30 Day Beauty Challenge: Day 13 Photo of your fashion/style icon

Hi everyone.  Snowed in? I am haha.  I had a really hard time with today's beauty challenge.  I don't really have a fashion/style icon.  I actually hate all celebrity gossip.  I seriously could care less what Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian, and freaking the Jersey Shore or TOWIE girls are wearing.  In fact, I try NOT to wear what they are wearing, because I know that a million other girls will have the same exact outfit or accessory on.

I could say something cliche like Coco Chanel (even though I love her ethos and fashion house), but I wanted to share with you two websites that I look at for inspiration.

1. The women on Lookbook.nu.

I love how creative, unique and unconventional people can be.  I love that, and for those reasons, I love this site.  

2. Another website I frequent for fashion inspirations are the people of NYC.

http://nycrunfashion.blogspot.com/

so check these out, they are amazing sites!

Sorry I'm going to cut this post short.  Tomorrow is my DH's birthday but we are celebrating today as he's off to Amsterdam for a show and we won't be together :(

So have a wonderful and warm Sunday.

Loads of love xx

30 Day Beauty Challenge: Day 12 Favourite colour of clothing

Ever since my early 20's, people use to ask me why I always wore black.  I've heard it all..."are you from NY?" or "were you a goth as a teen?", or the ever so famous "are you depressed".  Yes, I was a depressed kid, no I was never a goth, and no I'm from Philly not NY :)  The real reasons why I love black clothes so much has to do with the fact that:

1.  Black goes with everything

I love adding bold accessories to an all black outfit

2.  Black is slimming

The rumors are true.  It provides the illusions and hides those extra "bumps"

AND...

3.  Black never goes out of style

A classic black dress, black blazer, black pants - all of these will never go out of fashion, right?

I wear so much black that I've been mistaken so many times as an employee of hair salons and makeup stores hahaha.  I know that black clothes is a staple in many wardrobes, but I really love black.  I do switch it up with some forms of grey LOL!  To some, this may seem extremely boring, while others may see it as very metropolitan and urban.   I'd like to think that I'm the latter. 

Interview with MirkaDesign on Etsy

There are two things that Tokki & Oliver stands for:  Creativity and Female Entrepreneurs. I came across MirkaDesigns one night, and I just had to learn more about the company, the products, and of course the woman behind the business. So here is another installment of a Q&A session with another small female owned business. 

MirkaDesign has a modern and youthful take on bags, scarves, accessories and more.  There is something for everyone.  There are strong edgy pieces like this Large Leather bag ($48) - my personal favourite!

or this creative and very unique Fabric Origami bracelet ($24)

Or cute and quirky pieces like the DOTcom reusable cover & pocket hard-back notebook ($18)

and speaking of cute, you can't miss the Boo Collection ($9) - So freaking adorable!!

Tokki & Oliver absolutely loves MirkaDesign, so come and get to know Mirka and her company.

INTERVIEW with MirkaDesign

T&O: What inspired you to start making your own products? 

MD: I used to watch my mum sew when I was a little girl. She could create beautiful fashion clothes not only for herself but also for us kids and her friends.  She used to wear great pieces made by herself and got a lot of compliments on them wherever she turned up.   I wished to be like her someday. I started sewing when I was about 14 years old. I remember the first skirt I sewed. It was quite big and it didn't look great but I was so proud of it. Since then I was trying to sew a little pieces from sewing magazines, like  Burda. My mum gave me a lot of tips how to do things better and more professionally. I learned a basics - how to do a skirt, trousers, how to sew on zipper and so on... then I started designing my own patterns. I always tried to buy unique and cool fabrics in local shops and sew original clothes. I attended few fashion design competitions, which gave me the confidence in what I was doing. Sewing has become my creative outlet, where I escape and put my creative energy to good use. 

T&O: What are your favorite products in your collection?

MD: All of my products are special to me. Each item is made individually by myself from the pattern creation to final product so I have kind of "relationship" which each product if you know what I mean :)  I can't name my favorite. Each product is part of me :) 

T&O: What do you have in store for us in the future?

MD: I am planning to build my  own website, extend the range of my products and introduce new designs.

T&O: Tell us a little bit about the woman behind the company?

I am originally from Slovak republic and live in Ireland now. Aside from creating bags and various accessories, I work as an administrative clerk during the day. Sometimes it's hard to combine 2 jobs but on the other side it keeps me busy and that's what I like. I also enjoy reading books, walking & training my dog, cooking, traveling but sewing is my passion. I love to spend time in my own workroom, listening to music, looking at the fabrics, mixing them, creating various patterns and free all my ideas! That's what makes me really happy. 

 **************************************************************

A Big THANK YOU goes out to Mirka for her time and.....

Get 10% off by using the coupon code TOKKIANDOLIVER. 

All your readers get 10% off everything. To claim a discount enter the code at the checkout. If you buy more than one item in 1 order the coupon will apply to entire order.

To read a previous interview, please check out the Interview with Amanda from NerdLacquer.

No 7 Completely Quenched Moisturising Body Lotion Product Recall

Hello everyone.  I'm here to spread the word that a certain batch has been recalled.  If you were given or purchased a bottle, please check the end crimp of your bottle to make sure it doesnt say "1KK".  if it, does, please return it back to your local Boots and obviously discontinue use.

Luckily mine says "4JJ",  and I'm hoping your product isn't part of the damaged batch.   Stay Warm! Will be back with another installment of the 30 Day Beauty Challenge.

30 Day Beauty Challenge: Day 11 Bag you want to have

I want to apologize as I'm about to sound like a broken record. LOL!  Today's challenge is to talk about the bag that I want to have.  Well, if you follow my blog, you know that the bag I want to have has not changed in the last year, and I think I talk about it nonstop hahaha!! I know it's annoying, so I'm apologizing right now hahaha.

For those who have clicked for the first time, you will learn what bag I want to have, and if you stick around, you'll hear me talk about it again as well, so I'm apologising in advance too hahaha.

The bag I want is the Rococo by Alexander Wang (BIG SHOCKER)
I featured this bag in a previous challenge post that talked about my ideal outfit.
I want it in either black or grey, with either gold hardware...heck I'll even take silver as long as it isn't rose gold hardware.   I have to have it, but the money gods are not looking favorable upon me these days, so it is all something that remains in my dreams....and have remained in my dreams for the last year.  I've picked this bag up, inspected it at several different stores, and painfully walk away (hahaha, sorry for the drama).  I shall have you one day Rococo!!!! You shall be mine. bwahahahahaah!!!!

 

Ok, so now that you put up with another post about me talking about this bag, I am going to cut that portion of the post short, and talk about other fun things in random bullet point formats as I'm rushing to do this to meet a 1pm deadline on another project (it is currently 12:35, eckkk!!).

* I'm going to the London IMAT's this Saturday for the first time.  I feel super guilty about going there and spending money that I technically don't have, but fortunately for me, I got a press pass and I feel like it's a waste if I don't go.  Plus, I'm dying to actually see the Hakuhodo brushes in real life.

* I had some business cards made up for free, so I wanted to show you them.  They are just cheeky little cards, nothing fancy or special, but they are funny looking lol

 

*  I've recently been obsessed about learning the history of my country (Korea) after I learned that my country was once split into 3 kingdoms and one of the kingdoms had 3 queens.  That is such a big shock for me to hear for so many reasons.  So I've been geeking out online trying to find out more about the Queens of past Korea.

* I'm embracing myself as in 2 weeks, I will technically have 2 jobs.  Some of you may know that I haven't worked for anyone in the last 1.5 years, and going back to actually working for someone is nerve racking, but it's not in a corporate setting, so I'm very happy about that.  Wish me luck!!!

* Since I'm starting a new job which requires me to be on my feet most of the day, I'm looking for comfy flats and low heel boots...fashionable ones at that, and cheap too.  That combination has been quite hard to find.  So I've spent many endless nights scouring the web for these, any suggestions? Please comment below.  I don't want to spend more than £30 as I will probably required several pairs.

* I have an upcoming interview with this awesome Etsy shop, and special discount to all of Tokki & Oliver's readers - so check back as I'll probably post this up sometime before Friday night.

* I still have a few things left in my blog sale, so please check that out too.  Postage is free within the U.K., and the link for the blog sale can be found on the top header.

* Last but not least, come and enter my giveaway.

Lucky I type fast, it is now 12:44 and I will have 16 minutes to finish something up, so I'm going to say goodbye to you all now.  :) Have a lovely day everyone !!!