Beckery.ca

Design Runway, it's been a blast, but this was a long time coming.
I've started a new blog. Please come join me here: Beckery.ca
xoxo

Windsor Arms.

First entry in the past two months? That's inexcusable! To all my readers and sponsors, I apologize greatly for the lack of posts lately. Wrapping up my final semester of University has been extremely busy and eventful, but excuses aside, I really hope to write more frequently now that I'm done school!

Last month, I finally had the afternoon tea at The Windsor Arms Hotel that I had been lusting after for months! Accompanied by my lovely friend Joanne (a little shameless plug for her food blog - Foodie Roll!), we enjoyed a cute afternoon full of tea, scones, bite-sized delights, and lots of laughter. I enjoyed a pot of Chai Arms loose leaf tea, which I would highly recommend to all you chai lovers. While all the food was delightful, we especially enjoyed the smoked salmon and wasabi sour cream sandwiches topped with salmon caviar, and the fluffy raisin scones paired with their selection of preserves and devon cream. Afternoon tea is generally on the pricier side at $30/person on weekdays and $38/person on weekends, but it's one of those things that you have to try for the experience. Are there any other afternoon tea rooms in Toronto that you would highly recommend?

Missing the summer.

So either my life is so boring busy right now that I have no exciting new content, or I'm just terribly missing the summer so much that I have to do a reminiscent entry. Let's go with the latter. I miss… 1. Sporadic outlet shopping trips to the States. 2. Funnel cake at Canada's Wonderland. 3. Week-long relaxing road trip to Myrtle Beach, North Carolina. 4. Blue Jays games. 5. Endless nights of apps, drinks, and laughs with girlfriends. 6. The Femme Fatale tour with my cousin to see Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, and a special appearance from Drake.

What do you miss most about the summer? Only a couple more months to go!

Alphabet Soup: Letter A

I'm going to do something new and try a new series of posts that I'd like to call "Alphabet Soup". I thought it'd be a fun way to share and highlight some of my favourite things from A-Z. So without hesitation, here is A: apples, Alice+Olivia, animal print, and so much more! What are your favourite things that start with A?

Marc by Marc Jacobs | Pave Apple Ring from Zappos Couture - $138 on sale for $88
Alexander Wang | Prisma Leather Pouch from Net-A-Porter - $235
Topshop | Scottish Fine Soaps in Green Apple - $8
Aritzia, A Moveable Feast | Neil Jacket - $225
Tiffany & Co. | Apple Charm in Sterling Silver - $175
Aritzia, T.Babaton | Abstract Animal Tinsley Blouse - $110
Topshop | Animal Print Zip Bralet - $55
Kenneth Jay Lane | Apple Charm Necklace from The Outnet - $75 on sale for $34
Topshop | Asymetric Cut Out Dress by Rare - $55
Alice + Olivia | Dorothy Sequin Dolman Top - $396 on sale for $158
LUSH | Amandopondo Bubble Bar - $7.95
Aritzia, TNA | Army Scarf - $50

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

First and foremost, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all my friends, readers, and followers! Hope you all made great memories last year and are ready to make some more! I rang in the new year while on a short trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with my friend Livia. Due to the nature of the trip, we didn't end up taking too many pictures, but the weekend was full of eating, shopping, and gambling at the new Sands Resorts & Casino in Bethlehem. We surely lacked sleep over the three days, but it was well worth it.

The start of a new year is always exciting to me as the symbolization of a new beginning, new opportunities, and more good times! I have really high hopes for 2012 and I'm excited to see it all unfold. I am currently in the process of starting a new joint business venture that is set to launch in February, and along with vice chairing the TEDxUWO conference this year, I'm hoping both initiatives run smoothly and successfully! But even more importantly, 2012 is the year of my graduation. It's crazy to believe that four years of undergrad have flew by so quickly, but I am extremely excited and eager to start the next chapter of my life in "the real world". I couldn't be more ready and I welcome the future with open arms. Bring it. :)

MoRoCo Chocolat

Chocolate. Macarons. Luxury. Check, check, and check. Tack on a pricey bill at the end, and you've got MoRoCo Chocolat. Known as one of best chocolate boutiques in Toronto, I finally had the opportunity to try out MoRoCo on a whim one afternoon when Joey and I were hiding out from the rain. Serving everything from actual three-course meals to dessert fondue and afternoon tea, we eventually decided on trying out their famous 'sipping chocolate' and a couple macarons for a sweet afternoon snack.

Joey decided on a small pot of 66% dark chocolate while I tried the white chocolate with orange and vanilla. Don't let the wording mislead you, though. An individual "pot" of sipping chocolate is really only 3.5 ounces, and at the premium price of $12, we were expecting something orgasmic. We also had lavender, vanilla, and salted caramel macarons. While everything was extremely sweet and satisfied our sweet tooth cravings, nothing was especially unique or overly delicious and memorable. The decor was gorgeous and charming, but it's one of those places where you pay for the sake of enjoying the environment and "status" of being able to afford such luxuries. With an end bill of over $60 for simply dessert for two and a mandatory gratuity fee charged at 18.5%, we concluded that it was an interesting experience and we probably won't be returning unless for a special occasion.

Wish in Toronto.

My friend Joanne (who recently started a food blog-- check out Foodie Roll!) and I are both so indecisive that we took over two hours the night before deciding where we wanted to go for lunch the next day. With so many interesting options downtown Toronto, it was nearly impossible for us to pick. We eventually settled on trying something new at Wish in Toronto at Yonge and Bloor.

From the get go, we admired the cute little covered patio outside, which would have been perfect for a Summer's day. Wish, both a cafe and bar, is quite small, but has a quaint and unique atmosphere with really interesting artifacts and decor scattered across the dining area. From the menu, both Joey and I were drawn to the burgers and tried out the turkey avocado and lamb and goat cheese burgers. While they were definitely not the most enticing or unique items on the menu, we were quite satisfied with our meal that was filling and delicious. I've heard great things about weekend brunch at Wish, so I definitely have intentions of making another visit there, especially in the Summer so I can also enjoy the lovely patio!

Twenty one candles.

Yesterday, I turned twenty one. Between the small party I had last week, multiple birthday dinners and cakes, a surplus of balloons, and an endless night of beer pong and poker, I couldn't have felt more loved this year. Besides the first time being "caked" (which, by the way, is not fun), I had a great birthday spending time with those I love the most. I blew out birthday candles FOUR times this year and wished for the same thing every time; does that mean my chances have multiplied? Partially kidding.

Point G macarons.

It's been a while since I last blogged, as I've been constantly reminded by several of my dear friends. Today I was thinking that I should start blogging at least once a week in the new year. But on second thought, why wait? Not that I'm against New Year resolutions, I just think that any day of the year is the perfect day for setting goals and there doesn't need to be a reason for it. So here we go... a blog entry a week, starting now. :)

The other day I tried some macarons made by Point G in Montreal, QC and they were quite possibly the most delicious macarons I've ever had! Other than the usual school and work, there hasn't been anything overly exciting going on. Exams and my birthday are around the corner, and then Christmas! It's crazy how time flies. December, already? About this time last year, our cars were snowed in, transit stopped running, and the University closed down because of the snow. This year, it's still green and mildly warm... not that I'm complaining. Has everyone started Christmas shopping yet?

Club Monaco Fall 1 Lookbook

Lately I've constantly been in a shopping mood (wait, when am I not?), but have been trying increasingly hard to hold back. This semester I'm taking a "Consumer Economics and Resource Management" course (aka Personal Finance 101) as an elective and it has really opened my eyes to learning more about saving. For the last four years I have worked year-round, whether it may be full-time jobs in the summer, part-time during school, and freelance gigs on the side-- but what I'm trying to get at, is the realization that I would have a whack load of money had I been more wise with my spendings. That being said, I'm going to put an effort into saving and investing my money (no, not investing in shoes and purses) without having it put a huge damper on my usual lifestyle. I guess we'll see how this goes. Being a complete hypocrite, I did recently make one huge purchase though, and that's the iPhone 4s that I pre-ordered last week. I'm just going to let that be an exception... (cough, a thousand dollar exception...)

But while I'm going to try and hold back on spending on clothes and accessories mostly, there's nothing wrong with a little eye candy. These are shots from Club Monaco's Fall 1 Lookbook; both the women's and men's collections were so pretty, I just had to share. What are you lusting for this Fall?