Quickie update and coat shopping!

Hello everyone,

I've been neglecting my blog for a while now, but honestly nothing much has happened in my life. After graduating university (yay!) I've been looking for a job (or maybe two? three?) for the past few months. It sucks when you don't drive, it really limits a lot of options. But that's okay, maybe my parents will let me drive without their supervision! Haha, I guess that's also my fault for not being more enthusiastic about getting my license!

So my two main priorties these days are:
1. Getting a job
2. Getting my (full) driver's license

Both of which is taking a lot more time and effort than I imagined.

Anyways, onto the fun parts, Halloween just passed and Christmas is coming up!
Yay! I love Christmas! The food, the presents, the songs, happy cheerful people who can't wait to get a few days off work, being with family and friends. Oh, I almost forgot about the snow and people being close to each other to keep warm.

I've been sick the past few weeks and I'm pretty sure it's because I don't have a proper jacket! I'm not sure how I survived the past few years in university, but I am getting sick all the time in Toronto.

I'm not too particular about my jacket, I'd just like a warm, double-breasted, black (or dark navy) peacoat, that is made of wool or some sort blend with (preferably) cashmere. So far, the only one that fits my list is the Aritzia Howell Coat.I'm not quite sure if it's the "perfect" one yet.

I've looked through many different stores, in almost all the malls nearby, but I haven't found anything else.
I tried on a Ralph Lauren jacket (from The Bay) and it looked a bit funny on me.

The Bay was having a sale, so I went to a few malls and Yorkdale had the biggest selection. I tried on a size 2, the sides were really loose on me but the sleeves were too short.

















I looked at a few coats from Zara, and Club Monaco, but the cutting was weird on me. Having seen the J.Crew catalog, I went to check out the "Majesty peacoat" but I didn't like the feeling of the exterior fabric. It was $348, even with the 25% off I wasn't convinced. I ended up on the J.Crew Factory website, so I found a similar peacoat for $220, and I knew I had to check it out in store.  The exterior on this jacket was a lot softer and smoother.

I wasn't too happy with the floppy buttons though. It is a bit plain which I don't mind, but being that it's J.Crew Factory, I might wait for their promotions and order it online.

Since I still haven't found a proper jacket yet, I ended up at Forever21 and bought a jacket to play around with. It's cuter in person, haha, but I'm not too sure how warm it is. It was pretty inexpensive, but surprisingly contains 47% wool. (Whereas the J.Crew Factory contained 60% wool.)

My sister recently bought the Aritzia Howell Coat, in black, which is 70% wool with 10% cashmere.
I don't have a picture of me wearing it (yet), haha, but I'll definitely be stealing ... I mean borrowing it. Haha, what are sisters for? I never would've expected coat shopping to be so hard!

Until next adventure,
- aggie

FOOD: INADA Japanese Restaurant (Midland/Finch)

Hey everyone!

For a lunch date, me and my boyfriend decided to check out INADA Japanese Restaurant.
I am by all means not a food critic, because I am super duper picky and not adventurous when eat or trying new foods. This will just be me talking about the experience I had, and what my boyfriend thought.

I thought the decor and the plates were really pretty. Very minimalist. The food was very well presented and the servers were very nice.

Topbox, Zara, Holt Renfrew, and a bit of shopping.

Hello !

I received my first Topbox about a week ago, but I didn't want to post it until I had a chance to check out the nail polish. I finally got around to it, and I really love the colour!

Victoria Day weekend in Ottawa! (lots of pictures)

Hello !

Over the weekend, my parents decided to take my sisters and I to Ottawa to check out the Tulip Festival.
It's been a long time since we've traveled together as a family, so I agreed to go with them.
We were there for two days - one night; our first stop was Parliament Hill.

FOOD: Yamaoto Japanese Cuisine (The *New* Watami)

Hello !

The other day my boyfriend and I decided we would go to Market Village (beside Pacific Mall) to have lunch. We walked by Watami Sushi & Grill (the Japanese restaurant) that we frequent and it turned out that they had closed that location and moved to a different location.

We were in a rush so we didn't check it out, but I did take a picture of the sign. I wish they had been more clear on the note - they were actually a few stores down in the plaza! (Silly me, I thought by a few steps was like across the street or down the street... not down a few stores...)






















The new restaurant is called Yamaoto Japanese Cuisine. A few days ago I had the chance to check out the restaurant. Upon walking into the restaurant, we were faced with a very weird smell and (for lack of a better word) "aura" of oil and greasiness. It used to be a grill house, so I assume that the oils had seeped into the walls and carpet. Once we got over that, it wasn't that bad.

I took a picture of their lunch menu, it seems that they raised their prices by a bit (the lunches used to start at $5.99.)

The interior is quite pretty, but I'm not sure if they kept the same decor as Mongolian Grill, since I've never been. They had these "balls" that changed colour, and pretty sakura wallpaper at the back of the restaurant.






















It was pretty dark inside, so my pictures came out a big blurry. Here's a few pictures of the dinnerware, it's a bit bland and plastic looking, but I guess it gets the job done.

Lastly, a super blurry picture of the bento box I got. I got my usual (from Watami) which is the Omega-3 or Salmon special I believe. It was alright, nothing too great. Both my boyfriend and I felt that even though there was the same amount of food, the portions seemed to be smaller. (Perhaps they should use smaller bento boxes?)

















I would probably wait awhile before I visit again though, in the duration that we were having lunch - we witnessed three tables get the wrong orders (one table had told their server that they had already received that dish, but she server insisted and just kept putting down the plate, until the table finally accepted it after the third time she tried to put it on their table.)

The restaurant itself is also quite nice, the walkway to the washrooms and the washrooms itself was pretty -- the plumbing on the other hand, was supremely outdated and in need of a major upgrade.

All-in-all, I would probably go again if I'm out of ideas for lunch. On a brighter note, they now serve all you can eat! It's $13.99 (I believe) for Mon-Fri lunches, which is a pretty good deal if you've got a big stomach, since lunches range from $8-10 anyway.

- Aggie

Lisa's cosmetics warehouse sale!

Hello!

Sometime last week my friend invited me to check out Lisa's Cosmetic's warehouse sale with her. 

We went around 2pm (so that the employees in the neighbouring buildings would be finished their lunch breaks and there wouldn't be too many people) but to our surprise the main parking lot was full! We had to park in a parking lot two buildings away!

The odd thing was, that there was no line to get into the warehouse (which is always a good thing.) 

I spent quite a bit of money, but my excuse is that I absolutely love the Burberry Body fragrance and it was $55!! The retail price is (said to be) $95! Its the Eau De Toilette in 85ml. There were a lot of Gucci and a few Prada fragrances, but I wasn't able to get close to the tables and smell them all. I'll have to go to Sephora or The Bay and check them out prior to visiting the sale next time! 

I bought a few random things, like a swiffer duster, some sunscreens, but my second favourite purchase is the H2O Waterwhite Brightening set. I felt that since I was finished with school (hopefully) I finally have time to treat my face better and give it the love it deserves. 

The H2O Waterwhite Brightening Milk Cleanser is $15, the Waterwhite Brightening Tonic is $10, and the Waterwhite Advanced brightening essence is $19. The set is completed by the moisturizer which I couldn't find there, so I'm just using my Vichy moisturizers. 

The Lisa's Cosmetics (http://www.lisascosmetics.com/) warehouse sale is going to continue for one more weekend! It's the last chance to buy some gifts for Mother's day! There were lots of nail polish and nail tools, a table of Stila cosmetics, sunglasses (some were $25, and more expensive ones included Raybans), men's underclothes, and lots and lots of perfumes and colognes. 

The remaining dates are: Friday May 10 (10am - 8pm) , Saturday May 11 (9am - 6pm) , Sunday May 12 (10am - 6pm) and Monday May 13 (10am - 8pm). 

The address is: 1380 Rodick Rd  Unionville, ON L3R 4G5 (on the corner of Rodick Rd. and Apple Creek Blvd.) 

Oh! A few last thoughts, we had gone when there weren't too many people, but there were some individuals who didn't care and just walked in front or even pushed, so be careful. The line to the washrooms was the longest line I stood in, and the cashiers were basically waiting for people to approach them ( I guess many people looking, but not too many were buying.) There is a rule that children under the age of 12 aren't allowed in, and I guess that's also a good thing because some people are vicious when they see good deals and the children might get lost or pushed.

Happy shopping!

- Aggie

End of term fun and April shopping deals.

Hello !
It's been awhile, finals are not fun at all.

A few weekends ago, my family and I went to Vaughan Mills to shop and to help my sister look for a prom dress. My goodness, time has passed by so quickly since my prom!
I got some basic t-shirts from Guess and some stuff from Lululemon, while my sisters got stuff from Bebe.















My friend introduced us to a cute little restaurant called Shisho Tree Cafe, at J-Town.
It's a quiet little place with delicious food! Lunch was around $8 and we got dessert($6) on top of that.














I ordered the Spicy Sausage pasta. At first it looked like there wasn't enough food for me, but it was actually pretty filling.

And my favourite part of any meal, dessert !! I believe this was the Matcha green tea toast with ice cream.



















Then my boyfriend surprised me by going to Markville, where LOULOU's Shop Till you Drop was happening! I wasn't able to attend the one at Fairview because of the storm that day, but he actually researched when the next one was and took me. I'd almost forgotten there was going to be one at Markvillle!

This was the event at center court. I think there were makeovers and some sort of competition happening. There was also free food! Mmm, there was sushi rolls, bourbon chicken, and a vendor had some sort of drinks. I wasn't planning to go shopping that day, so I didn't go into too many stores. Forever21 had a DJ and I believe some special discounts, and Winners had free drinks.


















Sometime last week, we went to Ajisen Ramen, at Warden and Steeles for lunch. I don't know why I haven't gone earlier! For lunch we got appetizers for $1.50 (or $1.75 can't remember) and he ordered the deep-fried mashed potatoes. My goodness, they were sooooo good.


















When I got home my dad surprised us with some chocolate macarons! Cute little chocolates shaped like macarons !


















(Many had been devoured before I got home)

(Here's a close up)














 Last but not least, something I've been working on during exams. I got a bit lazy trying to colour it all with pencil, so I think I might paint it? It should be easier, especially the green areas.

- A

LOULOU's - Shop 'Till You Drop!

Hey everyone,

I was reading LOULOU (online) the other day and found out that this year's Shop 'Till You Drop will happen in various malls over a period of ten days. If I recall correctly, in previous years this event only happened in one location, once or twice a year. Unfortunately, my university is out of town so I have never been able to attend.

Luckily for me, this year's event will happen between the week off of school for "exam prep" and when exams start. Yay me! On top of that, it will also happen in:

Toronto Eaton Centre in Toronto (April 9th)
Promenade Mall in Thornhill (April 10th)
Fairvew Mall in Toronto (April 11th)
Markville Mall in Markham (April 12th)
Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke (April 16th)
Masonville Place in London (April 17th)
Fairview Park Mall in Waterloo/Kitchener (April 18th)
Lime Ridge Mall in Hamilton (April 19th)

From the LOULOU website:

(Photo taken from http://en.louloumagazine.com)

I will definitely be there, taking pictures, and of course, taking advantage of the shop's special discounts.
What do you think? Will you be attending?

- A

Quicky update and premium outlet in Canada !

Hey everyone,

It's been ten days since I put the Sally Hansen - Salon effects on my nails, and I'm surprised they've lasted this long! I wonder how long they can actually stay on until.

Here's what they look like now,






















Everything looks great except for a small chip, which happened when I was lifting some heavy boxes.
It was so close, it would've been perfect ... except this one nail.






















My nails have grown, and you can see that space in between my cuticles and the stickers.
To be honest, I can't wait to take these off. I recently received a free sample of Essie's sleek sticks.
I had thought that it would be a full set, but this is alright too! I can do manicures or designs and use these strips as my "accent" nail.





















Here's what they look like up close,


















These nail stickers have a bit of texture as well!


















Here's what the rest of the collection looks like. I think the one with the newspaper print/lettering on it is pretty cute. I think I can try to do that with actual newspaper though.

[Zara]
It seems that Zara's online shop in the United States has free shipping to addresses and free shipping to stores. I hope this will be the case for Canada's online shop, or at least reasonable shipping.

[H&M]
I went to H&M over the weekend, but unfortunately it was really busy. I quickly snapped this picture before a fellow shopper walked in front of me. The box for the donations is quite small, and the opening is even smaller. Regular sized garbage bags would not be able to fit. I wonder if they provide their own donation bags? Would that be inefficient and a waste of resources then, to make plastic bags for the sole purpose of receiving donations?

 Last, but definitely not least, is the Premium Outlet (http://www.premiumoutlets.com/) that is coming to Canada. I believe it is the Premium outlet's first location in Canada. This is a picture I took on my way back to university. It is at Halton Hills, and it looks almost complete ! It's supposed to open in the summer, and I can't wait to see what they'll have.

Probably the most known location is the Woodbury Common Premium Outlet in New York, which boasts numerous luxury brands such as: Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Tom Ford, YSL (or Saint Laurent), Versace to name a few. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find Chanel on the store directory list anymore.

I'm really excited to see what this will bring as there aren't too many outlets around the GTA. The only one I can think of is Vaughan Mills, but some of those stores aren't that much cheaper than regular stores. I'm glad I don't have to go all the way to New York to get awesome deals.

Happy shopping,
Agatha

Zara opens online shopping for Canada (#dearcanada)

Hey friends,

My boyfriend had received a Zara gift card over Christmas, and since he knows I love shopping, he gave it to me. The other day, I went online to check if Zara had updated their website for the spring/summer season, and to my surprise (and excitement) they announced that Canada is going to be able to shop online starting March 6th!

I love it when companies decide to open up an online shop. It makes it so much easier for people to buy things, without having to fight other people (although I have never done that, or witness anything of that sort), and to be able to find their size quickly. It is also super accessible, over the weekend my mother (who is sort of a computer noob) was able to buy things on her iPad... and I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I've bought a few things using my phone.

This is a screen shot I took of the homepage. I'm so excited, this is such great news.
Every time that Zara has a sale, the clothes are all over the place and there's always long lines. Being that I am out of town for school, when I am finally able to check out Zara most of the nice pieces and sizes are gone.

For example, this beautiful shoe for $15.99 Canadian. Too bad it's sold out, I didn't even get a chance to see it in person. All that was left were flats, a few pair of boots, and a few sandals ... but they were all too big for me. I mean, how great would it have been, to get these lovely shoes at my doorstep!

Here are some of the things I'm eyeing, and will be waiting for:

I could wear this shirt/blouse with jeans or dark pants in the winter/spring, and spice it up by tucking it in my faux-leather shorts, or a cute skirt. 

These velvet pants are cute! I'm not too sure how they will look on me, I usually try not to wear prints or things that are too bright. 

But my boyfriend told me to stop wearing all black, so maybe this pink blazer (oh my goodness, it is so bright) and this white jacket might brighten up my wardrobe. 

All in all, I'm pretty excited about Zara opening up their online shop. Hopefully their return policy, and shipping rates are good. I've known that their US shop has been open for awhile, so I'm really glad it's finally here ... just one more week! Oh, one more thing, they seem to update their website pretty frequently as they have "new this week", hopefully I will be able to control myself.

Much love,

A 

H&M recycling initiative

Hello everyone,

I'm back at school, which means no TV for me here in residence. Unfortunately that means I don't get to watch The Oscars, but that's alright, I can search up pictures (or clips) of the event tonight and see all the wonderful outfits the celebrities wore tonight.

One dress stood out to me. Here she is, Helen Hunt, in the gorgeous dress.

(Photo taken from refinery29)

Can you believe it's by H&M?!

The same H&M, that after I had done some researching, just started their recycling program. The program recently started worldwide, where customers are able to bring in bags of clothing to recycle and in return you will get either a 15% coupon, or a $5 voucher. Now, I don't know too many details (I shall ask an employee next time I pop into the store) but, donating my clothes to be reused, recycled, or re-purposed is a lot better than throwing things out. I mean, I still donate my clothes to charities but bringing a bag or two into H&M sounds like a good idea for the environment, as well as making my wallet happy. 

So what do you think of H&M's new initiative?
- A 

(More information can be found: The Star - H&M aims to save clothes from landfill and Triplepundit - H&M clothing recycling program live today )

Surprises and nails.

This morning I woke up to a surprise at my door. I had ordered a purse organizer from The Shopping Channel, and it had finally arrived. The Shopping Channel had sent me a gift card ($20) -- I think it was during Christmas, but I have no idea why. I quickly popped onto the website to see what I could buy without having to spend too much more. Luckily, I was able to find this purse organizer for $14.99, and it had free shipping, so obviously, this was my choice.

The box that it came in was fairly small.

When I opened it up, it had two purse organizers! I was pretty happy, but after taking everything apart, it turned out that the package actually comes with 2 small organizers, 2 medium sized organizers, and 2 purse hooks! I guess I didn't read the description fully when I bought it, silly me. 

I'm so happy that I just put one in my bag. The organizer is practically empty as I have been using a small purse, but I guess I'll find things to put it in throughout the day.  :D 

(I'll take pictures of what it can hold once I fill it up.)

So, before I slept last night I had put the Sally Hansen Salon Effects on my nails. I didn't realize it would take such a long time, so after I finished I quickly went to bed. 

Here's my nails with my purse organizers. (Can you tell, I love the organizers already?)

 The box that it came in, states that it lasts up to 10 days. I'm going to see how long it takes before it chips or comes off. (I put 2 coats of Seche Vite, so it should hold up.)

The contents inside, it came with a mini filer, a cuticle pusher, and about 16 strips of the salon effects (meaning there's 6 extra for mistakes or for future manicures.) I didn't need to use my filer as I had my regular filer to use, so this cute little thing is going to go in my purse!

The one thing I'm not too happy about, is all the leftover packaging and garbage.
I understand that other people who use this product will have longer nails than me, therefore wasting less of the stickers. But as you can tell, there is a lot of waste.

All in all, it was pretty fun and it looks pretty nice! It gives a sort of lace and scaly effect. The process took about an hour to an hour and a half.

I'm about to go out to run some errands, I wonder if my nails will chip. 

There's supposed to be a storm(or squall) tonight, stay safe everyone.

- Aggie