Worth the Two-Hour Wait: Grand Electric

Two hours to eat a taco? You better believe it. Welcome to Grand Electric, where the city’s most enthusiastic eaters will gladly wait up to two hours for a table in the little Parkdale eatery. Since last November the place has been serving up an excellent menu of guacamole, ceviche and sweet and spicy tacos. If your tummy is rumbling prepare to drool as you read all about it and witness the photos. If you’re tempted to make the trek I suggest arrived well before it opens at 6 p.m.

‘Tis Better to Give Than to Receive

I’m having a hard time thinking about what I want for Christmas. I’ve spend the past few weeks reading dozens of holiday press releases and compiling gift guides about the newest and greatest gifts to give this season, but I still can’t think of anything that I’m dying to get on December 25.

Call it gift overload if you will, but its probably because the things I want can’t be purchased at Yorkdale and wrapped up in a red and green papered box. I’d like to have some time to relax, read some books, watch some movies, eat some good food and just hang out with some of my favourite people in a place where the temperature will be in the double digits. And that’s exactly what I’m going to be getting this year and that’s good enough for me.

Here's to Christmas at the beach. Better than any other gift.

But still you’ll want to buy something for those special people in your life, and you might want them to buy you something too. I’ve found some lovely things to get and give which are featured here in Whatever Magazine, and small indulgences to add to the stockings on Christmas morning here on Hipurbangirls.com and here on styleninetofive.com

And if you really insist you have to get me something, then I guess I take an iPad 2 please and thank you. What? I can use it to read, watch movies, and look up recipes to make meals while I’m on my family vacation!

Presents and Cocktails

What’s a Christmas party without perfectly wrapped presents under the tree, and what’s the fun in opening said gifts if not accompanied by a festive cocktail? These are the injustices that will haunt us throughout the holidays….

But anyways, you’re probably running out of unique ways to wrap presents for your family, friends and co-workers, and they’re probably sick of collecting those gift bags from the dollar store. Solution: follow some advice from gift-wrapper extraordinaire Corinna vanGerwen for gifts that will look almost too good to be opened.

And to make sure no one goes thirsty as they unwrap their beautiful packages, be sure to keep the ingredients ready to make these festive holiday beverages which, perfectly enough, are just as pretty looking as those gifts you’ll have. Aren’t you just the perfect hostess. Happy Holidays!

A Day in the Life of a Prima Ballerina

Growing up, some of my favourite films were about dancing; Save the Last Dance, Centre Stage, Dirty Dancing Havana Nights, Honey and even You Got Served. What can I say, the early 2000s were full of dance-themed films targeting teenage girls and I was a frequent movie-goer.

Now that I’m (somewhat) grown up I’ve decided I should start enjoying cultural performances, such as the ballet, more often. Problem is it’s sometimes hard to find anyone who wants to tag along. Until I find myself a dedicated ballet-watching partner I’ll have to keep using my klout as a writer to interview the dancers themselves.

Heather Ogden in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Here is a recent Q&A I did with principal dancer at The National Ballet of Canada, Heather Ogden. What’s your favourite dance movie or live performance?

Clean, Girly Fun at Pretty Beauty & Books

Andrea Victory is living one of my dreams. She’s the owner of a little piece of beauty paradise in the Mirvish Village known as Pretty Beauty & Books. A place where two of my loves comes together – books and beauty products. And what a lovely marriage it is.

I popped in for a visit last week and left with a perma smile and some samples of One Love Organics Skincare products and Tallulah Jane natural fragrances that have changed my opinion about eco-friendly scents. Read all about it here on Hip & Urban Girls.

Blog Post Roundup: August Edition

My part-time blogging gigs have proven to be a great way to balance the more serious writing content from my full-time job with something fun and light-hearted. This month I kept busy with many summer related posts on Hipurbangirl.com and StyleNinetoFive.com.

From the MICHI Lookbook

I interviewed Toronto designer (and fellow UWO alum) Michelle Watson behind the chic athletic brand, MICHI for Style Nine to Five, and also picked out some of the best SPF products and summer beach bags for all your vacation (or staycation) needs, and the perfect item to segue into fall style; the kimono inspired jacket.

One of my favourite streets in the world

Over at the Hip & Urban Girl’s Guide I was busy sharing some great places to eat, drink and shop along my favourite Manhattan block: Bleecker Street. I don’t think any trip to the big city is complete without aleast a quick visit to this charming part of the island. If you’re lucky you might even spot SJP having a bite in her ‘hood at, Keste Pizza.

The Newsfeed Still Runs While I’m Away

I’m back to the keyboard after the end of my amazing European getaway.

I’m a little groggy and still longing for the cobblestone streets of Paris and Barcelona, but happy to get back to writing. While I was away a few of the items I had be working on went up, so if you missed them like I did here they are again:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Away We Go on Styleninetofive.com for all your travel essentials

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide Book Review on Hipurbangirl.com for some satorial summer reading

I’m also excited to have written my very first food-related reviews of  The Collective Restaurant and Bar in NYC and Bigabaldi’s Restaurant for Hip Urban Girl. Looking forward to many more tasty writing experiences soon.

Hip & Urban Blogging

You’ve probably seen me mention the Hip & Urban Girl’s Guide a million times on this blog for their awesome Toronto events. Well it’s about to get a whole lot more frequent, as I’ve just signed on as their newest blog contributor.

Be sure to check back here, and of course on the blog, for what you should be eating, shopping and seeing on your next vacation, as well as Toronto happenings and some of my beauty obsessions. Recent blog posts include:

The Best Vintage Shops in NYC

What We’re Reading this Summer

He Who Seeks Beauty Will Find it

A little while ago I watched the most inspiring film. It was a documentary about Bill Cunningham, the New York Times fashion photographer. You may not recall his name or his face, but if you’ve ever read a Sunday edition of the NY Times chances are you’ve seen his images of stylish New Yorkers out on the street and at exclusive galas and soirees. Bill has photographed some of the most notable characters in the fashion world and has had the pleasure of attending countless Fashion Week shows around the world. The movie is filled with cameos by admiring peers such as Anna Wintour who praise his skill and charisma. Learning about this charming man really emphasized that finding something you are truly passionate about and making it your life’s work is the only job worth having. I guarantee you will leave the theatre with a huge smile and enough inspiration to get out there and find your calling.

Find out a little bit more about the movie on my post for Style Nine to Five, and watch the trailer. You can catch the film in Toronto at Varisty Cinemas.

A Last-Minute Cottage Escape

Wouldn’t you love to spend a sunny weekend reading a book on a Muskoka chair while the kids jump in the lake? Unless you’re lucky enough to own your own cottage getaway, or have some generous cottage-going friends with room to spare it looks like you’ll have to make your dream come true by renting. Check out my Yahoo! Travel post and you’ll have yourself a little piece of paradise booked in no time.