Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to check out a café outside of the Durham Region called Café Mirage, located at Kennedy Commons in Scarborough. The day was drizzling and the wind was cold; a perfect afternoon to spend inside the cozy atmosphere of this GTA date spot.

And by date, of course I mean my best friend Jaya. As you know, we spend one day a week checking out cafés, restaurants and other local treasures – and for the most part, we’ve been pretty successful. Café Mirage was recommended to me more than once, but serves best for the romantics, I think. The chairs are big and comfy, and the desserts are large … too large for any one person to finish alone. But their selection and service is fabulous. So, if you and your hunny usually have trouble picking a treat to split, you shouldn’t have a problem at Café Mirage. I was born with a sweet tooth (a curse, really, especially if you’re trying to stay healthy), and there was a few options that really enticed me. Unfortunately, I will have to taste those another day.

And what’s a date without taking photos to share on Instagram, right? We both shared this photo, using different filters. That’s how much we loved it, and how awesome/quirky we both are. Thanks lovely, for another great afternoon of girl talk.

Calling all fashionistas!

ModCloth has one of the coolest new contests going on the web right now! From today through 7 a.m. PST on March 18, ModCloth is inviting community members to check out their brand new Style Gallery, upload a photo, love images and share the looks that inspire them throughout the week of March 11 – 18. The image that gains the highest community-generated loves will win the top prize of a $100 ModCloth gift card! The other exciting part, you ask? Two random lovers of that winning image will also each score a $50 gift card! Head over to ModCloth right now to participate in the Style Gallery or maybe just check out all of the great fashions available! Other details: The owner of the image with the most ‘loves’ between 7 a.m. PT 3/11 and 7 a.m. PT 3/18 will win a $100 ModCloth gift card. And ModCloth will contact the winners via email by 3/22 and announce the winners on the blog at 7 a.m. PT 3/27.

Amandla Bartholomew is a Miss Black Beauty Canada 2012 contestant, created in support of the Sickle Cell Awareness Group of Ontario. In the hopes to invoke change in young women and in black youths, Amandla aspires to unite both communities by becoming a motivational speaker.

I’ve known this beautiful Canadian for almost 10 years, and since witnessed her passion for love and life. Amandla spearheaded the creation and distribution of our school’s newspaper. Her artistic eye saw unique stories within the community, shared through film, photography and in print. In 2011, Amandla battled for her neighbourhood, hoping to raise money to better the Jane and Finch areas.

I am so proud and lucky to have Amandla in my life. She is meant for great, great things.

Just outside of the Durham Region sits the Toronto Zoo (technically it’s Toronto, but to me, it is Scarborough, Ontario).

The weather was hot and sticky, and it seemed there was a lot of uphill climbing. Let’s just say, I was quite disgusting by the end of our miniature adventure in our Scarborough Savana.

Nevertheless, I took a ton of photos throughout the day, but I must say, this one was my favourite: