lucky penny has kept it no secret that mint chip is her *all-time favourite* ice cream. remember baskin robbins birthday cakes? as a wee tot, she used to fight to the bitter end for those sugared balloons… gloves on!

round one. ding! in this corner is greg’s ice cream from the annex. a local institution for nearly three decades, this all-natural ice cream parlour boasts offbeat “flavours of the moment” like ginger, lemon meringue, coffee toffee, grape nut, malt ball crunch, cinnamon frost, coconut pineapple rum, cardamon, chocolate banana, roasted marshmallow… and mint chip, natch.

round two. ding! in the opposite corner is drake scoops + tees from west queen west. this novelty pop-up shop, next to the hotel and general store, is only open for the summer. so, hurry in! besides mint chocolate chunk, the ’50s-style diner board reads banana nutty chocolate crunch, dark chocolate, madagascar vanilla, maple walnut, coconut, strawberries & cream, lemon & olive oil sorbet, pistachio, and raspberry sorbet… also a variety of toppings, ice cream sandwiches, and popsicles like drake mojito.

hotel guests can rent vintage-looking bicycles, play old school pinball machines, or shop limited edition shared tees. lucky penny left with one that says “longer days mean shorter skirts”.

***psst… join #teammintchip on twitter… she has already recruited three other members!

lucky penny experienced a true first recently… she was ready to go before cute boyfriend!

in a max azria cut-out dress and louboutins for her dear friend’s wedding, she soon discovered his tie went missing in her bermuda triangle of a closet… probably consumed by a tsunami of shoes and impulse purchases.

always cool in a crisis, the duo immediately headed down to gotstyle on king west. one of the best menswear shops in the city, it stocks the likes of john varvatos, ted baker and tiger of sweden… as well as their own collection of bespoke suits, shirts and ties. there is also a spa on site… and after a night of sleeping on the couch, a gift from their “dawg house” (like lace knickers, cute t-shirts or a scented candle) is guaranteed to turn her frown upside down.

out the door in no time, they found the perfect silk tie… a blueish-purple to complement his dark grey suit. lucky penny could not help, but think… it would look fantastic on the bedroom floor later! *wink*

lucky penny does not like to wait for things. despite how much her mumsy tried, patience is not one of her virtues… isn’t that the point of being—or befriending—a vip?

but… she will make an exception for japadog, famous local hot dog stand outside the sutton place hotel, perfect for celebrity sightings. *eyes peeled*

lucky penny’s favourite is with terimayo sauce, and she loves to sneak in bites of cute boyfriend’s oroshi dog, too. she also tops it all off with fries covered with butter and shoyu salt—an exclusive to the *new* storefront location on robson street. yummers!

forget ketchup, mustard or relish. queue up.

lucky penny has a sheepish grin on her face… magic eight ball reads t-r-o-u-b-l-e. *ask again later*

meet her *new* urban shopper by brunswick + co.… canvas and leather deliciousness. three silhouettes. white for spring. black for fall. line named after a street in toronto where the girls once shared an apartment.

lucky penny and her boy bestie fled the city for an out-of-town wedding… and cross-border shopping. this beauty of a bag will be nicely tucked under her arm… and filled to the brim by end of day!

magic eight ball can also see b-a-r-n-e-y-s and t-a-r-g-e-t in her near future. *signs point to yes*

lucky penny absolutely loves anything luxe... a little extra detail, texture or shape makes her heart beat *just* a little faster. as coco chanel once said, “in order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.”

sarah shell, a parsons grad who previously worked for gucci, catherine malandrino and yigal azrouel, has poured it all into her handbag line called 442 mcadam.

*eye-catching* textured leather, *rich* colours and *bold* gold hardware… straps are also made of authentic rifle slings.

what is a bag if not a girl’s weapon of choice? lucky penny will be sure adding the mini skirt bag to her arsenal soon!