Whats Behind That Smile?

I'm looking particularly happy here.

Why I am smiling so? Because after waiting for nearly two months, my Alexa bag from Mulberry arrived. Along with my mom, of course.

I've used this bag pretty much every day this week - one of the reasons I wanted it so badly is because of it's versatility. The long straps mean the bag can be worn several different ways - across like a messenger, looped around short like a shoulder bag, or tucked in for a school bag look. The brown leather is soft for comfort yet sturdy enough to hold heaps of things. This is going to be my It-bag for all those plane and train rides in Europe.

All good reasons to smile. And of course, some TLC and pampering from Mom too goes a long way. =D

So tell me, what's your go-to, It bag? Or better yet, what's making you smile today?

Wearing:
Olive silk blouse by MK2K from Vincent Park
Khaki high-waisted shorts, gift from mom
Brown leather and suede buckle flats, from Hong Kong
Regular Alexa Bag in Buffalo by Mulberry
Fleur de Lis necklace, Pyrrha

Hot for Hockey: Vancouver 2010 Olympic Style

A dream came true last night when I attended my first ever Winter Olympics mens hockey game. Not just any old hockey game, but for my home team: CANADA! Being the boys' first game in the tournament, I wanted to look my best decked out in our nation's colour, red.

Apologies for these photos not being the most creative but it was hard trying to get style shots in a line up of several thousand!

I broke my own rules from my piece on What Does One Wear to the Hockey Game (no skirts) as I pulled out a high-waisted, grey bandage number for the occasion. Rules are meant for breaking, right??

When the Canadian team stepped onto the ice for the pre-game warmup, the crowd went nuts with chants of "Go Canada Go!" reverberating throughout the stadium. I was especially proud when our very own Canucks goalie, Roberto Luongo, came out and played magnificently in a shut-out win.

Crosby, Toews (both Hump Day Hunks), Iginla - they were all there. In the matchup against Norway, it almost looked like an exhibition game at times of NHL all-stars on one side, and amateurs on the other.

The stadium was washed in a sea of red.

The players lined up for a hand shake at the end of the game, with Canada winning 8-0 over Norway.

Wearing:
Red plaid shirt by Aritzia
Red I heart hockey tee by Lululemon
Grey high waisted bandage skirt by Aritzia
Black tights from Hong Kong
Motorcycle flat boots from Vincent Park
Green patent shoulder bag by Marc by Marc Jacobs
Hubby's Seiko diving watch

Have you been catching any of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics on TV where you are? Or if you are in Vancouver, are you swept up in the Olympics fever yet?

We Raised $10K for Hope in Haiti and We Did It In Style

Hope in Haiti was held at Barcelona Ultra Lounge this past week. How did it go? Well, from the looks on Kelsey (The Anthology), and I, it was a smashing success.

Thanks to the generosity of everyone who came out, a total of more than $10,000 was raised at the event through ticket sales, silent and live auctions, and of course from the hot Hope in Haiti tee (still on sale - contact theanthology@live.com). I paired it with a ruffle mini, slouchy boots, and a Piero Guidi handbag circa the early 90's.

The highlight of the night was no doubt a performance by Vancouver's own, WZRDZ, who energized the house with their electro beats. I was right up at the front, bopping alongside Kelly of Option 8.

There were lots of stylish bloggers in attendance, including my friends Teresa of Senses and Style and Lisa of Solo Lisa.

The awesome sister-duo, Lauren and Cara of Vincent Park, (boutique where I buy lots of great duds like this floral skirt and my motorcycle flat boots) showed their support.

I met Jordana for the first time from Being High Maintenance, Not Bitchy. I loved her time-piece necklace and grey eel-skin bag.

A big shout-out too should go to Larissa of The Extrovert, who was also behind this important fundraiser.

Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground

I love the colour of the trees now that autumn has fully arrived. They're orange and red and purple and yellow...all the pretty bright colours straight out of a crayola box. I keep wanting to take pictures, but I'm always afraid they won't turn out as beautiful as I can remember them.

Last weekend when it was rainy and miserable out, we made lamb shanks simmered with red wine in the slow cooker (recipe as a guideline here, though we didn't follow it exactly). The first real robust, hearty meal this fall/winter. The meat was fall-off-the-bone tender and the carrots and parsnips soft and sweet. A perfect meal for a cozy dine-in night.

Equally cozy is my emerald green velvet blazer. I almost binned this in the donor dump last year, but I dug it out back from the closet grave and gave it new life. The details on it are amazing: ruffled edged pockets (you can't see here) and a velvet sash that is lined with satin on the inside.

Speaking of the dead, Halloween is next week. For great costume ideas which are stylish, sexy yet classy, check out the What to Wear post by La Couturier.

Wearing:
Emerald green velvet blazer, from Hong Kong
Ruffle blouse, from Hong Kong
Dark denim, Minedred Jeans from Vincent Park
Brown Leather boots, by Matiko from Vincent Park

About a Boy

It's been a lovely, lazy Labour Day long weekend in Canada and this outfit sums up my weekend. Very laid back and chilled. And ever since I cropped my hair off, I've been feeling tomboyish. So, I pulled out my polo shirt by Ralph Lauren made for boys (yes, it's size 12 or 14 boys shirt), some new but comfy-like-old jeans, and wellies.

Speaking of these wellies, I finally got them after I first blogged about these in December last year! They're by Ilse Jacobsen, and originally I wanted them in white. We're starting our rainy season with Fall nipping in the air, and I couldn't wait to pick these up (at 25% off, too).

I didn't do much this weekend other than a lot of eating and hanging around the house and garden. On Friday night, hubby and I had a late-night dinner date at a delish izakaya (food porn pics and review to follow soon).

On Saturday night, we had a BBQ dinner party and hubby made a delicious grilled rack of lamb with coriander seed; chili-spice rubbed spot prawns with japanese mayo on skewers; and coconut marinaded chicken wings. All paired with a bottle of Nota Bene from Black Hills and another bottle of Cab Sauv from Aussie. Dessert was Key Lime Pie, one of my faves.

On Sunday morning, we slowly climbed out of bed and it was off to dim sum with my gran and cousins. Followed by a trip to J.J Bean before coming home to watch 3 DVDs in a row and making a pancetta-brocolli-mushroom gruyere quiche.

I love my long weekends.

Wearing:
Boys polo by Ralph Lauren
Blue jeans by Minedrd Jeanmaker from Vincent Park
Wellies by Ilse Jacobsen from Fine Finds
Sunglasses by the POLICE borrowed from hubby

Wounded Knee

There's usually not much good that comes out of putting a pavement rash on your knee, especially when you've fallen off your hot new bicycle. The little pink machine and I went for a nice ride on Saturday, and everything was going stellar until, well, I wiped out on a sharp corner coming down a big hill. It was quite silly really, but lucky for me, nothing more than a bad skinning.

To turn a bad into a good, I decided to do some consolation shopping at Vincent Park, a local boutique which coincidentally was having a sale. With my bandaged up knee, I hobbled up the narrow staircase in search of goodies.

I picked up this pretty pink floral skirt, 2 pairs of skinny jeans for $70, and a shirt for hubby. That and eating an ice-cream sandwich helped make the pain go away.

Due to popular request, I have paired the outfit with my paint splattered purse that people love or loathe. You decide.

Wearing:
Silk button-up sleeveless shirt, Sisley
High-waisted floral skirt, MYNE Ashley Ann from Vincent Park
Brown cropped jacket, Miss Lau, from Hong Kong
Equestrian belt, Urban Outfitters
Wedges, DKNY
Paint splattered purse, from Toronto
White bone necklace, Simply Sublime