All posts by Shirley

All Posts, Top Five

5 Things To Try This Month – January 2017

January is the beginning of the new year, 2017. It’s a great time to start experiencing new things. Here are my top five things I would like to try for January.

Bvlgari and Rome Exhibition

On my recent trip to Madrid, Spain, I visited the Thyssen-Bornemisza Mueseum. They showcased more than 140 pieces of jewelry from Bvlgari’s Heritage Collection (including jewels that belonged to Elizabeth Taylor). The collection was astonishing. I learned a lot about Bvlgari’s designs. (Also see the featured image, Bvlgari necklace in gold with multicolor sapphires, mandarin garnets, emeralds and diamonds.)

Red Nail Design

The Chinese New Year is in January this year. Red is the must-have color for the holidays, including the Lunar New Year. And here is my nail design for this month!

Pink Coat

Pink is the color for Year 2017. It’s worth it to invest in a nice pink coat for the season.  Miu Miu – virgin wool coat with fur.

Miu Miu Virgin Wool Coat with Fur

Velvet Accessories

Velvet is still in for the season. Mary Jane style shoes have been one of my all-time favorites. It’s never too late to invest in a pair of Mary Janes in velvet. Try Dolce & Gabbana’s Crystal-embellished Mary Jane pumps!

DolceGabbana_Crystal-embellished Mary Jane pumps

Hot Chocolate

I really enjoyed the hot chocolate I had on my recent trip to Spain. As a matter of fact, I actually brought the hot chocolate ingredient back from Spain. I can’t wait for the weekend to make it myself.

All Posts, Fashion, Travel

The Two Jackets I Packed for My Spain Trip

While my friend and I were planning our two week Spain trip, we knew we wanted to do a lot of sightseeing in Barcelona, Palma de Majorca, and Madrid. Since our hotels were in the central area in Barcelona and Madrid, we were close to most of the places we wanted to visit and we knew we would walk around a lot.

My main concern was how to keep warm while we walked around for hours in Spain during December and January. I am the type of person who feels cold very easily. I wanted to make sure I brought some jackets that would keep me warm.

Also, we had a short layover in Frankfurt, Germany. Frankfurt was even colder than Spain. If we missed our connect flight from Frankfurt to Barcelona, we might be stuck in Frankfurt.

Packing Winter clothing for the trip added some weight to my already quite full luggage. To avoid having my luggage go overweight but still pack something versatile and stylish, I picked two jackets to bring for the Spain  trip: a down jacket and leather jacket. (See below)

Canada Goose Montebello Down Jacket

(Picture taken in front of the Palace in Madrid. I was wearing a Canada Goose Montebello dawn jacket, True Religion skinny jeans, and UGG short boots.)MadridPalace

Bernardo Leather Jacket

This leather jacket in wine color is versatile and stylish. I wore it mainly in Barcelona. It went well with sweaters and jeans. It was also perfect with short dress with knee-high suede boots.

(Picture taken at Park Guel in Barcelona. I was wearing the leather jacket, cashmere sweater, and True Religion skinny jeans.)

ParkGuell_Barcelona

If you plan to visit Europe during Winter, I highly recommend that you invest in a nice and warm down jacket and a leather jacket. The nice thing about these two silhouettes are that they are versatile and will upgrade your travel attires instantly.

All Posts, Travel

Winter Trip to Spain in December 2016 to January 2017

My friend and I have been wanting to take a trip to somewhere we’ve never been before for the New Year’s Eve, so right after the Christmas of 2016, we took a two week trip to Spain.

We narrowed down our trip to Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, and Madrid. For our 2017 New Year’s Eve celebration, we picked Barcelona for our destination.

Today is January 6, 2017. My friend and I are on our last week of our holiday/Winter trip in Spain. We really enjoyed our vacation in Spain and can’t believe we only have a few days left.

I can’t wait to share some of the details on our trip and all the delicious food we had. Stay tuned for my upcoming posts regarding our visit to Spain!

Barcelona – Casa Batllo by GaudiBarcelona_CasaBatllo_byGaudi

Palma de Mallorca – Playa Porto Cristo

Palma de Mallorca-Playa Porto Cristo

Madrid – Monumento Alfonso XII

Monumento Alfonso XII

All Posts, Fashion, Holidays, Top Five

The Five Best Holiday Shoes for 2016

We are in the 2016-2017 holiday season, which means there are probably plenty of  dinners and parties lined up in this month for you. Have you figured out what shoes you want to wear for each occasion?

Below are my top five favorite shoes for this holiday season. Hope this will give you some ideas on what to wear for your New Year’s Eve parties.

Christian Louboutin – So Kate Patent Leather Point-Toe Pumps

A pair of red stilettos  for the holiday season is a must-have. Nothing can ever go wrong when you spice up your outfit with the holiday color, especially when you wear this sexy red So Kate pump by Christian Louboutin.

Christian Louboutin So Kate Patent Leather Point-toe Pumps

Giuseppe Zanotti – Crystal-Embellished Suede Slingbacks

If you plan to wear a red dress for this holiday season, I’d recommend this pair of slingback sandals with crystal-embellished suede by Giuseppe Zanotti. The color of this sandal will complement the red dress silhouette and the crystals will catch everyone’s attention with every step you take.

Giuseppe Zanotti Crystal-Embellished Suede Slingbacks

Jimmy Choo – Romy Glitter Degrade Point-Toe Pumps

Jimmy Choo has many beautiful stilettos. One of my favorites is their glitter pumps. If you are looking for a pair of eye-catching shoes to complete your day to night outfit, try Jimmy Choo’s Romy Glitter Degrade Point-Toe Pumps. (Jimmy Choo’s Romy stilettos replaces its classic “Abel” pumps. I have several pairs of the “Abel” pumps that I used to wear back in my old clubbing days. They were surprisingly comfortable on the dance floor!)

Jimmy Choo Romy Glitter Degrade Point-toe Pumps

Roger Vivier – Ballerine Chips Satin D’orsay Flats

If you are considering ditching the high heels and going for comfortable flats for the holidays, try one of Roger Vivier’s Ballerine Chips Satin D’orsay Flats. They come in many colors (red, black, navy, metallic silver, etc.). My personal favorite is Roger Vivier’s Ballerine Chips Satin D’orsay flats in red. I have had my red pair of this Roger Viver’s flats for over a year, now, and I still love them!

Roger Vivier Ballerinec Chips Satin C'Orsay Flats

Saint Laurent – Paris Skinny Sequined Metallic Pointy Toe Pumps

These Saint Laurent’s Paris Sequined Metallic Point-toe pumps are my new favorite for this holiday season. Saint Laurent makes many nice sparking stilettos. When I saw this pair, I knew I got to have them. When I received the shoes in mail, I was glad to find out that the actual shoes looks even more stunning than the pictures. I plan to wear them with a black dress for my next dinner event.

Saint Laurent – Paris Skinny Sequin Pointy Toe Pump

All Posts, Holidays, Travel

First Time Making the Wreath

A few weeks ago, my dear friend, Jennie, invited me to join her and her friends to make wreath for the Seattle Children’s Hospital. I’ve never made any wreath before, but I love the idea of doing things that involves children. So I said “yes”, even though it required me to get up earlier than I usually do on any Saturday.

The day before our scheduled date for making the wreath, my friends notified me about needing to get gloves and gardening tools. This made me start to worry about the logistics of making the wreath. I couldn’t help imagine the pictures of me on the field for cutting branches and plants for the wreath’ draw materials.

Luckily, on the day of our scheduled appointment, we showed up and learned that all of the materials are already been cut and ready for use. I was surprised, in a very good way, that people had already put in effort for the project.

Now is the time to make a wreath. Luckily, they showed us how to make a wreath from scratch.

I was freaking out, because I wasn’t sure that I could do it. My friend, Jennie and I decided to work together.

It turned out, our wreath came up pretty good, even thought it took us a long time.

The wreath were to be sold for $40 each the following week, but I decided to buy the wreath we made. So I did.

All Posts, Beauty, Holidays, Top Five

The Five Best Holiday Beauty Products for 2016

I love sparkling and shimmering beauty products, especially around the holiday seasons. Many brands offer special editions of makeup, and perfume during this special season, and they’re usually hard for me to resist!

If you are still looking for gift ideas or need some suggestions to expand your beauty collection, below are my top five favorite beauty products for this holiday season.

Burberry – Gold Shimmer Dust

Each year I look for some shimmering powder to add to my holiday collection. When I saw the Burberry’s Gold Shimmer Dust, I knew that’s exactly what I needed for this year. ($29 via Saks Fifth Avenue)

Burberry_Gold Shimmer Dust

Marc Jacobs Beauty – About Last Night Mascara and Eyeliner Collection

This Marc Jacobs’ About Last Night mascara and eyeliner collection is all you need for the evening parties. The O!Mega Lash mascara in this collection helps you to create the volume you desire for your eyelashes. The best part about this collection is the glitters in the Lamé Noir Ultra-Glittering Mascara Top Coat. Layer it on top of the O!Mega Lash will give you the instant holiday ready look.
($36 via Marc Jacobs Beauty)
Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Mascara and Eyeliner

Yves Saint Laurent – Touche Éclat – Strobing Light Highlighter

Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Éclat highlighter is one of my favorite makeup products. I am glad that Yves Saint Laurent is offering the highlighter in gold shimmer version. I like to use it on my cheekbone and Cupid’s bow. I also put it on my eyelids, as the base for applying eyeshadow.

Yves SaintLaurent Touche Eclat

Viktor & Rolf – Flowerbomb Pink Crystal Limited Edition Fragrance

If you are a big fan of Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb fragrance, you can’t miss the Flowerbomb Pink Crystal Limited Edition Fragrance. This holiday edition Flowerbomb comes in a sparkling jar with a pink crystallized rose. I think your mood will instantly be uplifted by the very first spray of this flower fragrance!

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Pink Crystal Limited Edition Fragrance

Chanel Blush Harmony Palette

If you are traveling for this holiday season and want a multi-functional beauty product, Chanel’s limited edition Blush Harmony Palette will be perfect for you. You can use this palette for highlighting and contouring your face. And use the red-pink shade on the palette as blush.

Chanel Blush Harmony Palette

All Posts, Fashion

Why Do I Still Enjoy Watching the Show, Sex and The City

Ever since the “Sex and the City” TV show was released, it has been one of my favorite shows. I’ve watched it so many times, but I never get tired of it!

I like it not only because it’s about people finding love in a big city.  I enjoy watching the “Sex and the City” show because it’s about four close friends (Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda, and Samantha), each with a unique personality, who care about each other dearly, and help each other go through ups and downs in their lives.

In my opinion, the bond of the four main characters’ friendship in the “Sex and the City” show actually outweighs the handsome lovers they have throughout the six seasons. In the “Sex and the City” Season 4, Episode 1-“The Agony and the Extasy”, Charlotte believes that there’s “one perfect soul mate” for each person while the other girls thought there’s no such thing as “one perfect soul mate”.

Whether there’s “one perfect soul mate” for each person or not, towards the end of the episode, all four of them are sitting in the coffee shop. Carrie was depressed and felt sad about being alone without a guy on her 35th birthday. Charlotte suggested the sweetest idea that all four of them can be each other’s soul mate instead waiting for the perfect guy to be the so call “soul mate”.


In the end of “The Agony and the Ecstasy” episode, as Carrie walks home from the meeting with the girls in the coffee shop, she saw Mr. Big (who had returned to New Year from London) waiting to give her red balloons and celebrate her birthday with a bottle of champagne. It was a friendly gesture, but it really added a nice touch to the episode. I guess sometimes a girl can have soul mates and a lover, too. Why settle for just one of them, right!


Another big reason I enjoy watching the ‘Sex and the City” show is its fashion component. The show wouldn’t be quite as fabulous without the die-for handbags, the fabulous stilettos, and gorgeous dresses. Although I can’t help wonder how a writer (Carrie) can afford all the luxury accessories in a big city. But as long as everything look good in the show, why does it matter if it resembles the reality, right?

All Posts, Fashion

Fall 2016 Fashion Trend

We are in the transition of Summer to Fall.  If you are still stuck in the Summer fashion, it’s not too late to start planning your Fall staples.

Below is a quick start guide on some of the essential elements for Fall fashion and it will help you to get ready for the chilly season.

Velvet – Fabric of the Season

When we think about Fall 2016 fashion, there’s no way we can leave out velvet.  Velvet is the fabric of the season and we see it anywhere from dresses to sexy stilettos!

A.L.C. Lola Velvet and Embroidered Lace Midi Dress

A.L.C. Lola Velvet & Embroidered Lace Midi Dress

Military – Uniform with a Style

I am always fond of military style for fashion , especially when it comes to wool jackets for the cold seasons. If you are looking for a silhouette that will stay in style, consider a nice military style jacket in navy color. Of course, military style for this season isn’t only limited to jackets. Don’t forget to check out the new boots for the season.

Burberry Military Jacket

Burberry Military Jacket

Mary Jane – Casual to Elegant

Mary Jane shoes has always been one of my favorites, especially when they are decorated with glitters, like the one Saint Laurent made for Fall 2014. For this year, I noticed more Mary Jane shoes in various material. (i.e. Miu Miu’s crystal-embellished velvet pumps, and Dolce & Gabbana’s embellished suede Marry Jane pumps)

Miu Miu Crystal Studded Mary Jane Pump

Miu Miu Crystal Studded Mary Jane Pump

Ruffles – Girlie with a hint of Sophistication

When I was a little girl my mom liked to buy me dresses with ruffles; therefore, ruffles always remind me of my childhood days.  But ruffles are not just for little girls. For this Fall season, we see ruffles anywhere from dresses to shoes. A red dress with ruffles like the Valentino one below will definitely add some sexiness to your wardrobe.

Valentino Off-the-shoulder Ruffle Tunic Dress

Valentino – Off-the-shoulder Ruffle Tunic Dress

Floral – Blossom in Every Season

Depending on where you are, you might not see many blossoming flowers in the Fall. But that doesn’t mean you can’t bring the blossom floral prints onto yourself.  This season, we see the floral elements everywhere on the runway, from floral dresses to signature handbags.

Fendi Embroidered Tulle Overlay Dress

Fendi Embroidered Tulle Overlay Dress

 

If you are still working your wardrobe for the Fall, be sure to keep the above fashion elements in mind!

All Posts, Holidays, Travel

I Love the Bellagio Conservatory!

I enjoy going to Las Vegas. The restaurants, the shows, and people watching are the best in the world.

BellagiConservatory

One of my top three properties in Las Vegas is the Bellagio Hotel. I stayed at the Bellagio recently. The Bellagio has several world-famous areas, including the Fountains, the registration ceiling glass sculptures, and the Conservatory.

The Conservatory is amazing. There are flowers and plants and displays that will astound you. The Conservatory does a major change-over about every 10 weeks or so, to correspond to the season (Christmas, Chinese New Year, Spring/Easter, etc.)

BellagioTurle

When I stayed at the Bellagio, the Conservatory had a sea-theme. I loved the huge jellyfish hanging from the ceiling but my favorite thing was the sea turtle. Vegas — an incredibly amazing place.