Lace Skirt

I wore this to my candle making class last week.
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Shirt: Gap

Necklace: from a tiangge Market! Market!

Skirt: from my bestfriend Pat's closet.  Heehee!

Sandals: Charles & Keith

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This skirt has an elastic waist and I love it!  Thanks again Pat for the skirt! :)

The Husband Shirt

My favorite white shirt is not in my closet but the hubby's.  Yeah, I like to raid his closet every once in a while -- most specially his watch box.  Heehee!  Luckily, I'm not exactly petite so I can get away with wearing bigger sizes.

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Wore this to lunch with my girlfriend Jennet:

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Shirt:  Richard's Calvin Klein polo

Tank top (worn inside the shirt): Platinum Mall

Watch: Ice Watch

Pants: Tracy (a cheap Tesco Lotus find!)

Shoes: Sanuk (a gift from my dad) 

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White shirts are best worn with pearl earrings, in my opinion.  They make you look fresh.  But maybe that's just because I don't own brag-worthy diamond stud earrings.  Haha!

Grocery Day

Grocery shopping calls for comfortable wear.  I learned from experience that a mini dress may not be the perfect choice when getting off the taxi and struggling with eco bags while keeping your poise at the same time.  Pants or shorts are more ideal.

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Beige pocket tee: Gap

Denim shorts: Old Navy

Camel weaved belt: Platinum Mall

Purple watch: Ice Watch

White flipflops: Armani Exchange

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Btw, don't forget to bring a reusable bag when shopping!  Plastic is soo last season.  Eco bags are in! :)

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Reusable bag: a gift from my mother-in-law.  Thanks, mama!

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Find out how the Valdezes in Bangkok are doing their part in going green here.

Lipstick for Everyday

I love the drama of red lipstick but let's face it: it's not something that you can wear everyday.  I need a bit of color on my lips so I won't look sick.  Haha!  I tried Benefit's award-winning Benetint lip and cheek stain, but it doesn't last long.  I also have Revlon's sheer Colorstay in Plum, which lasts longer but too dark naman.  So I've been looking for a lipstick that's good for everyday wear with great lasting power.  I wanted a nude-ish shade that will be perfect for days when I want to go a bit heavy on the eyeliner.  But after looking at the various nudes that the SA's presented to me, it may not be the right shade after all -- too light, too brown-ish, too orange-y... I want something that gives just the right amount of color; a shade that gives me the no-make up look.  My husband doesn't get this whole no make-up look thing.  He said why bother putting on make-up if you want to look like you don't have any on?  Ugh!  Men!  I'm sure the ladies get what I mean.

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Anyway, I found the One at MAC.

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MAC lustre lipstick in Capricious.

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This is how it looks on me:

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I love it!  Been wearing it nonstop since the day I got it :)

Uniform

With the weight that I put on from all the eating that I did during the holidays, I find myself wearing a lot of oversized shirts and leggings lately that it's become a uniform of sorts.  It's not the most creative, I know, but they're super comfy.   

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Gray oversized shirt with white ribbon detail: Walk With Grandam in Chatuchak

Black leggings: from Pat's suking Korean shop in BF

White kitten-heel sandals with gold detail: Charles & Keith

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Walk With Grandam is owned by a young Thai designer.  His shop is in Chatuchak, weekend market section, 4 soi 47/1.

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I'm working on losing that extra weight, by the way so wish me luck!

The Fat Dress

I lost five kilos in the last six months or so, but the weight that I lost is slowly creeping back in.  I gained two kilos from the holidays.  Yikes!  But I'm not too surprised.  I knew I had it coming.  Besides, who loses weight during the holidays?  No one!!

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While I'm psyching myself to get into another diet or exercise routine (still no success as of this day!), I turn to my fat dress on days when I want to look slimmer.  The fat dress doesn't make you look fat!  No!  It actually makes you look slimmer.  I just call it the fat dress because it's the dress that I turn to on days when I really feel fat, bloated, and ugh all over.  I'm sure all the ladies out there have at least one item in their closet that magically makes the pounds go away with no diet or exercise.  For me, this dress is one of them -- yeah, I have quite a few because I have a lot of pounds to hide.  Haha!  

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Black asymmetrical dress with sleeves: Platinum Mall
Shades (a Christmas gift from Richard when we were still dating): Mango
 Beaded necklace: Platinum Mall
Watch (a gift from my dad), Baume & Mercier
My black Fitflops Elektra.

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Why do I love this dress?  Let me count the ways: #1 It's loose around the tummy so it hides my bulges; #2 It hugs my hips (but not too tightly!) so it gives me a little bit of shape.; #3 It's black -- minus 2 pounds right away there; #4 It's from Platinum Mall hence it's super cheap!; #5 It can be worn many ways (more about that on future posts).  Meanwhile, here's a closer look at the necklace.

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It actually comes with a floral corsage and another necklace with smaller glass beads, but I only like this one so I took the others off.  I love how the beads look like glass but they're actually plastic.  I love the rose beads too.  This is a long necklace, worn around the neck twice to make it shorter and chunkier.

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P.S When I picked up Aly from school today, she asked me why I look slimmer.  My fat dress works!  Haha!

  

Knitted

Gray hooded knit dress from Armani Axchange paired with the loudest pair of shoes in my closet, Melissa Ultragirl in neon pink.

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I bought this dress two years ago but I rarely wear it because it's knitted, therefore not so ideal to wear on warmer days (which is like almost all-year round in  my part of the globe), and it's dry clean only.  When I saw it at the shop, I knew I won't be able to wear it as often as I want, but it was on sale (30% off) AND it's a size M.  Yes, it's a size M and it fits (not so) little old XL me :)  I just had to get it!

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Thank goodness for cooler in Bangkok!  There's no better time to wear this baby than now.

Cardigans

Aly and I went malling today and this is what we wore:
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Cardigans

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I love dressing up Aly!  She's always game with whatever I ask her to wear.

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White Shirt with black ribbon print, SM
 Black and white striped cardigan with red trim, Platinum Mall
 Skinny Jeans*, SM
 Blue, white, red and orange striped belt, SM
 Black printed canvas shoes, from a shop in Paseo Sta. Rosa.

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Popcorn hair clip from the night bazaar in Chiang Mai.

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Veered away from my usual black and wore lighter colors instead -- added something sparkly too!

Khaki cardigan, Zara
 Peach sequined tank top, from a Christmas bazaar in Nuvali Sta. Rosa
 Gold medallion necklace, House of Harlow
 Pleated khaki pants with brown belt, Zara
 Peach and cream wingtip flats, Substance. 

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We're taking advantage of the cool Bangkok weather so we try to wear "cool weather clothes" as much as we can before we store them away for the summer.  Plus, we always make it a point to bring a jacket for Aly whenever we're going to Siam Paragon because there are some areas there that are really cold.

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*There's a funny story about these jeans.  Read about it here.

Oriental

This is what I wore today:

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The blouse with an oriental-ish print was a gift from my godsisters Jean and Abby when they came to visit, but I believe they got it from Pratunam.  
The black leggings are from Pat's suking Korean shop in BF.  
Black platform sandals with studs, Charles & Keith.

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I love how this blouse hides all my bulges!  I normally wouldn't want anything that has garters in the waist area (they make me look pregnant even if I'm not!) but the ruched front works somehow.

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The Mommy Bag

I think the best bags for mommies like me are shoulder bags because we need to keep our hands free when we're with the little ones.  I'm saying this from experience because my Aly loves to hold my hand when we're walking.  When you're at the mall and you're holding a grocery bag on one hand, your bag on the other and your daughter on whichever hand is with the lighter load, handbags are not the most ideal choice.  I prefer to have my bag on my shoulder so I can hold the groceries on one hand and my daughter on the other.

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Back in 2008 when we first moved to Bangkok.  This was also Aly's first train ride.  Notice how we had to use a Safety First leash back then?  The green, faux crocodile tote bag is from SM.

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Tote bags work best for me because they're big and roomy.  Small, pa-cutesy bags won't do because I carry a lot of stuff.  Aside from the usual wallet, phone and coin purse,  I also carry my daughter's essentials like tissues, baby wipes, hand sanitizer along with my make-up kit, camera, a pen, notebook and foldable eco bag.  Yeah, I kinda carry my entire house but don't you just hate it when you need something only to realize that you left it at home because there's no more room in your bag?  Anyway, let me share with you some of my favorite totes.

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Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas Neverfull PM.  It's a birthday gift from Richard. This bag is super sturdy!  I've been using it for more than two years now.  It's really worth the money.

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Marc by Marc Jacobs canvas tote in aqua.  It's roomy, it has zippers and it's in canvas so it's not a heavy bag.

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Here I'm wearing my purple Nike.  I absolutely love this bag!  I love the color: it's purple and silver outside, bright orange on the inside.  It has pockets in front and at the back.  It also has two pockets on the sides where you can put your water bottle, eco bag...There are more compartments inside as well.  It can fit a ton -- I use this bag when I go to Chatuchak, Pratunam, lunch market and Chinatown.  Did I say I love this bag?

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Now we can't talk about tote bags without including the mother of all tote bags.

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Large Longchamp Le Pliage shopper tote in lilac.  Ladies, if you are to have just one tote bag in your collection, it has to be a Longchamp.  It's practically weightless, roomy and water repellent.  Best of all...

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...it folds into this so it's also perfect for travel.  I have to thank my bestfriend Pat for introducing me to the world of Longchamp (she has a small collection *drool*).

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To sum up:

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• The perfect tote bag should be sturdy - Don't mind paying a little extra if you know that the bag will last a long time.
• It also has to be roomy enough to meet your own essentials along with your kid's essentials.  I once had to fit a stuffed bear in my bag because Aly was too tired to hold it.  
• Canvas bags are generally lighter - perfect for shopping.  
• The Longchamp Le Pliage is one of the best tote bags ever.  It's designer yet affordable, roomy, sturdy and super light.  It's got everything that you need in a tote bag.  This is THE tote bag to have.

Hope this helps!  Have a great weekend, y'all! :)

How My 7-Year Old Taught Me To Dress Up More

There was at time when I picked up Aly from school wearing jogging pants, a decent shirt and flip flops.  My daughter didn't seem to like it because she asked me why I was wearing pambahay (house clothes) that day.  I was too lazy to dress up!  Besides, I didn't go anywhere; I just stayed home so I didn't see the point in dressing up.  But that single statement from my daughter really got to me.  I thought I looked ok, but my seven-year old thought otherwise.  Yeah, I know she didn't really mean anything bad -- it was an innocent remark, but let's face it: kids don't lie.  Lesson learned: wear something nicER!  I don't really go out everyday; I usually just stay at home.  But even if I'm just chilling at home, I should still put in more effort into dressing up.  Think Carrie in Sex and the City2 where she's wearing heels even  at home.  Ok, maybe I don't really need to wear heels at home, but you get the point?  Sooo,  I'm going to make a bold move by sharing photos of my outfits.  

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This is what I wore yesterday:

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Black dress from Platinum Mall -- a steal for only Thb100 (Php150)
 Black slip-on wedges from Charles & Keith
Statement necklace by KIMV (that's me!)

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Aly liked it! When she saw me, she asked, "why are you wearing something special today, mommy?"  Heehee!  I told her that I just wanted to look good.  It didn't hurt too that I got a few compliments from the mommies.  That made me feel good :)  It was encouraging as well.

Change Starts Now

An attempt to make a self portrait via mirrror.  I think I need more practice!

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I know I said that I don't make new year's resolutions but I'm afraid that I'm going to have to take it back because for 2011, I'm going to make one and that would be to put more effort into how I look everyday.  Yes, the 2011 version of me will be better-dressed and better-looking because this is the year where you'll see me go from drab to fab :)

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My friend Fides, who is also a mommy, told me once that you need to take care of yourself in order for you to take care of your family.  I'm hoping that this online journal will inspire other housewives and stay-at-home moms like me.  I'm not a fashion expert and I don't have a closet that's to-die-for.  I'm just a devoted wife and mom who wants to avoid being losyang*.  Just like all women out there, I feel more confident when I think I look nice.  And just like other women out there, I too, feel that I can conquer the world when I'm walking in 3-inch heels.

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To my fellow mommies and wifeys, let's conquer the world!  Change starts now -- the domestic goddess way :)
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* Filipino term for unglamorous women.  Losyang also pertains to housewives who seem to have lost their beauty and appeal, either from being overworked or simple because they just started to care less about their appearance. 
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