beat of your own drum

one of the things i love most about fashion is that you can have your own fun with it. everyone is 'expressing' themselves through clothes whether they realize it or not. ultimately, i don't think it's about what's considered 'fashionable' by everyone at condé nast but instead what you think looks and feels good.

listening to: if your mother only knew- rahzel

anna dello russo getting ready for the vogue paris 90th anniversary ball in a gareth pugh headpiece and emilio pucci dress. first of all, the headpiece is incredible and how genius is the platinum wig she's wearing under it? 

a pic of hanneli mustaparta, and yes, she's wearing EYELINER on her head. it may be hard to get off, but i for one have not seen anything like this before and i think it was a really bold move with her outfit.

images from 7 halos and hanneli

i also saw this on ASOS the other day:

ASOS Metal Palm Cuff

i can't really decide whether i think it looks good, silly or if pamela love's f/w 2011 lookbook will end up having palm cuffs galore. 

breaking in the kitchen

angus beef burger with caramelized onions and mushrooms cooked with hot pepper flakes, garlic, brie cheese and pesto mayonnaise served on a calabrese bun

pizza with pesto, mozzarella cheese, garlic, prosciutto, caramelized onions and mushrooms and goat cheese

ever since i moved out of university residence last year, i've been dreading the thought of preparing my own meals every day. before this year, i can truly say that i didn't even know how to make the college student's go-to quick meal, kraft dinner. if you told my parents that i would be cooking their dinner, their reactions would be on par with this:

however, i've recently become more inspired in the kitchen and that's mostly due to my sister, roommates and friends (who are all great cooks and very experimental in the kitchen) and a newfound obsession with cooking shows (i don't understand 99.9% of the ingredients or techniques, but the outcome always looks amazing).

i posted two pictures at the top of recent meals i've made. i now realize that i use garlic, caramelized onions and mushrooms in most of my meals.....

listening to: bohemian love- coco sumner

this is a man's world (but it would be nothing without a woman or a girl)

this post was inspired by one of my latest purchases. i had run out of my pink dove deodorant with "pro-epil complex" that reduced the appearance of stubble (um...ya, ok) and was perusing the aisles of shoppers drug mart for a new stick. i was about to pick out the same old deodorant when i noticed the men's deodorant section  right next to it. i've always loved the smell of men's deodorant so i grabbed a stick of old spice 'matterhorn' off the shelf and bought it. i've been using it for about two weeks now and i LOVE it. not only does it smell great but it works really well. who says that deodorant has to be separated by gender?

which brings me to the second part of the post: i've seen lots of menswear-inspired looks recently and am totally loving how it can make a woman look tough, sexy and powerful at the same time. here are some of my favourite outfits:

listening to: the bucket- kings of leon

images from hanneli, refinery29, the sartorialist, mr. newton and vanessa jackman

oh frida!

i really like the new model du jour, the young frida gustavsson. she's from stockholm, sweden and is only 17! the only people taking pictures of me when i was 17 were my parents. i think she has a great look, kind of similar to coco rocha. here are some of my favourite shots of her:
listening to: woods- bon iver

from top: elle sweden nov. '10, vogue uk dec. '10, vogue germany march '10, h&m magazine winter '10, vagabond ss '10 campaign

images taken from fashion gone rogue and butterflies & hurricanes

picture this

to get over our humpday blues, my roommate jessica and i did our own little impromptu photoshoot. here are the results.

listening to: soul's on fire- anthony hamilton

tank: banana republic, skirt: forever 21

top, necklace, bracelet: forever 21, jeans: american eagle, shoes: deena & ozzy

dress: bcbg, fur scarf: club monaco, earrings: forever 21

mesh bodysuit: forever 21, mesh bodysuit (underneath): american apparel, black jeans: urban outfitters

model: jessica simmonds

stylist & photographer: nicole park

avert your eyes

sorry ladies, this post is for the men. so close your eyes, back away from the computer and leave the page open so your significant other can unknowingly stumble upon it and bring you some cheer this holiday season.

for the boys: don't leave your holiday shopping last minute this season! whether you're celebrating christmas, hanukkah or kwanzaa, your lady deserves to know that she is in your thoughts. for your benefit, i compiled a list of gift ideas (all under $100!) to help you choose the perfect present.

moleskine 2011 a4 daily planner ($39.95): so your social gal can keep track of all her events this holiday season. bonus: mark down spontaneous dates in the agenda (i.e. make-our-own fajitas night or midnight stroll through the city)

freehands cashmere gloves ($80): so she can keep in touch with you and her friends via texting while keeping her hands warm.

madewell sequin sleeve tee ($34.99): easy to dress up or down, you can be sure that this will be her holiday wardrobe staple.

asos short fantasy faux fur leopard snood ($31.03): very on trend and it can protect her hair in the snow and wind!

chain fringe pouch bag ($19.80): stylish across-the-body bag that will keep her hands free.

asos tombola shearling cuff shoe boot ($86.20): the grips on the bottom will prevent her from slipping and the neutral colour will work seamlessly with all her outfits.

lomographic holga starter kit ($59.95): everything your girl needs to start taking amazing lomographic photos!

tiny tassels earrings ($20): fun holiday earrings that she'll be wearing to every party

grey fairy print ruffle tie waist teddy ($65): a fun, printed teddy that she can wear to lounge around the fireplace or wear to bed

p.s. i made this book by erica domesek ($12.89): this book offers amazing DIYs that will keep your girl inspired

the sartorialist by scott schuman ($16.50): she probably already follows the amazing blog under the same name, and now she can have this incredible coffee table book filled with street style pictures

alex and ani expandable wire bangle with plume feather ($48): this eco-friendly line offers amazing jewelry and this bangle is no exception. trust me, she'll love it. 

iphone wood infocase by vers audio ($39.99): this renewable iphone case is sure to be a hit; it is crafted from select US hardwoods and bamboo. vers also replants 100 trees for every single tree they use!

hot water bottle in cream ($24.99): she can save energy this winter AND keep warm with this cozy hot water bottle.

spa wisdom™ polynesia monoi miracle oil ($20): as part of an environmentally friendly line for the body shop, this multi-purpose oil can be used to condition her skin and hair, or for a late-night massage...

burt's bees essential body kit ($19.99): this company is famed for its use of natural materials. help keep her skin soft with this kit that includes cream, lotions and salves.

"no kill" cruelty free leather bound journal ($29): this journal is "100% tree-free" and is instead made from handmade cotton rag paper and cruelty free leather.

know it all pencil set ($10): a set of six pencils with cute "know-it-all" sayings printed on them

honeydew® intimates swiss-dot bralette ($32): nobody but you will know what she's wearing underneath her winter sweater at the library...

honeydew® intimates swiss-dot thong ($18): well you need to buy her a set, don't you?

make your own ukulele kit ($44): she'll have fun building her own ukulele and even more fun learning songs with you in her down time

give tea a chance tea bags ($10.62): she'll appreciate these cute tea bags that feature famous historical figures such as gandhi, mother teresa and nelson mandela.

asos leather leopard print pony skin purse ($31.03): she can keep organized with this trendy wallet! 

beauty in the streets

i came across the site unurth street art via honestly...WTF and wasted a good amount of time looking at the pictures. the site showcases street art from all around the world and you could spend hours looking at all these imaginative creations. here are some of my faves:
listening to: teardrop- massive attack

artist: phlegm, location: sheffield

artist: blu, location: grottaglie, italy

artist: holinaty and ramsey, location: alberta, canada

artist: herbert baglione, location: são paulo, brazil

artist: know hope, location: vienna

artist: laguna skount, location: zaragoza, spain

artist: specter, location: siberia

artist: philippe baudelocque, location: paris, france

nothing to hide

i'm sure all of you girls have experienced the same embarrassing moment of reaching for something in your bag/wallet/pocket and accidentally pulling out/knocking out/flinging a stray tampon at an unsuspecting cashier/ friend's dad/professor. and to your utter horror, you find that the tampon has come out of the plastic applicator (trust me, it's even more mortifying. at least when it's still in the applicator they can't be too sure. is it a mouse from the future? your trinket usb from chinatown?). what's frustrating is that most of the time...you don't even remember putting it there! i know that i usually empty my bags of period paraphernalia once that time of the month is over, but there's always one that gets away.

which is why i think this new trend of clear bag wear is absolutely brilliant. it looks incredibly cool and you'll have the comfort of knowing that there can be nothing hiding in your see-through bag. i saw viviana volpicella's (assistant fashion editor at vogue nippon) clear prada clutch on the sartorialist a while ago and fell in love.

close up of the bag:

images from the sartorialist and jak & jil

then today, i saw a post on one of my favourite blogs, honestly...WTF, on how to make your own transparent clutch! i'm not handy with tools at all so the actual process seemed a little tricky, but the outcome is amazing!

learn how to do this DIY here

i just wanted to end with another picture of a bag on the same topic. i hope netted bags are being given the ok for public use other than the beach, because i think lowell delaney looks pretty cool with hers. 

image from hanneli

world traveller

this editorial with daria werbowy and lily donaldson, shot by mario testino, is an oldie but a goodie (vogue uk, march 2008). i believe it was shot in peru (testino himself was born in lima, peru) and i think it's supposed to depict the celebration 'virgen del carmen', which is basically a 3 day binge of drinking, dancing and scary masks. the colours in this editorial are a feast for the eyes and it remains one of my faves. how incredible is that shot of daria walking with the llamas (hello, new desktop background), or the one of her going down the stairs in the deliciously coloured dress with the feathered collar....
makes me want to book tickets to peru asap!
listening to: bag- gloria cycles

click on the pics for HQs

see more pics at life in pics and table tonic