Monday, July 30, 2012

Clutch Sightings

As a designer, nothing else makes your heart aflutter but women whose style you adore, appreciate your work.  Not that I ever fancy myself as one. I am just always giddy to see my clutches clutched by uber-chic women like these three. Allow me to share with you my favorite clutch sightings.
Patricia from Paradigma added a jolt of color to her all black ensemble with the Kirstie.
Sarah of Fashion Eggplant graced Megastyle's virtual pages with the sold-out orange Jenna in hand. 
Only Lana of Hautepot can wear red this good. Too bad this Jenna is sold-out too.

Find other Jennas and other styles here. A new collection is brewing too and my heart skips a bit just thinking about it. 

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Sun Life's Sunshorts

Having a family is life-changing. Old news, I know. But life sure does take a 360-degree turn when reality hits you that you no longer fend just for yourself. You have a family to think about, whose future you want to secure. As much as we want to brush off the unthinkable, as mama bear and papa bear here, we cannot afford to do so. The most we can do is prepare. 

With life and pre-need insurance, we are somehow comforted by the fact that financial stability is covered in times of the "unthinkable."

Insurance plans and policies though, are usually intimidating. Choosing one is tough. Nowadays, there are more twists added to traditional plans which makes choosing even harder!

Sun Life on the other hand is taking a different angle. The insurance pioneer recently launched Sunshorts- five digital short films highlighting love, foresight, and a positive outlook in life.

Sunshorts kicked off with "1945," a Jun Reyes-directed film set in the 1940's. 

With Sunshorts, we better understand the value of long term preparedness. Watch out for the release of the next Sunshorts and know how life can even be brighter at www.experiencethesun.com.ph.


While you're at it, get a chance to win a trip to San Francisco's Great America this September! Click here for details.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

DIY Indian Sack Dress Essentials



The other weekend we went to an indians and cowboys themed party. You know how we like to take these things seriously. Themed parties play the perfect excuse for us to get down and hone our DIY skills! Mischka wanted to be a cowgirl but I had something else in mind. Good thing I managed to convince her to come as an Indian girl instead. She wasn't too sold to the idea until she saw me profusely hand sewing her sack dress a few hours before the party. She jumped in and offered to help in whatever way she can. 


This is why I love doing DIY projects so much. The opportunity to get your child involved is priceless. They appreciate the effort and I can honestly see in Mischka that she's proud of what we have accomplished no matter how big or small the project is, more especially when she gets to take home a reward for being best in costume! It's almost always more economical too than having to purchase a run-of-the-mill costume from a toy store. So next time you get an invite to a themed party, try to DIY-it!


Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Balmain Resort 2013


Balmain has gotten a tad sweeter with it's new man, isn't it? For it's resort collection, Olivier Rousteing turned to Miami for inspiration hence the pops of South Beach colors in mint, peach, and yellow. The silhouette is surprisingly relaxed and girly but still utterly Balmain sexy-edgy. Which is probably why I loved this a lot thus being one of the collections I "resort" to for when times are bleak and uninspired. (all images via style.com)

Monday, July 16, 2012

Weekend Recharge

Spontaneity, blue skies, truffle cheese, Chardonnay, bubbles, the vast green field.. make for a light and wonderful Sunday afternoon. Capping off what has been a long week with a spontaneous picnic with good 'ole friends is always a good idea.

How was your weekend? 'Hope it involved some unwinding and recharging too!

Friday, July 13, 2012

Surprise Closet Staple {Kat Dy of Kat Dy Finds)




Hey AML readers! I'm Kat from the blog Kat Dy Finds, and I'm very honored to be guest blogging here. Mikka asked me a long time ago (last year pa to be exact!) to blog about my surprise closet staple and I'm quite ashamed to admit that it's taken me this long to do it! But, here it is finally. I hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I've enjoyed mulling over it. 

So, my surprise closet staple is (drumroll please)….

This swingy red-orange miniskirt from Forever 21. It's an impulse buy I snapped up on my last full day of living in NYC. I was running around like a headless chicken that day, frantically buying pasalubongs for my family back home, but I couldn't resist the lure of the Forever 21 store on Herald Square. So in I went and there were racks of these skirts in different colors (there might have been royal blue, yellow and pink as well) selling for a promo price of $10. Well for that price, it was a no-brainer, so I grabbed it without even thinking much about what I'd pair it with.

It turned out to be quite the commodity in my closet. I've taken it with me on three international trips, worn it in cool and warm climes, and even though it's a piece from last year, I can imagine I'll be wearing it for years to come. It's lightweight, wrinkle-free, and breezy, yet lends itself to easy layering. And the vivid blood-orange hue is usually the clincher that makes an outfit worn with it really stand out.

Here's where (and how) I've worn it so far:
Here I am channeling my inner flight attendant, wearing a button-down shirt, leopart-print scarf, and booties. I remember walking around Montreal that day, and felt quite peppy in my outfit. So preppy in fact, that I even managed to jump right into a huge basin of $1 clothing at a second-hand store!
When friends of ours had a wedding in Bari, Italy (hometown of Anna Dello Russo, no less!), the skirt also traveled with me. I paired the skirt with a striped tank, leather sandals and a hammered gold collar hoping to evoke the kind of seaside chic that would do justice to the beautiful Mediterranean seascape surrounding us. The leopard print scarf also made an appearance, this time tied around my black leather satchel.










I wore this a few times when we spent holidays and the new year in Australia. In Sydney, I basically wore the same striped tank and leather bag I matched the skirt with in Italy, but added a cropped, sailor-inspired navy bolero into the mix, and accessorized with a vintage art-deco gold circles necklace, gold belt and my worn-everywhere nude sandals from Renegade Folk. 













On a road trip to Melbourne, I paired it with a basic beige tank from Zara (can you believe it's a 10 year old piece?), a tan belt, and the RF sandals. The scarf again makes an appearance, this time around my neck. Hmm, this scarf is becoming quite the surprise staple too! 
Just recently, I wore the skirt to a dinner. Wore it with a Primark aquarium print top, same tan belt I wore in Australia, and my brand new navy leather satchel from Cuzo. The look is decidedly a bit more glam with the addition of the Zara color block heels, but I love the fantastic combo of navy, blue and orange. Accessorized with tribal-inspired accoutrements on each arm. 

I also wore it once ala schoolgirl with a navy sweater, socks and brown penny loafers, but failed to get a proper photo of my outfit. 

Can you tell I love this skirt? I still have a few outfits up my sleeve, but I think I need to give my skirt a rest for now. But do check out my blog, and it might make a surprise appearance again! If you have a fantastic reco on how else I can wear this skirt, give me a holler over at Kat Dy Finds.

Have a great weekend ahead!






Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Fourth of July

Bring out the red, blue, and white!