Dear Santa,

I haven’t written to you since I was nine years old but I’m making up for some lost time. I’m not asking for too much this Christmas, but in case you are wondering here’s what I have on my wish list:

1.  Plane ticket to visit my family in London, England

2.  Christian Louboutin shoes

3.  Balmain dress or a Chanel suit – either or both works for me

4.  Valentino: The Last Emperor – the DVD or the man himself

5.  A new cell phone (Blackberry or iPhone) – the battery is dying on the one I currently have

6.  Good fortune and opportunities for all my family and friends in 2010

If you can hook me up that would be great. I’ll leave out some milk and cookies for you on the eve of the 25^th, hopefully someone from my family won’t eat them first because we usually think with our stomachs in my house.

Thanks,

Kimberly

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By now you’ve either finished your Christmas shopping, are mid-way through it or haven’t even started. If you're still shopping, here are a few of my gift suggestions for the fashionably inclined minds or for those who just want to give a nice present.

The Fashion Questionnaire – this is quite possibly one of my favourite books on fashion. Published by Assouline and authored by Michael Specter, “The Fashion Questionnaire is a rare, inside look at the creative icons that influence not just fashion but contemporary culture.” A series of questions are posed to some of the most influential and legendary fashion designers, such as Diane von Furstenberg, Karl Lagerfeld, Oscar de la Renta and Valentino. Product details:

• Hardcover, 93 pages
• Price, $16.91 CAD

Lululemon Dance Roll Legging – the Lululemon product picture of this pant doesn’t do it justice AT ALL. When you see and feel the actual item in real life then you will understand why this pant, made of cashmere, may make you consider taking up yoga if you haven’t already done so. Product details:

• Slim leg fits great in your boots
• Rollover waistband for coverage and comfort
• Colours, black and grey
• Price, $128.00 CAD

Roots Little Michelle in Colour Prince Leather – no one does a good quality leather bag with such care as Canadian retailer Roots. In the last few years Roots has made a comeback on the fashion scene by crafting beautiful leather bags of all tasteful shapes and sizes. Product details:

• Made in Canada from 100% Italian Leather.
• Dimensions: 16"(L) x 12"(H) x 6"(D). Handle drop: 8".
• Colour, truffle
• Price, $258.00 CAD

Anthropologie Starlit Stem Earrings – you really can’t go wrong with adding a little bling to any Christmas gift. These earrings are not meant to overpower an overall look but to act as an understated fashion accessory. Product details:

• Materials, metal, acrylic and glass
• Diameter 0.75"
• Colour, blue
• Price, $30.53 CAD

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This holiday season designer pop-up stores are all the rage throughout the City of Toronto. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, a “pop-up retail space is a venue that is temporary... (it) allows a company to create a unique environment that engages their customers, as well as generates a feeling of relevance and interactivity,” buzz and exposure (Wikipedia).

I haven’t been able to attend most of the pop-up stores, but I did go to the Bijouxbead Holiday Pop-Up Interactive Store held at the Fair Trade Jewellery Company and had the pleasure of meeting the charming Darlene Martin, jewellery designer and creative mind behind Bijouxbead.

For Martin’s holiday pop-up store she created an eight piece collection inspired by the spring/summer 2010 creations by Canadian designers, such as Evan Biddell, David Dixon, Brandon Dwyer and Sonny Fong. Each necklace had eight strands and was composed of sterling silver and glass crystal pieces – they were quite beautiful and well made.

You still have a few days to drop by, see Martin’s creations and do a little holiday shopping. Here are the details:

Date: December 1 – 14, 2009
Location: The Atelier of The Fair Trade Jewellery Company
523 Parliament Street, Toronto
Phone: (647) 430-8741

Hours:
Monday – Tuesday by appointment only
Wednesday – Friday 12:30pm-8:00pm
Saturday – Sunday 11:30am-6:00pm

Pictures taken by Kimberly Lyn

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Details: Ever have instances where you've worn something once (or in some cases, never) and haven't picked it up again? Have someone give it a second chance and Swapify Your Wardrobe.

Swapify Your Wardrobe is an event organized by urbanebloc.com – it's the first ever clothing swap! Bring goodies like tops, dresses, jackets, skirts, pants, boots, purses and more that you know could get a little new love.

Date: Sunday, December 13, 2009

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location: Proper Reserve, 498 Queen St. West (Queen and Portland), 2^nd Floor, Toronto, Ontario

Free admission and bring cash (in case swapping doesn’t do). Expect some treats and good company.

RSVP here: CLICK.

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I don’t know about you but this year is going to be a frugal Christmas for me and my family. It doesn’t mean we aren’t financially secure or wise in our money decisions, it’s just a sign of the times and a realization we don’t need so much stuff to express our appreciation and love for each other.

Therefore, I decided to ask a few friends (who also happen to be bloggers) what was their favourite Christmas present and why. Their answers are varied but focus on the meaning behind the gift, not on the dollar amount.

Ashley Bartlett, freelance writer, PR professional and contributing writer to She Does the City: “My favourite Christmas gift has always been my plane ticket to Sarasota, Florida. Since the year I was born, my Nanny started a tradition by gifting my family and I, with a week with her in Longboat Key at her beach side property right along the Gulf of Mexico. These trips hold some of my most amazing and cherished childhood memories that I won't ever forget.”

Jess Bennett, Sift, Dust & Toss: “A few Christmases ago, my brother gave me a Shun chef’s knife. I had been obsessed with cooking for a while, but didn’t know what sharp really meant until I received that knife. It entirely changed the way I cooked. Tasks were made easier, cutting more professional and precise. Now that I’ve entered this land where tools fulfill their full potential, I'll never go back.”

Catherine Kustanczy, Play Anon: “I don't remember a specific gift so much as a theme: Barbie dolls. I really, really loved Barbies. Name a themed Barbie from a certain era – I probably owned it. At some point, I got sick of the homogenous beauty of all of them and decided to procure haircuts. That wasn't a popular move with my mother. But I'm pretty sure it was the first of many personal rebellions, imaginations, intellectual, feminist, humanist, personal, epic and otherwise.”

Lava Nosenkis, Ad Girl and Tech Nerd: "My favourite Christmas present was a gift card to a book store. It made me oh-so-happy because I'm a book worm and I found joy in having the freedom to pick out a book for keeps to read over the holidays.”

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The other day several friends were discussing Gravitypope and expressing their desire for this Canadian retailer to grace Toronto with its presence. No sooner than I could say “shopping” I received an e-mail from the folks at Gravitypope introducing themselves and letting me know about their pre-Christmas sale online.

Gravitypope was founded in 1990 in Edmonton, Alberta, by Louise Dirks. Originally it only sold footwear but quickly expanded its selection to clothing and accessories becoming Western Canada’s source for fashion; subsequently, additional stores were opened in Calgary and Vancouver.

We don’t have a Gravitypope store in the Greater Toronto Area yet, but you can still take advantage of its pre-Christmas sale online.

Sale information:

• November 27 to December 13 – receive 15% off all regular priced merchandise at gravitypope and gravitypope Tailored Goods.
• November 27 to December 24 – receive 15 to 25% off select fall 09 footwear.
• November 27 to December 24 – receive 25 to 50% of select fall 09 clothing.

** N.B.: starting on December 15th, there will be free shipping on regular priced goods over $150.**

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One of the highlights of being a blogger is meeting other like minded people. In Toronto, we have a great community of fashion bloggers, designers, stylists and writers. Our city is a small enough microcosm that the networks between people are closely connected, usually one or two degrees of separation, yet at the same time large enough to reach outside the province/country and gain serious global recognition.

I was invited by Danielle Meder of Fashion Final to attend a small festive gathering at LIV by Au Lit, a fashion and home decor store whose aesthetic focuses on luxury and European style.

Here, 20 of Danielle’s favourite fashion friends were gathered sipping wine, nibbling on mini cupcakes, browsed the shelves of LIV and of course talked about fashion.

We were all brought together through our shared experiences; we attend many of the same events in the city, love to write, take pictures, express and share our thoughts and insights about fashion. This is a group of people who absolutely love what they do and have a passion for fashion.

It was great to see some old friends and finally meet (for the first time) the faces some of Toronto's fashion bloggers, writers and stylists. Here’s the roll call of attendees as provided by Danielle:

• Afiya Francisco of The Style House
• Briony Smith and Danah Abdulla of blogTO
• Rea McNamara of EYE WEEKLY and Metro
• Emma Yardley of Canadian Living
• Johanne Durocher and Rachel of Fashion In Motion
• Jennifer Campbell of FASHION Magazine
• Gail McInnes
• Anita Clarke of I want – I got
• Jen Tse
• Linda Gaylard
• Nathalie Atkinson and Elyse of National Post
• Ashley Bartlett of She Does the City
• Afiya Francisco of The Style House
• Stefania Yarhi of Textstyles
• Tricia Campbell
• Renee Williams of Yahoo Canada Life
• Eden Spodek of Bargainista
• Kimberly Lyn of The Souls of My Shoes (that’s me)

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Are you on a budget? Do you need a shoe that will add some pizzazz to your winter wardrobe and carry you throughout the multitude of holiday parties? Then consider the Litten from Aldo or what I call “shiny goodness on your foot.”

Shoe specifications:

• Colours: black and metallic
• Heel height,  2.5 inches
• Outer, sequin
• Sole, synthetic

Why I chose this shoe: the Litten is fun and affordable, priced at C$90. What I like about Aldo’s shoes is you have a range of footwear choices, styles and price points to choose from. The Litten comes in black and metallic, can be easily matched with outfits and the shape of the rounded toe never goes out of style.

Images from Aldo

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For the past five years Holt Renfrew unveils its holiday windows with much pomp and ceremony and rightly so, it’s one of the very few businesses/organizations that can shut down Bloor Street and it’s a hotly anticipated event that officially marks the beginning of the holiday season in the city.

This year Holt Renfrew’s creative team concocted a winter story book complete with snow people carolling, dancing swans, parading penguins and a marionette music box. The various windows showcased Holt Renfrew’s interpretation of classic holiday stories such as The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Frosty the Snow Man with a stylish twist.

Featured designs by Gucci, Valentino, Helmut Lang, Canadian Philip Sparks and Alice+Olivia were incorporated into the window displays adding style and luxury to the stories.

I love passing by Holt Renfrew’s windows no matter the time of year because what you see is more than just a window, what you see is accessible art that incorporates style and creativity amidst Bloor Street’s barren concrete landscape.

Picture taken by Kimberly Lyn

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