Lisa's Most Coveted List

This month's Most Coveted list is equal parts wishlist and love list. Enjoy!

1. Contributor by Rachel Comey sandals ($49 online at Urban Outfitters). Flat and low-heeled sandals are much more interesting than flip-flops when it comes to summer footwear options, particularly when they have cool details like colour-blocking, strap loops and a low 1" wedge heel. If red is too bold for you, don't fret: the black version (featured in I'm the It Girl's latest Shoe Wednesday post) is just as stylish.

2. Alice + Olivia petal sleeve blouse ($221.08). Trends may come and go, but a black-and-white tie-neck blouse has perennial appeal. I like how the sleeves and tie have a soft fluttery quality in Alice + Olivia's version, probably thanks to the luxe silk crepe fabrication.

3. Juliet & Company Poudre Noir necklace ($72.35). Speaking of the appeal of black and white, how about this necklace? The design is simple and beautiful, evoking allusions to art deco and Coco Chanel yet still maintaining a sense of modernity. (Translation: I really, really love it.)

4. The trailer for Black Sheep. Has anyone seen this movie? It's a horror film about killer sheep. Set in New Zealand. And yes, I'm being completely serious. I laughed so hard when I first saw the trailer that I nearly cried. Then I forwarded it to my manager and coworker.

5. Goody spin pins. My thick unruly Asian hair decimates regular bobby pins. They either slide out or become splayed and useless after I stick them in a bun, and it always seems to take more bobby pins than I expected to achieve the perfect 'do. This summer though, I've been relying on the Goody spin pins to put my hair up quickly and easily. Just two corkscrew pins that never splay or bend out of shape, one or two bobby pins to tuck in stray ends, and I'm good to go. The spin pins create a bun that stays in place quite well if you're doing nothing more than sitting in front of a computer and going about your day, although it doesn't hold up to an intense workout or a slew of salsa spins. Oh well, you can't win them all!

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My Halloween

Although I didn't go out and party in a skimpy costume, my Halloween was far from humdrum. Here's a look at my day.

I liked my first haircut at Barbarella so much that I decided to go back.

They did a great job, didn't they? I snapped a pic in Barbarella's washroom. Dig the artwork on the walls.

The boy and I met up for lunch at Kwong Chow Congee Noodle House. Here he is fiddling around with his phone. I had watercress and salted rib congee, while he had fried rice and Chinese doughnuts.

It was such a gorgeous day outside we decided to stroll up and down Main Street and window shop. We popped into Two of Hearts to say hi to Tabitha Savoie en route.

The boy and I stopped for coffee and tea at JJ Bean and figured out our next activity...

...and decided on the Stanley Park Ghost Train! Every year the miniature railroad in Stanley Park is set up haunted house-style. Kids and adults ride the train and enjoy the theatrics and ghoulish fun along the way. This year's theme was the underworld and the afterlife in different cultures.

After the train, we went to eight1/2 on Main and E. 8th for gourmet mac n' cheese and hot butternut squash soup. Our dinner was punctuated with texts from my friend Felix, who wanted to know what we were up to and jokingly expressed his willingness to play third wheel for an excuse to leave his house.

The three of us watched Zombieland and I swear, I haven't laughed this hard in a long time. Columbus's rules for surviving Zombieland will probably be stuck in my head for days.

What did you do on Halloween?

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Lisa's Most Coveted List

Holy smokes, almost 2 months have gone by since the last installment of my Most Coveted List! Here are the 5 things I love for the month of May.

1. AA sweetheart two-toned mini dress ($63). Compared to other stretchy form-fitting mini-dresses made out of a spandex blend, this number does something pretty miraculous: It manages to fit snugly without clinging to lumps and bumps. And although it's not completely backless, the sheer mesh panel in the back is enough flesh exposure for me. I think this dress counts as the "sexy low-back dress" on my spring shopping list.



2. Daniel Henney. MizzJ and I both salivated over the hottie who plays Agent Zero in the new X-Men movie.



3. The British Office of Government Commerce logo. Click the link and tilt your head to the left. Burst out laughing.

4. Great friends, fun times, and soul-searching conversations with inspirational folks.

5. 'Nightview' by Bernice Abbott. Flipping past The Knowledge Network one night, I caught an ad for the Pioneers of Photography documentary series and was absolutely captivated by this photo showing illuminated offices at night in New York. Abbott took this picture in 1932, but the themes it hints at--humanity, metropolis, hope in an urban landscape--still resonate today.

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Pinto Yellow Perfection

Image from blog.newsok.com

Yellow is the colour of sunlight, canaries, wildflowers, and, above all, the colour of optimism. I was reminded of this latter association when I watched Slumdog Millionaire recently. Slumdog's costume designer, Suttirat Larlarb, made a wise decision when he chose to dress the character of Latika in dandelion yellow throughout the film. Just look at Freida Pinto playing Latika as an adult! Wearing a yellow scarf or tunic along with that radiant smile, she shines like a ray of hope in Jamal's life, warming his heart while simultaneously melting ours. Thanks to this iconic image of Latika on the train platform, I will forever think of bright, saturated yellow as "Pinto yellow."

The 'Monarch' top. I took this picture at the Two of Hearts Boutique grand opening.

As I discovered when I wore my new 'Monarch' top by Two of Hearts last week, Pinto yellow can be an instant mood booster, making you smile more and brightening your entire outlook. For all of these reasons, I've rounded up my favourite Pinto yellow picks. Enjoy!

Giraffe scene skirt (Anthropologie), $130.69. Liven things up with a whimsical giraffe print! This skirt is perfect for summer when paired with a white cami, dark denim jacket, and cork wedge sandals.



Shadowlight dress (Anthropologie), $197.37. Sophisticated diagonal gradients and a sweet bow sash let you wear black-and-yellow, minus the bumblebee connotations.



BDG knit miniskirt (Urban Outfitters), $38. Pair this mini with a gray jersey tunic and a black studded leather belt, or throw on a leather bomber jacket for a sleek, modern look.



Mrs. Robinson sunglasses (Urban Outfitters), $18. I threw these in because I couldn't resist the metal detailing on the arms.



Silence & Noise strapless dress (Urban Outfitters), $58. Channel Blair Waldorf in a canary cocktail number equally appropriate for a dinner party or a night of clubbing. I like the hidden pockets on the side too.



Ruffled cardigan (Old Navy), $20. A lightweight cardigan adds a pop of colour to spring ensembles.



Floral canvas hobo (Old Navy), $16.50. This bag is perfect if you're looking for a spring/summer carry-all that can tolerate everyday wear and tear.



Chinese Laundry 'Bog' rainboots (Piperlime), $60. April showers bring May flowers (and glum spirits). Ward off a bad mood with a sunny pair of rainboots.



Nine West 'Myth' sandal (Piperlime), $69. So perfect with a white eyelet sun dress.



Speaking of bright colours, last week was Holi, the Hindu "festival of colours." If you can't celebrate by loading a Super Soaker full of coloured water and hosing down your friends, do so by making one of Food Fanatic's delicious Indian cuisine recipes!

How do you feel about Pinto yellow?

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Lisa's Most Coveted List

This edition of my Most Coveted List is long overdue! 5 things I'm loving or lusting after right now.

1. NARS Orgasm Blush. Best blush buy ever. Back in January I had a gift certificate for The Bay, and not being in need of clothes, I decided to spend part of the amount on a new blush. (My old Revlon blush had been with me since I was 17. I dropped the compact and the clasp broke; it never closed properly after that. Needless to say, this purchase was way overdue.) The peachy pink shade is universally flattering, and when worn on the apples of your cheeks, looks like a 100% natural glow.



2. My new blog banner! In case you haven't noticed, Solo Lisa is sporting a new, more polished look these days thanks to my friend and graphic design guru Artem.

3. 90s nostalgia. I don't know why, but lately I've been experiencing the worst craving for 90s shows, movies, and music. This Counting Crows playlist on Imeem entertains me while I'm at work with tunes like "Holiday in Spain"--so perfect and full of melancholy yearning. I also re-watched Clueless 5 times in December. If you're feeling the 90s love right now, read Shay's post for a succinct breakdown of what 90s style was all about!

4. Miu Miu pleated apron skirt. I'm ridiculously in love with this swath of fabric on a fastener, thinking of the plethora of layering possibilities it represents. Wear it over a tee and jeans. Layer it on top of a peach cocktail dress at chest level and cinch it with a black patent skinny belt, like the March 2009 issue of Vogue did. Would I pay $880 for this? No. But maybe I could make something like it if I got my hands on some black jersey...



5. Paper flower headdresses from Chanel's SS09 couture show. One word: Wow.

Original images from style.com

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Eye Candy: Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights

It's been ages since I've done an Eye Candy post with pictures of whatever catches my fancy at the moment. For today's Eye Candy fix, I turned to one of my all-time favourite guilty pleasures, Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. I appreciated the fashion the umpteenth time around much more than Diego Luna's puppy dog eyes. Think full skirts that swish and swirl on the dance floor, belted waists, cardigans, halter dresses, retro swimsuits, and lots of ladylike details like red lips, pearls, and gloves. Enjoy!

P.S. I'm so glad I've figured out how to take screen captures in my DVD viewer.

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Translated: Julieta Venegas/ Eugenia Leon

Out of the 4 films I managed to catch at the Vancouver International Film Festival this year, my favourite was Quemar las Naves, or Burn the Bridges in English. Burn the Bridges tells the story of Helena and Sebastian, siblings stuck in a crumbling colonial mansion caring for their gravely ill and bedridden mother. Their situation is one of precarious harmony until a boy with a rough background transfers to Sebastian's school and Sebastian must deal with his burgeoning homosexuality.

I know this isn't much of a synopsis, but it's hard to sum up the wonderful character-driven drama and smart comedic moments in this film and in the gems of contemporary Mexican cinema in general. For example, how would you describe Y Tu Mama Tambien? A film about two teenage boys on a road trip with an older woman whom they plan to seduce. And Amores Perros? Three love stories which intersect because a car accident in Mexico City touches all of the characters' lives. You see? It's difficult to do without spoiling the movie or turning this blog post into a novella. Just trust me when I say this is an extremely impressive and memorable film.

Equally haunting is the song "Mi Principio" by Eugenia Leon, which echoes the film's title and recurs throughout as a motif for endings and fresh starts. For the movie soundtrack, folksy pop singer Julieta Venegas did a cover of "Mi Principio," adding her own special touch with her smooth vocals and mellow sound. You can listen to Julieta sing and see clips from Quemar Las Naves in the Youtube video below. If this video doesn't pique your curiosity and inspire you to check out more Mexican cinema, I don't know what will.

Want to hear Eugenia belt it out? Check out Senora Leon's version here. Talk about powerhouse vocals!

Anyway, I dedicate this song and my translation of the lyrics to anyone out there seeking to leave bad situations behind and embark on fresh starts.

Mi Principio ("My Beginning")

One day I'm going to go
And I won't ever return
I would prefer the solitude
Than to live without my truth
You'll miss me for sure
Like a city bird
that goes seeking the sea

Because in the end
Even though I was happy here
I must move on, to a place far from here
Don't misunderstand me
It doesn't concern two people
It seems like the end but it's my beginning

One day I'm going to go
And I won't ever return
I would prefer the solitude
Than to live without my truth

Because in the end
Even though I was happy here
I must move on, to a place far from here
Don't misunderstand me
It doesn't concern two people
It seems like the end but it's my beginning
Don't misunderstand me
It doesn't concern two people
It seems like the end but it's my beginning

One day I'm going to go
And I won't ever return
I would prefer the solitude
Than to live without my truth

Without my truth
Without my truth

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Diego, Me Encanta

Forget the new James Bond movie. I'm more excited about Milk, the Harvey Milk biopic starring Sean Penn which comes out on December 5th. The film recounts the story of the first openly gay man to be elected into office in California during the 1970s. Sadly, he was assassinated the following year. The timing of this film's release is uncanny given the recent results of the Prop 8 vote in California.

Milk's allure for me lies in the fact that this is the first major English-language release that Diego Luna has done in years. According to various sources, Diego plays Sean Penn's lover. (I was pursing my lips with envy as I typed that last sentence). Watch the trailer below; you'll see Diego at 0:58, sporting big hair, aviators, and skintight jeans with his arm wrapped around Sean Penn.

I know it's typical of girls with massive celebrity crushes to gush about how great the objects of their affection are; nevertheless, I honestly admire Diego for the audacity and variety of his project choices. Of his more prominent film roles, he's played:

• A hormonal teenager out to seduce an older woman on a road trip (Y Tu Mama Tambien)
• A lovelorn journalist with few ambitions in life (Solo Dios Sabe)
• A dancing teenage heartthrob in pre-revolutionary Cuba (Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights)
• An airport employee who feeds Tom Hanks (The Terminal)
• A Michael Jackson impersonator (Mister Lonely)
• The guilt-ridden best friend of a suicidal schizophrenic (El Bufalo de la Noche)
• A rookie con artist learning the ropes from a seasoned pro (Criminal)

If Diego isn't enough yummy eye candy for you, Emile Hirsch and James Franco ought to sweeten the deal. Yep, they're in movie too.

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Bonjour Paris!

Last week, I booked my Eurostar train from London to Paris. I've been excited about London all along, but Paris feels a lot more real now that I know how I'm going to haul my ass there.

Will Paris hold the key to my heart à la Anastasia?

Even if it doesn't, I imagine I'll be running around gaping at everything like Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn à la Funny Face--minus the singing.

In any case, I'm probably raising my hopes up too high. Nance in France provides a more realistic look at life in the city of lights, including a list of things that suck in Paris.

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Lisa's Most Coveted List

5 things I'm loving or lusting after right now.

1. "Jebus" and "boo urns." I may be an English lit major, but where would my everyday vocabulary be without these two expressive gems spawned by The Simpsons? They're on urbandictionary.com right now; someday, though, I'm sure they'll join "d'oh" in the OED and become official words/expressions in the English language.

2. Alice + Olivia two toned belted sweater coat, $440. I've obsessed over sweater coats time and time again, but I do believe this one by Alice + Olivia takes the cake. Too bad about the price tag. Not only is it too expensive for me, I can't justify spending so much on an item that I know will pill with regular wear.



3. James Franco. Tortured artist? Please--I'll take a cute guy with a sense of humour over a sensitive suffering soul any day. I know James Franco from the Spiderman movies and his critically acclaimed portrayal of James Dean, yet it took the pothead antics of Pineapple Express to put him solidly in my good books.



4. "Wow" by Orlando Conga. I first heard this merengue track at one of the Sunday afternoon salsa socials and the darn song got stuck in my head. Warning: may cause uncontrollable swaying of hips and tapping of feet.

5. Fairy Tales Are True feather skimmer, $38. Jebus, these shoes make me want to say "boo urns"--in a good way.

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Marciano 'Crete' Day Dress

This comes as a bit of a shameful confession, but I'm a closet The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants fan. I first became intrigued when I saw the movie trailer, and through the first movie and my voracious reading of the entire series in one weekend, became utterly devoted. After Sex and the City, Sisterhood is the second most exciting chick flick for me this summer. Ann Brashares's emotional storylines, beautiful Santorini scenery, great acting by a quartet of appealing actresses...how can you go wrong?

In particular, I'm a huge fan of Alexis Bledel's ladylike look while she's in Santorini: full skirts, demure blouses, strappy sundresses, and perfectly wavy hair. I honestly wanted everything she wore in the film--impossible, yes, but at least I can search for summer pieces that look like something her character, Lena, may wear while summering in Greece. The 'Crete' day dress by Marciano ($113.87) echoes Lena's tastes perfectly. The dress combines an empire waist with a loose A-line cut, making it comfortably breezy while highlighting the narrowest part of the body. I love the pockets on the sides--perfect for hiding nervous, fidgety fingers while talking to cute Grecian boys.

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Luxe For Less: Anne Hathaway's Summery Look in 'The Devil Wears Prada'

About a month ago, I found a copy of The Devil Wears Prada on sale for $6 at HMV. (Bargain DVDs are such a great guilty pleasure.) Since then, I've watched it in English, in Spanish with Spanish subtitles to improve my aural comprehension, and with the audio commentary on. No matter how many times I watch the film, though, I fall in love with the fashion again and again.

In particular, I love the outfit Anne Hathaway wears during a frantic work-day sequence. She just looks so effortlessly chic. If her ensemble can hold up to a day of finding the unpublished Harry Potter manuscript, grabbing a takeout steak lunch from Smith & Wollensky, fetching coffee, running around in NYC summer heat, and non-stop panicked cell phone calls, it'll certainly carry you through a summer day of errands in style.

(Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada.)

Of course, we can't all afford Chanel sunglasses and Calvin Klein sundresses. I whipped up a Luxe For Less version of Hathaway's outfit with the help of Polyvore. However, one detail of my outfit is slightly different from Hathaway's: I traded in her gold pumps for flat gold sandals.

Tiered halter dress from Old Navy, $29.99
Isaac Mizrahi for Target 'Liz' gold gladiator sandals, $24.99
ASOS wood heart necklace, 8 pounds
Erica Weiner necklace from Urban Outfitters, $34
Gold bangle set from Alloy (price unknown)
Black sunglasses from Old Navy (price unknown)
ASOS four buckle wide belt, 12 pounds
Nine West 'Deco' quilted clutch, $75

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My SATC Girls' Night

On Friday night, legions of women across North America dressed to the nines, piled into cabs and cars, ordered endless rounds of cosmos with their dinner, and dutifully lined up and filed into movie theatres for the premiere of the Sex and the City movie. I should know: my girlfriends and I were part of those legions!

I could hardly contain my excitement all day at work and even went to the office dressed as Charlotte York Goldenblatt. Charlotte is probably the most conservative, classic, feminine, tasteful dresser out of the four girls, so her style actually translated pretty well to an office environment. On the way to the kitchen for some coffee, one of my more sartorially smart coworkers (a rare occurrence in a software company, no matter how trendy the neighbourhood its office is located in) gave me a once-over and pronounced me "very summery."

"Thanks," I replied. "I was actually going for Connecticut WASP."

Cue the cracking up, and then even more laughter as I explained who I was supposed to be.

As the day wore on and my SATC enthusiasm spilled over into numerous MSN conversations with guy friends at work, I discovered oddly enough that all the guys had a thing for Charlotte. Even the ones who didn't know the show always remembered "the dark-haired one" and swore up and down that she was the hottest one out of all of them. I guess all four SATC girls look amazing, but Charlotte has the more classically attractive features.

(Me doing my best Charlotte impression at Lucy Mae Brown, the restaurant where we had dinner and drinks.)

Fast forward to 8pm, and it seemed that everyone was fashionably late for our dinner-and-drinks plans at Lucy Mae Brown. Luckily I made it there a bit early and held down the table! Eventually everyone did make it, and we had a brilliant dinner and all sorts of yummy girly drinks (mostly cosmos).

(My friends Lulu and Norma. Aren't they gorgeous?! Look at that hair, and I would kill for their eyelashes.)

(Ali on the far right joined us later. She's a dead-ringer as a younger version of Samantha, isn't she?)

(Me with MizzJ from Being High Maintenance, Not Bitchy.)

Dinner took longer than we thought, and by the time we left the restaurant and frantically piled into Ali's car for the mad dash to Scotiabank Theatre, it was already past 10 and the show was at 10:40. I had a sinking feeling that we wouldn't be able to get any good seats and would be forced to sit way too close to the screen, especially as we made our way upstairs and saw the line-up of well-dressed, manicured and pedicured girls all waiting for the show.

(The lineup seemed like the perfect time for a group shot.)

The wait wasn't long at all before the theatre employees opened the door and the line surged forward. My theory is that they were being merciful to all us gals tottering on our heels, letting us wait for the movie while sitting down in the comfort of cushy seats rather than killing our feet standing in line. Ali snuck in M&Ms and Skittles, but that wasn't nearly as bad as the women who'd snuck in wine for the show just before ours. Much to my relief, we snagged great seats: mid-way up the theatre, in the balcony section so that MizzJ and I, being the short chicks we were, didn't have to crane our necks over someone else's huge head to see the screen.

(MizzJ and I in our seats, waiting eagerly for the movie to start!)

(We had so much time to kill I even did a "shoe shot." From top left going clockwise: MizzJ, Ali, me.)

Non-fans of SATC won't understand what the hype was all about and would probably think this was a shallow, vapid movie about shallow, vapid women. For the fans who've seen these characters grow through six seasons on the small screen and understand the subtext of much of the plot, the film was the perfect love letter to fans everywhere - just like the one Mr. Big sends Carrie during a pivotal scene. It was well worth the wait.

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