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Black sweater dress: H&M

Pink cropped hoodie top: Mantique
Flats: Thailand

Haha now I'm trying to get "artistic" with my outfit shots. This is what I do when it's too hot to do anything except sit in the heat and try not to sweat too much. When I took this outfit post though it was much cooler. I was trying to think of new ways to wear a plain LBD in a different, funky way. I'm always a fan for cute patterns and this pink hoodie has little colored whales on it! How can a girl resist, seriously.

It's a long weekend today! I'm going to spend it getting my hair did, going to a wedding (congrats Simon and Theresa, even though I'm sure neither of you read this blog haha), and going back home for a beach bbq and family time. Happy BC day everyone on Monday!!

Lust of the Week: 80's Jessica McClintock for Gunne Sax Cocktail Mini Dress

via LuvStoneVintage, $34.50

Don't you just love Etsy? Last week I found a great vintage Gucci purse, and this week I found this awesome 80s party dress! The fabulousness of this dress comes from its intricate all over bow embroidery, subtle polka dots, and sparkles. The burgundy color is perfect for winter when paired with a smoky eye and plum lips, and the sweetheart neckline flatters the decolletage and neck. I could just imagine dancing the night away wearing this to my next Christmas party, but this dress is also very wearable for day when paired with say, a black turtleneck tee, or for any special occasion out on the town when one wants to look a little classy!

Weekly Shopping & Goodies

That is one happy kid

The Fashionable Housewife finally found a skin care regime to cure her acne!

A Few Goody Gumdrops asks how many studs can you handle!

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy is lusting for vintage Gucci!!!

Couture In The City shows us how to dress up Express Jeans on the town

Handbag du Jour can't help but love Rihanna’s new ‘do, new nails and new Nina Ricci Ondine Pony Hair bag.

Quinta Trends gives you a shopping guide to Chilean Children's Day

Raging Rouge announces a giveaway to celebrate the 100th birthday of L'Oreal. Click HERE to enter!

Shopping and Info loves these black ballet flats which are a great alternative to the Lanvin ballet flat.

SomeoneSpoilMe.com dishes on the most fashionable way to set important dates in stone!

TheFind Blog is searching for the perfect ruffled leather jacket that fuses flirty with a luxe urban edge.

Unfunded gives away one copy of the controversial book Size 2 for Life

What's Haute Magazine's beauty editor chats with Real Housewife of New York Ramona Singer about her Tru Renewal skincare line.

Globalize Fashion with Nineteen74

In the impenetrable soup that is the Internet, it can be hard to see through the glop and find the alphabet noodles. However, if you take the time to look, you will find hidden gems of communities that foster and celebrate the qualities you seek. If you're of a creative lean of mind, particularly in the realm of fashion, then the social networking site Nineteen74 may be for you. Hailing itself as a bastion for all the fashionably creative from photographers, designers, and models, to retail sales associates, and branding agencies, this site seeks to serve as a networking hub for industry insiders to chat and collaborate. Users can post up portfolios of their work and search through a job database for employers or employees. Once users have found each other, they can even chat directly via Skype and IM functionality.

Keeping to its exclusive, "insider" aesthetic, this cooler-than-thou site only lets you get a peek of its innards before popping up with a register page, but from what can be seen, this sleek website may be the best way for you to nudge that toe into the fashion industry door.

Daydreamin

Headband: Claire's
Dress: Plenty
Cardigan: Urban Outfitters
Denim leggings: Aldo
Gladiators: Taiwan

I had a cooler photo than this to post up, but Blogger for some reason thinks it's corrupt! Thus, you are left with this photo, which is a tad bit dark. Do you ever day dream? I'm not even sure what day dreaming is - do people actually have dreams during the day as they do at night? Most of my dreams are filled with danger. In my last dream, I dreamed I woke up in bed because all my teeth were slowly crumbing to pieces in my mouth! As soon as I woke up I checked that they were still there and then woke up my boyfriend to tell him about it. He didn't seem too impressed for some reason.

Lust of the Week: 1978 Gucci Monogram bag

via dollypopvintage, $89

While some girls dream of Chanel, or LV, I dream of Gucci. The mix of Italian sexiness and old school luxury just speaks to me in a way that maybe only an even more old-money brand such as Hermes, can. However, having a closet full of Gucci will likely be forever out of my reach (unless I marry rich LOL, can you say unlikely?!). Luckily, the Internet has the answers! Check out this almost mint condition vintage Gucci monogram bag from 1978. You can tell there's some wear and tear on the leather, but with a little ingenuity that could hopefully be spruced up clean and then you'd have a vintage Gucci for under $100!!

Weekly Shopping & Goodies

Gawd, she just gets hotter with age - how is this possible?!

The Fashionable Housewife answers the question, "Do Hair Removal Lotions & Creams Actually Work?"

A Few Goody Gumdrops is totally charmed by this giveaway from luxury handbag designer, Katherine Kwei. Enter to win!

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy advises on how to achieve an even skin tone

Couture In The City Hip & Chic Men's inspired shoes are all the rave with designer Anyi Lu

Fashion Fille is hosting an awesome giveaway where you can win 2 pairs of We Love Colors tights! Enter today before the contest ends!

Fashion Hippo found best celebrity skin care products

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion loves white linen with turquoise--so, Enter the Cookie Lee Luxe Turquoise Jewelry Giveaway!

Quinta Trends talks to Chilean designer behind Ropa de Género

Raging Rouge is buzzing about MAC Naked Honey High Light Powder.

Shopping and Info needs to buy Jennifer Aniston’s wishbone gold necklace from her last movie.

SomeoneSpoilMe.com reports on the new trend in jewelry for celebrity moms!

Style Eyes can't wait to see the film about Coco Chanel's life and she blogs about her style in her post Coco before Chanel - the suit, the little black dress and the quilted bag

The Bare Skinny is giving away a House of Harlow necklace. Make sure you enter!

TheFind Blog is on the on the search for the perfect pair of peep toe boots!

Unfunded is giving away Thevi Cosmetics!

diva in a carry on knows that all you need to perk up your summer travel makeup kit is the perfect gloss! check out their rock & republic favorite for the season!

Victoria Day

White tee: American Eagle
Striped dress: Pena House
Blazer: Zara
Nude heels: Spring
Bag: Nygaard

Here's a shot of me in Victoria on the May long weekend. Please forgive my awkward pose, I have no idea what I was thinking! I chose this outfit for a post simply because it showcases an idea for how to wear a night-time dress during the day. The stripes on the cuffs of my boyfriend blazer (love this) coordinate with the stripes in the dress, but still adds visual interest with the fact that the stripes are in differing directions and colors. I like to also think that the nude shoes elongate my legs. They were brand new shoes at the time and since I stupidly forgot to bring any other pair of shoes I had to spend the entire weekend breaking these ones in, which needless to say was rather painful by the end of the trip. However, they are comfy as heck now!

Dear MizzJ: help for evening skin tone

hello!

first off, i love your blog. it has a lot of spunk, i think. i stumbled upon it when i was looking for the face shop reviews (yours was the one about their Sake product). i found your musings and updates about fashion and the social society/industry very..shall i say...classy.

i thought that maybe you could help me with my current skin flaw... do you have any product in mind that could help even out my skin tone? much as i hate to admit it, living here in a tropical country has caused the skin on my legs to be a little bit blotchy.

I hope you don't mind my asking for help!

thank you! :D

Catherine


First off, thank you Catherine for your question and my apologies for taking so long to answer your question! I had to ponder this one awhile, but I hope the answers I've found will help you!

Uneven skin tone is typically caused by three common factors: genetics, sun exposure, and aging. While you may not be able to do anything about the first one, the latter two are within your power to act against. The key to bright, even, skin is creating a fresh surface for new skin cells and this equates to exfoliating regularly. Exfoliating acts to scrub off the accumulation of dead skin cells and to gradually erase scars and discolorations. I would recommend exfoliating at least twice a week, or using a gentle body cleanser containing exfoliators daily. Below are some products you could try:

Fresh's Brown Sugar Body Polish, $65

The brown sugar in this scrub is a natural exfoliator and antibacterial cleanser. Another plus is that this scrub also contains lemon peel oil, which is a natural skin brightener! The reviews on Sephora give it a 4.6/5 over an astounding 182 reviews, so this product is a sure bet.

The Face Shop's Sake Clarifying Gel Body Scrub

This body scrub I also highly recommend, as you know, for its smoothing abilities and just plain amazingness. It contains sake, mineral oil, macadamia oil, rice bran, apricot seeds, soybean, sesame, and sunflower seed extracts to scrub away impurities and also alpha hydroxy acids, which are said to also help out evening skin tone.

Olay Body Wash plus Tone Enriching Ribbons

For a daily solution, you could try out Olay's Tone Enriching body wash. This product contains moisturizing mineral oils and citric acid, which again, works to even out skin discolourations.

In order to combat further damage, it is best to do prevention as well as treatment. The single best way to prevent skin damage of any sort is sun protection and moisturizing and what better than to use a product that does both?

Lubriderm Daily Moisture with SPF 15

This light, daily moisturizer contains SPF 15 to protect against harmful UVA/UVB rays while also moisturizing your skin. Since you live in a tropical climate, I would recommend pairing this with an actual sunscreen when doing outdoor activities, but if the majority of your sun exposure is to cross streets while shopping, then this should do the trick. You can check out my full product review on this lotion here.

If your skin problems are more extreme, you could try visiting a dermatologist. Also whitening products could help you achieve a more flawless look, however I'm not an expert on those yet as there aren't many whitening products readily available in North America (we tend to be more tan-obsessed unfortunately).


I hope this advice helps you out Catherine and please let me know if you need any further answers to questions! If anyone else has any beauty or fashion related questions, please don't hesitate to ask, by leaving a comment or emailing me!

Shhh it's a secret!

What: Jalda Handbags
Where: DesignerSocial.com
Why: amazing exotic skin handbags for 40-80% off!!

Necklaces hang like an albatross from my neck

White tank: RW&Co
Black top: from Taiwan
Jeans: Guess
Heels: Spring
Multi-stranded silver chain and clear bead Necklace: Forever 21
Crown necklace: gift from Taiwan
Cuff: an army store on Granville

The only thing better about this outfit would have been if I'd really pumped up the red lips for this photo. I'm so impressed with Forever 21's accessories; they are featured on blogs everywhere as a great alternative to shelling out uber bucks for jewellery. The cuff has a cool "tough" looking military style symbol on it that I quite enjoy as a counterbalance to the ragged cut of this top and the shiny necklace. Lately I've been really into heavy, chunky, jewellery. I love anything that has heavy strands or chains, multi-stranded beads, and pendants. Can anyone recommend some good looking body chains?

Lust of the Week: Charlotte Russe Metallic Brocade skirt

via Charlotte Russe, $22.99

Want a skirt that you can wear anywhere and look classy and sexy? Many of us think of black being the only truly versatile colour, but white is just as versatile also! Take for example, this chic brocade ivory skirt from Charlotte Russe: made of easy to clean polyester, this soft ivory skirt features a stunning brocade gold fabric, which is a supremely classic and elegant colour combo. Add in the slimming nature of its subtle wrapping and the interesting visual detail of the bow, and this skirt will draw attention to your waist and away from your thighs and bum. You could wear this to the office or school with a classic white shirt or tee; then out to drinks, a party, or the club by changing into a top that features draping at the neck, a deep-v, or is clingy. I would love to pair this skirt with a black sweetheart neckline corset top for ultra drama. At that price, who could resist?

Weekly Shopping & Goodies

A Few Goody Gumdrops is "seconds" away from giving this fabulous Orient Watch to one lucky winner.Enter to win!

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy shows why Twitter is the modern day newspaper

Couture In The City shares an amazing beauty product with us ADOVIA a whole new meaning to Acai Spa Treatments

Fashion Fille finally has a new outfit post, and it features a gorgeous handmade peacock feather hairclip.

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion feels like a Celebrity Darling, she has the Official Rules on How to Win Jules Smith Charm School Jellies Find Out How!

Do you like comfortable shoes? Quinta Trends shows very comfortable Argentinian shoes: Juana Pascale

Shopping and Info loves the black strapless dress worn by Angelina Jolie last week.

SomeoneSpoilMe.com is loving the new Helen Ficalora necklace.

Style Eyes is loving the the shift dress for it's versatility and classic, flattering style

The Bare Skinny is lusting after the Raparo Double Buckle Python Low Boots

TheFind Blog celebrates Bastille Day in a luxe embellished military inspired jacket for fall.

Unfunded gets rock nautical with Taylor Momsen

What rhymes with Fusili?

I wanted to make a clever rhyming title for this post by BHMnB resident chef extraordinaire, Mr. T, but what possibly rhymes with Fusili? Anyways, doesn't this just look delish?

This is an all new recipe created by me and a friend of mine after being inspired to cook at the Eat! Vancouver show.

Shrimp Fusili w/ Rose Sauce

In a large wok over medium heat:

• 1/3 cup of margarine
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 cloves minced garlic

Saute the garlic and onions until the onions are getting soft.

Mix in:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Mix to a paste and gradually add:

• 4 cups milk

Stir after each addition of milk to make sure there are no lumps.

Over low heat, allow the mixture to reduce and thicken stirring regularly to ensure it doesn’t just thicken on the bottom. When it starts to thicken a bit, add:

• 1/2 tsp dry sage
• 1 tbsp dry basil leaves
• 1 tsp dry rosemary leaves
• 1/2 tsp dry ground thyme

Let it continue to reduce until all the spices are suspended in the sauce, not floating on top. Then add:

• 1 loose packed cup fresh oregano leaves

While the sauce is reducing prepare the following:

• 4 cups Fusili pasta, cooked in a pot like normal pasta.

In another pot/pan/wok saute in olive oil:

• 600g mushrooms (halved or quartered depending on their size)
• 3-4 cloves garlic

After the mushrooms have released their water, and most of it has boiled away, add:

• 1 large red pepper, chopped

Saute the mixture until the red pepper is just slightly softened (I like it a bit crunchy).

Getting back to the sauce, once the oregano leaves have had a chance to cook a little in the sauce, add:

• Sauteed mixture of red peppers and mushrooms
• Cooked Fusili pasta
• 500 g fresh cooked shrimp

Mix that all up and add:

• 1 156ml tin of tomato paste

Mix it all up over medium heat to make sure everything is hot. Enjoy. Makes enough for at least 4, with no side dishes.

Got some yummy recipes you want to share? Send it my way with some photos and you just might get featured here like Mr. T!

And the meek shall inherit the Earth?

White tank: RW&Co
Purple knit cardigan: Gap
Skirt: Thailand
Nude flats: Thailand

Today I feel like being silent. When I was in Thailand I met a man on a train who had just been at a Buddhist retreat where all he did was meditate and clean. It seemed a nice existence. Some people detox their bodies, but how many of us detox our souls? My life has changed so much since this time last year. Has it improved? Am I a better person for all these changes? Sometimes I don't even want to think about it all.

Ann Curry: Making Twitter legit

NBC News' Ann Curry on Twitter from JD Lasica on Vimeo.

Finally, just when I was beginning to believe that the only smart journalist on TV was John Stewart, I see this video of Ann Curry and suddenly I see that life must be tough on the other side of the TV screen. In this impromptu interview by JD Lasica at the 140 Character Conference in NYC, Curry speaks about the struggle of getting real news heard when the average viewer has the attention span of a squirrel. Instead of just simply complaining though, Curry has gone progressive by utilizing social media giant, Twitter. Curry speaks of Twitter as a legitimate news source that gives her the freedom to publish stories that never make it on air and says “I look at Twitter as my own two-way broadcasting. I put things out, I hear things back, I gain from people’s perspectives all over the world. … I don’t feel threatened [by Twitter and new forms of media], I feel excited.” This is a perfect example of how exciting social media can be in connecting people and information, expanding their minds, and making them think. I know I'm going to follow Ann Curry from now on, maybe you should too.

This post is also posted on Senses.

Lust of the Week: Modcloth's Panda-A-Day Bento Box

via Modcloth, $27.99

I would eat lunch at work everyday if I had such a cute container to put food in.

Alas, the initial winner of my Perricone MD giveaway, Sherry, never got back to me to claim her prize, so luckily for you all I had to choose another winner! In fact, there are now 2 winners as the first picked winner is from Mexico and as promised, I would award a secret beauty prize pack in the case of an international winner and then pick a second person from the US to be the Perricone winner. Now, without further ado, here are the 2 winners:

Bere Nice - you are the international winner!

and

Delectable Swank - you are the Perricone MD winner!

Congrats to you two lovely ladies!

Weekly Shopping and Goodies

The Fashionable Housewife shows us the top 5 most comfortable shoes & sandals for summer!

A Few Goody Gumdrops shows us how to look ever-so-chic in Tres Sleek. Enter to win!

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy is mad for Modcloth!

Couture In The City shows us how to steal Anne Hathaway's Marchesa look for less!

Fashion Fille gives us a first look at the incredible 25 Park clothing shop...along with an always awesome discount code!

Fashion Hippo shares the eighteen Best Summer 2009 Handbags For Every Budget!

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion shares a Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz fetish the Alex and Ani Expandable Bangles! Enter to Win It.

Quinta Trends returns to the forties with Bienvenida y Paula

SomeoneSpoilMe.com is giving away a Laura James Vintage Cocktail Ring. Enter to win!

Style Eyes is loving a fresh but classic take on the nautical striped dress

The Bare Skinny exposes Rihanna's fashion failure.

TheFind Blog goes fun flirty and feminine with this summer's fabulous floral trend.

What's Haute Magazine pays tribute to Michael Jackson and his fashion, and shows you how to get the King of Pop's style.

Fantasy shopping cart: Modcloth

Even though I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable about the online shopping world, there are just so many retailers out there it's impossible to keep on top of them all! Take for example, Modcloth; although I've heard about Modcloth for literally eons, I had never thought to actually click my way over. Oh my god - I am a sucker for cutesy fashions and this place, much like Fred Flare, is a mecca of cuteness. Considering I'm supposed to be on a "shopping hiatus" of sorts (it's really been quite unsuccessful so far), I refrained from purchasing anything I saw for now, however I might just order a single item, provided that you lovely readers help me decide! Beware, bunnies and pandas lie ahead...

Disapproving rabbits, $12.99

I wouldn't actually buy this, but isn't it so quirky and funny?! That rabbit just needs a matching pipe and he'd look just like how I imagine my grandpa would look like if I had a white grandpa instead of a Chinese one.

Tulle cute skirt, $32.99

Doesn't this skirt resemble a ballerina's? What girl hasn't had a ballerina fantasy. I took a ballerina class once as a young 6 year old, but it only lasted for one class since I made my dad dance the "fairy dance" with my class. Oh well, the clothes were cooler anyway.

The Perfect Pencil dress, $49.99

Another fantasy of mine, and for many men as well, is the hot librarian! There is just something so sexy about a prim, prissy, librarian outfit. This ruffled, buttoned, dress has the potential to be explosively hot when paired with some glossy black pumps, scarlet lips, and saucy specs.

Skipper shorts, $64.99

I saw a girl on the weekend rocking high-waisted, buttoned shorts similar to these and now I'm filled with visions of myself in them. Comfy and flattering like a high-waisted skirt, these shorts give the perfect nautical feel. They can be casual with crisp white Keds, or dressy with a flowy top and espadrilles.

Eyedust in Mirror Mirror, $11.99

Shimmery silver shades are a perennial favourite in any makeup obsessed ladies kit. Perfect for nights out there's a shade of silver to suit almost anyone. Having a little sparkle around the eyes is a great way to highlight those windows to the soul! While this look is great for a night on the town, tone it down for day by simply brushing a thin line along the lash line.

Know the Ropes espadrilles, $29.99

I love the wedges on these espadrilles and the color contrast of black against the rope wedge and ties. Espadrilles seem a royal PITA to take on and off with all the tying involved, but they definitely accent the ankles in such a delicate way.

Panda fancy mug set, $29.99

All I can say is: it has a MATCHING panda spoon!!!!

What?! What?! I knit sweaters yo! And winner of Perricone giveaway!!!

Yayer, it's time to announce the grand prize winner of my Perricone MD giveaway!! Thanks to everyone who entered! Out of 72 entries, one randomly drawn winner was picked... and the winner is:

Sherry!!

Sherry, please email me within 2 days of this post to claim your prize!

And finally, thanks to Lisa for sending me this awesome video of Taylor Swift and T-Pain at the CMT awards, featuring these stellar quotes of the week:

"You out clubbin, well I just made caramel delight!"
"What?! What?! I knit sweaters yo!"

I love rap parodies.

Faded like an old photograph

White tee: Jacob Jr.
Dress: 3rd Moon designs
Pink tights: Urban Outfitters
Gladiators: from Taiwan

Today I was really feeling soft, muted colours, and a loose silhouette. The soft tones of grey, pink, blue, and white were perfect for this mood. I'm not sure I would have paired the gladiators with this outfit a second time around since the dark brown straps might be too much for such a subdued outfit - have any suggestions for shoe wear?

Lust of the Week: TrendyOutfitter Leopard Deep V Chiffon top

via TrendyOutfitter, $21.95

In the dusty past, one could only purchase foreign fashions by actually visiting a foreign country, or via friends living abroad, but now with the power of the Internet, the world is your shopping mall! I've always been a big fan of Asian fashions and street styles, especially their cheap prices, but unfortunately the Pacific is too large to allow me to just pop over for a weekend peruse of the sales racks. Now, with the Internet that is no longer a problem! After some in depth searching online, I found the website TrendyOutfitter. Not to be confused with another company of almost the same name which hawks laptop covers, TrendyOutfitter sells fashions from Japan and Korea to eager customers online.

Now, the prices are not going to be as economical as the local prices, but they're still not much more than buying from Forever21 and you can be pretty sure the girl down the block won't have the same item as you! I would also caution that I haven't purchased yet from this site, but it seems from the research I've done so far, that this retailer doesn't have too many complaints against it. One item I've been eyeing is this leopard print chiffon tunic top. Worn over some leggings or skinny jeans, this is the perfect top for summer days and can be dressed up or down depending on your shoes - cute wedges for day, and saucy heels for night. This top is perfect for getting your feline sexy on, without looking like a desperate housewife.

Weekly Shopping and Goodies

A Few Goody Gumdrops and Vivre are giving away a To-Die-For Beirn Snakeskin Hobo Tote! Enter to Win.

Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy featuring guest blogger DJ Deadbird on summer essentials for guys!

Couture In The City Where did she get that wedding dress? Wedding Dress Rentals Grow In ‘09

Fashion Fille is flabbergasted at how cool the models look in those fabulous Romina Karameana sunglasses. Check out what she's talking about here.

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion invites you to Win the ECBC Eyes On Me Maxi Dress!.

Quinta Trends loves Lucila Iotti shoes.

Raging Rouge is convinced that the Beauty Guru Palette by Smashbox will turn you into a "palette-person".

Shopping and Info found the pink floral skirt worn by Vanessa Hudgens.

;"> SomeoneSpoilMe.com is loving Zodiac Sign Jewelry!

Style Eyes discusses the difficulties faced by the vertically challenged and how to find stylish clothing for petite women

The Bare Skinny found the sexy fringe tank Kim Kardashian wore recently.

TheFind Blog is inspired by sparkly sequin skirts that are tremendously more fun to than any ol' fireworks display.

Unfunded is spellbound by Shades Salon's witchcraft.