I just finished this book, and it was such a wonderful read! It was recommended on the Barnes & Noble website, and I decided to read it primarily because of the presence and actual relevance of vintage clothing in the story. I was definitely satisfied with the fashion part of the book. The way the narrator, Phoebe who owns a vintage clothing store, describes the clothes and the way she gives more meaning to them was truly a delight to read. It made me appreciate vintage fashion that much more. Fashionistas will love this novel.
As for the rest of the book, I was not disappointed. I dove into it not really knowing much about it, and so I was surprised to find that it actually has a very sad undertone throughout because of something tragic that happened in the main character's past. There is also a lot of mystery as to what exactly happened, and I really liked that. It kept my attention throughout the entire story.
Apart from that, there is also some romance and a lot of warm, feel good aspects, such as the friendships Phoebe forms and her personal successes.
This book was sad, beautiful, touching, happy, and just an overall delight to read. I can easily see this adapted into a charming, feel good movie in the same vein as Chocolat.
5 stars *****
Note: I have more book review posts on my other blog dedicated to books and my love for them: diaryofabookaholic.blogspot.com
I've been on major Pride and Prejudice/Jane Austen/Period Drama mode since yesterday. We're currently talking about dating and relationships in my Natural English (Conversation) class, so I was looking up romantic movie clips on YouTube that I could maybe show my students. I then stumbled upon a clip of a scene from Pride and Prejudice (one of my favorite movies adapted from one of my favorite books of all time). When I watched that clip, I was immediately transported back to my Jane Austen/Period Drama crazed phase, and I felt so wonderfully warm and romantic inside. *sigh* :)
I wanted to share the clip on this blog, but I couldn't find one that I could embed, so instead, here's the music playing in the background (it is such a beautiful melody), and a picture from the scene I was talking about.
If you are a hopeless romantic like me, I'm sure you'll enjoy this. :)
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay in Place Makeup - currently my most used foundation
Makeup Forever Mat Velvet Foundation
Makeup Forever Duo Mat - I always use this to set my liquid foundation
Covergirl Lashblast Volume - my current favorite mascara; my eyelashes look so fluttery!
Chanel Kaska Beige Eyeshadow Quad - my current favorite eyeshadow palette; I use it almost every single day!
Clinique All About Eyes Concealer
Olay Total Effects Moisturizer w/ Cooling Essence
Olay Regenerist Serum
Longchamp Le Pliage
Here is my review of Clinique's All About Eyes Concealer:
Now I know for a lot of people, fashion icon might be too strong of a label to be associated with Lauren Conrad because of her reality TV roots. However, whenever I write these fashion icon posts, I only consider people that give me style inspiration - people that when I see pictures of them, I just feel that lightbulb go off in my head. I think that that's what is important anyways - not necessarily somebody who's technically truly fashionable and innovative, but someone who brings that spark out of you. A lot of girls love Lauren Conrad because of her girl next door appeal, and the fact that her clothes are very wearable. Girls feel like they can look like her. They can easily go to the mall and pick out outfits that look like hers. So without further ado, here's Ms. Conrad:
She looks gorgeous in every single one of these pictures. She looks very put together, and I love how she seems to have this ability to make every single bag she wears look absolutely fabulous. This picture is a prime example:
In this photo, she's wearing a Rebecca Minkoff Studded Devotee, and this bag definitely did not attract me the first time I saw it. It just isn't my style. However, after seeing Lauren Conrad wear it, I suddenly saw the bag with different eyes. I don't know what it is, but she managed to bring out the beauty of this bag because of her overall look. Love her! :)
The first time I saw this bag online, I immediately fell in love. The shape, the color, the style, the flap, the gold hardware, the outside pockets.. I just, I just... I need to have it. *drools*
This bag reminds me of Dolce & Gabbana's Miss Sicily Satchel, which is another bag I've been drooling over, but I knew I couldn't afford. Come to think of it, that would make a good splurge vs. steal post. :)
So... it's been pretty obvious how obsessed with handbags I've been recently as I'm sure you can tell from my previous posts. I've always had a great interest in them, but for some reason, my passion has been quite pronounced these last few weeks.
If handbags are not your cup of tea, please bear with me as I continue to fill my blog with more bag posts and pictures. I just can't help myself. :)
I've decided to start a series of posts inspired by the splurge vs. steal sections of fashion magazines. I thought it would be a great idea for people who would love to own designer bags, but can't afford them.
I will be featuring 2 bags per post - one expensive premier designer handbag and another more affordable contemporary/independent designer handbag that I believe would make a great substitute for the former.
Here's my first:
SPLURGE
Chanel Grand Shopper Tote
$2000+ (not quite sure what it is now)
13"w x 10"h x 6"d
9" shoulder drop
STEAL
Kate Spade Gold Coast Maryanne
$445
15.1"w x 10.3"h x 5.4"d
8.27" shoulder drop
Similarities:
- Both bags have a black, quilted exterior and chain handles with flat leather straps on top to make them more comfortable for your shoulders.
- They are also compartmentalized featuring a zippered middle section.
- They're both tote bags with similar dimensions.
Differences:
- The Chanel is more structured than the soft, slouchy frame of the Kate Spade.
- The Chanel is also heavier, while the Kate Spade is very light. I own the Kate Spade and love it; however, one gripe I have to say about it is that it tends to get wrinkly (especially at the corners) because the leather is soft and not very structured, which means that when you set it down with little to no contents, the leather scrunches up and actually leaves marks over time. However, because it is black, the lines aren't really very noticeable. I'm just OCD about my bags, and that's why I notice these details a lot more than most people probably would. :)
And there you have it. I hope you guys will find these posts useful and enjoyable! :)
Victoria Beckham, who has recently been gaining a lot of success and recognition as a fashion designer, has finally designed a line of handbags, which I had been dying to see for awhile now.
Here are some pictures:
The bags are very reminiscent of the Hermes Birkin, which is probably Victoria's favorite bag, since she owns a ton of them!
I like what I'm seeing so far. The collection has very classic, understated, timeless pieces.
I do wish there were more details on the bag to make it look less boxy.
However, overall I think the Victoria Bag has all the makings of a classic It Bag.
I am in love with this limited edition Louis Vuitton agenda cover. It's inspired by the hand-drawn posters and advertisements from the past and has got to be the cutest cover I've ever seen. I might buy this when I visit Hong Kong next week depending on what their prices are like there..
Friday is my one day off from work, so today I did some window shopping (saving up for my upcoming trip to Hong Kong!), bought the September issue of Elle, had some Indian food for dinner, and saw the Thai romantic comedy "Hello Stranger". I had seen a couple of Thai movies before, but this was the first film I saw at a movie theatre. It was pretty good. :)
I'm dedicating this blog post on my favorites in my growing bag collection.
I have a few more than this, but I wanted to focus on my essential pieces. :)
Divin croc embossed leather purse
This handbag was such an amazing find. Divin is a Thai handbag brand that can be purchased at higher end department stores here in Thailand. I got this purse at a discounted price which amounted to about $150 - such a great price for a gorgeous leather bag!
Croc embossed leather textures are my absolute weakness when it comes to handbag design.
I love that no one else has this purse (I couldn't find it anywhere else after I bought it).
It makes it extra special. :)
Big Buddha Mia
I purchased this adorable bag from Funsac.com, an online handbag store in the U.S.
I first found out about it from Baghaus.com, a website that has been mentioned by many beauty gurus on YouTube. This bag is one of Baghaus's bestsellers because it was featured on the Oprah Magazine.
I love the light pink color of this bag. It's a neutral shade of pink, which makes it easier to match with other colors. And, of course, the huge rose on the front makes it so eye-catching. It's very Valentino inspired. It also has a croc embossed texture, and the material is synthetic leather, which makes it very affordable (It cost only $85).
Kate Spade Goldcoast Maryanne
This is my most worn everyday bag. It's a great tote, and I love its classic and elegant design. It is very reminiscent of a Chanel bag because of its quilted exterior and chain handles. It's compartmentalized inside which is very convenient for organizing my things, especially my books, files and folders for work. I received this as a present from my mom, and it cost $445 - very affordable for a beautiful, timeless handbag.
Rebecca Minkoff Nikki
The wine color on this hobo bag is the most coveted color of the Rebecca Minkoff line. I wanted this bag as soon as I saw these pictures of Lauren Conrad toting it around:
It looks so gorgeous against her white outfit. :)
I wanted it even more when I found out that it wasn't available ANYWHERE.
Eventually, after days of scouring the internet, I found it on Museten.com, an online handbag store that specializes in high quality indie brands. I immediately purchased it and never turned back. It cost $595.
Rachel Nasvik Phoebe Satchel
Rachel Nasvik is another indie brand like Rebecca Minkoff. I love the simplicity of this handbag. The leather is so soft and smooshy. The style and shape is so classic and timeless in my opinion. The grey color makes it very easy to match with a lot of different outfits. This bag was purchased from Bluefly.com at a discounted price. It was originally $575, and my mom bought it for $343.
Nine West purse
I love this purse because of the fact that it can convert into this..
a clutch! :)
It also comes with a separate shoulder strap, which allows you to use it four ways.
It's so cute and versatile! I'm not sure how much I paid for this, but I believe it was a little bit more than $100, which I'm sure is a lot more expensive than it would have been in the States.
The design really reminds me of Mulberry's Mitzy Tote.
