Just taking a small break to recharge my batteries. The last few weeks of November are always hard, with midterms and finals for school. Plus this Saturday will be the 5th anniversary of my dad's death, so I'm going home to visit his grave. Will hopefully be recharged and ready to blog next week.

xxx
Alysia

Elixir by Penhaligons

it's here it's here it's finally here! What you might be asking? why Elixir from Penhaligons of course! The newest fragrance from my favourite nose, Olivia Giacobetti. I smell this at Noor a moth or so ago (when I got my Dzing! bottle) unfortunately they don't have it in yet (in a few weeks they told me) so I'll hold off on buying it until I can get it from them. But it's so lovely. Ahh! I can't wait!

The Notes:
eucalyptus steam, cinnamon, cardamom, white cedar, red Turkish rose, orange blossom, Egyptian jasmine, mace, rosewood, benzoin, tonka bean, vanilla, red sandalwood, guaiac, incense.

The Luckyscent Description:
With Elixir, Penhaligon’s look back to its illustrious past and namely to its first fragrance, a daring and exotic Hammam Bouquet. The echo of the striking and provocative classic can be heard in Elixir. Opulent, complex and mysterious, the new Penhaligon’s creation, created by renowned nose Olivia Giacobetti, is one of the most gorgeous oriental perfumes we have encountered in a long time. The fragrance opens with a veritable firework of spices: cardamom, cinnamon and mace excite the senses while eucalyptus cools them down. In the heart of the scent, the body and soul of a wearer are pampered by the darkly luxurious Turkish rose and jasmine, sweetened by orange blossom. Heat intensifies and the smoke rises as the notes of incense and woods become apparent, enriched by resins and spices. A touch of vanilla and tonka bean softens and rounds the composition, finishing it on an ornate and sensual note. Elixir blends tradition and modernity, East and West, masculine and feminine into a wonderfully unique harmony.

Wrock?!

And here I thought I was out of the Harry Potter Fandom more or less for good. Why is it that it keeps sucking me back? With Wizard Rock for the love of all that is holy! (For those who don't know, Wizard Rock is music based on the Harry Potter books. With bands like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, The Parslemouths, The Ministry of Magic and so on) I guess I just have to resign myself to the fact that the Harry Potter books may be done, but my love of the books may never die. I the meantime here are some of the song I love, 99 Deatheaters and Snape Vs. Snape.

Hoodies

something about the weather, when it drops below 5 degrees I grab my hoodies and pretty much live in them, fashion be damned. As I have somehow misplaced my old favourite grey one, I'm looking into replacing it. I got a pink one from joe fresh the other day, but this Roots one has also caught my eye. I love the longer style, and it may just find its way into my closet if it stays this cold.

Well Rounded

I had a very educational weekend. I finished Pride and Prejudice for the billionth time, finished the Count of Monte Cristo. I went to the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum for those who don't know) to see the Marie Antoinette dress on display and became a member. I also updated my Librarything acount (the literature one, not the history one. I'm so far behind on the history account I'm scared to try and catalog it all) I love it spending time doing 'intellectual' things. My time at work really gets me down so doing things purely to further my personal education always makes me happy.

xxx
Alysia

U Make It

Just wanted to pimp out a friends website, Umake.it It's a great website devoted to instructional videos on how to make everything from your own lip balm, to how to de-bone a chicken. I'm completely addicted to it, and I'm so proud of Meghan for making this happen!
xxx
Alysia

Lusting After...

These two dresses by Oscar De La Renta. Too bad at around $5000 each they're both totally out of my price range. A girl can dream though, no?

Images from net-a-porter

A Change Has Come

I feel so happy to have been a part of history, even if it's not the history of my country. Congratulations USA on choosing (hopefully) the right candidate.

Barney?

I just realised my pea coat is kinda the colour of Barney the dinosaur.
FUN.
Doesn't make me love it any less though.

xxx
Alysia

Perfume and Cashmere

Last Friday I finally tracked down a shop in Toronto that sells L'Artisan perfumes and purchased my much coveted bottle of Dzing! The shop, Noor Boutique is very lovely, the girl who helped me was very helpful, even supplying me with multiple samples of what she thought I might like based on what I already did like. I'm currently in LOVE with L'artisan's Mechant Loup (the Big Bad Wolf) which is going to be my next perfume splurge.
I also picked up a lovely dark grey (shocking) cashmere cardigan (even more shocking I know, my wardrobe is just full of surprises) and guess what? its v-neck! Why I'm such a rebel. But it is long and it was only $89 and it wasn't from Jcrew, it's from Zara. It's my new fav as I've worn it every day.

xxx
Alysia

Belated Birthday

So even though my birthday was back in September I was in such a funk I didn't really get myself anything, except my glasses. With the ecconomy in the state it is I really want to even more buy peices that will stand the test of time. I'd like to expand my jewelry collection a bit. I love love love rings. I wear two everyday (One is the one my mum was given as her 10Th birthday present by her parents, it's yellow gold with a pearl and the other is the Cameo I got last Christmas from my mum) they're great, very elegant for day to day but I'd like something with some oomph. Seeing as my men prospects are non-existent and regardless I don't want to rely on a man for things, I want to get this for myself. Something that I would normally never get, a total splurge. The first round of nominee's are all from Tiffany & Co.



First up is this lovely cushion cut Amethyst ring. On the side of the ring it's stamped/engraved with Tiffany & Co. It's $1350 and the only I haven't seen in person yet. It's kind of like one that I saw at another store (sadly this one though much better priced was in rose gold, pushing it out of the running) This is the downside to this ring. I know if I searched for it long enough, I could find a similar ring for much cheaper. Which is probably what I'll do.



Next up is from the Paloma Picasso's Sugar Stacks ring collection. These rings are meant to be worn together, or individually. At $1100 this is the least expensive of the three Tiffany rings I'm looking at. I also love the shape of the stone. It's so different than most contemporary cuts, it's almost like it's more authentic, but in a candy way. I really really like this ring, and I may get it anyways even if I do pick something else as my birthday present as say maybe a Valentine's day gift.



Last up is also from the Paloma Picasso's Sugar Stacks collection, but this one is a Rubellite stone instead. At $1700 this is the most expensive one of the lot, and also the one I'm leaning towards. My research into rubellites tells me that they're a type of Tourmaline, the only tourmaline's to get their own name (others are referred to by their colour) I think this would be a fabulous addition to my slowly growing collection, and I love that it's pink. Fuchsia even. You don't see many fuchsia rings out there and it's individuality are what draws me to it. It's more than what I wanted to spend, it's even the same price as the Chanel bag I originally wanted. But on the other hand, a ring will last much much longer than a purse. I'm still on the fence, and I'm not going to rush to purchase any of them. But hopefully with some mediation I will come to the decision and be happy with it.

HSM3 Part 2

This played before the Bolt Preview. Best sumarization of HSM ever :D It was great though I was a little drunk for it (What, it was a 9.50 showing... We had to kill time somehow) God, what good clean fun! Go see it if you can.

HSM3

Happy HSM3 day y'all! (High School Musical 3) While I'm not going tonight, I am tomorrow. Whee! Secretly I think I'm a 12 year old girl inside.

Brody and LC

Probably one of the best commercials this year.

And my winter coat couldn't have come at a better time, it snowed yesterday. Woo!

Winter Coat!

My Coat came today! And it's Lovely! First off the wool is soft, comparable to my old Calvin Klein one which has been my best coat ever. Second this coat is HEAVY. Definitely going to be warmer than my old coat, I'm actually glad I didn't get the thinsulate because it makes this coat a better late fall, early spring coat too. The Colour is dead on and I love that the sleeves are lined in green, which the body is in grey. The collar is well stitched so it's stands up well. The pockets are a good size, even if the placement is a little off. I truly truly love this coat. I can't wait for it to get cold now!

xxx
Alysia

Franc-O-Phile

So we all know I'm a total Franc-o-phile (and Anglo-phile while we're at it). I'm obsessed with their culture, and language. I've always wished I payed more attention in French classes when I was in school, so I've decided to take on teaching myself with books as much as possible. Hopefully I don't fail too much.
xxx
Alysia

Genius!

I may be a little late to the game, but seriously? I love the new Genius feature for Itunes. It makes me listen to songs I never got around to listening to. Now I just need a purple ipod to go with it, or maybe a pink one <3

Winter Coat Solution

Well, it's not as fancy as the other two, but it's cute, bright and cheerful. And I can always get a longer dressier coat later on in the season, plus this was 20% off. What do you all think? What colour scarf/gloves should I wear with this coat?
xxx
Alysia

Thanksgiving!

Going home for Thanksgiving! (Canadian Y'all) See you all Tuesday or Wednesday! I love extra extra long weekends (OMG more than one day off at a time? what is the world coming to???)

xxx
Alysia

Winter Coat Conundrum

So unfortunately my favourite Calvin Klein pea coat that I've had for three years (I got it for $150 at winners) is done. The lining is shredded and it's not worth it to get it relined. Lets have a moment and sigh over my favourite coat.

Ok onto getting a new winter coat! As to the fact that is was 3 degrees Celsius this morning I think I need to step on it. Originally I was going to get the above coat. Had it ordered and everything, but then JCrew ran out and my order got cancelled. Tragic. Now I'm looking atthis one from Anthropologie (the Souris River Overcoat for those who aren't Canadian) But is it a little much? Clearly I'm madly in love with it. It's stunning. But is it too much? Should I go more plain? Or should I splurge on it and maybe pick up a cheaper plain pea coat for those days when I need to go incognito. Decisions Decisions...

When MSN is doling out Fashing Advice... RUN

This article makes me giggle. A lot. Clearly MSN.com is not where I should be getting my fashion advice from yes, but the fact that the author is so adamant about what fads need to go. Tres amusant. From Venetian Blind Sunglasses (did anyone other than Kayne West wear these? how are these a fad?) to Rubber Boots (I love my Wellies, they're so classic and fun, but only when it's raining) to him ranting about Nerd Chic. Ahem. Did you see the author picture at the top of the page? He should be celebrating that Nerd chic is in. Or maybe it's because it makes him look less original. Oh wait no ones going to mistake Sam Stilton for an original. He's a total Marc from Ugly Betty rip off. Clearly people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.


xxx

Changes

fiddling with the layout and colours of the blog, bear with me for a bit.

xoxo
Alysia

Thanks!

Just wanted to say thanks to the lovely girl who stopped me last night getting off the subway and complimented my glasses, jacket and purse. You totally made my night, and I hope you have as much luck finding glasses as I do :)

Turkish Delight

One of my regrets from my trip is only buying one box of Marks and Spencer's Turkish Delight. Clearly Edmund was onto something when he gave up his family for these lovely treats. Well maybe they're not betray your family good but still. They're yummy. Thankfully I've discovered the site Britgrocer.com which helps us poor Canadians (who are still part of the Commonwealth and clearly we should get everything the Brits do in the UK) ships such lovelies for my delight. Yum. Maybe I'll get a couple of packets of prawn crisps while I'm at it.

Edit: On closer inspection, it's a wholesale website. Woe, anyone in the UK want to help an anglophile out?

the blahs

Life has been MEH lately. My days are too long and I'm pushing myself to hard and I have no energy. Most days start at 4am with me getting up for work, working until 2pm and then classes from 3pm until 8pm. I then come home and crash in front of the TV for an hour and then its bedtime. That kind of pace is soul crushing, and that's what it will be like until I graduate in May.

Not to mention I haven't been inspired much by shopping lately. Other than my urge to procure a black bag and boots this fall (failing to do so) and the need for a new winter coat my shopping is non-existent. Literally September bank statement reads almost entirely of food (lots of stops to Lettuce for frozen yogurt and the bakery down the street for baguettes) and it shows. I've gained weight, not in the OMG ballooning way but a bit. My cardigans now tug when done up. It's disheartening and I know it's because I'm entirely inactive most days and I eat out way too much. But with above schedule how am I to fix this?

This is a low point in my life, I haven't felt this depressed since high school when my dad was sick and dying. I'm scared about whats going to happen next year in the real world once I leave the school bubble. I have no plans, no aspirations. I have literally no idea what I want to do with my life.

It's not all bad, one of my high school friends recently moved to the city and we've been hanging out more which is nice. I've missed having close friends since I moved here. All my relationships have been very superficial so far, so it's nice to get that closeness back.

I'm going to strive for some balance in my life. I think a 50/40/10 is not good enough if I don't want to burn out (50 School, 40 Work, 10 Me time) I'm going to aim for 40/40/20 for now possibly 40/30/30 in the future. I don't want to cut back too much on school work, but I am going to organise my time better and not worry about it on my days off unless totally necessary. Hopefully I can re-find myself in the process, because I miss me.

The Onivores Hundred

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

pretty much I'd be willing to try anything except roadkill or horse. 48/100 isn't half bad. How did everyone else score?

New Nail Colour

Just picked up from the new OPI collections (the French collection) Baguette me not. It's a perfect summer to fall colour. Not quite as rich as my all time favorite Grand Canyon Sunset, but still a great colour. Defiantly going into the rotation.

The Lending Conundrum

How do you deal with lending? My sisters been staying at my mums for a bit while her and her hubby wait for their new house to be built (He's been staying at my place in the city). While it hasn't been bad I've been getting a little irritated by the fact that she waltzes into my closet and borrows whatever she wants. From my new BCBG skirt, to my Michael Kors Blouse to my cloth Coach shoes which I just picked up off the floor and are all scuff marked. She's now asking me to borrow $500 so she can buy her desk for her new house. She's been really good at paying people back lately so that’s not the issue. The issue is I want to get my new sunglasses so I told her I'd see about lending her the money. There is a sale on right now at lenscrafters and if I can get them cheaper than I normally would with my 30% CAA discount I'm obviously going to get them, right? Seems sensible, as her sale lasts until next week anyways and mine ends this weekend.
Wrong.
She's 27 and she threw a hissy fit last night because I said maybe. Now I don't want to lend her money period. I'm doing her a favour, giving up some of my sparse income to help her out and she's freaking out? She's 27 and I'm 22. This seems a little odd to me. Sorry for ranting but I'm trying not to freak out at her right now.
xxx

Do you ever...

feel guilty about how much you spend on clothing/purses/ect? I know I do sometimes. Not in the OMG I just spent how much?!! way in the awkward when someone asks you where you got something or how much something was. Because I work part time at Starbucks I work with a huge range of people, and I know not everyone can afford to shop like me. I'm blessed, my mum had a great job and I work my ass off to pay for the things I want. But somehow even though I pay for all my extravagances myself I still feel guilty when talking to people who wouldn't dream of spending that much. Does anyone else feel this way?

Fall TV Shedual

uh-oh I've totally double booked some shows this year... oh well I'll manage

Mondays:
Gossip Girl
Greek
Chuck
The Hills
Tuesdays:
Beverly Hills 90210
House
Privileged
Wednesday:
Private Practice
Dirty Sexy Money
Thursday:
Grey's Anatomy
Ugly Betty
Smallville
Supernatural
Sunday:
Desperate Housewives

um... I may watch a little too much tv, and the sad thing is that's not all the shows I watch. Now that it's all listed out I just seem like a junkie right now.
Gossip Girl premiers tonight! Hope everyone is having a great long weekend, real post on Wednesday.

Chanel? No!

So no luck on the Chanel front. I drive an hour to get to the store only to a) have forgotten my prescription which is fine because the guy takes one look at my lenses and is all like 'nope, your eyesight is too poor you can't get these frames.' Enter super bitchy Alysia who really really wants her new sunglasses but can't have them. (Apparently my prescription flattens the lens out too much) Oh well I go back home and grab my prescription to get my new Versace glasses, and while I'm there I spot some nice Burberry ones as well. Heart! and they fit my prescription! Therefore when my benefits go into effect in October I'm grabbing my mums CAA card (you get a discount) and splurging on these baby's. The Versace's are totally my sexy librarian glasses. Now I have a sporty pair(my rimless adidas pair), a intellectual pair(my black ones) an artistic pair(my purple furla ones) and my sexy librarians. Last year I got three pair of glasses, as long as I'm under that right? I mean I wear them everyday.

Chanel-o

Instead of dropping way to much money on a Chanel purse, I'm going to take advantage of Lenscrafters unbeatable event and get a pair of Chanel sunglasses instead (they pay for your lenses with the purchase of a frame) as I've wanted a new pair of sunglasses since last summer, I figure now is the time to buy. Will report back on weather or not I find the perfect pair.

Spotting Envy

I love this piece. I've loved it since I spotted it in the J-Crew catalog 3 days ago. Except its $260, it's not warm, and it has bracelet length sleeves. My practical side (which also recently talked me out of getting a cocktail dress with feathers around the bottom) notices that this isn't entirely the best mix for Canadian weather. My side that thinks she's BFFS with Tinsley Mortimer goes gimegimegime. For now practical side has beaten faux-socialite side into submission. For now.

London Day One

In Fortnum and Mason looking at tea.

In a bookstore that's been around since the 1800's, down the street from Fortnum and Mason.

The window display at Fortnum and Mason
We got in at 10am and took the train into Saint Pancreas stations where we grabbed a cab to our Hotel (Tavistock Hotel on Tavistock square) and thankfully where able to check in. We chilled for a bit before I dragged my very grumpy very groggy mother on a trek to find Oxford Circus (supposedly 10 minutes away... it takes us 45 minutes because we get lost) and wander down regent street. We don't do much shopping but we do stop at Fortnum and Mason for tea before heading back to the hotel to grab some very icky food in the bar there before passing out at 8pm.

New Goals

My new goal in shopping is to try and think like a curator, buying slowly and only one piece at a time. That piece has to be fabulous, and well chosen. It's hard when being constantly bombarded by ads and my urge for 'new' items, but I'm slowly working towards it. In then end I want a totally unique totally me wardrobe.
xxx

Congrats!

A big old congratulations to Fifi Lapin for her mention in Australian Vogue and Vogue Girl Korea! What a fantastic thing to have happen. To those unfamiliar with the website, Fifi Lapin is a rabbit who dresses up. You get to see all of her lovely outfits (and buy prints in the etsy shop) Go check her out today!

Conundrum

How do you survive and have a life outside of work, when you have to get up at 4.30 am every morning? How do you keep from being exhausted all the time?
Related but separate how do you get rid of really bad bags under your eyes?

This whole working all summer is killing my complexion and social life.

Ask Mrs. Exeter

One of the advantages of being over 30 is that ideally one has gotten through her must-have trendy shopping phase, where little can be worn the next season without looking dated, and now you are building a wardrobe, investing in quality basics, good accessories, and great jewlery.

Vogue September 2008, p. 582

Rumour Has It

So after three years with the same crappy phone I finally was out of my contract and could get a 'cool' phone. I went with the LG rumour and with it's slick little keyboard I've been texting like a fiend (fact: in the first week I had it I sent over 200 texts) Now I could have gone with the iPhone or a Blackberry but I really didn't need the special features. And now I'm only locked in for a year I can just change it later if it doesn't work out.

xxx
Alysia

Beauty Tricks

one of my fav new things to do makeup wise this summer is to use all those MAC eyeshadows I bought in one of my MAC obsessed hazes as eyeliners. I take my 168 Angled eyeliner brush and voila! Smooth, thin line (I have issues with pencils making me look like I have raccoon eyes) and it stays all day. It also doesn't pull on my eyelid as much as using a pencil does which is great. And I have so many colours I'll never need to buy eyeliner again! Anyone have any little tips and tricks they can't live without?
xxx

To take the plunge? or not?

I've loved the Chanel bags for a few years now and I'm debating on taking the plunge this fall and splurging on one. I'm petrified of the prices (omg $2000+ on a PURSE?!) and yet this may be my last big splurge on a purse for a few years (graduating and all therefore less disposable income) Should I do it? And how much do they really cost? Because finding the Canadian cost is a biatch. Can I justify it? Really? I've never spent this much money on one thing ever. I'm a little scared. Any opinions? Oh yeah and I'm back for the school year at least.
xxx

Jetting off...

Heading over the pond tomorrow for my lovely vacation in London and Paris. Will post pics and reviews and tips for those who are interested in going when I get back. Until then have fun shopping!

Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth for a bit there. Between exams, and moving home for the summer I have been very lapse in my duties to this blog. However this lapse is most likely to continue. I only have dial up and every time I go to post I have issues getting it to actually go through. There may be a smattering of posts this summer, but I doubt there will be too many. Attempting to post pictures is completely beyond means, much to my chagrin. I will try and update after I get back from Paris and London in July. Until I'm back in the city with proper Internet, Adieu for now.

Hello Again

Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth there for a bit. Between Exams and packing up my apartment for the summer I had no time to blog last week. So to get back to the dating site, defiantly not my thing. The date was so-so (although the movie we saw was great - Forgetting Sarah Marshall) the conversation was stifled(The guy actually called me 'really quiet' which to anyone who knows me is not true. This is how bad the talking portion of the date was.)
Mothers day was great, I got my mum a coach swing pack to use on our trip this summer. I am so glad to be out of the city for the summer. Hope everyone had a fun Mother's day weekend :)

Dating

Well I finally gave in and joined Lavalife, much to my chagrin. And for the first time in about 3 years I actually have a date! I feel kind of silly on the site, but honestly I'm ready to start dating and I just didn't know where to start. So now I have to figure out what to wear. Very exciting, anyone have good first date tips? I think the last one I was on was... never. All the guys I've dated in the past have been friends.

Foodie

I'll admit it. I'll try anything once in the kitchen. Like today, I made my own butter. For no good reason other than it looked easy (it was) and why not? When I tell people what I do in the kitchen (make my own yogurt, bake my own bread) most people give me the WTF look and slowly edge away. Why is it that people are so removed from their food? My sister asked my why I would make butter when I could just buy it. But butter you buy from the store is pumped full of growth hormones and other additives. Butter I make for myself is basically just whipping cream shaken until it separates into butter. I like knowing where everything I eat comes from and I try to buy local as much as possible. There is nothing more satisfying than buying your produce from the farmer down the road because you know 100% of that sale goes to the farmer. Is anyone else out there a foodie? Or am I alone in this wish for a simpler kitchen life, when nothing was packaged up.

Pretty

I love the simplistic beauty of this ring from Adina Reyter, found on ShopBop. Its very dainty and subtle, perfect for day to day.

Faux Real

Yesterday I was a little impulsive. I went into Holts to smell Chanel #19 and Coco, and saw this. The Marc by Marc Faux Real tote. Its massive, light weight and adorable. And the price? at $118 on shopbop, defiantly a good deal for a Marc by Marc (all the other ones I looked at where around the $500+ range) I can't wait to travel with it.

Survial

Well I survived the TTC strike no worse for wear. A little cranky on Saturday morning when I realised at 7am that there was no TTC and I had to be at work for 8:30. Thankfully my boss is awesome and comped us all of our cab fares otherwise I wouldn't have made it in. I feel horrible for all the poor people getting kicked off of transit at midnight on Friday night, and I feel bad for the front line workers who had no choice in the matter. I worry people will harass them and really it's not their choice. Hopefully it gets deemed an essential service so we won't have to deal with strikes anymore.
In other news I'm going to attempt to make bread tonight/tomorrow. Hopefully it turns out.

Cupcakes

The newest addition to my collection, J-Crew's Cupcake Cardigan. Not only is the name adorable, but the description is too!
A classic schoolgirl cardigan sweetened up with delicate cotton-lawn 'icing'
And to make everyone happy free shipping until 5/10 with the code IAP-179 (Make sure to include the dash)
Ahhh another grey cashmere sweater. Obsession? What obsession?

Classic

I always liked the idea of scarves, very chic very french. However I never seem to be able to get them to look right with my outfits. Maybe when I'm in Paris this summer I'll learn how. Until then I'll just keep collecting them. Any tips on how to make square scarves not look silly?

Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez on GMA

If you haven't at least looked at the book I highly recommend you do. Its interesting to read about the different fragrances and their perceptions.

Bring on the Drama

Gossip Girl is back! And oh how great it is. Last nights episode was fantastic! Full of Drama with a capitol D (or B if you want) Poor Blair, to get shown up by Jenny. And was that Yogurt trick really necessary? Seriously? And taking little J back after STEALING. My god. In my books she would have been permanently blacklisted. Can't wait for next weeks episode, Georgiana appears.

A little bit OCD

I've started keeping an excel spreadsheet with all the perfume samples I have to help me keep track of what I like. Organised by Brand, then name I give each one a rating out of 5 whether I would wear it again, where to get it, if I would purchase it and any notes I have on the perfume. Does anyone else do things like this? Or am I the only one?

A Lack of Segue

So its summer outside now. Or at least it has been for the past week. We go from negative weather to 25 and sunny. One is never quite sure what to wear. What happened to spring? to cute coats? I don't even have any summer clothing here! So much for slowly getting used to not freezing every time I step outside. But who's complaining after the winter we just had? I'll just wear skirts everyday.

Everyone's A Critic

Just finished reading the NYT article on perfume criticisms and the web and the effect its having on the perfume industry. They mention the authors of the new Perfume: A Guide book, Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. While some companies are of the mind 'Writing about perfumes is like dancing about architecture' most are slowly getting used to the idea that blogs and bloggers are going to keep writing about their products.
Article can be found here

Can't live without it

Meet Bob. Bob is a 5 in 1 clock that works as an alarm clock, a timer, tells you what day it is and what the temperature is. The screen also changes colour. My mum brought this back for me from her trip to NYC and at first I was a little meh towards it. Now I can't live without it. Its my alarm clock, it lets me know when I need to crack a window in my apartment and tells me the date. Its also great for travel. Bob is definitely the little man in my life.
Get your Bob at Brookstone

Am going home for a super long weekend tomorrow, so I'll be back on Monday with posts.

TMI

I've been thinking a lot about manners lately. Working where I do provides you with a really good look at peoples nastier sides, even the employee's. But regardless there are just somethings that are just plain too rude to ask about, or so I thought. A Co-worker asked me what my GPA is and I was slightly stunned. Talking about grades seems so wrong unless your really close to the person and even then I'd still hesitate to ask how someone did. It's not like this person has any classes with me (we go to different universities) so there's not really much reason for her to be asking me about my grades. Am I being overly sensitive? To me it's like asking someone how much they make, just bad taste.

Paris Je T'taime

So behind my back my mum has been busy at work booking our trip to London. Only she surprised me because not only are we going to London... we're going to Paris! We have 3.5 days in London and 2.5 days in Paris and I don't know how I'm going to fit everything in! I have to go to Hampton Court, The Tower of London, the Globe Theatre to see a play, Fortnam and Mason for high tea and go shopping. Then in Paris I have to go the Louvre, Versailles, Mariage Freres to buy tea and shopping. I think I might need a vacation from my vacation but who cares!

Anyone been to Paris? Anything I MUST check out? Really good shopping areas? I guess this means the clothing diet is back on.

Blood Red Snow White

Very rarely do books excite me nowadays. I still enjoy reading, but there are so many sub-par works out there and wading through them sometimes gets me down. I've found a real gem though, Blood Red Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick. Don't be fooled by it being in the teen section, this book is fantastic. It was recommended by my fellow literary junkie Suzie and it's about the Russian Revolution. But it's told in the way that a fairy tale is told, full of fantastic terrors and a character who weaves through the stories. Read this book and tell me what you think, I promise you it's fantastic.

Free Shipping at J - Crew

on orders of $175 or more type POSY into the coupon slot

Grey's Anatomy Returns!

I love Grey's, it's one of my favourite shows. I can't wait for it to come back on. I love the whole Christina 'Dance it Out' bit, and in the same scene 'dancing makes you brave' because it's so true. Anyone else dance around like crazy? Also the song is pocket full of sunshine which is lovely.

Free Shipping at J - Crew

Two more codes for free shipping at J. Crew
AA-179 expires on April 12Th for orders over $100
SHIPSALE expires on April 13Th for orders over $150
Plus take an extra 20% off all final sale items

Wellies!

As it's pouring rain out today I thought I'd post about wellies. Wellies are everywhere lately and they come in such cute bright colours. These ones from J. Crew are on sale for $39.99 If you hate your feet getting wet when it rains, I highly recommend getting a pair. Just make sure they're bright! I have ones that are a great lime green colour and I never fail to get compliments whenever I wear them.

Miley Cyrus

I read on another blog today that Miley Cyrus's performance on Idol Gives back was shocking and lewd. I went onto good old you tube to check out the clip and really? this is shocking? I find that the media sensationalizes these poor young Disney stars so that when they do something even remotely slightly risque people immediately start calling them whores/sluts/etc. These girls are 15-17, they're just doing what normal young girls do, which is try to act older and making mistakes. The media needs to step back and realise that these girls underneath the fame are just normal teenage girls. Perezhilton.com called Miley a slut for wearing a completely innocent outfit, a mid thigh dress with flat knee high boots. He likened the boots to Pretty Woman boots. It's this kind of attitude that destroys these young girls careers. They should be allowed to grow up and make mistakes and not have it broad casted to the rest of the world.

perezehilton.com post here.

Free Shipping at J - Crew

Enter coupon code 01fs04 at checkout to get free shipping until the 10Th

Rootote

How much would you love carrying this little tote around to get your groceries? from Rootote, a Japanese company it's the answer to ugly reusable shopping bags. They come in a ton of designs, and range from $15-$30 on yesstyle.com Being green can be cute.

Now in Canada

BergdorfGooman.com is now shipping to Canada. A little behind the 8 ball are we? At least they finally got around to it.

Little Pink Raincoat

My favourite types of fashion books are not the what-not-to-wear type books that tell you that you need the ten classics (which never change from book to book) it's the quirky essay style books like Alligators, Old Mink and New Money. I was excited to see Men May Come and Men May go But I've still go t my Little Pink Raincoat I dove into it and finished it this morning. And while it was cute sometimes, I felt it was sorely misplaced in the Fashion section at Indigo. It's really a book about all the men in Gigi Anders life. And there are a lot. It gets a little tedious when she keeps buying items to try and convince the man she's with to marry her. Some parts I did enjoy, pretty much any part without the men in it. Like the chapters Coco, which talked about her love of perfume and her French friend who worked at the perfume counter. Or Tank where she's living in Paris and is obsessed with the Tank Cartier watches. But all in all it's a somewhat lackluster addition to the 'fashion essay book' genre.

Coach Shimmer Powder

This compact from Coach makes me giggle at the slightly ludicrousness of how much companies are trying to expand their markets. Whatever happened to sticking with what you know?

Re: Clothing Diet

So I think I'm not going to last on this clothing diet. Or at least not start it right away. Because as it turns out, I'm most likely not going to London (WOE, big fight with my mum and tears and all that jazz that I just don't want to talk about because every time I start I just end up wanting cry again because OMG WILL I NEVER SEE WHERE GUILDFORD DUDLEY CARVED JANE GREY'S NAME IN THE TOWER OF LONDON??? and yeah) So I've decided that since I don't need to buy a Metro pass next month (to do with the fact that I'll probably use it maybe 2-4 times) I'm going to buy myself the chocolate cashmere j-crew sweater I want to cheer myself up. And so I'm not totally selfish and self-centred I'm also getting my mum an espresso maker for her b-day. Because I rock.

Clothing Diet

Before anyone gets the preconceived notion that a)I am rich and b)I have a lot of money to spend let me just say this. a) I work part time at Starbucks b) I'm in University full time c) My credit card bill is huge. Yes I constantly drool over bags that cost almost as much as my rent and recently indulged in some very bad for my credit J-Crew shopping. And I need to stop. I'll admit, I have a shopping problem. In 2007 alone I bought 3 purses in the $500 range, a new pair of glasses, and countless other crazy things that I really didn't need to buy. In 2008 I've raised my credit limit (yet again) and blown it on sweaters. As I typed up my summer budget yesterday I realised I was somewhat screwed. I'll have enough for my courses next year as always, but I wont have made much of a dent in my visa and I wont have nearly as much money as I was hoping for to take to London. Therefore I've decided to go on a clothing diet. No new clothing is allowed to come into my closet until Mid/Late June (because I'm going to London and I do need to buy some new things for it) It's going to be hard. Really hard. On my walk to the subway everyday there is a Joe Fresh, great for cheap cute things. I work/go to school in my favourite shopping area Bloor Street West. My Starbucks is in an Indigo. But I will prevail. I hope.

J-Crew

Take an extra 30% off all final sale items until April 4Th, no coupon code needed.

BCBG Well Being Event

April 3rd & 4Th only at participating BCBG stores receive 15% off all regularly priced merchandise and a free gift with purchase on any purchase over $250 (online and in store)

Good Cashmere

to counteract the woe is me-ness that I blogged about earlier today, I have exciting news. My first ever J-Crew order arrived today and I just have to say it's everything I hoped it would be and more! Now I know people are all thinking I'm crazy, but folks. Seriously. I got the merino sweater with the ruffle collar I blogged about a couple of days ago and the Grey Argyle cashmere sweater. This is what cashmere should feel like. Soft and lightweight. But the real winner in my eyes is the merino. Oh. My. Gosh. It's soft, its super light and it's less than half the price of the cashmere. I am in blissful woolly heaven. My only complaint? They don't have enough styles in the merino. I can't wait to buy more from J-crew, not only are their phone people super nice (she added a 20% discount AFTER I had placed my order when I found the online coupon) but the shipping is fast and reasonable. I ordered these on the 26Th and they say 10-12 business days. This came in FOUR business days. Hurrah J-Crew, you have a life long shopper in me.

Bad Cashmere

I was having a tough day yesterday and so I thought I would indulge in a little retail therapy. I'm thinking a sweater, cashmere would be nice but I'd settle for some merino at this time of year. Nothing in Banana Republic, nothing in United Colours of Bennaton (to be fair they where reorganising) or Mendocino (do all stores reorganize on the same day?) and then I get to Club Monaco. They have a Cotton-Cashmere sweater for the very reasonable price of $79. Great! except... it's paper thin. As in, thinner than my t-shirts. And I can just see it already starting to sag because sadly the content is something like 80% cotton, some man made fibre and 5% cashmere. Sad face. But look! a nice 100% cashmere sweater! Its got gold buttons which are really snazzy. It feels a little rough when I pick it up, but I'm sure once I get it on it won't feel too bad. Wrong. This cashmere is the roughest most horrible sweater ever. I've had WOOL that is softer than this. This sweater does not come cheap either, at $179. Disappointed and still having a bad day (now worse) I do the only thing a gal can do in this situation. I buy chocolate.

Patrick Dempsey

Patrick Dempsey aka Doctor Derek Sheppard aka McDreamy is set to release a new fragrance from Avon this fall. I wonder what it'll smell like, surgical gloves and Meredith's Lavender conditioner?

Adorable

I'm loving these flats from Nordstrom, very Victorian fairy tale.

Hello Lover

I was going to create a new blog, I was tired of this one. But the more I thought about it and as I posted on the new one I kept looking at A Girl Like Moi and all of my previous posts. I'm going to reformat the way I post to this blog instead of starting fresh. The weather here has been very uninspiring of late, very grey very cold and very winter like despite it being spring. What got me out of my funk where two things a)cashmere sweaters from J-Crew and b)my upcoming trip to London this summer.

Classic

Nothing screams American Classic like a Ralph Lauren crest blazer. Perfect with jeans or a skirt when you want to channel your inner WASP.

Free Shipping at J - Crew

Just enter 2703FS at the checkout until April 3.

J-Crew Sweaters for Spring

The weather is slowly warming up and although we're supposed to get MORE snow I've been drawn to J-Crew's lovely sweaters, great for those days that you still need a little bit of warmth.

This grey argyle cashmere sweater with the gold thread detailing is just so precious.

This merino ruffled collar cardigan comes in a ton of colours, a great little basic.

This wonderfully bright cardigan in merino is a great statement piece.

Now to decide what colours to get!

Secret Sale

shhh... J-Crew is having a secret sale, just type secret into the coupon box at checkout and get 20% off all orders over $125 until Friday.

Perfume : L'air de Rien

Synopsis: L'Air de Rien was created uniquely for Jane Birkin, a famous French singer and actress, as an olfactory interpretation of her life. Inspired by her favorite smells of herfather's pipe, floor polish, empty chest of drawers, old forgotten houses, the scent creates an atmospheric effect. The juxtaposition of hay-like, bitter oakmoss with warm, animalic musk evokes images of classic English mansions, old leather furniture, dry flowers as well as vintage chypre fragrances. With its unusual, somewhat quirky character, L'Air de Rien manages to be an incredibly exquisite oriental, marked by sensual, ambery-vanillic drydown. It melds with your skin and wears like the softest leather.

Notes:French oak moss, Tunisian neroli, sweet musk, amber and vanilla

My Thoughts: The opening to this is very powdery; I can smell the vanilla and musk in spades. As it dries down its still very powdery and sweet. Defiantly not my taste as far as perfumes go. I would have loved to have actually smelled some leather in this or even some smoke to make it less cloying. Try it if you love fluffy perfumes

Source

xoxo
Alysia

NYT Article

So This article by the New York Times (titled Beauty Blogs Come of Age: Swag, Please!) is stirring up a ton of controversy with many of my must read blogs (Beauty Addict and All About the Pretty being two) Kristen Kelly, of Beauty Addict defends herself, explaining that she's been horribly misquoted. Personally, while I do agree that SOME blogs (not all or even the majority by any stretch) read like a coming soon list of soon to be launched beauty products. However the truly good ones do not. I'm disappointed in the New York Times for posting such tripe. Enough said.

xoxo
Alysia

ps. and yes I know I claimed to be 'back from the holidays' almost a month ago but I've been really busy. Rewatching Grey's Anatomy. From Season one.

Back from the Holidays

I'm back from the holidays with many a purchase made, most notebly I finally caved and bought the Carly Coach bag in Brown leather trim. However now they have new stuff coming out in Februrary that I'm dying for so I may just have to buy more. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.