Breakfast at Lola's

Lola (Belltown Seattle, WA)

Seattle, WA 98121

2000 4th Avenue

As an incredibly chic restaurant with great food, Lola's was one of the highlights of my last weekend's retreat to Seattle and Portland. Lola's was packed when we arrived and proved to be a popular selection for breakfast/brunch. We had a 30 minute wait for a table (for four) but they have a very comfortable waiting area and their close proximity to the core of Downtown Seattle allowed that time window to be pleasantly filled with early window shopping.

 

Lola breakfast 

two eggs, choice of pork-maple sausage or smoked bacon (he got both), smashed garlic fried potatoes, toast

 

The bacon was thick cut and delicious.

 

Omelette 

sugar snap peas, minted goat cheese, smashed garlic fried potatoes, bacon, toast 

Eggs benedict 

bavarian meats ham, dill hollandaise, smashed garlic fried potatoes

Tom’s big breakfast

mediterranean octopus, sugar snap peas, spring onion, potatoes, bacon, green garlic yogurt, poached egg, toast

I never would have ever imagined enjoying having octopus for breakfast but this was absolutely perfect.


Although moderately pricey, especially for breakfast, Lola's was really a great experience with its classy atmosphere, hum of conversations and creative breakfast selections. Definitely recommended!

Tweet

NYX - I Dream of Jamaica

NYX The Caribbean Collection 5 Color Eyeshadow
I Dream of Jamaica

-  NYX generally has quite a good reputation for eyeshadows so I decided to give this neutral, cool toned palette a try. I've found that the pigmentation is at a medium level, not very strong so it's optimal if you just wanted a light wash of colour. Of the 5 colours the ones I've reached for the most are the two highlighting colours (the pale pink and the white) because I like how the shimmer gives it a faint satin finish thats not too strong.

Swatches in sunlight, no photo retouching.

This palette is great for a cool toned smokey eye because the grey shade (second to the right) has a really sheer finish that's easy to blend and the lavender shade (in the middle) adds a nice hint of colour. Before I made this purchase I browsed through reviews on makeupalley and most people were describing the eyeshadows as buttery and creamy but I've actually found this palette quite powdery, especially compared to how creamy the Urban Decay Naked palettes are. I think that  its powdery consistency does help with minimizing fallout  but just doesn't make it the greatest when it comes to its pigmentation.

Overall: 7/10

Tweet

eBay Jewellery Reviews + Tips!

When I was hunting down a statement necklace to go with my prom dress I couldn't find any piece that I liked in store. After discovering the selection available online I decided to give ordering jewellery on eBay a try. Overall I’ve found that it’s much more worthwhile than going to in store retailers and usually the quality measures up to what you would find of H&M or Aldo products.

Pros

Inexpensive:

Whereas American retailers sell statement necklaces at around $10-$25 a piece, I got each of the items below for under $10 each. Shipping was included in the listed price as well! This is probably the only reason I prefer eBay over other Asian online fashion stores because most have the individual prices for the products and then a minimal flat shipping cost + extra depending on weight. It’s not worth it to order only one item from those sites but it’s really easy to order individual items and compare prices on eBay.

Variety:

There are literally thousands of styles that each seller has. A lot of the same ones are carried by multiple sellers in different colours so you can find the exact piece that you’re looking for. When I was searching for a prom necklace I couldn’t find one that would complement my dress in stores, online I found plenty that I really liked and instead had a tough time choosing one.

Cons

Inconsistency of Quality:

After my first few necklace purchases turned out to be decent quality I expected it as a standard of all the items online. The last necklace resembled the photo in style but the quality was really far off. Although different sellers sell the same style item for different prices, the seller that places the item at the highest price isn’t always providing the best quality available for that product. Its difficult to predict which sellers carry good products as sometimes a certain item they carry is high quality but another item is low.

Delivery time:

These take a long trip from China to arrive. On most descriptions it said shipping time would be 16-30 days to Canada and each item I’ve ordered has taken between 20-30 days. A month is a long time to finally receive a product and while you’re waiting for it to arrive you may act on the impulse to order more.

 

Crystal Charm Floral VTG Smoky Gold Plated Pendant Necklace TA2285K

Seller: thboxs

Overall Rating: 3/5

This was a disappointing purchase, there are a lot of lumps on the necklace and it’s a much brighter shade of gold than it shows in the photograph. Also, this necklace took the longest of the 3 to arrive (24 days I believe).

Fashion Retro Hollow Out carving Flower Alloy fake collar Clavicle necklace New\

Seller: fashion-shop8

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

This was the first necklace I ordered, simply for the fact that it was so cheap! I got it for $3.50 and am pretty impressed with the quality, the item is true to the photos. On each side of the collar 3 separate parts are joined together by rings that can be uncomfortable due to the weight of the necklace. As it is a peter pan collar necklace and is mean to be worn over a shirt it’s not much of a problem, I was surprised at how uncomfortable these kinds of necklaces are to wear on bare skin. The shipping time was also pretty quick (two weeks or so).

Fashion Golden Chain Flower Hollow Out Adjustable Bib Pendant Necklace

Seller: alliway

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Last but not least this is my favourite eBay necklace purchase so far! I was attracted to it because I thought the style was really unique but there are actually a whole bunch of eBay sellers that carry this product in different colours and made with different materials. I saw a matte black one that looked really cool but opted for this gold one instead. I love how it’s a statement necklace that can complement any outfit and has a really intricate design but once again the joints that hold the different pieces of the necklace together make it uncomfortable to wear on bare skin!

Final Suggestions

You really need to notice the details in the photos the seller posts as they are most often pretty accurate. Any hints of imperfections you notice in the photos will be amplified on the actual item you get. The model shown in the photos is not a bad representation of what you will get, they often just use photography skills and pretty models to distract you from the details of the product. I’ve personally been really impressed with what you can find online!

Tweet

baby it’s cold out

Uggs are really common now but I still think they’re adorable! And so damn comfy. I used to have a cheap pair and let me tell you high quality expensive ones make all the difference. There is so much more lining and they are 10 times warmer.

I can’t wait for snow (:

End of term comfort food. Term 2 here we go.

"Would the world ever have been made if its maker had been afraid of making trouble? Making life means making trouble."
- George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion

Tweet

Fall into place

The current banes of my existence.

Wild Salmon Burger (Red Robbins) – total disappointment. Too much coleslaw, not enough sauce.  Cold, stiff bun as well. Overall it’s really dry and hard to bite,  not only because of it’s size but because the bun isn’t soft!

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

One of the best books I’ve ever read. Recommended 100%

Okay? Okay.

Tweet