She's Got Issues...

My two new favorites are, Vegan Ice Cream and Watermelon.

I know they don’t seem too exciting and they are both food related, but one thing you’ll come to learn is that, I am a foodie. There I said it, I am addicted to the food network and I love experimenting in the kitchen. Which is where the watermelon comes in. 

But first, Vegan Ice Cream! Being lactose intolerant has left me longing for the days of creamy frozen treats, instead I am stuck with frozen sugar on a stick and let me tell you friends It is not the same! So you can imagine my delight when I was taking a drunken night stroll through the Market (Kensington) and noticed that Sadie’s was opening in the market and they were serving, VEGAN ICE CREAM. This is smaller “TO-GO” outlet compared to the Sadie’s Diner at Adelaide and Portland. Currently they only have 3 flavors of Tofutti brand ice cream but they will soon be adding a roster of there own homemade flavors as well. Oh they also have a juice bar. Check it out if you in the market, I’ll probably be found lurking there on hot days!

So on to my exciting adventures in the kitchen! Last Saturday was HOT, after finally getting the courage to leave the house around 2pm Myself and roommate Caro decided we would once again venture around the market. It wasn’t before long when we decided that it was too hot to wonder and we would pick up things to BBQ (meaning things for ME to BBQ) and head home. Caro decided she wanted a watermelon and as long as she was carrying it home I was fine with it. While playing hostess to a few of her friends they evening and manning the grill I got the idea to pureé some of the watermelon in the blender and make cocktails. Below is the recipe and let me say it was amazing! So perfect for summer.

In a blender pureé 2 cups cubed watermelon, you can add ice but I prefer to add fruit juice.  About 1/4 cup.
Pour over 1/4 of gingerale & 1 oz vodka.

Everything tastes better in stemware!

        I couldn’t sleep last night so i lied awake until 4am following the public filibuster at Toronto City Hall. I saw a puppet show, someone rapping about the arts, an angry Library union rep handing in over 39000 signatures to save TPL. Teachers,paramedics,students and seniors all with something important to say. Those who care about the city of Toronto stuck it out for a 22 hour long debate. And those Councilors who are not members of the exec (means they didn’t have to stay) stayed representing the important anti Ford questions. Wow Toronto last night was a weird one. I am proud that so many people we able to stand up and defend public services and appose the cuts suggested by an outside consultation firm.

 When I was in Highschool, I depended on the Toronto Reference Library for my papers. When I started at OCAD-U, I was living in Scarborough still and depending on the blue line to get home after a long night of studying or social events. Now that I am a poor student living in downtown Toronto I depend on bike lanes to get around because I can not afford public transit. Those are all of the things they are trying to rid our city of.

I hate to say it but I used to be so proud to be from Toronto (born and raised) but lately all I want to do is flee. Sad Truths of the Ford era.

I would like to write a long winded blog about how I can’t sleep and have a horrible migraine (4 days running) and complain about what I am watching right now.But instead I will just share links that are worth checking out.

Toronto City Council have been in debates since (8am yesterday) and are still going with 170 speakers left on the list.

Follow live blogging from the Torontist

and stream live from CP24.

If you live in this City, Are a registered voter, you NEED to care.

A few months ago I signed up for DailyBooth.com. The idea is you take a photo a day, and you can connect it to you facebook and twitter. I thought about using it as a daily, “look at what i’m wearing” but that fizzled before it even started.My friend Jamie also has an account and I follow Casie Stewart. I’m still waiting for everyone else to catch on… but for now i’m having fun with it!

I have been neglecting quite a few things these past few weeks. Mainly because bad or unfortunate things keep happening to me. After my horrible sunburn I was miserable for a week. One night I started to get heat rash from my burn so bad I called my Mum to make sure this was normal. This of coarse sent her on a google-ing frenzies and ended up with her looking up home remedies. She came across one that didn’t seem like that crazy of an idea and since I had everything I needed in the house I though I would try it, might help with the stinging and let me get some sleep.

APPLE CIDER VINEGAR BATH! I know it sounds awful and as a few pointed out, I just happened to have some around the house (two full bottles actually). It really is a cure all type thing and GREAT for vegan baking. Anyways I thought why not give it a shot. Two cups of Appe Cider Vinegar in the tub and just to cut the smell a bit some Lavender bubble bath. 15 minutes later some aloe and a advil I was on my way to bed.

I repeated this the following night and let me just say it is my new fave home remedy. It cut the stinging pain and the redness with just two baths. I will try this everytime (not that I plan on letting myself get that burned ever again.)

My burn also made me think of this and how I need to be more careful…

“Dear 16 year old Me….”

Feel free to judge but I am beyond excited for Harry Potter 7 ptII next week. I have been hooked since the books first came out and have re-read them several times since. 

One of my best friends Shirley is equally committed if not more. When the new books would come out we would each pre-order and have them delivered to our doors on the release date and rush to finish so we could eagerly discuss. The books grew as we did, when they first came out and we were young and impressionable it took us somewhere else and has each book came out they matured with us. The subtext and darkness of each book grew over the years until finally the last book came out when I was 19. I was just as excited that day as I was the first time I read Harry Potter if not more. I remember crying with the book, getting nervous with anticipation and avoiding contact with Shirley for a week because she was a faster reader and I was afraid she would spoil it. One year we threw a Harry Potter party and we baked Griffindor themed cupcakes. I had thrown my back out at hockey that year and was stuck on the floor with a heating pad under my back so that I would not miss our re-watching of the movies before heading to the theater. Shirley has taken her love to the next level with her Harry Potter themed tattoo. The symbol of the hallows on her foot, which I plan to match behind my ear in a sign of solidarity to my best friend who has understood how much Harry has meant to me over the years.

This past fall I traveled up to Montreal to visit Shirley but my trip had over motives, it was Harry Potter 7 opening weekend and I was not gonna see it with anyone else.

Next week I will be lined up outside the theater hours before the showing with all the kiddies and I am not embarrassed, HP was a part of my childhood and my growth into a young adult.

The countdown to July 15 is on, until then…

to appreciate the finer things in life, like an adorable ginger singing acoustic neutral milk hotel covers.

Kevin Devine my heart melts for you. I can not listen to a Kevin Devine song and not *swoon* over him. I was introduced to KD after taking my Brand New obessesion to the next level and downloading everything Jesse Lacey and Brand new have recorded and found tons of collaborations between to two of them.

Oh and one more just because who are we kidding anyone who is buddies with jessie lacey is a winner in my books.

Ever since i was a child it has seemed like Murphy’s Law should have been called Carly’s Law. If accidents are going to happen they happen when I’m around. In the past 9 months I have dropped a pot of boiling water on my foot, got tendonitis in my right arm, landed in the hospital for what they thought at first was a heart attack (it wasn’t and i’m fine now), and I’m sure I’ve walking into a few things as well.

     Two weeks ago I was biking home when a garbage truck cut me off and I got my bike stuck in the street car tracks, for those who bike in Toronto you know that means something bad happened.

I bruised my hip, scraped up my thighs, cut up my knees (slicing open the scar tissue on one) banged up my elbow. All around fail.

Yesterday I decided since I had two days off and I’m a bit skint I would spend my day in the park, called my friend Jess and that was that. Me Jess our bikes and the great gatsby hanging in Trinity Bellwoods all day.

I texted that picture to my mum and all she had to say was “Oh Carly, did you go to the hospital? Ever since you were a kid you’ve been so accident prone, I’m just lucky nothing to serious happen when you were younger for me to get blamed for.” Thanks Donna.

As of today sitting hurts, and I am miserable. If we are friends, please don’t be shocked when these things happen. 

Sympathy always welcome, cause despite my best efforts these things just keep happening.

No accepting donations for a life time supply of bubble wrap.

Jessica Stroup is my new hair idol, after watching her on 90210 (please save mocking for later) i realized I always LOVE her hair! She is forever changing it up, while keeping it shorter and on the funky side.