Thursday 30 December 2010

Zip-It? Sorry, not so cool...


Sometimes such high-profile luxury brands disappoint me.  This FENDI collection is absolutely dreadful!  I had to see the products in store to be sure of myself.  Even the images taken are just unbelievably distasteful - if you're going to compose a interactive media, at least assure the images are aligned.

*sigh* Having half of one zip could hardly live up to the title of the range - 'Zip-It'.

Tuesday 28 December 2010

Monday 27 December 2010

Merry Christmas!

Zesty homemade Christmas Forest forested cake!
Had a great time spending Christmas holiday with Kerr family in Cambridge!

Friday 24 December 2010

Thursday 23 December 2010

Movies are prescriptions for Flus

Beautiful women in this film! I just had to keep reminding myself the main character is NOT Dexter!

Monday 13 December 2010

Did someone press Refresh?

Kelly Hulderman

Gia Escalera

 Johnny Wang

American InterContinental University (AIU) London's Winter Fashion Show was shown at the Music Rooms on South Molton Street last Thursday.  I was greeted with warm hugs and kisses as I searched for reserved seats.  This show was sold-out and left additional sponsor reps lacking seats so of course I offered mine! I've never been so proud of my friends who stuck by through thick and thin and succeed to stand out of the crowd.

Pictures by LaceMagazine

Thursday 9 December 2010

Best Fashion Search/Comparison Site

Shopstyle is the one stop comparison site for fashion.  About time I could depend on a website besides Google and Amazon to search and compare my latest desirable style.  The problem I have with this tool is that often times the information is not updated.  For example, when you place your cursor on the item/image, it allows you to read a description, what sizes it comes in, and a 'BUY AT shop name' button.  Many times the item is either sold out in a particular site or no longer available.  In order to minimise the result pages, these featured products should be up to date. 

Otherwise, I love using Shopstyle.

Monday 6 December 2010

Porcelain jewellery over porcelin dolls?

 
All Things Original 
Hand-made and all original porcelain jewellery!
Imagine diamonds encrusted, I'd agree on a proposal for that!

Friday 3 December 2010

Final Decision on Bootie

Bertie - Nikita

So my final decision on the boots dilemma was this shearling lined over-the-knee boots!! My other options were either sold out of my size or actually rather unrealistic for this London 'Big Freeze'. I'm going to collect them in store and put them straight on!! Thank goodness I bought them online last night or else this would have been sold out too!!


Thursday 2 December 2010

Which winter shoe(s) to buy?

Tod's - Tacco 90 Boots 



Carvela - Savoy Black Boots High Heel



 KG by Kurt Geiger - Wentworth Black Ankle Boots 



Miss Sixty Dania Fleece Lined Long Heeled Boot

 


Can't decide which winter shoe to add to my 'cheer me up' list!!

Tuesday 30 November 2010

Follow your SWEET dreams


Met a lovely gal who has followed her passion for baking cupcakes and established a sweet company called MISS CUPCAKES.

Truly another brave person who chases a dream and makes it a reality.  That's what life is worth living for, isn't it?

Saturday 27 November 2010

Improvised Spaghetti dish


This dish came about randomly as I knew I wanted to discover other ways to utilise leeks other than in soups.

Ingredients:
Sausages of choice (preferably beef/pork)
Spaghetti
Leeks (cut into long thin slices-similar to width of spaghetti)
Pasta/tomato sauce

1) Boil spaghetti in water with salt
2) Remove meat from casing then mince in pan. Add leeks & sauce immediately to allow the flavours to blend. Ready when meat is well cooked.
3) Drain spaghetti & drizzle with olive oil.

Meal is ready in 3 simple steps.

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Friday 26 November 2010

BBB - Notting Hill


Starter: 5* /5
Pancetta wrapped Monk Fish on rosemary sticks with beetroot, tomato, capers & lemon


Main: 3* /5
Pan Seared Sea Bass and shaved fennel salad with macerated raisins, pine nuts,
orange segments and dill

Dessert: 1* /5
Chocolate Cake w/Lemon Ice Cream


Beach Blanket Babylon
The interiors of this restaurant/bar is absolutely charming and perfect for intimate and large dinners.  Many restaurants in London are not capable of comfortably accommodating large parties for events but BBB seems to satisfy that with its Georgian Mansion decorated space.  The bridges and steps do make it tricky for the heels.
The food was rather disappointing.  I had the Monk Fish as the starter which was just amazingly blended with flavours and textures.  The next fish - Sea Bass - was just lacking flavour.  It was as if none of the ingredients meant to compliment the fish had a purpose! What's the point in that? And, I shouldn't expect any bones, which I did get a prick. Finally, the chocolate cake dessert was so horrible I couldn't even be bothered to take a picture.  There is a huge difference between 'cake' and 'fudge'.  Obviously either we misread the menu or the kitchen can't tell the difference. 

Overall the atmosphere is amazing with great customer service.  There should be a taxi service during these bitter winter nights though, considering it's a walk to the main street.

Would I return for another sitting? Maybe at the Shoreitch branch just to give that a fair shot.

New Agent @ Agent Provocateur


Yours truly will officially be at Agent Provocateur's head office starting Monday!
Being able to write passionately & persuasively (*wink wink* cover letter) is part of the skills required for Marketing - online & e-commerce.

Look out for the new collection and holiday specials!

Thursday 25 November 2010

Just in time for the holidays...




La Perla Sample Sale
(lynku.com)
 
Starts: 01/12/10 - Ends: 02/12/10
Hornvale Ltd, 4th Floor, 22 Newman Street
London
W1T 1PH
020 7291 0930

LA PERLA CLEARANCE SAMPLE SALE

Up to 80% off retail lingerie, swimwear, sleepwear, outerwear, hoisery and fragrance. A wide range of sizes available


We accept all major credit cards and cash.

Starts: Wednesday 1st and Tuesday 2nd December 2010

Times: 10am to 6.30pm




***HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!***

Wednesday 24 November 2010

Kipling Caitlin Clutch

'Roomy and functional' was the main selling point for a brand I usually associate with 1990's pastel backpacks.  Kipling's display of their 'clutches' on Regent's Street grabbed my attention as I was heading to Momo's for drinks and desserts. 

The problem I have with this range is that the items are all made in China, therefore is cheap in price.  For such a well design and 'functional' bag, they could have invested some money into having it made in Europe - particularly Italy. 

The features I find really annoying about their website!
1) When you first go onto the webpage, the images that loop are looping way too fast for the customer to read.  Useless if you actually want customers to read what you're trying to advertise.
2) The images used to preview the range is too tiny. We don't all have time to sit there and click on each image.
3) Once you do decide a style of clutch/bag is interesting, the views are limited to two or even one image.  How are customers supposed to imagine how the bag could be held, opened, zipped, etc....?
4) The images that are supposed to correspond to the style of the bag is not consistent. Ex: Lottie and Lottie L has images of different bag sizes, the customer wouldn't even know which they are buying
5) Although there is a 'Quick Buy' option, there is no 'Quick Preview' instead.  The first step is allowing the customer to view products easily and quickly then they could check out.

Anyway, they are only just my comments.  Feel free to oject otherwise after taking a tour on the site.

Tuesday 23 November 2010

Certify your Office skills



I spent all evening searching for Microsoft Excel certification training courses.

Why? Because it's one of the only ways to prove your skills are of a certain standards and can be recognised globally.

Why is that important for fashion? Buyers, merchandisers, allocators, to name a few, all use Excel to organise data and analyse numbers. It's necessary to prove you have the capability to create and present charts and reports

I came to the conclusion that I didn't need all the MOS certifications but should really focus on Excel and Powerpoint.
Basically either you sign up for training courses, which I don't understand why there are only a few in London, or you can buy books.

My choices are: Excel 2007 Bible ; John Walkenbach's Favorite Excel 2007 Tips and Tricks

Once I have gone through them, preparation for the exams may be done on the Microsoft website. 

Exams to be passed:
77-602 certification for MCAS: Microsoft Office Excel 2007
77-603 certification for
MCAS: Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007

Monday 22 November 2010

Invitation to: An Intimate Geography


"Lahd Gallery London is proud to premiere AbdulAziz Al Qahtani: An Intimate Geography, a solo exhibition by celebrated Saudi photographer artist Abdulaziz Al Qahtani.

In a never-revealed-before exposé of social taboos, Al Qahtani will show a series of taboo inspired photographs for the very first time in London and the exhibition promises to be an exciting exploration of taboos in contemporary Middle Eastern society.

Employing a broad spe
ctrum of captivating visuals, Al Qahtani illustrates the relationship and interaction between Middle Eastern women and Western societies. The categorisationof taboos will be challenged and any such boundaries broken down. We all know that taboos are society’s way of labeling and informing, and how often they are used to conceal an underlying truth. Even when contemporary standards of social decorum are brought into question, any such categorisationis futile as societies are not static, but rather fluid across time and space.

The exhibition provides the opportunity for thorough self-examination and critique. It traces one artist’s fascination with social taboos and provokes questions about the complexities of contemporary Middle Eastern society. Seen together, the controversial photographs comprise a kind of societal portrait, but only from a different perspective.

AbdulAziz Al Qahtani: An Intimate Geography shows why taboos may in fact be the only way for us to learn and rediscover our true human nature."


-Lahd Gallery  

RSVP @ http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=159922257383327

Time
      02 December at 19:30 - Wednesday, 19 January 2011 at 10:00

        Location      Lahd Gallery London, 92 Heath street NW3 1DP

 

Alexander McQueen AW10 Tortoiseshell Knuckle Box Clutch


Mmm, put that on my Christmas wishlist.

Sunday 21 November 2010

Usually I'd leave it to the Americans to get away...


Anything For Her : French film lacking a better title and ending. However, it kept my attention the whole way through.

Saturday 20 November 2010

Gossip Girl Blair quotes:

'As long as I'm with you (Chuck), I'm Hillary in the White House. And I want to be Hillary, Secretary of State. Except with better hair.'

Friday 19 November 2010

A gift to read


Probably the type of book you'd skip a night out for....

Thursday 18 November 2010

Even the service was 'eclectic'


 Crispy glazed Marmalade Belly pork with Stilton pear




Rendez-vous of lobster, scallop, squid & mackerel with a saffrom risotto cream



Wednesday 17 November 2010

Skull obsession continues

 
The thing about skulls is that we as humans will never get over it.  It's part of a human obsession even if it means we carry an imitation of it on our necks, fingers or bags.  
This is my newest piece from Peter Lang to add to my collection.
Peter Lang designs and makes his coveted pieces in Australia.
Follow him @ Twitter.

Tuesday 16 November 2010

À la folie... pas du tout

My continuous effort to learn French ... this was intense though.  
You can always depend on the French to do the attention grabbing in film and the crazy in love!

Sunday 14 November 2010

Mark Liu's Unicorn Collection SS10


Mark Liu's philosophy has a strong emphasis on minimising waste throughout the design and production process.  
He continues to successfully release aesthetically pleasing dresses while limiting scrap disposal.

Saturday 13 November 2010

Updated Office Dress - Burton for Alexander McQueen Resort 2011

All the pieces are great, but I would narrow it down to this piece that would suit the average woman.  Covers just enough skin and over-the-knee length while maintaining femininity.

Friday 12 November 2010

Stirred up by hunger!

Homemade Stir-Fry Noodles w/Chicken
  • Bell peppers (I like using all 3 coloured peppers to create a visual mix)
  • + Mushrooms
  • Chicken
  • Noodles

    -sliced ingredients into strips to compliment noodles
    -cook ingredients seperately then combine at end

Thursday 11 November 2010

Every City girl's essential shoe - Butterfly Twist

Recently I've discovered the perfect flats that fits into my going out clutch bag!  These 'Clever Litte Soles' are comfortable and fabulous! You can order these discreet but essential shoes online at Butterfly Twist for only £14.99!  The website presents a comfy sensation that is simple and direct, just like the concept of the shoes. However, the butterfly cursor is very annoying...

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Alamada keeps his center stage

Carlos Alamada continues to maintain his stylish, exclusive, and cozy restaurant/bar ALMADA on Berkeley Street popular after a year of success. With an invitation-only guest door policy, Carlos has been able to hand-pick the 'Friends & Family' members in London and internationally. Fantastic food, familiar faces and great fun!

Of course, I would choose to celebrate my birthday at Almada this year.

However, if you're not a friend or lacking a friend of a friend to put you on the guestlist, there is always the famous New York style American brasserie AUTOMAT on Dover Street. Ideal for a Sunday gathering or a intimate family sitting over breakfast/brunch.

Tuesday 9 November 2010

Naiomie Santos represents Guam @ Miss Earth 2010 in Vietnam



An ambitious young lady, Naiomie, has been recently crowned Miss Guam Earth 2010.  She now represents Guam (my home island) in Vietnam for the running of Miss Earth 2010.

Although Guam is a tiny island, Guamanians have a big heart and large ambitions. We are EVERYWHERE for small population and we go for what we want.

Find out more about Naiomie and support her confident journey.

Sunday 7 November 2010

David Otokpa Photography

Talented and expressive London-based American photographer: contact him for fashion and commercial projects.
Follow his blog / twitter