“Vaughan’s Best Espresso Bar” Contest Winners

With rich flavour that lingers on your taste buds, espresso is a little cup of heaven. After collecting votes from our loyal readers, we found three well-deserving winners in Vaughan’s Best Espresso Bar Contest! Here are three cafés that understand the fine art of making this popular Italian beverage. Check them out next time you want to relax with a delicious coffee and City Life, your favourite magazine!

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The Little Fiat that Could

Anticipation hovers over the crowd at Maranello Fiat’s grand opening celebration. Guests mingle, sip spirits and ogle the new 500s occupying the showroom floor. But it’s not a car this party is waiting for – it’s the man who saved Fiat, who reintroduced the beloved 500 to the world, that’s on their minds. And as he’s ushered through the doors of Fiat’s Canadian flagship dealer, the crowd’s response says it all: Sergio Marchionne has arrived.
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The Cookie Messenger

There’s nothing quite like a homemade cookie – each soft bite filling you with scrumptious and nostalgic pleasures. The Cookie Messenger holds these age-old sentimentalities close to the heart with each stunning and delicious cookie bouquet it creates.

“It’s a feast for the eyes, as well as the palate,” says Daniela Nicosia, co-owner of The Cookie Messenger, Canada’s only cookie bouquet company. Along with her partner, Gioia Grandinetti, the pair creates colourful arrangements of edible art that are ideal for any occasion. For spring celebrations, a pastel floral bouquet will break the mould of conventional sweets, and with Mother’s Day around the bend, a personalized family bouquet with your mother’s photo as the centrepiece is a unique and considerate way of expressing appreciation.
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Let it Grow

In most Canadian gardens, there is too much clay or sand content, say experts in this field. Both are responsible for a compromised growing environment – and that spells frustration for those of us who work hard to grow flowers, tomatoes, vegetables and fruit.

“For plant roots to thrive, they need a proper balance of moisture, nutrition and aeration,” says Syd Pell at Miracle-Gro. “Clay soil is dense and heavy, with tiny pores, so the oxygen level is low. Water cannot readily pass through, causing drainage problems that essentially drown the plant. At the other extreme, sandy soil has large pores and is low in organic matter, making it difficult to retain nutrients as water drains away far too quickly. If the roots can’t get sufficient water and oxygen to transport nutrients, the plants will shut down.”
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High Roller

It’s too high for me; look at it! It hurts my neck,” says Vaughan resident Jimmy Leone as he sizes up Canada’s Wonderland’s towering new ride from a coffee shop at the corner of Jane Street and Major Mackenzie Drive. A young man a few seats away has a different point of view. “I’ll go this summer. Why not? It’s fun, it’s exciting.” Suddenly, all that’s heard is a group of people echoing the back-and-forth dialogue that began when news broke last August that a 306-foot roller coaster was coming to town. Stretching far beyond the city, thrill-seekers and evaders are dogmatic about whether or not they will strap themselves into the prodigious seafoam green Leviathan, set to debut this May.
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You Should Have Asked

Human beings are fascinating. It’s too bad that most of the general population doesn’t agree. I know this because over the past 15 years I’ve spoken to over one million people. During that time, I’ve noticed that we’ve become a species that has literally stopped asking each other good questions. I have observed this at networking functions, fundraisers, parties, and even in line at Tim Hortons.

I’m not trying to brag, but I have a pretty cool job. I produce musicals, write books, host radio shows, shoot videos, get interviewed on TV and help big Canadian companies reach new levels of success. When someone asks what I do for a living, I obviously don’t give them the entire list, and instead default to one thing by saying, “I’m a professional speaker.” Quite often, the person will not dig deeper and will say something like, “Wow, that sounds like fun. And do you live in Toronto?” I kid you not when I say that at least 99 per cent Read more

Q & A with Fashion Designer Maher Alami

CL: What is at the heart of your label?
MA: Alya Couture is named after my grandmother – it’s a tribute to her. She was a seamstress for society weddings and I would always accompany her through the market, looking for beads and all those gorgeous silk fabrics that we have in that part of the world [Jordan]. She taught me little secrets of the trade when I was young. Today, I try to make my gowns and dresses work year-round, and really look for longevity and value. Couture dresses in the past were something that were passed on from your great-grandmother to your grandmother, to your mother and now you, who gets to wear it again. This is what I really try to bring back – things that are very well made and of high-quality.
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Robin’s 73 Best Business and Success Lessons

“I have summarized the 73 best ideas/insights/lessons I’ve learned for winning in business and life below. I hope they help you. And I hope you’ll share them with others who will benefit from them. Again, thanks for supporting my mission to help people in organizations around the world Lead Without a Title. I’m grateful. 
” 
Robin Read more

Pink Tartan Collection

Pink Tartan’s fall/winter 2012 collection combines the season’s trusty neutrals with unexpected pops of emerald green and red. Borrowing from spring’s trends, colour-blocking and monochromatic palettes make a reappearance, but you won’t see any pink or neon here. Rather than a wave of colour, designer
Kimberley Newport-Mimran (Joseph Mimran’s other half) plays with layers of mixed mediums. The collection features combinations of leather, mesh, fur and feathers in an unexpected but satisfying way. To get the look, pair bold pieces with simple, well-made basics for a unique take on every outfit.
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Joe Fresh Collection

Joe Fresh brings back the ’70s without looking dated. Skinny pants, thick knits and striking colours have us cosying up for fall.
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