bright young thing

a perfect christmas morning

2009-12-22T17:08:00.002-05:00

...would include this under my tree:

from azkaban with love

2009-12-10T16:44:00.005-05:00

pardon me for the nerd post, but its been a big, harry potter-filled week. my sister & i began planning our trip to mecca, ads for the half-blood prince dvd* have been all over tv and then, best of all, paige told me the greatest news ever!! hopefully this will tide me over until november, when the next movie is released. otherwise i could just re-read the whole series - it's going to be a long, cold winter.

*yep, that's another christmas present hint.

i <3 nyc

2009-12-02T13:28:00.008-05:00

growing up i was always pretty into maps. on road trips, i'd get so excited when my mom got tired and let me take over navigating duties. but after a visit to the tate modern's exhibit on global cities and a summer touring around europe i got really into maps - specifically, transit maps. i managed to accumulate quite the collection of dog-eared subway maps over the years, which have now been lost into the abyss*.

so, as i kind of have a thing for maps and new york is one of my favourite cities in the world (second only to paris), it goes without saying that i need** this poster.

i mean... hearts + maps + nyc? adorable!!

also, how can you not love a company whose slogan is: "we make a happy life. have a talk and feeeeel love."

*also know as my parents' basement
** ahem, friends/boyfriend/parents/sister... christmas present?

the sun is up, the sky is blue

2009-11-06T15:40:00.011-05:00

this past sunday, natasha and i met up to drink americanos, browse antiques and shop for new tights - the perfect autumn afternoon! an unexpected cancellation freed up more time, so we decided to buy some magazines and cozy up with a pot of tea. while wandering through the magazine racks at the nearest bookstore, i came across milk and bought it instantly (even though i don't have any children. not a big deal, right? i think not, but some people disagree with me. whatever.).

so basically, i love everything about this magazine.

the mondrian-inspired market page:
the dreamy, parisian papas:

and, best of all, a streetstyle page shot by my fave (garance doré, holla!):

there are also a couple kiddie-fashion editorials and an article about children's creative spaces and design that was really interesting. all in all, this magazine is awesome and embodies the type of hip parent i one day hope to be.

(sorry if the scans are a bit dark. i'm not used to all the settings on the office scanner.)

don't you forget about me

2009-10-29T16:35:00.018-04:00

goodbye summer, helloooo fall!

i know i've been gone for a while, but life took over and the blog fell by the wayside. i'm in at an interesting point in my life right now, which i can't really put into words. so instead i'll share some things i've been liking lately. i promise i'll be back soon (& hopefully words > pictures).

(too lazy to put photo credits in. if a photo is yours, let me know & i'll add credit. xo)

if it ain't baroque...

2009-06-03T17:13:00.012-04:00

(via black book & refinery 29)

after seeing Mary Ellen Matthews' photo of Dead Weather for Black Book and Peter Lippmann's new ad campaign for Christian Louboutin, i feel an overwhelming urge to unearth my old comparative literature & civilization textbooks. these photos really stir up memories of sitting in a dark, forgotten basement classroom in university college* looking at slide after slide of baroque paintings and architecture. so, for nostalgia's sake (and because this is my blog and i can do whatever i want), here's my favourite painting from that class - "Las Meninas" by Diego Velázquez.

(via wikipedia)

*for the record, this was the actual name of the building, not me creating a vague name for a post-secondary institution. because.. c'mon, i could make up a better fake name than that. anyways, i linked a map so you could see that the building really exists.

mommy dearest

2009-06-02T12:53:00.008-04:00

my mom's birthday is around the corner, so i've been on the hunt for the perfect present* for her and if my paycheque came with a few extra zeros on the end, this would be it:

(via sub-studio design)

this adorable rain collector is one of the first pieces from the recently launched HERO 365, a company that creates "extraordinary resource saving products for everyday life". as my parents' house is in the country and they rely on a well, this rain collector would be extremely handy (it can hold 45 gallons of water!) during the dry summer months. oh well, maybe next year?

*i.e. a present better than what my sister gets her, to cement my position as "mom's favourite child"

she sells sea shells

2009-06-01T23:09:00.008-04:00

no matter what the season, i tend to be drawn towards the same colour clothing - black, white, grey, navy and purple. this summer, however, is going to be a bit different. i've spotted a new shade on the block and its got me lusting after it like nothing else. ladies and gentlemen, i give you.......... seafoam green.

(via cherry blossom girl, sea of shoes)

tomorrow i'm off to h&m, in the hopes that a toronto location is as stocked as its parisian counterpart. bonne chance à moi!!

these are a few of your favourite things

2009-05-01T17:59:00.011-04:00

here's a "good luck post" for my lovely roommate, ashley. i've collected an assortment of your favourite things - french bulldogs, old-timey, whimsy and mustaches (obviously) - to celebrate you (almost) being done. one more night!

woot!

what dreaming used to be

2009-05-01T17:31:00.013-04:00

i've been spending a lot of time on the selby lately. as much as i love my current living situation (hii roomies!!), at some point i will venture out and get a place of my own. naturally, this new place will have an exposed brick wall and force me to invest in furniture that isn't from ikea. basically, it will look like an amalgamation of these:

and one day, even further down the road, maybe i'll have a baby. when i do, i want the nursery/playroom/toy room/whatever to look like this (regardless of gender. tutus are for everyone!):

and obviously s/he will play one of these:

oh the razorblade, that's what i call love

2009-04-25T12:29:00.000-04:00

"Casablancas said rehearsals for the album have been successful so far. 'We have three songs,' he said. 'Some of the new stuff has a '70s vibe, like Thin Lizzy or Elvis Costello. But then some of it is bizarre music from the future that we're trying to tone down to sound catchy. So we're trapped between the future and the '70s.'...
Posting on their official site bassist Nikolai Fraiture said: 'I'd like to say that I'm still looking very forward to a fourth album release. We just need to work out a few technical kinks.'"
- nme

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyy!!!!!!

what's a girl to do?

2009-04-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

the weather in toronto this weekend is supposed to reach a high of 24 degrees celsius. this means two things --- bikes & bare legs! finally!!!!!!!!

after a seemingly endless winter of cold, snow & streetcars, spring has sprung! and not a moment too soon either; nearly all of my tights have holes in them and my patience with the ttc has hit its breaking point. but, that's all in the past now. my raleigh and i will be reunited in a few short hours, never to part until the snow falls once more. until then...

(photos from the sartorialist, copenhagen cycle chic, bicycle pirate, refinery 29)

melodies & desires

2009-04-22T17:14:00.000-04:00

when your work-email goes down, some harmless internet window-shopping seems like a good way to pass the time, right? wrong! it would've been harmless if only i hadn't stumbled across the most perfect pair of black pumps ever created. now i'm examining and re-arranging my budget, frantically trying to figure out any way i can squeeze these babies in.

god. just look at that HEEL!!!! oh sweden, you've done it to me again.

the chosen one

2009-04-17T17:35:00.000-04:00

only 88 days left!!! but who's counting, right?

oh baby, i love you but you're killing me.

2009-03-26T17:19:00.000-04:00

while browsing through the photos i'd gathered recently, i noticed a very distinct theme...

(photos from myspace, the fashion spot, jakandjil)

many people will disagree with me, but i really love how people look when they're smoking. i can't help it! they look so cool! ahhhh!

on my recent trip to austin, tx i was reunited with my long-lost love --- smoking american cigarettes! it was part of my "i'm on vacation so i can do whatever i want and it doesn't count" mentality. but, like all good things, my vacation came to an end; i'm back home in toronto and i've reluctantly left the cigarettes south of the border (.... for the most part).

but, i do know better. and i know smoking is bad for you - unfortunately. so consider this post part of my detox-therapy.

mad about the boy

2009-03-10T16:37:00.000-04:00

i've never really been the matchmaker type, but these two kids are a match made in sartorial heaven. here's why i think tavi & arlo would be the best-dressed couple since scott & garance.

exhibit a: an affinity for mixing patterns.

exhibit b: a penchant for snazzy headwear.

exhibit c: a tendency to look like a character from a tim burton film.

exhibit d: they'll have no problems with coordinating their red & pink valentines' day outfits.

i know they're a bit young for romance and there might be a slight age difference, but if cupid's bow doesn't unite these two fashion darlings, i will lose all my (remaining) faith in true love.

pissing everywhere isn't very chanel

2009-03-06T15:04:00.000-05:00

uncle karl may not be interested in my reality - something i learned from my recent (slash "how the hell did it take me this long to watch this?!") viewing of lagerfeld confidential - but i am completely besotted by his. most recently? this incredible bag, being sold exclusively at colette.

seriously. i die.*

*i do promise this will be the one & only time i use this rachel zoe-ism.

the only thing i'd postpone summer for

2009-03-05T17:12:00.000-05:00

(garance doré)

(sea of shoes)

all of a sudden the entire blogosphere seems to be obsessed with leather pants - thankfully, not of the lindsay lohan/kova & t variety. since spotting these shots i've stopped daydreaming about the hot & sticky weather of july, and instead am fantasizing about the cool, post-rain breeze (much more leather pants-friendly). i'm sure once i step outside i'll quickly revert back to my heat-seeking ways, but it may take a little longer to shake this new found leather fetish. i think its time for a good ol' value village hunt... anyone?

olsen > lohan

2009-02-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

as i'm obsessed with everything olsen (most recently, their little sister), it goes without saying that i'm hyped for mary-kate's interview magazine cover. this behind-the-scenes peek at her photoshoot just amps up the excitement even more.

sorry lindsay. you'll have to do more than dish on samro & the paparazzi to come even close to this.

here's to you, mrs. robinson

2009-02-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

looks like nate isn't the only boy on the UES making it with a "more experienced" woman.* next month's harper's bazaar features a mrs.robinson-themed photoshoot between ed westwick and helena christensen.

shot by terry richardson, this smoldering editorial has me yearning for, well, ed westwick. but! also, a remake of "the graduate" (cmon, marisa tomei needs another role she can take off all her clothes for and there's only so many stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold roles out there).

fuck, is helena christensen hot or what?! i love that she's all about the younger guys in real life too (not quite this young, but...). forget jennifer aniston, this is my 40-year old ideal.

*i'd include dan in here as well, but since rachel carr is like, a week older than him.. it doesn't count. poor, lame dan; can't even make sex with his teacher risque.

crimson & clover

2009-02-10T12:19:00.000-05:00

the fact that my wallet has been missing a clasp for a few months never really bothered me until i came across this comme des garçons wallet...

now all i can think about is how perfectly laid out & organized my wallet (and by extension, my life. right?) would be. and how adorable the clover pattern is. and how much i need this for my upcoming adventures. i mean, otherwise how would i keep track of my passport, plane tickets & assorted travel paraphernalia? there is no way, but the rei (kawakubo) way.

stockholm syndrome

2009-02-05T15:55:00.000-05:00

as of late, i've found myself increasingly drawn to all things scandinavian. my fascination began (as many things do) with vampires - specifically, let the right one in, a hauntingly beautiful film about adolescence, love, and the undead. visually, the film contrasts bright, harsh light and deep, inky shadows to convey horror without flashy special effects. this technique is especially effective against the stark, swedish winter.

next comes lykke li, with her infectious tunes and adorable, olsen-esque appearance. regrettably, i wasn't able to make it to her show the first time she came to toronto - nor will i be making it to her sold-out show this friday - but this swedish superkid has earned a place of honour in my ipod rotation.

i knew my obsession was mutual when stockholm youths began popping up on all my favourite streetstyle blogs. as i imagine sweden & canada have similarly frigid winters, and as i become more and more tired of my sad attempts at creative winter-layering, i've begun compulsively collecting inspiration from the blogosphere.

some of my favourite looks:

(photo cred: garance dore)

(photo cred: both, the sartorialist)

(photo cred: stockholm street style)

i feel like i'd fit right in in stockholm; i'm a sucker for any look that pairs short skirts, tights, monochrome and, most impressively, heels in the winter. too bad i can't pull of the icelandic blonde. ahh, well.

the in crowd

2009-01-29T14:38:00.000-05:00

(photo cred: cobrasnake)

wes, liz, lou, olivier, waris, et al = one bad ass crew.
what i would do to be at that party.

today, you've come now go away

2009-01-26T22:53:00.000-05:00

i initially disliked the february issue of vogue for putting S on its cover, when B is so obviously the reigning queen of the upper east side. i was about to forgive ms. wintour this oversight, until i came across this heartbreaking editorial.

there was no more denying it. there he was; albert hammond jr, the (musical) love of my life, serenading agyness deyn in a glossy, full-page spread.

it got worse.. of course.

here they are with their adorable love-puppies.

and here, enjoying a technicolour picnic with another serenade.

and finally, lounging in bed (bed! BED!! why'd you have to be in bed?!?) together while he jots down some lyrics for a song inspired by how gorgeous she looks in dior.

so thanks, mikael jansson, for so vividly capturing agyness and albert's union - their engagement, no less - with your lens. the crushing pain to my heart is only mildly tempered by the good news i heard today.

confession: i wrote this entire post while playing albert's first solo album, "yours to keep". i spent many a train ride through europe listening to this album on my ipod and will always associate it with fond memories. "como te llama", his second album, is tainted, as it coincides with his meeting.. her. unfortunately, i am an emotional cutter and will probably spend the next week listening to it on repeat.

going to the chapel

2009-01-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

as a general rule, i dislike a lot of the elements of a "traditional" north american wedding, but i hold a special disdain for the engagement photos. while i appreciate the desire (necessity?) for these pictures, i can just never get behind the end product. i find most to be overly staged and pose-y, reflecting more the urge to cross another thing off one's wedding "to do" list than to evoke the true emotions of the relationship.

what a pleasure then, to stumble across these engagement photos of jo and her fiancee, alex. i love the colours and composition of these photos so so much. i've already saved the contact information of the photographer, max wagner, for my future wedding, now i just need to find the groom!

ah well. until then.. enjoy!

heard it through the grapevine

2009-01-16T13:36:00.000-05:00

dear mike & chris,

i am so happy that you got your licensing deal and those evil rumours weren't true. ever since this economic slowdown began, it seems that the good are on the chopping block and the ugg-ly continue to thrive. it seems the true victim of the falling markets is taste. but.. i digress.

the important thing is that you are still here and still bringing my deepest desires to light. most recently, this luscious woven leather jacket (with a hood!).

while the price tag remains out of my reach, my sartorially snobby heart soars. because, recession or not, you (among others) are still putting design and luxury ahead of of the bottom line.

bless you.

love,
natalie

clear eyes. full hearts. can't lose.

2009-01-16T10:33:00.000-05:00

after months of anguish. after months of anticipation. after (what feels like) an eternity of longing for tim riggins... the day has arrived. season three of friday night lights (finally) airs tonight in canada.

for anyone who isn't watching this show - choosing instead to support mind-numbing, vapid, reality television - do yourself a favour, go to your local video store, rent the first two seasons and start watching. this is, hands down, the best show on television (and yes, i obsess over chuck bass). the characters and storylines will win your heart ten minutes into episode one. coach taylor, buddy garrity, tami, saracen, smash, lyla and riggins.

sigh, tim riggins...

i've missed you baby.

swoon!

2009-01-12T21:48:00.000-05:00

hellooo 2009!! i know, i know.. i haven't been blogging. i'm a gigantic fail (as sarah nicole so lovingly told me today). but, just because you haven't seen the fruits of my internet browsing, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. to whit, here are a few things i have been lusting over during the new year...

kate winslet may have been the evening's big winner (yay kate!!), but it was maggie gyllenhaal who floored me during last night's golden globes. in a sea of strapless, uninspired mermaid gowns, gyllenhaal radiated chic in this floor-length, printed lanvin number.

swoon!

as if being one of the leaders of canada's crop of catwalkers wasn't enough*, jessica stam also has to live in the dreamiest, most jewelry box-like apartment ever. decorated by rafael de cárdenas, stam's east village apartment is everything i've ever wanted in an abode (closet included!). since stam travels at least 6 months a year, i figure she is probably looking for a trustworthy house-sitter. right?

swoon!

and finally, as if i wasn't disappointed enough with my decor or wardrobe (or singledom), beth introduced me to paumes - a japanese line of books that feature the adorable apartments of couples in paris & stockholm. nevermind the fact that i can't read japanese, the photos alone will provide hours of aesthetic entertainment. methinks i will have to pop into good egg and add these to my home library (or at the very least, have a nice, leisurely flip through with my clover coffee).

double swoon!!

*seriously, take a look at this girl (and those ah-mah-zing moroccan doors). someone who looks like this doesn't need that incredible, vintage wallpaper on her walls.. just cover every surface with mirrors and stare at yourself. sigh.

a resolution to keep?

2008-12-17T13:18:00.000-05:00

it's no secret that i am fairly susceptible to flattery. so after a friend suggested that i grow out my bangs in the new year ("i mean, bangs look good on you. but they look good on everyone"), she sent me this:

"you know, i really think you look like her" she said, "and i can totally see you wearing that."

and.. just like that, my 2k9 hairstyle has been determined. now i just need to save up for some balmain & gucci, and ms. alt and i will be indistinguishable.

all i want for christmas (part one)

2008-12-09T16:56:00.000-05:00

i don't even care what it smells like, this christmas i must own a bottle of miss dior chérie.

call me a hopeless romantic, an unabashed francophile or another casualty of aspirational advertising, but this will be my signature scent of 2009.

special thanks to sophia coppola for, once again, filling my (day)dreams with balloons, bikes and cupcakes, all wrapped up in a delicious haze of sunlight and cotton candy pink.

oh, the places you'll go!

2008-12-03T10:04:00.000-05:00

i always knew this day was coming, i just thought i'd be more prepared when it did. i know that growing up and moving on is inevitable. that even though your playpen grew bigger, it was still too small to hold you in forever. i'm just not ready to let you go yet... but, i have no choice.

i will miss how, no matter how bad my day was, i could peek in on what you were doing and feel happy. i worry about who will play with you once you're not all together. i worry about how you will sleep when you're not piled on top of each other.

from the moment i saw the crate, i knew the end was coming. i knew no matter how much i worried, no matter how much i cared, no matter how much you meant to me, that you were going to leave not only me, but each other as well.

i will cherish the time we had together. i will try not to begrudge the slideshow that will now play on for eternity. and, most importantly, i hope that your new (webcam-free) homes will love you as much as i loved you. though i'm sure others will try, no one can re-create the magic of your puppycam.

just as my mother sent me off to university, so i send you off - with dr. seuss:

so... be your name autumn or aki or amyui
or amaya or ando or akoni
you're off to great places!
today is your day!
your mountain is waiting
so... get on your way!

you all saw this one coming

2008-11-26T18:39:00.000-05:00

after seeing Twilight (which is vastly superior to the novel) this week, bella swan was neck-and-neck with sookie stackhouse in the "i wish i was her" race. despite sookie's enviable telepathic abilities, bella's beau is one dreamy immortal i wouldn't think twice about opening up my veins for.

the race ended this afternoon, when a considerate pal sent me the below photo. bella swan partaking in the ganja? out in broad daylight?? now this is a literary heroine i can get behind! (and also explains all of bella's unending paranoia about edward leaving her. i'm onto you, stephanie "the mormon" meyer.)

oh, and yes. i really really like vampires.

and how was your morning?

2008-11-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

bad: getting to the office at 6 a.m. to read & compile latest film's reviews.

badder: when multiple reviews contain the words "appalling", "bomb", and "crapedy" (which isn't even really a word).

baddest: emailing out the report and forgetting to include the company's president on the distribution list.

and THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is why i should never get up before 11 a.m.

baby it's (getting) cold outside

2008-11-25T20:50:00.000-05:00

at the last minute my date decided to cancel on me, freeing up my evening for, well, anything at all. since a free evening on the brink of the holiday season is rare, i decided to take advantage of it in the best way possible - by devoting it to myself.

a japanese-italian fusion dinner*, a glass** of chilean malbec, a french classic by one of my favourite spanish expatriates and a quick flip through the newest american vogue*** rounds out my perfect multicultural, pre-winter evening. i'm not hibernating yet, but a little warm up**** never hurt anyone.

*sushi pizza, yumyumyum.

**or two. fine, three.

***i swear that i read other magazines, but it just arrived in the mail today (and what did angelina do that was "very uncool"?? i needed to knooooow!!)

****pun intended.

loco for coco

2008-11-24T17:26:00.000-05:00

i can remember the very first vogue i ever bought: it was november 1999 and the cusp of the new millennium. to commemorate, vogue presented a retrospective cover of the most influential models of the century. the 3-page fold out cover featured "modern muses" new and old, black and white, and thrust me headfirst into an obsession with these long-legged, beautiful creatures.

a decade later, those who were considered "new" have become "super" (gisele)and a few of the "old" have become parodies of themselves (ahem, paulina porizkova). while my fascination with models remains, the players have changed. now there is a new crop of faces, but none (old, new or in between) have charmed me like coco rocha.

aside from the obvious (her face, her walk, her canadian roots), it is coco's effervescent personality that distinguishes her. from the moment she irish jigged down jean paul gaultier's catwalk i was smitten. apparently style.com agrees with me (as evidenced by their multiple behind-the-scenes videos with her). below is my most recent fave: