grand electric

{ scribbles on a piece of copy paper = drinks menu }

On Saturday night D, my parents and I headed down to try the acclaimed Mexican joint, Grand Electric. When we pulled up there was a massive line stretching down Queen Street. Luckily it was just a crowd lined up for the restaurant to open at 6, and we made it without much of a wait. It's a casual, t-shirt and jeans kinda place, with a laid back vibe, loud tunes and communal tables - a great place to go with friends. There are about 8 different types of tacos on the menu, 2-3 bites for $3.50 each. They also have a menu of sides/appetizers, ranging from about $6-$9 - we tried four different ones and  everything we had was delicious! I couldn't pick a favorite taco, both the ones I tried were awesome.  

If you're looking for a place with great food and drinks and a cool vibe, I'd definitely give Grand Electric a try! Just be warned, they don't take credit cards, and apparently you can almost always expect a line! But it's worth the wait, I promise!!

{ spicy caesar rimmed with ketchup chips }

{ the remnants of the super tasty homemade tortilla chips, guacamole and salsa }

{ beef cheek taco }

{ baja fish taco }

{ the AH-mazing desserts : hell cake, pumpkin pudding & key lime pie }

{ learning how to say scorpion in Mexican, will come in handy at some point, I'm sure }

{ a little heart hiding in my beer foam }

{ ps. this is the only bar in Toronto that serves Bellwoods Brewery beer! }

balsam & cedar

I am absolutely obsessed with the scent of my new candle. Imagine standing in the middle of a forrest trying to pick a Christmas tree. Yup, the perfect, deep woodsy scent to get me in the holiday mood!

PS. Whoever does the buying for Chapters is a freakin genious! I went in for an agenda, got completely sidetracked, wandered for an hour, fell in love with practically everything and left with much more than an agenda.

bisous

I recently borrowed a friend's lipstick and have been on the search for a similar shade since. I found what I was looking for with Covergirl's Euphoria. It has the perfect warmth and richness for the cooler winter months and I can't wait to wear it for upcoming holiday parties. 

I know what santa's bringing me for christmas

{ BCBG Odin Jacket }

My Mom, D and I had some fun at Sherway on Sunday spending mad money*. While perusing the mall, trying to decide what to choose, I came across this coat at the BCBG pop-up store at The Bay. I have been on the search for a black dress coat and this coat met all the items on my check list; 1. metal neutral (buttons are black), 2. detailed (leather trimmed & flirty, skirted back) and 3. most importantly -great fit! So the story goes... I tried it on at The Bay, fell in love, nearly choked when I saw the pricetag, and left the store sans coat.

Later on last night, D asks what the coat looks like, so I look up the coat on the website and notice the American price, which is almost $100 less! Then, I see that there's an additional 20% and free shipping?! adkljnfa!?? The coat is $200 cheaper online - what the heck!

Ms. Claus (aka Holl-Doll) looks over at me, and gives me the go ahead for it to be ordered as a Christmas gift and as I proceed to the checkout, only to realize you need both an American credit card and shipping address. Boo. 

One might think the journey ends there. Nope. Called my Aunt in Milwaukee for a credit card number, and searched facebook for all my American friends - one of whom is coming up for a visit next weekend! It was probably the most random order form, billing to one state, shipping to another and email updates to me. But- long story short, the jacket is on it's way!!! I love a good bargain!

I just have to say, how ridiculous is it that shoppers in America get to save $200 on the exact same product?! If this was a rare situation, it might not be so bad, but it seems everything is cheaper in the states!

*Mad Money: A tradition that D's family shared with me. Usually on December 26,27 or 28, you go to the mall and each member of the family gets a set amount of money in cash from Mom and Dad. Then you decide on the time frame (i.e. an hour) and you split up. Each person spends the time searching for something they want. Mad money is not to be spend on needs! Time to indulge in what you want! At the end of the set time frame you meet back up, and any money you didn't spend gets given back to Mom and Dad! I did it one year with D's family and we had so much fun meeting up after the hour to see what each person had chosen and gotten with their money! Maybe a new tradition to try with your family?!

the illusion of space

{ Ikea Tobias Chair }

While on my walks through Ikea last week, I saw these dining chairs. I have an acrylic chair that I use at my vanity counter but without a pair, it's a little bit useless for a dining table. What I love about this chair and the table below, is that in a small space (I have high hopes for our new home, but I'm also realistic that many condos are tiny!) neither of these pieces would take up space - visually. The pieces being translucent, creates the illusion of space and doesn't cut the flow of a room.

{ Sojourn Coffee Table }

{ Vittsjo Shelving Unit }

I also love this bookcase. Storage will be key in a small space, and the modern tall bones of this piece will be perfect for books and trinkets alike. The fact that there is no back or sides allows for the same sort of flow as with the acrylic pieces. Air and light can travel through the space and no division is created - a great way to make a small space lovely and livable!

take a seat

You know it's going to be a good Saturday when your boyfriend suggests going to Ikea!... Or it just confirms the type of dork you are for getting excited to go to Ikea for the second time in a week. Well, regardless, we walked around the stylish design mega store today and both of us were getting really pumped at the thought of returning when we actually have our own place. 

We have a good selection of furniture from university left overs and family hand-me-downs, but we've agreed that we don't want our place to look miss-matched and random. We're realistic about our expectations and plan to do an inventory of what we have and see what type of space we end up with. At that point we'll prioritize what we need and look for pieces we both love.

I fell in love with the idea of this leather chair. I love the caramel color and the art deco design. I think I might look online to see if I can find something similar, second hand, and then reupholster with the fabric of our choice.

 And while I can't even afford a cashmere sweater, this chair is even more so out of the budget. But I think it's worth bookmarking for a much later time in our lives. Who wouldn't want to sit on beautiful grey chair covered in cashmere wool?! Drool worthy for sure!

*Bonus: both chairs come with foot stools!*

jumping the gun

Ok, I might have jumped the gun just a little bit buying my Christmas cards already, but Christmas is only forty-seven sleeps away. Sending holiday greeting cards (or any snail mail) is one of my favorite things to do and I always look forward to finding "my card" each year. This year I went for something a bit more fun-and glittery!- and got a great deal on the box of 12 at Home Sense. And of course, I needed a festive candy cane pen to write them all with ;)
I'd love to know, do you send holiday cards? Do you like receiving Christmas cards? (just so you know, you're nuts if you say no... :)

tuxedo trouser (+ shopbop sale!)

{ J Brand Katharine Tux Trouser }

{ Tibi Tuxedo Beatles Pant }

{ Current/Elliot Crop Tux Velveteen Pant }

I'm really digging the classic aesthetic the tuxedo stripe is adding to plain 'ol pants. It's a little bit masculine while being sexy at the same time. I'd choose the Tibi pants for a classy twist to the daily work wardrobe and the J Brand velvet pants to spice up an outfit for upcoming Christmas parties. 

You can pick up all three of the above styles on Shopbop, and maybe check out their huge SALE going on right now. Shopbop sales are the best, perhaps get a start on early Christmas shopping?!

obama for president!

When Barack was a senator in Illinois my Aunt and Uncle took my Grandma to see him speak. They lived in Milwaukee and had seen him speak before and knew, that as an American citizen, my Grandma had to see him. They listened to him speak and my Grandma got to meet him after his speech. My little eighty year old Grandma returned home to us in Mississauga, telling us she had met the next President of the United States. His name was Barack Obama. Low and behold my Grandma was right, and the day before she passed away my Mom was proud to share that he was elected as the 44th President of the United States. In her delicate state my Grandma squeezed my Mom's hand, her only way of celebrating and sharing her joy of such a wonderful man being chosen by the American people.

Watching CNN right now, my stomach is churning just imagining Mitt Romney being elected as President. I can only hope the American people pull through and make the right decision. Obama for President! #vote #Obama2012

the royal

This past weekend, D and I took my Grandma to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair at the Direct Energy Centre. I vaguely remember visiting the fair as a youngster but couldn't really recall what to expect. The fair was celebrating 90 years and even my Grandma told us how she visited the fair as a student 70 years ago. We spent a few hours walking around exploring. We tasted some of the amazing meats and cheeses from Ontario farms, and came home with some feta and flavored goats cheeses. We browsed the equestrian fashions - which are actually quite stylish! The leather boot selection was drool worthy - there was even a shop that would custom fit the boot of your choice - with over 200 style options. We finished off by visiting the farm animals, my favorites being the piglets and chicks - really doesn't get much cuter than baby farm animals. The fair is on until November 11, if you're looking for a fun way to spend a few hours, I'd suggest checking out The Royal!