Comparison is the Thief of Joy

Ok team, I’ve been dealing with some feelings. I hadn’t planned to be writing about them, but I can’t seem to write about anything else right now.

So here it is: 9 years ago today I got married. Yup! August 9, 2008… I fell in love and married a great, weird, handsome guy. And today we would have been celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary.

But we’re not. We’re not because we’re divorced. After 8 years together, 4 of those years being married to each other, as we grew up and changed as people, we were no longer serving as positive sources of energy for the other.

bride 2008 — Moi – 2008 as a young bride

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In our early 20s among our different friend groups, we were the first couple to get engaged. The first couple in buy a house. The first to host dinner parties, themed parties, and BBQs. The first to throw a wedding. And the first to get divorced.

It’s been 5 years since we divided up our assets and dissolved our marriage. And in that time, everyone among the friend circle I kept around me have now ALL paired off, moving far far away into their first homes and becoming pregnant with their first (or second) child. While were all in our thirties, I feel like this weird alien among friends who I no longer recognize.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Canada Long Weekend was spent on my balcony watching fireworks and drinking with this couple-friend of ours who got married exactly one month before we did. They’re still together, happily supportive of each other and are proud parents to a gorgeous little boy. Funnily enough, this couple started as a work friend of my ex’s. But it turns out they’ve only kept in touch with me regularly all this time. ❤

As happenstance would have it, one of them bumped into my ex on the streets of Toronto a few days before our hang out…so you know they spilt all the tea with me!

Last summer, I heard through the grapevine that he’d gotten himself remarried. The big news uncovered for Canada150 was that he and his new wife are expecting their SECOND CHILD!!! 😮

This news was a shock. But I wasn’t sad or mad at finding out. I felt genuinely at peace knowing he’s been able to find someone to give him what he wanted in this life. The same feeling I have when I’m sitting as an attendee to a friend’s wedding or baby shower. I’m happy for them. Sincerely.

But then … later like this morning, waking up remembering its not-my-wedding-anniversary … there’s pangs of something that comes over me. Me… comparing their achievements with my own (or lack there of), taking away from what I’ve got going on in my life. 😦

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This long weekend was an oddly busy one for me. It was filled with friend groups on a wide spectrum:

Friday night with a unique Caribanna event specifically for the sex positive, open-minded Cis-Trans-Poly crowd of friends of friends for dancing, performances and late night eating.

Saturday I had brunch with 3 fellow “September Babies” who once were my go-to-hanging-out-and-shooting-the-shit-with peoples, but this year they’ve all found partners and hangouts of “just us” are few and far between.

Sunday I travelled all the way to Oakville to an annual backyard BBQ that has always been known for as boozy-palooza where things get weird….buuuuuut this year she’s preggers and the backyard was filled with more kids than adults.

I feel like this weird alien among friends who I no longer recognize.

It’s hard coming up with gratitude for all the good in your life when chronic pain and leg spasms cloud everything – my life these days. 😦 But I know I’m blessed.

I’m blessed to be able to spend all my disposable income on myself, the pup and the kids I’m a ‘courtesy aunty’ to. I’m blessed to have such diverse groups of people in my life – people I likely wouldn’t have found had I remained a married woman. I’m blessed to own a bit of real estate in the city. I’m blessed that I have been able to travel to cool destinations and write about them. I’m blessed to be able to foster and rescue dogs. I’m blessed to have a job where my employer supports short-term leave with pay. I’m blessed to have everything I need and more at my doorstep: groceries, restaurants, green spaces, beaches, transit, dance friends, live music and bars.

In these 5 years of not being married, it’s given me the room to have a variety of different experiences, to become comfortable with who I am as a person, and has helped me figure out what I want AND don’t want in a life partner. At the same time, I’ve come to the uncomfortable realization that I may not find myself a life partner, and that’s ok too. I’m still working on being ok with this last part. 🙂

Any one else able to relate to what I’ve been trying to say in the word vomit above? Gawd…I hope so. 🙂 Let me know what you think in the comment section…

Stay tuned every Monday and Wednesday for new content, plus throwback posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Hope I can count on you to join me then. ❤

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Operation: Balcony Summer Ready

It’s August long weekend in Canada!!! What prefect timing to post about a little project I’ve been working on called Operation: Balcony Summer Ready!

I’ve lived in my condo in downtown Toronto coming on to 5 years now…and in all that time, I’ve never really used my balcony.

Sad but true. It’s main purpose all these years has been to house demoted furniture that I’m not ready to part with – staying true to my South Asian roots. 😛

0ed2d500-01d2-4235-b3e4-856c5676d60d — Oh yes, that is a LaZboy armchair out there within a weather resistant cover. Huge Transformation “before” vs. “after” riiiight!? 🙂

I spent hours on Pinterest looking at what design worthy people did to their wee outdoor spaces and had some faves pinned, in hopes to recreate something similar myself.

Now, my first attempt alone in trying to get this balcony pretty and useable was… um, pitiful!!! 😦

Enlisting the help of a tall, handy and clever friend made all the difference to this space. Thanks Five Seventeen!!! ❤

What did we do & use to transform this space?

4 panels of curtains that I already had in storage – winning! I bought a curtain rod from Ikea (cheap). The rod was hung via zap-straps (already had those in my toolbox), which means I’m not technically breaking any condo rules. 😉

Then a string of outdoor bulb lights I bought a while back from a cross-boarder shopping trip.

The only major purchase to get the space to this point was a large lavender plant (who’s still alive and well – FYI) from COSTCO $10.

Simply re-adjusting the location of some of my existing demoted furniture already out there, was key to getting the space to this level!

Screen Shot 2017-08-04 at 2.37.28 PM — Oh yah…I repurposed that Jug of Beer into a vase. Those faux flowers were $8 a stem (I think) from Ikea.

The best part of Operation: Balcony Summer Ready is that this new-found space has added about 30+ sq feet to my living space!!! That may not sound like much…but that’s kinda of a big deal for us downtown-dwellers living in shoebox-sized condos!!!

There’s been a lot of rain this summer, yet I’ve been totally dry and comfortable in my brick-enclosed cozy balcony space. ❤ Don’t believe me, check the video to see what I mean:

With a little imagination and perhaps a space heater… maybe I can make this outdoor space useable ALL-YEAR round!!! 😀

Oh! You may remember that last scene with an out-of-place LaZboy armchair that totally not giving off ‘balcony vibes’, right?

Solution: Flamingo fabric tablecloth. Boom!

Screen Shot 2017-08-04 at 2.38.52 PM — It pays to shop all-the-time. How else would I have come across this perfect flamingo tablecloth at Winners! ❤

Since I’ve been off work and home for a little bit this summer… most of my time has been spent out here on the balcony, enjoying my new-to-me outdoor space with my two favourite things for company … 😉

I’ve even used this space to dry laundry – saving me $$ and avoiding being a strain on the grid. #morewinning

Plus, it was THE perfect venue for being barefoot with takeout and wine while hosting friends for Canada Day 150! Yay!!!

Screen Shot 2017-08-04 at 3.32.06 PM — THIS was the view from my balcony!!!! Click photo for fireworks in full action 🙂

I’m just so thrilled with what this new-found space has allowed me to do these past months. ❤ ❤ ❤

But I think my most favourite activity is sitting out there solo, late-late night with string lights aglow, with a lil’ medical J ***inhales deeply, exhale slowly*** in my Zen Zone!

Those are my crossed legs…relaxing in the evening hours in The Zen Zone ❤

Now, it’s not exactly “Martha Stewart” sophisticated and beautiful… It’ll do for this now. I’m pretty happy with it. 🙂

I’ve managed to update the insides of my place too. It’s been a long time coming… but Operation: Apartment Refresh is has made some significant gains over the year. Stay tuned!

Then stay tuned every Monday and Wednesday for new content, plus throwback posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Hope I can count on you to join me then. ❤

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What’s the 411?

Heyyyyyyy… it’s me! I know I’ve been hella quite with zero original content on my blog for a minute.

2017 began and I seemly fell off the face of the earth…according to this space.

Thanks for still remaining a PPMeow! follower, reader, fan, and friend….and for those kind emails sent asking about why such a long absence from writing for this blog. ❤ ❤ ❤

The first half of 2017 has been filled with adventure and struggle. And I’ve been trying to figure out how much of myself I’m comfortable sharing so publicly, on what started out as a fun-fashion-focused forum.

Image may contain: 2 people — The first half of 2017 has been filled with adventures and struggles…

I don’t really deem myself a “fashion guru” or someone who’s opinions on clothes, shoes and the like, really matters. I like what I like. And write about it. That’s all. 🙂 Because of this, it just left me feeling a bit like a fraud running a fashion and lifestyle blog with the recent events of my life taking up so much brain space.

Since my last post … here’s a listing of all the the major things that have happened in the life & times of moi:

Got restructured out of a great team and job after 7-years of being with the company. Yup. Just like that.
Became a beach-bum in L.A., California.
Started a new job with a new company, and re-adjusting to cubical life.
Dealing with undiagnosable chronic pains in the tops of both my feet and legs.
Transformed into a nun for an evening with a self-sewn outfit.
Battled (can continue to struggle with) something called “walking depression”.
Cleaned out my closet (finally!) and donated a bunch of things to charity.
Got a new iPhone 7s with a fabulous camera.
Started a series called “Shameless Bathroom Selfies” on my Instagram channel 😉
Travelled and explored a whole bunch of places in New Mexico.
Flirted with, dated and sexxx’d some boys. 😉
Made major gains with Operation: Apartment Refresh.
Got MRI results that showed a large disc herniation of my spine, and finally given proper meds to manage the pain.
Sold MANY of my beloved heels in exchange for wine was the wise thing to do.
Took a short-term leave of absence from work (doctor’s orders) to really focus on healing and dealing with my spine issues.
Embraced the importance of wellness, rest and self-care…which in my case means regular spending on Physiotherapy & RMT.
Made NEW friends and visited them in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.
Discovered a new product and the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur.
Did various yoga classes for 30-days in June.
Saw NKOTB – BoyzIIMen – Paula Abdul in concert!!!
Attended the Garden Gatsby Party and got caught on camera, in daytime 20s garb, lindyhopping poorly.
Got summoned for jury duty for the first time ever.
Became a fur-mom again to a senior dog named Max…and ever since I’ve been filling up my social media channels with pictures and videos of him. #sorrynotsorry
Had a neuro consult with some uncomfortable real talk.

Phew!!! 😮 That’s a lot of news in one recap blogpost.

So, in addition to the fashion forward fun, what I did and what I wore, shopping hauls, kitchen mis/adventures, product reviews, etc, that you’ve all come to know and love of Petite Plus, Meow! … I’m thinking of trying something new with this blog space and write about some of the above personal experiences … IF there is any interest/appetite out there of hearing it.

I would love to know what YOU want me to tackle first from this list??? Tell me in the comment section below or send me a personal message 🙂

Then stay tuned every Monday and Wednesday for new content, plus throwback posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Hope I can count on you to join me then. ❤

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Rocky Horror Picture Show Style

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a comedy and musical, telling the story about sweethearts Janet and Brad, who stumble upon Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s bizarre abode.

This was a flick that my parents never allowed me to see. Maybe that’s why I love it so much!!! ❤

Sexual explicitness! Fresh & different songs! Susan Sarandon! Tim Curry! The outrageous hair + makeup +outfits!

Audience participation!!

For all these reasons, R.H.P.S. has always been a favourite of mine.

I’ve yet to go to a screening of this flick in full costume — so, when I heard this 1975 cult classic was recently remade by FOX and aired on TV last week. A screening party was in order.

Naturally I was ready to cringe, hiss and boo at the screen … but one thing was clear: it HAD to be watched, and in full dress-up too!

What I Wore

It was agreed that dress-up needed, but to exclude nips and be longer than one’s vajayjay 😛

I found this $10 tee from Black Market Vintage the day before … and worked my outfit magic by shopping my closet to make this look work:

fullsizerender-11 — $10 tee found at Black Market Vintage, WQW

Sorry for the indoor shots – but it was raining and I didn’t wanna get on my balcony.

Pretty tame for R.H.P.S…. I know…but still dope I think. Plus, I’m wearing fish net stockings. You can’t really tell from these photos, but I promise they’re there! 🙂

How I Got The Look:

Tuxedo jacket, HBC Jessica Simpson (click here for other looks); Graphic R.H.P.S. tank, Black Market Vintage; Wine skirt, Reitmans; Mini top hat fascinator, BIGDeal consignment sale (click here for that); Fish nets stockings (old); Mary Jane shoes, Payless

And then of course excessive hair and make up was required 😉

I’m rubbish at big hair and eye shadow application … so this was as good as it was going to get for both!

My pitiful attempt at “big hair” trying to harness my inner Magenta

What I Did

The Gladstone Hotel hosted a screen party for the FOX’s Rocky Horror Picture Show set the tone with a little Drag-Queen pre-show and post show…

There weren’t too many of us dressed up for the screening – just me + my girl Eli + the performers and our server 🙂

Here’s a little 30s clip of one of the Drag performers: Dottie Dangerfield

Don’t Dream It. Be It.

Overall, the new FOX version wasn’t as terrible as I thought it was going to be. There were some fabulous moments and it was pretty entertaining.

But, the original still has my heart! ❤

Who among you watched it? How do you think it compared with the original? What do you think of my R.H.P.S. Style?

Tell me your thoughts in the comments section below 🙂

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Fall Shopping Haul: NY State

I took a mini break from the blog last week and went on a road trip to Rochester, NY for a fun Lindyhop dance weekend called Slow Dance Soiree

Even with the CAD$ still being in the toilet … THIS was the look of my apartment AFTER the trip!!! 😮

YEP!!! Mama did some serious shopping this trip! So welcome to my Fall Shopping Haul Post – let me tell you what I found in my travels to NY State!

VILLAGE GATE MALL, ROCHESTER, NY

We took our own sweet time driving up to Rochester, NY … taking all the side roads to really see the city Friday afternoon on our drive up. My travel mate was on the hunt for a specific high-end liquor which lead us to a restaurant in the Village Gate Mall.

Naturally, if we’re in a mall… I’m gonna need to poke around to see if anything needed to be mine 🙂

Here’s what followed me home:

There was a little wee shop in a deep, far corner of this mall that had the cutest little things!!!

I’m so sad that I didn’t pickup a biz card to give them a shout out in this post. Sigh…

UPDATE: Shop name is Sweet Poison Cupcake

Unicorn Earrings!!! (There was some discussion around these being Pegasus … but they’ve clearly got a horn + wings … so that makes them 100% Unicorn) 😉

Giraffes and Penguins with balloons!! The cutest socks ever … $3 each!

Across from this shop was a hair salon that was having a WIG SALE!!! Naturally, I had to try on every single one! 😀

I think I provided a source of entertainment to all the shopgirls and patrons as I pranced back and forth to get a glimpse of me in their mirrors.

Here’s the one I settled on…

My **$10** wig from the Vivica A. Fox line… to give me an entirely different look!

I’m wayyyyy too chicken to actually cut my hair this short. But now I get the best of both worlds with this $10 wig – harnessing my inner Viola Davis and giving me that powerful How To Get Away With Murder look. 😉

FASHION OUTLETS OF NIAGARA FALLS, USA

I’ve been to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls, NY many times. And its sorta a hit-or-miss place for deals and fab finds. But since we’re driving by it anyways we HAD to stop in and see what was up. 😀

And here’s the results of that:

NINE WEST

EVERYTHING at Nine West was 50% off!

These rang in at $45 … totally worth it even with the USD$/CAD$ exchange. Super comfortable. Super fashionable. Super practical being flats with rubber soles.

I see myself living in these shoes for all of Fall – bring on the rain and sleet! ❤

Glossy Merlot Wine shoes with adorable ribbon laces … YES please! ❤

PAYLESS SHOES

I dunno what it is, but the Payless stores in the States just seem to offer better selection and sizing.

So when I found it was BOGO days – Buy One, Get One – it made the purchasing decision easy!

Aren’t these the perfect booties?! I didn’t wanna go with black or brown…like everyone else.

So when I found these hunter green ones – it was love at first sight! $39!

I’m all about finding adorable flats these days – sadly pumps are no longer something I can comfortably wear all day – plus, flats allow you to be dance-ready always 😉

These black tassel flats were marked down to $15 …. but with BOGO, ended up being $7!!!

FOREVER 21+

Ya’ll know I love me some Forever21+, but shop there as sparingly as possible to avoid looking like every other plus size girl getting her street-style on.

But these thin hi-low tank tunics in the perfect Fall colours of army green and wine red were only $14, how could I leave them on the rack?

And then I found this!!!!

Do I even wear sweatshirts? No! But that’s beside the point! Just look at the adorable puppies of all kinds on it!!!!

Puppy sweatshirt **$20**… Unnecessary spending at it’s finest – 😛

Michael Kors

One of the main reasons for me stopping in on this outlet mall on the way home was to buy a new FALL purse.

I’ve been using the same cross-body MK purse since 2012 – It has only now started to look worn… which means replacement is necessary 🙂

Found this bad boy in the clearance section … which meant an additional 25% off – woot! woot!

This dessert suede and leather messenger bag with optional cross-body strap stole my heart!

I didn’t intending on buying TWO MK purses – but just look at this one!!!

Perfect size! Lots of visual interest + tassel! Bonus!

Netural enough to go with nearly everything, without being black. AND optional cross-body strap.

Both of these pursues rang in just a bit over $100 each. #winning

Target

No cross-border shopping trip is complete without a stop into Target!

I didn’t find much that caught my eye in terms of clothes/accessories/shoes — but their home section was on fire!

ALL Lighting is on sale at Target until Halloween (or at least that’s what the sign said when I scored these) Making each of these sets **$11!**!!!

Found some electric blankets (unphotographed) which helped kick-start my xmas shopping. And found these adorable mini globe string lights.

I’ve used one set to make my bedroom more romantic and will be saving the other to amp up my balcony next summer!

There you have it friends!! My Shopping Haul!!! All prices I’ve listed were in USD$ …. Soooo when you do the conversion to CAD$ they might not have been such “deals” anymore. But it doesn’t matter!!! I loved all my finds and they needed to be mine.

The End 🙂

Until next time..xo

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Rodan+Fields – Product Review

I’ve been fortunate to have pretty decent, trouble-free skin. Having said that, I’ve typically gotten away with whatever was on sale at the drugstore when it comes to face cleansers, creams, lotions and potions.

As I approach yet another anniversary-of-my-29th-birthday, 😉 …the areas of noticeable change when it comes to my skin have become:

Increased freckles on my cheeks (aka, sun-spots), and
Under eye darkness/puffiness

Lucky for me Heather O’Shea, Independent Consultant for Rodan+Fields, reached out to me with solutions!

#1 SKIN SOLUTION: Give it a Glow Mini Facial

This 3-step system aims to give you skin a glow … revealing a more vibrant, youthful-looking complexion.

In the morning, I used the Micro-Dermabrasion Paste onto dry skin to enhance cell turnover and improve tone and texture of my face. For gentler exfoliation, it is suggested to add water. It is recommended to use this up to 3x per week. I had enough product to try it twice that week.

In the evening, after cleansing my face, I applied the REDEFINE Night Renewing Serum (blue ampule) over the entire face (avoiding eye area) to visibly improve skin texture and fitness, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles – if any 😉 My face felt a bit dry after, so I finished with a bit of additional moisturizer.

Then I used the REDEFINE Lip Renewing Serum (grey ampule) to smooth lip texture and increase moisturization.

#2 SKIN SOLUTION: REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream

The REDEFINE Multi-Function Eye Cream combines powerful peptides to minimize the appearance of crow’s-feet, helps reduce the appearance of both puffiness and dark under eye circles while special optical diffusers noticeably brighten the eye area.

After cleansing and toning my face, I used this eye cream regularly for nearly a 2 months. Applying a small amount to the eye area in the morning AND evening, staying away from lashes and NOT applying it to my eyelids, as per the directions.

… and here are the results:

What do you think of the results of the Mini-Facial and the Eye Cream? Tell me in the comment section below.

Think these products might be right for you? Want them?

Contact Heather O’Shea, Independent Consultant

(416) 276-6331, via email heather@heatheroshea.com or visit her site here.

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Summer in The6ix

Summer in Toronto is just the greatest!

We have everything….

Live Music! Plays and Performances! Dancing! Sailing! Spas! Shopping!

Outdoor movies! Cultural Festivals! Foods from around the world!

Annnnnnd all of these things are usually FREE and are walking distance from each other! No car required! ❤

Combo Royale performing under the Harbourfront Bandshell

There have been many wonderful fun-filled days this summer – but the most memorable was an unexpected Saturday afternoon that turned into a full day-o-fun!!!

It began with a play – an interactive dark comedy – THE WEDDING – put on by an independant theatre company: The Lighthouse Troupe. As audience members aka the wedding guests, we were encouraged to dress nicely, sign-in at a guest registry, find their table, and interact with the various members of the wedding party, much like a real reception. You know me – any reason to get dressed up is my kind of event! 🙂

After the show… we walked into Harbourfront for their Spicy Food Festival and found a free jazz concert which naturally led to impromptu lindyhopping on grass!

A Large Lady Lindy Hopping – yup! That’s me! 🙂

After that we walked along Queens Quay to Sugar Beach for Sail-in Cinema’s screening of The Princess Bride …

❤ My most favourite movie ❤

Since we arrived kinda late … we found a patch of sand for our blankets way in the back sadly, making the Sail-in screen teeny-tiny.

Plus, it seems we were too late for the courtesy popcorn and back-rests that many around us seemed to have nabbed.

Le sigh…

14115438_10154314807360359_6974492682269789308_o — Our sad seats on the sand, way in the back of Sugar Beach…before the win~INCONCEIVABLE! 😉

THEN….the event announcer asked for a family-of-4 who would/could potentially win a fabulous prize for answering a single movie trivia question.

When they failed…we managed to flag him down and I provided the CORRECT answer… which won us seats on a sail boat to watch the movie!!!

And there were handsome sailors too! #bonus 😛

Knowing useless Princess Bride trivia won us seats on Canada’s Fastest Sail boat! Boom!!!

THIS was our view for the movie … just waiting for the sun to set so that the movie could start!!!

Floating around on Canada’s fastest sail boat, eating popcorn with sailors and watching the greatest movie ever …

A perfect ending to a wonderfully unexpected summer day!

Curious about what I’m wearing?

How I Got The Look:

Dress and crop-top from Forever21+; Shoes from Winners

How would you describe THE Perfect Summer Day? What would it include? What would you do? What would you wear?

Tell me about it in the comments section below. 🙂

Special thanks to Ellie for capturing those dancing pictures! And to Five for the pictures on the boat!

Thanks for reading, xo

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Treat Yo Self!

Canadians know how to make sure they squeeze out as much summer as they possibly can – cuz Winter is Coming and will last 8+ months of the year! 😦

That’s why we gotta make the most of the August Long Weekend!!!!

This was the first time I stayed in town. The streets of Toronto are filled with loads of party people and tons of Americans who come up for Caraibanna ! The weekend is dedicated to TONS of parties happening everywhere and the weather is usually picture perfect!

I was lucky enough to have some RMT benefit dollars to burn – so I grabbed a gf and we drove to Caldeon, ON to spend the day luxuriating at a day spa!

The Millcroft Inn & Spa had an outdoor terrace, indoor and outdoor pools, an indoor whirlpool, an Infrared Sauna, private men’s and women’s locker facilities with herbal steams rooms and showers.

It was the greatest!!!

Plus, they’ve got an award winning resturant – where we had lunch overlooking this gorgeous pond + waterfall. ❤

This was the 2nd summer in my life where I have come to peace with my body insecurities and donned a bikini (aka fatkini)! 🙂

Click here for the 1st time … in my other bikini.

My body acceptance continues to be a journey … but I’m digging how this suit looks on my bod!

It was the Long Weekend in The6ix …. and I was ready for lots of sun with as little clothing as possible. 😜

It’s YOUR summer too – you do you – and wear whatever the eff’ you want friends!

This spa had a number of pools with varying temperatures …. from plunge-cold to hot-tub heat!

And they are yours to indulge in, so long as you book a spa service over $100!

Hello Swedish full body massage! 😉

There were a few kids in the pool (ugh)… but the majority of spa-goers were older couples with all body types represented.

Plus, they’ve got waitstaff that take and bring your drink orders right to the pool you’re in! V.I.P. V.I.P.

How I Got The Look:

Bikini is from last year’s GabiFresh for SwimSuits4All; Sunnies are from Ardene

There you have it – What I Did and What I Wore over long weekend! 🙂

For an easy 3-step guide to getting a bikini bod yourself, scroll to bottom of this post!

Special thanks to Peter Chiem for getting out of your lounge-chair and being my pool-side photographer xo

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Exploring Beantown – Boston

Sorry for the absence friends – I’ve been on vacation and away from the blog.

And then summer fun got in the way, and I’ve been out living my life instead of writing about it 😛

But I’m back!!! And ready to give you a recap of all I did in the lovely city of BOSTON!

Week 1 was dedicated to my love for Lindyhop! I signed up for a week-long dance camp that was celebrating their 20th anniversary of BEANTOWN!!

BEANTOWN DANCE CAMP

This was an intensive week of non-stop dance with workshops all day, everyday to improve your dancing skills. Taught by amazing dance instructors from all over. Followed by nightly live bands to dance to until the wee hours of the morning!

Here’s a quick run down of those live musical acts:

Truth: When I signed up for this trip, I figured I’d have a ton of other Toronto dancers going with me. But with the CAD$ being so low…that wasn’t the case. And then I had a lower back injury that led to me doing very little dancing all winter. I started to chicken-out and was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone else at this camp.

What if they were all amazing dancers and they discover that I’m a dancing fraud!?

What if they’re all super young and I’ll be the oldest granny of the group?!

What if I sit all alone for every meal with no friends all week!? The Fear Was Real!

As the travel date got closer and closer… turns out that there were only two other Toronto dancers heading to Beantown …and we were all arriving at different times.

So I forced myself to be brave, packed my electric heating pad, a sh!t-ton of Ibuprofen and muscle pain ointment and off I went to spend over a week at a dance camp, in a city where I know nobody… dun dun dunnnn!

I had to audition to get into an appropriate “track level” for all your classes that week. Terrifying? Yes!

Result: Turns out I’m an intermediate dancer!

This was the first time I participated in a group routine and performed in public!!!

I’m happy to report – we didn’t mess up once on stage!!! Woot! Woot! 😀

28074292132_b5484b008f_o — Me and my routine dance partner, Eddie

Here’s the routine. We were nervous that we’d screw it up…so we claimed a spot in the back row…far right, if you’re looking for me.

Look for my especially twirly skirt. 😉 Click here to read about my outfit if you’re curious.

I was way too busy having the time of my life … that I didn’t take too many pictures during my stay at camp.

Luckily I’ve managed to find a few of me taken at the fun photobooth the last night of camp – celebrating its 20th anniversary!

Visit my Instagram channel to see all the camp adventures + video clips of a few lessons and a mini private concert with Norma Miller – Lindy Hop swing dancer known as the “Queen of Swing”

DOWNTOWN BOSTON

Camp ended on a Thursday…and with the long weekend here (Canada Day), I decided to stick around Boston and explore the city solo.

My hostel – HI Boston – was right next to the Boston Common – pretty much right in the heart of downtown.

I slept the day away – my body was exhausted after 7-days of dance. But in the evening, I walked around on my own and found myself in the Public Gardens just as the sun was setting…

Gorgeous pink skies in the Public Gardens, Boston

And at the other side of this the park… I stumbled upon this landmark…

“Where Everybody Knows Your Name!!”

Naturally I had to stop in and have a cuppa Calm Chowda at the bar and channel my inner Norm. 😉

Friday I was a proper tourist! I was determined to maximize the day AND night!!!

What better way to explore a new city than on foot! I discovered a fab lil’ company called Free Tours by Foot which does just that! These tours are among the best things to do in Boston, taking you through many of the city’s most famous neighbourhoods. Best part: there is no charge to take our tours. Meaning you may pay what you feel the tour was worth after the tour is completed, thus ensuring that your tour guide must strive to give his or her best on every tour. Win. Win.

What I saw on the Freedom Trail Walking Tour:

Massachusetts State House
Park Street Church
Granary Burying Ground
King’s Chapel
Old South Meeting House
Old Corner Bookstore
Old State House
Boston Massacre Site
Faneuil Hall

In addition to all these historic sites … I managed to drive by the Harvard Campus at night …. took the T-train on a pub crawl to some uptown Boston Bars…. checked out the local Lindyhop Social…. brought the house down with newly made friends while Karaoke’ing in Cambridge … caught some live jazz over brunch…and even had a bit of a romantic interlude that weekend to boot! 😉

Overall, my trip to Boston was da.bomb.com! ❤

It’s a fantastic city – super green – with lots to see and do. Sadly, I dedicated an entire day to shopping and came up empty-handed. Nothing wow’d me enough to spend my money. Nothing. Very, very disappointing. 😦

Who’s been to Boston? Were there some “must do’s” that I missed? Now that you’ve read about my adventures, would you take a trip out there too?

Tell me your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading. xo

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Summer Bra-blems Solved: Broad Lingerie [2/3]

The Summer weather is here!

And you know what that means – beautiful Summer dresses with difficult necklines for a bra to work with.

Le sigh…

As If it wasn’t already oh-so-dififcult finding bras that fit larger chests properly + pretty + affordable. But Summer brings with it a whole other set of bra-blems!!!

This week on the blog we’ve got a mini-series dedicated to specific Summer Bra-blems I’ve experienced and showing you how Broad Lingerie found me a solution, making that Summer outfit even more Wow + Wearable this time around 😉

BEFORE

Here I am… last Summer I found this adorable halter-neck dress, one that I’ve been coveting on my Pinterest closet for months and suddenly found it on a sale rack in a shop here in Toronto!!!

It got me. Hook, Line and Sinker … Click here for that original post for frock deets.

Sadly it was a bit too small to button over my ta-tas. But I loved it anyways and came up with the following way to wear it in public. :p

My tank-top solution worked out well to cover up the gap in the front, buuuut the giant black bra straps and tank straps view from the back isn’t so cute.