Book Shopping

Ever since college I haven't had the time to read much. Of course I always read the monthly magazines, but with school work and activities, books had to be put aside. But in the past week, I've been in a reading mood and went on a little book binge. If you've been walking around your local bookstore or surfing on net, then you'll see loads of great bargain in time for Christmas.

I've been looking at my favourite online store, Amazon, and wow, they have some serious bargains. I love shopping on Amazon because their books are usually cheaper than in bookstores, and most importantly, they deliver for free (as long as you order over a certain price.) Btw, I'm not advertising for Amazon here. Vitually all bookstores are on sale, so book-shop where ever you want!

There's nothing happier for me than to snuggle under a warm blanket and read in winter (except buying clothes of course.) Usually I almost only read chick lits, but I'm trying to branch out. Anyways, so here are some books I've bought recently:

The Symphony of Ages box set by Elizabeth Haydon -It's a fantasy triology. The story is basically the typical girl and friends try to save the world in a strange world with element powers and weird creatures. This is actually my first attempt at the fantasy genre, but I can never resist a book with loads of girl power. Not to mention the book cover -doesn't she looks so cool with the sword and bow? I've only read two of the books so far (out of three) but it's been pretty interesting so far.

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult -An ex-prisoner goes to a new town (Salem Falls) and falls in love with the diner owner who he works for. But then a few girls set him up and he gets accused of rape again. A lawyer finds out little clues and we see the whole trial. (OK, this summary isn't very coherent but it's hard to summarise a whole book into three sentences!) I finished this book in one go -it was quite a page turner and a touching story! If you haven't read this or any of Jodi Picoult's books, go try one!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger -"This is the story of Henry and Claire, who have known each other since Claire was six and Henry was 36, and were married when Claire was 20 and Henry 28. This is possible only because Henry is one of the first people diagnosed with chrono-displacement-disorder- allowing him to travel in time." I can't say whether the book is good or not since I haven't read it yet, but it's got brilliant review and it was on serious sale so I bought it. Anyone read it yet?

Resort Collection 05-06 Accessories

You know how when you go to end-of-season sales, and there is always this corner of the shop that is not on sale? When I was small, I used to think that those were the clothes that were very popular and there was no need to put them on sale, (which really annoyed me because I always want something from the non-sale sections!) But now that I'm older and wiser, I've come to appreciate that non-sale section -the resort collections. For those who are not familiar, the resort collection is the transition from FW into SS.

I've been looking around the resort accessories online and in store, and some were great while others were just err, not so attractive. But as usual, I like to show the pretty ones.

So firstly, my absolute favourite resort collection is from Miu Miu. I took one glance and was like WOW *stars in the eyes*! The shoes are amazing! This pair of glitter ballerina pumps are great if you like to walk comfortably and brighten up a daytime outfit.

This pair of Miu Miu glitter pumps is just a variation of the previous one, but because of the heels, it's much more suited for an evening outfit. The black gives it a more quiet elegance, but still brilliant of course.

I've noticed quite a few pair of resort shoes looking like this pair so this roman sandal trend will probably extend into the Spring/Summer season. This pair of roman flat sandals is by Jimmy Choo. But designs like this can easily be found in high street shops for a much cheaper price, (although obviously they will look less posh.)

And of course, a new collection comes a new Chloe Paddington. This time the special thing is that not only is the leather in silver, but even the lock is in silver! (All the old Paddingtons had gold locks.)

This is a pretty cute little bag from Marc by Marc Jacobs. It's great in that you can use it for day and night, and the colour makes it so versatile to go with outfits of all kinds.

Another great bag from Marc by Marc Jacobs. This bag is available in four colours, but I think this yellow one really has that vacation feel. Sigh, it would be so fabulous holding the bag, sipping a cocktail in a holiday resort.

Kate Moss, the Scandaleuse Beauté

The biggest news in this slow, end-of-season time of the year is Kate Moss's comeback. And as predicted, she's back strong and prominent. This week, everyone is oohing and ahhing over the French Vogue covers, which Kate is guest-editting. (Of course, the question still remains whether she can actually speak French...) Anyways, four beeautiful French Vogue covers were produced, and I love how they're all in black & white. Initially, the four covers were supposed to be taken by four different photographers, but since Kate went to rehab for a month, only Craig McDean got a chance to shoot her. Anyways:
Kate in Chanel couture -This is my favourite cover. It makes her look like fashion royalty.Kate in Dior Homme jacket and Superfine jeans -This is my second favourite cover. It's the cover that reflects Kate's style and personality the most. And definitely the most suitable to the title 'Scandaleuse Beauté' ('Scandalous Beauty'). Kate in Giorgio Armani Privé, a Dior Homme bolero, Givenchy couture boots -OK, I admit I don't really like this cover. Kate and the photo is great of course but the cover just doesn't appeal to me.

Kate in Valentino couture -Another fantastic cover, but not the most outstanding one. Doesn't she look like she's lying down in water here?

I would say I can't wait to buy this issue, but I won't since I don't know French and it would be a total waste of money to pay for only the photos. So on other Kate news, just in case you didn't already know, she will be starring in the Spring/ Summer 06 ad campaigns for Virgin Mobile, Longchamp and Roberto Cavalli. And rumour has it maybe even for Stella McCartney. It's amazing how even after the scandal, she still has more contracts than other models huh?

Christmas Parties Preparation I

Oooh it's the last day of November -I can feel all those Christmas dinners and parties coming up. So first up, it's all those office and after work parties. You get off work at six and Christmas dinner is only one hour after work, so the question is how do you look festive and not stuffy? The answer is to wear tops that are dressy in a classy way. Here are some fantastic tops:

I love this Mathew Williamson sequined silk chiffon camisole top. Admittingly, it is a bit too dressy for work, but like in the photo, wear a cardigan or blazer on top to look smart. Besides, everyone in the office is going to be in such a festive and happy mood that you'll totally blend in!

This Mathew Williamson silk bead embellished top is another brilliant choice for a nice Christmas dinner. I love how it's so fancy in a flowy and playful way. Absolutely divine.This Plenty silk overlay camisole definitely looks suitable for both office and dinner occasions. The velvet tie creates a lovely silhouette.

If you prefer plainer tops, this Marc by Marc Jacobs crinkled satin top will make you look sharp and shine out in this posh blue.

For a more unique look, go for something special like this willow print kimono top by Top Shop. Top Shop always makes such excellent high street, fashionable tops. The best thing about this top? You won't freeze!

My First Black Friday

So having slept through black friday last year, I was very excited about taking part in the festivities this year. I have the image of Veronica and Betty waiting ready to break into the store and charge in my head. This year for thanksgiving break I went to San Francisco, where my hotel was at the prime shopping location a block away from Saks and Macy's and above BCBG-what more does one need?

That morning on the TV, we saw people in NY and other places rushing into stores, fighting over each other to shop, armed with plans on where to shop and all. It looked really exciting! Figuring I had a head start from everyone since we were so close, we sat down had breakfast on the day and went out at 9am. But before we even got out the door we were flooded with hotel guests RETURNING loaded with bags (mostly from Macy's) like the woman above. Except the bags are red and real people obviously do not shop with grace and poise.

So I hurried out to Macy's and was struck by the amount of people. I looked around at the things I'd previously scouted expecting to see a dramatically reduced price tag-and was stopped short. They weren't on sale! Nothing I had my eye on was on sale. What were these people BUYING? Whats the point of braving the crowd when you could've bought these on winter sale on normal days? So I, somewhat disappointedly, scouted other places and ended up with a cashmere pink Ralph Lauren sweater and Coach loafers and heels. But it wasn't anything on mega sale, just the usual winter sale prices.

The best deal I got that day was from the last place I'd imagined- Neiman Marcus! They had this addition 30% off already on sale items. And it was awesome, because they had Marc by Marc Jacobs and all these other really awesome stuff on sale! I managed to get a red velvet jacket from Cynthia Steffe and a purple shirt from Velvet. But again, this happened all weekend long-so it wasn't necessary to wake up too early on black friday to get to it- although sizes and styles DO run out.

Overall my black friday was an interesting experience. A little disappointing due to the lack of mega sales. A little confusing as to why its such a big deal. But very interesting to see so many people out on the streets determined to shop. It is a rare sight indeed.

Oh and one last question. Why is the biggest shopping day of the year called "black friday"??

Free People

Two years ago, I bought a pretty pink sleeveless top by Free People. At that time, Free People was still a new brand and actually, I didn't even know it was a brand. As I started to buy more clothes from Free People, I got curious and tried to find its website, but I couldn't since it didn't exist back then. About a year later (last year,) I started to notice that my favourite characters on TV were wearing clothes by Free People, and sometimes even the same clothes! It's just so exciting when that happens.

Anyways, here are some screencaps of the TV characters I adore wearing Free People:

Rory (Gilmore Girls) shows how down-to-earth students wear simple clothes but still look stylish. Tops like these are usually available at Urban Outfitters.
Summer (The OC) looks femininely boho wearing this Free People dress, (although it seems a bit too dressy for school.)
Marissa (The OC) looking effortlessly stylish as usual. The cardigan she's wearing is made of two materials and prints. Free People is fantastic at mix-matching colours and prints in a quirky yet still wearable way.

The good news is that Free People is actually affordable and it has a website now so you can get ideas of how to match outifts creatively.

Free People makes brilliant knitwear and sweaters. A lot of them are crafty and comfortable to wear. I LOVE this cardigan. The design (the flowers) and materials (pearls etc.) are so pretty and unique-looking. It's versatile in that you can wear it for a dress-proper occasion, and you can also wear it for casual, everyday wear. Fabulous huh?

Eveyone should own sweaters like this, (not necessarily in pink of course.) They're nice and comfy. I can totally picture someone wearing that when just hanging out with her friends at someone's house or getting cozy with a book at a coffee shop.

Free People clothing is sold at Urban Outfitters and department stores like selected Macys and Bloomingdales.

Kerastase In Salon Rituals

A few weeks ago, I suddenly realised the importance of self-pampering. I mean, life is short and I'm not going to be young forever. Ever since dying and highlighting my hair two months ago, my hair has been drier than before. And I'm absolutely freaked of split ends, so I decided that even though it was going to be costly, I deserved to get a proper hair treatment at a hair salon.

So I made a Sat afternoon appointment at the Charles Worthington London salon. The nice ladies at the salon washed my hair first and sat me down. Then they mixed a little bottle of Kerastase Resistance Concentré Vita-Ciment with a few scoops of Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense Cheveux Epais. The Concentre Vita-Ciment is an intensive, concentrated formula which replaces missing or damaged inter-cellular cement of weakened hair, (see the little green bottle shown below.)
The Kerastase Nutritive Masquintinese Cheveux Epais is this amazing intensive hair mask which restores moisture into unhealthy hair, (see orange jar above.) The salon girl applied the mixture with a brush layer by layer into my hair. Then she used a hair straightener to press through each layer of hair. The reason for this is not to straighten the hair, but to use the heat to help penetrate the chemicals into the hair.
After the salon girl washed my hair and blew dry it, I was completely AMAZED by how shiny and smooth my hair looked. My hair colour totally showed up beautifully and my friends who saw me that day all noticed the shiny hair. And most importantly, my hair felt SO healthy and rejuvinated.

I totally recommend that everyone book themselves an in-salon hair treatment a few hours before your Christmas dinners and parties. It really makes a BIG difference to how your hair looks, plus you get a professional blow-dry. As the L'oreal ads say, 'Because I'm worth it'!!