A Dizzying Day At Disneyland!

12 June 2013, 09:08

To celebrate Kat’s birthday, we went to Disneyland. It had been decided months earlier, when we were making our initial Californian travel arrangements. And when I say “it had been decided”, I really mean that I had commandeered the schedule.

“We should definitely go to Disneyland while we’re there,” I said.

“I’ve never been to Disneyland! Is it cool?” Kat asked.

“WHAAAAAAAAT?!” I exclaimed. “YES it is cool! I can’t believe you’ve never gone! We are taking you there for your birthday.”

That’s why, very early one morning, Kat, Shauna and I piled into an Anaheim-bound SUV with Christina and Alie from Made U Look.

The day did not have an auspicious beginning. I had been feeling nauseous since I woke up, and ended up puking even before we arrived at The Happiest Place On Earth. I walked around feeling sick to my stomach all day, unable to eat anything but dry pretzel crackers, or drink anything but frozen apple juice. And when we got there, Disneyland was absolutely swarmed with people.

We could have moped around complaining all day, but we didn’t. We decided to have a good time, and of course, we did! Our day was made even better by Alie and Christina, who are some of the best, coolest, most chill girls we’ve ever met.

We were so blessed to be there in the most beautiful season of all: spring. Disneyland’s cherry blossom trees bloom with the most intensely-saturated pink flowers I’ve ever seen. Insanely gorgeous.

Before we went on any rides, our first priority was CLEARLY to nab some new ears to wear for the day. We ended up getting matching silver sequin ones. As somewhat of an ear connoisseur, I noticed that they’ve changed the way they make them. I think these will probably hold up better than the last few pairs I’ve owned, but time will tell!

Our first stop was The Haunted Mansion. It’s my favourite ride bar none, and I have to tell you, the excitement of ghosts and spectres made my nausea all but disappear!

Hmmm… Where to go next?

We pushed a little kid out of this Dumbo so we could take a picture. How mean!

Mad Tea Party is one of my favourite rides, especially at dusk.

It’s A Small World is super-iconic. I haven’t gone on it since I was 7 — once was enough, I think! — but Mary Blair’s design has totally stood the test of time. It looks so cool, and I love the colour palette against the blue Californian sky.

“It’s a world of Shauna, a world of ears…”

Christina and Kat can’t resist a mirror! But given how gorgeous they are, who could blame them?!

My case (and Kat’s case too) is by LUXYLOLI. (I have told so many people about her that she sent me a Christmas card last year!) One arm extended with a phone in hand is clearly my resting pose.

Oh… It’s Shauna’s resting pose, too!

Sleeping Beauty’s Castle was based on the design of Neuschwanstein, which I visited when I was 15 years old. It is CRAY and lavish to the max. Did you know you can get married at Disneyland? (As you would probably guess, it ain’t cheap!)

Gettin’ sultry at Minnie Mouse’s house. I mean, who could resist?!

I was wearing a neon pink knit hat from Urban Outfitters, a bizarre and dangerous necklace from TopShop, a metallic silver crop top from ASOS, a Calvin Klein sequin maxi skirt, a Kate Spade bag and Nike Frees. (I’m so glad I wore them! The perfect shoe for Disneyland.)

This is the best photograph of Kat I’ve ever seen. I want to marry it over and over again! Did you notice the RAINBOW?!

Shauna and topiary are a match made in heaven. I know that when she’s 50 she’ll have a garden full of them, just like Edward Scissorhands. She was wearing this dress and Christina’s sunglasses!

Even the flowers at Disneyland are absolutely perfect. Sometimes I wonder if they have people painting them in the mornings, like in Alice In Wonderland.

Happy babes!

Detail of It’s A Small World. Beautiful, right?

After a little rest in Mickey’s Toontown, which included swallowing ibuprofen, snacking on candy floss and getting photobombed by a guy with a gigantic backpack, we were ready to soldier on. Shauna had gotten her power back, and was doing interpretive dance.

When I came to Disneyland as a kid, I spent so much time in this magic shop. My obsession with magicians goes way back… I even had a top hat with a secret compartment inside!

Still hogging Dumbo. Sorry, kid!

After an extremely long day, we dragged our cabooses back to Hollywood. We had trekked for miles, experienced Captain EO (at Shauna’s insistence), snacked on ridiculous things and laughed until we thought we’d burst. I hope it helped to make Kat’s birthday extra-special… !

So ready to go back,

Photos by Made U Look, of course!

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Fancy Times In A Violet Gown...

26 March 2013, 13:39

With my co-host, Alex Liang, and my date, Rachel Rabbit White.

At The Fashion 2.0 Awards, I felt like an adult for possibly the first time in my life.

Maybe it’s part of my inner rebel, but when an event is casual, I like to dress up… And when it’s fancy, I like to dress down. Last time I presented at Fashion 2.0, I wore a rose-print Betsey Johnson dress — which was fine — but I threw a slouchy skull-print sweater over the top. I was immediately dressed down… And out of place.

But on Wednesday night, at the awards? I did it right. I squelched my inner rebel. And I felt like an adult.

Of course, the dress helped. It was a long gown by Carlos Miele, in my power colour, made of chiffon and magic. I loved wearing a long dress, it felt really elegant (which is not my normal state!). I have to say thank you again to Rent The Runway for decking me out and helping me have my Cinderella moment.

My outfit in its entirety consisted of a Carlos Miele dress, sparkly earrings from Forever 21, and assorted pink bracelets. I was carrying a vintage lucite clutch which I bought on Etsy years ago, and fits the exact right amount of stuff: my phone, some $20 bills and my credit card, keys, lipstick and blotting papers!

If you’ve never had a play with Rent The Runway, then I suggest you stop everything you are doing and click your way over there right now! Last year, I went into their offices for a fabulous styling sesh, during which I tried on dozens of fantastic frocks, took photos, and started to compile a list of dresses to wear. (I also started to compile a mental list of places to wear them!)

I love their service because you can look like a glamazon babe for next-to-nothing. Events can be really expensive. Getting a blow-out, having your make-up done and buying a gorgeous dress (and often, shoes) adds up quick. On the flip-side, the dress I wore — which cost a whopping $995 retail — was only $165 to rent. Plus, if you bought it, you’d probably only wear it once anyway! Totally worth it, in my book.

(P.S. This is not a plug, I wasn’t paid to say this, I just LOVE ‘em!)

Joey Camasta, my make-up artist for the night, rocked it OUT. We decided I was channelling 1970’s Anjelica Huston, who is of course an uberbabe and major style icon. I hope I was able to do her justice!

We went light on the eyes, heavy on the lips. The lipstick is MAC Cosmetics Cremesheen in Lickable. It’s an ass-kicking raspberry colour, and my new obsession. He also used this incredible new foundation on me, Mineralize Moisture SPF15. It gave just the right amount of coverage without looking cakey or heavy, and made my skin glow all night long. Obsessed. I need to go and buy a bottle… Or seven.

Here are a couple of other pictures…

Laughing as we presented the award for Best Facebook to Marc Jacobs!

Never not on my phone. Bad habit! And yeah, that is Simon Doonan in a metallic Burberry raincoat!

On stage… And laughing with Rabbit and Yuli.

Afterwards, Rabbit and I went to the movies, shared a big tub of popcorn in all our finery, and giggled in the darkness. It was quite marvellous, really.

Alright… Time to put the finishing touches on my suitcase and jet off to Portland! Squeal!

Big love,

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An Apartment In Paris...

26 February 2013, 12:24

It was a rainy morning in Paris, and three overdressed bloggers were floating around in their apartment on the last day of their vacation.

We had woken up, procured trois cafés au lait and trois pains au chocolat to go with ‘em, and were listening to some very French songs to set the mood!

Back in my (very) early twenties, my travelling priorities were simple: cheap trumped all else. I remember booking a holiday for my boyfriend and I to Europe so we could see the Legendary Pink Dots play two dates, one in Amsterdam and one in Paris. I had never been to either city, so I simply chose hotels that were inexpensive and had semi-decent reviews.

We were lucky with our hotel in Holland. To save money, I decided we should stay in Haarlem (a 15 minute train ride to Amsterdam), and the Hotel Amadeus was perfect for our purposes, with a sweet view of the town square. But our hotel in Paris was so scary, with a lobby full of unsavoury characters, that I barely slept a wink! (Somehow I felt like they were going to burst through the door at any moment!)

As I get older, it’s not just about where I hang my hat. It’s about the neighbourhood, the feel of the building, and getting a taste of luxury. Travel may be an essential part of my existence, but that doesn’t mean it should be drab or purely functional.

That’s exactly why we partnered with GoWithOh and stayed in a superb apartment right around the corner from the Arc de Triomphe.

Owned by an actress and perched at the top of the building’s superb spiral staircase, our two bedroom apartment was the perfect Parisian pad. It was eclectic but chic, with a velvet couch that made me swoon, and a bright red kitchen.

It was the perfect place to lounge, daydream, and listen to the rain falling outside.

While I did a little blogging…

Kat giggled with an oversized flower in the window…

...And Shauna thought about making us lunch. (Just kidding! This girl could burn cereal!)

I wore a custom tutu dress made by Ouma. I’d literally been eyeing her frocks for years, and I finally decided to take the plunge just before Paris! I don’t regret it one bit. My cardigan is from Victoria’s Secret, and not-so-secretly, I’ve worn it all winter long. It’s perfect for bringing a little glamour to your at-home lounging. This particular one isn’t available anymore, but this is similar!

Shauna wore a vintage top covered in crosses (how her!) that she found at Buffalo Exchange in Portland, and a plain black shift dress.

Kat wore an insane sequinned sweater from Manoush (I bought the same one!), an ombre tutu also by Ouma, a t-shirt from Whistles, and a belt from H&M.

Every trip to Paris goes by too quickly. I often dream about visiting in the spring, staying for a month, and really taking my time to soak up the place. After all, that is the French way!

Bisoux,

Photographs by the wonderful Shell De Mar. Hair and make-up by Elbie Van Eeden.

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Dancing Under The Eiffel Tower? Yes, Paris Is Magical...

19 February 2013, 08:58

Paris, je t’aime! ...& you should never trust anyone who says otherwise!

It already feels like a million years ago, but it’s true, I came back from Paris a little over two weeks ago. Phew! After giving London — & The Blogcademy — our all, we decided that a quick trip to Paris would be the perfect way to reward ourselves.

We were right. It was exactly what we were hoping for: beautiful light & exquisite architecture, croissants for breakfast & spilled champagne. We danced all over the city, from le Palais Royale to le Tour Eiffel, ate crepes & drank mulled wine, & marvelled at the overwhelming beauty of it all…

We decided that it was imperative to be super-tourists & get some photos taken in front of the Eiffel Tower. But we wanted to do it right.

...So after a couple of days of causing trouble on our own in Paris, our friends came to join us. Yep, we had enlisted the help of Elbie van Eeden, makeup artist extraordinaire, & two of our favourite photographers: Lisa Devlin & Shell De Mar. (One camera is never enough!)

The following afternoon, after a quick ride on le Métro, we were right there, staring up at the Eiffel Tower. But where were we going to take photos? Lisa set off in the direction of a park, & we followed her for about ten minutes. When we turned around, this was our view. Gorgeous. She has some kind of sensational-location-homing-beacon, I think. Imagine living on this street!

As for the clothes… I was wearing a ’90s velvet skater dress (which I stole from Shauna that morning!), a hat by NastyGal, a belt by Betsey Johnson & Michael Kors boots.

In fact, when it came time to pack our suitcases that night, Shauna & I ended up swapping dresses. I took her velvet skater dress in exchange for this vintage dress which I’ve never worn, & looks so much better on her! (Also, on Sunday night, I wore this skater dress to a vampire ball. Yes, you did read that correctly! It’s turning out to be a very versatile frock!)

Shauna wore an ASOS dress & belt, Minimarket boots (similar) & a gold headband from H&M.

Kat wore a dress from Manoush (which we talked her into buying the day before!) & glitter sneakers by Jimmy Choo. If you’re planning on going to Paris anytime soon, you must promise me you’ll make a stop in at Manoush. It’s one of my favourite stores in the whole world!

I know it might shock you to see me in not-pink. It kinda shocks me a little bit too, but I love it & I’m embracing it. Oxblood is like a more grown-up counterpart to the raging fuchsia that I usually go for… Plus, it’s nice to switch it up!

It makes me grin to think that Shauna found this dress at Buffalo Exchange in Portland. In my imagination, someone wore this to a bunch of grunge shows in 1994, & paired it with Doc Martens & ripped stockings…

“Welcome to my LAIR!”

This door is exquizz to the max. Oh, Paris, you are so beautiful… & Lisa bloody Devlin, you are the best. These photos are just too gorgeous. We’re so thrilled with them!

Paris, we’ll see you again soon… (!!!)

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One Year Later...

19 November 2012, 09:07

Time flies when you’re having fun… Can you believe Mike & I have been married for over a year now?!

Yep, it was just over a year ago that Mike & I were grinning giddily at one another, & I was twirling in pink glitter Louboutins outside Grimaldi’s, where we had our “reception”!

Looking back at our wedding video is incredible. It doesn’t just bring tears to my eyes, it is also amazing to think about how much changed, to see how different we look, & to remember everything we’ve been through in the year that has passed!

To celebrate the occasion, we looked hopefully at famed British wedding photographer Lisa Devlin until she finally relented & took a few snaps…

We took all these photos in our neighbourhood, the East Village. When I first moved to NYC, I lived in the West Village. It’s beautiful over there, & I love it, but the East Village is where we’ve made a home for ourselves. Sometimes we think about moving somewhere else, where we might have a little more space, but it feels like a Herculean task when you know all your neighbours, & all your favourite haunts are just a block away…

It’s a weird thing to make a life with someone else. When I was younger, I was always so insistent on being super-independent, not realising how much better life can be when you really allow someone else into it. I think I viewed leaning on someone else as a kind of weakness; actually, I’ve come to discover that it’s the complete opposite.

This photo makes me laugh every time I look at it! I actually set it as the lock screen on my phone because I love it so much. (I even made it into an animated gif… Yes, I am definitely having a “moment” with animated gifs!)

By the way, in case you’re wondering, I am wearing…

Pink cashmere cardigan from J.Crew
Teddie dress also from J.Crew
Vivienne Westwood skull necklace
Wolford tights from ASOS
Dr Marten Darcie boots. (I’ve had these boots for a good long time now, & they’re still going strong. It looks like Dr Martens have stopped making them, though… WHY?!)

I think some people get married because they want to have the romantic portion of their life all “sorted out”, so they can focus on work or raising a family or whatever. This is a mistake. Finding the person you want to spend your life with is not the end of the road; in fact, it’s not even close. It’s the beginning of a whole new set of challenges, which hopefully will make you stronger, bring you closer, & enhance your trust & love for one another.

For all its not-picture-perfect moments — of which there are plenty! — it’s so worth it. Being married is like having a slumber party with your favourite person EVERY DAY. I can’t really think of anything better than that… & I never thought that the man I randomly met at 11pm on a Saturday night would end up my husband!