An OMFG Guide to Spring/Summer 2011 Essentials!

Despite the recent weather we've been having, summer really is just around the corner! On the advice of my dear friend Clint who advised I add more fashion and not just emotional purging on my blog (he also noted that I should add cute animals...sorry Clinters, the animals will have to wait!) I present to you an OMFG Guide to Spring/Summer Essentials!

My fashion aesthetic is to simply look and feel beautiful. While I admire the more avant-garde fashionistas I see out and about in the city, I have no intention of waltzing around in black rubber pants or spiked-shouldered blazers and whatnot. Ultra feminine, versatile, classic and a touch of trendy and bohemian now and then describe my style to a tee...so with that in mind, here are my Spring/Summer 2011 essentials for all you lovelies!

The Maxi
I love the idea of maxi dresses; soft and flowy and low-key while still having enough room should you decide to indulge in a burger and fries on a patio! However, most maxis end up making even the skinniest of girls looking like large unshapely sacs. Enter the perfect maxi: Urban Outfitters has created this little number with a sheer long layer over a shorter one. Easy, breezy, and flattering all in one.
Link it via Urban Outfitters --> http://bit.ly/lq6HrK

The Silk Pant
Sure, printed silk pants are always a little Jazzy Jazz on first impression, but breathable and comfortable as well as chic and cool soon follow. Paired with a simple tee, neutral blazer and wedged desert boots take these pants from Jazzy Jazz to simply hip.
Link it via Net-a-porter --> http://bit.ly/j0O7t7

The Black Purse
I'm the kind of girl that believes all purses should be black, bitchy, designer, and big enough that if you need to shove some one you're not fond of, you can do so and blame it on your beautifully bad-ass Balanciaga. While the classic Motorcycle Balanciaga is the epitome of the bitchy black purse, this snake-print Marc by Marc Jacobs one is just as classic and bad-ass while being much more affordable.
Link it via Shopbop --> http://bit.ly/lZSQu6

The Accent Purse
On days when your huge black Marc Jacobs purse just isn't going with the summery all-loving feeling that comes with warm weather, an accent purse in an unusual colour is the perfect choice. Little sundresses go from sweet and simple to luxe and lovely with the addition of this perfectly pastel Rebecca Minkoff satchel! And, at under $200, it's a steal. I'm expecting mine in the mail any day now!
Link it via Shopbop --> http://bit.ly/mga5bX

The Sundress
I have a thing for little flared dresses. Dresses that have a fitted bodice and a flare when the waist starts are flattering on all figures, feminine and just flirty enough -- a perfect combo in my opinion! Urban Outfitters is always well-stocked in sexy little daytime numbers with my favourite being this Kimchi Blue knitted dress in bright yellow. Throw in a Miami tan, straw hat and glass of sangria and you've got the ideal summer afternoon.
Link it via Urban Outfitters --> http://bit.ly/mqIyYj

The Blazer
Like any girl out there, I can never have too many blazers! From my basic black boyfriend cut one to my silky navy longer one, they're a staple in my wardrobe. I tend towards lighter colours and materials for summer blazers, and this nude linen cardigan from Zara has all the right touches. All nude/cream ensembles are a go-to outfit for me and I can just picture this over white tailored shorts, a loose white tee and nude flats.
Link it via Zara Canada --> http://bit.ly/kWhrn4

The Sandal
Nude, on trend but still classic, insanely strappy and unique. I am obsessed with this modern take on Gladiator sandals from Urban Outfitters. The only downside? Beware of funky tan lines!
Link it via Urban Outfitters --> http://bit.ly/mIlDng

The Party Dress
The latest retro trend is a throwback to the glitzy glammy 70's and I couldn't be happier. Give me swingy dresses, shoulder-padded beaded blazers and bell sleeves galore! Vera Moda is right on trend with their delicate pink pleated evening dress. Showy but subtle, it's low-key glam at it's best.
Link it at Asos --> http://bit.ly/mhdQMw

The Midi-Skit
That's right, midi, not mini! Ladylike is another trend of the season and hemlines have dropped from the thigh to the knee if not longer. The midi skirt is versatile for day and night and is demure while still being right on trend. I couldn't choose between a funkier printed one and a bright blue one (perfect for colour-blocking!), so here they both are, from Asos.
Link it via Asos --> http://bit.ly/j1zLuX (printed) and http://bit.ly/lKCA4K (electric blue)

 And there you have it lovelies, a little collection of pieces that are sure to jump start your summer stylishly! With so many wearable trends being in for the season (neutral layering, mixing prints, military-inspired pieces, etc.) it's going to be one beautifully-inspired summer!
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The Twenty-something Curse -- OMFG

Toronto summer, where art thou? I was just about to step outside in what the Weather Network promised was 20 degree weather when it started pouring. Not refreshing spring showers either, but full on Asia-style it's raining freaking fat cats and obese dogs pouring. Suffice to say I'm indoors instead nestled between a cozy blanket, my darling little blog and a mug of green tea. Patio season will just have to wait.

I've been situated in front of my laptop for most of the day now doing what I feel like I've been doing for the past lifetime -- looking for a job. Modeling and dabbling in promotions for nightlife in the city has been enough to keep my afloat since my return from Singapore, but let's be honest; neither is a steady nor very fulfilling industry and at 23 (and turning 24 in less than a month with horror slowly sinking in) I feel like, and have been feeling for a while now, that there is something more for me that is hopefully financially sustainable as well.

Equipped with a double major in Urban Geography from what I think is the best school in Canada (U of T repping!) hasn't been as reassuring as one might think...I realized not too long after graduation that a life of soil samples and demographic statistics wasn't one I was, or ever would be, passionate about. The idea of being chained to the helm of an office desk working nine to five and clocking in and out literally makes me uncomfortable and modeling and nightlife just isn't intellectually stimulating enough for me. So where to start?
I feel like I've written more than a few blog posts about being twenty-something, dazed, confused, yet somehow unrelentingly motivated to be doing....something. And, the truth is, I'm still stuck in that in-between gray area of being young enough to not freak out, yet old enough to start feeling a little purposeless. Case and point? I woke up the other day and my to-do list consisted of doing laundry and picking up a check. Yup. Those two things and that was it. A little purposeless may of been the nice way of putting it; I felt about as useful as a used stamp.

I am strangely optimistic though (as I charmingly find most others I know in similar situations) and probably a tad overly confident in my skills, whatever they are (Being uber-social? Constant blogger? Active social networker? Pretty when dolled-up? More valuable than you may think!) when it comes to the job-hunt. For now, I'm applying to temporary office jobs (partially to feel useful, partially because I want a new purse and it will  need to be Balenciaga) while still searching for....well whatever it seems all twenty-somethings are searching for. The perfect job, that allows me to be creative, travel, be paid well and contribute to this world in a big way. Sounds ridiculous? Maybe. But the more I focus on it, the more I know that eventually, in time, it will manifest itself.

Call it the curse of the twenty-something; we're naively optimistic, blatantly confident and have blind faith in a perfect something-or-the-other that's bound to happen. I wouldn't have it any other way.
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OMFG - Royal Wedding Fever

My twitterfeed has been inundated with tweets about the upcoming Royal wedding. Everyone from entertainment outlets, to fashion bloggers, to my high school chums have William and Kate on the brain and are speculating down to the most minute of details. Who will design her dress? Who will style her hair? What kind of make-up will she wear? What shade of creme blush will she use? Okay, so that last one might of been a tiny bit of an exaggeration but you get the idea. Royal fever has officially invaded this side of the pond.

I've been pleasantly surprised by the amount of interest the upcoming nuptials have generated. It seems that in today's world of redefining traditional concepts of romance and love, there is still very much an intense enthusiasm concerning a good old time-honored, extravagantly constructed wedding. The hopeless romantic in me breathed a teensy sigh of relief. Of course a highly publicized and insanely expensive wedding does not equal a successful marriage -- we only have to look at Lady Di's ill-fated and ultimately tragic marriage to Prince Charles for proof -- but it's the mere idea that such a sweet notion in the most old-fashioned sense of love can still captivate a nation that has me feeling reassured.

Jaded and weary we might be, I mean 50% and counting of marriages end up in divorce last time I checked, but clearly the hopefulness that something akin to what my parents have being possible resides inside most of us. It's a lovely little idea to think that despite all the statistics, stories and sadness, some of us remain just as wide-eyed and optimistic as ever. Naive? Sure. But I choose naive over downtrodden and miserable in the case of love and its opportunities.

Commemorative paraphernalia is the norm when it comes to any such Royal event, and as expected plates, coins, mugs, and even  replicas of Middleton's engagement ring are all for sale. (I also heard commemorative nipple rings were available but I was too scared to Google that to confirm) But really, what are we commemorating? Despite the outcome of the union between William and Kate, the items we (well, maybe not we. I don't plan on eating off of any face-emblazoned plate, thank you very much.) purchase now will remain hallmarks of a perfect love between a Prince and his future Princess. Perhaps the idea of a perfect love despite all the odds is what the public is choosing to commemorate...a way to make something so deftly intangible seem just a little more concrete, if only momentarily.

I will definitely be waking up to catch what will surely be one beautifully lavish wedding --for all you other Royal fans, festivities are set to start at 3:30am Eastern time on the day of. Mostly, it will be to see what dress Kate ends up wearing (my friend Lizzy has her bet on it being Victoria Beckham while I think she'll go with something more traditional, perhaps La Renta) but also to see what could be the start of a one in a million marriage that beats the odds. After all, the most we can hope for nowadays is to meet some one you like, fall in love and just go for it as best as either of you know how to. And for once, it seems that maybe, just maybe, that's all it takes.
Happy watching!
x

OMFG -- Working Girls.

Love, sex and money are all unavoidably intertwined in today's world -- and more than ever if you ask me since it seems like almost everything is, or is at least portrayed, as over-sexed, money-hungry and love-deprived. I'm blogging from Miami, a city I'm visiting for the first time, and in just one night out, I've seen more hookers on rich men than I've seen in the last year in dear little Toronto. Or, at least in Toronto it's somewhat discreet...it appears ginormous tits hanging out of too-small bright pink satin dresses or makeshift scarves-cum-tops is the norm here in the city of shameless tackiness.

The group of friends (well friends of friends as it may be -- I'm here with one good girl friend and she's introduced me to everyone we went out with) I'm with for this trip happen to be a group of wealthy men. They may be able to get away somewhat under-the-radar during the daytime, but as soon as the sun has set and we're in a club environment, the magnum bottles of Grey Goose and endless bottles of Dom that make their way to our tables make it clear that these men are high rollers...and cue the hookers. I was absolutely amazed at the number of surgically-enhanced skanks who slithered and swayed their way to our table and literally onto the laps of these men. One by one they would pout their lips, toss their hair back and, um, well I guess there's no nice way to say this -- shove their tits into the faces -- of these men purely on the basis to get money. And each would leave empty-handed only to move onto the next table of spending gentlemen. It was amusing at first, slightly gross on second thought and pathetic afterwards. Maybe it's the industry I'm in (where looks equals success and inevitably rampant sex as well) or that I go to clubs often, but lately I've just been noticing that more and more girls are well...borderline if not professional hookers!

I've talked to a few friends who seem to almost have this respect for hookers or escorts. They seem to think that if it's survival and one needs to make a way for themselves in this world and business stays business, then good for these girls making their own way in the world! Call me old-fashioned, but a hooker is a hooker in my books and it's just plain gross. Granted I've grown up relatively privileged and educated, but to me, there is always another way to get ahead in life as opposed to stripping down and getting paid. No respect from me for all these girls -- the easy way out shouldn't receive any sympathy at all. Be a waitress. Go to school. Use that thing in your head -- remember that? Brains. They're in our heads for a reason.

Hookers are one thing -- gold diggers is really where the line gets blurred. You can't call some one a hooker if they're in a relationship with a wealthy man...but you sure can see why they're in it. It's almost one in the same in my head, except that in the case of gold-diggers, many convince themselves that it's love. Sure it is...love of possessions, a nice lifestyle, and the latest Herve Leger dress wrapped around their plastic bodies. It's these girls who I have sympathy for, simply because they have clearly never been in love. To equate a sense of material security with love -- no, to think that a sense of material security is love -- is a sad, sad idea indeed. Those of us who have been in love know the difference and there really is no comparison.

It's a hard world to achieve success and happiness in, and it seems those of us who choose to work hard for the life we believe we deserve are becoming a rare breed. I have the utmost respect when I meet people who are successful through hard work and hard work alone. To flirt with someone every now and then in the hopes of nice gestures coming your way is one thing (and even then is kind of shady to be perfectly honest), but to prostitute oneself or fake a whole relationship is another thing entirely. Call me a hopeless romantic, but in my opinion, love and money are separate entities...and should stay that way.
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