Picadilly Circus, London, 2008 – Photo by Cyrillynn

I know I have been talking about this for sometime, but everything is confirmed and set for our trip to London!  As mentioned, I’m going to travel across the pond with my best friend, Janice on August 15th of this year.  Because of wonderful service we received and the fantastic price, we’ll be staying at the same Premier Inn that my husband and I stayed at the last two trips to England, which is literally five minutes from Wembley Stadium.  Also, we are flying British Airways because they now fly directly out of San Diego.  Since Janice has never been to Europe before, in addition to hitting all of the London tourist spots, we are also planning to take a little side trip to Paris (*fingers crossed*).  Janice has been sending me texts with a countdown, which prompted me to add a cute little countdown to this post and to my sidebar. 

Keeping true to my fashionista inner goddess, I’ve also started thinking about what I’m going to wear, because I know we’ll be doing quite a bit of walking.  I’ve mostly got flats slated for our trip, but I’ve got a pair of low-heeled ankle boots and a pair of flatforms that I’m going to be sporting as well.  I definitely plan on shopping, posting outfits and documenting everything right here on the blog! 

I just checked the Rewind Festival site for updates and I am beyond excited because they made an addition that I was not expecting to the show we’re attending on August 19th.  Here is the line up to date:

• OMD (see my posts here and here for previously attended shows)
• Lightening Seeds (“Pure” was one of their more popular songs)
• Adam Ant and The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse
• Roland Gift (Fine Young Cannibals)
• Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet, newly added!)
• The Straits (Formerly Dire Straits)
• Wang Chung
• Marc Almond (Soft Cell)
• John Parr (of “St. Elmo’s Fire” fame)
• Midge Ure (Ultravox)
• The Christians (Not too familiar with their music, although I have heard of them)
• T’Pau (“Heart & Soul”)

My only nervous moments are thinking about being away from Dominic so long while he’s in his toddler phase, because he’s so attached to me right now (I think my husband will be fine).  I know Deon will plan lots of outings with Dominic (most likely golf related), so I’m hoping that will keep him occupied.  Despite that little bit of anxiety, the excitement just keeps building and building!  Look out for more updates as the date gets closer.  Cheers!

I found this fantastic jacket in Anthropologie a few weeks ago as I used my annual birthday discount through their Anthro program (details here).  It’s by Leifsdottir and I immediately fell in love with it when I saw it (still available here).  Then I saw the massive discount and with my additional 15% off, this jacket became a steal.  Originally, I tried it on with jeans, a t-shirt and flats and it completely elevated my casual outfit.  After I bought it, I wore it to work to complement this 60′s inspired shift dress and boots.  It made me feel like hopping on a Vespa while listening to The Jam (hence the post title, video of the song included below). 

Outfit - Alyn Paige dress; Vince Camuto boots; Leifsdottir jacket from Anthropologie (originally $498, down to $129, ended up only $110 with my discount); Coach sunnies; Stacked rings were a gift from my niece

Note: This jacket is quite roomy. I bought a size 6 (which I should never be able to fit in!), so be aware when buying it online.  Also, above is a picture showing the stripe down the sleeves, which cannot be seen in Anthropologie’s online pictures.

(Photos by Rholnna Jiao)

Rest in Peace, Chief Petty Officer Rogelio A. Grospe, USN

(Photo courtesy of The Goat Locker)

My mom loves “infomercials” and is always bringing home the newest gadget that catches her eye during her shopping excursions.  Prior to her surgery, she brought home a pan set called Bake Pops because I had been talking about making cake pops, but never got around to doing it. I know that there is a way to make the popular cake pops organically by baking a full cake and forming them into balls by breaking the cake up and using cream cheese to bind the cake pieces (like this recipe on Little Miss Momma).  Knowing most of my friends make them that way, I felt a little bad about making them with the Bake Pops because I felt a little like I was cheating.

My very first batch was a bit of a disaster.  I just used the recipe as instructed on the cake mix box and used a glaze over them rather than frosting or candy coating, which made them more like donut holes than cake pops (and not as moist).  After another trial and error batch, the cake pops I made finally looked and tasted just like the ones I’ve bought or that were made by my friends.  All in all, I think this is a fairly easy way to make these popular cake pops if you use the tips I provided below.  Enjoy! 

1.  Use the alternate recipe that they provide in Bake Pops instruction booklet:  Replace milk for water, add an extra egg and add a packet of pudding mix.  This will make your cake more dense and incredibly moist.  I used the Pillsbury Moist Supreme strawberry cake mix and added a small packet of vanilla pudding.  My kitchen smelled heavenly.

2.  The cake pops actually come out a bit egg-shaped after they come out of the oven, and they are not as round as they appear in the commercials (my husband says they look like acorns).  This is due to the slight separation between the top and bottom pans, in addition to the holes in the top pan (which allow for rising).  To get them to more of a “ball” shape, just scrape the middle and tops of the cake pops.  I put the lollipop stick in the part of the cake pop where they rose out of the hole, so that the rounded portion is on top.  Also, the candy coating can hide most anything if you don’t wish to scrape the imperfections away. 

3.  Place your cake pops in the freezer to cool prior to coating them.  My niece came over to help make them, and we bypassed the cooling part and it took longer for the coating to set.  For my second batch, I placed them in the freezer prior to decorating them, and the coating set beautifully (note: strawberry cake & light coco candy coating makes for tasty cake pops).

(Note:  This is simply a review of the product, conducted solely at my discretion.  I did not receive any compensation, product or discounts when I purchased the product.)

Is “gray” or “grey” the correct spelling to describe the color?  I’ve read that “grey” is used primarily in England and many use it to describe a color more close to silver, whereas “gray” is used mainly in the US and is used to describe a color between black and white.  Either way, I see “grey” as referring to “Fifty Shades of Grey” (I’ve read the trilogy), and “gray” is the color of this fabulous skirt I’m wearing.  I guess the spelling of both words can be interchangeable in this case, especially with these spiked heels (and may I note that the color of my polish is Dominatrix).  I think Christian Grey would approve, don’t you?

Outfit – Old Navy shirt; Toi et Moi skirt; Rebecca Minkoff MAC purse; Sam Edelman shoes; iSee glasses from GlassesUSA; Nameplate necklace from The Honeyroom

(Photos by Rholnna Jiao)

For Mother’s Day last weekend, we celebrated first at home with a simple lunch with my sister, her husband and my niece, myself, my husband, my son and our mom.  I then treated my niece to a spa day while my hubby took our son out for a game of mini-golf.  After I treated Mei-Lin and myself to a mani-pedi, we shopped for two pretty rings because she gave me such a beautiful set of stackable ones.  My sister said she picked them out herself (Mei-Lin already has great taste)!  We then had Tutti Frutti yogurt to end our day of relaxation.  Meanwhile, my husband called us and proudly proclaimed Dominic shot his first hole-in-one on #12!  As Mei-Lin said, that was the best day ever.  Hope you had a great weekend!

I discovered a new follower on Twitter called  The Honeyroom a couple of months ago and checked out their site, which is a fashion accessory online store. Their products are inspired by celebrity, runway, vintage and retro trends in fashion.  After looking through their vast collection of sunglasses, scarves, hats, and handbags, my interest was drawn to their jewelry because of their “Nameplate Necklaces” section.  With an awesome discount I received when I followed them back on Twitter, I bought myself and two of my girlfriends personalized nameplate necklaces (we are very much SATC fans, but I got the necklaces in silver rather than gold).  In addition to the personalized “Carrie” style necklace, they have a variety of nameplate necklaces to order from, including your Twitter username (mine below is in black).

I know there are many great choices out there for nameplate necklaces.  But if you’re on a budget like me, I think the prices of the one’s found on The Honeyroom are fantastic.  The package arrived fairly quickly (within 2.5 weeks), and I was very happy with the quality of the necklaces.  Additionally, the folks who run the site are very responsive if you have any questions (thank you Andrea!).  If you follow The Honeyroom on Twitter or Facebook, you could get additional discounts, like the 20% off I received from signing up with Twitter, and they also have an affiliate program (see my side bar).  Get to know The Honeyroom and happy shopping!

(Note:  This is simply a review of the site, conducted solely at my discretion.  I did not receive any compensation, product or discounts when I ordered the product from this site.)

If you are a fan of Rebecca Minkoff like I am, the West Coast sample sale will be in full force in both LA and San Francisco this coming weekend.  I won’t be able to go this time due to family obligations, but I will be there in spirit with all my fellow Minkettes.  Have fun and happy shopping!

(Image courtesy of Rebecca Minkoff. Aren’t the pyramid stud illustrations adorable?)

I absolutely love it when my worlds collide in such a fabulous way.  I subscribe to email updates from many fashion lines, and one of them is Dior.  I hope to one day own a Lady Dior purse of my own, and seeing this clip just makes me want one even more: Beautiful models Daria Strokous, Melissa Stasiuk and Xiao Wen Ju sashay among equally stunning interior and exterior shots set to none other than Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence”.  Click here or on the picture to view the video. Veuillez apprécier la vidéo, merci!

(Note: Apparently there is also a new Depeche Mode album due in November 2012 and tour in the works for 2013, according to David Gahan here.  Hopefully all goes well and they come back to San Diego!)

(Image and video courtesy of Dior)

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to all the beautiful mums out there. Hope you all had a wonderful day!