It’s here! It’s here! My vacation is here! So even though I won’t be able to check in on Twitter and email as often as I usually do, I did schedule a few posts for next week – make sure not to miss them! I’ll be gone for a couple of weeks, but I’ll definitely share some pics once I’m back!
Can you guess where I’m going?
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If you can believe it, last year was my first time at The Ex! And of course, after the addictive games, and stuffed toys, and horrible unhealthy food – I knew I’d be back again. This year, le boyfriend and I went during the opening weekend. It was a gloomy, rainy day, but we both had an amazing time. It’s a bit scary how much fun one could have just by being surrounded by hordes of people and screaming kids, paying way too much to win a silly toy, while being rained on standing in endless lines to buy greasy, fried food! And last weekend it felt fantastic to be young and happy and in love…feeling like a little kid at a fair, eating mini donuts, looking for Snazzy Napper to make fun of, and finding this place full of tacky things and glittery lights extremely romantic. The entire place was one huge Faux Pas – and I loved every minute of it.
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I still haven’t seen my billboard up close and personal…well, mostly because it’s at Yonge and Sheppard…and I am never at Yonge and Sheppard. It’ll be moved to Eglinton West in June, and I’ll be definitely seeing that one…a lot! In the meantime, huge thanks to Ed for the photos!
Now that my mug is on a billboard, should I get an agent to sort through the many beauty and fashion campaign offers that are bound to pour in? Just kidding about that…being one of the ten faces representing the best mall in Toronto should do for now. Thanks for your support, lovelies!
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One of my favorite springtime pastimes is…eating lilacs. When I was little, someone…perhaps my mom…told me that if I find a lilac blossom with five petals, I must make a wish and eat it (this was before the hybrid lilacs that could grow up to ten petals). And to this day I can’t pass a lilac shrub without stopping to look for a five-petal blossom among its luckless four-petalled friends. Might sound weird, but my wishes do come true…maybe because I don’t ask lilacs for crazy impossible things, or maybe they are magic!
Thankfully, there were plenty of lilacs blooming at Trinity Bellwoods a couple of weeks ago..! Oh, and I was also able to spot my very favorite flower – lily of the valley. Apparently they are highly poisonous, so please don’t try to eat those.
A couple of other cool things I saw that weekend was The Coffee Shop on Queen St. West (cool squirrel design and an ice-cream window open to the street), and car purses! Just like leather purses shaped as dogs, car purses are on the same level of ridiculous ugliness. Someone actually thought they were a good idea, and manufactured enough to sell all over Toronto, and perhaps other cities? I do not understand. But I guess if you’ve always wanted a Bentley, and could never afford one…now is your chance?
What I Wore: Sunglasses – H&M; Top – Forever 21; Earrings – Stand in Mexico
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And so it’s up! What’s up? Photos of the 10 finalists in the Yorkdale Is Me contest! Woohoo!
The shoot was coordinated by the amazing Concrete Design team and shot by the very talented Chris Nicholls. It was a huge pleasure and a privilege to have worked with such a fabulous group of people, and I am sure all of the winners will remember this experience forever!
So, if you want to see the finished results of Yorkdale’s Spring 2010 campaign, go to www.yorkdale.com to check out the rest of the photos! They are all so beautiful!
You may also see my billboard (OMFG, my face is on a friggin billboard!!!) at 4664 Yonge St. (near Sheppard Ave) until the end of May, and at 544 Eglinton Ave West (near Yonge St.) until the end of June! I haven’t actually seen it myself yet, so it hasn’t really sunk in…If you do see one, make sure to take a photo and send it my way.
And once again a HUGE thanks to all of you for your support! This is all because of my friends and readers! Would not be possible without you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Photo Credits: www.yorkdale.com
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As in literally…fever. I am still oh-so-very sick. This weather really played a trick on me, and now I am paying for being so gullible. Posting might not resume at its normal pace for a couple of days, depending on the level of my incapacitation. Being sick really sucks, sorry I can’t come out to play. Enjoy the nice weather and see you soon!
Photo Credits: TFS
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While I’m sure many of my Toronto readers have experienced Oddfellows for themselves at least once in their Toronto existence, le boyfriend and I haven’t had the pleasure until a few weeks ago. I was very glad that we did! Saturdays and Sundays, Oddfellows offers a great brunch menu from 10am-3pm, which includes general population staples such as Eggs Any Style ($10, including toast, homefries, and choice of meat), and Nelly staples, such as brownies, apple pie, float, and banana split ($6-$9).
This time around, however, I settled on the “boring” eggs overeasy (perfectly done), which came with fruit garnish, and crispy succulent bacon. One of the things le boyfriend and I have in common is our love for…wait for it…dipping chunks of toast into the egg-yolk of the overeasy eggs. So delicious! No brunch should ever be without some toast dipping! And dip I did! The coffee was quite good, but nothing crazy or special…though mine was served in a “30 and still a wild child” cup. I should’ve taken offense, but I decided not to…I don’t look 30…no way-no how…so the cup was probably meant for le boyfriend. Haha! He ended up ordering Rebekah’s Buckwheat Cakes ($12) with some sautéed bananas on top of three pancakes, which is really not enough to satisfy most guys, so he had some of my bacon and eggs too. I really, really liked the flavor of his dish, but that could’ve been due to the fact that I love sautéed bananas!
The decor itself is reason enough to pay Oddfellows a visit. Little knick-knacks all around the dining room are indeed odd, but blend well into this tiny space. Service was good, and our cups didn’t go coffee-less for too long. Our bill was presented inside a Harlequin Romance book, and noone ever yelled at me for messing up the lettering on the magnet board to shamelessly self-promote. All in all, if you are looking for a decent and fun-looking brunch place in the heart of Queen Street’s shopping stretch, Oddfellows is a great choice – with tasty food, good service, and fun things to look at.
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I am off to the Yorkdale photoshoot with the amazing Chris Nicholls! So excited! Hopefully will share photos with you all soon! Thank you once again for supporting me in this contest! Means a whole of a lot!
Update: Back from the shoot and what an amazing time it was! From the moment I walked into Chris Nicholls’ studio, full of beautiful photographs, magazines, and photo equipment, to the moment I sadly went home, it was nothing short of fantastic. And though I ended up looking a lot like Snookie mid-way through the prep, both, the beautiful make-up artist Anna and funny-guy-hairstylist Greg, fixed that little problem and made sure I looked and felt great! I was super nervous right before the shoot, but the team was so encouraging and easy-going that it was impossible to stay nervous. I haven’t actually seen any of the photos yet, so it’ll be a nice surprise to see them when the campaign launches in May. Can’t wait.
A super stylish stylist/designer Rita Liefhebber, moi, make-up artist Anna, and hairstylist Greg after the shoot. They were in charge of the beautification process! I think they did a swell job.
With Chris Nicholls himself! Woot!
Concrete Design team and I! Diti, myself, Louise, and Mel! What a pleasure and honor it was to have been able to work with one of the most amazing creative teams in Canada! Thank you all so much!
Photo Credits: 1st photo – Chris Nicholls Photography
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Happy New Year, my dearest readers! Hope 2010 brings you all that you wish for! Hope you are spending tonight with the people that matter, and doing things that you love! Have fun and be safe, wherever you are! Thank you for your comments and emails! See you next year!
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Can someone from France please mail me a letter? Or a postcard? Yes, a postcard! A beautiful black and white one with something chic and utterly French on it…and of course with one of those adorable Lanvin stamps attached! Yes, please! I still have some friends living in Paris, so if you read this, pretty please…it doesn’t have to be a love letter (well, unless you actually mean it)…but those Lanvin stamps are a must!
If you know me, you know that I am a huge sucker for cutesy, cartooney, heart-filled, colorful graphics! Those tees and totes from Lanvin a couple of years ago – that was love at first sight! And now, seeing the familiar characters on French stamps, well…it makes me want an old-fashioned letter from France. Le boyfriend, if you’re reading…you haven’t actually written me a love letter…ever. Hint, hint!
Photo Credits: WWD
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Only 3 days of voting left. Only 1 person wins People’s Choice! So what are you waiting for? Vote! Vote for Nelia, dammit! And here’s a little incentive to sweeten all the clicking! With each text message (113 to #22333) you send, you are entered to win one of 10 $100 Yorkdale Gift Cards! Another incentive is…if you buy anything from H&M Yorkdale this weekend, make sure to stop by the customer service desk, show your receipt, mention my name and get a Timothy’s gift card. Easy, right? You know what else is easy? Voting for Nelia! See what I did there?
So anyway, if you could vote a lot this weekend, I would definitely appreciate it. In these last 3 days, every single vote counts!
Vote here: www.yorkdaleisme.com/profile/nelia/
Text your votes here: 113 to #22333 (free if you have unlimited texting)
Watch and rate my lame video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdWWrrTPc5U and www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6YF-2QQFWQ
Join my Facebook group: www.facebook.com/#/group.php?gid=167045579726&ref=ts
Thanks for everyone’s support and votes! We’ll find out how I did on Monday! Keep your fingers crossed for me and remember…Nelia is Yorkdale!
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Happy Thanksgiving to my US readers! Wishing you a day full of warm moments, family fun, and lots of love!
And even though it’s not Thanksgiving here in Canada, I am still thankful for my family (love you, mommy!), friends, love, and my readers, of course. It has been a wonderful year! Thank you for reading! <3
Photo Credits: Le Love
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Wednesday was a fantastic day! Thursday not so much. Friday? Hoping for a golden middle. There’s only 10 days of voting left and I am sure a lot of you are burnt out by now. Tired of voting, tired of seeing my mug shot every time you come to visit Style Blog, tired of my constant self-promotion? Sorry and thank you all endlessly! The efforts are most certainly appreciated, every single one of you that is voting…I am thankful!
Well, I’ve been #1, #2, and now #3 over the weeks, and the competition is most definitely fierce! I think everyone really, really wants to win this! And why wouldn’t they? VIP passes to fashion week??? $1000 to spend at Yorkdale Mall??? Parking spot??? YES, PLEASE! So I’m still holding out hope that I’ll pull through in the last week with some solid help from you all!
The above video is the latest effort to make this a fun and funny experience not only for the contestants, but for everyone that’s voting! You know what Haka is, right? And seriously, every time you see “Nelia” in the subtitles, if you listen closely, you’ll hear those New Zealanders saying my name.
So guys, don’t forget to vote for me when you’re bored, when you’ve got nothing better to do, when you’re in the bathroom playing with your phone, when you’re waiting for a bus, when you’re on the Internet reading gossip blogs (you know you do), and when you’re on the couch watching TV. Vote online: http://yorkdaleisme.com/profile/nelia/ or via your mobile phone 113 to #22333 (free if you have unlimited texting). Voting is unlimited, so vote as many times as you possibly can. Another way to show your support is by viewing my eyesore of a video and commenting on it and rating it (5*s will do). Also, don’t forget to stop by Yorkdale Mall and say “hello” to my poster. I really do appreciate all of your support! Thank you so much!
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Yesterday was your wedding day. It was the day you got to marry your best friend. A person you will get to spend the rest of your life with. Someone to hold. To share all your secrets with. Someone who loves you and understands you for who you are. Someone to share life’s joys and sorrows. To have someone put up with you no matter what. A day where the kiss sealed the deal. And a lifetime of kisses from the man you love. No matter where you go or what you do, you will have him by your side. To watch the sunset together. To hold hands with. To laugh together for the rest of your lives. To experience forgiveness and unconditional love. To just be. May you two always have each other, no matter what.
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The posters for the Yorkdale is Me contest are now up at Yorkdale Mall! I really like mine, because I am actually smiling, which reflects my personality much better. Hope that the judges look at that one, instead of the one on the website. I know, it must sound quite vain, but the pic on the voting site really bugged me.
The first week of voting is almost up, and I am so very happy to be in the lead so far. There’s still 3 more weeks of voting ahead, so it’s likely that I won’t be getting much sleep this month. And while everyone has been absolutely amazing, helping me get to the top, a few special thanks are in order to the people that are helping me with my promotional efforts!
Monica of Beauty Parler wrote a cute post on her site, endorsing yours truly! Thanks so much, pretty lady!
http://www.beautyparler.ca/2009/11/yorkdale-isnelia-vote.html
The wonderful folks at Toronto Tourism News, also wrote an article about the contest, mentioning that I am their favorite! It means a lot, guys! Thank you!
http://tourism.to/index.php/item/66
Sharon of Backseat Stylers, a huge thanks to you as well for the support and an awesome post! Us, fashionable finance chicks need to stick together!
http://backseatstylers.blogspot.com/2009/11/yorkdale-is.html
And last, but not least, many thanks to Fira and Capa for their help in promoting the Yorkdale is Me contest!
http://firaandcapa.blogspot.com/2009/11/yorkdale-is-nelia-vote-for-our.html
Thanks to all of those that are voting! Your support means so much! Truly.
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