Up In My Grill

Why am I smiling beside this abandoned church? Did Jesus just float by in a grilled cheese sandwich? More importantly, what am I wearing?

red

Earrings by Paloma Picasso. Same black coat from Paris. No idea on the hat, and scarf by my mom! I have a thousand of these scarves. Even if you’re deprived of a talented and knit-prolific mother, my point is this:  you can wear the same jacket two days in a row, but a different color accent keeps it looking fresh… If you can handle fashion pointers from someone who forgets to put on lipstick before a photo.  Maybe it came off while I ate the grilled cheese. ClearSmall xx 2 

Keepin’ it real in Cowtown

Snapseed (1)Making a style statement in Victoria Park, a neighborhood known for the historic brick buildings you see behind me. I was going to choose another picture taken ten seconds later, but decided to Keep It Real. What’s a picture of the streets of Calgary if it doesn’t include that white pickup that just rumbled by? Because while it might not always be white,  there is always a pickup in the vicinity in Cowtown.

D&G scarfSunglasses by Gucci. Coat from some place on the Champs-Elysées I can’t remember. Boots by Prada. Scarf with fox fur tails by my mom, with inspiration from Dolce & Gabbana,  as seen on the left. Grazie mille Mom! xx

 

Make Tracks

Snapseed (1)Back in Calgary, layering over-the-knee tights (look for OTK on the packaging when you’re shopping) on top of regular tights keeps me warm on the days I need to wear sweater dresses while chasing rabbits. Boots by Roots. xx  

Blue Besos Goes to Vancouver

A quick trip to my hometown of Vancouver uncovered so many new places. The restaurants! The bars! The shops! Not to mention the scenery!! Excuse the effusiveness, I just read Tom Wolfe’s Back To Blood and his style is contagious. I couldn’t check out 99% of the places I wanted to (that’s an official numeric value I just made up) but… the random sampling of places I did get to proved just how cool lotus land is. As if I didn’t know.

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The name of a Willie Nelson song, and strangely satisfying art in front of the Vancouver Public Library.

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Happy, shiny Tiffany. Look at the post-purchase glow I have after finding this boutique:

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Loft 82 on Granville Street downtown. There’s a few of these super-chic little shops sprinkled in cities north of the 49th parallel, including one of my old stomping grounds — hint:  the airport code is YEG! Anyhow, I couldn’t resist:

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Who doesn’t need a little wishbone action in their lives? Then, moseying into the Bay on Georgia Street, which recently had a big luxury upgrade that I -ahem- didn’t really notice, I was distracted by this:

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An entire area devoted to selling Nespresso. The coffee that Penelope Cruz is currently bringing sexy to on TV. I had to try it.

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Those little individual espresso containers are an environmental disaster, but Dios mio! My instant Dulsao do Brasil was soooo good.

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Everywhere I turned, I found a new store that had just opened. Nineteen Ten on Main street sold gorgeous home accessories…

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Don’t set your heart on that owl bottle opener, because he went home with me.

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Such a short trip! But I did manage to visit Horseshoe Bay. It’s a sleepy, small neighborhood – a nice little stop if you’re on the way up to Whistler or about to catch a ferry to Bowen, Nanaimo or the Sunshine Coast.

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For some clam chowder with a view of the harbor, try Olive+Anchor. Formerly YaYa’s Oyster Bar, their comfort food will warm you up on one of those damp, grey Vancouver days. ClearSmall xx 2

Sassy Cabbie

Is it cool to look like a sassy cabbie driver? That’s how someone described me today. I took it as a compliment, because —

  1. Sassy cabbies make me think of New York and I♥NY
  2. It’s definitely cool to wear vivid color on a dull grey day

photo (11)Coach cap and Juicy Couture aviators. Grey and purple scarves by my mom. xx

“Naturally” Blonde

There is only one person I trust to keep me naturally blonde:  Kevin Shiu, at Headspace in Vancouver. My roots have been known to turn orange during highlighting. Other stylists have tried to semantic their way out of it by saying my hair has a tendency to “pull warm.” But disaster never happens with Kevin, and as a result I am fully dependent on his prowess with my tresses.photo (10)Action shot! No matter what city I live in, a trip to the hairdresser’s means a trip to YVR!P1020164Oh, and did I mention the multi-talented Kevin Shiu is also a world renowned DJ? Apparently Tiesto and I have the same taste in music – he’s also a KS fan. Catch one of Kevin’s sets on Frisky Radio.

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Brand Old Bag

Aaah, my impractical white leather bag:  Gucci 85th Anniversary Limited Edition.

photo (10)So … seven years ago. Yet I still love it. That white leather is almost impervious to damage. And those horse bit details never go out of style!ClearSmall xx 2

Faithful Steed

Polo style starts with a pair of white jeans, which is oh-so-decadent since they’ll be dirty as soon as you start playing. A white pony ups the fashion ante.

Indio Feb 2012 copy

My white pony, Snow, does more than just look good – she kicks the ball when I miss. Courtesy of Coach Kyle Fargey at the Eldorado Polo Club in Indio, California. ClearSmall xx 2