Take Me Out

Take me Back to Take Me Out

July 8, 2015July 8, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

For a long time Paige and I took a big break from working on projects together. I went through a life changing break up that came with endless ups and downs, and she had to close down her magical little shop. It was a tough time for us both, and as we took space to deal with our own separate issues, we started to drift apart.

A few weeks ago, we decided that two is always better than one, and just like that we started planning and dreaming together once again. Already we’ve made some mega-cute content to share, and I can’t explain how inspiring it feels to be back in Studio B making magic happen again after all this time. We’re not quite ready to release anything yet, but all I can say is get excited!

All of this collaborative teamwork has really had me thinking back to last summer, and the summer before that. Random Acts of Pastel just turned two last weekend, and when I look back it’s really incredible to see how far things have come in such a short time. To quote Katy Perry “I’ve been on fast rocket ship holding on for dear life!”

To get back to my point, all of this reflection has really got me thinking of how I got here, and one of the biggest game changers for me was getting the chance to blog for Bicyclette. Paige asked me to come up with a fun guest blogging series, and together we decided on “Take Me Out”, a bi-weekly column that married fashion and all of my favourite places in the city. Essentially, I picked a place, styled an outfit inspired by it from Paige’s shop, and created a photo story with a little write up. The process helped me connect with small business owners all over the city, hone my photography and editing style, and introduced me to a totally new audience. In short, it was a dream come true, and today’s post is a collection of some of my favourite moments from the column.

You can see the entire Take Me Out series on the Bicyclette blog here!

Dress Up

The CNE

September 5, 2014June 19, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to visit The CNE, Toronto’s massive yearly carnival not once, but twice! I rode the rides, played the games (and actually managed to win one!), ate all the deep fried food I could get my paws on, and of course took a whole load of photos. A whole bunch of my favourite images ran on the Bicyclette blog today as part of my bi-weekly Take Me Out post, but since I ended up with so many pictures, I wanted to share some here as well!

Though the CNE is over for this year, I also wanted to create a little “best of” guide for vegans and vegetarians venturing into the meat-heavy but oh so fun food hall. Believe it or not, there’s lots for us in there too! Scroll to the bottom for my handy little list of favourites, or simply enjoy these colourful fun photos and dream about the gates opening up again next year.

My Vegan/Vegetarian CNE Food Hall Faves:

Miami Ice – Ice pops
Wild Child’s Kitchen – Raw + Vegan snacks and juices
Tiny Tom’s – The best mini donuts
Baked and Loaded – Baked potatoes, vegan options available!
Quench – Fresh squeezed lemonade
Eative – Delicious liquid nitrogen sorbet
Swiss Waffles and Crepes – enough said!

Photos by Brianne Burnell

Dress Up

Rainbow Magic for World Pride!

June 27, 2014September 19, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

There’s some pretty magical stuff happening in Toronto this week, and though I wasn’t due for another Take Me Out until two Fridays from now, I thought a special edition post was warranted. This weekend is a celebration filled with rainbows, confetti, and love, a combination I can’t help but get excited about. If you haven’t figured it out already, I’m talking about Toronto’s annual gay pride celebration, which this year just happens to be world pride!

I get so excited every summer when this week rolls around, and the massive scale of this year’s celebration has sent my energy level through the roof. There are outdoor parties every night, massive free concerts like Tegan and Sara over the weekend, rainbows painted on crosswalks, and a parade so extravagant it’s actually worth wading through the huge crowds of people to see it. There is so much going on right now that it’s almost overwhelming, and the city seems about ready to burst (sort of like a big confetti bomb?)

Now I’m not going to sugar coat it; in the past I’ve worn some pretty scandalous and strange outfits to pride (everyone does, don’t judge me.) Though I’m still incredibly proud to be part of the LGBTQ community, and I’m looking forward to spending my weekend dancing and daydreaming with a big glittery swarm of strangers, I want to take my pride look up a notch. And really, what better wardrobe to chose from than the shelves of Bicyclette?

Since it was impossible to actually shoot in the trenches of the pride zone without getting covered in sweat and runaway face paint, I decided to shoot some of my favourite pride looks in the safety of Studio B before heading out. Of course rainbows and bright, bold colours were necessary, and a little bit of unicorn sparkle, though not mandatory, was firmly suggested.

With the help of Paige (aka Toronto’s resident magical creature/California girl), I put together a handful of rainbowtastic outfits that are sure to make you feel so happy you might even describe it as, well… gay! I mixed in a few of my own rainbow pieces from home, like my ice cream tank, and my new Wildfox Rainbow sweater, and accessorized with party-perfect headbands and bags by Ban.do. Alongside a hot pink dresses, a tulle skirt, and an airy neon tank top from the shop, the outfits turned out bright and prismatic. Perfect for a weekend out celebrating every colour of the rainbow, don’t you think?

Happy Pride unicorns!

This is a collaboration post with Bicyclette and it can also be found on their blog too!

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

Classic Vegan Tofuna Sandwiches

June 13, 2014February 20, 2017 by Alyssa Garrison

Since I’m picnicking over on the Bicyclette blog today for this week’s edition of Take Me Out, I figured I might as well post one of my all-time favourite picnic recipes here for all of you wonderful people. This recipe was originally taught to me by my incredibly talented friend Laura (the best vegan cook I know) a few years ago, and though I’ve tweaked it a little bit, I’ve cherished it as one of the best vegan sandwich recipes in my recipe book ever since.

I haven’t eaten fish in a few years, but it was the last thing I gave up when I went veg because I love it so much, and I’m always on the lookout for fishy vegetarian substitutes that can fill the sea creature void in my diet. I mean, no mermaid should be eating her friends from the ocean right? Fish are friends, not food!

Anyway, this recipe is so delicious and flavourful that it’s just as good as the real thing, and unlike its real tuna counterpart, it doesn’t hurt the already suffering ocean and feed into overfishing. You can use it to make vegan tuna melts, tuna casserole, or just classic cold tuna sandwiches like I did. I promise, you won’t be fish-appointed (it’s been a long week, don’t judge me.)

Ingredients:

Half a block of firm tofu, frozen overnight and then thawed
1 bunch chopped green onion
1 cup Veganaise (or normal mayo if you’re not vegan)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
A tiny pinch of smoked paprika
Salt and Pepper (to taste)
A bit of carrot, celery, onion, or anything else you like in tuna salad!

Method:

Drain the liquid out of the tofu after it has thawed by pressing on it with paper towel. Once it is dry and spongy, use a fork to flake the tofu. Because you have frozen it the night before, the tofu will crumble and flake easily, and the texture will be much better!

Now here’s the best part: all you have to do is mix all of the ingredients up in a bowl and serve! I added two stalks of chopped celery to my batch for extra crunch, and served the tuna salad on brown bread. It tasted heavenly, and was so convincing that even the cats went after it! Let me know how you serve it okay? I’m always open to new tasty ideas!

Photography by Brianne Burnell

Dress Up

Local Love: Bicyclette

May 16, 2014July 28, 2015 by Alyssa Garrison

Where do I even start with Bicyclette?

I have so much love for the ladies that run this whimsical little shop. A bright sparkling shop tucked away in a busy stretch of Queen West right by Trinity Bellwoods park, Bicyclette is a breath of fresh air in a city that’s so often much too dark and dingy.

Paige, the owner of Bicyclette, and her team of superstar staff redecorate the shop constantly, adding magical handmade touches each season to compliment the always adorable clothing. This past week the store was filled with cute little plants and bright coloured sunnies! Carrying some of my favourite brands like Wildfox and Ban.do, and a whole bunch of labels I’ve never seen anywhere else, this shop is by far my favourite place to play dress up!

Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Paige in real life, and together we came up with a bi-weekly blog series for the Bicyclette blog called Take Me Out. Basically I get to take clothing from her shop out on adventures around the city and blog about it (there’s a very sweet new post coming out today in fact, so keep your eyes peeled!) I’ve been a fan of the shop itself since I moved to Toronto six years ago, so its been extra lovely to get to know the woman behind the fairytale. Every time Paige posts on instagram or whips up a new blog post, I’m always swooning, and I feel so lucky to not only be a fan, but a friend now too.

Photography by Brianne Burnell