Rubber Ducky, You're The One

Okay, maybe not so much. And that would be horrific, in an old maid kind of way, if a rubber ducky turned out to be my "the one".

Thanks a lot Ernie from Sesame Street.

Rapidly moving along, espadrille season is here. Normally you say espadrille and think of the tie-up-the-ankle wedge kind that usually dominates the scene via Christian Louboutin, Hilfiger, Nine West and, last season, Steve Madden's Gola version.

Since I'll be city-living from now on, I figured it would be a nice change to putter around the downtown core in flat, comfy and airy Los Drillos espadrilles from Rubber Duck, founded by a great Dane named Eik Braun Ottosen.

Not only has Ottosen found a way to give our footsies a break from cinching shoewear, he also found a way to give back to his workers in Southeast Asia through the "Wear & Care Concept" program -- a tenth of the production costs get re-routed back to these workers as annual bonus.

If you're an Angeleno, you can find the head office on La Brea (on old stomping/working ground of mine) and at fashion haunts like American Rag, Intuition and Kitson. If you're a New Yorker, you can find Rubber Duck in the Hamptons and Brooklyn, but not Madison Avenue.

If you're a Canadian, you'll just have to order online.

Sorry about that, eh?












I'm Lovin' it: Oh. My. God. This look from Chanel's Resort 2008 collection is A-MAY-ZING. I don't mind stepping on a yacht or traipsing through St. Bart's or the French Riveria with this on. I mean, if you love fashion as much as I do, who would? And on that note, does Zara have a knock-off??






I'm Over it: Trying to find transport for my bed this Friday. This task requires a truck and two males. Any takers?

Track of the Day: Summa-summa-summa time means chill beats, like smooth Nate Dogg, Warren G and, of course, the track Summertime in the LBC from Doveshack. It also means "Doobie Ashtray" from Devin the Dude, a super-slick, down south song that conjures up images of guys and gals hanging out on a porch in white wifebeaters, glistening in sweat while enjoying cherry Kool-Aid -- and a blunt or two. So diiiiiiirty south.







* Photos property of rubberduckbrand.com, style.com, Google Images

Grey Goose

My muse for today is my boss' girlfriend Farz J., who strolled into the office today wearing the prettiest suede silver-grey pumps with thin, light-hued wooden heels from -- go figure -- Steve Madden.

She also happens to be a model AND a naturopathic doctor in the making, also muse-worthy.

Anyway, in the past style season I've been becoming slowly more and more obsessed with the color grey, a shade I never really considered to be a contender in my closet before. Grey reminded me of wrinkly elephants, cloudy weather, this terrible stuffed jackal that my family used to have as home decor (don't ask) and grandmotherly garb -- none of which were among my favorite things, though I do love my granny.

My most recent foray into grey happened to come in the form of a navy and greyish-silver dress bestowed upon me as a little thank you-for-the-944-Magazine-article from Joy Han of the kitschy-cute clothing label VOOM. After digging up my silver jewelry -- which was packed up to make room for daily gold accoutrements -- I decided that yes, I did sort of like grey.

And as some arranged marriages go, like -- or major dislike -- turned into love.


















I'm Lovin' it: This unconfirmed graff art piece that showed up on a wall in London, looking suspiciously like a Banksy...








I'm Over it: Friends who move to far places. That's been happening a lot lately.

Artist of the Day: Oh wow, I love Norweigan bands. Ch-ch-check out Datarock. With a band member with the name Ket-ill, how can the music go wrong? And holy mother of god, I just checked their tour dates for North America and they're apparently going to be here on June 9th at Richards on Richards, which is the very date and place I'll be with a whack of my pals taking in a show by Girl Talk. My deduction says Datarock is the opening act, and my mouth is screaming "Yay!"

I love a good Tuesday, like today.

And a good music show.





www.myspace.com/datarock




* Photos property of woostercollective.com, myspace.com/datarock, style.com

Home Sweet Home

In four days, I'll be a downtown girl.

My shiny, happy new apartment is waiting with open arms, bare walls and much space to decorate.

I've said it once -- or twice -- but I'll say it again: if I had to pick one interior designer to revamp my home, to be currently or to be reincarnated as in the future, it would hands down be Kelly Wearstler. Her interiors are quirky, modern art-deco, colorful pop-arty and eccentric.

Check out her work at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica (as well as other locales), which is -- absolutely not coincidentally -- owned by her husband Brad Korzen of The Kor Group.

Look at her mouth-watering interiors -- with a few Jonathan Adler vignettes for taste -- and weep at their beauty.

Because I sure am right now.














I'm Lovin' it: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Game #1 tonight! Anaheim Ducks vs. Ottawa Senators at 8pm EST. My parents live in the OC (Orange County, California), which makes one think I might cheer for the Ducks but being a Canadian, I just might have to wave my white towel for the Sens. I've got about ten minutes to decide.

I'm Over it: Doing some research for work today, I came across a local educational institution called the Immaculate Conception School. Yeah, my kids are never going there.

Art Article of the Day: This New York Magazine article on an unnamed, yet-to-be-caught street art defacer in the Big Apple called The Splasher. The anonymous vandalizer of vandalistic art is still wanted by the graff community -- and of course, by the fuzz. Didja know there's a graffiti police force in NYC called the Vandal?? If not, now you do.


* Photos property of Google Images

All Things Ford

My good friend Oli dG. is taking off for the big, bad American east coast in less than a week after landing himself a great gig at an international law firm in Midtown, on the island that is Manhattan.

This means two things:

1. He will be forced -- by me -- to become my supplier/shipper of the Bond No. 9 Eau du Parfum collection that is SO hard to find here in Vancouver -- and not to mention a tad bit more expensive. After all, he'll be closer to their Bond Street (go figure!) headquarters and to Bergdorfs than I'll be. I WILL own every fragrance in the collection, just you see. My first one? The Bryant Park Fashion Week scent, naturally.







2. He will have to get his natty, sharp new suits, ties, shoes, cufflinks, cologne and other such related mens' fare from the new Tom Ford store on venerated -- but never duplicated -- Madison Avenue. There's no better way to walk into a deposition, court room or judge's quarters than in a Tom Ford three-piece. No objection here.

Speaking of Mister Tom, if you're just as big of a Ford fag-hag as I am, read and drool over the new New York Magazine article on fashion's First Man.

Haute Hippie Ford.

Has a nice ring to it, n'est pas?







I'm Lovin' it: Doing design-related research at work today, I came across this revamped confessional created by HULGER. Looks like something I'd probably need to start visiting on Sunday nights, when the debauchery of my weekends are finally over.







I'm Over it: Isn't it 5 pm already?! It's RBVF...I mean, TGIF....


Jewelry of the Week: This "Heartbreak" necklace by Chia Ha Paura. I love how it comes with a mini hachet to obliterate the white heart, if you feel so inclined after some completely unworthy fella has really left you crushed. A stress reliever that's a thousand times better than those cheap, sponge-y balls they sell at the drugstore.

Ring-A-Ling

I love rings.

On my finger, from my cellphone, around the rosey (a pocket full of posies!) or billowing out of a mouth post-mango tobacco-from-a-hookah inhalation -- although certainly not circling my bathtub.

So this long weekend, I indulged in a chunky one from Aldo, a marvelous jewelry confection consisting of a long, diamond pattern-etched gold ring embalmed in a huge, clear square-cut ring. The result is kind of 70s disco queen-meets-vintage lucite. All for a very reasonable $12, too.

I also fell for another ring, this time an ivory domed honey from Kenneth Jay Lane. Oh, and a wood serpent number from Roberto Cavalli.

Now if only that platinum square-cut would make it's way onto my left ring finger.

In about five years, that is.








I'm Lovin' it: The second Louis Vuitton campaign featuring Scarlett Johansson. She's gorgeous, and so is the spread -- the color, the hair, the poses. Good one, Marc Jacobs. You've done it again, good sir.






I'm Over it: Writing real estate content for a client today. I'd much rather wordsmith about shoes, the Chanel Resort 2008 collection that just went down in Santa Monica hangar (literally a ten minute drive from my old apartment!!), frock hit and misses at the Cannes Film Festival, new fashion photography from Mert & Marcus and Williamsburg, NYC design-forward home decor store Future Perfect.






Way Back Track of the Day: Okay, okay. Season one of The OC wasn't that long ago. While Seth Cohen (played by Adam Brody) had a boy-crush on quirky, cool Anna Stern (played by Samaire Armstrong), I had a girl-crush on her -- mainly for her style and awesome haircut. And now, I just can't forget the Nada Surf cover of OMD's If You Leave that played as Seth raced through the airport, trying to catch Anna before she boarded the plane back her hometown Philly.

Sigh. Young love.









* Photos property of net-a-porter.com, perezhilton.com, Google Images

Sneak-in' Around

Have you seen Marc Jacobs lately??

His rehabbed, short-haired self has gotten amazingly buff and -- gasp! -- kind of hot. Too bad he only likes to be good friends with ladies, if you know what I'm sayin'.

You know what else is hot?

This Vans by Marc Jacobs limited edition collection.

And seeing as how my ankle is still defunct after nearly three weeks of sprained-ness, I may just have to invest in the Vans empire for awhile.

It might not be so bad being a sneaker pimp.







I'm Lovin' it: The black-and-white short film Wendybird from SoCal-born, Paris-based designer Erin Fetherson, which is directed by Ellen von Unwerth and showcases Fetherston's Autumn/Winter 2006 collection. I know, I know, the collection is seasons old but the film -- starring a surprisingly adorable Kirsten Dunst -- is destined to be a fashion classic.







I'm Over it: Long weekend recoveries, this one having been preceded by the Joel Plaskett show at The Commodore on Friday, hopping to a trio of nightspots on Saturday (limo ride courtesy of O. dG and ensuing 20,000 pics taken by Sher-Bear), the Nordic Trax DJ line-up show at The Commodore on Sunday and followed by a 1:30 pm sleep-in/Seinfeld TV marathon all-day session on Monday with the 1059 crew. Actually, this sounds like an "I'm Lovin' it" post more and more...

Track of the Day: "Singin' In The Rain" remix by Mint Royale, an absolutely fantaculous electronica group out of Manchester, England. I have love, love, loved that Gene Kelly song-and-dance since I was a chubby kid wishing I was in ballet slippers instead of on piano bench, so I take this remix to heart. Big ups to Mint Royale's Neil Claxton and Chris Baker.





www.myspace.com/mintroyale



* Photos property of Google Images, fashionweekdaily.com

How Do I...

Get an invitation to this!?

The Vancouver Art Gallery's Monet to Dali Ball on June 8th, sponsored by Chanel and showcasing art from Dali to Degas to Matisse to Picasso to Renoir to Van Gogh.

First of all, Dali is my favorite artist of all time -- one need only count the number of Dali prints I've collected since my first year of university.

Second of all, I love dressing up for black tie events -- and seeing everyone else dressed up, too.

Finally, I love Chanel.

I need say no more.







* Photos property of Salvador Dali, Google Images

Laugh of the Day

My co-worker buddies Nicky P., The Ry Kearns and I could NOT stop laughing all day at this song by hip-hop/rap/something-or-other group Yo Majesty.

It's called Krytonite P***y" -- and it's rad.

Classic.

P.S. Thank you, Pitchfork for the laughs!





* Photo property of myspace.com/yomajesty4life

Russe-ter Collective

Some of you may know of the mega-street art site Wooster Collective -- it's one of my favorite things.

My art-smart friend Russe (pronounced "Roos") is just as mega-talented -- check out his digitally warped picture of an intersection on Homer Street, here in Vancouver, with a couple image additions.

Funky cool.

And completely Wooster worthy.






* Photo property of Russe Schwartz

Levine It Up To You

Hello sunshine.

There are a ton of ways to beat the heat when it's summer in the city: ice cream and gelato-eating, Sprite slurpee-sipping, pool-lounging, ocean and lake-dipping, Oriental fan-face fanning and Alisha Levine-wearing.

Alisha Levine doesn't have very much bio out, but her tops have been upping the credit card bills -- ever so slightly -- on celebrities' Black Centurions of late, and it's not really a task to figure out why. Levine's wares are easy to wear, super comfortable and absolutely affordable.

Check it here -- Alisha Levine comes in delicious candy colors, too.









I'm Lovin' it: Dance parties on Sunday nights at the Commodore! Nordic Trax is throwing another one of their shindigs this Sunday, May 20th to celebrate the May Long Weekend in Vancity. Tickets for $20 are at the usual haunts: TicketMaster, Beatstreet, Boomtown and Zulu Records. Thanks to O. dG. for the heads-up yesterday and see y'all there.







I'm Over it: Thinking that today was the day to be ambitious and wear my stiletto suede ankle boots while nursing a sprained ankle. Bad idea, especially with a dance party looming on my event horizon in a few days.







Track of the Day: "Whatever You Want" by Club 8. The group, one of Swedish music man Johan Angergard's few, gives out some nice Swedish indie-pop with pretty vocals from fellow band-er Karolina Komstedt to take you through the day.






www.myspace.com/club8



* Photos property of shopbop.com, clubzone.com, myspace.com/club8, Google Images