January 2015 – Page 2

Commuting in Style

January 21, 2015Beauty, FashionLeave a Comment

I’ve always loved the idea of black accessories because I find them classic and timeless. Recently, I’ve been obsessed with the textured faux-leather black and gold combinations that seem to be in.

When I bought my Macbook I decided to get the slimmest stylish bag I could find to carry it in. The 13″ Marc Jacobs case was perfect. I liked that it came with a longer strap so that I could carry it like a cross-body bag. Therefore, making commutes much easier and safer.

I was in desparate need of a purse so I purchased the GUESS black carry-all in black. This also came with a cross-body strap which was perfect and enough pockets for phones, make-up and other things ladies put in purses.

Beautifully Presented Food @ The Beverley Hotel

January 20, 2015January 20, 2015Food, Restaurant Reviews1 Comment

Before the Christmas holidays, Zomato invited bloggers for a meet up at The Beverley Hotel. The place is small and has a really cozy feel. Chef Binh An and Sous Chef, Johnny D were very friendly and accommodating with people’s dietary restrictions.

Before and during dinner we were treated to a Christmas Mojito which had a festive pine garnish.

The first course was called Lovell Springs Trout. Trout was served with puff rice that added a lovely texture, cucumber, fennel, smoked grapes and pickled mustard seed. It was very fresh, light and flavourful. It was a little bit of a tease because I could’ve eaten a giant plate of this.

Next came the Confit Pheasant Leg with strawberry gastrique, green icicle radish and a pickled mushroom that I wish existed in jars I could take home. The salt of the pheasant balanced really nicely with the sweetness of the gastrique. Two courses in I was ready to keep licking the plates.

I love a good steak and man was the Wagyu Blade Steak a memorable one. It was served with charred veggies (which side note: I’m currently obsessed with making). Also on the plate was a delicate beet & truffle tortellini. Steak was enough to make me feel like I was in heaven, but everything else elevated it to a whole other world. The mashed potatos were buttery and had just the appropriate amount of horseradish. By the time I was finished, I was surprised I even had room for dessert.

But if dinner was so damn good, dessert must be just as delectable right? And it was! We were treated to a Spiced Apple Cake with dark beer caramel, granola and classic vanilla icecream. The plate was appropriately licked.

I also decided to order this post-dinner drink that wasn’t on the plan for the night. I totally can’t remember what was in it besides rye and cinnamon. I just remember the warmth trickling down my throat and it felt perfect for the holidays.

Dining at the Beverley was definitely a treat for both the eyes and the taste buds!

This meal was complimentary thanks to Zomato & The Beverley Hotel.

New Year New Sketchbooks

January 19, 2015Art, Inspiration, Shopping1 Comment

I want to encourage myself to do more fine art this year. I used to when I was younger and as I grew up my main excuse was that I had no time. I’m starting to realize that, that’s not a reasonable excuse. There’s always time to pursue the things you love, you just have to decide to actually do them.

I decided the best way to start drawing and painting more again was to buy myself some blank canvases, or new sketchbooks! That way I wouldn’t be self-consciously comparing myself to things I used to be able to do. I headed to Michael’s and bought myself two different ones: one for dry media, and one for mixed.

For mixed media, I purchased the Strathmore Mixed Media Art Journal. The 64 page softcover journal has acid free paper that is 100% cotton. It’s perfect for all sorts of media including watercolours. The cover also has this sleek smooth texture which I am in love with.

I also wanted a sketchbook for general doodling and dry materials. I chose the Artist’s Loft Fashion Journal in orange. At $20, it was well worth it for 110 pages. I also liked that it was a bright orange colour to separate it from the other book and give it a pop of colour when travelling with it. Since I moved to the city, I plan to take it around and find inspiration outside my house.

I love both these books and I hope to fill them with things this year and share them with all of you.

Looking Forward Not Back

January 18, 2015Family, Inspiration, Life1 Comment

By the end of last year, I accomplished many personal goals. I got a new job, I took a trip to the East Coast, bought a new laptop, and finally moved out and got my own place in downtown Toronto.

I’m determined to keep the momentum going and remain optimistic about the future. However, there are always emotion hurdles to face. I’m technically on contract for my job and my parent’s still say things to me like “Don’t buy a couch in case you have to move back home”.

So I bought a couch. Failure is not an option for me. Neither is looking back and moving back home (at least to me) would be seen as moving backwards. I will work my hardest to either have extended employment or create a new opportunities elsewhere. Though well meaning, I will not let less than positive thoughts affect me. In the wise words of Yoda: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

The Strange Things People Search To Get Here

January 17, 2015Technology1 Comment

One of everybody’s favourite things about having a blog is looking through the stats. Specifically, the Google searches that have landed a person on their own blog. Most them here are quite normal. I get a lot of people who were looking for Adventure Time or specific restaurants.

But sometimes searches can be bizarre. Here are a few weird ones:

“Tiana disgrace”

How the hell did this lead you here?

“Asian stereotype”

I like to think I don’t live according to stereotypes

“What dog looks like a lion”

I don’t know. Do you?

“Elmo word”

Tickle me?

“How to draw nash”

Why would you want to draw my boyfriend?!

“Draw something cheat/nash”

Again a bizarre reference to boyfriend.

“I think I’m a hoarder”

That’s nice.

“Stress soup”

I don’t think you really need a recipe for this.

“internet pictures”

This could be anything?!

“What used to be cool”

I’d like to think I am still cool.

Let Yourself Do Nothing

January 16, 2015Books, Inspiration, LifeLeave a Comment

I’m a workaholic. I’m guilty of glorifying busy. I rarely let myself truly do nothing. I read on my commutes to and from work. I take my lunch breaks at my desk (so I can blog or get my work done) and when I get home I manage all my blog e-mails, edit photographs or write some more.

If I take the time to watch TV (without actively doing something else), or play video games, I feel a bit guilty inside. I feel like there’s always something more important I could be doing (including the newly added responsibility of household chores) or going (shows, friends etc). By the time I get to bed, I’m exhausted. Sleep is the only time I’m truly doing nothing.

This is a habit, I want to break. Recently, I read Jeremy Dean’s book Making Habits, Breaking Habits and in doing so I became more aware of the pattern of actions I take every day. I also learned that there’s only so many habits you can force yourself to do at once without a break, or it lowers productivity. Therefore, taking appropriate breaks are important and may lead to better output.

For now on, I’ll let myself have those mental breaks, watch an episode of something on Netflix, go for walks or literally sit in a chair and do nothing. Sometimes my best work happens during those types of events. In fact, I pretty much wrote this post in my head while showering.

Hitting Unsubscribe

January 15, 2015TechnologyLeave a Comment

The new year is a perfect time to do some cleansing, to have a fresh start on all the information you receive online. We’re constantly subscribed to receiving an overload of information. Now is the time to delete them. Here’s where you can get rid of some junk:

• E-mails: Unsubscribe from e-mail lists of stores you don’t go to, musicians you don’t want to follow or just lists you’ve pressed delete on the last few times. Don’t kid yourself, the one time you unsubscribe, you aren’t going to miss out on a deal you actually want. It’s also a good time to realize what lists you didn’t actually subscribe to. Since last July in Canada, it’s actually illegal to continue contacting someone if they unsubscribe from your list.

• Apps: When was the last time you checked your phone to check what that Hay Day notification is saying? Turn off those notifications if you don’t listen to them or better you delete the apps you don’t use.

• Social Networks: Is there someone who really gets on your nerves on every Facebook status update? Maybe it’s time to unfriend them, or at least unfollow them. Clearing out Twitter feeds of information you don’t find interesting can make way for things that are more valuable to you.

We’re inundated with so much information that it’s important to look back at what we’re subscribed to in order to regain some sort of sanity.

Vlog Round-up: Cooking Calamari, Octopus and a Surprise Dinner

January 14, 2015Food, Recipes, Vlogs1 Comment

Last week, it was super cold so I stocked up on a whole bunch of groceries. The only problem was I didn’t buy anything “normal” people buy.

First I cooked calamari

Then Octopus

And lastly, Nash made me a surprise dinner!

Learning to Declutter

January 13, 2015LifeLeave a Comment

I recently moved downtown Toronto into my own bachelor apartment. It’s a tiny but a perfect place. Plus, it’s finally my own place.However, I’ve had to learn to downsize, in order to keep my place tidy and not clusterphobic. Here’s a few tips when downsizing to a smaller place:

Take only the books you need:
Back home at my parent’s house, I have so many books. Many of them, I’ll probably never read again but I linger on the possibility that I might reference them.

Throw out the packaging:
I’m a sucker of cool packaging and am guilty for keeping it all. Sometimes for this reason, I’ll leave things in their packaging for too long and they don’t get used. Open everything (if not than give it away), so there’s a greater possibility it will be used. Recycle the packaging if possible. This will also prevent you from buying future things with cool boxes.

Find Multiple Uses For Things:
My little sister bought me a miniature Christmas tree that’s been sitting on my windowsill. Instead of throwing it out, or taking up space in my closet, I think I will keep it on the windowsill and call it the “Occasion/Theme Tree” where we will decorate it with different things year round. If you really want to keep cool packaging, make use of it. They can be storage boxes for loose art supplies or a environmentally friendly way to wrap gifts. I also re-used this Christmas chocolate wafer tin to hold my pens.

Have you ever downsized? I’d love to know your tips.

I Bought This Beer Because It Has Robots

January 12, 2015January 12, 2015Drinks, FoodLeave a Comment

I had a party to attend this weekend so I trekked to the LCBO (it was -15 degrees Celcius so yes trek is the right word). I’m blessed that Toronto and has a great variety of specialty and craft beers and I decided it would be nice to try them all. I don’t drink that often, so I discover something new pretty much all the time.

This time, I settled for Hop City’s Hopbot IPA. How could I not? The packaging is so adorable. What I didn’t realize upon buying it was that it has a 7.1% IBA also that it has a bitterness rating of 70 IBU (which is more than I would have liked). I was also drinking the previously mentioned Chocolate Beer, so the bitterness was enhanced a bit when I drank one after the other. It does have interesting citrus notes. I wouldn’t recommend drinking it at a party that’s for sure. It’s more of a sit down and enjoy in the comfort of your own home while watching Netflix type thing. Going to do that now.