Hello Kitty Shopping Cards

A Birkin, an off-the-shoulder blouse, a strand of pearls,  heels AND a cup of Starbucks.  So me :-P 

What can I say.  I have never grown out of Hello Kitty.

I was at the bookstore today and when we were standing in line at the check-out counter, I saw these stacks of Hello Kitty cards, packed in a set of 4, just like Match Attack cards my son loves to buy.  I picked them up and wondered what was it all about.  Curious enough, I bought a pack for $2.90 and immediately opened it up.  Inside, there were 4 transparent cards with Hello Kitty clothing items printed on them, which basically you can use to dress up your Hello Kitty card.  You get a basic Hello Kitty card - Hello Kitty in underwear (or bikini, if you want to look at it positively), 2 cards of accessories - I got a red hat with a bow and a bow with a cup, and a dress card.  You also get a little brochure that has all the items you can possibly collect.  The idea is to collect these cards, so you can endlessly mix-and-match the outfits with the accessories with the Hello Kitty.  How cool!  It is called Hello Kitty Shopping Mania, and now I can understand why it is called that, because you just want to buy the cards and keep changing Hello Kitty's outfit!  I am already looking forward to my second pack :-) Love it, love it!!

My Roaring 20s

When we were planning our wedding dinner, we wanted to have a memorable and unique theme.  We went through several era, movies, countries,...and finally agreed that the 1920s would be nice and elegant.  We tried to stay as close to the theme as possible - outfits for sure - but also the font of the place cards, the dishes served, the drinks, the way the menu is written and the entertainment and dancing (although the last one we had to forfeit because it was raining, but that is a different story).

So when it came to picking out a dress, you would have thought, oh that must be easy. Not!  For one, only after sending out the invitations and determining the dress code I realized that I don't look good in a flapper dress! So I had to search high and low for an option other than a flapper dress that fits the 1920s theme but at the same time suits me.  I did my research on the internet and basically the key is to have a low or no waist dress.  So here I was on a quest on a Saturday afternoon down Orchard Rd.  The dress I found was actually not flattering on the rack.  The color was this off beige - can't really tell if it was planned to be white, beige, peach or what - and the cut looked really "auntie".  But then when I tried it on, it looked really nice on me (or so I think :)). Then I went home and paired it with super long strands of pearls, a feather in my hair, a bob hair cut and red nails and lipstick. It just did it!  For the guys? Just a slim-cut suit, a narrow tie and a hat. A small detail to add: hem the bottom of the trousers outwards.

My Great Finds

Shopping is always fun.  And girls LOVE shopping.  But the only thing is, it can be taxing on your wallet.  Well, over the weekend I spent around 7 hours at Orchard Rd, Singapore's shopping belt, and found really great finds.  I found places to shop that will not bust your budget but you can still look very stylish.

Far East Plaza on Scotts Rd
Small "boutique" type stores, with nice dresses and tops averaging around $30.  It also has lots of accessories stores where you can get hats, boa feathers, belts etc that are between $5-$10.  If you are going to a costume/theme party, this is the place to go.

Takashimaya and Robinson's
There are a lot of local designer counters that often are overlooked.  I found that dresses by Singapore designer Daniel Yam (Takashimaya 3rd floor) has a great fit and cut.  I somehow think Daniel designed it especially for me :-).  My body is not proportional - I have short legs, a hip that doesn't balance my waist, and shoulders and chest that are not the right proportion for my height.  So it is really important to choose styles that can 'camouflage' all my "opportunity" areas and make me look balanced.  It is not easy and it took a lot of trial and error. Daniel's designs are simple, stylish, and affordable.  There are many other brands in Takashimaya and Robinson's that are within these lines.  Spend a bit more time to look around, and you'll be surprised of what you can find.

Forever 21 at 313 Sommerset
I find that the accessories here are really great.  If you are looking for that seasonal item, a statement ring or necklaces, Forever 21 at 313 Sommerset has lots of variety.  Their have an extensive selection of accessories and at affordable prices ($5-$19) it is something you can afford to look good.

A Gift From A Good Friend

I got this adorable necklace from Shimomura-san, a colleague of mine at work.  She got back from Mauritius on holiday and gave this lovely necklace to me as a wedding gift.  Working with me for about 5 months now, I guess she has figured I love the color purple and pink.  So she chosen this purple and white shell necklace to compliment the various purple outfits I have.

I have to admit, I was a bit unsure what to wear it with.  In and by itself, this necklace is loud.  So I had to wear something that compliments, tones it down but at the same time, bring out the color and the details of the lovely shells.  So I tried a few combinations and finally was happy with the outfit I have chosen.  As usual, when in doubt always choose black, but I combined it with a purple long cardigan I got at a flee market in Bangkok and my purple/pink Guess shoes.  The black top I chose was a v-neck and its cut fell right where the necklace was, making it seamless, as if the necklace was part of the outfit.  The black trousers with the black top elongated my silhouette, and the trousers covered my already high heel shoes gave it a double impression that I am tall and slim :-).  And that...is always a great impression to have!  

My Multicolor Bag

I got this bag last week as a gift for being a speaker at the Philippines Dermatological Society convention in Manila.  I thought this bag was such a great gift idea - especially for me!  I simply adore this bag.  The style and design is so cute and the way the color blocks are put together is definitely unique.  Then came the question, how to wear this bag without being an overkill? So I decided to pick 1-2 colors on the bag to focus on. 


In this case, I picked magenta and black. The result: a pulled-together look, perking up a boring LBD.

Shoes: Guess. Bangles: from Diva. LBD: Forever 21

Inspired by Color

Remember my post on my colleague, June, who wore green and orange that day?  Well, the colors really inspired me and when I came across a similar-colored green dress, I bought it straight away!  I wore that dress today, combined it with my orange-stacked bangles, orange beaded necklace and my orange sling-back pumps.  I love this look and it really perked me up today!

Dress: Sjaherman's Daughter, Shoes: Enzo Angeolini, Necklace & Rings: from my grandma, Bangles: Diva, Watch: Cartier tank.

Resurrecting The Dead

Yup, that's what it is.

I was sitting in the train on the way home yesterday looking at my dress and it struck me.   For some odd reason, I was reminded of this black dress I had in the 90s.  I remembered I bought it and only wore it once.  Then I just kept it and it followed me wherever I went, whichever house or place I moved to, and I never even thought of giving it away.  I remember it was thick and granny looking.  I didn't like the feel, and it had a very odd flare to it.  Anyway, I immediately text my helper to look for it in my closet.  She found it.  I got home and put it on and I loved it!  Really odd.  What happened??

Well, old pieces buried in your closet can be a treasure many years after.  Yes, I did say that if you haven't worn something in 2 years, chances are you will never wear it again.  But if you happen to find it, try it on.  And I did.  I tried to hypothesize why I didn't like it before, and I think it was because of the cut which is really not too flattering.  Back then, I did not wear 4 inch heels, I was way skinnier and didn't like anything falling right at the knee.  I also did not know how to accessorize.  Well, that all has changed and I am glad I kept this dress.

Dress: Emporio Armani. Necklace & Earrings: Tiffany.  Shoes: Charles & Keith.