March 2008 Archives
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Browns and Creams Monday, March 31, 2008 7:37 PM

Dress: Erin Fetherston for Target. Long sweater: First Markham Place. Necklace: Moss Mills. Green patterned tights: Dragon Centre (Hong Kong). Light yellow flats with bow: Best Deal 4 U.

This outfit was inspired by this girl on Stylites in Beijing and the last girl in this post on Garance Doré.

I went shopping for clothes today but instead bought a new lens for my camera. Funny how that worked out.

Comments (8) | tags: daily wear erin fetherston first markham place moss mills target

K-Line tagged me to do the 8 Things survey, so here goes!

8 Things I am Passionate About
1. Photography
2. Good food
3. Continuing to improve and not plateau
4. Art & design
5. Mango lychee freezies
6. Random adventures and discovering new things
7. Fashion (obviously, considering the subject of the blog)
8. ...does shopping count?

8 Things I Want To Do Before I Die
1. Travel the world (I know, everyone says this)
2. Hang out with panda bears in China
3. Complete, or at least start, all those photo projects I keep thinking about
4. Learn printmaking
5. Attend an opera (soon!) and a ballet
6. Eat delicious pho in Vietnam (thanks to Anthony Bourdain)
7. Ride the Trans-Siberian Railway
8. Learn how to sew

8 Things I Say Often
1. I'm hungry
2. Is there anything to eat?
3. Mmm...(insert name of food I'm craving)
4. Ummm
5. I don't know
6. What?
7. Hoho
8. (sigh) So much for trying to eat healthy

8 Books I Have Read Lately
I haven't done much reading in the past couple of years so this year I decided to embark on the 50 book challenge to check off some books that have been sitting on my shelf for years. I've completely fallen behind and don't have eight books to list. If anyone has book recommendations feel free to make suggestions.

1. Shopaholic & Baby - Sophie Kinsella
2. The Ladies' Lending Library - Janice Kulyk Keefer
3. Living History - Hillary Rodham Clinton
4. Kitchen - Banana Yoshimoto
5. Youth In Revolt - C.D. Payne
6. Manufacturing Consent - Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky (reading)
7. A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami (reading)

8 Songs I Could Listen To Over and Over
1. Living Room Is Empty - French Kicks
2. Fruit Fly - Nada Surf
3. Playground Love - Air
4. Next Exit - Interpol
5. A Track and a Train - Shout Out Louds
6. Parade - Garbage
7. The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends
1. Humour
2. Sense of adventure
3. Indulges in late night food runs with me
4. Shared interests
5. Honest
6. Reliable
7. Mutual respect
8. Not being judgmental when I'm being stupid

I am tagging:
Fashion, Art and Mess
Fruchtzwerg's Island
Hot Off the Sales Rack
Madame Mode

I apologize if you've already done this survey -- I have bad short term memory!

Comments (17) | tags: meme

When H&M came out with their satiny spring parkas, I was tempted. I'm glad I held out because I found my perfect satiny coat at a store inside First Markham Place. Best part is, I likely won't run into my coat twin on the streets of Toronto.

In the second photo you can see the wireless remote for my camera in my hand which I use to take all the selfotography pictures on this blog.

Comments (20) | tags: first markham place outerwear

Black lace top: H&M. Argyle dress: WaWa Boutique (Pacific Mall). Yellow & gold belt: Crossover Boutique (Pacific Mall). Black opaque tights: H&M. Black quilted flats with bow: Red Wall (Hong Kong).

A recent conversation with K about WaWa Boutique at Pacific Mall reminded me of a dress I had buried in deep in my closet. Today I dug it out and wore it.

Comments (18) | tags: daily wear h&m pacific mall

Thanks to Fruchtzwerg, I am now totally in love with this dress from G2000. It doesn't at all look like the stuff I saw at the stores while in Hong Kong during 2004 and 2007. In fact, flipping through the website I am reminded of Club Monaco, a comparison that has never crossed my mind in the past.

Comments (4) | tags: dresses g2000

Over the past several weeks, my little blog was given the Thinking Blogger Award, not once but twice. First, the adorably fashionable Annah from Fashion, Art and Mess bestowed this award on me, followed by the lovely and always stylish Fruchtzwerg over at Fruchtzwerg's Island. I can't find the words to express how honoured I am, especially since my blog is only a little over two months old! Thank you, thank you Annah and Fruchtzwerg!

Along with this award, there are some questions to be answered:

What's the story behind the name of your blog and your nickname?
I'm possibly the worst at titling things so I browsed through my collection of CDs, book titles, etc. until I found something fitting. In this case, Bloc Party provided me with a name. As for my nickname, it's my real name so no story there.

Why did you start blogging in the first place?
I'm an internerd and have had some sort of online blogging presence since 1997. I started a style-related blog because my friends are sick of hearing me swoon over a pair of shoes I'm currently lusting or what my latest purchases are. I began regularly reading a few fashion/style blogs and soon realized there were other people out there that like reading and talking about these sort of things. Also, Fruchtzwerg gave me a bit of encouragement to start a blog.

What has been your best blogging related experience?
What about the worst?
My best blogging related experience would be being able to communicate with others interested fashion and style. As for worst experience...none yet! This community of bloggers have been accepting and inspiring so far.

What do you think will happen to your blog in 2008?
I'm not sure what will happen to my blog in 2008, but I want to continue posting regularly and hopefully people will be interested in reading what I have to say.

I'm supposed to pass this award onto others, which is why I've taken so long to post about this; I wasn't sure who to tag because it seems like everyone has already been tagged at some point. Instead I'm going to conserve my tagging efforts for another post to come soon.

Comments (4) | tags: awards

Heather gray turtleneck: Old Navy. Velvet jumper dress: Erin Fetherston for Target. Pear watch pendant: Marc by Marc Jacobs. Black ribbed wool tights: Jessica (Sears). Black patent brogues: Aldo.

It appears that I'm not the only gravitating towards blacks and grays lately. Up until maybe two or three years ago, I had almost no black clothing in my closet and now I seem to have amassed quite a bit...

This outfit was worn out to dinner with high school friends earlier this evening. It made me feel a bit bland, but I woke up late from my nap and had about ten minutes to make myself look somewhat presentable on a rather cold night. Perhaps next time I'll try something with pattern underneath, although I'm on the fence about this dress. It makes me look younger then I already look.

Comments (7) | tags: aldo daily wear erin fetherston marc by marc jacobs old navy target

Dress: H&M. Blue cashmere grandpa cardigan: vintage Jaeger. Bow necklace: Forever 21. Pear watch pendant: Marc by Marc Jacobs. Dark gray ribbed tights: Joe Fresh Style. Black patent brogues: Aldo.

I call this dress my Madame Mode dress because the first time I saw it was on her blog and I had to have it. As soon as she told me it was from H&M I went to go look for it. Luckily one of the four left on the rack was in my size.

Like the title says, I wore this first to work then out at night (after a much needed nap in between -- I woke up at 4:30 am and couldn't fall asleep again!). However, I wore black flats at work since I was on my feet all day.

Comments (10) | tags: aldo daily wear forever 21 h&m joe fresh style marc by marc jacobs vintage

Black blouse: Club Monaco. Charm necklace: Urban Outfitters. Skirt: H&M. Black ribbed wool tights: Jessica (Sears). Ballet flats: Joe Fresh Style.

The weather was rainy but mild. I had yum cha at a dim sum restaurant I hadn't been to before with my mum and my grandpa. I wish I had something interesting to say about this outfit, but I don't.

Comments (8) | tags: club monaco daily wear h&m joe fresh style urban outfitters

My self-imposed shopping ban went out the window when I went to the Superstore yesterday, not once but twice (with different people at different locations) to check out Joe Fresh.

I didn't end up purchasing any of my picks from their website. Instead I bought a paper bag waist skirt ($24) and a pair of satin cap ballet flats ($19) that were not featured online. I was tempted to snatch up the flats in every single colour then I remembered I was already breaking my shopping ban.

Comments (16) | tags: bottoms joe fresh style shoes

Dark gray turtleneck: Old Navy. Scarf: H&M. Long black hoodie: Gap. Yellow mélange jersey skirt: American Apparel. Dark gray wool tights: H&M. Black moccasin booties: Aldo.

This morning was one of those mornings where I had trouble opening my eyes and getting out of bed. Short of strapping my mattress to my back, I opted for a more lightweight travel friendly outfit for sleepwalking in. This is my translation of wearing my bed through my clothes.

Comments (8) | tags: aldo american apparel daily wear gap h&m old navy

White rabbit tee worn underneath: Argyle Centre (Hong Kong). Plaid dress: H&M. Necklaces: Moss Mills and Forever 21. Black wool footless tights: Club Monaco. Black moccasin booties: Aldo. Sunglasses: H&M.

This plaid dress is my standby dress. I love it to pieces. It's the dress I turn to when nothing else seems to work, whether it be for a specific occasion or on those days when nothing sits right on my body. What's your standby piece and/or outfit?

Comments (12) | tags: aldo argyle centre club monaco daily wear forever 21 h&m

Joe Fresh Style has had a sneak peek of their spring collection up on their website for the last month or two. They've finally, finally added their spring 2008 collection on their website (which I found out no more then two seconds ago thanks to their handy dandy e-mail alert).

For the international readers unfamiliar with Joe Fresh, the two year old brand is by Joseph Mimran, founder of Club Monaco. It is sold exclusively at the Superstore, a chain of grocery stores in Canada. I know, strange, eh? Buying apples, a side of beef, and a dress at the same place. I guess they're trying to encourage the soccer mom to look a bit more stylish.

Despite their target market, I always find a few pieces I like in each collection. Here are a few items enticing me to make that thirty minute drive to my closet Superstore.

Comments (12) | tags: bottoms canadian joe fresh style shoes tops

The order I placed with Aldo arrived today! That was quick; ordered on Sunday and two days later it's on my doorstep. I purchased the high heel oxfords I swooned over a few posts ago. I was going to wait until my income tax return arrived before buying them, but I found a 15% off code so I couldn't resist.

As much as I loved the bone coloured ones (they were so beautiful in person), my imagination couldn't incorporate them with my current wardrobe. Besides, I've been looking for a pair of black ones.

I also picked up a pair of suede moccasin booties. They were on sale for $12.49 so why not? I used to not like this style, but it has grown on me. At that price, it was worth getting a pair to experiment with.

It seems like every other post on here is about shoes...

Comments (10) | tags: aldo shoes

Me & my new sunnies for Madame Mode.

Comments (11) | tags: accessories h&m

A couple of necklaces I picked up on sale for $9.99 each at Urban Outfitters.

The one with the birds is by Moss Mills. I've never heard of them so I'm off to browse their website.

Comments (7) | tags: accessories jewellery moss mills urban outfitters

Last week I did a shoot for my friend's portfolio. Originally we planned to do an off-figure accessories shoot, but our ideas evolved into props which she also needed for her book. The photographs are a little bland (the photography, not the styling), but I thought I'd post them anyway even though they're not really fashion related.

I love the round lamp in the top right photograph. It's from Ikea. I also really like the red lamp in the bottom left photo.

Comments (6) | tags: photo shoots

Every year I fervently wait until the cheapie sunglasses hit the stores. With the spring lines moving in, I've been trawling the stores for new sunglasses. Why do retailers only carry sunglasses with their spring and summer lines? When the sun comes out after a fresh snowfall, the light is more blinding then the summer sun. Anyway, I digress.

I refuse to spend more then $20 on a pair because I always drop, scratch, or break them. I don't think having an expensive pair will encourage me to be more careful as some friends suggested. Besides it's fun to change styles and colours. However, I do have great difficulties finding frames that fit my face, specifically my nose and I don't find glasses resting on my cheeks very comfortable. I have a typical southern Chinese face complete with a typical lack of a nose bridge.

H&M made up for failing me last year and now I'm done my annual hunt for sunglasses. I bought two pairs and after taxes I didn't even reach my $20 budget.

Comments (17) | tags: accessories h&m

Even though brogues were all the rage last fall, I haven't been able to find a pair in-store for under $250. I was delighted to see Aldo offering a pair of high heeled oxfords in their new spring collection. I'm practically sold at $90. I've been looking for a black pair to sit next to the dark brown ones in my shoe closet. However, I'm also digging the bone coloured ones.

I haven't bought a pair of shoes from Aldo since my high school days of wearing a uniform. When I was in grade nine, I wore a pair of black brogues from Transit (now Spring, Aldo's cheaper sister line). These two shoes stores dominated the feet of the girls at my school.

Comments (2) | tags: aldo shoes

This afternoon I stopped by Old Navy to take a look at the canvas wedge sandals I'd been eyeing on their website for several weeks. Since their website listed the price at $34.50 USD, my guess was the sandals would cost closer to $40 CAD.

I was definitely in for a surprise when I popped in and saw them already on sale for $10.99. I quickly scooped them up and considered their platform sandals too (also $10.99), but sadly the way it fit my heel made it feel like it was sliding off the side.

Also, I just realized the canvas wedges retailed for $29.50 in Canada. This is the first time I've seen something from an American company selling for less in Canada. I know the $CAD is at par with the $USD, but how strange.

Comments (11) | tags: old navy shoes

Shirtdress: eBay. Trio of birds silver necklace: Forever 21. Black opaque tights: H&M. Quilted black flats with bow: Red Wall (Hong Kong).

It was surprisingly warm today, but it won't last as there are now winter storm warnings in effect. If you haven't figured by now, weather usually plays a large role in how I dress.

Comments (5) | tags: daily wear

Dark grey turtleneck: Old Navy. Dress: H&M. Pear watch pendant: Marc by Marc Jacobs. Black ribbed tights: H&M. Footless overknee socks: Nine West. Wedges: Seychelles.

Tonight I went to a jazz bar with a couple of friends. This was taken afterwards, when I got home around 1:30 AM hence the disheveled, tired, and wrinkled look. I love this dress, but it looks like it never met an iron within five minutes of slipping it on.

Can't believe it's March already; where did the first two months of the year go? I'm glad our daylight lasts until about six o'clock these days.

Comments (12) | tags: daily wear winter

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