If I’ve learned anything at all in my prime year of the quarter-life crisis, it’s about taking leaps of faiths. Continually, frightfully, apprehensively, and decisively. Whether or not the end result was what I would have expected, it always brought me somewhere better. Higher. And more towards the end goal of 110% being me, because of what you need to do to mentally migrate yourself to your best self.

So that’s why today I’m so extensively proud and eager to share that I’ve joined a start up with high potential. Teeming with talented people and passion, Tunezy was founded by Derrick Fung and Brandon Chu. Featured recently in betaKit and many other publications, the “social record label” aims to revitalize the music industry, giving power back to the artists by leveraging their fans.

For those of you who know of my past life, I spent 5 years in the financial industry and came from a business background. I was always the kid doodling comics with my friends in the back of accounting class, designing for the school paper, actively writing and embracing the do-it-yourself movement. Now it all takes shape and comes together in the form of my other untapped passion – music.

You see, I’ve always wanted to learn to DJ, play guitar, and be expressive in the form of song / musical art. While I wasn’t the best clarinet player, I’m confident that passion to learn far surmounts anything else. Who knows, you might just see a YouTube cover song come out ;)

This has been a special year of my life – from speaking about social media in San Francisco (one of the most terrifying experiences of my life), finding and losing love, picking out a car I didn’t know how to drive off the lot, and mastering every turn life gave me with the support of my brilliant, unyieldingly patient and compassionate friends…I feel like I’ve found something so special.

I’ve always kept my blog separate from my work, but for the first time, I’m happy to have the two worlds merge.

Orange was always my colour.

You can get a delicious plate of homemade pasta all over the city. But, there’s one place in Toronto that brings you to the countryside of Italy with just a forkful of pasta (and other tasty eats). La Cascina is the closest you’ll get to Italian dining without a $1,000 plane ticket and 8-hour flight.

When travelling in Italy, it’s very popular (and highly recommended) to experience “Agriturismo” dining.  This is basically like staying at a bed and breakfast, but the main part of the stay is focused on the food (obviously, it’s Italy!). The homeowners make meals from raw, fresh ingredients grown on their own property or neighbouring farms. This is true rustic Italian dining.

The menu changes every week based on the chef’s selection of seasonal, fresh ingredients. For that reason, you can’t browse the menu online. Although several Italian restaurants in the city offer seasonal menus, like Mercatto or Buca, La Cascina comes with a unique rustic and family style dining experience. On the corner of Avenue Road and Lawrence, the space is small and quaint, and the restaurant is run by the chef and his wife – true family feel!

The ordering process and variety of options can be quite confusing, so I recommend putting your complete trust in the chef and serving staff. The chef or server will explain the chef’s selections for the day, which typically consist of two antipasti, two pastas with red sauce and two with white, two meats and two-three desserts.

The meal is meant to be shared, family style. During my visit, four of us shared the La Cascina Antipasto, which featured a variety of cold dishes (several cured meats, cheese and olives) and hot dishes (farro in a tomato sauce, caramelized fennel and onions, sautéed spinach and garlic, eggplant parmiggiana and lima beans with sausage). This was true Italian comfort food! After the antipasti, we were already feeling full, but eager to try the next course, pasta (mmmm).

We ordered the Orecchiette with sausage in a light olive oil sauce and the Spaghetti Alla Chitarra (one my faves). Both pastas were unreal. Then came the meat dishes: New York strip loin with fresh arugula salad and grape tomatoes, and the most amazing sausages I’ve ever had in my life.

At this point, I was full than I’ve been in a long time and almost 3 hours had passed (it took a bit long for my liking). So unfortunately, I did something I rarely do – skip dessert. But, I was actually completely satisfied. For next time – and there will be a next time – I will definitely leave room for the fresh, homemade-daily dessert.

The owner and chef, Luca Del Rosso, has succeeded in infusing his restaurant, its dining experience and the food with true central Italian style and tastes. My mom was even inspired to cook new dishes. I’m inspired to go back for seconds.

Some food for thought:

• If you’re on a tight budget, be sure to ask about prices since a lot of the “menu” will be presented verbally
• Make reservations; space is limited
• This isn’t a “quick bite” – make sure you’re ready to spend a few hours indulging yourself
• As a trial, La Cascina is now open on Sundays for the month of May
• Perfect spot for an intimate Mother’s Day dinner – La Cascina is currently offering a 4-course set menu for $45

Hey! What’s this now, a blog? Another one? One with fashion? That’s right, the www.endlesscloset.ca is a new feature from Sherway Gardens that’s sure to rock your west-end shopping world. Filled to the brim with great content about trends, blogger chatter, and more, it’s the beautiful mall’s brand new online publication.

Visit it and let us know what you think! Oh, and guess who might be featured on it? Cheesies.

;)

TGIF! So in true Friday fashion – here are my faves for this week…

1. H&M Conscious Collection strapless dress

Nothing says ‘spring has sprung’ like a perfect spring dress. My eyes have been set on this one for a little while and now that the weather is warming up, I’m totally picking it up. Maybe the perfect Mother’s Day brunch outfit?

2. Greek Yogurt

Who doesn’t like a tasty treat? And who doesn’t LOVE a tasty treat that’s not the worst for you? Everyone’s talking about greek yogurt lately, and I’ve eating a lot of it lately. Skotidakis Greek Yogurt is my fave. It’s super creamy – made from fresh goat’s and cow’ milk, right here in Ontario!! It comes in non-fat 500g tubs in a variety of flavours including honey, blueberry & pomegranate, and raspberry & cranberry. They also come in handy-dandy snack packs with separated yogurt & fruit. Best part – each serving contains 12g of protein and only 150 calories. Delish!

3. AXE body spray for women

So I started going back to the gym this week. I vowed to go twice a week, at least – wishful thinking? As I got back into the swing of things, I tried out a new body spray — AXE Anarchy, for women. I know, who knew? It seriously lasts (although I don’t think I work nearly hard enough) and is a good alternative to fruity body sprays.

4. DIESEL Loverdose perfume

My new fave perfume. I’ve been wearing it for a couple of months now and have decided I will definitely restock it! It has a hint of liqourice, which gives it a unique twist. Oh, and to top it off — the perfume allegedly possesses molecules that stimulate your hypothalamus – the part of the brain responsible for sexual attraction. hmmmmmm. Regardless, it smells damn good and the bottle is cool!

5. Vampire Diaries

I left this one for #5 for a reason – SPOILER ALERT: Stop reading here if you didn’t watch yesterday’s episode yet….Every Thursday, this show is a priority on my PVR. And I stayed up extra late to watch this week’s episode. Loved the flashbacks. Hated that Elena chose Stefan (get over that dude already). Loved that Tyler is out of there (him and Caroline were getting annoying). Hated that there was minimal Elena-Damon interaction (when can we see a repeat of that steamy kissing scene?) Loved that Elena might just be a vampire now????? Either way, this was one of my fave TV events this week. Go ahead, judge me!

Having practiced yoga for the past couple years, it was the time for me to see the excitement around the Mysore program. Ashtanga Yoga Centre of Toronto is hosting a pop up shala, which we were able to attend. The shala, which means sacred space, is located on Bathurst and Queen and is meant to feature accessibility for practitioners from the downtown core.

The Mysore class style is quite different and is not led but instead, instructed on an individual basis. Poses are added to your sequence as you complete them, allowing a deeper practice at your own pace. AYCT co-founder David Robson shared the opportunity that Mysore provides in developing effortless concentration while synchronizing breath with postures. The energy felt was incredible and made the flows even more gratifying.

Check out AYCT’s pop up studio and stellar team of yogis!