New Year's Resolution

Well well well...2009 is coming to an end and I must say it was quite exciting, I traveled to Europe for the first time, lived in New York City, worked at Conde Nast Publications, bought some amazing clothes/bags/accessories, and started this blog. I'm so grateful for my family and friends and I'm finally confident and excited about my future. Here are 5 things I would like to accomplish in 2010 that I either unfortunately didn't do or just didn't do enough of in 2009:

1. Be healthier by eating a well balanced diet and exercising/getting into shape....I want to start running on a regular basis and doing yoga.

2. Start saving my money.

3. Procrastinate less, whether it be my school work or everyday tasks.

4. Be more adventurous, meet new people, explore, and try new things.

5. Volunteer.

Vivienne Westwood Wallpaper

This is pretty cool! Vivienne Westwood, in collaboration with a company called Cole & Son, is producing a line of wallpapers whose designs comprise of patterns that were used in past ready-to-wear seasons dating back to the early 1980's. Who wouldn't want a little taste of quirky Vivienne Westwood on your walls?




Information and photos courtesy of (http://stylefrizz.com/200910/vivienne-westwoods-wallpaper/) and (http://www.wwd.com)

Longchamp

Take a look at the bag my mom got from my dad.....good job dad!

It's the same thing only my mom's is a matte leather in a cognac colour with gold hardware detail...amazing. Leather handbags by Longchamp are completely timeless and classic!

I'm back!

Sorry it has been quite a while since I've last posted!! I've been super busy since I've been spending my days with my family from the States and working literally everyday. Well now I'm off for a couple of days and I'll be posting much more often! I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that you got everything you wanted....I know I did lol. I'm writing from my new MacBook Pro and I also bought that Mackage jacket that I posted up a week or two ago...it's gorgeous I love it!! Oh and also Happy New Year's Eve :) this year I'm going to keep this night on the dl and just go out for a nice dinner with family, one of my best friends, and old family friends and then go to Old Montreal and watch the fireworks! But next year when I'll be 21 I'm off to VEGAS..woohoo! Anyway I hope you all have a fun and safe night and I'll be posting a lot for the next couple of days so brace yourselves xox

Music: Muse

I am in LOVE with Muse's three part Exogenesis song from their latest album The Resistance. The classical route that the rock band took is genius and reminds me a bit of Radiohead just amped up times a thousand. It is seriously out of this world and one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. Enjoy!

Fujifilm Instax Mini Instant Camera

This is amazing!! I just read on Rachel Zoe's website that since the ending of the Polaroid, Fujifilm has come up with a re-vamped, retro version that produces instant vintage ressembling photographs. Only 85$ and 30$ for the film, a great gift to put on your Christmas List :)

Princess Charlotte Casiraghi

Charlotte is not only the Princess of Monaco, but also the granddaughter of Grace Kelly. I have idolized her for years and years, her style is timeless and simple. She is naturally gorgeous she wears barely any makeup and the only type of jewelry she wears is her watch. Enjoy the pics...I wish I was her!!!

Nail Polish

Here is a list of my favourite winter nail polish colours:

1. Essie Mint Apple Candy: I am wearing this right now and it looks amazing when wearing winter white or all black! That perfect pop of colour that resembles Jade by Chanel that no one is able to get their hands on!



2. OPI Pamplona Purple: Looks amazing with grey and black clothing. Best purple nail polish out there!



3. OPI Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow: Not many people will like this colour...but I love it if you're wearing charcoal grey!



4. OPI Manicurist of Seville: BEST red nail polish colour....it's so rich and amazing!



5. OPI An Affair in Red Square: This is the perfect holiday nail polish that resembles something like a hooker from Russia would wear. It's a bright red that's super shiny and looks exactly like a red ball Christmas ornament.



6. Essie Mesmerize: This might seem a bit strange to many, but I love it I just received it in the mail and it's a gorgeous blue. My next purchase will be a more navy blue.

Winter Jacket

This is my next winter purchase....I am obsessed! I need to start saving NOW for this because they're selling out so quickly!

Mackage Bijou Winter Jacket

Music: Folk

Lately I have been listening to a lot of folk music from the 1960's, 1970's, and even some artists from the past decade that are just as good. In this hectic time of the year when finals are arriving I need to listen to some tunes that are soft, beautiful, relaxing, and yet have a lot of depth. I think that my Canadian Poetry and Romanticism classes have had quite an affect on me this semester in that I am inspired by anything nature and whimsical oriented. Here are some of my favourite folk artists:

Marianne Faithfull - This Little Bird



Sibylle Baier - Forget About

This incredibly talented woman from Germany privately recorded fourteen of her own tracks from 1970-1973 without ever exposing them to the world. Only in 2006 was it released thanks to the efforts of her son.



Mariee Sioux - Wild Eyes



Marissa Nadler - Thinking of You



Train Song - Vashti Bunyan

New Hairstyle

I'm getting kind of bored with my hair lately...I mean it's not ugly I just want a little change. I'm due for a cut and my hair is really long and I love it long so I definitely don't want to change the length, I just feel like I should perhaps change something in the front. My friend Laura gave me the idea of doing long bangs that part in the middle and fall right below my cheekbones. I've had bangs before and it was not so nice on my rounder face, plus I naturally have curly hair too. But the more and more I was thinking about it the more I was liking the idea! It's very natural, French, and easy looking...basically it looks like grown out bangs. So I think I'm going to go ahead with it and just chop off the front of my hair. Here are some pictures of people who have this look.

Carla Bruni



Kiersten Dunst (These look a bit too long)



Sienna Miller (she has the best example of what I want)

Kate Spade Paper

I have always loved pretty paper, agendas, and notebooks but ever since my new job at L'Essence du papier at the Ogilvy's department store in downtown Montreal I have become even more obsessed. I seriously could spend thousands in that store. I am now in love with Kate Spade paper and agendas...they're so cute! Amazing Christmas gifts :)

L'amour ça ne vas pas

There was some criticism against the president of France's wife Carla Bruni's music....but I happen to enjoy it and she has definitely become more popular (but let me be clear I've liked her since the beginning)...

L'Amoureuse - Carla Bruni



Tout Le Monde - Carla Bruni



Quelqu'un M'a Dit - Carla Bruni

Happy 120th Birthday Lanvin!

I need to get my hands on these stamps asap!!!....well in January when they will be sold throughout France by the French postal service called La Poste. Alber Elbaz has designed two stamps with his signature illustrations in celebration for Lanvin's 120th anniversary. Along with these stamps will be a line of notebooks, paper, pens, etc... If you are not able to go to Paris to receive these adorable stamps, on the La Poste website they will be launching a Lanvin store where you are able to purchase them online.

Photograph #2 and #3 and information from Women's Wear Daily

Christmas List

I just finished making my Christmas List and I thought I should share it with you. Keep in mind I am not expecting to get ALL of this, I'm leaving it up to my parents to decide what to buy me:

1. The MacBook Pro
2. Canada Goose Down Jacket (in black or green...long style)
3. Repetto black flats
4. Michael Kors watch....not sure yet if I want gold or the gold with tortoise

Music: The Black Ghosts

Some Way Through This - The Black Ghosts

Ophelia (1851-2) by John Everett Millais

Today in my 19th century art/architecture class we briefly went over one of my favourite paintings, which I want to share with you, called Ophelia by John Everett Millais who was a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. This painting is taken from Shakespeare's play Hamlet (which I am currently studying in my Shakespeare class), where his love Ophelia dies offstage; we are never shown her actual death. Ophelia apparently spent much of her days singing to herself and one day she had gone to pick flowers by the river when she fell in. Her clothing became so heavy that she could not lift herself up and so she drowned. The model in the painting is Elizabeth Siddal who was one of the most favourite Pre-Raphaelite models. In order for Mallais to capture this woman floating in water accurately, he immersed her in a bathtub. As a result she got very ill from lying in a cold bathtub and she was too scared/shy to interrupt the artist as he was painting her so she just laid there not moving until he finished.

Zac Posen for Target Go International

Zac Posen is everywhere nowadays, I just recently wrote a post about the 29 year old branching out his name by creating another line called Z Spoke (similar to Marc by Marc Jacobs) for Saks Fifth Avenue. Now Posen will be designing a Go International line for Target that will be sold at selected Target stores and online from April 25th through May 30th. How exciting!

Information taken from Women's Wear Daily

Fur and Sequins

This past Fall/Winter season I have been obsessed with anything that has fur and/or sequins! I am in love with Russian style....dark hair, porcelain skin, red lipstick, fur, jewels, sequins, sheer black tights, and heavy fabrics...amazing!! Here is a look at some things I have been wearing lately:

Zara t-shirts with shoulder pads and sequins:





Zara white sequined dress, black scarf from Paris, necklace my grandfather made in the 1970's:







Zara leather jacket and coyote tail scarf:



Zara trench coat and fox fur collar from the 1970's"

Brassai

I am so inspired by the photographer Gyula Halász (also known as Brassai), his work is beautiful, mysterious, sensual, and completely captivating. He was born on September 9, 1899 in Brasso, Hungary, but moved to Paris at the age of three with his family. Brassai (his name comes from the city that he was born in) accomplished so much in his life from studying fine arts at two different academies both in Budapest and Berlin, to serving in World War I, and writing as a journalist for several years before pursuing photography. He decided to move back to Paris in 1924 where he would wander the bare streets of Paris at night and take pictures of the city that he was so fascinated by. He completely immersed himself in the French art and literature scene when he would take his photographs at night and as a result he met many interesting people. Brassai became friends with Matisse, Picasso, Prévert, and Giacometti to name a few. He was a novelist and also produced several films, his most famous being Tant qu'il y aura des bêtes which won Most Original Film at the Cannes Film Festival in 1974. He passed away on July 7, 1984 in the south of France. How people view the city of Paris is due to the images that Brassai took back in the 1930's when exploring the streets, bars, and cafe's of the city.

Some photographs taken from : http://www.masters-of-fine-art-photography.com/02/artphotogallery/database/brassai02.jpg

Fashion's Night Out 2010

I am already getting excited for next year's Fashion's Night Out hosted by Vogue, Council of Fashion Designers of America, and the city of New York! This is the biggest fashion night of the year where people from around the world come to NYC to party and shop all night. I did some work this past summer at Condé Nast for it, but was not able to go to New York City for the event; this year will be different. I don't know which magazine at Condé Nast I will end up working for next summer, but I definitely want to put in my part of making this event amazing. WWD announced that they changed the date of the event it's not going to be Thursday, September 9th, but rather Friday September 10th, 2010! Check out the website: http://www.fashionsnightout.com/

Music: Feist

I love this song so much...

So Sorry - Feist

Z Spoke by Zac Posen

Zac Posen has designed a new line of clothing called Z Spoke which is a less expensive line (compared to Zac Posen) and will only be sold at Saks Fifth Avenue this coming Spring 2010 (also on saks.com). There is a 60 piece range of items with casual tops starting at around 78$ (what a deal!) to dresses for 675$. The style is“minimalist and utilitarian” sportswear that definitely goes against the designers signature evening gowns that range anywhere from 900$-20,000$. Zac wants to make sure that this line is not the mini-me of Zac Posen the brand, but rather a "new identity" that has much more street style than Hollywood, red-carpet glam.

*Photos and information from www.wwd.com*

Stockings

This is a fashion obsession that I have had since I was a baby (no joke). My mom used to dress me up in gorgeous hosiery from France when I was a little girl, then in High School I always wore stockings instead of the knee high socks that were a part of the school uniform, and to this day (literally I am wearing stockings right now) I still where them. I don't know the brand that I am wearing now, but I know I bought them at Ogilvy's and that they are made in Italy. These are one of my favourite stockings they are black with a big diamond pattern, the diamonds are ultra sheer and the thick outline around the diamonds are opaque. I also own Hue, Wolford, DKNY, and then some random European brands that are amazing (like the ones I am wearing now). My favourite designs are thick opaque Wolford's, ultra sheer (the 80's are back!), diamond shape, flowery net pattern (I have a gorgeous pair from DKNY in this dusty rose colour....amazing), and now ultra sheer with small dots.
(All photos taken from http://www.wolford-partnerboutique-w1-london.com/)