Travel: Some Things to Do and See in Kingston, Ontario

January 29, 2015 | Leave a Reply

Yesterday, I reviewed the Four Points by Sheraton in Kingston, Ontario. Today, I’m sharing some of the photos I took of places and spaces around the city.

#ygklove

lakeside sculpture

brrr…just a tad chilly!

the beautiful half-frozen lake

impressive entrance at City Hall

limestone walls at City Hall

a gorgeous vintage set of drawers

the Grand Theatre

pretty architectural details

stone laneway

a meal at Pan Chancho is a must

drinks at the Red House

chalkboard art at Tango Nuevo

classic Italian food at Olivea

the market square skating rink and City Hall

Travel: Review of the Four Points by Sheraton – Kingston, Ontario

January 28, 2015 | 1 Commentary

A couple of weekends ago, I drove myself over to one of my most favourite places in Ontario – Kingston. I love this little town. The downtown is quaint, it’s easy to navigate, and the lakefront location is pretty darn perfect. I hadn’t been to Kingston for over a year, so I was very eager to plan a little getaway.

I booked myself into the Four Points by Sheraton Kingston because it’s centrally located – just a block away (barely even a full block) from the market square and city hall. It’s a block up from the lake and tourism office in another direction, and it’s a couple of blocks away from the park in yet another direction. The location is ideal for a city visit!

White-Cabana-Four Points Sheraton-Kingston-1

The rooms are very well-appointed; plenty of towels, a bathrobe, a fridge, and a microwave certainly come in handy, even for just an overnight stay. My king-size bed was ridiculously comfortable (I am now looking into the possibility of ordering a Sheraton mattress! Thanks for the advice, Rox-Anne!) and I very much loved the view of the lake (even though it was icy and snowy).

king size bed – I want one!

super white bathrooms make me happy

sitting area (or place to dump my clothes) with a view of the lake

I brewed some tea.

I watched some TV.

I wore the robe.

I did not make the bed. 🙂

some handy guides

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about my stay was the cappuccino I had from the hotel restaurant (King Street Sizzle). It just did not suit my tastebuds. Then again, I am sort of particular about coffee.

If anyone is heading to Kingston, I would definitely recommend booking a room in the Four Points by Sheraton. If you would like my advice about some things to do in the city, come back tomorrow as I’ll be sharing my weekend recap.

Although I did in fact book a room at the Four Points by Sheraton Kingston, the hotel surprised me with a complimentary stay. Thanks to Erin and her team for making my experience at the Four Points extra special!

20 Below: Evil Eye by The Aestate

January 27, 2015 | Leave a Reply

When one evil eye won’t do, you might just need this print from The Aestate:

evil eye ombre print, $19.14

Marketplace: Timbuk2

January 26, 2015 | 4 Commentaries

Okay – so we all know I love school. I have been a student for all of my life (yes, it’s true), and when I have actually taken a pause from wearing a student hat, I have been a teacher and professor. Education is my thing (in addition to design, of course) and back-to-school season is one of my favourite seasons. Yes, I’m that kind of person.

When I started MBA classes in September, I soon realized that I needed a backpack. While carrying a cute canvas tote was okay, I realized that it wasn’t so great for my back once it was stuffed with my text, notebook, laptop, lunch, etc. On top of that, I also carried a separate purse. Anyway, I started my search for a good quality backpack in the fall. I looked at backpacks in a variety of stores, but nothing really caught my attention. Maybe I was too used to purse shopping! These were my backpack requirements: comfortable, sleek, roomy, not bulky, reliable, well-made, lightweight, affordable, and a bit out of the ordinary. When Jeff told me about his positive experience with San Francisco-based Timbuk2 bags, I added this company to my research list (thanks, Jeff).

Timbuk2 specializes in bags that are put to major tests (i.e., cycling and hiking) and its collection include messenger bags, backpacks, and computer-safe bags. I liked the selection of sizes, styles, and colours, but what I especially appreciated from the Timbuk2 website was the demonstration videos of each bag. Since I couldn’t see a bag in person, watching these videos helped me better understand each backpack’s size and features.

I was set to order theEl Rio Laptop backpack in black because I like that it’s simple, has a lot of pockets, and has a sweet interior lining. That’s good design, I tell you! Here it is in white:

El Rio laptop backpack, $99

I have used my El Rio for a week now, and it has served me very well! It is very comfortable, very lightweight, well-made, and well-designed. This backpack has several useful good-sized pockets on its exterior and interior, and I have managed to make use of them all (chapstick pocket, phone pocket, paperwork pocket, notebook pocket, etc.). The large interior compartment easily fits my laptop, textbook, notebook, other notebook, lunch, water bottle, and a pair of shoes. It has changed how I walk to work – I’m sure I’m faster now!

The size of the El Rio is a good one for someone like me, but there were other ones that could serve more active purposes:

Especial Medio Cycling laptop backpack, $179

Especial Raider backpack, $79

Especial Tres Cycling backpack, $209

Terracycle showdown laptop backpack, $99

Timbuk2’s collection includes more than backpacks, and there’s even a custom option that allows you to design a bag with your choice of colours and patterns.

Scrunchie yoga mat tote bag, $89

Express shoulder bag, $59

custom swig laptop backpack, $129

custom envelope tablet sleeve, $39

I also like that there’s a size guide as easy to follow as the one below. These kinds of details in online shops really help to visualize the product in real life, don’t you think?

I have had “buy backpack” on my to do list for months now, and I’m thrilled to say that I have now crossed this item off! Yay!

Many thanks to Defne and Timbuk2 for generously offering to send me the El Rio. So far, so good!

The Friday Five: Curved Windows

January 23, 2015 | 5 Commentaries

I’m a little late in writing today’s Friday Five, but the week was a full one! I was in Toronto today at a work meeting (academic work, not IDS-related), and on the train ride back to Waterloo, my colleagues and I got talking about our various approaches to design. Needless to say, they didn’t think that my all-white way of life was the ideal way to live (ha – don’t knock it until you try it, I say!). Anyway, in between talking about chandeliers, window seats, and cathedral ceilings, we chatted quite a bit about windows. All of our design talk has inspired tonight’s late-night Friday Five post.

Today’s five interiors feature some incredibly gorgeous (in my opinion) curved windows. I’ll have to poll my colleagues to see if they would agree.