Sorry for my cyber absence… I’ve been away from this blog for a while because we’ve been busy reno’ing our place. We’re repainting our entire town house and are using this incredible zero VOC paint by Natura from Benjamin Moore.

Natura zero VOC paint

It’s a little on the pricey side (around $60/gallon), but worth it since it’s healthier for you than traditional paints that have toxic fumes that last for days. We entertained the day after painting and you wouldn’t even know. Rocco (the most spoiled dog in the world) is also happy

Last night for dinner I had pizza with a whole wheat crust. It’s healthier and I like the taste better than a regular semolina crust. My husband is the pizza maker in our family and we topped ours with Italian sausage, mushrooms, onions, roma tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil.

We used aioli to dip our crust in. It’s nice and garlicky and the recipe I use (borrowed from Epicurious) is quick and easy to make when you’re feeling lazy or in a rush. I love aioli and use it as a dip for calamari, sweet potato fries, crudites and even as a spread for hamburgers. I haven’t tried the traditional way of making aioli yet but since this recipe is from Bon Appétit I figure it has some cred, plus it’s delish!

EASY AIOLI

• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon (or more) coarse kosher salt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Mash garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl until paste forms. Whisk in mayonnaise, olive oil, and lemon juice. Season to taste with coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Makes 2/3 cup.

In my dream office I will have this unbelievably cool Font Clock by designer Sebastian Wrong. Not only is it fitting for a writer but it’s quirky and chic.

The Font Clock contains 12 different fonts (including Bodoni & Helvetica) and the white letters and digits against the black background makes telling time a cinch when you’re in a rush. The mixed and random fonts are a cool visual, and once a year they’ll run in sync for five minutes. Not sure if it’ll help me meet deadlines any faster but at least I have something to gauge my procrastination! (My Eds – I kid.)

I went to the Canadian National Exhibition (affectionately called The Ex) the other day with some friends and neighbours to do the haunted walk tour, which is new. The CNE is Canada’s largest and longest-running fair and people come from all over to enjoy the rides, international vendors, food and games.

The CNE grounds and surrounding area (including my neighbourhood) sit on where the Seven Years’ War and the Battle of York for the War of 1812 took place. There are literally hundreds of soldiers buried in the area so needless to say there are some lost souls still wandering about. I was expecting the tour to be scarier but because of the 200+ people in the tour, it was hard to conjure an intimate spooky atmosphere. I was more worried about the soles of my feet from all the walking in ballet flats!

Across from one of the haunted buildings was a lone vendor’s booth, Candyland. There was a lady sitting in a patio chair yelling into a megaphone “Come get your caaaandied aaaapples, cotton caaandy, popcoooorn, snow coooones!” You can see her in the pic below off to the right in her chair. There was something about the booth that grabbed me, whether it’s summertime nostalgia or the fact that it reminds me of Stephen King’s It. Looove the colours, fonts, flags – even the red apron the vendor is wearing. I’d say this is the most memorable part of the tour for me!

The CNE runs till Sept.7 including the haunted walk tour.

A friend of mine is expecting her first child and for her baby shower I went to my favourite kids boutique to find a gift. Polka Dot Kids is where I would shop if I had kids; in fact, whenever I’m in there it makes me wish I had little ones of my own to buy for (that feeling only lasts until I walk out the door). Located in the trendy West Queen West district of Toronto, it’s right across from Trinity-Bellwoods Park, the perfect location to attract hip urban mums.

Polka Dot Kids sells newborn and infant clothing, toys, stamps, posters, dolls and various baby curios from Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Toronto and Holland. I fell in love with vintage-style alphabet magnets featuring animals and fruits (comes in either French or English) and sepia-toned toy posters. One thing you won’t find in this store is plastic — all the toys are wooden and they even have children’s porcelain dish sets! I settled on a delightful handmade mobile of dinosaurs made by Trousselier Paris ($38.00). Now I’m hoping another friend becomes pregnant so I can buy the darling organic cotton onesie with silkscreen bluebirds by Mikié ($35.00). Kids can be so much fun…to shop for

Polka Dot Kids is located at 917 Queen Street West. Tel: (416) 306-2279.

When I’m not writing and editing I work for my husband’s (Brent) company, MODRuff. MODRuff is a canine apparel and accessories company that is totally unique and original. All of the designs for our coats and collars have been created and hand sculpted by Brent and are patent pending. He’s an artist and started MODRuff because of our dog Rocco, a very cute Manchester Terrier

MODRuff started off making coats but last year we introduced our first line of collars featuring the martingale design. This was also inspired by Rocco, who loves to tug, so we needed a collar that wasn’t a choker that would keep him in check. The great thing about our products is that they’re made from natural rubber so everything is soft and flexible, as well as water- and scratch-resistant. The collar has been a huge hit and we now offer it in a regular buckle style. I love the clean modern vertical lines of the design. I should mention that they’re gentle on his neck because it’s lined with fleece – Rocco is a strong tugger! He’s a terrier after all…

We just shipped off an order of our collars for a client in the US and are finally free to enjoy the weekend!

Rocco posing in his MODRuff Martingale Collar in Copper

Check out MODRuff’s blog or feel free to send over dog lovers you know. We’ve got lots of exciting things planned for the near future!

I think many of us take for granted how privileged we are to live on Earth. In the video below you’ll see an image of the Ultra Deep Field, widely considered to be the most important image ever taken, and is the farthest mankind has ever seen into space. It definitely is one of the most beautiful images I’ve ever seen. Every time I look at it I’m blown away and reminded to cherish the wonderful and hang on to the positive.

For a period of 11 days, the Hubble kept its shutter open and focused on an “empty” area of space near the Orion constellation. What scientists discovered was a pleasant surprise of over 10,000 galaxies. So the next time you look at the night sky keep in mind that there’s more beyond our galaxy than vast nothingness.

(The 3D imagery of the Ultra Deep Field is at 2:56)

Finally the sun is here! It’s not a Torontonian summer until you’re constantly sticky from the humidity and convinced you’re catching a tan at night. The last couple days have been over 35 C with the humidex, and after weeks of complaining about no sun and too much rain, everyone is finally hot and happy (I know I am).

To cool down, my husband, our dog, Rocco, and I went out for ice cream at our local video store, Black Dog Video. It’s not your average video rental store; it also features a storefront cafe, local art and an ice cream counter. Though the ice cream selection isn’t large they have flavours that’ll appeal to anyone (mint chocolate chip – yum). I went for good ol’ Pralines and Cream and my husband had a Chocolate/Peanut Butter Explosion, both on sugar cones. The cost for two cones was a reasonable $7.00. I made a mental note to try their floats during the next heatwave, particularly the Creamsicle, which has french vanilla ice cream and orangina or the Lemon Pie (pralines & cream ice cream and limonata).

Black Dog also carries a wide selection of films you won’t find anywhere else, with special sections for cult movies, documentaries, tv shows, anime movies, indie flicks and the ever-impressive Criterion Collection. At the front of the store there’s an employee board, where they rate films (including ones that made them barf), t-shirts for sale and a grouping of chairs retrieved from an old theatre. I’m definitely going to sign up for a membership, and not just so I can get more ice cream!

Black Dog Video is located at 986 Queen St. West, just steps from the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art.

I’ve lived in Toronto for eight years. It’s been scary, it’s been harsh, it’s been entertaining, it’s been fulfilling.

I moved here from the west coast to do my postgrad studies in publishing. It was a year of developing the ideal life for myself while discovering how I fit into a city of millions. During my time here I’ve had the most delectable cuisine from around the world, discovered local designers, launched my career as a writer, made wonderful friends and met my soul mate.

Now we’re moving back to the west coast and, wow, am I getting sentimental. It’s hit me that I may not experience certain things again, if ever. So I decided I’m going to discover and experience Toronto as much as I can before I start my new life out west. I’ll be eating, shopping, doing, hearing and watching around the city. Some things will be totally new, others, old faves.

Toronto, taken from our rooftop terrace on a humid summer night.

Thought this video would be a great way to start off my blog. Though I have many things I want to say, I believe happiness should be the most important thing in everyone’s day.

This video is from the Science of Happiness project, conducted by and featuring psychologist Richard Wiseman.