Tuesday Farming!

Had a little jaunt to the farm which is actually right in the middle of the city... always a fun, highly inexpensive outing for me and the girls. On Tuesday they have a farmer's market on the park grounds in front of the Farm. Note to self... Farmer's Markets don't take interact. Here's a few images of my girls having some fun.

Ohhh the shoes!

One of the worst part about being pregnant back to back...

HIGH HEELS!

I use to wear high heels daily in high school, then when I started dating my husband it was a lot more calm and quiet times... a lot more lounging. Heels not mandatory!

With my weightloss in progress it actually is a lot funner to wear my heels again... not to mention I have 2 important weddings this year and I want to sport some sexy shoes. So shoe training begins, the ability to wear high heels for long periods of time so important.

Isn't it fantastic to just put on a pair of beautiful heels, walk about so fantastically and a sense of sexiness no matter what size you are? I am so happy to be wearing my little beauties again.

You saw the Betsey's last week... I also wear a fantastic pair of black mules circa late 90's from the Aldo that are so friggin' comfortable and these beautiful gold chinnoiserie shoes that I got a few years ago but couldn't sport. To top off wearing my shoes... I got all primped up and went on a much needed coffee date with one of my besties. I really love going out for a great drink/coffee with my friend Maureen.

We talk and talk and talk... to the point where conversations still don't feel finished, but the place you are sitting at has the waitresses putting away tables and chairs. We shut the places down; it's only because we enjoy each others company so much. And I love her and our lady dates! Best part is she is a mommy like me... are kids are friends but when we get a chance to have our little ones being watched we get together and never stop talking.

The rain always makes things soggy!

It's been a crazy bunch of days around here, with G20 in the background, our schedule has been slightly chaotic and all over the place.

Plans for the weekend was taking in a visit at the Whittamore farm for their strawberry festival, visit at one of my daughter's godmother's... but Friday night while I was out celebrating my sister's belly dancing performances (I couldn't attend the performances but I was definitely proud that she can go out there and perform in front of a crowd.) the visit at A's godmother was canceled. Then in the morning the rain deterred us from going to the strawberry festival.

Sunday morning we had a nice overdo father's day brunch, which my daughters refused to sit still and eat breakfast. But at least I got to sit with my dad and just have a great conversation.

But I was reading the newspaper and it appears that my lack of visiting the farm was not their downfall this weekend, a celebrity decided to make her way over to Whittamore Farms with her famous child. Can you believe Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise went berry picking? A little bit of clout to the little northern town of Markham.

Cheers!~

It would be silly not to post...

I live in Toronto...

I am assuming the great majority of you who come by this blog know this tidbit about me, Toronto is not my favorite city in the world but it's my hometown, my pride, and well where I learnt to be me.

This weekend Toronto was the HOST to the G20! Just in case you live in a manhole and aren't sure what that means. G20= the Group of 20, 20 of the leading monetary nations of the world. These are countries who are or are becoming power houses in their own rights, leading their countries into great economic wealth.

OK so be it. Well, with this great event comes controversy, why not... there are still a ton of poor people in the world, there are countries who do not give women the right to their own physical bodies, children dying of Malaria, Small Pox, and the common cold. The Hungry, the homeless, the jobless, the education-less... and the list goes on. But Freedom to be, say, do, act, work, live is really the biggest issue at hand. All protesters, educators, politicians at hand will agree, everyone wants the same thing to do and be what they want with the freedom to do so under their own personal constraints without consequences rendered by other parties.

So, my little city (I think it's little I am aware it's not that small) was taken by the politicians and the people who felt they needed to be heard. What happened was not what anyone anticipated.., definitely not us citizens of this calm, financial, over-bearing city. Riots occurred this weekend... RIOTS! Seriously!

Other than a few ethnic clashes during soccer matches, never had police had to find their ways into stomping, pushing, arresting people as they did over this weekend. I think the presence of such magnitude of police visual presence created a fear within some that was unprecedented, some thought it was too much, some wanted to protest the fact that the police were out protecting. Well a bunch of police cars burnt down, stores destroyed, hooligans throwing, cursing, arrested. We had it all... it was shameful!

I will not politicize my blog... I just want you to know on behalf of Torontonians, it was not a proud moment any of the displays that went on. We are deeply saddened at what image was presented of our city to the rest of the world.

This is a quiet cosmopolitan city, this is actually a highly complacent hub of Canada. Banks, Fashion, Insurance and Big Business is what we do here, very quiet on the political front and very lackadaisical on the protesting. The chaos that happened was not Torontonian... it came from all over the world and clashed in our backyard.

Cheers!~

*** Picture from The Toronto Star Blog, click on image to see further more images from protests****

The Ballet stole my heart!

Mommy Outings!

So every once and a while I will post about different outings that this mommy goes out on, I tend to get invited to industry related events, cool art events, fun social outings and most of all great mommy outings with other great mommies. So follow along for the next fun item.

But this week it is Onegin... you read and perhaps understood what that means, and for others such as myself who had never heard of it. I went to see a Ballet based on a Pushkin Novel.

I am so blessed that I often get tickets from a fantastic source that my husband and I have seen the utmost beautiful pieces of masterpieces that the National Ballet of Canada puts together. I have seen some modern ballets, Nutcracker and them even do West Side Story. Why am I telling you all the ballets I have seen... well because people. Onegin was truly the most beautifully done ballet I have ever set my eyes on. It was so fantastic I am still in AWE of it and that was on Tuesday that I saw it.

We happened to be there for a very special evening`s performance, we happened to be there for the 20 year Anniversary of Sonya Rodriguez`s with the company. What a feat, no? Getting to do what you`ve wanted to do for over 20 years--- not to mention dancing everyday of your life, how beautifully magical.

So I actually got 4 tickets to the ballet this showing, I never get 4 tickets may I add. I definitely have never been given 4 tickets in the Orchestra section of the ballet but I did. And so my quest to find a set of friends who are a couple who might want to go on the most fantastic double date started... and I got not one bite. I guess pimping my tickets on Facebook is not a great option but that was happened. But I ended up taking on of my neighbours who I never had gone out with before and one of my youngest`s godparent... and I truly had a great night. I got all gussied up and even wore my little and lovely Betsey Johnson rose print wedges.

Cheers!

Did you feel that?

Toronto is usually not a very dramatic street, we don't have one ounce of cobblestone for the visual of it, ooohhh I guess we do in Yorkville, but I digress. Not a lot happens around here as of the last 30 years that I have lived here.

They have planned the G20 and G8 meetings here, but yesterday we got rocked with something that hasn't happened here since the 80's. I was upstairs in my room on my bed when the whole thing started rocking, for a moment I questioned my sanity and then realised the whole house was shaking. Called down to my husband to confirm such a situation and he was dumb-struck.

He barely spoke... he was freaking out, wasn't sure if that was the initial to worst tremors, told him to get our daughters in the doorways for their safety... but the tremor eased. And the prolific swearing from my husband started... LOL! He was taken so aback, he still is talking about it. Now they say it was a 5.0 earthquake which usually stands for some amount of damage; but it was in the middle of nowhere Quebec and we all just felt it's affects.

Everyone is ok, but my daughters have been trying to see the earthquake since yesterday... she keeps asking if that's it. The trees were swaying yesterday and my eldest asked fiercely:

Mama, is that the earthquake?

-No sweetheart, that's just the wind.

I guess those are going the be the conversations we will be having for the next while.

Cheers!~

What about Change??

Did you ever feel like you weren't meant to do something, be something, wear something, act like something, feel something???

Do you ever wonder if your current situation does permit this kind of something you envision for yourself?

So you pause, you reflect and all you can come up with is CHANGE! I have had a few epiphanies already within the last year, of things I wanted for myself... finding a personal direction that makes sense, that facilitates the visions I have for myself. I have change my perspective of health and my personal well being as a mother, I have had a serious change in personality in wanting to be all I can be because I wouldn't expect any less from my daughter.

But I am feeling another change coming on and not sure if I am ready for that kind of change... my marriage and my family are my first priority are not in my change path, but what I am considering will change their lives completely. I don't want to rock the boat, I don't want to change for the worst.

Is that my own self talk to avoid my change, is my change fully needed... am I going to crazy trying to figure it all out! Probably yes, but it needs to be figured out!

Cheers!~

*** all images are provided by weheart.com***

I had a moment...

a sheer moment of insanity!!

So I have been excercising and dieting (s0mewhat!?!?!?) for the last while... you all might have read this tidbit on here.

Now the number on my scale not highly significant, actually it itself can sometimes be slightly disappointing. But now when I look down at my feet the only thing blocking the view are my ferociously large breasts. 36DD--- but that's only because I am too cheap to go into a bra boutique and get sized properly (I like finding my bras at the La Senza or ordering bras from Victoria's Secret.

So feet view... ohhh yeah! So I look down and creeping from the view of my cleavage peek out my toes. Yeah you say, so I can see my toes! But that's great, we should all be able to see our toes, but for a long while my toes had become missing children that had been lost since the birth of my last child. I am what Dr. Oz would call an Apple! I am an Apple (while the term almost sounds endearing, it means I am at higher risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes) So you lovely beautiful Pears--- you know who you are you usually find JLo to have a fantastic posterior but this is your excuse to feel that been giving mother natures maternal child bearing hips is part of having a booty. That's not a rear, but your hips! But you Pears who want to hide behind having hips, know that you were actually given a mini genetic lottery; you are least likely to suffer the aforementioned health problems.


But here I am staring at my newly slightly transformed body, I have not become no Cindy Crawford, and thinking wow what a difference. I even took pictures... HA! I even took full body pictures in multiple directions and am fascinated at the smaller tummy that has ensued. It was becoming a permanent feature of myself, a constant post pregnancy belly. But it was non-excusable. I am 2 years post-partum! I was excused of the baby weight for so long, as I am walking along with children who can fully recite their ABCs, can jump, walk and climb--- there was no way people wouldn't walk away from me and think, hasn't she lost any baby weight yet?


So the truth is that I wanted to post the pics, I can't get it past myself to get it on here. I can't feel ready to share thus far... but one day, oooohhh one glorious day I will post, Pre-Body and my POST-BODY which I only find exciting to meet. So I apologise for the tease, but there won't be any pictures of yet!

It's lingering...

I don't know what's been bothering me lately, I can't shake the feeling....

It's been lingering it's ugly head... RESENTMENT! I can't get rid of it's ugliness but it's been feeding off of me for a couple of days and I can't shake it.

I have been thinking a lot about my future, my footing, my position in my work; and then I remember some of the people my life has crossed paths with. I am the girl who doesn't burn bridges, I am the girl who if you burn me I will still talk to you the next morning because there is no need to hold a grudge and be angry.

I don't want you to think telling me being angry is an acceptable feeling... because I don't live in that head space; but I have met a lot of BITCHES (Male and Female... let's be honest) and my industry is a small place. But some of those lovelies that I have crossed wouldn't be so kind, even after stabbing you in the back, after you dealt with them, worked with them--- you know they won't have one nice thing to say about you because they only know how to work on the bitchy level that is their realm.

So I look to my future with resentment, that I dealt with the people I did; that as poorly they were that as garish and cruel, they can be the thorn in my side if I want to move on... they will be the poor person to make a nice comment, they are not the people who live by the saying if you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all! Why and how did I work/deal with these people... why did I ever need to cross paths with people so crass???

But I can't shake my bitterness, my anger, my frustration towards these situations--- when they happened so long ago and I wasn't scathed at those time. Now I am angered and frustrated.

I have my daughters, my home and my vegetable garden... but they won't fix my needs for career success!

Cheers!~

World Cup

On most days, and for sure during most weekend if you come into our house there are no sports on our Televisions. You will catch Cartoons on a constant rotation around here, we have given up our ability to watch whatever silliness we feel like watching, if the TV is on, which unfortunately it usually is and has become background noise to my daughters constant doings.

But there is a wrench that fell into their little life... my girls will have very limited tv time in the AMs! It's World Cup Season around here and I am SOOOO EXCITED!

Obviously I will be cheering for my heritage, my country of Greece! And hey, I feel no shame there is no Team Canada playing anyways. But I will not only watch the Greece games, because unfortunately that would make a very short watching period... but I watch all the games, I know a great deal of all the countries players names and I usually swoon, fantasize some of the hotter players.

I had my girls on my bed the other afternoon-- I the mother sat with them teaching them that the ball was being kicked, that I am only getting frustrated or excited over what might be a GOAL.... both my girls seem to be excited to watch along with me. This makes me a proud mommy.

Cheers!~

We got rained out!!!

We had a busy week and weekend around here...

My husband had rented a booth at a car event-- it was for his airbrushing business. And he hadn't ever rented one before, so we worked hard on getting everything ready.

I asked and asked if the event producers had planned a rain date in case they got rained out, he said no it was a go no matter what the weather conditions were going to be. So we put putted ahead with all the plans. Business card printings, tables, tent and so on...

The morning was gray, the day would be long... I never got a chance to sleep a wink the night before. My girls slept the night at my mom's, so I got the chance to take in a overnight shower that was long and very forgiving. I hadn't taken a shower past bedtime in this house since my second was born.

There was also the Greece world cup game, first of 3 that are for sure. But they lost anyways... but in the end we got rained out like crazy. It poured and poured. It was a miserable shade of gray all day and it never stopped. I wouldn't say the day was a bust, because in the end we learnt how to prepare for a rental booth at an event.

What did you guys do this weekend?

Changes!

Blogger has added a couple of design elements to their Blog Services and I had been thinking about changing it up around here, so bear with me... there may be more changes to come.

I just want to find something that fits, something my readers will be comfortable looking at, while it also is a great representation of myself. There may be a few divides in the blog and things will go into different sections from my random talk to well when I do industry related events and stuff that I might show on the side.

So let me know what you think about the new look, the new feel.

Cheers!~

This mommy went out...

I went out to another little event tonight, a little fashion event may I say!

Hadn't been invited to a little trendy party in a long time, fun event from a previous boss of mine, but it was held at this new little fun place here in Toronto called Parts & Labour (1566 Queen St. W.) As soon as walked in my girlfriend from school T was there sitting by the bar holding up court in a great little gab... like she does best.

I unfortunately wandered my behind into the venue far later than I had planned, and was informed instantly that I truly missed out on the big part of the event, missed out on the Mark Fast fashions, missed out on the little pulled pork sandwiches (which as of late have become my fave) and I think missed out on a couple of others I wanted to see since I haven't seen them in a long time, mostly my stylist friends.

It was a nice little venue, enjoyed my glass of White and the place was full of long banquet tables a la the kind you share the table with the couple next to you, very New York! I know they have a huge launch coming this week, so I am sure if you are living in Toronto like I am chances you will hear about it.

But I need to wake up to get Jogging in the morning, there will be more from me!

Cheers!~

**** I took this picture when leaving****

High Tide to you Monday Morning!!!

So another weekend went by again, they seem to be flying by for some reason... perhaps it's the abundance of sun and how late the days go. But my weekend, which I hoping to be slightly more productive did come and go.

Not much happening here, I am repainting my bathroom, my dining room, deciding where the electrical outlets will be going in my master bedroom and debating if we can figure out an affordable budget to fix one of the bathrooms further in our very very old house.

I did go eat at a cute and interesting place near my home the other night, my mother was watching my girls for me and she had fed them so lovingly that me and the husband had to find some food but weren't looking to cook and add to clutter of piles of dishes that I had gotten through already earlier in the day. So I went and got a pick up order from GBK, if you don't know what that means... it's the Great Burger Kitchen. This little delight just opened around here but all the meat is grown here in Ontario and the animals are free ranged, the veggies are also locally grown... so it's suppose to be nicer on the carbon footprint we leave here.

But other than eating a little earth friendlier this week... I could not sleep last night... actually I can't sleep most nights. By the time I finally am off to dream land some people might be getting up for the morning. I wait it out so long, I finally do crash and then my husband so fantastically saves me from waking up in the morning by watching the girls.

What made today, this fair Monday morning so different... well, where do I start. So you know I am attempting to lose weight, I think I finally have come to terms with myself that under no circumstance is my current weight even remotely OK. But everyday is a struggle and for the first time if I fail or can't do it the next day I am not kicking myself into not working out for months on end, I just get back up the next day or the next couple of days and go workout as hard as I did the day before I just couldn't do it. But in this new found kick in my steps... in the fact that I actually JOGGED for the first time in my life this year, I had been eagerly wanting to go for a walk in the calm of night when really there isn't anyone out there and well start and perhaps into a longish JOG.

I can't believe I am saying this... A LONGISH JOG! Ha, if you know me personally, if you ever spent a moment with me you can see I am NOT a jogger, I was never a jogger. Even during my thinner years I wasn't your epitome of fitness. My core excercise was spending hours on end in a club shaking my ass to music, mostly house music all night. I actually will dance at a club and don't like going to clubs where people are making sure the walls are going to continue standing all night by hugging them as if they were to let go a large catastrophe might occur. (OK sorry tangent again... LOL!) But I was on my high school soccer team but I was not your star player, I played no other sport, I never rode a bike, I can't shoot a basketball into a basket and never learnt to do a cartwheel.

But today as I got out there and was walking at a pace that went on for the full 45 minutes (except for the slight jog I did), I was invigorated, full of live, even effervescent. So with NO sleep in me, I got out of my bed and hit the Toronto pavement it was 7:13AM as I left my house, I got the newspaper coming back around to my house and well everyone was still sleeping at 8AM, that I decided to head out to my backyard where I dug out the flower beds yesterday to make space for my vegetable garden that needs a ton of sun. So I entered my home 8:30AM and had already gone for my walk/jog and planted my carrots, celery and red peppers... I am feeling happily accomplished today!

So here is to a week of many mornings up early, many walks in the morning sun, many things accomplished by 8 am!!!

Cheers!~

Rain, rain go away...

Ohhh the misery that is the rain...

I love to sit on my porch and watch an impeccable thunderstorm but we've had abnormal rain season here in Toronto for end of spring.

But this gloomy and muggy weather is making me nuts... we don't have A/C and the truth is I don't really care that we don't anymore, but our house becomes unbearably humid during these freak rain storms. I live in perma nasty hair... only because it's frizzy and out of control it is making me mental.

Now I think I understand what those in Vancouver or London feel like... but seriously... I can't wait til it's little spring showers and not much more.

Cheers!~