joy café

I'm back!

2011-06-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

I got this hat in early May, and everyone in New York seemed to have the same one. That's why you don't buy things at GAP. Oh! You can't see it in this photo, but there's a pretty bow on the other side. I also don't wear the brim rolled up like a fedora, but I flattened it to look rounded and more feminine. I shall post a picture up one day.

I'm still looking through my New York photos, I'll be posting them soon.

Hello!

2011-06-20T06:46:00.001-07:00

Wow! I haven't blogged the whole time I've been in New York. Sorry! Oh and I'm in New York by the way... The only thing I miss about being home is not-feeling-fat. I need to go for a run, do yoga or work out. It's getting a little ridiculous how fat I'm getting here.

Have a lovely weekend!

2011-06-10T08:28:00.001-07:00

I've been debating whether to cut my hair or not. I guess we'll find out after the weekend!

La Bohème Café Patisserie

2011-06-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

In addition to Jedd's, my other go-to café on Yonge and Eglinton is La Bohème Café Patisserie. The sandwiches and pastries are always fresh. La Bohème has a nice café atmosphere that isn't too noisy, but Charlotte and I decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and sit outside on their patio.

Mm, Te Aro coffee beans, my favourite!

Everything looks so delicious, right?

The quiche is my absolute favourite here! Try the grilled vegetable.

2481 Yonge St. Toronto, Ontario. M4P 2H6 +416.489.2233

Beg Bicycle

2011-06-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

Why do biking accessories make all the difference? These Beg Bicycle Accessories are so simple and pretty. But before I go crazy online shopping, I need a bike...

Weekend

2011-06-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Do you have wonderful plans for the weekend?

I do! teehee.

Guest Blogger: Coming Soon!

2011-06-02T08:30:00.001-07:00

My friend Hanna is in Korea and has been posting amazing photos online, but since she got rid of Blogger, she hasn't been able to blog about any of them! I haven't been blogging anymore because... I don't know why. So I asked her to Guest Blog throughout her stay in Korea and Singapore (later on). Stay tuned!

Style Icon: Kate Foley

2011-05-30T06:43:00.000-07:00

My favourite Refinery29 columns are the features on designer homes, like Alexis Bittar, Mimi Jung, and Katherine Powers! But with Kate Foley, although her Brooklyn home was absolutely lovely, I think I fell more in love with her and her style (definitely a style icon).

I love this photo!

I'm obsessed with this carpet from Patrick Demarchelier's studio.

Don't you just love that glass coffee table on the left? Actually, don't you just love everything?

Things I want to do this summer

2011-05-26T18:43:00.001-07:00

Visit Betty in New York

Visit Joy in Montreal

Watch (play) All New People

Watch Shakespeare at High Park

Ride bikes at Centre Island

Go to Toronto Blues and Jazz Festival

Get tickets/go to Lollapalooza

Get better at golfing

Ace my sumer school courses

Redecorate my room

Read lots and lots of books

See old friends, meet new friends

... And lose 10 lbs

I can do it!

Juice & Java

2011-05-24T07:45:00.001-07:00

The weather was lovely this weekend! So I took my friend Janet to my favourite Juice Bar on the Beaches called Juice & Java. (Because she loves smoothies) It's my go-to-café when I'm in the area because they have a great selection of drinks and good eats. They also just brought in some gourmet cupcakes! Those are only for special days, tehe.

Juice & Java also serves delicious salad and crêpes. That menu was on the other side

I decided to be adventurous and try a new flavour, Mango Pineapple and Banana. It was good!

2101 Queen St. E. Toronto, ON. +416.698.9090

Long weekend!

2011-05-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

The weather is nice, so I don't feel like sitting here writing on my blog, so here are just some links that you can enjoy over the beautiful long weekend (for all you Canadians, tehe):

* I love this house and its little notes!

* Behind the scenes of Breakfast Interrupted

* A blanket for Lena

* Reason why I belong in Paris

* Jen Brill is lovely

* The perfect pink pant

* How to tie a turband (3 ways)

Hipstamatic

2011-05-18T09:21:00.000-07:00

Who else is annoyed with this Hipstamatic app for the iPhone? Is it just me?

Style Icon: Selma Blair

2011-05-17T19:12:00.001-07:00

I've always loved Selma Blair's minimalist look. Even on the red carpet, she's usually in black, but I admire how she's really made it her style. Obviously by looking at these photos, she's pregnant. And she just looks amazing.

Patio lunch

2011-05-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

Our last patio date! My friend Hanna is leaving for Korea and Singapore, I'm too jealous. I know you're reading this so have a safe trip and bring me back something nice, hehe! It's forecasted to be raining for the next 7 days... I'm really dreading this upcoming week.

Happy Friday!

2011-05-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

Has blogger been down for you for the past two days too, or is it just me? Anyway, Happy Friday!! A lot has been on my mind recently even though I've really done nothing this past week. I'm looking forward to a good weekend in my new Rachel Comey Hitch Boots! Teehee. Yes, they finally came in the mail!

I haven't done this in a while, but here are some Friday links!

* Cinderella vs. Royal Wedding

* Love Marysia 2011 Swim Wear

* Scavenger Series by Scout & Catalogue

* A lovely Monday Mix

* To finish off, just some VS "Bombshells"

Diet!

2011-05-10T18:28:00.001-07:00

My mom and I are doing a contest in who can lose more weight by the end of May. So May 31 is our D-day. I must win! We should really settle a prize, any suggestions?

The Beaches

2011-05-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

It was so nice outside today, so Hanna and I decided to walk along the Beaches, have lunch and just catch up. We also ran into my roommate Caitie, what a coincidence! She brought me cute cookies from Dufflet Pastries, thank you because I know you're reading this!

All six polaroids didn't come out, I still don't know why

* Also, sorry I have been totally MIA. I needed a blogging break and time to enjoy the summer. I'll be around though...

Sommer by Papillionaire

2011-05-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

I wish I lived in Australia solely to buy this bike, the Sommer by Papillionaire. Is it not the prettiest bike you've seen? This is how it's described on the website:

Traverse the city streets in style. Design that finds harmony of form and function, the Papillionaire Sommer is a smooth, easy-riding experience. With an upright sitting positioning and swooping step-through frame, the Sommer draws on both modern and classic design.

Enough said, I need it.

Happy Weekend!

2011-04-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's my first weekend of the summer break, yay! I feel like I have endless possibilities, but I probably don't. Anyway, Kate Middleton looked beautiful. Her dress was stunning, so kudos to Sarah Burton for exceeding our already high expectations. The hype was worth it.

* The perfect living room

* Jumbo Acne bag to carry all my things!

* Ways to wear a scarf: Twisted bracelet

* Envelope surprise, I wanna try!

* I want these Cheap Charlie necklaces

* I ordered my boots, and I'm excited because they're on their way!

I'll add more links throughout the weekend if I have a chance.

Style Icon: Dianna Agron

2011-04-28T06:40:00.000-07:00

I don't love her so much in Glee, but I'm really loving Dianna Agron's vintage looking outfit here. It's such a perfect Spring outfit to be sporting at Central Park. Also, doesn't the style of her dress in the second image remind you of Louis Vuttion's Fall 2010 RTW; the whole 50s inspired circle skirts with the tight waist.

Panera Bread

2011-04-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

I mentioned this yesterday, but my best friend is going away to England for the entire summer, so we went to Panera Bread to grab a last meal before her flight.

I'm a huge pastry junkie, so I'm excited to go to France next year and get super super fat. Even Panera carries fresh pastries, I've only tried a few, but they're really delicious!

My best friend is a huge Tommy Texter, so of course she's bbm-ing her friends till the very end.

* My friends have been complaining that I only take pictures of bodies and necks, so I swear this will be the last one. I will start to include heads and less food!

Grace Restaurant

2011-04-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

For my birthday dinner this year, we went to Grace Restaurant, which is located just on the edge of Little Italy. It was really nice to have all my friends after finishing school and take the time to get together to celebrate my birthday, thanks girls! They also pooled in money for my Rachel Comey boots in a jar with a bow on top that said "Joy's Boot Fund" in sparkly letters. It was so cute and thoughtful.

As for a restaurant review, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was cozy and lovely. Perhaps it was because we came in a large group of eight, but the service was not too great. Nonetheless, I would still recommend Grace.

Don't you love Hanna's bracelets?

I wasn't even hungry, but the bread was excellent! Best bread I've ever had, it was even better because it was fresh out of the oven!

This is my best friend Juliet. She came all the way from Kingston for my birthday dinner. Unfortunately, she leaves for England tomorrow. I'm going to miss you!

503 College St. Toronto, ON. M6G 1A4. +416.944.8884

Happy Friday!

2011-04-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you have exciting plans, it may not sound too fun, but I'll be studying for my last exam that's on Monday! I'm more excited because from 10:30am on, my summer begins! I'm actually trying to convince my parents to let me go on Mexico Missions this summer. The deadline for my application is due on Sunday. Please pray for me!

Street Style: Jenny Kang

2011-04-20T16:57:00.000-07:00

I was looking through some old street style shots from Refinery29 and came across Jenny Kang, a Fashion Market Editor for Lucky magazine:

She's wearing a MiH chambray shirt, Alexa Chung for Madewell sweater, Paige jeans, J.Crew coat, Juicy Couture mittens, Kate Spade bag, and Celine boots. I really can't just pick one item that I love most, because I love every little detail to her outfit! From the boots to the furry mittens to the colour accent bag to the -- ok I'll stop myself before I get too carried away.

* I originally wanted this to be a coffee and food blog, but I can't help but expose my love for ranting and fashion. Sorry!

* I'm almost done exams... One more to go, yay!

Obsessed!

2011-04-20T06:41:00.000-07:00

This image is from Café-gourmande at the Caféothèque, doesn't everything look so perfect together on one plate?

I should totally be studying, but I'm obsessed with HiP Paris Blog! I should have given up blogging for Lent... It really consumes too much of my time -- not blogging on my own blog, but looking at all the pretty and yummy things on other people's blogs. I think I mentioned this earlier, but I'll be spending around 8 months in Montpellier next year, so I'm really excited to explore France. Paris will definitely be a long "pit-stop," hehe.

Also, check out the Frog Fight. I'm definitely adding it to my bucket list.

Stressed

2011-04-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

I'll just say it! I've been so stressed out these days, I really just want to break down.

Jedd's Frozen Custard

2011-04-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

If you're ever looking for a great place to brunch, Jedd's Frozen Custard has specialty hand-filtered coffee, great espresso, pastries and artisan breads! (I had a café latte + carrot muffin, it was delicious) My friend Jasmine finished her last exam of her undergraduate career yesterday, so we decided to celebrate with Sunday brunch!

I was craving macaroons for days. It was just what I needed!

We were the first ones there! We came before the other staff came. It was actually nice to feel like we had the whole place to ourselves.

I used to be such a regular at Jedd's Frozen Custard in the summers, but I've never tried their Frozen Custard! Has anyone ever tried it before? Is it supposed to be like frozen yogurt?

2470 Yonge St. Toronto, ON. M4P2H5. +647.349.2121

Fashion Friday Links

2011-04-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Do you have any special plans? Mine basically consist of drowning in books and preparing for my last few exams. During my breaks, I've been doing a lot of online window shopping! Yay! Therefore this week's links will basically be a "want list" for me, hehe. I hope it's actually interesting for you!

* BHLDN Esmé dress for my birthday!

* BHLDN Flouncy Mauve Peep-toes to go with the dress

* Saint James Meridien II T-shirt, a staple

* Alberta Ferretti Colour-Block Silk-Chiffon dress

* Steven Alan Betty Tank

* The Bodkin Twister Swimsuit is the perfect one-piece

* Twist & Tango Belted Kaftan

* ASOS Peter Pan Collar Open Back Dress

* I need this ASOS 70s Floppy Felt Hat

Coffee Bar

2011-04-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

So my roommate Margaret and I have been so curious as to Coffee Bar, I think it's a branch of Planet Bean Coffee. We pass by this "coffee bar" when we're downtown Guelph all the time, but never tried it out (probably because we're in love with Red Brick Café). But I bugged her, and we finally decided to go... It was terrible!

The service just wasn't pleasant, and as lovely as my soy latte might look in picture, there was too much espresso and the soy was not right. But I'm definitely going to try to describe our experience as nicely as possible.

I loved their coffee dripper. They were placed on pipes and positioned on three different levels with pretty glass bottles at the bottom ready to be filled! I'm definitely going to get their single brew if I ever go again.

They had a bookshelf full of novels, games, DIY books and I obviously got distracted from studying, so I decided to read about coffee. We also read a Harry Potter pop-up book later, that was a lot of fun.

Don't you love the rings that espresso leaves inside the cup?

This last photo is a little silly, and you may not understand. My roommate had just written an exam and was telling me how shaky her hand was, so she wrote me a little note. Can you read what it says?

Style Icon: Rachel Bilson

2011-04-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

(via The Skinny Website)

I just love everything about her.

Exams

2011-04-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who are stressing over finals right now, I completely understand how you feel. I'm in school now too. I just finished an exam and decided to take a break right now because I'm so tired. I have another one in 4 hours, so I should probably get back to studying. Wish me luck!

New Comments!

2011-04-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

I've always removed comments from my blog. But I've enabled comments now, and I'd really love to hear your thoughts! Do I blog too much about coffee? Anyway, Happy Weekend!

Enjoy the little things

2011-04-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

When I was in Australia last summer, my favourite store was called Kikiki.K, it's a stationary and gift store. (They have an online store!) I believe it's Swedish, but there were a lot of locations all over Oz. Their style is really simple and clean, which I love.

My favourite purchase was this calendar. Every month that goes by, I get so excited to turn the page because all the images are so lovely. They also have a little heading for every month. This month is "Enjoy the little things."

Can you believe it's already the second week of April?

The Red Brick Café

2011-04-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging of a lot of cafés and places to eat in Toronto and I totally forgot to about Red Brick Café, my favourite place to go in Guelph. Other than their Paninis and delicious hummus and veggie dish, the thing I love about Red Brick Café is the local art displayed on their walls. I should have taken some pictures of some current pieces, maybe in another post. If you're ever in Guelph, it's a must go!

They also make fresh baked goods! Their muffins are delicious. The special today was a Mixed Berry muffin with real berries!

Red Brick Café also has the best Soy Lattes, I mean it. This is Margaret and her Vanilla Soy latte.

2011-04-06T10:58:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here trying to finish my last paper and all I can think about is finding the perfect fedora.

Monday morning

2011-04-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

I have so much reading to do. But I'm going to enjoy our last few cups of Guatemala Antigua Medium blend from Starbucks. My roommate Margaret thought it would be a fun, spicy mix as opposed to our typical Pike Place.

Oh, it snowed and rained yesterday. How super annoying.

Green Beanery

2011-04-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend? Hanna and I dropped by the Green Beanery for a quick brunch before going to see the One of a Kind Show (it was so much fun!) on Friday. Try their daily brews or delicious snacks they have to offer! But can I tell you the best part? They have a huge selection of coffee grinders, roasters, makers and espresso machines -- Bodum everything!

Friday Links

2011-04-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

I like my Friday links because I can share with all of you readers of things and links that I've liked throughout the week, and you get to know a little bit about me too!

* Mimi Jung is Brook&Lynn

* SoNo pistachio and raspberry cheesecake, yum

* Steven Alan's Spring/Summer 2011 Lookbook

* Hermes Carina flats

* I want Lauren Manoogian's necklaces

* Lunes loves Etsy bath towels

Lettieri Espresso Bar + Café

2011-03-31T14:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I crave Lettieri, also another "Espresso Bar" + Café. I feel like a lot of coffee shops have been using that title these days. It does sound nice I guess. I like Lettieri because they not only have good coffee and snacks, but food! Sometimes I want to feel full!

This location in Yorkville is always so busy, but sometimes I think it sets the tone of a café. People going in and out, the doors constantly opening, people talking -- it's so fun! As long as I'm not studying or reading a book, I can tolerate it all.

The macaroons (Café au lait, Pistachio, Chocolate hazelnut, and some fruity kind) are not from Lettieri, we snuck them in, hehe.

Good Morning

2011-03-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not a breakfast person, but I love coffee with a light snack (banana, toast, or maybe a piece of chocolate?). What do you like to have for breakfast?

2011-03-28T09:40:00.000-07:00

I have so much to do this week!!!! Hopefully I'll blog to take my mind off of school.

And I want Karl Lagerfeld Diet Coke

Sandwich Box

2011-03-27T17:36:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to the Sandwich Box on Bay and Bloor? It's one of my favourite places to go to grab a light meal. They have a wide variety of ingredients whether it's for a sandwich/panini or salad, which I really like. Although, I have to admit, I am a dedicated fan of Salad Creations, yay!

You can't help but to people watch all the Yorkville-ers while enjoying your meal! Especially if you're seated facing the window.

Love the back of Jenny's shirt!

2011-03-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

Why did it look like this today?

Also, have you heard of Documentary Heaven? If you're interested in documentaries, it's a great site. Yesterday my roommate and I watched two, Natascha: the girl in the cellar, and another on a Japanese cannibalist (I can't link you because I don't want to see the picture on the link, it's terrifying. Just search "Cannibalist" if you're interested). You should check it out!

Aroma Espresso Bar

2011-03-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

How was your weekend? I've been so busy and I miss blogging! After studying, it was nice to take an Aroma Espresso Bar break with Jenny. Have you been? If you haven't, let's just say it kicks Starbucks' butt.

Best avocado sandwich!

;

2011-03-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

My life this semester has been French literature and theatre. I don't mind, I just don't want to write final dissertations. Right now I'm reading Madame Bovary by Flaubert and La Cantatrice Chauvre by Eugene Ionesco. I don't recommend the first as I do the latter. And the magazines are just for my coffee + magazine breaks, a necessity.

* I also really really really want these

I WANT

2011-03-16T07:10:00.000-07:00

1. Rachel Comey Hitch Bootie (Black)

2. Clare Viver's La Tropezienne

3. Camera Bag

4. Acetate Large Round Sunglasses (Black)

5. And I want them in Brown too

6. Repetto flats, please!

7. Vacation

Dark Horse Espresso Bar

2011-02-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Dark Horse Espresso Bar is a great cafe to start my blog because it's one of my favourites. They have several locations in Toronto, but the best is in Chinatown. They have great lattes, teas and treats, but I recommend the French Press to share. Also, the big communal tables in the front are a nice touch.