I've moved!

Today is a bittersweet day for me.  The time has come to part from my first "home" online - my blog.  I started this blog while I was in university, bored, and wanting to know - does anybody else besides me window shop at work?

Turns out a lot of people do and I've been blessed to connect and become friends even, with some really amazing people that I've met through my blog.  Through the years my style has changed, relationships have changed, friends have changed, jobs have changed... everything's changed, but 2 things have remained the same: my love of fashion, and my love for writing and its power to reach out to others.

Lately I've been feeling as if I've outgrown this blog and feeling the yearning for something fresh, something new.  I wasn't ready to give up blogging as it's become such a huge part of my life, but I knew I needed a new start - so I created a new blog!!

Thank you to everyone who has ever visited, or commented!  And to those who have continued to read my blog through the years, I will give you a hug if we ever meet because you guys are one of the biggest reasons why I blog!  So I hope you'll take the click-through and follow me to my new blog and new adventures.

So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Don't forget, come visit me at my new blog!

Just J

365 Outfit Challenge Week 1

It's been the first week of my 365 outfit challenge and so far, things have been going good!  When I first started blogging, I would go to sleep thinking about what I'd want to wear the next day, and what new combinations I could do with my clothes, but as time went on, I slowly started losing my will to create.  I'm hopeful that this challenge will bring me back into my love for fashion.  The flame is still there I know, but currently it's more of a candle, than a toasty campfire.

Here's how week 1 went. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (click here), or search #365outfit to get a daily feed of my outfits!

Sweater, BDG | Leather shorts, Bedo | Leather boots, Hush Puppies | Charm bracelet, Pandora

This outfit makes me very happy because it contains 2 items I've been searching ages for: a mustard item, and leather shorts.  The shorts were a Boxing week find - 60% off! And my hair? Out of control.

Tank, RW & Co | Boyfriend cardigan, Urban Outfitters | Amber cocktail ring, online | Leggings, Costco, Ankle boots, MNG | neck warmer, from Mom!

Showing off this awesome white neckwarmer (or cowl) made by my mommy!  Isn't it cute? It's a cozy little cable knit and just right for wearing both in and outdoors.  The rest of this outfit was a poorly calculated display of camel toe.  Luckily I sit most of the day, so hopefully nobody noticed.

Leopard print shirt, Shoppalu | Black tank, RW&Co | Green skirt, Aritzia | Knee-high stockings, Urban Outfitters | Leather boots, Hush Puppies

This outfit made me very happy as I got a compliment as soon as I walked into the office from one of my coworkers who says she always enjoys my outfits!  That just made my day.  If you ever see someone and you really like their outfit, definitely take that leap and tell them - they will appreciate and remember you always :)

Peach sweatshirt, Aritzia | Cobalt skinnies, TopShop

Lounging around on a rare Saturday home.  Rainy days make me want to go nowhere and my stinginess for paying expensive heating bills made me stay in my little room all day long!  It's ok, I was perfectly happy to lounge in bed with my iPad.  I cannot wait for sunnier mornings so I can take properly exposed photos.  My camera phone just can't handle poor lighting.

Sweater dress, H&M | Bracelet, vintage

Finally had some time to take a proper photo!  If I had a different sweater dress to wear for each day of the week, I would - these things are damn comfortable and stylish.  Like I always say to Mr. Artist, it's possible to be fashionable while maintaining comfort!

Stay tuned for next week's recap of my outfit challenge, follow me on Twitter for the live updates and let me know what you think in the comments!

Quick Sesame Somen with 5-spice Beef and Baby Spinach

Check out this fancy 2 handled serving dish my mom got me for Christmas! It kinda resembles a mini wok don't you think?  Unfortunately, you're not supposed to cook with it, but I'm already envisioning steaming some nice fish in here.

For dinner tonight, I wanted to prepare something quick and easy - however I had little to no food in my fridge.  Solution: somen noodles with sesame oil.  This quick dish is full of subtle flavours and color.  It's also quite healthy (I think) since somen noodles are very thin, like angel hair pasta, and of course spinach has loads of nutrients.

Ingredients:

• 1 bushel of Japanese somen noodles
• 1 serving of lean steak
• 1 tbsp of Chinese 5-spice powder
• Baby spinach
• 1 tbsp of sesame oil, or as desired

Cut the steak into thin strips and sprinkle with 5-spice powder on both sides, patting in the spice to set it.  In a medium-heat saucepan, put a bit of cooking oil and when the pan feels hot, add in the beef.  Cook to desired doneness on either side- this shouldn't take more than a couple minutes on each side.  Once the beef is almost done, throw in as much spinach as you can handle and toss around in the pan.  The spinach will shrink rapidly so add in way more than you think you should.

Meanwhile, boil 1 cup of water in a pot and when the water is steaming, add your noodles.  Since somen are so thin, the noodles will cook really fast.  Once the noodles are cooked (do a taste test here), strain out the water and pour into your bowl.  Immediate drizzle the noodles with the sesame oil, mix, taste and repeat if necessary.  Add beef and spinach and eat!

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 1

SMART for 2012!

I'm giving in. I usually try not to do posts that everyone and their grandma are doing on their blog, but really this  resolutions post is more for me, than it is for you. Obviously, generousness is not one of my resolutions.

From what I've read, a key factor to making goals stick, is by defining them properly.  Since I'm a huge word nerd for concise, clear, definitions, of course my resolutions are going to try to follow this principle.  To help, I'm enlisting the SMART criteria, which is a common technique for defining good goals.

For a goal to be SMART, it must be:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Relevant
• Timely

So, without further ado, here are my 2012 resolutions, hereby written in Internet stone to be held accountable and fully lamented  celebrated by me in December over vodka shots egg nog.

Do less, better: this is a biggie.  Anyone who knows me knows I seem to pack myself full of activities and sure it's fun doing them, but it also leaves me feeling rather tired and out of sorts, so this year I resolve to not beat myself up if I decide not to volunteer for something, or write a bunch of blog posts for everyday. 

Become a better cook: I have a bunch of cookbooks, so I'd like to actually learn from them! Inspired by watching Julie & Julia, I want to try out a new recipe at least 1-2 times a week. I'm also going to post about my cooking adventures so stay tuned! The first cookbook we'll be tackling is "Noodles for 2" by Vicki Liley.

Exercise at least 3 times per week: I definitely notice a difference between how I feel when I am, and when I'm not, physically active, so I'd like to get to my fitness high point, where I was working out and doing yoga regularly.  Crow pose, you are my goal!

365 challenge: Lately I've been feeling rather uninspired by the dark, wet Vancouver weather and haven't been taking hardly any outfit posts, so in order to reinvigorate my wardrobe, I took a hint from Indonesian blogger TigerLily of Two Thousand Things. For the past 2 years, she's challenged herself to never wear the same outfit twice and she's actually done it! Her style is amazing, so I recommend you check her out. I highly doubt I'll be able to do quite the same thing, but I'm challenging myself to at least document my style more by trying to take and post my daily outfits! I'll post up weekly recaps for you all here, but you can also check out the daily feed on Twitter!

I'd love to hear what your resolutions are for the new year and how you plan to stick to them, so please tell me in the comments!

Lusting for Elaine Turner Envelope Clutches

Lately I've become enamoured with the idea of envelope clutches.  After seeing tons of street fashion features of tall, leggy, style icons with oversized envelope clutches, it's no wonder that I've had them on my mind!

Half proper and half edgy, an envelope clutch in a bright, eye-catching color and unique texture is just my cup of tea.  These Elaine Turner clutches for example, are just what I was thinking:

Payton Stingray clutch, $195

Stingray seems like a very strange material for a bag, but apparently bags made of stingray are quite strong!  I own a couple of eel-skin handbags and love the rich, durable feel that it has, so if stingray is anything like eel, then sign me up!  This gorgeous clutch comes in several colors, but I'm really feeling the teal here, which I have a tingling will be a hot color for me for Spring.

Makell Ostrich large envelope clutch, $295

On the other side of the leather spectrum, ostrich normally isn't something I'm very fond of at all, but this bag is making me eat my words.  Previously, the thought of carrying anything that resembles raw chicken skin would make my skin crawl, but I have to admit this clutch has me all mixed up.  One moment, I feel a slight revulsion, especially since it's a nude tone, but then the next moment I feel myself charmed by its sophisticated, simple look.  Perhaps it wouldn't be so chicken-like in person?

Do either of these clutches have you lusting?

THE TRUTH: Shit Girls Say, ep. 1

So true. So hilarious.

2011 Retrospective

Unbelievably, here I am writing the last post of 2011. How did time suddenly decide to wind up so fast?  When I was younger I remember the days being interminably long and praying for time to move faster.  Now, it's those moments where I'm doing nothing that I feel most content.  Boredom, what's that?

2011 was a pretty good year I'd say.  It was a year of spending time with friends, and making new ones.  While previous years had their share of dramas, 2011 was a year of rest in comparison.  I did new things, like travelling to new cities and speaking in front of an audience of 300ish people.  I also discovered a new creative outlet with photography1  I went back to school part-time, and I found a new job!  And of course, I did lots of two of my favourite things: shopping and blogging.

Style is the main focus of this blog, so I guess it's fitting that I give you, my lovely readers, a retrospective back on my style over 2011.  If style is a reflection of self, I wonder what mine says about me?

Hope you all have a fabulous New Years and see you in 2012!

Product Review: Cutey charm bracelets

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been fascinated by charm bracelets.  There's just something so cute and well, charming, about a loop of chunky, colorful charms, each with their own story.  Its that last aspect, the personal meanings behind each charm, that captured my young imagination which was forever weaving stories out of dust balls and random bits and bobs.  It's no surprise to anyone then that I jumped at the chance to get my own charm bracelet when UK charm bracelet maker Cutey, called my way.

Cutey's mission is to provide "stylish, quality and easily customizable jewelry."  The bracelet I received for review is the Hypnos and features a string of multi-colored plastic beads resembling Murano glass, as well as a glass crystal, and several silver charms on a silver chain.

Having recently received a very nice Pandora charm bracelet, I was primed to compare Cutey's affordable option to Pandora's pricier one.

Material: I'm not sure if Cutey's bracelet is pure silver, probably not, so I'm guessing sterling silver, which isn't too too bad since you won't have to clean it much.  Pandora's charms and bracelet however are made of silver.

Charms: The Murano looking beads on the Cutey are obviously plastic when you look close up, whereas Pandora beads are actual Murano glass, so the colors are much more vibrant.  Both sets of metallic charms on either bracelet were much closer in comparison, with the Pandora edging the Cutey out in terms of sheen.  Also, there's no meaning towards the charms I received for the Cutey, except that they're pretty - which is still a decent enough meaning I think!

Bracelet itself: the look of both bracelets was the same, using a coiled silver loop chain; however the clasp on the Cutey was a standard necklace clasp which I found hard to undo.  Luckily the Cutey bracelet is just stretchy enough that I can put it on without having to undo the clasp. The Pandora one was custom fit, so it goes on and off easily.

Final Verdict: For 12£ versus a few hundred dollars, it's kind of an unfair comparison, but I actually think the Cutey stands up pretty well.  It looks quite cute on, and you could buy a few bracelets and mix and match the charms to create endless combinations for the price of 2 Pandora charms.  So would I buy one? For sure!

Merry Christmas everybody!

Wishing you and yours a happy Christmas!

"They ran out of batteries"

Mr. Artist, thanks for always knowing how to make me smile.