Swing Softly

Currently on repeat: SHINee's Mini Album - it's quite a good CD (even though it only has 5 songs). They ain't good looking but they have talent dance-wise and voice-wise. Now where is that Wonder Girls 3rd Project album for me to download... so hot!

Korean class today! Like every Saturday. Seems like we're learning so slowly (It's been 1.5 months, once a week) 'cause we'd have already learned everything in 2 weeks if I were in Japanese class. I see quite a few similarities between Japanese and Korean which is pretty cool -- their sentence structure... but for Korean, you have to pay attention to the end of the word... if it's a vowel or consonant and then it changes the particle which is slowing me down. Fun though! I can now read both Japanese and Korean =)

Me w/ the beautifully coloured flowers @ UBC. It was chill-ayyyy (which is why I'm wearing the leggings) but sunny.
Weird wash of glare or something from my cell.
Then M and I grabbed McDonalds (snack wrap + iced coffee... wow it's been a very long while since I've been to McD's) and my mom and I went to Superstore where I picked up a Joe Fresh white racerback tank for $6 (they're having a 25% off sale) and some Goody bobbypins. Gotta get some hair pins another time. Came home, made marinated tea eggs (wasn't strong enough and the instructions on the back of the package was sort of in bad English). Finally did a good work out in my basement while watching the first 1.5 episodes of Memories in Bali (Korean drama) + my uncle dropped off some joong. Made an appearance on MSN - it seems to be working again yay!

A while ago, Shopbop featured this T-bag Solid Off Shoulder Top [$119], advertising its versatility like this:
I really like it!! Especially the navy and the poppy red. Too bad it looks like something I can get from Zara for under $30. Maybe I should check Zara, actually.

I found the Marc Jacobs swingpacks I posted on yesterday's blog. I really really like them. They're called MARC by Marc Jacobs Softy Percy Bag.
Iconic Marc style in a sweetly scaled-down size. Pebbled-leather handbag with 7″ zipper pocket, logo lettering, and logo bolt detail at front. Gold hardware. Adjustable shoulder strap and 6″ main compartment zipper. Lined.
Very functional and I'm very sure I'll put them to good use when I get it. Now, which colour should I get?
Yellow is nice and bright and fun.
White is also very nice but I'd be too afraid it'd get dirty and I plan to use this for many years so it's at the bottom of the list of contenders.
Neiman Marcus has this version which is quite nice except I don't like the red stitching.
Light brown - I like the red straps -- a diff combo of the same colours from the previous.
Black - it's part of their Fall 2008 line and I can use it practically everywhere.
I wonder if it comes in a dark brown. I should check Holts tmr.

Parents bought 2 red leather recliners for the TV room today. Pretty comfy stuff.

I found these 2 design and decor sites today that has got me saving pictures left and right!
Vintage & Chic - everything is in Spanish so I just look at the pictures, and The House That A-M Built - a relatively new site that follows a mother's inspiration to decorate her new house.
Some of my saves:
A gorgeously grand staircase. It just makes me want to stand tall while I walk up.
How's that for a pool house? ".... complete with lounge, lamps and chandelier!"
I dream of having a house that lets this sort of light streaming in.
An inviting entrance. I love french doors so. Gotta make sure I have a lifetime supply of Windex though.
Lounge.Cute -- a huge umbrella!
haha quirky love.

Victoria Plus

The trip started when M picked me up at 3:45AM (I've only gotten around 2.5 hours sleep). We drove to Tsawwassen and took the 5:15AM ferry to Duke Point (Nanaimo). We'd take the Schwartz Bay one that leads us to Victoria, but that Coast Saver (which saves us a lot of money) is only valid on Saturday whereas the one to Duke Point is valid every day. We didn't want to skip Korean class on Saturday's. So yea - it came out to be $30.30 to bring 2 people and a car over. Anyway, the ferry ride was pretty quick - we ate the breakfast I packed (parfait + banana), walked around the ferry (it's nice 'cause the ferry was pretty empty), and had some fun outside w/ the wind + pics, and took a nap.

Brr it's a bit chilly out here, but if you do decide to jump overboard, here's a floating device. Go save yourself while I get some hot chocolate.

When we got off the ferry, I totally zonked out for an hour and a bit while M drove down to Victoria.

Finally got to UVic + checked it out for a couple hours. It's in a circle. It was quite chilly... I kept on thinking it was at least 1 or 2PM but it was only 9 or 10AM!
Saw lots of bunnies! Everywhere! Hop hop hop. Darn - I only took pictures of the bunnies with my Fisheye camera. Next time I plan to bring a cage and carrots and scout out the cutest one to bring home.

Then we ate pasta salad I made and went to the Market Place and The Bay Centre which their downtown.
I wanted that pale yellow strapless dress (right), but it was $179 or something like that. I could make it. You know what?! I just might!!
I recognized a lot of places from my last trip to Victoria in Gr. 10... about 5 years ago. There were quite a few independent boutiques selling over-priced clothes. Their mall wasn't very impressive though. I didn't buy anything but I saw a few things I liked. They have this store dedicated to JUST tacky Christmas things. I'm really curious how well they do in the summer.

Then at around 1 or 2, we went to Fishermen's Wharf where we ate Halibut Fish and Chips + clam chowder at this hut called Barb's Place (they had pagers that rung when your order was ready!!) and had ice cream. By then, the weather was gorgeous! We walked around the docks to look at the boats and it reminded me of my grandpa's boat that we used to fish off of - so much fun.
Heeeere fishie fishie fishie!
Barb's Place.The wharf.My boat - I looked to see if the owner was there and didn't hear anyone.. but when we finished, the guy (owner) came out and asked us how the picture turned out. heh
M's boat - The North Star. It's a nice sized boat!Fixing up his baby.Just thought the orange floaties were colourful.Our last stop was the beach. The sand was nice but there was wind so I couldn't lie down or I'd end up covered in sand. Saw the sweetest-looking little girl in the most adorable white dress w/ black detail and her hair was in a french braid that ended in a bow. I just wanted to take her home!
Awww precious!
lol the mom made the boy and his sister roll up their pants and hold thing hahaaha - they were all hunched, walking down to the water.
Time to head back -- drive back up to Duke Point after grabbing some Starbucks. I slept for about 30 min. We were about an hour early for the 8:15PM ferry. I got to drive her car a bit.. and just straight haha. Fun! Came back around 10:30 + had a late dinner at Nancy's Wonton House on Victoria Dr.. Zzzzzzzz... If I stayed up 2.5 more hours, I would have been up for 24 hours.

____________

I got a job today (finally). My dad said that I'd have to do dishes every day until I got a job. I guess that motivated me more than usual. Anyway, I'm working as someone who sells baked goods like cakes, breads, and pastries at Stuart's Bakery on Granville Island (in the Public Market). I start Monday - full time from 11:30-7:30. I have to dress in all black. That normally shouldn't be a problem xept a few of my black clothes are mainly jackets and dresses I realized... I don't have many black pants... in fact, I only have one - my yoga ones... and only one black pair that isn't a heel... and I can't wear those for long periods of time. SO this weekend I need to find myself some flats
So yea - I gotta figure out some savings plan for myself. Gotta start saving for the future. With my new plan, it's gonna take me 5 weeks + absolutely no spending to get that pair of Louboutin pumps haha.

I'm gonna need a trim in a month... maybe I should book Chura now. They're so booked all the time.

I've got lots to blog about today... (what's new, pussycat?)

There's shoe store called Bakers -- I don't know why I didn't see one when I was in Seattle or LA... don't know much about them but they have decently-priced shoes.
I really like these statement gladiator-style shoes! Chunk-ayyyy
Guess - $80, reg. $109

Gladys WP - $75, reg. $80Givenchy Heavy Banded High Heel Sandal.. no idea how much it sells for - sold out on ShopBop.
But wow.... I LOVE these!!! Def. shoe lust....JEANS
Okokok I know I have a lot of skinnies. I just find it easier to wear than boot cut/flare jeans whatever 'cause I have more drape-y, voluminous tops.
Sel-ca-ing in the A&F changroom @ The Grove. I quite liked these jeans xept they're way too long (as you can see) and the destroyed-ness needs to be a bit higher (@ my knee).
I like the effect of the girl on the left, where the jeans just fall like a tube around your legs and around your heels. It helps that she has thin thighs, though.
Butchea - I think light skinnies might be a better investment.. esp. since the lighter the jeans are, the wider they make your legs look anyway. SO I'm still looking for a nice pair of destroyed light-wash jeans.
Guess - Vintage Wash Daredevil Skinny Jean [$90]
This is a nice contender but there's a bit too much highlight on the thighs. I did see the perfect shade in the Guess store though so I should check it out again.
I found a new blog that has earned a permanent place on my Firefox toolbar.
It's called because im addicted
She has a nice style - it's indie yet not annoyingly so... like she doesn't try hard to be different from the crowd.
She's in a similar situation as me though -- still hunting around and discovering her own style.
haha I like this picture - next to the greens. Cute jacket from H&M.
Great bag - by aaneta, I believe. When I saw this picture, I was kinda surprised 'cause I was trying to find a blue blouse in that exact shade to wear w/ my AA skirt like she's doing right here! What a coincidence.
Here, she paired an AA bathing suit w/ her AA interlock pencil skirt. She looks great!
Socks with heels - looks real nice on ppl w/ thin thighs... or thin legs in general.
I am IN LOVE with this Vintage Gucci clutch-type!!! Must. Have.
So, I did a quick Ebay search and found this other vintage Gucci clutch and OMO it's absolutely divine..... $200.
I've also been on the look-out for swing bags like these. These 3 happen to be Marc Jacobs and all of them are very nice.
Anyone care to find out how LV bags are bootlegged?
SNEAKY!!

**

Oh yea - I opened a Paypal account today (didn't work before for some reason) and bought something off Ebay... I'll review it when it arrives and I've used it for a few weeks.

Tulips & Daffodils

What lovely weather!

I'm feeling fantastic despite my 5.5 hours of sleep (thanks to the next door neighbour's motorcycle).

Tmr, M and I are going to Victoria to scout it out. It should be another nice day but we're catching the 5:15AM ferry (yes, we're nuts) and won't be getting back until late.

Anyway, I forgot to tell you about how I signed up for something online a month and a bit ago and I've been receiving annoying trivia texts 4 times a week. My mom got our cell phone bill a couple days ago and found that I've been charged $24 for receiving those texts - $2/text! So we called Rogers and they said they get a lot of people calling in b/c of this problem and that it's serious - don't give out your cell phone number! So anyway, I unsubscribed from the site (I've never seen before) and Rogers did a one-time courtesy thing and waved the amount so phew. Lesson learned.

Oh yea - and yesterday I drew out plans for my room (for the 3943 time). This time, I'm 89% sure I'm gonna stick w/ this plan. The hardest are going to be finding the perfect wallpaper, finding 2 different yet complimentary bed-side tables, finding the mirror, and finding the 3-drawer dresser that fits in that space between my door and mirror. I'm definitely gonna finish this before summer ends. I'm thinking subtle yet high-impact Victorian-inspired.
Darn small room. It'll be cozy.

I'm gonna have so much fun sifting through vintage stores and flea markets finding accessories - I don't intend to go overboard, but there are certain things I wanna look for like rustic candle holders (left).

I hate my bookshelf and desk colour. I want to make them both cream but my mom says you can't paint over them - it won't work. We'll see... 'cause there IS this thing called primer..

Some projects I will need to do include:
- making my cream-coloured quilted headboard
- re-upholstering my desk chair (super easy - just buy fabric and staple gun it)
- fabric-covering my cork board (another easy project once I find satin ribbon + the right fabric)
- I would love to redo some furniture.. like sand it down, repaint, give it new hardware and make it look old again.

This pic was taken from my cell @ the Beau Villa place. Love the mirrors + chandelier + colours + accessories and everything!
Sally Jane Vintage - sells vintage on Ebay and has a blog.
I really REALLY like this dress! She's auctioning it off tmr and I won't be there to bid. Oh wellllll... it'd be cheap too! like $20. I really really like that belt too. BahhRun away with me...
I wish I could do swing skirts but all the volume makes my butt look larger than it needs to.

Some current Craigslist posts:
2 Oxygen Scooters! FUN!
Shu Uemura Blush + NYX Eyeshadow
NEW Classic Adidas Originals Superstar II Size 6 Mens/8 Womens
NEW Green Tote
Banana Republic Shirt Dress for SALE
NEW Longchamp Le Pliage Bag Pending
NEW American Apparel Unisex Black Deep-V Tee Sz. S
2 Belts - Roxy
**Prom Dress! Excellent Condition!**
2 Cute White Lamps
Black Guess Dress Sz. M Pending

'Cause I'm Dreaming, Of You Tonight

YesStyle -- I filled out a quick survey and got $5 off my next purchase. Made me give that site a quick look around. Their Spring/Summer items are always so much nicer than their Winter.

El Style - Halterneck Pleats Dress + Strapless Inner Dress [62]

Pretty.
Cocoa Avenue - Drape Front A Line Dress [38]
AH this dress is so simple (also a halter) and the material is inexpensive-looking and it is probably only worth $9 in the markets but I do love it a lot!! So easy to throw on. Considering...
El Style Bow Tie Sleeveless Dress [78]
I don't know why I have this here - I don't like it that much. I think I just liked the picture more.
El Style Bow Tie Sleeveless Dress [62]
Cuteee!!
Jvin - Ring Detailed Shoulder Bag [208]
The giant rings are super cute and nautical. I think this may be the first thing I like in baby blue!! If they didn't have the white, I'd probably get the baby blue. The pink is cute too. But the "mature yellow" one is also really nice and versatile. Actually after looking at them, I like them all!!
Has a nautical feel, doesn't it.

Ah Rodellee (owner of AdoreVintage which I love browsing). She's such a doll and inspires me soooo much in the fashion and decor department. I've been reading her blogs for about 1.5 years now - she has such a defined style (I can only hope to one day have her wardrobe!!) and her body was just made for vintage I tells ya!
I'm really loving this yellow and white striped cardi. So charming! Currently searching for a nice oversized (like super oversized... below my butt) yellow and white (or gray) striped hoodie.
So ya - she owns her own (successful!! She was even recognized in some Switz magazine and she didn't even know until someone told her!) business selling vintage clothes on her website and on Ebay and works as a stylist too. She has a knack to style things just right IMO. I really love her work.
She makes polkies look chic and cute at the same time.
She seems to be a cool individual. She's one of those people who I respect because they're unafraid to wear what they want yet it's tasteful at the same time. This is a page from her scrapbook - Disneyworld. I like her captions. She makes me want to make a scrapbook. I have a lot of materials actually.. and now I have time.. but it's a LOT of work that I'd rather spend doing other things at the moment. Maybe when I have kids lol. I'll do it for them.
and she sometimes makes these collages w/ a specific theme.
I love the "floral prints" dress so much! V. pretty.

I found this 100% silk dress on some girl's List4All site. SUCH a nice dress!! She claims it's an authentic Chloe (yes, the same brand as my Paddy and one of my FAVOURITE designers!!) but I don't know (ie. I don't think so) 'cause the tag is ripped (even though she took a picture of it)... and the fact that she's only selling it for $200 which is an absolute steal 'cause most of their stuff costs a few thousand $$, butchaknow a dress is a dress and this one happens to be nice even if it isn't authentic. I just don't have the money right now.
I guess I have a thing for blue dresses these days. I have 4 or 5 of them... not all this bright though.
I love this idea. For this couple's wedding, they basically had 2 types of material and their bridesmaids had to find someone to make the dress for them (since bridesmaids usually have to pay for their own dresses anyway, I learned from 29 Dresses)... and look how gorgeously different all these dresses turned out! What a fantastic idea! I want to do that. Actually I just realized a lot of people do that... like a lot of my aunts... but it never turns out as cool as these 'cause they only use 1 type of material. I love these colours too!!
I'm so happy I made my 2nd Craigslist sale! Goodbye trench coat. I was pretty lucky to sell it in a way. I bought it at a consignment shop in Kerrisdale a while back pretty much on a whim. I should go back to that shop though. It's called Preloved and it had some good stuff. I think it was having a 75% off sale on select merchandise when I went that one time. B bought a black dress that said it was from Paris and I bought the trench and a gray DKNY dress that's a pencil skirt, long-sleeved, and turtleneck-like. I still don't have the guts to wear haha.. but it was only $15... and doesn't go out of style. I need to hem it though. It passes my knees! Darn models always so tall.
Like this American Apparel one xept thicker material and a lighter gray (but darker than heather gray):
Anyway, it's interesting seeing who buys your stuff... like when they contact me, I see their name and I see their "online personality" from what they type in a way.. and then I picture some sort of person. Both times, my "image" was quite wrong. For the first girl who bought my Coach swingpack, I thought she was young (like teens), short, small, and either Vietnamese or Chinese. Well, OK she was Chinese, but she was tall, had glasses, and didn't seem to care how she looked (surprised me!).
The 2nd one today.. her name made her sound like an older, plump European sort... she was European, but she was quite petite and was probably late 20's (just had a baby) and pretty! lol sort of funny how I automatically stuck out my hand to offer to hold her purse while she put on the coat 'cause I'm so used to doing it for friends. But duhhh lol. Although I'm sure I don't look like I'd run off with it, why would a perfect stranger give me her purse?!

Click HERE for a free sample (Canadians only) of Olivia's Oasis Bodywash (they claim to use 100% Pure Olive Oil in their beauty products... which means VERY moisturizing!).

Whoa whoa whoa! Holts is catching up w/ Sears (or is it The Bay? Or both?) w/ the free gift with purchase dealio.
Spend $35 before taxes before June 15th and you'll receive this bag avec mini goodies ($120 worth)!
This may be perfect because I'm looking into their cream foundation and blushes.
You know, I used to think Clinique wasn't such a good brand when I was around 9 or 10 'cause my mom would always come home with these little free samples and it made me think that it was cheap or that it wasn't getting enough business so they were giving these away.

I'm still dreaming about you, my LV Epi Clutch...
Can ya name the song and singer of my title?