The hunt is on!

I realise there is a tragic deficit in my closet- I only have one pair of denim shorts! I have been sporting a $15 pair of Costa Blanca (yes, laugh) shorts. And they don't even fit me right. I sorted through my jeans and found myself unwilling to sacrifice any of the 30 + pairs I have to the cut off jean ritual. More so because the fit n flare won't be what I am looking for. Even the ones with ripped rear ends wouldn't work, unfortunately. So I browsed Revolve Clothing's marvelous denim collection and I found two that I fancy. As you can see, I'm boring and more partial to clean lines.

Btw, the jean tally used to be 40+ pairs.. (pretty obsessed, I know!)

Sinclair The Surveyor Mid Short
$174.69 at Revolve Clothing.com

Joe's Jeans Trouser Short
$128.11 at Revolve Clothing.com

For scarf lovers out there!

I am amazed that there are soo many ways to tie a scarf! Check out this cute video from Wendy's Lookbook . I'll have to watch it over again until I get the "waterfall" right! Do visit her blog too for some great outfits. I wish we had such nice photographs... :)

Quintessential Versace.. coming to H&M

Come November 19 2011, some select US H&M stores will be carrying the next designer collaboration: Versace! For those that love the vibrancy and super sexiness that comes with Donatella's Versace's designs, you may enjoy them this fall. Let's see if any Canadian stores will be one of the 300 worldwide that will carry the merch. If it was anything like the Lanvin for H&M collection, it'll fly fast. Speaking of which, I still haven't found the opportunity to use my Lanvin clutch from that launch!

If these shoes are part of the collection, I'm loving them!
Photo: from www.style.com courtesy of H&M

Midnight in Paris- Hermes & vintage style eye candy

One of my favorite dresses worn by Marion Cotillard's character, Adriana. Love it!
Photo: screendaily.com

I finally made it to see Woody Allen's newest flick "Midnight in Paris"! It was very cute, culturally rich, and as expected, reminded me of my life long dream of moving to Paris! You will love the 1920's frocks and of course... the multitudes of gorgeous, gorgeous handbags.

Most of the bags featured in the film were Hermes: (while watching the movie, I only caught 4 of them)

Jige Elan - carried by Michael Sheen's wife in the beginning
30cm Birkin X 2 (one Etoupe, one croc) - both carried by Rachel McAdam's mother while shopping
Travel HAC (Haut a Courroie) in Toile/leather combo- the scene where they load up the car
Travel Victoria in Toile/leather combo - same scene as above
Constance - Rachel carries it cross body when Owen tries to show her what "happens" to him at night

There was also a lovely Goyard jewelry box.. and the biggest mystery to all pursebloggers: the natural camel-coloured chain-strapped tote Rachel carries throughout many scenes of the movie. Apparently it is possibly a very rare bag released for Chanel Spring/Summer 2010. It's so mysterious no one can find photo of it!

Pretty Planters

Taken from a stroll around Oia, Santorini Island

I will never be home style savvy as Martha Stewart, but last week I did put together a couple planters I'm quite fond of. Surprisingly, they are still alive. :) So inspired by the lovely bounganvillea we saw all over Greece like in the shot above, I managed to find a Golden Bouganvillea (classified as an annual for Northern Alberta?!?) at Greenland Nurseries. The tag says zone required is 30 - 40 degrees Celsius, but for $19.99 I figured it was worth the gamble.

Above are the planters we have in front of the house- plain and simple geraniums.

And below is the bounganvillea. This is how it looks after a week. The white geraniums must not like the cold rain. :)

Get Alexander Wang goods with Buy it Now!

Photo: www.style.com

I'm not kidding you but CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year Winner, Alexander Wang, will be selling some Fall 2011 runway small leather goods on eBay's Fashion Vault. Its a 24 hour sale only on July 17 2011. Get this, you dont have to bid.. you can hit "buy it now". I'd say if you like his stuff to check it out. The goods range from $235 -$525.

 In an interview with Style.com, his tip on how to use smaller bags: “Less is more,” Wang advises. “Ditch all the makeup and keep it to the essentials—keys, money, and phone. It’s a lot sexier when a girl isn’t carrying around a bag full of tricks.”

Never checked out Ebay's Fashion Vault ? Neither have I.. theres always a first for everything!

Where's the LV Inukshuk?

Billie Achilleos' LV beaver
Photo: www.purseblog.com 

 To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Louis Vuitton SLG Savoir Faire Collection, LV had hired British artist Billie Achilleos to create animal sculptures from their handbags and small leather goods. I personally think the beaver is quite cute. You can check out more creations at The Purseblog.  I'd never be able to identifying the pieces used to make the sculptures as I'm not much of an LV fan and haven't followed their products much other than the basic canvas monograms, vernis, Speedy's, Popincourts, Neverfuls & Murakami (remember those?)..  But I know there are LV fanatics out there! :)

Billie Achilleos grasshopper art
Photo: www.purseblog.com

Vacation acquisitions

I had succumb to a truce with my hubby that I shall keep shopping to a minimum during our month long trip. It was his first time in Europe and he did not want to spend the whole time shopping. (If he had his way, retail therapy is never ever permitted...no matter where we are on the planet!) Well, I kept my word and only allowed one precious afternoon in Athens to peruse...

The Original Car Shoe St Cocco Lux. 275 Euros from www.carshoe.com

 So I brought home the most non-Car Shoe-looking Car Shoe sandals. The Original Car Shoe "since 1963" is famous for making the original driving loafers and they are under the Prada label. (See picture above and you may recognize what I'm taking about). I hardly see any stores in North America carry them and these sandals were so cute and comfy on. Besides, I'm a nerd that digs flatforms. It was an impulse purchase that bought me two days of silence from my husband. I dont blame him.. they were 265 euros. Kinda pricey for cork... lol

  I also found a really sweet cognac skinny belt from Maje. (A French label from Paris that's just lauched a campaign with Vanessa Traina.)  I'm wearing it with the bow-knot to the back in this snapshot below.. and yes, those are the forbidden Car Shoes. :)

Me & Dasha

A little riot police with that purchase?

Riot police lining the streets in central Athens during the May 18 2011 transit worker strike.

  In Athens, the occurrence of riots, demonstrations, strikes, sit-down protests, Green Peace assemblies etc do not come as a shock to the locals. It's so common it's routine. Now as a tourist trying to shop in Athens during one of these gatherings.. it's pretty interesting. Not only does it take forever to cross the street with the parade of protesters going by, the lovely shops in the Kolonaki neighborhood in central Athens pull down their steel grated doors in case things get rowdy.

So at mid afternoon, stores like Hermes, Van Cleefs & Apels, Louis Vuitton, Tod's, and Mulberry enclose themselves like little protective clamshells. Then they reopen when the protesting crowd recedes a few minutes afterwards. And if the crowd comes back, they close up again! Getting in is a matter of timing.

 I managed to hide out inside a couple boutiques as this went on and when I was in the department store Attica (Athens answer to Sak's Fifth Ave), there are guards directing you to alternate exits on the other side of the store. But if you are patient and browse some more.. your preferred exit will reopen and you need not detour. It's called adapting.