Summer state of mind

Yesterday I woke up at 6am (to prepare hubby's breakfast) and noticed that the sky was still dark. This signals the end of summer and the onset of autumn. I was quite sad to see summer go=( This morning and up until afternoon, it just rained.

So today I decided to do a tribute for summer.

I used the same maxi dress during my preps for our wedding, so this has got to be one of the few dresses that I will never forget (aside from the fact that it was only $5! What a bargain!) Since Canberra has very erratic weather (you can have all 4 seasons in a day!), it is only but practical that I learn how to layer my clothes.

I topped the halter maxi dress with a knitted black cardigan which was ukay-bought (P50). The details on the cardi reminds me of the "bola-bola" (sticky/glutinous balls)  in Ginataan. Isn't it cute? Like you have to resist the urge to pluck them out or something.

Summer my friend, most of the time you had been harsh but I will surely miss and long for you especially when winter sets in. Until next time...

Indiana Jones

A few nights ago, Allen and I had an Indiana Jones marathon for his school project. Ergo, the look today:

I felt working for the Australian Zoo because I ended up looking like Terri Irwin or one their staff there =) Nonetheless, this was an easy get-up,  thanks to the monochromatic tone. Just grab everything that has the same shade/color in your closet and off you go! (I literally grabbed these because my boss called me to cover the day for him- when I got to the shop, he asked why I was still wearing my slippers. Grabe, slippers na ba to sa kanila?!? Sa'tin kasi boots to eh! =))

The polo shirt was a thrift find from Bambang during my college days. It was all worth the trip because I only got it for about P30 (less than $1) and I've been using it for a decade already. Although the fabric has been thinning out, it gives the polo a fake "sheer" look which you can wear during summer (despite the sleeves).  One thing I also love about it is the gold and silvery thread woven on the fabric, which from a certain angle (under a light or sun) gives the top a"shiny, shimmery, splendid!" look!

Complete the outfit with Jean and Rosz animal necklace. When I bought this necklace I thought that the use would be limited because, well, it's kind of hard to imagine having an elephant hanging in your neck like you are part of a tribal council.  But surprise, surprise! Since animal-anythings are trending these days (leopard/cheetah prints, insect rings, meat couture by Lady Gaga, Lady Gaga as an egg, Lady Gaga as a rhino [her anatomical prosthetics at the Grammy's- read the article at Jean and Rosz site] Animal liberation/PETA, etc!), you can pair this with whatever you can think of! (I once wore this to a job interview). I also wore the multilayer wooden bead bracelet to have a cohesive rustic look.

As an accent, I used my orange clip-on garter belt (bought from a bazaar) to add a bit of color to a dangerously-boring-outfit-if-you-are-not-careful-with-what-you-pile-on!


Later , I will change to my flip-flops when it gets warmer =)

XoXo,
Mukha mow!  =)

Thanks for the feature Jean and Rosz

Jean and Rosz made a feature of Thrift.Trip.Fashion at their blog yesterday. I must say I am very honored. When I came here in Oz, I had to bring only the most essential, classic and basic accessories with me (Baggage Allowance hey!). Apart from my DIY accessories, Jean and Rosz found a space in my luggage =)

Their accessories are modern with a classic twist, very wearable and can be matched with almost anything your imagination, gumption and creativity can take you.

Read the article here

TTF's feature at Jean and Rosz

I love Salvos

Back when I was in Manila, not a month would pass by without me having a trip to an Ukay-Ukay spot with my girlfriends. You'd be surprised with what you'll find there (but I will do a separate post for that).

When I got here though, I do not know how to get my Ukay fix! I am so itching to go to an Ukay (or something similar) to get ready for winter! (Winter wear is just too much for my wallet right now).

Thank God they have a place here called SALVOS (short for Salvation Army or Ukay Spot for me!)

I found this amazing emerald green wool jacket.

It reminds me of Jackie-O! The cut is so like her! Classic and Clean silhouette!

Bag from Susana (I think this is from Bayo or Divisoria); Charles and Keith Camel Booties and Zara Jeans

For only $20 I have a well-rounded coat/ trench. A brand new of this baby would probably retail for $50-85. This definitely is a good buy!

Wear it buttoned with a sweet dress and tights inside and you are ready for an English tea! Pair it with your jeans and killer boots and off you go to paint the night red!

DIY Shirt

This is one of my favorite shirts, because apart from versatility and design, it has sentimental value. The shirt was a Christmas gift by one of my girl bestfriends- Sharbs.

I remember how we were scouring Divisoria for our DIY Birdcage headbands when she saw the iron-on gems. She bought a tank top and voila! A very unique shirt created out of love and imagination =)

This shirt can go with anything, but today I decided to pair it with my high-waist pants for a chic look.  To break the monotony of black I wore my husband's gold watch (resized for me), white bangles and cocktail rings (some of which are gifted by, yep you guessed it, Jean and Rosz)

I also chose a Charles and Keith Yellow and Black strappy heels to have a splash of color at the bottom of the ensemble.


We're going later to the Canberra Show, so I'll probably change into my ballet flats for all the walking =)

As long as you're feeling Boho and not Baho =p

I just felt like being light and not too fussy today so I decided on slipping in my tube dress, a few bangles, scarf and slippers.

Why you should wear a dress:
1) You can eat all you want without undoing your buttons
2) You can go pee-pee without going through the hassle of unzipping, pulling down and zipping up again
3) It's airy on places that the sun doesn't shine on!

Tie dyed scarf gifted by an officemate; Jean and Rosz necklace

Pile 'em all up I say! Don't be scared!

Hello Shorty!

I've been sporting short hair ever since I was 16. The only time I grew it long was for my wedding (which was just this year!)- and "long" meant a safe one-length cut. I think my hair got "tampo" because prior to my cut when I was 16, my mane was up until my waist! (I know, I couldn't believe it myself! I'll look for photos from my mom to prove it!) So anyhoo, because of my hair's slow growth, I abstained from scissors for almost 8 months! I realized that if you have longer hair, conditioner should be part of your budget. I always thought my hair was thin because comparing it with my mom's, mine looked malnourished. Two stylist already told me that although my hair looks only a handful (therefore thin), it actually is healthy and thick strand-wise.

Erm, this is long hair for me

So you can only imagine what pure joy I felt when I finally had time to chop my hair off. As you know, hair services anywhere in the world (outside Manila) is expensive (by my standard =)), it took me a while to look for the most affordable hair salon around Canberra. Considering the language barrier (it's so hard to explain a particular cut when you can't use "ek-ek", "chenes" or "kembers" in a sentence), I had to research for photos of the haircut that I want (luckily, Jean and Rosz had an article about Ultra Short Cuts which you can read here).

Ashlee Simpson

Off I went to Just Cuts, Jenene was to be my stylist, I showed her the photo and told her that I want to tweak the look a bit by having no fringes at the back (it irritates me when it grows out because it looks like a chicken's ass), no blunt bangs (because my face is big as it is thank you very much), just a smooth side sweep that can be tucked easily in the ears (on days that you don't want to be blinded by your own hair). I was praying the whole time she was cutting (trust issues- I am so biased with Pinoy hairstylist because they are simply world-class), that she won't murder my hair and that she understood me clearly. Thank God, Jenene did not disappoint. I learned that communication was the key. You have to build rapport with the stylist, making sure you get your point across and the stylist in turn should know how to listen and consult. Jenene kept asking me as we go along if I am okay with the length before cutting more off.

Hey shorty!

All in all, I was happy because: 1)  I got the look I wanted at the price I can afford;  2) Wash and wear management and  3)No more CONDITIONER on the grocery list!

Perfect Red

Every woman, at one point in their life has been searching for the Perfect Red. It takes a lot of time to try to find the red lipstick that suits you. There are so many factors to consider before pouting for that stick if you don't want to be a walking clown. Skin tone, hair color and season are among them. I also used to think that red lipsticks are, well, just RED! I was wrong, a red lipstick has many undertones- yellow or orange based, purple, tawny,blue and even pink!

Here's a helpful article I found on the net to help you pick out your Perfect Red:
http://www.ehow.com/how_4840110_red-lipstick-skin-tone.html

and

http://makeup.about.com/od/lusciouslips/a/RedLipstick.htm.

I found mine when I visited the local pharmacy 2 days ago =)

Rimmel's Red Fever

Where the wild things are

To tell you honestly I am not a big fan of mixing print on print. But today, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and be a little adventurous.

I paired the batik black and white printed jumpsuit (or onesies as I would call it- very similar to what infants wear) with black-plum-and-gray cardigan, both from Tightrope (each costs $3-$5 only!)

It turned out quite well. I topped the whole look with Harlow-inspired necklace from Jean and Rosz-- who by the way has a very strong ang cohesive collection without bleeding your wallet dry (check out their blog, http://jeanandrosz.blogspot.com/)

And to soften the whole look a bit, a studded-lavender sandals from Mario D' Boro (SM):

Onset of Autumn

I woke up today, reached on my bedside and checked the following:

1) Email Notifications
2) Pulse
3) Friend Stream for HTC
4) Weather Forecast.

Autumn is coming soon because it's starting to get cold especially in the mornings. I do not want to part with my shorts and sleeveless yet, so here's a compromise.

Headband: Bayo; Top from a bazaar: Cardigan gifted by my husband (Hong Kong night market); Yellow Shorts from Greenhills; Pink Tights from SM; Yellow Lace shoes from Shoebox

Keep Clear

On my way to work on a Saturday. It's supposed to be summer here in Oz but the weather forecast said it was going to rain. I decided to put the bolero on so I could easily take it off in case it gets too hot for me =)

White Bolero by Ilaya Couture; Black Spaghetti Strap by People R People; Pants by Tiara (SM); Pumps (Nine West); Gold  Overnight Bag by Bags in the City. All brands from Manila, Philippines (except Nine West)

bijoux de kate

I started making accessories on the last quarter of 2006. I accidentally discovered that I had a penchant for making baubles, when, after a Disney event, I had nothing to do at the office and saw excess materials from an arts and crafts activity we did for the kids on that weekend. I tinkered on it and tried to make friendship bracelets for everybody! I enjoyed myself so much that by Saturday I found myself rushing to Quiapo (where they sell the most affordable tools and materials -from noose to pearls for jewelry making). It was such a stress-buster for me and it kept me distracted from problems at work, I was so relaxed that I even filed for VLs just to spend more time making more necklaces, earrings and bracelets!

A movie, person or a season would inspire me. Later on, I decided to put it up in multiply for online retail. It did not disappoint. I would have customers email me for prices and custom designs. By 2008, I joined my first bazaar along with friends and because of its price and one-off designs, it did more than I expected.

I was not able to bring my tools with me when I went to Canberra, the boxes were just too heavy and would eat up my entire baggage allowance. If I had extra resources I would have my tools sent over in a balikbayan box (amongst other things-- clothes mostly) because I also found out that there's a very limited supply of raw materials here at high retail price.

I miss creating with my hands, this is what this post is all about.

On this post are some of my favorite pieces.

after 3 years

In the 3 years since I wrote last, I:

Realized I was in a wrong relationship,

and was as able to get out from that relationship (call it divine intervention)

Immensely enjoyed arts and crafts or any creative medium my hands can work on.

Tried to write again (we have a love-hate-love relationship)

Slowly setting foot in the kitchen.

Dated, fell in love and married my best friend.

Relocated to Canberra, gave up my career in Manila to be a devoted housewife =)

Am now working in this beautiful Asian-inspired shop.

Re-discovering the wonders of blogging.

Inspired by lifestyle/fashion bloggers to meld my love for the arts and talking (or writing in this instance).

Photos by Michelle Morelos and Jamie Lihan for Imaginenation

i am back

I am back from a long hiatus.

After 6 years, and now i am back.

Stronger, better, wiser (hopefully) and happier.

What a journey it was from the last time i wrote here. A lot happened, some made me, others broke me. Most shaped me, some healed me. It was a wonderful roller coaster of a ride. Sugar and spice and everything nice.

Hopefully i would be able to write more and try to share what's been going on inside. I believe that this generation has reached a collective awareness... a collective consciousness.. a psyche revolution that awakens the senses and the mind. Challenging the impossible, pushing barriers, exploring uncharted waters and standing up for what you want.

Stay tuned! You will help me decide what to get for my next tattoo :)