AH-MAHZING!!!

New Favourite Song: Best Thing I Never Had

This song is amazing! Girls, I know this is your anthem....

There was a time
I thought, that you did everything right
No lies, no wrong
Boy I, must've been outta my mind
So when I think of the time that I almost loved you
You showed your ass and I saw the real you

Thank God you blew it
Thank God I dodged the bullet

I'm so over you
So baby good lookin' out

I wanted you bad
I'm so through with it
Cuz honestly you turned out to be the best thing I never had
You turned out to be the best thing I never had
And I'm gon' always be the best thing you never had
I bet it sucks to be you right now

So sad, you're hurt
Boo hoo, oh, did you expect me to care?
You don't deserve my tears
I guess that's why they ain't there
When I think that there was a time that I almost loved you
You showed your ass and I saw the real you

Thank God you blew it...

And the video is gorgeous...check it out below!

xoxo

Beyoncé - Best Thing I Never Had

New In Town

New Favourite Song: New In Town by Little Boots

Little Boots, is an English electropop singer-songwriter.   Her stage name comes from a nickname given to her by a friend, a reference to her unusually small feet. I love everything English and she is no exception!!!

Her song, New in Town,  is the song for Summer 2011! Its light and fun and gets you moving...Nick just laughs while I'm dancing around in the kitchen. Download it! You'll love it!!!

Finally!

After a bit of a hiatus, I'm back! I've been really busy....and honestly, there hasn't been anything that I totally LOVE lately. BUT I found a cute little clutch that I must have:



Love Moschino Frilly Clutch



And I just adore that the brand is Love Moschino...get it... love...my blog...I know I'm reaching!  ;)

*LOVE*



Chloe Sunglasses: Myrte



I know, I know...I have waaaaay too many shoes and sunglasses. But I couldn't resist this amazing pair of Chloe sunglasses!!!! Welcome home Myrte, you will be well loved!

Confession

I have a confession. I am in love.  I’ve been pretty faithful for a long time…but lately.... I’ve become... bored.

I’ve been steadfast in my devotion to white gold for years but its time for a change! (Had you worried for a second, didn’t I?) And no it’s not yellow gold, but it’s elusive cousin: rose gold. My friend and (very stylish/ gorgeous) co-worker Mable first introduced rose gold to our bland work environment with a stunning Michael Kors watch…and from that moment on, I was in love…head over heels!

I’m very disappointed to report that hardly any stores in Vancouver carry rose gold except for very small offerings from Tiffany and Co., Blue Ruby and The Bay Downtown (Fossil, Judith Jack and Crislu). In January, Nordstrom’s was overrun with rose gold and thankfully, I picked up a watch and ring from their vast selection! The beautiful tone of the gold looks great on every skin shade…so cheat a little…

you'll love it!

Happy Birthday!

My dad was rough around the edges and swore way too much for his own good. He was a salt of the earth Albertan, voted Conservative and could drink a 20 year old under the table. What most people didn’t know about my dad was that he had a big heart, especially when it came to me. I was his sweetheart and he made sure that I knew that every single day. When he went into the hospital after suffering a stroke, one of the first things that I missed was him standing on our second floor balcony waving goodbye every morning as I drove off to work. When I drive past the old house now, I can still see him there, waving and smiling his big toothy grin.


Today is his birthday, he would have been 95 yrs old. So in honour of today, I am going to share with you some things that I think made him truly special. I think he would like that very much.


One of my earliest memories was of my fifth birthday. As many of you know, I was born in January and lived in Pemberton, so that meant snow… and by snow, I mean 6 feet of snow. My mother broke the bad news to me: no one could leave their houses because the roads were so bad, so my birthday party would have to be cancelled. I cried and cried and cried. As you can tell, I was a drama queen from a very young age!

Our Caterpillar

So my father devised a plan: He would take out our Caterpillar and pick up every single one of my little friends so I could have a proper birthday party. As you can see from the picture, there is a little cabin at the top of the Caterpillar and he would have to sit the child on his lap (it was the early 70’s- no one used seatbelts!) and drive them back to our ranch house one at a time. There were at least ten children, so he made ten trips out into the snow covered valley- twenty with the return trip. Needless to say, even at five, I knew he had done something incredibly special for me. I was a spoiled little girl to say the least.


He lived a big gorgeous life. He made big mistakes but he also loved big too. He loved Pakistan and India where he lived for several years, loved dessert (especially homemade rhubarb pie), Sex and the City (he actually introduced me to the show!) and old British comedies. He was a man’s man- he loved the ladies (!!), fished, camped, hunted and served in WWII but when it came to me…I always knew that he was in my corner and that I was the one he loved the most. And that is what every girl deserves from her father.


I love you my darling Daddy. I hope you are having a HUGE birthday party in heaven. I can just imagine it now…

Someone Like You

Favourite New Song:  Someone Like You by Adele

This song is for the broken hearted.  Here’s a taste of the lyrics:

I heard that you're settled down,
That you found a girl and you're married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you
Old friend, why are you so shy?
Ain't like you to hold back or hide from the light

I hate to turn up out of the blue uninvited,
But I couldn't stay away, I couldn't fight it-
I had hoped you'd see my face,
And that you'd be reminded that for me it isn't over

Nevermind, I'll find someone like you
I wish nothing but the best for you, too
Don't forget me, I beg
I remember you said,
"Sometimes it lasts in love,
But sometimes it hurts instead"
Sometimes it lasts in love,
But sometimes it hurts instead…

Below, is a posting of Adele singing this song at the 2011 Brit Awards. Gorgeous make-up, gorgeous song and a gorgeous voice! Adele is playing at the Orpheum in Vancouver on May 31^st…got my ticket (Thanks Courtney for the amazing birthday present!!)…now go get yours!

The BRIT Awards 2011 - Adele sings Someone Like You

Advice on Life

 

I told all of you about the book “Prudent Advice” a few blog entries ago and shared the author’s advice on love. I received several positive emails about that particular entry, so I think I will share with you my favourite ones about life in general.

Guilt is a paralytic emotion.
Guilt is not like shame, the experience of which teaches you something about your values. Guilt can be avoided in most cases by making a thoughtful choice and feeling confident in your decisions. If you realize later that you’ve made the wrong one, absorb the lesson, make appropriate amends, then put it behind you. Being paralyzed by guilt serves no one well.


Tend to your friendships, especially those with women.

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. Anais Nin

Resist the urge to chop your hair off.

Short hair is completely adorable; my point is in the “urge to chop” part. Usually the impulse to chop your hair off is about wanting a change in your life that has nothing to do with hair. Then you wake up the next day and everything is exactly the same…except your hair. That’s when the tears start.

 Learn how to take a compliment.

Gracefully. Although being self-deprecating can be humorous, a genuine compliment deserves a genuine thank-you. Brushing off a positive observation isn’t being humble; it speaks to an inner insecurity. Brush off enough compliments, and you’ll find you stop getting them.

Not everyone is going to like you, and that’s just fine.


If you’re asking yourself if you should have one more drink, the answer is NO.

If you don’t have a lot of money for clothing, consider putting what you do have toward shoes.
Good shoes can make you look put together even with inexpensive clothes, whereas cheap shoes can drag down a good outfit. Also, shoes are one of the few things that usually increase in comfort as they increase in price.

Politely but firmly question authority.


Don’t be afraid to use prodigious words.
Words are important and beautiful; so don’t dumb down your thoughts because you think people will regard you as pretentious. There is nothing wrong with big words. Just make sure you know what they mean.

Magic is real.

There are times you need to listen to the same song over and over.
It just means the song is helping to access something inside of you that you couldn't get to any other way.

The only problem you can solve by eating is hunger.

If you test people, they may fail.
Friendship, love and family don’t hinge on any single success or failure; you would do yourself a disservice to administer litmus tests to things as labyrinthine as love and affection.

Leggings are not pants.

Sometimes you have to cry it out.
A good crying jag can be cathartic. It’s a girl thing. Just don’t do it at work.

You will want some things that you will not get.
You don’t get everything you want in life. That’s all there is to say about that.

Take care of your teeth.
This is an incredibly boring piece of advice, but tooth pain is terrible, and unattractive teeth lead people to believe that you are uneducated. That’s just how it is.

Avoid clichés.
You are too smart; you don’t need them.

Champagne is for sipping.

Heart Shaped Tea Cup

 

Today I found this really cute tea cup that is shaped like a heart! How cute is that?! The actual circumference of the tea cup is round but the inside is moulded in a heart shape making it pretty and functional all at the same time! Of course, I bought the pink one, but they come in other Easter colours as well! They are sold at Murchies in Oakridge Mall and also at Tea Desire in Coquitlam Centre. Enjoy!

10 Things to Know about Love

 

Recently, I came upon a book entitled “Prudent Advice” by Jaime Morrison Curtis. It’s a small hardcover filled with 500 nuggets of advice from a mother to her infant daughter. I thought my nieces would benefit from the wisdom housed in its pages. Turns out, I might have needed it more than them. Here are my favourite pearls of wisdom about love:

1.  Anything you chase after runs.

 

2.  Your future together is not a great subject to discuss on a first date.

3.  If you wait to be swept off your feet, you may end up standing alone.

We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love.

 

4.  If you are questioning whether someone loves you or not, the answer is right in front of you.
When it comes to people who are romantically interested in you, it's really simple. Just ignore everything they say and only pay attention to what they do.

5.  If you marry your first love you will miss out on the exquisite pain of a broken heart.   (Nothing personal baby, just quoting a book!)

 

6.  You should want to be with someone who wants to be with you. 


7.  You can’t strong-arm someone into loving you if they don’t.  Learn to respect yourself enough to move on.

8.  Marriage is a big decision- one that you should make for yourself.
You may want to marry a boy, or you may want to marry a girl, or you may not want to get married at all, or you may get married five times. That should be entirely up to you. Hopefully, when you are considering marriage, the idea that anyone does not have a right to it will seem absurd.

9.  You only need to call once and leave one message.

10.  People can change, but YOU can't change them.

     Ain’t that the truth!

Jar of Hearts

FAVOURITE NEW SONG:   JAR OF HEARTS by Christina Perri

  










There's just something really beautiful, raw and honest about this song that I like....

Dear, it took so long just to feel alright
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed
Cause you broke all your promises

And now you're back
You don't get to get me back

Who do you think you are?
Runnin' round leaving scars
Collecting your jar of hearts
                                              And tearing love apart                                                  
You're gonna catch a cold
                              From the ice inside your soul                             
So don't come back for me
Don't come back at all.

Don't you just love the douleur exquise of it all?!  (I can just see Nick rolling his eyes as I type this- lol!)



Mingky

I love you my darling puppy...

A dog is a loyal friend from whom you will learn the nature of love and devotion.

Mingky
January 11, 2000  to  March 4, 2011



Japanese Nail Art

I'm loving all things Japanese lately, including Japanese Nail Art:



Hello Kitty



Bows!  My favourite!



Cupcakes and Candy





Now, I don't know if I have the gumption to pull off a full set of these nails- but I appreciate those girls who do! Maybe just one bow on my ring finger...hmmm....

Valentine's Day

When I was little, my Father would walk up to the local grocery store and always buy my brother and I heart shaped boxes of chocolate on Valentine’s Day. He would “surprise” us every year- they would be sitting at our breakfast spots, so we would get them right in the morning on February 14^th. I loved those boxes. They weren’t like the ones nowadays with cartoon characters selling cheap chocolate. These ones had waxy pink roses on them with white lace trimmings around the edge of the red heart shaped box. They were so pretty and I loved opening the cover and seeing all the intricately decorated chocolates sitting perfectly in their little brown paper cups. That’s the thing about my dad, he loved to celebrate the good things in life.


So for me, Valentine’s Day isn’t about spending it with your boyfriend or girlfriend, it’s about letting people know that you love them and appreciate their presence in your life. It should not be a day where half the population feels left out or relegated to the lonely hearts club. Resentment should not loom like a late day shadow on this day. Tell someone in your life what they mean to you, create your own tradition, just like my Dad did…

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Say What You Have To Say

Love is a very complex and controversial subject. But at the end of the day; when you are laying on your death bed, isn’t it all that matters? Being surrounded by love- the love of your family and friends and being comforted by the things you love….your books, photographs and trinkets.

Not to mention, it’s the world’s most sought after commodity. Forget diamonds, platinum and gold…if you can give people the love they long for, you would literally rule the world.

As Anais Nin once proclaimed:
Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish it's source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishing.

Tell your friends and family you love them whenever you can. Tell them with gusto and wild abandon and don’t ever be ashamed to say it out loud and often. You won’t regret it.

I love Adele!

If you have never heard Adele's music before, you must go to iTunes and download "Rolling in the Deep" immediately. Anger +  Melancholy=  PERFECTION! Trust me, you will love it!

Check out some of the lyrics:

Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your shit bare.
See how I'll leave, with every piece of you
Don't underestimate the things that I will do.

There's a fire starting in my heart,
Reaching a fever pitch
And it's bringing me out of the dark.

The scars of your love, remind me of us.
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love, they leave me breathless

Now come on girls, you know you love it...! The album is entitled "21" and is out in North America on February 22, 2011.

Starbucks Ice Cream

My new favourite ice cream that is only available in the USA! (Rumour has it that Starbucks will be coming out with chocolate dipped ice cream bars and Mud Pie ice cream). Warm up the car, I'm heading South!



Also comes in Hot Chocolate, Vanilla Bean Frappuccino and Strawberry Creme Frappuccino!





My Favourite!



A Piece of Heaven in H-E-L-L!

I had one of those days where you contemplate if this planet is another planet’s hell… so I went to Purdy’s and bought myself a little treat- the whipped marshmallow chocolate heart. WOW! Its like LOVE wrapped in chocolate, like happiness put into food! Try it! You will LOVE it!

Drooling over...

Rolled up...



Rolled down...

I haven't been able to find these locally...but they are my next Ugg purchase!  Love them!!!

Shhh… it’s a secret…

I bought my first pair of Ugg boots at Browns last year, right before the 2010 Winter Olympics. I think I paid about $325 for them. Kinda expensive for a pair of boots that were on the ugg-ly side and made my feet look like Yogi Bear’s paws. But they are fashionable and also very warm and comfy especially during Vancouver winters.

Fast forward to January 2011 and my trip to Seattle with my cousin, Jocelyn. She needed to make a quick stop at Nordstrom’s to pick up a pair of Uggs that her best friend ordered from Texas. We proceeded to the children’s shoe department…but wait… hold on?!! Why would we pick up a pair of Uggs for an adult woman, in the children’s shoe department? …And this is where the secret lies:

Children’s Ugg boots fit adult women up to a size 8! And they are only $109 at Nordstrom’s. The same shoes upstairs in the women’s shoe department sell for $149.

I know what you are thinking… are you sure? How can that possibly be? Noooo, she must be mistaken. Trust me, I am sure. I tried on a pair of children’s Ugg boots in a size 6, and they fit perfectly. I was thrilled at this discovery… and then horrified that I spent over $200 for the same pair of shoes at home. C’est la vie. You win some, you lose some.

Now you know my little secret…but shhh….we don’t want the whole world to know! *wink*

A Little Bit Country

On my birthday this year, my cousin Jocelyn and I went to see the new Gwyneth Paltrow movie, Country Strong. The critics panned it and Rotten Tomatoes gave it an 18% splat…but I LOVED it. I loved the acting from the ensemble, the fashion (of course!), *the music* (surprising!) and the sadness (?!) . Oh yes… how I loved the sadness… so haunting and beautiful.

When the stars line up/
and you catch a good break/
and people think your lucky/
but you know it’s grace/
it can happen so fast/
or a little bit late/
timing is everything

*Hold your breath girls* (and the odd boy that will read this)… but I LOVE the soundtrack; in fact I LOVE both soundtracks. This is a shocking revelation because… it’s country. I’m not even a little bit country; I’m a city girl…I go to high tea and my drinks have umbrellas in them, I don’t own a cowboy hat and I certainly don’t listen to the twang of the steel guitar…until now. I love every single song, I relive every single heartbreak and wallow around in the sadness of this melancholy music but the amazing thing about it is: its uplifting.

Try out Summer Girls, Timing is Everything, Coming Home and Give In To Me…you’ll be humming along in city traffic daydreaming about Texas and a boy named Beau. *sigh*