April Flowers

Is everyone else as excited as I am for the fabulous patio weather we’re about to have?

The saying goes “April showers bring May flowers”, but after this weekend I think we’ll be seeing a little more bloom around the city.

Here are some pictures I took last year in Spadina Museum Gardens to start your Easter weekend off on a bright note!

No aisle

A friend of mine recently asked me and four other friends to be bridesmaids and I couldn’t be more excited!

We’ll take care of the usual bridesmaid duties – the shower, the bachelorette party – but the one major bridesmaid task that we won’t be doing is walking down the aisle in front of the bride.

Why you ask? Well, my friends are actually already married. They had a very small, family only, ceremony this past fall. But now they’re ready to celebrate their nuptials with their friends, and they’re planning a super fun reception/dance party at Berkeley Church to do so.

Now here is where I need your help. Since there will be no ceremony of any kind we, the wedding party, want to do something to make the day extra special for them. I need creative ideas! Thoughts? Please comment!

(Image credits: one, two,three)

Walk on

Yesterday I went for a walk with my friend Jess and I brought my camera along.

This picture of Mick Jagger was sitting like this in the alley behind my apartment building. I’m starting to regret not taking it even though I have nowhere to put it.

Is this sign new? I’ve never ever noticed it before. Exploring Kensington more is definitely on my to-do list this summer.

I love how colourful this mural is. It’s on Dundas West, just west of Ossington.

I walk by this store on Ossington all the time, but have never been in. I think the Barbies scare me too much.

This cute little pup was just hanging out and people watching in the window of Girl Friday on College. It’s one of my favourite stores and they carry quite a few Canadian designers.

I’m really looking forward to the warmer weather so I can go on a lot more walks and take a lot more pictures.

A pretty request

Since yesterday’s post was so heavy, I thought today I’d do a 180.

My friend Christine (half of the great new fashion blog Seven Dollar Pants) is notorious for unearthing the best finds at stores like Value Village and the Salvation Army. She has a great eye and when she comes across a must-have fashion piece that doesn’t fit her perfectly she buys it anyway and passes it on.

I have been lucky enough to receive a couple of these treasures, but none more amazing than these shoes!

They’re Valentino and they only cost $7!! How crazy is that?!? Whoever put them on the shelf had absolutely no idea what these puppies were worth.

Judging by the velvet material we figure these are from his collection circa the early 80s.

So I have a bit of an ulterior motive for this post – there’s a contest that involves these shoes. I know it’s a long shot, but I figured why not enter and then ask you to vote for me!

I tried entering several times last night and I kept getting error messages. Of course when it finally went through there were spelling and grammar mistakes galore (bah!), so please ignore them and vote for me anyway.

Pretty please, with a cherry on top!

http://www.thebrokenheeldiaries.com/contestpage/list.php

Just saying

I decided I’m going to start the day out on a bit of a controversial note by just saying, I am an atheist.

But why is this controversial? Why is saying this out loud so taboo? People are allowed to say they’re Catholic; they’re allowed to say they practice Judaism. What is it about the word atheist that often receives a gasp as a response?

Remember those controversial ads that cropped up around this time last year? “There probably is no god. Now stop worrying about it and enjoy your life.” These ads originated in the UK and a group called the Freethought Association of Canada tried to get them on buses here in Toronto. I don’t remember seeing these particular ads, but I did take a picture of a similar one in the Queen’s Park subway station last spring.

A lot of people were really offended by those ads, but I don’t really understand why. I’ve often seen religious advertisements on the TTC and I’m not offended. I don’t care if someones believe in a god, so why should people care that I don’t.

For a long time I was a little uneasy about expressing my beliefs to people I don’t know that well. I was once asked “what I was” by an ex-boyfriend’s mother the first time I met her (and on Easter no less) . I told her I was baptised Catholic because I didn’t want her to think her son was dating some heathen.

Basically the reason I’m writing this is because I think people just need to chill out and not be so threatened by people who decide not to believe in a god.

If they think we’re going to hell they can try that prayer thing they do.

Hangover cure

… and no, I’m not talking about the one you were all nursing yesterday after one too many at the bar on Saturday night.

I’m talking about the cure for the Olympic hangover: March Madness. 

When I got back everyone asked me how my trip was and immediately proceeded to tell me how they were glued to their tv screens for the whole two weeks; even those who don’t normally watch sports.

My suggestion for those who are feeling the withdrawal is to jump on the March Madness bandwagon. I don’t have enough time to explain how the whole thing works, so I’m going to let wikipedia do it for me.

The first weekend of the tournament just wrapped up and after 48 games this is anyone’s to win. The fast-paced style of play and the close games should be able to keep the attention of even the most ADD type personalities.

The tournament continues on Thursday with the Sweet Sixteen. To make it more interesting to watch try betting against your friends on the teams you think will make it to the Elite Eight, the Final Four and then the National Championship. You can play for money or something a little more creative.

With Kansas as my pick to win the championship being eliminated in one of the biggest upsets in tournament history, I’m now rooting for the Mountaineers of West Virginia who I originally had losing in the final.

Here is what the bracket looks like after the first weekend of play (click to see larger view):

Happy gambling!

Golden quotes

I thought you guys might enjoy this…..

*KEY MEDIA QUOTES FROM 2010 OLYMPIC WINTER *

*VANCOUVER AS A DESTINATION*

“You’re gorgeous, baby, you’re sophisticated, you live well.Vancouver is Manhattan with mountains. It’s a liquid city, a tomorrow city, equal parts India, China, England, France and the Pacific Northwest. It’s the cool North American sibling.” – The New York Times

“You may have heard that Vancouver is a great city, but it’s better than that. On a good weather day – and we had a spectacular five-day run in the middle of the Games – it is stunningly beautiful, and it is an excellent eating, drinking and shopping city .” – The Boston Globe

“Vancouver looked gorgeous on TV . NBC’s shots of Vancouver’s downtown and waterfront, and aerial views of Whistler ski areas, provided a media boost no marketing campaign could have delivered .” – The Seattle Times

“Vancouver is a city unlike any other. Wherever I look, I see water or mountains — or both. And everyone looks so healthy .” – The Daily Telegraph (UK)

“A remarkable environment. The license plates read ‘Beautiful British Columbia’ for a reason. The Sea-to-Sky Highway carries travelers on a jaw-dropping journey from the serenity of Vancouver’s waterfront to the majesty of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.” – The Buffalo News

“In winter, the heart of downtown [Vancouver] is 30 minutes from the ski slopes. In summer, sun seekers crowd its beaches and seaside promenades. And despite a rain-prone climate, it displays a perpetually sunny disposition. Consider it the supermodel of North American cities.” – USA Today

“Vancouver is one of North America’s most under-rated tourist destinations. It is a modern, travel-friendly city with a unique mix of cultures. The relatively mild Pacific Northwest climate and an energetic restaurant and nightlife scene are other features that make this such an attractive city .” – LowFares.com

“[Visitors] will find the streets of Vancouver, a city of 2 million, so spotless they’ll think Mr. Clean is the mayor.”
- The Miami Herald

“By the end of the 17 days that featured unseasonably warm temperatures and more than a week of brilliant sunshine, the cherry blossoms were blooming and a few fans had been spotted wearing shorts in the street while raucously celebrating Team Canada’s dramatic overtime victory over the Americans in the hockey final.” – The Salt Lake Tribune

“Olympics visitors have become a travel marketer’s dream as they bask in the Vancouver sun, flock to competitions and pour into downtown venues. The throngs of Games guests are magnets that should pull even more tourists to B.C. in the coming months and years.” – The Montreal Gazette

“The city of Vancouver and the ski village of Whistler are terrific hosts for these Olympic Games. The air is clean, the public transit is scarily efficient, and the harbors, with snowcapped mountains for a backdrop, are picturesque. Whistler, two hours to the north and home to the skiing, sliding and Nordic events, is a winter wonderland.” – Time

*THE FRIENDLINESS OF CANADIANS*

“Thank you, Canada. For being such good hosts. For your unfailing courtesy. For reminding some of us we used to be a more civilized society. Mostly, for welcoming the world with such ease and making lasting friends with all of us.” – Brian Williams, NBC News

“Along the way, there was plenty to like in Vancouver, if not always the weather. The people were generous and spirited, the volunteers cheery. Once, I saw a guy fail to smile; I think he was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor .”
- Boston.com

“Before the closing ceremony begins, let me just take the time to thank the people of Vancouver for a wonderful 19 days. The people here couldn’t be nicer, from the volunteers who make sure the buses run on time, to the citizens walking the streets, to the athletes and people from around the world who were here.” – The LA Times

“The Olympics went into overtime Sunday. It was perfect. No one wanted the Warmest Games to end. Warmest weather. Warmest hosts.” – The Miami Herald

“Make no mistake, Canada’s people were the stars of these Games. They jammed the streets of Vancouver, cheered the most obscure sports as long as a Canadian was competing and all but drowned themselves in a sea of red. These are not folks normally given to outbursts of patriotism, but they found their voice here.” – Chicago Sun Times

“Why can’t we be more like Canada? They host the Olympics like they mean it. They smile . and they have the Canadian Mounties. But most of all what they have is a kick-ass national anthem, a tune that says everything about who they are – and about what we, as Americans, are not.” – The Huffington Post

“Graciousness is their default mode here. For the last two weeks, beaming has been a way of life. In a nod to the local vernacular, let me just say this is the nicest city I’ve ever been in.” – The Los Angeles Times

“No question the biggest winners of the 2010 Winter Olympics were the Canadian people, who were unfailingly polite, passionately patriotic, and self-deprecating enough to poke fun at themselves in the Closing Ceremonies.” – The Miami Herald.com

*CANADIAN PATRIOTISM*

“For Canada, I’d call it a ‘coming of age’ moment. The country, all 35 million of us, were able to bare our patriotic souls in an outburst of unbridled patriotism not seen before.” – The Toronto Star

“…the Games are a remarkable success. Millions of us are watching, and Vancouver is a giant block party. We know Canada is a small country in a big world, and most of us seem thrilled with what our athletes have achieved. Per capita, our medal count is second only to Norway’s.” – The Globe & Mail

“Canadians used to think of themselves as being quiet, modest and unassertive. No longer. After their athletes topped the medals table with 14 golds at the winter Olympic games, some 100,000 flag-waving locals took to the streets of Vancouver and the nearby ski resort of Whistler, deliriously singing the national anthem.” – The Economist

“This quiet city with such beautiful scenery made all of Canada proud . In a nightly transformation, as many as 150,000 people flooded the closed-off downtown streets to savor the Olympic experience. Mostly mild instead of wild, the crowds whooped, hollered, danced and shouted ‘Go Canada Go!’ well into the morning.” – The Houston Chronicle

“The bright-eyed exuberance can be a little overwhelming to someone who has spent many years absorbing cynicism in the Middle East, but the sheer earnestness helps temper what could elsewhere be an aggressive nationalism. Instead, it seems a pure expression of civic boosterism, no more, no less.” – The Jerusalem Post

*QUALITY OF THE GAMES EXPERIENCE*

“These were the best Winter Games ever.” – Salon.com

“The venues here and the streets of Vancouver and Whistler are joyful places to be.” – The Times London (UK)

“So there was no shortage of Olympic spirit in BC and Vancouver became an amazing party town day and night.”
- Inside the Games

“You can’t stage a better Olympics. The city is beautiful. The venues are modern. The transportation is efficient. But this wasn’t about logistics. In the end, it’s the people that power the movement. The Canadian people pushed these games back from the brink of disaster and right off into history.” – Yahoo.com

“The stadiums are full, the seats are full of passionate fans, the streets are busy and there’s a lot going on . Whether it is ice hockey, curling or speedskating, I haven’t seen an empty seat in the house.” – The Guardian

“The sporting venues were built on time and on budget. A new subway line links the airport to the city centre. The athlete’s village, with a view over one of Vancouver’s many picturesque waterways, sets high standards in energy-efficient construction.” – The Financial Times

“Top that if you can. Amid the tragedy, the medals race and the hockey frenzy, the Vancouver Olympics will be remembered above all for the fervor and ebullience of its Canadian hosts.” – The Associated Press

“What Vancouver did show London was how to stage a Games to be enjoyed by everyone, from athletes to spectators to the general public, who embraced the Olympics with hands uniformly clad in red Olympic mittens.” – Reuters

“There comes a time to tip your toque, and our good friends in Canada deserve our respect for hosting, and excelling in, a memorable Winter Olympics.” – Philly.com

“Known better for their hospitality than their military, Canada mustered a small army of volunteers to pull off these Olympic Games with unfailing patience and cheerfulness.”
- The Christian Science Monitor

“In the end, these games became a testament to the resilience of both the Canadian and the Olympic spirit.”
- The Australian

“The people of Vancouver embraced their Games as no other citizenry has in recent memory, not even Sydney. They packed the stadiums, thronged in the streets, made the cauldron their mecca.” – The Sydney Morning Herald

“But the Games recovered in a spirited, determined and optimistic fashion, and most of the operation visible to me has been difficult to fault . London faces a big challenge to generate the same level of enthusiasm for the Games.”
- BBC

“Seoul’s citizens were wonderfully fanatical in 1988 and Sydneysiders were pretty hyped up in 2000 but the Vancouverites who teemed downtown in their maple leafed garb have surely now set the standard for Londoners for 2012.” – The Daily London Telegraph

“And overall, for athletes, fans, the media and the host nation especially, the Games were a triumph.” – The Independent

“Bottle that Vancouver enthusiasm and London 2012 will really hit the spot. The London Olympics can take their cue from Vancouver, its organizers and its volunteers.” – The Guardian

“I think it’s always obvious at the end of any of these global spectacles whether a particular event was a success, or fell short of the mark. I have no doubt that history will recall these Olympic Winter Games falling into the former category.” – The Daily Mail

*VIEW FROM THE TOP*

“The Games, suggested Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Monday, have elevated Canada on the world stage. ‘Mark my words, some day historians will look back at Canada’s growing strength in the 21st century and they will say that it all began right here, on the West Coast, with the best Winter Olympic Games the world has ever seen.” – Prime Minister Stephen Harper, CBC.ca

“Most importantly, the Olympics have provided a chance for international investors to get to know us and explore business opportunities.” – BC Premier Gordon Campbell, Forbes

“We hosted the biggest event in our country’s history and it was a huge success.” The mayor also took time to praise everyone involved in the Games, from the athletes to visitors, the police and finally, residents, for their consideration, co-operation and kindness. ‘The people of Vancouver made the whole country proud.” – Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson, The Province

“Furlong, in Sunday’s touching farewell speech, may have said it best: ‘I believe we Canadians tonight are stronger, more united, more in love with our country and more connected with each other than ever before. These Olympic Games have lifted us up. If the Canada that came together on opening night was a little mysterious to some, it no longer is. Now you know us, eh.” – VANOC Chief John Furlong, The Vancouver Sun

“Expo 67 was a moment of coming of age for Canada,” said Michele McKenzie, president of the [Canadian Tourism] commission. “One of the things it did in young people was inspire interest in our country. What this Olympics has done is expose younger generations to what Canada is as a country. . . . I think the world has a much deeper understanding of the country after this. It’s magic.” – CTC President Michele McKenzie, The Vancouver Sun

“US Vice-President Joe Biden complimented Canadians Saturday on what he called an ‘incredible’ Olympic opening ceremony. ‘You guys put on one heck of a show,’ Biden said Saturday afternoon, speaking briefly with reporters. ‘Last night was incredible, absolutely incredible,’ he added.” – US Vice-President Joe Biden, Canada.com

Hope you’re having a great weekend!

Erin Go Braugh

St. Patrick’s Day is one of my favourite days of the year. I love dressing up in green, getting together with friends and having a few beers.

This day is made even better when we have a freakishly warm day in the middle of March, much like we do today. In a few short hours I plan on sitting on a patio with some of my favourite people, enjoying a Guinness or two and toasting Ireland.

I have actually recently become interested to learn where exactly my family is from in Ireland, and who came to Canada first. I’m sure I had to do a project about this in elementary school, but the brain cells holding on to that information have probably been lost after celebrating a few too many St. Patrick’s Days.

Anyways, lots of Irish luck and laughter, for you today and ever after

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

Literally excited

Even after two years of living in Little Italy I love exploring the neighbourhood. There are still way too many restaurants and shops that I have yet to set foot in.

Today, however, I got to cross another one off of my list when I stepped in to used bookstore Balfour Books at 601 College St.

This cozy little store is stocked wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with books from all genres. It reminds me of the library in my grandparents’ old house where I used to spend hours every time I visited them in Cobourg, ON. I could probably spend hours in Balfour too, perusing the great selection of fiction literature, biographies, photography, art and travel books.

The completely reasonable prices are another great draw. Normally their books are half off of the original price, but for four days a year in March they take an additional 50% off. This sale happens to be going on now, but ends on St. Patrick’s Day. If you’re in need for some new reading material, I suggest you make the trip. They’re open every night until 11:00 pm.

Today I picked up a huge Rolling Stone photo book, a collection of Shakespeare’s comedies, Toronto’s fashion expert Jeanne Becker’s autobiography, and several no-brainer fun-to-read novels, all for only $55.

I will definitely be making a return trip once  I’ve finished these books!

Canada’s Gold Medal Song

Start your Friday off with this. It will make the next 7.5 hours fly by.

And then it’s the weekend! Enjoy it!