Enjoy Coach 20% Off

Coupon for 20% off at Coach. Offer ends Sunday.
See y'all later.. off to camp I go. : ) Be back Monday.

Back To School Wishlist

I saw a lot of pretty cool styles of clothing this summer..and shoes too. Particularly this pair which I saw on Tessa's blog. It's just neat how the zipper works so well with the rest of the design of the shoe. It doesn't look uncomfortable either and for me that's really important cause I am not good with heels.


Since I can't really go shopping, I've created a wish list for fun. I know, weird but hey it never hurts to wish. Here's a few things I definitely wouldn't mind having for back to school, and yes I'm going back to school : )

Here's a Hollister plaid shirt.

Guess Plaid Shirt - I really want something plaid.

Sigg water bottle.

Forever21 - Flat black canvas shoes.

Roxy flat canvas shoes

Macram Trim Open Cardigan - been looking for a cheap one.

Hilary Radley Nylon Satin Satchel Bag - something similar, not too dressy, spacious. Saw one at A&N but it was made from PVC and I can get quite anal about PVC stuff since it's bad for the environment.

Guess Casey Cardigan - Can't get enough of cardigans.

Criss Cross Sandals - This one's from Forever21. Anything similar will do. I see lot's of these and Lisa's blog features herself wearing hers.

Converse Shoes - Perhaps a pair of Keds/Vans would be ideal too. Something casual and comfortable.

What are your back to school wants?

Enter the Stycki Contest if you haven't yet. There will be a draw for the winner on the first week of September.

A New Creation: Stycki

Today I will be leaving for a convention in Seattle. But before that, I thought I’d release our (Styc and I) homemade crafts business – Stycki Creations.

We currently specialize in altered clipboards. Altered clipboards are clipboards that have been decorated and creatively designed. Below is one of our products from our nature collection - green bamboo.



Description:
The Stycki clipboard is carefully and uniquely hand painted and then glazed with a matte finish of mod podge. In the back of the board a square has been cut out and a piece of metal has been inserted inside.

This metal allows the board to be magnetic. The magnetic surface measures at a 4”x4” square. The purpose of this magnetic surface is to give the clipboard a double feature. Rather than just
clipping pictures or photos it allows you to magnetically attach photos or notes on the board as well. : )

Purpose:
Stycki clipboards can be used for almost anything. It’s a creative way to scrapbook and display your photos all at the same time. They can be hold recipes, photos, notes, just a few things to name and they make great gifts for any occasion. They’re all unique and custom made so once a design is gone it’s gone. Selling at $25 CDN each.

Package:
Each Stycki board comes with two pieces of photo paper to print your own photos, one Stycki sticker (Stycker), and one lady bug magnet.

If you’re interested, have questions or comments just drop me a note here and I’ll answer when I get back. Readers who have commented will be entered into a draw. (Don't forget to leave your email and blog site if any). Styc and I will draw one random name and give away one free Stycki board to one lucky reader!

You Are What You Smell

Sometimes I find that I can recognize people by their scents. Whether it's a certain cologne they wear, a brand of soap they use or even the smell of their home (You can literally smell incense or tiger balm on their clothes depending on what scents dominate their homes). Although I’m not a big fan of perfume, I do have a small collection of body mists and lotions. My favorite scents include Victoria's Secret's Amber Romance (a vanilla-like scent) and melon or fruit scented liquid soap from Bath & Body Works. I also like anything that's natural and organic which can be found in Body Shop or Sabon, a bath and body store. Sabon also carries a variety of room fragrances too - so in case you really don't want to smell like incense there are better alternatives like tangerine, green tea, vanilla, etc.

Sabon also carries natural creams which I think is something worth a try. I currently use one from Body Shop but sometimes I find that my skin is still a bit dry. I think I'll look into a new day cream since it seems like my skin has adjusted to the current one. Perhaps something fragrance free or fruit scented would be ideal. With any products, it's always good to check them out thoroughly especially if you have sensitive skin just to be safe of allergic reactions.

If you know of any perfumes that aren't very strong or floral scented, or fruit scented creams you recommend, please fire them this way or let me know if you've done any reviews on your blog : )

Volumizing Mascara

So, I need something that can give me false thick looking eyelashes. Doesn't have to extend them, I think my length is alright. Any suggestions?

Shopping: Out of Control?

Bluenotes - $5 graphic tee "I rock denim jeans, rad tees & lipgloss" Tessa, it's almost like your tagline cept yours is 'dope tees.'

I believe many women out there are guilty of excessive shopping even though we technically do need more than 10 pairs of heels to match our 20 (or more) different out fits. Don’t forget makeup and handbags! Without really thinking about it our shopping impulses are making holes in our wallets! I think it’s when the credit card statement arrives that gets us thinking about our expenses. It’s easy to get caught off guard shopping especially with all the sidewalk sales going on. I must say it was hard to resist buying all the $5 tees and tanks and $10 tops at Metrotown. We all have our moments so here’s what I came up with to discipline my shopping habits:

Budget it. Easier said than done and a very common piece of advice. Who follows budgets anyways? Nonetheless, this method works for me because I like to stick to my commitments. I feel very burdened when I budget $100 per month for shopping but end up going over. I usually update someone with my shopping expenses just to stay in line with my budget.

Be Practical. Too often we buy what we don’t need or too much of what we need. I think it was two years ago that I bought myself a snowboard jacket and pants at a warehouse sale. To this day I still haven’t gone snowboarding yet. Every year after that I see lots of snowboard jacket deals – even nicer styles. What about 3 for $25 deals or just buying in multiples? Most likely we don’t need three tank tops so why not split it with a friend?

Be Purposeful. Shop for what you came for. A lot of times I find myself distracted while shopping. I would be shopping for much needed career wear but then I'd see sales on casual clothes and I'd end up buying that instead. This totally defeated the purpose of my shopping trip and I really didn’t need any more casual clothes to add to the massive casual wardrobe I have already.

Sales Only. Buy it only when it’s on sale. That’s my philosophy. Well, you do lose out a bit on this one. Considering buying things on sale means that the product might be going out of season or style. But everything that goes out of style comes back again anyway, like wedged heels: Watch this clip (story of stuff) to see how that works. Most of the times when I do resist from buying a regular priced item I do find the same item on sale elsewhere. It takes patience and courage to say no. You can also expect to shop at places like Winners or Army&Navy for better deals. I bought my boots at Army&Navy for half the price of what they were selling for at the malls.

Bring a Buddy. Our friends might be shopaholics too but sometimes their opinions can convert yours. I opted out of buying a pair of shoes and a hoody while I was away in Kelowna thanks to my friend: “you can find a better one for that price,” and “those shoes make your feet look small.”

Lose the Credit Card. Spend cash only. Credit cards give us the convenience of shopping and shopping more. If you have trouble restricting yourself perhaps you can hand over your credit card to a trusted friend or sister. My friend knows to hand her credit card to her sister when she she's about to over spend.

Once and For All. What is the one thing you really want? Sometimes one big purchase satisfies you enough to not buy anything else for a while. While this could be effective to save you from many shopping trips, it can also be stressful as you are almost on a fast or a diet. I bought one item yesterday at Metrotown and even though it wasn’t expensive, I still had to make a choice between buying that one pricier item or many less expensive items.

Start a Fund. Help a charity or organization or better yet yourself. By contributing to a fund, this can help dispose your money in places where it’s much needed. Try sponsoring a child or donating to a cause that affects you. If not, there are probably other areas in your life that you can start funding for. I have my wedding fund to contribute to so by keeping that in perspective I strive to save my money for bigger priorities. For some of you it may be another kind of fund that needs your attention: student loan, car loan, a house, mortgage, debt etc.

Closet Check. Sometimes I realize I own something that I bought a long time ago but haven't worn yet. Clothes stuffed in the back of the closet are usually forgotten. It’s always good to check your closet once in a while so you don’t end up buying what you might already have.

Borrow It. Not everything will be worn more than once. Sometimes we just need a cocktail dress for that party or wedding. Why not borrow and swap clothes with friends?

I Dig 99cents Frozen Yogurt

Food

• Second Cup is offering small frozen yogurts for 99cents! For Vancouver people, there's one located in Burrard Downtown. More Vancouver locations available.
• Friends & Family Clothing Warehouse Sale at Lonsdale North Van. Brand name items, yoga wear, dresses, hoodies, etc. Here's a list of what they're selling for cheap. July 25-26 2009. Two days only.
• Boathouse Birthday Join the Westcoast Club and you will receive a $25 Dinner giftcard for your Birthday.
• Vera's Burger Shack Get a $10 gift card on your birthday by subscribing to Vera's newsletter. This place makes awesome burgers. I tried my very first one today since a new location just opened in Gastown by my workplace. They cook your burger when you order!

Shopping

• Metrotown Sidewalk Sale July 13 - 19 2009

Site Seeing

• Capilano Suspension Bridge is offering a pass that is good until December 31st, 2010 for $20.10. That's cheaper than a single day pass! Great for relatives/friends who are visiting Vancouver. Get the coupon.

Jobs

• Aritzia Hiring Fair 2009
  DATE: Saturday July 18th
  TIME: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
  LOCATION: Storyeum - 142 Water Street Vancouver, BC V6B 1B2
  What to Bring: Resume + SIN

Summer Stuff

So here's a small photo collection of a few of my summer moments so far. Summer clothes, summer places, food, etc.

This is one blinged out looking church. My fiance looks like he's really captivated by it. Or maybe not cause you really can't tell with his back turned. I thought the chandelier was pretty cool. It's on boundary and 29th - we checked it out when they held a Summer Greek Fest.

This is Grouse Mountain... before the climb. I didn't know what to expect and little did I know I went right after a full breakfast meal at Knight&Day and almost fainted on the way up. My stomach was churning and not to mention it was quite hot even with the shade from the trees. I still made it!

Can't have summer without the floral print dresses. It's time to wear them out or else they're only going to be worn for weddings and stuffed at the back of the closet.

For $6 at Army&Navy I get floral shorts! Awesome deal. Price reduced from $10. If you're on a budget it's a good place to shop for brand names and rare unheard of brands too haha.

Custom made sunflower earrings with a bit of attitude. They add a little sunshine to almost any outfit.

Watermelon coin purse. This is one of my favorite accessory purchases. I got it in gastown along with my butterfly one.

Watermelon coin purse to match with the dress.

I bought ice cream with the little money I earned from doing a simple design piece. Green tea ice cream from Mario Gelato's is the BEST green tea ice cream I've had so far. The strawberry I added for extra flavor. It was awesome.

So at the Summer Greek Fest, I think they were trying to raise money. I bought a $5 frozen yogurt dessert. It consisted of real strawberries, syrup(?), chocolate shavings, and frozen yogurt. The mix was good but the frozen yogurt could use something more.

Alright, Okanagans at 6am. Back on Sunday : ) In the meantime if you want, share your summer stuff on your blog and I'll come back and read'em.

Summer Freebies & Deals

Sometimes I get coupons for free stuff like a bottle of Herbal Essence shampoo. Anyway, that deal's expired but here's some current deals:

National Slurp Day - Free slurpee this Saturday July 11. Facebook event.
Playland 2 for 1 Tuesday - Two passes for the price of one! Click here for coupon.
$10 Mascara Voucher at the Bay -Bring in a tube of old mascara and get a $10 voucher for a new one.

Oh and I also got the free Coach pencils from Pacific Centre. The box is nice but the pencils are regular pencils but branded with Coach on it. Coach was conveniently by the skytrain station so why not.

Ten Ways To Cope With A Bad Day

Well, my good buddy is going to China tonight. See ya laters and don't forget to bring me back a souvenir tshirt. : ) And good luck to the rest of the team - going to China to educate the kids and more.. it's truly honorable.

So, ten ways to cope with a bad day. I think the weather has really been getting to me lately. For a week it has been raining. (At least the Okanagans will cure all that. 36 degrees!) Yea and not to mention there's so much stuff going on this month that my head's about to fall off. There it goes. Now it's rolling around my messy bedroom that is in dire need of attention.

Anyway let's get on with it starting with number 10.

10. Mini Vacations. A coworker of mine booked off half a day and headed for the beach. Sometimes that's all you need.

9. Sweets. I like crème brulee, green tea ice cream bubble tea, Mario's Gelato, chocolate and a lot of other stuff. Eating chocolate helps your brain release endorphins - the happy hormone. It's claimed to help reduce pain and stress.

8. Write. Journal/diary/blog, etc. I usually feel a bit better after I've expressed it in writing.

7. Make New Goals. I like to set goals so I can focus on something rather than how I feel.

6. Do Devotions. Reflection and prayer time. Know the big guy will take care of it.

5. Cry. Letting it out. Sometimes for no reason a good cry just helps your insides feel better. Even if nothing's changed on the outside. (ie circumstances/situation).

4. Shop. I'm easy to please so window shopping and buying small random things satisfy.

3. Find Company. Misery loves company. I tend to seek out friends on MSN or Facebook or just go out and do something. Last time when I was feeling kind of off I went jogging with a friend who just chatted and rollerbladed along side of me... around and around the school we went.

2. YouTube. I don't watch TV. I am more of a computer person so in replacement of TV I watch YouTube. People's homemade vids to illegally uploaded Korean dramas and TVB shows are what I like to indulge in on a rainy day or a day that's just gone bad. I know the dramas make me cry more but other than that the other stuff makes me laugh.

1. Jog. Jogging is good exercise and makes you feel better emotionally. I jog to feel better not to get a magazine body or anything close even. It's just tough on rainy days so this one's not always applicable. And I'd like to sneak in one more thing... sunflowers.

Does any of these ways apply? What doesn't work? If you have some ideas let me know. It's good to switch it up sometimes and have more ways to resort to.

Chinese Qipao or Cheong Sam

Cheong Sam just means 'long dress.' I decided to google up some images of this Chinese traditional dress but didn't have much luck finding the really nice ones. A few of them look pretty nice and as always I find nice things that stand out about each one. I am also looking into purchasing my very first Cheong Sam or qipao (same thing) for the wedding reception.

Click on Photos to Enlarge.
I actually like the pattern on this one. However, I'm not sure how the Chinese elders would like the part where a big gap exposes part of my chest.

I like the print on this one. Its got nice flowers but not a typical wedding qipao.

A nice design especially where the buttons are off to the side but the pattern reminds me of the red background with gold dragons that you typically find in Chinese restaurants.

It's a nice print. Love the flowers and the whole look.

I like green as it's one of my favorite colors. However, the right shoulder would be totally exposed. It looks kind of modern but both color and style doesn't seem to suit a Chinese reception.

Once again, love these buttons. Pink looks quite nice but I like it without sleeves.

The way the the collar is sewn creating that tear drop in the middle looks pretty cool.

This one is quite simple. Maybe a little too Miss Hong Kong pageant (Is she?). I do like the idea of the red flower in her hair.

Gold colored qipao. One of my friends wore a gold one. It seemed to suit the wedding reception.

The design is quite nice. Maybe without the sleeves. I would look so Miss Hong Kong in one of these.

Anyway, nothing wrong with Honger looks or anything. I'm just not used to qipaos and looking oriental. But hey, I'd love to wear a qipao for a day just cause they're so amazing in their different prints and styles. I tried a few at the mall and I guess I do look like a Miss Hong Kong. I get my 'look' from my dad.

Any nice qipaos that you've seen on the internet? Send me some photos or you can let me know what styles are in... or perhaps where I can get one.

FREE Coach Pencils

Get your FREE Coach pencils. That's right. Coach as in Coach bags/wallets. They're giving out pencils with their brand on it. I know it's not much but it does come in a nice box and a cute bag - so people have said. If you're going to go there anyway might as well pick up some free pencils by filling out this form. Then print it out and bring it to a Coach store near you (US and Canada only). While supplies last!

Dry Ice Dissolving in Loon Lake

We were at Loon Lake for a company retreat and we used dry ice for one of the activities. After that we had to dump it out so we decided to dump it into the lake. One of our coworkers had a water proof camera so we got her to video the whole effect. It's really awesome watching how the ice reacts underwater. The bubbles remind me of a pop drink. It's like a close up of how a carbonated drink would look like if we were inside the bottle. : )




This second one's even more awesome. It's coming towards you.