Season’s Greeting

All day I've been daydreaming about autumn.

What prompted this fixation was a poster I saw at Starbucks while waiting in line for my soy chai latté . It read: "Here's to shorter days, longer nights and not minding it one bit." Underneath, a beautiful woman, dressed in a chunky beige knit sweater, both hands encapsulating a steaming hot beverage (something undoubtedly sprinkled with cinnamon and frothed to perfection), dons an expression of quiet euphoria.

Walking the block and a half down Bathurst to Richmond with latté in hand, I was a far less picture-perfect version of that poster – a woman reveling in the delight of sipping a warm drink on a chilly day.

Later on, I decided to forgo the subway in favor of a long walk home. Thankfully the bursts of sunlight between buildings offset the cold nipping at my bare ankles. By the time I hit the Annex I was famished, so I stopped at my favorite Thai restaurant (where I sat solo at a table for two, devouring my mango salad, veggie pad thai, and October issue of Chatelaine). The magazine proved to be the perfect companion: engaging and thought-provoking – especially its extravagant “book club” section, which included reviews of several books (the names of which have been transplanted onto my reading list) and a page-turning interview with Vanity Fair editor and author Elissa Schappell.

Here’s an excerpt of the latter:

Chatelaine: What attracts you to these complicated situations?
(Re. her new book, Blueprints for Building Better Girls)

Schappell: That feeling of being uncomfortable and going to those uncomfortable places is where I feel most comfortable. …from the time I was very small, I felt I was different. I felt I was out of step with people around me. …I wanted to say the things people weren’t saying. I’m someone who wants people to really look at stuff. And I feel the best way to get people to listen to you is to be funny. If you’re funny, you can seduce people. Once you get them close enough and laughing, they expose their tender white underbelly and you can drive in the sword of truth.

Everything – from the beautiful walk home to the promise of delicious books aluded to by my dinner date – left me in eager anticipation of the upcoming season. Instead of mourning the loss of freshly cut grass and street festivals, I’m now pining for tranquil nights spent cozied up on my couch, warmed by my blanket, kitten, the green tea at my side, and the Virginia Woolf, Allison Baggio, or Johanna Skibsrud novel I’ll be have on my Kobo Reader.

*Sidenote: My cousin Rebecca Sternthal is in the October issue of Vogue. The piece (Gagosiennes, p.348) offers a rare glimpse into the exclusive world of the high-powered women behind Larry Gagosin’s global art brand. I highly suggest you check it out.

Lunch Bunch

On the menu for today? A mash-up of the food I already had in my fridge & pantry.
It was tough figuring out where to start, but it all worked out in the end.

This is how it went down:

I wanted to use the split pea mash I had made and frozen. Figured the best way to incorporate that into a meal would be to combine it with rice (jasmine thai). Then I added fried garlic and onion, and topped it off with a great garlic sauce I got @ the Distillery Sunday market, Edna's Pickles savoury carrots, and spices (s+p and oregano).

Edna’s pickled product is AMAZING. Add a single tablespoon to any dish and amp up the Mmm factor.

The dish was good! I especially enjoyed the carrots, which became melt-in-your-mouth tender from being added to the steamy rice, and the bursts of garlic in each bite.

Day 1: Transformation Thus Far

Day 1 and I'm thinking it's CRAZY how easy it is to burn through money.

Took out $200 for the week and it's already dwindling. Ah.

Here's what I spent so far:

-$25 on a top @ H&M. Had a gift card & wanted to free up the space in my wallet. It's a cute pink lightweight sweater-type top. Will look great with black leggings. That'll be the only piece of clothing I buy all season (IT BETTER BE).

Cool bonus: got a $5 gift card with my purchase. Saw a cute little $6.99 cami I could get.

So MuCh FoR nOt BuYiNg ANY cLoThInG ... there's always room for 1 little exception, right?!

-I previously bought a "group buy" deal - $75 for a vegen straightening & smoothing treatment + cut. NOT BAD, EH!? Anyways, I had to pay like $10 in taxes and $26 on special shampoo. Plus $10 tip. So that comes to $50.

SO IN THE END I SPENT $75 TODAY.

Was going to go out for dinner but clearly I spent too much so will make something here.

Food-wise, I did a bit better than I did in the $ department.

I had half a vegan brownie for breakkie, then a nice colorful vegan coleslaw for lunch (with delish cilantro and grilled corn). Then for a snack, organic spent grain crackers with PC organics peanut butter. For dinner, I'm thinking maybe basmati rice with the amazing curried carrot concoction I picked up from Edna's Pickles, one of the local food vendors @ the CNE (devoured the eggplant, which was out of this world) *http://www.ednaspickles.com/

Sunday brunch @ Rawlicious

Brunch + Debbie + baby(!) = best day ever

I was skeptical about trying Rawlicious but when Deb said it could cater to her kosher restrictions, I was all for it.

Turns out the place is great. I'm definitely gonna try to get there more often, for a double dose of healthy. Everything on the menu is meat free, dairy free, gluten free, and void of any refined sugar. 100% wholesome.

When food isn't cooked (or isn't cooked over 118F, as @ Rawlish), you wind up getting all of the finest enzymes, vitamins and minerals in their naturally delicious state. Just clean, chemical-free nutrition.

I suggest the Strawberry Milkshake – (nutmilk, stawberries, avocado, agave, and vanilla - $6.50) and the *MMmmm Cheesecake (cashew based cake on top of an almond crust - $9).

http://www.rawlicious.ca/Rawlicious/Yorkville.html

So ExCiTiNg -> *1st ever Ignite Insight FREE GIVAWAY!

The iPhone (or iPod or iPad) addicts amongst you are really gonna luv me for this...

Here's what's happening. All you have to do is take the short, fun quiz (bolded below) courtesy of GPSmyCity.com and send answers to quiz@gpsmycity.com. The potential payoff is well worth it - answer all the questions (you don't even have to get them all right!) and you'll likely win 3 city walk iPhone applications to cities of your choice.

It's that simple. Really.

So what are you waiting for!? Get to it and tell me what you think.

Toronto Fun Facts Quiz:

1. Within a 160 km radius of Toronto lives _____ of Canada's population.
A. Half
B. One third
C. One quarter

2. On what building can one find a giant neon weather station?
A. Canada Life Building
B. National Trust Tower
C. First Canadian Place

3. How many languages are estimated to be spoken throughout the city?
A. 50+
B. 100+
C. 200+

4. Which one of these movie stars was not born in the city of Toronto?
A. Christopher Plummer
B. Mia Kirshner
C. Jim Carrey

5. The CN Tower held its record of the world's tallest building for 34 years, until the Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower were built. It now remains the tallest free-standing structure in:
A. North America
B. the Americas
C. the Western Hemisphere

6. A serious ____ occurred in 1995. It was the worst day in Toronto history.
A. Subway crash
B. Fire
C. Storm

7. What do Bloor Street, Danforth Avenue and McCowan Road have in common?
A. They are all the same street
B. They run diagonal
C. They all run west-east

8. In 2006, City Hall told which group of people to leave and never come back?
A. Charlie's Angels
B. Guardian Angels
C. Black Angels

9. Which of these cities is not officially part of the Greater Toronto Area, but is still considered by some as "part of Toronto"?
A. Oakville
B. Hamilton
C. Pickering

10. Toronto has had many city-nicknames along the years. How was Toronto never called like?
A. Hogtown
B. the City that Sleeps
C. The Big Smoke


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Shellac Manicure: Worth the Shell Out?

Beyonce's doing it. Ri Ri's doing it. And now I am, too.

Before going home to MTL to visit fam, friends, and bf, thanks to a $20 off coupon promotion I found on the facebook fan page of Sitamaa I decided to treat myself to a shellac manicure. Unable to resist the allure of perfect, virtually chip-free nails for the entire course of my time in la belle Province, I booked my appointment and began the countdown.

Here's the lowdown on this supposed Rolls Royce of manicures:

*The claim is a shiny, chip-free 14 day manicure that withstands the wear & tear of everyday life. Some people insist that if you get a light colour (one that won't be so noticeable as it grows out) you could sport it for up to 3 weeks.

*It is the first of its kind: 'hybrid' nail colour offering the strength and high-shine finish of a gel nail treatment + the color selection and easy application of a nail polish.

*Like gels, to get that "flawless finnish," thin layers of gel are applied to the nails and treated under a UV light.

*It is non-yellowing, odorless, strengthens nails, and best of all, involves virtually NO DRYING TIME! It was cRaZy being able to touch and do anything immediately afterwards (more exciting than any magic trick I've ever seen).

But before you freak out and fall too hard in love, take a look at the list of downfalls:

*Limited colour options and 50% more expensive than regular manicures

*In order to get the mani removed, nails need to be soaked in acetone. Apparently you can do this at home, but my esthetician recommended I go back to and have her do it professionally -- a service that doesn't come cheap.

From what I've heard, many salons soak your whole hand in the acetone. This seems like a bad idea, as acetone is a yucky chemical that is easily absorbed by the skin and is bad for your liver (which has a hard time breaking it down).

A friend of mine has a manicurist that, instead of placing her clients' whole hand in acetone, only puts it on the nails (by placing the substance on cotton swabs and letting them soak like that for a short while before beginning the removal process).

*After each coat that is applied, you have to put your hand under UV light. which puts you at a greater risk of getting skin cancer.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT KIDS. NOW IT'S UP TO YOU TO DECIDE IF THIS TIME-SAVING, EASY-TO-MAINTAIN YET POTENTIALLY HEALTH-THREATENING PRODUCT IS RIGHT FOR YOU.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR INSIGHTS - TELL U ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH SHELLAC OR ADD TO THE PRO/CON LIST IF THERE'S ANYTHING I'VE MISSED.

XXOO,

Me.

PS - Take a look @ the pic for a looksee at what my nails look like after almost 3 weeks!

Meeting Halfway: An Insightful Anecdote

We all have a favorite meal – one that makes intermittent appearances in our dreams and which we turn to as a source of strength in our darkest moments – and Aux Vivires’ weekend-only organic waffles with cashew cream, apple berry sauce, and organic maple syrup is mine. Today was my last chance to dive into this delectable dish before heading back to Toronto. But since making sacrifices is a part of any healthy relationship and Karim can’t just “quit” his standard American diet (SAD) cold turkey (excuse the pun), when we discovered Omnivore Comptoir-Grill – an adorable little Lebanese restaurant in the Plateau (at the corner of St. Laurent and Marie Anne) – I wasn’t averse to the idea of giving it a go instead.

How fitting that we were “meeting halfway” at a place called Omnivore – a term referring to species that eat both plants (me) and animals (pre-me, K was a major meataterian) as their primary food source. Upon further investigation (thanks Wikipedia) I learnt that “although the term omnivore literally means eater of everything, omnivores can only eat things that are at least moderately easy to get and still at least moderately nutritious.” That analogy works – easy to get (local?!) and at least moderately nutritious (somewhere between greasy, ethically dubious fast food meat and excessively overpriced, 5 time fair trade certified raw tofu) suits both our needs.

Turns out, compromising wasn’t so bad after all. The food was fantastic! Not only that, but the price was right too. We each had grilled cigarette-type pita-wrapped sandwiches: I had the KHODRA made of vegé pâté /tofu, pesto, babaganouj, and red cabbage ($5) and the boy scarfed down the DJAJ -taouk chicken, garlic sauce, turnips, and pickles ($6). He also got us hummus, taboule, and bemie (an okra dish pronounced “be-m-ye” in Arabic). To drink, I had a thirst-quenching glass of freshly squeezed lemonade with mint leaves and he had a Pepsi (note: I only allowed him this junky indulgence as a show of my new and improved, slightly more laissez-faire attitude).

While happily brunching opposite my habibi, listening to the wise, soulful sounds of Lauryn Hill and surrounded by large, quirky oil painting portraits, reclaimed exposed wood beams, and mismatched handmade pottery lighting fixtures, I couldn’t help but wonder: “Would our Aux Vivres experience, with our couple only half happy, have been as satisfying?”

http://www.omnigrill.com/en/en.html

I've been reading O Magazine's insightful August issue on INTUITION which has really resonated with me. How do you know when that little voice in your is the voice of reason, or just the byproduct of your deep-rooted fears?

What do you think? Let me know on Twitter @erbear101

http://www.oprah.com/spirit/The-Science-of-Intuition

TGIF?

For most people, Friday signifies the end of a long week at the office and the start of a leisurely, work-free weekend. Not so for me. As a freelancer, I make my own schedule. And over the past little while, I've noticed that Saturdays and Sundays are often when I'm most productive in terms of writing (articles), reading (about freelancing), and learning (about social media management).

The weather forecast indicates we're in store for a not-so-nice few days followed by a sunny and warm "work week." So I'm telling myself now is crunch time. I'm gonna focus on getting my query letter written for my class next week, motoring through my yet-to-be-read copy of "The Elements of Style," and watching the last few instructional videos on how to use social media platforms most effectively.

While you're enjoying your waffles and freshly squeezed OJ tomorrow for brunch, I'll be at Starbucks typing away, my eyebrows knit in deep concentration. But don't feel too bad for me because the tables will turn. Come Monday, I'll be the one living the good life -- doing something fabulous, like biking around Toronto island or lunching at some new hot spot on Ossington. And you'll be stuck at your desk, trapped by a chatty co-worker who feels compelled to tell you about every minute detail of his weekend, right down to his trip to the shoe maker.

WHY VEGAN, NOT VEG? WATCH THIS VIDEO (FROM THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW) AND FIND OUT.

Art by Krisjanis Kaktins-Gorsline

This young Canadian artist is on fire right now. I just read about his work, which manages to be simultaneously visually appealing and thought-provoking, in the June issue of ELLE Canada.
"The primary focus of my practice has been the production of figurative oil paintings created through a process of psychic auditing in which imagery is generated through a process of intuitive exploration. I would describe my practice as a cycle of ingestion, gestation and expulsion of imagery. I am interested in the way imagery is absorbed and then reconstituted in the mind."

I'll love you forever / I'll love you for always / As long as I'm living / My baby you'll be

-Robert Munsch

How To Train Your Dragon - My Hands

"Idealists...foolish enough to throw caution to the winds...have advanced mankind and have enriched the world” -Emma Goldman

Please help me in celebrating David Suzuki's 75th birthday

Dear David,

Ignorance is bliss (at least in the short run) and the truth about where we’re headed is -- to put it mildly - inconvenient. But while the world turns a blind eye, you rise up and speak out. In that calm, composed way of yours, you devote your life to lifting the veil of denial off the eyes of our self-consumed society. How you manage to hold on to the hope that people will come through and turn things around, I’ll never know. And it is the reason why in my eyes, you are one the greatest leaders of our era.

With great admiration,

Erica Leibner

In honour of David's birthday, my goal is to raise $1000 for the David Suzuki Foundation. Funds raised will support various work to protect the diversity of nature and our quality of life. One of these projects involves urging the cosmetics industry to list ingredients on products so people know what they are putting on their bodies and can avoid toxic chemicals. I firmly believe in this cause, and that there is no excuse for the cosmetics industry to be selling us products that are making us sick.

Ignite Imagination

Hi all,

Sorry I've neglected this blog for so long. I'm ready to get back in the saddle though, and intend to use this space for stuff that's too personal or in-depth for facebook or twitter.

Got a fantastic forward this morning from mummy dearest that I really love. It especially speaks to me at this moment in time, as I've decided I want to focus on pursuing my career in writing so that I can put my meandering mind and outlandish ideas to good use.

While her daughter is sound asleep, the mother of the little girl in these pictures creates an alternate universe from whatever she can find around her. Like this woman, I too like to have fun with fiction. So here's the story I came up with, as a result of being inspired by these photographs...

Once upon a time, a woman found the perfect way to incorporate her personal and professional life. Originally, she did this as a hobby, until it took off and become profitable (massively profitable, so that she and her daughter were able to move out of their stingy 1 bedroom apartment and to a beautiful bungalow by the beach, where they listen to Melody Gardot and eat expensive vegan marshmallows all day). In my mind (my presumptuous mind - you can blame it on "creativity"), thanks to her new found fame, she was able to quit her day job (she probably just did it to pay the bills) and now indulges in doing what she loves most. Her passion and outstanding propensity to create these beautifully poetic "scenes" has made her famous and given her the opportunity to "live to work," not "work to live."

Here is a link to her blog: http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

I'm looking really forward to reading it when I get a chance!

Have a great day, all. And please "follow" by blog if you can. I know it needs a massive makeover and I promise that along with the content, I'll be improving the look and logistics of it.

xx

Me.