Monday, December 7, 2009

Pretty With a Dash of Dark


Source: Definitely Golden

I'm really digging the entire outfit. She's too pretty and put together but then she's wearing outstanding cuffs. I love that little bit of unexpected boldness.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Most commonly used words: Pretty and Amazing


Source: Wordle

Thank you to all the lovely people who are still reading up on me, I've had you guys on my mind too. Cheerios!

P.S. This Wordle was inspired by Fashion Chalet.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Give Up the White and Turn to the Dark Side


Source: Dwell

I just found out about Cindy Gallop, the consultant, coach, entrepreneur, speaker and all around amazing woman! I'm pretty much just gobsmacked as I scratch the surface of this very fascinating woman, her career and life. In particular, I'm in love with her beautifully designed apartment based on a black-lacquered Chinese box concept. It's definitely an aesthetic that I'm drawn towards.

Photos of her apartment:








Source: Behance Network

What makes her amazeballs?

"Make Love, Not Porn", Cindy Gallop's TED2009 4-minute presentation in which she promotes her website www.makelovenotporn.com debunking the myths that hardcore pornography perpetuates. TED's profile of Cindy Gallop.



Wow, is all I can say because I think she's awesome sauces!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Filled with inspiration from DesignThinkers 2009



Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted but in a good, super inspired kind of way! I've spent the week getting recharged and pumped about design both creatively and professionally during DesignThinkers 2009. The week of events was kicked off with a screening of Art & Copy on Monday evening, two jam-packed days of amazing speakers and studio tours on Thursday. I'm still kind of processing the past few days but I just wanted to share a few shots.






Monday, November 2, 2009

DesignThinkers 2009



DesignThinkers is back for another round of design inspiration! This will be RGD Ontario's 10th annual international conference focusing on the role of design in business, society and future health of the planet. The conference takes place on November 3rd and 4th, with additional events throughout the week.

I have been to two other DesignThinkers conferences and both have been an exceptionally inspiring experiences. I've come out of these with fresh ideas, connected with other designers and industry professionals and boat loads of books to keep me inspired. It's pretty much impossible to not be inspired or amazed with an amazing lineup of speakers.

I'm pretty pumped about it already.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Harajuku Lovers Fragrance Giveaway Winner



Congratulations to Mary Anne for winning the Harajuku Lovers Fragrance Giveaway. Thanks again for everyone who participated as it is my first time hosting something like this. I look forward to being able to host more in the future but we'll see how that goes!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Ah! I have things to do as I will be hosting tonight's dinner but I can not step away from this little darling. Watching this little pet of muscle just entrances me and evaporates my stress...



Oh yes, I must return to the roasting of turkey and sweeping of floors!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

A Dress Made of Clouds


Source: The Avenue A

All I have to do is add a tight leather jacket and I think I can still sport this in the ever growing cold weather.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.

Yo, I wanna wax poetic but I'm not that eloquent. So I'm going to share with you something more powerful than I can ever hope to write at this current junction of my life.

Our Deepest Fear


By Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others. ♥

The negative/overwhelming emotions have been stifling my creative process and I've been letting myself get caught up in this turmoil. I didn't want to unleash all kinds of emo here but I really need to get this off my chest, embrace my feelings so that I can get it all out of my system. I have some great people around me and I love that I have their support through this time. So for that, I want to give them kitteh huggles.



Saturday, September 26, 2009

Harajuku Lovers Fragrance Giveaway



Aw you guys are lucky because I get to host my first giveaway and it's going to be sweet. I'm pretty sure you all know about Gwen Stefani's Harajuku Lovers Fragrance collection as it was launched last year, but here's your chance to get the entire set, for yourself or perhaps someone special.

How to Enter:
All you have to do is leave a comment with your name and e-mail, telling me what you would do if you won the prize pack?

I will select a random winner by the end of the contest, get your contact information and the prize pack will be delivered to you! And for full disclosure, I didn't get any swag for this. It's all for you folks. Good luck everyone!



To enter and be eligible to win, the entrant must be a legal resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) who is over the age of majority in their province or territory of residence. One entry per person, winner will chosen at random. The giveaway ends October 12, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The contest is sponsored by Coty Canada Inc. and Matchstick Inc.

Official Rules & Regulations
The Contest will run from September 26, 2009 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) [ET] to October 12, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. [ET] (the “Contest Period”). The contest is sponsored by Coty Canada Inc. and Matchstick Inc. (the “Sponsor”). The contest is hosted by (“The Host”).
1. To Enter: No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Limit of one (1) entry per household, per person, per email address.
Enter online: Go to < http://iheartgreatdesign.blogspot.com > (the “Contest Website”) during the Contest Period, complete the fulfill contest entry specifics and submit as instructed. Any attempt or suspected attempt to enter more than once shall be deemed as tampering and will void all of your entries. Any use of robotic, automatic, programmed or entry methods not authorized by these rules will void all entries affected by such methods and shall also be deemed as tampering and will void all of your entries.
General Conditions of Entry: By entering this contest, all entrants consent to the collection, use and disclosure of their personal information by Sponsor and Host for the purposes of running the contest or for any other purpose to which entrants consent. Once submitted, entries become the exclusive property of The Host and The Sponsor and will not be returned. Personally identifiable information received will be used by the Host only to verify eligibility, ship samples and award prizes. Upon completion of the contest, The Host will destroy any and all entries and personally identifiable information for all contestants. All personal information received by the Sponsor will only be for the purposes of fulfilling the prize and collected, used and stored in accordance with its Privacy Policy, located at: www.matchstick.ca/privacy.htm
2. Eligibility: To enter and be eligible to win, an entrant must be a legal resident of Canada (excluding Quebec) who is over the age of majority in their province or territory of residence. Employees of or those residing with an employee of Coty Canada Inc, the Sponsor or Host, their agents, representatives, parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and dealers, advertising and promotional agencies, sponsors, suppliers of prizes, materials or services related to this contest, including the independent judging organization are not eligible to enter this contest.
This contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations. Each entrant is only eligible to win one (1) prize during the Contest Period.
3. Prizes to be awarded: Entrants are eligible to win one (1) Harajuku Lovers Fragrance prize packages with an approximate retail value of $250.00 each.
The Sponsor reserves the right in the event that a Prize or any component of the Prize cannot be awarded as described for any reason, to substitute another Prize of equal or greater value, without liability.
Any costs or expenses incurred by the winner in claiming or using his/her prize will be the responsibility of the winner. Winner is responsible for all taxes and expenses which are not included in the prize description above.
In the event of a dispute, entries shall be deemed to be submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an internet access provider, on-line service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Illegible entries, bulk drop-offs, mechanical reproductions or facsimile entries are ineligible.
4. Winners: A winner for the contest will be selected by The Host and announced October 13, 2009 on or around 12:00 p.m. EST. Selected entrants will be contacted by telephone and/or email at the Host’s discretion. Only the selected entrants will be notified. Before being awarded the prize, selected entrants must first correctly answer without assistance of any kind, whether mechanical or otherwise, a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question with the Sponsor. If an eligible entrant is selected but cannot be reached after four (4) attempts and the skill-testing question is not administered within 20 business days of the selection, the selected entry will be deemed void and an alternate entrant may be selected. Only upon signing and returning the Declaration and Release Form described below in Rule 5 and correctly answering the skill-testing question, will a selected eligible entrant be declared an official winner.
5. Release Forms: The selected entrants of a prize will be required to sign and return, within the time stipulated by the Sponsor, a full release and indemnity form (“Declaration and Release Form”) stating that he/she has read and understood these Official Rules and Regulations (“Official Rules”), grants all consents and authorizes the Sponsor to broadcast, publish and disseminate his/her name, address, photograph, likeness, sobriquet and voice, in connection with any promotion or publicity, and/or for general news, entertainment and information purposes relating to this Contest at no additional compensation, beyond the awarding of the prize. Selected entrants must also agree to accept the prize as offered. The Declaration and Release Form also releases The Sponsor, The Host, its affiliates, subsidiaries, related companies, and all their respective directors, officers, employees, shareholders, representatives and agents, successors and assigns from and against any and all liability, claims of damages and causes of action, of any kind whatsoever, whether at law or in equity, and including but not limited to death, personal injury and loss or damage to property, that the winner or any of the representatives, heirs, next of kin or assignees (collectively, “Representatives”) may have or which may hereinafter accrue to the winner’s Representatives as a result directly or indirectly from their participation in the contest or receipt or use or acceptance of the prize. In the event of non-compliance with these requirements (as applicable) or with these Official Rules, or if prize notification is returned undeliverable, Sponsor shall have the right to disqualify the potential winner, and select an alternate potential winner and shall be fully and completely released and discharged from any liability or responsibility in this regard.
6. Limitations of Liability: Neither The Sponsor nor The Host will be liable for: a) any incomplete, incorrect or inaccurate capture of information, whether caused by the Contest Website users or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest, or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of entries; b) the theft, destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, entries; c) any problems with, or technical malfunctions of, telephone networks or lines, computer on-line systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, viruses or bugs; d) any failure of any email to be received by or from Sponsor for any reason including but not limited to traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or combination thereof, interrupted or unavailable networks; e) damage to a participant’s or other person’s system occasioned by participation or downloading of materials in this Contest; f) late, delayed, damaged, misdirected, destroyed, lost, illegible, incomplete, incorrect, fraudulent, stolen, postage-due or wrongly addressed entries which will be deemed void.
7. Right to Terminate: The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion to terminate, suspend or modify this Contest, without notice, at any time should i) any electronic messages or any other materials used in this Contest be tampered with, mutilated, altered, forged, reproduced, not legitimately obtained; or ii) other types of fraud are suspected; or ,iii) entries are illegible or contain or reflect printing, production or other errors; or iv) virus, bugs, technical failures, human, printing or distribution errors or any other cause beyond the control of the Sponsor corrupt the administration, security, safety, fairness, or proper conduct of any element of this Contest as described in these Official Rules. Without limiting the foregoing, if, for any reason, the contest is not capable of running as originally planned should any error, whether human, electronic or otherwise, or any other event interfere with its proper conduct as contemplated by these Official Rules, Sponsor reserves the right to cancel the online portion of the contest and conduct the draw from all other previously received eligible entries.
8. Miscellaneous: By entering, entrants agree to abide by the Official Rules and agree that the decisions of The Sponsor and The Host are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. The prizes must be accepted as awarded and no transfer or substitution of the prize, whether for cash or otherwise, will be permitted except as expressly provided in these Rules or at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prize may not be exactly as shown on Promotion publicity or promotional materials. The Sponsor reserves the right to substitute this prize with a prize of equal or greater value if for any reason the prize cannot be awarded as contemplated in these Official Rules. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify, from this Contest and any future contest, sweepstakes or other Contest conducted by Sponsor, any individual that it finds or believes to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest or Contest Website; to be acting in violation of the Official Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER PERSON TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Deborah Ann Woll

AKA Jessica Hamby of True Blood.

I have yet to see more of her, other than what I've seen of her in True Blood, but she's going into my pretty girl crush files. She can do sweet and sultry and I can't wait to see more of her.





P.S. I'm still an episode behind on True Blood and the finale's showing tonight. I'm sort of dragging my heels on catching up just because I don't want it to end yet. I do enjoy having something to look forward to!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Mornings Often Burn

Even when you think you're ready for it, the light engulfs you in the mornings. Sometimes, the windows are covered and sleep continues unhindered but sometimes, they're uncovered and the light creeps slowly on your skin until every cell in your body knows it is the waking hour.


Source: Alvaro Puentes, Flickr via Le Fashion

Monday, September 7, 2009

One of Each Please

Yeah, remember when I mentioned those Unicorns Fight ring by Matina Amanita. Afterwards, every post I read on my Google Reader mentioned even more rings that make my pretty little eyes widen with glee.




Source: Fleathers on Etsy via Susie of Style Bubble







Yeah, I would rock that wild kingdom on my hand any day.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Listen to The Tender Box

I really love their sound and I've been playing them nonstop. I'm keen on seeing them play here in Toronto, Sep 28, 2009 at the Phoenix w/ She Wants Revenge & Kill Hannah.




Source: www.thetenderbox.com via www.zucket.com

You can also check out them out at myspace.com/tenderbox.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Something different with my hair

I'm thinking about it again, doing something drastic with my hair. It's taken my 5+ years to grow out my hair since I cut it all off into a short bob up to my ears. I didn't really enjoy the shortness but I still want to do something different with my hair. That or get a tattoo, but I think that requires much more deliberation.

I think going super pink would be amazeballs! Take for example Gala Darling and Tarina Tarintino.




Source: Gala Darling, Gala's Flickr, Tarina Tarantino

But then again, I'm not sure my complexion will work as well. I'm also not keen on the being a high maintenance kind gal. My hair grows pretty damn quick so roots will definitely be an issue. Or how about something with a little less commitment and maintenance! I could rock out a wig à la Natalie Portman in Closer.




Source: Cheapskate Chick

Then I came across this... and my future suddenly became clear, hair-wise at least. Everything else is still a bit muddled.


Source: Vintage is the New Black

That is all.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Deer with lasers

If deer had lasers and if they were to fight, I'd imagine it would go alot like this. Or maybe they are making eye love. Whatever, I thought it was neat so you should check it out.


Source: John Espinosa, FROZEN UPON ENTRY (2002)

Friday, August 21, 2009

Aww, they think they're people!


Source: 25 Unbelievable Pictures You May Have Never Seen Before Part 2

After the week I've had, the only thing I can hope for is that I am happy with myself, to be good person and hopefully let my light shine a little brighter. I don't mean to vague up my troubles, but know that I'm on a good path. May these little inspirations help you as much as they have helped me smile.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

I Employ Magical Thinking

This is a maxim I wish to integrate into my life. And I'm really trying hard to call out to the universe, the world in bring back magic into my life right now because I'm going through something pretty heavy that's been weighing in on my head and heart these past few days.


Source: For Me, For You Etsy Shop, For Me, For You Blog

I really want to find my spark again.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Unicorns are everywhere!

It's Thursday guys! I know that unicorns will get you through till the weekend.

I saw this and went from "I want to ride a unicorn" to "Damn, I want to be THE unicorn"!


Source: Evolution of unicorn outfit by Doe Deere Blogazine

I am a big ring person. If there is a particular accessory type that I gravitate towards, it would be rings. Rings and sunglasses! I collect more of them than any other accessories. In particular, I like substantial rings, rather than thin delicate pieces and often with character. Back in high school, when I went to the mall with my friends and tried on rings, I would ask them "Would you still be my friend if I wore this?". It'd be rhetorical of course because I could always find and love the most gaudiest of rings. However, these rings are kick ass, so yes, please add them to my collection. Thanks.


Source: Spotted from Vanilla Scented, Unicorns Fight ring by Matina Amanita

And you could also check out the Unicorn Diaries, a lovely blog with lots of dreamy stuff.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Ballad of G.I. Joe

I'm not really sure I want to see it, however I will mostly likely end up seeing it theatre. I have lowerered expectations for this movie, even lower than the expectations I had for Transformers 2 but comic book, video game adaptations always get me. I'm geeky like that

Now, I'm not a die hard G.I. Joe fan and I don't really know the series but I do recall having many Barbie parties where they guested frequently. I'm sure they had as much fun trying on Barbie dresses too!

This video is currently making the rounds on the interweb and it's pretty dang cool. It is a musical spoof of the upcoming G.I. Joe movie.



To catch you up with some of the characters... you can read Kevinism's Top Ten G.I. Joe Villains - COBRA. Mmk, so maybe this isn't a helpful introduction to the characters but it is an entertaining read on the Cobra crew.

Because knowing is half the battle. Ha!


Source: The Battle T-Shirt

Monday, August 10, 2009

Lady Knight


Source: Sex and Coffee

I love the headdress on this one! Eeep, it's sooo pretty! I wanna be a fairy pixie slash knight warrior, sweet!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Buffy vs Edward Remixed


Source: Jonathan McIntosh (Team Buffy) of www.rebelliouspixels.com

This is a great mashup of Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm not sure if I intend to instigate a debate on which is better because... actually I know Buffy the Vampire Slayer is a lot better story-wise and character development. I'm just not hard core bashing Twilight because I have a soft spot for teen angst movies.

I was going to make a list of the things that bothered me about the Twilight series but I think this article from www.cracked.com just explains everything so well.

In the end, if you fully disregard existing vampire mythology, suspend all logic and sensibilities of a real, balanced relationship... basically if you turn your brain off, then yeah, you could enjoy Twilight too!

You know what's better than Twilight? Twilight with Cheeseburgers!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Shop Lust: Alex Monroe Jewellery


Source: Alex Monroe

Alex Monroe is a British jewellery designer who aspires to create quality, wearable, original and well priced jewellery. There is no doubt that he's achieved this mandate. I've come across his shop during my interweb hopping and what attracted me are the delicate features of the collections.

They're really pretty! Check out the shop and while you're there, you could get a piece for me.

Calabria Crescent Necklace
Hummingbird Necklace
Love Bird Ring
Swallow & Leaf Ring with Diamond Set Flower
Feather Band Ring

Friday, August 7, 2009

Cinnamon & Coffee


Source: Cinnamon & Coffee

About Cinnamon & Coffee in her own words:

It's all about scrubs and high-heels, really.
Med School. Fashion. Music. Books. Starbucks. Shoes. Geeking Out. Photographs. Paris. Coke Zero. Movie Night. Cosmopolitans. Sleeping In. Violet Scrubs and Pink Flats. Ray Bans. Bows. Awkward Crushes. Comic Books. Libraries.

Anna Pope's blog chronicles her own med student life with a passion for fashion and culture! I'm inspired by her ability to continually incorporate those passions in her daily life. Recently I've been doing my best to bring more beauty into my life by celebrating the little things that catch my eye, make me smile and feel good because the time before had really left me in a rut.



So if you're like me and want to add a little bit more deliciousness into your life, you could give Cinnamon & Coffee a look-see. It also helps that she features the hotness that is Karl Urban, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.