Get Your Swagger On

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Posted on 30th August 2009 by Tomi in Fashion

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Accessories can really transform a look.  While there are plenty options, I especially enjoy shopping for sunglasses,  bracelets, and gloves for their practicality and styling potentials. When I was a broke college student living in a tiny apartment where rent was bigger than my paycheck, I would starve myself just so I could get the shiny Chanel specs over which I had been excited for months. Then couple years ago when I thought the only specs designed by the ‘Haute Couture’ designers (Dior, Chanel, etc.) were worth a look, I met Oliver-

op1OOP sabina

Oliver Peoples‘ Sabina

After ten different pairs and twenty visits, I realized that my true love was indeed my first- Sabina. Offered in three different colors: Blue, Purple, and Black, they are vintage yet modern, trendy yet timeless- just the way I like it.

Then just as Sabina and I decided we weren’t meant to be, I met Deacon-

op deacon

Preppy, or a “Nerdy, yet Cool” look is absolutely stylish these days, so I just could not walk past these without trying them on. Unlike their counterparts or relatives, these are one pair of impeccably crafted glasses. They made me feel and look  like a millionaire for the ten seconds they were sitting on my nose. These have a great potential for upgrading any outfit.

Now, get your swagger on with a pair of Oliver Peoples!

Breakfast is the Most Important Meal of the Day.

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Posted on 28th August 2009 by Tomi in Eats

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Meet me at Nick’s-

waffles

Nick’s Laguna Beach
440 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 376-8595

a Girl’s Best Friend

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Posted on 26th August 2009 by Tomi in Fashion

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No, I’m not referring to diamonds. I’d take ten pairs of Louboutins over a diamond ring any day.  If you haven’t noticed already, I have a (HUGE) thing for shoes. I believe  it’s the shoes that completes a look both for men and women. On that note, I would like to share some noteworthy finds that caught my eye recently:

valentino_studded

Red Studded Sandals by Valentino

I’m not a huge Valentino fan, but I like the red with black accents- in fact, studs are so ‘in’ these days. These would look good with a black miniskirt (in a heavier material) or a mini dress w/ a red/black clutch.

giuseppe_zanotti1

Baby Pink Strappy Booties by Giuseppe Zanotti

It always boggles my mind to call these types of shoes ‘booties’, btw. In any case, ’booties’ are hot these days and these particular ones stand out mainly due to the color- one of my favorites, Baby Pink! Besides being reminiscent of Hello Kitty, the color makes them playful and much more wearable during the summer time. If you have been to their store, this Italian shoemaker makes shoes look more like art pieces than what shoes are actually made for- to protect body parts. A bit uncomfortable, but we are all familiar with the phrase, ‘no pain, no gain’, right?

balenciaga shoes_harpersImage Source: Harper’s Bazaar

Turquoise Booties by Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere

I must have stared at this photo for a good minute or so (I usually flip through them until something captures me). Everything’s so strikingly beautiful- the dress, background, styling, and the shoes! Oh, the shoes- it’s one thing that I like ribbons and ties on accessories, but adding navy blue/violet to turquois? and in velvet and mesh?! Totally glamorous. My quick research suggests that Ghesquiere briefly worked for Jean Paul Gaultier, which explains why the designer came to mind at first sight.

alexander wang shoes

Shoes (Booties? Pumps? not sure to which category these belong to, but who cares as long as they are cute) by Alexander Wang

According to a recent issue of W, while Wang hasn’t been around for very long (his collection made its debut last fall), he’s become one of the most sought after designers  not only due to his creativity but also his business approach. While others may insist on a certain style that sells well one season, he goes after something dramatically different even after an extremely successful season. Being only 25 works as an advantage for him as a designer, giving him a tremendous opportunity to explore unlimited possibilities.

These black shoes would look wonderful with a short tweed jacket (think Chanel) and shorts in same material.

emilio-pucci

Thigh-Highs by Emilio Pucci

As a lot of you fashion-conscious people are aware, thigh-highs will be hot this fall/winter. I don’t know how practical or wearable they are, but coupled with bold printed mini dress and fur, they look pretty hot.  I had always been fascinated by his use of bold prints and bright colors, so I did a quick read on his biography- and found out that he lived quite an interesting life. With a doctorate in Political Science and a skiing scholarship, he spent his early years in the Italian Air Force before becoming a fashion phenomenon. The source notes that his very first fashion project was designing  for a ski team during his college years.  I guess a gift always has its ways of being discovered.

Patience is a Virtue.

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Posted on 23rd August 2009 by Tomi in Thoughts

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just be patient- we’ll get there some day.

Money Can Buy Happiness(?!)

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Posted on 23rd August 2009 by Tomi in Eats | Fashion

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Happiness cannot be bought with money, of course. If it does, it’s short-lived and even those beautiful things you paid thousands of dollars for become stale after a while (I’m sure you know what I mean). While I’m glad that I’m aware of this fact and that I have an assurance that I can be happy even in tough times in life because I have a good understanding of what life is really about-  and it’s all good, unless art pieces like these come along:

jazz leopard

Jazz Leopard Print Pump by Jimmy Choo

leopard bootie

Leopard Bootie by Christian Louboutin

Wait… leopards?! .. and I never thought that I’d consider leopard beautiful… is this a sign of aging, or are they just in style these days? I’d like to believe that it’s the latter. :P

Anyhow, and one more… Really had a hard time letting go of this one- Navy blue fitted ruffle dress (not an official name; not sure what it’s called; can’t even find it online) by Ted Baker:

ted baker dress

As much as I loved all these, knowing that the love would only last couple months if not days, I decided to detach myself from them before it was too late. As I said good-bye to these beauties, I decided to please my tummies to fill the void:

ikko

Started off with Octopus Suckers w/ Ponzu Sauce and ended with Vanilla Ice Cream w/ Hot Red Bean Sauce… had no chance to take pictures of sushi as they went straight into my tummy. Tried Scallops with Pumpkin Sauce for the first time and absolutely loved it. This is a must-try place for sushi lovers. It’s a tiny place so make sure you make a reservation! Highly recommended for special occasions or when you just feel like having some great fish- No soy sauce needed.

Ikko

735 Baker St. Ste C

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 556-7822

tea time

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Posted on 22nd August 2009 by Tomi in Eats

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tea

also good for people watching & delicious sandwiches

Alcove
1929 Hillhurst Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90027

To Spend or Save- That is the Question

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Posted on 21st August 2009 by Tomi in Computers

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At the end of the day, this indeed becomes the ultimate question- do I splurge on stuff I want, or do I save for the stuff i need? I consider myself a very economical person, yet like everyone else, there are certain times when my mind becomes blank and it no longer is in control of my behaviors. Once your eyes start having an intimate conversation with those Louboutins or Vuittons, the next thing you know is that you are walking out that glitzy store feeling like you were just born again. You just feel so loaded and fly until you realize that you just ripped a huge hole in your bank account. Well, at least I still feel guilty about it, which makes everything okay, right? :P

In any case, I guess it’s true that your taste and interests change as you age as I’ve actually started to be attracted to things other than shoes or bags… as you may have noticed from my previous post, I have a great respect for Mr. Jobs. I’ve always liked Apple stuff, but it wasn’t until recent that I started placing their products on my shopping list. The two babies on the list at the moment are:

iMac

and…

macbookpro

Laptop is nice when you are on the run all the time,  but it would never completely satisfy the need for having the ‘real thing’…  hard to explain, but it just doesn’t provide the ’stability/reliability’ that a desktop does- well, at least for me. Then again, who knows, once this blog really takes off (ha!), I may start to feel truly obligated to update it every day (not that I already feel that way- I love my blog- only if I could do it full time!)… then I would really need a computer by my side 24/7.

In any case, both our desktop and laptop are working fine at the moment… except for the strange noise they make once they get overheated… :( Unless you really need it, it’s smarter not to get it, right? Unless you really, really need it… and just absolutely cannot survive without it… yeah… hmmm…

Then again, I think having one will actually help improve my creativity (remember? your environment matters- see below post on creativity)…

speakerand these Harmon Kardon Soundsticks would make it look even better- ahhh… dreamy…

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