TORONTO GIRL CHRONICLES

Samsung Mobile celebrated the launch of its premium Galaxy S Smartphone by staging an impromptu Metric Concert.  I might have not been a Metric fan, but I am a fan of free stuff, so after work I ran all the way to Union Station to enjoy a fantastic show. The band's performance was very energetic and Emilie Haines looked and sounded great! I have been converted.

I was going to save this post for Wednesday...but I rather give you the essentials at the beginning of the week.

These are a few of my favorite things on the net right now/ things every girl should now right now:

Are you trying to come up with the next big thing? Are you lacking a plan? Shannon from Those Girls Are Wild shares her insights.

Are you cluless like me when it comes to putting outfits together? The Seven Dollar Pants girls, have mastered sense of style that is both party and workplace friendly,  because Toronto Girls party as hard as they work. (or at least they should!)

Speaking of fashion...what do you think of padded panties? I've been playing with the thought but I am terrified that people would notice, although I have read rave reviews.

And hey, did you know that today is Quit Facebook Day? I dare you to try.

To second that, I encourage you to take advantage of this lovely weather. Yeah, yeah, we rave about it, but do we really spend time outside as much as we should?  So have an evening picnic, as suggested via Bright Young Thoughts.

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.

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?

My bf always plays this song when we are in the car and I dance to it, he thinks its cute. The video just came out. It's such a catchy song, it smells like friday night.

"Do you like it well done, cause I do it well?"
"Can you take my order cause your body is like carry out?"
"Take my order, no errors, I'ma (sic?) touch you in all the right areas"

Makes me smile. Ahh...I love this song.

Two of my favorite things. SATC & Chocolate. You can get these at Laura Secord for $9. Add a cosmo and you're set.

I remember when I was a teenager and my mother and grandmother would take me bra shopping. I hated it. My grandmother, who doesn’t speak a word of English, would start asking the sales lady all these questions and she would come in the change room and start adjusting straps and turning me around making sure everything fit. It was mortifying. Bra shopping was a dreaded experience. Really, why would you care about something no one but you can see? Well, in adulthood, my dance teacher sat me down one day to talk about the importance of having a proper fitting brassiere. I got the hint. She directed me to Tryst, where I got my first adult fitting and invested in a proper bra.

It really does make a huge difference, which got me thinking, if I didn’t know about this, there must be other girls that don’t know about it too. Well I’m not far off: 80% of women wear the wrong size. I had a little Q&A with Shana @ Tryst and this is what I learned:

What are the basic bras that every girl should have?
A dark bra, black if you want but it isn't necessary, to wear under dark clothing, a nude bra (close to your own skin colour or darker) to wear under white or light clothing, a strapless or convertible bra to wear with special clothing and a sports bra is great to give support while working out.

Why is it important to have a bra fitting?
A professional bra fitting will not only ensure that you find the perfect size for you but also that the shape is perfect shape for you as well. Every time you buy bras you should get fitted again, even if you haven't changed, the bras on the market may have and they will all fit you differently. A professional bra fitter will know how all the new stock fits so it will also cut down on wasted time of you trying on things that are not appropriate for you.

How do you know a bra doesn't fit properly?
The number one sign is you are uncomfortable and or your breasts don't look good. However there are many other signs such as the back of your bra riding up. The bottom of the back of the bra should be level with the bottom of the front of the bra. If the back is higher then the front you are wearing a back too big and your breast are not as lifted as they could be. You breasts spilling out the top bottom or side of the bra is an obvious sign that the cup is too small. The wire pulling away from the body at the bottom of the bra also means that it is too small. If there is wrinkling in the cup this is also a sign that there is something wrong with the fit but it doesn't necessarily mean that the cup is too big.


Can you give me some care-taking tips for your bras?
Hand washing is best, but if that is not a possibility, washing in the machine on a gentle cycle in cool water will suffice. A garment bag for your bras or other delicates will help keep the wires from getting mangled and the hooks from catching on other garments. Bras need frequent washing, usually after every use, as body oils, lotions and deodorants all contribute to the breaking down of the Lycra/elastic in the band of the bra. Since the support from a bra comes mostly from its back, keeping the back from stretching prematurely will extend the life of your purchase.

And why would you care about something that no one but you can see? Because you should love yourself, you should pamper yourself, you should make yourself feel sexy for no one but yourself. It’s the fun part of being a girl, Why would you deny yourself that treat?

P.S – Shana has generously offered 10% discount to anyone that mentions this
blog. But only for the month of February…just in time for a Sexy Valentines
Day!