Best host(ess) gift ever….

Teroforma Whiskey Rocks… ’nuff said

Available locally at: Homewerx, Call the Kettle Black and Chapters.ca

Kitchen Gadgets on my Must Have List

You can never have enough kitchen gadgets. From grape peelers and grapefruit serrated spoons, to milk frothers and large-capacity food processors. One thing I will never use are those slicers — I’m a traditional knife kinda girl. Williams Sonoma is probably THE best place to find all your gadgets – from the mainstream to specialty, they have it all or will. Some are useful, some are fun gifts, some are purely indulgent. Oh BTW, they have great recipes that actually work – worth a try =)

Monogrammed Forged Steak Brand 

Now this is what I’m talking about! A perfect gift for the dad, husband, brother or man in your life who takes pride in the steaks that he grills and wants to tell everyone. Secretly, I want one of these too! Custom order only – 1, 2 or 3 initials for $$39.95.

Nordic Ware Egg Waffle Pan

This is another MUST BUY for me – I’ve been an egg waffle fan from very the first bite into the crunchy yet warm and soft goodness that is a HK snack staple. You can find it in Richmond at the Asian malls or night market for $4 a waffle. Psh. Now I can make it at home. Looks like you do need a gas stove for the best crunchy on the outside effect. I know there’s an electric version of this out there somewhere. $49.95

Nordic Ware Rolled Omelette Pan

Because I’m Asian and all I own is a wok, it’s hard to “roll the omelette” when what you’re working with is circular. Ok fine – it’s not one of those necessary things like the 2 above, but wouldn’t hurt to add to your collection if you have a lot of cupboard space. $39.95

Breville Electric Milk Frother

This is an indulgence, and yet some swear they can’t live without it – me included. $160.00

Breville Pie Maker

Mini chicken pot pie, mini apple pie, mini blueberry pie, mini strawberry rhubarb pie and the list goes on. It’s the “mini” part that’s appealing. Admit it =) $150.00

Also, Williams Sonoma had these adorable mini madeline pans but alas they’re not on the site anymore. Look for it in the stores.

A VERY Late Xmas Wishlist & Gift Ideas pt. 1

The older I get, the less I buy for myself and the more I buy for others. I’ll buy you what I think you’ll like or need, or I won’t buy you anything at all. If I see something I think you’ll like, I probably won’t be able to wait till your birthday/anniversary/Christmas – it’ll just show up at your door. I’ve bought stuff for everyone else but myself this year, but think I’ll start my wishlist around Xmas and hopefully acquire it throughout the year.

Here are a few things I’m lemming, and hoping that if you’re stuck for some last minute Xmas gifts, my list will give you a few ideas.

  1) CHOCOLATE - you can NEVER go wrong with chocolate, unless it’s Black Magic or Ferrero Rocher (not that I’m a chocolate snob, but these are GIFTS, you see). I always go local (no Godiva) because the local stuff are more artisan and tend to be fresher (there IS a difference). My go-to places for impressive, unique, local artisan chocolates are Thomas Haas (they also have the most buttery pastries) and Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France (new on the chocolate scene). Like last year, order a day or 2 ahead at Thomas Haas (they’re closed on Sundays and Mondays, unfortunately), but I spotted their gift boxes at Whole Foods on West 8th and Cambie Street. If you want to impress someone, the Earl Grey chocolate at Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France is to die for.  

2) LOLLIA WISH PARFUM - I’ve always loved the Lollia line, especially their Shea Butter handcremes (the perfect hostess gift) and their candles. I was in a store the other day and overheard 3 different people inquire and rave about the Wish parfum (which were conveniently sold out, by the way) and they were added to the waitlist. I have the Wish handcreme, and it dawned on me how dreamy it would be in a parfum (a sweet bouquet of sugarcane, vanilla bean and jasmine). Now on the hunt for it. Get on the list at Beautybar, U Life and Nikaido Gifts. Or online at Anthropologie.

3) URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE - This gorgeous neutral palette has sparked a lemming and buying frenzy almost as crazy as Chanel Vamp (’94)and Black Satin (’06) which went international. No, it’s more of an underground lemming craze a la Bobbi Brown’s Shimmering Nudes Palette (’08) that’s not based on the current fashion craze or fad but because it’s timeless. This palette was released at the end of summer and is completely SOLD OUT.

I have to admit I’ve lapsed on this beauty thing, but when I saw Jen from FrmHeadToToe.com use it (I’ll write a post on her later – she’s my newest makeup guru), I just HAD to have it, only to add myself to the waitlist of 300 at Sephora at Pacific Centre. Want to know how many people want it? I posted on Twitter that I was going to look for it and 4 girls joined in on the conversation – everyone wants it! I stood in the UD section just looking over the collection when the salesperson approached me and said “let me guess, you’re looking for the Naked palette too. Let me add you to the list, we should have some coming in after Christmas.” The proof is in the pudding. If I ever get my hands on it I’m buying 2. I can’t review it because I’ve never held it in me hands (there wasn’t even a tester at Sephora! Guess someone pried it out of the case and swiped it!) but Temptalia, Makeupgeek, MusingsOfAMuse and many other beauty sites gave it full marks, no cons and pretty much a must have in everyone’s collection!

Back to School, Back to Work…

Fall is finally here – I awoke this morning to the tinkle of raindrops on my window, and my eyes were greeted not by the usual blinding sunshine but by dark grey skies… strangely I wasn’t too depressed, but excited  to get back into rainboots, skinny jeans, sweaters, trench coats etc. I don’t know about  you, but though I’ve been out of school for many years, I still mentally adhere to the school schedule of the year starting in the fall – my energy levels are up after a relaxing summer, and I get serious about getting back to the task at hand, whether it’s school, class, work or life… it’s a raring start and a fresh outlook on life and goals, complimented of course, by a new piece for the wardrobe or another classic accessory.

My accessory of choice for this year? What I call the “Back to School/Back to Business” Bag. It’s trendy enough for school, professional enough for work and fun enough for play. My picks:

This is my **DREAM** bag. The Proenza Schouler Large Leather PS1 ($1,995.00 www.barneys.com). Love the neutral colour (smokey grey), the briefcase/schoolbag look, and the buttery leather.

 2nd on the wishlist is the Mulberry Oversized Alexa in Oak ($1250, www.net-a-porter.com) made popular by British presenter Alexa Chung. I’ve seen this twice in Vancouver already on 2 different girls – one was in a floral sundress and the other was in blazer/jeans but it both worked. This is definitely more casual and iconic than the PS1, and there are similarities and differences. If you need help deciding between the two, there’s a purseblog entry on it and discussion in the forums.

 

The Tory Burch Dayton Messenger bag is more on the “affordable” end that doesn’t cost a month’s (or two’s) rent. Available for $550 at www.toryburch.com ot www.nordstrom.com. I’m loving the boldness of the razor blue colour and the contrast of the gold hardware. Don’t buy this if you’re shy.

Song: The Boy Who Murdered Love

From UK X-Factor’s Diana Vickers. Love the style of this video. Very Dace Spring 2010 – I’ve fallen in love with Lili Bulle btw. Great music for those warm lazy hazy days.

Summer Styles: Jelly Shoes

I’m a child of the 80′s, when Nerds and Pop Rocks were the candy (and currency) of choice, you went on exploration expeditions with the neighbourhood kids and instead of flip flops, you slipped on Jelly shoes in the summer. They were easy to run in, didn’t slip off, kept your feet cool, fashionable and feminine.

Thank goodness Jelly shoes are back with a vengeance after years of domination by the unsightly flip flops, which people think can be worn anywhere and with anything. Joined by the Gladiator (-esque) sandal (which won’t go away for a while now), we now have another fashionable (flat) footwear alternative for summer.

Updated for those born in the 80′s, they have either a more sophisticated weave, sport lace patterns, are work appropriate and now in more ‘grown-up’ colours. Some of my picks below:

The ubiquitous Tory Burch Reva Flat, this time in Jelly. Spotted all over NYC. Great for work, play and comes in an assortment of colours. Either comes in all jelly, or jelly with metal logo. $95-$125 usd. At Tory Burch, Nordstroms, Saks, Neimans, Holts… you name it.

My new love – the Jelly Lace Detail Ballet Flat by Melissa. Saw these at Saks. Regret not buying them. Order whole size up if you’re 1/2. $90usd

Melissa Campana Jelly Ballet Flats. Also comes in gold. $80. At Saks, also black and pink at Nordstrom - on sale 40% off now.

Melissa Coral Peep Toe Ballet Flats – love the intricate coral weave! $80 at Saks, order one half size down as these run large. 40% off at Nordstrom.

Need to find

Mackage Nev Leather jacket in Oatmeal. Size S. Fall/Winter08

Mackage Jerry Leather Bomber Jacket in Oatmeal, Size xs

One day I will have…

The Starbucks Gold Card… for people who really love Starbucks. Unfortunately the benefits are only redeemable in the US!

Starbucks Gold Membership Come here often? This is the Card for you. Join for just $25 and unlock a year’s worth of member discounts and gold status. 10% off most purchases in participating stores Pay however you would like (cash, credit card, or Starbucks Card) And when you register, that’s when the top shelf treatment really begins. Surprise indulgences, like a treat on your birthday. Exciting offers and discounts This program is only available to residents of the U.S. If you have a Canadian address and would like to register your Gold Card to protect your membership and Card balance, you may register your Card here. However, you will not be eligible for any Gold Card benefits in Canada, such as the 10% member discount and a free drink on your birthday.

Stationary part 2

I was so obsessed with letter writing that I used to seal my letters with wax and my personalized seal. Unfortunately, they crack when travelling through the mail, but I found these cute personalized stickers from Papyrus to seal my envelopes with! You can even customize to seal wedding invites!

Wishlist: Stationary

I used to write a lot of letters and still have boxes and boxes of unused stationary. In this world of email, IM, SMS, Facebook, Twitter etc. who has time to even sit down with a pen and paper anymore? My penmanship, which I’ve always been proud of, has now been reduced to a scrawl in shortform, no doubt.

I only realized this when I forgot to buy a card for a friend for his birthday, not because I wanted to send birthday wishes (which leads to another thing I hate – don’t include a card if you’re just going to write “Dear xxx” at the top and “from XXX” at the bottom. If you’re going to do that, just use a gift tag, seeing how it’s $5 per Hallmark greeting. WRITE SOMETHING PERSONAL!!!!!!) – ok rant over.So I forgot to get a card, and I did have something meaningful to give and say to him (“from one tea connoisseur to another, here’s a fab tea from France I picked especially for you”) I pulled out my blank notecards from Crane’s (I prefer the simple, elegant stationary – I get bored of the whimsical quickly) and started writing. The scrawl wasn’t too bad, but I missed it and started digging up my other letter writing materials – monogrammed notecards (need more!), Hello Kitty stationary (need to get rid of those)… and happened upon scented stationary. Sure they made their appearance in Legally Blonde 1, but they’ve been around forever. I used to spritz my letters with perfume, but because I write with fountain pens (sigh) it ran. But now the Soap and Paper Factory has come out with stationary scented with orange blossom, green tea, fig, rosewood etc. I don’t think I can resist, maybe even at $48 a box (!). Available at Wish.list Boutique, 2811 W. Broadway (at MacDonald), Vancouver, 604-676-8070. www.wishlistboutique.ca

Also on the list, more personalized stationary from Cranes.

OMG calling cards! It’s so East Coast! (I’ve been

re-reading Bergdorf Blondes) And OMG x10 I think

I’ve found my dream stationary! Pink and simple!