For the last 3 years booties have been a fall and winter fashion essential. Although the styles and fabrics haver varied, the classic bootie has remained the fashionable girls best friend.
Finding the perfect pair means that you can wear them for brunch with the parents or to the local dive bar, and everywhere in between.
The basic bootie should stick to one fabric (suede or leather depending on how durable you want them to be) and have a slight heel that makes them comfortable to walk in.
Having covered these basic booties already, I began to covet the beautiful and amazingly instagram popular Senso Blake VI Booties;
Image Source: thepotofstuff.blogspot.ca
I know ladies - deep breaths.
Unfortunately however, these babies will cost you about $250 Canadian. Living on a student budget with a plethora of other booties in my closet, it just didn't seem justifiable.
Just when all seemed hopeless, the fashion heavens opened up and Forever21.com launched these almost identical booties.
I decided to be "adventurous" and go for the grey pair, which I personally liked better because of the stacked wooden heel.
These boots are the perfect knock-off of Senso for 1/8th of the price! The cut-outs give the same elongated look to the legs, and the heel makes them easy to walk in. (Although my feet do tend to blister on the bottoms if I wear them for too long)
Overall these Forever 21 knockoffs are the perfect way to add some variety to your bootie collection, without breaking the bank. Check out more Forever21 booties at www.Forever21.com
P&L Burger Review (The Battle Queen St. Toronto Burgers)
Hi my name is Rachael Rishworth and I am a P&L addict.
I hope that by sharing this with you I can lessen my own addition by sending some positive burger vibes your way (while also secretly widening my list of potential late-night P&L burger run partners.)
Over the last few years Queen St. West between Spadina and Bathurst has become the war ground for burger joints. The Burger Priest, Gangster Burger, and the lesser-known P&L all occupy this prime strip of real estate, and are fighting for the best burger in town.
Well ladies and gentleman, ring your dinner bells - because I've found my winner. Meet the P&L Burger;
Pictured here with the "healthier" fries alternative - the kale caesar salad - the P&L burger is a picturesque display of burger craftsman ship.
I opt for the classic P&L burger topped with cheddar, lettuce, dill pickle mayo, and the piece de resistance - bacon onion jam. (I repeat BACON.ONION.JAM)
For me, the winning characteristics of the P&L burger are the bacon onion jam, the greasy yet not overwhelming sesame bun, and the quality of the burger meat itself. Out of these three competitors it hands-down has the juiciest, most delicious beef patty bar-none.
Not to mention the interior of P&L is severely less crowded and hectic than Burger Priest, and also boasts a polaroid guest book and graffiti wall.
Check out P&L at 507 Queen Street West, or visit www.thepnlburger.ca for delivery information*.
*Note: upon researching for this blog post, I discovered that P&L delivers in my neighbourhood. This is life-changing information. If I have not posted on the blog in 3 weeks it is because I am lying somewhere covered in burger grease with clogged arteries. Please ensure my tombstone notes that I died happy.
This Tuesday my friend and I got to attend the David Dixon White Label for Kleinfeld fashion show and after party.
Surrounded by beautiful people, holding a martini, and watching photographers beg for the socialites to "throw them one last look" - I felt like I had walked onto the set of Sex and the City.
To begin, David Dixon's show was absolutely beautiful. It began with a short film about love, narrated by a poem and featuring faces of different people around the world. As soon as it was over the lights went up, the music changed, and the first girl walked down the runway.
The dresses were absolutely beautiful - very simple silhouettes and delicate fabrics. The classic ball-gown look was discarded for something very deconstructed and simply beautiful. Although the dresses were stunning in and of themselves, they were paired with breathtaking statement jewellery. The contrast gave the entire line a romantic and vintage feel.
let me just note that unless you're front row or in the media pit, taking photos at a fashion show is absolutely impossible.
After the show was over we were ushered over to the after party at the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel. I knew from the moment we walked in, and I was greeted with a pomegranate martini and bacon wrapped scallop, it was going to be a good night.
The venue and atmosphere were amazing; giving party-goers the choice of a standing-only bar area, as well as sit-down secluded tables. The food and drinks were delicious, and service had your glass filled up before you knew it was even empty.
Overall, I wish I could go out to events like this more often Aside from the excuse to get dressed up and take cool instagram pictures, it's fun to explore the different sides of the city you live in.
I think that there is one universal fear that unites every college freshman everywhere: what if I don't make any friends?
I would be lying if I said that this wasn't the number one thing dominating my thoughts the weeks leading up to school. I wasn't entirely nervous about the workload, the dorm life, adjusting to the city, or missing my family. Those were all things I felt I was ready to tackle and adjust to. However making new friends and leaving the comfort of my 7-girl-group of high school friends behind? That I definitely was not ready for.
However, I'm here to tell every nervous high school senior one thing: You will make friends, and 6 months later you will question how you ever lived without them.
So I think it's finally time. Blog, meet my best friend. Best friend, meet my blog...
Matt and I attended a leadership conference together in grade 10. We made a couple of mutual friends, added each other on Facebook, but ultimately never had a conversation with each other. Fast forward 3 years later, and 2 hours after moving into my residence, my friend Brianne (who also met Matt at the conference) is begging me to come downstairs and meet this totally cute boy she had a crush on three years ago.
With an open mind, and a hope that everyone wanted to make friends as badly as I did, I followed her across my hallway and down one flight of stairs. We knocked on room 232, and within seconds Matt opened the door.
Everything gets a little blurry between now and then. But essentially we exchanged phone numbers, and on the first night decided to ditch a frosh event together and start a party. That was how it all began. Throughout the rest of frosh we stayed in touch: shooting each other "are we really saying this" looks during inappropriate frosh cheers, grabbing pizza on the way home from frats at 3am, and ultimately creating the early bonds of our friendship.
Six months later, and I don't think I can verbalize what Matt means to me. He is my rock, my outlet, my laugher, my solace. He is the person who sends me cat videos when I'm having a bad day. Who forces me to do that last shot, because he knows I need it. He is the person who knows my deepest secrets. Who knows when I'm upset, even if I'm trying to hide it. He is the person who gets wine drunk with me on a Saturday and has life chats until we're either laughing or crying.
My high school friends were amazing. I trust and love each one of them with every part of my heart. But they have nothing on my friendship with Matt.
When I try to define what made us this close, I can't really come to a conclusion. it could be our shared love of cats and fluffy animals. Maybe the way we were raised to value and respect the same things. But ultimately I think it's that we were both trying to find ourselves in this big, new, crazy world at the same time.
We've explored together, laughed together, cried together, and made mistakes together. Most importantly, we've found a little bit of ourselves in other other. (at least I know I have)
So to everyone out there who's worried about making friends at University - don't be. This is the first time in your life that you'll get to make friends because you want to be with them, not because they were the only people you liked from your hometown. Just have an open mind, be positive, and be yourself. Your best friend will find you, and suddenly you'll realize that you were never really yourself without them.
This past week my friends and I were craving anything but cafeteria food, and discovering that there’s a newly opened Nandos in the city, we headed out with empty stomachs and high expectations.
Nandos is a chicken-obsessed chain restaurant from South Africa. Their casual dining style, eclectic decor, and customizable menu make it a unique dining experience - and a new favourite for me!
Upon arriving at Nandos, your first instinct is to take in the scenery around you. With Christmas lights, over-sized leather booths, an open kitchen, and walk up ordering counter - the atmosphere is definitely unique in and of itself. A waitress quickly ushered us to a booth, and explained how Nandos works. Essentially you choose your meal, how spicy you want it, and any sides you want along with it. You order from the counter, and then everything else is up to you! By that I mean that you get a cup to serve yourself unlimited soda from a fancy coca-cola machine, and you event pick out your own sauces, cutlery, and napkins!
The entire experience is really fun, interactive, and laid-back. (Similar in feel to Marché) They really promote the idea of a "social eatery" as the entire experience gives you and your friends something to talk about and do.
The food in and of itself is not remarkable. While my meal was delicious, I think the key to Nandos is ordering the right spice level, adding your own sauce, and getting extra sides! The restaurants focuses on producing basic, good food - that you add flavour to depending on your liking. I definitely suggest trying anything with their signature PERI PERI spice, including the fries and potato wedges!
Overall, I got an entire meal for well under $20 while experiencing something new with my friends. Nandos is definitely a must-go for anyone in the area, especially college students with big appetites and small budgets. While I wouldn't bring my grandma here, I would definitely come again with a big group of friends or someone visiting the city!
Check out Nandos here, and see if there's one near you!
Coming into university I knew that there was going to be a mile long list of ‘firsts’:
first time doing my own laundry, first 500 person lecture, first time spending over 12 hours in a library.
However I don’t think I could have prepared myself for what came along with the University College Charity Drag Show: my first time watching a close male friend get dressed up in drag and perform on stage to Beyoncé.
Since my first day at University College, the attitude towards diversity and acceptance has overwhelmed me. Encouraging everyone to love themselves no matter what they looked like, where they came from, or who they loved, has always been one of the things I’ve admired most about my college. So when my male friend asked if we wanted to come watch him get transformed into a (shockingly beautiful) drag queen - I knew I couldn’t turn down the opportunity. Armed with a $5 donation for Toronto’s Casey House I headed over to the UC Junior Common Room, unsure exactly of the night that lied ahead of me.
Let me start by saying that these Queens outdid any makeup or hair I could ever do. (I’m also now a firm believer that men wearing skirts and heels should be a daily occurrence, as I have never seen legs so good in my life) The Kings were equally impressive, rocking everything from the Beiber flow to baggy pants. However, the real jaw-dropping happened when they took the stage. Dancing to everything from 80s fem-rock classics, to today’s top 40, these men and women gave Rue Paul’s Drag Race a run for their money.
To compliment these amazing performances, the UClit throws quite the party. The JCR was dimly lit with oversized couches, a cash bar, and an enormous amount of food. The performances were broken up with raffles and hilarious commentary by the MCs.
However the best part of the night wasn’t the delicious food or amazing performances. It was the palpable energy that ran through the air. There was an undeniable sense of carefreeness. These men and women were up there, dancing and having a good time, without an ounce of worry that someone was going to judge them or laugh at them. They were supporting an amazing cause while getting one of the most memorable experiences of their life. But most of all, they were just having fun.
Living in a big city and going to such a diverse school, it can be easy to forget the rest of the world. That hundreds of boys and girls live every day hiding who they are out of fear of being punished or ridiculed. Thats why unique events such as this are so important. They help make this school and, in a small way the rest of the world, a better place.
I've talked a lot on here about Freshman Rights of Passage. Your first Toga party, your first all nighter, your first frat house…
Here at University College, attending Fireball is pretty close to the top of your Freshman bucket list.
Fireball is the annual formal for all U of T University College students. It's one night where the entire UC building (which is beautiful enough on its own) gets transformed into a dazzling labyrinth of great halls, lounges, and hide aways. This years theme, inspired by Greek Gods and Goddesses, donned ferrero rocher towers, an ice sculpture of Medusa, and decedent desserts as sweet as Aphrodite herself.
Fireball was everything you expect from a function - great music, delicious food, and a few quiet corners here and there where you could escape for a private moment or two. Although it could have been the buzz of a few too many glasses of champagne - it's almost as if the energy was palpable. Everyone attending was carefree and enjoying themselves. (Unlike the drama-filled formals most girls are use to in high school)
Although my night ended in a too-packed dorm room with whiskey on my dress and blisters on my toes, Fireball was yet another UC tradition that lived up to the hype.
Maybe my addiction to this game has finally reached it’s peak, but lately I’ve been feeling like my life has a lot of similarities to flappy bird.
The point of the game is making it pass each obstacle alive. Some of the obstacles will bring you down low, to your lowest and deepest point. But others will force you upwards - to soar high and look down at all you've accomplished.
But most of the time, the real struggle is in finding somewhere in between. A middle ground that lets you pass on, move through, and keep going. Because one little mistake, one miscalculation, can end the entire game.
So maybe it's prophetic, that I've found a metaphor for my struggles in a simple game of tapping to stay alive. But more likely - I've just become too addicted to this stupid flappy bird and it's stupid inability to fly.
Most North American schools are probably familiar with the term "frosh week", but in the last 5 years many Northern schools have been celebrating "frost week" - the first week back after Christmas break. Designed to give you incentive to come back to school, frost weeks are a condensed version of frosh where the entire school gets to participate in different events. Here at the University of Toronto, like most other events that take place, Frost Week was not only huge - but a huge success.
With 5 days, 7 colleges, 8 events, 6 bars, and countless litres of alcohol consumed - I think U of T had the best frost week I've ever heard of.
Despite the superficial purpose of frost week - to get so wasted you forget which classes you're taking this semester - it actually had a big impact on how I adjusted to coming back to school. When you haven't seen your friends for almost three weeks, it can be hard to jump right back to where you left off. The christmas blues are settling in, and no matter how exciting they try to make it, new courses will just cover the syllabus and call it a day.
Frost week really helps to break down these adjustments. It gives you something to look forward to every day of the week, and makes you feel as if you never left school in the first place. (it also makes you question why you ever did!) So while pub crawling in -40ºC weather made this week literally frosty - it also made me remember why I left home to come here in the first place.
I want to give a personal thank you to all of the people who made Frost Week possible - it was a week we'll never forget!
The fact that I've been away from school for 3 weeks already seems utterly impossible. How have I managed to fill 21 days with nothing but baking, christmas movies, netflix, and catching up with friends and family?
Regardless, the past three weeks have been exactly what I needed - not only a break from my school work, but a break from my social life. In a semester where my social calendar was as full as my syllabus, a reality check from my family brought me back down to earth. It reminded me of the simple pleasures in life - like lying in bed until noon, or the first few pages of a new book.
Despite the amazing break I've had, I'm ready to get back to my real life. With a new semester comes new books, new routines, new goals, new friends and new memories to be made. So here's to a new semester that is sure to be even better than the last.
Every time I turn around, I feel like someone is telling me about a new app that I need to download, a new game I need to try.
But more often than not, I end up with 30 apps I've never tried, and 0.5GB of space left on my phone. So lets cut the bullish*t and get down to the facts - here are the top 5 apps you need to try!
1. Lookbook
Chances are, if you like fashion, you’ve heard of lookbook.nu. It’s a website where fashion enthusiasts can upload photos of their latest outfit creations. With a sleek layout and easy to use side-swipe design, it’s the perfect app to browse when you need fashion inspiration.
Lookbook also functions as a fashion social network. After creating an account you can “hype” or comment on different user's looks, or upload your own.
2. Stocard
This app is the perfect solution to a cluttered wallet. Much like the pre-installed Apple “passbook”, Stocard provides a one-stop place to store all of your rewards and membership cards. It features an easy to use interface that can load over 100 different rewards cards. It also has an “offers” section that updates coupons associated with your cards.
3. Afterlight
Afterlight is by-far my favourite photo-editing app. If you follow anyone who's “insta-famous”, or any of the Kardashians, chances are you’ve seen Afterlight’s iconic filters. They give you that perfect washed-out, effortless, hipster vibe that instagram’s built in filters just can’t offer. On top of that it also has great advanced functions that let you play around with contrast and saturation.
It even comes with a built in function to combat the dreaded Instagram square cropping.
4. Soundcloud
Soundcloud is an audio platform that allows artists to record, upload, and publish original content without a recording label. Soundcloud took over Myspace as an online network that allowed up-and-coming artists to share their music for free - without loosing credit for it, or having it illegally downloaded.
I love using Soundcloud to search through different local and up-and-coming artists based on genres of music that I like. It’s a perfect alternative for days when you feel like listening to something new, but don’t know where to start.
5. Any.DO
Any.DO is the perfect version of what Apple’s “Reminders” should be. It’s simple “swipe-down” interface allows users to add new tasks, with an auto-detect function that provides quick and easy access to commonly used tasks. You can then hold and drag these tasks throughout the calendar, and Any.DO updates the app icon with a notification for the number of tasks uncompleted for the day.
On top of this, Any.DO rewards you for all the tasks you compleete, by giving you a free app every time you reach a completion milestone.
The soundtrack for your morning walk to class can be a make or break moment. It can determine your mood, and affect the way you interact with people for the rest of the day.
It may sound cliche, but I'm a firm believer that music feeds the soul. You need a good mix of classic feel-good songs, contemporary ballads, and a few "f*ck yeah, I can conquer the world today" tunes. So put in your earbuds, lace up your shoes, and try this playlist next time you need to get from A to B on campus.
Trust me, your mind (and everyone else who has to deal with your mood the rest of the day) will thank you for it!
5 Last Minutes Christmas Gifts for the College Student in Your Life
It's dwindling down to the last weeks before Christmas, which means two things in the life of a college student;
Finishing exams
Realizing you now have under a week to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list
But what most of us don't realize, is how hard we can be to shop for! And although your list may seem obvious to you (mine includes my university tuition being paid in full, an unlimited supply of dominos pizza, a corgi puppy, and Zac Effron lying naked in my bed..) sometimes the people in our lives need help finding that perfect (and realistic) gift idea!
So here it is, my Top 5 Last Minute Gifts for the College Student in Your Life!
1. Restaurant & Coffee Gift Cards and/or Flex Plan Dollars
Here at U of T, we're lucky to have a flex dollars meal plan, which means we can visit any food vendors on campus (including Starbucks) without worrying about having cash on us. A substitute to this, is gift cards to restaurants all college students adore. My suggestions would be anything along the lines of Subway, Starbucks, Pizza Pizza, or MacDonalds.
2. A Netflix Subscription
Chances are most people have one of these already, but if you know a student who doesn't I can almost guarantee that they will love it! Although it can become a procrastination tool, it's also great for movie nights with friends and afternoon study breaks.
3. A Re-Useable Water Bottle
Simple, but practical. Speaking from personal experience, U of T doesn't sell plastic water bottles anywhere on campus! So having a reusable water bottle is a necessity - especially if you want to cut down on your soda/juice intake!
4. New Earphones
I think that I would die if didn't have earphones at school! Besides the obvious uses, earphones are a great way to block out noise at the library, or add a spring to your step on your morning walk to class (accompanied by the right playlist that is)
5. Body Products and/or Makeup
As college students on a budget, we tend to cut out things we don't need (such as 6 different eyeshadow palettes) in favour of things that we do (textbooks for next semester, and alcohol for next weekend). However Christmas is a perfect time pick up an good smelling body lotion, or a new blush. It's something little that we normally wouldn't buy for ourselves, but that we'll cherish every time we use!
All of a sudden your favourite library spot is a lot busier, the starbucks line has doubled in size, the caf is out of junk food, and all your friends are on edge...
Exam time has officially arrived.
Everyone has their own way of surviving exams. Some people choose to lock themselves in their room until they've memorized every inch of their textbook. Some people choose to watch Netflix until they forget what courses they're taking.
However, eventually we all come to the same realization - it's 48 hours before the exam and you know absolutely nothing.
Time to break out My Exam Essentials;
1. Earphones - although I can't study with music in, earphones are essential for walking to the library, or giving yourself a break in between subjects.
2. School supplies - I keep it simple with highlighters, pens, and white out - although I don't think this small tube has been able to cover all of the mistakes I've made this semester
3. Hand cream - this may seem irrelevant, but I personally find libraries to be really dry and stale. Combined with long hours of typing and using notebook paper, my hands get dry. Using hand cream gives your hands some much needed moisture, and provides you with a minute of relaxation.
4. Lip balm - along the same lines of hand cream, I can never focus on studying if my lips are dry!
5. Water - self explanatory, stay hydrated!
6. Iced Tea - I'm a fan of the Pure Lead lemon "Real Brewed Tea". It has 52mg of caffeine and less sugar than soda!
7. A Tactile Snack - eating something that is tactile and small helps the little ADD habit we all develop while studying. And although this isn't the healthiest snack, the nuts give you protein and keep you full longer. Meanwhile the chocolate is just a treat - you deserve it!
Finally, just keep a positive mental attitude. At the end of the day, you WILL finish the exam, you WILL hand in that paper. Regardless of how it goes, eventually it will be over.
2. The idea of getting to see this cutie pie when I go home
3. Starbucks Christmas cups... need I say more
4. My amazingly supportive family - he uses "y" as an abbreviation for the word you
5. Events like Coffee House put on by UClit
6. That collegiate feeling you get when you have to use old books from the library for an assignment
7. The food in the city - gourmet grilled cheese to be exact
8. That at the end of the day, I'm at my dream school surrounded by thousands of other people - some of whom have got to be exactly like me. My heart knows that it's in the right place, I'm just waiting for my mind to get the memo!
They weren't joking when they said this was going to be hard
It's been over a month since my last post on here. But in University time, it's more accurately been;
6 assignments
2 midterms
one heartbreak
countless bags of miss vickies chips
6 episodes of American Horror Story Coven
one mental break down
and countless nights lying in bed realizing that they weren't joking when they said that this would be hard.
Sitting down to write this post, after handing in a history document study this morning, and writing a sociology midterm tonight feels almost cathartic in a way. Then again, so did the Dominos extra large, extra cheesy, celebration pizza the girls and I ingested 35 minutes ago.
It's interesting to look back at my last post and think about how I was preaching "balance". Whatever I thought I knew about balance at the time, was definitely pre-mature.
No one every said that university was going to be easy. Especially attending the number one school in Canada, I'm not going to sit here and pretend that I'm fine… I've cried walking home from lecture. I've handed in shitty essays. I've gotten too drunk on a Thursday and missed class on Friday. Shit.. I've missed class for no reason at all.
But I think that this feeling is what pushes so many people away from university in their first year. Why so many people drop out and feel they can't handle it. And although that is most definitely true for a lot of people, I don't think it's true for me. I think this feeling is more accurately described as the feeling of change.
Despite being almost half way through my first year, I still have a lot to learn. I'm struggling, but I have amazing friends, good classes, a great campus, and a supporting family for when I do need to break down.
Cheers to: Successfully reading 8 books on Buddhist temple architecture in India, treating myself to an expensive dinner and a new haircut, and planning a weekend so crazy I won't even remember that I'm taking SOC102.
