Alicia, Author at Alicia Fashionista

Featured Style

The Summer Uniform

June 8, 2017

My version of “florals for spring, how groundbreaking” is blue and white for summer. This was my absolute go-to combination last year and I can already tell it’s a favourite this season because I keep filling up online shopping carts with blue and white blouses. It’s honestly a problem. I glanced at Adam’s closet this morning and noticed that he has an abundance of blue shirts as well – are we already at that point in our relationship that we’re dressing alike? Is this was 10 years together does to you?

Looking at what else to invest in this summer, I think a straw or similar looking neutral bag is key. They just go with absolutely everything, I adore this trend so much. I also still love the ease of a nude flat sandal that again, pairs well with most. I have worn this pair from last year into the ground, they are literally almost in two and keep making me trip while walking. I should really replace them. Like, now.

SHOP THE SUMMER LOOK:

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Featured Home

Our Bedroom Makeover | Part 1: The BEFORE

June 5, 2017

Our bedroom has been in desperate need of a makeover from the very beginning. When I moved in with Adam, we sold of his Ikea bedroom set and brought in mine. A bed and 2 dressers that, at the time of purchase, my parents threatened “I had to keep for the rest of my life” if he was going to spend that kind of money. I think I took their words a bit too literally. The makeshift wire shelf over top of a single bar closet system is the bane of my existence. The amount of wasted space in there is astonishing. As part of the tornado of clutter I brought into Adam’s life, we purchased an Ikea system in an attempt to contain my wardrobe. Surprisingly, it was not enough space. I usually keep a pile of clothing on my side of the bed instead.

Turns out, bringing in these mismatched oversized furniture pieces began my hatred for the room. Nothing is symmetrical. Adam’s “nightstand” is a chair with clutter on it. I don’t even have one, I just open a drawer to the tall dresser and place my phone on it. We lay in bed to face a mounted tv, that, when we moved in together, my dad insisted “was a necessity if we were to have a successful relationship”. We’ve used it maybe 4 times total. We’re lacking storage. Nothing matches. We never even open the curtains to let daylight in. Our bedroom looks like a sad, pet-friendly dorm room. The worst part? I moved in 6 years ago. We have lived like this for over 6 years.

As the housing market in Vancouver has gone bananas, we’ve decided to stay in our 700 square feet and make improvements. So, following our second apartment flood, which gifted us with beautiful new floors, we have slowly but surely been updating the rest of our space. It has been such a fun project for me, but when it came to our bedroom, I was stuck.

We saved up some money and enlisted the help of an interior designer. It has been the best decision we’ve made with our apartment so far. The amazing team at Amanda Hamilton Interior Design has been such a joy to work with and has left me wondering why we didn’t just ask for help sooner.

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Featured Style

My Top 5 Spring Denim Trends

June 2, 2017

I’m sure this will come as no surprise to you, but I basically live in denim. The fact that I’m in the Pacific Northwest and work from home or a shared office, means that the comfort of denim is kind of my jam. And have you noticed how many fun spring denim trends popped up this season? I find it so exciting and the perfect excuse to discover new silhouettes! I had a blast visiting Mavi in Yaletown and shopping the latest for spring/summer. They are my go-to for denim and have been for many years. I just find their fits work well on me and that they consistently carry the classics, but are also stocked with the hottest new looks. I very much appreciate that they keep their quality with the trendier denim too, always making them as flattering as possible. My kinda people!

There’s so many new (or re-surfacing) denim trends at the moment, that I’ve rounded up my favourites below, as well as some inspiration to achieve the look. All of the denim I’m sporting is from Mavi, and luckily they just launched an online store, so it’s even easier to shop! I’ll try to outline as much about each pair below that I can, but if you have any questions about a particular style, let me know!

Embroidery

This is definitely the boldest trend in denim this spring, but I just love it. There’s such a variety of embroidery styles and placement out there and I just think it’s so darling. When there’s embroidery on jeans, it often requires there to be little to no give in the denim, so I opted for the look in a jacket instead. Stretch in my jeans is kind of a must!

Wearing: Mavi Rose Back Embroidery Gold Denim Jacket

Shop the look:

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Featured Style

Breezy Gingham Dress

May 30, 2017

Last summer, I complimented my friend’s jacket and she explained that it was from Zara but online, because there was better selection/size range and you could bring it back at the stores if it didn’t work. The pain of returns by mail are my biggest deterrent from making online purchases (which saying it out loud, is probably a helpful thing for my finances), so this was a game changer. Ever since, I’ve been intermittently browsing their selections, but had still somehow never actually purchased.

Recently, there was a pair of trousers and some tassel earrings that caught my eye (similar to these) but they were both sold out, so I made the mistake of signing up for an email notification if either one was restocked. A few days later, the earrings appeared in my inbox, back in stock, and with a compelling call to action. They were swiftly added to my cart, but I couldn’t stop there. I can never seem to purchase one single item. I’m from a retail background, it’s all about multis! This gingham ruffle dress was also added to the cart because I knew this breezy frock would be a spring favourite. I sure was right!

Style

Abbotsford Tulip Festival

May 23, 2017

I’ve gone flower crazy and I simply will not apologize for it! A visit to the Abbotsford Tulip Festival with Alex was such a spirit lifter. How do you stand amongst rows and rows of beautiful blooms and not smile (no matter how many times you almost slip and fall in the mud)?! We ventured out before first light to catch the sunrise. And of course, just like last year, there was no such thing! It was still really nice being there before the crowds and the cloud coverage was beautiful for photos. I even remembered rubber boots this time around and managed to avoid the garden snake that slithered past Alex. It was a great morning!

Besides the Tulip Fest, which is unfortunately now closed, there’s lots of cute places to explore around Abbotsford. I had plenty of time to discover what Abby has to offer, since I found my wedding dress at Champagne and Lace and returned to the area many, many times for fittings, etc. I’ve listed some of my favourite spots below, be sure to let me know if you have any places/activities to add to the list!

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Beauty Featured Home

Fresh Balayage Vlog

May 18, 2017

The last time I consistently coloured my hair, I was 19, single, and testing out the theory that blondes have more fun. And though, I ended up not being able to afford the upkeep, I always felt really confident with the lighter locks and look back at those years with such fond memories. I’m obviously a natural brunette (those Asian genetics are strong within the Quan family) but truthfully, I feel the most ‘me’ with some lighter colour mixed in there too. Maybe it even has something deep down to do with my mixed heritage. I’ve truthfully never considered that until this very moment.

I recently shared what I learned about going golden balayage, but since the lovely Rosie left town, I was ~~desperate~~ looking for a new stylist. I was so excited when THE Chris Weber suggested that I see him with the help of his friend Ali Eskridge. You see, Ali just moved back to Vancouver from NYC and is building up her local client base and Chris is technically full and unable to squeeze in new guests. Teaming up was a brilliant idea, and two senior stylists and 3.5 hours later, they created absolute creamy balayage magic! If you’re also in need of stylist, Ali is your gal, she was beyond awesome!

Style Travel

Resortwear On A Budget

May 17, 2017

I’d wanted to buy a few new things for our recent Kauai trip, but didn’t want to break the bank. Which, I think is the case for a lot of us when it comes to tropical holidays. Hawaii is expensive enough! I love shopping online for summer items, so I spent months stalking ASOS for reasonably priced dresses that could double as either a daytime bathing suit coverup or a casual evening dress because I also wanted to pack light. This classic striped frock caught my eye and the $40 price tag was perfect. The best part, is that vacation me is far more relaxed, so I didn’t even wear a bra with this cotton dress! The low back was such a beautiful feature, so I just threw my hair forward and hoped that no one noticed. I ended up confessing to my girlfriends on our way to dinner, but they both assured me that they had no idea I was bra-less (though, not sure if that was actually the case, they could have lied like good friends do lol).

Unfortunately, there’s only one size left in this colour way at the moment, but they have a solid black version, or these stripes in a lighter mint combo. Shop the look below:

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Featured Life

The Thing About Motherhood

May 14, 2017

Something amazing has been happening lately. A ton of my friends are having babies. Like, a TON of them. It’s all baby showers, newborn snuggles, jolly jumper snapchats, and shopping for fun gifts, because being an aunt is kind of the best. And besides all the cuteness that now surrounds me (and takes over my phone storage), it has been incredible witnessing so many of my friends become mothers. Their strength and resilience leaves me in awe and more often than not, I am left wondering how the heck they do it!

Since it’s Mother’s Day, I thought I’d do a post that was a little different. I asked a couple of my closest friends (very last minute too, you ladies are the best) to share their stories instead. To get things rolling, I posed the question, “How has Motherhood been different than you’d expected?”

What I didn’t expect in return, was to get so emotional. I am beyond proud of each of these ladies (and all my mom friends, I wish I’d had enough time to ask every single one of them) for navigating this tough and life changing journey with grace and full hearts.

Today, Adam and I are having a little Mother’s Day brunch for our own moms (because nothing says thank you for sacrificing everything like scrambled eggs). But, I also wanted to say a big Happy Mother’s Day to all of YOU! New moms, and grandmas, adoptive mothers, those moms who have lost, the mamas to be, step moms, mothers-in-law, those longing to be moms, and even my fellow fur mamas out there! Motherhood is simply beautiful and I’m so glad we can all celebrate that today.

xoxo Auntie Alicia

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Featured Travel

10 Must Have Bites In San Francisco, CA

May 10, 2017

This trip was a year ago and I think I’m still full. On our flight home, I had to check my carry-on suitcase because it contained half a large loaf of sourdough bread and 3 jars of Trader Joe’s Cookie Butter. I even found a bonus little note from the TSA when I got back, explaining that they’d searched my bag (can’t imagine why).

Your obvious statement of the day: San Francisco’s food scene is incredible. IN-CRED-I-BLE (claps between each syllable for emphasis). When I was there last April with Saschie and Kate, we legitimately ate 5-6 meals per day. Which, was indulgent, yes, but then we got to try as many dishes as possible AND no one ever got hangry. It was a decadent and fun way to travel. Thank goodness for all those hills in the city. Makes SF the perfect place to eat all of the things!

MR HOLMES BAKEHOUSE DONUT | 1042 Larkin St

They have more than just the famous ‘I Got Baked In San Francisco’ sign and cruffins. But, I mean, cruffins ARE a huge draw. All of their baked goods were so delicious, I especially devoured their donut…or two. Okay, maybe I had two of their donuts. Worth it.

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