troy.

"The gods envy us. 

The envy us because we're mortal, because any moment may be our last. 

Everything is more beautiful because we're doomed. 

You will never be lovelier than you are now. 

We will never be here again." 

- Troy

And on that note, I'm off to enjoy the weekend. Happy Friday friends. 

playlist27.

Holy smokes where did July go already? I've started work with CTV's Olympic bureau and am getting very, very excited for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games starting next Friday.

If you're not already, follow @CTVOlympics on Twitter for all the latest news, athlete information and more throughout the games.

My brain in thoroughly induced with everything British, so it felt fitting to dedicate this month's playlist to the artists of the British Invasion.

Of course, we honour the classics (we all know how much I love my Stones...) but it's time to share the torch with some of the new voices coming out of the UK. Check out Marina and the Diamonds, Florence and the Machine and Rita Ora, some of my new favourites.

Also released this afternoon - The Spice Girls will be performing their hit "Wannabe" at the London 2012 closing ceremony. #Cantwait

Enjoy the playlist and have a great weekend!

bubbly.

There are life events that are monumental - weddings, first kisses, breakups, legal drinking age birthdays and graduations are just a few.

We celebrate these events with an abundance of positivity and time with the ones we love, accompanied by good wine and friends.

But what about when things are a little rough? What about those seemingly "normal" days that seem to require a little something for us to celebrate?

In a yoga class a few weeks ago a teacher said that in a the huge question of "what is the meaning of life?" that perhaps we are put here to simply enjoy what life is.

"Don't fear getting older, for it's a privilege denied to many."

I stumbled upon this sequence of little videos the other day that reflect all these philosophies - common days, celebrating events, and enjoying the day to the hilt. It also helps that most of us have been though one or a few of these events, making them more realistic.

Celebrating with new friends:


Crying with the old:


And taking time for yourself.


All this has got me wanting to try a red bubbly champagne - New Years Eve perhaps?

PS speaking of all this enjoyment, although my family is adopting a family for Christmas and not buying each other presents, I will still be releasing my gift guide of some things I've come across that are lovely for hostesses, mothers or a good friend that you want to get a little something for. Stay tuned!

evidence.

Isn't it interesting how on some of the best days, we have very little photo evidence?

There are some exceptions - I would say that my grade 12 prom was one of my favourite nights that I spent with my friends and family, especially now that we're literally all over the world. Like many other girls, I have easily two or three album's worth of Facebook pictures that I love.

But what about the days that were amazing that we can only recreate with our words?

When I'm at concerts or seeing something interesting, most of the time the people around me are shoving cameras up in the hopes of getting "that shot". I have to argue that you are actually losing out in the experience or what you are witnessing because you are too worried about getting that picture to show off.

Saying that, I'm usually the one that has her phone out taking pictures at an event. However, I think there's a balance that you can have in doing this. It's fun and important to have pictures, especially of special (and just normal) occasions, but I think that the truly best days are the ones we have so little evidence of, because we are genuinely enjoying ourselves.

This weekend, two of my girlfriends and I had what can be described as the perfect Saturday afternoon. We talked, went out to lunch, shopped a little, and enjoyed the nice weather Toronto has been giving us. Nothing out of the ordinary for a weekend, but it was so special to take the time out our busy schedules to just live in those moments. As a result, we only have one picture from that afternoon, and I'm just fine with that.

"Make sure to always have a bottle of champagne in the fridge

for special occasions. Sometimes those special occasions

are that you have bottle of champagne in the fridge."