Lisa's Most Coveted List

It's time for another edition of my Most Coveted list! Here are five things I'm loving or lusting after right now.



1. Homemade pesto. Laugh if you want, but I was really sad when I used up the last of this summer's homemade pesto and had to resort to the storebought stuff. Browsing the grocery store aisles and perusing the ingredients list on multiple jars of pesto left me disappointed. Most of them didn't even use olive oil, just soybean or sunflower oil. I came home with a jar that I'm not completely satisfied with, so if you have any recommendations for a tasty storebought pesto brand, I'm all ears.



2. SlopPress.com. Speaking of food, have you heard of Slop Press? This newly launched site aggregates the content that used to be published separately under Vancouver Slop, Toronto Slop and New York Slop. Residents of these cities should check it out to keep up with all the gastronomic developments in their hometown, whether it's Asian fusion food trucks or family-owned Italian delis specializing in house-made salami. I had the privilege of attending their Vancouver website's launch party last Thursday. Judging from the delicious food and drink that they had (Benton Brothers cheese spread, Roaming Dragon appetizers, Re Up BBQ, just to name a few of the generous sponsors), the writers at Slop Press really know their stuff. (Hmm maybe they'll have a pesto recommendation.)



3. NARS velvet matte lip pencil in 'Cruella' ($30 Cdn at Sephora, The Bay and Holt Renfrew). This pencil was also featured in my last Most Coveted list. Little did I know when I bought it exactly how much I'd come to rely on it in the next 1.5 months. That's just how fantastic the colour and formula are. A classic red with depth and sophistication, 'Cruella' adds drama to even the simplest of looks but is subdued enough to work well for the office. It's the go-to shade I always keep stashed in my purse these days.



4. Brooches. Inspired by the way my friend cwangdom always pins a sparkly brooch on her black blazers and coats to brighten them up, lately I've taken to doing the same. My small collection comes from a variety of sources (more about that in an upcoming post this week), but if I had unlimited funds I'd be very tempted to splurge on a vintage Chanel cross brooch or two.



5. Badgley Mischka 'Melissa' bag in leopard. Last but certainly not least on this list is the newest addition to my little purse family, found while browsing Winners last week. I wasn't actually looking to buy anything, and even with the discount this bag cost more than I was prepared to spend at the moment, so I twitpic'd it and put it to a vote on Twitter. A huge thank you goes out to the ones who replied with a unanimous "yes" because otherwise I'd be kicking myself for not getting it. The gold hardware is just chunky and sparkly enough to add a sense of fun to this otherwise classic chain-strap turnlock clasp bag, but not so oversized that this bag will look dated anytime soon. It's a crossbody design and the perfect size for an evening out. I also love the leopard-print ponyhair flap (the rest of the bag is black leather).