Sabado, Disyembre 16, 2017

Holiday Rushing

Last Saturday, I got my nails done and eyelashes permed. I had “me” time while my husband was thrilled to watch over our daughter all afternoon. I decided to take a stroll in the mall. It was such a bad idea considering it’s only a few weeks before Christmas day. The mall was packed. There were lots of people lining up to pay for their items bought, lots of people lining up in the dressing room, lots of people lining up in the bathroom, and when I left the salon it was full in a matter of 2 minutes. Everyone is rushing, Holiday rushing. I got a bit worried because I haven’t bought a single item on my Christmas presents list. So I decided to take a peek if the items I’m going to buy are still there. I felt relieved seeing it all still available. No one seemed to get the same items for Christmas as I will be after all, which is a good sign.  

Today, my post will be about getting through a holiday rush. Every year I tell myself not to shop in a rush which I always still do until now. But with the years gone by, it taught me a few strategies to ace the ultimate holiday rushing since it is the season of sharing.

My first tip is to list down everything. Make a Christmas presents list, their alternatives, places to go to, grocery shopping list, dates of parties to attend to, etc. It is important to be organize to consume lesser time in choosing which present to get for your loved ones, the same with grocery items to get. Also, always list down alternatives just in case you run out of the items on your list in order to decide easier which one to grab, leaving the mall not empty handed. Besides from the list of the items, I also list down where the items are bought, so you’ll be able to grab all the things you need within the same area.

My second tip is to go to unholy hours at the mall. Christmas season means extended mall hours. If you live nearby, or mall is accessible to your home, why not going to the mall at 7 o’clock in the evening or any time before 10pm or 11pm on a weekday and you’ll see the difference with shopping on a weekend.

My third tip is for the online shoppers. Make sure that you purchase items 2 weeks before Christmas since shipping takes longer on this very busy season. Also, to avoid returning the items, I make sure to be specific with the style, size and color of the items before checking out your shopping bag or cart. Also, I double check my shipping address and contact number to avoid unshipped items. The shipments are prone to errors when it is this busy.

My fourth tip is to give out gift certificates, vouchers or cold cash. This is the easiest and laziest way to ace that holiday rushing. You’ll need two things to get ready for this, money envelopes and crispy new bills. Another tip for this is to get your money changed in bank a few weeks before Christmas because believe it or not, banks ran out of new bills, too.

Now I leave you guys, with a photo a few years ago channeling White Christmas.





That is all for today’s post. On my next post, (Hopefully, I’d be able to post it before Christmas) I’ll be posting about gift wrapping and personalizing items.



Toodles!
Love, AnDi xx

Sabado, Disyembre 9, 2017

Christmas Outfit

On a very early Sunday morning before I drafted this post I watched “Pursuit of Happiness” with my husband. He fell asleep while I am still wide awake and finished the movie. I was having a lot of thoughts lately of work, my family and life in general. It seemed to keep me awake so I decided to start today earlier than the usual, just 2 hours earlier though.

I saw unwashed feeding bottles, our messy room, and felt my stomach rumbling for food. Instead of washing bottles, tidying our room up or grabbing a sandwich downstairs, I decided to open our closet and try on my outfit for Christmas day. Yes, I still look forward to dressing up for this very special season that I shop for it weeks or even months before. I always wanted to try it on but I haven’t seemed to get the chance to. And so, I wore this absolutely beautiful top and slip into this equally beautiful bottom. You’d have to wait for my Christmas outfit post to know and actually see it. I am no way spoiling you with this post. Ha! And then I looked at myself in the mirror, it looks exactly what I pictured it to be. I was in awe. My face was glowing with joy. After a few more minutes of staring at myself in the mirror, I finally decided to take it off already and carefully put it back hung in my closet. But then it struck me, I haven’t gotten anything for my New Years day outfit and the days ticking by, countdown getting closer and closer to Christmas and New Year. Oh no! So I opened my closet again looking at my clothes. I was thinking. Thinking of coming up with outfit my family hasn’t seen before. I had a light bulb moment.  I had this skirt that I haven’t used yet. I got it from my aunt’s old pile of clothes she hasn’t used in years. I decided to keep it because it was my size and I loved it. Then I looked at a dress my mom gave me that she hasn’t used yet. It was of same color but with a different shade. I decided to use the dress as a top and wore the skirt. It looked absolutely amazing how it worked too for me. I was again in awe. And from then on I tried every ensemble I could think of at that very moment.

I have lot of clothes that I never have worn because of reasons like impulse buying because of sale, ill-fitting because I refused to try it on, and clothes that I really loved but doesn’t have any existing wardrobe matching it. I already trimmed down my list of clothes never been used, pairing it with existing ones. I was truly amazed by the ensembles I have come up with. It was all on point. (Patting myself in the back.)

And with all these thoughts I had in mind, it made me realize a lot of things. Warning! The next few statements are quite melodramatic. Hahahaha! Please bear with my sentimental early morning self. I realized that in order to correct or change yourself for the better, you don’t actually always need to have new things. You have certain skills to begin with that you haven’t used yet, might as well expand your horizon by using them. I’ve gone through rough days at work the past few months and I will not be torn down by this minor bump. (Patting myself again in the back for being able to say it.

I also realized that my lil girl have grown so much already. Last Sunday, on the way home, she was talking non-stop, repeating words, calling me and her Dada, reciting every family member’s name, and random stuff like nanay, tatay, papay. Hahahaha! It was so fun to hear her being talkative and all. I feel so bless with my family. It makes me love weekends and holidays hundred times as more.

Also, I realized that I very much deserve a sandwich after all that mind boggling dressing up game. Ha! I can’t believe I actually pulled off inserting my PBJ sandwich at the end.

And as I made the draft of this post, I actually realized that I lack ootd pictures and Polyvore is quite a big help in making my blog posts lately. And I’m going to make use of it again for this post.  I want to share Christmas inspired outfits since it’s fast approaching and parties are here and there. Feast your eyes with sets I made with Polyvore. Spoiler Alert! I was inspired by the good old Christmas carol songs.

I have been caught up by the metallic pleated skirts and wrap dresses trend lately which explains the sets I made. I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I did.

That is all for this post. Please don't forget to drop by my polyvore account here. You might heart every set I made. Pun intended. *wink*

Toodles!
Love, AnDi xx

Biyernes, Nobyembre 3, 2017

A Knotch Higher of Confidence

A few days ago, on a very boring afternoon, I was flicking through the channels of the television when I came across one playing the movie with the title "Fallen". I was scared at first since it was Halloween month that it's a type of scary movie that gives me nightmares. But when I told myself why not watch something I've never have heard of and just give it a try. So, I decided to stick around watching it. It didn't gave the slightest disappointment, in fact, I actually love the movie and I'm searching if they have a sequel of it.

I have this same feeling when trying on new trends and styles. I always get away by sticking to my go-to pieces. I told myself that I'd have to face them by actually embracing insecurities so I could try and think out-of-the-box ensembles. Confidence is the key in getting out of your comfort zone. That's why I gathered all my over the top looks to help you inspire on trying a piece in your closet you haven't used yet because your fashion fear is putting them aside.

Let me show you some of my old looks taking out my confidence to a whole new level. 


My style is downright conservative that's why I consider this look challenging, exposing my legs and my shoulders. I tried to balance it out with a neutral color of skater skirt with a loud print top. I gave myself a pat in the back when I wore this to a stroll at the mall with my family.



This was a pretty eccentric look for me. It's all in neutral colors but the way I paired it with metallic items made it to this list. It was all just out of my comfort zone. I dared myself to wear it on a Sunday movies night with the family.



This looks pretty ordinary but when you look at my accessories and booties, it just shouts over the top. I wore this on a family gathering. This was the time when neons was in when it comes to accessories. I paired it with neutrals. I swallowed my shyness when I wore this. 



This was a weekend with family. I wore a really show stopping chandelier earrings pairing it with my ragged look. It worked so well with my curly hair. I admit though that I used my hair a few times to cover them but I felt really pretty wearing this ensemble. 



My Aunt and Popsi was shocked when I wore this one day to church. I felt shy at first but I loved the idea of wearing tights underneath dresses and shoes + heels combo, so I braved wearing them. I looked like a school girl though. 



This was a pretty bold look wearing a floral crown with an overly dramatic dress with lace hemlines. I wore this on New Years Day. I had a few heads turning giving my look a second glance but still love how I look like a real life fairy shopping at a mall. 

Building confidence is quite a tough job when you are not supported. That's why I loved the idea of Dia&Co. having a Try-Day-Friday for individuals to face their fashion fears. Dia&Co is a shopping destination showcasing plus sizes 14+. Plus size or not we all have our own insecurities and boundaries when it comes to our style. But that does't mean that we'll just let these insecurities get in our way of new or old style. That's why I support Dia & Co in building up confidence in everyone.

It has been fourteen (14) months since I gave birth and I have gained a lot of weight ever since. I even have bulges in my tummy showing, stretch marks that didn't faded and a lot more. I haven't gotten my pre-pregnancy body back. But that did not stop me from going out of my comfort zone. In fact, I recently purchased a low scoop back lace dress online and I can't wait to wear them and share them here.

Today is Try-Day-Friday. What fashion fears have you faced today? I'd love to hear them by leaving your comments below.

That is all for this post. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.

Toodles!
Love, AnDi xx

Lunes, Oktubre 30, 2017

Seasonal Dressing: Autumn

Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. There are four seasons. In the case of sunny Philippines, we only have dry and wet season but that won't stop me from dressing to Fall season. Autumn or Fall season is the transition between summer and winter. The breeze gets colder, the climate is more cloudy and the temperature drops not too low as winter season. In our country, it is somewhat similar to what we experience during wet season, adding the rainy days. 

When it comes to dressing up during a gloomy weather, I find it my fave season since I get to work with long-sleeves shirt, good tailored blazers, colored tights, scarfs, and even a hat. Of what array of choices I have for my outfit of the day. i am actually Fall season biased because of this. 

For this particular post, I'll be sharing to you three sets of mood board when dressing for Fall season.




My first mood board is composed of a peter pan collared long-sleeves dress, a pair of tights, a classic leather sling bag, a beret, and a pair of brogues. It has this classic and preppy twist. Whenever I want to be safe with my look, I turn myself as a total geek. There's nothing wrong with that. In fact, I'm a proud geek myself, topping all my looks with my eyeglasses. This dress from H&M is one of those LBD you can wear anywhere to. I could wear this to work or church days. I always cover my legs with a pair of  stockings or tights because of my mosquito bites. But if your not a fan of it, you can opt for a pair of socks. And when I say pair of socks, it's not just plain white socks, you can wear colored ones, or better yet laced or printed socks. As for the brogues, they are my go-to flats. When I was in college, I have them in different types; glittered, floral and leather. But if you don't like wearing one, you could always use a pair of ballet flats or mary janes. 





For my second mood board, it includes a scarf, white crisp shirt, a long vest, skinny jeans and a pair of pumps. This look means business. It can be worn for work, meetings, family gatherings, even a stroll at the mall. The list is endless. This look is another classic take on basics. A white crisp shirt, pair of jeans, nude pumps are match made in heaven. I just added a scarf and long knitted waist coat from NAVABI.CO.UK for an added drama to this look. These are my favorite pieces from this ensemble. As an alternate for the scarf, you could wear a statement necklace instead. 




And last but not the least, my final mood board for this post has a turtle neck ribbed top, an overlap skirt, tweed blazer and a knee-high boots in it. If my first two looks are both classic, this is a bolder one. It has superstar written all over it. This look can be worn for get-togethers, work events, even when traveling. What I love about this look is the tweed blazer from woox.com. It balances out the superstar vibe of the outfit. If your not a fan of knee-high boots, you could always opt for a pair of booties wearing tights underneath the skirt. It would work either way. 

Besides from the dark hues color palette, have you noticed another common thing about them? If you answered gold earrings, then you got it right. 

A classic pair of gold earrings never gets old. You can wear it dressing to the nines or during an ordinary casual day. I have been eyeing a lot of pieces from AUrate New York. Besides that the jewelries they make are made of ethically sourced materials, every purchase made with AUrate benefits economically disadvantaged school children. What's not to love about wearing jewelries while helping out those in need? 

This is what I love the most when dressing up. You get to look good and people who are in need benefit from it. Fashion for a cause, indeed. 


That is all for this post. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. 

Toodles!
Love, AnDi xx

Disclaimer: all photos are created by me with POLYVORE

Biyernes, Agosto 25, 2017

Wedding Belles

Whenever I hear wedding bells ring, I am actually more excited with planning what to wear rather than being happy for the couple. Just kidding! But admit it; it’s such a party conceptualizing an outfit especially now that weddings have outgrown the traditional way. More and more couples tend to go for extraordinary themes or motif. 

In the sunny Philippines, a lot of couples have a beach wedding theme. Since we are a tropical country, we have beaches everywhere, making it convenient for couples when looking for the perfect date and location. Whenever I hear of a beach theme wedding,  I always picture an altar at the seashore, rows of chairs with sand as the floor, a beautiful sunset as a view, overflowing flowers on each aisle, the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves as the background. I always consider a lot of factors choosing an outfit.

First is the occasion, location, time of the day, theme or motif, etc. I make sure to breakdown the factors of it, then adding up the level of comfort to finish every single look. I learned my lesson that you should never sacrifice comfort over fashion, okay, maybe just a little but make sure it’s worth the sacrifice. I haven't gone to a beach wedding yet but I always have a picture what to wear to one. I always imagine wearing a maxi dress or skirt and top combo in a light and breezy material, minimal accessorizing, and a really comfy pair of flats or sandals. My summer color palettes is composed of pastel colors and incorporating it with floral print. I actually made sets from my polyvore account to attend a beach wedding. I have five summer wedding guest sets. 

A corset top, a maxi skirt, a sun hat and pair of comfy open flats equates my first set. For an outdoor set up, I added a really nice sun hat to protect my face from getting all burned. Also, finishing the outfit with a light envelope bag and an espadrille sandals. I always go for top and maxi skirt combo for times like I need to look casual and formal at the same time. 




An off shoulder top, a color blocked midi skirt, a sling bag, a scarf as a choker and a pair of sneakers in glitters. This set is for the ladies who are not comfortable with wearing floor length skirts and wearing heels. Another option is the midi skirt. But this set is more for a summer wedding indoors. I added a scarf as an accessory for the purpose that if it gets chilly indoors you could use it as a covering. The sneakers is optional but I have this fascination for dress up sneakers like this pair filled with glitters.  


x
summer indoor wedding

summer indoor wedding by genbibandi featuring red skirts


A mullet dress, envelope bag, gladiator sandals, a bangle and a sun hat is my third set. This set is for the ladies who don't want to bother pairing tops and bottoms, a no brainer actually, a floral dress is the key. The cut of the dress is a mullet bottom and cold shoulder top. I would love to pair this dress with a nice and simple gladiator sandals since it will show a part of your legs. Also, added a few more key piece accessories which is the gold floral bangle, a hologram envelope bag and a sun hat. This key pieces will serve its purpose as the cherry on top of the outfit. 




A nice pair of trousers, a frilled top matching with a pair of same tone of wedges, a shawl vest, rock star sunglasses, and a bucket bag in straw is my fourth set. This set is more of earth tones making it light and cool. I added the vest if in case the sea breeze gets colder. I more and more enjoy styling with trousers since it is quite a convenient for ladies in a location where you can't be sure of the predictable weather.


sleek summer wedding

sleek summer wedding by genbibandi featuring Alexander Wang


My fifth set is different. I made this for my forever wedding date, my husband. I picked something really basic. His style is more of clean and sleek. He likes to keep everything simple. I picked a charcoal grey shirt. If to be worn in the outdoors, I would fold it for him for it to become a quarter sleeve. As for the pants, I chose something darker than khaki. I also chose something with a quirky embroidered design. I also added a nice and simple brown leather belt for it to be look put together. A pair of slip on sneakers for him to be comfortable at all times, and a pair of sunglasses because his fond of wearing them. I only made one set for the men since this style may be converted from outdoors to indoors location. 

Wedding Date

Wedding Date by genbibandi featuring mens belts



In choosing what to wear to an occasion, I hope you guys would remember to wear something you are comfortable with since this type of gatherings takes hours to be done and a time to enjoy the memory to be shared with the couples.

I had so much fun sharing my mood board for beach weddings. I hope my little sharing of converting styles from indoors to outdoors helped you guys out in choosing your next ootd for a wedding. 

Hoping to make another style tips post like this. 

That is all for this post. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.
Do swing by my lookbook, polyvore and pinterest accounts.

Toodles!
Love, AnDi xx

Linggo, Hulyo 30, 2017

Unlimited

It has been quite a while since my last entry. I thank my daughter for having her usual afternoon nap to compose one. Words could not explain nor express how happy I am right now with my life.  Marriage, motherhood, is just a few new chapters of my life I’ve recently opened. It took me months before I realized that the blogging world has no such thing as civil status requirement, age bracket, thus, has no limits.

Every single day makes me feel inspired, writing about anything I see under the sun. There was once when I almost made a post about the fish I just saw at the  market holding on for its dear life, or about the ants that suddenly stop whenever I take a closer look at them, or about random things I encounter in my everyday life. It actually made sense how a change of lifestyle makes you more curious about things, particular about small details, and a lot more. It was timely that I was able to take a snap of my ootd last weekend with this post of mine.


Ever since that I have been a mom and a wife, I tend to hold back when choosing my outfit for the day. Besides from dressing appropriately for the occasion and weather, I had to consider much more things like, if my daughter would be comfortable while I carry her, or if I could last long while holding her, or all motherly panic reasons I could think of,  thus making me feel safe with my choices. I stopped wearing short bandage skirts or anything too fit (except skinny jeans) for me since I’m not that comfy with them anymore. I also have the fear of wearing crop tops since my tummy haven’t been the same flat tummy I had pre-preggy shape. So, my usual are now loose top and jeans. But I had this new fascination for skinny slacks or straight cut pants and culottes. 

Top: CaLee Shop, Shoes: Sheshe

I went for a laidback mom look, a skinny sort of harem pants in crimson red paired with a sleeveless lace top in navy blue. Also, I added these floral embroidered sneaks to finish my look. We had a small fam gathering for our Popsi’s  birthday when I wore this.






I can't hide the excitement that I finally made a post featuring these awesome sneakers. I have been eyeing this pair since last year and they've launched it last summer. It is my current overused pair, even violating casual Fridays at work, wearing it. I've got it from my fave shoe brand made in the PH, Sheshe (formerly Sheos Manila). They make one of the comfiest shoes ever. Right now, I have three pairs from them. 

I was feeling all giddy while making this outfit post. It has been years, yes, two years exactly, since I made one. It feels good that the blogging world bounds for anything, anyone. I thank all those who give time dropping by my blog and read my posts.

That is all for this post. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did. 
Do swing by my lookbook account here


Toodles! 
Love, AnDi xx








Martes, Hunyo 6, 2017

Weekend: Movie Night







Admit it, when you hear of the word weekend, something inside of you makes you giddy and excited, especially when you work 8 hours or more a day, five or more days a week. I for one, work 8 hours a day and 5 days in a week that's why I am looking forward to weekends.


Weekends could be spent in many ways. Traveling, getting a new hobby, shopping but most of us stay in the comforts of our home. Like our family for instance, We enjoy staying at home. We bake and cook our meals, watch fave anime series, One Piece, we play games online and our favorite of all, we watch movies.


Watching movies has now been very convenient to all of us who wants to stay home and watch new flicks without visiting the cinemas. A big thanks to sites like Pure Flix, we can now catch up with new or old flicks by just staying online. They're currently offering a free, one-month trial of their family-friendly movies service, you can click for more details here.


Movie nights are best enjoyed in different ways. Mine comes in three. 


First, I make sure to prepare snacks and it's a no-brainer actually I always grab some popcorn and drinks. Just pop it on the microwave oven and grab some drinks in the fridge and we're all set for our snacks.

Secondly, I make sure we have a comfy couch. Aside from the comfort of the couch alone, I make sure to get some blanket for my husband and my daughter and lots of pillows so we're all extra comfy. 

And lastly, some good company. Movie nights are not just meant to kill boredom but also a great bonding time with the family. My husband and I are both movie junkies with different genres but we agreed on taking turns when picking a movie and ending up liking each others choices.



I hope you all enjoyed this short post of mine. Let me know about your movie essentials below. 
Don't forget to avail of the one-month free trial of Pure Flix here.

Toodles
Love, AnDi xx