beauty, fashion & lifestyle inspiration...all wrapped up.
The man was a goldmine of stories and family history - of the grisly and the local lore of the land. He could quietly tell a tale and speak so low that you were literally on the edge of your seat…you just KNEW he could be leaving the best part out.
Read More”Perfume is the most intense form of memory." - Jean Paul Guerlain
Read MoreI notice the picture that I snapped of the evening sky yesterday reminds me of the painting that Brent made for me a few years ago. "I'm going to make you a painting!" he decided one evening when he had dropped by our place for dinner. He would send me photos of the various stages as he created it.
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Dad's homestead was a paradise of farm animals, cats, home cooking, curious oddities such as milk separators and actual fresh milk from a cow, as well as boat loads of cousins to play with. Never a dull moment...well, mostly.
My childhood memories often come to mind out of nowhere on any given day and remain vividly imprinted in my mind - like those spots when I close my eyes after staring too long at the sun (or a flashbulb). Most of these random memories take place in Montreal, specifically in my neigbourhood of Lachine as it was back in the day.
Read MoreThe topic of cosmetic enhancements has always fascinated me, not to mention speculating about whether or not someone has “had any work done”. My hands often wander up to my own face as I contemplate my disappearing jaw line…#mirrormirroronthewall
Read MoreA resume and cover letter are like a pair of shoes. All they need is the occasional polish - and maybe a bit of sparkle - to make them shine.
Read MoreTaking a moment to pause for reflection during a milestone birthday a few years ago, it suddenly hit me that I seem to re-invent myself by way of a new career path every decade.
Read MoreWhen I'm not Googling "murder" or looking up cases of life threatening illnesses and self-diagnosing, I use the internet for more constructive purposes such as finding out "what your doodles really mean".
Read MoreFor some time now, I've been experiencing writer's block. I mean, I have ideas and I still dump those thoughts into an "idea bin" (scrap of paper, napkin, phone notes, old fashioned pen to paper and or my Text Edit feature on my computer), but nothing has really grabbed hold. Just a bunch of frail bird bones - no flesh.
Read MoreMy whole life, I have received books as Christmas and birthday gifts. Since my birthday falls two days after Christmas, a book was a small and thoughtful token and one which I enjoyed leaving under the tree until I could tear it open on my special day.
Read MoreI present the Fantasy Dinner Party Guest List for the holiday season - I invite to my table the folks most likely to spar, spit and spoil the festivities - in grand style.
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I dream about fashion designs. A lot. Designs mixed in with other dream crap, much like a Daliesque sequence in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Call them "Stylish Thrillers".
Read MoreFamiliar items such as my books and sketches influence the things I'm working on - be it a logo design, a new blog post I'm writing, or something fashion related.
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I can't think of a more cozy place to be on a grey, rainy afternoon in Vancouver than in a warm and sunny, yellow and white pint sized salon - nestled in the cosmetics section of Nordstrom. Kind of like being inside a Mimosa but dryer (hence, Drybar). Here, the Happy Hour is all about your hair.
Read More'Tis the season for gifting, so naturally when you are secretly buying stuff for yourself at the seductive L'Occitane en Provence, keep that in mind. In addition to the sachet size free samples they include with any purchase they also have other options for gifting including the popular Holiday Essentials Kit - an additional $20 when you spend $45 or more - and various free gifts with purchases this time of year which are suitable for Secret Santa, stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, etc.
Read MoreI have always been very moved by Remembrance Day.
From stories of war time - including the day to day lives of those on the home front - to cenotaphs and wreaths laid by our vets. From flybys to the haunting "Last Post" and the moment of silence. From food stamps, to shortages and chocolate bars at Christmas. Packages made and sent abroad. Stories that have become my own
Read MoreI blame my recent visit to the Louvre, heady with paintings of past French royalty and the ghosts of rustling silks, for my latest obsession with the perfect pink lipstick that would be fit for a queen.
Read MoreIt was a chance comment I made on a friend’s Facebook photo on Monday that started it all. As a makeup artist, Laura's pictures are always stunning and this one was so luminous I had to ask her, “are you wearing Charlotte Tilbury by chance?”
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