Paul’s Boot Camp

It was June 2, 2010, when Lucy Addario made the decision that altered her life: she joined Paul’s Boot Camp (PBC).

“I was tired of all the inhibitions that came with being overweight,” says Addario, a mother of two. She was 232 pounds when she first stepped into the calorie-searing atmosphere of PBC, with no expectation of reaching her ultimate fitness goal. But after a few hours on the mat with fitness guru Paul Walker, Addario had to admit that there was something different about the atmosphere.

“My journey was not one of the ordinary,” says Addario, 43, who pushed through her initial doubt to slowly chisel her way down to a glorious 138 pounds. “It was long and challenging, yet despite these challenges, PBC helped me to accomplish my dream.”

And what makes Paul’s Boot Camp such a hit? According to owner and certified personal trainer Paul Walker, his two key ingredients to a successful boot camp are a very passionate staff that pours their heart into training, and having a blast while blasting calories.

“Lucy has inspired so many ladies at the studio through her determination and will,” says Walker. “She has made so many friends and has earned the respect of so many. She sets her goals and
meets them.”

As for Addario, she’s thrilled to finally be comfortable in her own skin. “This experience not only gave me my confidence back, it gave me a healthier perspective on the importance of fitness.”

www.integrityfitness.ca, 905.851.7722

A1 Autostrada’s Risotto alla Gorgonzola

Compliments of A1 Autostrada’s seasoned chef and risotto master Roberto Del Papa, this easy-to-prepare, traditional Italian favourite is the perfect addition to any dinner table as a side dish or as a comforting, feel-good treat on its own

Risotto alla Gorgonzola

Chef’s recommendation:
Choose Galbani or Igor Gorgonzola.
Both offer a sweet and creamy finish to this dish.   

Ingredients:
600 ml (2 ½ cups) Carnaroli Nano rice
100 ml unsalted butter
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
100 ml mascarpone
½ medium-sized onion, minced
200 ml dry Prosecco
2 l vegetable broth
100 ml Gorgonzola
475 ml green asparagus, peeled, lightly blanched and diced
10 thin slices prosciutto (for garnish)
Serves 6

Preparation:
Sauté the minced onion in olive oil and half of the butter over a low flame until golden brown. Add the rice and stir until golden in colour. Add the white wine. Continue stirring and add a quarter of the broth, slowly. Simmer 10 minutes. Add
salt and pepper to taste. Repeat with broth until finished.
Add mascarpone, Gorgonzola, remaining butter and asparagus. Continue stirring until texture is creamy. Garnish risotto with prosciutto and asparagus.

G.C. & Co. Salon & Med Spa

Vaughan’s beauty darlings Gianna and Cathy have relocated from Kleinburg to Woodbridge in order to expand and serve you better!

From Montreal to New York, esthetic designers Gianna Ugolini and Cathy Korbis of G.C. & Co. Salon & Med Spa have been perfecting their crafts and fuelling their mutual passion for scrubbing, lacquering and blow-drying the world beautiful. Today, this dynamic duo is bringing their world-class expertise to Vaughan.

“People are under the impression that it’s impossible to have skin like today’s celebrities when in fact, they can,” says Gianna, who studied under celebrity skin care specialist Dayle Breault in New York. “If they just use the proper products and receive facials religiously, they can have gorgeous skin.”

And with G.C. & Co.’s affordable prices, Gianna and Cathy make this routine possible for those who don’t frequent the red carpet.

“You feel good, your pocket feels good, you look great,” says Cathy, who studied in Montreal and in the Big Apple under Joico for over four years, honing her talents at the brand’s many hair shows. She also attended classes at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Toronto.

With their new location officially open, loyal clients and newcomers alike are welcome as Gianna and Cathy dish out fresh, unique and luxurious treatments, like their all-new Brazilian Blowout, oxygen facial with microdermabrasion — Gianna’s specialty — and bridal spa packages, which include detoxifying facials and hair treatments.

www.giannacathy.com, (905) 851-0008
6175 Highway 7, Unit 7-B, Vaughan, Ont.

Makeup Artist Rita Stirpe: Jingle Belle

Tease the season for amped-up eyes and angelic complexions. Makeup artist Rita Stirpe shows us how.

1. Express your eyes with a seductive stare using Infallible Never Fail Eyeliner by L’Oréal

2. Kiss your cupid’s bow with a stroke of MAC’s Subculture lip liner

3. Blend Lise Watier’s Couleur Folle Mineral Loose Powder Eyeshadow in Folie D’or for a star-studded wink

4. Create a sultry smokescreen with the Black Pearl Eye Palette from Bobbi Brown
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All roads lead to Autostrada

When it comes to the palate of the experienced epicurean, ambiance is a distinct necessity. It involves an unabashed drive to beautiful design, a commitment to exceptional service and an irresistible selection of gastronomic creations. For the seasoned restaurateur, it’s a road map to raising the roof for those that crave the wow factor. “This is an urban restaurant for the suburban patron — someone searching for a downtown feel without leaving home,” says Luigi Beccati, owner of A1 Autostrada in Vaughan. “And it’s all about family and good food.”

A restaurateur and chef with over 20 years of experience, Beccati’s unending search to reinvent the dining experience has culminated in an innovative concept that began two and a half years ago. Guests are immediately welcomed into a sublime setting that ingeniously simulates the adrenaline rush of riding in a supercar. Designed by the award-winning firm II BY IV DESIGN, the spacious interior is awash with pops of colour, subway-inspired graphics, marble fixtures and a pizza oven blazing with a mosaic of red-orange tiles. A wine cellar and trendy prosciutto bar displaying market-style charcuterie are among the restaurant’s favoured features. A glance at the sunken dining area in the heart of Autostrada reveals a table for eight embraced by a mesh fabric scrim. The centrepiece showcases a sentimental print of Italian people gathered in tradition. Speeding along the wall of the main dining area is a customized Pirelli tire tread, achieved by individually placed, luminescent tiles that result in a stunning 3D feature. In 2011, Boutique Design Awards praised Autostrada with a Best Restaurant award.

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Grand Palace Condominiums: Value and Grandeur

A new standard of grandeur is coming to Richmond Hill, and its name is Grand Palace Condominiums. While its lavish amenities and stunning edifice exudes opulence of the highest order, this palace isn’t reserved for royalty. Its project leads, Stefano Guizzetti, Jack Scivoletto and Albert Gasparro, share a spectacular vision for this city on the rise, and it’s one that doesn’t cost a king’s ransom.

With a name like Grand Palace, thoughts of unbridled luxury accessible only to the city’s elite may parade by one’s mind. But the Guizzetti Corporation team puts a halt to such processions. “It’s luxurious, but it’s affordable luxury,” says Scivoletto, vice-president of Guizzetti Corporation. “We’re trying to update the city’s esthetic; to bring it up to the class it deserves.” The plan is to reach beyond the now customary fare of condo living that’s springing up across the GTA, to accent Richmond Hill’s skyline with progressive style and to create a community that caters to and complements modern lifestyles, all starting from the low $300,000s.

Designed by renowned architectural firm Hariri Pontarini Architects, which has worked on other notable landmarks such as York University’s Schulich School of Business, Grand Palace’s three exquisite glass towers are fashioned with contemporary design unique within the city. Thanks to soaring nine-foot ceilings and stylish glass walls, which both come standard in each of the 524 units, living spaces are bathed in natural light. Sleek fixtures and energy-efficient appliances including Fisher & Paykel refrigerators and Whirlpool stainless-steel dishwashers, ovens, microwaves and full-sized stacked washers and dryers enhance the open-concept suites. Granite countertops and premium porcelain tiles are also standards, further adding to the prestige.

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Dominion Lending Centres: 5 Questions Mortgage Borrowers Should Ask But Often Don’t

1. If I have mortgage default insurance do I also need mortgage life insurance?
Yes. Mortgage life insurance is a life insurance policy on a homeowner, which will allow your family or dependants to pay off the mortgage on the home should something tragic happen to you. Mortgage default insurance is something lenders require you to purchase to cover their own assets if you have less than a 20 per cent down payment. Mortgage life insurance is meant to protect the family of a homeowner and not the mortgage lender.

2. What steps can I take to maximize my mortgage payments and own my home sooner?
There are many ways to pay down your mortgage sooner that could save you thousands of dollars in interest payments throughout the term of your mortgage. Most mortgage products, for instance, include prepayment privileges that enable you to pay up to 20 per cent of the principal (the true value of your mortgage minus the interest payments) per calendar year. This will also help reduce your amortization period (the length of your mortgage). Another way to reduce the time it takes to pay off your mortgage involves changing the way you make your payments by opting for accelerated biweekly mortgage payments, which will not only help you pay off your mortgage more quickly but will also save you a significant amount of money over the term of your mortgage. Visit me to find out which strategy suits your specific needs.

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Dr. Mark Fava: Eyes above Toronto

There’s more to Dr. Mark Fava than meets the eye. Educated in prestigious universities across Canada and taking the road less travelled to the U.S. to further pursue his passion for eye health, the born-and-raised Vaughan native is now a leading authority in ophthalmology. And where better to cultivate his homegrown skills than the place where he first envisioned a future in medicine. “My roots are here,” explains Dr. Fava, who recently left Boston to debut an innovative, full-service practice in Vaughan. “Eyes Above Toronto represents my homecoming.”

Introducing a new generation of eye care to the city, Eyes Above Toronto fuses a patient-driven approach with state-of-the-art procedures. Fitted with the most advanced diagnostic equipment and medical technologies to treat the tertiary stage of eye disease, the clinic welcomes patients with friendly staff members and a warm, comforting environment. Among its star technologies is the iLASIK platform, a revolutionary bladeless procedure in laser vision correction that reshapes the cornea to correct your vision. Safe and painless, the sophisticated procedure is also efficient, requiring about 10 minutes per eye and one weekend of recovery time. “We’re giving patients not just the freedom from glasses, but the ability to see the world,” says Dr. Fava, who coedited Cornea and Refractive Atlas of Clinical Wisdom (2011), a medical book that shares invaluable clinical experience from authoritative voices in cornea and refractive surgery. “It’s quite an amazing experience to wake up in the morning and not scramble to find your glasses because you can now see.”
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Leading Lady

Recently spotted at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote her new film Anna Karenina, actress Keira Knightley is the epitome of glamour. Her bold eyebrows and vibrant lips are right on trend this season. Professional makeup artist Rita Stirpe suggests the following products to achieve Knightley’s look:

1. Highlight your cheekbones and create a subtle glow with Benefit’s Dallas bronzer. www.sephora.com
2. This limited edition Lipglass in “Restless” can be worn over lipstick for long-lasting shine. www.maccosmetics.com
3. Recreate Knightley’s smouldering eyes with the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion. www.urbandecay.com
4. Red lips exude confidence and complement Knightley’s dark features. Try MAC’s Mattene Lipstick in Rouge Eden. Read more

The Laser Generation

Today’s generation has come to expect results that are as effective to our self-confidence as they are efficient to our busy schedules. Specializing in the beauty industry’s most innovative skin care systems, The Laser Generation Anti-Aging Clinic stays ahead of the curve with groundbreaking alternatives that not only garner immediate approval, but are also non-invasive. “We strive to offer the best, the latest, the most comfortable and effective treatments to our clients,” says Suzie Swica, owner and director of clinical services of The Laser Generation.

Recently joining its impressive collection of rejuvenation and resurfacing treatments is the Icon Aesthetic System and the Acleara Acne Clearing System, two highly advanced treatment platforms from laser research leader Palomar Medical. The Laser Generation is one Read more

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