Personal blog and photo diary of a 20 something fashion and beauty enthusiast from Toronto. Read about my daily life, adventures, and everything in between.
Uniqlo shirt (also similar version here) / The Bay vest (old, similar here) / Hollister jeans / Sam Edelman ankle boots / Prada sunglasses / Michael Kors watch
Fall is officially coming to an end, and the winter weather is here in Toronto. I’m missing the fall weather and foliage already. These photos were taken back when I was at the cottage with my family for the weekend, and how stunningly beautiful are these colours? The photos hardly do them justice.
I’ve been bundled up in my winter coat the last few days, and man do I miss fall fashion already. Cozy vests and flannel are some of my favourites for the season, and they look great paired together. Add a pair of jeans and ankle boots and this is a great casual outfit for pretty much any occasion. Most of the pieces I’m wearing in the look are pretty old, but I linked similar items that I could find below. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday guys!
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1. Always trying new brunch spots, this time it was Cafe Fiorentina in the Danforth. / 2. Tried out a meditation class for the first time, and it was honestly a game changer. (wearing Zara sweater - old, similar here and here) / 3. Back in Calgary for the weekend and of course had to try all the new restaurants. Loved it at Buffo! / 4. First run and first ski trip of the season (wearing Burton jacket - similar here, Columbia snow pants - similar here) / 5. Breathtaking views as always from Sunshine / 6. Day 2 + my favourite view of Lake Louise / 7. Little TBT to Venice because if any place needed some sunshine right now, it would be Toronto. / 8. Taking a quick break at Sunshine, and enjoying the views.
Happy Friday everyone! Is anyone else in complete disbelief that tomorrow is the first day of December? I can’t believe how close Christmas and the holidays are! I love Christmas though, so absolutely no complaints here. We got an early taste of Christmas snow this month though up in Calgary. I went for a ski weekend with some friends and it was truly the best time. I forget how much I love winter and skiing until I go out for the first time each season. Now I’m already itching to go again!
The rest of the month was relatively quiet, but I did try some new places for food and also went to my first ever meditation class. What an experience! I’ll definitely be back for sure. You can always follow me on Instagram @memoryonrepeat for more daily updates!
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Hi everyone! Hope you had a great start to the week. I’m back with another food post (jeez there’s been a bunch of these recently). Per usual, I’ve been eating out way too much, but the plus side is that I get to share my thoughts on some new places with all of you!
Roselle Desserts
Roselle has been on my list of places to try for ages, and I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to make it out there considering they are in my neighbourhood. This small dessert shop is known for their French inspired pastries, and they’re extremely popular for their unique soft-serve flavours that they offer in the summer. The flavours change weekly, but I tried their earl gray and it was amazing. The owners here are also so nice and welcoming. I’ll definitely be back to try some pastries and coffee.
GB Hand Pulled Noodles
Like ramen, there is definitely no shortage of hand pulled noodle spots in Toronto. I feel like they’re the new go-to restaurants for cheap and quick meals. GB Hand Pulled Noodles has been open for more than a year now, and they’re conveniently located close to Eaton Centre. I finally got around to trying it recently, and while the portions are large and the food comes quickly, I didn’t like it that much. The noodles are not as chewy as some other spots in the city like Magic Noodle, and the broth was pretty flavourless. The only redeeming thing were their cheap and delicious side dishes. This might be a decent spot in a pinch after a day of shopping, but I won’t be back here.
Pow Wow Cafe
Kensington Market in Toronto has a bad rap for several reasons, but one thing you always hear rave reviews about are the restaurants. Pow Wow Cafe is one of the more popular brunch spots in the area, and I was so happy we managed to grab a spot here one weekend without having to wait in line! They’re most well-known for their brunch dishes served on traditional Ojibway-style frybread. I had the eggs benny on their frybread and it was delicious. The portions are huge, so come hungry!
Also, make sure you bring cash as they don’t take credit or debit.
Momosan
Every since trying Miku years ago in Vancouver, aburi (flame seared) sushi has become one of my favourites. Momosan opened in Baldwin Village not too long ago and they specialize in aburi style sushi. The interior of the restaurant is quite sleek and upscale, and they also have a large patio that is perfect for the summer. I’ve been for both lunch and dinner now, and I have to say that for the price, dinner isn’t quite worth it. I’d recommend going for their lunch specials if you can.
Outside of the prices, the sushi is delicious and almost on par with Miku. I highly recommend getting the momo tart if you can. It’s basically like a salmon tower/tartare. So good!
Golden Palace Banquet Hall
We actually ended up at this dim sum spot unintentionally. Originally we were planning to try a different spot, but the wait was close to 2 hours, and all of us were way too hungry to wait. I’m glad we came though, because I was pleasantly surprised by how good the food at Golden Palace was. The prices are affordable (even for late dim sum), and all of their desserts were amazing. We ended up with way more food than we could eat, and had tons of leftovers to take home.
That’s it for this roundup of new restaurants I’ve tried. Let me know if you have questions on any of these spots or if you have recommendations for me!
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love happy hour (seriously it’s the best thing to do on Fridays after work), and I’m always on the hunt for new spots in Toronto that have good deals on happy hour drinks and food. We tried out Bar Buca recently, and absolutely loved it. Bar Buca is the less expensive sister restaurant to the famed Buca, and to be honest, I almost like it more. It’s has a more casual vibe and the food is just as good.
Their happy hour specials consist of a feature cocktail or glass of wine plus a selection of appetizers for only $10. I tried their aperol spritz and wine and both were great. As for the appetizers, I pretty much had every pescetarian friendly item on the menu, and loved everything. My top picks had to be the arancino and nodini (garlic bread knots).
Happy hour runs from 4-6pm on weekdays, and I highly recommend a visit if you get the chance!
JCrew vest (similar here and here) / The North Face sweater (similar here) / Old Navy leggings / Adidas sneakers / Matt & Nat backpack
I’m having major vacation withdrawals, and even more so after editing these photos. Is there anything better than fall in Ontario? Seriously though, it’s the most beautiful time of year. These photos were taken when we were hiking through Algonquin Provincial Park, one of my favourite spots to visit in the fall. The trails usually aren’t busy if you go early, and the foliage is just stunning.
My usual hiking outfits always look something like the above. I’m usually in leggings, a comfortable top, and a vest to keep me warm without feeling too bulky. This look obviously isn’t going to work if you’re trekking, but for a stroll through the woods, it’s perfect! Another hiking essential? This backpack from Matt & Nat. It has more than enough space for your water-bottle, snacks, and sunscreen, plus it just looks so stylish. I’ve been using it as my work bag recently too.
Hope you guys are having a great Sunday. I’m not quite ready to go back to work yet, but I am excited to be heading back to Calgary next week!
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Happy Friday everyone! I finally put together this quick travel diary from my weekend trip to Montreal a few months ago. We were in town for a friend’s wedding, and had a great time. I love Montreal so much, and it’s definitely at the top of the list when it comes to favourite cities in Canada.
Along with a great food scene, the city has so much history and plenty to explore. I wish we could have stayed longer!
We took an evening flight out of the Toronto City Airport, which if you ever get the chance to fly out of, is my favourite airport in Toronto. It’s so convenient because you don’t have to worry about traffic to get there, and because it’s a local airport, it usually isn’t as busy. Even without Nexus, you can easily get through the security line in a matter of minutes. Plus, you get to see the beautiful view over the lake when you fly out!
We stayed at Le Méridien Versailles, and it was my first time staying at this hotel and also in this area. Overall, I really liked it. The hotel itself is on the small side (more like a boutique hotel), but the rooms are large and have a great view of the city. It’s also in a very convenient location if you plan to walk to restaurants or take the subway.
Since we were in town for a wedding, we didn’t have much free time, but we made the most of the free time that we did have. First on the list was brunch at Faberge. This spot is such a gem. The decor is cute and welcoming, and they make an amazing eggs benny. Highly recommend!
Wearing: Floral bomber jacket from a stall in Thailand (similar here, here, and here), Uniqlo tank top (sold out, similar here), H&M skirt (similar here), Alexander Wang Gabi boots, Gucci Soho bag, Quay sunglasses, Michael Kors watch, Necklace from a boutique in Calgary (similar here) - full look here
Of course, no trip to Montreal is complete without a stop to pick up Montreal bagels. St-Viateur is always my go to, and I walked away with plenty to bring back home to Toronto.
That’s it for this quick recap of Montreal! If you guys are looking for tips or more recommendations for a weekend there, let me know in the comments.
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Of course, pink is one of my favourite colours, so when I found out about this speakeasy on Queen West that had an all pink room, I had to visit. Convenience (appropriately named) is a convenience store by day that doubles as a cool bar in the evenings. I wouldn’t even have noticed it if I had walked by, but I’m so glad we found it.
The interior looks like a typical, slightly grungy bar, but what stands out are the huge TV screens behind the bar. They’re designed to display what looks like security camera footage, but I later found out it was live footage from their washroom area downstairs with the pink walls! It was hilarious watching people take selfies and all of them being completely unaware that people upstairs could see.
The drinks are reasonably priced, and they have some specialty cocktails along with cocktails on tap (that aren’t half bad!). If you get hungry, they do have food, but like most bars, it wasn’t the best.
The cool thing is that their convenience storefront is actually a real store. You can always grab some snacks on the way out if you want something to munch on.
Wearing: Aritzia dress (similar here and here), Sam Edelman heels, Gucci soho bag
Of course, I snapped my fair share of photos in front of their pink party line wall. It was too cute to pass up! Have you guys been to Convenience before? If so, what did you think?
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1. The most beautiful sunset in Venice / 2. Camping isn’t too bad, when cute RVs and mountain views are involved. / 3. Admiring the views at El Matador (wearing J.O.A. cover up - similar here and here, Victoria Secret swimsuit) / 4. My favourite view of Muskoka (wearing JCrew vest, North Face sweater - similar here, Aerie leggings, Adidas sneakers) / 5. Golden, just golden / 6. Is there anything better than fall in cottage country? (wearing The Bay vest, Uniqlo shirt - similar here, Topshop jeans, Sam Edelman boots - similar here) / 7. Unzipped in Toronto / 8. The cutest and equally delicious treats from Taiyaki NYC. Welcome to Toronto!
Better late than never! Here’s a quick recap of October, via Instagram. The start of October was spent in beautiful Malibu (sending so many well wishes for all of those affected by the fires in California), and the later half in one of my favourite places in Ontario, Muskoka. I make an annual trip to the cottage every fall and look forward to it every year.
As for Toronto, I finally visited the Unzipped art installation, and tried out Taiyaki NYC for the first time! As always, you can keep up with me on Instagram @memoryonrepeat. Hope you guys had a wonderful Monday.
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