OOTN & FOTN

It was so nice to catch up with friends on Friday night (thanks Rob!)  ;) 

We went to a club called Bar244. 

I really liked the music - lots of dance music! All drinks are cheap at $3-$4. I think the only turn off for me was the young crowd - it felt like a throwback to high school ten years ago. Okay, that would be cool only if I was ten years younger LOL 

Ah well, still had a fab time with friends and that's what counts :)

I haven't done an OOTN and FOTN post in a while so here is one for you (now you know why I was late ten minutes Rob haha)

I coloured my own hair earlier this week with L'oreal Feria #45 Deep Bronzed Brown.

If I stay within 1-2 shades of my natural hair colour, L'oreal Feria hair colour has never let me down. And even though my hair is a long length, I only need one Feria box dye

The eye shadow I have on is mainly MAC Nehru which I did a post on a few days ago here

The lashes I have on are my favourite pair! It's my trusty Ardell 107s and I've done a post on them here 

I layered two necklaces: one is Hello Kitty and the other is from Charlotte Russe 

I wore the Guess Kayla dress, which I'm not surprised to see they are sold out of

My purse is Steve Madden (I loveee the studs on this bag)

My heels are the Patent Uber Covered Platform Pump in Nude by Charlotte Russe (patent + nude + high heel = love at first sight for me! I have a shoe haul post coming up by the way)

These are the side slits in the Guess Kayla Dress. 

And these are all the accessories I had on last night :)

Not mentioned already is the Charlotte Russe bracelet to the far left.

The Bebe cuff bracelet (under the high heels) 

Both rings are from Forever21

My watch is from Guess

Do you like seeing these type of posts? 

If so, I will try to do them more often....

And how is your weekend coming along? :)

It's Worth the Drive to Buffalo

Do you remember the ads for The Old Hyde House? 

(sheesh I just googled it and I can't believe it's still in existence - I thought the place was out of business) 

Well, you probably only know what I'm talking about if you live in Ontario - but the company slogan is "It's Worth the Drive to Acton". Personally, I don't think it's worth the drive....

but, when I think of Charlotte Russe shoes, all I can think about is "It's Worth the Drive to Buffalo" LOL

It's even worth the shipping across the border into Canada + taxes on them if you ask me

I thought my last shoe haul would prevent me from getting more heels, but I was actually inspired to get more - because Charlotte Russe came out with some new ones onilne with my name on them!! :)
(I mean that sarcastically - they really haven't named a shoe Karen yet LOL)

I have these in red as well as in taupe (you can view them in my previous post here)

But these Charlotte Russe Peep-Toe Booties with Side Zipper are super comfortable and sexy! OMG it is not easy to find that combination together in heels especially at such an affordable price
By the way, the online picture surprisingly isn't very nice - it looks like grey fabric online but in real life it looks like my picture above - a black suede-like finish.


The next three pairs are the same style of shoe - it's the Charlotte Russe Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heel which I already have in black, royal blue and olive green. I love love this style of shoe. OMG it's absolutely worth it if you want to get a pair of patent peep toes for $30...and like many stores in USA there seems to always be some kind of sale going on at Charlotte Russe (like Buy One Get One $15 or 50% off)

I find it difficult to resist anything in nude colour - especially if it's nude patent
These heels are no exception. They are just as comfortable & easy to walk in as the peep-toe booties.

Personally I like the nude more than the white heels, but I got the white one as well because the price is affordable and I like it ;)

OKAY! If you get only one pair of the Charlotte Russe Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels, this is it. 

OMG the red is such a gorgeous shade. And it will absolutely jazz up any casual outfit with jeans. Plus, you can definitely dress this one up. 

Overall I'm really surprised that the Charlotte Russe Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels haven't sold out online for the most part - many sizes are still available in the various colours. 

On the other hand, the next two pairs did sell out really quickly online. I admit I have an awful habit and check the Charlotte Russe website almost everyday so I was lucky to place an order in time - and I love these!

This is the Charlotte Russe Floral Platform Sandal with Buckle in pink. A lot of the sizes sold out within 2-3 days, and the link for the heels is no longer even up on the website

These heels scream "spring! summer!" (am I losing it?! LOL) especially with the bright floral print and cork platform/heel. 

Notice that these heels are by a different brand - they're not the Charlotte Russe brand. The brand is carried by Charlotte Russe and it's called "Liliana" so perhaps if you really want these heels you can try searching online using the brand's name.

For shoes at Charlotte Russe, the difference I find between the Charlotte Russe branded shoes and the Liliana branded shoe is that the Charlotte Russe branded shoe is slightly better quality. But the main difference is that Charlotte Russe heels run in full sizes while the Liliana brand run in half sizes. Personally I'm the same size for Guess heels as I am for Liliana brand heels (size 6.5 for me) while for Charlotte Russe I scale down a half size (size 6 for me).

 I love the small rhinestones along the buckle ;)

And needless to say, you know me when it comes to heels - so I got the Charlotte Russe Floral Platform Sandal with Buckle in black as well ;) These do wear very well, fit well and they are very comfortable. 

I'm really happy with the quality and style of all the heels in this post. 

What is your favourite brand for shoes? 

Shoes!

Dale came up with the idea to take me shopping across the border to Buffalo New York and Niagara for three nights. Shopping there is fantastic if you live in Southern Ontario - not just for the bargains and lower prices but also for the vast variety. 

Just wanted to add that we spent the three nights at the Marriott Residence Inn Buffalo Cheektowaga, which is right across the Walden Galleria shopping mall. Both Dale and I loved the Inn we stayed at and highly recommend it! All the rooms are suites with a full kitchenette, modern furniture, nice layout, high speed wireless internet inc, and the all inclusive breakfast was insane! Americans do not joke about food LOL

So here are the shoes we got from the States as well as in Toronto while Dale was visiting...Dale's a sweetheart and bought all of these shoes for me

I love this shade of brown and the various straps 

I love the zipper design on these

Dale bought the two boots above for me at a store on Yonge Street (near College St) called Meteor 

And both the boots are above the knee on me

OMG these are really nice knee high boots. It's very sexy rocker chic
These are from Zigi New York's Rock & Candy collection
Dale bought these for me at Icon shoe store in Fairview Mall

The purple-wine colour of these shoes are gorgeous! These are Zigi New York heels
Dale also bought these for me at the Icon Shoe Store in Fairview Mall 

I love this colour of Suede! And I like how the texture of the heel is the same as the peep-toe base part
These are Steve Madden "LULUUU" 

I know I know....I have the peep toe version of these (seen here) but I can't resist gold glitter and high heels *sigh*
These are the Steve Madden "CARYSSAG"

OMG I have looked for these everywhere!!
Dale and I found these at DSW shoes in Buffalo - they were the last pair in my size. Oh it was meant to be LOL
These are also the Steve Madden "CARYSSAG" but in multi glitter

These are the Steve Madden "RUSSHH" in nude patent
Patent leather is probably my favourite finish on shoes not just for the look but because they're easiest to clean

Dale and I couldn't resist the colour - these shoes look so sweet and innocent (no I'm not going crazy)
These are the Guess "CARRIE" heels in the "coral" shade - although I disagree that they are coral. They're a blush pink colour to me

I love white shoes (screw the rule about not wearing white shoes before May 2-4 long weekend!)
These are Guess "HONDO" shoes in white patent 
For this style of shoe it fits a full size down on me (I'm usually a 6.5 at Guess but a 5.5 for Guess "HONDO")

Dale found this colour of Guess "HONDO" shoes in Calgary where he lives 

Dale bought me these Guess heels from a Guess Outlet store. The style name is "HATCHER"

Along with those Steve Madden Multi Glitter pumps at DSW Shoes, Dale also bought me these Guess Black Patent Peep-toe Pumps from there. Style name is "PATCHES" and they fit a half size bigger (so these are a size 6 when usually I'm a 6.5 at Guess)

The third pair of shoes Dale bought for me at DSW Shoes are these really cute girly patent pink slingbacks. These are by a brand called "Miss America" in the Ilene Patent Sandal 

So Dale had not been into a Charlotte Russe store before - that is, until he went into one with me in Buffalo. And now I think he loves it as much as I do! :) A lot of their shoes are gorgeous, very comfortable and affordable. There was a "Buy One Get One for $10" (crazy!) and this is what we came out with

Dale beat me to the shoe section in the store (LOL) but these were the 1st pair I grabbed off the shelf
OMG these are soooooo nice! The colour is just amazing, the fit is perfect, they are super comfortable....and these are my first pair of peep-toe booties *sigh* Dale and I went into two Charlotte Russe locations and at both locations there was at least one other lady trying on this exact pair of shoes in this colour. These are the "Peep-Toe Bootie With Side Zipper"

These are the same style as the shoes above but in a grey-taupe colour. Gorgeoussss!

We drove to another Charlotte Russe location just to get these in my size! These are so cute with the lace trim and the colour stands out really nice. These are the "Velvety Bow Front Platform Pump"

Snakeskin pattern! I seriously think these are more comfortable than my pricier Steve Madden heels
These are the "Patent Leather Snakeskin Peeptoe Slingback Heels"

Because the Charlotte Russe Slingbacks are super comfortable and the heel is a nice height, Dale picked up a couple for me including these "Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels" in royal blue

These are also the "Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels" but in a dark olive colour
I know, the shoe straps are looking wonky but it's because these shoes were all squashed into one luggage - they take back their regular shape once I wear them

Yes, these are the same "Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels" but in Dale's favourite colour - black patent (my favourite is a nude patent)
The straps on the shoes are starting to look really funny in these pictures! 

Charlotte Russe also has a lot of cute flats - and I chose these three (well, Dale chose the black ones on the far left)

My first pair of sneakers from Dale :) These are Reebok

Dale loves Macy's and bought me these Dolce Vita heels from there

I LOVE the blush pink colour of these heels and they're the exact same Dolce Vita's as the ones above - also purchased from Macy's.
The arch on these are steep compared to the other slingbacks in this post so if you're opting for comfort, do not get these - get the Charlotte Russe ones (they're also more affordable)

You should have been there when the Canadian Customs officer asked what we brought back into the country! It was like, "Shoes....some food....mostly shoes though"


Do you shop a lot outside of your country because of lower prices and/or more variety? 

Forever21, Guess & Michael Kors

My previous post was getting a bit long so here is the second part

These are more gifts that Dale bought for me in the past month - Dale if you ever read my blog thank you so much for everything

More gift certificates to my favourite clothing stores Guess and Forever21

He knows I love watching movies, how I love Winners and La Senza as well


Not only did Dale give me a gift certificate to Forever21, but he also picked out a few things in the store for me on his own
He realizes that we don't always agree on choice of clothing so he's really open and always includes a gift receipt
But I like his different taste in clothing. It keeps my wardrobe a bit more, well rounded because I tend to always tend to stick to certain styes of clothing without experimenting much
So this is what Dale chose for me from Forever21

This top reminds me of the country-side and farms! Maybe it's that kind of lace with the frills?!
It'd be cute with a jean skirt and some cowboy boots
But I don't think he was thinking farms when he saw that top - he picked out the following skirt to match





I love small floral print. Ahhh, so girly

This is the Scalloped Floral Tunic - I can shift it off shoulder which we're both a fan of
I think he got me this top because he knows I love lace and it has a bit of lace around the collar

What can I say? We both laughed when I opened up this gifted Boston Drawstring Pullover because the both of us know only one thing went through his mind when he saw this hoodie and it's Boston Red Sox

Dale took me to my first baseball game (post is here), bought me my first official Boston Red Sox gear and insisted convinced me to watch Fever Pitch with him :P
This hoodie is really soft though and I love bright coral colours :)


I know Dale also gave me a Guess gift Certificate
But like Forever21, he also went into Guess and picked out a couple of things for me on his own
How nice of him. And he often gets the sales reps to help him out in the store

Dale picked out the pink ruffle dress on his own
It ended up being the wrong size so we exchanged it and while exchanging it, we saw there was the same dress in a darker wash. Since we both loved how the dress looked, he picked up the darker dress for me as well

I love Guess jeans and this is a really nice jean jacket that Dale chose for me
He saw it on a mannequin and he told me that seeing clothes on a mannequin helps him visualize things when he's shopping to buy me something on his own

He picked out all the Guess Accessories for me except for the top left bracelet
I was in the store with him another time and he saw that I really liked it so he picked it up for me

I love this Guess Tara Dress
It's still on sale - I went to the Guess store with Dale and picked this one out
Mind you, you'll have to get one full size down if you like this dress (like if you are a size 5 normally at Guess, get a size 3 in the Guess Tara Dress..there are no even number sizes at Guess usually)

I chose this long top at Guess when I was with Dale in the store
I think it looks good with hosiery/leggings or even jeans





Dale had given me a gift certificate to Guess for my Birthday last month and one of the things I bought using that gift certificate was the black coloured version of this top (above).
I love that top - I love how it's off shoulder and how the sleeves have a laced up cut out
Since these tops were on sale when I went with Dale into the store, he picked up the other two colours for me

Dale chose out this tank top for me - I love graphic tanks

I love these Guess "Amazed" heels that Dale chose out for me
He thought this colour is turquoise - I wouldn't call it turquoise but more of an evergreen (?)


And I went into Michael Kors with Dale and he got me a couple of things

Dale chose this sweater for me
It's really nice! I wore it to the hockey game that he took me to

Now, I've been looking for a luggage coloured handbag for some time
When I saw this push lock satchel in Michael Kors and felt how soft the leather was....I guess Dale realized I really loved the bag so he bought it for me

Not much to say - I love the bag
It's very spacious but not overly huge
The push-lock is a rather easy to open so that is the only downside if there is one - but I just avoid putting anything important in that outer pocket. I keep kleenex there actually

Gosh, I really love everything Dale has given to me

So many things to be thankful for and only a small part of it are the gifts that I post on blogger


What are your favourite clothing and accessories stores?