[s a s s y n e r d]

{ currently loving: zara studded fantasy fabric blazer }

2012-03-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

I've been eyeing this beauty for a while and finally decided to pull the trigger. This blazer is perfection and will be great for transitioning from winter to spring and probably into summer as well because anyone living in Seattle knows we don't get a real summer here.

Fingers crossed it fits as Zara didn't actually have my size, so I grabbed a smaller size, hoping for a vanity sizing situation. Will report back in 2-4 business days :)

House update: we're still trying to close so I don't actually have an update. We've been focusing all our time and energy dealing with the mortgage bullshit, but hopefully we'll be all moved in by the end of the month.

{ all images via Zara }

{ jason wu x target: obligatory review }

2012-02-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

When I heard there'll be another designer collaboration I couldn't help but think 'here we go again'.

Because, remember the whole Missoni debacle?? When Missoni x Target (even Missoni The Real Thing) was like the last thing I wanted in my closet and yet I still managed to get caught up in the madness and go way overboard and then spent the next two months returning crap which went straight to the clearance racks? Yeah, *that* debacle.

I guess I did learn my lesson after all, because I decided to skip a Target trip this time. Instead, I ordered online the night before and the morning the collection hit the racks. Did I get everything I wanted? Nope. Was my sanity worth it? Absolutely.

{ 1 } Collared pleated blouse in red

Absolutely love this. I got this in size M and it's slightly large on me, but I'm obsessed with the color and the pleats. This one will look great tucked in, worn with a blazer. Really cute crochet detail too. Keeper!

{ 2 } Sleeveless Pleated Shift Dress in Blush Stripes with Black Belt
I'm still on the fence with this one. It seems to run big because I'm swimming in size S? Then again, this other blogger who's like half my size bought a L and is happy with it? So I'm confused. The fabric is really thin and I wish it was shorter. It looks really short on the model but that's not really the case IRL. Lots of cute details throughout, like little crochet trims, so I'm still deciding whether to keep it.

{ 3 } Short-Sleeve Printed Cycle Dress with Pearls in Cream

I wanted to like this dress, I really did, but the fit is all sorts of hilarious, especially with the weird sagginess around the boob area. I'm sure it's a cute dress... on someone else.

{ 4 } Blouse with Tie in Blush Dots
While I do like the tie detail, I'm just not a fan of the rest of this top. Bye-bye.

{ 5 } Flap satchel

When I ordered this bag, it was because I wanted an 'accessory'. I didn't expect to like or keep it, but was pleasantly surprised how "adorbs" this bag is. All the white worries me, and I'll skip the strap, but this satchel is definitely a keeper.

What I really, REALLY wanted was one of the cat items (tee, bag, scarf). Unfortunately, those were the first to go, which makes me a sad (catless) panda.

Did any of you guys brave the Target stores? Did you get anything good? DID ANYONE GET A CAT ITEM???? (clearly, I'm obsessed).

{ life list item #11: be a home-owner - check }

2012-02-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

Let's skip the whole 'omg i'm sorry for not updating' song and dance because I'm sure no one cares. I will say that I was gone with good reason, because, YOU GUYS, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE.

I'm not one to make huge life commitments like that, but I calculated how much money we've wasted on rent in the past 5 years and I want to punch things. But, as much as I'm going to miss living in a downtown high-rise, I'm really, REALLY excited to move.

So excited in fact, that I started packing the day we signed the offer. Did I mention how we're not moving until beginning/mid-march?

The townhouse is a new construction (in the city!!!) 3 bedroom, 2 bath and about 1600sq ft -- great size for us, especially coming from a 900 sq ft condo. The location couldn't be more perfect and that's something we struggled with the most when looking for a place. The street is very residential, but walking distance to everything. The neighbourhood is one of my favorites in the city too, always full of life with a ton of restaurants, cafes, and shops.

We actually started looking for a house 2 years ago but after a long unproductive search, we decided to give up. We really wanted a modern townhome but those were very hit & miss location-wise. While the homes were beautiful and exactly what we wanted, very often they were on some obscure part of town, and the ones in town were way out of our price-range. The interest rates were still quite high back then so we decided to take a break from house-hunting.

In hindsight, I'm very happy that we didn't settle 2 years ago. Today, the prices have significantly dropped, the interest rates at historic low and we saved a lot more for a downpayment. The mortgage won't stretch us financially and will be close to what we're paying in rent right now, so the only downside is that I guess we're sticking around Seattle for a while. Better stock up on those vitamin D pills and anti-depression lamps, I guess.

Anyway, we did a walkthrough the other night and I wanted to share some pictures I snapped with my phone.

One of the units (not ours).

THIS KITCHEN!!!

Ridiculously excited for this new toy

The living area

Glass panel in the living area. Fucking LOVE!

The closet! There's no walk-in in the master, but instead we get this built-in closet system. Not super-spacious for 2 people but there are other closets in the house to compensate.

THE TUB!! There's a chance I may never leave this bathroom.

Master. Still waiting for floors.

Little kitchenette for the rooftop deck. On yeah, we have a rooftop-muthuhfucking-deck. NBD.

Private rooftop deck. Asian not included

This will also be my OOTD spot. No more harassing boyfriend to take photos. No more OOTD photos in public. YES!

Urban oasis :)

Anyway, I'm obsessed with this house. I can't wait to have more space and to have an actual ~~guest~~ JENN'S bedroom and to have a place to call our own. Life List item #11: be a home-owner - check!! Welcome to actual adulthood.

{ OOTD and some random thoughts }

2012-01-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Random thoughts for today:

Oh hey, remember when a random person from the Internet sent me the McQueen book? I forgot to mention but the mystery has been solved. The book was from Chuck, the girl who won my Clarisonic giveaway (there was supposed to be a note with the package but Amazon eff'd it up). Well, thanks again, Chuck, that was super-thoughtful of you and the book is mind-blowingly awesome. Also, thanks for not being a creepy random from the Internet.
We watched The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo and I gotta say, it did the book justice. I was expecting another book-turned-movie train-wreck but it was actually very well done. Both Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig were fantastic.
I'm a total Groupon hoarder and always scramble to spend them at the last minute before they expire, so today I had to get a Groupon pedicure (total #firstworldproblem). On the plus side, I discovered an awesome OPI color, It's All Greek To Me; on the other hand, right after getting my pedicure, I proceeded to completely fuck it up by forgetting my flip flops.
I found some OOTD pictures from like October when cleaning out my memory cards!

Outfit Details

Dress: Bailey 44 (similar)

Sweater: Line (similar)

Boots: Via Spiga Georgia

Jacket: some no-name brand from Korea (ebay find)

Bag: Louis Vuitton

{ sh*t fashion girls say (hashtag-totes-amaze) }

2012-01-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Shit Girls Say "miniseries", you're likely living under an internetless rock. It's that video that went from obscurity to a full-on meme overnight and is now inspiring a plethora of parodies. While some are of questionable comedic value (and taste), once in a while you stumble upon a true gem.

Today, I give you that gem. This video nailed it, hashtag-totes-amaze, indeed!

{ a path to 2012: reflections & resolutions }

2012-01-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

{ via }

As the year-end approached, the blogosphere was buzzing with those Teh Awesome Things That Happened This Year!!!1 posts. At first I thought of sparing you guys, but then I started reflecting on what an interesting year it has been for me and decided to do this entry after all.

(I think my apprehension about this type of post stemmed from the seeming bragging undertones many of these entries had, and that's definitely not what I wanted to accomplish here, I promise.)

Lost of things did happen this year, new experiences were experienced and new friendships were formed, and overall, I'm in a better place than I was in the last few years.

This past year:

I switched disciplines at work to something that I'm sure will cause me a great deal of stress, but I believe will ultimately be more challenging and fulfilling than my old job. Hopefully.
I met some really amazing people this year, from Internet BFF Jenn to Dance BFF Meaghan (an actual IRL friend), both of whom make my life better on a daily basis.
I've learned to not dwell on the friendships lost. Or at least to dwell less.
I also stepped out of my comfort zone by saying YES more often. YES to meeting new people, YES to a random happy hour and YES to doing stuff as opposed to sitting in front of the TV, watching another tired episode of the Kardashians.
I've taken more dance classes last year than I have in my entire life, combined. I feel like I've improved tremendously. AND I STARTED POINTE!!!! I mean, who does that at 29???? (I first typed at almost-30, but it looked gross, so I deleted it. 29 is a lot less intimidating).
I resurrected my blog after a 39839084 year hiatus. Trust me, this deserves a bullet point of its own.
I met people from the Internet, which still baffles my mind because it's so far out of my comfort zone. Besides Internet BFF Jenn, I also met Michelle, Katrina, and almost-Megan, another blog friend from Vancouver and my monochromatic soul sistah, but alas, plans changed at the last minute. The point is, had this been any other year, it would've never happened (see also: stepping out of my comfort zone)

Overall, I feel that I'm more patient, stable and a lot less of a stress case I was a year ago. I'm still learning, and have a long way to go, but for the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm heading in the right direction.

I'm making no resolutions this year, because ultimately there's no point -- I end up breaking every one of them and then feeling like shit about it. So this is a year of no resolutions, no rules and no guidelines. This is a year of not feeling like a failure because I didn't accomplish some bullet point on some stupid list. This is a year of ME.

What are you resolutions this year? Are you even making any?

{ HANAair review - this thing blows (like, in a good way) }

2012-01-09T05:30:00.000-08:00

Being an Important Internet Blogger™ I get asked to do a lot of important reviews, like, all the time, but none of the products I was previously asked to review were relevant to the content of my blog (because apparently my blog is about printing services, dandruff shampoo and cat food?), so I never jumped on the review bandwagon.

However, over the holidays the awesome folks at Misikko contacted me asking me if I wanted to review their award-winning HANAair hairdryer. Since I was actually on the market for a new dryer for what seems like forever, I enthusiastically jumped on this opportunity, secretly hoping that this HANA thing doesn't suck.

The box the dryer arrived in was slick and pretty and I'm a sucker for beautiful packaging, so bonus points to HANA for first a great first impression. Misikko also threw in a "few" awesome extras, which I look forward to trying soon.

When I removed the dryer from the box, I noticed that it was quite a bit heavier than the dryer I've been using. I couldn't decide whether to be concerned about my arms getting tired while drying my hair or to be excited about the possibility of getting ridiculous biceps in the process. I decided biceps win.

I have now had a chance to use this dryer several times and one thing I can tell you is that it wins the shit out of my 10-year old piece of crap Conair dryer from Costco. Since the first time I used it, I was absolutely blown away by its awesomeness (blown away, ha!), even despite the weight concerns. To be honest, I didn't even notice the extra weight while using it, so I guess no bulging muscles for me.

This thing packs 2300 Watts of seriously power for its size, which significantly reduced the drying time. In fact, this damn thing is so powerful it blew my hand mirror right off the counter. Take that, old Costco dryer!

Not only does this thing dry really fast, but after I styled my hair with a round brush, I was pleasantly surprised how much softer and silkier my hair felt. I didn't use any styling products except my go-to MoroccanOil and these photos were taken right after I blow-dried my hair - I didn't use a straightener, this is all HANA, people!

The only other drawback besides the weight is the length of the the cord - at 12' long, it drove me absolutely crazy, especially in my tiny condo bathroom. On the plus side, I can now dry my hair while watching The Real Housewives in the living room, so there's that.

And because I'm an engineer and I love me some specs, here's some additional info about the dryer:

Professional grade hair dryer
Adjustable heat: 2 fan speeds, 3 heat settings, cold shot
Ceramic heater: most advanced far infrared ionic heat
Tourmaline, titanium oxide and silver infused: pure tourmaline crystals add antibacterial ions and shine
2300 Watts, like whoa!
Made in Italy

Overall, I am VERY impressed with this dryer. It did amazing things to my hair and the fact that it cut my drying time in half was a huge, huge plus. It's pretty spendy, but this is coming from a person who'd never spent more than $50 on a dryer. I don't know if I would pay full price for it, but if you're looking to spoil yourself or can get it on sale, I definitely recommend it.

Requisite disclaimer: The hair dryer was sent to me by the lovely people over at Misikko, whose awesomeness did not influence my opinions.

About the company: Misikko.com is devoted to your hair and specializes in salon-grade flat irons (including everyone's favorite Chi Straighteners) and professional hair dryers. To learn more about HANA products, click here.

{ unexpected surprises, santa reads my blog, and I'm totally internet important now }

2011-12-09T21:53:00.001-08:00

So last night I came home to find a mysterious box from Amazon addressed to me. Not having ordered anything from Amazon in a while, I curiously ripped open the packing tape. Inside was this McQueen book and nothing else, no note, no receipt.

Yep, that same McQueen book I posted in my Wish List entry, just a few days ago.

Since I've only posted my wish list on my blog, I'm just going to assume one of you people sent it (see, I'm logical like that). Either that or Santa reads my blog and he didn't like the part where I called him a stingy asshole.

Either way, whoever did this - um... HUGE THANKS, it was a truly unexpected surprise and you kind of made my day. I'm also dying of curiosity here, so can you please 'fess up so I can thank you properly?

Also, since I'm now an important blogger who gets shit for free, I needed to work this into my OOTD post immediately, with proper C/O attribution, of course.

Outfit Deetz:

Sweats: Lululemon

Shoes: Homer Simpsons, vintage

Accessories: McQueen, C/O The Internets.

(The book is still shrink-wrapped because I'm kind of convinced I got it by mistake and am half-expecting Amazon to come knocking on my door, demanding it back).

Ok, done, you may unfollow me now.

{ All I want for Christmas... is a bunch of stuff }

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Santa,

As you know, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, mostly because it's all about consumerism, and who doesn't love that. Joining the masses in their materialistic pursuits, here's my wish list of all the stuff I want. Feel free to bring me some (or all) of the following.

{ Giganto Michael Kors watch }
Leaning towards the tortoise one since everyone and their uncle has the gold one.
The rose gold is a nice variation as well.
(P.S. I may have already bought myself the tortoise watch during the Macy's F&F)

{ Curly Brace necklace }

This is probably every coder's dream necklace. Awesome, right? RIGHT??

What's not awesome is the price tag.

{ Hoop earrings }

Boyfriend's parents gave me a pair of white gold ones a few years back, but I lost one.

Then I bought another pair but managed to drop one in the elevator shaft. (RIGHT?? WHO DOES THAT?) I should just buy these in bulk at H&M because I've proven time and time again that I can't be trusted with nice jewelry, and yet...

{ YSL Arty Ovale Ring }
Below is a photo of one of my favorite blogers, Wendy from Wendy's Lookbook rocking this gorgeous ring. Need it in my life immediately, but I'm having all kinds of #firstworldproblems trying to pick a color.

via

{ Coffee table books }
#1 on my list is the McQueen book because I still have major sadz for missing the MET exhibit. Any other fashion coffee table books are welcome as well.

{ Nikon D700 }
(File this one under 'things i'm never getting ever')

{ iPad 2 }
Because it's basically a giant iPhone and who doesn't want that?

{ Naked2 by Urban Decay }
The first Naked palette is AMAZING and the second one promises to be just as great. The only problem is finding it in stock (is it even out???) - I know, I know, again with those #firstworldproblems.

{ world peace }
just kidding.

Here's to hoping that Santa is not a stingy asshole.

(remember how I was bitching about people centering their blog posts? Yeah, I totally just did that, but only because otherwise it looked awkward. Shutup.)

{ Clarisonic giveaway, the winner is... }

2011-12-01T17:40:00.001-08:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway and for all you amazing people who made a donation. I haven't told Steven yet because I'm convinced he died in the 60-mile walk, but I'm sure he's wondering where all those extra donations came from.

Anyway, I dumped all the entries into a spreadsheet and by the magic of The Random Number generator, we have a winner.

And that winner is............... CHUCK!

Congratulations, Chuck!! Please email me so that I can get your prize over to you. Thanks for playing, everyone! Until the next major blog milestone (which may never happen... HA).

{ "Jamaica, mon" or some other cliche title - Part 1 }

2011-11-22T05:30:00.000-08:00

Remember how I went to Jamaica like a million years ago and then I got a major case of the lazies and I never got around to blogging about it? Well, the good news is that I finished processing ALL the photos from my vacation, which almost never happens, so now I can actually share them with you along with the details of the trip.

So Jamaica was AMAZING! The trip was for a destination wedding, so there was a sizable entourage going. I admit it, I was skeptical about this "group vacation" at first, I'm happy to say I've been proven wrong and we had a fantastic time.

When we got to Montego Bay, it was raining, and not even crappy, drizzly rain shit we get in Seattle, we're talking about a DOWNPOUR here. I checked the weather and saw an awesome forecast of ALL THUNDERSTORMS ALL THE TIME, and as much as I love my thunderstorms, I don't want any on my tropical paradise vacation. WELL PLAYED JAMAICA!!! grr.

Once we go to the resort though, the weather cleared up, which seemed to be the pattern for the rest of our time there - gorgeous in the morning, 10 min of rain the afternoon, decently sunny the rest of the day. Naturally, the week flew by as it always does when you're having a good time. It was a week of splashing in the ocean, chillin' at the swim-up bar, and sipping poolside drinks; a week of sunbathing (all while wearing SPF 893737383, of course) and unlimited, UNLIMITED amounts of jerk chicken and beef patties. A week of all fun and zero worries.

We stayed at Sandals Montego Bay, an all-inclusive resort whose only downfall was its proximity to the airport. We're talking right NEXT DOOR. We saw planes pass overhead at least a few dozen times a day and let me tell you - those are some loud motherfuckers.

The view from our room was incredible, which made going home that much more depressing. I mean, THIS! EVERY MORNING!

And then there was that whole thing about someone making your bed every day and creating these ridiculous bed-side dioramas? I could really get used to this.

The resort had a very couply vibe, much of which probably stemmed from the fact that it was a children-free resort. Lots of honeymooning couples, lots of weddings, lots of anniversary-celebrating people. And here's me, creepo-stalking some random couple's wedding. Totally normal. um.

Ahem.... and how about more photos?

And then we met some people from Jersey Shore and I'm happy to report that they lived up to every Jersey stereotype.

Richmond Hill vs. Jersey Shore volleyball game

Did I mention that the resort was all-inclusive which meant all the alcohol we could consume in a week? Jamaican Smiles, for breakfast, lunch and dinner, anyone? Mmmm..

Drink matches dress. yep.

We signed up boyfriend for karaoke because we know he secretly loves attention. And here he is singing the shit out of a Backstreet Boys song of our choosing, which immediately got him recruited to the talent show held a few nights later. Sadly, every part of this story is 100% true.

and love is allllll i haaaaave to giiiiiiiive

At the English Pub, the only place that didn't close super-early at the resort

This is the whole group, plus a few random people we met along the way.

Say YA MON... or something.

Part 2, including the wedding is coming up soon....ish...

Did you enter my Clarisonic giveaway?

{ Birchbox: November 2011 Review }

2011-11-18T18:55:00.001-08:00

I did it - I jumped on the Birchbox bandwagon!

If you're not familiar with Birchbox, it's a monthly service, which delivers a curated selection of 4-5 deluxe sized samples straight to your mailbox. Each individual box is unique, but the products range from cosmetics to skincare to beauty tools. The best part of the deal is that what you get is a surprise every month and who doesn't love that?

The cost is $10/month and is very reasonable for what you get. I'm also loving the surprise factor and the fact that I get to try out products I otherwise would never even consider. I got my first box a few days ago so I thought I'd do a quick review of the products I received.

1. Jouer | Lip Enhancer ($14 | 0.33 fl oz)
This best seller hydrates, plumps, and conditions lips.

This product was my favorite one in the batch. I normally don't use anything other than chapstick to condition my lips, so I was looking forward to trying out something new. This lip enhancer did not disappoint - it left my lips feeling amazingly soft and moisturized, with a hint of sheer rose color. The conditioner didn't have any distinct scent or taste, which I actually prefer. As for noticeable plumpness, there wasn't any, and trust me, I checked by spending excessive amounts of time in front of the mirror making pouty model faces at myself. Ahem... Yep, still nothing.

2. Kate Spade New York | Twirl perfume ($65 | 1.7 fl oz)
Classic beauty lovers adore this flirty scent, which is a fresh update on a timeless fruity floral.

I've never tried the aforementioned "timeless fruity floral", so I don't know how it compares. The scent of Twirl is quite fresh and floral, but not overpowering, and is definitely a summer scent. While it's nice enough, but I doubt I'll be purchasing this for myself.

3. Thymes | Eucalyptus Body Lotion ($24 | 9.25 fl oz)
Put this one on your wish list: skin saving botanicals and shea butter combine in a luxurious lotion.

Holy Eucalyptus overload. Aside from the somewhat overwhelming smell, the lotion is quite nice. It absorbs really quickly and leaves skin feeling silky smooth.

4. Thymes | Kimono Rose Body Lotion ($24 | 9.25 fl oz)
Put this one on your wish list: skin saving botanicals and shea butter combine in a luxurious lotion.

I like the scent of this one A LOT better than the previous one. While it smelled very sweet in the package, once I applied it to my skin the scent decimated into a more subtle aroma of a rose garden. Like its Eucalyptus counterpart, it's super-absorbent, and leaves skin feeling hydrated and soft. This one is a winner!

5. Zoya | Nail Polish in Noel ($8 | 0.5 fl oz)

This shimmery denim shade from Zoya's holiday 2011 collection fits just right - just like your favorite blue jeans.

From this blog post, you already know that Zoya polishes are my absolute favorite in the world. I'm a little confused by the 'denim shade' description on the card since the color is more turquoise, but still very pretty nonetheless. The only downside is that I already own something very close to this shade.

6. BONUS: Alex and Isabelle | Classic Hair Ties ( $12 | 6 )

No more snags and crimps! These colorful elastics are a step up from the regular ol' hair bands.

Um.. I actually threw this out thinking that it was part of the packaging used to hold the products together in my box. I ended up fishing it out from the trash for this review, but honestly think I'll go straight back to trash after I'm done. If the card didn't mention this hair tie I probably wouldn't even know that it was one. It just looks so.... home made. Sorry, Birchbox, but I think I actually prefer my "regular ol' hair bands", at least it doesn't look like it was made by a 5 year old in an arts & crafts class, from recycled pants waistband.

Birchbox verdict: While the products you receive won't add up to $10/month and not all of them will be awesome, it's a nice little service and I'll keep my subscription for now. Birchbox offers free shipping on all the products from this month's box, which is great for purchasing full-size products you particularly liked. Plus I'm loving the the surprise element and the feeling of getting a gift every month. Err.. a gift that you pay for, technically, but um.. yeah.

You can sign up for Birchbox here.

Did you enter my Clarisonic giveaway?

{ the one about meeting more people from the internet... }

2011-11-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

Apparently meeting people from The Internet is my new hobby because on Thursday I met yet another person.... from The Internet.

If you follow Michelle from Hot Pink Combat Boots, you already know that she's spending a few post-Germany days in Seattle, so when she emailed me and asked if I wanted to meet up, I had very few hesitations.

Backstory: I used to read Michelle's blog back in 2008. She was Shasta's bff and I loved following her dating adventures. Except then she disappeared off the face of the Internet, which was a bummer, but you know, that happens in the blogging world. Fast forward 3 years - I was reading some random blog and clicked on some random link in the comments, and as I was scrolling through the entries of said random blog, I was all like holy-shitballs-that's-Michelle-from-3-years-ago! I emailed her and told her I was her reader from way-back-when and we've been blogger friends ever since. The End.

(Except, not The End, because duh, you want to hear about our meetup!)

We decided to meet up for drinks at The Pink Door in Seattle. I was nervous and excited and going through the usual array of emotions one goes through when meeting someone for the first time. I recognized Michelle instantly, even if she did text me her OOTD earlier. Michelle was exactly how I pictured her - gorgeous, super friendly, a total riot, with fabulous, FABULOUS hair. We got along great and spent hours chatting away, like old friends. I guess that's the beauty of the blogging world - you already feel like you know so much about someone that it never feels like you're just meeting for the first time.

Hours flew by at The Pink Door, but we weren't ready to call it a night, so we embarked on a mission to find a different bar, except if you live in Seattle, you know what an impossible task that can be on a Thursday night. After a few failed attempts (Il Bistro, Maximilien, Cutters), we finally settled on Barollo, which doesn't seem to close EVER. We grabbed a table in the bar area and it didn't take us long to make friends the people (and their wine) next to us. I guess the whole "we met on the internet" story was very interesting to people. I won't go into details of the rest of the night, because like I told Michelle - what happens at blogger meet-ups, stays at blogger meet-ups.

Here's a super-crappy iphone camera photo to prove that the meetup actually did happen. It was really dark inside, so that's the only photo that sort of turned out.

To sum up, I had a ridiculously fun night. Thanks, Michelle for being such a blast!!! Let's do it again next time you're in town!

You can read about Michelle's recap here.

Did you enter my Clarisonic giveaway?

{ Clarisonic Mia Giveaway (and for an amazing cause too) }

2011-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

The other day I was updating my blog and noticed that I somehow manage to surpass 100 posts. This is probably not a huge milestone for most, but since it took me about 15 years to get here because apparently I'm one of those bloggers who lack dedication, never update and quit blogging every six months, this is kind of a big deal.

To celebrate my 100-some entries, and as a way of saying a HUGE THANKS to you, my lovely readers, I'm giving away a Pink Clarisonic Mia! This is not a sponsored giveaway, this is just a way for me to say thanks to you guys for being so fuckin' awesome. Thank you for reading, for leaving comments and for sticking around through my numerous hiatuses - I appreciate each and every one of you!

To enter the giveaway:
1. Follow me via Google Friend Connect and leave me a comment telling me that you did. Be sure to mention your GFC user name so I can find you later. THAT'S IT!

For additional entries:
1. Follow me on Twitter and tweet the following -- "I just entered @lempelziv's Clarisonic giveaway and you can too: http://bit.ly/s0iMus " (2 entries)
2. Blog about the giveaway and leave me a comment with a link (3 entries)

FOR A QUADJILLION (or, something more reasonable, like 10) EXTRA ENTRIES AND UNLIMITED KARMA POINTS:
Another reason why I'm doing this giveaway is to help out my friend Steven who will be doing the Susan G. Komen 3-day 60 mile walk for Breast Cancer for the 5th year in a row. His goal is to raise $2300 for the foundation and he's currently at a half-way point of meeting his goal.

While I don't have any personal experience with breast cancer, I've known people who are affected by this terrible disease - wives of several of my colleagues, a co-worker who was diagnosed in her late 20s, relatives, friends, the list goes on.... My heart breaks for those who are fighting this deadly disease every day and for those who, sadly, lost their loved ones to it.

Please visit Steven's personal page and read about his previous experience with the walk and the reasons why he's walking again this year. The write-up is long, but it's beautifully written and is well worth the read, I promise.

For each donation, you'll receive 10 additional entries for the giveaway. I really hope your consider donating - no amount is too small and it's obviously for an amazing cause. THANK YOU!

Giveaway will close on November 30th.

{ THREAD show, girl-time & meeting @vuesociety. Also, mini-hats }

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

I just realized that I never blogged about the THREAD show in Seattle, so here I am... blogging about the THREAD show in Seattle.

THREAD is a "curated showcase of the best emerging, trend forecasting, style breaking, genre bending fashion designers, and the music and art that rock their world.", which to me just screams GLORIFIED FLEA-MARKET.

I think I may have dragged the Boyfriend to this a few years ago (or at least something similar) and didn't remember it being super spectacular, so I wasn't planning on going again. However, I won some tickets through Fresh Jess, another Seattle blogger, and decided to check it out anyway.

Armed with cash and low expectation, my Dance BFF, Meaghan and I made our way to the Seattle Center. The event was bigger than I remembered and ended up being a pretty fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Yeah, in true Seattle fashion, there was some really random stuff, like scary stuffed toys, giant bow headbands and what looked like used undergarments, but there were some really great vendors as well.

See, I wasn't kidding about the undergarments!!

Like I said, It wasn't all weird. There were some really great booths, ranging from handmade jewelry to local clothing designers and boutiques, such as Vue Society. It was great getting to meet Rachel, the owner of this fabulous boutique. I follow her on twitter and used to read her blog all the time so it was great to put a face to a name. (see also: meeting people on the Internet)

I really enjoyed browsing through her merchandise and I did end up getting a really cute white blazer, one of my few purchases that day. Her clothes are chic and edgy and are probably bad news for my credit card. Be sure to check out her online boutique.

Vue Society

Vue Society - that first dress there is amazeballs!

Stella & Dot

I also talked Meaghan into getting her make-up done by one of the make-up artists at the event and much to my amusement, she agreed. I loved the result but she probably hated me for it :D

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

I got my hair did, including putting in a pink extension, which promptly fell out of my hair the next day. Meanwhile, Meaghan mastered the art of photography by taking amazing pictures like the one below:

Eventually she figured it out though!

And then we had way too much fun at this booth selling mini-hats and fascinators. Despite the owner's best efforts to convince us that we can totally rock these at the grocery store, we didn't end up buying any.

So THREAD ended up being very fun! I'm glad I got to hang out with Meaghan, who I rarely see outside the dance studio and it made for some much-needed girl-time.

(I also have a great giveaway for you guys in the next few days, so look out for that)

{ shopping Zara }

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is obviously old news, but you can now shop Zara.com (I know, I know, you heard it here first).

I bitch a lot about the lack of good stores in Seattle, but I actually held off buying anything on Zara until now. This was mostly due to the fact that I didn't realize they offered free shipping and free returns, but now that I know this, goodbye money, because the problem with Zara having an online store AND an awesome return policy is that I want EVERYTHING - every monochrome pair of pants, every cozy sweaters and chic jacket and skirt and and and.......

all images via Zara

The main reason why I got sucked into Zara shopping was actually this gorgeous sequin clutch/wallet that I saw on Rosa's blog.

via

When she posted it, it was out of stock, but since then I've seen it repined eleventy billion times a day on Pinterest, which I obviously took as a sign that I NEEDED TO HAVE IT. The other night I noticed that it was back in stock, so I grabbed one and in the process also bought off the entire store.

Sorry, people who wanted to shop Zara, there's nothing left. Except maybe this sweater. You're welcome.

{ Love Stories (a preview) }

2011-10-29T19:12:00.000-07:00

PNB principal dancers Kaori Nakamura and Lucien Postlewaite in the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake.
Photo © Angela Sterling, stolen from PNB FB page.

If you read my blog even a little bit, you know that I'm basically obsessed with all things dance, especially ballet. Last night a couple of my dance friends (including my dance BFF Maeghan - HI MAEGHAN, SEE I'M WRITING ABOUT YOU) and I checked out the preview for a Pacific Northwest Ballet production of Love Stories.

Love Stories is a collection of excerpts from 5 different ballets, featuring the company premiere of Balanchine's "Divertimento from 'Baiser de la fee'" and Robbins' "Afternoon of a Faun", along with excerpts from Maillot's "Romeo et Juliette" ("Balcony Pas de Deux"), Stowell's "Swan Lake" ("Black Swan Pas de Deux"), and Hynd's "Sleeping Beauty" ("Aurora's Wedding").

I've never been to a preview before and it ended up being a pretty neat experience. A preview is basically a rehearsal with the artistic director, Peter Boal, who danced for the NYC Ballet for 22 years and some other dudes giving dancers pointers and corrections. We sat right in the front row, so close to the dancers we could touch them.

The dancers, of course, were fucking amazing. Even when they're mere feet away from you, they still make it look effortless and the only indication of how hard they're working is hearing their heavy breathing as they pass by you. Watching them dance was incredible, and kind of depressing because, hello, we'll never be at that level, not even a little bit (CUE ENVY). For the most, I can appreciate the dancing, the many years of training and hard work that goes into be able to perform at that level.

I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take photos during the rehearsal, but I ninja'd these two (obviously horrible) shots while the dancers were warming up.

The preview concluded with a Q&A, which was mostly adorable kids asking adorable questions like "Are all ballets about princesses?" and "where are her shoes?" (I don't even know what that means, but it was cute).

If you're in Seattle and are into dance, I highly recommend checking out these previews. The tickets are only $10 and you can find more information about this season's previews here.

LOVE STORIES runs for seven performances only, November 4 through 13 at Seattle Center’s Marion Oliver McCaw Hall. Tickets start at $28 and may be purchased by calling 206.441.2424, online at pnb.org, or in person at the PNB Box Office at 301 Mercer St.

{ OOTD, where I have entirely too many shots from the back }

2011-10-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

Found some random OOTD photos on my memory card from that one day in the summer where the weather was warm enough to wear shorts and now I'm sad. COME BACK, SUMMER!!!!

Here, texting important things

Outfit Details

Shorts: F21 (similar, budget, another cheap alternative)

Top: Obey Tied Up Tank Top (on sale!)

Scarf: stolen from boyfriend

Shoes: Sam Edelman Ginger

Bag: Louis Vuitton Delightful MM

(same one Gigi on Jerseylicious has. HAAAAAAAAY!)

{ Jenn does Seattle, meeting people on the internet & best weekend }

2011-10-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last weekend can be summed up as the BEST WEEKEND EVER - ALL CAPS, lots of exclamation points, hyperboles galore!!!!

Jenn, whom I met on the internet (and I say that like it's the most normal thing ever), came to visit me from NYC. And because I'm still sitting here typing this, she didn't turn out to be a creepy old man stalker or a murderer, which are all totally valid concerns when meeting people off internet, right? Right.

I can't even remember when we first started talking, but we were Twitter/blog friends for a long time and many ridiculous conversations and emails later, I was picking her up at the airport on Thursday night.

I was totally nervous that we wouldn't get along in real life, which would then result in a REALLY awkward weekend but 10 minutes after meeting we were chatting away like we've known each other forever. Turns out Jenn is like this awesome, sarcastic, hysterical person ("funny"-hysterical, not "crazy"-hysterical) and we got along just fine :D

We had an action packed weekend planned, complete with visits to the Microsoft company store and museum (because who doesn't want to see that), the "fish market", shopping, and even a Ghost Tour (uh.. thanks Groupon?), but while our "clipboard of fun" was overflowing, we ended up spending most of the weekend eating cupcakes and pizza, having inappropriate conversations, philosophizing about our #firstworldproblems and judging stupid bitches on Say Yes To The Dress Atlanta (hi boring man-hating Lori and girls who all look the same and ugly-Monte who's going to "jack you up", which honestly sounds like something that would lend you in a hospital, NO?????? )

Anyway, I'm sad the weekend flew by so fast but before it even ended we were already planning our next trip. Also, I'm pretty sure I convinced Jenn to move to Seattle anyway :D

Here are a few highlights from the weekend.

Because I don't already have about 6 dozen of the same photo

Jenn is so asian

gum wall!!

asian tourists dorks

because we needed one normal picture

During one of our downtown strolls, we saw this lady who was basically prostituting her dogs for $1 bills. These are the most well-behaved (read: probably drugged) dogs I've ever seen and a call to (fur-)child services is probably in order.

Awesome or animal abuse? You decide.

From the ghost tour. We found a ghost at a bar afterwards.

#OccupySeattle

More #OccupySeattle

Jenn makes friends wherever she goes

Did I mention BEST WEEKEND EVER????

{ 10 day 'you' challenge - 8 fears }

2011-10-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

This 10-day project is going to turn into a 10-month project, isn't it. Did I mention boyfriend has a new video game so it's impossible to even get CLOSE to a PC this day? Anyway.. 8 fears.

{ 1 } (cue cliche) Being alone
I don't talk about my relationship much here, but the state of my relationship has been less than stellar lately. 7 year itch? Perhaps, but the thought of being alone terrifies me. The only thing that's worse than living alone is dying alone, but we won't go there.

{ 2 } Lupus
I was going to say things like 'losing my hair', 'having to take steroids again', 'feeling sick to the point where i can't get out of bed', 'kidney failure' or 'crazy old lady arthritis' etc, so then I'll just wrap them up in a gift (that keeps on giving) and title it Lupus. The fear is not lupus itself, it's all the wonderful things it can be. Not knowing when the next flare hits or when I'll be too sick to function again is the hardest part, but I'm taking it one day at a time.

{ 3 } Failing at life slash my job
Need to work on that confidence thing.

{ 4 } Losing people I love
I know it's inevitable and is part of the circle of life and everyone goes through it eventually, but nope, can't cope.

{ 5 } Not being able to have children
The older I get, the more real this fear becomes. It's not like I'm dying to have children tomorrow, but what if by the time I decide it's too late? I can't believe I'm even typing this right now. WHO AM I????? Maybe I'm just destined to be a crazy cat-hoarding lady after all?

{ 6 } Severe disability/physical incapacitation
I lead a pretty active lifestyle and I'm always on the go, so the mere thought of being severly disabled (think paralysis, severe arthritis etc) terrifies the living shit out of me. Being active (dance, yoga etc) is what gets me through life, and is the reason why i'm still (somewhat) sane.

{ 7 } Public speaking
Never liked it, never will. Picturing people in underwear doesn't help.

{ 8 } Not being financially independent.
I've been financially independent since I was in my early 20s and I can't even imagine depending on someone else for financials. If I want something, I buy it with the money that *I* earned and that feels good. Having a wealthy boyfriend/husband/sugar-daddy sounds great on paper, but I would be giving up a huge part of myself and who I was raised to be. Cue Independent Women by Beyonce - yah, I pay my own bills, bitch, what?

{ filed under: tear-inducing videos/old people love }

2011-10-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

These high school sweethearts reunited after 62 years of not seeing each other (both are 82 now) and this might just be the sweetest video on the internet.

If this doesn't make you cry, YOU SUCK AS A PERSON (and probably hate old people too, which means you suck even more).

aaaaand pass the kleenex!

{ 10 day 'you' challenge - 9 loves }

2011-10-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

When I started this 10-day challenge I thought it would be 10 easy entries. In fact, I was going to try posting every day even, but then life got in the way, and then our hard drive died, and then a new video game happened, which meant not being able to use the PC EVER. So here I am, 2 weeks later.

Before, I go into Day 9, I just wanted to say thanks for all your awesome comments on the last entry. I always try to keep this blog honest even at the risk of coming across neurotic and weird and reading the comments gave me a much-needed feeling of normalcy. Because OMG I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO JUDGES PEOPLE BY THEIR GROCERY STORE PURCHASES. (etc etc). There's a lot of comfort in the fact that many of you could relate to the other points as well, things that I don't necessarily want to admit to. Major <3 for you guys!

Anyway, day 9. Loves. I'll try to stay away from cliches such as my family and friends and Boyfriend and travel. Definitely love them all, but that's a given.

{ 1 } Photography
Duh. Ever since picking up my first (real) camera, I've been in love with photography. From capturing a photograph, to spending endless hours in Photoshop post-processing, I love every aspect of it. I don't shoot nearly as much anymore, but I love it just the same. You know that question - 'if you won a lottery and didn't have to work for a living, what would you do' - easy, photography.

{ 2 } Dance
Ballet was my first dance love, but I'm also really loving modern lately. Also, I once took hip hop and that was hilarious.

{ 3 } Being Canadian, eh?
Although I'm currently living and working in the US, I'm Canadian through and through. Don't get me wrong, there are things i love about the US as well - like cheaper taxes and online shopping, but I love my country and no matter where I live I will always consider myself a Canuck, yes, even despite all the 'eh'/'aboot' jokes that get thrown my way.

Also, I feel compelled to link this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg

{ 4 } Used book stores
I normally read books on my Kindle, but when I buy an actual physical book it's usually from a used book store. I love spending hours at used book stores, looking for that perfect read. Bonus points if there's a coffee shop inside. Maybe I've been living in Seattle for too long, but why kill trees when you can recycle them?

{ 5 } Clean apartment
That feeling of putting away the vacuum, after you spent 3 hours cleaning and scrubbing the apartment top to bottom - amazing.

{ 6 } Hoodies

There's nothing more comforting than throwing on a favorite hoodie and if I could live in them, I probably would. Hell, I probably can considering that a hoodie is practically an engineer's uniform. Hm.

{ 7 } Vino
Red wine, white wine, sparkling wine, box wine, it's all good! *hickup*

{ 8 } Autumn
Fall is my absolutely favourite season. Always has, always will be. I used to be that freak of a kid who actually looked forward to the first day of school, although this may have had something to do with the fact that new school year = school supply shopping? Anyway, fall - the season of new beginnings, of starting fresh, the season of brisk mornings and gorgeous foliage, love it.

{ 9 } Saturday mornings
I tend to keep a pretty regular schedule as far as bedtime, so I don't usually sleep in on weekends. I love Saturday monings, when boyfriend is still asleep and I basically have the house to myself. I get to have my breakfast in peace, while catching up on whatever embarassing TV TiVo recorded for me that week (hi Dance Moms!). YES, WITHOUT YOU BEING ALL JUDGY MCJUDGERSON, BOYFRIEND.

{ 10 day 'you' challenge - 10 secrets }

2011-09-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'm totally jumping on the 10 day 'you' challenge so many blogs are doing, mostly because this excuses me from thinking of my own posts for at least 10 entries. Clever? i think so. Up first, 10 secrets.

{ 1 } If I could make a living being a wedding photographer, I'd quit my job tomorrow.
{ 2 } I've lived in Seattle for 5 years and I still feel very much alone here. Cue world's smallest violin.
{ 3 } I judge people by what they buy at the grocery store.
{ 4 } Contrary to what everyone thinks, I don't have my shit together, like AT ALL. I always thought by 30 I'd be married, have a house and a kid. I'm turning 30 in 10 months and it feels like my life is more of a mess than it's ever been.
{ 5 } Social situations give me anxiety. I'd rather spend a quiet evening at home than go to a party.
{ 6 } I love to cook but i'm a totally incompetent as a baker. My cupcakes come out like bricks.
{ 7 } I can't sing
{ 8 } I hate talking on the phone. When my phone rings, I usually ignore it, hoping whoever it is goes away and sends me a text/email instead. Also, I make boyfriend make reservations and call customer service.
{ 9 } I have lupus, which isn't much of a secret if you know me from the internets, but is still something I don't share freely with IRL people. In fact, only a handful of my real-life friends know.
{ 10 } I'm totally passive-aggressive. Maybe it's because I'm Canadian.

{ Rachel Zoe Spring 2012 RTW, this shit is bananas }

2011-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Check out Rachel Zoe's Spring 2012 RTW collection. Isn't this shit bananas, out of control, uh-mazing, to die for and pretty much every other Zoe-ism out there?

Seriously, this collection is flawless, and if I didn't die already from seeing her Fall 2011 collection, I would totally be dying right now.

Check out the full collection here. LOVES IT!

{ I just texted to say I love you }

2011-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

This HAPPY FRIDAY post is brought to you by my social media addiction.

Sing it with me:

I just texted to say I love you
I just tagged us both on our Facebooooooooook
I just tweeted Hashtag I love you
Retweet it, then like and share with all your friends