David Trubridge

I'm still thinking about a ceiling fixture for my dining area. I can't seem to let it go. And because I've always liked the coral pendant designed by David Trubridge, I hopped online to DWR to yearn a bit. How could one not yearn a bit considering the gorgeous shadows it casts in a room:

Image via Decor8

I had assumed that the Coral was his only round pendant design but I was so wrong. There's an even prettier FLORAL design(!!):

And the Snowflake, though not round, is also gorgeous:

The full line is available in Toronto at Ministry of the Interior. I am thinking Floral is the way to go...

I like but...

I'm rather over Coach as a brand but I stepped in for a quick browse while I was out today and found myself drawn to their Madison metallic leather hippie bag. I love the colour and the shape is a familiar silhouette since it's the same as my favourite summer bag, Roots' Olivia in French Vanilla.

Now, I know this sounds totally snobby and elitist but I can't bring myself to spend hundreds of dollars on a brand that is slung across the shoulders and chests of pre-teen girls everywhere. By this measure, much as I admire it, it's not worth the $458 purchase price.

Grey, White and Blue

I have a superstitious Chinese mother who reads up on Chinese astrology and she told me that in this upcoming year of the Dog, my lucky colours as a Dragon are grey, white and blue. It was funny how it came up, too, because I was home on a weekend that I had planned a trip to Ikea and she told me I should pick up the blue and white floral bedlinens I liked because they were in my lucky colours.So I did. I thought they were superfluous when I first saw them in store so didn't buy them but since they're in my lucky colours, well, then that's OK. :)

Anyway, I started this blog to share with you my new purchases! I went to Anthropologie this afternoon in the hopes of finding either of the yellow bags I've had my eye on but alas, they're not available yet (if ever) in stores here. I didn't leave empty-handed though! I came away with these two tops which I can't wait to wear!

Pratia Tank & Percussive Cardigan

Incidentally, the textured flowers of the tank remind me of Etsy seller Sarah & Bendrix's delightful framed pictures:

YELLOW!

Yellow has always been a difficult colour for me. I mean, I like it as a colour, but when it comes to wearing it, I limit myself to the buttery yellow tones because anything brighter or deeper I think just looks awful against my Asian skin.


Anyway, I was lured onto Anthropologie's site by the Tweet above from Ms. Grace Bonney over at Design Sponge, which is how I came upon these 2 bags in yellow:

Zing & Tart Bag

Winter Aconite Tote

I'm thinking yellow as an accessory colour could be just the thing I need as a pick-me-up before Spring truly sets in. I know, we're only JUST getting to the end of January, Spring's eons away! I like them both for different reasons and I'm thinking now that I should head on over to Anthropologie this weekend to see if they're carrying it in Toronto...

WIP: Gallery Wall

The photos I ordered through Kodak Gallery to be picked up at Best Buy a couple weeks ago were ready for pick-up Wednesday and it's then that I realized I had ordered some of them in the wrong size. Why I didn't just read the measurements on the frame I don't know. It was a stupid mistake that I thought would cost me another 10 days but turned out to be no biggie because I was able to have them printed again by Costco, with a turn-around time of less than 24 hours!! Talk about efficient!

I had another pleasant surprise in finding Off the Wall, which I've walked by countless times on Queen West without really noticing, to get a mat cut for a c. 1905 print of the Northern and Southern Constellations I'd picked up at the South Bank Book Market in London last Spring. I had gone to De Serres first where I had previous mats cut but the framer happened to be off yesterday so I walked away disappointed towards Urban Barn where I wanted to pick up the this birdseye wallhook (yes, more birds!) Anyway, I looked into the window and noticed the mat samples on the counter and inquired and found that their pricing was far more competitive. And the bonus? My order would be ready for next-day pick-up! I did a happy dance in my head when I heard that! :)

So here's the before, with the newsprint I'd taped on the wall for a potential layout:

As you can see from the WIP After, I didn't follow it:


I'm really happy with how the mix of photos and art is turning out. I need to go back to Ikea to get the 5-print Ribba frame once the black one's in stock...it appears to be sold out at the Etobicoke and North York locations and I'm not willing to trek all the way up to their Vaughn location just for a frame.

I've been browsing etsy for more prints and am contemplating the following, not necessarily for this gallery wall:

Sweet Berry Bird by Cafe Baudelaire

Moon Rocks by Bon a Tirer Fine Art Editions

Fantail Birds by Sugarloop

Winsor Yellow II by Laura Su

Papillons Bleus by The Nebulous Kingdom

I'm going to let things stew for a bit before making any decisions.

Help closer to Home

It's Winterlicious in the city again - 150 restaurants in the city of Toronto will be offering 3-course prix-fixes from January 29 to February 11 - and the lead sponsor, American Express, will donate 5% of purchases charged to Amex Cards at participating restaurants to Food Banks Canada, up to a total donation of $40,000.

I've taken advantage of this promotion and its summer incarnation, Summerlicious, almost from inception. It's a great way to try out the city's pricier restaurants if you have the patience to wait out the inevitable busy phone lines, or discover hidden gems at what is usually very good value.

Of my Winterlicious plans so far: I've a lunch next Friday and a dinner 3 weeks tomorrow...hopefully I'll be able to keep it at that...though I suspect there may be a couple more impromptu dinners thrown in the mix.

With my training, I've been eating clean consistently and it's paid off: I tried on a dress I bought a couple years ago in Vancouver last night that had gotten too tight and it fit again! Plus, my CEO's EA commented on how I'd lost a lot of weight. Now, truth be told, I've only lost a few pounds. What I lack in weight loss, I've gained in muscle mass. I'm more toned and tight and I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to "burn," aka the next phase in my training where we "shrink wrap" the muscles that have developed.

I'll just have to make up for these indulgences by eating super clean the rest of the week. You only live once, right?

Help Haiti

It's impossible not to be affected by the earthquake that hit Haiti last Tuesday. I find it difficult to look at the images and avoided the papers the first few days because to look at them would bring on the tears and I can't be crying at work.

If you live in Canada, and hadn't already heard, the federal government, through the Canadian International Development Agency, will be matching individual donations to registered charities specifically earmarked for Haiti earthquake relief up to a total of $50MM through to February 12. I first donated through Plan Canada, the charity through which I sponsor a child, and just made another donation to Unicef Canada after watching CNN's efforts, which I found out about through Twitter, search #CNNHelpHaiti.

Help if you can.

Every dollar makes a difference.

Incidentally, my company also happens to have a charity matching program, so my dollars in this instance go 3x as far. Check out your policies at work and take advantage of them if you can.

A Single Man

I went to see Tom Ford's debut feature, A Single Man on Friday night and it's really grown on me. It was super-s l o w to start and I was thinking in the back of my mind, An Education - the other movie I wanted to see - would have been way better because something would have happened by now.

But then it started to get good about two-thirds of a way in. Anyway, I don't want to spoil it. Just know that it's a very thoughtful film with an ironic ending.

Oh Yoga!

I went to my first yoga class in over 4 months tonight and remembered how much I used to enjoy it. The hiatus began after I started personal training but I decided it was time to get back into it so I re-scheduled my training during the week. I have to say that the strength training has made a difference. My chest and arms are much stronger now and I'm able to maintain a proper chaturanga pose during the sun salutation series.


I've also noticed that my yoga pants are looser, which means I'll have to go shopping for new ones. I love Roots' Mantra pant - half the price of Lululemons and a better fit for my curves. A bummer on the one hand because I want to rein in my spending but "yay" on the other because I've slimmed down!

The other buy I've got my eye on is this Lululemon yoga bag with room enough for my clothes and my mat. The one thing I didn't miss about yoga is how I turn into a complete bag lady. I walked to work with 4 bags today - my purse, my mat bag, my gym bag with my change of clothes, and the bag with my work papers - which is cumbersome at the end of the day because I usually head out for dinner after class with AL and there often isn't enough room in/around the table for all my many bags. It's time to consolidate!

Cocooning

I spent a mostly lazy Sunday in today. I couldn't bring myself to go out into the cold, so cozy and comfy was I, alone in my own home.

I played The Holiday and Bend it Like Beckham on DVD again while I took my time going through my semi-weekly cleaning routine of dusting and vacuuming. Truth be told, it should be at least weekly given how much dust collects but I really hate housecleaning so only do it when it becomes too much to bear.

I was sitting on my sofa looking around afterward thinking how much I love having my own space. I thought back to the great (and cheap!) mirrors I saw at Winners yesterday and mused about building a collection of star-shaped mirrors to hang on the wall behind my TV.

And after finally(!!!) ordering photos to print and frame, I took down the ghetto newsprint I had on the wall above my couch and re-imagined that wall too, given the art print I had plaked recently. Stay tuned for the Before and After!!

All this to say I was very content in my anti-socialism. It's times like this I wonder if I'm too extreme in my introversion.

Kate Spade!

LOVE Kate Spade's clothing line. Have ever since it debuted last year. Here are my current pretty favs:

1, 2, 3

Umm...

You know I love me them birds but this bed by Francois Lalanne is way over-the-top:

via Apartment Therapy

Free 2010 Calendar

I love Mibo Studio's prints - particularly as birds figure so prominently in their designs. I marked 2009 with their free calendar and it continues to delight as I framed 3 of my favourite images to hang in my dining area.

Here's the link to their latest, the 2010 Year-at-a-Glance planner for free download. Enjoy!

Clutterbug no more?

I remember once upon a time when I used to be neat. This was maybe 20 years ago, before I had so much "stuff." As I got older, I accumulated more and more things, which led to me becoming the clutterbug that I am today.

Aside from watching a ton of movies, which weren't on my holiday To Do list, I had a number of chores I'd been putting off for-ever, including #6, tackling my "desk clutter" and that's what I spent a good 8 hours - no joke - off and on dealing with yesterday. I filed, recycled and shredded and this is what it looks like now:

I didn't have the foresight to take a before shot as I hadn't thought to blog about it but I'm just so proud of how it looks. Seriously. I'd forgotten what the desktop looked like since the last time I saw it was over a year ago, when we first set my study up. It makes me smile, that's how happy I am to be able to actually see the surface!

Now, I'm not really into New Year's resolutions because like 99% of the population, I tend to break them - and also because I always see September, with it's association with school and my birthday, as the true start of the year - but my goal is to keep my study as neat through the year as the day it started. Impossible? Time will tell.

Next up on my To Dos: de-cluttering my living/dining area.

Ringing it in...

It's new year's eve, 2009 and I spent the evening having dinner with my family at a Chinese restaurant where we had a 5lbs lobster 3 ways. Holy cow was the claw ever meaty!

Anyway, I'm signing off for the year and spending the night sipping bubbly and watching DVDs - I actually started with Duplicity in the afternoon and just finished The Jane Austen Book Club, a book I read several years ago and had kind of forgotten about. Next up on my roster is the more serious Atonement and finally, I intend to round out my movie marathon with the light and fluffy Bride & Prejudice.



OMG, I'm such a dope. I only JUST made the connection between The Jane Austen Book Club and Bride and Prejudice after searching for the trailer and only after watching the trailer that I've already seen the movie before. Like, duh.

Happy new year, y'all!

Up in the Air

I went to see Up in the Air this afternoon and of all the movies I've seen the last 9 days, this is my favourite. George Clooney is his usual charismatic self and Anna Kendrick really is as amazing as all the critics say.

How to Dress for Success

I picked up this gorgeous cloth-bound copy of Edith Head's How to Dress for Success at the Victoria and Albert Museum Book Shop when I was there in the Spring. I was lured in first by the lavender cover and then by the author's charming retro illustrations.

The book is clearly circa 1967 and her reference lists at the end are rather charming. Her recommendations for the working girl's (single or married) basic wardrobe include:

MORNING (before work - at breakfasts, etc.):
2 shifts or smocks or dusters or zipper-front step-ins or breakfast coats or robes

AT WORK (When no specific costume is required):
2 suits
6 tops - blouses or shells or sweaters
2 day dresses (1-piece, or 2-piece or jumper-type) and a separate jacket or cardigan
2 skirts to be worn with the jacket or sweater and blouses from above
1 coat

LUNCH TIME:
If you have a luncheon date, fresh gloves and jewelry or any accessory you can bring with you can be added to your basic costume for a lift. Many girls who like a change at noon carry a large handbag for this purpose.

AFTER-WORK DATE:
If you are going out after work and don't have time to go home and change, take some instant glamour with you to work: a little veil or bandeau for your hair, pretty jewelry, gloves or a chiffon scarf. Some girls who wear suits to work carry a "dress-up" shell for evening dates.

AFTER WORK (with time to go home for a change):
1 costume (1-piece or 2-piece dress) and a jacket or wrap
1 cocktail or short dinner dress (try to use the wrap from above)
1 dressmaker or cocktail suit, with three changes of tops (knit, lace, crepe, matching fabric or brocade)
1 coat (unless you can use the coat from the costume #1 above)

AT HOME (entertaining):
1 hostess gown or hostess pajamas
1 at-home skirt or pants, more if you're married - with extra interchangeable tops
3 tops for above - blouses or shells or pullover sweaters. (Important note: These can be the same tops you use with your date clothes.)
2 dresses - 1-piece or 2-piece (for informal entertaining)

AT HOME (not entertaining):
1 housecoat or slip-on
1 lounging pajamas and tops, or pants and tops

FORMAL WEAR:
1 informal or semi-formal costume
This can be a dress and wrap or a dress and coat. It can be the same dinner dress you use for entertaining at home. If this is a 2-piece dress, get alternate tops which are great wardrobe stretchers.
1 formal evening dress and wrap, if you have use for it. (If not, get two semi-formal costumes.)

Based on this list, I'm sorely lacking in the basic wardrobe department. I had to look up what a housecoat was (it's basically a robe) - and I'm still not quite certain what a hostess gown is...I think it's a dressier dress that's short of semi-formal, meant to be worn when hosting guests in your own home...hence the name.

The most telling chapter is the one on undergarments or 'foundations' - What you can't do about your figure through starvation and exercise can certainly be improved through wearing the right foundation garment...Bras and pantie-girdles fill in where nature failed. The waist-line bulge is a thing of the past, if you will merely take the time to find a garment that eliminates it, and to have it properly fitted. The pantie-girdle? Her advice is most definitely sound and just kills me, considering.

The Lovely Bones

I started Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones on Christmas Day and finished it early this morning. Like The Time Traveler's Wife, I wonder now why it took me so long to discover it. I mean, I'd heard about it through various media but never felt compelled to pick it up. It was only with the return of winter that I decided I wanted to get back into reading more regularly. And since I wasn't particularly keen on any of the unread books on my cases, I searched online for various "Best of" the Aughties lists for ideas. According to the excerpt at the end of the book of an article from the Boston Globe, The Lovely Bones was the bestselling novel of 2002.

The novel is compelling and original, beginning with the murder of its 14 year old protagonist, Susie Salmon. Thereafter, she watches from heaven as her family and friends carry on with life without her. I shan't say more lest I spoil it but I was dissatisfied with the ending as it seemed a bit rushed and even cheesy to me.

Like The Time Traveler's Wife, this was adapted into film with Peter Jackson directing, and, again like The Time Traveler's Wife, advance word has been rather negative. I'm thinking maybe of doing a movie theme night...good books gone bad on film, or something to that effect...we'll see. The trailer looks alright though:

Nine

I followed up the shopping with another movie, this time, Nine. It was a gorgeous film to watch and the performances were special considering that everyone did their own singing. Kate Hudson's vocal chops were rather unexpected and her Cinema Italiano number was my favourite, followed by Marion Cotillard's Take It All. There is no doubt that Daniel Day Lewis is a brilliant actor, but a singer he is not.



With Nine, I've watched 8 movies the last week - something of a record for me beginning with Julie & Julia and Public Enemies last Saturday; Miss Pettigrew Lives for A Day on Wednesday; Meet Me in St. Louis, Holiday Inn and White Christmas on Christmas Eve; and Sherlock Holmes yesterday. Depending on how the days unfold, I may be off the cinema again as I still want to see An Education, The Young Victoria and Up in the Air. We shall see...

Success!

I've been thinking about getting a new black wool coat - more specifically one by Mackage since stumbling upon their Black Friday sale online. I thought better of it though considering the price...but when I wore my old wool coat more recently, it occurred to me that it was at least 7 years old - fully amortized and ready for retirement, I'd say. So my search became a little more serious. I fell for the Julia style below, after trying it a few weeks ago and determined that I'd buy it during the Boxing Day sales.

I went shopping with my mom today, a rare occasion since my mom is so not a shopper. She was rather keen on buying a down coat of her own so off we set off early this morning and were met with success. I know I'm awfully spoiled because oftentimes when I shop with my mother, she pays - and that's what happened today as I received my birthday and Christmas gifts in advance. Yay! :)