Headin to Starbucks

I decided to take a bit of a break today after hours of applying for work and editing resumes. I took the 10 minute walk down to Bloor west village and got myself an Iced coffee from Starbucks. I'm such a Starbucks junkie.

Here's the outfit I decided to wear. I bought the t-shirt dress from Costa Blanca for only $19.95 last week, and the necklace is from Forever 21.

Buskerfest '10

For years now, every August, I have seen posters plastered all over the subway and the streets for Buskerfest. I had a basic understanding that it was a bunch of street performers on Front performing crazy tricks, but I had no idea how much fun it could be, even alone! I was looking for something to do Friday afternoon and decided I would head downtown and check it out since it was free. My first impression when I walked threw the gates was a man balancing a lawnmower on his chin while people threw lettuce at him. How much better can you get?

Here are some of my favourites of the festival.

Saurus

from the Netherlands

Shoehorn

from the US

a one man show... tap dances while playing the sax!

And last but certainly not least my absolute favourite...

Kim Churchill

from Australia

An amazing singer and performer. I highly recommend checking out his next show in Toronto at the Horseshoe Tavern on Sept. 1. THAT'S THIS WEDNESDAY! Believe me if you go you will buy his CD! Plus he's cute.

I would highly recommend you check out the festival next year if you've never gone before. It's also a great opportunity to get some artsy photos. I don't have a decent camera or I might have snapped some up.

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend.

Peace and Love.

galibardy.com

I have just discovered a jewelry genius!!! unfortunately they are situated in the UK, but they do international shipping! Definitely take a look at their website. I can guarantee you'll want one piece, minimum.

Here's some of my favourites...

Thanks GALI BARDY for making fantastic jewelry!

A Two Week Update...

BEACH DAY WITH ZOE & EMILY

For those who don't know, I have an amazingly beautiful niece. I love her to pieces and any chance I have to spend a little time with her I cherish. Last weekend I had the opportunity to take her to the park and the beach. Not just fun for her but fun for her aunty Maggie as well. Thankfully my best friend Emily came along for the ride.

We had a great day!!!

KARAOKE WEDNESDAYS

As I mentioned a couple posts ago, I've been really homesick lately. I've decided to start going back most Wednesdays to enjoy an old tradition... KARAOKE NIGHT at the Mansion House in Sutton. One of my closest friends, Beth, and I use to head to Sutton every Wednesday to listen to the same people sing the same songs week after week. It's where I learnt how to play pool and where I got the courage to sing in front of a crowded bar. Much to our surprise when we went back for the first time in awhile it had been changed. Instead of the old creepy guy controlling the music, and playing only songs before 1998, it has been tranformed into a major event! They have a company called VideoMeKaraoke, that records every performance and posts clips online. You can purchase the full lengths for $2.99. Great for the future when you want to show your children how you use to embarrass yourself infront of large groups of people.

This week I invited a bunch of old highschool friends to come out and enjoy the lovely music, and maybe even sing a song themselves! It was awesome to see some of the old crowd. Here's a few pictures of the big night, and a special video of a few of us singing a Spice Girls classic. Special thanks to Jesse who agreed to be Sporty spice!

SATURDAY NIGHT WITH GREAT FRIENDS & BARB WIRED

On Saturday we went to check out a friend's dad's band, Barb Wired, at AlleyCatz (Yonge & Eglington). Great venue, weird crowd, awesome music, and even better friends. Not much to say about the night, but that you shouldn't mix Rye with Vodka. The end.

Hope everyone is enjoying the last few weeks of summer. I AM!

Beerfest '10 Toronto

This weekend was the annual Beerfest in Toronto. This year it was held at the Ex. The location was great and although the weather wasn't perfect the rain held off for most of the day. My only disappointment with the event was that the lineup for the Steamwhistle box hats was far too long and I couldn't get my moose antlers! That's right... Moose Antlers made out of recycled beer boxes. Perfect accessory for the event if you ask me.

Anyways my favourite beer of the day was definitely Fruli. I have never had strawberry beer but this is definitely going to be in my fridge this upcoming weekend. So yummy.

Playing on my iTunes right now: Everyday is a winding road- Sheryl Crow

Favourite Summer Recipes

There is nothing better than great BBQ food. Matt and I haven't turned on our oven since the beginning of May. We BBQ almost every night, we've even cooked Indian Butter Chicken on the BBQ. We don't have air conditioning so the last thing we want to do is turn the oven on to heat our apartment more. It's been so hot this summer.

Anyways I thought I would share my favourite BBQ recipes. Nothing too fancy or complicated, but they are definitely staples in our house.

Stuffed Italian Tomatoes

1. Make sure the tomatoes are flat on the bottom if they aren't they'll roll about on the BBQ and it won't work. I sometimes cut a flat surface on the bottom

2. Cut the top of the tomato off. Cut it at a fairly wide part of the tomato

3. Cut the stem/ hard bit out of the centre of the tomato. Leave most of the guts of the tomato in.

4. Mix Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese (grated, powder or baby parm all work), Salt, Pepper and a little garlic salt

5. Spoon in bread crumb mixture into the tomato and on the top.

6. I will sometimes sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top so it browns. Yummy

7. BBQ until crumbs are browned and tomato is soft. Sometimes it's tricky to get them off the bbq we usually cook them on the top rack or on a tray in the bbq just incase they fall apart.

Grilled Balsamic Portabello Mushrooms

1. take stems off out of the mushrooms and wipe clean with a damp paper towel

2. mix 1 part balsamic vinegar, 2 parts olive oil, some fresh garlic, salt & pepper, and sometimes I'll but a tiny tiny tiny bit of dijon mustard to keep it from seperating.

3. Marinate Mushrooms for an hour or so. You can just brush it on while grilling too but I think it's better when the mushroom soaks it all up.

4. Grill until they're cooked fully.

I thought I could give you my Famous Pasta Salad recipe as well. I hate Mayo and miracle whip so I came up with this recipe in College. I could of lived off this pasta salad.. sooooo goood.... soooo easy

1. chop any veggies. My usual mix is: Finely chopped carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, green & red peppers, baby spinach, red onion. Red onion is the key!

2. Mix with cooked pasta. I usually use fusilli.

3. Add as much feta cheese as u like.

4. Then smother the salad in sundried tomato & oregano Kraft dressing ( the roasted red pepper is good too)

5. It's yummy right a way but if you let it soak up the dressing over a couple hours it's even better. I make huge portions of it and matt and I eat it with everything haha. After I taught Matt's mum my secret pasta salad dressing recipe she started experimenting, by adding olives and using greek dressing instead. I hate olives so it's not for me.

Hope your are all inspired to get out there and BBQ dinner tonight. Why not invite some friends over drink some beer or wine and gossip around the BBQ?

Ahhhh Summer

Ahhhh Summer. Summer always makes me think of home. The hot sticky air, jumping off the pier into Lake Simcoe and IceCream at Skippers. Beaverton. That's my hometown. I moved around a lot as a kid. I don't feel emotionally distraught by it, but when we finally stayed in Beaverton for 10 years I finally had a place to call home. I hated it. I hated country music, and fat men drinking beer on their porches at 11am and the fact there was nothing to do, especially for an artistically driven girl. I couldn't wait to get out of high school and escaped this place I called home. I always thought I was bigger and better than it.

My parents since the summer of 2008 have moved and I no longer have that little stone home to call my own. Now that summer is in full swing I miss it. A lot of major events happened when I was living there. I walked to my grade 8 graduation with all the girls from my class dressed up feeling like movie stars, practiced dance on the front porch of our 200 year old house, and fell in love for the first time. These are just a few of the great memories I associate with Beaverton.

I came to Toronto to escape it all and what I'm starting to realize is that I will never be able to travel far enough, because it will always be apart of me. As much as I don't want to admit it, I'm a country girl at heart. I love the music, the smells (not cow manure haha), the sites and the summer air.

To all reading this, don't run away from who you were, because it's going to be who you are forever. It's a part of you. Don't forget your roots.

I heard this song while driving down a dirt road this morning and it sums it all up. I hope you enjoy this little piece of country.

The House That Built Me

by: Miranda Lambert

I know they say you cant go home again.
I just had to come back one last time.
Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam.
But these handprints on the front steps are mine.
And up those stairs, in that little back bedroom
is where I did my homework and I learned to play guitar.
And I bet you didn't know under that live oak
my favorite dog is buried in the yard.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself
if I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years.
From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines.
Plans were drawn, concrete poured,
and nail by nail and board by board
Daddy gave life to mama's dream.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could just come in I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.

You leave home, you move on and you do the best you can.
I got lost in this whole world and forgot who I am.

I thought if I could touch this place or feel it
this brokenness inside me might start healing.
Out here its like I'm someone else,
I thought that maybe I could find myself.
If I could walk around I swear I'll leave.
Won't take nothing but a memory
from the house that built me.