Warning: Super Long Post

I had another really full day yesterday.

I went shopping with my cousin Erin (5) in the early afternoon for 3.5 hours! She's one fast walker and totally kept up with me the whole time. I planned on taking her out to watch Enchanted (which, Diana claims, is the cheesiest movie ever), but she wasn't comfortable in movie theatres so she suggested shopping instead! My goodness! At age 5! She had $15 to spend and wanted to look at Webkinz stuff (omg don't ask me... all kids I know loooove this craze... it's pretty amazing how popular it is considering the Webkinz company does not do any advertising at all! It's like High School musical in that kids from 3-18ish seem to love it.), Berenstain Bear books, and (dooga dooga) clothes for herself!!! We spent around 1.5-2 hours @ Chapters looking at Webkinz stuff + I read her 7 books... which sort of turned out to be a mini circle time with the other kids there (some parents watched too...). I know I've said it before, but I absolutely looove the Berenstain Bears books! My kid is going to have a lot of them. They have good vocabulary for youngsters like "occupied" and use a lot of sayings like "his eyes were like daggers". I could spend hours in the Chapter's kids section, reading all the classic books I've owned when I was young like Mercer Mayer books (left) and Robert Munsch. I actually had quite few. Then we headed to Hallmark, Carlton Cards, ToysRUs, Zara Kids, and Please Mum to finish her shopping.
She ended up buying a doll from Hallmark... and I bought her a Peek-a-Pooh. Erin didn't really go clothes shopping though - she didn't really know what to look for. I wanted her to try this adorable gray toggle peacoat from Zara, but we were a bit rushed for time. We ended the shopping day with a stop at Starbucks (of course - it's my Auntie Eliza!).

I got dropped off @ home and got my 2nd cousin dose because my Auntie Sandy's family were over to make my mom dinner. My mom got a fatty tumor removed from her hip on Wednesday and has been at home ever since. It was a very very minor surgery and she's totally fine. Ah - the kids are cutttte and very monkey-like. Triton (2) (I mean, Tritzilla) is totally taking after his sister when she was his age haha. Apparently he did quite a bit of damage after I left the house!
Triton doesn't stay still..
Tritzilla's face crawling down the stairs....
Such a monkey!
You should see the look he gives me when he's pulling my hand, wanting me to go somewhere with him!! Puppy eyes I tell you...
My brother calls Emerald (5) "monkey" b/c of the way she was back in the day.. and even now haha... and Emerald calls her Auntie Anna (my mom's sister), "Auntie Dodo" 'cause that's what she accidentally called her when she was younger. lol Anyway, dinner was good - bacon wrapped salmon filet w/ spinach on top of a bed of orzo. I love orzo (looks like fat rice) pasta and I want to use it more often! Too bad I had to go soon after and couldn't play with the kids much.

Went to Plush last night with M, A, and A's friend, Aiden. M, A, and I have never been so we didn't know if there'd be lineups and such so we went early... a little too early 'cause it looked pretty empty until an hour later! Oh well.
We didn't take many pictures that night so I'll have to make do w/ the ones I have. These are from M's digi.
My bangs ruined the picture.
Aiden is in blue, I'm in the middle, Artemis is on the right.
Melanie, Me, Aiden
Another one w/ Artemis -- haha this one looks similar to the one we took on New Years Eve!

I tried wearing a full set of false eyelashes. Usually, I just wear half and put them at the ends of my eyes to make it more natural... so yea - they look funny up close. I'm still learning how to apply eye makeup... will eventually get the hang of it!

I went to Plush in Taiwan and did not really enjoy it there at all. The dance floor was too small, the music wasn't that great, and the layout in general was not my favourite. So the Vancouver location for Plush is apparently the largest around eh? Well the dance floor was probably 3 times bigger than Taiwan's... and the music was 10x better, but the layout was still ih. I had a pretty good time though. The DJs were good. You can def. tell they're experienced and everything flowed pretty darn well.

LUXY, in Taipei, is still my absolute favorite place to club by far. "Once the pleasure palace of Taiwan’s richest playboy, Johnny Hwang’s two hundred million dollar Shanghai Parliament, LUXY is poised to become the venue of choice for people in Taipei looking for a great night out. With over one thousand pings to work with, the design team has created three distinctive styles of areas, thousand plus person venues, VIP rooms and members lounges, to ensure there is something for everyone.With it’s reputation as one of the best nightclubs in Asia, combining Luxury and Sexy in both it’s hardware and software, LUXY is designed to raise the bar for nightclubbing in Taiwan."
I can totally rave on and on about this place. Now this place is large. It is at least 4 times bigger than Vancouver's Plush. It has an upstairs where the VIP rooms are located (I didn't have the chance to go up there) and a giant downstairs with great ambiance and great music. The ceilings are super high, there are chandeliers, stages, glass topped bars, the walls have heavy drapes and some semi-nude paintings. It was definitely what it's known to be - Luxurious and Sexy. The bartenders were very good looking and the performance [barshow] they put on (spinning bottles and using fire) was more than entertaining. The washrooms were quite luxurious and spacious too compared to club washrooms... and the whole club was PACKED. There was also an equally neat and separate house/Euro-music room.. forgot what it was called, but the entertainment there was so amusing! I can't really describe it... guys in these white suits on the stage and they're doing the robot/pop'nlockish dance or whatever w/ some neat choreography... and tons of strobe lights.. and the high energy -- ah love it!! If I lived in Taiwan, I'd probably go once every 2 weeks! Free cover for ladies every Wednesday. Luxy screams diversity. The crowd was definitely more diverse at Luxy than at Plush! I'd say it's around 70% Asian, 20% Black, and 10% White at Luxy. At Plush, it was like 94% Asian. The only thing I'd complain about is the fact that Taiwan does not enforce any smoking rules there so the club can get smoky in some spots.
Check out the barshow! I found this clip on YouTube.
**
When I went, they set the bar top on fire 'cause they filled shot glasses with liquor.
Luxy is a big enough reason to want to go back to Taiwan.

Anyway, back to Plush. I sort of expected it to be a bit more filled up considering it's the last Friday before school. The giant screens were nice. The crowd was a bit young and unexperienced (yes, I know I'm one of them) compared to other ones I've been to. $15 cover - no sign of the Vegas Fridays they would have (red carpet.. something else) - $3/item coat check. Would I go again? Yes.... but only if it was a HUGE event like for Hallowe'en or New Years. OH the highlight of the night was when this shortish Chinese guy bought an orange rose and gave it to Artemis when we were about to leave!! HAHA too bad I missed it! I was in the washroom haha anyway

OK here is my attempt to become ECO FRIENDLY - one of the Fashion Resolutions for this year according to ShopBop.
So re-usable grocery bags are becoming all the rage these days. My mom has got her stash of Telus (seahorse) bags that you can get for free if you ask @ any Telus store... and that black, PC bag a lot of people seem to have. Here are a couple others that are just as, if not more, fun!
KatBots [$22]
American Apparel Bull Denim Woven Cotton Cities Bag [$24]
I really like this one - I just wish it had better handles! It looks like their plastic bags.
Btw, I saw this bag yesterday, and the online AA store was selling it for $28.. but on their reviews, people were complaining about the price (because it used to be $20!) so I guess they listened and lowered the price overnight!

I like vintage and all that, but I can't get myself to actually buy something visibly second hand! I can't stand paying so much for something that is pilling, fraying, or has a mini hole... (unless it's really really really cheap), so I'm going for vintage-inspired (which, I also just realized, is another one of ShopBop's fashion resolutions!).





StyleHive is telling us about the new colours for Spring:
Rococco Red:
Wine and Berry (think Merlot):
and
Croissant (which is really medium tan):
I personally think only a few fair-skinned women can pull this colour off.

StyleHive has also come up with a few fashion keepers and goners:
Classics to keep:
Oxford shoes
Trench coat
Little black dress
Pencil skirt
Never to be seen again:
Track suits
Anything crushed velvet
Capri pants
Bubble hems
Brocade
Microprints (like the many owls on your shirt)
Skulls
Ballerina Flats (replaced by Moccasins) lol ew
Uggs (replaced by wellies -- aka Rain Boots)

DIY projects: Those old boring trousers, I’m cutting them at the knee, and hemming them. Throw some sheer black tights under them, toss on those oxfords and tada: I’ve got a look Annie Hall would be proud of!

2008 is about:
- The POB (Victoria Beckam's hair that totally redefined the bob)
- Textured layering - lace/sequins/pleating/pin-tucks/embroidery
- "Borrowed from boys" trend -- menswear tailoring. I think I only like the shorts/blazers/some button up shirts.
- Trapeze tops and dresses
- Scalloped hems
- Button hems
- Lightweight pleats
- PLAID
- Victorian floral prints, modernized with saturated colors and a streamlined silhouette

- One shoulder strap dresses (ew... but yay I can make it with my American Apparel Bandeau dress!)

- High-waisted wide-legged trouser (replacing Skinnies).. OK so they said this would happen 2 Falls ago but Skinnies are still going strong. I think the wide-legged trouser is a bit too trendy for most people.

Here are some American Apparel goodies my closet is lusting for....
Lightweight Sheer Rib Raglan Pullover [$28]

to wear over this Cotton Spandex Jersey Deep U Dress [$38]
It'd be so cute! Or of course you can wear them separately.
I saw an AA employee wearing this sort of boat-neck cotton oversized tee with sleeves rolled up and buttoned. I thought it was so cute but I couldn't find it on their online website... plus she had a very thin frame so it draped nicely.
This is how I wore my AA Bandeau A-line dress yesterday -- as a halter
I still want the Bandeau Pencil Skirt dress so I could do this... but it doesn't look good on meLookBook posted Sophia Bush's outfit -- very simple - I like!
I need to pick up one of those belts -- Gap - Skinny Lizard Belt [$25]
This belt has the perfect thinness. Maybe I'll get it in strawberry instead!

Very very gorgeous bangles from Asos [$18.25]
to wear with Set Of Mixed Finish And Size Bangles [$18.25]
Ah I really like these bracelets but can't get myself to pay that much for them.. especially 'cause they look like they might slip off b/c they look big on the model...
I follow this lady's Style Feeder - she has great taste. She never posts things as expensive as the next couple of items I'm showing you though!
Truefaux Antique Gold & Pearl Earrings [$125]
or these Etsy Hand-made Resin Red Rose Earrings [$111] from Italy. I totally agree with her when she says "they look like something you could pick up in a quaint shop in spain...or something like that. so romantic-looking."
Today I'm supposed to out for dinner but a headache and drowsiness made me change my mind. Next time for sure!
N

2008 Style Resolutions

Fashion Resolutions courtesy of ShopBop:

1. Wear more WHITE -- yay!!
2. Trench Coats!
3. Bold Colours
4. Vintage Inspired - of course!
5. Eco-inspired - hmm, we'll see about that. Some of them look too eco-friendly.
6. Open-toed Shoes - those are the only heels I have!
Beauty Resolutions courtesy of Sephora:
1. I will treat my hair right - with the serum M gave me and buying new (quality) shampoo after I finish the cheap, drugstore shampoo we already have, I definitely will! How does Frederic Fekkai sound?
2. I will use SPF everyday - I already do + will definitely keep on wearing it.
3. I will lose weight -- it'd be nice to
4. I will try a new fragrance - I do plan to! I want a scent that defines me.
5. I will wash my face every night - I have been a little lazier the past few weeks - 2 days a week, I just wipe it with my Mario Badescu Toner - it seems to get the dirt away at least.. and some days my skin looks better the next day when I don't thoroughly wash it. I think washing dries on my skin a bit - even though I use sensitive cleansers.
6. I will reorganize my mess - yessssss I should throw out a lot of my old lip glosses and creams that just take up room in my makeup bag.
7. I will be more adventurous - I don't think I can do much for my face, but I will try a little I guess.... I'll start with more dramatic eyes...

I have all the makeup I need... I think. Well I'm missing a liquid foundation/concealer. I would like another type of blush though I've hardly made a dent in my NARS blush. I would like to try some Anna Sui products - especially their blush and mascara.

** I forgot to mention in yesterday's post that there's a Juicy Couture store at the Seattle Premium Outlets!!!!!!!!! Next time I travel down to Alderwood, I'm making a stop there!

A Day in the Yu Ess of Eh

I went down to the States today w/ Nad + her parents (hehe 'cause we don't drive... yet... we will! This Spring!)

They picked me up at 6:45AM!! I only had 5 hours of sleep from the night before so I slept on the way down. We were actually early -- the mall and Ross didn't open yet so we went to Target (or Tar-jay as ppl in the South call it).
$1 ______ for Dummies books anyone? There were so many different types from Sudoku to Cocktails/Improving Memory/Spanish/Toning-up/Wedding/Baby Sign Language/Instant Messaging/Ipod... lol
They have these seats for kids w/ the buggies! Nad's sitting on it -- I've never seen these before.
I bought 2 resistance bands ($2.50 each!) and a mini pot where you can grow miniature roses! It was a valentines thing.
Then we checked out Ross. Ross isn't really for me anymore.. I think I'm at an age where the junior section is too young and the woman's section is too old. The only thing I enjoy looking at are the handbags, accessories, and some of the home decor. Oh well - more time spent at the malls that means!
So while we were waiting for Mrs. Young to shop, Nad and I had fun in the guy's department.... trying on XXL sweatshirts haha!
Here are our gangster wannabe/"thugged out" (LOLLL) pics -- Nad looks so much more gangsta than I do lol
haha LOVE ITIt also comes with a satin-lined hood! Nad got a kick out of that. All for $20!
Ate lunch @ the small Teriyaki restaurant next to Ross that I always seem to go to whenever I'm down there - no matter who I'm with. It's cheap and the portions are American sized hah.
Next -- went to Alderwood Mall (yay!) and shopped for 3.5 hours. We spent most of our time at Forever 21. At first, I didn't find anything, but they kept on bringing out new stock so I got a couple of items - a silk-like top and another black dress to add to my collection. (One thing - I think their employees should wear some sort of tag or something so that I know that they work there! They look like customers the way they dress and act.) We made a couple quick stops @ Sephora and ForLove21 (the jewelry I saw online looked so cheap in the store...) and found the Abercrombie Kids store. I bought 4 pairs of false eyelashes @ Daiso for $1.50 each (wooot woot) and checked out the jeans @ Abercrombie. I fell in love with a pair of light washed destroyed jeans (whoooda thought?). They look quite a bit different than this picture though -- they fit like skinnies almost!
I didn't get to check out a lot of the stores but that's a good thing 'cause it saves me money.
Costcooooo!! Their Costco pretty much has everything. Nad tried on some glasses and then we browsed around.
We found this Pirates of the Caribbean bed for kids! Crazy!
I found a new love in this $15 Butter Body Pillow. So soft!!!!!!!!!!!! Sarang...
Yes I know - weird that I'm hugging it goodbye on top of a bunch of diapers..... I had to part with it... so sad.
I ended up buying Polaroid film + a bag of Veggie Chips (yum!).
Then we drove back up to Canada and ate at this small Chinese Restaurant in Richmond that had $2 noodles! So cheap la~ haha
We also had a bunch of other things... and my beloved elephant ears from Taiwan! I love this stuff! Xept for this version, you can put meat in it!
So yea - very happy happy turtle!
Goodnight,
N

Bring On The New Year

OK - so I'm actually not ready to start 2008 yet. There are certain things I want to improve in my life but I haven't yet pinpointed them. I think that should be my motto for 2008: always improving. Resolutions? People are always saying that they "don't believe in making resolutions" because they never keep them anyway... but why not even try? What are you going to lose? I mean - if you say "I'm going to exercise 3 times/week", you'll at least follow through for one week, if not two! So at least you do something instead of saying "I'm not going to make a resolution" and not even attempt to exercise at all. Anyway, my motto/resolution includes improving myself as a person in all aspects such as school, nutrition and exercise. It won't be easy, but I think it's quite achievable. I'll update you guys on that once I figure out my goals for this year.

hehe I also have fashion goals - to not buy any cheap clothes unless I have a specific reason to (like if it's Hallowe'en and I just need a hot pink top to wear that one time)... and to invest in some good quality, classic jeans that won't go out of style.
like these Citizens (Citizens of Humanity): Ava Straight Leg Jeans [$159]
or these Citizens: Amber High Rise Boot Cut Jean [$161]
Citizens: Ingrid Flare Jean [$194]
Sevens (Seven For All Mankind): Kate In Midnight Mercer [$152]Sevens: Bootcut X-long in London [$180]
I usually don't like lighter washes (esp. w/ heels) but this is a good one.
Sevens "A" Pocket Jean - Non Stretch [$187]
Casual and very nice wash + back pocket detailing.Sevens: Long Boot Cut Jean [$185]
Much lighter than I would wear, but they look good on the model.
I just found these when browsing ShopBop (I loooove this store! Their e-mail ads always gets me clickin' on their website). I'm not big on pocket detail -- the simpler the better... and I don't want the brand name screaming... so not really any of the popular True Religions. All of the jeans above have a very simple back pocket. I'm surprised actually - these jeans are much more affordable than I thought. I always thought they were $250 as Rock & Republic jeans are.
Thing is, I'm scared of spending so much on jeans in case I gain/lose a bunch of weight within the next couple years so this purchase might have to wait lol

I had a pretty full day yesterday.
When I was taking a shower, my mom told me that a HUGE package arrived for me from YesStyle! Exciting! It finally arrived! And this time, it took less than a month (free express shipping). So you might remember the last time I ordered a couple items from YesStyle (my Googims Sweatshirt + thin black cardi) back in October. I was impressed with their service so I had no problem ordering from them again. This time, I took a huge risk ordering this VERY interesting puffy, pillow-collared (supposedly made with down) coat for $48 (I was curious if it's possible to get actual down for such a cheap price!)
I like where the pockets are. I just need the belt and I'm all set to wear it. A belt like the black version of this old Aldo belt.
Anyway, the coat is very different 'cause the collar is totally oversized. I still can't tell if it's made with down or not. It is warm when I wear it in the house, but when I rip the insides, I feel the sort of rip you get when you tear apart cotton baton. As long as it keeps me warm, I'm a happy turtle. It also comes in a very pretty ivory colour that I was going to get, but I already have a beige coat and this one might make me look like a snowman. heee I love this model
I combined my order with B (who bought a white, big buttoned coat) and Nad (who bought a 2 toned pencil skirt dress).
I was originally going to order this trench (the monthly girl is featuring this coat!) -- cute eh?
Then, I ate pho w/ M at 11:45ish then we headed downtown for my free Aveda makeup session at 1. They served me this really yummy tea. My makeup artist was Richard. First, he got me to moisturize my face.. then he used concealer and foundation. I asked for a smoky eye 'cause I was curious how that would look like on me.
So when you first think of the smoky eye, don't you think of something like this? (wow she's pretty)
or this
or this (for the purpose of showing an Asian -- Hyori)
Instead, I got something similar to THIS (actually 5x worse 'cause he gave me these huge cat eyes eyeliner and the shadow was darker!):
What kind of smoky eye is that??? I looked like a robot or that I haven't slept in 5 days. M said I looked bruised from the side. We definitely weren't on the same page. I asked him to make it darker and more dramatic a couple times and finally gave up after the 3rd time. I was so embarrassed to walk down Robson, back to the skytrain! I just wanted to take it all off. Oh well -- I got a $10 Aveda gift card too (as part of the LOULOU magazine coupon) but I tipped him $5 (when I really shouldn't have).

Quickly went home after a stop at Kiehl's (hmm some of their stuff seem waaay overpriced... $55 for a facial scrub that doesn't even smell like anything??) and washed off the eye makeup.

A couple hours later, I got a ride from M to Artemis's and we went to the Brock House @ Jericho Beach for a dinner and dance. (Apparently I scratched my eyeball 'cause my contact hurts on my left eye when I tear up. I'm gonna be wearing my glasses for the next few days.) Most of the beginning, A had to work at the front with the guests, but we finally got to eat. I must say that it's a huge improvement over last year's even though the crowd this year was a bit older (some 50+ year olds!). The dinner was yummm with a lot of seafood and some moist turkey... but A and I were eying the desserts... more sweets to feed my chipmunk cheeks.
In front of another ice sculpture (says Brass Fan in the back):
I'm not used to being the short one! I'm usually the tall one (or same height)!
The buffet (after dinner):
Our beloved dessert table... there was a crepe station but I didn't take a pic of that.The outside (but heated) marquee where we ate.I saw a lady wearing this $440 BCBG Max Azria Sequined Sheath dress I always admire whenever I pass the Bedo/BCBG Max Azria shop window...
Gooorgeous dress but it just looked alright on her... and it looked as if she was uncomfortable in it.
The balloons fell @ midnight.
Dates with our champagne @ midnight!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
We cheered, tried dancing to whatever music we knew, spotted 4 classic Chanel 2.55 Bags (2 of which we're pretty sure are fake), met some new ppl, and had fun!

Side note: Martinis are disgusting.

Going to the states at 6:30AM tomorrow!
I need to run but it's so hard to with glasses - they keep falling off me... and I need to watch TV while I run.