Find: Saraghina, Brooklyn, NY

I get mad cravings for fresh mozzarella, and our trip to New York was the perfect time to satisfy 'em! Few restaurants in Charlottetown offer good mozzarella or bocconcini, so I was like a kid in a candy store when it came to good Italian. Saraghina, a lovely neighbourhood place in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, was perfect for this: fresh, homemade margherita pizza with big basil leaves, sweet tomato sauce, and big chewy pieces of fresh mozzarella. It's busy all the time, apparently, but if you can ever make it down, make it part of your itinerary - you won't be disappointed!

Finding: Hair directions?

So, I've been thinking about where I'd like to go with hair over the next little while. My hair is usually some variation on brown-ish, short-ish, curly-ish. Like the following:



The curls are permed in, I have naturally straight, thick hair. Short? Long? Blonde maybe? If so, which blonde and how much of it? Help!

Find: 450ml CIL Premium Paint

MAKEOVER!

I have been searching for a cute lamp for my room for a long time, and in the meantime, I've had a lamp more or less like this one to make do with. Then, one day, it struck me: why not just make that lamp better? At Canadian Tire, you can buy 450ml of CIL Premium paint for only 5.99 to test it out - I bought mine in Ocean Spray.

It still needs another coat, but I'm loving the results.

The colour is warm and light - it's my perfect Robin's Egg/Tiffany/Aqua blue. I stuck some dollar store decals on the lamp some years ago, and just painted over them to add some texture.

Also bought the Navajo-print place mats that day (99cents for 2 at Value Village) and layered them over my antique wooden nightstand (the top of the table is partially sanded off).

It's not perfect yet - another coat is definitely needed - but it's certainly diminished my need for a potentially expensive new lamp!

Finds: Thrifted pattern belts

Nothing like some funky graphic, colourful belts to spice up any outfit - or to make 'em more casual.

From left:
Teal, coral, orange and royal blue aztec belt with ornate silver buckle, 2.99, Value Village
Vintage pinks-and-blues navajo print belt with silver buckle, 3.99, Value Village
Vintage red, green and white beaded belt with bronze clasp, 2.99, Value Village

Multi-colour beaded leather belt attachment, 50cents at a flea market, on a vintage skinny tan Ralph Lauren belt, also Value Village

Find: Catherine Malandrino's Min Gown

Love the lavender on Emma Roberts, and love this teal too! Ms. Malandrino sure knows her draping. Swoon!

Finds: Navajo & Ethnic Prints Online

As an anthropology major, I always try to be mindful of collectivizing or amalgamating groups that have distinct cultures. "Ethnic," "tribal," and so on are not terms I am usually comfortable using to describe basically non-industrialized-Western culture. Um, except with clothing, for the most part. It is difficult, at least in PEI, to find cool ikat, Navajo, Aztec, or other ethnic or tribal-esque prints - most finds are relegated to thrift stores, and that is all based on luck and digging. However, my family just returned from a trip to Boston, where my sisters perused Forever 21 countless times (and brought me back some sweet finds! Thanks guys!)

Checking out Forever 21's website is dangerous:  free shipping on orders over 60$, and tons to choose from. Oh dear.
Here are some of my finds:

All these tops range from about 16 to 22 dollars. Not bad!

I am equally impressed with Urban Outfitters. Check out some of these:

Come on, pay day! Time to get back online and into some fun new pieces :)

-K

Finds: Jewellery at Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene

Day 1 in Brooklyn, NY found Peter, James, Rekha and I at a flea market in Fort Greene after a lovely brunch. The market was all gems - very edited, no junk, no nonsense! Tried to be sensible though, and not spend all my money on my first day, so I ended up with a few little favourites:

1940's plastic earrings

 

1960's gold vermeil-and-blue agate ring

Just the first of many great finds, can't wait to share the rest with you!
-Katharine

Finds: Road Trip Edition!

Whew, it's been a full day and a bit since Peter and I got home from Road Trip 2011™, so now I feel able to sit up and do more than just lay in front of the television. Time to blog! Lots of amazing finds on our trip, so expect many a post, including some of my purchases, our restaurant finds, and anything else we found exciting or interesting on our travels! 

Much more to come :)

- Katharine

Bloglovin'!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2534819/finds?claim=uxqr23ej5ns">Follow my blog with bloglovin</a>

Finally, joined civilization. Hurray!

Find: Catherine Malandrino Dress

I have been designing and redesigning my wedding dress since I was a kid. After the Royal Wedding™, I was inspired to sketch a few gowns for the fun of it, and well, they all come out looking pretty darn similar to this Catherine Malandrino dress:

Whew. Is this not stunning? I'd probably want it in a really pale green or lavendery-blue, but hey, I'd take dark violet if need be.

And what about this other Malandrino on Michelle Williams a few years ago? Swoon!

I have to start paying more attention to this designer lady!

Found: Other sandal ideas...

If those lovely leather Aldo sandals don't fit, here are some others from their site (that come in size 11!) that I've been considering...

Corington, $50

 Euphrosine, $50

 Pavelka, $50 (might be $34.98 on sale?)

Rodda, 60$

Rothrock, $35

Tromp, $34.98 on sale

Not all are available in-store in Charlottetown, but can order all online (free shipping on orders over $100) and will likely check with the store to see if they can be returned if they don't fit properly... Decisions, decisions.

Find: Sandals (on their way!)

Don't get me started on finding the right shoes.

Too late: UGH. I take size eleven, and PEI already has a pretty pathetic selection of shoes to begin with, so pickin's are slim. It's especially frustrating because I'm never asking too much, either. This is all I want: a flat, at least sort of comfortable, neutral sandal, with a back to it, preferably strappy but not totally necessary, for walking around NYC & Toronto on my road trip. Is that so much to ask? Well, it seemed like it.

Visited many stores, including Aldo, Winners, Le Chateau, and Payless, and some less promising possibilities, such as Sears, Mark's Work Wearhouse, and Rockport. Found very few styles, tried on even fewer. The only one that I couldn't get out of my head at the end of the day was this:

This is "Dauster" from Aldo. $35 (no PST, which I always forget about, so just under $37 with GST!), thick leather, understated, neutral, wearable. Problem? No size 11 in-store, had to order it... time to play the waiting game! Can't wait to see if it fits, or if I have to go back in for a different pair... We'll see!

K

Find: The Body Shop Sandalwood Perfume Oil

Drool. Swoon. Love! This perfume oil is my perfect scent. You know when you find something that feels like it's made for you - my major (anthropology), my coat (classic beige trench with faux-tortoiseshell buttons from Old Navy) - and this is one of those for me. It's discontinued in Canada, so I save it now for special occasions, but because it is concentrated and you need so little, it has lasted beautifully. Luckily, Peter and I are making a trip down to New York in May, so I will hopefully restock (and buy forty-five of them if possible). If you are lucky enough to catch this scent, you'll be hooked.

Find: PEI Burger Love

Oh man. Oh MAN. I love burgers, I love local food, I love over-the-top food, and I love PEI. This all explains my love for PEI Burger Love, a promotion going on in PEI until the end of April. I have already tried the Holy Cow burger at The Gahan House, but need to expand my roster to include a few more before month's end. The Selkirk's "The Islander" is definitely next on my list. Eee!

Find: Antique L.M. Montgomery Book Covers as inspiration

I've been a fan of Anne and L.M. Montgomery for years now as an Islander, but only in the past couple of years have I really appreciated the beauty and design of many of the books' older covers. My favourite find (in the form of a postcard from the Anne of Green Gables store here in Charlottetown):

My favourite! Some other beautiful covers:

Find: Maybelline Superstay Golden Shimmer Balm

A few years back, I bought a tiny golden tube of shimmer balm at Shoppers Drug Mart for about eight dollars. It is totally elusive on PEI now (believe me, I've looked) but it can be ordered online, hurray! My parents were nice enough to order me several tubes on eBay for my birthday in March, so I'm set up for a few years at least! The find:

Maybelline Superstay Golden Shimmer Balm.

It's true,  I trekked everywhere to find this when my tube ran out, but to no avail. Most cosmeticians had no idea what I was even asking for, let alone whether or not they had any in stock or coming in. Why am I so crazy for this stuff, you ask? It's not the shimmer part, it's the balm. It's supposed to be layered over lipstick, but I use it as a highlighter around my eyes and blended in with my bronzer. You get the perfect sexed-up, dewy look. Trust me, you'll go through a stick of it like I did in no time! 

Find (kind of): Peter Forbes - "Looking All Around"

So, it's a stretch to say I 'found' this, but my boyfriend's song and film, Looking All Around, was just featured as a part of the Island Media Arts Co-Op's film project during the 2011 ECMAs here in Charlottetown. Be sure to check it out (and click 'like')! 

Find: Beauty loot at Shoppers Drug Mart!

About a week ago, I spent about 38,000 Shoppers Optimum points at Shopper's Drug Mart, taking home an exciting haul of new beauty products. Some of my finds included:

Kings & Queens Caspar Myrrh Shimmering Body Milk (on clear-out!). Smells like spicy, sweet chai lattes, and has itty-bitty sparkles for a delicate shimmer. The scent is awesome, but can be overpowering if you load it on, so I mixed it with the Body Shop's Buriti Baby Body Butter (their best body butter, in my opinion) to make the scent more subtle.

Next is the Gosh Giant Sun Powder (on sale at the time for about $18). I am not a bronzer person, as I burn to a crisp if not careful and am otherwise happily fair-skinned, but this one caught my eye. It is sheer, and rather than depositing tons of pigment, what you get is a nuanced set of shades (pinky, bronzy, and light foundation tones). It reminds me of the light on your face from a sunset in the summer... on a date. That's an effect I'll try to mimic any day!


Also picked up Gosh's Nail Lacquer in Wild Lilac (regularly $6) - my favourite lilac/lavender polish yet (albeit I might only have one or two others around here somewhere). Creamy and opaque just like I like 'em.

Looking to make a few more splurges when I receive my RBC gift card for Shoppers. Thinking of picking up Annabelle's Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in Mokamirage (the perfect taupe).

Ah, cosmetics and toiletries, how I love thee.

Finds: Jade Nail Polish

Ever since the first time I came across Chanel's collection featuring the now-ubiquitous Jade nail polish, I have searched for the perfect fascimile (why pay more than $20 if you can find one that makes you just as happy for, say, a fifth of the price?). This is the goal:

These are my finds:

(some pics mine, some from the Internetz)

Joe Fresh nail polish from the Superstore, $3-4. A lighter colour, but nice and opaque! Lots of compliments. And a fantastic price!

OPI nail polish in Hey, Get In Lime. This was donated for my volunteer nail-painting at a local elementary school's spring fling fundraiser, so I got to keep it. Not sure if it's still for sale... but it's lovely!

This is Avon Nailwear Pro's Jade. My favourite of the bunch, good price, nice wear. Contact your local Avon Lady!

Hard to get a good sense of its colour in this photo, but GOSH Cosmetics' Slinky Jade is a beaut. A little sheerer than the others but a nice deep green, a little more grown up.

The dream team!

Still waiting to try:

Essie's Turquoise and Caicos - much more blue than the others but has the same feel of being fresh, springy, bright

Revlon's Minted seems like a Robin's Egg Blue, more delicate

and even if it is a Bieber colour, My Lifesaver from Nicole by OPI looks like it's right in the middle of all these jades and turquoises.

Any other suggestions? Let me know!

- Kat