Weekend snapshots

Did this weekend fly by for anyone else out there? My weekend was a perfect combination of fun and relaxing. Here are some snapshots.

Baseball. It's been 10 years since the Expos left town. Yup, we were reminded that we once had a brilliant baseball team. On Saturday, I went to my first ever baseball game and had a great time! Blue Jays vs Mets @the Olympic Stadium.

Sushi night out with Angie!

Mini Korean Cosmetics Haul. Yes, I bought some products. (Review in next post).

Coffee night. It's always good to catch up with your girlfriends even if it's in the middle of the night.  So thanks to my friend Cam for the coffee and brownies. 

I love Cap'n Crunch.

Happy Monday!

Hope you all are feeling refreshed and reenergized as you start your week!

Lazy Weekend Love

I love lazy weekends!

You know the kind of weekend you just wake up late, read the paper while sipping your coffee -- as if you didn't have a care in the world. And then you put on your favorite yoga outfit and listen to some happy songs and meet friends for brunch.

Me chilling.

 

Happy songs <3

Brunch. Okay, so brunch is serious business in Montreal. No kidding. 

I went to L'Avenue yesterday. I haven't been to this place for ages...

Restaurant L'Avenue: 922 Mont-Royal East, H2J 1X1

L'Avenue is located in the heart of Le Plateau (the "hippest" neighborhood in Montreal). This is one of the most popular breakfast destinations in town. Just look at the lineup outside in winter time and you'll understand that this is serious business. So we waited for maybe 20 minutes in the cold (this is actually not long -- the average time on weekend is around 45 min to 1 hour). People can wait 1 hour if not more just to have a freaking breakfast at this place. 

By the way I just found a picture of my friend and I. Back in college, we used to hang out at L'Avenue. Ah! Good old  times! Oh my goodness, I was so tanned, young & skinny ~ sigh...

Summer 2006 @L'Avenue

THE PLACE

The minute you walk in you feel the vibrant atmosphere. The place is always packed, loud, and colorful.  It is decorated with spray-painted walls and modern-like lamps - very funky & hip. The kitchen is at the very front. 

FOOD

The staff is very French and so is the menu (no English menu available). But don't worry, they are really friendly and can help you out. If you don't know what to take, try the eggs benedict which is the specialty of the house. I ordered the sucré-salé eggs benedict (sweet & salty). Very good. The guy next to me saw my plate and ordered the same thing. The menu is vast and offers an insane variety of choice for everyone's taste. I have a friend who always wants to go to L'Avenue when he is in Montreal. He is obsessed with the Huevos Rancheros (a tortilla with scramble eggs, cheddar, salsa & avocado). 

Moi

Conclusion: When in Montreal, L'Avenue is a must!

Wishlist: Spring Fever

I have been trying to be really good with my money so I can save up for a condo. However, being the shopaholic that I am, I obviously want to buy everything more than ever and I have been creating a mental note of everything I am lusting over at the moment. Here are 3 items that I really want!!!


Diorskin Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer

Okay I tried this concealer the other day and wow, wow and wow! I have to buy it. Great cover - not too heavy, not too light. I love it.

Lancôme Rouge in Love Lipcolor. Big fan of lipsticks!! Love the Coral in Love & Jolis matins. Excellent pigmentation! This lipstick gives colour without even trying!

I'm obsessed with sneakers!! I already have the Nike Dunk Sky Hi but I now want the Nike Air Max. 

Nike Dunk Sky Hi

LOVE Nike air max:

My Favorite Spots in NYC

I truly love New York. Sure, it's chaotic. There are horns honking at every corner. Tourists are omnipresent. But I don't care. New York City feels like a living breathing thing and it makes me feel alive.

Here are my favorite places that I like to go when I'm in the Big Apple. (Be aware: this is a long post)

Brunch like a boss @ Norma's - Le Parker Meridien Hotel. This is one of the best places for breakfast in Manhattan, if you're willing to overlook the prices. A bit pricey ($25+) but trust me, it's worth it!! The dishes are delicious & creative.

119 West 56th Street, New York NY 10019-3318

They first give you a free shot glass of the day's smoothie and unlimited (yay) fresh-squeezed orange juice. I have never drank so much OJ in my life. The food is wonderful, and the portions are huge. Norma's is also best known as the home of the $1,000 omelette (eggs, lobster, and approximately $995 worth of cavier). The menu proclaims, "Norma dares you to expense this!" The crowd is a mix of sharply dressed New Yorkers and tourists.

The wait is a bit long - you can plan ahead and do a reservation online. All the glowing comments about the fruit smoothie shots are true! Delightfully fresh. Sure it's a little pricey but you should enjoy an experience like this once in awhile. It will remind you why you're in New York in the first place.

Don't have time to brunch? Go for a bagel! No food is more "New York" than the bagel. Try Tal Bagels Express on the Upper East Side (333 East 86th Street). My favorite: plain bagel, toasted, with light scallion cream cheese. Yum!

A stroll in Central Park. 

Want a cocktail? Go to The Press Lounge!  If you're a city girl and you haven't fallen in love with NYC yet, this place will make you fall in love. So sophisticated. Very classy establishment -- where the big kids come. This lounge is located right above Ink48 hotel. This is a great spot if you're looking to relax with a drink and a great view.  The Press Lounge offers cocktails and a light menu. The only downside is the expensive drinks...but hey, it's NYC! The line on weekends is a little long.

pstt... Go on a Thursday around 5pm. Why? It's a weekday so there's no line. Plus, it's happy hour so drinks are way cheaper. And finally, you get to see the sunset - the view is breathtaking. Oh, and let's not forget the crowd...cute young professionals. wink wink

Oops.. blurry picture!

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge (especially at sunset). It takes my breath away every time I step onto it. You will love the skyline views of Brooklyn and Manhattan. 

Then take the ferry from Brooklyn to Manhattan.  The view is absolutely stunning!!

Koreatown. Okay, since my hotel was not far from Koreatown and since I'm so obsessed with Kpop, we were practically there every night. 

Pocha 32 (15 W 32nd St 2nd Floor, NY)

Okay people. Nothing fancy here!! I heard the food was excellent but I was only there for their famous watermelon soju, which comes in a hollowed-out, halved watermelon and offers about six servings. Oh my goodness... you can easily get drunk with this thing. 

I also went to Food Gallery 32. It's a nice cafeteria-style to grab food when you're not quite in that sit-down restaurant-y type of mood. Good variety of Korean dish.

Times Square at night

Little Italy

I think the highlight of my trip was the dumplings @ Prosperity Dumpling in Chinatown. 4 fried dumplings for 1 dollar, completely insane!!! How can you beat that? Everyone goes cray cray for this place because you get a lot of bang for your buck. And don't bother to find a seat, it's always packed. BEST. DUMPLINGS. EVER. 

Oh, and if you have the chance, go see a Knicks game! Go see Melo & co. 

A paella? Si por favor :)

Oh well well... let's not forget about shopping... 

Dear Woodbury Common Premium Outlets,

I like visiting you very much, although my credit cards don't agree with me.

Thank you for helping me get good brands with affordable prices. 

Love you very much,

xxx

Mini review: Make Up For Ever

Okay, so I've been a fan of Make Up For Ever products for some time now (great pigmentation, good coverage, and looks bright and light in pictures). I'm a huge fan of their foundations.

My two favorites are:
Face & Body Liquid Makeup. At first, I didn't really like the odor but after using it for a while, let me tell you that this is the best foundation I've ever used - considering my type of skin (combination). This is a must for summer. Plus, it's waterproof. This product feels extremely light, but has medium coverage.

HD Invisible Cover Foundation. I bought the kit that includes the primer, foundation, and finishing powder. Primer gives me a glow. Foundation has great (medium) coverage and doesn't feel heavy. Finishing powder is my favorite, leaves my face feeling satiny while keeping my makeup in place all day.

As for the concealer, it's okay. It's more like a medium coverage so it's not a full coverage concealer. I do need something additional to cover my dark circles under my eyes.

Ménage

It's almost spring. And you know what that's means, don't you? It's time for Le Grand Ménage!! Yup, springtime is all about renewal.

Do you feel that your life is just a little too cluttered? Mine is. I freely admit it: I have too many clothes. My excuse? They were all on sale. Of course, I also have too many shoes, makeup, handbags... So it was a relief (sort of) to be able to use this month's focus on clutter to sort though my own issues with having too much stuff.

So I took some time this weekend to declutter.

Blog. New layout!! So I started to clean it up and organize my ideas. I've been struggling with my blog and its layout for a while. But thanks to Lisa from Pixel Anthology for helping me out, I'm now in love with my blog!
Clean my makeup brushes. Did you know that you should be cleaning your makeup brushes every week? (If not, don't worry...I'll do a tutorial soon.)
Declutter my closet.  Enough said.

Clean out my Kobo of books I didn't like.
Unsubscribe from newsletters you don't read.

Other things to do:
Spring clean relationships. Yup, even my social life, too! You know... if someone is dragging you down instead of lifting you up, it's time for him/her to go! Don't be afraid to reposition people in your life, even some of your oldest friends. I'm not saying to cut them off, but you may want to change their priority in your life.
Clean up your Facebook friends list. A good time to clean out all those "friends" I don't really know, or don't know at all... and those I don't care knowing, and those that never ever speak to me.

So what does all this have to do with happiness? Well, my life feels a bit lighter. So with more space means a bit of a breathing room which leaves me with a smile.

Go declutter, I promise you'll feel better.

Happy Spring Everyone!!