He Said, She Said | Valentines Special Part 2

So here’s the part two which is the last instalment of a collaborative article with my fellow fashion writer Samantha from Obsessive Trend Invitation and if you haven’t seen the part one yet just click here. To see my answers to the same questions just go to her site here.

FAVOURITE PLACES FOR DATES

I am a hugeeeeee RomCom fanatic and because of that, my ideas of first dates sometime get inspired by what I see on the telly. I blame Disney for crushing all my unrealistic dreams of having dinner on a boat in the sea with floating lanterns, yes Tangled I blame you.

I love anything that doesn’t just involve two people staring at each other. I want to do activities, whether its drawing, or riding a bike (even though I don’t know how to) or going to the PNE, I feel like the best way to know somebody and to be comfortable is by having fun and not putting pressure on having to talk the entire time.

From a psychology perspective, I recommend going somewhere that gets your heart racing and blood pumping because that just makes you that more attractive! Capilano Suspension Bridge anybody?

WHAT IF IT’S SAD FOR YOU? (SINGLE AWARENESS DAY)

I think the term should be rephrased to Single APPRECIATION Day. So instead of being down in the dumps about not receiving flowers or chocolates, go buy yourself flowers and chocolates and celebrate the person you are. Make it a day to spend with your family and friends, or even a special day to pamper yourself.

YES FOR DATES

Open Mindedness for sure- You don’t have to believe the things I do, but have the willingness to understand it and be open to have a discussion about it

Laughter– I love making a fool of myself and it exudes confidence when someone is able to be silly and appreciate a good joke.

Joy– Waking up every morning, you want to be surrounded by people who make you feel positive about yourself, and the world around you, so definitely someone who can make you smile during the darkest days.

NO FOR DATES

OK I’m going to say constantly being on their cellphones BUT this is a grey area, and many will call me a hypocrite but there is a very fine line between not being in the moment, and APPRECIATING the moment. And as you read this, bear in mind that this is coming from someone who works in media *big laughs*

I am someone who is on her phone ALOT, and my reasoning for being on my cellphone during dates is this- IT’S SO GREAT I NEED TO MAKE MEMORIES. I mean, who else is going to take all the photos for you? And as I type this I already feel the virtual disapproving looks all around.

The thing is, when you date a busy individual, especially one who works in social media, the importance of online presence and being on top of things is important. For me to be present, I need to clear my head of all prior commitments that still go on 24/7; so for some of us ladies, it doesn’t mean we’re bored or aren’t present, it just means that we need mini breaks to clear our heads from all the beeping sounds erupting from our phones. You wouldn’t want me to be guessing who sent me an email while we’re watching the sunset right?

BUT, when and if you are ALWAYS on your phone, and totally unattached to conversations, or when you’re on the phone while having an important conversation, that can be a great turn off.

So the point of my lonnnnnggggg rant IS, — I should probably learn to turn off my phone during a date haha.

Shit its raining

Most of the people here in Vancouver can relate to this expression on a very regular basis. We don’t have the nickname “Raincouver” for it for a reason. Especially in this time of the year, we can experience a very generous amount of rain coming our way. This doesn’t mean that our sense of style and our rain gear should suffer. I notice that most people here in Vancouver stick to the very safe and simple black umbrella to protect themselves from the rain, but I have a solution for you.

“Merde Il Pleut” – Shit it’s raining (in French) umbrella

When life gives you lemons, you make lemon juice. So when it rains, why not make the best of the situation and throw in some sense of humour while you’re at it.

Why just stick to the norms of a black umbrella when you can make someone’s day with a funny yet still stylish and classy one.

The strong wood handle, wood shaft, ferrule, and wooden tips help prevent wind damage. I haven’t tested this guy against strong winds yet but with the feel of its construction I can say it stands a good chance of handling the occasional winds of Vancouver.

Let me just say, it does look good when matched with a pair of tan coloured shoes and brown belt because of the wooden accent on the umbrella. It just gives it a very vintage yet modern feel.

So the next time you buy an umbrella for yourself or even as a gift for someone you might want to consider this umbrella. I got this at Kent Street Apparel which is a Vancouver based online store.

If you guys like these kinds of content please leave a message. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Ramir

The shirt that gives back and inspires.

As we all go through our busy lives, day-by-day we sometimes forget that how we dress up can also affect the people around us. If you dress yourself up with clothing that says profanity on it, you know you could offend some people. You have this strong influence in others to either offend or inspire, so what would you choose? There are clothes that are made from recycled materials and which help provide jobs for poor families in third world countries. These companies spread positivity and help the good cause. With this being said I’m very happy to say that i’ve been given a chance to collaborate with a company that does something similar.

LeMotto

Spreading good messages through inspiring quotes.

When I got my package here’s what I got:

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An actual personalized handwritten letter

It’s awesome that even on this digital age, you actually still get a handwritten letter from the owner of the company. It makes me feel all warm inside and actually getting a thank you for helping spread positivity!

IMG_0748 IMG_0753I choose this slogan because it hits me close to my heart. I like to think that I will always have this little kid in me and that will never go away no matter how old I get. I also like to think that we all are actually cool kids. No discrimination, just love for everyone.

So what brought about the brand?

Here’s an excerpt from the “about” section of their website and I truly think the message is awesomely positive!

Hi, my name is Vaiana. My story and my brand revolve around something seemingly benign but actually powerful: words.

My life started on the island of Tahiti. It was a beautiful place, but I had to endure harsh words in my own home that often led to violence and abuse. As a student, words were central to all my studies, as I eventually earned degrees in language, law and international relations. As a mother I became even more aware of how words on the playground, in the mall, on the bus, on TV and even in schools can bombard our kids with toxic ideas. I also learned how comforting kind words can be for a suffering child.

Vaiana - Le Motto - SheSheBonBonThe trigger for Le Motto happened when I noticed a girl at Disney World with a t-shirt that said, “I want to be like Barbie because this b*tch has everything”. Really?!

Hey, I’m not trying to tell you what words you have to wear, but I am definitely giving you a positive alternative: meaningful words that point us in the right direction.

I create clothing that “speaks” to people whenever and wherever they see it. I believe the words on your favorite “statement tee” should be able to make a stranger flip a negative attitude to a positive one and pay it forward. The best statement tee should make strangers come up to you and say, “I love your shirt! Thanks for wearing it. You just made my day!” It works – just try it! Who doesn’t want to be a billboard for good vibes in a world that can sometimes be ugly?

The Bully Project - Le Motto - SheSheBonBonWhich brings me back to my roots. Words hurt me in my childhood. Today, they galvanize my desire to inspire people. Words do have power, and Le Motto is a way to share good messages with the world.

Words must be followed by actions too. Change the world, one word at a time…and don’t stop there. When people purchase Le Motto apparel, we donate some of the profits to causes that help kids who are suffering from violent circumstances. Our current focus is helping fund programs that confront aggression in the form of bullying helping “The Bully Project” that educate over 1 million parents, teachers, kids and entire communities to deal with bullying.”

It doesn’t just inspire, but it helps a very good cause.

So finally here are some photos of me rocking the shirt!

So always remember, what you wear could make a difference. You can choose to influence people in a positive way just by even wearing a t-shirt!

If you would like to find out where I got this shirt from you can check out the LeMotto Site.

I would also like to thank my friend Cyrus Wu for taking photos of me wearing the shirt.

 

 

Power of Women (Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation with Sebastian Cruz Couture)

I’m very pleased to tell everyone that a company that i’m currently collaborating with is supporting my friend’s event.

Sebastian Cruz Couture Vegas is kind enough to sponsor “Power of Women” a Pink Ladies Event that’s going to be held in Vancouver this November 30, 2014.

Here’s the good news:

When you buy any Sebastian Cruz Couture product from November 1, 2014 until November 30, 2014 half of the profit goes to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. More details are available if you click on the images below.

link to the event (click the image above)
To check out the rest of the line of Sebastian Cruz Couture (click the image above)
Photo of myself, rocking one of their awesome pocket square and flower lapel (click the image above)

I’m very proud to say that i’m also sponsoring this great event and will be taking photos of the festivities. A full review of the Sebastian Cruz Couture pocket square and lapel flower is also almost done and i’m very excited to share it with you guys! Stay tuned and please support the good cause!

The vest in the west

So fall is now here and there’s no escaping it. Cold weather is upon us bit if you are not in the mood to wear a big overcoat just quite yet and want to stick to just wearing your suit jacket, adding a vest usually does the job. It helps with keeping you warm without adding much bulk to your outfit. It doesn’t hurt either that having a 3 piece suit outfit looks classy. When you’re outside you’ll be warm enough and if you’re indoors and find that it’s a bit hot, then you can just take out your jacket and still look styling with your vest. Never forget one of my favourite accessory to any outfit as well, the socks!

Jiwon and Ryan

Jiwon and Ryan

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Now here’s the lovely newlyweds of just over a year. They have their cute dog named Ritchie who’s very hyper and who greeted me right away when I entered the couple’s home.

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It was very clear that they love their dog a lot, they couldn’t stop playing with Ritchie while we were doing our shoot. I didn’t mind it at all as well as it made them feel comfortable while I was taking their photos. Jiwon actually mentioned to me that this photoshoot session reminded her of their wedding photos. They got it done in Korea and got over 2,000 photos taken. She even said “our eyelids we’re twitching at the end of it because we were trying to smile the whole time” and I just responded with a laugh. I told her that the life of a model isn’t actually easy, they make it look easy and comfortable but it does take a lot of skill and she agreed.

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After a while, I got the couple to feel a bit more comfortable and got a few snaps of them smiling and not worrying too much about the camera in front of them. I was getting much more organic photos and you can probably tell from the photos as well.

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And here comes the money shot of the couple. Both laughing and smiling while playing with their tablets. I couldn’t quite remember what we were talking about and why they we’re laughing but you can tell that it was a good one.

These set of photos could possibly be used in a lifestyle magazine or in a catalogue like IKEA. Regular couple who have no experience in modeling yet the results show that it can be done.

Everyone’s A Model