All you need is love

The city of Toronto may rival Paris as the most romantic city in the world.  Well, okay, not really but I have been surrounded by lots of love lately and have documented it in photos for your viewing pleasure. Also, it's exam time again so my posts will return to their former glory around May 1st.  Promise.

"For true love is inexhaustible; the more you give, the more you have.  And if you go to draw at the true fountainhead, the more water you draw, the more abundant is its flow."   

 ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery 

 

Love on the boardwalk

Love on a napkin at Lit Espresso

Random love art on a community board

Love fry on Queen West

"Romeo and Juliet" by Tim Burton

Invite more love into your life and have a love-filled day.

Moments from my Sunday...

Breakfast for two: French Toast

Fresh french baguette, organic free-range eggs, Quebec maple syrup

The first flowers of the season

Splashes of colour

Street art in Leslieville

Harry Potter Glasses!

Basically a photo summary of my Sunday.  The weather in Toronto has been fantastic lately, and I tend to take full advantage of it on Sundays, when I'm not working or at school.  Can you see why Sundays are my favorite day of the week?

Have a wonderful week!

Midnight Serenade: the magic of chance encounters

I actually just met this talented young man tonight (he knows M-they were randomly re-acquainted today on Queen Street) and he agreed to do a little performance for us as he and his friend walked us home.  He covered the King's "Use Somebody" and he has the most magnificently angelic voice, so you will hardly notice the amateur nature of my video.

He promised to serenade us again in the near future and we certainly hope it comes true!  Thank goodness for chance encounters, they keep life fantastically interesting.

Have a musical day!

Sunday at The Beaches

The Beaches is a community that lies east of Downtown Toronto.  As expected, it's located directly on the lake shore and it is littered with beautiful parks and fantastic brunch spots. In short, it is charming and I am so incredibly privileged to be able to live here.

Today I started my morning with a run, followed by brunch at Bonjour Brioche with my good friend, T.  The use of good quality ingredients showcased that a dish doesn't have to be complex to taste amazing, as long as you start with fresh, local ingredients.  We met an adorable couple waiting in line in front of us and were strongly advised to get the eggs benedict, which may have been one of the best decisions of my life.

 The eggs benedict.  Yes, it's served up on a fresh croissant.

The Croque Madam.  My first time ever tasting brioche.

My new scarf, a birthday present from a very stylish friend. 

After brunch, I wanted to take advantage of the sunny day and went for a long walk with M in the park and along the beach.  Everyone was out, including the most adorable little boy and his mom, who were running along the pond.  You can't see it in the photo, but there were 2 enormous trumpet swans floating in the pond.

 Me and M pause to document the insanely gorgeous day.

The most adorable mother-son pair ever. 

On the walk back to the house, I noticed a group of 8 or so teenagers talking by a brick wall.  It was such a cool moment and I wanted to capture it, but when I asked to take a photo most of them got shy and stepped out of the frame.  Luckily, 3 remained and I managed to get this awesome shot that I think captures the feel of the city perfectly.  When I showed them the photos, they all agreed that it was pretty "sick" (Note: urban dictionary defines sick as being "crazy, cool or insane").  Not bad for an amateur, I say! 

The finished product.

Have a sunshine-filled day!

Sweets for your Sweet

So, remember a little while ago when I told you about the wonderful SOMA Chocolatemaker? Obviously I couldn't stay away and I thought it best to visit with the Little Prince just before Valentine's Day to see what special, limited edition offerings they had.

Inspired by Rodin, no doubt

The first thing I see when I walk amongst their shelves (and shelves) of chocolate is this gorgeous heart sculpture, nestled artistically on a bed of foliage.  Upon closer inspection, I realize the sculpture is made entirely out of dark chocolate and I'm so delighted that I have to take a moment to compose myself.  How could you eat something this beautiful? Oh, I'm sure I could, but I would definitely contemplate it for a few hours prior.

 Naturally heart-shaped Japanese walnuts

I had to get a closer pic of this gem

Now it's on to the showcase, where these adorable little treats immediately catch my eye.  "What are those nuts?", I wonder aloud and am immediately informed by the friendly staff that it is, in fact, a walnut but a special breed from Japan.  Imagine getting handed a little box of those? Not only do you get to hold someone's heart, you get 6 tasty little Japanese ones, too!

After all the chocolate cruising, I was feeling like I needed to indulge.  Given my past history of molten chocolate love, I ended the evening with a shot of salted molten dark chocolate (complements of the Little Prince, I might add. See? Chivalry does live on!).  Although the chocolate is always top quality at SOMA, this treat may have been a little too rich and I made a note to stick with the much loved Hot Chocolate at my future visits, which is diluted with almond milk.

Liquid love

I hope you all enjoy your special day with the one you love, whether it's a partner or yourself. <3

Wishing you lots of love and chocolate!

A Lovely Day to Study....

I had the most amazing morning; M made me a spinach mushroom omelete (I eat eggs now!), I'm wearing my favorite shirt and I'm studying at my favorite cafe.

That colour! The eggs are from an organic, free-range farm just east of the city

I discovered Mylk Uncookies last summer.  What lured me was their fresh made daily almond mylk (I still do not do dairy) and I ended up falling in love with their tea lattes (Earl Grey and Vanilla, Chai etc.)

Today, I ordered their Walnut Green Tea Latte with almond mylk and I'm planning on drinking many lattes throughout the day as I work away.  Have a look at how lovely this cafe is and soon you'll be lured down here too!

 Just like their almond mylk, it's all made fresh daily!

Retro feel, with a colour scheme inspired by Tiffany's

The raw treats! 

Enjoy your day!

Type Bookstore On Queen West

There is a little row of shops on Queen West, right across from Trinity Bellwoods park in Toronto.  They are all so charming and homegrown that I would often think up excuses to go hang out there on lazy Sunday afternoons in the summer.

How delighted was I to discover this artistic video about Type, the bookstore?  Watch it and feel the charm of this place ooze over you.

Have a creative and inspiring day!

Sweet Treat: An Adventure in Cupcakes

The Art of Cupcakes

This past Wednesday, M and I had to get our passports renewed.  What could have been an incredibly mundane chore turned into an adventure that will live on forever in this blog. You see, as we were strolling down the street to get to the intimidating government building, we happened to pass Prairie Girl Bakery.

I had heard legends about this place: how the owner had been a lawyer in Saskatchewan who one day gave it all up to bake cupcakes.  And not just any cupcakes, the ones your grandma would be proud to serve.  That means absolutely zero artificial anything.  No wonder these little cakes are touted as being the best in Toronto!

Replenishing the stock

M and I stood there, with our mouthes gapped open in awe, outside the window for at least 3 minutes before we had the courage to step inside.  How could a place so cheerful and warm be located here, amongst endless government documents and cranky people?  Once inside the shop, we were met by rows and rows of beautifully iced cupcakes and the delicious smell of someone baking more in the back.
  

The menu

Because the cupcakes are so non-artificial (think eggs, butter and milk), this unfortunately meant I couldn't enjoy one but watching M indulge was enough-- I swear, M smiled for 3 hours after finishing that cupcake!

 The Black Forrest Cupcake

M is ridiculously happy

The staff was friendly, the place was lovely and we have now found the perfect place to get birthday cupcakes for our friends.

Praire Girl Bakery

Unit 106, 18 King Street East

Toronto, Ontario

Lovely things....

I'm not a photographer.  All of the photos for this blog are taken with my iphone and minimal staging.  So how surprised am I when some photos tumble out that are magazine worthy? A very lovely thing, indeed: 

Both pictures taken at the Allan Gardens Conservatory

 Taken in Yaletown, Vancouver

Taken in the Musee de Beaux-Arts, Montreal 

Have a wonder-filled day!

Diwali: The Festival of Lights

Living in Toronto is amazing.  I have constantly been told that it is the most diverse city in the world, with little areas that are dedicated to a particular culture and country.  For example, I live in Little Italy which is surrounded by Koreatown, Chinatown, Little Portugal and Little Poland.

This past Friday was the India celebration of Diwali, also known as The Festival of Lights.  It is a celebration of epic proportions (the Indians I know tell me it's like their Christmas!) and everyone is dressed up in the most beautiful saris and kurtas!

My friend J was invited to a Diwali party and I got to help her wrap her sari.  We watched this fantastic youtube video that shows you how to do it:

Speaking of diversity, this year The 2011 Gathering is being hosted in Toronto (at CCNM!) because the theme fit the city so perfectly: "Diversity of the Vis".  If you are a student of Naturopathic Medicine or Philosophy, you need to check out this site and register for this conference! I'm already so excited for this incredible event where elders and students meet to share their knowledge and passion for Naturopathic principles and philosophies!

Have a wonderful day!

Signs and the City

While walking around the beautiful city of Toronto (which I do a lot during the summer), I am certain to keep my eyes open for quirky, clever signage and am never disappointed.

Here are some pictures of what I found this past week: