lucky penny could get used to this beeeeeeeautiful spring weather. in fact, she is itching for cocktails on the patio. tequila, anyone?

our girl has long been turned off by the stuff until cute boyfriend suggested tequila tromba, an ultra-premium, boutique tequila.

throat burning shooters be gone! made in small batches, tromba is sweet, smooth and can easily be sipped. the best part is that… it is the only canadian-founded tequila out there competing against 13 multi-million dollar competitors, yet listed at a 40% discount to patrón.

lucky penny loves a good ol’ underdog, and this one spells w-i-n-n-i-n-g.

lucky penny gets teased a lot about the contents (er, lack there of) in her fridge… chocolate, früli, and maybe some leftovers—on a good week. but can you really blame her when there are so many *new* restos opening in her fair city?

a few weeks ago, bestie’s boyfriend was in from out of town, so resos were booked at l’ouvrier kitchen bar… the pink table, of course. having nursed a hangover (prolly plural) over their delish brunch menu, it was time to see how dinner matched up.

cocktails: manhattans for the girls, and a duggans brew for cute boyfriend.

starters: steak tartare and a macintosh apple, baby rocket salad to share. so far, so good.

mains: butternut squash ravioli, leg of rabbit and wellington county beef burger with fries.

portions were the perfect size, but the standout item was the fries. glorious, glorious frites. bestie boyfriend pro tip: mix the kozlik’s, mayo and ketchup for legit awesomesauce.

lovely night with good food… and even better company. ’til next time!

lucky penny is in the business of sharing secrets, but… only with her nearest and dearest. ready for one more? soba canada.

one to always admire passion, craftsmanship and love (she did work at hermès in the not too distant past), owner/farmer/chef, ted, runs soba tuesday once a week out of ichikiri japanese restaurant.

his soba noodles are the first and only authentic japanese buckwheat noodle in the city, but… with a canadian twist. he cultivates the buckwheat himself in manitoba. (did you know it is canada’s buckwheat capital?) once harvested, he mills the buckwheat and produces his own fresh soba.

sayonara.

lucky penny may not be lying on a beach, sipping margaritas or cavorting with cabana boys (much to cute boyfriend‘s delight). but… no one ever said she cannot look the part.

in the spirit of daydreaming, when the rays come out to play, so do her *new* spec-tacular sunnies by kaytran eyewear.

with an emphasis on fit, lucky penny will no longer fret about unsightly marks on her cheeks, or frames sliding down her nose. kathy tran put two years worth of research and development to come up with “the kaytran fit” focusing on tweaks to the lens, bridge and temples. her eyes deserve some l.b.t.

named after some of kathy’s besties, the debut collection features 20 frames in 7 styles… all designed in canada, and made in italy.

***psst… to win a pair of your very own, simply visit kaytran eyewear online, and leave a comment below… explaining “which sunglasses best describe you?”. are you a jennifer or an aiden? the winner will be announced on monday, april 2nd. bonne chance!

lucky penny hearts rome… and decided to do as the romans do.

she made a wish at the fontana de trevi, then strolled to where there are no tourist traps…  villa borghese, a gorgeous and luscious park open to the public.

like audrey hepburn in roman holiday, she rented a bike and explored for hours. there are beautiful fountains, a lake in the epicentre for rowing, a museum, and one of the best paninis ever.

next on her to-do list… piazza di spagna then window shopping along via de corso, where d&g and valentino opened their very first boutiques. heaven.

***psst… guest blog post written by the lovely leanne.