light enough to travel

this makes me smile.

pittsburgh 6th street bridge by real city art.

i guess i'm not really inspired at the moment: all i've done as of late is watch dancing with the stars, though i'd promised myself i'd post.

here i am posting, if this even counts.

speaking of dancing with the stars, how cute is lance bass ! i had forgotten how much i loved him back in his n'sync days. also, cloris is tremendously entertaining, and the little hannah montana boy is funny. i have a feeling this will be a good season.

make that great.

zoë

ballerina on broadway.

just as everything was starting to slow down, back-to-school speeds things up again.

i'm as ready as i'll ever be.

zoë.

ps - weeds is my newfound love. mary-louise parker is so brilliant, kevin nealon just cracks me up (always) as doug, and i now harbour a gigantic crush for justin chatwin (homegrown boy !). scratch that, my crush has but reemerged.

i heard that cali never rains.

my bags aren't packed. i'm leaving in less than two days and i haven't even begun packing. i suppose i've mentally compiled a few lists of items that will be completely necessary on the west coast, but if i could have it my way, i'd bring everything.

unfortunately, though, my dad rented a prius (an environmental gem, albeit as small as they come) and oversized luggage is unacceptable. and for that reason, i must pick & choose my garments one by one, all the while leaving room in my suitcase for everything i plan on bringing back to canada in the near future.

anyway, since i'm leaving around 5:30am on saturday, i've only got today and tomorrow left for posting. tomorrow will be fully occupied with packing & whatnot (although i will try to squeeze in some time to show you the final product before i leave), which leaves today for every last tidbit of information that i could possibly leave for you to chew on in my absence.

firstly, my two favourites on project runway season five.

also, i suddenly felt the urgent need to comment on balenciaga's fall collection (like it hasn't already been done a million times). what i like the most about nicolas ghesquière is his linear approach to fashion. his creations are true pieces of art - complex and breathtaking - all the while seeming to be molded to the woman's body, in a way that a rare few have seen done before. also, he has the talent of blending together different eras - one can automatically think modern while gawking at his designs, but can also be catapulted into the past, be it '50s or far before that.

oh, & as we cover garment trends & shoe trends & bag trends, why not take a peek at nail polish trends. for me, adorning my nails with vivid hues is just a different way to express myself. actually, i used to never paint my nails - couldn't find the time, lack of interest (which also entailed lack of ability) - but once turned into twice and before i knew it i was vigorously reapplying different shades everytime the old ones wore out. i wouldn't say i'm a nail polish junkie, but i like to think that a set of well-manicured fingertips is now a fundamental.

i love the baby blue on whitney port & rihanna, as well as eva's navy. i hope to purchase a blue-tinted opi nail lacquer sometime (soon) - either russian navy or i'm dating a royal.

lastly, i shall leave with you a little outfit i put together at a whim, something i could definitely see a girl sporting while sipping a starbucks latte on the corner of melrose & highland.

barbara bui shoes from shopjake; motif tights off of a picture on the cobrasnake; lux zipper skirt from urban outfitters, antik batik bag from shopbop; & triblend tank from american apparel.

zoë.

if it makes you happy.

If you go into my bathroom, turn towards the sink counter & open the second drawer from the bottom, you'd simply be astonished by the amount of makeup it houses. To top that off, some of the stuff in there is really nasty. I have a Maybeline eyeshadow quad from at least three years ago, a broken MAC shadestick in snakeskin, quite the array of empty concealer tubes & pressed powder that I can't even remember purchasing. Sometimes I wish I had the guts to just plow through it all & get rid of, say, ninety percent of the crap in there. I mean, am I ever really going to use the empty John Frieda frizz-ease I was addicted to last year? No, I probably won't, but yet, I feel the need to keep it forever.

What can I do to solve my problem? It's simple. I have to raid through that damned drawer, and keep only the bare essentials, no more. Okay, maybe a bit more, like the tools needed for an attempt at a 'smokey eye', aswell as a bright magenta lipstick to be worn only on very special occasions. But nevertheless, the key is to lose the excess.

The perfeck makeup kit: Benefit Cosmetics Lite SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer ($30), Make Up Forever Lift Concealer ($21), Smashbox Eyelights Palette ($34), Benefit Cosmetics BadGal Eyeliner ($18), Imju Fiberwig Mascara ($22), Smashbox O-Glow ($26), Bare Escentuals Smoky 'V' Eye Tutorials ($32), Shiseido Fine Eyeliner ($27)& Shu Uemura Natural Brush ($50). Albeit very expensive, admit it, you'd love to have these products in your makeup kit. GRAND TOTAL: $260,00.



And now, for the smaller, more realistic makeup kit: Cover Girl Line Exact Eyeliner ($7), Cover Girl Volume Exact Mascara ($8), Rimmel London All Over Jumbo Pencil ($4), Neutrogena Shimmer Sheers for eyes, lips & face ($8) & Cover Girl Smoother SPF 15 Tinted Moisturizer ($10). Okay so I'm missing a blush, a brush and any eyeshadows for this one, but I simply could not think of any particular item I've wanted, so I summed it up with those. GRAND TOTAL: $37,00.



As for hair, I want to be able to put more effort into it. But of course, it's impossible to have perfect hair without the right tools: and although I do own a hair straightener, I know for a fact that's not enough. Necessary objects: Frederic Fekkai Coiff Perfecteur, Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum, Dove Sheer Moisture Shampoo & Dove Intense Frizz-Control Cream.



Although this picture was taken before Ashley Olsen discovered balienciaga booties & stopped using shampoo, I think it's a good representation of pretty, healthy hair. I llooove the side-swept bangs.


And last but not least, smooth skin is a necessity. Personally, I'm not one to own a great amount of creams, butters & moisturizers, because quite frankly I'd set them aside one night and never use them again. The regularity of applying lotions never seems to catch on. Nevertheless, I try to apply moisturizer & body butter every now & then to keep my skin looking fresh. Another product I love is Philosophy's Cinnamon Buns, a shampoo, conditioner & body wash, all in one. It also works great as a bubble bath, and cleans and conditions in one esy step (Do I sound like an infomercial right now? I swear it's accidental). I'm longing for Dove's Regenerating Night Cream, and I've been eyeing Bliss' Lemon + Sage Body Butter for a while now, too.



It seems to me beauty products & cosmetics are getting to be more and more costly by the year, but when it really comes down to it, it's worth it. Right?

Zoë.

PS: Watching CSI reruns all Christmas vacation? No no no, if anything, watch House of Carters. Pure gold, I tell you.