Lack of Creativity

Chopped

2012-02-05T20:23:00.001-08:00

Remember how I said I was "ready for bangs"? Well, I finally got some bangs and hacked off a few inches. Hopefully these bangs don't grow out too fast, my hair seems to have a mind of it's own.

(Duffle Coat; ASOS, Shirt; Forever21, Trousers; Wilfred via Aritzia, Glitter Smoking Slippers; Aldo, Tote; H&M, Earrings; Banana Republic)

The weather this weekend in Vancouver has been so fantastic, I seriously hope it sticks around because the gloomy weather doesn't let me wear my sparkly shoes. Who in their right mind would deny a girl her right to wear glitters?

Here's to another week of hopefully fantastic weather wherever you are!

How to Wednesdays: Jewelry Organization

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

I am by no means a jewelry organization guru, but this method has worked well for me, and hopefully it can help out a few of you who don't know what to do with all your earrings. Before this, I had all my jewelry in their respective boxes and would put them on when I remembered, which was practically never. I had seen those jewelry stands that are designed specifically for earrings, but most of them I found were too cluttered in design, especially since almost all the earrings I own are studs and those stands are designed for dangly hooks.

When I spotted these dishes at Front & Company, and knew that they had to be mine. I brought them home and immediately put all of my jewelry that had been living in boxes onto them, since then, forgetting I actually have jewelry has become ancient history! Plus who doesn't want a little elephant and teacup jewelry dish?

(Bracelet; Vintage from Mom, Watch; Fossil, Camera w/ fresh water pearl necklace; Etsy, Swan necklace; Swarvoski)

Earrings from left to right: Cubic zirconia droplets; c/o Jewelry Payless, Pearls w/ jewelled crown; Banana Republic, White gold droplets; Winners, Blue droplets; Blue Ruby, Mini cubes; Etsy, Cubes; Etsy, Hammered squares; Etsy, Pinwheels; Etsy)

Unfortunately I don't know where all of my Etsy jewelry pieces are from as the majority of them were gifts, the ones I do know, I have linked to!

Rainy Days

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-08:00

It seems that Vancouver's weather has gotten itself confused somewhere between the months of April and December? If it's not snowing, it's raining and just plain miserable. I don't know about you, but I'm excited for the warmer months ahead and laying in the sun.

(Sweater; Joe Fresh, Skirt; Smart Set, Tights; H&M, Tote; H&M, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

I'm finally getting my long overdue haircut this Thursday, the appointment has been made and it's time to chop these locks. I debated growing my hair back out since I like to have the option to tie it up, but it's gotten so frustrating nowadays with it awkwardly sticking out in the back and chewing on my hair rather than my food. I guess it's pretty impossible to tell that my hair has gotten quite long since my last haircut, but prepared for a change. I think I'm ready for bangs à la Sh*t Fashion Girls Say.

Lust List: Etsy Spring Wants

2012-01-26T15:36:00.000-08:00

Etsy is possibly one of my greatest newfound addictions, I bought almost all my Christmas gifts solely off the site this year, and it makes for a great source for finding unique gifts.

1. Lavender Sachets from gardenmis to freshen up the closet
2. Scalloped Glitter Garland from stephlovesben for adding interest to a boring wall
3. Cola Candies from VonDulce to indulge during those late nights studying.
4. Chevron and Hand-painted Leather Bracelets from sonofasailor for throwing arm parties.
5. Monkey Breadboard from snugstudio for my never-ending obsession with food
6. Ruffle Rose Pillows from thatfunkyboutique to add colour to my colourless bedroom
7. Stripe Linen Tote from lalunedesigns for the upcoming lazy spring break

I hope you enjoyed my first instalment of my "lust list", as many people have pointed out, I simply want too much, so hopefully this will help me organize my wants in a better manner.

Happy almost weekend!

Flared

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've always strayed away from any sort of flared pant, simply because I am way too lazy to be bothered with getting things hemmed. When I spotted these pants at Gap for $7, I knew I had to get them because:

a) Too good of a deal to pass up
b) Break personal boundaries

(Duffle Coat; ASOS, Cardigan; LOFT, Blouse; Gap, Jeans; Gap, Booties; American Eagle)

Unrelated side-note: I feel like a giant when I'm wearing the jean and boot combo, don't ask me why. I suspect it may have to do with the fact that I feel sort of like Jane Rizzoli (aka Angie Harmon).

I'm pretty sure I never posted a picture of this blouse on here yet, but I scored it at Gap (again) a few months ago on sale (again). I have this huge problem with rationalizing good deals and purchasing new clothing items on an almost weekly basis. I don't think it helps that whenever I'm waiting for my bus, I go to the mall as it's right where the bus depot is situated. Must. Stop. Shopping.

P.S. Happy belated Lunar New Year, ~~hope you got tons of red pocket money.~~ Just kidding.

Colour Blocking

2012-01-20T20:00:00.001-08:00

This is my attempt at colour blocking, I almost threw on my mustard yellow cardigan to top it all off, but then I decided I would probably manrepel N a little too much for his own liking. Plus looking like a highlighter wasn't exactly ideal when attempting to take pictures in the cold.

(Cardigan; Mexx, Gingham Shirt; H&M (LOGG), Cobalt Jeans; American Eagle, Shearling Boots; Santana, Purse; BCBGeneration via The Bay, Clip; Vintage)

When the next opportunity comes, I solemnly swear to manrepel N to the best of my ability, I will wear my mustard yellow cardigan, with this pink gingham shirt, cobalt blue jeans, glitter smoking shoes, throw an arm party (or two), and paint my nails a matching neon green. If only. Have a good weekend everyone!

How to Wednesdays: Roasted Tomato Soup

2012-01-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

After awhile of not doing these posts, N convinced me to get back on it, and here we bring you a how to that I'm notorious for doing, making soup. I pulled this recipe off Epicurious, an app that N's dad introduced me to. The iPad version totally beats the iPhone version, but that's not a problem, the recipes generated are still phenomenal.

We skipped out on the parmesan wafer, we were feeling lazy, plus really hungry as we didn't realize it would take us almost 2 hours to make one meal (yikes!). Here's what you'll need:

4 pounds tomatoes, halved lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, left unpeeled (we peeled and halved them because we're bad at following instructions)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350F, then start out with cleaning off your tomatoes, halving them, and peeling and halving the garlic.

Place them cut side up with garlic spread in between and drizzle 3 tbsps of olive oil all over.

Salt and pepper the tomatoes, and pop them in the oven, set the timer for 1 hour, they'll be hanging out in there for awhile.

Finely dice onions, melt unsalted butter in pot and cook until softened, then add in the sugar and oregano. At this point, we still had about 40 minutes left on the clock, so we switched off the stove and prepped for everything else.

1 hour later, they're ready to go into the pot. Pop them in and add in the chicken broth.

You want to bring this to a simmer for 20 mins, then get it ready for blending. Be careful when blending hot liquids, you don't want to burn yourself!

Blend away and pour into sieve, which falls into a clean pot. You may need to get a spatula in there to speed up the process, it takes awhile for the liquid to sift through because of all the tomato seeds and skin. Discard the solids (I felt so wasteful, but there's nothing you can do with it).

Add in the cream and bring it to a simmer for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

N decided that some bread and melted brie would go great with the soup, he was right!

Chow time!

If I were to do something differently, the next time I would've added in a red pepper to the roasting mix to add that little kick. Have any questions? Send me an email or leave me a comment!

Pink Gingham

2012-01-16T08:00:00.002-08:00

I've never been a pink kind of gal, not even when I was a little girl, it was a constant struggle to get me remotely near the colour, but lately I've been attracted to bright colours, like my cobalt blue jeans and mustard yellow cardigan. I scored this shirt at the LOGG section of H&M, one part I hardly ever venture into, but now I think I'll have to give it a second chance.

(Duffle Coat; ASOS, Backpack; Fjallraven via Plenty, Gingham Shirt; H&M (LOGG), Sweater; Gap, Jeans; Garage, Mocassins; Minnetonka via Front & Company).

Apologies for the boring scenery, with my new lens it seems that this is the best place for me to take blog photos when I'm snapping away on my own!

Mini Review: Aritzia Wilfred Lyocell Trousers

2012-01-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Living in Vancouver, I have had the liberty of Aritzia's galore, but I've never actually purchased any clothing items from the stores themselves as the prices are too steep for my university student budget. When I saw these Wilfred trousers on sale, I couldn't resist. I snatched them up for $84 (after HST), and haven't stopped wearing them since. The cut of these works for when I'm in the office, or when I'm off at school, one of my most beloved purchases as of late (asides from my duffle coat and my camera lens).

(Duffle Coat; ASOS, Cardigan; Forever21, Double Placket Blouse; H&M, Lyocell Trousers; Wilfred, Studded Flats; Old Navy)

If you are considering hopping over to your local Aritzia to pick these up, be warned that they fit huge, I definitely could have gone to a 00, but I stuck with a 0 for I liked the versatility I had with being able to wear them as high-waisted and mid-waisted(?). Other than that, the lyocell material saves me from ironing (which I hardly have time for anyway), plus it feels like I'm in pj's.

Now that it's back to school for us university/college students, I suspect you'll be seeing these for weeks on end.

Remix: Glitter Smoking Slippers

2012-01-07T17:00:00.003-08:00

These cobalt blue skinny jeans from American Eagle are practically god-sent, minus the fact that they are just a wee bit too long. The colour and the weight of the material is absolute perfection. Highly recommended to anyone on the hunt for a cobalt blue, red, pink or black jean. I didn't get the petite fit, but the regular length is only about an inch or so too long on me, so if you're around my height (5'3"), get them and just roll up the hem! I did find the sizing a bit odd as I fit the 0 perfectly, and my more curvy bottom usually doesn't fit a 0, so if possible, I'd try them on in stores beforehand.

(Sweater; Joe Fresh Style, Cobalt Blue Jeans; American Eagle; Glitter Smoking Slippers; Aldo, Necklace; Swarvoski, Earrings; Etsy)

Something about glitters adds that perfect amount of detail that I need in my often very plain outfits. Besides, who said glitters had to be reserved for special events?

And of course, after taking these pictures we ate crab cakes. Yum!

Hello 2012!

2012-01-01T17:22:00.002-08:00

This is the outfit I wore to bring in the new year, sparkles, glitters, shine and all that jazz! I'll keep my post short and simple, I hope everyone had a fabulous time bringing in the new year.

(Sparkle Cardigan; American Eagle, Double Placket Blouse; H&M, Satin Skirt; Forever21, Purse; BCBG, and Glitter Smoking Shoes; Aldo)

(Jacob "Rouge Stiletto" and Nicki Minaj by OPI "Save Me"... so very NYE worthy)

Blowing party blowers with my bestie

Getting attacked by party blowers with N!

Here's to another amazing year! xo

How to Wednesdays: Office Chic

2011-12-21T17:08:00.002-08:00

Working in an office 4-5 days a week really forces me to learn how to dress for my body as for some reason, office-wear specifically only looks good when everything is tailored (not that well oversized shirts look bad or anything, they just look unprofessional).

(Circle Scarf; H&M, Cardigan; Forever21, Chambray shirt; LOFT, Pants; Gap, Flats; Joe Fresh Style)

My basics in terms of my work wardrobe (that I also have to make school and commuting appropriate) consist of:
1) Tailored pants: to be honest, I don't wear mine much, but they are good to have on "what to wear" days
2) Button-ups that aren't wrinkle prone: Being a full-time student and working 15 or so hours a week results in little time to iron
3) Cardigans in every imaginable colour
4) Scarves in every print and colour
5) Flats in many colours, textures and prints
6) Skirts in different cuts: I have a classic pencils, tulips, a-lines etc.
7) Dresses: Having one or two work dresses is always good for lazy days, who doesn't look good in a dress?
8) Belts: Cinch it in, adds interest and can totally change your look

Long list, but you'd be surprised how many people don't own a good pair of tailored pants or a button-up. These are basics for me simply because I find myself always gravitating towards them, plus the combinations are endless (really!).

Hope you all have a lovely Christmas this weekend surrounded by family and friends! Sit back and relax, because there's no better time than Christmas to enjoy the company of amazing people!

Winter

2011-12-19T20:00:00.002-08:00

Hello! It sure has been a long time since I've posted, and I know I skipped last week's "How to", so very sorry, I was swamped with exams, but I am proud to say that I have survived and am so looking forward to this upcoming weekend filled with family and friends.

(Duffle Coat; ASOS, Scarf; Vintage, Cardigan; Old Navy, Tshirt; Gap, Belt; Steve Madden via Front & Company, Jeans; Garage, Boots; Santana Canada)

Yesterday N and I decided to take a little trip up Cypress to take his dogs for a little run in the snow aka I saw a photo opportunity. I'm bad. It was freezing up there! Glad N convinced me to wear my boots instead of TOMS (bad again). It took a lot of convincing on N's part to get me out of the house, I've been watching a whole ton of TV and rotting my mind away since my last final on Saturday morning.

To be quite honest, whenever I get home I've changed into my pj pants almost immediately, so that's also another excuse to add to my reasons why I haven't been posting. What can I say though? I adore my Old Navy fleece cheetah/leopard print pj pants. Super soft. Super fluffy.

Also, can you believe that Christmas is on Sunday? I'm in such disbelief as I feel like I'm still in school. Where's the snow?

How to Wednesdays: Exam Comfort

2011-12-07T20:15:00.002-08:00

I just had my first exam at 8:30am this morning and I have to say that I really did forget how fantastic it is to dress in my favourite jeans and sweater and to not really care about how I look (feeling good, feeling lazy). I think the secret to dressing comfortably and somewhat stylishly, is to simply wear your favourite items and just combine it all into one outfit.

(Scarf; N/A, Cardigan; Old Navy, Tee; Disney World, Jeans; Helmut Lang, Ankle Boots; Koh-Tao)

A foolproof formula is to wear your favourite jeans (or leggings), a massive sweater, scarf and comfy shoes. I tend to wear some chunky knits during exams as they seem to always turn on the air conditioning in the rooms I've written exams in. Not really sure why, but the wool really does help keep me nice and cozy. Better prepared than sorry!

Also, what's not to love about getting some of your favourite treats when you're studying? Rewarding yourself after a successful day of studying is definitely the best route to pursue, it keeps you motivated and replenishes you. My other favourite treats when I'm studying are apple slices, carrot sticks, almonds and of course, a hot mug of tea.

The absolute last thing is to make sure you relax! As stressful as exams can be, don't forget to just get up and enjoy the fresh air.
Side note: This post was done entirely through instagram, sorry, I have been too overwhelmed with studying that by the time I get home from campus, it's already dark out as the sun has been setting at 4:30pm everyday.

How to Wednesdays: Winter Layers

2011-11-30T08:56:00.004-08:00

As if I don't complain enough about this already, I live on a mountain and go to school on a mountain. So when people say "it's winter", really, for me, it was winter a month in advance. While the rest of the world is frolicking in autumn clothes and jacket free, I'm furiously digging through my closet to find all my winter coats.

Anyway, I've come up with a foolproof formula to last me through some of these cold Canadian winters.

1) Always layer from thin to thick
2) Stay away from jeans, unless you plan on layering a pair of leggings underneath (denim traps cold air)
3) Look for materials high in wool content, not only is it a natural material, it also retains heat brilliantly and repels water.
4) Why wear one when you can easily double it?
5) Use those winter accessories

(Coat; ASOS, "Waterfall" Cardigan; LOFT, Knit Cardigan; Old Navy, Dress; H&M, Scarf; H&M, Socks; Aritzia)

Unfortunately there was no snow on the ground when I shot these pictures, so I suppose the golden hour's lighting sort of defeated the purpose of me trying to winterize my current situation, but I promise it's below 0 degrees celsius here.

Here's how I followed my rules:
1) Wore a thin cotton dress
2) No jeans here!
3) Cardigan is wool blend and same with my coat.
4) Two layers of tights plus wool socks, and two cardigans.
5) Scarf (worn), hat (used to keep my camera warm, kidding), and mittens. Who can forget those wool socks? I highly suggest investing in a pair of nice wool socks, they really do keep your feet nice and toasty.

(Trapper Hat; H&M, Socks; Aritzia, Mittens; Aritzia, Scarf; H&M)

Stay warm this winter season and layer away!

TEDxSFU

2011-11-27T17:48:00.004-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I was one of the 100 lucky individuals selected to have the honour of attending the inaugural event of TEDxSFU (my university, woohoo!). The experience was definitely noteworthy and I came out of it inspired and my eyes were opened.

This year's event was centred around community engagement, something very appropriate for it's first year, especially considering we live in Vancouver, a very community based city. The line-up of speakers was amazing in breadth from the range of topics to the ages of those speakers. Overall, the event was extremely well organized and much kudos to the TEDxSFU team for organizing this phenomenal day, I am so very looking forward to next year!

Richard Loat, founder of Five Hole for Food. BC's 24 under 24. Marrying his passions of hockey, social media and charity.

Dr. Julio Montaner, Director of BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS on nullifying HIV and prevention as a treatment.

Ta'Kaiya Blaney, 10 years young singer song-writer from the Sliammon First Nation. Environmental Activist.

Ryan Holmes, CEO of HootSuite on social media and it's revolutionary impact.

These were only a very small handful of those speakers who spoke at TEDxSFU. Many more stories were told and lessons were taught. For me, the most valuable lessons I got out of those 9 hours was:

1) Never deny the power of a voice
2) Behind every voice exists a story
3) No matter how small an idea, think big
4) Trust more
5) Always fight for what you love

Thank you again to TEDxSFU for providing such an inspiring day to all those attendees. I hope to attend again in the upcoming years!

P.S. More photos can be found on my Flickr page.

How to Wednesdays: Style Your Sole

2011-11-23T11:03:00.006-08:00

Last week I showed you how to make delicious and healthy (yes!) potato chips. This week I'll show you how to customize your own pair of shoes.

I am a huge advocate for various causes, and I strongly believe that any action taken is progress, despite how little it may seem at the time. TOMS, a controversial shoe company for it's "One For One" movement, is one of them. I blogged about my obsession with their shoes about a year ago now, and I am happy to say I still strongly support the company even through it's various controversies as the cause is amazing. I was so inspired by it that I founded the Campus Club at my local university with my sister and few others and we had our first event this semester called "Style Your Sole". We had a day where we sat and painted/designed our shoes while chatting away and watched documentaries on the company itself. It was a relatively easy process after it was all organized, although quite chaotic as I have never organized an event at a university before.

In order to customize your own pair of canvas shoes (i.e. TOMS, Converse, Keds, Vans etc.) you will need the following:

- Acrylic paints
- Paint brushes of various sizes
- Toothpicks
- Masking Tape
- Finishing spray
**OPTIONAL: An artistic friend willing to lend a hand to those who are artistically challenged aka me.

1) Seal the edges of your TOMS shoes with masking tape to prevent leakage. Masking tape is super useful when making straight edges (i.e. chevron stripes)
2) Paint away! Be sure to not glop it on or your paint will take awhile to dry, the key is to layer it on. Toothpicks were listed as they're useful when drawing fine details.
3) Seal it all in with a finishing spray!

Pretty easy stuff, no? It's super fun and don't be afraid of going all out. We had some pretty wicked designs, but I stuck with simple stuff (I like plain). I also won't take the credit for my drawings, my artistic friend helped me draw Totoro and the sootballs from Spirited Away. All I did was paint the glitter back panel, the fluorescent glow-in-the-dark orange and the little dab of glow-in-the-dark yellow on the "O".

If you would like to see other designs, please check out our Facebook Page. I will be posting high quality (not iPhone) photos on Sunday night if you'd like to see more detailed shots!

So, if you wondered where I ran off to, this is what I have been organizing for the past 3 weeks, and it sure paid off! Once again, apologies for the inconsistent posting, I've had a whole bunch to tackle with school in these past few weeks (and upcoming!). This weekend I have been invited to attend TEDxSFU's inaugural event, I'm very excited as I had to apply and ended up being one of the 100 students selected to attend. Be sure to follow my Twitter for updates throughout the event this Saturday!

How to Wednesdays: Homemade Potato Chips

2011-11-16T14:23:00.002-08:00

I've decided to start a sort-of "how to" weekly post in order to force myself to break away from studying/stressing constantly. This week's installment I'll show you how to feed that undying craving for potatoes.

I don't know about you, but I have days where I just crave a McDonald's fry. I know, they're unhealthy, and who knows how old they are. The past 2 weeks, in order to satisfy this potato craving of mine, I've made a potato soup and most recently, these delicious homemade potato chips. My original inspiration behind this was off food for my family.

When I got home today after work (and trekking through the snow!), I felt like potatoes. Luckily for me we still had one left over. Here are the steps I took to achieving these crunchy Ms. Vickie's-esque chips.

1) Scrub the potatoes clean, then slice thinly with a mandoline , or if you're like me and own one from the 80's, chop 'em up as thinly and evenly as possible.
2) Soak the slices in a bowl of warm/cold water for about 15 mins, this helps with the starchiness and it sticking when baking.
3) Drain the water and add olive oil to coat, make sure you coat all of the slices
4) Place on baking tray and season with sea salt, pepper, and whatever else you think would be tasty. Be adventurous!
5) Pop in the oven and bake for 15 minute bursts, mine took about an hour in the oven at 325F.
6) Drain excess oil on a paper towel.

Enjoy!

ASOS: Coat in review

2011-11-11T17:03:00.003-08:00

After receiving my ASOS duffle coat about a week ago, I have finally decided I can give a thorough review of ASOS.

As this coat has a high wool content (65%, according to the site), I anticipated a heavier feel to the coat. Instead, it felt thin and looked wrinkly and just not as gorgeous as the site's photos, something I semi-expected. Putting the coat on, I felt a bit of relief as it was pretty well-fitting, I expected it to hit me approximately 3" above the knee, as I'm petite, and the sleeves to be longer, in that way it satisfied everything I was looking for in a winter coat.

After wearing this coat religiously for over a week I can say for the price of $116 CAD, I will be keeping it as despite it's thin feel, it really does keep me toasty and warm, and provides ample room for winter layers. It looks great whether I'm wearing a skirt, dress or skinny jeans and it does it's job of a winter coat. Did I mention it has amazingly deep pockets that allow me to keep my phone, bus pass, earphones, keys and lip balm in without worrying about them sliding out? It's pretty fantastic, I feel like Mary Poppins sometimes. Oh, and it is also equipped with a magical hood that is wonderful for Vancouver's odd weather, especially on those rare occasions I forget my umbrella.

All in all, I would recommend ASOS to my friends and family (I already have!), but be sure to do ample research and be sure to read labels and do the appropriate measurements to ensure that you will be satisfied with your product.

I will gladly answer any other questions you may have about ASOS, just shoot me an email or leave me a comment below.

Lazy

2011-10-30T15:32:00.003-07:00

I suppose I should start off with another apology (i've been doing that a lot lately), I actually finished all 5 of my midterms this past Monday, but thanks for the well wishes, I've now redirected them to hoping that they will better my marks!

(Sweater; H&M, Button-up; H&M, Ponte Leggings, Boots; American Eagle)

This weekend, I felt like being lazy, explaining my lazy attire as of late. I'm liking the combination of button-ups with sweaters, it's become a huge comfort outfit, sort of like comfort food, but better. Also, speaking of comfort outfit, may I introduce my comfort boots to you? These are the American Eagle ones I had spoken about a few posts ago, my knock-off Rachel Comey's that will suffice until I get my grubby little hands on the actual Mars boot itself. I had purchased them awhile back when they had a 40% off plus free shipping promo, they have free shipping on now until Monday, so check out these bad boys. The tassels aren't as flared out, which was a huge relief to me when they had arrived.

I've been living on my iPhone lately, I can't get enough of it, I think I have a problem. It's just so easy to get distracted now, online shopping has suddenly become so much more accessible.

I am still eagerly awaiting my ASOS jacket's arrival, another 2 days and it should be here, then I will give a full and honest review. Reading all your mixed reviews on ASOS is making me nervous! What to expect? Harumph.

P.S. Check out the crazy hair, wind is not my friend.

Fall Uniform

2011-10-26T12:49:00.004-07:00

Ok, I admit I have had a fairly boring wardrobe as of late, I blame my midterms. I'm finally getting back into my "I must appear half-decent to the public" mode, so here it is. Do you accept my apology?

(Trench; Old Navy, Sweater; Joe Fresh, Belt; H&M, Trousers; Old Navy, Flats; Old Navy, Portfolio; Vintage)

As I was celebrating the end of my 4 out of 5 midterm completion point, I decided to head to Joe Fresh as they were conveniently having their anniversary celebration the same weekend, I'm sure all bloggers use this excuse, so just bear with me. I picked up this camel stripe sweater and just had to have it, and obviously, paired it with my trench. I have become known as the "striped one who wears a trench obsessively" amongst my little hub of friends. Good or bad?

Unrelated somewhat related side note: my sister was having an interview for some big ol' gig, so she asked my mom for a "briefcase", I told her she needed a portfolio, silly girl. My mom pulled this bad boy out from my dad's closet, my sister wrinkled her nose, 20 seconds later it became mine (ish), until my mom discovers that I stole it.

Most exciting news? I finally ordered my duffle coat of ASOS. I had been hunting for 3 years, fingers crossed this is it. I got it at 20% off (a code available only for the weekend that I had previously tweeted about). I'm not too sure about ASOS's quality as I have never ordered from them. Anyone have experience? Let me know!

P.S. I am now on Instagram, stalk away.

Whistler

2011-10-12T15:39:00.002-07:00

Well hello there! It has been awhile since I last updated, and I do recollect saying that I would share my AE boots that I purchased, unfortunately, I never got around to taking an outfit post with them before I left for Whistler, so another pair of boots will have to do.

(Sweater; Gap, Gingham Button-up; Gap, Jeans; Garage, Boots, Tote; H&M)

As a Canadian, I celebrated Thanksgiving this past weekend and as a typical university student, I said I would get a whole bunch done, contrary to common folklores, we students get plenty accomplished: hot tub, swimming, walking around, online shopping, etc. Who says we aren't productive? Pfft.

Point is: relaxing was much needed as in a week's time, I have 5 midterms. 5 midterms, 7 days. Sounds like a blockbuster film gone really bad.

How fantastic does this sweater look? I saw it at Gap and had to get it, good thing they didn't have it in stock in gray as well, or else I would've gotten both. Uh-oh!

Fall is here, at least, in Vancouver.

Farewell Summer

2011-09-24T16:21:00.002-07:00

This was taken at the beginning of the month, when Vancouver still had warm weather and clear blue skies. I definitely miss the feeling of the sun shining down (although sometimes it got to be overwhelming). I guess we don't realize what we love until it's gone, right? Good bye Mr. Sun, you will be missed!

(Fedora; H&M, Batwing Shirt; Wilfred, Shorts; Plenty, Moccasins; Minnetonka via Front & Company, Sunglasses; H&M, Purse; H&M)

Apologies for the lack of updates as of late, as you move up in years in university, as if it wasn't difficult enough, readings seem to multiply on their own. Eek!

I have to say these mocassins were such a score at Front & Company, I also picked up a belt that weekend from their rummage sale. Having a credit card has opened me up to an insane amount of retail stores, haha. I've been behaving though, almost all of my money has been spent on purchasing textbooks. Expect another update soon with my beloved AE boots. Yes, American Eagle.

Vegas: Day 4

2011-09-19T19:21:00.002-07:00

Long time no post! This will be the last Vegas post for awhile, whew. I'll finally be done with these posts and moving onto some outfit posts (sorry readers). Hopefully all those back in school have been surviving, I know how tough it can be to get back into listening to lectures.

Anyway, my last day in Vegas was filled with some shopping (I didn't buy much, surprising for me), and TONS of good food. Ever heard of the Wynn buffet? Well, if you haven't, I would strongly advise you find the cheapest flight you can to Vegas and go to the lunch and dinner buffets. I wish I could have stayed for the dinner, but the lunch will have to suffice. I limited the food porn shots to one, thank me later.

(Chicken Soup, Asian-influence Salad, Mahi Mahi, Seafood Ratatouille)

I have to say, out of all the hotels I visited, Wynn had my favourite interior decor. It was just so darn photogenic in there! I can't imagine how much it costs to spend one night in there. Walking through it was amazing enough.

Don't those flowers look fake? Well, at least to me they did, until I touched them and proclaimed (in a very loud excited voice), "THEY'RE REAL?!". To which the other hotel workers giggled at me. You'll never escape my embarrassing antics, ever. I swear I have friends.

That's it for Vegas! My next post will be a long overdue outfit post, I suppose that was also an old outfit now, as I can't get away with anything less than pants/tights nowadays in Vancouver. Fall is finally here, to be excited or not?

Vegas: Day 3

2011-09-11T14:08:00.002-07:00

Almost done with all these Vegas posts, I have one more day left after this, and I'll finally resume regular programming. It's kind of nice reliving the vacation with all these photos I have taken, a good reminder for me of the less stressful times in my life, especially now that school is back in session.

This day we spent wandering around a bunch of the hotels down The Strip, it's amazing how much money must have gone into building these amazing buildings, especially looking at the interior detailing (not to mention the extraordinary work done to the exterior as well!). The Bellagio was one of my favourite hotels, extremely colourful decor complimented by a sort-of fairytale like theme.

We also went to visit M&M world and Coca-Cola world, a tourist must-see in Vegas. I could not believe how expensive everything was inside, but it was spectacular, nonetheless.

I had to post this picture of my siblings (almost all of us, sans my half-sister who has a family of her own), one of the rare moments where we aren't strangling each other, accompanied by the peaceful Venetian in the background. Also, one of the only pictures showing my outfit that day, not that it's something that hasn't been seen before though!

After exploring almost every single hotel that we had wanted to, we decided to head over to the Bellagio to watch the water show. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip, it was amazing to watch and such a beauty as well. Can't forget about the cool breeze it provided too ;)

One more day of Vegas to share and I will be out of your hairs with these tourist shots!

Vegas: Day 2

2011-09-06T21:48:00.004-07:00

I have finally managed to sort through hundreds of photos and dwindled down them down to my favourite shots. Over the course of this vacation I tried to document my outfits, but it was difficult to as I was often rushing out the door in the morning, so apologies for the blurry outfit photo seen below.

(Fedora; H&M, Dress; H&M, Moto Vest; F21, Jelly Gladiators; BCBG)

Onto Vegas: Day 2, turning off the a/c in the middle of the night (done by my sisters aka my roomies) was a bad idea. We woke up in a muggy room and learned our lesson to never turn off the a/c, ever. I suppose you can say I look like the typical tourist, carrying my trusty backpack, fedora and lugging around my SLR. If one is to go on vacation, you have to go all out, no?

(Backpack; Fjallraven Kånken, Fedora; H&M, Circle Scarf; H&M, Cardigan; F21, "A Stolen Life" by Jaycee Dugard, Sunglasses; H&M, Glasses; Clearly Contacts, Waterbottle; Vapur)

After an unsuccessful shopping round at Las Vegas Premium Outlets, we refreshed at a buffet, and headed out to the Strip to watch the Treasure Island show and Mirage's Volcano. I swear, the evenings here feel the same as the mornings which feel the same as the nights. I don't comprehend. Heat + Jess = do not compute.

I swear, I'm almost done with all these Vegas updates, 2 more posts and we will resume regular programming (sort-of).

Vegas: Day 1

2011-09-01T23:35:00.002-07:00

Can I first say how grateful I am for Vancouver's much cooler weather, I don't think I could ever survive in the desert. The heat is unbearable, I have no idea how people were walking around in suits. I have a huge back-log of posts, so pardon my super slow posting as I am currently attempting to get all my textbooks in order for school. Apologies to all my readers!

Let us start off with day 1, shall we? After a short 2 hour flight from Bellingham, we landed in Vegas, and immediately after stepping off the plane, I had to take off that sweater I had on. There was no way that was staying on in 40 degree weather.

(Fedora; H&M, Romper; H&M, TOMS)

My first meal in Vegas was this massive "Gourmet Chicken Salad" from Peppermills, an extremely tacky restaurant with outstanding proportions. I'm not sure what their definition of a salad is, but this salad was literally served on a platter: A whole chicken breast, 2 sliced (not chopped) avocado and bunch of grapes.

We took a mini-stroll along The Strip following our gargantuan meal, ran into some drunken Canadians and crashed. My first impressions of the Sin City? Extravagant, hot, and exhausting.

Lack of Creativity on The Capricious Club

2011-08-28T17:00:00.001-07:00

If you are reading this, I on my way over to Las Vegas and will more than likely be sleeping on the flight over. Like Bestie, the lovely blogger behind The Capricious Club, I am away on vacation!

Bestie oh-so-graciously asked me to guest-blog for her while she was away, and I lept at the opportunity to do so. Please direct yourself over to read all about N (and catch a glimpse of his stylish self).

Weekend Uniform 2

2011-08-21T13:35:00.002-07:00

Day #3 with N in Toronto and me in Vancouver. It's weird having to take pictures on my own now, I was getting used to having a photographer/slave. Pardon the sudden drop in quality of photography skills, it's difficult taking photos with a mini-tripod and no remote control. I think I need to re-think what I need to invest my money in.

(Striped Tee; H&M, Shorts; H&M Kids, Platform Sandals; Kork-Ease "Ava", Sunglasses; H&M, Laptop Case; Etsy)

I spent this entire weekend doing absolutely nothing, a nice way to come off of a very hectic week. I finally got to work on my tan, read books, listen to good music, re-paint my nails that were completely chipped and disgusting, and watching documentaries (Capturing the Friedmans, The September Issue, Zoo etc.). Unfortunately my internal clock doesn't allow me to sleep-in, so I've been waking up at 7am this entire weekend. Lame, right?

I will be heading off to Vegas in 1 week's time, I can't promise that there will be any scheduled updates as my life has been very hectic as of late, let's just say working 2 part-time jobs is much too exhausting for one person to handle. Only 1 more week of chaos and I will finally be able to do what I do best: eat, shop and sleep!

Weekend Uniform

2011-08-14T23:01:00.002-07:00

This is my typical weekend uniform. Embracing the casual and comfy. I'll let the details of my outfit speak for themselves, I've always been more of a detail-oriented gal.

(Sweater; H&M, Shirt; Old Navy, Jeans; Garage, Sneakers; H&M, Earrings; Etsy).

I've been wearing my much too long bangs in a waterfall braid style, pretty neat hey? They've finally gotten long enough for me to do this style again. Too bad I'll be chopping my hair off in less than 2 weeks.

These earrings were part of my gift from my sister, these were probably one of the first items I had wanted from Etsy. A dream come true as they don't give me any sort of allergic reaction. They also look pretty neat when worn, N and I had a tough time shooting them worn though, so this will have to suffice for now.

Re-visiting some of my favourite pieces, striped sneakers and N's oh-so-comfy sweater. He's not getting it back anytime soon.

Wish me luck on my last exam, freedom is near!

Obsessed: Leopard

2011-08-11T11:17:00.004-07:00

I've been leopard crazy as of late, since I had to trash my beloved leopard print flats, I've been on a serious hunt for a replacement. I haven't found any yet, but the Steve Madden Madee's come in a close second, but unfortunately do not fit me, the smallest size is a 5.5 and I'm a 5. Woe is me, but this leopard print circle scarf and my previous leopard print birthday dress will suffice for now.

(Button-up; H&M, Paper bag skirt; Smart Set, Suede Heels; H&M, Fjallraven kånken; Plen+y, Leopard print circle scarf; H&M)

Pardon my crazy hair in these posts, my hair is getting really long AND it was windy. The wind was a good excuse for wearing the scarf though, no? :)

Once again, I'm sorry for all these excessive shots, we'll be on a camera high for a little while, hehe, until then, excuse us.

1 exam, 1 to go. Enjoy your weekend fellow readers, I hope the weather is as great for you as it has been here in Vancouver.

1, 19, 97.

2011-08-08T11:14:00.007-07:00

I've had a pretty hectic few weeks thus far, the end of the semester drawing very near aka writing papers into the wee hours in the morning, a whole slew of birthdays (including my own), a plethora of mosquito bites, and the lack of studying for exams. I guess that was all code for, I'm so sorry, I'm lazy and couldn't be bothered to update. On the topic of birthdays though, this weekend we celebrated my grandma turning 97, my niece turning 1 and myself turning 19. What a fiesta!

Now my first question to put you readers under the grill is: WHAT'S NEW? Notice it? No, it's not my hair, no, I unfortunately did not grow another 3 inches (I wish!)

(Leopard Print Dress; H&M, Suede Heels; H&M, Studded Purse; BCBG, Camera Necklace; Etsy, "Make Mine Mango"; Revlon Polish, "Coral"; Revlon Lipstick)

I got a new camera! A Nikon D3000 to be exact, thanks to my extremely lovely boyfriend who is in big trouble with me for spending that kind of money. I'm so spoiled. Anyway, notice the difference in the quality of photos and how there's actually some slight depth of field now? I can now get back into my photography mode, which I have been craving for ever since I stopped photography back in high school. I didn't take many of these photos myself, N and my bestie Sabrina did, but does the camera not make a huge difference in the quality of my photos?

These photos were from my birthday dinner last night, sorry for the extreme spam, we all got a little camera happy, can you blame us? :)

Mmmm such a delicious cake, gotta love Whole Foods. Definitely try this cake if you can get your hands on it, it's called "Cloud 10", well named if I do say so myself.

Now onto more important things, I'm off to sign up for my credit card, study intensely for an exam (in 2 days time), and somehow inbetween update more. Until next post, whenever that is.

Bloggers x Burgoo

2011-07-29T10:20:00.001-07:00

Last night, I had the pleasure of finally meeting Kristy from Monochroma.chic, Jen from her waise choice and Nicole from le mode du jour. I can't even begin to explain how much fun it was to finally meet these girls in person, it felt almost surreal to me. They all came clad in lace and skirts, obviously I didn't get the memo, no lace for me, but I wore the skirt ;)!

Nicole and I were the first up to bat, being bloggers, of course. Clearly I am very incapable of posing, as I mentioned in previous posts. I'm so sorry readers, it's also evident that I lack the amount of personal style that these girls have!

I'm pretty sure at this point we were both feeling a whole lot of awkward and decided to turn and face the wall, I think this should become an obligatory pose for all my future posts?

The adorable Jen and Kristy together, aren't they both so stylish? I need to pick-up a thing or two from them!

The only group shot of the night. We didn't have a photographer of our own to take our shots, so that'll be reserved for another upcoming post, hopefully. I really hope I get to have another hang-out with these girls soon, it was oodles of fun and I would gladly do it all over again! :)

5 guys

2011-07-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is what I've been up to.

I'll have a proper outfit post soon, that is, if I'm not gorging burgers and froyo.

colour

2011-07-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

A splash of colour for a change. I guess it's finally time to start embracing summer here in Vancouver (for now?).

(Cardigan; Taiwan, Dress; Delia's, Sandals; H&M)

I'm going to finally go and try Pinkberry (the first Canadian location!) with N today. I was too lazy to go to the opening because I was feeling grumpy and exhausted, but that resulted in me missing out on Finn from Glee. Darn.

N called this my extremely awkward photoshoot because I was feeling awkward. I never know what to do with myself. I tend to recycle the same poses over and over again. Care to provide me some support in this dilemma? :)

Please ignore my extremely chipped nails, I can't be bothered to redo them. Lazy Jess is lazy.

penciled in

2011-07-21T17:14:00.000-07:00

Quality over quantity, right? Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm currently experiencing the end of semester stress on top of family in town. I've got one crazy summer ahead of me.

(Gingham Shirt; Gap, Pencil Skirt; Banana Republic Thrifted, Patent Toe Cap Heels; Sofft)

I've had a whole series of good buys lately, this Gap shirt, this skirt, and soon a jacket from H&M (if it's still in stores on Tuesday). So much for not shopping? Oh well. My excuse is that I need to spoil myself once in awhile, as long as I fool myself, I'm okay with it.

Hopefully I'll be updating more as the weather has finally picked up again in Vancouver. Fingers crossed it lasts, it never really seems to in Vancouver.

Toodles!

easy does it

2011-07-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

Some days, I wake up and automatically reach for the same thing I do every lazy day. I don't know what it is, perhaps there's some undying urge inside of me to wear just one item over and over. Lately it's been any one of my cropped trousers, I can't stop wearing them. They just look so good with everything, or at least, in my mind they do, and that's all that really matters, right?

(Striped Shirt; Old Navy, Cropped Cargos; Banana Republic, Studded Flats; Old Navy, Polish; Essie)

To all you bloggers who are feeling lazy and bored, you reach for that oversized cardigan and wear it to your heart's content. You wear that shirt all wrinkled and stained (oh, wait, that's me). Comfort is the key, and heck, if it makes going to the washroom easier, then you wear shorts and a tee instead of a romper.

Now excuse me as I kiss the sky, kidding.

incoming

2011-07-07T19:48:00.000-07:00

I've done a lot of shopping lately, too many shoes, dresses, and just clothes in general have been bought. I think I need to slow it down a little. For example? Basically this entire outfit is brand spankin' new. For now, I think I have enough dresses, trousers, shirts and dresses. Yes, that basically entails an entire closet. Oh well. Onto the good stuff, I'm extremely excited, for this summer is shaping up to be one heck of an exciting summer! My grandma from Taiwan is flying in this next week (she's 95 going onto 96!) and at the end of the summer, I get to meet my grandpa for the first time in my entire life, which means I get to fly down to Las Vegas!

(Asymmetrical Dress; H&M, Belt; H&M, Kork-Ease "Ava" Sandals; Urban Outfitters)

N and I would like to thank all you readers for your support and lovely comments :)! You're all so sweet, and, yes, it was a little freaky going over a valley, but MAN IS IT THRILLING. Definitely try it sometime. Those of you who were asking, we went ziplining at Grouse Mountain, there's also one located on Whistler too. I've heard great things about both, but definitely plan according to the weather.

This weekend is going to be a crazy one, I have to finish a whole ton of assignments ahead of time and submit them earlier to get them out of the way, that way, I'll be able to spend as much time as I can with my grandma, she's perhaps one of the most inspiring people I know. Maybe I'll post a picture up of me with her. Who knows?

I'm trying my very best to keep this niche of mine alive, but don't forget I'm also addicted to many other sites i.e. Tumblr and Twitter. So if I haven't updated in a couple of days, look for me there! Have a lovely weekend and don't forget to soak up the sun for me (with sunscreen, of course)!

ziplining

2011-07-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

You asked? I perform. The great unveiling of N, finally. This kid is funny, I mean, really funny. He was reading my blog and saw that he may be making an appearance, so he thought he should dress to impress. Good thing we went ziplining for our 6 months/half-year, right? :)

Ignore the little blue pouch, it's my camera case. I realize that this is a personal style blog, so let's ignore this little hiccup as this is what I wear when I'm exercising/hiking, as we did hike through snow as a part of the ziplining adventure.

Seriously though, ziplining is ridiculously fun. I had gone once before during the Olympics, and that was so fun to the point where I had to go again. These trolley's (the things we're holding on our shoulders), are heavy. Imagine walking around with metal hanging from one shoulder. Ouch!

At this point our guide Kaitlyn told us we should race. I was winning, until we rebounded and had to "run" back to the finish, there I failed. I say it's that he weighs more.

Isn't this view spectacular? I took this on the 5th and final zipline. I love Vancouver.

Until next time, I promise to have an ootd up in two days time. :)

granville island

2011-07-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Summer has most definitely arrived in Vancouver. It's about time, right? I've been waiting for these warm summer days where I don't have to bring a cardigan around. Yesterday N and I went out to Granville Island to take in the sun and just enjoy the long weekend. Lucky us, the weather ended up cooperating and it ended being a fantastic afternoon spent!

(Crop Top; F21, Skirt; H&M, Kork-Ease Sandals; UO, Belt; Joe Fresh Style; Purse; Vintage, Sunglasses; H&M)

If I look awkward in these photos, it would be because people were walking back and forth between every single shot, ergo, I had a pretty tough time looking normal and posing in a half-decent manner. At least I got some photos taken and my awkward posture didn't detract too much from the outfit, hopefully. Fingers and toes crossed.

Tomorrow N and I will be celebrating our 6 month. I know, how lame, who does that anyway? I forced him to give me some hints, and I managed to guess what we'll be going to do. I can't tell you quite yet as it would be completely unfair to N, but expect to be seeing some excellent pictures. Maybe N will be making his first appearance on the blog? Who knows?

I'll be spending today slaving over my textbooks with a box of kleenex for my overly-congested self. I'll also stare at this picture that I snapped from Granville Island and wish I was there. Not a particularly flattering picture of Vancouver, but it reminds me of the amazing city I live in. Remember the sandals I was whining about last post? I managed to get the other pair of Kork-Ease sandals yesterday too, a little more pricey at $15.67, regardless, they're mine, and they were the last pair. The ones I'm wearing in this series of photos are the "Myrna" style, featuring a lower wedge of 1", I picked up the "Ava" style yesterday, a 3.5" wedge. I think I'm done with shoe shopping for a little while.

kork-ease

2011-06-23T10:59:00.001-07:00

I've been bad. I didn't update my blog, and I got too lazy to schedule posts. Sorry readers! I was thinking of you every step of the way, this week was much too stressful for my liking and I sincerely apologize for not posting anything. On a happier note, it's Canada Day so Happy Birthday Canada! :)

(Shirt (dress worn as shirt); Vintage, Skirt; F21, Kork-Ease Sandals; UO)

I decided to not head out today and just lay low at home to spend some "me" time. It's kind of nice to just sit here and do absolutely nothing. I haven't accomplished much, but I have managed to catch up with all the KPop that I've been missing. ;) Anyway, my trip to Seattle was fun, it was great seeing family and being able to not worry about much (minus the midterm and assignment). I did quite a bit of shopping, didn't end up buying too much as I'd rather stick to my list and budget for that matter. I can say that I finally got my glittery black Toms. I know some people aren't a fan of these shoes, but I love the cause and these shoes are ridiculously comfortable.

Yesterday, N and I checked out another ramen place downtown Vancouver. I believe it was called "Ramen Santouka", or something along those lines. It's situated on Robson and oh my gosh, my new favourite. Absolutely delicious and filling. N and I were definitely walking around dazed afterwards. I had many close calls at Zara as they're having a huge Canada Day sale, but I didn't pick anything up. LUCKILY, because we went to UO afterwards, and guess what? YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THIS. I got a pair of kork-ease sandals for $7.83. You read that right. They were marked down from $140.99 and many reductions later... I scored my first pair. I almost bought 2 pairs, but unfortunately one of them was missing the corresponding shoe, so I've been eagerly waiting by my phone to get the call that they found both shoes!

I purchased this skirt down in Seattle because I thought it was the same as my other skirt I had previously purchased at F21, and silly me, didn't bother trying it on. It's completely different and is SO not work appropriate. I guess I'll have to save this for more casual occasions. It's extremely form-fitting, so you can see everything (including my dress underneath!). I promise to continue my mad spree of updating again. I actually enjoyed it, and I miss this little niche of mine. Happy Canada Day to all my Canadians!

for good

2011-06-21T12:24:00.001-07:00

Hello summer! I guess it's safe to say that summer has officially arrived in Vancouver, since I don't want to jinx it, let's pretend that I didnt' say anything, shall we? Please ignore the runners lined up in the pictures, we had to wash them all off after our Father's Day hike.

(Organic Cotton Shirt; Zara, Striped Skirt; H&M, Heels; Söfft, Necklace, Etsy)

Sorry for wearing this skirt for the nth time, a starving student like me can't afford anything else new and interesting, so a remix of this skirt will have to suffice for now. Also, I was feeling too lazy this morning to even bother with thinking of something cute to wear. If you'd like more excuses, don't worry, I can think of more!

I've had an exhausting 24 hours, it's hard for me to believe that there are so few people that you can actually trust in this crazy world. It's also pathetic how judgmental we all are, especially when we don't know the other person. For all you know, the person who you are mocking and putting down could be contemplating suicide, so think before you do. I can't necessarily say that I haven't made fun of others and I'm the best person who has done no wrong, but what I do know is that whenever I have committed an error, it is only in my best interest to make amends. Of course, in my younger years (I sound so old), I didn't want to believe that I had inflicted pain on others, hence, denying all accusations. Now, as an adult, I admit my wrongs and move on. We all want to be adults when we're children, and we all wish we were children when we're adults, but reality bites, and it is only up to you to act as an adult. Ultimately, we will all judge everyone, but is entirely unnecssary for we never really know all the dimensions to a person. Anyway, I'm done ranting here for now, I wrote a nice little blurb on my Tumblr about this.

I think this will be one of my last non-scheduled posts before I head to Seattle, sorry readers. I do read all your comments and I will get back to you ASAP. I'll do my best in replying comments when I'm in Seattle and have some down time, but to be honest, the majority of it will be spent slaving over assignments and midterm cramming. Procrastination is no joke. Now excuse me as I spend these next 8 hours speed typing through 10 pages of an assignment. As an apology for being a flakey blogger, check out the gnarly tan. I know, I'm ashamed of myself too. I'm also a wimp, I messed around with the lighting to hide the tan. Sorry you can't see it in it's full blown glory.

dots

2011-06-19T22:49:00.001-07:00

You will very rarely find me in pink. That is a statement of truth, and nothing but. I realize that I'm a little behind in updating my little niche, but forgive me as this week is extremely hectic. I have contacted the winner of my giveaway already, but to make it more official, congratulations Jenn for winning the giveaway! I hope you enjoy your new frock (I'm insanely jealous), and put it to good use. I expect you to send me pics of you wearing it, that's a serious threat.

(Button-up; Vintage, Necklace; ChicRewards, Jeans; UO, Loafers; Sample Sale, Tapestry Purse; Vintage)

Sorry for my lack luster look, I'm extremely drained and have been for this last little bit. I'll try and post better outfits and try to be a little more inspirational, contrary to my blog name. Oh the irony.

I hope you all had a lovely Father's Day, I know I did (despite the extreme exhaustion). We did a 7km hike with our Dad and then helped our Mom prepare dinner (beef noodle soup, as per my father's request). I'm about to crash, so I'll keep the post short and sweet as I have to along my way to finish another 12 pages of this assignment. Don't procrastinate.

Also, I'm heading off to Seattle this weekend, so I'll have some posts scheduled ahead of the time. Apologies ahead of time for not getting back to your comments, it's not that I'm not reading them, I just have little to no time to reply. So sorry! I do try my very best.

pleated

2011-06-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing TGIF, ever. It is perhaps the most liberating phrase to hear, especially after having an especially long and exhausting week. I am so looking forwarded to cozying up with my mattress and catching up on some much-needed z's.

(Striped Dress; Forever21, Pleated Skirt; H&M, Flats; Old Navy)

On Wednesday, the Stanley Cup Finals took place here in Vancouver, of course, if we won, it would be a massive party, if we lost, a riot would more than likely take place. Unfortunately, the latter happened and our city was on fire, literally. It was absolutely disappointing and one of the single-most embarrassing incidents I've ever had to experience as a Vancouverite. Thankfully, the following morning, approximately 15,000 Vancouverites gathered downtown to help aid the clean-up crew, amazing isn't it? It goes to show that not all of our city is composed of idiots who don't realize that the damage they are doing to our home isn't affecting Boston's win whatsoever. Anyway, I thought I should just cover the details of what happened with a please don't judge my city based off of one night, Vancouver really is the most liveable city and this one night means absolutely nothing in terms of our city and people.

Lucky me, I don't really enjoy being in large crowds and all that, so I watched the game with N and a couple of other friends at a local White Spot instead of heading downtown to watch the game on big screens. Good decision on our part as we probably would have gotten pepper sprayed, or something just as awful along those lines. After the game, we went to H&M (obviously), and I just had to pick-up this pleated skirt. I've been eyeing it and waiting for it to go on sale for a month or so now, so lucky me, it went on sale for $10! I think I'm having a spree of good deals lately, it's pretty fantastic. I'm quite happy about it. This is my second day in a row wearing this skirt, you could say I love it. It's such a perfect length and is breezy enough for a hot summer's day.

N and I watched Super 8 tonight, super fun movie with some unexpected twists, not to mention some unbelievable young talent. Kids these days are just getting more and more talented! Especially Elle Fanning, I'm such a huge fan of her, she's gorgeous and is SO talented. If you guys go to watch it in theaters, definitely stay and watch the credits, they've got a fun little surprise saved.

These photos were taken by Vancouver's law courts, my future awaits, for now, awkward photos by the building will suffice. A security guard walked by while these photos were being snapped, awkward times. I love these situations N and I get into when taking photos. It doesn't help I'm such a perfectionist and try to get the best photos possible.

I'll be updating this upcoming weekend with the winner from my giveaway. I was actually going to post it tonight, alongside with this outfit, but I'm much too exhausted to go through and double-check everything. I pinky-promise that the post will be up by no later than Sunday evening. Look forward to it!

sleepless

2011-06-13T13:24:00.001-07:00

I've been so tired lately, I swear no matter how much sleep I get, I am still just as exhausted as when I don't get any sleep. 'Tis a strange life I lead. N and I were having some camera troubles today, so apologies for the strange quality.

(Blazer; H&M, Button-up; H&M, Belt; H&M, Skirt; F21, Polka-dotted tights, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson, Backpack; Fjallraven Kanken, Camera Necklace; Etsy)

Also, sorry, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I've been super exhausted and really can't be bothered to do anything else but pretend that I'm awake. I could totally go for a london fog latte right about now. Anybody have those strange late-night cravings? Please tell me I'm not alone on this, I swear I always am.

I will be back soon with a much better outfit, I'm so sorry for the lack-lustre posts as of late. I will try to be more creative (note: try), as soon as the weather picks up... and after the Canucks win the Stanley Cup. Don't worry, that will be soon aka tonight. Be there or be square my fellow Vancouverites.

These are the last 24 hours which you have left to enter my giveaway with Shabby Apple. Go go go!

cropped ver. 2

2011-06-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

The long awaited weekend has FINALLY arrived. Thank goodness for that, what better way to celebrate then waking up at 8:30am and working on assignments? Really, please enlighten me because this lifestyle is quite rowdy and a little too much to handle.

(Striped Shirt; Old Navy, Cropped Cargos; Banana Republic Petites, Sandals; H&M)

I scored these cropped cargos for $15 from Banana Republic. Yes, you read right, $15, they were down from $110. Quite thrilling for me, I felt like I was on Extreme Couponing or something, minus the coupons. I'm so tempted to go back and go crazy. Somebody restrain me, quick!

Yesterday, I dropped by the Shopper's Drug Mart across the street from my office and was looking at polishes (cue my post ranting about my hunt for the perfect coral and baby blue), and managed to pick-up what I think is a pretty close dupe to Essie's Tart Deco for a mere 99cents. I know many people struggle with Revlon polishes, but I never have, the colours always come out perfectly opaque and usually lasts for 2 weeks. I applied it this morning whilst working on assignments, multi-tasking at it's prime.

How sick are you of seeing this striped shirt and these sandals? It's pretty gross how much I wear them. It's ok though, I throw my shirt in the laundry and the shoes are taken care of. I was so tempted to go back and buy another pair just as a back-up. You can never be too prepared. Don't worry, I have paid for my sins for wearing these sandals too much, I have a gnarly tan line from them. It's quite embarrassing really.

P.S. GO CANUCKS GO! ONE WIN AWAY FROM THE CUP!

drowsy days

2011-06-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

Still boring. I know. I'm sorry. My excuse? STILL THE MIDWEEK SLUMP. Yes, it still applies, only now it's a Wednesday. Ever have those days where you wake up and no matter what you do, you still feel half-asleep? That's been me for the past 3 days now, it's really annoying.

(Shirt; Zara, Skirt; Smart Set, Sandals; H&M, Sunglasses; H&M, Necklace; Etsy)

I'm sitting in front of the TV pretending that I'm watching the Canucks game. This is too stressful, I don't know why I do this to myself, it makes me so miserable. Either way, the Bruins are playing an incredibly dirty game and the game barely appears to hockey anymore, not that I'm a huge hockey fan, but still. Sportsmanship people, sportsmanship.

I have a hectic few weeks coming up from school. I guess I should have listened to my sisters when they said to not take 3 courses in the summer. I suppose you could say I'm a little insane/do not have a life. I'm also trying to frantically practice driving and do an exam before my licence expires so I don't have to retake the test for my permit AND pay for it.

Anybody know a nice coral coloured nail polish? I'm currently on the hunt to find the perfect coral (not that I need anymore polishes), on my list of possible buys are:
- Essie's California Coral
- Essie's Tart Deco
- OPI's I'm His Coral Friend
- Deborah Lippmann's Girls Just Want to Have Fun
- Revlon's Tropical Temptation

I'm also on the hunt for a nice baby blue polish, the one my bestie got my last year from Hong Kong is almost empty. THIS IS AN SOS CRY. I NEED A BABY BLUE POLISH. DO YOU HEAR ME? I'm almost done repeating myself, but once again, this is the last week you can enter my giveaway with Shabby Apple. If you haven't done so, please go check it out! I'm sure you'll want to enter as soon as you see what the prize is. ;)

midweek slump

2011-06-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

Ok fine, technically speaking, it isn't really the middle of the week, but in my world, it most definitely is. I swear this happens every week, without fail, nearly every week, I'll tweet something along the lines of "Ugh, midweek slump".

What is this slump I speak of? Well, every Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, I'll get completely bored of everything that is happening to me and lose all inspiration/any motivation that I ever had.

Since I'm such an honest person/really cannot help but embarrass myself for some entertainment, I'll provide a few examples of such:
- I can't ever decide what to wear aka I sit on my closet floor and take a nap (true story, happens at 7am many mornings).
- I lose sleep over trying to decide what I should wear (N has seen me go through my closet like no tomorrow, trust me, I cannot make a decision for the life of me once this slump hits).
- All I want to do is eat (which applies to me on a daily basis, but this is moreso than normal)
- I watch House/PLL/Nikita/The Good Wife, all day.
- I am not coherent (also applies to me on a daily basis).

I guess you could say this post is code for "I have no outfit to post since I am extremely lazy and cannot dress myself" or we can go with "The poor girl, she really has lost her mind and we should forgive her and all move on". Personally, I prefer the latter, so lets just go with that one, shall we? I suppose I can promise to have a proper outfit post up in a day or two. N and I are planning on hitting the town to take some photos, so something decent will be up soon. Pinky promise. Yes, those photos literally have next to nothing to do with the contents of the post, but some nice photos to go along with a bland post can do no harm.

I realize I'm harassing you all, but really do check out my giveaway with Shabby Apple, I would like you all to participate in this! Free stuff, why not?

june

2011-06-05T01:13:00.000-07:00

Contrary to my last stormy post, these photos are filled with excessive sunlight and lots of colour (at least, more colour than what I usually wear). Yesterday N and I took a little stroll along the seawall to enjoy the fantastic weather Vancouver has been experiencing as of late. I wish it was like this more often!

(Tank; Gap, Belt; H&M, Skirt; H&M, Clog-Sandals; H&M, Purse; Vintage, Sunglasses; H&M)

Heels + rocks + train tracks aren't a very good mix, don't try it, unless you have an impeccable sense of balance, or else you may end up pulling some very strange maneuvers in order to maintain some sort of semi-appropriate facial expression. These shoes were the one's I mentioned in the previous post, I can't even begin to tell you how much I love them.

Since I love my macro shots so much, I recruited N to take this shot, it turned out pretty well, no? I like being able to show the detail in my outfits, it makes everything that much more interesting. Plus, those details are what I put thought into when getting ready, mixing patterns and textures, you know, all that fancy stuff.

Ta-da! Check out my new shoes. Apologies for the ugly toes, feet aren't exactly an asset of mine, especially since my feet are a mere size 5.

This is what we were looking at as we walked. Vancouver is such a beautiful city, I'm so lucky to have been born and raised here. Forever a Vancouverite.

Obviously, food was involved. This sandwich was so delicious, sorry I can't remember the name, but you can pick one up at Café Crema if you live in Vancouver.

Please check out my Giveaway with Shabby Apple, don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!

another day at the office

2011-06-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

My long time readers know that since August 2010, I've been working as an assistant at a law firm. Since my employment at the firm, I've been forced to make stylistic changes in my daily life to adopt to this job. I've apologized over and over for this, but I'm so sorry that my outfits are boring. I really do try, I'm still going at it!

(Trench; Old Navy, Cardigan; Izod, Blouse; H&M, Skirt; Banana Republic, Belt; Joe Fresh Style, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson, Tote; Fabric & Handle via elisharon)

I realize there isn't much glitz and glam in the world of powersuits (cue Alicia Florrick in The Good Wife), but there are always little things that I can do in an attempt at bringing a little variety.

These pictures were actually from yesterday. To cut the explanation short: skirt length was not office appropriate, it was pouring rain, and yes, I wore a red belt with a green skirt (BAD IDEA). I forgot that my skirt was green when I was rushing out in the morning, I'm so ashamed of myself.

On the more positive side of things, it is now ridiculously sunny in Vancouver, I managed to get the H&M clog-ish sandals that I've been wanting on sale for $20, and it is now FRIDAY.

Sorry for the lack of posts to date, I was much too lazy to do my usual self-timer routine, so I just waited until N and I could take some photos again. Plus, I have priorities like watching the Canucks win the Stanley Cup ;)!

I promise to have another post up in 2 days time, for now, check out my giveaway with Shabby Apple! It's a free dress up for grabs people, plus it's not too shabby (get it?). I'm not sure if I stressed this enough, but GIVEAWAY. DRESS. FREE. ENTER. NOW.

Shabby Apple x Lack of Creativity Giveaway

2011-06-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

Recently, I've partnered up with an online vintage inspired dress boutique called Shabby Apple. I only have good things to say about this store: the dress selection is FANTASTIC, I absolutely adore how they have dresses for all different body types. Wait, it gets better! They have children dresses (which are oh-so-darling) and even some maternity dresses!

Not only does Shabby Apple feature a fantastic dress collection, they also carry skirts, various accessories, swimwear (perfect for the upcoming summer!), fitness wear, and bridesmaids dresses. Yes, you said it, they basically have it all! Your one stop shop to, well, paradise!

This week, I'll be giving away the "Spanish Steps" dress which features a lovely satin sash, a cream applique skirt and a fantastic midi-length, a totally classic design!

This giveaway is only open to my NORTH AMERICAN readers, sorry international! In order to partake in this giveaway, you must do the following:div>

1) Be a follower of Lack of Creativity via Google Followers or Blog Lovin'

2) Comment below with your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS

For bonus entries aka you get to comment again:

1) Tweet: Shabby Apple Dress Giveway via Lack of Creativity @jessicaywang: bit.ly/jXYPGw. If you are doing this, please include your TWITTER USERNAME and your EMAIL ADDRESS. Don't forget to comment in a separate entry!

2) Share: Share this giveaway on your Blog/Facebook. Be sure to link me to it so I can verify, and also, include your EMAIL ADDRESS. Don't forget to comment in a separate entry!

This giveaway will close on June 15th, 2011 at 11:59pm PST.

P.S. If you don't win this, don't fret, I have a coupon code for 10% off: lackofcreativity10off. This expires in one month time, so be sure to use it before then.

P.P.S. "Like" Shabby Apple's Facebook Page for special offers!

weightless

2011-05-29T13:45:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely loving Natasha Bedingfield's album "Strip Me". I've always been a huge fan of her songs (and her voice!), and I'm ashamed to say that I didn't know she had released an album until I was doing my weekly YouTube rounds. Definitely listen to her song "Weightless" off of her album, the lyrics are beautiful.

(Parka; Suzy Shier, Slub Top; Forever21, Jeggings; Helmut Lang, Oxford Booties; Timberland "Marge", Sunglasses; H&M, Nail Polish; Sephora by OPI)

All of these photos were taken right by Vancouver's Central Branch Library in downtown Vancouver, it's probably one of the most amazing buildings (architecture-wise), in downtown. Amazing high arches and columns stretched all around, it just fuels my love for reading.

Apologies for the strange lighting in some of the photos, the sun was doing it's fickle thing and messed around with my camera's settings. We tried really hard to get some decent shots!

I can't really understand how girls can run around all day in stilettos, I was dying after a couple of hours in these Timberland booties, and they're only 3 inches! My feet are still numb from walking around yesterday, I don't know how I managed to survive prom in my stilettos. Ugh the pain!

I did a little research on these shoes, they were intentionally scuffed up in an asymmetrical manner, pretty cool, eh?

Ta-da! Our beautiful library, it makes studying and paper writing so much more fun when you're sitting in an amazing building like this. This photo really doesn't do it much justice, I bet you could google pictures of a much better quality.

grandma shoes

2011-05-26T22:59:00.000-07:00

About a month or so ago, I went to a sample shoe sale and fuelled my addiction. One of my buys were these "grandma shoes", as my Mom would put it, but seriously, you can't deny the classic lace-up, especially one with woven detailing.

(Striped Tee; Old Navy, Skinny Jeans; UO, Shoes; Trotters, Pocket Watch; Gift, Polish; IM Beauty Sephora by OPI)

I was feeling really goofy today, it was probably the sleep deprivation. I am giving you a HUUUUGE forewarning for the next photo. I'm pretty sure this photo was a one take wonder as well. Thanks to N for capturing this beautiful moment.

Don't say I didn't warn you. I don't really know why my mouth is gaping wide open, nor do I know how I managed to get so much air, but it all makes for quite the amusing shot, no? The things I do in public for my Blog, oh the embarrassment.

As usual, I have the obligatory macro shots. Isn't this pocket watch amazing? My bestie gave it to me as a Christmas gift, I'm pretty sure I haven't posted a picture of it yet. I swear this photo does it no justice.

The infamous grandma shoes, which I swear aren't. I love them to death! The only problem is that they're genuine leather (at least the woven part), so I can't wear it out in the rain, poses a huge issue when you live in Vancouver.

Photos like this make me fall more in love with Vancouver. Now hopefully the weather cooperates so I can finally figure out what to wear.

P.S. Like the new header?

changes x clearly contacts

2011-05-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

I chopped my hair and got new glasses. All in all, I've had a relatively productive start to the week. My goal was to only really do a post about the Canadian site Clearly Contacts, but then I decided that I might as well take some outfit pictures. To be honest, I don't really like this outfit, but I needed something to put up, so here it is.

(Cardigan; Banana Republic, Shirt; Zara, Skirt; F21, Tights; Random, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

I chopped off about 7" of my hair (I'm not good at estimating lengths). It feels soooooo nice. As per my "haircut inspiration", my friend suggested this cut. My stylist at Chura did a few slight adjustments to accomodate to my hair. Let's just say I have a LOT of hair, he was pretty impressed that I had so much hair and it was so healthy. I have to say though, my hair is one of my OCD's, so it was kind of expected that it would be relatively healthy.

I lovelovelove this cardigan I scored at Banana Republic's outlet store in the States a month ago. I wear it to death. The ruffle detailing is to die for, it adds some interest to my very boring outfit.

This polish is probably one of my favourites as well. The only problem, I find, is that it can apply a little streaky, so you need to pile it on. I achieved this colour after 3.5 (ish) coats. Anybody know any substitutes for this amazing buttercup yellow?

A happy belated birthday to my baby fluff Charlie! You can often see him creeping in the background of my photos if I take them near him. He's smelly, matted, and slobbery, but I love him to pieces.

The next little bit will be me doing a not too in-depth review of Clearly Contacts. You're more then welcome to read if you'd like to learn about a cheaper alternative (Yes, it can be cheaper than Costco, it's THAT fantastic).

Basically, to start things off, I managed to get my glasses for a gobsmacking $15.34. Yes, you read that right, it costed me about the same as a skirt at H&M, or even a dress.

Firstly, to explain the price, Clearly Contacts often hosts giveaways for 10,000 pairs of glasses via their Facebook or Emailing list. I was lucky enough to be checking their Facebook page and stumbled upon a coupon code that enabled me to get a free pair of glasses, all I had to pay for was shipping and handling. A good deal for us starving students, no?

Next comes the fun and easy part, well, at least for me. Sort through all of their frames, I mean, ALL. They have them for kids, men and women. If you don't wear either, they have contacts, and for the upcoming summer season, sunglasses! Next you just have to follow all their steps to make sure all the measurements match up accordingly, and you can order away. The whole process is quite simple, and better yet, they have a live-help chat and a toll-free number you can call. It's really hard to mess up, that is, if you aren't me.

With the code, you just apply it at the checkout and everything should be okay, right? Well, me being me, I hit the button one too many times (I was excited, it was justified!) and the code expired/didn't work. I had a mini panic-attack and quickly called them. It took about an hour to get through because (d'oh) I didn't check when they were open and my call wasn't going through. After that I spoke to a lovely customer service attendant (sorry I can't remember her name), and she helped me through the whole thing and placed my order in less than 2 minutes.

The hardest part about this entire process is waiting for your glasses to arrive. I don't think I can explain my angst for them. Normally, the glasses are supposed to take 3-4 days to arrive (I think), but mine took a week because of the huge influx of orders (10,000, plus the normal orders they have to process). So no complaints on my end, plus I wasn't expecting them to arrive for another 3 days.

In the end, I'm VERY impressed with Clearly Contacts and will most definitely order from them again. Not only is their customer service superb, they offer a huge variety in frames and provide a bunch of little extras, like this screwdriver (I thought it was cute).

P.S. I was not sent any of this by Clearly Contacts, this is my own personal opinion and everything was purchased with my own money.

early summer?

2011-05-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

Vancouver has been experiencing some strange weather lately. One day it's pouring rain, the next it's so sunny that you can easily bare your legs, not that I'm complaining or anything.

(Blazer; H&M, Shirt Dress; Old Navy, Flats; Old Navy, Clutch; UO)

Look ma, bare legs! It feels so nice to have the sun on your face and legs after months of hiding them under layers.

I'm chopping off all this hair on Friday. Freedom is near! I cannot tell you how long I have been waiting to chop it all off. The question is, how much should I chop off? Should I get my bangs back? Hmmm.

Mandatory macro shots.

TGIF

2011-05-13T21:38:00.000-07:00

I love Fridays. It's the best day in the week, plus I can get away with more casual outfits in the office! It's a win-win situation in my opinion. After work today, I went to visit N at his work and checked out Horseshoe Bay. I absolutely love it there, especially on a gorgeous day like today.

(Blazer; H&M, Tee; H&M, Skirt; H&M, Belt; H&M, Flats; Old Navy)

I realize that I'm literally head to toe in H&M. I've accumulated a lot of it over the years. What can I say? I'm addicted to the store!

I got a bunch of sand in my shoes, the worst and best feeling ever. Sand in shoes means that SUMMER IS HERE, but it's painfully difficult to remove.

Apparently I lead a depressing life, I've never had fish n' chips prior to today. Let's say that I am IN LOVE. SO tasty. Ugh. I want some more now. Mmmm.

Say hello to Horseshoe Bay. Isn't it beautiful?! I love Vancouver. Have a nice weekend readers, I end this post with an epic read, 25 everyday things you never knew had a name. Giggles all around.

cropped

2011-05-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

I finally found myself some cropped trousers, they aren't perfect but I suppose they will suffice. I scored these bad boys for $8.99 at Old Navy this past Saturday and wore them to the office today. I now need to find them in every colour possible, preferably in a petite fit since I've rolled up about 2 inches of extra material.

(Blazer; H&M, Shirt (not pictured); F21, Pashmina; Random, Trousers; Old Navy, Belt; H&M, Clutch; UO; Flats; Old Navy-- Thanks N!)

It appears that almost every post requires an obligatory funny face from me, it's really hard not to laugh at myself when you think about what I'm doing. Self-timer, run, awkward pose and repeat.

Today marks the start of my summer semester and the beginning of much insanity in my life, again. Thank goodness for TV shows to distract me from it all/procrastinate. I'm having much difficulty keeping up with all my shows, I have, however, managed to watch seasons 3 + 4 of House in a span of 6 days TOTAL. Thank you, thank you very much.

I also scored these bad boys, or rather, I have an I.O.U. to N for these shoes at Old Navy as well. It's marked a size 6, but they fit a 5. Hoorah! I've been needing to replace my leopard print flats as they fell apart. We had a great time together :(

Toodles my readers, I have many important things to accomplish like sipping this delicious yogurt drink, finishing season 5 of House, going for a run and possibly doing some readings (doubtful).

we are all illuminated

2011-05-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

(Dress; Urban Outfitters, Belt; H&M, Tights; HUE, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

I'm back to using the ol' trusty tripod and self-timer. Apologies for the strange lighting in this one photo, the sun was being funky and I couldn't be bothered with playing hooky with it.

Tried booking an appointment with Chura for this week so I could chop off my hair, unfortunately I forgot how busy they are and managed to get an appointment for the 20th. Annoyed would be an understatement, my hair feels like I've attached a dumbbell to the ends. Ugh.

I've never posted this dress before have I? I scored this bad boy on boxing day (yes, that was back in December), and have only worn it a handful of times. I absolutely adore the weight of the material and the little pleats, pins and tucks hidden everywhere. It also has an amazing peter pan collar, can you say FANTASTIC FIND? I think so.

If you look really closely at my oxfords (specifically the patent leather), you can see the reflection of the sky. Cool, eh? Well, at least I thought so.

new skirt

2011-04-28T23:56:00.000-07:00

(Trench; Old Navy, Blazer; H&M, Button-up; H&M, Skirt; H&M, Tights; HUE, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

Say hello to my new skirt (thanks N)! I attempted (keyword: attempted) to get some decent photos so I could update, but since we were in a public setting, my awkward self took over and I ended up with these. My bad.

Unfortunately, the rest of the photos are too embarrassing to put up, these will have to suffice for now. I pinky promise to get better photos and to work on having a normal facial expression. In the meantime, check out this video and have a little giggle.

stanley park

2011-04-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

After having a very filling Easter brunch at N's (he mocked me for calling him "the boy") place, we headed over to Stanley Park to enjoy the weather. Seriously, it was illegal how nice it was in Vancouver. In true Vancouver nature, it is pouring rain and foggy today. Tell N he did a good job taking my photos, maybe he'll feel better about his LACK OF ABILITIES. Kidding. N gets a gold star for trying.

Now excuse me as I gorge down some turkey and stuffing. Mmmmm.

Dancing with my kånken. A lot less awkward then it appears.

Look ma, I cleared the fence!

Awkward flailing starfish/seastar.

(Ruffle Cardigan; Banana Republic, Shirt; Forever21, BDG Jeans; UO, TOMS; Little Burgundy, Kånken; Plenty)

My beat-up TOMS. I took this one myself because N was being useless.

Proof that it was nice out.

Tumblr

2011-04-22T15:57:00.001-07:00

I've hopped on the bandwagon. Excuse me as I use Yahoo Answers to understand this site.

Lack of Creativity Tumblr

Sweet Disposition

2011-04-16T20:10:00.000-07:00

This is me updating this little niche of mine. Sorry to disappoint, this isn't an outfit post, rather, an -I am extremely hungry and cannot be bothered with cooking so this classic Jessica face will have to suffice-, but in all seriousness, I've finished (or shall we say slaughtered?) 3 exams and have 1 to go. FREEDOM IS NEAR. I swear I'll update with a real post, with real clothes, and real adventures sometime this upcoming week. Maybe tomorrow? Who knows how my procrastinating mood is coming along, I say quite dandy.

On a more serious note, I had my 3rd driving lesson today. My turns are a little rough (i.e. turning into other lanes every 2/5 turns, whoops!), but I'm able to do some nifty "traffic blending". It's a little embarrassing how far up I have to be in order to reach the pedals, but I still absolutely love being behind the wheel. I also find myself doing the tense hunching over the wheel thing. Any solutions for this?

Wish me luck as I attempt to pass my last final on Tuesday, until then, I will do my duty as a student and mindlessly stare at my textbook thinking about food and all those distracting things. I can only return this favour of distraction by linking you to a few videos that you should check out.

une.

deux.

trois.

quatre.

cinq. <- awkward typo.

Spread the addiction. Spread it like peanut butter on toast. Mmm.

Burgoo

2011-04-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my last day at work for 2 weeks, during these 2 weeks I plan on sleeping, eating, exercising and spending plenty of time with my textbooks. That's right, it's the time of the year where all of us University/College students stay up into the wee hours in the morning pretending to understand our lecture notes. I'm sure you all understand what I mean. Procrastination is not the answer, right?

Anyway, onto the good stuff, the boy and I went out to Burgoo (OUR ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE), and gorged on some delicious food. I swear these awful cellphone pictures don't do it any justice. Vancouverites, you must visit. Pricing is decent, food is hands-down worth it. I recommend the gooey grilled cheese grillers, and substitute for a soup, it's a must.

Excuse my awkward photos, once I see food, let's just say it's all I see.

(Trench; Old Navy, Striped Boatneck; Old Navy, Gray Acid Wash Jeggings; Random, Patent Leather Flats; Joe Fresh Style, Purse; Urban Behaviour, Coral Polish; H&M)

If any of you were curious, we went to the Lonsdale Quay location aka how I got the amazing shot of Vancouver. Apologies for the super large photos as well, apparently my cellphone doesn't like Blogger or tag.loudly.

Untitled.

2011-04-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

I've done a lot of contemplating, about this blog, school, friends, family, life, you know, all that deep stuff. I'd be a bad liar if I said I didn't contemplate quitting and ditching this blog. I'm not here to make any excuses for myself, nor am I here to pretend that I'm somebody I'm not.

You could surmise from my lack of blog posts that I don't possess the capabilities to stay committed and focused, but that is far from what actually happens. Personally, I'm not sure how others manage to blog everyday, but unfortunately for me, I lead a busy, high-speed lifestyle. Who doesn't? In today's world, one is expected to play many roles: The daughter, the student, the worker, the receptionist, the sister, the aunt, and the list goes on. Of course, some of us have mastered the perfect balance of all of the above, in my case, so very far from it. I'm constantly striving to find something new, to discover and create new goals for myself.

Achieving success is something that we have to learn is different than being a snob and overly flamboyant about such. For me, achieving success is doing something that makes you proud, something that you can look back to and feel good about. Success isn't an easy path, you have to learn to not fear failure, although it is only in human nature to wish to avoid failure, learn that it is inevitable, failure is only something that comes with every step in life. Success forces you to do so much more, to push further and not regret your actions. Ultimately, success is so intangible to the point where we all seek and yearn for it.

The point of this post is to say, I am here, I exist, and will continue to posting, but only expect such when I have managed to find free time. This is not to say that this blog is not a priority to me, it is perhaps near the top, but priorities shift with each passing day. Last night, I had a Skype call with my bestie who's currently in Kingston, Ontario, she reminded me that this little niche of mine still exists, and for that, I thank yu (typo intended).

Until next time,

xo Jess

Inspired.

2011-03-08T20:35:00.000-08:00

I've undergone some slight style changes in terms of my fashion choices. In the mornings, I find myself opting for neutrals: blacks, greys and navy blues. It's a shift that's been thwarted from the fact that I work in a law firm. Working 15-20 hours a week in a business atmosphere forced me to trade my "questionable" outfits for more professional ones. Who's to say that I haven't made some slips here and there? Ok, fine, maybe at least 2 outfits for every 10. I'm still 18, give me a break!

Instead of studying for Kinesiology, I found myself on Refinery29 looking at Rebecca Turbow's Fall 2011 Lookbook (it's my subconscious, I swear). Something about the outfits give off the perfect mixture of a chic, je ne sais quoi vibe that I absolutely adore. Must. Resist. All. Temptations.

P.S.- No outfit post this week, to compensate, I'll study doubly as much.

Image Source: Refinery29

study break

2011-02-26T17:52:00.000-08:00

I disappeared. I returned. I think I'm here to stay, for real this time. I've compiled a list of what is essentially an "update" for the shenanigans I have been up to the past couple o' weeks:

1) 5:45am wake up on Mondays to Thursdays

2) 6:45am wake up on Fridays

3) Sick for about 75% of my epic disappearance

4) Stole a camera, sort-of

5) Hair's grown back to it's almost, almost original length

6) Finally registered for driving lessons

7) Accepted the fact that I am indeed a petite

8) Purchased a trench

9) Checked Food Porn Daily religiously, it's embarrassing

10) Official Etsy addict

Now you would think that I have some amazing outfit post to "celebrate" my return to the Blogging world, how I would've loved to do that for you my faithful followers. No can do, I'm currently cramming for my 2 midterms on Monday. For now, this pitiful outfit will have to suffice, and these lovely photos of the Vancouver snow.

Until next time (hopefully within the week!).

(Double-Breasted Wool Sweater; H&M Mens, Striped Shirt; Old Navy, Striped Tote; H&M, Leggings, Shearling Lace-Up Boots; Santana)

Hello 2011!

2010-12-31T15:04:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, me being the awful blogger I am, I didn't take any outfit posts/prepare anything snazzy to ring in the new year. HOWEVER, I can tell you that I did go out and specially purchase a New Year's romper ('tis quite epic). That'll be entail an entirely new post in the new year, so I guess that's something to look forward to.

Since I'm not that great of keeping any resolutions, this year, I tried to limit mine to 5 and actually make an attempt to follow through, for once.

1) Stay healthy-- I'm constantly sick and don't feel healthy in general, must take care of self!

2) Manage my finances better-- After going on a shopping ban, I realized that my dream of buying myself a DSLR is very possible, as long as I don't impulsively buy clothes.

3) Maintain a GPA of at least 3.5-- I know I'm capable of it, just have to strive and push for it.

4) Be less stubborn and analytical

-- No explanation necessary, I'm stubborn and overly analytical

5) Spend more time with family and friends-- This one contradicts #3, since the reason I don't spend much time with family & friends would be because I'm always studying/at work.

Remember me ranting about how long my hair got? I finally got it chopped off yesterday, and I'm sort of lovin' it. It's not really as short as I normally would go, but the change is super refreshing. Once again, I must warn you that my facial expression is awkward.

With that, I wish you all a happy new year and best of luck to all of you! See you all in the New Year :)

Ambling Alp

2010-12-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the cave! Why yes, I have been living a rather cozy hermit lifestyle, not even embarrassed to admit it. After exams, I decided that I prefer sitting at home playing Pokemon and catching 'em all. It's a little sad, but I don't mind. That's a bit of an exaggeration, I have gone out, done some shopping (BAN HAS BEEN BROKEN, BAN HAS BEEN BROKEN), met up with some high school buddies and gone back to work (did I ever mention that I love my office?).

Anyway, onto the good stuff, one of the item's I bought (thus breaking the ban), was this skirt! I couldn't resist a good deal, originally $75 now $15?! Thank you Christmas for having the best sales ever. This skirt also marks the beginning of my addiction to Banana Republic, I just discovered their petite line... probably one of the best things that's happened to me in a loooong time, as sad as that sounds.

Expect many more posts now, I have no more excuses for the next 2 weeks! Harass me if you'd like, but I don't give in easily. Stubborn Jess is stubborn.

PS- See the quality of the photos? Better the reason to get a DSLR now. Sheesh.
PPS- I'm really lovin' how awkward I can be, these photos are barely indicative of my abilities.

(Organic Shirt; Zara, Skirt; Banana Republic Petites, Tights; HUE, Braided Belt; H&M, Leopard Print Flats; Taiwan)

Best. Necklace. Ever. My half-sister gave this to me randomly last month, been wearing it religiously since.

Shivers

2010-11-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

It's here. Winter that is. On my bus ride home the very first snowflakes fell in Vancouver, or at least where I live. Good thing I brought my mittens and heavy winter coat with me, I probably would've froze to death walking home otherwise.

I know I keep on doing this, apologizing for my absence and all, but honestly school is so hectic. I finished my last midterm a week ago, which is a relief, I suppose. Anyway, I do have some video reviews and tutorials coming up, I just haven't had much time to sit down and edit them. Kudos to all those YouTubers out there, editing a video takes way longer than it seems.

On a happier note, TimTams were on sale at London Drugs today (TIMTAMSLAMYES!) and we're putting up our Christmas tree on Sunday. Oh family traditions, how I love you. Do disregard my awkward poses and facial expressions, when you lead a hermit lifestyle you tend to forget what a camera is. Also, haven't the quality of my photos degraded? Or maybe it's just me being extremely OCD. This camera quality is putting a damper on my blog, so my lovely readers, any recommendations for DSLRs?

PS- I haven't broken my shopping ban yet, be very impressed.

(Babydoll Dress; H&M, Tights; Hue, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson, Necklace & Rings; JewelryPayless, Coat; Old Navy)

Vantage Point Vintage

2010-11-06T23:14:00.000-07:00

Recently re-launched, Vantage Point Vintage has become a site I'm frequently visiting. Not only do they have the most adorable pieces, the prices are relatively affordable and don't put a dent in the wallet. Another amazing thing that VPV does is constant (I MEAN CONSTANT) restocking. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm always struggling with online vintage stores, I swear you go there one day, the next it's gone. I swear with VPV they always have new stuff in stock.

So what are you waiting for? Check out VPV, Jenny is such a sweetie and is always more than happy to answer your questions! So visit her store and let me know what you think :)

PS- They're having a free shipping promotion right now, so get on it!

Disclaimer: I was not endorsed/sponsored in any way! This is my complete and honest opinion.

YouChoob!

2010-11-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

I figured that it was only necessary I open a YouTube Channel for this lil' blog of mine. It's growing a lot faster than I expected! I'd like to thank all my old and new readers for staying with me through thick and thin :)

Anyway, I've decided to upload a little tutorial on how to make a messy bun/chignon. I actually had my co-workers and friends ask me how I do this hairstyle in particular. I do this excessively. It's my favourite hairstyle that just screams effortless chic. At least it does in my mind...

Don't forget to subscribe to my channel! I'll have plenty more video's coming up, let me know what you'd like to see. And yes, I do promise a closet tour, maybe, if I ever clean it.

PS- Ignore my awkward facial expressions, awkward Jess is awkward.

It Ain't Easy

2010-11-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've been living like a hermit lately, which will account for my lack of outfit posts and many filler posts. My outfits have honestly been too pathetic to post on my blog, it's a little embarrassing to say the least. On a more positive note, I did get a new pair of boots, yes, another pair. It's not like I needed anymore, but I felt compelled to treat myself to something nice after doing well on my midterms and such.

I'm forcing you readers to hold me to this: I'm not going shopping for myself until Boxing Day (Dec 26th). I'm going to get started on my Christmas shopping for family, friends and co-workers ASAP so I don't have to fret about it when Christmas rolls around. Yes, this also means I'm not buying/lining up for Lanvin x H&M, I'm sure I can live vicariously through all you other bloggers who will be doing that for me.

Without any further ado, the winner of my CSN Stores giveaway is: Sands from Mindless Madness!

(Chambray Shirt; H&M Mens, Floral Leggings; Talula, Braided Belt; H&M, Moto Boots; H&M)

A Brief Update

2010-10-29T23:46:00.000-07:00

Credit: StyleFrizz

I'm glad to say that I've survived my first midterm season. It's not quite over yet, I have number 6 to complete on November 10th. I know everyone's embracing Halloween, for some reason, I'm not really into Halloween now, why dress up for one day when I can dress up everyday?

I've compiled a list of what I plan on achieving this Halloweekend:

1) Treat myself to something from H&M for my good grades

2) Read "Eat, Pray, Love"

3) Finish 5/10 pages for my Political Science's paper

4) Research for my Kinesiology presentation

5) Research for my Criminology paper

PS- GIVEAWAYGIVEAWAYGIVEAWAYGIVEAWAYGIVEAWAY

Vancouver Fashion Week 2010

2010-10-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, I live in Vancouver and intend on staying here for awhile. I've always heard and seen occasional advertisements for Vancouver Fashion Week around the city, but I've never bothered to look further into it, luckily Aina brought me back into the loop and I'm here to stay (I promise!)

This year, VFW going to be held from November 2nd-7th, 2010 and they're celebrating their 10th year! This season, the lineup showcases global designers, not only are there local Canadian designers, but international designers from the U.K., India, and much more.

To find out more about Vancouver Fashion Week, you can visit the following:

Website: http://www.vanfashionweek.com

Blog Page: http://vanfashionweek.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/VFW2010

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vancouver-Fashion-Week/178286501803

They have a whole bunch of contests going on via their Twitter and their Facebook, so be sure to check them out if you want to win tickets!

Winter Winds

2010-10-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

Channeling my inner Granny. So see that amazing briefcase I'm holding? Alex Folzi sent it to me! Isn't it fantastic?! I'm absolutely in love with it. It definitely added that perfect touch I needed for this Granny-esque outfit.

I clearly shouldn't be taking outfit posts and editing photos as I have 2 midterms and a quiz this week. Whoops! I'll keep it short and just say THANKS to Alex Folzi (Canadian brand, woohoo!) for sending me the lovely briefcase.

PS- Notice the boots? They're Santana, also a Canadian brand! Super comfy and scored them for only $60, they normally retail for around $155. Awesome awesome find. They're a wee bit too big, but when winter comes along and I'm wearing thick wool socks, they'll fit like a glove.

PPS- GIVEAWAY!

(Floral Dress; Thrifted, Shearling Boots; Santana Canada, Cardigan; Hand-me-down, Belt; H&M, Briefcase; Alex Folzi)

CSN Stores

2010-10-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

So this week I've teamed up with CSN Stores to host a giveaway for a $45 Gift Card! Who doesn't love free stuff, right?

CSN Stores hosts a whole variety of items from bed sets to shoes and purses. Plus, they have extremely affordable prices and provide a bunch of different knicks and knacks that can be used everywhere and anywhere.

The rules for this giveaway are the following:

1) You must be a follower either via Google Followers/Blog Lovin' (Let me know which you're following with)

2) Tell me which item(s) you'd get if you won.

3) Leave me an email address I can contact you with!

This Giveaway will close on Sunday, October 31st at 11:11pm PST, and only Canadian & US residents can enter. Sorry!

PS- Thanks Elle for pointing out my typo ;)!

LuLu*S

2010-10-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Everything stated in this entry is based off of my own honest opinion. I am not sponsored by LuLu*s whatsoever.

So as I was doing my typical round of online window shopping, I stumbled upon LuLu*s. After browsing their website for an hour or so, I concluded that this store is basically the epitome of amazing. They have a fantastic mix of vintage with a whole bunch of other chic and modern brands at an affordable price range.

I contacted Stephanie who oh-so-graciously provided me with a code for my lovely readers! What you get is 15% off the TOTAL purchase and will be available until November 14th, 2010. My code is only redeemable once and available to residents of Canada or the US. My code is: CREATIVITY, case-sensitive, so don't forget to hit the caps lock/shift key!

River Deep, Mountain High

2010-10-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

Let's just talk about my hair shall we? So I used to have this thing with ponytails where I hated having my hair tied back into one, it was either down, half-clipped up or up in a giant massive bun. For some reason, I'm really into tying my hair back into a ponytail nowadays, it seems like such a sleek and easy option. I'm running out of ideas with my longer hair now though. I want to hack it all off, but this long hair gives me so much diversity, I can finally fishtail braid it! MILESTONE.

Onto more serious news, isn't it amazing how all the Chilean Miners survived 69 days underground?! I was actually tearing up watching the live footage stream last night (trust me I'm not that emotional). It's nice to see that I can have faith in humanity today.

I now leave you with the most bipolar outfit flip-over within the span of a week. No worries, I didn't actually wear the jeans out and about today, I had work so I wore a skirt as opposed to jeans. I know, I'm not that rebellious. With my complying to the unspoken rule of "dress-like-every-other-business-worker-in-this-building" I am still employed. Sorry readers, I'm not as badass as you all thought I was, not that I did anything to give that impression anyway.

PS- Joe Fresh Style finally opened, I was going to go after my midterm today, but I fought the temptation. Whew!

(Chunk Knit Sweater; Forever21, Striped Tee; H&M, Skinny Jeans (FOR $5); H&M, Toms)

Feature

2010-10-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

So after a hectic Tuesday (which felt like a Monday, didn't it?!) I came home to find that I've been featured. Thank you so much Michele for this lovely opportunity. Check it out if you'd like, it's pretty odd reading my own words/reading about my own blog somewhere other than my own. Did that make any sense? I doubt it.

Anyway, I best be on my way to studying for my Kinesiology midterm tomorrow. Wish me luck! Finished 1 today, 5 more to go. Time to get my nerd on.

PS- There will be a slow down on updates, I've got a busy few weeks ahead of me, but I promise to keep posting once a week (at a minimum).

A Good Day

2010-10-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

In light of Thanksgiving this weekend (at least in Canada), I've decided to compile a list of the top 5 things I'm thankful for at this very time:

1) I was born and raised in Vancouver, and hopefully, will remain here for many years to come.

2) I'm gaining an education, more importantly, a post-secondary one. It's the reason I can compile somewhat structured sentences and am able to read a newspaper.

3) I have the best group of friends. I'm not always the nicest (never actually), yet I can always count on them to be there when I'm feeling down and under.

4) I have a roof over my head.

5) I've lived 18 years and never regretted a moment of it.

There are those little things that we take for granted everyday, I guess this list is my way of saying "thank you". Anyway, I'm heading out to my Godmother's house for Thanksgiving dinner tonight, what would it be if I didn't make the conscious effort to dress up? Too bad this long weekend is going to be one of the worst I've had in the longest time. Why? I have 2 midterms and only feel compelled to become an anti-social hermit to fulfill my childhood dream of getting straight A's in university. I'm kidding about the childhood dream. I just like to prove to myself that I'm capable of more than I think I am. It's a good feeling when you do.

(Cardigan; Joe Fresh Style, Dress; dELiA*s from Jen, Tights; Hue, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson, Quilted Purse; Vintage)

Look To You

2010-10-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

Things I've recently discovered:

1) I'm addicted to tea.
2) I need at least 8 hours of sleep to be functional at a minimal level.
3) I study really well on the bus.
4) Studying out loud is more beneficial (for me).
5) I spend over 12 hours a week on the bus.

Asides from all those useless things I've discovered, I actually do have an outfit post in a different setting. These following shots were taken in the building I work in. Yes, I do realize I do look a bit like I rolled out of bed. I set pretty high standards for myself. Looking forward to drowning in turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes this weekend; while studying for my midterms. Here's to leading a stellar lifestyle.

(Knit Cardigan; Forever21, Chambray Shirt; H&M Mens, Rolled-up Pants; BDG, Leopard Print Flats; Taiwan, Faux Leather Purse; CL America)

Pardon the noise level in these photos, my camera can't handle high ISO.

Dreaming Out Loud

2010-10-04T10:33:00.000-07:00

I have this ridiculous penchant for layering basic pieces lately. Tights over tights, leggings with other leggings, sweaters with other sweaters. I guess this is what happens when Autumn truly hits. I'm not really sure what to write today, but it's been pretty uneventful thus far. I can't complain of an awful Monday since mine actually turned out decent, I can't complain of an awful weekend, so I guess this'll be abrupt.

PS- KevJumba is doing awesome on The Amazing Race. All you West-Coasters, CTV broadcasts on Sundays at 8pm PST.

PPS- Rediscovering old OneRepublic, pretty solid.

PPPS- Yes, I'm wearing the same sweater again, who doesn't re-wear stuff anyway? Unrealistic.

(Sweater; H&M, Striped Dress; Forever21, Thigh-High Socks; American Apparel, Belt; Joe Fresh Style, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson, Quilted Purse; Vintage, Necklace; Salvation Army)

Do ignore my odd facial expression in all of these. It was slightly chilly hence the lack of control of all facial muscles. I kid you not.

Over and Over

2010-10-02T14:13:00.000-07:00

Glee Britney/Brittany episode? GENIUS. I've been playing their songs on repeat. Guilty as charged.

Something's fishy with Vancouver's weather lately. It's been ridiculously hot, I mean, to the point where people are wearing booty shorts and wife beaters. That's saying something. No complaints or anything, but I have a feeling this isn't going to last too long. Which is a pity, especially since I have to walk around a lot and taking the bus when it's raining isn't the best experience.

I realized how freakin' stressed I am yesterday. I have 6 midterms, 2 presentations, 3 essays and 5 exams. I am so not ready for this. It's always nice knowing that there are people out there who still care about you. Anyway, tangent again, my bad. I had a 50 minute break in between my lecture and tutorial so I went to H&M with my giant backpack and all and attempted to go through all the sale items. I was about to buy this shirt-dress for work, and then I saw THE sweater I had been looking for for the longest time. Every time I went it was in there it was only available in large, and I wanted a medium! Lucky for me they had just re-stocked everything since it was near closing time. Result? Happiest camper ever and I ditched that shirt-dress. Sweater > Shirt-Dress. Hands down.

I'm absolutely in love with the shape of this sweater, it drapes so perfectly and just amazing. I'm contemplating going back and getting in the blue and white striped one too.

Oh, and I managed to catch a cold. I seem to be sick 10/12 months a year. Awesome. Not.

(Sweater; H&M, Necklace; KDikio Vintage, Tights; Wal-Mart, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

It was super windy outside, hence the balloon look. Teehee!

Fondu Au Noir

2010-09-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Something about listening to Coeur de Pirate first thing in the morning make my Monday mornings that much better. I love Béatrice Martin's voice. Everything about her music is so light and whimsical. For those of you who haven't heard of her, YouTube her song "Comme des Enfants". I love French. Did I mention that? It's such a beautiful romantic language. I regret not taking more of it in school. Darn my parents for forcing me to take Mandarin. I guess the plus out of that was since I'm already "fluent" in Mandarin, I got an easy A.

Gosh I go off on tangents ridiculously easily. I just realized that I never took pictures of my 2NE1 album. Darn! It's such amazing packaging. I guess that'll be a future post that I've got to work on. Both of their albums are ridiculously shiny that it's hard to get the photos to come out somewhat normal. On the topic of music; I've discovered a whole bunch of epic new songs that I've added to my iTunes. I swear one of these days my iTunes is going to explode from excessive music. On another side note, how many of you actually purchase your albums online? I'm considering it now... Such a pricey lifestyle.

Sorry that all my outfits look so ridiculously similar. I can't help it. I have such a limited wardrobe now that I have to work and watch my hemlines. Definitely going to need to get a whole bunch of new skirts and tops. I feel like I'm caught in a rut right now. I wish I could have more variety in my outfits. I swear the only thing that changes are my tights and my scarves. What boring outfits. I was so close to wearing that gray chunky knit cardigan again today, I wear it too much. Probably becoming one of my most worn pieces. Guess it was an excellent investment piece from F21. A bit pricey, but boy is it cozy!

PS- I am so jealous of all you people experiencing a heatwave, did I mention that I hate when it's foggy? All my photos come out icky and is such a pain to edit (and 'cause I have the world's worst camera. EVER).

PPS- I had the hardest time having a normal facial expression in these photos. Ongoing struggle.

PPPS- I have my own WikiFashion Page. RIDICULOUS. Little things like this make me so happy. Oh, and I really had no idea what to write. I'm an awful writer/blogger/everything in case you haven't already noticed.

PPPPS- I watched KevJumba and his Dad on The Amazing Race last night. They need more airtime. Totally rooting for Team Jumba.

(Parka; Suzy Shier, Shirt; Zara Basics, Skirt; Forever 21, Sparkly Circle Scarf; H&M, Tights; Taiwan, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

Running Out of Time

2010-09-23T15:01:00.000-07:00

So, waking up at 6am to the pouring rain and gloom and droop was not my ideal "day off". Definitely set me in a sour mood and all I wanted to do was sleep and not do anything remotely productive. Unfortunately, I HAD TO. Boo. Don't you hate those days where you know you have to do a whole bunch of stuff, but all you really want to do is lie there and just sleep in for the first time?

Anyway, I got to work, did my usual thing, went to the banks 2 times, got stuck at one for at least 30 minutes since the teller had no idea what he was doing. I mean, I know it's you're new, but why are people so afraid of asking questions? If you don't know. JUST ASK. I had to go back a second time because he didn't know what he was doing the first time. Gee, thanks pal. I had so much to do at work today that I decided to let the first bus that I usually catch go by, and as I was leaving for the second one I was sent to the bank again and that's when I waited for a solid 30 minutes. Awesome... "Thank you for your patience"... hmmm. Missed my bus by 2 minutes, literally, stuck at the mall with literally $6 in cash, my UPass, iPod, keys, phone and lip balm was nay my cuppa tea. Speaking of which, I am having one as I type this up. So off topic. Sorrow (my way of saying "sorry", stole this off Jake and Amir).

Finally getting home and such, I decided to snap a few blog photos as I was making myself some instant noodles (something about instant noodles make days better). Anyway, had me some noodles and now I'm going through editing the really crummy photos. Crummy lighting = crummy photos = crummy mood. Kidding. Not.

My friend was attempting to cheer me up via text message this entire time and I was just being a grumpy gills. Whoops. Feeling mighty guilty. I feel even worse since I miss him and all my other friends so so so much and I was just being god awful. Oh well, we all have those days... right?!

PS- Those who were asking, for your Toms (if you decide to purchase 'em), make sure you get them a half size smaller 'cause they do stretch out a wee bit, oh and they DO have support. I included a photo of the inside of the shoe... the little perforated section is actually support. You can KIND of tell that they've moulded to my feet already! Woohoo!

PPS- I am a size 5 and the 5's stretched out perfectly for me, it really depends on the person though, my sister who generally wears a size 6.5-7 got a 5 and they stretched out fine for her. SO try them on in store or something :)

PPPS- For those of you who listen to KPop out there... I JUST GOT MY 2NE1 CD. My friend who moved back to Korea was so kind and sent over 2 copies, one for his sister and one for me. Too bad he doesn't know about my blog, seriously my day just turned from awful -> amazing. HOORAH!

(Chunky Circle Scarf; H&M, Chunky Knit Cardigan; Forever21, Sparkle Decal Shirt; Old Navy, Paper bag skirt; Smart Set, Toms; Little Burgundy)

One for One

2010-09-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

I did it! I finally purchased my Toms. I'd been contemplating for months (actually) whether I should bust the wallet/break the bank for these. When I finally decided to get them, I couldn't find them in my size anywhere in Vancouver. Sheesh y'all, who knew being a size 5 could be so difficult? Trust me, those of you with size 6 feet, we are jealous beyond belief. If you think it's hard for you to find shoes, try being a size 5, it's the size where you're not exactly a "womens" size or a "kids" size. On the cusp. Anyway, it took me a couple o' weeks of serious hunting to finally find retailers that sold them in my size. A PAIN I TELL YOU. Since I wanted to wear these to work as well, I needed to find a neutral shade, I was opting towards black, but in the end decided to stick to a navy blue since there are days where I wear excessive black... and the black shoes wouldn't really help my cause.

POINT IS. Get them. They're so comfy. Today was the first day I was able to wear them (note: I just got them last night), I got to walk my dog in them and it didn't seem like a chore! They were so comfy, it should be illegal how comfy they are. I've decided that I want them in other colours now too. Once you get 'em, there's no turning back. ALL YOUR OTHER SHOES WILL NEVER BE AS COMFY AS THESE. Marshmallow feet redefined.

P.S.- I didn't actually really go out anywhere except walk around the neighbourhood... So my outfit's extremely casual. Really. This is something I'd wear to school on a typical lazy day.

(Sunglasses; UO, Striped Shirt; H&M Mens, BDG Jeans; UO, Quilted Purse; Vintage, Toms; Little Burgundy, Nails; Sephora by OPI Metro Chic)

'Til the Morning Sun

2010-09-16T13:42:00.000-07:00

The weather's picked up again in Vancouver! To be honest, I didn't wear these shoes, I actually wore flats to work 'cause opened toe shoes aren't exactly appropriate when you have a client in the office. Gotta make do with what you got though, right?

I'm having an amazingly relaxing day, went to the office for a couple o' hours in the morning and headed home and had lunch aka INSTANT NOODLES. I had an insatiable craving for them all morning while I was working. Now I'm uploading my 3rd blog post this week (YAY!) and about to watch "Islam: Empire of Faith" for my History Course. I'm not going to lie, it's actually really interesting to see how the Middle East came to be. I have interests in a whole array of subjects, good thing University has a whole breadth of courses that I can take.

PS- You all should listen to Rhythm of Love by Plain White T's. It's a pick-me upper.

There's something about rolling up pants that makes every outfit seem so chic (at least in my mind). I think that my outfit today would've had a completely different feel if I had left them down. Oh, and you can't really tell, BUT MY HAIR HAS THE MOST PERFECT WAVES EVER. Sleeping with my hair in a french braid was the bestest idea last night. Actually. DO IT. RESULTS ARE FANTASTIC.

PPS- Yes, I do excited over the simplest of things. I guess that's what makes me so easy-going... sometimes.

(Cream Lace Blouse; Vintage, Braided Belt; H&M, BDG Jeans; UO, Tapestry Purse; Vintage, Jelly Sandals; Gap Kids, Sunglasses; H&M)

This is what happens when I mess around with Photoshop for too long.... I was planning on putting more of me in each thingy-ma-bob, but I opted against it after awhile. It might be a bit overwhelming. Teehee!

Cloud of Unknowing

2010-09-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Everybody listens to different music when they're getting work done, some people don't even listen to music, but for me, music's something that enables me to focus. This is the music I generally listen to when I'm trying to get work done.

I'd like to thank everybody for their support on my last blog post, it really means a lot to me.

PS- Notice the font size struggle? I find this size more readable anyway... so heck!

Walking with Destiny

2010-09-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile hasn't it? Sorry for my sudden and unexplained departure from the Blogosphere. I swear that it'll never happen again. To update in a more abbreviated form, this is what happened:

1) I wasn't sure what my position was in the Blogging world anymore (continue or stop)

2) School began

3) Work began

4) Stress piled on

5) Lack of time management skills

I think I've got a general gist of things now, this'll mark my first full week of my new life: schools (including all my tutorials this week), and work. It's a pretty exhausting lifestyle, but I'm enjoying it. Keeping me busy and focused. I'm now taking 5 courses aka a definite full course load and working 4-5 days a week. I can't guarantee a blog post everyday or every other day, but I promise to squeeze 2-3 in a week, or however many my schedule allots for it. I think the reason I stopped blogging so abruptly was because it started to feel like a chore for me, I'd rather for my blog to be a place where I can just relax as opposed to a tedious task that I have to perform. Good thing I got back in touch with reality, eh?

Until next post...

PS- Working in a law firm has totally changed my day-to-day outfits, so I guess this post will show you the boring and drab outfits I've been sporting lately. Sorry for the lame comeback post.

PPS- Seriously struggling with this font size when I converted to a Mac, my last 2 posts (including this one), the font size has changed from the previous, no? I've been trying to figure this out for the past 30 minutes and I STILL CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. Any other bloggers know how to fix this?! Thanks!

PPPS- It might just have to do with the viewing font size on my MacBook? Let me know if the font is obnoxiously large in your browser window.

.... Edit: I went onto my parents' computer and changed the font size so everything should be somewhat normal now. I guess I'll have to figure the formatting issues with my Mac sometime before my next post! Sorry again.

(Sweater; Forever21, Dress Shirt; Walmart, Skirt; Forever 21, Polka-Dotted Tights; Old Navy, Oxfords; Ros Hommerson)

Notice how ridiculously long my hair's getting?

Supa long.

Sturgeon Face Fail. THIS is what I'm referring to btw.

The accessories I sport on a daily basis.

Abazias Jewelry

2010-08-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

So, we all know I have an insane obsession with jewelry, the majority of that obsession revolving around rings, correct? (No pun intended). I probably have expanded my ring collection exponentially within the past 6 months, but most of this jewelry consists of metals that leaves a rather unfortunate signature behind (ie: blue rings?), to fix that, I've decided to stock up on jewelry that's of pure metal aka sterling silver, gold, white-gold etc. etc.

Abazias is a website that showcases a wide selection of sterling silver/gold/white-gold products that have a lot of current trendy styles whilst providing some more classic designs (my current obsession since I LOVE stacking tons of rings together). Not only do they have rings, they also have watches, earrings, and a whole lot more. PLUS, their prices are awesome for the "starving student", who can't help but love amazing prices?

Basically, my point is, Abazias is a phenomenal store filled with a whole array of products that are a feast for the eyes while simultaneously sparing your wallet from crying (something we all appreciate, I'm sure). When you have the time, check it out and let me know how your exploration of their website holds up!

-xo Jess

Do You Remember?

2010-08-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

I guess I should learn to blog properly, no? I seriously applaud all those bloggers who work full time and somehow manage to get a post in almost everyday. Insane. I've been working full time, and wow, it's exhausting.

I swear I'll get back into the gist of things, right now though, near impossible. Anyway, I start my job at the law firm on Monday, so I go straight from Summer Camps to a Law Firm. Talk about a giant change. I'll start posting my different business casual outfits then. I've done a serious wardrobe revamp with a whole bunch of business-ish stuff. I feel so old going out and having to look for specific clothes.

PS- I think I'm overworking myself, I keep on getting sick. Sadface.

PPS- School is starting so soon. Where has the summer gone?!

Barefooted Joe

2010-08-04T16:32:00.000-07:00

So here's the story. I came down with some bug last week, wasn't able to stay awake after work, therefore unable to blog. The end. However, this week I'm feeling much better, so maybe I'll post more? Who knows!

I'm such an awful blogger I don't have many excuses except that I fail. Inception. Fantastic. Brilliant. I don't get why people found it SO confusing, it made a whole lot of sense to me, I guess it really depends on the person though. I try to think 15721905709125 steps ahead, and watched way too many crime shows when I was younger. For those of you who still haven't seen it, why are you reading this when you should be reading something that possesses more intellect? Get on out! Speaking of intellect, I started my usual summer hibernation habit where I read books for days on end and can't seem to stop. The Glass Castle. Amazing. I've read it for the nth time this Summer and pick up something new every time I read it.

I can't edit with my old photo editing program, so I'm picking up GIMP as opposed to Photoscape. I like this interface so much more since it's really similar to the PS layout, one that I'm accustomed to. This Macbook Pro is definitely what I've needed. It runs so smoothly and hasn't caused me any trouble. Anyway, Jazzy and Jen, I sent out your packages awhile ago, but just got 'em BACK today. What the heck? The mailing companies hate me. I'm trying it again. Karma's a bitch.

-xo Jess

P.S.- Still figuring out the damned photo size. WHY WHY WHY?!

(Crop Top; Forever 21, Maxi Skirt; Vintage, Tapestry Bag; Vinage)

(Sterling Silver Ring; Front & Co., Floral Ring; Forever 21, Watch; Fossil, Bracelets; DIY)

Don't look back

2010-07-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

Trying something new, I'm uploading these photos with Photobucket and maybe it'll make a difference. I hate having to find the perfect photo size, it's probably one of the most frustrating things about blogging. I'm pretty particular about my photo size, layout, font size, font colour etc. etc. Maybe it'll make a slight difference in your browsing experience? Who knows!

Anyway, today ONE of my sister's had her piano recital for her ARCT exam. In my mind, it was another excuse for dressing up. So shallow, I know. Oh well. She gave me an excuse for dressing up and doing my hair, something I hadn't done in a really long time.

This brings about the great debate, should I leave my hair or should I get it cut?
Opinions would be lurvely.

(Top=Polka Dotted Romper; H&M, Bow Peplum Skirt; Forever21, Vintage Purse, Pumps; Bleka)

Epitome of class.

Starving.

Artsy photos by Sabrina

My artsy photo. That's it for now, maybe some more updates will come soon on my Macbook... once it arrives.

Over my head

2010-07-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I have the hardest times starting to write my blog entries without a title. On a good day, I'll be able to come up with the title in 10 seconds, on a normal day, 10 minutes.

Moving right along, remember how I mentioned I had an interview with a law firm? Well, I'm hired! Probably one of the most exciting things that's ever happened to me in awhile. The result? My mood picked up and I wore the most colour I have since ever.

Luckily, last night before I passed out at 11:30pm (I sleep ridiculously early now) I packed my tripod and camera in my purse, so when I was walking home after work, I decided to snap photos and actually managed to! I have this odd tendency to lean backwards-ish whenever I take photos, something to fix over time I suppose. Oh, and I managed to find an entire field of dandelions aka the culprits behind SOME of my allergies. Dammit.

P.S.- Here's to hoping my Macbook & Touch arrive this weekend.
P.P.S.- Photo size debate, smaller or is this size decent?

(Sunglasses; Vintage, Scarf; Pashmina, Dress; Old Navy, Necklace; KDikio Vintage, Flats; Joe Fresh Style, Purse; Vintage)

Ocean Breathes Salty

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

HECTIC. SO HECTIC.
Within the past week, I attended prom, all the festivities that follow, visited my family in Seattle, started my 2 jobs and somehow managed to squeeze in random social activities. Sorry for all my delays in EVERYTHING, I still haven't sent out my packages (SORRY!). Once things calm down, I'll start posting again, there's just so much going on right now. Course registration for University starts next week and I have yet to sit down and read over everything. On a happier note, I'll be getting my Macbook Pro soon, I managed to scrounge up some scholarships and luckily got enough money to cover the costs. Hoorah!

P.S.- I SWEAR I WILL SEND OUT THE PACKAGES, I have them all packed, I just have to head down to the post office and send 'em your way!!!

Here are some random snapshots of things I've been up to:

Canada Day Fireworks!

Random Macro Shots

Random shot right after biking across Lions Gate Bridge

Prom Hairdo

Reflections are Protection

2010-06-23T01:11:00.000-07:00

STILL SICK.
This damned cold won't go away and it's really putting a damper on all my graduation activities. I swear every time I think I'm getting better, it just comes back. Onto a happier note, I expanded my iTunes library insanely and will have a new playlist up for y'all to listen to one of these days. This camera is pretty amazing (just because I have a bias against any other camera brands than Nikon and Canon, but that's just me), and I've been playing around with the various settings.

My Prom/Banquet's coming up in 6 days, CANNOT WAIT. Wearing a floor length dress is going to be one of the most exciting things that'll ever happen to me (Yes, wearing a floor length dress is something I look forward to).

(Chambray Top; H&M Mens, Polkadotted Romper; H&M Divded)

let's just pretend

2010-06-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

As hectic as life has been, I thought I'd drop in a quick update. Here's a list of what I've been up to:

1) Graduation
2) School
3) Life

I have to say that graduating has, and will be one of the most amazing experiences. Who knew you could experience so many emotions at one time? As for my post-secondary issues which I complained about a few posts ago, well I'm just glad that I've got a school to go to, education is something that I'll never take for granted. On a happier note, I got a new camera (one that's finally BRAND NEW) and hopefully the quality of my photos will improve now! Let me know if it has. No outfit posts lately, sorry, I haven't had the time to snap 'em, but I have taken some photos which I do rather enjoy, so I thought I'd share 'em.

Also, my clothes exchange buddies, I'll try and mail out everything within the next week, sorry for all the delays.

Thanks for all the wishes and emails, I really do feel awful for not getting back to them. I do take the time to read them, they help me get through everything.

-xo Jess

Can you spot the Lion's Gate Bridge?

Love on a Lifeline

2010-06-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Remember the little mystery I mentioned awhile back? Well here it is! The weather finally cleared up and I decided to see how comfy I was with my romper while sitting at home. I don't have much of a chest, so I opted for wearing it around the house to see how well it would hold up ;) Lucky for me it's super elastic-y so it's A-OK!

Since I was doing a whole lot of experimenting today, I also slipped on my pumps that are 4.5" (I think that's the annotation for inches) since I'll be wearing them at my Convocation Ceremony and Banquet (aka prom). Gotta break these bad boys in before I wear them for HOURS. The plus about heels? I FEEL LIKE I STAND AT A NORMAL HEIGHT. Anyway, life's getting pretty hectic with Graduation coming up, so expect the updates to slow down a bit! I'll come back with a ton of photos of me at Convocation and Banquet :) For now, these awkward photos will suffice!

(Nautical Romper; Urban Outfitters, Pumps; The Bay)

P.S.- I don't know if you can really tell, but LOOK AT HOW LONG MY HAIR IS! It's insane, especially considering 3 months ago my hair was above my shoulders. The things I do to be a girl.... Such torture.

P.P.S.- It's been one of the first days that I've actually had to SQUINT when I go outside. It's been pouring rain in Vancouver for days! Thank god the sun decided to come back out again :)

P.P.P.S.- Thanks for the FEATURE at clothesure :)

Don't look back

2010-05-27T18:56:00.001-07:00

I guess you can tell I've resorted to my old technique of laziness. Snapping a plethora of macro shots and calling it a blog post is my trick of the trade. All of these are snapshots are of new items I've been accumulating for awhile. As for my mood? It's gotten a ton better, I haven't told my parents YET, but I've realized (through many people) that even though I may not have gotten into my school of choice (Yes, it's UBC), my life will not be dictated through this one setback.

Oh, and for the record, I was only deferred, but I'm extremely impatient and am not willing to wait until Mid-July to find out whether I'm in or not. So any SFU students out there, I guess you'll be seeing me this September, so here's to the next phase in my life!

(2 finger Birds on a Branch Ring; Forever 21, Knot Necklace; Ooh Fancy That Giveaway)

(Sterling Silver Heart Gem Ring; The Bay)
Note: This is the other half of the ring that my bestie also has. I'll get a photo of both together soon :)

(Sephora by OPI- IM Beauty)
Note: None of my hauls are complete without another colour... this is probably one of my most favourite shades yet!

I leave you with these two mystery snapshots, what they are, you'll never know, at least not until the weather picks up here in Vancouver! That's my hint to you my fellow readers, they're not going to be easy to identify, so good luck to you all.

Oh, and a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Sway for their recent website launch. You can sign up by clicking THIS, or the link situated in my sidebar labeled as Sway.

Until next time...
-xo Jess

Still I need your Sway...

2010-05-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

Get my subtle reference to The Kooks? I'm in a much better mood now after talking to a few people and such.

Anyway, I was recently contacted by Perla from Sway and I was absolutely intrigued by this concept that her company has created. Each day, Sway will offer one item everyday and it'll be sold at WHOLESALE PRICE (who doesn't love low prices?!) to the community before it's released and sold at full retail price to the public. The reason for this? To gain YOUR opinions on whether the clothing they provide is "hot or not"!

Here are some photos I was sent of their recent photo shoot. Let me know what you think :)
The website will be launched WEDNESDAY, so don't forget to check it out!!!