It’s important to periodically remind ourselves of the little things that make us smile. Here are some highlights from my week…

{Mineral Makeup: finally trying out the Jane Iredale brand on my sensitive skin}

{W The First 40 Years: my fashion library continues to grow with this gift from a sweet friend}

{Birthday Blues: a very low-key birthday compared to last year}

ScoopNYC dress, Alexis Bittar earrings, Jimmy Choo clutch, Valentino booties, BCBG Max Azria belt & ring

{Comfort Food: finding the perfect Madame Croque sandwich at a French brasserie, recipe here}

{New Sunnies: Ooh la la…these handmade Thierry Lasry sunnies from Paris are fierce; Look Book here}

Here’s the first post written completely on the iPhone 5, which makes my old Blackberry seem really archaic. I hope you enjoy these pictures of a Venetian masquerade that I attended last night.

I decided to take a minimalist approach to the Venetian way of dressing and opted for a simple black and white gown with sheer panels from this season’s BCBG Runway Collection and gold BCBG accessories. I wore this with a glittery metallic mask I brought back from Venice a couple of years ago. I chose this mask for its intricacy in design with a simple, modern flair. In preparing for this look I learned that there existed two kinds of courtesans in Renaissance Venetian society: the cortigiana onesta, the intellectual courtesan, and the cortigiana di lume, lower-class prostitutes who tended to live and practise their trade near the Rialto Bridge. I found this fascinating and feel compelled to read more about Veronica Franco, a celebrated cortigiana oneste.

Last night’s party left me thinking about my love affair with Venice which you might remember here, here and here. Attending a masked ball in the captivating city of Venice still remains on my bucket list.

When a high profile PR firm emails and asks you to run a picture of Kate Hudson on your blog, you just do it.  Especially if this is only a few days after sharing mirror time and having a brief conversation with the Ms. Hudson in the powder room of the Thompson Rooftop lounge at 4 o’clock in the morning. In case you’re wondering, Kate’s got a killer bod as I’ve never seen anyone look that good in a tank top and jeans. Physical appearances aside, she has a sweet demeanour and radiates an enormous amount of beauty from within.

I’m hardly a starstruck person and most often, friends have to point out the celebrities to me. As a result, I rarely post pictures of actresses on my blog since the internet is inundated with such images.  But, I decided Kate deserved a style post of her own and once the email arrived, it reaffirmed my notion that sometimes we meet people just because we are meant to.  The reason could be as trivial as this post or larger beyond our scope of understanding.  I’ll spare you my philosophical ramblings on the laws of the universe so you can enjoy these pictures of Kate’s festival style during TIFF.

Wearing an Emilio Pucci Resort 2013 slip dress, Christian Louboutin ‘Banana’ pumps and C.Eaton & Co Oversized Vintage Bicycles scarf to the press conference for The Reluctant Fundamentalist (a Mira Nair film.) .

Wearing a sleek white Alexander McQueen Resort 2013 gown, Tiffany studs, ivory pumps and Alexander McQueen knuckle duster minaudière on the eve of her film’s premiere.

Wearing a creamy Gucci Resort 2013 suit with Swarovski encrusted Jimmy Choo ‘Tame’ pumps to the photocall with her cast and crew. 

(Image via The Fashion Court)

What have you all been loving and lusting lately?  Here are some of the things that made me feel so good this past week…

For Valentine’s Day dinner, I finally wore these bracelets (and ring) that I purchased at Seasonal Whispers on my last trip to NYC.  It’s a great little jewellery shop if you are an accessories hoard like myself.

I started using this luxurious cream from Creamery, a place which serves up custom made creams for beauty aficionados.  It’s so nourishing and smells delicious from all the fresh ingredients that I have to resist eating it.  Yes, that’s a real chunk of chocolate sitting on top.

Stuart Weitzman sent over their stunning S/S ’12 campaign featuring Natalia Vodianova in these toe-capped shoes that I’m seriously drooling over.  I love the sexy allure to this classic ladylike style.   

This book Valentino Garavani:  A Grand Italian Epic which I received as a gift is a welcome addition to my ever-growing fashion library.  A true visual delight of Valentino’s glamorous world.  

I made this Coconut Shrimp Curry using jumbo shrimp and it was delish.

Image via TasteFood