Tag Archives: Spring

Beauty, Fashion, Food, Top Five, Travel

5 Things to Try This Month – May 2017

May is the perfect time to embrace the Spring season! Among many things I planned to do in May, are: a family trip to Universal Studios Hollywood with my nieces, improve  my makeup techniques, and indulge myself for endless crepe desserts.

Listed below are my five things to try list for May. Hope it will inspire you to enjoy the season of Spring.

Improve My Makeup Techniques

During the first weekend of May, Nordstrom in Bellevue, Washington is hosting an event to promote the beauty brand, Charlotte Tilbury. It is created by the famous celebrity makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury. Before the promoting event weekend, one of the celebrity makeup artist, Kate, from Charlotte Tilbury, was giving a master makeup class on May 4th. I attended the session and had a great time learning the makeup brand’s new products.

Indulge in Layers of Crepes

I love to eat desserts and my recent sweet obsession is the Mille Crêpes cake from Lady M Confections bakery. Each Mille Crêpes cake is made of more than twenty thin layers of crepes and filled with light pastry cream between each layer. My favorite flavor from Lady M is the Green Tea Mille Crêpes cake. To satisfy my sweet tooth, I ordered the Mille Crêpes in Green Tea and Strawberries (seasonal)  to share with my family!

Break In the Summer Sandals

After the record rain in the Seattle area this winter, we finally got some long-awaited sunshine, This is the perfect time to break in your summer shoes. Try something with 3-D flowers, like Charlotte Olympia – Tara Embellished Metallic Leather Sandals.

Charlotte Olympia Tara Embellished Metallic Leather Sandals

Family Trip to the Universal Studios Hollywood

I don’t usually go to theme parks, but when I do, it’s always with my nieces. In the beginning of May, we went to the Universal Studios in Hollywood, CA. Our first stop at the theme park was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. To avoid the long line, we arrived to the theme park right at 8:00 am when it was first open. We had the luxury of riding the rides (twice) before the crowds came in. I also took the photo right in front of the Hogwarts Express train with a cast member.

Expand My Reading Topics

I learned some basic Blackjack strategies in the past, but it was all based on the memorization of the Blackjack strategy cards. Every now and then I would play a few hands of Blackjack game in Vegas for fun (but I would only play it when I am with my experienced friends).  This month, I plan to go to Vegas with some family friends and I though it might be interesting to read up on the famous “Beat the Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One” book, by Edward O. Thorp. I am only half way through reading the book, but I am already fascinated with the explanations on the game strategies. I don’t plan to play a lot of Blackjack while I am in Vegas, but it would be great to understand what I am doing when I play!

Beat The Dealer: A Winning Strategy for the Game of Twenty-One

All Posts, Fashion

Spring 2017 Fashion Trends

No Spring wardrobe is complete without the traditional pastel hues and brightly colored accessories. But for the Spring 2017, there are some other unique fashion trends that stand out.

Below are some of my suggestions for you to consider when you update your Spring collection this season.

Clashes of Patterns for Boldness

For Spring 2017, we’ve seen some unexpected pattern combinations in outfits, such as plaid with polka dots, and flowers with animals. They key to success in such a trend is to keep your accessories to solid colors to complement your patterns. (As seen on Altuzarra’s Spring 2017 Runway.)

Of course, if you don’t think you are bold enough to wear two different patterns on yourself, try the simple mix-and-match of the solid color with one of patterns.

See-through Silhouette for Sophistication

For this Spring, be ready to show some skin via sheer silhouette! On the runway (i.e. Dior and Valentino), we’ve seen many models in the fancy see-through silhouette. These designs might not be street-friendly without a camisole underneath, but it represents a unique trend for this fashion season.

If you’d like to try the see-through silhouette that gives some built-in coverage, try something like Self-Portrait Dresses.

Self-Portrait Hall Lace Mini Dress
Self-portrait Hall Lace Mini Dress

One-shoulder Silhouette with Ruffles 

Last Spring and Summer we saw a lot of off-shoulder silhouette. For this year, we see a lot of one-shoulder tops and dresses. If you want to invest in a one-shoulder piece, try it with ruffles!

Isabel Marant Lavern Printed Cotton And Linen Dress
Isabel Marant Lavern Printed and Linen Dress

Stripes for Statement-making

Stripes are one of my all-time favorites when it comes to Spring wardrobe. Many fashion houses are showcasing stripes in multi-color and bold patterns. Stripe patterns are also spotted on shoes.

In my opinion, I’d prefer to invest in silhouettes with stripes than shoes with strips, because the clothing pieces will more likely to be in trend for future Spring and Summer seasons!

RedValentino Striped Knitted Sweater

RedValentino Striped Knitted Sweater

Blossom Flowers to Celebrate the Season

When it comes to wearing floral design for outfits, we usually mix them with some solid staples (i.e. floral dress with solid-color stilettos) and avoid wearing blossom flowers from head to toe. However, for this season, we’ve seen some fashion houses (i.e. Balenciaga and Chloe) demonstrate the essence of the warm season.

If you are going for a head-to-toe floral style, consider trying the floral printed handbags and boots to complete your outfits.

Fendi Kan Small Floral-printed Leather Shoulder Bag

Fendi Kan Small Floral-printed Leather Shoulder Bag

Military Inspired Attires for a Twist

Military style wool coats were popular in Fall 2016. For this Spring, consider switching to a thinner military cotton jackets with some fun variations. For example, try Veronica Beard’s Appliquéd cotton jacket. The black lace on the shoulders and the drawstring at the waist will give your would-be casual look a sophisticated twist!

Veronica Beard Appliquéd Cotton Jacket

All Posts, Beauty, Fashion, Top Five

5 Things to Try This Month – April 2017

When I think about April, an image of warm and sunny weather immediately comes to my mind. Although I live in Seattle area, where there’s not enough sun for the beginning of Spring, it won’t affect me from participating the things that are happening this month.

Below are my suggestions for what I’d like to try for April.

Made-To-Order Accessories for the New Season

One must-do for each season is to update wardrobe accessories. It’s always fun to have unique shoes and handbags, custom made for you. Try Jimmy Choo’s Make-to-Order shoes and clutches. You get to pick the shoe and clutch design in the color and material you want.

Designer Silhouette for an Affordable Price

One of the fashion news items that appeared repeatedly in the past few weeks is the collaboration of Victoria Beckham and Target on a new Spring collection – Victoria Beckham for Target. It will be available for purchase on April 9. I can’t wait to try out some of the dresses in the collection!

New Lip Balm for Everyday Happiness

In my February’s Valentine’s blog post I mentioned Yves Saint Laurent’s new Volupte Tint-in-balm lipstick. It’s a hybrid lipstick that’s made of lip moisturizing ingredients. It provides sheer glowing colors on the lips. The fun part about the lipstick is its lip-shaped heart in the center. I ordered some from Yvest Saint Laurent’s site with free complimentary engraving. I can’t wait to receive them next week!

Stylish Jacket for Early Spring

Although we are already in Spring, I still feel chilly in the early morning in Seattle. If you live in areas that has a similar climate  as me, you can stay warm with a nice wool-blend jacket. Try something like the Coach’s Wool-blend and Leather jacket.

Coach Wool-blend and Leather Jacket

A Book of Your Choice for Self Improvement

I love to read books, especially when they’re related to biography and business. Recently, while I was going through my bookshelf, I found a book I had since Year 2013. I read a couple of chapters back then, but never finished the entire book. The book is “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg. It’s a book about women’s behavior in society and work. And how we can overcome the challenges we are facing in our careers and the work environments. My goal for this month is to finish reading this book!

Lean In Book