To the LOVE of My Life

Happy Birthday baby! <3

Labels or Look?: Perforated Laced Shoe

Wow! I think I've scored big again this time around. While scouring the web looking for shoes to become my new 'victim', I just can't help getting my jaw dropped looking at this embossed print lace-ups by Emporio Armani for the Fall/Winter '09. Yeah, it does look cool especially with its hi-sheen glow. Very much so, the price is also quite on the upper edge and not so economistic.

But that's not the reason why my jaw really dropped. It's actually looks similar to the one that I bought from Zara a couple of weeks ago. Just take a look at the pix! Boy, am I so happy?! Does it mean I am ahead of Armani? (Not me, it's Zara LOL!!)

Me vs Designer: 1 - 0!! :D

Labels or Look?: Grey Check Scarves

The single most important part of clothing for autumn (or any chill weather) is definitely the scarf. Whether to dress up or dress down, scarves can do the job well without you trying very hard. And for next autumn, grey has made a comeback to the color palette. As well as check designs. Combine those two... voila! You get a uber cool chic look.

So what's out there? On the designer end, there's this cashmere scarf by Bottega Veneta. Very uber hot with the fringe end. Price? £320 @ Matches fashion. Super yikes!!

But for those under budget (like moi), is the one at H&M. It may not be posh material (it's cotton) but you can still rock the look. As a truly economista, I'll definitely check it out soon coz the price is less than a tenner.

H&M (L), Bottega Veneta (R)

Heart In Tribal Tattoo Design HQ4

Heart in tribal tattoo design

Bordering Out From Oxford St...

It hit me like a bullet train when I received the email from Borders a couple of week ago that the're having a closing down sale at Oxford Street store. What?? Closing down? Another victim of credit crunch?

Oh man, I really love Borders @ Oxford St. It's the store where I first go and listen to Mariah's Against All Odd almost a decade ago (boy, how time flies!). It's also where I always go and browse the new trends in the magazine sections, be it GQ, Nylon, VMag or whatever. It's where I get great cookbooks on the bargain section (as if i cook, LOL!) and having my caramel macchiato Starbucks with my cousin while talking about fashion!

But when they're having closing down sale, I have to join in. Tell you it's a ginormous SALE. Almost everything in store is slashed to their half price. And for things that's already being discounted, you get further half price too.

So my pick? Are these lots, among a few:

• Skinny Bastard. A must-read for any bloke in summer. It said on the cover "A Kick-in-the-Ass for Real Men Who Want to Stop Being Fat And Start Getting Buff". Well, I'm already skinny btw.

• The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic. Hmm.. does the title ring a bell? LOL. I got the previous Confession of A Shopaholic book by Kinsella, so this one is another addition.

• Shopaholic Abroad. Another follow-up series by Kinsella. And because I'm going abroad too. (Shopaholic. Going abroad. Get it?)

• Guide for The Modern Gentlemen. A book with loads of rubbish but useful tips and knowledge for blokes. Like style guide, how to change a tyre, how to chop an onion like a pro, etc, etc :)

And some cookbooks at £1 plus some technical books. About 15 books altogether - all massive clearance discounts and doesn't even break the bank! (And I am surprise too)

BORDERS - I shall miss you.

(Btw, there'll be a New Look store replacing it. More clothes. Woohoo!!)

The Unfashionable World of Shoeholic

The ultimate aftermath and nightmare of any shopalotta. Where can I store them?? Especially when you live in a tiny bedsit of a not-so-new Victorian house in Zone 3. LOL! My mates used to say why don't I moved to the centre? Are you kidding me?? Yeah, I may upgrade the status to 'studio' and get a better room, but... hell no. I'm not gonna pay triple for what I'm paying now. Yet alone to sacrifice my shopaholic lifestyle! Ngggg... Besides, the room I'm currently living is not that bad. I still have a couple of months here, so why gave it away. :)

And talking about shoeholic in me, I gave me a severe headache to think where should I keep all those more than 50 shoes? I don't wanna throw away the boxes, coz that's what the shoes are all about too - the ubercool boxes. I HAVE to keep all those Gucci, Fendi, Prada and Dolce boxes, right?

The solution? Store 'em wherever I can find the space - above the wardrobe, beside the wardrobe; by the bookcase, behind the bookcase; near the entrance, on the vanity... doesn't matter. As long as they're kept neat, safe and uncluttered.

Sometimes I think I lived in a store room. LOL! Hmm... I just can't wait to have a massive shoe closet when I go back soon. (Watch this space)

The Boss by the bookcase, the Gucci on vanity...

By the bed, behind the bookcase... no worry..

On the wardrobe, by the wardrobe... anything can do.

Final Robbie Williams maori style tattoo

Hi there,

I finished the Maori style tattoo design like the one of Robbie Williams.

The final result has only simple fills and not very solid shapes with complicated shadings:




















In the week ahead, I will be working on some other custom tattoo designs and I will keep you updated with sketches and finished tattoo images

Aztec Tattoo Design : Tattoo Ideas and Picture

Tattoo of lauras flower and stars tattoo

Flower Tattoo With Koi Tattoo Design

Flower Tattoo With Bird and Butterfly Tattoo

Sexy Flower Tattoo

Skull Tattoos For Girls

Cool Arm Cross Tattoo Picture

TELA VIVA TATTOO

3D Tattoos

Very realistic 3D tattoos, some of them look scary too. Do you think the lizard on the back of this girl is real one? If yes, then you’re wrong. It’s a cool 3dimensionnal tattoo.

Labels Or Look? : Blue Suede Loafers

New trend for autumn - suede loafers in blue . Last seen on the catwalk in Louis Vuitton Fall/Winter '09. I think Royal blue is a continuation from Spring/Summer '09 and looks pretty cool. Perhaps that's what designer defined sustainability? Or longevity? Longevity of the color, not just cramped into one season only, that is.

LV loafers may be way out of reach for most economistas. Well, credit crunch... you know the drill. Yet, fret not. For the skint of you and moi, the one by Kurt Geiger looks kinda similar. And with brogue design, it's kinda plus point too.

Labels or look? It's all up to your wallet!

Louis Vuitton FW'09

LV Suede Loafers ~ Price £???

Kurt Geiger's suede loafers - £80

Fog Off

(Grandma's Cardigan, AA top, Zana Di Jeans)

SF is sooooo windy. Go away wind. Go Go!

Python Invades My Pants!!

Not contempt with my python laptop sleeve and plimsols, latest to add to my python accessories is this belt that I got last weekend at H&M. It's a real bargain and pure sheer luck really coz the belt is somewhat located hidden above the rack. (Hmm.. snake? Hidden? What a cliche)

It's not my first snakeskin belt. Previously I got a leather belt in black faux snakeskin one from He by Mango. About this belt, what I like about it is - it's Italian-made. The material is a mixed of recycled leather and PU. Love the texture. Very soft and smooth. The imitation scales look amazing too. The design is very slim and goes well with my beige slim jeans. So damn cool.

Btw, there's already a snake in the trousers (if u know what I meant, LOL!). Now it invades my waist!

The H&M python belt on the beige slim jeans

The black snakeskin belt from Mango

50 anos de tatuagem no Brasil comemorados com muita arte

O dia 20 e Julho é considerado o dia nacional do tatuador, este é o dia em que o tatuador Luck Tattoo, nascido na
Dinamarca, chegou ao Brasil cinqüenta anos atrás.

Esta feita é comemorada pela quinta vez com a Exposição de Arte "50 Anos da Tatuagem no Brasil". Trata-se de uma realização do Sindicato dos Tatuadores em conjunto com tatuadores associados. Desta vez o aniversário de 50 anos da tatuagem no Brasil foi comemorado na Morrison Rock Bar, em São Paulo.

A Exposição de Arte 50 Anos da Tatuagem no Brasil reuniu tatuadores, tatuados e apreciadores da arte em um espaço muito agradável, com exposições de pinturas realizadas por tatuadores e muito Rock and Roll.

Os tatuadores Brian, Brinquedo, Alex Cruz, Cubano, Rodney Calfa , Sharlão, Valderramos, Marcio Lima, Salim Tattoo, Tom Tattoo, Brice, Fabião, Marcio Duarte, Anselmo, Ximenes Tattoo, Joe, Flávio Cabelo, Alessandro, Jefferson Bastos, Willian Ferramosca, Grylo Tattoo, Átila e Poeta foram alguns dos artistas presentes neste grande encontro.

Esperamos ansiosos as fotos do encontro no fotolog do Dia do Tatuador e deixamos os parabéns à todos os tatuadores, tatuadoras, tatuados e pessoas envolvidas com o mundo das tattoos. Fica o convite para a matéria sobre Dia do Tatuador publicada no dia 20 de Julho de 2008.

I Got A SNOG!!!

Last Saturday was hot. The mercury has risen again, so as the sun. I had my usual shopping trip at the highstreet, scouring what's the bargain and new in store. And after a while, there's a huge temptation. Could be because the testosterone also gone up or I'm becoming sweaty, so I went to the heart of Soho to get a... SNOG!

Well, wait a minute. It's not what you think. It's the Snog - the pure frozen yogurt store near Shaftesbury Avenue. Brewer Street to be exact. The name is quite irony given the location is among the sex shops.. nggg (it's Soho - the London red light district, ok). Having a snog before or after.. ehem. LOL! Btw, the icecream.. opps.. pure frozen yogurt is just delish. It's terrific.

They came in three basic taste: natural, green tea and choc yogurt. And you gotta choose what size and what kinda toppings you want. I've chosen the little snog (a quickie snog, LOL!) but it's still quite massive. I went for choc with choc chip coz chocolate is better than... natural! :D

The taste is quite tangy and the texture is amazing. Just like having the Italian gelato. Perfecto, bellissimo... Price? from £3.50. But worth it!!!

I think I might go again next time for another snog. :)

[just check out their website http://www.ifancyasnog.com/]

The shop in Brewer St

Choose the toppings... massive variety. Mmmm fruity..fresh!

My little snog of the day: Chocolate with choc ships

I even get some of the postcards!

They Were All There at Dolores

(Jockey's Tank Top, Levi's Shorts, Dirty Laundry Boots)

My obsession to dried mangoes has started once again.

Back in LA when I had easy access to Costco I used to buy the Philippine Dried Mangoes every week and finished the whole bag in less than three days. I wasn't able to get my hands on dried mangoes eversince i moved to SF but guess what my ingenius bf found at walgreens? Dried Mangoes!

zaBigFatWeekend: Mustard, Python and a Snog..

What a cracking weekend. Despite Victoria line out of service (again and again), I am having a great time in the city. At first I was about to have a great adventure ~ to snap some photos of the Blue Plaques around London. But, upon stepping out from Westminster station... damn there's a ginormous number of tourists!! No way I'm gonna have a smooth journey, plus I don't wanna be caught in the swine flu limbo. So, I made my diversion - to the highstreet!

So what's hot? Some stores still having sale while some just begun. Marks and Spencer Sale just started, yeah great. And other main players has stocked new Autumn/Winter collection. Yeay! What did I found?

• H&M: I remember writing about their AW'09 a couple of blogs ago. And guess what, it's already in. What did I tried? The wooly asymmetric biker jacket and the leather bomber jacket. Looking hot. I love the asymmetric design of the first jacket. But the only issue I had - the top is a bit boxy eventhough it's the smallest size I picked. And it hangs a bit above the hip which is not cool.
  
  The leather jacket one looks good. Yet, not my cuppa tea coz the texture is hard. Kinda feel like I'm a Robocop! Still, kudos for the design though - zipped cuffs, flushed pocket and symmetrical look.
  
  Other pieces includes the supposed-to-be checks jacket (which is not) but looks amazing (despite the pricey tag). And boy, am I loving the zigzaggy cardi? Hmm.. I should get it next time, LOL!. And some new colors in store - mustard. Very nice.

• HE By Mango: Sale still going on, and new collection is IN!! I dunno what to pick from the sale coz I almost got everything that I wanted from the SS'09 recently. I ended up trying the Adam Lippes shirt which at first I thought is quite cool. Later on I found out that I hate the fit (despite the massive discount). Quite relaxed feel which is not me at all. Still.. it does look amazing. The fabric is light, the flower power is very masculine chic.
  
  And about the new collection, I have to take back what I've written in the previous blog. I don't really like 'em. The collection is not what I expected. The bag really sucks (eeekk!). The contrast hem jacket is too highschool and the vest...hmmm.. not quite my taste. The only thing that I can say I might like is the shades. Poor Mango...

• ZARA: Sale is still going on and there's loads of stuffs on even more discounts (wipeout sale??). And new AW'09 also already in. I can say I've fallen for the very uber-pointy dressy loafers which make me go crazy. I want one of those!! I'll get it next time..nggg.. And I also tried on this trouser in chic check pattern. The fabric is amazing. But later I realised that it's not a typical trouser - it hangs very low! Kinda harem-meet-Charlie Chaplin thingy. The look itself as if making my whole balls went down to gravity! Not cool. Hate it!!

• Uniqlo: Sale also going on. Oh, I love the new padded quilted jackets for autumn. Better than previous FW'08. Plus, they're reversible! Also I love the new colors - maroon and mustard (again) which is seen on some skinny jeans. Not to mention the new green/grey striped cardi and blue extra-fine merino cardi and jumper. But hey, where's the leather jackets that I'm crazy about??

• Russel and Bromley: I think they've just started their sale. Love the python loafers on sale that massively caught my eye! Gorgeous. But I told myself not to get any more shoes for the time being. That's why I throw myself out from the shoe store a.s.a.p. Still it looks amazing..nggg.

My purchase of the week? Python again. Not a shoe, but a belt that I found at H&M. Just great. And some shorts on sale at Uniqlo (plus another 10% student discount)

While making myself out of the highstreet, I realised that my feet is bleeding. Well, not really in blood but my white socks became a major victim of the red color from the inner lining of my new Next plimsols. Walked too much, and my feet drenched in sweat. Cheap plimsols. Not cool. And to end up my shopping journey this time, I went for a quick 'snog' at Soho (tell about it next time..). Like it, love it and worth it!

The end.

Size Doesn't Matter; As Long As It Fits...

I'm not talking about penis size here, LOL! (Eventhough that's a massive ego booster for any man). But what I'm talking about is the size of my footwear. This summer sale really has given me a massive revelation. Revelation that keep me in agony too, worried that any shoes that I may purchase online in future would not fit.

Well, my usual size is 10 (equiv. to 44 European size). But this time it doesn't seem to be that! Take my Gucci for example. The one that I bought online is size 10, but at Harrods is size 9. What? Aren't they from the same brand? And my boots from Boss is in 9, but the one that I bought from Bally is 8. Massive WHAT (again)??? I'm totally confused...

Then it struck to my mind. Does the size gotta do with where the shoe is made? Gucci is Italian, Bally is Swiss while Boss is so Americana/German (but i dunno where it's made, nggg...). Or does it gotta do with season? My 10 Gucci is Fall/Winter while size 9 is Spring/Summer? Hmm...

But anyhow, the number doesn't really matter. What's important is as long as it fits... that counts!