what's your tale, nightingale?

the leprechaun jacket

It's been a while since I had the chance to take pictures of my outfits, and it is not because of the lack of trying but due to the lack of sunlight every night when I come home from work.  Alas, that is the downside of working and blogging at the same time.

However, today was the day that finally both the husband and I got the day off!  So I desperately grabbed him to be my photographer -- whether or not he did it willingly was another story.  The poor husband is not so passionate about fashion and girly matters.  He puts up with me anyway, so that speaks volumes in my book!  Thank you!  (Now he will probably grumble at me being mushy to him on my silly blog... I love it!)

Anyway, I took several outfit posts, I will slowly put them into circulation.  I have also some very exciting news.  "What's your tale nightingale" is hosting its first give-away!  More details to come. 

I got a little haircut and the hairstylist was nice and did a blow-dry on it that left it semi-curly and semi-straight - which I REALLY liked.  Maybe next time my perm needs to be less extreme... we'll see.

I purchased a vintage jacket many months ago, and have been dying to wear it.  It is a 1960s kelly green jacket with black fur collar and cuffs (I took off the cuffs but was a little sad to alter a never-been-worn vintage item that still had its hang-tag and price-tag!)

I really liked this green, but the husband called it "the leprechaun jacket".  Thanks, dear!  I still love it.  I left a funny face picture and pumped up the greeness of the jacket just for you, husband, so you can remember how lovely I look as a leprechaun.

When I met up with Kay in Hong Kong last November, the lovely designer of whimsical line Daydream Nation gave me the super fun glasses necklace.  Once again, the husband teases me every time I wear it.  In response to that, I put on my "glasses" every chance I get and say, "Oh what's that?  Let me take a closer look..."

Me = dork.

dress:  Silk green floral dress (i.t. hong kong)
necklace:  knitted glasses necklace (daydream nation)
jacket:  1960s vintage kelly green fur collar jacket (etsy, refinerydesigns)
tights:  black opaque dotted tights (nordstrom)
brown t-strap heels (anthropologie)

More about the give-away to come.
More about daydream nation to come.
More outfits to come.

Stay tuned!

d a c e - spring 2010

Everyone is posting their favourite spring collections, and I am loving the Urban Outfitters' line, Hollin's post on Zac Posen's for Target, and Sally Jane Vintage's post on Rachel Antonoff! I stumbled across "d a c e" - a Canadian line.  (I know others have posted already, but I couldn't resist!)  Designer Dace Moore is situated in British Columbia and has a studio there!  I must go do some looking at BC next time I am there to visit my husband's family.

Dace's modern sense of classic femininity appeals to my need to complete my closet with things that are versatile and flattering.  Dace also produces and manufactures locally and adhere to high standards of quality and construction!  Way to go!

I love the pictures from their Spring 2010 lookbook!  It makes me want to go to a romantic little town and explore -- find a cafe and drink some coffee, eat in some local restaurants, relax and take pictures.  While I am way too busy for such plans, I can sure get lost in these pictures.  

The video they posted exudes such prettiness...

DACE Spring 2010 from Dace on Vimeo.

bright star

   A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness.""I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days - three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain." ~ John Keats

"Bright Star" is the story that director Jane Campion tells of John Keats and his love Fanny Brawne.  I have heard that it is not a movie for everyone -- but it is definitely on my to-watch list.  I don't know what to expect, I was told not to expect an Austen-like story.  A unlikely first-love between a poor poet and an outspoken student of fashion -- first drawn together through nursing Keat's ill younger brother.  I am looking forward to  a slow love story set in the beautiful English countryside.  It might not appeal to everyone, but it sure peaked my curiosity and my hobby for collecting beautiful imagery.

There is a "Bright Star" movie production site that looks like a pretty little scrapbook with many little details inside...

a cheer for 2010

You might have noticed my prolonged absence, I do apologize.  There have been a lot of traveling and family time during the holidays.  I hope your Christmas and New Year was as warm as mine. 

While spending time with the family has been a great relief and break from the workplace and my blog, I have to admit that I have been feeling down since the start of the new year.  Partly due to feeling very homesick for my parents/Hong Kong, and partly due to my own personal reasons -- I have not been in the best of moods.  Poor husband of mine! 

Anyway, I've decided that it is time to stop being a Negative Nelly (or SNL's Debbie Downer... wah wah...), so instead of burying myself in books and computer games (nerd!), and hiding like an ostrich, I hope to commence my blog once again!  Enough is enough!  I hope you readers are still out there!  I came along these pictures today and I thought they were a great mood lifter. 

(Photography by Rebecca Miller - site, blog)

hong kong artists

(photos by moi.  on the streets of mong kok,
artists not letting anything get in the way of their talent)

A quick post and I have to get some sleep.  When I was going through my pictures from Hong Kong, these really stood out to me.  The artists here really gave me a different perspective of hardwork and dedication.  We saw them on the streets of Mong Kok.  I miss Hong Kong already.

digital perm + birgitta closing

     

I tried to find a better picture from my Hong Kong pictures, but this will have to do.  I took this after a shower so they curls are more damp and have a little less body than normal.  I would take a new picture, but I have been caught with a bad cold and am not in a pretty shape for any pictures.  

Dress:  Cream three bow sweater dress (Jill Stuart, Harbor City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong)
Necklace:  Vintage Clock Pendant Necklace (Birgitta, Seattle)

On another note:  Birgitta (women's department of Blackbird, Ballard Seattle) is closing.  It is sad for Seattle as I really enjoyed their taste and style!  For the gentlemen out there, Blackbird is still around.  You guys are so lucky! 

I couldn't make last weekend's closing sale, but they have extended the sale for another weekend!

Everything 40-80% off
Buy 2 Apparel Pieces and get the 3rd FREE
Bring friends and receive 10% off

Friday, December 18th, 9am-8pm
Saturday, December 19th, 9am-9pm
Sunday, December 20th, 9am-7pm

hair makeover

 

My hair is usually a giant mess -- parts of it want to be straight, parts of it want to be curly.  For many years now, I have been chemically straightening it annually in Hong Kong.  It is easier to handle and let's face it, when you have two kids and trying to have a career - easier usually wins.

Japanese Thermal Straightening uses chemicals to de-frizz your hair and resulting in sleek long strands of hair without having to use a hair straightener iron every morning.  Other names used are Ionic Straightening, Magic Straight Perm, and Thermal Relaxing. 

But this year, I went a different route, I chose a digital perm.  I've done this once before, but this time i wanted a more relaxed curl.

A Digital Perm (digi-perm) has the same idea using Japanese chemicals, but instead of running a hair straightening through your hair after the chemical treatement, rollers are applied throughout your hair (the size of rollers can determine your curls).  My Hong Kong hair stylist of many years - James from Esprit Salon (HK's Central branch), offered to alternate between medium and larger size rollers to create a more natural wave.  James has done such an excellent job perming/straightening my hair that I have no cause for complain.

Digital Perm & Thermal Reconditioning are both available in America and in Asia.  American salons usually charge you an arm and a leg, but there are exceptions and you have to look for them or ask someone if it is any good.  The chemicals is crucial because you don't want to fry your hair.  In Asia, there are a variety of salons that will do it so you have to be careful not to go to one just because it seems cheap - it could damage your hair severely.

An "after" treatment photo will be posted later... a picture that doesn't make you think I look like "It" from The Addams Family.

And more Hong Kong photos to follow!

featured in N.E.E.T. magazine!

When N.E.E.T. approached me on writing about some of my favourite shopping locations around town, I could not resist!  Not only do I love N.E.E.T, the online indie fashion magazine, but I love getting any excuse to go shopping, so go check out my article on N.E.E.T!

Sorry for the lack of posts... I have been enjoying my time off and spending time with my family in Hong Kong!  Will be back in Seattle soon and posting more.  Now off to take my monkeys to Disneyland!

battle of the comfortable shoes

In Hong Kong, your shoes get wrecked much quicker and easier.  The pair of double-layer Converse from last trip was great, except for undoing and re-lacing the high tops during security check at the airport.  So this time around, I thought ahead...

I took two pairs of shoes - Bensimon's Canvas Lacets & Ladyboy's Low Jazz Canvas Shoes.  Both shoes are canvas flats but wore very differently...

The Ladyboys caught my eye its perfection saturation of redness - not too over-powerful but not too washed out.  The foam foot beds are cushy but the edges around the top of the shoes need some breaking in.  Not something you could wear right away for a long walk in Hong Kong on your first day.

The Bensimons were extremely flexible and comfortable.  Not to mention they are much nicer than my converse, and the fact that they are French just did it for me.  You could wear it anytime and your feet would be thankful for it.

Shoes can be found at Birgitta, Seattle.

The House of Eliott

Before I travel to Hong Kong, you will usually find me fervently converting my DVDs to iTune format for my movie watching on the plane ride, or while I'm over there.  The husband and I have a habit of stocking up our movie/tv-series collection by getting them previously viewed or during online sales. 

What usually happens is we never get to catch up on our movie watching... we acquire more and we never catch up (not to mention he and I watch very different kind of movies).  So I am determined not to let these movies go to waste and on this trip I will watch "The House of Eliott". 

BBC dramas always get me so addicted - and this story includes fashion and drama in 1920s London! This is a story of the Eliott sisters tries to open their own fashion house in order to support themselves after their wealthy father dies, leaving them penniless.  They are suitors, villains, class struggle, suffragettes, flappers & haute couture.  I've heard great things about the series but never watched it before and it was just sitting on my shelf this whole time.  Here are some stills for your enjoyment.  Recognize Louise Lombard from CSI?

(all taken from BBC)

monochrome

Thought a more normal outfit post is in order to balance out the silliness from the previous post.  Just a simple outfit put together for a everyday look.  It happened first with the pants that I got from the clearance section of Anthropologie for $20.

The simpleness and normalcy is what I crave right now, maybe just what I need in the midst of packing, getting everything in order before I leave for Hong Kong for 3 weeks...

shirt:  asymmetrical ruffle top (3.1 Phillip Lim)
cardigan:  long light grey wool sweater (jcrew)
pants:  rolled up boyfriend black pants (anthropologie) - well I rolled them up because i am a short person and if I left them down it's not long and it's not short...
shoes:  black & white two-tone bow flats (matiko)
scarf:  black & white scarf (somewhere in New York)