All posts tagged: shopping

Gifts for the Foodie

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Last installment of the “Last Minute Holiday Gift” series.  Everyone knows a few foodies, here are some great ideas on presents that will impress their palette. McEwans For: The gourmet food lover who appreciates beautiful packaging Where: Shops on Don Mills, 66 Wellington (The Path) McEwan’s is like a Whole Foods but arguably even nicer with a fine selection of food packaged up so beautiful you may not want to even open it. They carry products like Sullivan & Bleeker Squish Candy For: The one with the massive sweet tooth Where: 176 Yonge St. (Inside The Bay, concourse level) With its whimsical packaging and wide selection of candied treats, it’s like walking into an upscale Willy Wonka store. You’ll probably find some excellent stocking stuffers and gifts that practically don’t even need wrapping thanks to their adorable packaging. Green Beanery For: The caffeine addict Where: This huge coffee store boats an impressive selection of all things coffee including responsibly sourced beans, grinders, French presses and more! The gadgets you can find in this store will probably impress …

Gifts for Him: Unique Stores for Last Minute Shoppers

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Your holiday shopping guide for men.  Last minute hustling doesn’t have to mean boring cookie-cutter gifts that he will never use.  I’ve uncovered a few Toronto based stores that offer a little something special for every man. Frank & Oak For: The man that appreciates the art of dressing well without breaking the bank. Where: 735 Queen Street West Sale? YES! Frank & Oak offers a solid selection of dress shirts, blazers, and men’s accessories. There’s even a coffee shop right inside this store if you need a pump of caffeine to get the shopping started!  They really do offer some great items for very reasonable prices. GOTSTYLE For: Those who want to splurge for that special someone. Where: 62 Bathurst Street Sale? YES! GOTSTYLE doesn’t mess around when it comes to dressing men impeccably. I remember walking in there with my boyfriend to try on some suits and I was very impressed by how knowledgable the staff were about fabrics and clothing production. They have an excellent selection and even a salon inside. Uncle Otis For: The stylish …

Gifts for Her: Unique Stores for Last Minute Shoppers

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The holidays are in full swing and between the office parties and potlucks with friends, it can be hard to allocate solid time for gift shopping!  If you are still looking for a special something for a special someone, I’ve got just the stores for you.   Jonathan + Olivia For: The high fashion gal who loves her sleek all black outfits with badass ankle boots and structured leather bags Where: 49 Ossington Aveunue On Sales? YES! If your girl is into high fashion, this is the place to be.  Think of this store as a condensed Holt Renfrew (focusing on black and leather pieces) with a healthy variety of designers like Alexander Wang, Rag & Bone, Isabel Marant. COS For: The minimalist girl who rocks the shapeless look and loves solids and structured pieces Where: 85 Bloor Street West A Swedish clothing label that has recently planted a flagship in the heart of Yorkville amongst a sea of other high fashion and trendy retail stores.  I first encountered COS in Berlin and fell in …

5 days in San Francisco

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This is my second time visiting California in 2015. If you recall from some of my previous posts, I swung by Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco in March with my girlfriends. Aside from the fact that I am in love with the weather, this time around I had a very different agenda. The main purpose of my trip was to go camping into Yosemite National Park with my boyfriend which I will talk about in much more detail in the post right after this one. Today I wanted to highlight some of the fun things I did in San Francisco  🙂 The weather in San Fran was perfect as usual – a hot dry breezy mid 20’s.  We walked around Union Square and Market Street – a great shopping area with an generous mix of luxury and mid priced retail stores.  You can buy your Givenchy, Chanel and Valentino, walk a few blocks and find Victoria’s Secret, Converse and Urban Outfitters. One of my favorite things about this city is the neighborhoods.  It’s simply …

Summer in the Capital

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Surprisingly, there is a lot of events happening in Ottawa in the summer.  Almost anything you’d normally find in Toronto, there’s something similar (granted, on a smaller scale).  Although, there is one thing that Toronto is lacking – Nordstrom.  I’ve found some great deals on their summer and anniversary sale.  Their built in restaurant, Bazille, is actually a great spot to dine after a good shopping haul.  They have a lovely patio area, delicious food, and great service.  Bonus: the menu is very affordable so you don’t have to choose between that pair of sunglasses or a satisfying dining experience. I like to stick in scenic shots of my jogging routes in all my Ottawa related posts because… I mean, look how soothing this is. Bluesfest – another huge event in Ottawa that runs multiple weeks with dozens of artists coming to perform including the likes of Keith Urban and Hedley and many more in between.  I had the pleasure of attending courtesy of my company.  We had a gorgeous two tiered booth with an open …

Berlin: Shopping, Zoo, and Live shows

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For the shoppers out there, Berlin offers a plethora of retail therapy ranging from rustic indie shops to international brands like Zara and H&M.  One of the more glamorous shopping districts is französische strasse which translates into “French street.”  As the name suggests, you can find high end boutiques and the giant Galeries Lafayette French department store.  To boast it’s “Frenchness” there is a very prominent Eiffel Tower erected right in the middle of the multi-leveled store.  Another cool shopping district is Kurfürstendamm.  An extremely length strip lined with both high end and lower end stores and everything in between.  You’d probably need a full day to cover all the grounds.  Even if you aren’t a keen shopper, there are things like gourmet food stores, cafes, and architecture to check out in the area. The shot taken below with the two pyramid structures are actually bird cages.  If you look closely, you can see the little canaries sitting inside.  While in Berlin someone recommended checking out the ‘oldest zoo in the city.’  Well… it is …

Berlin: Mosque, Shopping & Outdoor Market

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Our first excursion was to a Mosque.  This was my second time visiting a Mosque, the first time being a field trip for my religion course in high school!  We learned some very interesting things about the architecture and the religion itself throughout the discourse of its history in Berlin. Outside is a graveyard displayed very openly and unapologetically.  The interior is very colorful, adorned with different shapes and patterns all with its own symbolic meaning   There is a lot of symbolism around Earthly elements.  But the thing I found the most fascinating is this huge chandelier hanging in the center of the Mosque.  The opaque orbs are actually ostrich eggs. They have a very practical use; to repel spiders and prevent the accumulation of webs near the top of the dome where it would be hard to clean.   Observing prayers After that we took off on a nice little walk towards our lunch destination at a traditional Turkish restaurant.  Our professor took us on a little detour into a (restricted) neighborhood backyard. …

Navigating the Streets of Barcelona

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With a full day of walking ahead of us, there was only one right way to start the morning off; with one big cappuccino.  Spanish coffee is not bad I must say.   Our first stop was an old church that was a recommended stop by our tour guide from yesterday.  It was nice, but having seen a fair share of religious buildings it was nothing spectacular.  It was also quite difficult to find given it was tucked away in a quiet area.    After that we headed to the shopping area near Las Ramblas and proceeded to shop til we dropped.  There were SO many sales going on and I found the Zaras and H&M’s in Europe had noticeably better merchandise.  Every time I walked into an H&M I would come back out with something… and this almost never happens at home.  Here’s the damage. Settling down for a quick lunch in between shopping.  Sandwiches in Europe are 10x better than ones in Toronto…   Finally, the main architect star in Barcelona is none other than THE Antoni …

Shopping in Paris at Champs-Élysées!

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Today I finally visited the much anticipated Champs-Élysées, which is THE shopping distract in Paris.  Wide streets lined with every store imaginable.  It is comparable to London’s Oxford street but slightly larger.  I wasn’t about to obliterate my wallet on Chanel and Hermes, but I did have my sights set on one thing: L’aduree.  The much coveted confectionary shop is most renown for their macarons; sweet chewy delights in heavenly flavors.  I had my first L’aduree macaron in New York and was sold ever since.   The Ladurée store on Champs-Élysées has an outdoor cafe and a bar for those that want to stay a little longer to soak in the pleasantries.  When I finally reached the store, clearly I wasn’t the only one that had to get their hands on a macaron. Yup… check out this line up.  This was AFTER I got past the line up that extended past the door. STILL well worth the wait.  Yes, I honestly think they are THAT good.  You should be quick with your order because as friendly as the staff …

Classic Paris: Eiffel Tower & Seine Cruise

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Paris, the city of lights.  The capital of romance, french baguettes, outdoor cafes and macarons.  I’m going to mention one thing that my photos will not communicate.  It is the fact that Paris is just like any other highly populated city.  Its metro system, although very developed and intricate, is at best smelly and dreary.  The streets are littered with people trying to sell you things and pickpockets are scattered generously all over.  Keep your fairytale expectations of the city on the low and you will be able to enjoy the many pleasures that Paris has to offer. First and foremost is obviously the Eiffel Tower.  Plan to arrive early if you want to catch a ride up this tower of steel because the line ups will be lengthy.  There are two levels: midway and top.  We went all the way up to the top to catch a glorious view of the city.  There is also a restaurant available on the midway point and souvenir shops if you want to dine with an unbeatable backdrop. …