Toronto Christmas Market

I always find myself coming back to the Distillery District whenever I'm in search of something different to do in Toronto. This time I discovered Toronto's second annual Christmas Market (based off of the infamous German Christmas markets). The air was filled with the smell of German goodies like bratwurst, sauerkraut, pretzels, and gluehwein (mulled wine) while children were walking hand-in-hand with their parents singing Christmas songs (seriously!). As for my parents and I, we were too busy munching away to sing, so we walked around and checked out all the neat things the various vendors had to offer (the walk also helped us to digest all the food we ate too!). The only thing that was missing was the snow! 

Merry Christmas (and Happy Hanukkah) everyone! Frohe Weihnachten! 

Where to go first...? 

Didn't think the carousel would be our first stop, eh? 

(Ok, but I didn't actually go on it)

Traditional German goodies: Stollen (fruit cake) & Pretzels 

Chocolate mice :) 

(If all my stories came with chocolate, I would've read a lot more books as a child!)

Traditional German wooden ornaments

A Canadian spin on a German tradition :)

We couldn't decide - so we had one of each! 

Cheers! Prost!

Have a safe and happy holiday everyone! See you in the New Year!

An Afternoon with some of my Favourite Men

 McQueen, Spiegelman, Gaultier, Vonnegut & David (my tea) - The perfect company on a rainy day :) 

Summertime in Autumn

After a long Thanksgiving weekend of stuffing our faces, Brittnie and I decided to take a stroll in one of the local parks in Toronto. We may not have walked off all the food we ate, but we did enjoy the gorgeous weather (30 degrees in the middle of October!) and the changing of the colours. 

A Chinese Thanksgiving

This was not your typical Thanksgiving. There was no turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, or pumpkin pie. Nope, none of that at all. Instead, we had my family's version of Thanksgiving: Dim Sum.  But we still managed to achieve the end result of any Thanksgiving dinner - bloated bellies and happy faces :) 

The local Chinese butcher (no turkey here) 

Chinese style Thanksgiving (complete with rice, rice, and more rice) 

BBQ Pork Buns: The closest we got to having turkey/meat as a part of our meal

Pork Siu Mai (left) & Shrimp Siu Mai (right)

Egg Tarts: Chinese spin on pie 

 

Most importantly, sharing my Thanksgiving meal with family and friends! 

And of course, there were leftovers :) 

Happy Thanksgiving!

With Thanksgiving weekend in Canada approaching, I was inspired to do a post on some of the things that remind me of autumn and the things I'm thankful for. 

This beautiful sculpture captures the spirit of the holiday and the wonderful colours that come along with the season!

A cup of pumpkin chai tea with whipped cream will melt your heart

Combining autumn colours with this season's fashion trend 

And of course, a warm meal with friends and family is the perfect way to top off the Thanksgiving weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy all that turkey and stuffing (for all you Canadians!) 

The Simple Things

During a late night stroll on Queen St. West with Jess, we stumbled upon some great artwork on the street. The messages in both pieces are simple, yet powerful. Sometimes during the hustle and bustle of life we lose track of ourselves. These messages help to remind us of the simple things in life that make us happy. What are the little things that make you smile? 

Hug a friend or family member today :)

A Dedication

To all my F--- friends and followers. Love you all :)

The Bazaars

No trip is complete without a visit to the infamous Spice Market and Grand Bazaar! The Spice Market is filled with spices with beautiful aromas and colours (as you will see from the pictures below), while the Grand Bazaar is perfect for anyone who's in the mood for some haggling. Let's just say I shopped 'til my heart's delight :) 

This was the only thing I didn't buy at the Spice Market 

Colours and Textures

The one thing I loved about Turkey was the different colours and textures in everything, from carpets to buildings, ceramics, and food. It felt like I was walking inside a rainbow.