Shoes for Spring | Hillcrest Mall

Is it just me, or did it somehow go from third winter straight to summer? Either way, when the weather gets nicer one of the first things that I am excited to do is leave my boots behind. With my winter boots firmly in the back of the closet and my spring/fall boots with them, it is finally time to switch it up.

New Year, Same Hair*** | Long Hair Care & Trim with Sassoon

For some, the new year brings a desire to change their life, and what easier way to change your outward appearance than with a dramatic haircut or colour? Well... that may be some people's style, but not mine!

Holiday Dress Destination | Laura The Dress Shop

Finding the perfect holiday dress is never easy-- finding something formal enough, but not too formal, something flattering, Christmassy but not overly Christmassy. Something that you feel confident wearing. Laura's latest opening makes it easy. Say hello to Laura The Dress Shop.

Grease The Musical | Toronto

A few weeks ago some of my favourite ladies and I headed to Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre to watch Grease live in Toronto! A classic favourite, with memorable songs and a colourful cast, Grease never fails to disappoint.

Janel Parrish-- best known as Mona from Pretty Little Liars stars as Sandy, with Katie Findlay opposite her as Rizzo. During basically the whole musical I kept thinking that Rizzo looked familiar, but I just couldn't place her. Some quick googling showed me that she played Maggie in The Carrie Diaries. Dylan Wallach plays the ever-handsome Danny Zuko.

While all the songs you love about Grease are in the musical, they aren't always in the order or setting that you expect. At first I found it a bit hard to watch -- I was always expecting something, only to hear something else. Once I let go of how I thought the musical was supposed to be I was better able to enjoy it. I recommend not coming with expectations that it is simply going to be the movie on stage. 

Two songs I loved (for entirely different reasons) were "Beauty School Drop Out" and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do". "Beauty School Drop Out" (above) is hilarious. The angel is basically Frenchy's gay best friend saying, in the most hilarious way possible, "girl. you can do so much better in life." I found the musical's version to be much poppier version to the musical's ballad.

 

"There Are Worse Things I Could Do" was probably the most emotional song of the show. Rizzo added a new level of complexity that I don't recall from the movie - mainly the difficult choice about abortion. Sung in a dingy basement rec-room party, her voice was strong yet vulnerable, and all together rather moving. 

A final highlight? The screening of "Duck and Cover" (what to do in case of a nuclear attack) in the opening scene. 

Many attendees came to the show dressed up in their "Pink Ladies" jackets, which was a lot of fun. My friends and I had a great time at the show -- perfect to see with a group of girls. Maybe grab something to eat and drink before hand to really make a night out of it. If you like Grease you will have a great time at the show. If you don't like Grease, then don't go. Included in the group I went to Grease with are some of my blogger friends, my boss, and her two girls (10 and 11). The kids had a blast, and while the language was colourful at times, their mom didn't mind, which was a huge relief! I don't know if I would suggest taking kids younger than that though.

I probably don't have a future as a theatre reviewer. While there were some parts that were a touch awkward or that could have been polished, I had a lot of fun at the show, and I think that that is what matters most! Also -- the Winter Garden is a beautiful venue! 

With 4 weeks of shows added, Grease will now be in Toronto until January 7th. Tickets range from $20 to $169. You can purchase them here! 

Thanks for the invite, Kate!

Tickets to this show were gifted by PR. Opinions are my own! Obviously I did not take these photos myself because taking photos in the theatre is highly frowned upon. Photos are from the production.

P.S. Blogmas Day 4 is complete! 

Love Locks Returns at Vaughan Mills | Sick Kids

The Love Lock wall is back at Vaughan Mills just in time for this holiday season! Each lock purchased comes with a special key-psake to remember your special contribution. Last year Love Locks raised over $150,000 for Sick Kids. This year's goal? $160, 000.

Holiday Gift Guide | Hillcrest Mall

Is it just me, or has November just flown by? But you know what that means... Christmas shopping! With Sporting Life (my new favourite store), Sephora, Aritzia, David's Tea, and so much more,  Hillcrest has everything you need to check off your wish list! Bonus points if some of these goodies end up under the tree from Santa ;)

Busy as a Bee | Hillcrest Mall

Blogging has opened me up to quite a number of unique experiences that I don't think I could have imagined in my wildest dreams. Meeting a contestant on the bachelor? Thanks Laneige! Being surprised by a celebrity at a beauty class? I have Make Up Forever to thank! Getting literally the same PR box as countless HUGE YouTubers? Merci beaucoup Too Faced! But in terms of straight up the strangest, most unique, and otherwise entirely unexpected? Being invited to stand on a mall rooftop while a lady wearing nothing other than street clothes opens up a hive with roughly 10,000 bees, while I stand just feet away? Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill just may take the cake!

The Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle Is Back!

    

Last week I was invited to be on Vaughan Mills first shopping shuttle of the season! For those of us in Toronto we all know that Vaughan Mills is a shopping destination full of great deals. But we also know that it can be a hike to get there... especially without a car! Enter: The Vaughan Mills Shopping Shuttle.

Bite Lip Lab Toronto | Review & Tips To Make Your Trip A Success

A few months ago my friend Courtney and I went to the Bite Lip Lab in Toronto to design our own custom lipsticks! Today I wanted to share with you a quick run down of our experience and to share some tips with you on how to make your trip a success!

Toronto...For Beauty Lovers

Recently one of my friends from Ottawa (hi Sabrina! I know you're reading this!) reached out to my for recommendations of things to do in Toronto for beauty lovers. Based in Ottawa, she is in Toronto for work but is trying to carve out some time to explore the city between meetings. Add to that the fact that Generation Beauty is quickly approaching, and I know we will have lots of ladies (and gentlemen!) in town, looking for their beauty fix. Keep reading to see my suggestions!

High Tea | Toronto's King Edward Hotel

So back in March I went to high tea with my cousin's wife. And it is now mid-May... but anyways high tea is a tradition and I doubt that the tradition has changed much in the last month and a bit. Just goes to show how far behind I fell because of moving (note to self: don't move again for a long while). So with that being said, today I will be sharing a bit about my high tea experience at one of Toronto's most popular locations!

I first went for high tea at the Guildwood Tea Room which was right next to my old high school. Sadly they closed recently, but they inspired in me a love for scones that I did not know was possible. 

At the King Edward Hotel (or King Eddy as it is known around here) we were presented with quite the tea selection. I went with a tropical green tea while my partner in crime opted for a delicate jasmine tea. 

Our first cup of tea was poured for us by our server. I found the service to be quite attentive and of course the decor was stunning.

Now... for the treats

I really dislike egg salad and any form of fish. I let our server know and he swapped those out for chicken salad and cucumber sandwiches, which was much appreciated. Once those were done we enjoyed some scones with Devonshire cream and jam. Once our scones were done it was on to dessert. Of course the mint chocolate macaron was delightful, but I loved the tart the most. 

Vicky being classy

Tea and yummy things

We enjoyed taking the time to eat, sip our tea and chat. While I think that any high tea would be lovely, I think the real difference maker is the company you have with you!

If you are interested in booking a tea reservation you can learn more here. It costs $49 (ish) per person.

Writing this post has me all excited for July when I will be going for tea at Fortnum & Mason in London. I never thought my boyfriend would be a high tea guy, but I think he is looking forward to doing something classy & British while in London. I am so excited to share some travel diaries with you soon!

If you are travelling to Toronto and are looking for something girly and relaxing I hope you will check out the King Eddy. And as always if you need ideas of things to do in Toronto, leave a comment.

xoxo

I paid for this service with my own money. 

Getting Ready With Blush Pretty

You may know Blush Pretty as a company to book your bridal beauty services with. They have recently opened a chair at 508 Yonge Street (2nd floor) for quick services-- think getting your hair or makeup done before going out. Currently its not a walk in, but you can book the night before.

Becoming a Mermaid | Aquamermaid Toronto!

When I was first approached with the opportunity to become a mermaid participate in an Aquamermaid class I didn't think twice, I just said yes. Oh, and if I could bring a guest. I didn't want to go at it alone. Keep reading to learn about my fun day (hour) as a majestic mermaid.

Pink Shirt Day Concert at Vaughan Mills!

Earlier this week I was invited by the team at Vaughan Mills to attend their first ever Pink Shirt Day concert! For those of you who don't know what Pink Shirt Day is, back in 2007 in a grade 9 boy was being bullied at a high school in Nova Scotia for wearing a pink shirt. Two fellow students bought 50 pink shirts at a discount supplier and handed them out to students the following morning. And as the story goes, the bullies were never heard from again. And while this story is beautiful and heartwarming, we all know that bullying continues to be a problem for our youth.

What I Learned At The National Bridal Show | & Pretty Pictures

As you may have saw on my social media, last weekend I was at the National Bridal Show. I had a blast presenting about skincare to brides with Simple, and wandering around the booths, snacking on samples and learning about some of the things I will need for when I am *actually* planning my wedding. Also! I got an idea of what a budget may look like, and what questions I should be asking.

Bangkok Garden | Winterlicious 2017 (Gluten Free Friendly!)

Last weekend my friend and sometimes blog photographer Brianna joined me at the National Bridal Show, and afterwards we went out for dinner. Now, I don't really have any food restrictions, so I don't often pay attention to the vegetarian/vegan/gluten free etc menu options. Let's just say that gluten and Brianna are not the best of friends, so in picking our Winterlicious restaurant for dinner, the gluten free options mattered to me. Keep reading for the details on our meal at Bangkok Garden!

Pre-Pre Wedding Planning & Dreaming | Spring National Bridal Show

I'm the girl who has half of her wedding planned since I was 16-- makes sense given that I am also the kind of girl to start a blog devoted to makeup, travel to the other end of the continent for a beauty conference, and take pictures of flowers basically every time I see them. When the team behind the Spring National Bridal show reached out to me to see if I would be interested in working with them to cover their upcoming show I was first flattered, then a tiny bit confused (I'm not engaged!), and then honestly really, really excited. Keep reading to learn a bit about the upcoming show, a bit about where I am at in my relationship, and why I think now is a great time for me to go to the show.

Holts Cafe | Winterlicious 2017

One of my favourite things about Fridays at my office is having the chance to grab lunch with my work friends. We love going to new places (though we may have a bit of a thing for chicken wings...) and trying new things. Winterlicious is one of my favourite times of the year in Toronto-- it gives me the opportunity to try new restaurants, and with the price fix menu it usually forces me to order something a bit outside of my usual comfort zone on the menu.

Lock In Your Love for Sick Kids | Vaughan Mills

On Monday night I had the opportunity to attend the media launch of "Lock In Your Love for Sick Kids" at Vaughan Mills. Located in Vaughan, just north of Toronto, Vaughan Mills is a premium outlet mall with so many stores that I actually can't shop the whole mall in one sitting. Keep reading to hear a bit about my shopping experience, and to learn about their very worthy cause!

Urban Decay Square One Grand Opening

A few days ago I had the amazing opportunity to check out the Urban Decay Square One (Mississauga, Ontario) location before it opened to the general public. I had so much fun at their Influencer Cocktail getting to know some other Canadian beauty creators and learning more about a brand that I have been using for years. Keep reading for some info about the store, and lots of pictures from the event!