farewell to the big city lights

the life of ayla would not be normal if it weren't for a change every 4-5 years... from one city, to one province, to another city in another province, I am now in ALBERTA! Writing this post from my new location up north near the oilsands, I give you a glimpse of most (but not all) the people that made my farewell worthwhile in Toronto. Cheers to my friends in the best city in Canada, Toronto, here are to the memories we made, the tears we've cried and the drinks that we spilled! Thanks to everyone who came out at the end of September for my departure festivities. Toronto, you will be missed, but I'll be back soon enough to rip it up again!

the girls that made Toronto home

some of my oldest friends right from the beginning of my Toronto days, beginning in residence at York University. 5 years later.

my old work colleagues (and amazing friends)

my italian/york lovers

the Toronto Beats!

the boy that stole me away!

my rocks.

looking back

i don't even know where to begin it's been so long....
i think the best way to update the world=wide=web on my life would be to let you know about one of the best experiences i had this summer..
i played carrie bradshaw and made a trip to the Hamptons in New York State. My dear friend, Jess (she is kind of like the Samantha - ballsy, interested in PR, does not take no for an answer-type girl), jumped on a plane with me and met up with friends in NYC that brought us out to the Hamptons for an amazing weekend of champagne, poolside lounging and the number one event all weekend: the Polo match that was sponsored by Patron, Ralph Lauren, and Mercedes Benz. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G... take a look at the photos. Each one kind of shows you what I mean..

backyard bliss

to me, the best things in life are: sunshine, a drink, and a good read.
ok so maybe not the BEST things, but some of the best! yesterday (and once again today) i sat in my backyard enjoying some magazines and books while sipping on some lemonade and then breaking out the deck of cards and playing card games with le sisterrrr. today its going to be a whopping 24 degrees Celsius in Toronto, not that hot but definitely warm enough to possibly get a tan and sit outside sleeveless! before i head back outside i'll have to hit the gym up to feel like i've accomplished more than sitting. BTW, I finally got a job, a REAL job...aka 40hrs/week permanent! horray for me! maybe i will finally be able to do some posting later on with some fabulous new wardrobe items courtesy of my new paycheques to come! for now: enjoy the pictures and if you have time to sit in the sunshine today i highly recommend it!!!! :)

wasp much?

dress on sale from H&M
necklace: reitmans!
clutch (on table): grandmother's vintage

this was before a dinner at the lovely Italian restaurant in Yorkville, downtown Toronto, Sotto Sotto
I look like a young housewife... maybe that's a good or bad thing?

interview with daria

this is a stunning photo from an editorial from FashionGoneRogue with the famous Canadian model Daria.
took my breath away...

Fish & Chips anyone?

Had some fish and chips today while taking Dex for a walk. They were pretty good but too greasy for me... I don't eat very much fried food so I barely touched my fries after devouring the fish itself.
Need to get my lazy bum off the couch and into some cute clothes so I have something else to show instead of food! I never intended this blog to become a food blog but it looks like my stomach is overruling my fingers at the time being!

a twist to your benedict

mmmm... here is the recipe that i found in Style At Home magazine but changed up to my own recipe...
saute some sweet potatoes chopped up with spanish onion, olive oil, garlic, and a touch of salt
place this mount of orange deliciousness on a place...
then add some fresh spinach leaves on to this....
then poach an egg (this is harder than it sounds... i just dropped mine in a pot of boiling water and flipped it around between spoons...would have worked better if i had a special poacher/pot)
place the poached egg on top of the spinach and voile! you have yourself a yummy meal... i also added some creamy cheese with herbs on top for a kick of taste to compensate for blandness...

toolazytotakephotosofmyselfandwhatiliketowear....willeventuallygetbackintofashionmode-stayedtuned

somethingtomakeyousmile

could you imagine if you went on chatroulette and looked like this?


that's "me" and "my sister"
happy studying to all you students

it's always nice to have a study buddy

this is what my study area looks like today:
(missing from picture is my cup of coffee, water, vitamin water and smoothie!)
d-man on my lap keeping my warm and getting lots of kisses and rubs
laptop
and papers scattered around me. oh how fun.
follow me on twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/aylawhite

back to the books... done university in one weekkkkk!!!!
cheers loves.

100th POST!!!!!

holy mother of toilets....
i just realized this is my 100th post and i don't even have a picture to post or anything. ........ that is unless i find one. give me a minute here...
its almost 1 AM did i add? what the hell am i doing awake right now? i have to be up early and write write write write write fmljgsjfjdfkldf. FML
ok so as my photos are uploading i will tell you a little bit about my crazy life in the past month because i do believe its been about a month since i wrote....
went to cancun, fell even more in love with mexican/spanish culture. would love to go back and just live in an all inclusive resort --- i highly recommend cancun palace to anyone traveling to cancun area. great food, great service, jacuzzi tub in the room... 24 hour room service (bad idea when drunk, take note)...
i am finishing university in less than 2 weeks... april 1st... no joke my friends! what am i gonna do with myself? will someone out there pay me to post pictures of my fabulous friends and write silly descriptions? 25cents per word? 25 dollars? wish i would have won the 41 million... that would have been a little nice; just a little.
so here are 2 pictures from my st patrick's day celebrations... was a random day/night of lines and drunk men. i pictured myself waltzing into any bar i decided on and having numerous green beers passed my way by attractive men but... toronto didn't exactly have that in store for me this year. instead i got tired from drinking at 4 in the afternoon and after two stops at pubs (foggy dew & the madison) called it a night by 11. AND had to do a presentation the next day. hmm..... at least one good thing about being done school soon is that i won't have to worry about those presentations. but i enjoy the adrenaline kick from speaking in front of people. if only i had more to say, maybe someone would pay me to say something? nah. ok here are the pictures, enough of my rambling. time to hit the HAY!


green used to be my favorite color. what's yours?

i am waiting for some girls to show up so i can go check out brooklyn a bar on queen west for a mutual friend's birthday....... my only friend at the moment is you blog... its cute though cuz i can tell you anything even when having a drink or two.
"wakin up in the mornin' and feelin' like...... ayla white"...i ain't comin' back............
cancun in 4 sleeps.....
don't stop...make it rock.

belated-birthday-pictures

my shirt & skirt both from urbanoutfitters
i have the most amazing friends.

thoughtthiswaskindacute

in other news......RIP alexander (lee) mcQueen. you will be missed. such a sad tragedy

nibs

been a bit mia from you baby. sorry blog.
i love nibs. just eating some as a procrastinate from my study notes and also enjoying a cup of tea.
trying to play with my snow man too (dexter, that is.)
stressing about these final days of submitting information to the school in vancouver.
just want to get out of here... kind of.
i'll miss my friends here but i need to start working on a career that will make me happy.

more to come ... my big 23

table setting courtesy of anna and britt. love you guys

mama i love you

this was us last year in mexico...ahhhhh missing it big time! glad i'll be there in 3 weeks!

i love you mom.

did you know?

things you may have not known about me...

i'm originally from saskatchewan

i have glasses

my birthday is this coming tuesday...groundhog's day!

i'm not really afraid of being alone, now or in the future

sometimes i wonder if i want kids? especially when i see annoying ones...who doesn't?

i rarely finish a full cup of coffee

if i could live off of one food it would be veggie pizza

i can count how many times i've been in love on one hand

i need constant change, whether it's moving or trying new things

i am a lot happier than i was a year ago

i may not always act grateful but i am... i really am

i analyze situations, people, and events more than anyone can simply imagine

i don't like to use the word best-friend, it usually gives me bad luck

karma.

daddy's little girl

don't worry mama, i'll make a post for you too.
not really sure why my post is including a man, seeing as how men are pissing me off at the moment!!!!!!!!!!!! but dad has never failed to be there for me. guess him and dex are the only nice ones te he.
i feel like a little girl again "i hate boys"

oui!!!!

Here are some pictures from my Christmas party over the holidays...
I love parties and hosting them.
Here are my must's for throwing a great party:
1. a great play list (I usually prefer some jazz mixed with house and of course regular top 40)...the mood can change throughout the night
2. food (hor'dourves are best for a big party; it's all about the preparation and organization of the food on the platter. the better it appears, the better reviews your party will receive)
3. a great centre-piece... at my party you can see a cone-shape tower of white roses, xmas balls, and white carnations (it probably could have been bigger but i didn't buy a big enough foam shape)
4. seating arrangement ... people must be facing each other so the conversation flows and people feel connected. note: make some room for a dance floor... cocktails + music can make for an interesting dance party!
5. cocktails: i prefer to keep a bottle of champagne handy... no need for expensive stuff, the cheap will do! also martinis are great but can get messy if you're constantly shaking and pouring all night so a delicious punch is easy. one easy punch is:
1 bottle of sprite
1/2 carton of orange juice
1 bottle of cranberry juice
1/2 bottle of ginger ale
1 26oz. bottle of vodka (optional)
6. a great outfit!!!!! the host must not only impress her/his guests with the party itself, they must choose an outfit that best represents their personal taste and style
7. flowers and decor: depending on the theme of the party, flowers, candles, vases, etc. are all necessities that create an elegant atmosphere.

now i will finish watching Julie & Julia ... bon appetit!

here's to you, babe

this is my friend jess, she's in the hospital with a large blood clot. we're thinking about you all the time hun, on my way to see you this morning.
xo

a new beginning?

here are some pictures from saturday night ... more celebration of the birth of my good friend britt.



busy applying to school in vancouver & australia. hoping life will take me somewhere new next year.

its an art-love thing

afternoon tea

a birthday wouldn't be complete for my girl britt if it didn't include high tea. we chose the Old Mill Inn & Spa located in west Toronto @ Old Mill Station. GREAT historic place. the building itself felt like we were walking around a fairy tale novel... complete with vintage staircases and historical paintings. The tea/dining room was cute with old chandeliers and white teapots. Our tea consisted of a selection of teas (I chose the Earl Grey) and some foods including finger sandwiches (smoked salmon with cucumber dill cream cheese), pistachio macaroons, scones with devonshire cream and fruit preserves, and a few other little finger foods to enjoy. My favorite was the scones by far...and you must include the cream with them or they are not simply the same! here are some photos from our fabulous afternoon.





(on the left me, anna - my sister, britt - the birthday girl, lacey - our model friend..tehe)
on a more sad note...my love jessica couldn't make it due to a rare trip to the hospital. we miss you babe and i'll be seeing you tonight; high tea will definitely be happening again once she is out of the hospital! XOXO