khat-sah-lano!

 

Another summer, another Khatsahlano festival! This street festival seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year, with more to see and more to do and more people to push around in the crowds :P

I believe the street festival is now in its third year, and I like how they're always trying out new things to give the masses a unique experience. For instance, the mini art galleries set up in cargo containers provided pockets of creative mediums and experiences to be explored.

I didn't stay very long because it was getting SO crowded but I did manage to take some awesome pictures and check out some really cool and unique crafts and jewellery booths. 

 

summer has (almost) arrived

After doing my seasonal shoe closet switch-out (switching out my fall/winter booties and replacing them with summer sandals and shoes), I realized that my favourite pair of black woven flat sandals that I wore to death over the past 3-4 years have gotten to the point where I had to let them go :( But, the upside to my loss is that I get to go shoe shopping :)

I wasn't planning to get new sneakers. This purchase came about when I went to pick up my friend's New Balance 420 shoes on Robson Street (she's ordered the mustard colour on-line), and she asked me to try them on for her to make sure they fit (we're the same shoe size). Being the wonderful friend that I am, I obliged and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and cushy they are as I pranced (a little) around the store. It was like walking on a cloud. Of course, I now had to find my own pair and while they were sold out of the orange colour at the New Balance store, I managed to find a pair from Aritzia's on-line shop. Two days later, and they were on my feet :)

The 420's also come in blue, purple, grey and mustard from New Balance.

These Stuart Weitzman sandals I have been eying for a while. I first spotted them when I happened to wander into the Browns shoe store, and saw them from afar. They remind me of a silver and black pair of sandals that I got from H&M, which sadly, only lasted about two summers before they went kaput; the silver metallic discs were peeling off and the black was rubbing off the bottoms of my feet.

After months of looking from afar, Browns finally had a sale and I managed to score the last size 8.5 in these gold beauties. They are a little expensive, even on sale, but I'm hoping that investing in a better quality pair of sandals will mean they'll last longer than two years. Also, they're sparkly :)

My last shoe purchase for the summer (hopefully!) is from Coach. Coach was having a huge shoe sale and I got these for $69. The sales associate had to order this pair from their Florida warehouse because the only sizes they had left in store was a 9. I tried them on, but my foot slipped out of them, so definitely too big for me. I love these shoes; they're so comfortable but can dress up a casual outfit because of the fine glitter (that doesn't flake off as I prefer not to leave a trail of glitter behind me).

I like sparkles as you can see :D

So, those are the shoes that I've purchased (so far!). Now time to hide my wallet, lock away my credit cards and start saving up for fall :D

feeling light blue

My new scent for the summer. Sephora describes this perfume as "surprising and colored: the liveliness of Sicilian citron, the happiness of Granny Smith apple, the spontaneity of bluebells. Feminine and resolute: the intensity of jasmine, the freshness of bamboo, the charm of white rose. Deep and true: the character of cedarwood, the fullness of amber, the embrace of musk."

The notes are: Sicilian citron, bluebell, Granny Smith apple, jasmine sambac, bamboo, white rose, cedarwood, amber, musk.

I don't really smell Granny Smith apple or bamboo, but I do smell the musk, cedarwood and rose. It seems to be more "deep and true" than "surprising and colored" if we're using Sephora's description. But I do find it's a lovely light scent for the summer and I will be wearing this as long as the sun is still shining. 

lazy summer day

Headed downtown to enjoy the sunshine and do some shopping, as all the stores are having their summer clearance sales to make room for fall stock. What I didn't know was, that is was also the day of the Taiwanese festival with a food court along Granville Street. 

Delicious BBQ meats, supposedly the "best in town" if you want to believe the food vendor. 

Decorate your own paper lanterns!

Smiling and wishing you good fortune, most likely. 

Thumbs up for street food!

Velvet blue tank top that I bought at H&M. Nicely fitted shape and BEE-YOU-TIFUL colour as well. 

Another celebrity fragrance on the market and it's Lady Gaga's Fame. which is actually a black perfume but sprays clear when applied to the skin. 

The view from the Canada Line Bridgeport sky-train station while I was waiting for the next train. Blue skies and sunshine, how can you not love summer?

This is exactly how I felt after the end of the day, shopping and walking all over downtown. And what a cute little puppy! So adorable!

if you've ever wondered why the squid population has decreased drastically...

... is because they were selling squid left, right and center at the Richmond Night Market. You can even get a whole grilled squid for like $6, if you really, REALLY like seafood.

Anyway, a friend was in town, visiting her family after spending three years in the southern United States of America, (specifically in Oklahoma and South Carolina) and of course, we had to make a stop at the Richmond Night Market for some good Asian food. The southern states might have some good BBQ but you can't beat delicious Asian street food.

Started off our food adventure with the classic takoyaki (octopus) balls with a drizzle of mayo, seaweed and bonito flakes. These have to cool down to the appropriate temperature before you can shovel them into your pie hole, or else you'll end up burning your tongue, the roof of your mouth, and your taste buds will be shot for the rest of the night.

We saw this food truck and we're very curious about trying the deep fried cheesecake (the deep fried Mars bar was $5!) but decided to come back to it later because it would have been too much, too early. 

Wishing tree with lots of wishes tied to its branches. When the wish falls off the tree, it will come true. 

Okonoiyaki or Japanese pizza with chicken, teriyaki sauce, mayo and bonito flakes. Very tasty, but they skimped on the chicken, or at least on my half of the pizza. 

Angry Birds have come to life! 

Here we go... We chose classic cheesecake with strawberry syrup because everything else sounds too sickly sweet. 

As if a deep fried Mars bar wasn't bad enough, let's throw in some BACON. Because bacon goes with everything, right?

Here it is! Deep friend cheesecake with strawberry syrup, whipped cream and sliced fresh strawberries. 

And here is the aftermath. It was messy to eat because after being fried, the cheesecake was all gooey inside. Still very tasty though and the batter was thin and not oily or greasy at all. 

summertime

This is what summer is all about: hanging out in the backyard with friends and grilling up some food while enjoying the sunset.

The view from my friend's backyard. Gorgeous.

Uma, my friend's dog, handing around the table, hoping for a few scraps of bbq goodness.

Chips and salsa, jello shots, wine and coffee to keep the day going.

Nothing like food from a BBQ.

Homemade gingerbread spongecake topped with summer fruit and custard for dessert.

summer fruits

{ nothing like a bowl of freshly cut, crisp, juicy watermelon on a somewhat warm day }