All sorts of Bridesmaid Fun

It's been two weeks since my sweet Lindsay tied the knot with her love and what an amazing time it was!! The week leading up to the wedding was CRAZY! With a wedding shower, bachelorette, rehearsal, manicure date and rehearsal dinner, we were completely consumed with wedding madness but thankfully it was an absolute blast with some very fun people!

For the bachelorette we headed to Herbal Infusions for an awesome tea cocktail workshop.

Dan's tea shop is one of my favourites in the city and he put on a great event for us with minty mo-tea-tos, orange blossom oolong cocktails and lavender infused gin slushies. We even had festive straws for the occasion.



We paraded Linz through the city, finely attired in a tiara and pink feather boa.

And ended up at Hey Lucy for gluten free pizza and martini - madness.

The next few days included a lovely rehearsal at our venue

Photo by MJS Photography

Manicure fun at The Ten Spot

And an incredible feast of Trinidadian food at the rehearsal dinner.

What a wonderful meal!! And so Ashley-friendly!!

I feel so blessed to have spent such a special week with one of my very favourite people and her family and friends to celebrate her big day! Next week I'll be sharing photos and stories from the wedding - stay tuned!!

Sorry folks, fall is coming

Yell at me all you will, but I'm a transitional season gal, and I'm a big fan of fall.
And while the last few days have been beautiful outside, the chilly air at night makes me believe that autumn is just around the corner.

And I love it.

Reasons I love fall:

fall fashion
crisp air
tea in the sunroom
hoodies
cozy blankets
soup (and it's new friend, socca)

homemade socca and squash/carrot soup

more tea
that 'back to school' feeling*
coloured tights
cardigans
anything pumpkin
anything cinnamon

Brilliant cinnamon bun from Bunners at the Veg Food Fair

more excuses to snuggle
curries (and other warm and cozy food)
wearing boots
layering
peacoats
leaves changing colour

However, I don't like socks. 

Unless they have owls on them. And I'm wearing my polka-dotted cons. Then they're pretty okay.

All in all, fall is still wonderful. Remind me that I said this when it actually starts to get cold. 

What do you like about the fall?

*Speaking of that back to school feeling, I've been invited to check out the Green Jobs Forum on Monday September 17 at the Metro Convention Centre. There's a list of amazing speakers and some pretty cool stuff happening. They're also running a contest for bloggers, where you can win a bike - who wouldn't like a new bike?! I'm also stoked to pick up a Live Green membership card - I seriously don't know why I didn't have one of these before. Admission is free and you can register online. If you're unable to attend, I'll be tweeting away with the #GJF12 hashtag. Looking forward to meeting some interesting new people and learning lots! 

Just Magic - More NYC tales

All three of my trips to NYC in the last year have felt pretty magical. The first was special because it was the first and a boy who I was dating at the time took me. The second was so incredible because I was there on my own, doing whatever I wanted, in the middle of a Hurricane. This last trip was totally what I needed at that exact moment.

I found myself at the very beginning of summer without a job and questioning what I wanted to do with my days, summer and well, life. The decision to go on a whim was perfect and as I closed my eyes on my first night in New York I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. I had a day and a half in the city to do whatever I wanted before heading to my first class on Friday night. I had a few objectives: see friends, eat good food, visit old favourites, make new favourites and see a show. Somehow on a random May Thursday in New York, I managed to do all of that.

I started with lunch at Quintessence. Quintessence has been on my NYC eats spreadsheet for awhile, but for  whatever reason, I hadn't gone there in the two previous trips. One of my tips for eating a little more inexpensively in New York is to check out restaurants at lunch, as it's usually less expensive and many restaurants have lunch specials. Quintessence is no exception. I had an Indian influenced lunch combo with squash noodles, a curry sauce and mango chutney. It was a pretty delicious combination of flavors, although surprisingly I wasn't super impressed with the mango chutney. It was almost too sweet and the texture was confusing. I was glad I went at lunch as the restaurant was small and I managed to score a sweet seat by the window for some high quality people watching.

My next stop was all my favourite places in and around Soho. Babycakes was a must and I treated myself to a kick ass donut and sandwich cookie.

Both were out of this world divine. While I love the gluten free and vegan bakeries that we have in Toronto, nothing compares to Babycakes.

I also made a stop at Harney & Sons where I caught up with Emeric Harney and scored some awesome tea. The fact that Emeric remembers me each time I go makes me really happy and he's gotten to know my tea preferences (or he's just a wizard) and I always leave with some amazing new things to steep. This time it was Blood Orange, Love Life and a Chamomile Lavender blend.

I also got to have a quicky catch up with my awesome friend Sheryl in Bryant Park.

Our time together is always hilarious and I was so glad we were both able to squeeze in a visit! 

I had to see a show while I was in town and I really wanted that show to be Once. It is one of my very favourite movies and the music makes my heart really happy. I had gone down to TKTS in the afternoon only to be told that there was obstructed view. I froze and didn't really know what to do. I only had time to see one show, but didn't want to be disappointed if I couldn't see half the show, but I also knew that it had been nominated for a whole whack of Tonys and it was likely that it would be even harder to get tickets down the road. I decided to take a chance on it and was so happy that I did.

The show was unbelievable. It was everything I had hoped for and more. The story and the music were brought to life in the theatrical setting. The story was distilled to make it more palatable to be onstage. All of the actors played instruments which added an incredible element to the show. The performances of the ensemble and especially Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti were nothing short of magical and brought the story to life in ways I couldn't have even imagined. And I got to tell them that after the show at the stage door. 

The cast signed my program and I got to tell them how much I loved it. I told Cristin about my favourite moment in the show (a really beautiful acting moment at the very end) and chatted with Steve a bit too. They're both incredible performers and seem like really lovely people. Nothing like meeting people who inspire you creatively at the beginning of a really epic weekend of performing! It was the perfect end to seeing the show and made the experience that much more awesome. I was over the moon thrilled when they won 8 Tonys the following week, and Steve's acceptance speech had me bawling my eyes out. 

As I write this, I can't believe how much I managed to squeeze into just a day in the city. I think if this had been my only day in NYC I would have gone home a happy gal, but there was so much more than this in the weekend that followed. More to come!! 


And if you haven't already, go see Once. And if you can't get to New York, at least see the movie... 

Saying Goodbye to My Tea Club Gals

When I made the decision to go back to the office world in February, I had no idea that I would:

a) be changing jobs less than a year later
b) have made such an incredible group of friends along the way

It seems that November is a favourite time for change for me and with everything that’s changing, I’m really excited for what’s down the road. The corporate world is a funny place and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity that fell into my lap, to return to a company where I spent close to 5 years. No, it’s not nutrition school, nor is it a full time performing gig, but it allows me to do everything that I love and gives me some pretty awesome perks.

When I started at this office 9 months ago, I was immediately welcomed by an amazing group of people who I sat with. We weren’t really in the same department, but our affinity for tea brought me closer to their little circle.

And boy, have we drank a lot of tea.

Oh yes, the tea. After NourishTea sent us their line, we made a really great connection with Dan at Herbal Infusions. Dan let me come in and pick out a wide variety of teas for us to try and we had a lot of fun sampling everything over the next few months. We’ve since gone back into his shop many times and there are certain favourites that have definitely immerged.

Amanda swears Lapacho Orange Vanilla and is convinced that due to its antibacterial properties, it has boosted her immunity. In cleaning out my emails at my job I found some pretty hilarious descriptions of other teas “This tea is like a minty fairy. But fairies can be evil when they sit still too long” – of the mysterious minty tea in a pouch, “It smells like…poached pears. And cinnamon. And HAPPINESS.” of the Snow Love and “Drinking this tea is like kissing a boy who uses anise-flavoured toothpaste. Trust me, I would know” of the coolmint licorice.

Kayla loved the Vanilla Bean Chai (and was excited to find that the tea fairy had left some on her desk last week) and Caileigh loved the fruitier teas and rooibos’ like the goji / pear / melon and green rooibos punch. Alessandra and I have stopped by the shop together more than once and Dan has been awesometown in accommodating us.

If you’re in the Spadina/Queen area, be sure to check out Herbal Infusions and go talk to Dan about tea. His blends are awesome and the shop has a wonderful vibe. If you’re lucky, there will be more events like the tea cocktail workshop which will help take your tea to a whole new level!

Tea time gave us time away from our desks to vent, giggle, yell, laugh, tell silly stories and generally bond. I’m so thankful for this time together and the friendships that I’ve made. These girls have helped me get through a lot this year and it made our work environment that much more fun. I’m going to miss our walks to David’s in the PATH, the weekly tea smell fests whenever any of us bought anything new and our daily tea times in the kitchen. I know that we’ll remain friends and have tea time outside of our cubicles, but it just won’t be the same.

And I have a feeling that my new coworkers are going to think I’m a freak when I show up with half a tea store of my own. But who knows, maybe I’ll turn them on to something new!

Cheers to new beginnings and wonderful friendships. I’m gonna miss you gals xo

Dear Irene,

Thanks for trying to ruin my plans, but you’ve failed.

Thank you to everyone who has messaged, emailed, tweeted or facebooked me. Yes, I was here throughout the storm, but I’m a-ok. Irene definitely put a bit of a change in my plans, but I’m having a ball. I’m writing this blog post as I sit in the garden at Pure and couldn’t be happier.There will be many posts about my NYC experience, and I’ll be updating my NYC restaurant spreadsheet when I’m back, but for now let’s start on Thursday with my arrival, before Irene showed up.

Thursday was my first ever experience with Porter, and I have to say that it was brilliant from the start. I loved the fact that I didn’t have to travel up to Pearson, and that I had a beautiful view of the water and the city skyline. The complimentary snacks and wifi were pretty sweet too. My roommates had recommended the Carlton Arms hotel to me and upon arrival it absolutely felt like home. I will post more pictures of all the common areas, but for anyone who has ever visited my apartment, you’ll understand why this felt like home. I chose a room on the 4th floor and loved how feminine and pretty it felt and thought the extra flights of stairs would be a good idea… 

I immediately headed over to One Lucky Duck for lunchy I opted for the taco salad. There were no seats when I arrived, but managed to grab one just before my food was ready. The salad was delish with the guac and sour cream being my favourite parts.

My afternoon happened on a whim and I was delighted by everything that I discovered. I HAD to go to babycakes and was not disappointed. That, my friends, is a gluten free vegan samoa donut. Caramel, coconut, and chocolate. Apparently it’s a Girl Scout cookie flavour? I’ll call it heaven. There’s been a lot of vegan donuts floating around in Toronto,but not many gluten free ones. I was never a huge donut eater, but this was like a party in my mouth that I never wanted to end. I also grabbed a vanilla cupcake to go. Holy amaze-balls.

I stopped at Moo Shoes, which is an awesome vegan shoe store and picked up some fab brown boots for $30. Perfect for fall and I can’t wait to wear them.

Next stop was Harney & Sons for some tea goodness! I had promised my tea club gals some of the amazing cinnamon “sparkle” tea and wanted something delicious and new to try as well. Emeric (Harney) was so helpful once again and I can’t wait to share details of the amazing teas I purchased.After shopping and wandering I tried my luck at the Mormon lottery again and failed. I then tried to win the RENT lottery and failed at that too. Luckily they had “lottery loser” tickets and got to see the new Off-Broadway production.

I was sandwiched between two other people who were singing all the words so I felt right at home. I also cried. A lot. I’ve come to really enjoy RENT and the exploration of the relationships within it. The new production has some stellar performances, amazing set/lighting and the music sounded awesome. Was really excited to see Will Van Dyke leading the band, as I was recently listening to his tunes as potential choices for the next Ashleyx2 cabaret (in the fall!)

I took a cab home, smiling all the way, excited for the days ahead! I can’t wait to continue sharing my NYC adventures with all of you…

Tea + Cocktail = Love

Especially when you add a Friday night and awesome people into the mix!

Herbal Infusions is an adorable tea shop at Spadina and Adelaide that is actually sponsoring our second tea club round! (Tea reviews coming soon!) The owner Dan is fantastic at what he does, has a wealth of knowledge about tea and is incredibly sweet. Last week, Kayla and I were super stoked for a workshop focused around using syrups made from teas to form amazing cocktails.

The teas used in the workshop were all blends from Herbal Infusions including Orange Blossom Oolong, Lomi Lomi, Peppermint Dream and Toasted Almond. Dan had gone through process of boiling the teas down to create simple syrups that were going to be used in our cocktails.

Upon arrival, we were treated to a sweet orange blossom made with an orange blossom oolong. The fun part about the workshop was the integration of tea facts with cocktail info. Dan knows his tea like nobody’s business and Trevor was amazing with his cocktail knowledge.

We discussed the origins of oolong tea and the process by which it is created before getting the low down on how to create the drink. The orange blossom was made with 2 parts of the orange oolong simple syrup, 1 part lemon juice, 1 part vodka and topped with soda. It was the perfect drink for summer. The syrup added a great sweetness but wasn’t overly sweet and the citrus added a nice tang.

Next up was a foam made with Herbal Infusions Roasted Almond tea. I love the idea of using such delectable teas in such creative ways. The roasted almond tea on is delightful on its own or in latte form, so I imagine that the syrup would have been that much better. I wasn’t able to try this one since it was made with gelatine and dairy, but Kayla assured me that it was delicious!

The peppermint mojito was absolutely my fav and I definitely recreated this drink for this past weekend for quality girls’ cottage time (post on Wednesday!) Dan’s peppermint blend is second to none with an amazing mix of Washington peppermint and Egyptian lavender. While slightly untraditional, our mojito was shaken (rather than stirred) as it was made with the peppermint syrup, and the shaking helps to break everything down, dilute the cocktail slightly and mix everything together in the best possible way. It was made with 2 parts syrup, equal parts fresh lime juice and rum, and topped up with soda.

Kayla helped Trevor make the last drink, which was a lomi lomi pina colada. Trevor talked about his love of tiki culture and showed us his collection of awesome tiki cups. Kayla was a fab bartender (except when she had a bit of a spill with the coconut milk – we’ll blame the fact that we were on cocktail #4 at this point) The lomi lomi tea is a tropical blend that includes aloe and pineapple; I think it would make a stellar iced tea. The cocktail included 2 parts of the syrup, 1 part pineapple juice, 2 parts rum and 1 part coconut milk. And everything is better in a tiki cup

We were given our cups based on personality. I think mine looked a little angry for me…It was such a stellar evening! Thanks to Herbal Infusions and Tipicular Fixin’s for all the goodness. Dan plans to run more workshops like this in the future and at $15, you really can’t go wrong! We were able to purchase the syrups for $6 at the shop, and if you’re interested, connect with Dan on Facebook or Twitter to get some of your own to shake shake shake some delicious tea-inspired cocktails to celebrate the last few weeks of summer.

Do you use teas in any untraditional ways? What is your favourite summer drink?

Tea Club Round One–Nourishtea

I started at my new office 3 months ago. It was weird getting back to the 9-5 grind after being away for more than a year. I had ONE whirlwind day of training with the girl who had been in the job before me (for 7 years) and then I was on my own.

At my old office, I had sat in a cube with my bosses to my right and directly across from me, with the VP on marketing to my left and the President right behind me. I often felt segregated from the rest of the office, but usually I was okay with that! I got along really well with my bosses and it just became normal to me. In my new office I was seated with a group of awesome gals and on day 1 I knew I was going to fit in, thanks to a gift from my super special friend Becki.

I learned really quickly that my cubemates were obsessed with tea. And they all had matching tea mugs and I had one too. #winning

At least once a day we all gather in the kitchen for tea time, sharing our various teas and raiding one another stashes. There all had lots of teas from David’s, Tea Emporium, Herbal Infusions plus a whole lot of chocolatey chai. The girls were also really excited when I received an extra special David’s tea gift from a cute boy for my birthday.

One day I made a joke about having tea companies sponsor us and the gals started talking about their dream tea list. We talked some more and somehow my blog came up and then BAM

Tea Club was born.The idea is that each month we’ll feature and review teas from one company and in some cases (like this one!!) do a super fun giveaway so that you can try the tea goodness too!! The tea testing is very serious and scientific around here; There may or may not have even been a spreadsheet created!! There’s 5 of us testing the teas pretty seriously and a few others in our office who join in sometimes. We’ve all got different tastes so between us you’ll get a pretty diverse group of opinions.

NourishTea was amazing for being the first tea company to get on board.

We were so excited when they sent us a HUGE variety of their teas including ones we had requested and others that they surprised us with including: Midnight Campfire, Canadian Breakfast, Cresting Cranes of Legend, Sky Flies the Bird, Minty Igloo, Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls, Warming Camomile, Emerald Path, and Rose Pink.

We were all really excited for Midnight Campfire when we read the description on the website. We were less excited when we opened the tea and took a whiff – it really smelt like a campfire!!

Amanda (who is also blogging about tea club on her amazing illustrated blog from time to time): Woah bonfire. It smells like the title says… and it is so pungent that it has stayed in my nose and made me paranoid that I smell like smoke. It's like drinking a pot of burnt rice. Which is fine. I do voluntarily do that on occasion.

Luckily things got better after the campfire.

Many of us loved the Canadian Breakfast tea. It’s a really classic black tea with a lot of warmth and body.

Kayla said: Smooth and very flavourful! Tastes as inviting as it smells. I love English breakfast teas, and I think this one is  going to be a favourite.

Amanda’s tea descriptions started to get more ridiculous as we went along but this one was probably one of my favs: It's like wearing a tea cozy as a hat and cuddling with a good book by a fire after a terrible day.

We came to love the simplicity of the NourishTea brand. Many of teas in our collections are fancy-pants with lots of components, but NourishTea sticks to the basics and does them well. Minty Igloo is a lovely, refreshing mint blend (that we decided should have been our next choice after the campfire disaster) Alessandra said: It's like a fantastically amazing winter storm is in my mouth!! I feel my insides are being cleansed! I like that it's a simple peppermint. Not peppermint mixed with pears, or chocolate, or nuts. Just simple peppermint. I'm totally on board.

The green teas were pretty awesome. We all really enjoyed Sky Flies the Bird (a genmaicha green tea with such a fabulous name) and the Jasmine Dragon Phoenix Pearls (we’ve become a little bit obsessed with Harney & Sons Jasmine Pearls around here after I received some as a gift). We lovingly refer to the jasmine pearls as the jungle tea.

Tea is not only delicious, but it can also be really pretty.

Overall we were fans of NourishTea! Yummy, accessible teas that are pretty and delicious. Love that they’re Canadian and it makes me excited that I’m seeing them in more and more stores in Toronto including the Big Carrot, Whole Foods, Sobeys Urban Markets and Fortino’s. They also donate 5% of their proceeds to Actions Against Hunger which  is an “international network committed to saving the lives of malnourished children and their families, while ensuring access to safe water and sustainable solutions to hunger”. All kinds of awesome.

Would you like to be a part of our Nourishtea tea club?

I’ve got 4 Nourishtea prize packs to give away!

I’ll be giving away 2 via the giveaway blog and another 2 for my Twitter followers today and tomorrow. Be sure to check it out so you can enjoy the NourishTea goodness too!!

Nourishtea giveaway