It’s cold, it’s windy, and it’s snowy outside! The last thing I want to do is bundle up my son and try to load groceries from the store to my car, and then from my car to my house. My alternative is to shop online with Grocery Gateway!
It’s cold, it’s windy, and it’s snowy outside! The last thing I want to do is bundle up my son and try to load groceries from the store to my car, and then from my car to my house. My alternative is to shop online with Grocery Gateway!
Earlier this year Banana Republic announced a collaboration with designer L’Wren Scott. The capsule collection will launch in stores and online on December 5th. The 50 piece collection ranges from $40 to the $200 mark, and it’s full of party dresses and jewel-toned pants.
Michael Penney is a designer, blogger and owner of Penney and Company – a decor store that is styled so beautifully that you almost want to buy a whole section of the store instead of one piece!
Michael does in home consultations, and is often featured in Style at Home Magazine, Chatelaine Magazine, and the Marilyn Denis Show. His store has everything from holiday decor and furniture, to soaps and lotions for great hostess gifts or Christmas presents.
His store is located in downtown Whitby, and if you are looking for a special gift for someone it’s the perfect spot to find something unique.
I’m currently going through a home renovation of my own, and right away I thought of this store to find one of Michael’s refinished tables for my home. Michael takes unique pieces of furnature and refinishes them into something hip and new.
Here are some of my favourite items in the store right now!
303 Mary Street East, Whitby, Ontario
(905) 493 7300
http://www.michaelpenneystyle.com/
The Chase is located at Yonge and Temperance in Toronto, and at first I was a little confused about the restaurant and where I was going! On the webpage there are two different restaurants – The Chase and The Chase Fish and Oyster. They don’t explain on the website the difference between the two. The Chase is located on the top floor of the building, and is the more upscale of the two. I decided based on the menu to try The Chase Fish and Oyster instead, which is located on the bottom floor of the building.
I was able to try the food out earlier in the year before the restaurant opened at the Lainey Gossip Smut Soiree this summer at Evergreen Brickworks. The Chase has a food truck that they were bringing to events across the city to get people interested in their upcoming restaurant.
Temperance has no parking so you either need to find a lot on another street, or use the valet parking at the restaurant. The valet parking is $20, and the most exotic cars are parked in front of the restaurant on display.
The Chase Fish and Oyster has an outdoor patio, but the restaurant itself was a lot smaller than I expected. As you walk in you can see the kitchen through large glass windows, and it was a flurry of activity. We were mesmerized by it while we were waiting for our table!
We started with the Yonge Platter which included raw oysters, clams, tuna and shrimp. There was an oyster checklist where you could choose where you wanted your oysters from.
After the platter we were pretty stuffed, but we still had more food coming! Next we tried their version of Lobster Claws, which were two claws butter poached with bacon-cashew stuffing and celery root slaw. The lobster was so good, but slaw and stuffing were a little rich.
We also ordered the Crab Toast, which were three mini heaps of bacon, tomato, chili aioli and crab. The toast that the slaw was on was so tough we could hardly cut through it or bit into it! The slaw tasted amazing, but we couldn’t get past the hard toast.
We finished the meal off with a bit of dessert (although we were very full!) and had a chocolate sundae. They didn’t have a dessert menu to read from, but the server gave us three options including a key lime pie and some sort of apple pie sort of dessert.
The restaurant was decorated with tables that had wood paneling that looked like they were out of a sail boat, and sails hanging from the ceiling. There was an elevator inside the restaurant to take patrons straight up to the top floor of the building to The Chase.
The final bill came in an accounts payable envelope which was really cute, but once I opened the envelope I realized I might need a payment plan to pay for my dinner – my glass of rum and coke alone was $14!
As always I’m scoping out for opportunities to see if a restaurant is suitable to bring small children, and in this case I would say The Chase Fish and Oyster would not be an ideal place for them! The restaurant had bass heavy music playing, and the clientele seemed like they were conducting late night business meetings.
The Chase and The Chase Fish and Oyster are both open for lunch and dinner.
10 Temperance Street, Toronto
647-648-7000
www.thechasetoronto.com
Photo #1 & 2 courtesy of www.thechasetoronto.com
On Wednesday November 20th you can meet John Varvatos at his first public appearance in Canada at the new John Varvatos Toronto boutique. He will be signing his book Rock In Fashion for fans from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Yorkdale.
Olsen at the Shops at Don Mills will be having an in-store fashion presentation for their new arrivals at 1:00pm on Thursday November 21st. There will be refreshments and a free gift with purchase. To RSVP contact Oksana at 416-384-0876.
Pink Tartan is having a sample sale! Wednesday November 20th from 10am to 8pm you can shop the designer’s items at 170 Bedford Road, Floor 3 in Toronto.
The Lowes Toronto Christmas Market begins on November 29th and ends on Sunday December 15th in the Distillery District in Toronto. It’s open Monday to Friday from noon to 9pm, and then Saturday and Sunday from 10am until 9pm.
This street market includes seasonal décor, a huge Christmas tree, a main stage with musical performances (along with other musical performances around the market), beer gardens, and vendors throughout the market selling holiday gifts.
This year there is a Mill Street World Caroling Challenge at 5pm on December 15th, Pet Photos with Santa on Monday’s at 2pm and 7pm, and every Wednesday at 7pm there is a special musical concert performance on the main stage. The restaurants in the area are jam-packed this time of year so make sure to book your reservations early! It’s a great event for adults who want a fun night out at the beer gardens roasting marshmallows by campfire on restaurant patios, and during the day there are plenty of children running around the market. Parking is a bit of a nightmare, so make sure to arrive early or be prepared to walk!
www.yorkdale.com
www.torontochristmasmarket.com