My Birthday Outfit

I didn't have much time to hunt for a birthday dress and shoe-shopping was unsuccessful.  Luckily, I have stuff in my closet that I can work with.

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Dress: Platinum Mall

Watch: Richard's Technomarine

Shoes: Zara

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I bought this dress around April, I think, and I've worn it only once.  I love the nude-ish color.  It's actually a maxi dress but I wore it shorter because I wanted the pencil skirt-ish effect.  It goes better with the shoes.  This is how the dress really looks like:

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Loose and relaxed for my trip to the spa.  No more make-up too!

Flip Flops: A/X

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Maxi dress + belt = this.

I used a belt to hold the dress up to my knees (it's hidden under the folds of the dress).  I think pwede rin without a belt since the material hugs the hips, but I'm not too sure if it will stay that way when you walk.  So I wore the belt to be extra sure the bottom part won't fall down.  Heehee!

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One dress, two ways.  Ok, now I want this in black too!  Hope they still have it :)

Working Mom

Last week, Aly's homeroom teacher asked me if I can help decorate the 2nd grade classroom for the Science Fair.  I love those artsy-crafty stuff so go!

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I wanted to wear something decent and comfortable.  Decent because I'll be in Aly's school so I want to wear something that says "parent", not "nanny".  Haha! And comfortable because, well, I will be working :)

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Shirt: Gap

Jeans: Zara

Sneakers: Converse

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I also brought along my bayong of craft supplies because I like to have everything ready and within reach.  It makes my work faster.  I hate having to pause and look for scissors, glue, etc.  Waste of time!  Karir dba?

Pink Belt

I went to Aly's Songkran school celebration last Friday wearing this:
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My "Sorry but I'm the queen" shirt from Zara

Pink belt: 168

Gray pants: Old Navy

Silver flip flops: People are People

Bag: Aly's Hello Kitty bag for swimming class

Shades: Mango

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I wore the belt to match Aly's pink bag.  Heehee!

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Pag Songkran kasi, may basaan so I packed a towel and a set of clothes for Aly to change into after their celebration. 

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I also wore bigger shades to cover my face.  Kasi I didn't have time to put make up on.  Heehee!

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See?  No kilay, no blush...just sunblock and lip balm.  I was a wee bit late for Aly's school thing.  Good thing I didn't miss the part where she went up on stage.

Songkran Wear

For last week's Songkran Party, Aly and I wore this:
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Rash guard: Speedo

Shorts: Zara kids

Flip flips: Dupe

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Tunic (worn with shorts underneath): from Chatuchak

Watch: Richard's Technomarine

Aviator shades: from MBK

Flip flops: Ipanema

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Songkran must-haves to keep your things dry: resealable bags and those plastic wallet thingies.

Aly's 8th Birthday

Her birthday was last Sunday and I know this is a little late.  Nevertheless, I'm dedicating this post to my little princess -- the heir to my throne.  Heehee!

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Birthdays are extra special so a birthday dress, complemented with a birthday bag and shoes are a must!  But that's just my kaartehan.  I'm just passing on my birthday traditions to my little girl.  Anyhoo, this is what I made her wear on her big day:

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Bohemian top: Central Department Store

Leggings: export overruns bazaar in Nuvali

Watch: Gap

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Pink flats with flower detail: Gap Kids

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Knapsack: Hello Kitty

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I really love this top!  I wish they had for grown-ups too!  Heehee!  I had my eye on this last year and it was already on sale, but at 30% only so I didn't buy.  I'm really glad I didn't because just last week, they put it on sale again but this time at 50-70% off.  Hindi ko na sya pinakawalan.  Haha!

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She will be borrowing stuff from me before I know it.

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Maxi dress: from Pratunam

Cardigan: Zara

Bag: Louis Vuitton Neverfull

Watch: Baume & Mercier

Wedge sandals: Charles & Keith

Disney On Ice

We all had to wake up early to catch the 11am show, which was the only show in English during the entire run.  Since the venue, Impact Arena, was an hour away from our place, I had to move fast.  Magagalit si boss pag na-late kami.  So make-up had to be minimal but picture perfect and the outfit had to be decent but comfortable.  This is what we wore:

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On Aly: 

Shirt, jacket and jeans: Gap

Shoes: Little Lulu

Bag: Barbie

On me:

Pocket tee: Gap

Cardigan with puff sleeves: Platinum Mall

Leggings: BF

Bag: Banana Taipei

Shoes: Zara

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We knew it was going to be cold at the venue so jackets were a must!

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My fast make-up look: just powder, kilay, mascara and red lipstick.  I chose red lips so I won't need eyeshadow, which will only eat up more time.  I'm also wearing my cuff bracelet from Diva.

Blazer: A Wardrobe Basic

I used to think that blazers are strictly for the office but I think every woman, working or not, has to have at least one in her wardrobe.  It makes any outfit look dressier.  Besides, office or no office, we stay-at-home mommies have a full-time career too!  And it's more challenging than a regular 8-hour job because ours is 16-hour, 7-day a week job with no holidays and sick leave.

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Back to blazers...Bangkok temperature dropped for a couple of days last week and I thought it was perfect to bring out the blazer again.  It was also gloomy outside so I decided to wear something sparkly.  Heehee!

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Blazer: AIIZ Career

Tank top: from the bazaar in Nuvali last Christmas

Jeans: Gap

Flats: Zara

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I wanted to wear denim shorts but it was too cold!  As in, no aircon but I was wearing socks and covered in a blanket cold.  So jeans na lang.  I also paired this look with make-up ala Penelope (gave it another go but with heavier eyeliner) but the funny thing was, it took me too long to put it on that by the time I was done, it was too late for me to go anywhere!  I was all dressed and ready with nowhere to go!  I ended up ordering room service for lunch.  Pffft!!  Sayang ang effort!  Pero pwede rin naman mag make-up kahit nasa bahay lang dba?

It Still Fits!

I unearthed an old dress from my closet the other day.  I wore it to lunch with a girlfriend at Crepes and Co.

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Dress: Zara 

Shoes: Charles & Keith

Pardon the bruises on my knees.  Aly and I have been working on craft projects that required some kneeling on the living room rug.  Occupational hazard of being a hands-on mommy.  Haha!

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I bought this dress in 2008.  I think I only wore it twice, once during the annual Christmas party with my AC friends.

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20lbs. ago.  Haha!

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I stopped wearing the dress when I started gaining weight.  But last week, I tried it on again.  I thought it looked ok so I wore it :)  I just had a little trouble finding the right pair of shoes to go with it.  I wanted to wear flats, but it didn't look too nice so I put on the pair that I usually wear with the dress.

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My 2008 birthday shoes :)  
Back then, these babies felt sky-high and I felt a bit wobbly when I walked.  But since my mom gave me my Michael Kors, I was surprised at how comfortable these shoes are!  I walked for a block or two in these babies.  Hindi sumakit paa ko, promise!

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I'm so glad the dress still fits!  20lbs. is still a long way to go.  I may not even shed all that weight.  But at least I know I'm getting there.  Baby steps.

My Michael Jackson Shirt

After we saw This Is It last year, I immediately went on a quest for an MJ-inspired piece of clothing.  I fell in love with his Balmain but I certainly can't afford it.  Zara wasn't giving me any love that time; none from CPS either.  Kahit nga sa Platinum wala rin.  I probably saw some here in Bangkok but most likely hindi kasya sa kin that's why I didn't get it.  Only H&M in Hongkong gave me some MJ love so when I saw this shirt, I bought it right away.

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Shades: Mango

Shirt: H&M

Tank top (worn under the shirt): export overruns from the Lunch Market

Leggings: from Pat's suking Korean shop in BF

Shoes: Zara

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The shirt is a bit short for leggings so I had to wear a longer tank top under to hide my saddlebags and other flabs.  Heehee!  I also wore red lipstick for a little bit of color.

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I'm going to share with you my secret for long-lasting red lips one day.  Well, it's not really a secret but it's a technique that's worth sharing because I get asked a lot about how my lip color stays on even after eating.

Top 10 Essentials

Just want to share something that I read on the internet...
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According to ELLE fashion director/Project Runway judge, Nina Garcia,  the top 10 essential items in a woman's wardrobe are:
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• The Little Black Dress (LBD)
• A classic men's white shirt
• Cashmere cardigan or turtleneck
• Trench coat
• Denim
• A man's classic watch
• Diamonds
• Ballet flats
• A classic high heel pump
• A great bag
• Bonus: a dramatic piece, like a cocktail ring

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Even if it's a short list, ordinary mortals like me do not have all ten.  Either we cannot afford it (diamonds + cashmere) or we cannot wear it here in the tropics (trench coat).  So, here's my more realistic and more affordable approach on the top 10 essentials list.

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LBD + cardigan:

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LBD: export overruns shop at the lunch market @ Thb100 only! (Php140).  Cardigan: Zara (not cashmere, but I always choose ones that have a nice luxurious finish).

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LBD + classic high heel pump:

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LBD: Platinum Mall

Nude pumps: Central Department store (got it on sale @ Thb399 from original price Thb1,500)

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LBD: same one from the lunch market

Cardigan: Kashieca

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Classic men's white shirt:

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Richard's Calvin Klein.

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Trench coat - you can't really wear a trench coat here in the tropics!  But I think a black jacket or blazer will do just fine.

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Black jacket: AIIZ 

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Denim:

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Jeans: Gap

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Man's classic watch + cocktail ring:

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Watch: Baume & Mercier

Cocktail ring: Diva

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Diamonds -- I don't have diamonds, but I have pearls.  They're more affordable, yet a classic piece of jewelry.

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A great bag -- oh, boy!  That's a tough decision because it's like choosing which among your children is your favorite.  I love them all!  But, I have to choose only one for photo purposes so I'm not playing favorites.  Heehee!

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My Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene Speedy 30 because I can wear it with jeans, shorts and dresses.  It can go from casual to dressy.

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Bonus: a dramatic piece, like a cocktail ring:

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Ring: Diva

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Even if I can't afford jewelry just yet, I'm very lucky that I can borrow my lola Nene's or my mom's like my lola's big-a** ring, which I can only wear on special occasions + mom's pearl necklace.

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Lola's other ring, which also my favorite.  It's an oval ring filled with small diamonds set on gold.  Sorry I don't have a bigger photo of the ring but it looks a bit like Bella Swan's engagement ring.  Just google Bella twilight engagement ring :)

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Another dramatic piece that you can have in your wardrobe is a statement necklace.  It's not exactly jewelry, but it's dramatic nonetheless.  And cheaper too!

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All necklaces were made by KIMV :)

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If you notice, there's only one item on the list that I failed to mention: a pair of ballet flats.  That's because I don't have one :(  Sure I have flats but not ballet.  I don't really have "normal" shoes, because I try to be more adventurous when it comes to footwear.  Since I usually wear plain white or black or gray, I want my shoes to be more interesting in terms of color, design...but this year, I want to include more classic pieces in my shoe closet and a pair of ballet flats will be top of the list! 

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.