count my Thursday blessings

count my Thursday blessings

The LBD store on main summer clearance sale

my purchase, C Lace top from LBD store

bling it up with my handmade brooch

Today, my neighborhood, main street was blocked for one of the street fairs again. I just LOVE it when that happens. The idea of being able to roam, chalk, salsa or just sit in the middle of the street is just liberating. One of the best things is that the vendor on main will take advantage of having a sale; I was lucky to score this C Lace one shoulder top from the LBD store for $10 bucks. What also caught my eyes was this pair of funky sandal; it is very comfortable but damn it! damn it!  it was sold out in my size. I want someone to have it so I took a picture for all my friends for the remaining sizes (6/7/7.5/8). People! run out now to get it and enjoy it for what's left of Vancouver summer.

$10

count my Wednesday blessings

count my Wednesday blessings

Trends you love to hate

I embrace a lot of trend
1. Flower & Stripes trend:
I love colour, patterns, prints and it probably would not seem fair that I sourced out the worst example of clashing patters here to demonstrate how easily you would seem obnoxious and look like a fresh roadkill.
if stripe is done with a bolder patterned flower print, it look uber chic tho.

2. Leggings and a denim mini skirt:
ok now, another trend that I did not like the first time in 2006 but it seemed to be lingering like a bad case of flu. If you are older than 8 and are not Hannah Montana fans, please please do not pari legging and denim together. The deadly combo is the finest of frenemies. You know that old saying, "Take one  before you leave the house", it should be the legging in this case. Ew. EWW. EWWW. Seriously, you do the math!

3. Jegging:

It is gross like Cheetos; I don't get comprehend it like I don't get 'That's what she said' joke. I have seen it everywhere and it has been described as HOT items.  It is this weird hybrid of super tight jeans and legging. This new denimology bugs me, for reals. So TopShop began in late 2009 by calling them knitted jeans, Urban Outfitters went with the 'pull on jean', but Asos.com came up with the jegging. So, Asos is to blame. I think my mom has a pair when I was like 5 and she dug it out from the bottom of her closet, wanting me to try it on. no thanks. I wouldn't wear legging as pants and this is it in that sense. please, take them off if you have a pair on now. go now, don't at me like that. GO.

count my Tuesday blessings

After my Counting Monday blessings last week, I have decided to make this a regular post except I am counting blessings on a Tuesday this week, then Wednesday the following week...etc. Got the idea?

I am grateful:

1. as my salsa partner blew a breath into my face after I complained about the heat; his breath did not stink.

2. I got Kettle Chip, Honey Dijon at sale price of $1.99 at my local grocery shop East West Market.

3. Moo brought over hot pot ingredients, vegetarian style; I can't wait to try it.

4. armless pianist for inspiration, Marc Monday email for comfort, Clara's smile for warmth and this picture for laughter.

5. I am making contacts in great companies like Vision Critical, Arc`teryx and Obakki.

6. for 72 followers on twitter and 2 recommendations on 'My Salsa Week in Vancouver' post on NowPublic.

7. my daily phone call with my parents oversea; I had a heartfelt conversation today.

8. free, accessible, present and not-so-guilty simple pleasure of the almost full moon tonight; I stood underneath in awe.

9. for Aldo gold oxford shoes to help my double salsa turns; oh dr. Scholl's is hidden inside.

10. Another power outage did not hit my hood; I was lucky to have been stricken twice already.

Shout Out – Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.com

I have been reading and following Marc's blog and newsletters for the past few months now; Today's post has resonated with me. "Everything's going to be all right" brought a sense of calm even though I have heard it all the time from friends and family. I do believe that it is just temporary but it is easy to fall prey to momentary lapses of insanity. Last few days for me, I thought it is never going to end. Today, I woke up to this email, reminding that I have to once again manage my expectation and pace myself.

Big Thumbs Up!

***

Good Monday morning,
Today marks seven years that I've been writing this newsletter to you all. If I had to summarize my advice from all those years, it would be this:

Everything's going to be all right.

Look, I know. I've read the anxiety in your e-mails; I've seen the worry in your faces; I've been through countless job searches with you, Readers.
There's no doubt about it, the job hunt is stressful, straining, and tedious. The lack of certainty over what's going to happen to you, your family, and your career creates so much worry that it's easy to fall prey to periods of despair.

But I can also tell you that everything is going to be all right.

We'll make it through, together.
We've helped literally millions of people through their job searches over these past seven years. It's rarely easy, but those millions have landed successfully on the other side in a new role. And you, too, will find your way through.

It will take longer than you want; it will be more of an emotional rollercoaster than you were hoping for; and there will be days when you think it is never going to end.
But end it does. The call will come, the offer will be made, you will find your next great gig. Barring major medical problems, professionals like you do land in a new role. I've seen it happen, literally, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of times.

And to get through the job hunt challenge, let me elaborate a bit further on what I've learned over these past seven years. My best tactical advice is this:

Pace yourself.

The job search can take anywhere from 6 to 8 months, sometimes longer. It may happen sooner, but you shouldn't get your hopes up lest you wind up disappointed. Be sure that you're mentally ready for that long of a search. Set your expectations and think through how you'll handle a half-year or longer of looking.

You'll need to work at it, steadily and consistently. And you'll also need to take breaks. Just like "real" work, job search work is exhausting, and you'll perform better if you keep yourself mentally, spiritually, and physically fit and well-rested.

Get your resume professionally written.

A great product needs great advertising. You are a great product, with a price point that's measured in six figures per year. Please have a professional write your "ad copy." The competition (i.e., other job-seekers) has done it, and it enables them to stand out in a stack of resumes. And while it typically costs less than 1% of your annual earnings to get your product well advertised, it will be the most productive money you spend in a job search.

Apply to one job per day.

If you're applying to dozens of jobs per week, you're not doing yourself any favors. The "spray and pray" method doesn't work. Because recruiters and HR departments receive so many resumes these days, if your application is not on target, it goes in the bucket.

All that wasted effort not only does you no good, it does you actual harm. Because you're sending out so many applications, you don't have the time to follow up on the right ones. And when your response rate turns out to be very low, you too may get very low as you inaccurately perceive there to be no demand for your talents.

Do this instead: apply to one job each day. And then use the extra time you have from not applying to so many jobs to follow up. Call your college buddy who works there. Seek out the company's executives at the trade show. Get yourself noticed by the hiring manager by blogging about your work.
Slow and steady wins the race, not the flash in the pan.

Well, folks, those are my best bits of advice, gleaned from 365 weeks of writing, 365 weeks of reading your replies, comments, and questions, and 365 weeks of research into making your job hunt more successful.

I enjoy being your guide, and I hope to continue doing so for 7, or 70!, years more.
Thanks and have a great week in your search.
Warmest regards,

Marc Cenedella, Founder & CEO, TheLadders.co

Follow me on Twitter here. I've been writing these newsletters weekly for almost a decade in order to provide you with the advice, encouragement, and assistance you need in your professional job hunt. I'll take what we've learned at TheLadders during the week, or experiences I've had with job-seekers all over the country, and try to find a usable lesson, a valuable insight, or a helpful tip to share with you on Monday morning (my writing deadline is 3 p.m. every Sunday afternoon). I do read every one of your replies to this newsletter. Because of the volume of replies — typically over 1,000 per week — I'm unable to answer you personally, but one of our very qualified staff from our Job Search Support team will get back to you — most of the time within three hours or less. As I am interested in every reply I get, I'll also occasionally reach out directly by phone or by email to say thanks, or ask a question, or to see how we can solve your problem better. Thanks for reading!

Clearance Sale Officially On – Breathe Yoga Wear

2008 Manitoba Street, Vancouver (@ 4th Avenue)

Pants $10 | Shorts $10 | Tops $10 | Jackets $15 | Mats 2 for $20


M-F noon-5pm @ 2008 Manitoba Street Vancouver BC Canada


I have been to the 'Breath Sample Sale' about 3 times in the past 1.5 years; I have worn their stuff so it's easy for me to endorse.  It is no lululemon so it doesn't come with that kind of price tags, designs or selections.

The FIT:
I usually try every single piece on before I make a purchase. Their fit is on the loose side. My friend and I are usually a size apart but with dry fit, she gets a size smaller so it fit her just right and looser on me. Their Yoga pants on the other hand are very fitted so please be sure to try multiple ones on even if they are the same colour; each may very well mould to your body differently.

What I have Purchased:
I have purchased their short sleeve dry fit in xs,  every single colour in the selection so white, black, red, light purple, blue and dark blue.
Yoga pants: for summer months, I have purchased the Capri style in brown and green. It has a drawstring waistband and the leg is cropped to the calf with a back slits. This style is a little lower rise than I would have liked, finding myself doing the annoying and graceless pull- it-up while I workout. As for the colder times, I would go with the Roll Down Pant in full length which I find very versatile if I wanted more warmth around my tummy with the rise up when I leave gym into the coldest winter night.

I love their mats and have got them in purple and red. After washing them a couple of time, I find them softer than ever. Big thumbs up for the price I spent. (maybe I don't know any better since this is the first and only mat I have ever purchased; maybe there are ones with some crazy thread counts)

Breath Yoga Wear on display