitchen items, bath items, books, and holiday decor (cutest Christmas ornaments EVER!)

Any girly girl would LOVE a gift from Anthropologie - and you're wallet will LOVE the savings!

Great gifts at great prices!

2009-12-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

I'm a BIG Club Monaco fan. BIG. One of my friends at work constantly makes fun of me about it. I go to the store at least once a week. I don't buy something each visit, but I scope out what I want to buy. And look for sales. I try to make it a rule to only buy things on sale there, as the sale prices are always SO much lower then the regular prices. It used to be that end of year sales at Club Monaco hit on Boxing Day, but in the last couple of years, they've started earlier and earlier. Right now there are TONS of great items on sales. Blazers, shirts, accessories. But the thing I love best are Club Monaco sweaters. They make great cashmere sweaters - for men and women. And right now, there are plenty on sale! I'm particularly loving the jewel tone cashmere cardigans.

But if sweaters aren't your thing, there are also scarves, hats, gloves, bags, small leather goods and jewellery. All on sale! Great gifts at great prices!

Shop from the comfort of your home

2009-12-10T21:16:00.000-05:00

Home television shopping gets a bad wrap. You hear home shopping network and start thinking lame exercise equipment, Snuggies and Joan Rivers jewellery.

But this isn't the case. My Mom has been a huge fan of The Shopping Channel for years. You name it, she's likely bought it. Clothes, make-up, skin and hair care, handbags, jewellery, kitchen stuff. They have EVERYTHING! So, what's not to like? You can call or order online. They always have fantastic deals. And they sell name brand stuff - Ojon, Smashbox, Stila, Kitchen Aid, Keurig, Dyson etc. (And yes, you can also find things like that ridiculous Snuggie. Although their version is called the Hot Headz Plush Slumber Wrap...)

One of my favourite bags was actually purchased from The Shopping Channel. It's a beautiful soft leather shoulder bag from The Sak. I got it at a great price, and on Easy-Pay (you can opt to have them charge you in smaller installments).

Great source for easy and stress free holiday shopping!

iQ Living

2009-12-09T04:52:00.001-05:00

In keeping with the theme of great stores for cooking/kitchen stuff, you must check out iQ Living on the Danforth. Row upon row of very affordable kitchen items and gadgets. What I love about this store is that they sell kitchen items that you don't see everywhere else. Last year I picked up a plastic tomato keeper for my Mom's stocking. Friends Sibylle and Steve bought me an awesome Martha Stewart Cupcake cookbook for my birthday from here. (I can't wait to try it out!) If you have a little one that's interested in food and cooking, they've got a fantastic children's section!

They also sell things to help you organize your kitchen, and many other rooms. Great bathroom organizers and closet storage. When I move to the Danforth in the new year, I'll be making many trips to iQ Living!

William Ashley

2009-12-08T05:22:00.002-05:00

As someone who loves cooking, I love cooking stores. Kitchen gadgets are the BEST! William Ashley's at Bay and Bloor has a great selection of kitchen stuff. Everything is bright, colourful and cheerful! They have a wide variety of beautiful Le Creuset cookware. Gorgeous Kitchen Aid appliances. Super cute Alessi products. But they've also got more wallet friendly items. Colourful plastic mixing bowls. Charming kitchen timers. Peelers, and knives and spatulas - oh my!

Everything you need for that gourmet (or wanna be gourmet) chef on your list!

Not the your Grandma's General Store

2009-12-07T05:18:00.003-05:00

This is not your average hotel gift shop. The Drake Hotel General Store is uber cool. I'm a fan of all things vintage/retro/kitsch - and the Drake General Store does this fantastically! They've got something for everyone. Cute and cool little nick nacks - Lucky Cat candles and Elf and Santa nodders. All things Canadiana - vintage Toronto postcards, and chunky wool sweater vests (I really want one!) If you know someone who travels frequently, they might like the Inflight Comfort Kit (it includes and inflatiable jersey neck pillow, wet wipes, eye mask, and ear plugs). I LOVED their Rubix cube pepper mill. They've also got tasty treats prepared by the chefs at the Drake Hotel.

Just in time for Christmas, they've opened a second store. Now you can shop at the original Queen West location and at the new Rosedale location.

They've done it again!

2009-12-06T18:11:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday(!). And while the age was not a milestone (28), I still decided to mark the occasion with a little something special. And what is more special then custom jewellery?! Back in the fall my parents had gone on a cruise and brought me back the most gorgeous citrine stone. Right away I took it to down to the Distillery District to see Leif at Leif Benner Design. He and his brother (my friend) Traven had done some amazing pieces for me in the past. So I knew I could trust them to do something beautiful this time around. The brothers Benner did not disappoint! My new ring is exactly what I had invisioned!

And while it may be too late to get something custom done in time for Christmas, they have cases of stunning ready to purchase pieces for that person on your list you want to spoil!