Holiday CRAVE-ings 2012 shopping party!

Loads of swag!

Last night I attended my very first CRAVE Toronto event! I had the night off and thought it would be a great way to find some holiday gift ideas, chat with other female entrepreneurs and share inspiration.

CRAVE Toronto is a company that connects small business owners with customers. They specifically support women entrepreneurs (YE YE!) through a range of events, symposiums and parties. I personally love them because I find it both very enlightening and empowering to meet other women who have big dreams, but can also talk about their journey thus far.

There were about 10 different businesses showing last night, but I want to share with you FOUR of my favourites (in no particular order):

1) STLTO—a stylish and fun approach to vino. With its minimalist chic label, STLTO is impressively owned by 20-something year old ( I swear I think her mom said she’s 24) Sarah Liberatore. I had a nice chat with Sarah’s mom who beamed with excitement over her daughter’s success. Sarah sells her wine both in Canada and the USA, though only carries her signature red and white at the LCBO. The white is an unoaked chardonnay and the red is a Malbec/Merlot blend. I tried the red and it’s perfect to have with a nice piece of steak, but also easy enough to sip on during your next night out.

2) VITALITY massage & fitness—Chernell Bartholomew is the mastermind behind this wellness venture. Both a registered massage therapist (RMT) and personal trainer, Chernell realized that a gap in her field existed when her clients started asking her if she’d perform in-house fitness and RMT sessions. Today, she’s a fully mobile entrepreneur, visiting clients’ homes, giving massages at parties and helping people reach their fitness goals.

3) RENT FROCK REPEAT (RFR)—This name may sound familiar to you because the lovely Lisa and Kristy of RFR were featured on Dragon’s Den just a couple months ago. The idea behind RFR is simple—if you don’t have the funds to spend on a new dress, take a peek into RFR’s extensive inventory and rent the frock out for a fraction of the retail price. I perused some of their gowns last night (keyword…SOME) and was amazed at the great selection of both international and local designers. Some include Greta Constantine, Pink Tartan, David Dixon, Badgley Mischka, and many more.

4) Laura Morris, Feng Shui Consultant – I think Laura was one of the most interesting people I spoke to last night. Laura’s business revolves around feng shui—she offers private consultations for people who want to begin practicing it in their homes. Not only is this a GREAT gift idea, but also a fab idea if you want to bring in more positivity (or simply wish to redecorate) in the new year.

What’s even cooler is that Laura also practices feng shui for your skin (essentially face reading). I don’t know about you, but I totally dig this kind of stuff. She’s holding an upcoming workshop next Tuesday, but also offers intimate workshops. For only $12 a person, all proceeds are donated to the Massey Centre for Women, and you can have the leisure of hosting a workshop in your own home.

All in all, the party was a great time and I left feeling so very inspired by the amount of entrepreneurial energy circulating the room. I love talking to people who take control of their lives and have the courage and ambition to pursue their dreams.

So, if any of this sounded exciting to you, OR you’re looking for a way to get out there and connect with small business owners, I URGE you to check out CRAVE Toronto! Maybe we’ll even bump into each other at the next event.

Until then, have a happy HUMP day, y’all!

Much love,

B

Best of: Toronto Fashion Week

 

Over the last couple of years I’ve developed a zeal for fashion and style. Regardless if it’s categorized as high fashion or street style, it fascinates me. I feel like today we have the freedom to express ourselves in our attire. We have the power to create our personal style. There really is no one dominant trend or style that most of us follow, and that’s awesome. What’s excites me most is this new age of eclecticism—being able to derive our style from a broad range of trends. Style is so personal, and we have the ability to create it—wholly.

This year I decided to explore Canada’s fashion scene a little closer—I was a volunteer at Toronto’s very own Fashion Week. Although I didn’t have the chance to attend many shows, the experience itself was exhilarating; standing a few feet away from fashion mogul, Jeanne Beker, ogling at the uber stylish guests and of course running around backstage. Although not always glamorous—volunteering was truly an eye-opener to this fast-paced industry. As Fashion Week drew to a close, I felt compelled to check out all of this year’s Fall/Winter 2012 collection and compile my ‘best of’ list of designers.

Hope you enjoy! (Oh—and feel free to share your favourite designers! I’d love that.)

Disclaimer: This is my first attempt at blogging about fashion, so please spare me.

Lucian Matis 

        

 

The look: “With some of the models’ fingers also featuring black talons, one would be forgiven for thinking the designer was influenced by the macabre darkness of Black Swan. But backstage, Matis said he was exploring the beauty of symmetry found in nature — like the mirrored patterns on a butterfly wings,” Derick Chetty, Toronto Star.

Matin used a lot of black, handwoven lace (with nude underlay) in his collection, which brought forth a dramatic look. My personal favourite was the plunging neckline on the full-length gown—elegant, yet risqué. Also, the spider-like gloves served as the perfect accessory to complete each delicate piece.

 

Greta Constantine

    

  

The look: “Constrained rebellion. Dangerous undercurrents. Unusual prettiness. Sweetness tainted.” These are the words design duo Kirk Pickersgill and Stephen Wong used to describe Greta Constantine Fall/Winter 2012.

Personally, I love the bold hues, leather accents and funky dresses. The cutouts on the dresses, as well as the strong shoulder designs add an edge to each piece.

 

Pink Tartan

  

 

The look: “Beatnik beauty meets Lone Ranger,” is how Kimberly Newport-Mimran described her Fall/Winter 2012 collection. A 60s and 70s vibe was present in her designs. Peplum and bright hues—a beautifully minimalist design.

Pink Tartan was by far my favourite collection. I am a huge fan of monochromatic, minimalist-like attire and her line exudes this. The bright hues gave each piece a striking look, though it didn’t take it far away from being a practical, professional piece one could wear to work. It was simply divine.

There you have it—be sure to check out rest of Fashion Week’s talented designers here!

Have a merry Monday and I mustn’t forget to send my love to the fabulous Jeanne Beker, who celebrates her 60^th birthday today! Make sure you check out Jeanne’s 60 reflective affirmations in today’s Star. I’ll leave you with one of my favourites:

“I’ve learned that great style has little to do with what you wear. It’s how you wear it and who you are. Confidence is the best fashion accessory.”

Much love,

B

 

Tête-à-tête with Sonia.

Tête-à-tête is French for “head-to-head.” I love this expression because it perfectly depicts what I’ll be doing—having a face-to-face meeting, or conversation with another person, and writing about it.

I love meeting new people, asking questions and engaging in conversation—it feeds my curiosity. I feel as if I am a social creature for this very reason.  So, I wanted my blog to feature informal profiles on people who I find downright interesting/intriguing/inspirational, or wanted to learn a little more about.

My first tête-à-tête is with Sonia. Sonia is my sister and best friend. She is also one of the most driven and passionate women I know. I decided to use her as my guinea pig, and she obviously conceded. Hehe.

Enjoy!

Who are you? Tell me a little about yourself.

I’m Sonia. I’m 20 years-old and I’m an aspiring chef. I love food, cooking, art, and fashion. I graduated from culinary school last year and have been in the industry for two years. I’ve worked at Nota Bene and have helped out at some catering events.

What are your career aspirations?

I want to travel—explore different foods and cultures of the world. Hmmm…. I don’t want to open up a restaurant. I’d like to work in a butcher or fish shop and work on some farms to see where most of our food comes from.

What inspires you?

The feeling of accomplishment. Also, learning. I like to broaden my knowledge with every chance I get. Getting praise for what you’ve done is nice and knowing that it can affect another person. Also, I like proving people wrong who a) think that a girl can’t make it in the culinary industry and b) think that a girl that doesn’t look like a slob and/or wears makeup can make it.

What’s the most valuable piece of advice someone’s given you?

That I am young and that I will go through a lot of hardships, but in the end I will learn from all of them. Also, not everything is as good as it seems.

Where is your favourite place to dine in TO? Why?

For fine dining I’d say Campagnolo—the atmosphere is very homey. The food is authentic and it’s the taste they focus on above all else. Also, all the staff are very friendly and educated.

For casual dining I’d say Manpuku—they serve ramen. It’s very cheap and simply amazing.

How would you describe your personal style?

It reflects my mood. If I’m feeling emo I’ll wear darker colours, but if I’m feeling sexy I’ll wear heels. I won’t ever leave the house looking like a slob because you never know who you may come in contact with. Also, I don’t like skirts—they make me nervous.

Can you name a time when you stepped outside your comfort zone? What did you learn from it?

Well I was comfortable at a ….hmmm should I say that? Let’s say I could have stayed at a workplace and made more money, but I left not knowing what would happen next. I learned that you have to take risks and step outside of what you’re comfortable with or you’ll never learn. Also, if you have a good relationship with people they’ll always be there for you and give you the support you need.

Can you share a favourite recipe with us?

Sure—I don’t have a name for it, but all you need is pasta (preferably cavatelli or orecchiette), olive oil, chili flakes, salt, garlic, rapini and anchovies.

• Boil water and cook the pasta until al dente
• Blanch the rapini—this means boil the fresh rapini in salted, hot water for 2-3 minutes until tender. Strain the rapini and put them in ice water for a minute
• Cut the rapini into bite-sized pieces
• In a sauté pan add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan, anchovies, fresh garlic and chili flakes until garlic is golden and anchovies are fragrant
• Add cooked rapini, salt and toss in sauté pan
• Cook rapini for a quick sauté until coated with olive oil (you don’t want to overcook the rapini; they should still have a bit of bite to them)
• Add pasta to the mixture and adjust seasoning (salt)
• If needed add a little of the pasta water to loosen up the cooked pasta
• Enjoy!

You can also follow Sonia on Twitter @mondinosaur

Much love,

B