Last week was the perfect end to a fantastic year.  Don’t get me wrong, I still had a mini panic attack pre-bday party… but all in all, I was not a crying mess. Actually, I was quite the opposite. I was mostly just content with the past decade, excited to start the next, and overwhelmed by the outpouring of messages and warm wishes.

What a party we had!! My good friends Laura Sebesta, Debra Ruscio and myself celebrated our bday’s at (of course) Church Aperitivo Bar.  From a delicious dinner, to designer cakes and bubbly.. the night was absolutely perfect and thank you to every one who came! 

*Special thank you to Sandra, Frankie and Dave for the hospitality and amazing service at Church, *Jenn, Ida and Christina Wong for the unbelievable dessert table (I am pretty sure people were attacking the cake with their hands at some points),  *Dave Gillespie for being an amazing dj all night (and going out of his way to get like… 83 new records to play the night) and Sandra + Jeremy from Folino’s Hairsalon in Sherway Gardens Mall for taking the time to beautify our hair.

Saturday night we went to Snakes and Lattes (the place I have been raving about for weeks), and I highly suggest you check this place out! They have over 5000+ boardgames to choose from, you can have your favourite cocktail… and I laughed so hard I lost my voice.  So much fun! (Make sure you play Cards Againsty Humanity… total hilarity!)

I recently decided to take up a new hobby.  Yes, time is sparse, but I wanted something that would take me away from behind my computer, and give me some fresh new thinking.

Enter: Avenue Road Art School.  John Viljoen, the incredibly patient and insightful instructor, has welcomed me into his class of seasoned artists and I couldn’t be more excited!  I am definitely no Picasso, but it is nice to know some basics if I wish to sketch randomly in the park to relax.

And a giant thank you to John and the class for the birthday wishes and bubbly at last weeks class!  So thoughtful!

Charmaine Joseph and I recently kickstarted the beginning stages of our new endeavour: Global Warming Tee’s.

A lil’ description for our passion project: “T-shirts with a voice; spreading love and global warmth. Based in the diverse city of Toronto, two fashion-forward social activists conceptualized this t-shirt line as wearable billboards with bold messages that address stereotypes affecting genders, ethnicities and cultural groups. We are in a time when racism, bullying, and gender discrimination are constantly in the headlines. Our goal is to shed light on these issues and encourage people to start talking about social change. We believe that ignorance often interferes with acceptance and we hope to open minds and hearts one t-shirt at a time.”

We are so excited! Last week (on my bday.. which is a great day to start anything new), we had our photoshoot with the amazing Dave Gillespie (who you should definitely book for your upcoming event/wedding) and about 15 people all difference ethnicities and styles. My house was transformed into a real studio, and when we weren’t posing and laughing, we were petting Gooch and chomping on pizza.  Stay tuned on the developments, website,  launch, e-commerce site, and styles! @globalwarmtees  or on facebook.com/globalwarmingtees

That is all for now folks… no, I am sure I have a tonne more… but stay tuned.

xox

@laurenmarias

@globalwarmtees

@churchaperitivo

@gillespiepix

You can basically expect a blog post everyday this week, of my whining and anxiety for the quickly approaching 30′s.

It is a jumble of emotions. I am excited for the future, but feels a bit like I am closing a door to my careless youth.  (I say this to you as I watch Fast and the Furious with an ice cream cone in my hand)

I am truly lucky to have such great friends, most of which I have grown up with since kindergarden.  And as I sift through old pictures to flash on facebook and embarrass my friend Laura (who is celebrating her 30th with me also), I can’t help but wonder why none of these friends told me just how puffy my hair actually was.  Or, that tapered dress pants would be a point of ridicule in old albums when you turn 30.  Or perhaps, if you have braces for a ridiculously long time, why not try to perfect the art of the closed smile?

Nevertheless, we all have those pictures.  The ones that make you sit back and say… wow, I was a real looker, through clenched teeth.

If I could go back to this grade 8 valedictorian and tell her anything… I would say (while passing her a flat iron):

Don’t sweat it, keep your eyes open and your mind clear so you can remember the whole journey. Because up until now, it has been a good one.

Happy last week of my 20′s.  Now.. I need something crazy to do while I am still a careless youth.  Anyone?

Left: Grade 8 Grad / Right: Last years vacay (yes, the same people)

Sometimes it just better to sum up in weeks.

Well, I will jam 2 weeks into one, and catch you up to speed.

Miami.

I swear, everytime I say Miami I want to sing that terrible Will Smith song…

Two weeks ago, my skin was in desperate need of sun, my head was in desperate need of rest and my hair begged for some ocean breeze… so a good friend and I took to the beach with our laptops and worked poolside for 4 days. And even though we spent a chunk of our days working away… it was both enjoyable, fun and well worth the long distance charges. Miami, although bordering on being as cheesy as Vegas (you have no idea just how many deep v-necks and overly large scoop neck t-shirts I had to fend off), is a quick flight into a whole new season.

From sushi samba to the W, the design district to the Delano… we even had time to sneak in a movie, crash early, nap and I nearly bought a dog.

Dog.

Beyonce

Yes, I know… I already have Gooch (the fat grey cat), but I really loved this dog. I named her Beyonce… Chaka Khan was too complicated.  Alas, since I am traveling again soon I decided it would be unfair to the lil’ chap… and to have 2 animals running around while I work my crazy hours with clients, interns and staff rolling in and out… I would basically be asking for a nervous break down.

"I don't suggest you get a dog"

Near Death

On our flight back the pilot came on to say:

“If you have to get up or use the washroom, we recommend you please do so now as we are about to head into some severe turbulance…”

Ummm…. I’m sorry, what? Strap myself in, pray until my palms sweat, and do what I always do when I need to remain calm… find a song that I would be okay with be the last song I get to hear.

What did I choose?

Bills, bills, bills – Destiny’s Child

(Judge away)

You just triflin’

Gourmet Bitches

Two friends of mine recently launched their delicious food truck, Gourmet Bitches at the Boilerhouse in Distillery District.

1. I love their name, and their gluten free options (and you know how picky I am with food… and well, everything)

2. Distillery District, how awesome are you?

3. And I brought on my pal Steve Dolson to work with me on live tweeting at the event, and the girls were able to increase 100+ followers with our efforts.

All in all, the launch was a success and I see great things happening for these two entrepreneurs! Follow them @gourmetb1tches

Bakeries

As picky as I am with food, baked goods never are gross.  This week I went to visit a friend at Le Gourmand, and I think I can safely say I had the best chocolate chip cookie of my entire life. Strong words, I know… but I suggest you go try for yourself.

Then, it was my Daddio’s bday and Easter long weekend, so I stopped into my friends place on Eglington and Dixie (Mississauga) Irene’s Celebrity Cakes… and well, lets just say if you were to pop into my house at any point over the weekend you would’ve seen me with a zeppole hanging unattractively from my mouth.

Talk soon, find me at @laurenmarias

And instagram: @laurenmarias

“I never see you out”

“Yeah.. I usually go to places that…” (voice trails off)

“Places where big ginos like me don’t hang out?”

“Well, I wasn’t gonna say that, but yeah, that sounds about right.”

Hi blog peeps.  I won’t rant… but even though I am in and on social media doesn’t mean I am going to share my entire life blindly with social networks and strangers. It boggles my mind when I see people post ridiculous pictures… like… it isn’t cool to be caught on camera for 3 ooo + friends with a bottle of booze hanging from your mouth.  Yes, we all do it. But we don’t parade it around the universe like attention seeking children.  So odd to me.

Another odd thing about social media is you never really know who is really following you. I mean following you… not just here and there when your status update or latest tweet pops up on their home pages.  Once I had some guy show up at my birthday party because he said he saw it on facebook… (he wasn’t invited though), so many times I have had people ask me “so how was your trip?”, when I haven’t seen or talked to them in weeks, months and years, and of course you have the random people who really think they know you. Listen, because I post a lot of pictures of food, don’t automatically assume I am some food critic foodie- that’s a little bit jumping the gun.  If I post quotes from strong inspirational women, this does not make me a feminist. If I post music from the 60′s I am not a hippy, nor if I post obscure current tracks I am not a hipster.  And if I post a lot of vacation pictures and you think I am away all the time, those are the only generic landscape pictures without too much personal information in them that I really want to post.

So really guys, be tactful when you put up info on sites.  I don’t want to see your PETA pictures of slaughtered animals (it really bugs me at 9am),  and tagging me on some kind of geo-tracking site might get me stalked one day, so please refrain.

Having said all of this… I post a lot of cat pictures, food shots, vacation pics and well… more cat pictures… so I am probably just as annoying.

Gooch.

Gooch is my inexpressive, statuesque, bundle of joy.  He spends the majority of his days spreading hair around my apartment and having staring contests.  He is easy going, everyone loves him, and about as active as a pillow.

But try to bring him to the Groomer and he is about as mentally attentive as Peter Griffin.  I would need to be limber, quick and nibble to even catch him, let alone squeeze him into the carrying cage (or, his mobile condominium, as I like to call it).

First I chase him around my my loft, slipping on the floor, getting splinters from my 100 year old floor.  I crawl under my bed, lure him with Temptations and use my belt as a string he can chase after. None of this works, because he has already seen the cage in the corner.

I line the cage with comfy blankets, toys and treats… none of which interest him.  He is far more interested in watching Slice network and licking himself.  So, I gotta bring out the big guns: call up some friends, corner the room, and tackle him.

“I’m sorry.. I’m sorry.. I’m sorry…”  followed by, “I love you… i love you.. i love you…”  Geez, sounds like my last relationship…. anywaaaay…

Bringing him to the cage is obstacle numero due.  He is going ape-shit in my arms, creating enough scratches that I am certain someone is going to give me a puzzled look tomorrow, and gripping the sides of the cage like Spiderman.

“Gooch… this is for your own good. You are going to be so pretty after the groomer. ”

I am talking to a cat. New low.

Wait… it doesn’t end there.  I have to carry him outside (he freaks right out) and into my car (that may or may not start), while hipster couples with their stupid lil’ dogs  wonder what possessed animal is causing this girl to break out into sweats.

No words quite explain the smell of the Groomer. I often wonder how his wife kisses him at the end of the day.  He has dealt with drool, wet dogs, and God-knows-what comes out from under the nails of an animal, all day.

If I had to choose between making out with Gooch’s Groomer or Donnie Osmond… D.O might win… and we know my fear of the Osmonds (I don’t do scary movies, fish and Osmonds).

Two and a half hours later, 100 sweet bucks later, and my cat acknowledges me with a deep rumbling growl, and scowling face.

Thank goodness I only have to go through this once every few months.

Off to put some Polysporin on my cuts. Happy day to you.

So here I am.  In a day the weather people have been raving about through a windy last week, plopped behind a computer, sifting through piles of work.  Here I am, just minding my own business, waiting for my friend to pick me up some Fresh on Crawford, gazing out the window, and I cross my legs to get down to business.

Rrrrrrrrrrip.

Come on, for real? My jeans must be made of soft sheets of delicate paper, or I’ve had too many dinner parties in the past few weeks… but I just ripped my favourite pair of jeans and this now has set the tone for my sunny afternoon.

I will say this, my cooking has vastly improved with my weekly dinner making. When you are cooking for yourself during the week, dinners are often yogurt and granola or salad… but if once I week I have friends or family over, then I get to do 2 of my favourite things: cook and entertain.

I actually like staying home. If I had to choose between going out or making dinner for friends, the latter would always win… and I don’t care if that makes me boring.  In fact, dammit… I like being boring, if that is boring.  I like watching movies and reading, I like the sound of my radiators and my cat head butting my leg for attention.  I like avoiding the bustle of cabs and line ups, I like going through a weekend without slipping into heels and listening to house music.  I like to lie down in the dark listening to music alone and I like waking up early on a Saturday in time for a spin class.

Maybe that makes me boring. I just thought about this morning.  Thinking, shit.. I am approaching 30 and maybe I have to jazz it up a bit. Haircut? Tattoo? Shopping Spree? Enter: Pre- 30 identity crisis.

Then I come to my senses after a smoothie from Fresh.. and realize… meh.. I don’t want to be in tight rolled up jeans, flannel and some funky fashion forward hat, being seen at trendy new coffee shops, walking my tinier-than-a-cat dog, listening to stupid techno-like music with a hint of 80′s.

I want to stay home with a book  in my jeans that just ripped at the crotch, with my cat beside me, blaring Blind Melon, with 2 different socks and my best friend on speed dial. I am totally cool with you not thinking I’m interesting.

“It is too mainstream to go outside and enjoy the weather today.” “Yeah, call me when it snows.”

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Mine was awesome, jam packed, and super inspiring. While my days fill up with clients and busy social media marketing endeavours, I need my weekends to refocus on my writing and side projects.  So, this weekend I took a screenwriting course with the folks at Raindance, and it was great!

This course helped to refocus my creativity towards my other passions also, and it definitely stirred up some cool ideas I look forward to working on with some of the amazing people I met.  Sometimes these courses are good at least for networking, when your circles aren’t always focused with people who share ALL the same passions.  Plus, I could talk to a wall if I needed to, so meeting new people isn’t the most daunting task.  But I will say here, that I HAAAATE  in classes when they make the first 10 minutes mandatory time to talk to your neighbours.  I am that girl that hates “working the room”, conversation has to come naturally… Plus, I am on a detox and haven’t had coffee in 3 days, trust me when I say this, they don’t want to talk to me…

Anyways, it all worked out in the end.  And what a way to end the weekend with the Oscars. I heart Harry… I mean Billy Crystal (When Harry Met Sally is my very favourite movie).  I thought he was classic, timeless and just a right fit for the evening. Other sum ups for the night: Angelina needs to eat a burger (or a few), Brad is the best looking man on earth, I am so happy Brett from Flight of the Conchords won an Oscar- wonder how Jermaine feels, and best dressed was my woman crush Gwenyth Paltrow in (swoon) Tom Ford (who, if wasn’t gay, I would stalk).

Today I am working away with my kickass intern, Sabrina, listening to long lost Brandy tracks, and realized… oh shit, I haven’t written on shirreffs.ca in… well, a long time.

I spoke at a recent event with Mississauga Life, and Mayor McCallion was there! I was super excited to meet her (again), and be a part of this great travel event that aligns wonderfully with my new column, Going out.  Look for the next article on San Francisco, and if you have any ideas for adventures I should write about- hit me up lauren[at]shirreffs[dot]ca.

Thanks to my mother, aunt, and friends who turned up for the event in support! And also, to the readers of Mississauga Life who came down for a chat and network night.

I finally tried out the Foxley on Ossington and Woodlot on College… and both were delicious, depending on your mood.  Foxley is a cute little spot, and I can’t quite put my finger on the style of food.. but I am going to say International.. a mix of everything. I don’t eat fish (obvs) so I was limited, but the short ribs… get out of here… so good. Maybe not so great for a first date though, unless he doesn’t mind a BBQ face.

Woodlot was delicious, and I will definitely be back! Anywhere that can jazz up brussel sprouts like my mother, is a place for me!  (Yes, I hate fish and love brussel sprouts)  The resto did remind me, however, that eating vegetarian, does not always mean “low fat”… whateva… I walked home.

Until next time blogosphere… xox

But look at it this way… tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.  You know, that day where retail chains, media and commercials decide to torment the single… why should they be so happy and content/stress free anyway?! #sarcam

Valentines Day= EAT chocolate and watch CHICK-Flicks with some vino rosso

Most embarrassing VDAY: Going to see Marc Anthony concert with my aunt (love you Zia, but we could’ve picked a less skeletor musician to rock out to).

Worst VDAY gift: A box of Oreo’s. I get where you were going with this, but no girl wants that.  Especially the “low fat” kind.  Not only have you gotten a lame gift, you have basically told me I have to watch my weight.

AND, more importantly, I think…

Next Monday is Fam Day.  That random holiday Canadian’s sneak in to break up the long haul between holidays. Nicely done.

How was your wknd?

I spent it at the Windsor Arms on Friday night for a Matt Sundin party, lunch on Saturday at County General and a Nyood bar cameo in the eve.  Then came Sunday… my regular Family Day, even when the Canadian government doesn’t say so.  Call me cray, but I love my Sunday Fam dinner nights, and something about a nap in your old bed… nothing quite compares.

Matt Sundin… not the nicest person you’ll meet. He told my friend to, “make it quick”, after she asked for a pic to send her brother, who idolizes Sundin.  Ummm… hi, here is a reminder… YOU are JUST an athlete.  You don’t change the world, you don’t make technological or medicinal advances, you JUST have a talent.

Chill out.

Conclusion:

Valentines Day… who cares?!

Check out County General, it is adorable and has good food.

My family is awesome.

And thank goodness for the upcoming long weekend.

And Seacrest, out.

Grammy night at mine...

The Grammy’s were pretty much, all good. I just wished that the Civil Wars got a lil more play time, but glad they had a cameo.  I love music, not one genre, all genre’s… I appreciate talent and find it so inspiring in my own life.  Music plays the soundtrack to my life: #Ups #Downs and #Workouts (haha!).

On that note, here are a few of the songs I have on repeat lately.  Enjoy! Hope you had a nice weekend. Bring it Monday.

And even though I am not a BIG Lana Del Rey fan, I do like this song…

By the amazing Dave Gillespie, taken outside the Interior Design Show.

Half the time, I don’t see the million pics he snaps when we are out, but this one slipped through, I guess.

THX DG!