August 25: Bass player, Doug Stegmeyer died on this day 1n 1995.

He was 43 when he died from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Stegmeyer, along with guitarist Russell Javors and drummer Liberty Devito were members of the band Topper. Billy Joel recruited Stegmeyer to play bass on his third album, "Streetlight Serenade." Afterwards, Stegmeyer encouraged Joel to let Javors and Devito join the band, and Topper became known as "The Billy Joel Band."

Stegmeyer played bass and backing vocals at Joel's concerts and on every one of Joel's studio albums from Turnstiles through The Bridge and the live albums Songs in the Attic and КОНЦЕРТ. Throughout his tenure with Joel, Stegmeyer was dubbed "The Sargeant Of The Billy Joel Band."

Stegmeyer - along with Javors - were released from Joel's band in 1989. Stegmeyer also played bass for Debbie Gibson and Hall & Oates.

"Joel Introduces Band Members including Doug Stegmeyer"
-- "Say Goodbye To Hollywood" (1978)
-- "New York State of Mind"
-- "Only the Good Die Young" (1982)

PICTURE ABOVE FROM MEMORIAL PAGE FOR DOUG STEGMEYER

August 25: Gene Simmons lead singer & bassist for KISS is 61 today.

Born Chaim Witz in Haifa, Israel, "Gene Simmons" is well known as "The Demon", the blood-spitting, fire-breathing, and tongue-wagging bassist and co-frontman in the hard rock band Kiss, a group he co-founded in the early 1970s.

He immigrated to Jackson Heights, Queens in New York City at the age of eight with his Mother. After arriving in the U.S., he took the name Eugene Klein, Klein being his mother's maiden name. In the late 1960s, he changed his name to Gene Simmons to honor legendary rockabilly performer Jumpin' Gene Simmons.

The hard rock band KISS, formed in New York City in January 1973. The band became identified by its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits. The group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970. Their elaborate live performances, featured fire breathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics. In 1983, Kiss abandoned its makeup.

KISS has garnered had 24 gold albums to date in the U.S., selling over 19 million albums, with worldwide sales exceeded 100 million albums.

Kiss was named 10th, by VH1, on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock." and 9th on "The Greatest Metal Bands" list by MTV.

-- "Rock 'n Roll All Night!"
-- "I Was Made for Loving You"
-- "Heaven's On Fire"

Carrie'd Away

Halston Heritage dress, Banana Republic ring, Steve Madden sandals, Hat from FineFinds

Sex and the City fans, I know you recognize this dress. None other than Ms. Carrie Bradshaw wore it in the latest SATC movie. Earlier this year, real life fashionista Sarah Jessica Parker partnered with Halston and became the chief creative officer for the archived-inspired collection Halston Heritage. It was a perfect match as she was in awe of the brand and wore it so well. I was lucky to spot a few pieces from this collection at 65% off a few weeks ago at the Bay. It was too good to be true and way too good to pass up! After trying on a few tops and dresses, I came home with this metallic striped two-tiered dress in a striking violet. With its silhouette-flattering pleating and flowy layers, it's one of those dresses to love forever.

Thanks to our newly engaged friends for lending their backyard for some quick photos before the engagement party. J and I are so proud to be the best man/maid of honour and we're both looking forward to the year ahead. From checking out venues and reviewing the guestlist to picking the flowers and cake, we're loving the involvement in working towards a beautiful summer 2011 wedding. It's good practice, right?







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Time Travelers

Club Monaco top, F21 skirt, Steve Madden sandals, Michael Kors bag, Harriet Grey ring from BeautyMark

Like most girls, I both love and hate the humidity.  Despite walking around the city feeling like a steamed bun, the moisture acted like a miracle product giving volume and texture to my usually straight, heavy, and lifeless hair! It was also nice having the bestie do a French braid for me the night before our adventure into historic China. She flew over from Korea for the weekend and we managed to squeezed in all the major sites in 4 short days -- the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Temple of Heaven to name a few. Together with J, we were the 3 musketeers roaming the through the city eating Peking duck, bargaining at Silk Street Market, and (sadly) getting scammed by pedicab drivers. It was amazing sharing a piece of Beijing with them.

Keeping wardrobe choices light, short, and breathable was key to surviving the heat on this trip. The yellow silk top was from a few seasons ago but I still love the pick-me-up color and the origami details. The cotton floral skirt has bits of yellow to compliment the vibrant colored top and I opted for simple sandals and belt in neutrals to avoid looking like I'm heading to the circus. One thing I missed? Sunblock on my feet. I have to live with a hideous sandal tan for the next little while!







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Bird's Nest

Banana Republic blouse, H&M shorts, Nine West Wedges, LV tote, Fossil Bangle

Birds often never return to nest once they've learned to fly. I, for one, love visiting Beijing - my birthplace and my "original" nest. I spent 5 years of my childhood in the capital of China. But now, I find it hard to keep up with Beijing's constant progress when the humble landmarks I used to recognize seem to be overshadowed by the waves of trendy shopping areas and skyscrapers being built every 2 years. From the famed Forbidden City to futuristic highrises, Beijing is a true blend of traditional and modern, and is home to nearly 20 million people! J and I fully embraced both the old and the new by playing nerdy tourists for most of the trip. This was my first time at the National Stadium, aka "Bird's Nest" since it was built for the 2008 Olympics. Despite the hazy weather condition, the structure more than impressed me. I can only imagine what it must have been like to be there during the summer games.

I love packing shorts during my travels for the endless options. Pairing them with different tops can create multiple looks, whereas one dress is often just one look and it takes up a little more room in the suitcase. I paired these neutral H&M shorts with a much needed pop of color in a breathable silk to avoid disappearing into the infamous Beijing haze. Although I'm not a huge fan of monogram, this Louise Vuitton Palermo GM tote was a gift. I've grown to love it for its practicality. The size and shape is perfect for everyday use, and it's also an iconic print and a "forever" bag. I could definitely see my future granny self wobbling down the street sporting this!

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Holt Renfrew Vancouver Launches New Chanel Cosmetics Counter

Honey, I’m home! I spent 14 quality days in Beijing and Hong Kong and my lack of blogging was due to the inconvenient ban of BlogSpot, Twitter etc in China. I have yet to sort through the gazillions of photos taken from the trip but new posts will be coming up this week, I promise ;)

Vancouver may not be the fashion capital but the number of events happening every week can rival any other fashionable city. Last week, Holt Renfrew invited media to preview the new Chanel Cosmetics Counter. Since I was an ocean away, my good friend Lisa of Solo Lisa offered to attend on my behalf and guest write about the event. I was more than thrilled as she’s a wonderful writer – yes it’s her day job! Not only do we share the love of Chanel handbags (bag twins!), we’re also avid fans of Chanel cosmetics – visiting the counter together and never leaving empty-handed! Without further ado, enjoy Lisa’s coverage on the event:


By: Lisa (Solo Lisa)

Carolina and I are both huge fans of Chanel. From quilted 2.55 purses to their breathtaking runway shows to the must-have nail colours each season, everything that the infamous couture house does is infused with class, elegance, and luxury. So when she offered me her invite to the Holt Renfrew Vancouver launch of Chanel's newly renovated cosmestics and fragrance space, I immediately said yes. After all, what fashion blogger in her right mind would say no to Chanel? Other bloggers and media personnel evidently thought the same thing because the launch party was quite well-attended. Guests sipped champagne and nibbled on hors d'oeuvres as they admired the space and sampled the cosmetics. I spotted fellow bloggers Christie Lohr, Heidi Hofstad, and Niki Blasina chatting and enjoying themselves.



As beautiful as the entire space is, the crowning centrepiece of it all is the Espace Parfums and Olfactive Bar. Designed as an inviting place in the midst of a large department store, the Olfactive Bar raises the experience of choosing a perfume to another level. Customers seated in Chanel tweed chairs are told the histories behind different fragrances as they sniff ceramic blotters proffered by a fragrance expert. (The blotters are dipped in fragrance once a week and stored in test-tube-like vials embedded in the counter. Unlike spritzing a paper strip, which can create a "wet paper smell" that interferes with the light top notes, the blotter lets you have a more accurate impression of what the fragrance smells like.) To relieve fatigued olfactory senses, customers sniff ceramic blotters suffused with the smell of coffee at regular intervals. I watched as May Globus, a writer for sweetspot.ca and The West Ender, had her fragrance consultation.



Something else that caught my eye? The wall of Chanel No. 5 bottles and the flat-screen TV playing a short Chanel film starring Audrey Tautou.



A big thanks to Holt Renfrew and Chanel for hosting such a wonderful event, and to Carolina for allowing me to cover it in her stead!

You've got mail

Talula boyfriend shirt, Zara trousers and wedges, Aldo/F21 necklaces, YSL Muse

There's something about Navy colored pants.  No matter what shape or material, they will always remind me of a mail man or a navy cadet!  I paired them with a boyfriend shirt and bold accessories, and I'm ready for another day at work. My cure to an overly androgynous look? Red lips. This powerful color works like a charm in feminizing and brightening even the dullest look. There was a strong presence of classic red lips on the f/w 2010 runways and it is still going strong in recent couture shows. So if you haven't found that perfect shade yet, take these Chanel looks with you to the makeup counter as inspiration!

Summer has finally arrived in Vancouver. I always tell people Vancouver summers are like no other. Surrounded by water, mountains, and multi-century trees, it's warm and never muggy. It really doesn't get better than this! Too bad I'm off to withstand humid & unbearable weather in Asia tomorrow. Looks like I'll be spending most of my time at the pool! Speaking of which, check out my Swimwear contribution to Issue 8 of Style Sample Magazine.



Thanks to everyone who participated in the DIOR shadow palette giveaway. The Winner by random draw is Jaime @ La vie...J'aime! Congrats!

xo,

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