chocolaine

Deadline

2012-02-07T15:40:00.000-05:00

3 weeks is not a tight deadline for you? well, it is for me.

We are working on a grant application, starting from the very scratch including writing a proposal and forming budget. Guess what we just came up with the project idea THIS MORNING. sounds great isnt it? i know.

skittles

2012-02-06T18:47:00.004-05:00

yes, i finished a bag of this at 10:30am. don't judge.

I'm (finally) back

2012-02-02T22:11:00.002-05:00

so after two years of hiding i'm back to the blogger world. i'm not blogging for anyone this time, i'm purely blogging and writing for myself.

i've been feeling rather stressed lately. or you can call it winter blues. i dont know the reasons, just felt like i cant breath.

i need a place to release my energies, good or bad. talking to people is not enough anymore, cos i dont know who can constantly take my nonsense. here you go blogspot, you will be my next bbf. happy isnt it.

Thank you =)

2010-03-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

wow i'm really flattered.
thanks readers =) i havent updated for over a month and i still have readers coming to check my blog occasionally, i feel love.

anyhoooo, just wanted everyone to know i'm engaged =) there are a lot of things going on atm so i wont be able to update regular. cross my finger i will try my best

Spontaneous Winterlicious @ Senses

2010-02-04T15:35:00.000-05:00

So...bf's flight got cancelled yesterday so he had no luck but got sent home yesterday. It was horrible, we need to fly from Toronto to Newark and connect to HK from there. So apparent 3 flights to Newark got cancelled yesterday due to weather (wth?! are you sure???). So after 7 hours of running around he was finally home (again) when he was supposed to be on the flight to all the way around the globe. Anyhoo, since he was home and was pretty grumpy (and hungry), I suggested lets go for another winterlicious dinner just to compensate the misfortune. I tried Auberge du Pommier first cos I really wanted to try it. But becoos it was really last minute (I started calling resto at 5pm), Auberge was obviously booked, and all the other ones we wanted to try were fully booked till at least 8ish (we tried to pick more affortable options, like ~$25 to $35). So our last bet was Senses, a restaurant that I've been wanting to try for a while. It locates at Soho Metropolitan Hotel in DT Toronto.

With surprise, this is the best Winterlicious restaurant we tried this year!!! Food was amazing, good portion, good ambien, good service, nice environment. We just loved it. Our wait staff, the PR and even the chef (!) kept coming to us to see if we've enjoyed our night. Love them. We took some poor quality pictures but most of them are with bf. So I had to wait for him to email them to me.

So for now, lets have a quick look at its menu =)

http://www.toronto.com/restaurants/article/647910

Tundra & Canoe @ Winterlicious 2010

2010-02-04T15:26:00.000-05:00

So my friends/bf finally uploaded pictures from winterlicious.

Here's pictures from tundra @ hilton toronto.

Good food, blah service. Why blah? No, they r not rude, just that our server isn't very knowledgeable about their own food and drinks. We were asking for wine recommendations, and it turns out he doesn't know a thing. Or I should say, does he even know what was he talking about?

Anyhoo, I love my appetizer, a duck confit salad. duck was full of flavor and dressing was superb. My cornish hen as a main course was good too. The chicken was very moist and flavorful. Didn't really love my dessert and wine thou. But its alright, cos I get to (finish) have bf's. Would definitely return! Oooooo did I mention its a canadian french cuisine at an affordable price? Love it!

Here's canoe.

Honestly, the food was a big blah. My ever loving mushroom ravioli was a blah too. So don't even wana write much about it. Wine pairing is a definite feature to me and bf. I (almost) always love their choice. So the wine was a perk. Other than that...not much to write about. Oooooo the duck confit chowder was pretty good. (Kinda) like my frd's ginger bread cake with sour cream gelato too. Really, that's pretty much it.

Heard auberge du pommier is amazing. Too bad bf and I have to leave for hk soon, or else we would try it. We will go back another day for their regular menu. I will definitely able to find something to celebrate (as an excuse).

Laughing Cow

2010-02-02T09:18:00.000-05:00

Did I ever mention (enough) that I really love Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges? Not only they have light as an (great) option, I like how they don't compromise the creamy cheese taste and texture in light. I mean, they taste as good (if not better) as the original! Honestly I don't taste the different (but you might I can't promise).

I use it as spread (2 wedges for a sandwich) or carrot dip or snack or craving for creamy cheese. You can easily track how much you ate by counting the number of wedges you have (ddddddddddarrrrrrrrr). Only 45 calories for 2 light wedges. Well, don't tell me you intended to consume the whole pack of 8 or 16 or 24. becos I really can't help you there.

If you love cheese as much as I do and scared of sky high weight gain (becos you will go crazy even when you heard the word "CHEESE"), try laughing cow, cos, I love it.

Hello Monday

2010-02-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

Hello Monday. Hello everyone.

I had a wonderful weekend, thats why I feel so grumpy cranky today. (including the fact that I'm PMSing) anyhooooo, i know i'm supposed to make some updates with my winterlicious weekend. but none of my friends nor bf upload their pics yet. so i (and you) have to wait.

i will try to make some foody update asap.

(try to) have a happy monday everyone.

Winterlicious Action #1

2010-01-29T08:41:00.001-05:00

I will be going to Tundra @ Hilton Toronto tonight for Winterlicious =)

in case you dont live in Toronto and/or have never heard of Winterlicious, its a 2 week event that over 100+ restaurants in Toronto participate to serve a set, yet yummy menu for people to try at a very reasonable price ($15 to $35 for lunch, $25 to $45 for dinner). The price includes an appetizer, main course, and a dessert. You will have a choice of 3 in each of these 3 courses. Very tempting eh?

so this year we picked Tundra and of cos Canoe as well. We (i mean I!) were torn between Tundra and Auberge du Pommier, but bf really want to try Tundra, so I have to give up my choice. Well there's also next year (or Summerlicious!). Me and bf will be going with another couple tonight @ Tundra, then Sunday will be a table for 6 at Canone =) Lets skip the whole story for Canoe for now and I will tell you more next week.

Here's a menu for Tundra =) Enjoy!

ewwww I had pizza

2010-01-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

ewwwww, so i just had 2 slices of pizza for lunch from a lunch meeting. i feel so bad now. not that i'm packing extra fat and unheathly calories into my body, but its like...the pizza wasnt even good! now i'm all gross out. i had a slice of pepperoni and a slice of veggie. the veggie was better, lots of toppings (mmmmmm) but the pepperoni was pretty gross. i dont know why did i finish both of them when they weren't even close to good.

anyhoo, i felt better for choosing water over diet pop. to avoid the extra sodium and fake sugar.

hot yoga tonight :) hope it will make me feel better. i had powerflow last night but becos there were a lot of newbie there the instructor slowed it down. so its more like a moksha. well, i should still give myself credit for going to yoga in a cold day. there you go.

i went out for lunch with my buddy yesterday at eggspectation. i meant to take pictures but i forgot cos i was too chatty. i think i finished a little over half of the portion, it was pretty big. it was a normal all-day-breakfast but i chose the one that has crepe. yummy. and had toast too. i just simply love carb i cant lie.

tomorrow is winterlicious at tundra at hilton hotel. then another dinner out with bf and friends on sat night before our departure to asia. sunday night is another night of gluttony at canoe (oh i cant wait). i cant promise pictures. but i will see what i can do. hope i don't gain back the weight i lost.

btw i still manage to keep my weight at ~105lb =))))) i will try to lose more but even if i cant, i'm still happy with my result and effort.

in case i dont have time to update (again), have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Diet Update

2010-01-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

okay...i'm sure you can tell by now i haven't been posting about my daily diet for awhile. the reason is i'm continuing to count my diet everyday and trying to stick to my 1200 calories per day rule. But not as strict. Not that I'm giving up on myself but I found a good balance now. I weight ~105lbs ATM which is my normal weight. I will try to get back to 103 (my ideal weight) but will do it veeeeeeeeeeeerrrry slowly. maybe slow to a point that you wont even notice. that says, there's no point to post my everyday diet until....next year.

I also notice my mood swing since I limited myself to a certain amount and type of food (did i tell you i love to eat??? and i adore chocolate more than anything in this world? no i lie, i love chanel more than anything in this world indeed) So I had to treat myself a little better since nothing is more important than being happy (and i lie, cos chanel is more important cos if i get a new chanel i am in heaven). sooooo, you probably wont see my writing anything about my diet but i might have some tips or news about my new found of healthy (yummy) food and maybe something about my yoga workout.

Thanks for reading

xoxo

Fruit and Yogurt Review

2010-01-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

I know...what kind of review is that. But I recently had the Yogurt Parfait from McD's and Yogurt & Berries from Timmy's thought it would be interesting to compare the two.

McD's

I would have to say it surprises me. With the granola and the amount of berries in the yogurt this little Micky D treat taste oh-so-good. I love it has tons of berries in there and the granola (blueberries, raspberries and strawberries) with two layers of yogurt. (yeah I know its a parfait afterall, at least it is what its called officially). Downside is the one I had was very frozen. The yogurt was back to its normal texture soon after I left it at room temperature for a while, but the fruit was frozen when I had it. so it was reaaaaaaaally cold. and I would expect it to be a little cheaper than its price at CA$2.19. Under $2 would actually make me much happier. Other than that, I like it =)

Calories: 180 cal
Fat: 2g
Sugar: 25g (are you serious?!!!!)
Carbohydrates: 36g
Fiber: 2g

Timmy's

Its a yummy low fat yogurt with (a tiny little bit) berries. I think the berries were blue berries and raspberries. But with this little amount of fruit, I really can't tell what they are. The yogurt itself is good, very creamy. I love how it is not frozen like McD's so it won't hurt your teeth and it won't make you freeze even more in the cold weather like Toronto. I also love its price at $1.99. Not a big different compare to McD's but the extra 20cents in my pocket still makes me happier. Its also bigger in size compare to McD's. And you will have a choice between creamy vanilla or strawberry, which in my case was vanilla (not a big fan of strawberry yogurt). Yes, its creamy. but not as creamy as my all time favorite Activia.

Calories: 160 cal (Vanilla), 140 cal (Strawberry)
Fat: 2g
Sugar: 25g (you are not kidding?!!)
Carbohydrates: 33g
Fiber: 2g

I think afterall I still like McD's a little bit more. Just that tiny little bit.

Diet Day 13

2010-01-22T09:49:00.002-05:00

Diet Day 13 (Jan 17)

Brunch:
Cora's All Day Breakfast
- 1/2 sausage
- homemade fries
- 2 scrumble eggs
- 1 blueberry crepe
- 1 toast with magerine and honey
- fresh fruit
- coffee

Snack:
chocolated coated almonds
mint chocolate

Dinner:
1/3 wunderbar
15 mini wheat with skim milk

Diet Day 12

2010-01-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

Diet Day 12 (Jan 15)

Brunch:
mini wheat with skim milk
1 toast with magerine and honey
coffee

Dinner:
lobster =)
lobster bisque
garlic rolls
diet coke

Dessert:
Funnel Cake @ FunlFun
(with espresso icecream and hot fudge...mmmmmmmmm)

Workout:
Hot Powerflow yoga - 1.5 hours

For myself only...I'm selling my carly

2010-01-20T20:31:00.000-05:00

Diet Day 11

2010-01-18T09:23:00.000-05:00

Diet Day 11 (Jan 15)

Breakfast:
Timmy large coffee with cream (70 cal)
Timmy cherry cheese danish (230 cal)

Lunch:
Broccoli with turkey with laughing cow cheese on top (~150 cal)
1 cup Honeydew (100 cal or less)
1/2 Coffee with creamer (~50 cal)
2 meiji dark chocolate thins (60 cal)

Dinner:
4 dumplings (~150 cal)

Dessert @ Moxie's!!! and dips (I totally forgot to take pictures)
yummy and fun night out with my girl friends. then a round of boardgame at my place. =) That rest our quiet Friday night.

Workout: (what workout?!!)

Christmas and NY...only 2 weeks late

2010-01-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

I know I'm two weeks late. But hey, its better late than never!

Family Christmas dinner with BF's family. It was fun! We had dinner and some boardgames after. and you have to see what they got me for Christmas...TON OF CHOCOLATE! that will last me forever. hm..no I lie. and the BB phone family picture we took.

Another party at our friend's. We went to couple celebrations these year but too lazy to post all the picture here. Again...boardgame and DJ hero after dinner. Food was AMAZING!

Then NYE clubbing...

Last but not least, snowboarding with friends

Diet Day 10

2010-01-15T08:47:00.000-05:00

Diet Day 10 (Jan 14)

Breakfast:
Timmy large coffee with cream (70 cal, yes and I think they gave me double cream yesterday they taste so different)
Apple (100 cal)

Lunch:
Broccoli + Turkey meat (~120 cal)
Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge (25 cal)

Snack:
1 Meiji Chocolate (30 cal)
1.5 cup honeydew (~100 cal)
Couple Jelly beans
1 cup of coffee with creamer (~80 cal)

Dinner:
Mini Wheat maple flavor with skim milk (~400 cal)
some honeydew

Workout:
Hot Moksha Yoga -1.25 hours

Diet Day 9

2010-01-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

Diet Day 9 (Jan 13)

Breakfast:
Timmy large coffee with cream (I have a feeling she gave me double cream, 70 cal)
1 almond flavour biscotti (65 cal)
1.5 cup honeydew (100 cal)

Lunch:
Laughing Cow cheese sandwich (220 cal)
1 Meiji dark chocolate (30 cal)
1/2 cup coffee (~50 cal)
2 Hazel chocolate rolls (130 cal) I'm bad I cant resist

Dinner:
6 Pork dumplings (200 cal)
Broccoli
1/2 cup honeydew
1 Lindt chocolate ball (right before bed...I was hungry...and needed chocolate) (90 cal)

Workout:
Hot Powerflow Yoga - 1.25 hours

Last but not least, let me also show you my little work aritzia corner =) Hoping it will expand as my wardrobe expand.

Diet Day 8

2010-01-13T08:34:00.000-05:00

Diet Day 8 (Jan 12)

Breakfast:
Timmy large coffee with cream (70 cal)
1 cup of fresh honey dew (100 cal)

Lunch:
Timmy Cherry Cheese Danish (230 cal)

Snack:
1 muji dark chocolate (30 cal)
1/2 cup of coffee (50 cal)
1 mandarin orange (50 cal)
1 Lindt chocolate (90 cal)

Dinner:
1/2 bowl of vietnamese beef noodles
2 Lindt dark chocolate thins (100 cal)

Workout: NONE

I had dinner at 9pm cos I had to wait for bf ><" bad late dinner. Good that I didnt stuff my face with beef noodles. I'm having my "fat days" now. Having cramps and bloating. Darn fat days.

Diet Day 7

2010-01-12T12:30:00.000-05:00

Day 7 (Jan 11)

Breakfast:

Coffee with cream (70 cal)

Apple (100 cal)

1 pack of 5 thin crackers/cookies in coconut flavor(80 cal)

Lunch:

18 Mini wheat original flavor (170 cal)

1 glass of skim milk (90 cal)

Snack:
1 Muji dark chocolate (30 cal)
1 mandarin orange (50 cal)

Dinner:
SmartOnes Canned Soup - Garden Minestrone (Weight Watchers)540mL (~150 Cal)
5 crackers with cheese (~200 cal)
2 Lindt dark chili chocolate (100 cal)

Workout:
Hot Powerflow Yoga - 1.25 hours

I have to admit, the first day after the weekend of gluttony is not easy. It's almost worse than my first day of dieting. I MISS FOOD (and fat and the feeling of being full). So today was horrible. I keep thinking about food at work. in the subway. at home. when i'm in front of the computer. It's just horrible. I want some real food. Like McDonald's. or pizza. or some fat-filled pasta.

Anyhoooooo, just a quick review of the SmartOnes soup. it sucks. a big time. I expected it to be a full meal like any other ready to serve soup. but it turned out to be too watery to be a meal. so i had to add cheese and crackers. i think i wont buy it again. not for a meal. add bread or crackers to it then maybe you will be fuller. but not full. and they dont taste all that great. afterall, they are so-called healthy food (but high in sodium?!!)

Diet Day 6

2010-01-11T10:28:00.000-05:00

Day 6 (Jan 10)

Brunch:
1/4 instant noodles (~150 cal)
egg (~100 cal)
1 large toast with butter (~150 cal)
coffee with cream (~150 cal)

Snack:
med banana (110 cal)

Dinner:
3/4 cup steamed broccoli (bf added butter)
1/3 cup pasta in beef tomato sauce
1 hazel nut chocolate roll (65 cal)
1 square of dark chocolate (50 cal)

Workout:
Hot Yin yoga - 1.5 hours

Diet Tips:
Stand 1 hour after dinner.
This is indeed my everyday tip for everyone. (almost) everyone in my family does that. We stand 1 hour after we eat. esp after dinner cos most likely you eat more after a day of hard work. but if you pig out at lunch, please do the same. i dont care if you are in the office working, work standing! you could use this time to do housework, like doing dishes, cleaning the floor, do laundry, clean your dirty bathroom, play with your kids. but please, do not sit down (of cos no laying down). it helps slimming your stomach without killing yourself with crunches. dont tell me you cant do something simple like this.

Diet Day 5

2010-01-11T10:26:00.002-05:00

Day 5 (Jan 9)

Breakfast:
Coffee with (lots of) creamer (less than 100 cal)
3 Kiwi (~150 cal)

Lunch:
med banana (110 cal)
18 pieces of mini wheat (original flavor) (~165 cal)
1 cup of 2% milk (130 cal)

Dinner:
Hotpot (hopefully less than 1000 cal)
1/2 slice of chocolate cake (with tons of icing yummy) (~350 cal)

Workout:
Hot powerflow yoga - 1.5 hours

okay, yes. i went all out this weekend. but hey its the weekend. thats what i usually do when i'm on a less strict diet. i let myself go on a mini vacay on the weekends. well i'm not asking you to pig out. choose wisely. try to remind yourself you are on a diet, eat healthy eat less. i was pretty good for breakfast and lunch, and did a normal dinner with friends. and hello, i workout too so i'm allowed to eat (a little more)

reminder for myself:
buy skim milk

Diet Day 4

2010-01-11T09:26:00.001-05:00

Day 4 (Jan 8)

Breakfast:
Timmy Coffee with Cream (70 cal, pheeeew finally back to normal)
Banana (110 cal)

Lunch:
2 slice of Bread (170 cal)
2 portion of laughing cow cheese - light (45 cal)
Coffee (~100 cal)

Dinner:
Jap all you can eat dinner (with dessert)(don't ask me...i dont know)

Workout: NONE

I wonder if anyone is bored of my choice of food by now. I'm living by myself ATM so they are actually the easier pick that involve no cooking and minimal grocery shopping.

Diet Day 3

2010-01-08T08:48:00.000-05:00

Day 3 (Jan 7)

Breakfast:
Timmy Coffee with 2 Cream (140 cal, darn, she double the cream for me by mistake)
Banana (110 cal)
Apple (100 cal)

Lunch:
2 slice of Bread (170 cal)
2 portion of laughing cow cheese - light (45 cal
2 meiji dark chocolate (60 cal)

Dinner:
6 dumplings (250 cal)
3 kiwi (~100 cal)
1 square of lindt dark chili chocolate (50 cal)
(boy this chocolate is amazingly good, got a very interesting kick, try it!)

Workout: 1.25 Hot Moksha Yoga

Japanese all-you-can-eat dinner with friends tomorrow =P Boy oh boy, thats evil. And Hotpot (chinese foundue) with bf's little twin sisters on Sat. Its going to be a weekend of gluttony.

Diet Day 2

2010-01-07T09:26:00.000-05:00

Day 2 (Jan 6th)

Breakfast:
Large timmy coffee with cream (70 calories)
medium banana (110 cal)
2 tiny chocolate balls (~80 cal)
medium apple (~100 cal)

Lunch:
2 slice of bread (170 cal)
2 laughing cow cheese - light (45 cal)

Dinner:
2 spare ribs in V8 sauce
broccoli in V8 sauce
3 Small Kiwi (~100 cal)
1 Lindt chocolate (90 cal)

Workout: Hot PowerFlow Yoga 1.25 hours

My Diet Diary

2010-01-06T12:51:00.000-05:00

Since I told everyone I'm on diet for as long as I could last, I've decided to post my diet diary here for everyone to monitor/remind me.

My current weight (before yesterday): ~107 to 108 lbs (yeah I'm small don't judge)

My target weight: 103lbs

That says, I'm looking to lose about 4 to 5 lbs, so it shouldnt be a hard mission. Just so you know, I've weird eating habit. I love to stretch every meal I eat. so basically my breakfast goes from 8:30am to 12pm. and lunch goes from 12pm to 4pm. dinner starts at 5:30pm, and i eat some more after workout at night. thats like, i'm eating constantly. i eat whenever i feel hungry. there's no such thing as "snack" to me anymore cos i cant even tell what is my real meal.

Here's what I ate yesterday Jan 05, 2010.

Breakfast: (from 8:30am to 12pm)
medium banana (110 calories)
large timmy coffee with cream (70 calories)
timmy cherry cheese danish (230 calories)

Lunch: (12pm to 4pm)
Blueberry candy cane
Broccoli in V8 sauce (less than 100 calories)
Hard boiled egg medium size with salt (less than 100 calories)
1/2 cup of coffee
1 godiva chocolate (~80 calories?)

Dinner: (4pm and after)
3 small kiwi (~100 calories)
Thai dinner(evil! calories unknown)
(Red coconut beef curry, half bowl of rice, 4 shrimps with sweet chili basil, 1/4 bowl of hot and sour soup in thai style)

Workout: 0 (still trying to recover from snowboarding on sunday)

new year new (diet) mission

2010-01-05T11:39:00.002-05:00

I'm so jealous (again) for those people who can eat an elephant without gaining an oz. I mean, who could literally eat an elephant without putting on any weight? To me, I survive on air and water and I'm already gaining...5 lbs. Alright, I know, 5 lbs is nothing to most of the people but keep in mind its a start. A very bad start indeed to gain that elephant weight. So to confess, I m (almost) always on diet. Or trying to be on diet. I normally eat healthy, but sometimes good girl gone bad on the holiday season (which just passed) and I eat chocolate like drinking water. Don't judge, but I used to eat 3 chocolate bars a day. And on top I have to snack on cookies or anything sweet and creamy. Not a big fan of chips but I do eat anything else. And I adore Mickey D. From breakfast to dessert. So now, you can officially call me a junk eater. Yes I eat junks. But right now I have to be back on my diet mission. Only allow to consume 1200 Calories a day plus workout (hot yoga) for 4 times a week. And maybe snowboarding too. Lets see how it goes.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-30T15:38:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone. I know I've been lacking updates lately. Its the holiday season so I've been busy since early December. I'm either busy partying, shopping (for others and myself) or been busy resting. You know how important a day of doing nothing after a party is. No no no, not much drinking, just some simple fun. But the prep work of party (cooking, shopping, cleaning, having fun) could be tiring too.

So here I hope everyone had a wonderful xmas (or holiday) and will have a even more fun New Year celebration. If I don't get to update before New Year, Happy New Year!!!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

French Connection Tube Dress

2009-12-23T09:58:00.001-05:00

I was playing around with my dress last night for my New Years Eve party. I decided to wear this FC Tube Dress (since its new) and got a belt yesterday from Urban Outfitters to go with it. yay or nah?

Gourmet Pretzels - Twisted Sisteres

2009-12-18T08:57:00.000-05:00

Are you a sweetaholic/chocoholic like me? Are you still looking for a good gift to express your love? Last minute gift to share with your coworkers/business partners/friends/strangers that you are planning to hit on?

Then you went to the right place, becoz i tried them this mornig (at a pre-breakfast time) and i couldnt resist stuffing them into my mouth one after another. that is so wrong. they are too good and they are just wrong. why? becoz all the two sisters at the Twisted Sisters want is to stuff your face and tried to take your hotness away. don't let them fool you. (but eating one, or couple, or the whole box, is not too wrong for Christmas)

Try these rich chocolate coated gourmet pretzels yourself, then you will know what I mean.

Hunter Rain Boots

2009-12-16T15:33:00.000-05:00

I live in Toronto. and in case you don't know the winter weather in Toronto sucks. a big time. before it starts snowing its all gloomy and rainy here. like literally everyday. it somehow resemble London weather but without the London chic. like, I don't see Burberry. So in order to keep my spirit up and avoid the S.A.D., I decided to treat myself a pair of rain boots. that would ease me into the gloomy rainy days and the harsh cold snowy days. because slipping on ice/slush/ponds is the last thing you want in the winter (or summer).

I got my Hunter rain boots on sale at Little Burgundy. Sorry, but only the most colorful rain boots are on sale. (like the pink, purple, white) If you are a die hard fan of dark colors, you have to pay the die hard full price. The colorful ones are on sale for $74.98 ATM and I got an extra 15% off because I did the online survey from previous purchase. so it came down to less than $73 including 13% of tax i had to pay. which is like literally nothing for a pair of Hunter rain boots.

If you were like me dare to dress like a 3 yr old (according to my boy, my boots look like a 3 yr old boots), go and grab yourself these very chic rain boots before its too late. because again, slipping on ice/ponds is the last thing you want in 2009. (or 2010 or ever)

I really meant to do more updates, but this month has been so busy with all the xmas shopping, party, dinner, lunch, sales, you name it. I just never had a chance to recap much. bare with me.

Dreaming to be a designer

2009-12-16T09:39:00.000-05:00

I always dream to be a designer. Not that I have the talent to design, or to be creative, or want to make people think i'm creative. My reason is indeed very lame - I just wanted to dress up everyday at work. Not like party dress up, but dress in however style I want and wont get dirty looks from coworkers. Like, I really want to wear funky leggings with OTK boots and boyfriend cardigan with messy hair. If one day I'm crazy enough (or brave enough) and wear all of those to work I can guarantee I will either get fired (or probably not they don't usually have time to talk to me given that my "coworkers" are mostly doctors and nurses and they spent 99.9% of their time with patients) or get sent home the second I step into the office. Like...I so envy those people who can wear what they want and people would think they are just being cool. Like, a fashion designer, interior designer, magazine editor, whatever creative jobs you could think of. It's like, they are demanded to dress that way to present themselves, its part of their profession. Me? No. never. I have to dress (or try to dress) more professional. Not like I have to be in suits everyday, but please throw on some dress pants or shirts or sweaters. which kind of make me look like a grandma. and becoz i have trouble getting up in the morning, most of the time i just throw on whatever i manage to grab fast in my closet. like. a shirt and a pair of dress pants. all in black (or grey). and to tell you the truth, that sounds pretty sad to me.

hope you are not with me in this sense.

Starfish Oyster Restaurant

2009-12-11T10:20:00.000-05:00

Wow I'm surprised I still have some visitors after not updating for awhile. Thank you so much for visiting me (well, my blog). I'm thrilled and thankful.

So last night we went out and celebrated my friend's birthday at Starfish, an oyster restaurant in downtown Toronto. Dinner was a.m.a.z.i.n.g (of coz the bill wasn't). The oysters were huge and fresh. I just couldn't resist. There were 12 of us (was it? I was too tipsy to count) and we ordered 6 dozen of oysters, let alone the appetizer platters (scallops, crab and much more), mussels in white wine sauce (so good), endless lobsters and steaks, and probably 2 plates of fries per person. We also ordered 3 bottles of white wine, thanks to my boy he ordered my favorite Gewurztraminer and another wine that I don't even care. We had too much fun on a Thursday night, which makes my Friday morning kinda dull. Thank God its Friday, and I have another party to attend tonight, company party so I gotta dress pretty. Now, I better get back to work. Here's some pictures, don't drool too much. Ditto.

E

Sephora $20 gift certificate

2009-12-03T15:18:00.001-05:00

My brain totally shut down at 3pm. Totally. I'm literally sleepwalking/daydreaming right in front of my work computer. Instead of working my a** off I'm typing up my blog. why? I don't know, I'm too exhausted to think of a simple question like this. Try asking my name I will tell you I'm Nicole Richie or Rachel Zoe or even Taylor Swift if I'm feeling young ATM.

Even when my brain is not functioning at my normal capacity, one part of it still works like a rocket. ell, okay, more than one, cos I will have one section for shopping, one section for food and another one specifically for chocolate. So literally there should be THREE. Anyway, my girlfriend is too sweet to send me this Sephora $20 gift certificate. You'll get a one-time discount of $20 when you spend over $35 before Dec 14th. Sweet eh. I'm not a Sephora member (which I seriously consider I should become one), but if you are one and you've *participate (hence, made a purchase) in the VIB event I think you've already got one. If not, go steal it from your friends, your mom, sister, or your bf/hubby's sisters. Do whatever it takes. Becos you could use that extra $20 to make another personal purchase, or buy a piece of chocolate to make yourself happy.

I had a bad day

2009-12-02T22:57:00.001-05:00

But good thing is, I had hot yoga today. And to top it, I had my favorite yoga instructor taught my favorite power flow class.

However, the good yoga class could only cancel out the negative emotion that has been with me since last night. Now, according to the formula, I m a zero. (C'mon, its math everyone)

So, in order to make my day a VERY good day, I decided to have a pampering bath, then a big bowl of fruit. Wait, and a huge chocolate bar before I head to bed.

Now, I know my day will be as good as my every other day.

Thinking of getting yourself the hottest trend of infinity scarf??

2009-11-30T10:32:00.000-05:00

Before you lay your hands on one of the cutest infinity scarves you've been eyeing on, why don't you try digging your closet and see if you can create your own? Save you some bills so you can make a (bigger) investment on your holiday outfits (and shoes and bags or that clutch you've been luring for awhile). It's pretty simple and take you no more than 5 min (exclude the time you spend on shopping in your own scarf collections). And best of all, they are reversible, so you can have your own scarf back when the trend fades.

This is what you'll need - a loose end scarf, needle and thread

Pick any scarf you want. If you prefer thin chic style pick a thinner shorter scarf. Or if you were like me prefer cozy warm style, pick one that's longer and thicker. (Or you can have multiple coz they are literally FREE)

Sew the loose ends together

Ta Da!

Style it however you like =)

Don't feel like making one? Shop it!
(Credit to andeelayne's stylebook)

Nudie Nails - OPI

2009-11-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

I have to confess. I'm obsessed with nude nails. Nude nail colors elongate your fingers, like a mile long, and slimmer. Not to mention they also make you 100 times more elegant. They go well with any outfits, and I do mean ANY. There are so many different shades of nude color, pick anyone that suits your skin tone best. Mine happened to be Tickle My Francey by OPI.

Here's my very nude nails.

Want to see the bottle?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving (US). And please show me what you got from Black Friday (weekend) shopping? *sigh I wish I'm in the states.

*eL

Quick look of my skin care staples

2009-11-27T09:21:00.000-05:00

Oh of cos, as being a woman, a shoperholic woman to be very exact, I have more staples than these. But let me introduce what I've been using lately. They are not necessarily all good, it's just a quick look at what I've been using.

Facial cleansers and makeup removers:
(From left to right)

Lancome Eye and Facial makeup cleansing milk (Great product! Very mild on my skin, love it! I've been using this cleansing milk for years, this is probably my 100th bottle)
Aspirin (ASA) (Have you ever seen Ricebunny's Asprin Mask?)
Cetaphil Facial Cleanser
Neutrogena Eye and Lip makeup remover (I love it coz it's not oil-based and love the price even more)
Greenbean Powder Scrub (from Taiwan) (Not so good as a scrub but I love to use it as a cleansing mask in the shower)

Moisturizers:
(From left to right)

La Mer Moisturizing Cream (Do I have to say more?)
Elizerbeth Arden Face Serum (anit-wrinkle!)
Organic toner (from Taiwan)
Sofina SPF50 Sunscreen (the best sunscreen I've ever used. I simply love the non-greasy formula)
Aveeno Eye Serum (I'm sorry but its a blah)
The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisturizing Cream (Ilove this price friendly moisturizer. There are nights I party till 5am and too tired to complete my beauty regime. What I would do is after removing all the dirts on my face I apply a thick layer of this Vit E moisturizer and head to bed straight. Believe it or not, my skin looks the best the next day)

Want to know more about the individual product? Let me know!

2009-11-25T15:51:00.000-05:00

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Lace leggings

2009-11-25T15:10:00.000-05:00

I've been searching for grant applications, journals and ways to get more journals all day, so really, i have to take a mental break from work.

I was in the mall to return my very-big-but-gorgeous Mango Tux Blazer during lunch, and couldn't resist those huge eye-catching SALE signs (they are literally everywhere). So there, I couldn't help but got myself a new pair of lace leggings. I was debating if I should get myself a pair of lace leggings or save it to get patterned tights instead. To be wallet-friendly, I should only pick one. I don't see myself wearing a lot of dresses or skirts in the freezing cold Toronto winter, so I decided to stick with the slightly thicker lace leggings. I like how they are less like real lace but more like cotton leggings so that would be more work appropriate (really?) and less revealing even for everyday wear. I'm a petite girl with big thighs (and uh hmmm calves too), so I should refrain myself from showing too much skin. Subtle lace works the best for me.

Oh and did I tell you the best of all is they are on sale for CA$9.99 at Costa Blanca only?

Of cos I can't take a picture of them at work right now, this one below look very similar to the one I've got.

*eL

2009-11-24T23:43:00.000-05:00

Allow me to share this bad purchase with you all.

No, I'm not saying this is a poorly made outfit, it's indeed very lovely (if you are taller than 5'2"). I'm just saying this is a bad purchase for me, myself, it doesn't fit well on me. Look how I am swimming too comfortably in this very roomy blazer. You won't believe this is the smallest size I got from Mango, its a size 34, convertible to XS in US sizing. Not only its a size or two too big for me, the bold shoulders, the length and loose fit boyfriend style really eat me up alive. I look like a child stealing my father's tux. I can't believe both BF and the sales lady said it fits perfectly well on me. Too wrong, it has to go back to the store.

I'll also show you my very ugly blue undertone nails. Remember how I had blue nails done the other day. I removed the nail color last night and I just couldn't get all the blue color removed! ewwwwwww. (you probably can't see it from the picture)

Then I put on my pink nail polish from Dior, hoping they don't look as blueish.

Lets end my entry with my ODJ.

Good Night!

*eL

Monday @ work

2009-11-23T12:13:00.001-05:00

It's Monday and I'm feeling blah. I highly suspected my once-a-month-visit is around the corner. So I've decided to go out for a walk and come back with a hot cozy latte.

*eL

Shopping Confession Continues

2009-11-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

So here are the pictures for the post below =)

Sephora and Body Shop Purchases

Don't you love the name of the polish?

Aritzia Purchases (Sorry they are really blurry, I will feature them in my ODJ when I have a chance)

This is a blazer I snapped from Winners today. It's a for-less version of the Zara blazer came out awhile ago. I would say they are 99% similar but only half price of Zara's, how could I resist.

Last and not least, nail color of the day - OPI metalic blue polish BF's sister painted for me. I should consider getting myself a blue nail polish, loving it!

Hope you had a good weekend

*eL

Shopping Confession

2009-11-19T15:46:00.001-05:00

I am so unmotivated these days due to my lack of sleep BF created on Sunday night/Monday morning. He was sick and had been coughing like no tomorrow for the whole weekend. Good that he is getting better now. Since BF was sick we didn't do much last weekend other than resting at home watching TV/movies. However I did go shopping with my girl friend on Friday evening for the sephora VIB event. I was a good girl, only purchased a Dior mascara and a OPI nail polish, hurrray! Then I went over to the Body Shop for my favorite Vitamin E lotion (I should really write a post about it) since the Q10 I'm using right now is not enough for the winter. That's it for Friday evening, I wanted to shop for a BF blazer without success. Best for my bank account anyway.

Started yesterday till this Sunday is Aritzia's 25th anniversary sale. Just like always Aritzia's sale really isn't all that amazing. However it is still a good chance for me to save some money on things I've been eyeing on. I got myself two cute sweaters one in black and the other in light grey. I took some pictures but havent had a chance to upload them yet. Then (I made) BF bought me a Marc by MJ clutch wallet for xmas lol. Well I had to buy him a new monitor in return so really, its almost like me buying it on my own.

So that's it for my shopping confession.

Later!
*eL

Mascara Review Part 1

2009-11-13T09:55:00.000-05:00

It’s Friday today, and the best part is I’m going to shop with my girls after work! My girl friend invited me to Sephora’s VIB event tonight for an extra 20% off, save some cash right there. I’m in need of a new mascara, been dying to try Dior’s Iconic for a while, I guess this would be the best time for me to get it. Like how I said before, I’m on a tight budget this month, let’s see if I could be a goody tonight.

Talking about mascara, I’ve been thinking about doing a mascara review here. I’ve tried quite a number of mascaras, simply because I’m a mascara junk! My everyday makeup used to be mascara with lower liner and blush only. So mascara did play a very important role to open up my eyes every morning. Now that I changed my staples to upper liner with blush, I still put on a nice thick coat of mascara on the weekends when I’m not in a rush to work. I’m going to split my review into multiple parts, so let’s start off with my recent favorite Helena Rubinstein.

Lash Queen Feline Black - my all time favorite(Description from www.helenarubinstein.com)

An intense, captivating and wild feline eyes.

Mastered intense volume and audacious length. Its generous formula enriched with ULTRA-BLACK pigments combined with an exclusive brush featuring anti-clogging brittles precisely tames lashes for an intensely captivating.This is the blackest black on the Lash Queen line. I really like how much it darkens my lashes. Feline Black gives a dramatic effect on opening up your lashes. It separates your lashes well, no clamping, no smudge all day, but only lengthening your lashes to a certain extend. My lashes are naturally curled, so I don't need to curl my lashes before applying this mascara. And it seems to hold up the curl really well.

The downside of Feline Black is not giving enough volume and it tends to dry out easily. It usually lasts for 3 months. But keep in mind I only use mine during the weekends, so it really sucks to have a mascara that lasts for 3 months only.

Afterall it is still a very good everyday mascara, it adds some twist to your everyday look without going overboard.

I use 01 Black Black, non-waterproof.

Lash Queen (Regular)

(Description from www.helenarubinstein.com)

An intense, captivating and wild feline eyes.

Helena Rubinstein finds its inspiration in the sumptuosity of fur to create the very best of intense volume. It combines two performances incompatible up to now: maximal coating volume from root to tip and an incredible lightness & flexibility.

I've also tried the regular Lash Queen. I would say it's a boo for me. I used Feline Black before trying the regular version, so it's kind of unfair to her. Lash Queen is not as dark as Feline Black, so if you dislike the dramatic dark color Feline Black gives you, you might want to give regular Lash Queen a try. Other than the color, I found the regular version doesn't give as much volume as Feline Black. If you have naturally full black lashes, just looking for some good mascara to hold your curls, Lash Queen is a Go for you.

I use 01 Wild Black, non-waterproof.

Long Lash

(Description from www.helenarubinstein.com)
Water Resistant Mascara.

Lengthening and thickening mascara with silk fibers for natural make-up results. Waterproof and refillable. Treatment cream enriched with silk fibers.

I didn't try this mascara myself, but one of my girl friends did. It serves as a supplement to your everyday mascara. What she did was, after applying your regular mascara, she put extra coats of Long Lash to the tip of her lashes to lengthen her lashes. It works a wonder! Her lashes were miles long after using this mascara on the tips. But downside is it seems to clump quite a lot. I'm not sure if its her techniques, or its the mascara itself.

The design of the applicator is very interesting. Unlike the regular big round brush, it's more like a small screw. So it could have easy access to almost all part of your lashes, even the corners. Long Lash is a very small tube but I would assume you do not need a lot so it should last as long as your regular mascaras.

French Connection Necklace

2009-11-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

Please ignore my very awkward posture in the picture. This is just a very quick post to feature my French Connection Necklace purchased during summer. Enjoy!

ODJ
Top:
Taupe Ribbon Tank - Costa Blanca
Knitted Cardigan - Costa Blanca

Bottom:
Dark Grey Leggins - Urban Plannet
Faux Leather Rider Boots - Winners

Accessories:
Vintage Gold Tone Necklace - French Connection

Have a good night!

*eL

Happy Humpday

2009-11-11T15:11:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday the humpday. But think of the bright side, it's Thursday tomorrow and weekend is around the corner. Isn't it cheerful?

Last night, the bf and I went to Yorkdale to join my friends for dinner. They went there for the GC event at Holtz, but I was too broke to shop this month so I went there to cheer. Plus the GC even is not exactly tempting comparing to the ones in the states. My girl friend bought a Louis Vuitton purse, and used the $100 GC for some pampering Clinique beauty care. So afterall it was a pretty good purchase for her. And best of all, the purse is a birthday/xmas gift from her boyfriend!

I was in all black attire today, just to give the hump day a cool black look.

ODJ

Top:
3/4 sleeve boat neck sweater – edc by Espirit

Bottom:
Yoga pants – Lululemon
Faux leather biker boots – Winners

Accessories:
Vitage watch – gift from dad
Patterned scarf - H&M

Here is a close-up of my rider boots. I normally don't like faux leather. To me, boots HAVE to be leather. But these ones are my winter beater boots purchased for CA$60 only, how could anyone complain? I love the zipper detail on the side. They are not real zippers, only for decorations =)

*eL

Simple Tuesday Work Attire

2009-11-10T17:05:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!
I just came home from work, tired! But I didn't forget to post my ODJ =) Sorry for the bad quality picture, I don't have a real camera with me right now, so I had to take the picture with my berry.

Today is a very boring simple work attire. You know how hard it is to get up and get dressed on an early Tuesday morning!

Top:
Flora sleeveless sheer top - Banana Republic
Black Blazer - Costa Blanca

Bottom:
TNA Yoga Pants - Aritzia
(I know I know, yoga pants for work, hey but it works!)
Black heeled boots - Winners

Accessories:
Gold long leaf necklace - H&M
Golden Bracelet - Juicy Couture
Watch - Vintage (sweet 16th bday present from my dad)

I went to French Collection to exchange a dress today, saw this necklace and it reminded me of House of Harlow by Nicole Richie. What do you think? Its on sale for CA$39.9, I might end up getting it.
Alright, that's it for today. I have couple reviews that I would love to share, hopefully I will have time to post them this weekend.

Good Night,
*eL

Hello Everyone!

2009-11-09T09:45:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone =)
Here I come again, my second attempt (or was it third?) to start blogging. I'm at work at the moment, just started a new job, kinda in a transition right now and have nothing much going on. That could explain why I’ve been blogging a lot lately lol.

I am so fascinated with everyone’s dedications to their readers with all their updates and reviews! All the blogs I’ve been to are very interesting, you don’t know how much I’ve learned from blogging, really. (bf should read this) I might not be a very good blogger, probably my blog will not be as interesting as most of the blogs here, but I will try my best (not to slack!).

Here’s me - I am a research staff working in a hospital. Love purse, love shopping, love chocolate, love food, love life =) I drool over Chanel purses, can’t afford to pamper myself with the luxe too often but I love to content myself with eye candies from everyone’s collections. Love to do mix and match, tend to dress causal yet classy. Love pop of color on a neutral outfit with my subtle glamour.

I guess that would be it for not, bye until next time.

Love,
*eL