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Top 6 Shopping Malls in Toronto

Toronto Eaton Centre

The Toronto Eaton Centre is downtown’s largest mall with over 230 shops and eateries. Located along Yonge Street between Dundas and Queen Streets, the shopping centre is steps away from some of Toronto’s iconic landmarks, including the bustling Dundas Square, the historic Victorian-style Old City Hall, and the stunning City Hall. The Eaton Centre’s centrepiece its towering glass galleria, along with its vast array of public art that includes a flock of Canadian geese “flying” along the glass canopy and a modern LED light installation. 

Yorkdale Shopping Centre

Located in the north of Toronto, Yorkdale is home to more than 240 shops, restaurants, and services. Along with Sears, Holt Renfrew, and The Bay, you can find a range of boutiques and specialty stores, including the Apple Store, H&M, Gap, Zara, Tiffany’s, and Guess. Canada’s fifth largest mall has undergone a number of expansion projects in recent years, including the addition of a sleek 60-foot glass atrium. You can also catch a movie at SilverCity Yorkdale, one of Toronto’s premier cinemas. Yorkdale is located along Dufferin Street, just north of Highway 401.

Hazelton Lanes

For upscale shopping in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville shopping district, Hazelton Lanes offers an exclusive shopping experience. Opening in 1976, the mall has become one of Toronto’s most luxurious shopping destinations and a favourite among visiting celebrities. Well-appointed boutiques and shops at Hazelton Lanes carry haute couture and high-end fashion lines, including Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss, Burberry, Oscar de la Renta, Roberto Cavalli, Versace, and many more. The mall is also home to a fitness spa and Whole Foods Market, a natural foods grocery store.

Shops at Don Mills

The Shops at Don Mills evokes a sense of neighbourhood, with shops surrounding a town square and public art by renowned Canadian novelist and artist Douglas Copland. Located at Don Mills Road and Lawrence Avenue East, the Shops at Don Mills is an open-air shopping mall with stores lining private roads. The mall opened its doors in 2009 and features over 70 shops, services, and eateries. Shops include Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Banana Republic, Coach, and Michael Kors. 

Queens Quay

The intimate Queen’s Quay Terminal is located on Toronto’s beautiful waterfront overlooking the Toronto Islands. Once a hub for arriving ships and storage buildings that supported trade along the St. Lawrence Seaway, you can now find nearly 30 shops and boutiques here, as well as eateries and art galleries. The shopping centre is also the home of the Museum of Inuit Art, which showcases prehistoric to modern Inuit art. The Queen’s Quay Terminal is also where you will find the Fleck Dance Theatre, the venue for the New World Stage International Performance contemporary dance series.

College Park

Once the home of defunct national department store Eaton’s, College Park is a shopping mall housed in a historic early 20th century Art Deco building. In addition to law courts, offices and residences, College Park features over 40 shops, eateries, and services. The mall is an ideal stop for visitors exploring the downtown core, and is a short walk away from several downtown hotels, the University of Toronto and the Provincial Legislature at Queen’s Park. In addition to a diverse food court, College Park also has a large Metro grocery store.

Now you know the best places to shop don’t wait for pay day, dust off the credit card and go wild. If you haven’t got a card at the moment no need to worry just apply for a credit card online.

Photo Shoot Goofs

This is what happens during the last look of the day. I didn't even know this was happening until the last second, hence my expression.... I absolutely love the goof though! My very best bud, and an extraordinary makeup artist.

My Eyes

I've been in a bit of a funk the last few weeks. We had such a fun time over the 4th of July at a lake. And all my modeling jobs have started to take off. I couldn't put my finger on the cause of the fun until yesterday.

My eyes have been killing me! And I've had to wear my glasses pretty much everyday. And my contacts have been causing all sorts of problems. I have some condition, and basically, continued contact use is not an option for me anymore. And neither is wearing glasses. I just can't commit to wearing them for the rest of my life. Especially with modeling, it's just not happening.

I went for a few consults last week, finally choosing a doctor yesterday. His office had a cancellation for next week, so I'm having the surgery done! I cannot wait! And I am so glad it's happening really quickly, so I don't have too much time to completely freak myself out!

I really hope this surgery goes well. it seems like everyone I've spoken with who has had the surgery is really happy with the results. I'm a good candidate with a pretty low script. I can't wait to be able to see again and to be free of my glasses and my contacts.

As my sister so aptly stated, "God Bless America"

My sister, Bean, is living in China. We speak often enough, and text, email, "We Chat" (an amazing app which allows us to text, leave messages, send pics/videos which no charge), but nothing cracks me up more than her random facebook posts on my wall. The thing is, she's in Shang'hai, and while she lives in a neighborhood with many ex-pats, she's still not here, you know? So she's post this video with this caption: "Thank you, God, for bringing this immense joy into my life." and my other sister comments: " God bless America. ( on mute)". These two crack me up! But, I must agree, somethings only happen in the USA. Amen!

Runway

A couple weeks back, I had the honor of meeting and walking in Christian Siriano*s show at Neiman Marcus. He was in town to present both his Spring and Fall collections and to shop with some of the local ladies.

I stole this photo from his Instagram:

We are in the Spring line. Unfortunately, I didn't get any additional photos. I wore two other looks in the fall collection, one of which was an amazing leather top with a huge ball gown skirt!

Here is a picture of a real model wearing it:

Photo Credit

I was chosen for this look because, as Christian himself stated, I'm busty. LOL! I never thought that would come in handy in the fashion world!

I also wore this dress:

Photo Credit

All in all, the fashion show was one of the best moments in my life. Seriously! It was really a "moment", because, for me, modeling...life! is really all about fashion. Having the chance to not only wear these beautiful pieces, but also walk down a runway in them was just the coolest thing ever! All my life, I've loved beautiful clothes. I've loved fashion and I've loved models. And now, I kinda get to be a part of that world from my own little spot on this earth. I feel like it's really a very special honor for me to experience just a tiny slice of it!

BB Cream

I've been reading about BB (Blemish Balm) Cream everywhere these days, so I decided to do some research and try it out for myself. After reading up on various creams, I decided to go with an Asian company because that is where BB Creams are most popular, making up 13% of cosmetics in South Korea. One of the main selling points of the Asian creams is the "whitening" property of the cream. American cosmetic companies don't always include this in their creams. because I have a fair complexion, the whitening effect is a real plus for me. I've noticed recently, and I think this is something that comes with age, some darker spots on my face. I read lots of reviews and decided to go with Etude House Magic BB Cream.

Photo Credit

How cute is that ad?

This product is seriously amazing! I ordered from Amazon and it arrived in a very timely manner, especially when you consider the fact it came all the way from South Korea! I've tried a few different foundations over the years, MAC StudioFix and MAC SudioTech being my favorites. However, this product trumps both! The formula is light, but the coverage is wonderful. My skin tone evens right out after it's applied, and it has SPF in it, which is a must for me. There is a light scent, but nothing too overpowering. I will add that my skin tone, while changing slightly with age, is still pretty even, so this product makes me feel airbrushed. I can't speak to how it'll work on everyone, but for me this is a real life saver.

You can find some "before and after" photos though a web search. I'd be happy to post some photos myself. I feel like this product really makes one's complexion look healthier. And it's going to help maintain a healthy appearance because it has sun protection!

Has anyone tried another BB Cream? Do you love it too? 

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Converse All Stars: The Rock Star’s Shoe Of Choice

Its branding is recognisable worldwide as a fashion icon, yet it’s the most comfortable item in many people’s wardrobes. They’re just as likely to be worn by a punk, a football fan, a teenage girl and a band member on stage at Glastonbury.

Not many items can claim such versatility or such global brand recognition, but the fashion-friendly footwear that are Converse All Stars manage to achieve this seemingly inconceivable feat.

Converse has dominated the shelves in shoe stores worldwide since they were first developed in the early 20^th century in Massachusetts, when they were designed to support the weary ankles of basketball players.

Since then they’ve been taken up by so many subcultures and championed in so many trends, it’s hard to believe they have remained such a popular brand.

Perhaps the group that have claimed Converse All Stars most passionately within their collective wardrobe is the music industry, with a particular admiration from rock and punk musicians.

Whether worn by musicians on stage at festivals, touring the biggest stadiums or playing at an intimate local gig, Converse runners are a staple of the music scene – and these shoes are spotted both on and off-stage.

Just by looking at Converse’s marketing strategy and celebrity endorsements you can see how the brand has earned fans from all ages and genres.

Many shoe labels have tried to make their logo synonymous with music, but it’s only Converse All Stars that have successfully managed to transcend musical genre and taste, from hip hop artist Pharrell Williams to The Strokes lead singer Julian Casablancas.

It’s a fairly unique claim to fame; there aren’t many items of clothing that a rap star might share with someone like Sid Vicious from The Sex Pistols.

Yet it remains that for some reason, the classic blue star and iconic red writing seems to symbolise the industry as a whole, not just its various subcultures.

Perhaps it’s the degree of customisation that the shoe allows? All rock-stars worth their salt have their own ranges, after all.

Equally for the average shopper, whether they’re into checks, patterns or classic white, there’ll always be a Converse shoe that suits.  

Whatever the reason, Converse succeeds where many brands have failed trying in fluidly blending commerce and art – two fields so often at odds with one another. 

Peplum

I'm loving this look. In fact, I have a black peplum style dress I bought a few years back from the Monogram line at BR. Glad to see the silhouette is as timeless as I thought it was. I'm hoping to find a shirt this weekend, but if I don't I can always order one of these options from ASOS.

Source: us.asos.com via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: us.asos.com via Sarah on Pinterest

My favorite:

Source: us.asos.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I assume I'll find some nice options at H&M. I've never ordered from ASOS, so I'm not sure about sizing, but their prices are sure good!

Over Memorial Day weekend, I spent an afternoon doing a major purge of my closet. I have so much space now, as I was really vicious with myself. No more hanging on to things because I've attached some random emotional value to them! I was able to give many things to friends, and will donate the rest. So now I really feel good about adding some new pieces, both low and high end. I have the space for one thing!

Trying a new trend

I've been seeing this look all over Pinterest and in fashion magazines, so I thought I'd give it a try. I decided to do a darker lavender on my ring fingers. Next time, I think I'll just add some glitter polish to the ring fingers and leave the base color the same. I like this look. At first I thought, "Am I too old for this?". I asked my 17 year old cousin, and she informed me it's really a "age" trend, but more of a "fashion thing". I figured I could do it. Now I'm just waiting for one of the mini fashionistas to come ask me a reference question at work today....I think my nails will be a hit!

Couple new pics

I wanted to add another "commercial" look to my modeling book, so I had a few new pictures done last month. I'm wearing one of my Jason Wu for Target dresses and shoes by R.S.V.P. I got the shoes on 6pm.com for around $30 and the dress was really inexpensive too. I love it when I get great deals and then all my facebook friends compliment the clothes. Haha! Win win!

I'm really digging my makeup here. My bestie, Joey, did such a pretty smokey look and I feel like my eyes really POP! Too bad I can't look like this everyday.... ;)