Sarah Louise Dix - Couture Upholstery

I've always wanted to fill up my living room with one-off pieces because the idea of matching furniture in one space seems rather dull and boring. I quite like the idea of re-upholstering antique chairs and mixing old with new, which is exactly the reason why I absolutely adore these vintage, mid-century modern furniture by Sarah Louise Dix:

Inspired by the construction and form of clothing, these pieces include elements such as corsetry or even entire incorporated garments. Prices range from CAD800.00 and up but really, how can you put a price on such modern guilty couture pleasure?

Hem Gems

I am a born again lover of flats.

I used to always wear heels no matter how much they pinched my toes or how many blisters I got from wearing them all the time, everywhere. But having lived in the UK where the streets aren't quite heel-friendly, I was forced to try wearing flats. I started off with baby steps, slipping into flats on my way to and from work but wearing heels in the office. Although I felt stubby and somewhat less polished in flats, after a while, I started to wear flats all the time. Unfortunately, not all my trousers and jeans are hemmed to my flat-shoe length so I've had to choose which trousers and jeans to shorten to match my flats and which to keep long to wear with my heels. And the choice hasn't always been easy - I know of two pairs of jeans that are in my closet that haven't been shortened because I want to wear them with both my flats and heels. At times, I've also been guilty of wearing my heel-length jeans with my flats and letting my jeans drag.

Enter Hem Gems - Stylized pins that allow you to temporarily hem your trousers without having to pay a tailor or forgo the instant gratification of getting trousers the right length:

Available in rivets or pyramid studs in packs of 8 for USD19.99.

Goody - Spin Pin

I have long, straight, thick hair. I love to wear it down most of the time but more often than not, my hair gets rolled up into a bun in the afternoon. But other than just using a boring black elastic band to hold my hair up, I don't use other hair accessories because most of them look too tacky (in my humble opinion). So when I came across Goody's spin pin, I was intrigued because it is very simple in design and, based on the reviews, it supposedly works. I went searching for it all over local drugstores and Wal-Mart but couldn't find one to try. Then when I was in Seattle this past weekend, I ran into a Wal-Mart and found one but only in the blonde colour (which is a brassy, gold colour). I ended up buying one just to try and ... boy, this spin pin really works!

All you need to do is gather your hair into a pony tail (no elastic required), twist it into a bun and spin one pin through the bun and another one through without crossing the other pin. No other pins or elastics required. It stays put and looks better than using an elastic band! Now only if I can find these in the brunette colour ... then I'd buy at least half a dozen!

Tory Burch - Foldable Shield Sunglasses

This is such a brilliant idea - foldable sunglasses that can be slipped into our small clutches and handbags! No more having to rest your sunglasses on your head or over your shirt because the sunglass case won't fit into your purse.

Tory Burch - Foldable Shield Sunglasses (USD175.00)

AC Milano by Jeffrey Campbell

Remember back when wooden clogs were like the coolest thing ever? Well, they are baaaaack but this time, they are super sleek and a lot less chunky. Slip these on with a pair of tights or those funky ankle and knee-length socks that are all the rage for this fall:

AC Milano by Jeffrey Campbell (USD125.00)

You Are Awesome - Necklace

Because it's always awesome to be told that you are awesome:

Hand-made sterling silver necklace by yellowgoat on Etsy (USD83.00)

One Shoulder Black Dresses by Theia

I've avoided purchasing black dresses because, well, they can be very dull and boring to wear to black-tie events or cocktail parties (who wants to blend in with the crowd? Not me!) so it is refreshing when I come upon black dresses that gets my adrenaline going. Here's one that I am totally in love with (minus the black belt - it cuts the flow of the dress!):

One Shoulder Evening Gowns by Theia (USD795.00)

And a shorter, flirty cocktail version:

Belted Black Cocktail Dresses by Theia (USD595.00)