lifestyle blog – PPMeow!

Joggers Boat Cruise

You really can’t ever dress properly to keep it cute and combat the weather you’ve got to endure in The6ix these days. A few weeks ago I was invited to a birthday party — a Joggers Soca Winter Boat Cruise upon the Empress of Canada.

The boat wasn’t as um, Empress-like as its name implied… but the event did have 2 floors of dancing DJ’d fun to be had… AND apparently everyone’s ticket came with food (which they ran out of before our birthday loving toop could get any)

Um, looks like this empress needs a wash and paint job.

Those ominous clouds above held off for the most part … buuuut there was a sudden 7-min storm that totally wrecked some parts of the city. Including the party guests on the top deck of the boat…like US!

Once that was behind us, it was lit on the top deck as we floated around the lake catching views and busting moves!

Below are the many looks that took place as the weather and dancing lead to removal of layers and drowned-wet-rat hair. 😀

There were surprisingly a ton of people on this boat that were “blasts from my past” … gotta love those unexpected catch-ups of faces you haven’t seen in more than 10-15 years!

The day was pretty great dancing, drinking and floating with the birthday girl and the team that love her.

Me and the Birthday Girl as the sunsets on Toronto

Now that you know what I did, curious about what I wore to this Soca Joggers Winter Boat Cruise?

What I Wore

Y’all know I’m the biggest sports fan … and dressing “sporty” is a piece of cake for me. (**written dripping in sarcasm** ) #gosports

I really didn’t want to have to be worried about a jacket while on this boat. So layers was the name of the game for outfit strategy!

I found this cropped TFC sweatshirt from Winners a few days AFTER having attended my very first soccer game. So I was thrilled to have an excuse to wear this top somewhere where I’d stand out more than among crowded stands of similarly dressed fans.

I wore a simple ribbed black tank underneath a plain white tee to give me warmth layers.

My bottoms are my very first pair of jeaggings (jean leggings) … in black…rolled up cuz I’m short. With my wedge high-top black kicks and red mini-crossbody that’s just large enough for my cellphone, money, sunnies and lipgloss. Keeping me free to ‘jump up’ for all the soca fete ‘big chune’ goodness. **insert loud horn noise here**

When you’re trying to take pictures for the blog…and swarm of handsome men come photobomb you. 🙂

How I Got The Look: TFC cropped hoodie, Winners; Round sunnies, Public Butter; Thin Cross-body purse, Necessities; Jeggings, Penningtons; High-top kicks, NineWest (layers of black tank and white tee both from Old Navy)

Would you take a Winter Boat Cruise around the Toronto Harbour?

What did you think of my outfit strategy for this event?

Use the comment section below and tell me your thoughts!

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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

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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.

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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. 😦

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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!