Today marks the end of an era in our lives. Our little Jasmine passed away this afternoon after battling with congestive heart disease for over a year. In tough terrier fashion, she fought bravely right up until it was time for her to go. We are heart broken.

Jasmine was so much part of YLF. She kept us company in our office and loved photo shoots. Whenever Greg took pictures of my outfits indoors, she’d be right there with me, taking centre stage. And of course she stole the show. We called her the Blog Star.

Rosie and Jasmine were my 30^th birthday present from Greg. They came into our lives as pups from the same litter almost 11 years ago. They were my therapy, transference of love and loss, and so much more as I grieved my late Mum’s death. Greg says that as soon as Jasmine and I met, it was love at first sight. I won’t argue with that. But Jasmine also shared her affection with Greg, waiting for him to get out of bed each morning and following him around for the first half hour of his day.

Somehow Rosie and Jasmine are different to other pets we’ve owned. Raising them together made them extra special. Rosie and Jasmine have lived with us in three different countries and are quite the well-travelled little team. It’s amazing how they would make any place feel like home. We were an inseparable family of four that we called “tous les quatre”.

Between 3 and 8 months old Rosie and Jasmine went to puppy socialization classes. They entered “Puppy Olympics” and had a ball. Rosie was very athletic and won the agility prize, beating German Shepherds and Border Collies. Jasmine much preferred cuddling with Mummy and didn’t do quite so well. But the Olympic judges did give Jasmine an extremely meaningful prize that day: “smallest puppy with the biggest heart”. This sums up our little Jasmine best since she had so much heart. It’s painfully ironic that she passed away from heart disease. I guess that precious little heart worked over time.

I could write a book on why Jasmine was extra extraordinary, and still feel that I shortchanged her. Words can’t adequately describe the love, support and devotion that we received from this little doggie 24/7. She completed our lives. She was always happy, always playful, always food focused, always loving and hands down the sweetest of all sweetie pies. There will never be another Jasmine. May she rest in peace and be remembered for her beautiful nature and spirit.

As a tribute to our little blog star, there will not be a second blog post tomorrow. Please love your pets a little extra tomorrow afternoon for Jasmine. Rosie, Greg and I will be thinking extra hard of our little girl.

Quick to make herself at home in any hotel room.

Always a camera magnet.

Loving the long grass.

With Duckie, the indestructible toy.

In a way this post is an extension of the Scarpasa review, although I’m not being sponsored to write it. I wanted to show you the other pair of killer comfy low heeled pumps that I put through their paces, the Gina Ventori Patricias, and how I swapped out a few items in this outfit to achieve a different look.

A few days ago you saw me in a fairly androgynous outfit with zippered skinnies, a black button down shirt and Greg’s tie, cream leather jacket, colour blocked pumps, black specs and pewter clutch. This outfit swaps out the jacket, specs and the pumps and keeps the rest the same. I’m not trying to sport the Kate Moss “straight out of bed look”. It was another windy day and that’s why my hair is sticking up!

The effect with the new items is very monochromatic because the contrast between the colours is low. The military integrity of the jacket and dark colours makes this outfit even more strict and androgynous, which happens to be a style vibe that I really like. I do enjoy wearing pretty shoes and my white specs with this type of masculine ensemble because I fancy the contrast between the two aesthetics.

Wearing men’s ties is an acquired taste and not something I do often. When I do wear a men’s tie, I like to wear it against my skin and inside the collar of my shirt so that the effect is more like a scarf. There’s something about the combination of tie and skin that makes me feel girly.

And while we’re on that subject, this is not a feminine outfit yet I feel completely feminine wearing it. It just goes to show that feminine dressing is just as much about an attitude and a state of mind, as it is about the specific items that I wear.

The shoes are the Gino Ventori Patricias from Scarpasa and I’m extremely happy with them. They’re in textured, steel blue, snakeskin effect leather which is as soft as can be. I road tested them over the weekend and they are on their way to becoming 8-hour shoes. I like them paired with skinnies, leggings and dresses. A versatile shoe and perfect for our Seattle Summers. They also come in pink and brown if steel blue is not your thing.

Giveaway

Scarpasa is generously giving away $200 to spend in their store. Take a look in YLF’s competition section for details.

We were so excited when YLF Veteran AJ told us that an outfit she submitted was published in InStyle magazine (page 108 of the March edition). Killer! AJ is a stay at home Mum who lives in Texas and her fabulously creative, polished and ladylike style is inspiring to us all. No wonder InStyle published her outfit!

This trench coat outfit is deceptively simple. While it may seem like just another autumn ensemble, it’s actually a snapshot of the style evolution I’ve undergone since joining YouLookFab a year ago. My daily morning read of Angie’s blog posts, along with insights from other YLF forum members, have helped me gain knowledge and confidence to style my outfits. My InStyle appearance is a fun validation of how much I’ve learned through YLF.

It was during Angie’s coverage of New York Fashion Week last year that I realized I had a strong preference for playful, colorful outfits. Designers like Custo Barcelona and Carlos Miele inspired me to embraced color and print in my own wardrobe.  What was once a closet full of plain, solid neutrals now contains many colorful items like this eggplant trench coat.

I’m surprised at how much I enjoy trying out trends that are highlighted on YLF. I realize the skinny jeans in my trench coat outfit are not cutting-edge fashion anymore, but I never would have worn them without YLF. Angie’s posts on upcoming trends motivate forum members to try and interpret the looks in ways that work for them. I followed their example and have learned to strike a balance between looking current while still feeling like me.

Take footwear, for example. The wedge heeled booties I’m wearing in the magazine are both on trend and in keeping with my new goal of buying only comfortable footwear. Angie’s insistence on comfortably stylish shoes in her own wardrobe has shown me how fabulous footwear can take outfit basics up several style notches. No more painful shoes for me!

I’ve also learned through YLF that it’s the little details that make an outfit special. Usually I avoid double breasted coats or jackets, but it was the contrasting buttons on this trench that caught my eye. The stylist for the InStyle look had switched out their coat’s belt for a satin ribbon. I immediately thought of my tortoiseshell belt and was instantly pleased with how it complemented the trench and added some polish. I try to do this with all my outfits and accessories like pearls, scarves and hats now form an integral part of my every-day style.

An important part of my style journey has been documenting my outfits through pictures. This helps me see from afar how my clothes fit me and if the proportions suit me. The InStyle submission was a picture that I had already taken days before as part of my usual outfit photos. I highly recommend taking photos even if no one else will see them. It’s interesting what you will notice in the picture that wasn’t readily apparent to you in the mirror. Remotes and/or self-timers on digital cameras make this process easy if you’re uncomfortable with asking someone to take your pictures for you.

Finally, my confidence to submit my photo to InStyle is a direct result of Angie’s number one rule: have fun with fashion. I encourage new YLF readers to check out the party that is going on at the YLF forum. Besides outfit posts, currently there are forum threads of encouragement for those who want to temporarily take a break from shopping, as well as support for those who want to adopt healthy living habits. Angie has established such a positive and supportive environment here; it’s hard not to participate!

Thank you, Angie, for sharing in my excitement over my outfit submission to InStyle! I feel grateful for the freedom to enjoy fashion and style that you and the fabulous forum members provide. Many thanks for all the hard work that you and your husband, Greg, devote to YLF to encourage women worldwide.

We are on our way to Mexico City where I’ll be working with my amazing client Fernanda Solórzano. Fernanda is a local film critic and writer who frequently appears on television and speaks on the radio. She also travels abroad and attends fabulous functions.

Fernanda contacted me to help her evolve her already fantastic sense of style. She has magnificent clothing, footwear and accessories and we will be putting outfits together for various occasions, ranging from casual to super formal. We’ve been working together online for a few months and in preparation for a productive face-to-face session we’ve been filling gaps in her existing wardrobe so that we have most of items we need to create countless outfit combinations by the time I arrive in Mexico City.

Greg and I are looking forward to our Latin adventure and I’m champing at the bit about getting stuck into Fernanda’s closet – as well as getting my teeth sunk into some killer Mexican food. We hope to post about our experience so stay tuned.

It’s business as usual for YLF while we’re away, except that there will be one blog post tomorrow instead of two. We’ll be lovingly reunited with Yorkies Rosie and Jasmine on Sunday afternoon in time to cover the Oscars.