The Versatile Blogger Award

Thanks to Kristin and Carly for both giving me The Versatile Blogger Award! I feel so flattered and happy! And I love the green colour of the award itself, so pretty!

 

When you get the Versatile Blogger Award:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog in your post. Tell seven things about yourself and award seven recently discovered bloggers and contact the bloggers to let them know they received the Versatile Blogger Award.

Let's see, seven things that you do not know about me?

1) I was born in a small prairie town called Claresholm. Internet hugs to anyone who knows where that is, or has been there! 

2) As you might have figured out, I work in a coffee shop. A little known secret is that I do not drink hot coffee, like ever. I mostly drink tea at work.

3) I have a hard time keeping candy in my house. I tend to eat it all in the span of a few days. No self control around candy, ever. It is sad.

4) My hair colour is actually a dirty blond colour. I started to grow grey hair very early, and in a vain attempt to hide it, I have been a redhead for the last....3 years? Why red? When my mom was pregnant, all she wanted was a red-headed, freckled, blue-eyed girl. I figure since I was 2/3 of those already, why not go all the way!

5) I was named after a soap opera star from the 1980's. Yup...Day of Our Lives if I recall correctly.

6) I have been in a long distance relationship for almost 9 years now, this is the year we finally get to move in together. Fingers crossed and knock on wood please.

7) I took up blogging because my fiance was tired of me sending him pictures of what I was wearing all the time. He never comments on  my blog, but I know he sees it! /wave, hi dear!

Seven blogs I would like to share this with are: The Anthropological Shopper , overcaffeinated, Viktoria with a K, Sweet Laundry Loves, Bobs and Doodads, That Damn Green Dress, and my sis' blog sweetmammaoftwo, because she posts yummy recipes from time to time! 

Hope some of these are new to you! Happy blog reading!

What I like: Forever21

So I am liking this idea of having a weekly post featuring a store, and a few items I am liking from them at this moment. Would you all find this to be something good to continue?

Before Forever21 opened at my local mall I was ehh on them. Too much stuff overload with a few gems here and there. The problem would be that things online look so much different then they do in person. But now that there is one very close by and accessible to me, I can look at things in person, and have more fun browsing.

My advice? Go on a day that teenagers should be in school! My favourite time so far is around 10am, just after they open. Clean, relatively organized, and not a lineup for the fitting room.

What has caught my eye at Forever21 right now:

 A-Line Lace Skirt: $29.80 CAD. Ivory lace skirt, that is not short (yay!) How cute would this be with brown boots or booties, and a blazer?

 Button Tab Slv Coat: $35.80 CAD. Saw this in person the day after the new store opened. I held onto it, but put it back at the last second. Of course, it was gone the next time I was there. It is back online now. The colour is this great dusty rose/brown, with crocheted detailing at the sleeves.

Colourblock Wide Belt (Brown): $6.80 CAD: Nice earthy tones with antiqued brass buckle.

Fish Whimsical Necklace: $6.80 CAD. I saw this in the gold colourway, and I really like the "crystal" scales. Fish things make me happy, if you could not tell, and this look like a perfect everyday type of necklace. I am sure the silver version is great too.

Anything from F21 that has piqued your interest?

Ootd: Spring is right around the corner

Ahh fantastic sunny day this afternoon, had to go find some pictures to take.

 This one is my favourite from today. Sums up this time of the year perfectly to me (yes, dead stuff getting out of the way of new stuff, how morbid of me?)

Forever 21 (Love21) blue and taupe shirtdress. Loft taupe side ruffle cardigan. Gap pindot tights, Hayden Harnett Madeleine boots.

 Joya & Vane perfume locket watch necklace. Bit shorter in length then I hoped, silly me for not confirming chain length. I am considering picking up some more chain and adjusting.

Pattern mixing! Baby steps Jess, baby steps.

Seared Tuna Salad

You know those days when you are just craving a big fat salad? Here is my take on one tonight.

Seared tuna salad with avocado, cherry tomatoes, red onion, orange, celery, stringy radish strip things (no idea what they really are,  came with my tuna sashimi but they taste good!)

I really like this.

Happy Friday!

What Jess Likes Surprise Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered and shared something that they like. I had a blast looking at everything and finding new sites to look at!

Without further wait....

Which would be Kristin!

Kristin, please drop me a line with your address, so that I can mail your surprise winnings off to you!

Oh happy day!

The "not suit" Suit

I have yet to hold a job where a suit has been required, so this is my not-quite-a-suit version. I really love these corduroys from AG, the Stevie Slim, but I accidentally bought the wrong size, so sometimes they fit really well, and sometimes they are too big. I recommend them though, very soft and a fine waling to them.

 Esprit asymmetrical blazer.

 Two seagulls across the street were talking to each other, it was distracting...apparently...

Sparkle sparkle sparkle *jazz hands in the air*

I spent the day in the company of a 2 year old, it puts life into perspective, what a fantastic day :)

Ootd: Feeling...blue?

 So I am feeling all out of sorts these days, and I think it because my home is turned upside down at the moment. It is funny, I am a bit of a home-body, but I did not really realize how much until I had no downstairs area and am basically confined to my bedroom when home for about a month now. 

I am trying to be optimistic about it, mostly because having two grumpy people in the house is not as much fun, but it is starting to effect me. I have to get up early everyday that the workers are here, and all I really want to do is sleep in on my days off.

That said, what right do I have to complain? There are so many people in the world that have bigger issues then my "first-world" problem. I should be grateful and I do realize that. I am content with my life though, please don't think I am not. I just needed to vent a little about my stupid pipes.

 Parameter dress in navy, Forever 21 belt, Gap orange patterned ruffled camisole, Target Kaiala boots

 Did you know this dress came with pockets? Love love this dress, makes me want to prance, should have worn it sooner!

Pattern of the camisole closeup shot.

This is from yesterday by the way, today I brought home sushi (I think I need an intervention), and put on cords and a shirt. Awesome and exciting wardrobe choice for sure!

Oh Reverse Reverse...

My ode to Reverse-Reverse.com:

I love your pricing. 

I love that you do flat rate (and cheap) shipping to Canada. 

I love that you use USPS and Canada Post so I don't have to pay an arm and leg in duty (if I have to at all).

I don't love that things take a month to come.

But your customer service was very friendly!

Hello coat, you would have been perfect in February, not so much on St. Patrick's Day. But it does have some green in it, so that sort of works? And I have on a green (teal) sweater on underneath. No pinching allowed please.

 BB Dakota Bostwick coat in Camel Beige colourway. Still on the site in Medium and Large. For reference I chose a medium. I first saw this coat on Rosa at Love at First Shop, and it was just that, love. It might have been because I have the same skirt that she paired with it...

Is it wrong to hope for chilly weather so I can wear this some more until the fall?

*So my house is being re-piped (so much...fun...yay!) and things are all scattered, namely my brain, so I am extending my giveaway until Thursday the 24th so that I don't forget something. Hope you all understand!*

For Japan with Love

In support of the horrible disaster in Japan...

I am joining the Bloggers Day of Silence on March 18th. The sheer amount of devastation that has occurred in Japan in the last week has been heart-wrenching, and I wish that there was more that I could do for the people there. 

I am fortunate that the company I work for has the ability to match worker's contributions to the Red Cross, so I have taken part in that. I hope that by supporting, it might help in some small way.

If you wish to donate money, I would suggest either the Red Cross, or Shelterbox. You could also check with your local banks and shops to see if they have fund raising systems set up. I know that Starbuck's is taking contributions at their till systems as well.

What's this? Zara in Richmond Centre?

So a little birdie has informed me that Zara will be opening in Richmond Centre come August, 2011. How exciting! Since there is a large retail space currently being renovated in the mall, Zara would be the right size to fit in there. The clothing there to me is a cross between the fast fashion of H&M and the style of Club Monaco (but at a lower price point). 

My favourite items from the site right now are:

Silk-cotton dress $199 CAD - Gorgeous, floaty, lacey, what is not to like?

Velveteen coat $149 CAD - While the red is not my first choice, I think the cut is stunning.

Tulle skirt $49.90 CAD- A more toned down version of the above dress perhaps? Love lace and tulle. I think I actually just adore that skirt with those flats.

The two other locations in the Greater Vancouver area are in Metrotown, and on Robson St.

I must admit, I was slightly hoping for an Anthropologie to go into that space, but it really won't make much difference come August!

Giveaway: sneak peek! Earth's Cavern bracelet

So I wanted everyone to enter, the more the merrier, but it dawned on me earlier, that why would people enter if they didn't know what the present is? Here is a sneak peek of part of it!

Anthropologie Earth's Cavern bracelet in multi-coloured. I have the topaz/bronze version of this and love it. It is huge, and sparkly, and a lot of fun.  

I might extend this a little bit longer, bit of a chaotic mess around the house with some plumbing and dry-walling going on.  But please, enter! Nothing to lose but about 2 minutes of time!

Contest link here!

What I like right now: Forever 21 colour block dress

So I saw this dress last week at my local Forever 21 store, but true to their website, things are usually on it either after they have sold out in store, or just much later.

I tried it on in person, and I really liked it. The length is decent enough for me to wear in the spring and summer with flat sandals. The fit is not so loose on the top on me, and I went with a Medium. It is more fitted in the middle, and flares out nicely at the skirt. Bottom is lined, but the top is not. This works though, since the blue strip sits perfectly for me to conceal undergarments.

For $29.80 CAD, the quality is great, and the blue is a nice take on nautical without being too over the top.

Ootd: polka dot bandwagon

Here I am jumping on the polka-dotted bandwagon. 

I do not really have that many polka-dots, and I like the subtle dots on this dress. It is from Tracy Reese's Plenty line, and is called the Pocket Frock dress. It was a gift from Tim for Christmas, and I finally got around to wearing it and taking a picture the same time.

 Cardigan & necklace - JCrew, purple tights - Gap, Hayden Harnett Madeleine boots

Polka dot umbrella - from my mom!

 We went out for brunch this morning, but not before discovering the hot water tank was still having issues. Turns out the reset button had been tripped. Good thing it was an easy fix (aka push a button), there are enough issues going around the house with drywall and piping.

The weird white lines going on the pictures are raindrops, not grey hairs or threads, I promise.

*Please don't forget to enter my giveaway before Tuesday night. Only 11 people so far, chances are good, and it is easy! Thanks for all the internet links to look at too so far, I have enjoyed seeing what people like.*

What Jess Likes Surprise

Hi lovely people! So I was chatting with a co-worker the other day (she reads my blog! Hi Cass!), and I realized that something I wanted to do on my blog is have a giveaway. So as my blog implies, I want to gift to someone things that I like, and that make me happy. Nothing is sponsored by anyone, nor do I get anything from any company. 

This will be pretty simple, 2 little things you have to do, and I will pick a randomly generated number.

1) Be a follower!

2) Link me something you are liking these days. Food, clothes, shiny things, anything. I love seeing new things out there, and the internet is a really big place.

What is in it for the winner? A bit of a surprise! But all things I really like :)

Something shiny.

Something tasty.

Something sweet.

Something smelly/cleansing.

Open to all readers. As long as I can mail a medium sized parcel to you. Giveaway will close Thursday the 24th at 11:59pm.

Ootd: Purple Puffs

Nom nom nom. Tonight is like my Friday night, with the weekend being one day? Off to eat sushi with Rachael and her mother, and hangout with friends tonight I think. I recently discovered how delicious Negitoro rolls are (tuna belly with green onion) thanks to one of my co-workers, so I plan on ordering that, hopefully spinach gomae, and some other yummy things. I think I eat sushi quite often, but it is really common here. Can't go more then 2 blocks without finding a restaurant pretty much.

 Urban Outfitter's collaberation dress "Vasia by Ulla Johnson". I love all the puff-like print and pale purple colour. After taking the pictures, I changed to my brown belt, needed a bit more structure in the middle.

 Ponte/leather leggings by Danier, purple cardigan from Jacob, Hayden Harnett Madeleine boots in brandy.

I rarely wear non-stud earrings, so thought I would share. I was under the impression these were my grandmother's, but apparently they were my mother's. Thanks for the correction mom :)

Ootd: Inspired (or copycat?) outfit

I was totally inspired (or played copycat-ish) of this outfit by Jinah over at bonjour it's jinah! I absolutely love all of her outfits, and we have a similar body shape, so I find it easy to get inspiration from her. When she posted the rust H&M dress, I loved the colour of it, but figured it would be long gone by the time I ever made it to an H&M. When I popped down to Seattle last month, there was one hanging in the SouthCenter store on sale for $15. Yay!

While Jinah has some awesome green fox tights (oh yes, tights with little orange foxes on them!), I went for my green sweater, call me a creature of habit.

H&M rust dress, Random belt, Jcrew Scattered Locket necklace, Gap heather olive cardigan, Old Navy tights, Seychelle's At Last boots.

 Imaginary Internet hugs to the person who can tell me what colour my camera is!

Joya & Vane perfume locket.

When I was down in LA visiting my mother earlier this year, we were poking around an Anthropologie, and my mom spotted this necklace. Antiqued finish, long chain, filigree pocket watch style. Yes, totally a Jess piece. I really liked the scent of this one. I normally reach for citrus scents, so this more musky-jasmine scent is a bit different.

Joya & Vane solid perfume watch locket.

She said it was something that looked like my style, and I should get it. Then we discovered that it was a perfume locket, and while I would not mind, she is very sensitive to scents. So it was a pass for me. When we looked at in January, it was on sale for $39.99 USD down from $68 USD. Then I found it through the online catalog the other day, wanted to see if it had dropped in price again, and low and behold, $7.95CAD? 

Click....Think....Caved...