lucky penny’s favourite pastime, one of many, is popping into gastown’s lynn steven, coffee in hand and no time limit to peruse the racks.

at a recent luncheon, models wore books on their heads as an homage to the mgb-designed store, which features an amazing round changing area constructed entirely out of *mostly trashy* supermarket paperbacks.

she ogled the models’ outfits and made a mental checklist of the pieces to buy: a handknit intarsia sweater by vancouver’s granted and a silk dress by los angeles designer corey lynn calter.

lucky penny can always use new clothes!

bridal penny to the rescue! her *newly* engaged lovely still has a *huge* smile on her face… but, lucky penny can also see how she might be a tad overwhelmed. the couple’s guest list is nearing 200, and the bride-to-be is buried under a million wedding glossies!

wedluxe is a canadian publication that features the absolute best vendors in the country. the blog, penned by editor-in-chief angela desveaux, is truly a couture chronicles of weddings… it is impeccably edited, and profiles upcoming photographers, cake artists and stationary designers.

next on the list? a wedding planner. oftentimes this is a more difficult decision than the dress itself.

lucky penny has been to more weddings this past year than her fingers and toes could count… and one name was responsible for all: naomi serkin. naomi wants every bride and groom to “feel like a guest at their own wedding”. the girls did not waste one second, and booked her on the spot.

core team assembled. now to find a venue, photographer and a band…

lucky penny is no stranger to pop-up shops—when the james perse store opened during the olympics, she was pretty sure that she alone convinced the brand to extend its stay. but pop-up restaurants? now that sounds interesting…

slated to finish its run in early 2011, 100 days at the opus hotel is an interesting fusion of graffiti art and, well, food. artist vince dumoulin has been adding bits and pieces to his canvas—the dining room and restaurant exterior.

lucky penny liked the slightly rock ‘n roll aesthetic, the music by the ting tings and the kooks, and, *of course*, the food.

truffle parm fries, a warm mediterranean salad, and mac/chz—that’s how how i spell it, she thought—were so delish, and lucky penny’s vegan friend even had a few options, too.

the question is, how many more stops by this pop-up can lucky penny squeeze in before the new year?

lucky penny has a problem. she is afflicted with an incurable case of “10-min late syndrome”. thankfully, there is a cure.

housed in a beautiful little test tube, a plastichic watch is the antidote… in 19 colours and 2 styles. easy to coordinate with any outfit, and remind her of a 1st grade obsession with gummy bracelets.

***psst… blog birthday week celebrations continue… available at the bay, penny claus knows that the *new* crystal frame timepiece is a holiday wish list must-have.

leave a comment below, tell us the best stocking stuffer you have ever received… and win 1 of 2 watches! [contest now closed.]

lucky penny thought it happened innocently enough… when cute boyfriend popped the question, “out of cologne, baby. will you help me find a new one?”

for lucky penny, this was a big deal… finding a scent is *very* personal. however, she knew exactly where to go: holt renfrew.

there, she picked up marc jacobs’ bang, his *new* men’s fragrance. it features spicy pepper notes balanced by soft and warm woodsy undertones. meet sex in a bottle.

cute boyfriend loves how the bottle is strong enough to be tossed in a hockey bag. while his girl loves nuzzling into his neck. clearly a win-win!

***psst… this afternoon, “tweet to win” a full-sized bottle… follow @cuteboyfriend on twitter!!! only when prompted to answer a *skill-testing* question, send us an @ message with the correct answer. read this post very carefully!

bang makes the perfect stocking stuffer, lovelies… but hopefully, a gent will win it.