TORONTO GIRL CHRONICLES

Men have their "March madness" (if you don't know what that means, be glad you don't, trust me) and us girls, we have Fashion Week. Although I like fashion, therefore I like Fashion Week, Fall Fashion Week is always a tough sell for me. It comes just as the weather is getting warmer, as a cruel reminder that the lovely weather is only temporary.  I usually go to just one show, so I need to pick carefully. I picked a Monday night show (since its the only night I don't have school) and my choice was Preloved.

I've always loved Preloved. I am a hippie at heart and I really admire how they incorporate sustainability into fashion. They basically take two garments, deconstruct them and then mix this and that to create a completely new dress, or sweater or whatever! Each component is carefully selected and each garment is truly one of a kind.

Their show seduced me into looking forward to Fall. They had me at "FairIsle-leg-warmers-with-Plaid-dresses". These are my favorite looks:





And I absolutely love this look. The tiered high-waisted skirt, the bulky scarve, the whole geeky chic feel. If the look last season was "Rock Glam" the new look coming up is going to be "Geeky Chic". Or at least that's what I'd like it to be.

I once read that if you can not eat it, you shouldn't put it on your face because well, you will end up eating it. After all, your skin is your biggest organ and it absorbes EVERYTHING! So as usual, organic, natural and delicious ingredients are the way to go.

Last Sunday, Lush on Queen Street hosted a Spa Night and I dragged my bestie along for the super indulgent beautifying experience. Lush is the place to go in Toronto for all natural, organic, hand made cosmetics.  They carry everything from shampoo bars (no packaging = good for the environment) to foot scrubs (who doesn't love cute feet?) and while their prices are a bit higher end, if you're going to invest in something, invest in your health (beauty = health).

Also their staff is hilarious! they absolutely know every single product, so if you have any questions don't be shy and ask, they will even throw in a story or two about how they found an alternate use for the product (more bang for your buck) all the while relating it to an episode from Sex and the City.

We each had to pick a treatment, so Soraya got a luxurious facial. Being the hard-working, crazy-busy girl that she is, she needed something that would refresh her face and give her that "I-just-woke-up-from-a-long-sleep-glow". 


 Myself, I am always running from one place to the other and I figured that my feet needed a little pampering. Especially after long months of captivity inside my winter boots, so I indulged in a foot scrub. I soaked my feet in warm water spiced up with a Bath Bomb, and then I experienced heaven via a handsome man (thanks Craig!) massaging my feet with a cooling minty foot scrub called Fair Trade Foot Scrub containing spearmint, peppermint and cocoa butter. Finally my feet were softened with a Therapy Massage Bar.

I know it's not a neighbourhood but... this is just a really cool place to visit.

Like the day I was sitting beside the lady that was yapping away to a person that, I assume, had just left an interview. She particularly caught my attention with her resume/interview tips. She said that you can actually control your interview by writing a result oriented resume. Since this not the first time I’ve heard of this method, so I kept on listening. So what is a Result Oriented Resume? Well, when you list the tasks that you fulfill at a job, also write down the results. That way you will intrigue the interviewer into asking you how you accomplished those results. Then you can prepare your interview by showing how you used your superb skills to get things done.

As we’ve all heard it before(and if you haven’t, get with the program!)an interview is your opportunity to convince someone that you are the BEST. And not to sound like that Spice Girls’ song, but you gotta prove it. At the end of it all, you are at the interview to tell “them” what’s in it for them. So you see, you gotta listen. You always learn something good.

I am not a drinker by any means, but once in a while life gets so stressful that a beautiful citrus cocktail can help put things into perspective. This delicious recipe from Vegetarian Times . Omit gin for a non- alcoholic version.

(Serves 6)

I remember the first time that I got sick when I was on my own. I was 21 and I lived in this tiny little bachelor by myself. I had been in the city for 2 months and I had no idea what to do, or where to go. There's nothing scarier than getting sick, being by yourself and not knowing where to get help.

That time I was fine, but the next time I got really sick and I actually had to get me to the hospital. All by myself. I have asthma and I couldn't breath and my puffers wouldn't do the trick, I had to get it together quickly. That experience taught me to be prepared. Being prepared means not scrambling around when you have to but having everything ready to go in case of an emergency.

THINGS ALL GIRLS SHOULD HAVE PREPARED (IN CASE YOU GET SICK)

• $40 - put them in an envelope in a accesible place, if you get sick, there's your cab money.
• The phone number to a reliable cab company - I call City Cab at (416) 366-6868 
• Your family doctor's name and phone number
• A list of all the medication you are taking
• A list of your allergies
• If you have allergies have some Benedryl, an EpiPen or a Twinject ready (with you at all times!)
• Know your closest hospital and your closest walking in clinic
• The phone number of a person that you trust (family, friends, your landlord)
• Your Health Card

Put all this in a little box or kit by your bed/ you night stand/ your closet, somewhere that is easily accessible.

RESOURCES:
Toronto Walk In Clinics
AIDS & Sexual Health Infoline 

Can you think of something else that I am missing?

Living in Toronto, you can not get away from dating someone that is from a different culture/race/religion at one point or another, that’s the beauty of the city. But when it comes to getting serious, are you supposed to be more selective? I have a friend that is Muslim and she has dated every culture she’s been able to, until she came to the realization that her religion/culture was important to her and she wanted to get serious with a man that was as devout as her. So from that angle I can see how it would be important to find a partner with the same culture or someone that is willing to adapt a little. I have also witnessed couples, even in my own family, where people come from different backgrounds and still manage to make things work.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to knowing who you are and what your core values are. I think religion and tradition can be a core value. You should never ignore who you are, what’s important to you. Core values have more weight than culture. From my experience core values, like integrity, loyalty, ambition, are universal. If you find someone that shares that with you, add a pinch of love and all the other things can be worked out.



Have you been part of an interracial couple? What challenges have you encountered? How did you overcome them?

Resources:
The History of Interracial Marriages

oh! and watch the trailer!

About last Wednesday I had a bit of a melt-down, just a tiny one. I went to the Schulich School of Business' website . It is one of the best business schools in North America, and well, you practically have to be a genius to be accepted. The average, even for mature students is low 90's in all courses, not to mention Calculus is a prerequisite.  I had never even thought about applying there, but you know when someone tells you "you can't do" something and you start wanting it? Until you read the word Calculus...

 At this point I have put so much sweat, blood and tears (not literally) into this going back to school project, and Math has been an uphill battle, that on Wednesday I was ready to quit. Last Wednesday I started to think that I would never be the best at anything. Lucky for me, the phone rang and my sweet 19-year-old sister, who surprises me with her wisdom every now and then, said something very true. She told me that being the best was in the eye of the beholder. We all have to find our own definition of what "being the best is". For example, our mother is THE BEST. We don't know all the mothers in the world, but we know that to us, she is THE BEST.Do you see what I am getting at? 

So I spoke with my tutor (who happens to be the best at Math) and we had a little heart to heart where she pointed out that it was too early to quit, having only completed 25% of the course, and that I didn't have to be the best at math, I just had to be good. And I am good. So I will continue to pursue my dream and work on my stuff and still hope that one day I'll be the best...to myself.

I just read an article in the Toronto Star about Somalian born, Toronto bred  rapper K’naan. His song "Wavin' Flag" has been remixed and turned into a charity single (helping with Haiti relief efforts) and it has now been selected to be the World Cup song. The Toronto Star dubs it: "the little song that could". You could say that he's a Toronto boy that's made it not only in Toronto and in Canada, having won a Juno and a Polaris Prize, but now around the world, singing a song about hope and succeding despite the odds.

But I guess the thing that striked me the most was when he said he knew that the song was special right from the start, but it took him a while to let that song grow. That is something that I keep forgetting from time to time. Great things take time and nurturing. Like when you go to fashion school, you don't become a great designer in a second, you practice and practice, and you research ideas and try out different things, you find and define your sense of aesthetics and that first collection you present is special because you have been working and making it grow for a long time. And of course, you try to make it global, appealing to everyone, without straying from your message, which is a hard thing to do, which is why I guess it takes as long as it takes...

Click here to read the whole article.

Phew! What a week!

I don't know what it is, maybe because its been a bit warmer, I feel the need to run around and start working out. Its like my body has suddenly awaken, but of course today is dark and gloomy and raining, so its a bit harder to be motivated. My no-fail motivational technique is to think about Toronto Girl Lyzabeth Lopez.

Last year I trained with her in the summer and I had never been in better shape. She taught me some pretty cool stuff about eating healthy and being good to myself, you know stuff that you never really thought about, but really, it makes so much sense. She often talks about lifestyle changes without sacrificing. For example, if you like sugar, trade your afternoon sugary snack for some fruit. Pretty simple right? but its simple choices like this that will make you healthier and happier. She is all about fitness as a fun way of life and nutrition as a holistic way of being self-indulgent.

So as I get ready to go out of hibernation and hit some Casaloma stairs (some of the best stairs in the city and the recipe for a perky bum) I always watch one of her videos from last year when she was training to compete at some body building show. Her sheer determination, stamina and desire to be the best she can be always pumps me to go out there and have some fun.

So think about it, get motivated to be fit and happy. Make up a workout playlist, buy a cute water bottle, do some research, check out a new park, get out of the bus a stop sooner, dance around your room, whatever you do, the weather is getting warmer and I can't think of a better way to enjoy it than to get moving.

In the meantime, check out my all time favorite Lyzabeth video. Its my favorite because she includes her recipe for her yummy vitality salad, and let me tell you, I am the kid at the table that HATES vegetables, but I love this salad.



Happy Friday :)

What are your obsessions for spring?

Why are Wednesdays so stressful? they are the pinnacle of the week. Either shit goes down from here or it goes up. Its a lot of preassure!!!

My sister sent me these few tips on dealing with stress:

Ways to put a smile on your face:

* Play with a puppy.

* Picture your favorite place in the world.

* Have an orgasm!

* Call your sister.

What are your tips for for dealing with stress? Do share....serenity now...*breathe*

I love Toronto because it makes me dream. Go out there and enjoy the weather! Who knows what you might find.

These are some of the things I found while walking around Yorkville on a lazy afternoon.

You know how I am always saying save your money, cook your own meals? well, its harder than it sounds isn't it? so I guess I am going to practice what I preach and do as I say. Eating out is ...out, but it doesn't mean deliciousness is out of my life as well. You see, I have friends, and these friends can cook and I have bugged them and bugged them until they gave me their yummy-licious budget friendly recipes.

First up,  T's bean burger recipe. She is a vegetarian cooking goddess and makes these delicious bean burgers. I made them a couple of weeks ago for my meat loving bf and he had seconds, so they're not so bad. They are amazing!!!

Here are the ingredients:



1 Can of Black Beans ( I enjoy Eden's Organics Black Beans)
1/2 Cup of Bread Crumbs ( I like Mr. Pita's because it contains no eggs)
1/2 Cup of Onion chopped to perfection
1 Garlic Clove Crushed
1 tbs of Dried Bay Leaves/ Cuming/ Black Pepper/ Coriander/ Sea Salt (depending on what you like or have around)
1tbs of Canola oil (I use the spray type so its about a 2 second spray)


Instructions:



1) Rinse beans and drain while you chop onion, crush garlic and mix spicies.



2) Mix all ingredients together and mash them up. You can mash them with your bare hands, but I have a food processor so I use mine because I am lazy.



3) Now that  the mixture is ready, roll mixture into a ball and flatten to form a patty. Heat a little bit of oil and place the pattys on the pan until they are browned.



4) Bon Appetite! I like to eat them with a bit of avocado. 2 pattys will leave a regular person satisfied.

Do you have any other delicious and ridiculously easy recipes you'd like to share? e-mail me at torontogirlchronicles@gmail.com or post a comment!

Last night Kathryn Bigelow became the first ever woman to pick up the coveted Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker. I haven't had a chance to check that movie out, but now I have to.
Congratulations!!!

So my Monday notes are supposed to be a bit of a pep-talk to get you all inspired into kicking some ass this week. Here's my confession, they are more of a pep-talk to myself as well. Because the truth is, whether you are at the beginning of your journey or towards the middle or towards the end, it is never easy pursing what you love. Yes, you do it out of love, which is what keeps you going, but also because of this you put everything on the line. You work long hours, you study hard, you sacrifice sleep, family time, you name it. You know what you want so you go and get it.

Well, today happens to be Women's Day, and I would like to acknowledge all the women that have given me pep-talks before, and the women that have led by examples.  These have taught me about kindness, perseverance, hard work and  pusuing your dreams. We all have women in our lifes that have accomplished something that has inspired us, whether they raised 5 kids, or got a Phd,  so go out there and celebrate these great great women! and in the process celebrate yourself, yes you. You great woman you.

xoxo

Toronto Girl

P.S - Who inspires you? what inspires you about them? What makes a woman a great woman?

Dear Toronto Girls,

We are taking a break to focus 100% on school and will be back on Monday. We are also upgrading our look and working on many many surprises so check us out Monday March 8, 2010.

x0x0

Toronto Girl

Mistakes. We are not robots, we are humans, I'm human. As much as I hate to admit it...I make mistakes. Unfortunately, sooner or later they all come back to bite me in the ass. What can I say, I've never been a "learn-from-other's-mistakes" type of gal. Always need to have my way and fall on my ass.

I've heard that making mistakes and getting yourself back up is what builds character. Well, I've got some character. And I could sit here and list all of my mistakes but the more a think about it the more I fail to see them as mistakes (okay some of them). I say this because (and I guess this is the building I've learned how to recognize good people and keep them in my life, how to save money, that great things cost a great deal of effort and that yellow is not the best colour on my complexion. But all jokes aside, I think the most important thing that I've learned from my mistakes is to smarten up and pay attention. We are bound to repeat our mistakes when we just brush them off and not learn from them. So the sooner you learn they more you grow and the more room you make to make new mistakes and grow some more.