There's Something About Kerri

Vancouver Fashion Week F/W 2013 is almost here

2013-03-10T21:30:00.004-07:00

It's the time of year again to go catch a glimpse of Vancouver Fashion Week!

The event takes place on March 19 - 24, 2013 at the Chinese Cultural Center in Chinatown and you can purchase your tickets here. You get to preview fall and winter collections from local and international designers.

Here is the schedule listed on the VFW website:

I'm very excited to attend this year! I'm most likely attending the weekend shows with some fellow bloggers. I realized I broke my camera and I will definitely need to hustle and find a working camera to document my experience. If you are impatient and cannot wait for VFW to arrive, please visit their blog for your fashion needs.

Reasons why you should go to Vancouver Fashion Week:

1) You are mesmerized by runway shows: the clothes, the hair, the models, the make up, the background music... the whole works!

2) You may be asked to get a photo taken of your stylish outfit by photographers

3) To mingle with other fashion enthusiasts and industry members

4) Support local Vancouver designers :)

5) To see what the fall and winter trends will be before the summer starts

Happy Valentine's Day!

2013-02-14T18:00:00.001-08:00

I've chosen to feature some Tiffany & Co. jewelry today for Valentine's Day.

What girl doesn't want something Tiffany on this special day (or any day for that matter)?

These are my picks under $250:

buy here

Here are some classic Tiffany favorites:

PALOMA PICASSO® LOVE AND KISSES PENDANT

Photo Credit: © Tiffany & Co.Love and Kisses pendant in sterling silver

by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co.

$250

buy here

ELSA PERETTI® OPEN HEART PENDANT

Photo credit: Josh HaskinOpen Heart pendant in sterling silver

by Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co.

$205

buy here

In the spirit of Valentine's Day I thought this made such a lovely combination.

Alexander McQueen scarf in coral (similar), YSL arty ring in love pink (similar),

Prada wallet in cammeo (similar) and Joe Fresh nail polish in coral

What's New?

2013-02-12T23:49:00.000-08:00

Hello dear followers!

My apologizes for not making any creative posts at the moment within the new year. I do have a Valentine's day post coming up soon with some beautiful jewelry pieces. So stay tuned to that.

Balenciaga City in lagoon with rosegold hardware, J Brand houlihan in vintage olive,

Salvatore Ferragamo varina flats in black, Suzy Shier blouse.

Ever since I switched back to an Iphone with the 5 came out in October last year, I have been using Instagram more. It's just the lazy way of doing some outfit posts. If you have Instagram, follow me at Kerribabe18 and let me know you are a follower and I'll follow you back. I love to keep in contact with my followers because we usually have the same interests.

The absence of working out from October 2012 - December 2012.

But I kept a fairly clean diet so it helped a little. This is 'square one' for January 2013

This is about 2-3 weeks after that first picture. Getting it back slowly but still far from my ideal goal.

Little steps amount to big changes!

What have I been doing lately? Getting fit! I was never fat nor skinny as a child - just average size. I've been eating a cleaner diet (I've cut out Chinese dinners) for all my meals from Sunday to Thursday. I only have 2 cheat meals on Friday and Saturday each. I barely eat any simple carbs like rice, bread, noodles etc. I found this helped me get more toned. You will notice a ton of food pictures on my Instagram haha. This has been my progress so far. I still have a long way to go. My biggest problem area are my thighs. They were always big as a child and they are still the same now. Surprisingly, the ab area hasn't been too difficult to progress from since genetics was fairly kind to me (in only that department). The greatest problem areas for women are always the tummy and thighs for obvious reasons (i.e ideal child bearing qualities).

What my meals have been looking like...

I always make too much food. I could barely wrap this one.

My problem is usually portion control haha.

I go to the gym about 5-6 times a week since the new year. That was my average attendance rate during the summer of 2012 so I'm not one of those New Years Resolution people you see at the gym. I have a body fat percentage of 20.9% now which is better than an average girl but not quite within the athletic range of ~15-18% and not even near the competition level at 12-15%. I just want to be at 15%. Working out is easy but the hard part is the diet. You know what they say: 20% is working out and 80% is all diet. I usually do 1 hour strength training and then 20 mins cardio (1 min walk at level 3, 30 second sprint at 9.2, and with an incline at 3.5). Sprinting is way better for you than a constant easy jog at a 6.5 level.

So I caved in and ate some bread (whole wheat at least..)

because I had to nurse my stomach from alcohol the night before.

I haven't bought anything extravagant lately since I only work once a week and my playing around money usually goes towards food or alcohol. Oh yeah, speaking of alcohol... I honestly don't find the same enjoyment as I did before. I sort of resent every time I go out to drink with my friends. It's making me feel like I'm taking 2 steps back with my healthy lifestyle. With the same amount of empty calories 5 shots of vodka would give me.. I rather spend those empty calories on a delicious belgian waffle.

What my school and work lunches look like. Lots of colour!

My green smoothies: kale, spinach, blueberries, half a banana and some almond milk with hemp and flax seeds.

On second thought, I did buy a Prada wallet right after Christmas. I bought the zip around wallet in the saffiano leather in the colour Cammeo. It's a beautiful pinky nude colour. It's very timeless and I'm happy with it. It was to replace my beautiful Louis Vuitton vernis zippy coin purse wallet in rouge fauviste that I lost in XS in Las Vegas in the summer. I remember that night.. I thought to myself that all I wanted was my wallet back and I hoped whoever found it thought my wallet was a fake. But with the amount of US cash I had in there, I knew they would come to the realization it was indeed a real Louis Vuitton wallet *cries.

Oh yeah! So I've got into Air Jordans lately. I only have two pairs so far: Bred 4s and Raptor 7s. I'm planning to get the Cement 3s and the Grape 5s this year. Then I think I would be done with 2 white sneakers and 2 black ones. It's a rarity to find fashionable female sneaker heads with classy outfits... the typical outfits worn by the majority of female sneaker heads isn't really my style (i.e the ripped jeans, mid drift baring shifts, graphic print overloading tees, and the full on bra & panties shots aren't really my style). Sure they may attract a lot of likes on Instagram (because that's what my sole purpose is in life *sarcasim) but I'm going to be a professional in the future. So you may wonder why I don't really like to show my full face for particular photos...now you know!

With my Raptor 7s

My drawing of Air Jordan True Blue 3s

Happy Lunar New Year

2013-02-09T17:31:00.001-08:00

I decided to get into the spirit by painting my nails! I thought this photo looked really artistic with my YSL arty love pink ring and my Chanel camellia wallet on chain.

I used Joe Fresh nail polish in Sweet Tart along with this gold shimmer nail polish I got from Daiso, a $2 store.

Tiffany has a very unique and modern necklace to celebrate the year of the snake for Lunar New Year.

I think the design is very elegant as it slinks around your neck. It's from Elsa Peretti and it is 18K gold. I borrowed these photos from Tiffany website. So go check out the Tiffany site for more details.

Emerald Green Romper outfit

2012-12-31T08:16:00.001-08:00

I bought this emerald green romper from Tobi a while ago from this post here.

It was $61 and I got the size small.

Here's a picture of Eva Longoria wearing the same thing.

She paired her with a metallic clutch and nude heels.

I paired my outfit with my new Zara spike heels and my signature Zara gold sequin clutch.

Here's an outfit shot in the washroom at Denny's haha. I know. Super classy.

I went to the club that night and I remember why I hate wearing rompers to the club;

It was so hard to go to the washroom because it is a one piece lol.

Anyways, have a great New Years readers. Be safe and spend it with your loved ones.

Winter Break Recent Purchases

2012-12-28T19:17:00.000-08:00

Buy here

I got the blue clutch on sale. It's sold out online but may be available in stores.

Forever 21 floral pants $33.80. Buy here.

Zara pumps for $79.99 from $99.99

Bought this dress from Bryans for $42.50 from $88. I had to take the part under my waist in and make the hips part tighter because it made my behind look dumpy.

This is my outfit for New Years. I'm going to a house party this year. I've always done the hotel parties at Shangri-La and Pan Pacific hotel with my friends. I've always been at a beautiful event where balloons were falling from the sky at midnight, the girls dressed to the nines in gorgeous dresses, the guys in suits and received New Years kiss.

However, most of the girls this year were being indecisive about our plans. So the party planners of our group didn't bother to contact any promoters for NYE earlier - what a shame. I'm grateful that one of my friends took the initiative to plan a house party. I just want to be in a place were all my friends are at for new years.

My Aritzia Favorites

2012-12-28T18:41:00.001-08:00

It's Boxing Week and I've decided to share some of my ultimate favorite pieces that I own from Aritzia.

Some of the pieces are marked down a bit. The markdowns aren't drastic, however, the reductions are better than nothing - if you really wanted a certain item that barely goes on sale. I usually load up on my staples during the mid June private sale but sometimes I just can't wait that long and I cave.

Aritzia has 3 stages of mark downs. However, you risk losing out on your size if you wait too long but the benefit is that the item is cheaper. Usually the classic pieces do not get reduced by much but the seasonal items/seasonal colours undergo deeper cuts.

Wilfred Balzac sweater on sale for $99 from $115. I love this sweater because it's made out of silk and cashmere. I usually lay it flat to dry on a drying rack to avoid dry cleaning it. Buy here.

Talula Betty blouse $32-43 from $48. I have this in royal blue. Buy here.

Wilfred Chevalier jacket $215 from $225. It's such an effortless chic blazer.

I'm planning to get the cream one soon. Buy here.

T. Babaton Elliot pants $65-85 from $95. I have this in the blue, black and grey. They stretch out a bit which is annoying but they are really figure flatting. Buy here.

Mackage Bessie coat for $399 from $490. I got this last year for $299. Such a great deal on Mackage. I love the shawl collar but it pills a lot so I have to defuzz it every now and then. I'm sort of sick of my T. Babaton Howell coat, every girl and their mom has it. Buy here.

T. Babaton Finley blouse $85-99 from $115. I love the cut of this silk blouse. However, I hate steaming Aritzia's georgette silk items so I try to avoid buying these silk blouses. Buy here.

T. Babaton Beekman sweater for $135 from $145. I bought this one during Boxing Day. The sale for it was horrible but I didn't care because I wanted this anyways. I love this shawl cardigan because of the multi-tonal grey hues. The shawl part almost makes it look like you are wearing a scarf. Love the soft feeling of the cashmere. I'm planning to buy the beige one soon but I have a feeling it will be further reduced since it's not a popular colour as this grey one. Buy here.

Loft 82 - Granville St pop up shop

2012-11-23T19:24:00.002-08:00

I walked by this pop up shop along Granville - it was next to Brandy & Meville and Spank.

This particular burgundy jacket caught my eye and I ventured in. Retails for $188

The employees had a soft opening of the store and the grand opening was the next day.

The store is very fresh and rustic yet modern.

I love the jewelry in the store. They were all very dainty.

I really like the bow necklace on the far left

The dangling jewel necklaces and the tree branch necklace were adorable.

The necklaces were fairly priced at $15 - 35

Lace and sparkle. How elegant.

Cozy knits

I really like the far left riding pants. Priced at $68.

The store will only be here till sometime in January.

I saw so many pieces that I liked and I'll be sure to come back for something.

Blanche Macdonald Annual Fashion Design Show 2012

2012-11-23T19:08:00.000-08:00

Intialed and I made our way to the Blanche Macdonald fashion show.

What I'm wearing:

Forever 21 peplum jacket (similar), Wilfred lace tank, J Brand Agnes jeans (here), Ferragamo flats (here) and Balenciaga giant city bag (here). For Initialed's outfit, please visit her blog.

We snacked on cupcakes from Bake Sale Baking Co. The red velvet was our favorite!

Blanche Macdonald was offering 25% off their beauty products that night.

We noticed the beautiful face lace - I think they were stickers or maybe temporary tattoos for your face.

We mingled with the guests and spotted some familiar faces of some noted Vancouver bloggers. That's where I bumped into The Starving Stylist. I love his sense of style. The photos on his blog are always beautifully taken. You can tell his photos were methodically taken - even though the photo may be of random accessories are strewn about, the photo looks luxurious and artistic.

The set up of the fashion show was simple and beautiful. It was a dark runway flanked with rows of clear "ghost chairs"

Photo credits to brentdjc

The collection was created by the 2012 graduates of Blanche Macdonald. My camera was not very good so I did not have any good photos of the show. I did manage to take this one. I love the tattoo placement on the model.

The following photos are press photos for Blanche Macdonald by Dela Cruz PR

These were my favorites of the show:

Vancouver Fashion Week S/S 2013

2012-11-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

I went to a Vancouver Fashion Week show a couple months back in September.

I'm wearing the same outfit as in the Rachel Roy event

because I went straight to VFW right afterwards.

I attended this event with Style Love and Oh So Vonnie.

It was great seeing some familiar faces in between the breaks of the shows. I love attending Vancouver Fashion Week for the hectic atmosphere, the creativity of the clothes, the background music, the flashing lights, the media taking your photo (if they considered your outfit was stylish enough), and the slender models walking the elongated runway. I feel like I'm in my element. The essence of a fashion show resonates well with me. Therefore, I will make the effort to attend VFW at least one day of the week, for a few hours if I have to.

My outfit for that night:

Forever 21 peplum top (similar) and skort (similar), ASOS clutch (similar), Christian Louboutin heels

My colour combination of mixing neon with black was a hit.

So much in fact that the colleague of the producer's assistant coincidentally paired neon with black as well. The two of us had our photo taken together prior to being directed to the seating area.

I did not take many photos of the collections since my camera does not out put quality photos like a DSLR. So most of my photos were blurry. The collections for that Friday was: swimwear, bohemian chic and grudge avante garde.

Don't forget to entire my Annual Blog Giveaway contest for a $100 Visa gift card. Deadline is Thursday November 22, 2012 at 11:59pm. More details here.

Update: Personal Blurb, Shopping Haul and Purchase Rationales

2012-11-14T23:29:00.001-08:00

Hello readers! It's great seeing you again.

I fell off the face of the map again because I'm back at school full time. I had never taken 8 courses at once and it has been mentally draining. I have neglected a lot of things like going to the gym, my actual friends, blog friends, blog events and work industry events. I miss it all.

I know I probably have lost some interest in my readers because of my inconsistency but I'm here now. Thank you all who have checked up on this blog every now and then - it means a lot to me. Even though it's just a hobby, blogging about fashion and beauty is a great escape from being a regular person. I love sharing my love for fashion with you all and I'm glad you enjoy browsing through my fashion adventures.

Thankfully school has slowed down a bit. Now I can do and go to things!
Here's my plan for the weeks to come:

I have been invited to a fashion show next Wednesday with a blogger friend
I have some beauty products to review: from Kiehls and H20
Make a post about what makes a blog successful
Make a post about my work out routine and eating habits
Make a post about holiday gifts for your girlfriend at different price points
Make a post of my favorite blogs to visit and why I like them so much

I recently got a new phone and have Instagram now!

I switched back to an iPhone from my Blackberry Torch.

Follow me above: My username is Kerribabe18

I haven't been shopping much or going out much because of school. So one day, I felt like I deserve a reward. I've been getting pretty good grades lately (surprisingly considering the lack of time I have to study for these exams).

I had always wanted a nude pair of Salvatore Ferragamo Varina flats to accompany my black ones I purchased. After 6 months, Holt Renfrew had finally received some in nude. Unfortunately, the price had increased by $40 since the time I got the black ones.

Purchase here

I intended to only pick up these flats that day....However, I walked by Balenciaga and I saw it...

The perfect shade of blue bag - it was a deep teal turquoise. I've always been on the look out for a beautiful blue coloured bag. I was considering getting the YSL Cabas Chyc mini in blue but it was hard reserving this bag at Holt Renfrew so I gave up.

I ended up purchasing the Balenciaga giant city 12 in Lagoon with rosegold hardware. It's a Fall Winter 2012 colour. I can't capture the true colour of the bag. It's a mixture of the stock photo on the official website and my photo that I have taken.

Purchase here

In retrospect, there are a lot of people who may not understand my hobby in designer shoes and purses. The idea of it may seem insane. Then again, I don't understand the perks of collecting stamps or building Gundam models. Everyone enjoys different things.

Overall, there are 3 factors that I consider when purchasing a shoe or a bag:

1) The "cost per wear" ratio when buying designer items.

Yes, the shoe is $440 but I wear it all the time. For example: about 4 days of the week for 9 months of the year. $440 / 144 days in a year = $3 a day. That's nothing.

2) Appreciation value of certain brands/models.

Chanel and Hermes have 3-4 price increases a year ($200-500 increments). So these brands (for purses) are great investment pieces given if you take care of them well to resell in the future. My Chanel flap has doubled in price since I last purchased it.

Louis Vuitton monogram or any monogram brand purses depreciates easily (about 50%) and even more if the purse is not near mint condition. However, Louis Vuitton prices so increase as well ($100-300 increments) but only once a year at most. My Louis Vuitton Trevi pm has increased by 25% since I last bought it as well

Yes, I could have 20 pairs of $20 flats instead of one pair Ferragamo flats. But my closet would explode so I rather have one really awesome pair of shoes than 20 okay ones.

3) Your financial state.

If you are a living beyond your means, purchasing a new purse should be of the lowest priority. Money should go towards paying tuition, rent, food, and car first.

Buying a designer item should not be something you had to move mountains for to save up and it should not make a big dent in your bank account.

These are just some factors that I live by to govern my purchases. My rationale for purchases may be different than yours and that's perfectly fine if they do not match mine.

New Shoes - Air Jordan 7 Raptor

2012-11-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

I got sneakers! It's my first pair of Jordans.

I never thought I could pull off this look but if Kim Kardashian can, perhaps I can as well. Kim Kardashian still incorporates designer bags, trendy structured jackets and dark attire with her sneakers.

Here's an outfit I put together with my new sneakers. I got it in the little boys size (youth size 6 which is roughly a women's size 8).

Jordans match nicely with Chanel. Who would have thought!?

In this photo I'm wearing:

Love Culture leopard skinnys (similar), Talula sweater, Lululemon petal power jacket (here), Chanel M/L flap, Jordan 7 Raptor (here) and Nets hat (similar).

My boyfriend and I have matching Jordans. I think it's such an awesome idea. He has a big collection of Jordan sneakers and he has always wanted me to incorporate this in my style.

Now I have 3 different styles: Swag, Dressy-Casual and Celebrity Status.

Air Jordan 7 Raptor (here), Salvatore Ferragamo Varina flats (here) and Christian Louboutin Iowa Zeppa 120mm (similar)

Here are some pictures of celebrities wearing the Jordan 7 Raptor

Rihanna

Kanye West

Kim and Kanye have matching sneakers, the Air Yeezy 2 which is near impossible to get and is about $2000+ on eBay.

As you can tell Kanye West has been a big influence on her style since they have been dating. I found these photos through Google of her style evolution.

Her old style was more colourful, with form fitting attire, with voluminous curled hair, with emphasis on sleek tailored jackets and she woresky high Louboutin heels. I'm glad she's moving away from the too tight dresses. However, I'm sad that she's shying away from feminine trendy colours - mint, corals, blush pinks, etc.

Currently, her style is more avante-garde, sophisticated, with some hip hop influence, with laid back straight hair and with darker tone clothing. I love her body grazing dresses, her love of peplum tops and incorporation of leather fabrics. I'm not a fan of her unflattering pants/dresses and the random shoes though.

Her style is still pretty similar as before: clean lines, sleek outfits, monochromatic and designer shoes/purses.

Rachel Roy at The Bay

2012-11-14T19:57:00.001-08:00

I went to the Rachel Roy meet and greet at The Bay with some fellow bloggers.

I love the grey tweed dress in the middle of the display. One of the sales associates was wearing it during the event and it was super stylish.

Rachel Roy's collection featured many multi-coloured knit items for the upcoming winter season.

Metallic and jewel toned dresses were a highlight in her collection.

Love the combination of plum purple, teal turquoise, and rusty cognac colours.

Ethereal nature jewelry pieces.

I had a quick chat with Rachel Roy about fashion. She is even more gorgeous in real life.

I love her knuckle rings (it's going to be very trendy this season). They are basically rings that are a few sizes smaller but create an even more dainty effect.

Oh So Vonnie and I at the event.

For more info on Rachel Roy's collection, visit her website for more details.

Annual Blog Giveaway - $100 Visa Gift Card

2012-11-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

Want a $100 Visa gift card from Something About Kerri?

Okay, I guess I have your attention now.

First of all, Playtex® Gentle Glide® 360 ͦ™ Tampons is hosting a Twitter contest about advice women were given when they first got their period. Women are being asked to tweet the hilarious advice they were given to @PlaytexGG using #PlayOn for a chance to win a $1,000 Visa gift card. The last day to tweet is Thursday, November 22, 2012 at 5pm.

http://www.playtextampons.ca/images/en/product_playtex_gentleglide.jpg

Women can tweet once per day to increase their chances of winning, and there will be giveaways happening throughout the contest too! The official contest rules can be found here: http://www.playtextampons.ca/terms_playtexgg.aspx

Playtex® Gentle Glide® 360 ͦ™ Tampons wants to get the conversation started to ensure women have all the facts so they can feel comfortable and protected during their time of the month. Let's share the stories that our mothers have told us and all the myths we have heard growing up in regards to our periods. Good luck and happy tweeting!

- - - -

For my Annual Blog Giveaway, I will be giving a $100 Visa gift card away to a reader. There are many ways to enter my contest.

The rules:

Canadian residents only since the gift card is in Canadian dollars

To enter, comment below:

1) Follow my Blog via Google - tell me your Google account username (1 entry)

2) Follow me on Twitter @Hello_Kerri (1 entry) and tweet "I just entered to win a $100 Visa gift card for @Hello_Kerri Annual Blog Giveaway: http://somethingaboutkerri.blogspot.ca/2012/11/annual-blog-giveaway-100-visa-gift-card.html". Tell me who are you on Twitter.

3) Follow me on Instagram @Kerribabe18 (1 entry) and tell me who are you on Instagram.

4) Follow Something About Kerri Facebook Group (1 entry) and share the link. Let me know who you are on Facebook.

5) Follow Something About Kerri on Bloglovin (1 entry). Let me know who you are.

5) Leave me your email so I can contact you.

My Annual Blog Giveaway Deadline is Thursday, November 22, 2012 at 11:59pm.

Sounds simple right? It should be even more simple if you are already a follower.

Just make sure you follow all the rules (I will be checking!). You can have 5 chances to win via different social media outlets.

Good luck loyal readers! Also, don't forget to enter the Playtex® Gentle Glide® 360 ͦ™ Tampons twitter contest for a chance at the $1000 prize as well.

It Has Been One Year

2012-09-13T18:11:00.001-07:00

I started this blog a year ago on September 11, 2011.

EmicablyYours, Oh So Vonnie and me (photo credit to Oh So Vonnie)

It all started with my friends. They mentioned that I should create a blog because it was something that they could see me doing. That fact is true. On my personal Facebook page, I usually post pictures of my outfit of the day, clothing items or shoes that I bought or want to buy.

The only blogger I knew back then was MaddyLoves - her blog focuses mainly on beauty and make up. She said I should go for it as well. With that, I started There's Something About Kerri.

I'm glad I created this blog. Within one year of blogging, I had the opportunity to do so many different things that I would have not been able to do if I was not a blogger. I've grown so much from my old posts. I got the courage to show my face for outfit photos, improved on lighting issues, took better photos that represent me better, learned how to deal with haters, and so much more. This was my first post ever here.

My highlights within the year:

* Meeting other Fashion and Beauty Bloggers *

I almost met Shop With Jenna one time but I was intimidated to go up to her at the time. I've got to know some bloggers better like: Initialed, oh so vonnie, EmicablyYours, alison*elle, Macnunu, Perle Ivoire and more.

* Being Recognized In Public *

This rarely happens because I'm no where close in popularity level as some other Vancouver Fashion Bloggers...but it's nice when it does happen.

The most interesting experience was when I was yelling at this women at the bus stop (Back story: She needed money to get on the bus so I was kind enough to give her a bus faresaver. Then she proceeded to beg for more money from other people at the bus stop. Clearly she had no intention to take the bus so I called her out on it and yelled at her in Cantonese). Then a sweet girl comes up to me and asks if I'm "There's Something About Kerri". I hesitated and said yes because felt embarrassed of my first impression I made upon her lol. Turns out she was another blogger as well, Love Lainey.

If I didn't talk to Love Lainey that day. She wouldn't have told me Holt Renfrew's new stock of YSL rings. Then I wouldn't have been able to purchase my YSL special addition arty ring in Love Pink here.

* Wearing Complimentary Clothes and Testing Complimentary Make Up *

OASAP sent me their popular crochet shorts in black and beige. I wore them frequently in the summer. I loved them. They made the typical "tank top, shorts and flip flops" summer outfit NOT look so frumpy and casual. Read more here and here.

I tested then reviewed numerous brands of make up and beauty products that I got from gift bags. My favorite items to test were from: Stila, Schick, Vasanti, Marcelle, Deborah Lippmann, and more beauty products

* Going to Store Grand Openings *

The events at Kiehl's were always the best! At these events, we had the chance to test out their quality beauty products. The managers gave presentations to educate us about the history of Kiehls and their company's impact with the environment. We also had individual consulting time with the sales consultants and their recommendations were tailored to our specific beauty needs. There was also fun photo booths and delicious catered appetizers at these events as well. Read more about it here and here.

* Viewing Trunk Shows and Product Launches *

At the Jason Matlo trunk show at Fine Finds in Yaletown. Read more here.

Stila's Vibrant in Vancouver make up palette. Read more about it here.

- Watching Fashion Shows

I went to Vancouver Fashion Week. I blogged about my experiences here, here, and here.

Can you spot me? (photo from Vancouver Fashion Week Facebook page)

I was invited to go to VFW to watch the runway shows for Fall/Winter 2012 and Spring/Summer 2012. I was lucky enough to meet and greet the producer, the producer's assistant, meet a social media star Sandra Chung, and sit front row for a few of the shows. One of the nights, some of the ladies from The Real Housewives of Vancouver were at the show as well.

The runway for VFW F/W 2012

(photo from VFW blog)

I also got on The Best Dressed List!! I mixed delicate lace with faux leather.

Vancouver Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2013 starts September 19th - 23rd, 2012. VFW features local and international designers from around the world. The show takes place at The Chinese Cultural Center. You can purchase tickets at the TicketMaster website.

- - - -

In closing, I am blessed with all the connections and friends that I made from being a fashion blogger. I will be starting me giveaway soon once I get my item(s) sorted out.

Thank you for the followers who take time out of their day to read my blog.

I know that I have been inconsistent with updates but some of you still care enough to follow and I'm very appreciative of that.

xoxo, Kerri

The Last Day of Summer

2012-09-09T17:54:00.003-07:00

Well it was the last day of summer heat for us in Vancouver on Saturday. My friend came down to White Rock to have some ice cream and to take some beautiful pictures. I got some nice blog pictures during the process. We only had one hour but we were quite productive within that one hour.

The sun's rays beaming through the clouds look so heavenly

The pier

She and I usually have adventurous tastes for food. My friend got a ricotta cheese and pear flavor and I got lavender and honey. Both tasted amazing. I had a bad experience with a lavender ice cream once. But this one didn't taste like soap! As you can tell, I was impatient and I had to eat mine.

My outfit for the day:

T. Babaton second skin tank (similar), Forever 21 shorts, Spring flip flops,

Chloe sunglasses, and Balenciaga bag (similar)

This is my typical summer outfit. I know, I'm a bore.

My favorite and only light coloured bag that I own. Balenciaga doesn't make the giant studs anymore. I'm glad I got this colour combination before that particular hardware got discontinued. The colour of my bag is Papyrus. The colour can look different under certain lighting. My friend's camera captured the true colour really well in the above photo. It is a light taupe-grey colour.

For a light coloured bag, this bag has held up very well with minimal staining. There's no stains on the handles or the body of the bag. However, there's very small blue jean marks on the back corners of the bag due to it rubbing against my jeans. The blue dye eventually rubs off. I don't use any sprays or leather protectants on this bag.

Summer is my least favorite season to dress up for. Everything is too short, too bright, too floral, and just overall too girly. I am quite boring and I stick to blacks, neutrals and pale colours. I prefer fall and winter clothes.

* photo credits to Vanessa S.

Labor Day Weekend - Portland Trip

2012-09-04T16:27:00.001-07:00

I went down to Oregon for the weekend for some shopping, eating and sight seeing. I surprisingly didn't buy much since I had a mental list of clothing items I needed to buy.

From Forever 21, I bought a neon yellow peplum top for $10.50 USD (similar style) and charcoal grey trousers with a lace stripe down the leg (for $22.80 USD). From the Ann Taylor outlet, I bought the signature pump in porclini (similar style) - a taupe bone colour (it was regular $155, on sale for $80 but extra 40% off and additional 10% off worked out to be $44 USD). These three items make a great outfit. Just throw in a nice bag and the outfit is complete.

I needed shorts for working out so I got these Under Armor ones at the outlet (for $10 USD, regular $40) and these Lululemon running Light As Air shorts - similar style (for $39 USD, regular $58). I bought these PJ shorts from Forever 21 for cheap ($6.80 USD).

I also bought my Laura Mercier minderal foundation for $36USD (or ~$42 CAD) and NARS concealer for $22 (or ~$28 CAD). I hate buying make up. It's so expensive. It's annoying how much darker my face got over the summer because of running outside and playing in the water at the pool/lake.

There's one last final item I bought. It's a shoe. I don't have it with me at the moment but it's pretty different from what I normally wear. I'll create another post dedicated to it soon enough.

The last day was reserved for sight seeing. We drove to Cannon Beach to see the Haystack Rocks and had an early dinner at a local tavern. It was super windy and cold that particular day. There were surfers in the water, people flying kites, lots of dead birds on the shore (not sure why) and washed up dead jelly fish. You couldn't tan or swim in the water leisurely that day because of the high winds and the cold weather. We took the longer but scenic route back to Vancouver along the Oregon Coast Hwy to avoid the traffic along the I-5.

I was told that I look out of place on this beach by how I dress and carrying Prada. Then again, I usually look out of place. I'm wearing:

Forever 21 jacket and shorts, Jacob tank, Chloe sunglasses, Spring flip flops and Prada bag

Then today, I had my first day of school. I only had 4 hours of sleep and I was so tired. I woke up early to go to school to find out my orientation didn't start till the afternoon. I took the time to explore the campus and sort out the things I was missing.

September is going to be a busy month. Not only with going to school full time, I have 6 important birthdays (yay for possible photo ops), my blog's 1 year anniversary giveway, Vancouver Fashion Week S/S 2013, IVSA and Fashion Night Out on my plate as well. I've got to be super selective with my time for this month or else I'm going to pass out from exhaustion.

My New Prada Tote

2012-08-31T11:42:00.002-07:00

You guys know I've always wanted a Prada tote from way back. I even made a post about it here and here. I was never in a rush to get it but I knew I'll get it eventually.

School is almost starting and I thought I needed one last treat before I become a frugal student. This time around I'll be paying for school so I'll have less disposable income for pretty things. I always neglected to purchase a staple: a classic black bag. Every time I see a beautiful bag, I always stray from it in the colour black for some reason. The only black bags I have are: a MBMJ Natasha cross body bag or a Chanel lambskin medium flap - which are horrible everyday classic bags. They are either too small, too dressy, not durable, or too casual.

I walked into Holt Renfrew one night just before closing and decided I wanted something Prada. I initially intended to purchase a Prada wallet to replace my Louis Vuitton vernis zippy wallet in rouge fauviste that I lost in Las Vegas (so sad!). But then, I saw the beautiful Prada saffiano tote bags in all different sizes and colours. I saw one beautiful double zip taupe one with a strap but it wasn't it black. It was everything I hoped for, but the colour was wrong. The Prada sales associate told me if I was serious, that he would do a store transfer from Toronto (because they had 7 of them!). This bag in this colour and in this size was highly coveted. I was serious about it. So after giving my credit card info, the bag would be delivered in one week.

So here it is!

It's the Prada BN 2274 tote. The one you see in Mission Impossible 4 where the blonde villian puts the stolen diamonds in her purse.

* picture from the Google images

These are the measurements for the bag.

* picture from the official Prada website

It is called the medium tote with a strap technically since Prada bags don't really have actual names and just codes. The colour black is called Nero.

The leather is saffiano - it is a textured leather that's very durable and has a unique shine to it. It comes with a detachable shoulder strap as well. There are two zippered compartments and one open compartment. There's more slots and another zippered portion as well within the opened compartment. Basically, there's lots of compartments for this bag. It was $1810 Canadian. It's also $1810 USD so the price difference isn't much for Prada at the moment. I suggest buying it in Canada. Also, the paper bag and the box it came in was huge! The box is very thick and leathery feeling.

My friends and I decided to take some photos one day with their DSLR and I got some blog photos during the process. Thanks to my friend Vanessa S. for taking these photos for me.

Outfit of the day consists of:

Zara skinnys in mint, T. Babaton Finley blouse in cabernet, Aldo shoes (that broke on me), YSL arty ring in love pink, Chloe sunglasses and Prada tote.

With my favorite ring :)

Another way to wear the bag

My Forever 21 necklace in mint! Totally forgot about this.

Oh god, I've gotten so tan that my foundation doesn't exactly match my skin tone anymore. Time to buy a new foundation unfortunately.

With some of my friends

I hope everyone is going to have an enjoyable long weekend! I intended to go to Kelowna but the plans with the accommodation we were staying at fell threw. So the back up plan? I'm going to Portland! Good old Portland, home of great eats and shopping.

Also, my blog is going to hit it's 1 year Anniversary on September 11, 2012. I know, what an ominous day. I'm considering doing a blog giveway to celebrate this event soon. So keep your eyes open. I can't believe it's almost been one year since I started this little hobby.

Aritzia Warehouse Sale 2012

2012-08-29T23:15:00.004-07:00

I went to Aritzia Warehouse Sale today!

I sadly was not a friend nor a family of someone who worked at Aritzia. However, I was lucky enough to get invited to tag along with Emicably Yours because she knew an important person who's in charge of the operations of this sale.

The sale for Friends and Family apparently started at 4pm. I got to Canada Place at 5pm and the line was very long already. I felt like there was 150 people ahead of me. I took about 20 minutes to get in. Everyone in line had these little cards that signified that you were indeed invited to this private sale before it goes public tomorrow.

After spending 4 hours at the sale and charging $211 and some change on my credit card, I walked away with 6 awesome pieces. This is my Aritzia Warehouse Sale haul:

I got black TNA spandex cropped leggings (hits me mid calf) for $30 in XS (reg $50). I needed these because my mother keeps on stealing my leggings and I seriously have one pair now down from 10. My favorite purchase of all was the T. Babaton Elliot pants in grey in size 2 for $50 (reg $95). These I found thrown ontop a clothing rack bunched up in a mess. It was a miracle, a size 2! I found bigger sizes like size 6 or 8 in grey and surprisingly one size 4 in black. I have these pants in black and periwinkle blue and I love the fit.

The second best steal I got was the Wilfred silk cashmere blend blob print sweater. They are so soft to the feel. I got it in a size S for $50 (reg $115). It's a baggy sweater so the sizing is forgivable. I had a girl ask me if she could have it if I didn't like it. But I liked it so I kept it for myself. As I was walking around, I saw the same sweater in the same size but felt bad that I never saw that girl again. These sweaters were hard to find.

I got this Talula lace tank top for $24 in XS (reg $48) . There wasn't a price on it so the cashier gave it to my for 50% off.

I got some of the signature tank tops I wear, the T. Babaton second skin tank tops. I got the dark grey floral one for $20 in a M (reg $40) and the beige lace print in a L (reg $40). For the T. Babaton tanks, I find one has to go up several sizes because of the stretchy material.

Here are my tips for surviving the Aritzia Warehouse Sale and coming out fruitful:

- Don't bring a purse because it's unnecessary weight. Just bring a wristlet or your wallet because you have to coat check your purse anyways

- Drink lots of water and eat a good meal before the sale. You don't know how long you are going to stay here. I didn't intend to stay for 4 hours but it just happened.

- The best items are found NOT on the neat clothing racks but on the floors in messy piles discarded by others on the sale floor and in piles in the change rooms. Go through these piles because technically, they have been filtered by others. Smaller sizes and better selection are usually found here. Just make sure you don't take others stuff and ask if a pile belongs to them first before you dig through it.

- Wear modest underwear and bra. The fastest way to try things on is just stripping down to your undergarments and trying the clothes in a corner.

- Take a friend with you. There's only one mirror in the change room. Most likely, you won't be able to see yourself and how you look in your clothes. Ask your friend for their honest truth and let them be your mirror.

- If there is any doubt, don't buy the clothing item. If you wanted it so bad in the first place, you wouldn't have to convince yourself to buy it on sale - the decision would have been quick and obvious if you knew it was a 'yes'. Don't buy something for the sake of buying something. If you walk out empty handed, that's fine as well. At least you didn't waste your money on something mediocre.

- Go into the warehouse sale with an open mind. If you have a set list of things you want to buy, chances are.. they won't have it. Classic pieces are rare to find at a warehouse sale.

- Don't bring your boyfriend. It's hell for them. They serve no purpose during this sale so why torture them with boredom. Sure you can persuade them with the idea of girls changing out in the open but it's not like everyone is a Victoria's Secret model changing for a fashion show. My eyes see more unsightly body parts than erotica.

- Inspect your clothing items thoroughly! Silk clothing items are prone to snags. Cotton items tend to have holes. 95% of the knitted sweaters I saw had rips and pulls on them. Make sure the zippers are in working order and the zipper pulls are there.

The deals:

- Wilfred and T Babaton wool/winter coats were $150. I saw the Wilfred military trench (greys and blacks) and the Wilfred Howell funnel neck coat (grey, black, olive, dark beige, cream)! Such a good deal. Not anything for the smaller sizes by the time I got in but lots of mediums, larges and XL.

- T Babaton second skin tanks for $15-$20 in charcoal gray floral from S-M, beige lace print in S-L, green stripped for $15.

- Wilfred bustiers $10 in all colours of the rainbow

- J brand pastel pinks, lavenders, yellows skinny for $100. All jeans (Citizens - thomspon, avedon), Rag & Bone (in burnt orange, yellow, mint, coral, bright red), J brand (pastel colours, regular dark blue, hunter green, indigo blue), Current Elliott leopard print/snack print were $100. Some were $75. I saw a J brand in hunter green for $75.

- Lots of those sleeveless and half sleeve T Babaton (or Wilfred?) silk wrap style dresses for $75 down from $165 or $175. Mostly in the colours cream, mauve, purple, plum, black, olive green, sky blue, burnt coral, black star print, burgundy floral and black floral.

- Wilfred silk sundresses (georgette silk material) with the ruffles for $83 in sky blue, light pink, mint, bright yellow.

- Lots of winter coats/parkas with furry hoods from Talula for $100. Great for winter time.

- Wilfred Crepe de Chine parachute pants in dark purple and dark beige for $50. Also the linen versions were $40 in black. Lots of silk dress pants for $50 in general.

- T. Babaton dressy blazers for $100 in black, light grey and charcoal grey. The cheapy looking cotton Talula blazers were there too but didn't remember the price. The lightweight Talula blazers in black and royal blue were present as well. Lots of blazers in general. Saw very few Crepe de Chine blazers for $100. It was either a burnt orange/rust colour in a size 4 or 10. I saw one short tuxedo version for $100 in a size 2 but I have the longer version already so no go.

- Different styles of Wilfred silk tanks ranging from $20-40. There was the buttoned front slouchy silk tank in mint, hot pink, white, black or royal blue. It didn't look flattering on. Lots of sky blue wilfred u neck silk tanks.

- Lots of bright neon pink TNA hoodies for.. who cares I'm not in high school anymore.

- Wilfred silk Cannes shorts in lavender, mint and grey for $40. Lots of Mediums and Larges though. I found a grey one in size small.

- T. Babaton gauze material sweaters for $40 in sky blue and black. Byline open knit sweaters with long sleeve and short sleeves in taupe for $50 but all had snags on them.

- Winter native style wool knit sweaters were $60.

- Wilfred silk rompers with the single pocket in the front and cross back design had a wide range of sizes and was either $50 or $60 and it came in royal blue, mint, hot pink, and black

- Lots of accessories like cell phone cases, ipad cases, tna backpacks and bags (didn't look at the price of these because they don't appeal to me)

In the end, was the sale worth it?

Yes and No. Yes if you are on the bigger end of the spectrum (M-L) but if you are XS - S, you will have to be pretty ninja and hunt for longer. But if you like hunting, then it's right up your alley. The sale is more worth it if you are buying bustier tanks and winter coats because there's so many of them. Good luck finding classic pieces though - if you do, it's one of the bigger sizes. Also, size 27 and up in jeans have better selection than 26 and under. There's lots of silk wrap dresses if you are looking for that and believe they are worth $75. There's not much sweaters in my opinion.

They claim to bring out new stock everyday. I can't guarantee that you will find the same things I bought so if you see something you like, grab it and never let go. You can decide later if you want to purchase it.

Oh yeah so the cashiers forgot to take off 2 security tags off my items, so annoying.

Looks like I have to go to an Aritzia store to get them removed tomorrow.

Stila Set and Correct Baked Powder Trio

2012-08-12T23:35:00.002-07:00

I got some more Stila goodies to test out.

I'm in love with this finishing powder from Stila. The Set and Correct Baked Powder Trio goes on translucent with a hint of a pearlescent glow. I use this powder after I finish putting on my mineral foundation. The trio of colours work together (peach gives off the pearlescent glow, green hides redness and lavender corrects darker areas) to give your skin a silky warm undertone glow. This product doesn't have that horrid talc smell like other translucent powders.

The packaging is great because it comes with a device that you turn and it shaves off a bit of the chuck of powder so it minimizes messy powder fall out. The compact comes with a mirror as well.

This product goes for $34 USD at Sephora

Stila "In The Moment" Eye Shadow Palette

2012-08-10T14:23:00.002-07:00

I had the privileged to test out this eye shadow palette from Stila.

Stila's eye shadows are known to be highly pigmented and very shimmery. Stila's In the Moment palette is the perfect neutral palette for creating a day and night look. This palette contains 10 eye shadow shades and 1 Smudge Stick Waterproof eyeliner in Tetra (a deep shimmery purple). The palette retails for $39USD at Sephora. The price is excellent because it would have cost $118USD for 10 individual eye shadows and the eye liner.

Top (L to R): Instinct (shimmery cream), Impulse (shimmery lavender), Glance (matte bright purple), Improvise (shimmery deep eggplant), and Catalyst (matte black)
Bottom (L to R): Desire (matte peach), Wonder (shimmery pinky brown), Spontaneous (shimmery gold), Whim (shimmery medium brown) and Captive (shimmery brown purple)

Instinct, Impulse, Glance, Improvise, and Catalyst

Desire, Wonder, Spontaneous, Whim, Captive and eye line in Tetra

The colours are very romantic with purples, pinks, coppers and creams. The eye shadows have very high pigmentation. One time when I was putting on make up before work, I forgot to put an eye primer before putting on these eye shadows. At the end of my shift, I noticed that my eye shadow did not melt off my face and was still visible and bright.

This palette is great for creating a day and night look.

For day, I use desire under my brow line, wonder on my crease, captive on my lids and catalyst on the outer corners of my eyes and to line the bottom half of my lash line.

For night, I use instinct under my brow line, wonder on my inner crease, glance on my outer crease, improvise on my lids catalyst on the outer corners of my eyes and to line the bottom half of my lash line.

Forever 21 Blue Flutter Dress

2012-08-07T23:36:00.000-07:00

I don't have many summer dresses. I guess they never appealed to me because most summer dresses look over the top girly (think 70's poofy bottoms, sweetheart necklines, huge floral patterns and cotton material).

I snapped some photos in one of the few summer dresses I have. You can dress this dress up or down. I dressed it down with flats but I wore pumps with it one time on a date.

Forever 21 dress, Louis Vuitton Eva in damier ebene, and Aldo Warnack flats

(over flowing closet decided to burst open)

This dress from Forever 21 sparked my interested because it's has a romantic feel to it because of the chiffon like material, the flutter neckline makes the dress look sexy but the placement of the buttons makes the dress look casual and innocent as well. I paired the dress with nude flats, my Louis Vuitton Eva in damier ebene and my Wilfred Chevalier satin lapel blazer (not pictured).

I wore this to have dinner on the patio with friends at Steveston and then we watched a movie afterwards.

My Favorite Things!

2012-08-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite things that belong to me...

My boyfriend .....and his extensive sneaker collection!

This is one of his favorite shoes. It's the Air Jordon 11 Concord. I think I met my match when I found a guy who likes shopping and working out just as much as I do.

My Chanel lambskin medium flap.

It's one of the most iconic bags out there in the fashion world. The classic flap will never be mistaken with any other brands. Other brands may borrow the idea of it's quilted texture, woven straps double straps and kiss lock closure but it's not Chanel. Almost every (fashionable) girl dreams to own a Chanel flap day. I say go on and purchase it if you are living within your means.

My YSL Arty ring in Love Pink

Sure every other girl and their dog has the turquoise, lapis and coral one... but I like to be a bit more unique. The love pink one is a special edition ring made especially for Valentines Day 2012. It has the word love handwritten and embossed on the back of the ring. Yves Saint Laurent will be no longer YSL...since the brand has changed their name to Saint Laurent paris

My Zara gold sequin clutch

It may not be designer but it goes with anything and everything. I got it for half off on Boxing Day 2011 since I had to stalk a girl who was holding onto the the last one for 30 minutes! In the end, she abandoned the said clutch and decided not to buy it... that's when I went in like a vulture and scooped it up. Best boxing day purchase ever. Since then Zara made another sequin clutch with clear rainbow sequins but it doesn't compare to this gold one that looks like a blinding pot of gold.

My Alexander McQueen silk scarf in coral

Sure I could have easily purchased the black and white scarves but what would be the fun in things when an item isn't super exclusive? I got the last coral scarf in the whole Holt Renfrew company..it was fate.

My Car

It gets me to point A and B even though I don't drive a lot. I nicknamed it Lil Wayne because I'm random like that. Sometimes I abandon this car and take a more economic car depending where I drive to.

Christian Louboutin Iowa Zeppa

The most comfy 5 inch heels ever!

Forever 21 Jewelry

2012-08-06T13:02:00.001-07:00

I bought 2 necklaces, 1 bracelet and 1 ring from Forever 21 when I went to Las Vegas.

I'll model some of the pieces for you. I love jewelry from Forever 21 because it's cheap and stylish as well. It's my go to store for jewelry when I don't want to invest in something super trendy.

For bold statement jewelry, I'm a fan of gold pieces. The colour gold warms up an outfit compared to silver. I find that gold looks better with people who have an olive complexion and people who are more pale look better with silver. The necklace was $10.80 USD.

The colour mint is so trendy at the moment. Perfect against cream, greys and hot pink outfits. The necklace was $9.80 USD.

I love the sky blue oval ring because it reminds me of the ocean. It's a little too big for my personal preference but the colour is just mesmerizing. The ring was $5.80 USD and the bracelet was $6.80 USD. The nail polish I'm wearing is from Joe Fresh in Iris $4 (or 3 nail polish for $10) and the white flower stickers cost $2 and were from Daiso.

Since the inventory of Forever 21 is constantly changing, it is difficult to link stock photos of these pieces. So my apologies for no retail links.

Recent Purchases Clothing Haul

2012-08-06T11:45:00.003-07:00

I haven't been shopping that much lately.

I bought a few things here and there in the span of 2 months.

These are the two dresses that I wore, respectively, to my friends' wedding ceremony and reception.

The yellow dress was bought at Forever 21 for $29.80 and the mint dress was bought at Bedo for $94.50

My Aritzia private pre-sale haul cost me about $900 for 3 T. Babaton silk blouses, 3 T. Babaton silk bias cut tanks, 1 knit Talula sweater, 1 T. Babaton jersey blouse, 1 T. Babaton periwinkle blue ankle pant and 1 Wilfred tapered crepe trousers.

I bought this T. Babaton Finley blouse in black, grey and burgundy (waiting for it to arrive)

$115 retail (got 20% off that)

I bought this T. Babaton silk bias cut tank in white cap grey, olive and black $85 (got 20% off that). This tank is awesome because it's super flattering and there are a snap closure string mechanism that allows you to secure it onto your bra straps so the straps of the tank won't slip off

I bought this Talula knit sweater in oak. It's $75 but I got 20% off that.

The sweater comes in pink, robin's egg blue, neon yellow, taupe, and black.

I got these T. Babaton Elliot pants in periwinkle blue for $95.

I have these in black as well and they are my favorite ankle pants.

They come in periwinkle blue, emerald green, navy, coral, khaki and seafoam as well.

I decided to purchase work out clothes that are more fashionable. I hate spending a lot on work out clothes because gym clothes were always old clothes that were demoted in my wardrobe. Here's some stuff I picked out from Forever 21. Until the end of this week, Forever 21 has a free shipping code for over $25 "FREESHIP25".

$16.80 buy here

$21.80 buy here

$11.80 buy here