Oct
25th

Bundling up with scarves.

Nothing like a cup of bitter, hot Chinese black tea on a chilly fall day.

I think I’m the only one who LOVES the rain.

Nothing more precious to me than my books.

Thigh highs, booties, work boots… I love boots of all kind.

Oct
6th

Blackberry Messenger. So yesterday I was at a designers’ meeting and it was confirmed that I’m the only one with a Blackberry — THE ONLY DESIGNER WITH A BLACKBERRY. How atrocious is that? I don’t care. I love my Blackberry and can’t do without; especially with all my friends on it, funny conference chats, Blackberry GROUPS where we plan all our events (currently: our Whistler trip). iPhone what? People ask, what’s wrong with good old SMS? Well, that’s because you’ve never used BBM. Apps what? I download (and even buy) tons of apps on my Touch but I find that I never use them… and touchscreen hates me. My Blackberry is practical and it rocks.

Books. I go through phases where I’m reading every second I’m free and I’m going through one of those now. Last Sunday was spent at Chapters on Robson after a good hearty brunch… and Boyfriend asleep on the giant beanie chair beside me (and snoring loudly… in the store).

I highly recommend this trilogy:

Waterbottle. I’d die if I didn’t have water with me anywhere I go. It has turned into an annoying obsession and not to mention I have to go pee every half-an-hour.

Boots. Four words: FALL IS BOOT SEASON!! Well actually, boot season is every season… even summer.

Poutine. I love poutine so much that Boyfriend and his friends spent 2 hours making this giant pan of poutine for me on my birthday. I almost licked the pan afterwards… until some drunk guy rubbed his nasty hands all over the pan looking for more poutine that I just ate. But yes, another sick but delicious obsession. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.

Sep
8th

Usually when we go shopping in the states, I usually get super excited and have a whole list of things to buy even though we use to go so much but this time I only planned to go there and relax (hence, we made sure our hotel had a gym + pool) and chill with the kids (Boyfriend went down there for an annual soccer tournament and his entire family usually comes along).

I had no plans to shop because I tried coming up with a list but couldn’t think of anything to buy this time. Little did I know….

I bought two little blue dresses for one of my best friend’s bridal shower and I ended up wearing this one (on the left). I love the color and the silhouette!

I never go to the states without buying books! They are cheaper over there and have way better deals than Canada. This is probably the least books I’ve brought though because someone was rushing me and threatening to burn my books. :@

I finished The Prodigal Mage in Karen Miller’s Fisherman’s Children series, the night before and HAD to pick up The Reluctant Mage after reading the preview. We were rushing to get back to Vancouver since we didn’t want to wait at the border so the only bookstore along the way was a Barnes and Nobles in Seattle (…when I could’ve gotten it tax-free in Portland, humph). I’m just a little annoyed because I have paperback editions of all of Karen Miller’s books and now suddenly I have a giant hardcover. Don’t you just hate that? But there was no way I was going to wait until next July for the paperback which I’mgoing to get anyway, just so my bookshelf looks pretty. :blush:

Got this lovely jacket for $200 (marked down from $500). It’s PURPLE, it’s Soia & Kyo and it’s leather. What more can you ask for? (picture credit to owner whose linked)

It was love at first sight when I laid my eyes on these babies. I picked them up at Nordstrom Rack for $125. LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I can’t decide if these boots or the leather jacket was my favorite buy of the trip.

Bath & Body works have the best hand sanitizers! I got these (and the lip balms/glosses) for my girlfriends as favors for the bridal shower.

This bag was my biggest regret! I contemplated for a long time and decided not to get it but I couldn’t stop thinking about it when we left the store. I went back to like 4 different Nordstrom Racks and none of them had it except the one in downtown Portland which I didn’t have time to go back to. Now, I still can’t stop thinking of the bag.

Unrelated, but this is my favorite picture from the trip. The boys playing with the newest and cutest member of the family.

I also bought a lot of comfy sweaters, tank tops, jackets, hair products (like tons of Sally’s mini hair clips because they are simply the best) and capes. Can’t wait for this freezing weather to set upon us so I can start wearing capes again!

(Sorry for the horrible quality of the pictures; they were all taken with my Blackberry).

Aug
10th

I LOVE reading but I haven’t finished a book in so long. I have 60+ books on my shelves I haven’t even touched yet, but I can’t help buying more. Nothing makes me happier than filling up my bookcase and I blame Louise for all her juicy book reviews.

Apr
19th

LITERARY SNOBS:

• People who think only certain books are worth reading.
• People who’ll never miss an opportunity to bash popular/commercial fiction while boasting of his/her taste in the literary elite.
• People who read to impress.

No one cares if you’re reading Austen or Faulkner or Milton. It doesn’t matter what you’re reading as long as you’re reading. Tastes in books are totally subjective like your tastes in art and food so you can’t expect everyone to love books you love. How boring would the world be if everyone liked the same thing?

Books are also no longer being read as much as they were before but authors like J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyers are getting people who never picked up a book out of pure enjoyment in their life to start reading. Although they may never join the “literary elite,” that’s a huge achievement! Reading promotes better spelling, increased vocabulary but also provides an escape from stress in our lives so it doesn’t matter if you’re reading to stimulate your mind or reading for entertainment.

The only problem I have is when people bash a genre/book they’ve never actually read (or claimed they only watched the movie). How can you base your thoughts on a book because of hype or someone else’s feedback? I actually read Twilight so I have a right to say I don’t like it and I have my reasons. I’ve read tons of romance and chick-lit and I generally can’t stand them because they make me want to pull my hair out but a lot of other genres I read are intertwined with those so I can’t escape it and happily accept it.

OH wait, I have one more: CLOSET-READERS! Are you that insecure that you actually care about what other people think about the books you’re reading?

People need to be more open-minded when it comes to books. There are good books in every single genre… maybe your problem is that you’ve only picked the crappy ones.

Are you a literary snob?