August 2013 – Page 2 – Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION.

style & substance – wardrobe staples worth the splurge

Falling for FALL

As much as we want to hang on to Summer, Fall is just around the corner and with these 10 investment pieces you can’t go wrong.

In every woman’s wardrobe, there are places one should splurge and places one should save. Unlike fleeting trends, closet classics—things you’ll love for years to come, regardless of ever-changing fashion fads—are the obvious best place to sink your shopping dollars. Here are 10 splurge-worthy staples that, while guaranteed to take a bigger chunk out of your budget, chances are they’ll be sticking around for awhile.

Black or Camel Coat

Outerwear trends come and go every autumn, but there are a few coat classics that never change—and two timeless hues in particular, black and camel. A Burberry duffel coat’s casual enough that you won’t have to save it only for special occasions, while a chic peacoat infuses any look with instant prep appeal. As for Max Mara’s beautiful self-belted topper, it’s the sort of piece you could pass down to your daughter or niece one day.

from left: wool-felt duffle coat, $995, burberry brit, net-a-porter.com; gaila coat in roanoke wool blend, $695, theory.com; manuela coat, $1,456, max mara, matchesfashion.com

Classic Watch

More practical than nearly any other piece of jewelry, a watch adds instant polish and professionalism to any look, and is something you’ll keep for years to come. Why shouldn’t yours be an absolute knockout?

from left: chronograph watch in rose gold/navy, $275, michaelkors.com; medor, $4,050, hermes.com; tank française watch, medium model, $4,700, cartier.us

Patent Pumps

A simple, classic pump works for everything from job interviews to first dates to black-tie weddings to girls’ night out. Find a pair that’s comfy (OK, relatively so) and take the plunge. (Side note: while I love a smooth calfskin heel too, I think there’s something about glossy patent that just adds that extra somethin’ somethin’.)

from left: decollete 868 100 mm, $625, christianlouboutin.com; aimee patent platform pump, $675, jimmy choo, bergdorfgoodman.com; tayler patent leather d’orsay pumps, $735, manolo blahnik, saksfifthavenue.com

Ballet Flats

Though less overtly sexy than the aforementioned stilettos, ballet flats are (or should be, at least) the day-in-day-out workhorses of a modern girl’s footwear wardrobe. Chances are you’ll likely clock more miles in these babies than in your heels,

so take care when shopping for them. Porselli and Repetto make beautiful, ballerina-approved versions, and many editors swear by Lanvin’s flattering hidden-wedge take on this sleek staple.

from left: porselli ballet flats, $190, apc.fr; leather ballet flats, $560, lanvin, net-a-porter.com; the cendrillon textured-leather ballet flats, $285, repetto, net-a-porter.com

Little Black Dress

Audrey wore them. Carine Roitfeld lives in them. Kate Moss accessorizes hers to the hilt. A simple black fit-and-flare dress, body-con number or sleek sheath works for pretty much any scenario imaginable and is guaranteed to make you look your absolute best, so it’s a sound item to spend a little extra on.

from left: sleeveless dress, $2,367.50, lanvin vault, farfetch.com; ripple stretch-crepe dress, $1,150, preen by thornton bregazzi, net-a-porter.com; arabesque metallic embroidered dress, $3,351, azzedine alaïa, matchesfashion.com

Printed Cocktail Dress

That said, when you’re in the mood to make even more of a statement, there’s nothing like a boldly patterned party frock. The trick here is to choose one in a relatively classic print—think florals, polka dots or easy geometric graphics.

from left: ruby printed silk crepe de chine and cotton-blend lace dress, $3,220, erdem, net-a-porter.com; garden-print dress, $895, red valentino, saksfifthavenue.com; embellished lace and silk-faille dress, $6,990, oscar de la renta, net-a-porter.com

Perfectly-Fitting Denim

There’s absolutely nothing—nothing—like finding that amazing pair of derrière-perfecting, leg-lengthening, hip-slimming jeans. Sink a little extra cash into your blues, and they’ll pay for themselves in compliments.

from left: 811 mid-rise skinny leg, $191, jbrandjeans.com; the marrakesh, $168.30, mih-jeans.com; stretch cotton-blend leggings-style jeans, $187, rag & bone jean, net-a-porter.com

Gray Cardigan

Yes, black cardigans are great too, but hear me out: when you’re already dressed in head-to-toe noir, sometimes you need another, slightly lighter neutral to keep the look from veering into Morticia Addams territory. In such cases, gray’s your go-to. Heather-colored cardis look equally great with little white dresses, too—as well as pretty much everything in one’s closet.

from left: cashmere and silk-blend cardigan, $640, miu miu, net-a-porter.com; asymmetric hem cardigan, $595, alexander wang, barneys.com; collection cashmere boyfriend cardigan, $238, jcrew.com

Oversized Cashmere or Wool Wrap

How do we love our enormous cashmere throws? Let us count the ways: they’re the perfect way to stay warm in snowy weather (when you live in a windy city, a coat alone just doesn’t cut it), they double as blankets (and pillows!) on long plane or car trips and they sort of make us feel like Stevie Nicks. Solid.

from left: cashmere travel wrap, $295, whiteandwarren.com; striped wool-blend wrap, $600, missoni, net-a-porter.com; cashmere ruana, $498, brooksbrothers.com

Timeless Handbag

If you’re looking for the absolute most reliable place to sink those wardrobe dollars, a classic carryall’s your best bet. Whether you opt for a classic flap-front 2.55 shoulder bag, a quilted tote or even a tiny crossbody carryall, there’s just no going wrong with anything double-C-adorned. Proenza Schouler’s cult-forming PS1, meanwhile, has made the tricky transition from trend to cool classic with ease. And of course, few can resist the heritage-steeped house of Hermès. While Birkins and Kellys may yield the longest waitlists, we’re currently smitten with the smaller Constance crossbody.

clockwise from left: vintage constance bag, $6,700, hermès, portero.com; ps1 medium leather, $1,695, proenzaschouler.com; classic flap bag, $4,400, chanel.com for locations

In my INbox: From Lucky Magazine by Elana Fishman.

So….how did you score? Are you a perfect 10?

FUN

simply satisfying – Spicy Fish with Fruit Salsa

Try a little taste of the Caribbean.

White Fillet topped with Spicy Fruit Salsa

This recipe originally called for 4 Chilean Sea Bass fillets. Since Sea Bass in on the endangered list I now substitute for the very comparable Sablefish.

First: combine the below ingredients in a small bowl to form a spicy paste to coat fish.

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. chilli powder

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

½ Tbsp. curry powder

¼ tsp. tumeric

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. garlic powder

¼ tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. aniseed

½ tsp. mustard seed, toasted in dry sauté pan for one minute.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Season fish with salt and pepper. Coat lightly with flour (not necessary but doing so makes it brown better). Brush a heavy coating of the spicy paste mixture (above) on the skin side of fish and a little on the flesh side if you like more spice. Add about 2 Tbsp. of vegetable or canola oil to a very hot, oven-safe skillet (cast iron is great) and sear the fish-skin side. When the skin is crispy, place fish in oven for approximately 10-15 minutes. Serve with fruit salsa. Serves 4-6.

Spicy Fruit Salsa (worth the extra bit of work)

1 tsp. jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 papaya, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

½ cup fresh pineapple, chopped

½ lemon, juiced

½ lime, juiced

1 Tbsp. honey

½ tsp. chilli powder

1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

¼ cup of olive or vegetable oil

pinch of salt & pepper

Carefully (some wear gloves) remove seeds and membrane of jalapeño and discard. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Either top the fish or serve on the side with a nice jasmine rice.

TIP: you’ll most likely have leftover salsa which is delicious next day for fish tacos or chicken salad.

SPICES: I consider all the spices here to be basics for use in so many other dishes. If you must go out to buy them you won’t be wasting your time or money.

I’d love to hear your feedback after you try it.

FUN

Seen – Cupcakes

Because every day is a Celebration

FUN

Body Images

FUN

Honestly speaking, who never lies?

HONESTY IS CRUCIAL to a healthy relationship with ourselves and others. It can help us resolve longstanding issues, find forgiveness, and deepen our relationships with the people who surround us.

Why do we lie?

It’s clear that without being honest with ourselves we’ll never be honest with others. What are the obstacles to achieving this kind of clarity and how do we overcome them? And once we gain clarity, how do we communicate truthfully in a productive and positive manner? How about those little white lies….if need be and in small doses? Only if really necessary & in order not to hurt anyone.

Condensed from Dr. Habib Sadeghi on Honesty – taken from Goop.

Being Honest About Dishonesty

Feelings buried alive never die, especially fear. Lying comes from fear. It’s born from our traumas, disappointments and betrayals and is always the result of something that’s happened to us. You may be late meeting someone and blame it on the traffic or cover up being fired to avoid embarrassment. The scenarios surrounding why we lie are endless. The fact is that our lies are born from our traumas, both big and small.”

“Dishonesty begins with the self. It starts when we can’t reconcile a difficult experience. The first lie is the one we tell ourselves. It’s usually, ‘It didn’t happen’ or ‘It didn’t happen like that’. We avoid these realizations because we’re terrified of how they will make us feel. We do it because we’d rather live with the long-term consequences of lying to ourselves and others than face the temporary pain of the truth. So, we repress the truth and our feelings about it with a lie to keep the pain at bay.”

“That pain could be a friend’s disappointment or a spouse’s rage. The size of the lie doesn’t matter. We never lie to protect the feelings of others. That’s the part of the lie we tell ourselves to make it easier. We lie to protect ourselves from the pain and repercussions we’ll experience from their feelings or even our own self-judgment. Lying is always self-serving.”

The First Victim

“When we are stung by life’s traumas, especially the big ones like losing a job, relationship, financial security or our health, we become frozen in place like the tarantula. We rarely give ourselves enough time to process the hard lessons (truth) of the situation. We may grieve briefly, but then we anesthetize ourselves and it’s on with life.”

“Dissociating from what really happened is known as ‘splitting’ in psychoanalysis. We either react only with emotion and become irrational about the situation or, we escape to our heads and don’t process any of the feeling. Being honest with ourselves and others requires an ability to think and feel at the same time in order to fully integrate a difficult experience and neutralize any lasting negative energy.”

“Short-circuiting that process creates a second lie, an ‘alternate’ reality or ‘My Side of the Story’. Sadly, we’re always the first victims of our lies because we have to believe them first before we can convince others to do so.”

Avoid & Divert

“Living in our own little world of self-created lies and avoiding the truth of our life experience takes great energy and produces an even greater amount of stress. To deal with it, we often turn to illicit or prescription drugs. The problem here is that drugs only perpetuate our dishonesty because they give us the false impression that everything is ‘fine’.”

“Even yoga can be an addictive diversion. It can provide intense emotional release because we store pent up energy in our bodies. Still, we must be able to think and feel to fully integrate the experience and release it. Without conscious thought providing truth and understanding surrounding the situation, we easily fall back into old habits.”

To Tell the Truth

“Honesty is the capacity to tell yourself the emotional truth in any situation. When you can do this for yourself, you can do it with others. Unfortunately, we can’t give what we don’t have. Dishonesty is always the result of avoiding pain at some level. This leads to lying and its twin sisters: secrets and denial. Healing from lying to others requires that we stop lying to ourselves first. It means clearing up our unconscious anxieties and the survival mechanisms that we’ve put in place to protect us from their pain.”

Truth or Consequences

“As spiritual beings, we’re hard-wired for honesty. We have a natural instinct to search for answers and make sense of things. Have you ever seen a bad actor on screen? You don’t need to be an actor yourself to recognize the lack of truthfulness in the performance. Why? It’s because we’re all viscerally connected to truth on a fundamental, physical and spiritual level. It’s part of who we are and like a virus, we instinctively reject dishonesty.”

“To override this natural impulse by telling lies, we generate immense amounts of resistant and negative energy in our bodies. This internal stress puts us at war with ourselves, producing cellular damage. Lies create a mind/body that is not at-ease and end up manifesting as the symptoms of our diseases. Like the unsuspecting tarantula (in the full story), the egg we’ve carried for so long eventually erupts in a catastrophic way, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Healing is a choice, so is lying. Our work isn’t to create healing. Healing happens when we find and remove the barriers we’ve created against it by facing the temporary pain we didn’t think we could survive.”

“So how can we find freedom from the lies we tell others and most importantly, ourselves? How do we dissolve limiting beliefs, which is really what lies are? We can begin by facing the truth of our traumas and documenting them with all the raw honesty and emotion that we’ve avoided for years. Clearing out our emotional closet can be terrifying at first, but once we survive what we didn’t think was survivable, we’ll get a taste of our limitless power to heal and change.”

Dr. Habib Sadeghi is the Founder of Be Hive of Healing Center for Integrative Medicine in Los Angeles. His book, “Within: A Spiritual Awakening to Love & Weight Loss”, is forthcoming.

THINKAboutit

Let’s Talk – Body Talk. How influenced are you by the media?

It seems that so many woman, young women especially, are getting THE WRONG IMAGE.

This post came about after hearing Amanda de Cadenet (The Conversation) ask her viewers if they feel that the media affects how they perceive their bodies? Her alternative web based TV series is about women who have stories & experiences to share, for women to empower women. It got me thinking. Is seems unhealthy to constantly compare yourself, your life, etc. to others yet how many times have we done so?

Please do not buy into this. Especially do not buy. — Please **do not buy** into this.

The physical images presented in media programming and advertising can be unhealthy and difficult, if not impossible, for most women to achieve. They frequently portray young women in a sexual manner. This can lead adolescents to think that their own bodies are not attractive or acceptable and that their value depends on how they look.

Growing numbers of young women risk their health, and life, trying to imitate the body images presented by the media. The wrong media messages also can harm mental self-image and self-esteem.

The media generally show underweight women as the ideal body type. The average model today is 25% thinner than the national average weight and actually only represents 5% of females in the country.

Almost 54% of American young girls and women aged 12–23 years are unhappy with their bodies.

Five to ten million women and girls have eating disorders that harm their health, including anorexia nervosa (starving themselves) and bulimia nervosa (binge eating and purging). Some teens who think they are not pretty enough resort to cosmetic plastic surgery. They also tend to have unrealistic and negative expectations concerning sexuality.

How do we overcome this short of never looking at another magazine or watching TV?

For starters: try to make yourself aware of the media messages aimed at women and young people. Assess your own use of media and reactions to messages about attractiveness and self-worth. Don’t forget that while we don’t come with an airbrush it’s still worthwhile to eat a healthy diet and exercise to maintain good overall health. Young women as early as possible should be encouraged to participate in positive family, peer & school activities to enhance self-esteem based on their abilities and character rather than their appearance. You will automatically appear more attractive by doing so.

Since when did character not count for anything? What is a pretty face & perfect body without personality? Yes, let’s agree that we would all prefer to have it all ~~Giselle?~~but why not try to accentuate all the other great attributes we either have or can attain?

And realize that you DO NOT have to drink a certain brand of beer, use a precise product, carry a specific IT bag or “anything” else as the commercials say, to have more fun or be beautiful.

What are your thoughts?

FUN

SkIN: The Truth about SERUMS

One step at a time…

You can use it alone but it’s best to apply before sunscreen for day and nightcream. Is it essential? I’ll let you decide. It’s one more step we may need to follow.

Serums may be the costliest product in many skin care lines but when properly applied, a 1-ounce container should last months. Serums contain more active ingredients than other products so you need just the tiniest amount – those few concentrated drops are super-efficient. Serums are made of very small molecules, so the skin absorbs them quickly and deeply. Thicker, heavier ingredients found in creams form a barrier on your skin that’s great for locking moisture in. The active ingredients in a serum penetrate your skin faster and more effectively.

Serums do not include ingredients such as petrolatum or mineral oil that keep water from evaporating. They also contain fewer lubricating and thickening agents, like nut or seed oils. Most serums are water-based, eliminating oils altogether.

Think of it as faster and lighter – many of the qualities we look for in a car, a laptop, and our bodies when we’re running a marathon. They’re also the prized attributes of skin care serums – light, fast-absorbing liquids used as an alternative or in addition to creams or lotions. This from Web.MD

Like so many things in the skincare department, there are too many brands to list here.

My top picks:

1) Mica Bella’s Skin Repair Serum is an ultra-moisturizing serum, formulated with a unique blend, including Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamins, Botanicals and Proline. The unique formula is designed to promote the natural elasticity of the skin, help reduce skin damage caused by the environment, and help minimize the visible signs of wrinkles – providing a healthy glow and younger looking skin. Price – $175.00 Available online at http://www.intrigueimports.com

2) MyChelle Dermaceuticals – an intensive humectant that replenishes skins moisture content, firms and claims to lift facial contours. Price – approx. $45.00. Available at most health food stores.

FUN

Style: Rock Star Nails

How far will we go to be head to TOEnails IN fashion?

As in clothing right now we can experiment with fun colors & styles for our nails as almost anything goes.

from: clutchmagonline

You need patience and time to pull off a full-on monet style set of nails whether you’re the one doing it or leaving it

from: thegirlylooks – going for the GOLD

to a professional.

from: exquisitegirl

While I love these looks I tend to be most daring with bold color and a little design for toes while keeping nails to a mostly bare minimum.

Too boring? I think neutral nails look sophisticated.

If you busy your hands all the time because of using a keyboard and cooking, nails tend to chip a lot which looks really noticeable with darker polish unless it’s a gel. Once I tried a gel mani and loved that it didn’t chip for all of two weeks (a milestone) but when I went back to have it taken off, my nails weakened with the strong chemicals needed to remove the leftover polish. ~~Scrap that. Do only for special occasions like a two week vacation or~~ ~~over the holidays~~.

I love some *sparkle to top it all off but let’s talk about how easy is it to take off – NOT! It’s as simple as soaking nails in acetone to get polish completely removed. Not to mention the little sparkles that you find on your clothing or bathroom floor. Also if you cook a lot – not so pretty when you notice faded or removed polish right before serving. *The real gold flecks from OPI’s “man with the golden gun” tend not to do this & look great especially over darker polish.

pretty shades by Lancôme

Tried the Sally Hansen stick on nail stickers (an easy way to do leopard & lace) but they lasted all of one hour because I didn’t put a topcoat on. My sister advised me they need a TOPcoat. Once they start to peel it’s so tacky & all the rest must be removed immediately.

Designers are paying more and more attention to nails for the runway trying to cover all the bases.

The BASEics:

When applying light polish, put a milky basecoat on in between coats – it will give the polish an even surface to adhere to as lighter shades can be streaky. Try Seche ridge filling base coat.

Base coats extend the life of your manicure and keep your polish chip-free longer. They’re supposed to make your nails last at least one week – this never happens for me but I wear it anyway.

It will help prevent dark colors from staining your nail beds. We’ve all experienced the yellow nails that often follow dark nail polish – this phenomenon can be prevented with the right base coat. And with deep fall colors coming into season, it’s more important than ever to use one.

Still, I don’t want to put too much effort into nails. How about you? Are you NAILing it?

FUN

Simple & Satisfying Orange-Ginger Pork Medallions

Orange juice gives pork that unique flavor combo of sweet and sour. Freshly squeezed is best. I’ve made this Caribbean/Asian inspired recipe on several occasions and it never fails to please the palate.

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 Tbsp. peanut oil

¼ cup finely chopped shallots

2 Tbsp. minced peeled fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

¼ tsp. (or more) red pepper flakes

½ cup chicken broth

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 1-pound pork tenderloins, each cut crosswise into 6 slices

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp. butter

In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp. orange juice and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 1 Tbsp. oil. Add shallots, ginger, garlic and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are light golden, about 3 minutes. Add remaining orange juice, broth and soy sauce. Bring to a boil; boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Whisk in cornstarch mixture; boil 1 minute. Remove saucepan from heat and set aside.

Place pork slices cut side down on work surface and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand to make medallions. Sprinkle with salt + pepper.

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil. Add pork and cook in batches until browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pork to a platter.

Add sauce to skillet with drippings; place skillet over medium-high heat. Bring sauce to a boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Stir in juices from pork on platter. Remove skillet from heat and add pork slices to skillet, turning to coat with sauce.

Serves six with brown rice and veggies. Taken from The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

Orange juice’s gentle acid adds sweet-tart flavor notes to cooking. Try orange juice concentrate mixed with maple syrup & a bit of stock for basting a turkey. It’s excellent.

My food board on Pinterest at http://pinterest.com/intrigueimports/

FUN

Scene: Fashion & FASCINATORing People

The Deighton Cup is probably the most fashionable and social event of the summer.

Vancouverites don’t normally get the opportunity to wear a fancy hat. The usual fare is baseball and straw oriented versions, but this past weekend proved different.

Horse racing has long been synonymous with the elaborate hat designs that trot near the track.

It’s a millinery tradition honed over the decades into a famous and frequently outrageous art form, illustrated most decoratively from the well-heeled meets of the Kentucky Derby to England’s Royal Ascot. A chance to display the

my sis Lisa

bizarre and the beautiful.

Some of the fashionable. I think I know the cool dude on the left. It’s Beau, my sister’s beaufriend.

From the Deighton Cup at Hastings Racecourse to West Vancouver’s Royal Tea-by-the-Sea, there were plenty of opportunities to wear your hat for the scene and be-seen crowd. I can’t believe I didn’t go because I love hats and horses so much however my sister went.

The “Deighton Cup” is a three day Horse Racing Event to liven up the season at a track that already draws plenty of attention.

Photo credits: The Queen of Hearts headpiece, created by The Saucy Milliner for the Deighton Cup event, is made of handrolled sinamay roses. Photo by Abbye Dahl of afoto.ca for the Vancouver Sun. — The Queen of Hearts headpiece, created by **The Saucy Milliner** for the Deighton Cup event, is made of handrolled sinamay roses. Photo by Abbye **Dahl** of afoto.ca for the Vancouver Sun.

Lauren Hutton for Bazaar Magazine - love the headpiece. — Lauren Hutton for Bazaar Magazine – How cool is the headpiece & this lady?

Photo Credits: Lisa King + Beau Schwab.

I’ll have to settle for a Mad Hatter Tea party!