Enid Blyton, where are you?

When I was a under 12, before I loved Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, I was a big Enid Blyton fan.  I loved her books, especially the series -- The Five Find Outers and a Dog.  If my memory serves me correctly, there were 15 books in that series and I would save my lunch money or ask money from my grandpa to buy a Five Find Outers book. I don't know if the Famous Five series also written by Enid Blyton is the same as the Five Find Outers.

Another memorable book I read by Enid Blyton is the book "The Land of Far Beyond". I haven't read the Pilgrim's Journey so I did not know how similar Enid's book was to that.  All I know is I loved, loved, loved the story.  It was about a child who has to go to a far away land because his city was already so full of evil.  He encountered characters such as Sloth, Charity, and other friends or foes.  Then I remember that before entering the gates of the Lnd of Far Beyond -- he was asked, which one is the greatest, Faith, Hope or Love?  I loved how Enid Blyton told the story.

After almost three decades of having last read an Enid Blyton book, I still remember her stories and I wouldn't mind reading her books again.  Her books remind me so much of my childhood - fresh, rustic, and full of adventure!

Pretty Pictures: by Tom Masse

His works are always colorful and intricate.  It is like looking at a story everytime you look at the picture.  Every inch of the pictures tells draws you into a scene. And you become part of a place that is breathes of magic and fantasy.

I found his interpretation of Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz cute and fascinating. But my favorite would be the Magical Mystery Tour of 100 Beatles Song.

Daily Candy Deals: Vegan Bags on Sale

I love DailyCandy! Their discounts are steep and they feature up and coming designers.  One boutique caught my attention -- Matt and Nat.

They were under the Earth Week promotions, so I really didn't pay that much attention.  Sure, I can buy a recycled bag and use it as a shopping bag or lunch bag, but not for anything else.

When I saw the Matt and Nat wallets, clutches and bags, I was pleasantly surprised. These are what are called "Vegan Bags" and their linings are made from recycled plastic bottles.

Two bags caught my attention.

Vegan Snake Callahan Bag

This is a small pouch.  And it is on sale.  From $125 to $50.  What temptation!

Vegan Snake Voxtrot bag

On sale from $225 to $99.

They have lots of good stuff on their site -- http://www.mattandnat.com/shop/.  Unfortunately, not all of them are on sale.  Only those in Daily Candy are on sale.

Well, you can always think that you are not only getting a pretty bag, but you are also helping the environment!

Sooo Last Year -- NYC Streets Dressing Up

Well, you have to forgive me,  I just started this blog a couple of days ago.  So these pictures are, as my friend would say -- soooo last year, because they literally were taken around August of last year.

BUT, even if they were sooo last yer.  They still are pretty!

Leave it to Dior to have very pretty "Under Construction" sign.  Yes-- the big oversized bag was their "Under Construction" sign.

This was in Times Square last year.  I guess they ran out of store window space.

Canal Street Finds -- The Good and The Bad and The I Don't Know

Going home, I take a ACE from Canal St. I often find myself wandering and window shopping in the Canal St. shops especially after a stressful day at work. I now have a go-to shop and one of the vendors now know me by name.

I like buying trinkets that don't cost much because I lose things.  Wait, let me rephrase that, I lose a lot of  things often. I have a headache just thinking about pricey stuff I had lost.  At least with my Canal St. trinkets, I won;t break my hear that much if I lose them.

That being said, it doesn't mean that I just buy anything!  It has to look at least presentable and has to last for more than 4 months. 

So here are my finds.  Let met start off with 

The Good

These are inspired by the David Yurman collection.  And let me tell you - they look good. And because the color of the chain and the design is sorta darkish silver, you can't really tell if they have faded or not.  The

gold portion may fade a little, but it's not noticeable.  I had them since January of this year and I have worn them pretty often.  So they have withstood the Canal St. 4-month test of time.  I get a lot of compliments for them.  They look pretty authentic.

The I Don't Know

I brought these on a whim.  I have worn the silver bracelet while going on a night out, but that's about it.  The bracelet is inspired by a Tiffany design. And again, since the color is darkish silver, you won't really be able to tell the quality by just looking.  I haven't worn the David Yurman inspired necklace and earrings.  I guess I did not follow my own rule to not buy anything with diamonds or leather from Canal St. because it is easy to see the authenticity of these materials.

The Bad

The design of the watch is good, but the quality is terrible.  The strap started to tear only after wearing the watch 4 times..  Also the quality of the necklace is terrible.  The necklace scratches my neck.   This is what happens when I disobey my rule of not buying diamond and leather knockoffs.  

Something pretty to wear in the kitchen -- Aprons!

I discovered the site http://www.frenchbull.com/.  This store has a wonderful apron collection:

This was from their 2009 collection that was featured in the 2009 NY international gift show.  I looked at the site again today, their apron collection remains more or less the same with some new designs here and there.  But the patterns remain similar.

Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind having any of these pretty aprons. They cost around $40.  And oh they come with matching mitts too!

Spring into Bows -- Baby Fashionista

Bows are pretty.  Babies are adorable.  So babies and bows are a pretty adorable combination.  My friend loves dressing up her little baby girl. Right now, little Mikee's bow collection is expanding.

This picture was taken last Christmas.  In keeping up with the season, Mikee has a red and gold bow and tutu match.

For a spring day walk in the part, lacy leggings and and pink bow is the outfit for the day.

More spring time flower power cheer. I love the knitted jacket and the dress-bow match.

These bows were purchased online at  http://www.baby-bowtique.com/.   Pretty adorable!