option8

new year, new you?

2011-12-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

Another year is coming to a close and I have come no closer to blogging on a regular schedule. I suppose we go through transitional phases and for some, these phases last longer (hi!).

rings I wore often; taken in early 2011

Over the past year I have cut back a lot on shopping and consuming in general. Instead of seeing something and thinking how much I would love to have it, I instead think of whether or not I need it.

This past year I have also watched a few food and corporations-related documentaries. For as long as I can remember, I have cared about the environment, which led me to find out more about mass-farming practices and how these practices affect not only the earth, but our health as well. For years I have relayed the shocking facts I've learned to as many people as possible, but the problem is, I've been preaching to an audience that doesn't necessarily want to listen (and an audience that usually includes my friends and family; people I care about). It amazes me how many people would hear these astonishing facts and then continue to live as if these facts had no impact on their lives at all. In short (ha! that was not short) I've become a little tired of preaching to the deaf and decided to put my words into action. It frightens me that while I'm watching the people interviewed in documentaries, there are many who think they are merely one person against government-funded corporations and they could never win. Change starts with one person.

Anyway, what this blog has in store next year is yet to be seen. Whatever it may be, I'll try not to get too preachy and advocate-y on you, dear readers.

Thanks for another year of support and hope you've all had a wonderful holiday season! All my best to every single one of you for the new year.

individuality vs dress codes.

2011-09-30T16:46:00.000-07:00

What makes someone's style unique?

I'm sure everyone likes to think of themselves as having a personal style/individuality, but it's probably easiest to fall into the cookie-cutter masses of readily available chain-store apparel.

After reading Susie Lau's (aka Susie Bubble) piece in Elle UK, it got me thinking about how, on many occasions, I have been too concerned about what others would think about the way I'm dressed instead of catering to myself first. This "the public before me" thought process is inevitable: we need to dress appropriately for job interviews, weddings, etc. There are social norms, protocols, and whatnot that are drilled into our heads at an early age.

I'm not saying that dress codes are bad; I am all for them! To me, following a dress code is showing respect. Does following a dress code mean you have to be boring? Not at all. Working within restrictions is a great way to exercise your creativity. Push the envelope; see how far you can skirt the line between acceptable and wholly inappropriate.

While I was in design school, we were given projects with very little restrictions and encouraged to go crazy. Our instructors knew that once we graduated into the working world, we'd not have the same type of freedom for projects. When I first started working, I felt like my creativity was being stunted, but over time I've learned to inject little details that maybe the client didn't ask for, but definitely ends up appreciating.

Subconsciously, I have used the same attitude for design work as I do with my wardrobe: always let the details speak out for your creativity and don't let restrictions be the end all.

/random incoherent spiel

What do you feel makes your style unique? I'd love to know your views on this topic.

taylor tomasi hill.

2011-09-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had always noticed Taylor Tomasi Hill on sites like Jak & Jil Blog over the years, but recently decided to look more closely into the archives of her fashion week appearances. AND THEN I BECAME OBSESSED.

Currently the Accessories Editor at Marie Claire (formerly of Teen Vogue), Taylor Tomasi Hill is a self-described clothing chameleon. While not as flashy as Anna Dello Russo (and I don't mean that in a derogatory way; I love ADR) and not as effortless smart-chic as the Paris Vogue team, Taylor finds a way to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. And even if you find her in a relatively "safe" outfit, her signature red hair is always the perfect stand-out accessory.

Another thing I've noticed is Taylor's not afraid to show off her current closet favourite or recycle old favourites into new outfits. While some fashion editors seem to travel from fashion week to fashion week with trunks of clothes, Taylor seems to work around some key pieces in her suitcase; I like to think it makes her seem more human and accessible.

Here are some examples of Taylor reworking pieces into different looks:

sources: The Sartorialist / Garance Dore

sources: STREETFSN / Citizen Couture

sources: Jak & Jil Blog / STREETFSN

If you're looking for more photos, I've started an archive on Tumblr: taylor-tomasi-hill.tumblr.com

Which editors' styles do you find the most inspiring?

confession time.

2011-08-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't been blogging because I've been swamped with work and social obligations, but the main reason I've been M.I.A. is... I can't bring myself to blog about my New York trip. I've been feeling too much pressure to sort through the photos and put together a post. Obviously, this pressure is self-inflicted. Maybe I'm just trying to filter through the garbage and find a real voice for this blog.

Anyway, I'm being called upon for bridesmaid duties again in a week. I've already told all my friends this is the last time I'm being a bridesmaid and for fairly selfish reasons, I suppose: I get too exhausted from all the early mornings and running around. I still love to plan, and will help with that, but I refuse to do anymore 5am wake-up calls for hair and make-up. At least this time I won't be up 'til 2am the night before.

Here are the (back of the) shoes I'm getting for that day. (I just find the back more alluring.) Actually, I've still not decided between the peep-toe or closed-toe.

brief 'hello'.

2011-06-10T00:34:00.000-07:00

I started this blog when I was at a crossroads in life... I no longer had a full-time job and I'd spent my savings travelling. My freelance work was sparse and starting a company was only in its first planning stages. I needed something to occupy my free time and an outlet to channel my creativity.

Now, three years later, I am more fully committed to a job than I've ever been. My business partner and I found a little office on the edge of Yaletown last April and really hunkered down. Hard work, as they say, always pays off. A year plus later and we are busier than we could ever have imagined. We've found wonderful part-time help and our client list keeps growing.

So, while I'm completely ecstatic about where I am with life, the state I've left option8 in is quite sad.

Things are falling into a more manageable schedule and pace now. I do commit more hours to my job than the average person (my friends who are not entrepreneurs will never fully understand), but I am understanding there is a need to save time for my non-work life as well.

All that being said (I am ever so long-winded...) I'm not saying 'goodbye' to option8. I think it will be feasible to schedule some time every couple weeks to blog.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support my little nook of the internet. ♥

new york, part i.

2011-04-12T01:06:00.000-07:00

If you've been a long-time follower, you may've noticed I had this whole New York trip planned last year. (Thanks for enduring all that [intermittent] 90 Days 'Til NYC hoopla!)

A year+ after the fact, I am finally ready to share some photos and tidbits from my trip. (I also have a travel blog - quelle voyageuse - if you would like to read all about my trip without any visuals. Yes, I am a very long-winded writer.)

top: our apartment
bottom left: old juxtaposed with new - buildings in Midtown/Upper East Side
bottom right: inside Alice's Tea Cup, Chapter II for afternoon tea
We rented an apartment for a week in Midtown/Upper East Side. It was an old and narrow building, with a distinct lack of hot water, but still, quite lovely.

afternoon tea at Alice's Tea Cup
There was a cute tea shop right around the corner and we managed to stop in twice. It's very cute, has delectable tea and scones, amazing fries (who'da thunk it?), and delicious mar-TEA-nis that they only wish more people would order.

good ol' KD
What do you do if you're starving at midnight? Brave the snow and make a late-night grocery store and drug store run.

leather and denim.

2011-04-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Guess what I bought...

these babies!

I've been a bit whiny about a (seemingly) lack of interesting shoes lately (past two or three months), so seeing these at Zara was a breath of fresh air for me.

Also, I tried on a pair of Sam Edelman Zoe boots yesterday. Sadly, they're not for me. I found the sole a bit too slippery and sticking grip soles on them feels wrong somehow (the sole has "Sam Edelman" stamped all over it in different fonts). If you are a size 6 though, they are priced down at Gia on Robson 'cause it's the display shoe. (Buckles are a tiny bit damaged.)

oh, hello. fancy meeting you here...

2011-04-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have really sucked on updating le blog. I'm not even sure how I managed to earn an award for being so dormant. (Thanks Chloe!)

But since Chloe at This Girl's City was so kind to pass on The Versatile Blogger Award to me, I must oblige with sharing 7 random facts about myself.

I don't like olives.
I think they are fine sliced up and on pizza, nachos, in dips, etc., but I can't do whole olives. I don't even like them in Greek salads; they're just too salty!
I cry watching Disney movies.
Every animated Disney movie I've watched has made my eyes water, if not full-on cry.
There is always room for ice cream.
Even if I'm stuffed to the point of feeling sick and someone suggests to have some ice cream, gelato, or sorbet for dessert, I will always say 'yes'.
I love quoting movies and tv shows randomly.
It amuses me to no end, even though people around me usually don't know the reference. (PS. If you ever want to get into a quote-off with me, try Snatch, Napoleon Dynamite, Zoolander or Friends.)
Hanson is my all-time favourite band.
It's hard to explain without being long-winded, but if I had to sum it up in one sentence, I'd say: they were there when I was growing up and they're here while I'm still growing and learning.
I can't swim.
Or at least I haven't swam since highschool for PE (12 years ago) and I've never been very good at it. If it were a life or death situation, I could probably get myself to shore... I hope.
I'm anal retentive about my books.
I don't like lending out my books unless I know the borrower will treat my books with as much care as I would. Exceptions to this rule: if I'd already "maimed" the book somehow (bent corner on the cover, oh noes!).

* *

A few months ago, I was also passed on the Trendy Blog Award from Miss Soo at The Habitue. (Sorry for the delayed 'thanks'!)

To accept this award:
1. Post about the award
2. Pass it on to 10 other bloggers
3. Send the link for the button. You can find that here.
4. Make an acceptance speech

I'd like to pass both awards on to (and in some cases, reciprocate):

Panda at Stud Muffin
Janis at My Suitcase Heart
Liv at A Beautiful Life
Miss Soo at The Habitue
Chloe at This Girl's City
Elisse at Für Elisse
Nicole at Le Mode du Jour
lanmao
Kelsey at The Anthology
Lauren at Loafing Odysseys

As for an acceptance speech... "I'd like to thank [insert your name because you are an awesome reader!]"

recently... birthday invite.

2011-03-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday last week and while I was bed-ridden with the most horrible cold I've had in recent memory, I made this fun little invite.

I was inspired by early 20th century (c. 1920s) packaging and advertising in Shanghai and Hong Kong, mostly because of the decor and website of the restaurant, Bao Bei. (Yes, I would totally go back.)

tomorrow...

2011-02-23T11:18:00.000-08:00

You're invited to our open house and fundraiser to benefit Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue (VOKRA)!

Chestnut St. Pixel Foundry are opening its doors to friends, family, and colleagues Thursday, February 24th from 7pm to 10pm.

Come see our loft-style co-working space and join us for fingers foods, dessert, refreshments, a silent auction and raffle draw!

Auction items include work from local artists and photographers, and more! Raffle prizes include wine, coffee, and scrapbooking gift baskets.

Please RSVP through our online invite.

More information about the event and VOKRA can be found on our mini-site here.

Hope to see some of you there!

days 88 - 90!

2011-01-15T19:41:00.000-08:00

so almost a year later, we are wrapping this sucker up! i was too busy running around with last minute errands and packing to really document much, but here's a "heartwarming" sequence between our family cat and the boy:

and a happy mistake while on the i5 to catch our flight out of seattle!

2011.

2011-01-09T01:18:00.000-08:00

with a new year comes new beginnings.

one such new beginning is the future of vogue paris, after a surprising resignation as editor-in-chief from carine roitfeld last month. what lies ahead for carine is still a mystery, but i look forward to following her new career! (incidentally, i am still a fan of this cnn special on her: click to view!)

taking the place of carine, announced friday, is emmanuelle alt, a street fashion photographer favourite. i've no doubt that emmanuelle will continue on the success that carine has built for vogue paris.

as for myself, i've set two goals this year. following the sad news that yoshokuya has shut its doors and still moping that i was denied eating at ping's last spring, i vow to not let restaurants on my to-try list slip through my fingers again! instead of saying, "oh yes, that place sounds great! let's eat there!" and constantly putting it off, i've decided i will try one new restaurant a week for the year 2011; 52 total.

another goal i've set is to watch one new (as in, i've never seen it before) movie per week, also making that 52 for the year 2011. my reason for this goal is mostly to (finally) watch all those movies that everyone talks about and are completely shocked to learn that i've not seen. (hopefully i can stop getting those "OMG HOW COULD YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT?!" reactions.)

i'll let you know of the progress for both, of course!

what resolutions or goals do you have for the year?

also, if you think setting resolutions just because it's a new year is silly, i totally understand. i'm not big on them either, but i wanted to set up some fun challenges for myself this year.

happy holidays!

2010-12-29T15:17:00.000-08:00

go me for finally registering a domain (option-eight.com) and then forgetting to blog! (i've been seriously swamped all month.) i had prepped this holiday post and now it's almost new year's. d'oh!

anyway, hope you all had/are still having a wonderful holiday!

chanel, zara

sephora, lush, outnet

asos, sephora, outnet, kelly framel

kerry james marshall.

2010-12-06T15:53:00.000-08:00

near the end of summer, i'd visited the vancouver art gallery to see the modern woman, the first ever touring exhibit from musée d'orsay. i loved the exhibit for a few reasons, including my love for degas and my immense appreciation for masters of pastel and charcoal.

another exhibit on at the time (and still up 'til january 3) is the first canadian solo exhibit of kerry james marshall. prior to this particular art gallery visit, i'd never heard of marshall, but his paintings left a huge impression on me.

black painting (2003)
original photo found here
personally, i feel his social commentary paintings are the most poignant, but i couldn't possibly describe his work in a way that would do him justice. if you get a chance, please do see his work in person.

want to read more about kerry james marshall? i recommend this frieze article.

day 87 / day 7.

2010-11-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

for the final day of my one week challenge i attempted to draw in photoshop:

the image on the right that is. (the one on the left was hand-drawn and scanned... i might reveal what that was for at a later date, but you may have already found out if you visited kel/kel.)

this drawing of la gaga was for an invitation to my "rara party" aka my birthday. (yes, i had a lady gaga-themed birthday party. i live for themed parties, remember?)

day 86 / day 6.

2010-11-27T16:23:00.000-08:00

» left: flying tomato blazer won from squarectomy, hanson "the walk" tour tee, bdg jeans, winners bag, ardene shoes
» right: talula hoodie, payless boots

my new thing for the day? a pedicure in vancouver. (well, if we're going to be technical, it was in burnaby.) i have only ever gone for a professional pedicure a handful of times and surprisingly, they've all been out of town until this year.

i went with a guy friend as his belated birthday present. it was his first time and i think he found it sufficiently enjoyable to go for another. ha!

and since i am supposed to photo-document everything, i must present a photo of my toes (sorry).

i lost the slip stating what colour i chose (oops). all i know is it was opi.

ps - i do not recommend pedicures at eccotique in metrotown. i didn't feel the service justified the price. i do, however, recommend aveda foot relief moisturizer.

day 85 / day 5.

2010-11-04T22:53:00.000-07:00

what's great on a chilly evening? spicy food and good company. (and a good book to read while you wait for your food. haven't read life of pi? you really ought to!)

tried take thai home on the drive and ordered some fried tofu and shrimp curry to go. delicious!

i decided to give this jones soda black cherry a try (i love cherry colas) and deeply regretted it. i didn't notice it was 'sugar free' 'til i took a swig. UGH.

earlier in the day i came across this atrocity in the mall:

(it was a flimsy, cheaply made guy's shirt.)

there are so many things wrong with this i don't even know where to start!!!!!!! and i apologize for subjecting your eyes to such fugliness.

recently...

2010-10-29T23:15:00.000-07:00

shall i blog about something that happened this half of the year? perhaps even within the past week? *gasp* shocking, i know!

last saturday was the hot one inch action button show. for long time readers, you may recall a certain nsfw button i submitted with my friend last year. (btw, we [kel/kel] now have a website: clicky clicky!)

once again, happily posing in front of our button

this year's button is completely safe for work, i assure you! and therefore, did not create as big a stir as "Dickbag" did.

i present to you.... "Has thou slain the Biebicorn?"

now in case anyone is a big bieber fan, i just want to clarify that i actually have no real opinion/stance on the boy. to be honest, i'm not really sure how we even came up with the concept for this button.

our process usually involves either one of us (usually kellen) commenting on something we've observed; then we laugh about it and file it away in our memory 'til it's about a week before an art show deadline. then we pool together whatever scraps of hilarious moments we can remember and i doodle while kellen throws ideas at me or we watch youtube videos for an hour and then somehow a sketch looks right or an idea feels good and we go with it. most of the editing happens between sketch and computer stage. by the time i've scanned a sketch we're usually too tight on time for kellen to approve/disapprove of my colour choices. :P

and i'm not really sure why i just rambled on about our art process......

anyway!

after the show, i decided to check out the olympic cauldron despite the blistering wind and pouring rain:

(does anyone know why it was re-lit for that day only?)

day 84 / day 4.

2010-10-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

i probably didn't look my best on this day running a bunch of errands, including getting dry cleaning done. (yes, the first time i've ever been to a dry cleaners.)

thanks for all the new readers and regulars for the comments lately. i am trying to get back into blogging and balance my life a bit more. i actually some plans in the works for the blog, so stay tuned!

in other news, i really want to make this bag:

but maybe with a bigger strap since i carry so much crap with me all the time. tutorial found at design*sponge!

day 83 / day 3.

2010-10-20T01:43:00.000-07:00

forgot to document my outfit for this day, but i did document the 'new thing' for the day: i got my eyebrows threaded.

my friend did not warn me that it would hurt. while sitting in the chair, my tears were streaming into my ears. however, at $5 i am going to vote this over waxing!

the other 'new thing' i did that day? i attended my friend's card-making demo. pictured are my results. (if you are interested in card making, crafting or scrapbooking, check out 604 cloth, paper, scissors.)

* *

ps - do you follow miss soo's blog? if not, hop on over to her blog now because she's having an awesome giveaway!

need: sweaters!

2010-10-13T01:34:00.000-07:00

a week ago, we were finally hit with a cold, brisk autumn day. this made me want a giant sweater to cozy up in. searching through my closets, i was dismayed to realise i didn't own any thick knitted sweaters.

on my fall/winter wish list: a cable knit sweater, but anything big and/or chunky will do.

zara

aaaaaannnnndd i love leopard print!

zara
my favourite is the sweater.

yay! ...nay.

2010-10-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

the other day, suddenly remembering i needed a new sensible pair of shoes for fall, i decided to pop into winners.

i browsed for a few minutes, not really finding too much that interested me and then i found the stella mccartney mesh sandals i was lusting over last spring:

i absolutely adore them! but i don't think i will keep them. :(

despite the 70% discount off the original retail price, i don't think i can justify the expense.

i guess i will just take some pictures of me wearing the shoes and then return them. hahaha

day 82 / day 2.

2010-09-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

overexposed, but i still love it.

photo-documented our breakfast at cafe deux soleils on the drive. vegetarian restaurant/venue at night. aka hipster joint. outstanding? nope. recommended? yes.

starting the day right:
boy's coffee;
my chai latte.

unintentionally fitting in:
short hair, plastic thick-rimmed glasses, and flannel.

the basic.

spied walking past:
his shoes were metallic croc. amazing.

i documented some other things from our day too!

outfit:
zara grandpa sweater + vintage flannel.

at another hot one inch action button show.

firsties!
at st. augustine's: beer sampler.

day 81 / day 1.

2010-09-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

many, many, many months ago, nanó tagged me to do a week-long challenge where i try one new thing a day. i (sort of) ended up with three on the first day.

documenting a drive home from burnaby...
we've driven on this road many times over the years, but i have never photographed it and the clouds on this day were quite beautiful.

trying a new outfit combination.

my first time trying home-made vegan pot pie. (yes, delicious. no, i didn't make it.)

days 73 - 80.

2010-09-12T03:39:00.000-07:00

top: i wish i had a better photo, but i am wearing my datarock t-shirt. it is awesome because it says 'data' on the front and 'rock' on the back in an "8-bit" font.
bottom: ummm... what? racist chips?

top: the short sleeved jacket i found at zellers a few years ago. (yes, zellers!)
middle: hand-made noodles from sha lin noodle house.
bottom: lonely dumpling (sha lin)

day 72: hope in haiti.

2010-08-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

way back in the end of january, kelsey of the anthology helped put together this awesome fundraiser to aid the haiti earthquake: hope in haiti. the fundraiser was a huge success! over $17,000 was donated to the red cross.*

i have horrible enabler friends... we decided to pre-drink and were sufficiently buzzed by the time we stumbled to barcelona ultra lounge which meant almost missing the beginning of wizerdz's set!

seriously, if you get the chance, go see wizerdz live! (i believe they have a show at anza club in september...) thank you, kelsey for letting us know about this magically (i'm a dork) fun band on your blog!

sneak preview!

anyway, because we were too busy drunkenly dancing to wizerdz, i've no photos of my outfit except for this crappy camera phone one i sent to liv of it's a beautiful life for outfit approval.

the dress i bought from h&m last spring. the shoes are ysl tribute knockoffs i got from gojane around the same time as the dress. the heel is pretty flimsy! i tripped later that night going up a (very low) sidewalk and these heels did nothing to steady me: i fell and cut my knee.

* even now, months later, haiti is still struggling to rebuild. more recently, millions have been flooded in pakistan. you can help by donating or volunteering for the canadian red cross.

day 71: backwards.

2010-08-17T22:43:00.000-07:00

went to get my hair trimmed (looooong overdue) and really wanted to wear my elizabeth & james draped back tank top despite the no-tank-top weather. i love the tank top for the back so i hate covering it up... solution? wear my cardigan backwards. maybe not the best solution, but oh well.

after my hair cut, we (the amazing sue, at aveda academy and i) stuffed our faces at moxie's.

yes, another one of those generic *yawn* chain restaurants. consensus on the burger? MEH. the fries were too dry and salty and the burger was not memorable. price? over $15 with a pop. yeesh. (we only went to moxie's because inlets bistro was closed.)

day 70.

2010-08-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

met up with a good friend for dinner at guu garlic then we went for some tea at capstone. (they have chocolate fondue!)

clockwise from top left:
kakuni (braised fatty pork belly... not good here! try hapa or toratatsu if you crave perfectly braised kakuni)
unagi (bbq'd eel) rice bowl
croquette
takoyaki
ebi mayo

day 67: xxxx.

2010-08-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

caught phoenix and you say party (formerly you say party! we say die!) at the orpheum.

you say party's a local band (from abbotsford) who are super fun live! the guitarist and i went through the same illustration & design program. i remember their first album's release party at pat's pub. now they're opening for bands like phoenix! it's pretty amazing.

the show was great, but i really wish we'd been able to score seats on the floor level. 'cause if you can't tell, that bottom inset photo is of fans that rushed the stage. all i could do was jealousy take poor quality cell phone photos.

i kind of lived in these skinny jeans and boots in january... the shirt i stole from the boy's closet. it's my favourite shirt that i don't own.

day 66: shiver.

2010-08-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

normal january weather was finally upon us.

look! i'm so cold, i'm shivering!

not really. slow shutter speeds are just fun.

it's (quite) hard to see, but i am wearing a c.2004 canucks sweatshirt (boys size; end-of-season sale, yeah!) why? because i'd been watching a canucks game that night, obvs. :P

then i had to face the cold of the outdoors, hence the giant scarf and pleather jacket.

how inappropriate of me to post this during the coldest and dreariest days we've had in a while this summer... my bad!

day 65: another birthday dinner.

2010-08-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

an ex-coworker, whom i reconnected with via twitter, invited me to his birthday dinner.

i'm very much an introvert so i'd otherwise have balked at attending, but knowing some other ex-coworkers would be present really helped, and (as it usually turns out) i did enjoy myself.

vintage nordstrom boy's wool blazer
urban behaviour knitted vest
gifted h&m scarf
joe fresh style girl's blouse (also seen here)
bdg high-waisted skinny jeans
vintage leather boots
bag from winners

i believe the birthday boy referred to my outfit as 'smart'...

day 64: hangin' out.

2010-08-03T20:48:00.000-07:00

had a wicked craving for bibimbap, so ventured downtown with the boy for some always satisfying korean food at jang mo jib.

the weather was decidedly warm for mid-january, but i was not complaining!

vintage nordstrom boy's wool blazer (purchased last summer from childhood flames)
h&m black cardigan
gifted scarf from friend's trip to india
top from shibuya store in melbourne (worn over organic cotton h&m racerback tank)
bdg highwaisted skinny jeans
ardene ballet flats

day 62: supahskillz.

2010-07-29T21:06:00.000-07:00

i have pretty bad luck with catching canucks events despite my best intentions, but i managed to make it to this year's superskills event. (yay!)

superskills is an annual event the canucks team holds basically for the benefit of the fans to see how skilled the players are, win prizes, etc. the team splits into white and blue jerseys and pit their skills against one another.

even armed with thunder sticks, i managed to take over 100 photos that day. can you say 'trigger happy?'

#16 forever... trevor linden's number retired and hanging in the rafters next to stan smyl.

a sign of things to come? blue team losing the first event and having to do push-ups as punishment.

more photos after the jump...

obstacle course

tanner glass getting a face full of cream.

accuracy test

great save luongo! and with that, the victory of the white team was sealed.

after the event, we had a late lunch at the earl's in yaletown. earl's is another one of those generic chain restaurants that have some decent, but mostly mediocre food at inflated prices. i feel like i am paying for a company that wants to overspend on decor and hope that the atmosphere is enough to make you forget about the prices to food-and-service-quality ratio.

having said all this, there is an item on the earl's menu that i quite love: grilled chicken with baked brie on ciabatta bread with fig jam, sliced roasted apples, spinach, and garlic mayo. oh.my.god. heaven. a messy heaven, but so worth it.

day 60: sushi + 'k'.

2010-07-24T16:15:00.000-07:00

a bunch of girls i've known since elementary school try to meet up at least once a month for dinner or some other activity (we played bingo last fall). sometimes not everyone can make it (we are a pretty big group) but a few of us met up for sushi and karaoke in richmond mid-january.

tsukiji japanese restaurant
clockwise from top left:
'tako shinjo' (deep fried octopus shaped into balls) / assorted sashimi /
assorted sushi (including a piece of anago) /
'ankimo' (monk fish liver) / bbq 'kawahagi' (trigger fish) /
'sunagimo' (chicken gizzards) / soft shell crab

it just so happened to be a day before n's birthday, so we surprised her with a cake (chestnut with fresh fruit toppings).

brandishing the cake knife in anticipation

the staff at tsukiji was very accommodating, but the food wasn't as special as i'd expect from an establishment that touts the same name as the world famous fish market. the prices were decent though, so if i find myself craving sushi before karaoke in richmond, i might visit again.

our karaoke haunt in richmond is di da di. over the years, i've heard stories about it being haunted and whatnot. the only thing i know is they have the best karaoke box (private room) prices. since i no longer keep up with asian pop, the fact that di da di are a few weeks behind on getting new songs really doesn't bother me. (i only sing classics. :P)

what i wore:

hand-me-down flannel / chinese laundry belt /
uniqlo jeans / dollhouse boots

day 58: errands + dinner.

2010-07-19T00:26:00.000-07:00

i like multiple outfit days. if it didn't take me so long to get dressed, i would probably change more often than is necessary. as it was though, on this day, the outfit change was a necessity.

outfit 1: errands
(or: grabbing a bottle of wine as a very last minute birthday present for the boy's mom)

h&m pleather jacket, bluenotes hoodie, keith haring uniqlo short-sleeved sweatshirt,
hanson tour merch aa scarf, unknown wool skirt, sparkle&fade tights, vans high tops

outfit 2: dinner with the boy's parents
........for the first time *gulp*

sofia shirt, vintage boots bought off etsy

sometimes i like analysing my outfits by where i picked up the pieces from... it's stupidly pleasing to know that different pieces came from different cities because it means i am actively pursuing my world travel goal.

day 54: movie + guu sushi

2010-07-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

it was a friend's birthday and we went to see the imaginarium of doctor parnassus. i didn't find the story particularly compelling, but the art direction and costumes were absolutely amazing.

google

after the movie, we headed to aberdeen centre for dinner at guu sushi.

top to bottom:
a special roll of some sort with mango dressing
pumpkin croquette with regular egg instead of quail egg
baked crab in avocado
recycled cardboard boxes for menu covers / anago

i found the service very friendly and the food quite satisfying. i'm still on the hunt for a piece of anago that can rival the one i had in mitaka, japan though.

sorry, i did not take any good photos of my outfit. for what it's worth, i was wearing a black cardigan (h&m), a green tee with multi-coloured prints boomboxes (one gold!) that i ordered from palmercash, a black skirt (costa blanca), black tights (joe fresh), and black ballet flats with belt+buckle detailing (ardene).

days 47-53.

2010-07-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

i did no outfit documentation at all this week - yikes!

january 2nd is my younger brother's birthday. family dinners involve hanging out with my favourite little boys in the world, so what better time to take webcam photos?

(for my sister's sake, i decided to crop part of my nephews' faces off, but their cuteness remains intact!)

all day breakfast at bon's: quite the romantic dinner date.

cellphotography

i don't hang out in richmond much anymore, but i definitely appreciate the way asian expats dress. check out this guy's spurs!

we got held up at the concession stands and missed the first minute or so of avatar. turns out sitting in the front corner during a 3d imax showing really gives you the best experience!

google

this is the album cover of some old vinyl record the boy owns. egads, look at that coat!!

remind you of something?

day 45: nye. (45 days to go)

2010-06-21T17:47:00.000-07:00

reminder:
have you RSVP'd for the crafts for kids event this sunday? ING DIRECT is now sponsoring refreshments!

*

still posting! i'm finally at the half-way mark!

i failed to take photos of my new year's eve festivities, but i very neatly arranged the components of my outfit the day after:

the purse is the same one my mom dug out last summer. after seeing the glamourai's diy post (who was inspired by lanvin and marni), i was inspired to do the same to my chained purse!

as you can see, i managed to make another excuse to wear those dollhouse boots. and i know i promised a better photo of the collar for this leopard print shirt, but this really isn't a better photo by any means. apologies!

oh and if you are interested in trying some african cuisine, check out nyala on main st off king edward. i've been a couple times and quite enjoy it!

*

thanks for all the feedback on the lace dress! since the opinions were pretty split, i might only take it up a tiny bit if at all. i'll remember to post a finished shot!

vintage lace: help please!

2010-06-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

i recently purchased this white vintage lace dress:

the chest doesn't fit (SURPRISE) so i'll need to get it altered a bit.

what i'm wondering is: should i get it hemmed to above-the-knee length? (just to be clear, i am wearing a black slip dress underneath.)

i am thinking of wearing this to a wedding this summer. the beauty of vintage is no one else will show up in the same outfit as you!

crafts for kids fundraiser!

2010-06-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

EDIT: ing direct is now sponsoring refreshments!!

**

i'll be away from blogging this weekend: camping at cultus lake! in the mean time, i want to share some info about a fundraising event my talented friend ida chan is organizing.

crafts for kids: crafts, bears, and kids is a crafting session taking place at mount pleasant community centre (1 kingsway, vancouver) on sunday, june 27th from 1 - 5pm.

click on the image to download a ready-to-print PDF flyer!
as well as crafting build-a-bear boxes for children's hospital patients, there are some great raffle prizes available from stampin' up!, build-a-bear workshop, yyoga, and lululemon among others.

we ask for a minimum $10 donation for the event. to reserve your seat, call ida at 778.892.1981 or shoot her an email at the address listed in the flyer.

all proceeds from the event will directly benefit the british columbia children's hospital foundation, which i personally have a very close tie to (it's thanks to the wonderful doctors and nurses at bc children's hospital that my brother is as healthy as he is today), so i jumped at the chance to help as much as i can with this event.

i hope to see some of you there!

have a great weekend everyone! i'll be returning comments next week! thanks for being such lovely readers. :)

day 44: more hockey. (46 days to go)

2010-05-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

the holidays are not complete without meeting up with old friends. being all hockey fans, we decided to catch a giants game together.

top to bottom:
vancouver giants vs prince george cougars
i'd like to drive a zamboni
timbits peewee hockey during intermission - so cute!
dinner at cactus club
unfortunately, i don't think the giants ended up winning that night, but it was still fun.

after the game, we grabbed some drinks and food at cactus club. i'm not a huge fan of chain restaurants, but cactus club has joined forces with rob feenie and this was the menu i had my eyes on.

yes, they were able to sucker me into adding prawns. i can't remember how much the dish cost, but i really enjoyed it. the website's description of the dish: truffle beurre blanc, amaretti, pine nuts and crispy sage. yup, that sounds about as delicious as i remember it being.

if i ever find myself at cactus club again, i'll likely try another rob feenie signature dish. but if all else fails, their yam fries and bellinis are still among my favourites of all the chain restaurants in and around vancouver.

day 40: go team canada! (50 days to go)

2010-05-29T23:30:00.000-07:00

(i skipped over some days as they were filled with prepping and celebrating christmas - family time!)

one thing i look forward to during the holidays is the iihf world juniors championships. and of course, i love to cheer on canada!

i was lamenting the fact that these dollhouse boots had only been worn out ONCE since purchased, so decided some stomping around the house in them was necessary.

the cardigan was a surprise find at walmart, the t-shirt i bought many, many, many moons ago from bluenotes, and the jeans are the same reworked big blue ones i've already worn a few times.

day 35-36: off to victoria! (54 days to go)

2010-05-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

oh indeed, i am so behind on blogging. i have been busy, busy, busy with work, work, work! we got an office space in downtown last month and we are so seriously in business with a website and clients. i mean, "it's like, totally business."

ANYWHOODLE, because i hate not finishing things i've started (hahaha.... ugh..) i'll keep posting about my challenge and everything after in chronological order. feel free to harass me on twitter if i go MIA for weeks (try a month?) again!

- - - -

nothing like a chai latte to start the day
scariest candy apples ever
(waaaaaaaay back in december) my friend and i ran off to victoria for a day to catch tegan and sara open for afi (i know; my mind was blown when i first heard the news).

with hunter burgan of afi (in black blazer)
if you haven't seen tegan and sara live, you really need to add it to your to-do list. even if you're not a big fan of their music, you will get a kick out of their live show. the random banters between tegan and sara are so great and they often take you down (their) memory lane.

this picture of davey havok kinda sums up the show
this was my first time catching afi (finally!!!!) so i was super excited! and yes, they were awesome! my friend only knows one afi song ("girl's not grey"; thanks to rock band) and he was quite impressed with their live show too!

my friend's friend (who actually did my hair and makeup for my grad show years ago) graciously let us stay at her loft downtown. (the gluten-free cookies were for her!) she uses the main floor for hairstyling and her place is so nicely furnished! i can understand why she does not want to live here though... being situated across from lucky bar and next to the international hostel is the absolute worst if you're trying to get some sleep!

the next morning, on our way to get caffeinated at habit, i spied sara (of tegan and sara) having breakfast at mo:le. after doing a double-take, we continued on next door. as we were leaving though, we ran into sara saying goodbye to her friends outside and we held the door for her to enter habit. she averted her eyes, so we didn't stop to harass, ahem, ask politely for a photo or autograph.

i gave up on being an olympic champion ages ago, so eggs benny for me!
after meeting with friends, we did end up wandering back to mo:le for breakfast, and i did creepily choose to sit at the table sara had sat, though not so creepy as to choose the exact seat.

i would have enjoyed my eggs benny more if it was actually hot. sadly, it arrived to me lukewarm, but i was too hungry to complain and honestly, the ingredients were all fresh and the service quite friendly, so i am willing to give mo:le another shot.

day 34: baking (56 days to go).

2010-04-19T15:08:00.000-07:00

no outfit documentation... was baking up a storm all day!

top: canucks sugar cookies
middle: squeaky visiting in the kitchen (and sniffing my camera)
bottom: gluten-free mint chocolate cookies

*sugar cookies + royal icing recipes from martha stewart
(don't make the same mistake i did by adding water to the icing recipe!!!!! the water is only if you are using meringue powder instead of egg whites!)

*gluten-free mint chocolate cookies recipe from gluten-free goddess

day 33: hapa & late night walmart adventures (57 days to go).

2010-04-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

late one saturday, my friend popped by and asked if i wanted to head out for some izakaya. how could i pass up the opportunity?

we headed to hapa on robson and proceeded to spoil our taste buds and stomachs silly.

left to right, top to bottom:
"harajuku girls" cocktails
'bbq' speech bubble found in the menu
kabocha - whipped japanese pumpkin accompanied by walnut and cream, melba toast
tuna carpaccio served with slightly spicy yuzu dressing
renkon "gyoza" - minced pork sandwiched between slices of lotus root, battered in tempura
kakuni - simmered chinese pork belly served with steamed buns
panna cotta

the kakuni was by far my favourite! i now make an effort to order this dish at every izakaya that offers it, but so far haven't found one that surpasses hapa's. (except maybe my parents' versions of fatty pork belly. mmmmmm......)

after stuffing ourselves, we headed to walmart for a late night run... for what exactly, i can't even remember. i did pick up some snacks and a set of kitchen jars though.

top to bottom:
how the "supercentre" looks at 1am (that's me running across frame)
holiday donut holes
me modelling some elven-like shoes
sexy slippers

day 31: nu (59 days to go).

2010-03-23T02:16:00.000-07:00

where oh where does the time go? i started working on this post well over a week ago and yet... here we are, 10 days later and i'm still trying to post december outfits. oh dear.

so... about three months ago, my friend had her birthday dinner at nu. the layout and decor of the restaurant was quite interesting. i'd love to visit during warmer weather and sit on the patio overlooking the water.

while we perused the menu and waited for latecomers, we were served (many plates of) focaccia bread and butter sprinkled with smoked sea salt. (i had not tasted butter with smoked sea salt before and i wholeheartedly approve!)

some appetizers were shared, including the nu poutine (qualicum cheese curds, crackling, and truffle oil; not bad); beer battered oysters (not very memorable); and fried dumplings (tasty enough).

for myself, i ordered a cocktail (the name of which completely eludes me, but its ingredients included ginger beer, peach schnapps and mint leaves); albacore tuna (not the best i've had, but tasty enough); and a trio of sorbets for dessert (one of the sorbets was a bit icy and the tuile was not as thin and crispy as i like, but overall, quite delicious).

and my outfit for the night:

the shirt was a gift from my friend - my first animal print! i think i decided to pair it with these jeans simply because i was feeling too lazy to change out of them.

day 29: multiple meet-ups (61 days to go).

2010-03-11T15:21:00.000-08:00

hello blogosphere friends! i have not forgotten about you nor this little blog of mine.

this past month has been packed to the brim! i'm happy to catch a breather and hop back into blogging; hopefully finish up my challenge posts by the end of this month. (wow, am i behind!)

i wore this (under a long coat) for lunch with a good friend (we discussed her wedding plans), shopping for baking ingredients at gourmet warehouse (foodies, this place is amazing), and dinner with old co-workers.

the blazer i won from squarectomy - thanks so much, grace - i love it!

lastly: i will catch up on comments, i promise! aside from not blogging, i've also not been particularly dedicated to reading blogs either (my google reader says i have about 1000 unread posts... oops). so sit tight, lovelies! things will swing back to normal shortly.

day 24: coast (66 days to go).

2010-02-09T02:47:00.000-08:00

drinks help start the night off right.
as regular readers know, i love izakaya food, but i also love (love, love) french-canadian cuisine... or just poutine. (although montreal smoked-meat? yum.) when i'd read about coast's lobster poutine months ago, i knew i had to try it!

lobster poutine
conclusion: thumbs up!

coast boasts a large fresh seafood menu and a not-so-small price tag. the atmosphere was decidedly louder and more lounge-like than i expected, but the service was very attentive. there was a delay on our food, so we were complimented with a flatbread:

smoked salmon flatbread
for our main course, we decided on their signature seafood platter:

cod, salmon, gnocchi, scallops, prawns & deep-fried brussels sprouts
i'm sorry to say that we were all disappointed in this dish. the cod and salmon were too dry and rather bland. the scallops and prawns were quite good, but not able to salvage a dish where the deep-fried brussels sprouts almost induced a gag reflex and the gnocchi sat overcooked in its tiny pot.

and finally, my outfit for the night:

shirt: bluenotes
lace tube top: sirens/mariposa
belt: ardenes
skirt: costa blanca
tights: urban outfitters
shoes: forever 21

two.

2010-02-05T01:25:00.000-08:00

i know i promised a progress report on my challenge, but i'm way too exhausted to do any sort of colour-correcting or layout work.

so instead, here is an outfit i felt inspired by and a photo of lady gaga that i want to paint:

sources: the electric & last.fm

ny fashion week.

2010-02-04T16:20:00.000-08:00

i just realised we'll be in new york for the second half of fall 2010 fashion week. oh. my. god. i die.

ps - progress updates on shopping challenge coming tonight!

day 21: staying in (69 days to go).

2010-01-26T02:21:00.000-08:00

lazy day; lazy photo:

around the time of this outfit, i was reading the virgin suicides by jeffrey eugenides. i've not watched the movie yet, because i am rather anal about reading a book before seeing a screen adaptation, but despite this, the fact that i knew kirsten dunst was in the movie already planted a visual seed in me: i saw her as lux lisbon the entire time i was reading. (of course, having borrowed this [pictured above] edition of the book did not help matters.)

i'll admit to being a bit of a hopeless romantic (and maybe even a bit of a girly-girl at heart) and the opening paragraphs describing the neighbourhood instantly transported me into a picture-perfect world: quaint houses, big lawns, lazy sunny days, cecilia in her vintage wedding dress... somehow eugenides manages to suppress the darkness of the suicides and mystery of the lisbon sisters; painting almost a fantasy world around worship and intrigue.

i enjoyed the book and suspect i'd also enjoy sofia coppola's visual adaptation. here's a quote i chose to jot down from an unlikely character, mr. conley, the communist neighbour:

"Capitalism has resulted in material well-being but spiritual bankruptcy."

day 19: ugly sweater party (71 days to go)!

2010-01-19T02:14:00.000-08:00

serious backlog in material! i've been rather unproductive the past couple weeks. (let's blame boys.) i hope to be blogging on a more regular schedule starting today.

finally unveiling my ugly sweater for 2009:

sweater: vv, skirt: costa blanca, tights: joe fresh, boots: arnold churgin.

more ugliness:

i found this on my computer... i'm still so in love:

oscar de la renta resort 2009 (click to enlarge)
photo by scott gries // getty images

day 18: babysitting (72 days to go).

2009-12-28T15:10:00.000-08:00

i was crazy to think i'd have any extra time to blog during december; the holiday season pretty much has me flailing every year.

sorry for lack of updates and lack of comments on all your blogs... i'll try to catch up on some reading and commenting over the next week or so. thanks for all the continued support!

something i wore a few weeks back to babysit my baby niece and nephews...

...minus the heels once the kiddies actually arrived.

ps - don't worry, i haven't broken my ban yet!

zakkushi = more food porn. (16 down; 74 to go.)

2009-12-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

last wednesday we went hunting for ugly sweaters at value village to don at our friends' party.

despite the jam-packed racks of sweaters, i was surprised how difficult it was to find a sweater ugly enough for the party. a few truly heinous ones were $10 or more! sorry, not paying that much for fug. (does the acquiring of an ugly sweater go against my shopping ban? i say 'nay' because such abomination is going back into the donation bin after the party.)

after spending too much time in vv (as per usual) and being tempted by some true 80's gems, we went for dinner at zakkushi on main. (remember my love for izakaya?)

major photo dump ahead. don't scroll on an empty stomach.

decor - ceramic banana peel pendant lamps?

i had to order one of their drink specials - sake with cassis and calpico (aka calpis) - because setsugetsuka (literally translates to 'snow moon flower') is fun to say. it was really sweet, but tasty.

a featured dish: deep-fried quail eggs - not unlike takoyaki in preparation and dressing.

zakkushi's signature is char-grilled food, so naturally we loaded up on yakitori.

for our main dish, we ordered the mentai kimuchi yakiudon (i mixed it before remembering to photograph, oops) and for dessert, dorayaki matcha ice cream.
writing this post made my mouth water... anyway, my outfit that evening:

i have not invested in over-the-knee boots this season, but own a few pairs of thigh-high socks, so decided to play around with pairing those with boots:

my mom brought this coat back from china a few years ago - it was either a gift from one of my aunt's or just chosen by her - and the boots are the same ones i am wearing here.

ps - my ugly sweater cannot be revealed 'til i actually post about the party!

clash of the patterns. 15 days later; 75 left.

2009-12-01T23:59:00.000-08:00

i know i've been bad about chronicling and updating (getting sick really threw off my stride). i suppose i inevitably would have missed a day or two in between, but i've really missed A LOT and it's been hard to feel motivated after being out of commission with those sick days.

apologies aside, i actually looked in a part of my closet today that has been neglected for at least a month and it helped to inspire some outfit ideas, so there is hope!

anyway, client meeting today:

roxy coat - h&m scarf + dress
sparkle&fade tights - f21 shoes

holy clashing patterns, batman! i got dressed with the coat as a complete afterthought, but the similarities in tone doesn't make this so bad... right?

.

btw, thanks everyone for the get-well sentiments - i am still coughing a bit, but generally feel fine (about 99%) and will be returning comments once i get caught up all my projects!

the infinite vest? (10 down, 80 more to go!)

2009-11-26T23:49:00.000-08:00

i was called for a last minute job interview today; rushed downtown without a morsel of food (felt like i was going to keel over more than once) - thank you, tim hortons for $2 sustenance!

my no-time-to-fuss outfit (this may as well be the "one hundred and one ways to wear this knit vest" show!):

urban behavior knit vest - h&m shirt dress - f21 belt
joe fresh tights - arnold churgin boots
i honestly don't plan my outfits around this vest - it just seems to fit in a lot of combos - plus i welcome the extra layer these days.

.

also went out for a korean bbq dinner with some girl friends at insadong in coquitlam:

aa scarf (i'm actually wearing a hanson screen-printed one; '08 tour merch)
elizabeth&james draped back tank
sofia long-sleeve tee - bdg jeans - toms shoes

i don't wear any of my (four pairs of) toms very often, but they are very comfy and toms is really a great cause.

i picked up these bronze glitter ones in tulsa, ok, but they are no longer available via the canadian toms shoes site. (i don't know when all the international sites launched, but it makes me very happy!)

.

yes, the title of this post alludes to the infinite dress - you know the one - you've probably seen the infomercial many times in your childhood. (i caught it once every weekend after my morning cartoons from the age of six to nine... i'm not sure why they were hawking dresses at my demographic... maybe it was later in the day after i watched designing women or golden girls... seems my taste in sitcoms was a few decades ahead of my physical age.)

explaining my absence... 8 down, 82 to go!

2009-11-24T23:55:00.000-08:00

so we're already over a week into my 90-day shopping ban and i've only had two outfit posts... i do have an explanation! i've been out with the flu since wednesday night! i was so gutted to wake up thursday feeling even worse than i did the night before.

thankfully, this flu was not horrible enough to keep me away from the canucks game on sunday. this was the only game i'm able to afford for the entire season! so, come hell or highwater, i was not going to miss it! by sunday i was coughing, but definitely feeling at least 90% of my normal self. (sorry for scaring you, liv!)

some highlights from the game (that the canucks lost... *tear* i swear i broke that curse during the pre-season game!):

clockwise from top left:
ripper getting the job done!
the return of daniel sedin!
burrows squashing niemi ROFL
keep your head up, toews! hahaha

and me all layered up - the scarf was a must for me to cough into:

i might buy a more fitted jersey next year....

i also witnessed niki (of a haute mess) win a canucks trivia contest without even realizing it 'til i got home. haha congrats again, niki!

canucks images courtesy canucks.com.

2 down, 88 to go.

2009-11-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

sorry for the lacklustre post, but i am feeling quite under the weather.

talula hoodie
urban behaviour knit vest
f21 leggings
arnold churgin boots

1 down, 89 more to go: sweats.

2009-11-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

90 days 'til nyc - the madness has officially begun!

i did not venture out of the house today, which isn't particularly conducive to outfit creativity, but i decided to try out this sweats with heels trend i've been noticing.

urban behaviour knit vest, vans tee,
h&m girls' sweat pants, f21 heels

these sweat pants are a bit too baggy for the look i wanted, but i was definitely comfy!

to answer some questions, this shopping ban includes all clothing, shoes, accessories and makeup - anything materialistic that isn't a necessity - and does not include presents for friends and loved ones (though i'd already decided before i set this ban, that i'd be making all my christmas gifts this year).

friday the 13th + lessons learned.

2009-11-13T11:28:00.000-08:00

i associate friday the thirteenths with eeriness. and in that spirit:

vogue novias españa [vogue brides spain] a/w '02-'03
"felices sueños" by alfonso ohnur
via foto_decadent
eerie and beautiful, n'est ce pas?

lessons learned from previous post:

when blogging, don't cram too much content into one sitting and don't ramble on - most people won't read it.

i had wrestled with the idea of making two separate posts with my previous one, but was too eager to share my idea! (patience isn't my forte.)

for those who missed it, i'll recap that idea in fewer words:

inspired by nicole at le mode du jour - mission: impossible
thinking of not shopping 'til new york city in mid-february
90-day shopping ban will begin november 17
will document any (and lack of) creativity
yay/nay?

thanks nicole, for the inspiration & encouragement!

on my to-do list this weekend:
take stock of what i own in my closet(s) and basically have a dress-up party. (i credit nina garcia for this idea.)

"dickbag" + something's a-brewing...

2009-11-10T00:34:00.000-08:00

happily posing in front of our button!

firstly, i do need to say "thank you" for your nice comments on my mix tape button!

saturday's hot one inch action show was great fun! upon arrival, chris informed me that "Dickbag" was quite popular - yay! it was funny going around the room trading and finding out people's reactions to our button while we stayed (for the most part) anonymous.

my haul

my favourite button of the night was the popsicle which my friend procured for me from a boy (about the age of 11?) who happily traded for "Dickbag." (are kids being amused by such things at too young an age?)

finally, there is a reason i have bantered for so long before revealing our button... it is not very suitable for work!

i have purposely chosen to not close-crop on the image, but depending on how casual your work environment is, you may want to scroll at your own risk.

...

...

...

...

Dickbag

your eyes do not deceive you - that literally is a bag of dicks sporting wayfarers and skinny jeans, and riding a bicycle.

now, what's brewing is an idea...

last week, nicole at le mode du jour, posted about her 40-day shopping ban challenge. the significance of this challenge is that she must exercise not only self-restraint but also her creativity and document 40 days' worth of different outfits from her own closet. crazy, yes, but also such a great idea! no shopping for x-number of days always seems like such a self-pity-fest, but adding that creativity element adds a bit of excitement. (...or maybe i'm just a big geek, and this i can heartily admit to.)

well, this got me thinking... month-long shopping bans i've done before, so what's an extra few days? in fact, as of this post, it's been exactly 40 days since my last purchase and it wasn't too agonizing.

i have two trips planned for next year and the first is new york city in mid-february. what i'm wondering is if i could possibly start a new challenge - a 90-day shopping ban - and try to document each day of it? it's sheer insanity, i know, but if the light at the end of the tunnel is the shopping mecca that is new york city, i just might be able to hold on.

so my dear readers, what is your stance on this? are you declaring this lunacy or are you rooting for me like you would the underdog? please let me know! i will consider all arguments!

one more bit of info: if this is a go, it'll officially start on november 17th!

you're invited!

2009-11-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

"i made you a mix tape."

i really ought to have extended this invitation ages ago, but here it is, finally!

come on out tomorrow night - saturday, november 7th - for the 6th annual hot one inch action button art show!

w2 perel gallery
112 w hastings
button trading starts at 8pm!

hot one inch action, created and curated by chris bentzen and jim hoehnle, is a fun night of art and social interaction. this one-night only event showcases 50 buttons by 50 different artists. for $5 you'll receive a blind bag of 5 buttons and from there you are encouraged to trade with other attendees until you get all the buttons you want! a good way to sharpen your bargaining skills indeed. and yes, you are allowed to buy as many bags of buttons as you like! some live music, light snacks and a mini bar are usually present as well!

i am doubly excited for this year's show because i'll be one of the 50 artists featured again! this year it was a collaboration with my friend. if you're attending, keep a look out for "Dickbag" by kel/kel! what the button looks like, i cannot reveal just yet. (the photo above is of my 2006 button "i made you a mix tape.") hope to see some of you there!

apt descriptions: maybe not my forte.

2009-10-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

last thursday, i went to yuk yuks 'cause i'd won tickets from filling in a comment card the last time i was there. i laughed 'til my gut hurt and my eyes watered up! the mc for the night was adam pateman and seriously, his bits on hipsters, love, and canadian heritage had me practically rolling on the floor.

anyway, i wanted to document this outfit mostly because i've been wearing these vintage slouch boots for two months now, but never posted photos of them:

i had tweeted that they "fit like a glove" - which is an extremely weird description... feet gloves? ..socks? (a little late on the promise, but fulfilling your request for photos, kelsey!) they can also be worn unfolded - very pirate-y.

the inspiration behind the layout and photo colouring are the marc by / marc jacobs ads photographed by juergen teller. his photos are generally softer in lighting but i like the contrast of the grittier photos against a clean layout.

source: marc jacobs

yum squared, pretty squared.

2009-10-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

on tuesday i checked out yum yum pretty pretty, a dinner plus fashion show night hosted by chill winston in gastown.

the night showcased fashions from local designers and gastown boutiques including:
deluxe junk
planet claire
lloyds of gastown
(212) and
john fluevog amongst others.

of particular note was the men's fashions. i, like most ladies, greatly appreciate a well-dressed man.

photos courtesy the gastown blog**

what i wore:

matthew williamson for h&m jacket (this is only the second time i've worn it!)
h&m top, bdg jeans,
chinese laundry patent peep toe heels (i wish they were christian louboutin)

** my friend and i were unknowingly photographed and featured on the front page of the gastown blog the day after the fashion show! haha witness:

i'm just glad they captured me deep in conversation instead of stuffing food in my mouth. though who knows if they might have such a photo on file....? scary. (i assure you i am quite broke, so the photo/s will not work as blackmail!)

potential overindulgence.

2009-10-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

so i debated going to the fine finds shopping party hosted by the style spy last week because i'd put myself on another shopping ban. in the end, i figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out - mostly because cupcakes, macaroons, and mini manicures were too tempting. (of the three, i only got to sample the mini cupcakes.) i also met nicole of le mode du jour!

i must give myself a tiny congratulatory pat on the back for not breaking down and buying a giant clutch; something that's been on my want list for a long time. the particular clutch i found that night was big enough to hold all the crap i lug around and just felt so right in my hand. *sigh i guess there will be others.

afterward, we had dinner at stella's on the drive, but as one friend was dieting and the other not having much appetite, i did not order the oh-so-tasty frites. a light dinner and no shopping, but i still had fun!

i got lazy about setting up my tripod for photos, so tried something a bit different:

(a little bit influenced by susie of style bubble, but not nearly as detailed!)

i've been living in these jeans and knit vest! i almost returned the jeans and had an absolute nightmare of a time hemming them (hence the shoddy job; will have to take some sandpaper to the hem too), but now i'm so glad i kept them. as for the vest, i've been having too much fun layering. i'm sure i'll wish for it to magically grow some sleeves as the temperature plummets though.

and also a super-belated THANK YOU to kelsey at the anthology for passing along another award to me!

i'm passing this onto:
• pigtails&blushingcheeks
• loafing odysseys
• fashion canvas
• my suitcase heart

it's not a cape, edna, and i'm no superhero.

2009-10-17T00:50:00.000-07:00

i am guilty of sitting on these outfit photos for a while. they are from the last weekend of september; what i wore for dinner at the edge.

i had no idea how japanese-influenced this outfit was 'til i started this post...

the cardigan with giant sleeves was purchased over the summer from my friend's aunt who runs a clothing factory in asia. i do not know the label as all the clothes are sold in japan only.

i am also wearing a camisole purchased from a japanese store in melbourne (white tank worn underneath is h&m organic), black skinny jeans from uniqlo japan, and arnold churgin boots.

if there is any doubt as to what the title of this post refers to, why it's to the incredibles and edna mode's aversion to capes!

as an aside, the characters in the images have no connection to the "japanese-ness" of my outfit - they are actually titles of chinese songs that i was listening to while photoshopping. (i sometimes feel the need to clarify such things.)

seattle/bumbershoot 2009.

2009-10-13T02:01:00.001-07:00

i've really been feeling little inspiration to blog. sorry for the absence.

having finally uploaded photos from my labour day seattle/bumbershoot trip to [crack]book, i decided i'd better share some here as well.

i don't have any outfit photos though. the weather was unpredictable and i ended up dressing in variations of my standard outfit (skinny jeans, chuck taylors/tretorn rain boots, black sweater/jacket) most the weekend.

from top:
• i can't help but take photos of pretty clouds while i'm in the car
• inside a bar
• jimmy fallon yearbooked
• AMAZING JACKET! i don't even know who this is... we were drunk
• branded by the club
• gay ponies i took from the gay bar

from top:
• natalie portman's shaved head throwing a beach party
• the all-american rejects were pretty good
• sport menu
• my chicken sandwich
• de la, de la, de la soul
• the space needle at night

from top:
• crazy rainy morning
• our beloved alley
• matching his & hers rainboots (not really)
• lights at jason mraz
• jason mraz

from top:
• amazingly long wait for an amazingly good brunch
• black eyed peas put on an awesome show - which i forgot they were capable of
• "bLunch" is the dumbest thing EVER
• FRANZ FERDINAND!!!!!!!!!! completely killed it; best show of the weekend
• metric were great, but seriously hard to top franz

oh, and if you don't already love/hate emily haines for being so talented, take a gander at her jacket:

yes, i had to make sure i got a good enough photo of it so i could drive myself crazy.

thanks to all who cast their votes on who should win the best costume prize from my half-bday party. it's pretty neck and neck! but i'll just have to make an executive decision. i've decided the prize will be a tub of ben & jerry's half baked ice cream. :D

i'll be returning comments very soon! promise! hope all my fellow canadians had a wonderful thanksgiving!

half bday.

2009-09-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

don't let the title fool you, we are still in catch-up mode!

i celebrated my half birthday at the beginning of the month with some close friends. it was very last minute, so it was officially titled "quelle's half-assed half bday" where the theme was halves. (yes, i am huge on party themes!)

my outfit:

(serious credit to susie of style bubble for the belted dress-on-dress idea! [...can you find my gushing comment?])

a few of my friends dressed up too!

i did promise a prize for best costume, but have not created/purchased/re-wrapped(? heh) said prize yet. nor have i chosen a winner! perhaps, i'll let you, my readers choose the winner! it should be noted that not pictured is one friend who decided she didn't need to dress up because she is half fijian and half italian. haha cast your vote in the comments!

we interrupt your regularly scheduled program...

2009-09-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

let us briefly veer off the catch-up path because i am bursting to share two things!

one: i went to the warehouse shoe sale at pne rollerland* (thanks for the vip night email, teresa!) and scored some arnold churgin boots that are, for me, the perfect knee-high, lace-front, leather hybrid.

the shaft height and the heel remind me of the triple-lace ann demeulemeester boots from fall '08 (okay, so it's not a wicked talon heel, but still stacked) while the tiny laces and detailing remind me of the prada spring '06 peep-toe boots (that i almost managed to get off ebay.. *sigh*), so you see, really the best of both worlds! and without the giganto price tag! now i feel less sad for not being able to buy those prada boots. (i guess the links make it seem like i'm a huge jane aldridge/sea of shoes worshipper... maybe i am. or maybe she's the first hit on google when i type in my search! but i digress...)

my second item of news is...

i cut my hair again on monday, and...

yes, super short! (sorry for the crap photos, but rest assured there'll be more photos in the weeks to come!) i haven't had hair this short since i was about one. i've considered having short hair on and off for a few years, but with the encouragement of my hairstylist extraordinaire, sue (at aveda academy), i took the plunge. i knew if i was going to cut, i'd cut it shorter than what i had last fall and the other option was to grow it out, which didn't excite me too much (mostly because i am super impatient).

anyway, ramble, bamble... thus concludes our detour!

*the warehouse shoe sale at pne rollerland goes from thursday, september 24 - sunday, september 27. hours are 10am - 9pm, thursday and friday; 10am - 6pm, saturday and sunday. happy shopping!

still playing catch-up, part whatever.

2009-09-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

i love getting stuff in the mail. when a package arrives, it's like christmas! (except it's more like christmas presents i bought for myself.)

i was pretty surprised to receive this particular package from camille only days after purchasing:

what did i buy?

a wool blazer and a rogan for target tee!

i love them both. they fit perfectly and are super comfy.

my kitty decided to visit in my room all morning and hang about while i opened and photographed the package of clothes:

i love his white paws:

still playing catch-up, part i.

2009-09-14T00:46:00.000-07:00

quick post! meant to get this outfit posted a couple thursdays ago before i left for seattle, but my half-bday celebrations and packing got in the way. and after i got back from my trip, i dived back into contract/out-of-home work and social obligations. so maybe i'll always be playing catch-up. sigh.

anyway, wore this to run some bridal shower errands and then a hot pot dinner with friends.

h&m scarf, unknown label pinstripe vest, hanes girl's camisole,
nitrogen jeans (winners), go jane sandals,
vintage sunglasses, miscellaneous jewelry

playing catch-up, part ii: blog love.

2009-09-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

a couple weeks back, i was honoured to receive the stylish blogger award from both the anthology and it's a beautiful life! thanks so much ladies!

along with receiving the award, i've been tagged to list 10 things that contribute to my unique style. i'm not really good at describing myself and tend to self-edit a lot, so this list you're about to read was probably a couple hours in the making:

1. i draw influence from many different people and sources and i'm not sure i've really established "my style" yet.

2. i've always tended to wear what i like and have been ridiculed for it when i was in grade school, but that never stopped me.

3. i try to look for extra little details in an otherwise basic tee or sweater.

4. i'm always on the lookout for something that's a bit quirky/out-of-ordinary; things the average shopper will avoid.

5. i have a love affair with ultra feminine skirts and dresses (though maybe not so well-documented on this blog).

6. why blend in with drab colours and typical cuts and fabrics, when i can be loud, bold, bright and colourful? (though maybe not all at once...)

7. i started pilfering my dad's neglected/outgrown/shrunken clothes in highschool. (and actually just claimed one of his watches.)

8. i try to keep form and function in mind, but still tend to buy shoes only for the form and not so much the function.

9. clothes are a form of expression, but also representation.

10. this has been really tough to compile... so i'm just going to steal from my design school grad bio: "... [i have] an appreciation for white space, bold colours, and tasteful tackiness."

and now i'm faced with the task of who to pass this award onto, which is a real toughy, but i've managed to narrow it down to:

* pretty in leather (because you are crazy talented and creative),
* cocorosa (because you are also crazy talented and creative with deceptively simple outfits),
* chic heroin (because you can slip between styles so effortlessly and seamlessly),
* the glamourai (because you are so incredibly creative, inspiring, and of course, glamourous!), and
* a girl and her dreams (because you are an endless source of inspiration without even flaunting your closet's contents).

and, as requested: more food porn.

pictured: a dinner (ebi mayo, tuna carpaccio, [mushroom?] risotto, ahi tuna with avocado, dr loosen riesling [my fave wine]) that my friend just whipped up rather last minute (serious, she's crazy good) and the view enjoyed from her 25th-floor yaletown balcony.

also, before i forget again:
thank you all for the compliments on my hair cut! i have passed on your love to my hairstylist extraordinaire, sue ho, at the aveda academy on robson. (congrats on staying with aveda, sue! i'm glad i won't have to trek to langley to get my hair done. haha)

ps - yes, that list did take me a few hours.

playing catch-up, part i: dinner at kingyo.

2009-09-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

whoops, sorry for the long hiatus. the past couple weeks were jammed with tonnes of bridal "stuff" (the usual that accompanies a friend's wedding) and family/home "stuff" (i won't elaborate to save you from the boredom). anywho, the result is a severe backlog of blogging material. in an attempt to catch up before my long-weekend trip (bumbershoot 2009, here i come!), i'll be posting quite frequently before friday.

about, er.. 3 weeks ago, a couple girlfriends and i went for dinner at kingyo (they have a super cute website!). as already established, i love me some izakaya!

a small sampling of drinks and food consumed that night:

for dessert, we headed to true confections down the street.

sorry for the food porn! this is what i wore that night:

ae tee & sweater, costa blanca skirt, joe fresh style tights, converse sneakers
vintage "dkny" purse, assorted accessories

the headband (by goody) is one of two i picked up for about $4 from london drugs in july. i haven't worn a headband since... who knows when. i originally bought these thinking i would repurpose them into necklaces, but they are working out as is for now.

i am awful at trying to braid my own hair, but decided to give french-braiding a go that day. i think the headband detracts from the mess i made of my hair.

pub night.

2009-08-20T02:39:00.000-07:00

headed out for drinks a couple weekends ago as a farewell to a friend. the cambie was first on our itin (i had a pretty decent veggie burger). after a round of "guess the artist to these mid-nineties songs," we headed to the lamplighter... to be disappointed by the music: a collection of lackluster remixes (probably heard the worst mix of "billie jean" ever). the only song that we actually bothered to hit the dance floor to was "your love" by the outfield. the lamplighter's only saving grace was the fact that they were playing - no joke! - he-man on their tv screens. (and based on the last two sentences, it's evident i am a total 80's child at heart.)

wearing:
h&m jacket / elizabeth & james draped back tank
h&m organic cotton tank / uniqlo jeans
asos shoes / vintage purse
i used green eyeshadow again:

and while webcam-photo-whoring...

1) hair looking extra-asymmetrical... yesss!
2) hmm... something is striking me as odd...
3) !!! i went out with green eyeshadow and red nails! how inappropriately festive!

(yeah, i have a junky room... i can't stop my pack-rat tendencies, but i am working on getting proper organization systems in.)

fulfilling some requests.

2009-08-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

liv of it's a beautiful life had asked to see a close up of the vintage gold necklace i've worn in some previous posts, so i am (finally) obliging.

i have no idea where this necklace came from. i only know that it's been part of our (myself and my sister's) jewelry collection for as long as i can remember.

kelsey of the anthology managed to snag a vintage expo 86 tee last month which reminded me of the two i have kicking around in my own closet. they aren't the same style as kelsey's, but i did promise to share some photos:

the red version is a youth size. the blue one is still in its package, yes, though barely. after all these years of being tossed into the back of many wardrobes and closets, it's really fighting its way out of the bag. i doubt i will ever wear it.

this last item is by no means a request. i just wanted to share this failed attempt at capturing a stunningly orange sun from last week. i'm kind of liking how the photo turned out. happy mistakes!

here's to hoping the sun makes a full return soon!

red lips and irony.

2009-08-12T00:59:00.000-07:00

last week, i came across this photo of mary-kate on fashion canvas (a good source for bits of daily inspiration) and was instantly reminded that i own a tube of red lipstick that gets way too little use.

remembering the concealer tip from this xsparkage tutorial, i proceeded to paint my lips red, but the finishing touches were really the "ironic" glasses from asos.

wearing: vintage men's shirt with an assortment of jewelry (more deets below).

clockwise from top left:
- spitfire sunglasses
- forever21 ring
- sterling silver "pisces" ring my friend gave me in highschool
- silver ring my grandfather made for my sister when she was a toddler (i wear it on my pinky)
- h&m necklace (hacked; large oval plate removed)
- vintage shell necklace
- vintage sterling silver ring

jewelry haul.

2009-08-10T02:21:00.000-07:00

last weekend, whilst browsing the many stalls at the annual powell street festival, i nabbed some cheap vintage jewelry.

total damage: $10.

the boxes are hand-made and the stand was operated by the cutest elderly japanese ladies. i almost bought another ring the lady was suggesting to me and could easily have spent another $10 there!

unfortunately, i stupidly forgot to bring my camera. it was such a nice day and the turn out was amazing this year! (thanks to the relocation, no doubt.) there were plenty of yukata and some taiko performances as well. on strict orders from the herbalist, i was not allowed fried and spicy foods (two of my favourites!!), so i chowed down on gyoza and rice instead of stuffing myself silly with okonomiyaki, takoyaki (i did sneak a couple of these off my friends though), or korokke. i bought 2 raffle tickets for a round-trip to tokyo, but alas, have not received a call to congratulate me on winning. (but there is a slight possibility i'll make a short visit in december en route to/from guam. we'll see!)

my day.

2009-08-06T01:04:00.000-07:00

i got a bit obsessed with playing with the settings on my camera, so here's a little photo documentation of how i spent the last day of july...

a heaping bowl of chinese herbal medicine to get rid of that nagging cough...

...with some haw flakes to get rid of that bitter taste.

i also went a bit crazy at the library last week...

knocked off "hickory dickory dock" a few nights ago, and i've got a couple more chapters to go with "peril at end house." i doubt these will be finished by their initial due date!

(that strip of outdoor beauty in the above image is from a failed photo of a new headband i was sporting that day. i will try to take better photos of me wearing it soonish.)

thanks for all your lovely comments on my makeup! (i hope to return them all by the end of this week!) most of what i've learned is from gurus like xteeener on youtube. there is a serious treasure trove of awesome tutorials on youtube! god bless the internet!

magic's in the makeup.

2009-08-02T14:03:00.001-07:00

i'm really far behind on posts 'cause i've been battling a cold on and off for half of july. this past week i've just been coughing so bad, i've really not enough energy to do much posting. (i'll return comments over the next few days; promise! i'm behind on reading blogs too...)

anywho, just a quick post with some eye makeup i did for the no doubt concert a couple weekends back. the main colours i used were honey, fishnet, and graffiti from an urban decay deluxe shadow palette.

(i should make a bigger effort to photograph makeup before going out - not after sweating through a concert and sitting in the back seat of a drop top at night with my hair whipping my face.)

source: google images
well, the concert was awesome, of course. no doubt was just as amazing and energetic as i would've expected them to be if i'd the chance to see them 10 years ago. (gwen stefani is as stunning as ever.)

source: google images
colours enhanced in photoshop - this picture just makes me laugh!

truth: i've loved no doubt since "don't speak" (i still remember the first time i heard it and it was only a tiny clip from their video on tv), but i found out about the tour dates via paramore (which practically made me shit my pants) and i am, presently, a bigger paramore than no doubt fan. so, with a twinge of guilt, i will admit that i was more excited to see paramore than no doubt, but of course, no doubt just blew my mind.

i've already seen paramore live, and while i think they perform like seasoned veterans even though they are only in their early 20s (actually, zac farro, the drummer is still just 19, i believe), i was a tad disappointed that they didn't mix up their live act a bit more. honestly, a lot of it sounded like their live album, which really bummed me out. but, hayley williams is just a little fire ball of energy - in some ways, she reminds me of gwen stefani. (the concert performance of "stand and deliver" with both gwen and hayley on vocals was too awesome for words.)

not to be forgotten, i did find bedouin soundclash rather fun. i only knew one song and they really got crapped on in terms of stage setup and lighting, but they still delivered.

okay, so this wasn't as small a post as i thought it'd be. i ramble too much.

ps - i've read some reviews of this no doubt tour and i do not appreciate those out there who've been labelling paramore fans as twilight teenies, because
a) i am not a teeny; i'm in my mid-twenties, thanks
b) i don't even like twilight (i have recently borrowed the first book though, so we shall see if i may be converted), which brings me to
c) i couldn't possibly be a fan of paramore because of twilight. i've loved paramore since '06, which was years before paramore and twilight had anything to do with one another.
/mini rant.

pps - happy bc day! hooray for long weekends!

uber geek alert.

2009-07-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

remember how i wrote about wanting to be bellatrix lestrange for the harry potter and the half-blood prince midnight showing? clearly i would never look as awesome as helena bonham carter, but my own interpretation wouldn't hurt. actually, i didn't really end up being bellatrix - more like a cross between a slytherin and a wannabe-death eater.

watch out! that might be the aveda kedavra curse i am about to perform... (i evidently have too much fun dressing up.)

the eye makeup was actually what was left after crying--- um, i won't spoil it for those who have not read the book or seen the movie.

an impromptu review...

i generally far prefer a book to its movie counterpart, but i still get excited to see a live-action interpretation of literature. what i enjoyed most about the half-blood prince was tom felton's portrayal of a tormented draco malfoy. the extra focus on his part of the story for the movie was quite flawlessly done and i think, a sound addition.

i am usually wary of actors being cast for roles that don't entirely fit the characters' descriptions, but i enjoyed jim broadbent as professor slughorn very much - he is a great actor and always a positive addition to a cast. jessie cave as lavender brown was fantastic as well. i'm also happy the director/writers chose to throw in an extra scene for luna lovegood - evanna lynch portrays her so well.

my biggest gripe of the movie was how much the 'blooming love' story arc was played up and how awkward it was. it just felt a tad too forced. there was also a superfluous scene or two here and there, which i thought could have been scrapped to focus on certain parts of the book that are rather significant - or at the very least quite interesting.

but, all in all, i did enjoy the movie. it's not my favourite of the franchise, but certainly a step up from the previous one. (i'm not sure why i disliked the order of the phoenix so much... it has just been my least favourite of the lot so far.) i await the last (two) installments eagerly and impatiently!

hp-geek signing out!

ps - i don't love slytherins; i just think the "dark" characters are always more fun to dress up as than the overtly goody-goody. truth be told, i was sorted to hufflepuff in "a more accurate harry potter sorting quiz" (as opposed to the "less accurate" one that used to be on the harry potter site, i suppose.. which sorted me to gryffindor and i think i agree with the hufflepuff sorting more than gryffindor.)

conservative?

2009-07-26T01:40:00.000-07:00

(i meant to post this friday night, but my internet died and i couldn't figure out what was wrong 'til i woke up the next day. ever feel lost without internet access in your own home?)

i've been slow on keeping up with outfits... this was something i wore to a banquet a couple sundays ago.

it was a standard 12-course dinner at a chinese restaurant (pink pearl; been around forever and not sure what's keeping it open) but with a group of attendees mostly reaching or sitting pretty in retirement age.

what i needed to keep in mind for my outfit: don't give gossip-hungry (older) chinese ladies something to criticize. the resulting outfit was pretty conservative, non? i didn't take my sweater off during dinner, but i think i will wear this top tucked into a skirt again.

i'm also aware that i've been cycling through some of the same things from my closet over and over... i promise to be more conscious of mixing things up from here on out! (oh, and the shoes aren't actually "new" - i've owned them for a few years - but they are making their debut on this blog!)

shopping show-and-tell.

2009-07-20T02:08:00.000-07:00

i had put myself on a shopping ban for the month of june, but i never shared that i'd accomplished it!

for the month of july, i decided to set a spending budget on clothes and accessories (including make-up) and i challenged myself to only buy sale items. so far, so good!

sharing what i've bought:

clockwise from top right:
- asos leather buckle detail high front slingback
- spitfire vintage dylan/roy orbison sunglasses
- asos wet look mini skirt

the shoes i'd ordered two weeks ago and arrived on friday. they are actually rather cushioned and much comfier than i expected.

i was eyeing the sunglasses a few days ago, but decided last night that i had to order them. they are what my friend would call "ironic glasses." and while i was snooping the '10 pounds and under' sale section, i also found the skirt.

i really like asos's extensive catalogue of affordable and designer items, and their mailing list emails. most stores send you the typical "we got new stock" or "we're having a sale" emails, but the asos emails are similiar to a mini newsletter with how-to-wear ideas. (i also really like their order confirmation emails; very nicely designed. clean, informative, but also personable.)

the big sale at asos ends this week and shipping to canada is super affordable - just under $7US - and it only took about 10 working days to receive my last order!

/plug (wish i got commissioned for all that positive press. ha!)

guu'ing is addictive.

2009-07-18T02:27:00.000-07:00

last week i went out for a late dinner with an old friend (and others from high school i'd not seen in years) at the gastown guu. i lovvvveeeeee izakaya and frequent the original guu on thurlow, but the gastown location has a bigger drink selection (and really cute waiters).

i'd actually felt very non-social all day, but had really not seen my friend in so long (on top of having to miss her wedding in september) so took almost all day to think of what to wear. sometimes if it's the right outfit, you instantly feel better.

i'm not saying this outfit is great; just that it felt right and helped put me in a good mood. it's very mary-kate-influenced 'cause i was pouring through photos of her and ashley for some inspiration.

this marks the first unveiling of an item from my sister's old bags of clothes i found last month. at first i thought this was a shirt she stole from my dad, but i suspect she bought this from army & navy... i have a feeling i was there for that particular jaunt. she was also trying to style a 11-yr-old me at the time. ah, nostalgia road.

valentino: the last emperor.

2009-07-14T01:35:00.000-07:00

finally, finally - a week later... what i wore to the valentino screening.

i got lazy halfway through the layout, so scrapped the other half of it:

h&m pleather jacket / necessary objects dress / aldo shoes / bueno clutch-purse (removable chain) / vintage necklace / f21 ring

my "bat dress" makes another appearance! (i looked at the label finally and found out it's by necessary objects.) this is also only the second time i've worn these aldo shoes. i need to find more excuses to strut around in fiercely studded leather heels.

regarding the film:

firstly, can i just say how charming matt tyrnauer is? if i had anything remotely interesting to say, i would have approached him at the cocktail party. alas, i am not one for having insightful questions and i'm also prone to making an ass of myself whenever i am near people i admire - even if they are only a teensy bit famous. (although last time i talked to isaac hanson, i was able to carry on a decent conversatiton - even if my heart was racing - so maybe things are looking up!)

there is quite a bit of hype surrounding valentino, and even though i hate to fall into the "hype trap," i may just have to fuel it. it really was very enjoyable... a wonderful glimpse into the life of the extravagantly wealthy; the strong relationship between life and work partners; and the lavish world of haute couture. i can't decide which i enjoyed more: the process of valentino dreaming up a dress all the way to its appearance on the runway, or the wonderfully funny bits of dialogue between valentino and giancarlo giammetti.

i forget how many hours of footage was filmed in total, but the initial cut of the film was seven hours long. i will proudly admit that i am one of the fashion fanatics who would love to see this seven-hour cut. haha but before that monstrous gem is released, if you live in and around vancouver, you can head to tinseltown to catch the 96-minute cut. (other cities now showing or screening soon can be found via the movie's website: valentinomovie.com.)

i did not go the alice festival as i ended up with dinner plans while the urgent web project was still undone. i am now also fighting off a cold (still in the "kicking in" stage nearly 30 hours later)...

but! i will be seeing harry potter and the half blood prince at midnight! i was hoping to dress up (would be my first time for a midnight viewing and dressing up), but still haven't decided on what, though i am so very tempted to be bellatrix lestrange. if i could raid mary-kate olsen's closet, my costume would be instantly complete! seriously.. witness:

and

and

ok, in this case, i'd steal ashley's dress but mk's caftan/robe/dress is still awesome:

and

all of the shorter skirts featured above could be layered with this maxi skirt:

images from various sources... sorry, saved over a few years; hard to keep track

and thus concludes my visual evidence that mk could totally dress up as bellatrix lestrange. /potterhead + mk&a mashup; woah.

monday dressup.

2009-07-12T01:32:00.000-07:00

the weather was miserable on monday and i stayed inside, but just had to get out of my pj's:

every girl needs a skirt twirling photo. (i'll try to snap a better one some day...)

see full layout here:

i did take some photos of my outfit for the valentino: the last emperor (now showing at tinseltown!) screening and cocktail reception on tuesday. i'll post that with a review of the film within the next few days, i hope. kind of bogged down with an urgent web design project at the mo.

i might check out the alice in wonderland festival at trout lake today, but haven't got a costume! i'll see if i can throw something together. hope you're all enjoying the weekend!!

it don't matter if you're black or white.

2009-07-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

another layout pour vous. i got sick of colour-correcting (harhar... how smart of me; i still had to play around with curves and levels while editing; blah) so decided to shoot in black and white. my entire outfit was black anyhow (with white havaianas).

i bought this awesome elizabeth & james draped back tank from camille of childhood flames, but only wore it for the first time last week - on one of the hottest days we've had in a while nonetheless - for a short and fruitless shopping excursion and to see transformers: revenge of the fallen* later in the night.

full layout:

ps - kinda late and not the type of tribute i wanted to make, but rest in peace, the king of pop. "black or white" is one my all-time favourites of mj's because i remember so well when it was released and how cool i thought the video was. i'm rather heartbroken that i will never get to see him in concert.

*a quick impromptu review:
can hollywood action movies stop being u.s. army-navy-air force touting propaganda? all i wanted was to see a live-action version of a childhood favourite, but the big showdown of the last 30-or-so minutes barely showed the robots fighting. ugh. ok, now i'm gonna be hunted down for anti-military blather. /rant.

standard procedure.

2009-07-05T23:38:00.000-07:00

it took me a while to get around to editing, but here's an outfit i wore out to dinner and comedy night a couple wednesdays ago.

this is a pretty standard lazy outfit for me actually. i got the purse from china when i was 9; it disappeared for a few years, but i finally relocated it! (okay, my mom did.)

i can't really explain the thought process behind this "magazine layout" mock-up... i was listening to some green day, so maybe the guns/war/love/hate was seeping into my subconscious. if you can't tell, it definitely ended up a traffic/nuclear accident. and i threw in a black kitty for good measure. notice how calm he sits while all this chaos is happening. haha okay, bye. /weirding people out.

ps - you can view the full-size, non-cropped layout by clicking on this thumbnail:

pps - i am attending a screening of valentino: the last emperor (and post-film cocktail reception) on tuesday! i am so excited!

outfit and link.

2009-06-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

sorry for the absence. i was away from home and not really in blogging mood what with a 4-yr-old, 9-yr-old, and a hyperactive dog wanting a lot of playtime attention. haha i was helping out at my sister's while she was expecting a new baby (a girl! finally!).

i didn't go out today, but had a long meeting day at home. if i had gone out, i would love to have paired this outfit with these ysl tribute knockoffs from gojane. i still wobble every few steps in them, so they are definitely for standing and sitting in. being graceful isn't really my forte. heh

(ew, quality of photos not good in shadows.. still learning the ins and outs of my new camera.)

shirt from girls section of joe fresh style and belt from a beyond the rack (let me know if you want an email invite!) chinese laundry sale. the "bat dress," i like to call it, actually has an empire waist. i got it from below the belt a couple summers ago (can't remember what label) and i love it!

i'd also like to point out the banner ad to the right for web jewellery by christa ledding. visit christa's site to see some lovely accessories she has created! i have always been a fan of christa's earrings in particular and own a wicked pair from her '07 collection that spawned the line's name.

this is just a detail from a shot of my diy'd jewelry rack last year, but the red earrings are the ones from christa. i actually haven't worn them in a while... my shorter hair somehow hasn't inspired much earring-wearing, but when i do wear these again, i'll post a better shot of them.

love at first sight.

2009-06-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

photos courtesy saks 5th ave.

max kibardin shoe booties. seriously: want. want. want. they've knocked every other shoe i've been lusting over out of the ball park. and they're on sale! ...for $650CAD. i'm fairly positive the only way to solve my problems is to get a sugar daddy. also, despite this self-imposed month-long shopping ban, i am continually searching online for shoes every day. sigh.

status meeting.

2009-06-09T07:13:00.000-07:00

okay, i cheated. i wanted to wear these bcbg paris shoes, but wasn't going to ruin them by walking in them 9 blocks each way for a short status meeting (company's logo is finally getting somewhere). i actually wore this outfit with my blue wrap sweater and white havaianas. i quite love this top i bought from a japanese shop called "shibuya" in melbourne last year (worn over a cotton h&m spaghetti strap dress).

last night, while going through bags and bags of old clothes to donate, i came across some clothes my sister wore in the early 90s. some of the stuff i wouldn't have touched with a 10-foot pole even a couple years ago, but now i think they're seriously amazing! i'll try to share some photos soon.

ling yali.

2009-06-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

vogue china april 2009

i wanted to share these amazing pieces by ling yali i found in an issue of vogue china last month. sorry for the horrid scan (click for larger image). the magazine is quite a monster and hard to lay flat on a scan bed. i am so in love with the vest in the bottom right hand corner; such a work of art.

here are some photos from ling yali's yl-l f/w '09 show at shanghai fashion week in april:

more photos from her show can be found here.

running errands.

2009-06-05T01:09:00.000-07:00

the weather's been crazy hot lately and i seem to be lacking in plain white tees. i braved the mid-day heat for some boring but important errands and a quick stop at the library (borrowed two agatha christie novels).

the studded gladiator sandals were part of that gojane shoe order i put in a couple months ago. i bought the "i took the walk" tee from the hanson concert in l.a. last november. to date i have registered 8 barefoot miles (that's 12.874752 km for all of us metric folk) with take the walk.

take the walk is a charity that hanson started in 2007 to raise money and awareness in combatting AIDS and poverty in africa. for every mile walked (shoes off is encouraged), hanson donates a dollar to one of five causes. the walk around the world tour started last spring with a goal to register 24,902 miles - the equivalent of the circumference of earth - in barefoot walks with every tour stop, while encouraging everyone to organize their own walks in their respective cities. as of may 16th, 2009, the 24,902-mile goal was achieved and even surpassed by well over one thousand miles. to find out more info or to donate directly, please visit takethewalk.net.

/philanthropy spiel. (sorry, i do tend to go on about such things.)

saturday excursions.

2009-06-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

i had a very jam-packed saturday. i don't remember the last time i fit so many social outings into one day!

some girlfriends and i headed out to lunch at lao shan dong, a taiwanese noodle house. (it's alright, but there are better noodle houses in and around vancouver.)

i sometimes like to plan an outfit around a pair of shoes. as mentioned last month, these navy h&m wedge heels are my new go-to heels. i would usually stay away from pairing different shades of blue together, but i really wanted to wear this skirt. the bag i scored for $20 from le chateau in april.

after lunch, we popped across the street for some shopping at metrotown. my friend wanted me to help her shop for a new outfit; it was much too fun being a personal stylist! for myself, i spent just under $40 and scored four items, one of which is this awesome joe fresh style denim skirt:

the only problem is it's super short! (...because it's a girl's skirt.) i didn't realise it was so short because i tried it on only to see if the waist fit. i'll try to exchange it, or may have to (finally) buy a pair of leggings so i can do more than just stand and walk in these.

i went out for dinner with some other girlfriends at kingsway sushi (decent prices for a la carte and all-you-can-eat; i highly recommend their "sundae" maki sushi), then richmond night market, dessert at yummy, and karaoke at di da di. hmm... upon reflection, if we replaced shopping at metrotown with aberdeen centre, it would have been a very stereotypical asian day. haha

weddings.

2009-05-31T15:15:00.001-07:00

my friend "b" got engaged on thursday, which would make girlfriend number 3 this year. i'll admit that while i was very excited to hear the news, it also put a little damper in my day. after about 5 minutes of feeling sorry for my single ass, i decided to think of the nice dresses i get to wear over the next two years instead. no, i have no budget for these dresses, but i can dream!

some traditional fare:

oscar de la renta s/s 09 _ carolina herrera s/s 09

i'd wear this yellow dress with a white belt, i think, and certainly a longer slip under the white:

celine s/s 09

some non-traditional fare:

miu miu s/s 09 _ versace s/s 09

i know you aren't supposed to wear white to weddings, but i say: rules are made to be broken. i love how architectural these white dresses are (including the versace above) and i think the cuts are modern enough to not compete with (most) bridal gowns:

vivienne westwood s/s 09 _ salvatore ferragamo s/s 09

my other friend, may, has asked me to be her bridesmaid and the wedding will be pretty non-traditional, so i would be choosing my own dress. as far as bridesmaid dresses go, i would love to be outfitted in either of the following:

valentino s/s 09 _ christian siriano s/s 09

i am drooling over the valentino! the christian siriano dress is really not that close a contender. haha

all photos courtesy style.com and coutorture

i've never been to heaven, but i've been to oklahoma...

2009-05-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

...twice actually.

apologies for the hiatus! i was in tulsa, oklahoma during the victoria day long weekend and had trouble getting back into the groove of things upon my return (i tend to go into post-trip slumps).

the reason i was in tulsa was for a hanson members-only special event. i could really go into way too much detail, so instead i'll leave you with some photos (i had trouble narrowing down what to share).

tulsa is a very beautiful city. i was lucky enough to see quite a bit of it this time, but would love to visit again to discover more. (especially since i couldn't fit in vintage shopping! quite sad about that.)

regarding architecture.

2009-05-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

original image courtesy wikipedia

let's take a break from fashion and talk about something else i appreciate: architecture. i didn't study industrial or architectural design in school, but we did touch upon such topics.

the image above is of fallingwater, designed by frank lloyd wright in 1934. it is one of my life goals to visit this beautiful house one day.

i suppose when most people think of the early 1900s, streamlined furniture and architecture aren't the first things that come to mind, and that's probably why i am continually amazed by the calibre of design (from graphic to industrial to architectural) that was pumped out from the early to mid 1900s.

the art deco and modernist movements have become so timeless. if i had an unlimited budget to furnish my house, i'd pay herman miller and knoll some lengthy visits. (another goal on my list: to own a barcelona chair. in black please; may as well throw in the stool.)

but, i digress. my actual intent for this post was to point you in the direction of this website and trailer on west coast modernism: coast modern. if you have any interest in architectural design, please have a look! (i'd worked with one of the directors, gavin froome, briefly at a design agency, and this guy is a multifaceted talent. music, design, photography, film; it's a pretty hefty resume. check out his blog here.)

canucks fever.

2009-05-08T01:29:00.001-07:00

if you live in vancouver (or probably anywhere in b.c.) you'll know that canucks fever is spreading faster than the swine flu (don't mean to sound insensitive about that, but it really has been blown out of proportion by the media).

since the giants bowed out of the playoffs two mondays ago (so sad), i repainted the nails on my left hand:

this photo was taken a couple days after i first painted them and they've only started chipping yesterday - a week after being painted. i figured out what i did wrong with my right hand: failure to paint a base coat. (the nail polish on my right hand is quite horribly chipped... but i will not strip and repaint! i like to think it adds character. plus, it's not really in the spirit of playoff beards, and of course, i'm crazy.)
the logo on my thumb got all grotty because i smudged the initial paint job on a magazine. ugh.

last saturday, i picked up two canucks t-shirts from champs. they didn't have women's or youth sizes, so i bought what i could get my hands on and washed them in hot water.

i had more success shrinking this burrows one than the alumni bure one:

as you can see, it's still quite big on me. the bure one is way bigger, so i might have to break out the scissors and sewing machine.

i've been reworking an old t-shirt the past few days and hopefully will have something to share before i head off on my trip.

okay, time for bed. getting up early to buy green day tickets and then get my hair cut. yay!

housekeeping!

2009-05-07T03:30:00.000-07:00

so i figured out a new way to put content under a cut (many thanks to simpler than you think), but the problem now is, this new technique is only working for my main page of posts, and the "read more..." link defaults to every post. *sigh* i can live with this solution for now, i suppose. or i could suck it up and live with the fact that blogger will just not allow cuts. blah!

ps - i have stuff to post, i promise. i just took a nice relaxing day off from everything, is all.

ETA - fine, i give up! i'd rather one post be a million pages long than have all my posts messed up! are you happy, blogger?? are you?? fml.

sunday night.

2009-05-04T23:45:00.000-07:00

went out to see the faint and ladytron put on a fantastic show last night at the commodore!

the faint
photo by bill sitzman, courtesy press here

ladytron
photo by mike sharpe, courtesy nettwerk music

i'd seen ladytron live before, and they were great as usual, but i was really pleasantly surprised by the faint.
a highlight of the night was the awesome backdrop visuals. both bands were actually backlit with little to no spotlights and that really made the performances visually stunning.

here's what i wore:

h&m dress, kismet jacket, joe fresh style tights, "dkny" purse (was my aunt's, probably a knockoff considering the shape it's in), not shown: black converse chuck taylors
and veggie poutine from fritz is the perfect way to finish the night!

some awesome images from the faint's upcoming album...

all images courtesy press here
sorry, i wanted to put these under a cut, but the cut tag's completely effed up!!!!!!! so DON'T click on "cliquez ici..." even though it shows up at the end of this post (it's messing up my other posts too! grrr...). it's late, so i will have to figure this shit out tomorrow. (i hate you, blogger!)

movie night.

2009-05-02T03:21:00.000-07:00

went out to see x-men origins: wolverine last night. i was a huge x-men fan when i was 10-13. the cartoon i mean! haha i'm not that big a geek. ah, who am i kidding? i'm a pretty big geek. (if interested, my super long review is under the cut!)

i lived in these jeans for a year and now they just don't fit the same anymore, so i decided to wear them differently: cuffed.
the heels i bought last week when i picked up the matthew williamson jacket. they are my new go-to heels 'cause despite their height, the wedge makes them easy to walk in. i wish i got better pictures of them, but i'm sure they'll be making more appearances over the weeks!

sorry for the lack of updates. life's been hectic!

x-men origins was okay; i feel pretty indifferent. i've not been sufficiently impressed with the x-men movie franchise unfortunately, but like the devoted and hopeful fan i am, i continuously watch each release in theatres.

my two favourite x-men (/women) have always been rogue and gambit, so if you've watched the previous x-men movies, you might understand one reason for my disappointment: rogue's fledgling stages (they bore me. lol the reason i love rogue is because she's so feisty! but she's just an insecure little girl in the movies so far) and the absence of gambit. imagine my absolute glee when i found out gambit would be in this installment! but after seeing the trailer, i was positive i wasn't happy with the casting. i still hoped to be pleasantly surprised, but sadly, i was not. :(

taylor kitsch just didn't convince me as gambit. the charisma/charm was lacking and that creole accent that gambit is supposed to have was all over the place. the "accent" was present for a bit when gambit first made his appearance, and then disappeared by the end of the movie. consistency, people, consistency! really, they couldn't have hired on a speech coach? so extremely disappointed in gambit. sigh. at least hugh jackman looked hot (as always). and i'm in love with agent zero. woah.