2011 Roundup: The Year of the Handbag

2011 was definitely the year of the handbag for me. Glad it wasn't a repeat of 2010 which was obviously the year of the shoes.

Here's a roundup of my purse-chase for the year!!





Chanel GST
Has gone up by 30% since I bought it, what a great "investment"!



LV Neverful
my weekly travel bag



Longchamp Pliage
in various colors and sizes



Gucci hobo
bought from Faye!



LV pochette
specially bought from Paris by my good friend Faye!



Chloe Marcie
yet another awesome find by Faye!

NYE Tapas Party 2012

Here's some tips on how to throw a super fun New Year's Eve party!

STEP 1 - Prepare the tapas menu.

gazpacho
gambas al ajillo
mussels with saffron butter
fig and olive tapenade in endive spears
ceviche de pescado
avocado & tuna with marcona almonds
quince (membrillo) and manchego
pimiento stuffed manzanilla olives
chorizo stuffed piquillo peppers
cabrales serrano crostini
dates, brie & serrano skewers
spanish cheese & deli meat sampler (manchego, iberico, salsichon, chorizo, serrano)

STEP 2 - Count on good friends for an awesome Spanish wine pairings!

Big thanks to my very good friend, Faye for these fun photos!

STEP 3 - Prepare a 12-footer party backdrop which makes for a fun step 5 below...



STEP 4 - Ask guests to dress and suit up.




STEP 5 - Take lots of pictures. LOTS!







-- ABS Allen Schwartz Lanvin-esque dress -- Mimi di N leopard belt -- Alaia slingbacks --
Hubby is wearing a Burberry suit


STEP 6 - Welcome the new year with a a magnum rosé champagne!!



HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!!

...Very grateful for a great 2011 and here's to more food, fashion and friendship for 2012 and beyond!

Happy Holidays!

I know I have been gone here for a long, long, long time! Allow me to explain my absence at a later post. For now, just want to wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas!!

-- BCBG dress -- Target blazer -- Mimi di N belt --Givenchy stockings --


...Wishing I could blog more in the coming year!

A Model I'm Not

I am glad I don't model for a living. If I do, I would really suck at it. I only have a single pose -- one hand on the hips (two if I'm having a particularly nice day), one leg forward and slightly bent and face tilted to the side. I only have a single smile -- the BIG kind with as many teeth I could possibly show.

The whole process is almost part of my muscle memory now -- I can invoke it on a whim the very instant I see a camera!

So to change things up a bit, let's try this sitting down.

-- Romeo and Juliet Couture top -- Banana Republic shorts --

Yes, yes, I know! I should not give up my daytime job anytime soon.
Fine! :P

Orange You Glad?

The title's a bit cheesy, I know -- but I can't think of anything else to write. It was the first thing that came out of my head seeing my orange top on this pic. :D


-- Free People orange halter top -- white shorts from Australia -- Stuart Weitzman cream wedges --

I am indeed glad that I got this top for a mere $12. And I am also glad for the cool summer weekends here in Minneapolis - a welcoming break from the heat in Dallas during the weekdays. And I'm glad we have great set of friends to enjoy the summer with -- shopping, jogging, working out, grilling and eating out!

A big shoutout to my dear friend Faye, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

A Tale of Friendship

Good friends remain as friends no matter where they are in world.

Allow me to attempt to explain this in a story that will span four continents, three people and six years of friendship: Last weekend, a good Aussie friend of ours whom we met in Melbourne, and is now working in London for a company that is based in Minneapolis was in town for the weekend. We tried to meet up a few times last year but since I spent a lot of my time in Brazil, we couldn't. Tried to meet up again a few times this year but since I'm in Dallas during the workweek, matching our travel schedules was tricky. Until finally last weekend, we did!

He's a fellow foodie and travel junkie and he could talk about hole-in the-wall places in Makarska (Makarska where??) to three-star Michelins in Paris! A well traveled foodie seems a bit hard to impress but we took him to Restaurant Alma and surely, the pride of Minneapolis did not disappoint. Review coming up shortly!

-- purple top from Manila -- The Limited black mini skirt -- Saks sandals--
Hubby is wearing a Lacoste shirt and 7 for All Mankind jeans (yes, I just recently converted him over to the dark side of premium designer denim!)

Office Uniform Part5: Sheath Dress as a Skirt

I had a light bulb moment in this outfit realizing that a sheath dress can also be worn as a skirt. I had another light bulb moment soon after, realizing that with the dozen sheath dresses I currently have, it's like having a dozen new skirts too! And so the 3rd light bulb moment - the best one of all, came all too obvious: If I could wear sheath dresses in many more ways than one, then I must shop for more of them!

And so I did just that yesterday, with my good friend Faye.

-- Daniel Rainn cream sheer top from Nordie's Rack -- Tahari teal sheath dress (worn as a skirt) -- Prada nude pumps -


This is my hotel room in Dallas, which has been my home on weekdays for the past four months now!