Partying it up 80's style with a lil inspiration from Marc Jacob's Spring/Summer 2010 Collection

Well hello ladies. Me and my gfs had planned an 80's themed bachelorette party. It turned out to be a very colorful night with really retro outfits. I think Jenni has definitely earned herself a gold star for the one she put together. "Vintage" pieces from her mum's closet. hehe.

As you know the 80's is full of crazy trends. It was hard to pick and choose which look I wanted to go for until I remembered Marc by Marc Jacob's SS 2010 collection. I was inspired by the bunny bows that Madonna use to wear in her videos.

What is your favorite look or trend from the 80's?

Making a few adjustments to my dress...

taa daa. crimped hair, blue eyeshadow, pink lipstick

the eye of the tiger..rawr! damn we all look like we're 12 yrs old in this pic. where are the rest of the girls?

Kiss winter goodbye.

She would love to pack winter up in a little brown parcel tied with a bright pink ribbon and send it away. This seems like a big feat but it's time for some freshness in the stale air that has been surrounding her...gathering a sense of heaviness that almost chokes her when she tries to speak. She wants to be caught in the rain on a warm spring day - to feel the wetness on her skin as it washes away everything that is old.

Let's do some SPRING CLEANING starting with our closets.

"Closets are supposed to be a place to store the clothes, accessories, and shoes we wear. Many that we see look like archeological digs, filled with layers of stuff from days past. Others are more selective; they remind us of scrapbooks documenting a woman's life. You accumulate and hold on to all that stuff in your closet because of emotions, past attachments, or present challenges. - Judie Taggart & Jackie Walker

Go to your closet and look inside. What are the emotional reasons you hoard stuff? Memories? Potential? Ego boosting? Fear? Aspirations? Comfort? By acknowledging this, it makes it easier to get rid of things you really don't need. I used to have a difficult time getting rid of old clothes. I'd always think...what if it comes back into fashion...or what if i need it one day... you know what? that day never comes.

This is a huge exercise in learning to let go which we can also apply in our daily lives. I go through my closet once or twice a year(usually more often when i feel my life is in a transistion) & ask myself if everything hanging in your closet is really ME? Can I wear this NOW? Not, I can wear this when I'm 5 pounds lighter again...etc. After clearing out my closet and donating my old clothes, I find it so much easier to put outfits together. I dont have to go through a whole bunch of emotional clutter. When you get rid of things that no longer serve you, you make more room for positive things that align with what you want and who you are.

Here is a exercise you can do to help you along the way. It's from the book "I Don't Have A Thing To Wear":

Step1. Take a piece of paper and draw a circle. From this circle you are going to create a pie chart which will be divided into sections. Each slice will be based on your life's activities.

Step2. On a separate piece of paper list he activities you preform on a daily basis. Example: Work, Weekend, Evenings, Social, Casual, Exercise. Under these categories, write what you wear while you are preforming it. For your Exercise slice write what you wear to the gym, or to yoga class. For your work slice write down what you wear to work...etc

Step3. Determine the time you spend on each activity in a month. Return to your circle and divide it into slices according to the percentages you spend on each activity

Step4. Now take your circle and go to your closet. Separate the clothing you actually wear into the categories that correspond to the pie slices. Create a different pie for the items that either dont fit into one of your categories of items that you can't or don't wear.

Step5. Now compare the percentage of clothes in each pile you have created with the percentages of your circle. Do the percentages match? What percentage of the clothes in your closet do you actually wear? 20-40%? If you wear only 20-40% of what is in your closet, how can you dress 100% of your life? Get it?

Finding your inner Gaga

photo credit { fashionista.com }

Have you guys seen her new music video ft. Beyonce? Some ppl may not like her unique sense of style or her strange ways of illustrating herself. But we can all learn a thing or 2 from this pop icon. And its learning to express the unique inner creativity we all have within ourselves. You may not be in a career that allows you to do this but that doesnt mean you can't apply it into your daily life.

Creativity depends on fostering independent thought. what is it that makes you uniquely YOU, how do you view yourself and life? Start with this and build on it. What type of energy do you want to put into the world? Find your inner vibrancy and show the world how colorful you can be. Go places you've never been before.

Here are a few online personalities that I very much admire bcos of their defining qualities and their unapologetic ways of expressing themselves. Their character really shines through. (in abc order):

♥ Doe Deere
♥ Gala Darling
♥ Miss X
♥ Sea of Shoes
♥ The Starving Stylist
♥ xppinkx

Do you guys have any?

DIY: I hate to see her go but...

Hello hello ladies. This is my very first DIY(do-it-yourself) tutorial so I hope you like it and that my illustrations do justice. It would be awesome if you guys can give me some feedback =)

I think one of the most sexiest parts of a woman is her back so I wanted to start my DIY series with this in mind. The outfit I transformed was worn for a special occasion but dont limit your imagination to this. You can use this tutorial to turn a long t-shirt into a dress for something more casual & cute or you can wear it as a tunic or even apply the steps for a top instead of a dress OR you can incorporate a lace body suit underneath to create an interesting design. Use your creativity.

So I got this tunic from H & M. It's supposed to fit a bit loose but I bought it one size bigger than normal to give me some extra fabric just in case I need it.

Materials you'll need:

-The garment you'll be transforming. Make sure its a bit stretchy
-pins
-a sewing machines would be helpful but its not necessary. You can hand sew it
-needle and thread
-scissors
-some chalk to mark the fabric
-fashion tape (if you live in Canada you can pick some up at Shoppers Drug Mart for $14). This is a good investment that you'll be able to use over and over again for lots of different things. It has a very strong hold.
-and some confidence. it definitely adds THAT much more

ok. so let's begin....

Step 1: Nip Tuck. Turn your garment inside out and put it on. Take your pins and start pinning in the sides depending on the look you are going for(tighter or looser). This is shown as the dotted white line in the illustration.

Next, slowly slide the garment off so the pins dont fall out. Mark with the chalk where the pins are to indicated where you are going to stitch. Take the pins out and then either machine sew or hand sew. After sewing is complete put the garment back on to see if the fit is good. If it is, go ahead and trim off the access fabric(shown in the illustration as the solid yellow line)

Step 2: Distinguishing the sexiness factor. Draw a line down center back with the chalk. The length of the line depends on how far down you want the back opening to go. This is shown by the solid yellow line. Cut down this line and fold back the fabric where the DOTTED yellow line is on BOTH sides(i only drew the dotted line on the left side but do it or both)

Step 3: If you want to save time, instead of sewing back the folds, tape them down with the Fashion Tape. Also make sure you apply some fashion tape on your shoulders to keep your garment from falling down. Trust me, they will stay on all night. I love Fashion Tape. It's magic.

Quotes of the week

White Rabbit: I'm late, I'm late. For a very important date. No time to say hello, goodbye. Im late, Im late, Im late.

Im sure many of you can relate to the frenzied energy of the White Rabbit - places to go, ppl to see. No time to say hello goodbye. Im late im late im late. Yes, this is how I am. Trying to be productive and pack as much into my day as i possibly can so I can feel that my life isnt wasting away. But there comes a point where one stops and wonder if they are keeping busy just for the heck of keeping busy. Lately, I've been trying to figure out what my next step in life is. And instead of stopping and giving myself the time and space to reflect I urgently jam pack it with aimless duties and projects. When I dont listen to my inner self it begins to try and get my attention. I become burnt out, I start to get irritable, I start to feel a sense of dread seep into my consciousness. I start to feel unhappy which quickly transforms into a feeling of hopelessness. This is when i have to stop everything Im doing & really listen and give myself the time to build a stronger inner foundation for myself. Grow your roots first. Everything else will follow.

Caterpillar: Who... are... you?
Alice: Why, I hardly know, sir. I've changed so much since this morning, you see...
Caterpillar: No, I do not C, explain yourself.
Alice: I'm afraid I can't explain myself, you see, because I'm not myself, you know.
Caterpillar: I do not know.
Alice: I can't put it any more clearly, sir, because it isn't clear to me.

Its important to know yourself and strengthen your faith in yourself. In this way it makes the path you take in life clearer and the decisions you make more intent.

The Rose: Just what species or, shall we say, genus are you, my dear?
Alice: Well, I guess you would call me... genus, humanus... Alice.
Daisy: Ever see an alice with a blossom like that?
Orchid: Come to think of it, did you ever see an alice?
Daisy: Yes, and did you notice her petals? What a peculiar color.
Orchid: [sniffing Alice's hair] And no fragrance.
Daisy: [chuckling, as she lifts up one side of Alice's dress] And just look at those stems.
The Rose: [as Alice slaps the Daisy's leaves away] Rather scrawny, I'd say.
Bud: I think she's pretty.
The Rose: Quiet, bud.

Has any of you experienced a time when you felt uncomfortable in your own skin and out of place bcos you dressed, spoke or acted differently than everyone else around you? I have many times & its one of the most vulnerable feelings in the world. Overcoming these moments can be difficult but it all comes down to self acceptance and love. Being able to appreciate yourself for who you are also helps you develop compassion to appreciate other ppl's differences. Work on your inner world and it will reflect on your outer.

Alice: I simply must get through!
Doorknob: Sorry, you're much too big. Simply impassible.
Alice: You mean impossible?
Doorknob: No, impassible. Nothing's impossible.

My Vancouver Trip

I took a very impulsive trip down to Vancouver to enjoy the last 2 days of the Olympics. I definitely needed to get away bcos I was beginning to feel quite restless again in Calgary. Perfect timing and Im so glad I went bcos if I didnt, I would have missed out on this once in a life time chance to see the city full of great ppl & great energy. Here are some pics taken by me from my mini trip.

This is up driving downtown right after we won the Hockey Game.

no. this ticket wasn't mine. lol* i wish. how intense would that be?

What's Vancouver without any rain? No rain boots tho, just me and my pretty umbrella ready to go on an adventure

Van is always so green. Love the neighborhoods esp here in Kitsilano. So close to the beach too...

Stopped by my favorite restaurant Guu, for lunch.

Yes i am playing with my food. Pumpkin Croquette and some yummy beef udon noodles.

...and cute Lexus posing. of course.