In the Mood for Romance

Getting ready for spring.

here are some really drool-worthy accessories, just take a look at that pearl necklace and those shoes!

1. Rosantica Osiris gold-dipped pearl necklace

2. Elizabeth and James Magdelena stretch-ponte mini dress

3. H&M fitted coat in powder pink

4. Moldavita cotton pearl earrings

5. Charlotte Olympia Cindy suede platform pumps

6. Aerin Beauty Limited Edition lipstick in beach beige

7. Fendi Peekaboo mini satchel bag

8. Gorjana Camila beveled ring set

9. Michael Kors wristwatch in rose gold

Budding Addiction

Meet Serena Stone, budding fashion stylist.




one mention in vogue was all it took to pique my curiosity. i think fans of online shopping may already know shopstyle.com for its extensive range of designer labels, but what really got me going was the stylebook application that allows you to pull any item available on their website to create your own personal look.

before i knew it, i was adding giuseppe shoes, throwing on stella mccartney jackets and spritzing prada perfume (all virtually of course, but still very very fun nonetheless), and this - ladies and ladies, is the very first look that i came up with.

this could well become an all-consuming addiction. maybe i'll try to control myself by creating just one look a day?

It's Here!!

Overall, I'd say my first foray into online shopping had been successful.

the package came beautifully wrapped with a lovely personalized note. the green tote turned out to be in much better condition than i'd expected, although the yellow clutch was a tad too aged for my liking. but that's a small problem i'm prepared to overlook, since it's always more enjoyable owning something that's a little bit different, with a little bit of a story behind it.

change of topic, but i just finished reading an interview with susan downey in harper's bazaar and i'm thinking that her relationship with actor-with-stormy-past robert downey jr. reads like a love novel, except this story has its feet planted firmly in the ground.

robert downey on meeting his wife:
"i guess the only way to explain it is that i've become more like her. i'm still trying to figure out what happened. whatever i was hungry for when i met susan, i couldn't have known how much more satisfying what i got would be."

susan downey on her connection she shares with her husband:
"there was something magical there, something we couldn't put our finger on. he always says that we became this third thing when we got together - something that neither of us could have become by ourselves - and i think that's true."

makes you wanna go out and become a third thing with someone, and fall in love so hard you quell your doubts and quench all of your restlessness.

Hooked

Unbeknown to most, I have never been a fan of online shopping.

while i love to shop, i suspect i only adore it so much because i enjoy walking into a store, pregnant with anticipation of the potential finds awaiting me. i like running my hands through clothing racks, getting a feel of dress fabrics, opening and closing bag clasps, making trips to the fitting room. most of all, i relish the moment when i pay for my purchases and have my spoils handed to me in a paper bag.

so what would make me temporarily forgo the real shopping experience for a round of prosaic mouse-clicking?

say hello to etsy, an online treasure trove of handmade everythings from little sequinned bags to wooden crockery cupboards. just one try and i was charmed enough to buy these:




the former is a handstitched canary yellow clutch that i think would go very well with my forest green evening gown, while the latter is a vintage leather tote circa 1960 that looks like it's in mint condition. i took the trouble of googling the bag maker, which turned out to be a high-end department store founded in san francisco in the 1920s that went bust in 1984. which only served to pique my curiosity further, since the words "vintage", "now-defunct" and "one piece only", when strung together in a sentence, can only mean one thing: MUST BUY.
am waiting with bated breath for the box that contains my newfound possessions to reach me. if they turn out to be good, you can bet i'll be heading to etsy's for my wedding jewellery!

Ode to Single Ladies

This is probably very passe, but I chanced upon these videos and i simply HAD to make sure that more people get to see them!

beyonce is smoking hot in this performance. when i was watching it i could only think one thing: her legs. her. LEGS.



check this one out too. i think i'm having a happy overdose of single ladies.



i am so gonna be jay-z when i grow up.

The Only Exception

Sweet song, sweet lyrics and an even sweeter music video.

Notes From the Bridezilla

Okay, it's 9.51pm and I'm still stuck in the grad room, but I HAVE to tell everyone about this.

as usual i was surfing the brides.com website for some late-night R&R and i chanced upon this! carolina herrera's collection for spring 2010!

herrera's my favourite gown designer, but her pieces cost 10,000 sgd and upwards so i'm really just building sandcastles in the air here. but with this latest collection, she has just succeeded in outdoing herself, and almost every other top designer showing this season. wedding dresses are not usually the medium where designers can allow their imagination to roam free; most women would never risk looking too different on their big day so gowns are always designed according to the tried-and-tested silhouettes and made with safe fabrics. hence, the "see-them-once-seen-them-all" surfeit effect you get when you flip through bridal magazines these days.

with herrera this season however, she has managed to turn every gown into an art piece. each dress is named after a prominent painter, and all the pieces so beautifully personify the essence of the artist. check out the monet, with the layers of tulle that feature handpainted waterlilies. every gown says a lot about the woman who wears them, and it is amazing how herrera manages to craft such interesting storylines and details from a single dress.