THOUGHTS: On Being A Mom

Mother's Day just passed and like every year, I can say that it really is one of my favorite occasions. With the amount of greetings that I got, I sort of felt that it was like my birthday! On that day, I didn't go online for just a couple of hours and was overwhelmed to come back with 185 notifications on my Facebook profile. It really is a great feeling to be recognized for your greatest accomplishment in life... being a mom.

I must admit, being a mom at a young age was never easy. Yes, I was 18. But despite all the trials that comes with being a young mom, I have absolutely no regrets because it has made me what I am. Nico inspired me to work hard and be what I am today. I guess he was God's way of giving me that push that I needed in my life. I was able to put up my jewelry business before finishing college and was able to finish college with honors. All because of my little boy, my inspiration. I know I wouldn't have all my accomplishments if not for him.

Throwback: Speaking during my college graduation and receiving my Cum Laude award with my parents and my then three year old baby boy

Of course, I also owe a lot to my own mom. I know I wasn't always the good girl she hoped to have. But I never heard her complain. Despite my trying times, she never left my side and was always my bestfriend. Yes, she's my super idol. I wish I could be even half the mom that she is.



 

with my son, my brother and my beautiful mom

On a lighter note, I would also like to share some of the Mother's Day features that I was part of for this year. I was one of the "GlamMoms" for Star World's Mother's Day commercial. It felt great to be in line with such beautiful and awesome mothers from Star World's shows.

 

This commercial is also to promote Star World's Contest on Instagram. Are you a GLAM MOM? Follow @starworld_ph on Instagram Post your photo and hashtag: #selfie #ootd #glammoms @starworld_ph. Star World is giving out fabulous premiums! Who knows, you might just win! =)

A couple days before Mother's Day, I was also featured (together with actress and image specialist, Ana Roces) in GMA News Online's Lifestyle Section for the article "Sexy Moms Speak: It's In Our Attitude - And Our Choices" written by fashion and political personality, China Jocson.

As China interviewed me about  how I maintain being a sexy mom... I couldn't help but think to myself that being a sexy mom isn't about curves or washboard abs, it really is about how you carry yourself. It really is about a SEXY ATTITUDE! Being a mom is no reason for us to get "Losyang". No matter what we weigh, or how many stretch marks we get after pregnancy, we should always remember that these are our battle scars... it is what makes us the strong persons that we are. Being a sexy mom is also never about skimpy clothes, it's about wearing classy and age appropriate outfits. It's about being able to run a household even if  you're on a tight budget. It's about being able to spend time with your children despite your busy schedule. It's about looking good and feeling good.

The full article can be read on this link:
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/307213/lifestyle/design/sexy-moms-speak-it-s-in-our-attitude-and-our-choices

I also took screen shots of the article as a remembrance, so if you'd like to read on, here it is:

SHOPPING: 1,000.00 Peso Challenge for May 2013

Every month, I challenge myself to a shopping spree worth P1,000.00. It's a chance for me to add new stuff to my wardrobe without spending too much. P1,000.00 usually isn't much when you're going on a shopping spree. But as a mom, I have to always be on a budget because my son's needs are priority. Of course, even if I am on a budget, I will never allow myself  to be out of style. Mommies, it is possible! You don't have to splurge on expensive stuff to look good, you just have to know where to look. I imposed some rules for myself for my monthly challenge, so here they are:
1. I can go a little bit over the P1,000.00 ($25.00). Like P1,120.00 is ok. But I'm not allowed to reach P1,500.00!
2. I have to be able to buy 3 or more items. So 1-2 is a fail!

One of my favorite places to go to for inexpensive but stylish clothing is The Landmark. This department store has so many choices! They have such a wide variety for different personal styles. Sometimes you won't immediately find something for you. Of course, you have to be patient enough to search the racks for the items with the right fit and style for you.

Here are my buys for the month:

 

These two sheer tops are light enough to put over a dress or tank top and shorts. They cost P159.75 (around $4) each only and they are perfect for summer! They can even be worn over a bikini on your beach trips for the summer. They come in a variety of colors but I chose these two so that they would be easy to match with my other clothes.

Here's another sheer top that I got. I'm wearing it over a black tank top and shorts. I really like this for my casual days because of the light fabric and it's loose without looking frumpy plus, it costed only P289.75. (around $7)

To finish my shopping spree, I opted for this one shoulder dress for a party or gathering I might go to. I absolutely love this piece! The fit is perfect and the design is quite simple but very stylish. And for only P339.75 (around $9), who could go wrong?

Here is the summary and total of my purchases:

P159.75 - blue sheer top
P159.75 - white sheer top
P289.75 - black top with shoulder cut outs
P339.75 - one shoulder striped top

______________________________

P949.00 GRAND TOTAL (around $24)

I didn't even go over P1,000.00! Woohoo! Giving myself a pat on the back and heading home with a smile. =)

FASHION: Sneaker Girl

Everyone who knows me well knows that sneakers and rubber shoes are NOT a part of my wardrobe. But after receiving this pair of pink sneakers from K-Swiss Asia... I am now converted! Yes, I love them so much that I have been ditching my heels a lot for this cute pair. Even after wearing them for an entire day, they are still super comfy. So fashion plus comfort... really makes my K-Swiss sneaks a super winner!

As always, I believe that you don't need expensive clothes to look nice. My top is a bazaar find for an unbelievable P50.00! My shades, another bazaar find for P150.00. My bracelets, I made myself and my shorts are from Landmark for only P250.00! =) 

I love how my legs look with my K-Swiss sneakers... plus the color is perfect for summer!

I also went on a super adventure from K-Swiss. I'll tell you about that in my next posts. Meanwhile, follow K-Swiss Asia and K-Swiss Philippines on Facebook! LIKE their page and stay tuned for their posts and contests. Who knows, you might just win something from them in the future!

Sneakers: K-Swiss  |  Racerback top: Bazaar find  |  Shades: Bazaar find  

Accessories: OLEIC  |  Shorts: Landmark

DIY: Glitter Shoes

As promised on my last post, I'll be posting on how I made my glittery heels. For this DIY, I was inspired by Dorothy and her Ruby Slippers. I had an extra pair of shoes lying around the house which I was no longer using since I ruined it from overuse. I used very few materials and the result was amazing!

Materials: Old shoes, Textile Paint / Acrylic Paint, Brush, Glitter, Tacky Glue, Clear Lacquer Spray Paint

Steps:

1. Make sure the shoes are clean from dust and dirt.

2. Cover the areas you don't want touched with masking tape 
and stuff the shoe with newspaper.

Paint the shoes with a white or neutral color so that 
the final color will look better.

Don't put on a thick coat of paint because it will 
make the shoes stiff. One coat is enough.

Let it dry for a few hours. 

 3. Paint on the second coat.

This will be the final color of the shoe and should 
be the same color as the glitter you will be using. 

Let dry.

4. Using a sponge brush, paint a thin layer of tacky glue onto the shoe.

Tacky glue is really thick stuff so try to spread it out, 
you don't need a lot of it. 

I worked in sections on the shoe rather than covering
 the whole shoe with glue.

5. Press the glitter gently with your fingers and shake off the excess glitter.

6. Allow your shoe to dry completely. This might take 1-2 hours.

7. Touch up with more glue and glitter if needed.

8. Using clear lacquer spray paint, coat the shoe completely. 

This is to seal in the glitter.

Allow this to dry overnight

 

Take a look at the shoe BEFORE, and after the glitter treatment. It looks like NEW!

It's a pretty easy project and worth a try. Go back to my previous blog post and see how I wore it with my black dress. =)

This DIY project of mine was also featured in the September 2012 issue of Celebrity Living Magazine.
 I decided to post it here too so that you can follow the steps
and try it anytime =)

FASHION: Draped in Black

As a makeup artist, I see to it that I wear black for my wedding gigs. First reason is that it looks very professional and second, I don't want to steal the bride's thunder by wearing loud colored outfits. (After all, it's her day and she deserves all the attention!) Two years ago, I started collecting LBD's just for my makeup gigs. I have not counted how many I have but they sure have piled up! I don't want to be wearing the same LBD for the next makeup job so I make sure I have enough to wear for work for the next few weeks before I repeat an outfit. Even if I have a lot of LBD's, I still see to it that they all have a different look.

Since I'm also the crafty type, I like to DIY on my outfits a lot. I usually collect fabrics or search for old clothes that I can cut up and make into something new. For example, this black dress I wore when I did makeup for my high school batchmate's wedding, was a large sized straight cut dress that I just folded and draped with safety pins. (Yes, sometimes I'm too lazy to put my sewing skills to use so I use my trusty pins and sew later when I feel like it.)

I love the way I was able to drape the fabric of this dress. It kind of has a "grecian" appeal to it. It also is very comfy and no one noticed is was only held together with safety pins. My gorgeous purse was a Christmas gift from my cousin, Eric and his girlfriend, Sienna. My ring is available for orders through my brand OLEIC. I love wearing it for my wedding gigs because the heart is always seen on the bridal photos and the on site wedding videos. My ruby red shoes, believe it or not, is also one of my DIY's! I'll post about how I did it on my next blog post, I promise!

Dress: My own DIY  |  Purse: A gift from last Christmas  |  Pumps: My own DIY  |  Accessories: OLEIC

EVENTS: The BDJ Box Launch

I was one of the few very lucky women to have been invited to the launch of the BDJ Box at Slice Café High Street. It was a very intimate event shared with the best beauty bloggers and beauty editors in Manila.

As I was waiting for the event to start, I was able to have a wonderful chat (worth recording and blogged about! Haha!) with like-minded, empowered women. Felt so good to be amongst ladies who think the same way I do and who are indeed very successful in their own right.

 

L-R Valerie Tan (www.missvalerietan.com), ME, Shen Gee (shensaddiction.com), Sabs Hernandez (sabshernandez.blogspot.com) - Ladies we need to have a reunion! =)

 with the pretty Valerie Tan =)

with Beauty Blogger Extraordinaire, Shen Gee!

with good friend and awesome makeup artist Sabs Hernandez and Kat Dy. 

 

Empowered Women!

The event was hosted by Kat Dy, managing director of the BDJ Box Beauty  Ministry.

I was so excited to open the BDJ Box given to me at the event! It was quite heavy and looked so pretty in its 'Parisian Pretty' theme.

Here’s a peek on what’s inside the box:

It comes with stickers that say “I’m not beautiful like YOU, I’m beautiful like ME!” Super cute, I placed one sticker on my pocket  mirror.

Here are all the products!

There are several deluxe sized products (ones that I would love to try out) and some really good sample sized ones that are good enough for several uses.

 

1. Garnier Skin Naturals Pure Active Multi-Action Scrub (50 ml)

2. Syoss Anti-Dandruff Control Shampoo (100 ml)

3. Syoss Anti-Dandruff  Control Conditioner (100 ml)

4. L'Oreal Paris Total Repair 5 - Daily Repairing Treatment (50ml)

5. Calvin Klein Eternity Aqua (1.2ml)

6. L'Oreal Lucent Magique Skin Illuminating BB Cream (5ml)

7. L'Oreal Revitalift Intensive Night Repair Essence (5ml)

8. Yves Rocher 24H Intense Hydrating Gel Cream (15ml)

9. Garnier Skin Naturals Ligjt Whiten & Even Moisturizing Cream (8ml x 8 packs)

I'm super happy with the contents of the box. Some products I am already familiar with and love to use, and some I am excited to try out.

BDJ Box is the brainchild of Darlyn Ty, the same founder and creator of the Belle De Jour Power Planner. Yes, that awesome planner with oodles of coupons.

 (and yes I was given my own planner... Woohoo! Thanks BDJ)

BDJ Box is a monthly beauty product discovery subscription service created to help women in their quest for the best beauty products. Subscribing to the BDJ Box for only Php 480 per month will let you try 5-6 deluxe sized beauty products every month. The box we received contained over P1,000.00 worth of products. And imagine you can just get it for only P480.00... what a steal!

Also, the website contains fresh editorial content on beauty tips and new  products provided by the beauty ministry. The BDJ Box Ministry includes Erica Paredes, Nicole Romero, Barbi Chan, Kat Dy, Tara Cabullo and Kate Alvarez. 

Whether you are a beauty pro, a newbie or just seeking for new products, BDJ Box will allow you to find so many things related to beauty. A must for every lady! You can share your insights or gather information on beauty tips and new products in the market

Get your very own BDJ Box by subscribing at www.bdjbox.com! =)