Currently viewing the tag: "Zara"
{Barefoot Contessa soy candle (c/o)}
{I’ve been searching for some sort of pen and pencil holder lately, and this packaging for the Barefoot Contessa candle works perfectly! (And by works, I mean matches, aesthetics tend to trump functionality at this haus)}
{New make up brushes c/o Joe Fresh – I’m particularly delighted with the lipstick brush, as I accidently smushed a good portion of my Chantecaille lipstick into the cap. Don’t you just hate that?? Especially when it’s about $15 worth of lipstick smushed into the cap…}
{My fascination with nutcrackers grows. My Christmas decorating is done in two ways: 1) with nutcrackers and 2) with all things winter wonderland ie: white, crystal or frosted}
{A miniature moose head for the wall, currently sitting on a side table, from Front & Co, home of some of the best window displays in town!}
{Dior heart-shaped bowl (a crystal version here) with mini candy canes and my new favorite accessory: Social Experiment ring (c/o)}
{Pink fur earmuffs from Holt Renfrew – another fabulous pair here - lucite hook rack from Urban Barn}
{A delicious vaseline based lip balm by Perfumeria Gal, c/o Barefoot Contessa, hand towel from HomeSense}
{Making plans – a moment before heading out to last night’s London Drugs Revlon & Almay event at Sugar Studios – picture tweeted here! They sent a white stretch limo to pick us up… I could get used to that! Wearing: JNBY sweater dress (c/o), La Senza stockings, Zara boots}
Oh, and have a look at this: APT with LSD featuring Aerin Lauder – hello glamorous.
And one more thing that makes me happeee happy: a card, that along with five others, is on its way to San Francisco to the home of a favourite fashion blogger… (Get yours here)
{Wearing: Zara coat & shoes, BCBG Max Azria vest (c/o), H&M shirt, Forever 21 pants & belt, Fossil watch, Armani sunnies, Joe Fresh earrings, Francesco Biasia bag}
Shot just outside of Benny’s on Broadway. We headed there for breakfast this morning, having been there before a couple times with friends. I brought my computer to get a little work done and was sorely disappointed to find out there are no outlets at Benny’s. I also learned that around 11 it is a hub for the younger, more rambunctious set. Not ideal for working. Craving Giovane Cafe right now… perhaps I’ll stop by there later today.
After watching two complete seasons of Mad Men, I’ve decided to make like Betty Draper and don red lipstick. I’m going to wear it everyday for a week and see if anything changes, after all, it’s a real departure from the usual gloss or nude lipstick I wear. Perhaps it’ll give me a new found confidence to do wild things. I shall report. One thing I know so far is, with red lipstick on your make up time is cut way down in the morning, red lips = minimal eye make up. My lipstick of choice (Clinique All Heart) is more of a cherry red, and seems to coming off as a pinkish colour in these photos, but I promise you, it is R-E-D and my boyfriend is terrified of it.
{Tevrow & Chase jacket, Attitude by Jay Manuel sweater (c/o Sears), Zara skirt & bag, Express skirt, Steve Madden boots, Marc by Marc Jacobs necklace, H&M sunnies, rings by Stella & Dot}
I wore this little outfit out and about yesterday, to me there was something a little Padding Bear about it, that or Canadian Mountie. We’ll stick with Paddington. And sequins for day! Yes please! But I’m writing this post today, so I figured I ought to include what I’m wearing right now, so I snapped a quick pic outside on the VERY blustery balcony, which is why there is a bottoms-up pot. The trees were thrashing around and I almost lost my cap, but it was worth it for you dear readers. ; ) Click, click, click!
{Wearing: Zara leather bomber jacket, Wilfred sweater, skirt from Bang-On, Express socks, Tretorn sneakers (c/o), Yankees hat from Lids}
Ta ta! Bisous! Au revoir! Hasta Manana!
{Wearing: mystery turtleneck sweater dress (folded up to shorten – there is no tag in it and I don’t know where I got it), Basix II dress (London – last seen here), BCBG Max Azria heels and Zara bag – sooo excited to mean the man of the hour! So excited.}
{A guest’s Chanel bag and watch – the bag was begging to be photographed}
{Meeting Wu}
- All clothes and accessories above displayed: Jason Wu -
What a fabulous event. Thank you very much to the ladies at The Bay for including me in such a gorgeous evening. His clothes are just a dream – and to think he’s from Vancouver! What a treat. Ooh, and look out for more event photos on B Insider!
{An invitation as fabulous as the clothes themselves}
{Wearing: H&M mens sweater (current), Merona shirt from Target (circa… 2006… here’s a newer, better one), Zara pleated leather skirt (similar here), Browns ID boots, scarf from a rack in Sears (again, circa the old-er days, 2007. Similar here – I want this one too!), vintage Raybans, Fossil watch}
I spent the day reliving Constance Prep from the early days of Gossip Girl. Anyone else miss Blair’s shiny red gloss, endless supply of headbands and her daily take on the Constance neck tie? I do. Besides the fashion, you know what else makes me miss the first seasons of GG? How bad the new ones are. It’s become a real soap. But I still watch, for Blair.
T-minus 1 hour and 57 minutes until Jason Wu makes his appearance at The Room at The Bay and I haven’t a clue what should be worn for such fashion royalty. There isn’t a designer I love more (even King Karl sits behind Wu in my line up). Remember the lace head pieces from his Fall 2011 presentation? Too good. Now I’m getting myself worked up. I am literally sitting at my desk half dressed (put those thoughts away!) because I can’t make a decision. Part of me wants to wear purple cords. Shut up, Olivia, bad idea, bad idea… but maybe if I paired them with sequins… and silver heels, Chanel heels! But is that weird if I wear Chanel to see Wu? If only I owned some Wu then all my problems would be solved! Perhaps I should nip out to Holts and get some Wu… and then not eat for a week month. No. Nuts. I’m nuts. … But if I didn’t eat for a month then I could actually fit into the Wu… How’d you like that? A few seconds inside my head, imagine what it’s like to live in here all the time.
I shall take a million and one photos tonight. Off to battle the closet. Au revoir!
Having done a number of small trips lately, I’m getting much better at packing light and packing only the essentials. In fact, on this last trip to Edmonton (five days!), I brought only one small-ish duffel bag. Even my boyfriend packed more than I did. (Granted, I did make him carry my hair dryer.)
{My favourite travel bag: a classic LeSportsSac duffel that has a bevy of pockets, is the perfect carry-on size and folds neatly for storage}
{Neutral pieces: Fossil rose gold chronograph watch (similar Fossil watch, similar Michael Kors watch), Joia leather & chain link bracelet, New Look (London) crystal bracelet (similar here)}
{Brightly colored electronics: Urbanears headphones (c/o), Apple iPod}
{For working while away: Apple iPad, case from a small shop in Paris, brand unknown (a semi-similar case here, and for the ultra luxe traveler and I’M DYING for this iPad case), Gallery Leather scheduler}
{Tried and true make-up: Chanel pink blush, Soulstice Spa Odessa nail colour (c/o), Anna Sui Lip Rouge #303, pearl earrings, H&M make-up bag – I love the shape of this little bag}
{A belt that can be worn cinched around the waist or through your pant loops: Zara leather studded belt}
{Cozy, versatile sweaters: Rag & Bone cashmere cardigan, Attitude by Jay Manuel Cream cable-knit (c/o Sears)}
{If you’re selling a product or a service, it’s always smart to travel with business cards and a product sample (if possible): LOVE + MARK’D stationery}
{Comfortable shoes – and you can see I’ve worn this pair a lot: Joe Fresh loafers (similar here)}
As for the clothes, I try to pack a lot of neutrals so that all pieces will work together like: skinny dark denim, black denim and light denim, white and grey cotton T’s for layering, a black silk blouse for night, a soft black V-neck sweater and a red pea coat. Red goes with everything.
OH! And FYI fabulous readers! Scent Society is giving away 30 dual Forbidden Euphoria roller balls from Calvin Klein daily! Click here to enter!
Good luck!
{With Lucy Wilson-Storey at Vancouver Fashion Week. Wearing: Vintage fur vest, 2 elles sweater (Paris), Forever 21 skirt, Zara boots & belt and Fossil watch. Over my vest I wore my black leather bomber jacket (last seen here), also from Zara. Lucy is wearing a vintage fur coat and made her yellow ostrich-embossed leather clutch. Holy DIY.}
{At the Joseph Ribkoff show, where Miss America walked}
{Miss America and Ribkoff regional rep Shawn Costello and Lyndi Barrett of Lj PR}
And then there was a little interview:
The music was a little loud, so I’ll let you know what I asked him. For starters, I’m quite certain I said something along the lines of: “So, have you been to Vancouver before?” to which Shawn replied, “Yes, actually I live here” and so I said, “oh… but with the brand?!” (Save. See, I thought he was in from Montreal.) We went on a bit about how Joseph Ribkoff is a Canadian brand that is manufactured in Canada (well done!), which led into me getting my Nancy Grace on and asking: “We have a Miss Canada, right?” Yes, we do,” “why don’t you sponsor Miss Canada too?” Well gosh Olivia, go and put your high heeled foot in your mouth. Why I would ask such a nice guy like Mr. Costello a question for head office I don’t know, but there you are. And of course, as eloquently as a Miss America pageant contestant Mr. Costello answered: “Well, if that opportunity comes up we would of course love to look into it!” I think we have a winner for Mr. Canada! ;)
After the show photographer Landgero emailed me with some shots he took of me, here is my favourite:
** My giveaway for the TWO TICKETS to Circle Craft’s Christmas Market is still going on! You have until Sunday night to enter! CLICK HERE to enter! **
{Wearing: Zara leather jacket and boots, 2 Elles sweater (from Paris, get similar here), wool trumpet skirt: made my me (which upon publishing I’ve just noticed the little rip in the stitching), orYANY bag (get similar here, or get it in orange here), vintage Raybans, H&M headband, Dior Rouge Pink #475, Dior tray from Dior Avenue Montaigne (Paris), Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria c/o}
Just before leaving this morning I spritzed on Calvin Klein’s new fragrance Forbidden Euphoria. The sweet notes to of the perfume make wearing it feel exotic and a little mysterious, which a girl needs now and again! Plus I love the colour of the bottle, a very pretty topper for the counter.
One of my tasks today is to upload all of my new Christmas card designs to my online store on Etsy, I hope you enjoy them! In the meantime, here are the current seasonal offerings from LOVE + MARK’D!
Zara trousers and Pierre Cardin clutch. (Really love them.)
{Wearing: Vintage Karen Kane blouse (previously owned by my Mum), Zara trousers, Manolo Blahnik flats, vintage Pierre Cardin clutch, Michael Kors and Fossil watches, iPad case from a tiny shop in Paris and sunglasses from who-knows-where, coral lipstick by Anna Sui}
Last night I accompanied Dress for Success board member and good friend Liz Sperandeo to Y.E.S! Vancouver‘s Room With a View event at The Room in The Bay. The event featured a fashion presentation of The Room’s hottest fall pieces, a ridiculously good raffle ticket prize offering and models we could not only relate to, but admire: women with a deep philanthropic mission walked the runway. I must say I clapped aggressively for Heather White when she took her turn to walk! Heather is fab-u-lous. (Pictured below walking the runway and with me shortly after the presentation.)
{Making my exit after the event wearing: Tevrow + Chase jacket, sweater from another tiny Parisian shop – brand unknown – Zara trousers, Ballin shoes and Pierre Cardin clutch}
On Monday my good friend Stephanie and I went for our annual Fall Frolic. For years now in October we’ve visited Stanley Park on a sunny day with hot seasonal coffees to enjoy the crisp fallen leaves and generally just have a good frolic around the park. I look forward to it every year!
{Cole Haan bag and pumpkin spice lattes from 7-11; I share this with you because we tried them on a whim, and were very pleasantly surprised! Delish, and only $1.98 (or so). Because of that great value we decided we should also get bags of 5 cent candies, bringing our expenditures to a more even $4.00. ;)}
{Wearing: H&M mens sweater, Prada dress, Zara belt, tights borrowed from Stephanie, Steve Madden boots, Armani sunnies}
Along the way through Stanley Park I carried around my recycled grocery bag collecting pretty undamaged leaves and chestnuts for drying. I much rather decorate with authentic Fall pieces than store decor and these findings will be perfect for a Fall-themed soiree I am hosting on Saturday!
{Marie’s new favourite toys are chestnuts. I lay them out in the sun on an old tea towel to dry and the next morning it was like an Easter egg hunt, but with chestnuts – Marie had batted them all around the apartment. Haha Marie, you funny little thing. Do you remember her Halloween sweater from last year?? Too good!}
{After making those yummy cupcakes last weekend for dessert at Thanksgiving dinner, I had quite a lot of cupcake mix and icing left. Tonight I whipped up the leftovers into mini cupcakes! And these little cupcake decorations are also in prep for Saturday!}
What are you doing to celebrate the Fall season?
Last Wednesday night The Bay hosted an intimate sit down with Jeanne Beker in the Platinum Suite at The Room before her public appearance. Being a little late I had to slip in as nonchalantly as possible, and try to contain my excitement at getting to have a real sit-down conversation with the woman I have admired and watched interview the fashion greats for the past ten years. Jeanne is just as fabulous and as personable as you would expect. We were given the opportunity to ask her whatever we liked. I really enjoyed that her answers were direct and thoughtful and she was refreshingly honest about the industry. One of my questions was: “how do you start getting dressed in the morning?” Jeanne said she starts with pretty intimates and some fab heels – always heels. (I was asking in reference to Jenna Lyons saying she dresses starting with shoes that her son picks out for her. Cute!) A little way along our 45 minutes with Jeanne, Lisa of Solo Lisa asked her what was in her bag – here it is!
That’s me asking what kind of lipstick she has, the answer: (at the 0:42 mark) No. 25, Vendome
{Wearing: Zara coat, Bedo blouse, BCBG Max Azria pants, necklace from Macy’s, Joe Fresh nail colour. We shall assume Jeanne was wearing pieces from her Edit collection!}
Read more about Jeanne’s visit to Vancouver and The Bay on B Insider, The Bay’s blog! Major (may-jor) thanks to the ladies in charge at The Bay who put this together!
{Wearing: Zara coat & shoes, H&M blouse, denim c/o Mavi, Marc by Marc Jacobs clutch, vintage Rayban sunnies}
The shoes!
Sometimes fab-tastic emails hit my inbox; one landed last week from Flare’s Assistant Digital Editor, Ryan Michael Chung. Flare Magazine was looking to do a feature on their site with Canadian bloggers wearing Canadian designers! So I eagerly packed up my Joe Fresh, my boyfriend (photographer and serious giver of support and good laughs! And dream boat. He knew yesterday was a big day and so came home with the enormous Harper’s Bazaar Greatest Hits coffee table book! Swoon.), and my camera and headed off for the Lions Gate Bridge – a quintessential Vancouver landmark for a seriously Canadian piece!
{Wearing: Joe Fresh blouse, trousers and nail colour, Zara belt, Ballin shoes, Michael Kors watch, the nameplate necklace was a gift from my Mum}
Big thank you to Flare Magazine and the digital team for asking me to be a part of this wonderful feature!
Yesterday was my official launch of LOVE + MARK’D stationery and in the spirit and excitement of launching a new business I’m offering 25% off my card sets until Saturday! Use coupon code: stylestruck at checkout for your discount! Major thanks to those of you who have placed orders already! Your support is fantastic and I love you. Really.
{A LOVE + MARK’D birthday card!}
Also, don’t forget about my Kensie sweater GIVEAWAY with Courtney Boutique! Tweet, tweet, tweet to enter!
Coming in at 100 characters, the tweet-to-win!: “I just entered to win the @CourtneyBoutiq x @StyleStruck Fall sweater giveaway! http://stylestruck.ca/?p=5457″
Sunday live blogging – just found my way through the Boze Family Corn Maze in Surrey. It was just as much fun as I thought it would be, and we definitely got lost! And I brought home a pumpkin, for decorating purposes.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad!
Monday photo additions:
{It was such a fun and festive way to lead up to Thanksgiving dinner! Highly recommended! Wearing: Mexx sweater (c/o Courtney Boutique in Kerrisdale), Zara blouse & belt, H&M denim & sunnies, boots from NYC circa 2008. Francesco Biasia bag.}
Below: I loved with my friend Lucy wore to the maze; the Zara sweater was gorgeous!
{Wearing: French Connection sweater (worn as dress), BCBG shirt (last seen here), H&M tights, Rockport boots, Zara belt and Gianni Chiarini bag. Stella & Dot rings}
En route to style the Mavi windows this morning I was left to my own devices to capture a photo of my outfit, so here I am, thanks to my point-and-shoot and its trusty timer. (The photographer had an early morning at work today.) Below is the first window, completed. The second is now done too - I tweeted a picture! My mannequins will be up for all of October, tweet me if you pass them! I’d love to know what you think!
