what's your tale, nightingale?

amusing product designs

These have nothing to do with fashion, but I always like product designs that are clever or amusing.

(all images belong to Daizi Zheng)

comfort in Nest

There has been some great transitions going on in my life - new job, monkey boy is going to kindergarten, and the husband is going back to school.  Juggling these things into my schedule leave a lot less time for this blog.  On top of that, I have been going through some medical emergencies, leaving me running back and forth to the doctor's office & the hospital.

That is why I have been so absent.  Thank you for those who have been helping us out as much as possible.  It has been most appreciated. I do intend to start blogging again slowly, so thank you for bearing with me.

As I had mentioned previously, I was asked by my lovely friend Cristie to help her in her Nest photoshoot earlier this summer.  (She is the one modeling the Dexter bags!  She is so pretty!)  I always rave about these bags, but they have done it again!  Every season Cristie & the Nest team come up with more and more designs that leave me wanting them all.  Now I am in NO way a professional model (as you can tell from my photos!)  It was a lot of fun for me & my monkeys -- even for monkey girl, who was a bit of a grumpy pants that day...

Stylists:  Cristie & Tynelle from Nest
Makeup Artist:  Erin Skipley
Photographer:  Melissa O'Hearn

You might ask why I even need a diaper bag because I no longer have babies that need diapers.  I adore the many compartments in the bags.  I am a "worst case scenario" type mom.  (raised by one, now i AM one... Hi Mom!).  These are the things I put in my bag - advil, allergy meds, band-aids, wipes, tide pen, iphone, iphone charger, USB drive, crayons, water bottle, stamps, and MANY other knick-knacks.  Nest bags keep them all organized for me.

Not to mention that these bags are lovely and beautiful.  I have been a mom of 5+ years.  There are some really unfortunate looking diaper bags out there that are expensive and not of good quality.  Nest does not compromise style, quality, and functionality - which is EXACTLY what stylish moms look for.

Thanks to Cristie, I am getting the Hudson (in Chocolate) and the the Dexter (in Navy) -- both my favourites this season.  I have been using the Elliott (in Grey) for a while now and I love it so much.  There is something SO comforting for me when I use a Nest bag.  I know it looks absolutely lovely and I never have to worry that I am missing anything because I know I've packed it all in there.

I love my Nest bags.  Did you get that?  Was that clear?  I'm not sure...
For more information of all the bags that they have, go to their store & blog.

happy 7th anniversary, husband!

Today is my 7th year anniversary with the husband.  Since we've had the monkeys, new "couple-like" pictures of us barely exist in our library anymore...

I did manage to find some old engagement photos from 8 years ago... (Yes, i was wearing cargo pants wth birkenstocks... how very Seattle of me...)




...and some new filtered iPhone photos of the husband walking around in the zoo with his camera.

Thank you for always buying me coffee (my liquid kindness) so I can be a decent human being in the morning.  Thank you for being patient with me.

Happy 7th anniversary, husband.

a sneak peak into Nest's bags

A little while ago, my friend Cristie asked me to help her out with her photoshoot for the Nest Diaper Bags.  I use these amazing bags all the time, even though my children are past the diaper stage.  These handbags are both gorgeous and functional.

They held the photoshoot in the Historic Flight Foundation in Edmonds.  The scenery was great with the vintage planes.  And while I am no professional model in any way, I had fun and almost died attempting in walk in those black Christian Louboutin pumps in my "Black Quilted Bag" outfit...

These are the behind the scene shots (more here). 

(all behind-the-scene photos belong to Cristie & Tenelle from Nest)

The monkeys got a chance to be in the photoshoot too.  They had fun and was entertained by Curious George while we were doing hair and makeup.

Photoshoot pictures to follow...

so behind

There are no words to express how much I miss writing and putting up inspiring pictures.  You know it by now, you've heard it all before from me...

Balancing my career and my family is tough but I still want to write whenever I can here.   I am going through another shift in my career, so there has been some adjusting in my life - hence the prolonged hiatus.

I have packages that I have been meaning to ship, little swaps that I have been meaning to start, giveaways and such...but I will get to them...  Please bear with me.


(all images from Style.com)

When I came across Sonia Rykiel's Resort 2011 line, a smile lit up my face.  She "took inspiration from the Côte d'Azur this season, specifically an Art Deco hotel in the town of Juan-les-Pins, where she vacations".

How lovely.  I wish I could walk around town (and wishing it was Paris) with these girly but not overdone outfits. The color palette is superb -- I am really fond of the in-between hues browns and reds (not too soft, not too harsh).  I also want to own all the shoes that are styled with these outfits.

I could hardly believe summer is almost ending, it felt like it just started in Seattle.  But the upcoming season is my favourite.  Layers, sweaters, fun tights, socks and boots!  I could hardly wait!

milk from a thistle

Dear friends,

Maybe you are still here, maybe you're not.  I would not fault you if you had wandered away.  My life has been incredibly busy lately.  As you all know, I am a mother of two juggling with my career.  I am still keeping up slowly but surely on your writings, your inspirations and your emails. 

My little monkeys are growing up so quickly, and I'm beginning to see more and more why I need to spend more time with them.  And if you can believe it, I'm turning the big 3-0 in a couple of weeks, which has me shaking in my knees.  I have this feeling that I cannot have any more excuses to not being mature (oh my!), and an increasing urge to my responsibilities of being a good mother & wife.

However, a BIG thank you those who are still reading.  I promise to slowly catch up to emails and inquiries!  

In the meantime, I am still here!

Much love,
Eunice

 


 
 
I have great admiration for designers who believe in creating by hand and using their own designs.  I recently came upon "Milk From A Thistle" designs.  Australian designer Danielle Atkinson hand draws her fabric designs and screen print them onto her garments. 

"Cloud trapeze dress" wins me over with its whimsy.  The intricate details on Landscape" amazes me. 

I cannot wait for the next dreamy season.

bravo's the fashion show - seattle casting

On Saturday April 24th, Bravo's The Fashion Show is hosting an open call here in Seattle from 10am to 5pm at the Art Institute of Seattle!  Bravo and the production company Left/Right, Inc. are conducting a nationwide search for a select group of fashion designers who will compete head to head in the ultimate fashion competition series.  Hosted by Isaac Mizrahi, The Fashion Show will give designers a once in a lifetime opportunity to have their work seen by icons of the fashion industry and viewers around the world!

Attending the open call are fashion experts such as Joan Kelly, Producer of Seattle's Fashion First and Jennifer Egan, Nat'l VP of Business and Mktg | Gen Art as well as a surprise celebrity judge!

Applicants can meet at the Art Institute of Seattle - North Campus, 5th Floor 2600 Alaskan Way (Corner of Alaskan Way & Vine St.)

 

In order to apply for the show, you must be 21 years of age or older.  You can be a fashion school grad or you can be self-taught; you can specialize in haute couture or street wear.  What matters most is that you have a creative vision for your designs and the technical skills (sewing, sketching, etc.) to back up that vision.  The winner of the competition will receive a cash prize!!

Attending a casting call is the best way to be considered for the show!  Applicants who attend these casting calls will be required to bring a portfolio of their work, three articles of clothing that they have created and which best showcase their designs, a current resume, one piece of government-issued photo ID, a non-returnable photo of themselves, and a completed application form.  FOR MORE INFORMATION and TO DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION, go to www.BravoTV.com/casting.  You must bring your
completed application and all other supporting materials to the casting call.  

This is Open to the public!

Twitter:  dLtcasting
Email:  The FashionShow2@gmail.com

I am excited to see the talent that will come out from Seattle!

april fudge mag - red, lace & nautical

The husband has been kind enough to put up with my asian cravings as I try to feed my homesickness.  We've had hot pot three times in two weeks.  (Hot pot is a fondue-like family meal that Chinese people eat.   You cook meat and veggies in the pot of broth in the middle of the table.)  It is a long meal, and you continuously eat and talk the whole time.  It has to be one of my most beloved comfort meals. 

We stopped by Uwajimaya to shop for ingredients and I had to stop by the bookstore and couldn't resist picking up the April issue of Fudge magazine.  I saw so many pictures that I wanted to scan (trust me, I already edited!). 

The pop of red was especially refreshing compared to all the soft and pastels that you expect for springtime.  The girl in the red pleated dress on the bottom left has the perfect outfit!

Beautiful florals might not be showcased as the main theme, but I found them everywhere and the prints made me happy.  There's something about these florals that are new and unique. 

Overalls/suspenders, glasses/menswear inspired themes were everywhere.  I remembered back in my college dorm days when my friend Michelle and I saw Joey (Katie Holmes) on Dawson Creek wearing a pair of Gap loosely fitting overalls, and immediately going to buy the same pair the day after.  (Perhaps I shouldn't have admitted that I watched Dawson's Creek, or that I watched it in college - thus dating me!).  No snarky comments, husband!

This is so easy and simple, but such a clever idea of putting together feminine and masculine.  I cannot wait to pair my nautical things with eyelets and lace. 

I couldn't help but post couple more goodies!  Don't you just love the blue wall with writing on it?  Fudge does a superb job telling pretty stories about ordinary situations.

Oh how I wish the plain ride to to Asia didn't take so long...
 

hong kong memories in the sunset

So sorry for the absence! There have been more gaps of no posts lately because I recently started my new job and have been swamped with adjusting my family to my new schedule, location, etc.  I get home and I am absolutely exhausted and usually running around trying to finish my chores and spend some time with my monkeys. But I'm back and ready to share beautiful pieces with you!

I managed to take this set of pictures a while back. Even with the bad lighting (no more sun when i get home!), I had to take a shot of the dress I got in Hong Kong last winter.  With the weather turning around, I hope to take more pictures even in my exhausted state.

Like most shopping places, there are hits and misses.  I have many favourite spots to stop by while in my stay in Hong Kong - everything from independent boutiques to places on the street. Most Hong Kong residents do not like going to chain stores or ordinary mall stores.  But for me, I get to bring these clothes back to the States and wear them as unique items. One of my fondest memories was browsing through Mastina with my mom, which is where I picked up the beautiful dress below!

Because I normally go to Hong Kong in the winter, I get very homesick around this time of year...  

dress:  asymmetrical pleated dress (mastina, hk)
tights:  black opaque criss-cross stripe tights
shoes:  high gloss pewter booties (staccato, hk)

nepali scarf - giveaway winner

Thank you everyone for participating in my first ever giveaway.  Thank you Nepali TDM for the lovely green  "Scrunchy Scarf".

Due to my bad allergies and tiredness, I did not feel like speaking and also why I looked like a giant mess.   So my lovely husband helped me film the video nonetheless for fun.  He is such a great sport, especially since I felt especially silly and self-conscious.

Congratulations to Beatrice of "Dear Beatrice"!  She won the green Nepali Scrunchy Cashmere Scarf.

More posts are coming as I am finishing up my projects for my final week of work.  It is a bittersweet time for me.  Instead of getting all weepy and emotional about this, I have been blessed with a new job and I will embrace the change and see where it leads me!

Thank you again for participating, and I just received my second giveaway!  More details to come.

Nepali by TDM Design - Scarf giveaway

This fun post is long overdue.  There have been quite some exciting news in my life.  I had accepted a design assistant position with another company!  So for the last couple of months, my life was filled with juggling my monkeys, my portfolio updates, and interviewing.  Thank you for your patience with my lack of posting, and getting back to your comments.  And thank you for reading!

This is my first giveaway!  Nepali TDM designs approached me and asked me to review their scarf for my readers!  

This deep, rich, green "Scrunchy Scarf" is beautiful and soft.  You could wear it multiple ways as well.  I chose to wrap it around my shoulders as a wrap.  I loved the richness of this particular scarf, because it reminds me of Thumbelina!  It is not too warm that it will still be great for those drafty spring mornings.

All scarves are hand-made in Nepal. Not to mention that a portion of the Nepali TDM profits go to help support the women and children of Nepal with health care and education.

Nepali by TM Design is donating 25% from their online sales of the Hot Coral Bambi Bobi, Bridgette, and Bree scarf styles to the Red Cross (for Haiti).  

 


(Note:  the giveaway is for the GREEN one!)

To Enter: Leave a comment below and indicate which scarf you like most from Nepali TDM; if you're anonymous please leave some sort of identification in case you win. The winner will be drawn on 03/15/10.

The submissions for this giveaway has closed.  Thank you everyone who has entered!   The winner will be announced in the next post.