Weekly Adventures 9.22.17 (Wedding Edition)

Last week was extra special because I was in Ottawa / Wakefield celebrating my best friend Mel's wedding. It was pretty magical.

I flew Porter, which meant that I was able to walk to the airport with my carry-on. I stayed in an adorable airbnb during the week whilst spending time with Mel, the bridal party and her other wonderful friends in the city.

Mel and I have been friends for 14 years, and while she's been in Amsterdam for the last 3 we've done a good job at maintaining our friendship across many, many miles.  Spending time together was bittersweet - very special to celebrate her love, the wedding and hang out together, but also sad because it made me miss her more. I know that I have a trip to Amsterdam coming up in my future, and our time together reinforced how much I need to work on making that happen ASAP.

It was a particularly beautiful week in Ottawa, which was especially wonderful since the wedding was outdoors; they couldn't have asked for a better day!

I rented my dress from Rent Frock Repeat, and since they have a location in Ottawa I didn't have to pack it with me. It was such a fun dress to wear!

And honestly, I can't say enough good things about my time with these gals. From doing Beyography choreography, laughing between courses, getting our hair and make up done together, travelling throughout Ottawa to Wakefield and back, sharing stories, hanging out in robes whilst taking photos, giving speeches - it was all a really lovely bridal party experience.

As a friend, it's such a joy to see the people you love the most find their most special people and celebrate that love. Over the last 4 years, watching all 3 of my best friends get married and being a part of their weddings has been such a gift. Mel's wedding was no different and I made a lot of memories that I will cherish for a very long time! I am over the moon thrilled for Mel and Alexei, and wish them so much continued happiness in the years to come.

I've got some fun events coming up over the weekend and then I'll spend the week prepping to head off on another adventure a week from today - more on that to come!

Cheers to love xo

When it's Your Wedding Day... Opening Night!

I could hardly sleep last night after our FINAL dress rehearsal before opening night of The Wedding Singer!!

Playing Julia is the most fun, and I have such a blast falling in love with Robbie (played by Isaac Bell) every single night. The set, lighting and costumes are amazing and totally 80's-tastic. I love getting to feel like a princess in my wedding dress every night

So many awesome people are coming to the show tonight and I am thrilled to have a (nearly!) sold out audience. Openings are always so exciting and I'm so thankful to have the best cast to share the fun with. If anyone needs me today I'll likely be found skipping and jamming to 80's tunes. Music videos in the 80's were the coolest, right?!

What's your fave 80's tune? 

Top Moments of 2013

Wow 2013, you've been quite a year! I can hardly believe that another 365 days have passed as I lived the year of serendipity. And serendipitous it has been, in so many ways. Here are some of my favourite things that happened this year. 

I started off the year with a super fun trip to Ottawa to visit my bestie, Mel. I'm so thankful that Mel and I both work hard to keep our relationship strong and it was such a blast to visit her in snowy Ottawa. I can't wait to go back - hopefully sometime this year! 

This year included being on the cover of The Grid, being auctioned off for charity, being on the cover of a magazine highlight women in the arts and co-hosting a cooking show in my home. Really neat and a whole lot of serendipity to make it all happen. 

I discovered the Lovebot and have since become an unofficial ambassador of sorts to this incredible project. 

It's so lovely to see them all over the city and great to get into conversations with people that start with "So what's the deal with these Lovebots?!" I've since gotten to meet Matthew Del Degan who created the Lovebot and am thrilled for what's in store in the land of love for 2014!

In other love news, my sweet friend Lindsay got married in June and her wedding was absolutely one of my favourite moments of the year (if not my life!) It was so special to be a part of their day and all of the festivities leading up to it. I'm thankful that our friendship strengthened as a result. I will also never look at fuchsia the same way. 

I got to interview two of my favourite bands from my childhood - New Kids of the Block and Hanson!! Also got to see both of them in concert. 8 year old me and 13 year old me would have died (or at least started screaming their faces off) if only they knew what was to come 15+ years in the future. I also saw a slew of other great concerts including the Joni Mitchell tribute at Massey Hall, James Blake, Natalie Weiss, Jason Robert Brown and Rich Aucoin x2. 

I sold out my first solo cabaret, raised $1000 for CAMH and was asked to revamp the show for 2014 to be performed at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. 

Putting the first Life is Sweet show and blog series together was an incredible experience and I'm so proud that I get to do it again this year as a result. 

I also had an amazing time with my second solo cabaret I Know it's Today where I talked about boys, dating, relationships and everything that has happened since that time I was engaged. 

Speaking of boys, 2013 brought some ups and downs in my love life (hence the cabaret) but was so lucky to connect with my incredible boyfriend, Corbin, towards the end of the summer. I've fallen so head over heels in love with that man and am so excited to be heading into 2014 with him next to me!

In addition to performing in a bunch of shows, I saw 32 shows, which will become 33 after I see Les Miserables this afternoon. From plays at Fringe to cabarets by friends to huge musicals, I've seen a bit of everything and continue to love supporting the theatre community in Toronto and being inspired by shows in New York. I can't wait to see what's in store for 2014!

Oh yah, I went to New York. It was pretty magical. I still need to blog about all the wonderful things that happened. It's coming, I promise! 

Today I'm celebrating the end of 2013 and new beginnings for 2014 with a lovely friend date this morning and a sweet Corbin date to see Les Mis this afternoon. I think I'll have a quiet evening, but I'm looking forward to what's in store for this new year. 

Happy New Year - see you in 2014!

All the fun in Fuchsia (The Wedding of Lindsay and Krishna)

After a wonderful week of wedding festivities, Saturday June 29 was certainly a day to remember (I told Lindsay over the weekend that it was probably one of the best days of my life). I woke up at 5:30am, filled with excitement and joy like a child on Christmas. It seemed that I wasn't the only one feeling this way as Linz and I started imessaging one another with many a silly wedding emoji around 6am. The anticipation was building and we still had 4 hours before we were due to get our hair done and 10 hours before Lindsay and Krish were scheduled to get married!

The team at Evoke was amazing. I had been there once before to get a haircut and was really looking forward to the experience. They paired me up with Chris and the two of us just clicked. He immediately was on board with my rockabilly updo aspirations. The end result was a mega fun morning spent laughing and talking about musical theatre and an incredible updo, complete with a custom made fascinator from my sweet friend at Elizabeth Victoria.

Lindsay's vision for the bridesmaids included fuchsia dresses, black shoes and black & silver accessories. She gave us a lot of flexibility on dress style as long as we stayed within a range of fuchsia (which we've discovered is the colour that men cannot see). I found an incredible dress by Trashy Diva that was the perfect colour, fit and interpretation of my personal style. Elizabeth did an amazing job with my custom fascinator and somehow matched the fuchsia perfectly!I chose a pair of black sparkly peep toe heels that I had bought a couple years ago for a show, and found a stellar bracelet and ring from my sweet friends at Damzels. I was so happy with how everything came together and it was a lot of fun to be in a bridal party where we were encouraged to express our individuality.

We headed back to Linz's parents house to continue getting dolled up. I had stopped by Belmonte Raw the day before the wedding for fresh juice and yummy lunches for Linz and I to make sure that we were happily nourished in a gluten free, vegetarian fashion for the big day. Carol did an amazing job hooking us up with incredibly food and fresh green juices to make sure we were well fueled and ready to go.

Watching Linz get ready and seeing her in her dress for the first time was truly magical. The bridesmaids' had had a sneak peek at the dress at one of our gatherings in the months leading up to the wedding, but that did not diminish the feelings I had that day. Thank god for waterproof mascara.

She was stunning.
And glowing.
And radiant.
And exuding so much joy.

It was such a beautiful thing to experience and many times over the course of the day I reflected on how thankful I was for her friendship and what it meant to be able to stand beside her as she married her love.

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day - the sun was shining, traffic was easy and we arrived at the venue with the sounds of Pride happening two streets over. We hurried into the bridal suite and waited for our time.

The room for the ceremony was full of people from all over the world who had come to see Linz and Krish tie the knot, and the love in the room was palpable as soon as we walked in. I think I probably started crying around the time I started walking down the aisle. Seeing Krish waiting for Lindsay was so moving, and all of us bridesmaids were doing a terrible job of keeping our emotions in check. Being at the front and having a perfect view of Lindsay walking down the aisle with her dad was another really special moment that I'm going to cherish for a long time.

The ceremony was beautiful and very reflective of the couple. They incorporated great readings (including a sweet Ogden Nash poem that Shaun, the best man and I got to read), beautiful music, and handfasting into the ceremony.

With the ceremony over, we were whisked away for many fun photos with the bridal party and familias. 

Following the photos, we made our entrances to the reception for an incredibly delicious gluten free & vegetarian friendly Indian buffet feast from Bombay Palace (why doesn't everyone have Indian buffet at their wedding?), great speeches, a kransekage wreath cake and a whole lot of dancing and shenanigans. 

Aside from briefly setting the head table on fire(!) and having to sew the bustle back onto Lindsay's dress on my hands and knees in the rest room, the evening went off without a hitch. Everyone was thrilled to be celebrating Lindsay and Krish's union and were ready for a great night of merriment. It was truly a spectacular day, and I'm incredibly grateful that I was asked to be a part of it. Congratulations to Lindsay and Krishna - I wish them nothing but happiness as they enter this new chapter of their life together!!

Photos from my iphone, Instagram feed & Wedpics - an amazing app for weddings!

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!!

Cupcakes for Lindsay

You know how you meet someone sometimes and know instantly that you're going to be friends? That's how it was with Lindsay and I.

We initially bonded over our love of musical theatre, singing and Idina Menzel in 2008 and our relationship has flourished since then.

We sing together.
We make delicious gluten free, vegetarian, Ashley & Linz-friendly things.
We take hilarious adventures.
We share a love for tea,  kale, girly things, Pinterest and everything to do with hummus.

And our voices combined reach decibels that only teeny tiny dogs and unicorns can likely hear. (we take our #twosquealingsopranos hashtag quite seriously) 

I adore this woman who is a kindred spirit to me in many ways. And in the years we've known one another, the two of us have been through a lot.

She has supported me through so much, including my Crohn's diagnosis, going gluten free and dairy free (and everything else free), the end of my relationship with my ex-fiance and everything else along the way. She has been one of my biggest supporters in all my artistic endeavors and has always been there to lend a hand or an ear when I needed it most. A couple months ago I was going through a drawn out break up, Linz was there to listen, (gently) force me to eat, distract me with shopping adventures and sangria and give me flexibility to sleep on her couch for a weekend while I needed the extra support.

I've had the pleasure of spending a lot of time with her family as we've prepared for the wedding and they are some of the most delightful people I've ever encountered. Her fiance is an awesome guy and I've had so much fun with both of them over the years; I love their love. She is surrounded by so many beautiful people who love her immensely, which is further affirmation to what an exceptional person she is. Linz is kind, hilarious, talented, charming, empathetic and wonderful; she's one of the best friends I could ask for. I only hope that I've been as good of a friend to her as she has been to me.

It was such an honour when she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids, and I'm grateful that the last year has brought us closer together. The planning process has been a lot of fun and I'm so happy that I got to be so closely involved! This week has been full of wedding shenanigans and formality, culminating in the big day on Saturday. I've already cried so many times (with joy!!) about the wedding and I don't know how I'm going to keep it together this weekend. Thankfully my dress has pockets to store all the tissues I'm gonna need... 

The bridal shower was this past Sunday and I wanted to make extra-special Linz-friendly treats for everyone to enjoy so I pulled together these cupcakes. Based on a few different recipes, I was quite happy with the results and so was the bride-to-be. 

Chocolate Caramel Cupcakes for Lindsay 

Gluten free, Dairy free

Makes 18-20 cupcakes

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
(Aka Lindsay's Dark Chocolate Quinoa Cake in miniature form)
Gluten free, Dairy free
2 c. cooked quinoa
1/3 c. almond milk
4 large organic, free-range eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. coconut oil
1 1/2c. organic cane sugar
1 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Line two cupcake tins with 18 liners. Use snazzy ones for extra pizzazz

In a blender, add the quinoa, almond milk, eggs, vanilla, and coconut oil. Blitz until smooth.

 In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Once well combined, add the quinoa mixture from the blender.

Pour the batter into the cupcake liners, so that each is about 3/4 full. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F, until a knife or skewer inserted into the centre of  a cupcake comes out clean. Put on a cooling rack to cool.

Dairy Free Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Gluten free, Dairy free  

I love to use my pink Kitchen Aid stand mixer for this recipe! This was the first time I had made it with something other than butter. It's a little more fussy and needs to be stored in the fridge (especially in 40 degree heat), but the result is incredible and creamy! 

5 large free-range, organic egg whites
1 cup + 2 tbsp organic sugar
Pinch of salt
485 g. Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Combine egg whites, sugar, and salt in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly by hand until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved (the mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between your fingertips).

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy and glossy, and completely cool - about 8-10 minutes.

With mixer on medium-low speed, add the coconut spread a few tablespoons at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once all of the coconut spread has been added, whisk in vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl with a flexible spatula, and continue beating until the frosting is completely smooth.

Refrigerate immediately. Whip in mixer before using if not using icing immediately.

Putting it all together

Once cupcake are cool, pipe or frost with the buttercream. I was storing the piping bag in the freezer until I was ready to pipe. The buttercream holds its shape well enough to be piped and looks really pretty, it just needs to be cold.

Drizzle with a chilled dairy free caramel - I used this one.

The cupcakes are best stored in the fridge, but should be taken out of the fridge about 5-10 minutes before serving to allow the buttercream to soften and the cupcakes to thaw a bit. The buttercream is insanely smooth and the texture contrasts nicely with the chocolatey cupcakes. The caramel makes them a bit messy, but caramel + chocolate is a divine flavor combination. All taste testers agreed!! AND they're gluten-free and dairy-free!



Can't wait to continue the celebration with Lindsay, her soon-to-be husband and all of their family and friends. It's going to be an incredible day for one of my most favourite people. I love you Linz!

The Belleville Roadtrip

Remember that time I went to Ottawa for a bachelorette? This past weekend it was time for Laura to take the walk down the aisle to say "I do" in her hometown of Belleville, Ontario. And what does that mean for those of us who don't live in Belleville?

ROAD TRIP!

The awesome folks at Infiniti lent us a gorgeous 2013 Infiniti M37x sport to make the drive in (and spread the #infinitilove), which was pretty much all kinds of amazing. I brought Fab Detox friendly snacks, the car did lots of snazzy things, SiriusXM & Justin's iTunes provided the soundtrack and Justin took care of the driving business and we were off! 

The drive really made me realize that fall really is here. The trees along the road were definitely screaming AUTUMN. Speaking of trees, the 'forest air' setting in the car kept us incredibly comfortable over the course of our drive.

We were also really impressed with its fuel economy. The M is a pretty large car, but handled gas really well whilst rocking eco mode. 

We spent some time visiting with my Nan (grandmother), her husband, my uncle and cousins before heading off to the wedding. 

Laura was to be the third generation in her family who got married at this particular Anglican church in Belleville, which was really special. She looked STUNNING. 

I found myself getting teary as I watched her come down the aisle, thinking about how much has changed since we were 11 year olds in the 6th grade. I thought about how much my mum would have loved to know that Laura was getting married and how beautiful she looked. She and her new husband have been together for 10 years and their love is truly inspiring. I wish them nothing but happiness in this new chapter of life together!! It was such an honour to be a part of their special day. 

The reception was held at a local country club, and Justin and I had a blast with Laura and Jon's friends who we were sitting with. I think we were the loudest table and we fit right into that mix. It was also really great to see Laura's friend Kristy, who was part of the bridal party. She's so much fun too!

Thanks to the bride's taste in music, there was a lot of Backstreet Boys and Spice Girl dancing action amid the traditional wedding dances and a whole lotta country and top 40. It was a very fun evening!

On Sunday morning we spent some more time with my familia before heading back to Toronto. I managed to snap some pictures of the beautiful yellow roses that Nan has planted on her front lawn for my mum, as they were her favourite flowers. 

It was a sweet little visit to Belleville

but definitely always good to come home

I'm thrilled that we were able to be in Belleville for Laura's big day! Thanks again to the Infiniti team for lending us such a sweet ride. It made our trip that much more awesome, smooth and entertaining and I really appreciate it!!