No More Limping!

Snakeskin-embossed platform heels I found at Fine Finds

"For many women, limping around in uncomfortable shoes is akin to childbirth: in the midst of it, you're in extraordinary pain, cursing under your breath and vowing that you will never go through this again. But as soon as you get home, you forget about all the agony and the blood; you see those cute little shoes sitting there looking so harmless and helpless and suddenly you're putting them on and going through the same thing all over again."

-Winona Dimeo-Ediger, Closet Confidential

Truer words were never spoken. I've fallen prey to this conundrum so many times in different incarnations depending on the shoe--high heels with very little padding at the front of the foot, flats that pinched, skinny little straps that dug in after an hour or two. The accumulated injuries caused by this pair of shoes or that caused me to only wear about 1/3 of my shoe collection in regular rotation, leaving the rest to lie fallow in stacked shoe boxes at the back of my closet. As part of a big year-end closet cleaning, I swept up these barely worn shoes along with a pile of clothes for donation. Good thing too, because I had more comfortable and very versatile shoes just waiting to take the place of the shoes I'd gotten rid of. These newer shoes may not be super exciting, but their classic appeal and sheer comfort factor mean that I'll be reaching for them time and again, guaranteed.

Slingback platform heels I found at Nordstrom Rack in Portland. Ladies, if the balls of your feet ache after an hour or so in high heels, try wearing platform heels instead. The platform saves your feet from arching too severely and cushions your steps.

The zipper-trimmed ruffle flats are from Nordstrom Rack and the blue suede studded flats are from Aldo. I actually bought the Aldo flats last fall and wore them constantly until the rain started, but never got around to taking a picture of them.

18

Hope In Haiti Fundraiser @ Barcelona Lounge Tonight

If you're free tonight and looking for something to do, come out to Barcelona Lounge (1180 Granville St.) for the Hope in Haiti fundraiser! Musical acts include THE WZRDZ and DJ FlipOut, and tons of local businesses have furnished goods and services for the live and silent auctions. All proceeds will be going to the Red Cross. Event organizers Kelsey and Larissa Dundon and Kim Bowie hope to raise $10,000 for the Red Cross tonight--you can help them do it!

I'll be live blogging and tweeting this event, so for those of you who can't make it, check this post for updates at regular intervals beginning at 7pm tonight.

UPDATE 8:11 pm: Well, here I am at Barcelona Lounge! The Internet situation was a little bit dicey at first, but I'm finally connected. Lauryn Hill is playing and guests are beginning to trickle in. Kelsey Dundon, ever the capable organizer, is taking care of some last-minute details. Hmm I should get a drink and check out some of the silent auction items.

Hope in Haiti T-shirts are selling for $30 with all net proceeds going to the Red Cross. See how stylish they are? Get one and help a good cause! C'mon, you know you want to...all the cool kids are doing it.

UPDATE 8:56 pm: Sitting in front of my netbook again with a vodka cran in hand. I'm pleased to announce that the silent auction items are very covet-worthy indeed: costume jewelry from Boudoir in Yaletown, unique feathered pumps by Niki Blasina of A Haute Mess, an autographed Canucks jersey--oh my!





UPDATE 9:43 pm: The music is so good I can't help but chair-dance and Barcelona Lounge is filling up--definitely a good energy here.

The WZRDZ hang out in plain clothes before their show. I can't wait to see them perform!

50/50 draw

The man behind the great tunes at the moment, DJ Soo

UPDATE 10:27 pm: This photo was too good not to share. Here's Kelsey modelling the autographed Gordie Howe jersey that was up for auction. Other prizes were available too: Canucks jersey, a baseball signed by Alex Rodriguez, and some cool hotel and luxury resort packages. Congrats to all the winners, and kudos to them for helping a great cause!



UPDATE 10:49 pm: The WZRDZ are playing and they're absolutely amazing. Packed dance floor. I'm abandoning the netbook and joining everyone else out there, but please follow my tweets for updates for the rest of the evening. Have a good night!

UPDATE 11:26 pm: Okay, I lied--one more update to post before I really sign off for tonight. The WZRDZ performed in full-on wizard-y costumes and beards. You have to love a band that combines synthesizers with wizardry and cowbell.

10

Solo Lisa Reads: Closet Confidential: Style Secrets Learned the Hard Way by Winona Dimeo-Ediger

Image from Daddy Likey

"This is a book for real women with real bodies and real budgets and a real desire to carve out their own personal style. Fashion is fun. Don't let any other book or magazine or TV show or cynical friend convince you otherwise. Have fun with this book and have fun getting dressed every day.

"Learn from my fashion mistakes, but don't be afraid to make your own."

So begins Closet Confidential, a book I enjoyed so thoroughly that I had to read it twice before I got around to writing a review--once in Portland and again in Vancouver, this time going at a slower pace and relishing the witty details and wise words that Winona imparts with every page. The advice this book contains might seem like common sense to seasoned style pros, but for those who regard getting dressed each morning with equal parts dread and nausea, Winona presents "Fashion 101"-type pointers in an accessible manner. Fashion newbies will find Closet Confidential approachable, while seasoned pros will nod their heads in agreement as they read.

It's difficult for me to review this book without descending into a random string of superlatives, so I'll cheat using a tried-and-true technical writer's trick and share my thoughts via a bulleted list:

• Winona's blog Daddy Likey never ceases to delight me with its humour and creativity, and plenty of both abound in Closet Confidential. From a denim field guide that reads like a birdwatching book to an A to Z reference for all things shoe, the information is presented with a light touch but still very useful.
• Kudos to her for giving advice to real girls and acknowledging that sometimes in real life girls need coats that repel rain and keep them from freezing to death, that high heels aren't always the most practical option, and that the financial cost of matching lingerie sets can outweigh any benefits you might receive from wearing them.
• I love her honesty, particularly when she freely admits to making mistakes like choosing uncomfortable shoes. Can you imagine how much more reassuring it is to hear that even stylish people make poor choices, instead of having some stylist's authority shoved down your throat and making you second-guess your own sartorial choices at every turn? This is such a refreshing change of pace from other style advice books I've read.
• I had to chuckle when she said, "I hail from Oregon, where people dress in high-performance outdoor gear for dinner at a classy restaurant, because apparently you never know when you might need to head out on an eighty-mile cycling trip"; this thought is equally apt when applied to Vancouver.
• The book truly covers outfit suggestions for every occasion: jeans, work wear, formal wear, outerwear, accessorizing, bathing suit shopping, etc. It contains so much information, but the information is presented in a way that makes it a breezy read.
• In fact, the only thing I dislike about the book was the fact that it was too breezy and I finished it too quickly. :( I could've kept reading it for ages. Thank goodness the author has a blog!

16

Product Review: Sugarcane Skincare Renewal Omega 3 Eye Serum

I've known Melissa Joaquin for some time now, so when I learned she was concocting products for a new all-natural skincare line, I was definitely intrigued. Sugarcane Skincare is the new kid on the beauty product block, and if the free sample of Renewal Omega 3 Serum that Melissa very kindly sent me is any indication, this new kid is poised to become a big player in the future. The serum features a blend of natural fruit and plant extracts and omega 3, and doesn't contain sulphates, paraben, or synthetic dyes and fragrances. It claims to address all eye-related problems--puffiness, wrinkles, dark circles, exfoliation, and dry skin.

Tall claims for a new product, but I'm happy to report that this serum lives up to all of them! In the month that I've been using it, I noticed a marked difference in my eyes each morning. The skin appeared smooth, the eye area was noticeably de-puffed, and my eyes just looked brighter and more awake. This serum is meant to be used nightly and its high glycolic acid content gives this serum a slippery glycerin-like feel, so if you're looking for an eye cream that you can use under your makeup during the day, this isn't the product for you. Its floral scent is light, not overbearing, and didn't irritate my eyes at all. At $36 for a huge 60 ml bottle, the Sugarcane Skincare eye serum is an affordable, effective product that will last for ages.

My only dislikes about this serum concern the packaging and not the product itself. First, the bottle has a clear plastic cap that goes on top of the pump rather than the "twist to close" pump closure I've grown to love on skincare products. It's easier to travel with a "twist to close" pump bottle than with a bottle whose plastic cap you're always afraid to lose. Also, because all the ingredients are natural, I'm assuming that this serum might have special storage requirements (keep refrigerated?) or have an expiry date, but I couldn't find either on the label.

So, in summary, this is a great product and I'd recommend buying it if you get the chance!

10

Quoted: Candace Bushnell

When I decided to become a better cook this year, a passage from Candace Bushnell's One Fifth Avenue resided in the back of my mind as a guiding epithet for my goal. For those of you who haven't read it, One Fifth Avenue is about the aspirational world of New York real estate. Characters with shabby apartments want to upgrade to a nicer residence and a better address, while the characters who already have that are looking to move up the real estate and social ladder. Bushnell's story follows the intertwined lives of the residents in one of the premiere (fictitious) apartment buildings in New York, One Fifth.

One of the characters, Schiffer Diamond, is an aging actress who's achieving her comeback in a TV series set in New York. The passage below occurs when Schiffer's on-and-off lover of previous years, Phillip Oakland, is going to her apartment for a homecooked dinner. It's her retort to Phillip that sticks out in my mind and has become my guiding sentiment.

He joined her in the kitchen, where she was placing cut-up pieces of lemon and onion into the cavity of a chicken. He perched on the top of the stepstool where he'd sat many times before, drinking red wine and watching her prepare her famous roast chicken. She made other things as well, like chili and potato salad and, in the summer, steamed clams and lobsters, but her roast chicken was, to his mind, legendary. The very first Sunday they'd spent together, years and years ago, she'd insisted on cooking a chicken in the tiny oven in the kitchenette of her hotel room. When he teased her about it, pointing out that knowing how to cook wasn't very women's lib-ish, she'd replied, "Even a fool ought to know how to feed himself."

12

Allison Wonderland's Love Letter To Vancouver

As the 2010 Olympics draw closer with each day, some Vancouverites are keen to wear their civic pride on their sleeve in the form of Team Canada hockey jerseys and sweaters, fuzzy Mukmuk slippers, and red-and-white mittens. Local designer Allison Smith of Allison Wonderland fame, however, chose to express her love of Vancouver in another way. Described as a "love letter to the city," her spring/summer 2010 collection features flirty and feminine dresses and separates, all bearing names that locals will recognize: 'Beach Ave.' dress, 'Southlands' blouse, 'Georgia' dress, and 'Howe' skirt. Prices range from $128 for the 'Cardero' blouse to $248 for the 'Jericho' parka. These are clothes ideally suited to patio parties and lazy picnics in the park, and indeed, the sneak peek lookbook images I received in my email already have me clamoring for spring.






While poking around the label's website, I came across this priceless snippet on the bio page:

"Allison Smith's design inspiration can be summed up simply by 'how much food and drink you can consume without having your belly pop out.' This may or may not be the result of her being born and raised in BC and her love of fine food and wine. But a girl has to live. And a girl wants to look good."

Looking at some of the dresses and blouses above, I do notice that the garments are cut to fit close to the body but skim over the belly in a very forgiving way. A-line silhouettes and cinched belts at the natural waistline do a lot to flatten not-so-flat bellies. Clothes that are feminine, fun, and capable of disguising a post-meal paunch? Sign me up, please!

18

Luxe Or Less: Pyramid Stud Stacking Rings

Studs on clothes and accessories have become a ubiquitous sight, but I still fall for this trend more often than not. Witness my most recent purchase: a set of three pyramid stud stacking rings from Forever 21. At $4.80 for the entire set, it was an easy purchase to justify. Worn together or separately on different fingers, or paired with flashier cocktail rings, these versatile rings can add edge and subtle attitude to basic everyday outfits.

After purchasing my F21 cheap thrill, I spotted stacked stud rings on Rumi of Fashion Toast and instantly felt vindicated in my decision. Hers are from Noir Jewelry and boast 18K gold and rhodium plating. The materials may be infinitely more luxe than the F21 version of the same look, but the good news is that the price tag isn't. At $60 for the set, I'm happy to report that the Noir rings are still within the reach of fashionistas on a budget.



Are you a fan of the studding trend?

11

From Solo Lisa's Kitchen: Salt & Five Spice Chicken

A couple of readers were impressed enough with my attempt at salt and five spice chicken to request the recipe, so here it is! It's very simple but the results are tasty. The recipe comes from Donna Hay's cookbook New Food Fast; parenthetical comments are mine.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chilli oil
• pinch Chinese five spice powder
• 400g chicken pieces (I bought about 2 lb worth of chicken thighs, so I approximated and doubled the quantities in this recipe)
• 1 tablespoon sea salt (I used regular table salt)
• 1 teaspoon five spice powder, extra

Place the lemon juice, chilli oil and the pinch of five spice powder in a bowl and combine. Add the chicken, stir to coat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 Fahrenheit). Place a large frying pan over high heat. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, and cook for 2 minutes each side or until crisp and golden. Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. (Because I used so much chicken, it actually took me about 20-25 minutes for the pieces to cook thoroughly.)

Combine the salt and extra five spice powder. To serve, place the chicken and small piles of the salt and five spice mixture on plates. Serve rice and greens on the side. To eat, dip the chicken pieces into the salt and five spice mixture. Serves 2.

11

January Sale Round-Up

It's sample sale season! Now's your chance to score some great deals on local and premium labels.

Narcissist Sale

Enjoy 50-90% off overstock tops and dresses. Dresses start at $39, tops at $19, and nothing at the sale will be over $99. If you bring a friend, both of you will get $10 off your purchase, and the 50th, 100th, and 150th people to pay for their purchases win their purchases gratis!

When: This weekend and every weekend in January
Where: 3659 Main Street

(source: ilovesamplesales.com)

Tension Clothing Warehouse Sale

It's happening right now! Click here for the full scoop.

Direct Liquidation Sale

50-80% off brands like 7 For All Mankind, Juicy Couture, Matt & Nat, True Religion, William Rast, and loads more. The sale is restocked early.

When: Friday January 15th and 16th, 10am-6pm; Sunday January 17th, 11am-5pm
Where: 6990 Greenwood Street

(source: ilovesamplesales.com and Le Mode du Jour--go to Nicole's blog for all the details!)

Two of Hearts Boutique's January "Just Take It" Sale

Two of Hearts has a massive sale happening in-store right now. Revamp bags are 40% off, Danae knits are 25% off, Pretty Betty accessories are 15% off, and Deliver Us Beads jewelry is 30% off. Togs, CiCi, and Two of Hearts clothing is 25-75% off. Just remember--the sooner you drop by, the better the selection will be!

Where: 3728 Main Street

3

In My Bag...

I love seeing other fashion bloggers post photos of what's in their handbags. Do they travel with everything but the kitchen sink or pack light? Which beauty products do they deem essential enough to tote around on a daily basis? What do the bag's contents say about the owner overall? Looking at the contents of my bag, I'd say they paint the picture of someone relatively low-maintenance who likes having the necessities with her and feeling prepared for all occasions but isn't too fussy.

The bag: Jumbo Chanel 2.55 in black caviar leather with silver hardware

The goods

• Teal mini umbrella (for those rainy Vancouver days)
• Moleskine notebook and Papermate pen (for jotting notes at fashion shows, events, meetings, and designer interviews)
• Keys (the neon yellow safety whistle helps me find them at the bottom of my bag)
• Wallet (an oldie but a goodie I purchased on the cheap from Sears)
• Kleenex
• Bunny-screened pouch I purchased from the Blim craft fair on Main Street which usually holds Visine eyedrops, lip balm, a small bottle of hand lotion (Aveda), a roll-on vial of Vera Wang Princess, and a ponytail holder
• Employee badge for getting into my office
• Cell phone
• ELF Shine Eraser blotting papers
• iPod nano (first generation)
• UBC Alumni business card holder with my "Solo Lisa" business cards inside

Care to share what's in your bag? If you've already done one of these posts, feel free to leave me a link in the comments so I can see what you carry around!

21

Ambika's Tag

Gorgeous Ambika of Into the Fray tagged me to list some of the things that make me happy. Hey, why not? Any time is a good time to reflect and count the blessings in one's life. So, without further ado, here are seven things that make me happy...

1. Good health. People who have it take it for granted (guilty as charged), people who don't would pay any price to achieve it. I don't often think of it, but when I do I thank my lucky stars that any ailments I have are usually minor and/or curable in a short period of time.
2. Holding a hot cup of coffee or tea when I have cold hands.
3. A clean, uncluttered room. I have this organizational philosophy of "everything in its place" and it makes me nuts when stuff piles up where it's not supposed to. At the end of the week, shoes I've worn go back in their boxes, sweaters and coats are aired and hung up, junk piling up on my desk gets sorted and thrown out.
4. The boy, obviously!
5. Sleeping in on the weekends.
6. High-speed Internet connections.
7. Finding cool costume jewelry at a great price (H&M and Forever 21 are my go-to destinations for these cheap thrills).

What floats your boat these days?

8

From Solo Lisa's Kitchen

In order to stick to my New Year's resolution of becoming less culinarily challenged, I thought I'd introduce a new feature on this blog to motivate myself. "From Solo Lisa's Kitchen" features snapshots of the results of my cooking experiments. This first installment is longer than usual because it includes a couple of things I made during the holidays as well. Enjoy!

Blueberry muffins marked my first foray into the kitchen. Texture-wise I was very pleased with how they turned out (moist inside and with a crunchy shell on the dome), but a quick taste test told me I'd added a bit too much salt to the batter. Lesson learned: Be more precise when measuring ingredients for baking.

The banana cupcakes with cinnamon frosting proved to be much more successful. The cake was moist and full of flavour, but the icing was too sweet for my taste even though I followed the recipe to a tee. I made another batch of these but didn't make the icing the second time around, and just left them as "banana muffins." Ha!

Mmm chicken noodle soup, one of my favourite cold weather comfort foods. This batch was big enough for three days' worth of lunches.

I made the salt and five spice chicken last night using a recipe from the Donna Hay cookbook I bought in Portland. Success! My parents gave it the thumbs up and my brother asked if he could have some for lunch the next day. I'll be packing the chicken with rice for lunch over the next few days.

My "try yoga" goal hasn't kicked off yet, but I'm thinking of doing my first class this weekend. Fingers crossed it goes well.

Have you made any steps towards achieving your New Year's resolutions yet?

20

Today's Outfit: Girls' Night Out

When I was younger, Friday and Saturday nights were synonymous with clubbing. I loved the thrill of getting ready and picking my outfit, a thrill which reached a crescendo when I met up with my friends, heard the beat of the music pounding, and had a drink in hand to sip on. Nowadays, though, there are oodles of reasons why I don't do the bar star routine on weekends anymore: I'm simply too tired after a week of work; I'd rather hang out with the boy and have dinner and watch a movie; a late night out makes me sleep in and leaves me feeling trashed the next day when I should really tackle some of the things on my to-do list; and so on.

Last weekend I made a special exception for a very special friend who was back in town after a long, long time. Self-consciousness and a desire to stay warm prompted me to layer the new top I'd bought in Portland on top of my AA dress. It was a fun out-of-the-ordinary weekend activity, but by the time next weekend rolls around, all I'll be fit for is dinner and a movie, guaranteed.

Are you a laid-back weekender or do you like to party it up when Friday night rolls around?

• Studded off-the-shoulder top (Nordstrom Rack)
• Sweetheart two-toned mini dress (AA)
• Bracelet (Forever 21)
• Pumps (Fine Finds)
• Chain wallet clutch (Chanel)

13

Tension Clothing Warehouse Sale

Local label Tension Clothing is holding their annual sample sale from Thursday January 14th to Saturday January 16th! The company is comprised of three labels: Tension (ladylike separates, dresses, and suiting perfect for the office); Sweet Chemise (day dresses and cocktail frocks with feminine detailing); and T by Tension (fun activewear--you should stock up if you're going to keep that "get in shape" New Year's resolution). Enjoy up to 80% off retail on samples and pieces from all three lines. An inside source tells me you can expect great deals like suits for around $100+ and workout tops for $25, and that's just scratching the surface.

To sweeten the deal, Tension is offering the chance to win a $300 gift certificate when you buy something. This gift certificate can be redeemed for online purchases. Just remember to mention that Solo Lisa referred you to this sale when you're filling out the draw ballot!

1

Product Review: Tarte 4 Day Stay Lash Stain

Tarte's 4 Day Stay Lash Stain ($18 for full size) seems like something straight from the pages of a science fiction novel. Formulated with cross-polymers, mineral pigments, and provitamin B5, this mascara promises to stay soft and flexible for hours or days on end and tint your lashes. Its endurance rivals that of the best waterproof mascaras on the market, but remarkably enough, it does not contain harmful chemicals such as sulfates, petro-chemicals, and phthalates, or any synthetic fragrances or dyes. With such an impressive pedigree and pretty packaging to boot, I was eager to test the trial version in my Sephora sampler kit.

Lash stains differ from conventional mascaras by virtue of their legendary longevity and the way they're supposed to lightly tint the lashes, and I found that Tarte's lash stain did just that. The small, curved brush gave me the utmost control in coating every single lash--even the baby ones--and the formula wasn't overly thick. Even after multiple coats my lashes remained clump-free. I was disappointed by how my lashes didn't thicken dramatically, but they did have some nice length and definition.

This lash stain is waterproof, smudgeproof, sweatproof--virtually everything-proof, which is a blessing and a curse. It would be great for special occasions like weddings or proms where you do your makeup in the morning or afternoon and expect it to last well into the night. However, for everyday wear I found it to be a little too budge-proof. Unless you have some strong waterproof eye makeup remover handy, don't expect all of the product to come off. I never tried wearing one application for four days straight just to see if it lived up to its name, but I have tried sleeping with it on. When I woke up the next day, it looked okay except for some slight flaking and smudging under my eyes (easily removed with a Q-Tip dipped in eye makeup remover).

Overall, I'm somewhat pleased with the product but not entirely satisfied. After several days of using it, I got sick of how it never came off completely and moved on to a mascara with less staying power. I'm saving this one for wedding season.

Have you tried Tarte lash stain? What do you think of it?

11

Featured In Style Sample Magazine

If you didn't see my tweets yesterday, here it is again: I'm in this month's issue of Style Sample magazine, a magazine for and about fashion bloggers, under "Blogs to Watch." I'm super flattered to be included in a publication that spotlights talented, passionate fashion bloggers from around the globe. Many thanks to Style Sample's editrix-in-chief Tamia for contacting and featuring me!

18

New Year's Resolutions

It's that time of year again--time to reflect on my resolutions for 2009 and see how much progress I've made on them, then make new ones for this year.

I think I've done pretty well with some goals, not so well with others:

• "Pursue more opportunities with blogging and writing": 2009 was the year I really started putting more energy into blogging and fashion writing and seeing where these hobbies would take me. High points included being spotlighted in the IFB newsletter and attending fashion weeks in my city, as well as becoming a contributing writer for Vancouver Fashion eZine and the writer behind Two of Hearts's monthly newsletters. In the meantime, my readership grew and I connected with new bloggers (online and in-person), and found a new way of connecting via Twitter. Getting to meet one of my all-time favourite bloggers, Daddy Likey, in Portland was just the icing on top of a fantastic year.
• "Travel to at least one new place": With trips to San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Portland this year, I definitely hit this one out of the ballpark.
• "Go salsa dancing 1-2 times a week": I pretty much kept this up throughout the year--right until the last month and a half or so.
• "Incorporate more fruit into my diet": This one just kills me--I was doing so well with it until fall. I packed fresh fruit with me to work or had some as an evening snack well into August. Then one month after another of being busy, busy, busy made it increasingly harder to plan what I was eating. This was a complete fail in the last 3 months or so.

Interestingly, the goals I set for myself in 2008 have become habits by now. So does that mean New Year's resolutions work and improve your life in the long run? One can only hope.

For 2010, I resolve to:

• Try yoga. As fun as salsa is, I need another form of physical activity for some variety. I'm going to purchase an introductory pass at a yoga studio, try as many different types of classes as I can, and settle on the one I like best. I'm aiming to do yoga once every 1-2 weeks for the rest of this year.
• Become less culinarily challenged. Being surrounded by amazing cooks and foodies has inspired me to lose my kitchen newbie status. To this end, I'm going to make one new dish a week and already bought a recipe book chock full of ideas I'm dying to try. I've been so enthused about this goal I've been talking about it with friends and family for several weeks now, and got a head start during the holiday season by making blueberry muffins (a partial success...I put a tad too much salt into the batter), banana cupcakes with cinnamon frosting (yum), and chicken noodle soup (pretty decent).

I've found that making my goals more concrete helps me accomplish them more easily. For example, if my goal is "save more money," after some thoughtful contemplation, this initial goal could turn into "I'm going to open a savings account and deposit X amount of dollars from every paycheque into it, resulting in Y amount over the course of the year, and I'm going to talk to my bank about finally opening that RRSP." By formulating my goal this way, I'm already halfway there.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? What do you hope to change or accomplish in 2010? How do you plan to do it? Do you have any tips or tricks for making New Year's resolutions stick?

14

Vacation Rewind

Excellent adventures occurred during my vacation, including:

• Baking way too many banana muffins on Christmas Day
• Driving down to Portland on Boxing Day with the boy and Hubert for a 4-day getaway
• Shopping and eating at Mother's Bistro (comfort food like what your mom would make), Kenny & Zuke's (amazing sandwiches and cozy deli), and Toro Bravo (the best Spanish tapas ever, prompting the boy to declare, "12 hour drive--that's how long it'd take to come down here for dinner and drive back home")
• Ringing in the New Year with an Italian dinner, good conversation, and some Wii swordfighting and bowling

Speaking of Portland and Kenny & Zuke's sandwiches, no visit is complete without a meet-up with the brilliant, drop-dead funny blogger behind Daddy Likey! (On another note, they should really put "meet Winona for brunch/lunch/coffee/dinner" in the Portland guidebooks. Or she could be an enterprising genius and start her own Portland welcome wagon business.) Wielding a hefty bag of Canadian candy and the copy of Closet Confidential I'd purchased at Powell's Books so I could get her autograph, we all met up for some tasty reubens. (Well, I decided on a kosher salami sandwich instead.) She was so sweet and hilarious, and we had a wonderful time chatting and mugging for photos after lunch.

And now for some vacation pics. Enjoy!

The boy bonds with Hubert the labbit, our trip mascot.

Our cozy hotel room at the Hotel Monaco Portland

I loved this striped couch in the hotel lobby so much, I asked the boy to snap a picture of me sitting on it.

Going into a purse-gasm over the Chanel 2.55

14

January issue of Vancouver Fashion eZine is out!

Happy New Year!

After a long, relaxing hiatus filled with blissful days of leisure, I've become reluctant to return to work and blogging, which explains why there's no post this morning. However, if you crave something to read on this post-vacation Monday, good news: the latest issue of Vancouver Fashion eZine is out! This month, I had the privilege of interviewing one of Canada's premiere design talents, Jason Matlo. Check out the article here.

2