Harrods' Christmas 2010 Windows

I'm in and out of London, UK for the next few weeks and spent the weekend admiring the Christmas displays around the city. It always seems 'early' but I really don't mind it since it means having all these beautiful things on display for longer!

Yesterday, I made my way down to Harrods in Knightsbridge. Their Christmas windows these year are in celebration of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan and it's such a stunning sight to see the displays of designer items in these fairy-tale sets. (Photos are all my own)

Mixing Textures, Prints & Patterns

I locked myself out of a friend's apartment in Toronto when I was visiting and had plans to go to a TIFF screening after party that night. The girlfriend I was spending the day with generously let me borrow an outfit for the night. While not something I would think of picking up myself if I were at a store, I ended up wearing a cute polka-dot print dress. Unfortunately, it got a lot colder on the walk to dinner. I pulled out my black/grey striped sweater I had worn that afternoon thinking...polka dots and stripes... the two particular prints and in their respective colors looked horrible together and I slipped into the Forever 21 on Dundas Square and bought a cheap black cardi-wrap sweater instead.

I was reminded of the polka-dot dress/stripped sweater incident when I went through photos that I had taken of dresses at a bridal store in Guangzhou two months ago. I loved how interesting the appliques, textures, and patterns were. On some of them though, I don't know what they were thinking combining so many elements into just one gown. I admire those who have a knack for combining interesting textures and patterns together in a way that works. I think one of the things I'll do this fall is to try and incorporate textures, prints & pattern into my wardrobe.

Summer Solstice: Hello White Dresses!

I actually started my first blog post 4 years ago on this very day so I guess it's pretty fitting that my first proper return to blogging occurs on the anniversary of my first blog! :)

Happy Summer everyone! No New York bar exam to ruin my summer this year and I'm looking forward to making up for the studying/lack of summer activities last year.

Let's start with perhaps one of my favourite items in a summer wardrobe: the white dress!


Yumi Vintage Cotton Slip Dress, ASOS, $71


Supertrash Silk and Lace Tiered Dress, ASOS,$127


ASOS Crochet Insert Maxi Beach Dress, ASOS, $41


Marciano Clairie Maxi Dress, GUESS by Marciano, $158


Marciano Carmine Crinkle Maxi Dress, GUESS by Marciano, $175

I've Missed This....

I cannot believe it's been about a year since graduation...as with most years, a lot usually happens in that time.

I will be back soon... with a fresh new look!!!

Happy Summer????

I hope everyone else is having a wonderful summer that doesn't involve working 45 hours a week AND studying for the New York Bar Exam. I apologize for the hiatus but thought I'd leave a message explaining my absence! I promise to be back with regular posts after the bar exam.


On a recent day off, I picked up this bikini from BCBG and am crossing my fingers that my work schedule and study progress allows me to head over to English Bay for the Festival of Lights celebration in two weeks with my best friend who is currently in town from Toronto. Sigh...if you happen to be on the beach that day and spot a girl surrounded by piles of BARBRI materials...it just might be me.

What has everyone been up to this summer?

New York Times Article: Lacroix Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Lacroix Files for Bankruptcy Protection
By SUZY MENKES
Published: May 29, 2009
The French couturier whose artistic and exuberant pouf dresses propelled him to fame in the 1980s has become the latest victim of the global financial crisis.

See the full story here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/business/global/29lacroix.html

I received the link to this story from one of my girlfriends this morning who then informed me that she was going shopping for Christian Lacroix shoes right after work in case they later became a rare commodity!

Tighter Please, Temperley!

This beautiful wedding gown was on a Guess Who? by FabSugar UK. The designer is none other than Alice Temperley for Temperley of London. The tiers are absolutely beautiful but I couldn't help but notice how wrinkly/poorly-fitted the bodice of the gown looks.

Cupcakes & Creative Contrast

Finding myself with little to do yesterday, a girlfriend and I went shopping for ingredients and spent the evening baking cupcakes. We ended up making far too many for just the two of us and invited more people over. The invitees included my sister and her boyfriend, whose birthday it was a few days ago. :-)


I received my Tolani scarf from the Creative Contrast Giveaway that Couture Carrie held a week and a half ago. I couldn't wait to put it on and just threw it over what I was wearing today. I love how the colours matched the sprinkles on yesterday's cupcakes :-) Thanks Doug & Irina!


Creative Contrast is currently holding a Giveaway for the very same Tolani Scarf that Jessica Alba is wearing in the picture above. You can enter the contest here.

Creative Contrast
"Your Private Boutique for Sophisticated, Hip and Hot Trend Setting Jewelry and Accessories!"

Currently Crushing on: BR Monogram's Pleated Dress

Happy Victoria Day my fellow Canadians :-)! To the Vancouverites (I'm still getting used to referring to myself as one again!), I hope you made full use of the past weekend's beautiful weather! My New York Bar exam materials from Barbri arrived in the mail last week: two boxes of books and a box with an iPod with recorded lectures. I spent some of last week after they arrived getting a head start on the MultiState preview stuff and then found it impossible to do so once the weekend and beautiful weather rolled around!

A quick Social Studies lesson, courtesy of Wikipedia:
Victoria Day (in French: Fête de la Reine), colloquially known as May Two-four, May Long, or May Run, is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday before or on 24 May, in honour of both Queen Victoria's birthday and the current reigning Canadian sovereign's official birthday. It has been marked since before Canada was formed, originally falling on the sovereign's actual birthday, and continues to be celebrated across the country on a fixed date and in various fashions, also being considered an informal mark of the beginning of the summer season. As a federal holiday, Victoria Day is a holiday for Quebec; however, the government of Quebec, in 2003, made the same day concurrently National Patriots' Day.

As Victoria Day is sometimes referred to as the beginning of the summer season, I think it's the perfect time to start shopping for summer clothes. I'm currently loving this BR Monogram Pleated Silk Dress available only at Banana Republic in the United States. I wish they'd bring the BR Monogram collection to Canadian stores too!

BR Monogram Pleated Dress $225 at Banana Republic

MET Costume Institute Gala 2009: Another Blair Waldorf Miss?

So the comments for Blair's prom dress in the last episode of Gossip Girl ranged from "royalty", "incredible", "beautiful" to "[t]hat dress is hideous, looks like a carpet/rug. ... I didnt wear anything that ugly to my prom, and no one should." Tiffany, your comment made me laugh out loud when I read it. Like I mentioned, I didn't hate Blair's dress but it didn't wow me. I did however, hate Leighton Meester's paisley 'costume' for the MET Costume Institute Gala 2009! Fortunately there were may other beautiful outfits that made up for Blair's unsightly ensemble. Leighton's Gossip Girl co-star Blake Lively looked beautiful in Versace and I especially liked how she wore her hair slicked back in a ponytail for a change.

(Photos from Just Jared)

There were other stunning Versace numbers on the red carpet. Gisele Bundchen looked fab in this skin-tight Versace mini.

Jessica Biel wore this extravagant Versace Atelier number.

*Sigh, I wish I had a reason and the means to wear a Versace Atelier gown. They're over-the-top but beautiful!


Photos from Fashionologie

And finally, Elizabeth Hurley, I am perhaps most envious of you for arriving to the Gala in this beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Elie Saab gown. Check out my previous post on the Elie Saab's Spring 2009 show here.

Gossip Girl: Blair's Prom Dress

I love the clothes on Gossip Girl more than I do the story line. I don't know if I can say the same about Blair's prom dress. I don't hate it, I just don't love it and I was really hoping for a number that would leave me swooning. All the same, I appreciate the incredible amount of work that must have gone into creating that gold peacock motif! Your thoughts on the dress?


The citrine jewelry however? That's swoon-worthy stuff!

ShopBop's Pretty Tough Lookbook Feature

I love the ensembles in ShopBop's current look book feature! I'm really liking the contrast of strong, dark pieces against the pretty flowy fabrics.

Daisy Chain Dream's Six Questions

Daisy Chain Dreams is currently holding a survey towards her final year project and asks her readers 6 questions, I'm sharing my responses here as well.

1. Do you follow trends? Why/Why not?
Yes to some extent - I'll follow it if I like it but I won't wear something or buy something solely because it's 'in style'.

2. What's your favourite current trend?

Ruffles
Vince Cascade Blouse, Neiman Marcus

The gladiator-inspired heel. I'm not a huge fan of the flat sandals that go all the way up to the knee, just the cute up-to-the ankle strappy heels.
Alfisi Sandal, ALDO

3. What's your least favourite current trend?
Even though I probably wouldn't wear a lot of what makes it down runways, most of the trends looks really interesting so it's hard to really HATE current trends.

Tie-dye Jeans
Balmain, photo taken from FLARE magazine

4. Top fashion trend of all time?

A well-tailored motorcycle leather jacket
Mackage Black Leather Jacket, SSENSE

and of course....black patent stilettos :-p
Classic Christian Louboutin Pumps

5. A trend that should die and never come back?

Remember that period when bra strap headbands were the rage?!


6. Do you believe in investing money on classical pieces and buying cheaper trend led clothes as they'll date faster?
Yes, definitely!

Marc by Marc Jacobs Sale on Gilt Groupe and Tolani Scarf Winner

I love the substantially discounted prices of items on Gilt Groupe but have only shopped there a few times. Sales start daily at noon (except Sundays) and sometimes, things sell out within 10 minutes of the start time! Gilt doesn't offer full refunds but you can return something and receive a credit to your account for future purchases. Flash sales aren't my preferred way to shop as I hate being given only 10 minutes to decide whether or not to purchase something!! But when you are certain, and there is something that you adore, Gilt is a great way to get it at for a really good deal. My three favourites from Gilt's Marc by Marc Jacob's Sale (Photos all from Gilt Groupe, Sale ends midnight(EST) 05/08).

Marc by Marc Jacobs Dot Lame Dress Now $188 (MSRP $478)

Marc by Marc Jacobs Dixie Contrast Cardigan Now $138 (MSRP $368)
Marc by Marc Jacobs Silk Building Block Skirt Now $98 (MSRP $248)

Marc by Marc Jacobs Shantung Bowfront Dress Now $168 (MSRP $428)


Also, the fabulous Carrie at Couture Carrie held a Tolani scarf giveaway this week and informed me today that I am the lucky winner of a beautiful Tolani silk scarf. Thanks CC and Creative Contrast!! <3

I need to stop buying lip gloss...

Despite several requests, I've refrained from posting any photos of myself just yet. I got in touch with Lisa from Solo Lisa about a week ago to get her thoughts on the matter - Thanks again hun! After some consideration, I have decided that at least for now, I will not be posting recognizable photos of myself. (Sorry!) This however, is a cropped photo of myself on a shoot I did a few years back.

Beautiful clothes, make-up, and well-coiffed locks are amazing, but nothing helps me feel more beautiful than a day where I feel happy about my skin, body and smile.

I had beautiful perfectly little teeth as a kid and at the age of 4, after chewing on some corn on the cob, my two bottom front teeth became wobbly. They fell out shortly after, as did many other of my baby teeth. They were replaced by much larger, oval shaped teeth which grew in crooked and looked far too large on my then much smaller face. I really wanted Invasalign braces but having such severe crowding and an overbite meant that I wasn't a suitable candidate. I didn't get braces until my freshman year of highschool and was thrilled when they finally game off in my junior year. I remember specifically telling my orthodontist about portrait day and about wanting them off by then!

Since the braces came off, I've played around with many OTC whitening products. I don't really like the kits with mouth guards as I find them uncomfortable to wear and you can't really talk when they're in your mouth. The paint-on agents aren't as effective either and I always feel like I'm swallowing a bunch of product. To date, my favourite are Crest Whitestrips and I use half a package every year or so right after a dental check-up. The newer, more expensive ones contain a higher concentration of the bleaching agent and are good if you want to see results quickly. I generally stick to the classic cheapeast Crest Whitestrips kit since it does just what I need it to do.

I actually thought about this post because I compiled my lip gloss collection together. I just moved home to Vancouver from school in Ontario and will be spending a few months at home for the first time in years. I started organizing all my things, making piles of things to donate, keep, throw out etc. I sorted through my make-up collection and compiled my lip glosses together (lip gloss, lips, teeth, smiles....they're related! :-p). A good amount of it was a gift from Maybelline, I would never go out and purchase every shade of lip gloss in one line. I haven't even opened most of them, I don't love the consistency though or the felt applicator. My fav of the Maybelline bunch is berry-bella, it smells good and is a really pretty summery pink shade.


I took a photo of it and decided to blog about how I am not going to buy lipgloss for another 18 months at least. It's kind of excessive no? I mean lip gloss, when opened is supposed to have a shelf life of 18-24 months, I definitely don't wear enough make-up or lip gloss to go through all of it. I usually just wear chapstick in the winter months but now that the weather is warming up, I'm looking forward to putting a dent in the lip gloss collection!

Charming Hair Care Products - got2b Smooth Operator Line

I'll confess to buying these two products for three reasons:
i) The packaging and dangling charms are deliciously cute
ii) I thought they would look lovely on my bathroom counter
iii) They smelled pretty

They have got to be the cutest hair care products I've seen! They do work pretty well and the Smoothing Satin Drops make my hair feel really silky. The hairspray isn't the kind you use to try and keep an updo in place but more of a finishing spray - something to use after you've blow-dried or straightened your hair to smooth away any remaining flyaways. I also love how amazing my hair smells after using them. They are generally not must-haves, but they're definitely fun products to play around with!

Exam Time Treats

Hello everyone! I'm sorry for the lack of updates recently. I'm in the middle of exams but am ALMOST done with classes and exams...FOREVER (I think?).


Perhaps not the best thing to do during exam period, but I went on a four-day trip to New York City last weekend for a family reunion. While I spent two days in the hotel room writing a paper on Intellectual Property Rights and Development, I did get to spend some time with the family. I didn't get out to do as much shopping but did spend the week before online shopping during my study breaks. I shipped a few items to my brother's place in New York but didn't end up picking them up until a few moments before I left to La Guardia airport.

My trip back to Canada was far from pleasant and included many delays at the La Guardia and Toronto airport, as well as an overnight stay at the Sheration Airport Hotel (perhaps the only slightly positive thing was that Air Canada agreed to pick up the tab for breakfast and the room). I had no access to my study materials (they were in my checked-in baggage) and my laptop battery had died (I sadly left my laptop cord in my suitcase as well!). So to entertain myself in my hotel room, I tried on my newly-acquired jeans and make-up colours. Unwrapping the packages was kind of like opening christmas presents and was such a nice treat - especially after all the flight delays and exam-period stress!


I finally picked up a new charm to replace the old one on my Tiffany & Co. toggle necklace. I actually got the necklace 3 years ago, before they introduced the charm collection. It hurt a little watching them replace the original charm, but it was mildly therapeutic too. I love their quaint little charms and their removable clasps, making it easy to customize your pieces as well as allowing you to attach charms as accessories onto other things: purses, key fobs, silk cords..etc.


The make-up and beauty products were all from Bloomingdales.com and I was totally persuaded since they're doing their Build-your-own Gift with a purchase of $39.50. I picked up a few items that I had used and loved in the past: Estee Lauder's Sparkling Clean Cleanser and Double-Matte Powder Compact. Bloomingdale's just changed their Estee Lauder gift-with-purchase but it still includes some really good products; the bonus offer is among one of many that Bloomingdales is currently having and the offers continue on til the third week of April. I also replaced my supply of Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey, it's such a good staple product!

The jeans were from Gilt Groupe; they had a Rock & Republic sale a week and a half ago. I love Rock & Republic jeans for their showy details and fit. My one beef with them is that they're generally made with a thinner denim which wears down pretty easily.

It's back to studying for my last exam of my Law School Career. I will be back to regular posting in a week!!! To all my other fellow bloggers in school, best of luck on your exams and papers! <3