DIY: draped skirt

so i was chatting with keet earlier today and we got to talking about a lot of different, wonderful things, including the skirt that i was wearing at work that very hour.  of course, she couldn't see it.  anyway, i'm really proud of this skirt because i only bought it for P20 at a nearby thrift shop aka ukay-ukay, but now it looks like a thousand bucks! i know, i know, whatever happened to humility right? hahaha. i'll just show you...

thanks to my office mate Jonas for taking the pic!

anyway, this skirt is a bit avant-garde so it really isn't for everyone.  my own sisters hate it.  but my female office mates like it, and so do several of my other friends so there you go.

turning your own plain skirt into a couture piece is easy enough.

You'll need:
- a circle skirt, preferably in a soft/flowy fabric to produce better drapes
- dressmakers' pins
- sewing needle, thread in the same color as the skirt, a pair of scissors

Instructions:
1. fit the skirt and try to imagine where you would like the draping effect.
2. using the dressmakers pins, just bunch up the skirt in certain areas and pin tiny parts of the fabric together.
3. make sure to check in the mirror if you're getting the look that you want
4. once you're finished draping with the pins, take your needle and thread and sew where the pins are positioned.
5. remove the pins and voila! you have a draped skirt that's one-of-a-kind.

*tips, you can go shorter too, to create a more bubbly look.

hope you found this DIY article useful.  will try to come up with more. y'all know i love to get crafty and all.

random money matters

went to a HUGE wedding last weekend-- rumors abound that the decorations for the reception area alone amounted to half a mil already! ridunkulous, right?  but it was a really wonderful night and i truly wish the newlyweds a happy and equally amazing marriage. anyway, during the reception, my relatives in the same age group got talking about independence and marriage, specifically our age deadlines for both.  i want to be out of the house between 25 to 28 y/o--i've recently been feeling quite down, to be honest, and think that i really need to discover who I am and be the person I want to be, regardless of how other people around me are.  and i somehow feel that i can do this best by living on my own, acting the way i want to, instead of always reacting to the situations i encounter.  i also need to make something of myself and feel that living on my own will help me do that, if only so i won't have to tiredly keep explaining the choices i make.

anyway, back to topic.  i'm 22 and a half now, which means i've got about 2.5 - 5.5 years to save a ton of loot, if i am to ever live on my own (btw, normally, marriage is another option--sharing the bill with a husband would be nice haha--but i don't want to make any predictions and jinx my chances.  to be honest, the romantic future is looking a bit bleak right now.  okay, self-pity ends here). 

ideally, when i'm on my own, i should still manage to keep saving instead of having it all go to rent and survival expenses.  how, you ask? at this rate, i don't know either! haha. but i've read a few things in the past that did get me thinking.

one is to let your money work for you too.  apparently, this is one thing that the rich do.  instead of spending on something that won't contribute to your wealth (like a signature bag) or, worse, that will even subtract from it (like a fancy car), you need to put your money in a place where it will work hard to make you richer. haha. so you can use it to further a biz, invest in stocks, or even earn in a bank.  i told our maid this last night and she suddenly got the idea of buying a pig instead of a TV.  that's the spirit!

another one is a quote i just read from the King, Elvis, himself.  "Sharing money is what gives it its value."  'nuff said.

here's another beautiful quote from Henry David Thoreau (whose works i should start reading, btw): "Goodness is the only investment that never fails."

and with that, i bid y'all adieu, at least for now.  i hope these ramblings get you thinking and adjusting your lives the way they're starting to do mine :) feel free to share your favorite quotes about wealth on this post.

marion cotillard

does this girl look like someone we all know?

 *i do miss my long wavy hair though...i promise to give it the same effort i do my short hair. can't wait! and apparently, it really is important for actresses and models (though i'm neither so i don't know how this is all connected) to have really plain hair. proper length, no bangs or anything. makes it easier to style for shoots, films, etc.

the holy grail

i think, right now, girls such as myself can consider 3 things their holy grail: Mr. Right, an ideal (but not necessarily perfect) career, and the right shade of foundation.  now, the former two topics have been mentioned several times on my other blog, so perhaps it is time to give the third a shot as well.

recently, i have been on the hunt for THE perfect foundation for my skin tone. i know, i know, what about Project 365, you ask? after all, i did say no buying of makeup. well, that was when i had an option of getting my makeup done for Sunday's big event. but my friend isn't available then, so ima have to do my face, as well as that of my mom's and ate cla's, myself.  anyway, i have a budget from my dad this time around.  i guess he doesn't want us to look terrible beside all those bigwigs.

so i tried out several brands at first: shiseido, cinema secrets, revlon, max factor.  i really wanted to try mac but didn't get an opportunity.  my main concern was getting the right color and coverage for my undereye circles and dark spots, but still looking natural. and by natural, i mean NATURAL.  so natural that people will think i just woke up looking all fresh and flawless.  the problem is, most brands and foundation types rarely get it right, in my opinion.  i see a lot of people looking good with makeup, but the problem is, i know they're wearing tons of product.  i don't wanna know that.  i want to look like a model, a movie star.  i want to look perfect. well, almost. makeup is not equal to cosmetic surgery after all.   and after trying those expensive brands, my search seemed futile. 

the no-makeup look from Becca

Cinema Secrets' cream concealer/foundations weren't yellow enough for me.  their Summer Sand powder might have been good, but i didn't think it was worth the price, especially since it didn't offer enough coverage for my undereye circles.  Shiseido also didn't have the right shade and didn't offer enough coverage.  Max factor totally got it wrong.  the best comment i received was that i looked ab it whiter than usual (un ang best sa lagay na yan), while the worst were that my eyes looked swollen and my eyebags magnified.  Revlon's shades might have worked but it still lacked that wow factor.  i'm still not convinced.

So, i looked to the internet, specifically google and girltalk, for help.  in my extensive web-surfing for the holy grail of foundations, i chanced upon bobbi brown's website.  of course, i can't afford her stuff, but the chance encounter did prove useful--the really cool graphics and instructional videos gave me an idea --i should just mix my own foundation! 

tons of shades but still difficult to get it right!

so, as soon as i got home, i whipped out the existing liquid foundations we had--gifts from my aunt.  they were obviously just surplus from her stash but i thought i might as well be green and use 'em.  one is CoverGirl in True Beige, the other is Rimmel in Sand.  True Beige is too light and too pink for me, while Sand is too dark.  i mixed them together, but i felt it still lacked the glow and the yellow tint that i needed, so i went on a search again. today, i found some good candidates from Nichido and Ever Bilena.  and the good thing is--they're much cheaper than the important brands (and made in the Philippines too)!  for 30ml, Nichido is less than P300, while EB is less than P200.  Nichido has Light, which is too light for me but may have the yellow i need to mix into my other stuff.  Natural is darker and less yellow, so it might be the good too.  EB has Gold and Beige--they're close enough to each other so i have difficulty deciding, but i think they're much better than the previous brands i tried. 

I'll let you know how it goes but i'm praying that it will work it out :)

PS - you might be wondering why i'm so bent n getting it right? aside from the fact that i want to look good, i also figured it might be a good idea to learn the basics of makeup, not just so i can help out my family and relatives, but also because it could come in handy in case ate cla decides to pursue her photography full-time.  after all, the bread & butter of most photographers are the shoots.  we could be an affordable 2 for 1 combo!

*other things also come to mind when talking about the holy grail of women. some of them are:

the right lipstick per category (red, pink, nude, etc.)

the right pair of jeans

the perfect white blouse

and the list goes on! we'll try to tackle those in the future. just see post under "the holy grail".

Beaty Secrets from the Bible

akalain mo!

found this cute site! will read and review soon.

Beauty tips that won't cost you a thing

ound some great tips on various sites and compiled them here. hope you like!

1. Exfoliate (but don't overdo it!) to slough off those dead skin cells faster.  i exfoliate 1-2x a week using Artistry exfoliating scrub. it cost like P1.5k but you only use a little bit and it's meant to last really long.  my sister and i have been sharing the tube for 2yrs now! that's like P375 per person per year on a really good product.

2. Steam your face once a week! it stimulates the blood circulation to your face and helps clean it. Steps: Clean your face. Fill a bowl with hot, steaming water. Lean over the bowl for 10 minutes with your face a foot above the water, and drape a towel over your head to create a tent.  Rinse face with lukewarm water, and follow with a facial mask then finish with toner.  i actually don't do this often but resolve to do so from now on; maybe it will help me keep my hands from pricking my zits and popping the blackheads.

3. Get physical!! when your blood gets pumping, a flush occurs on your cheeks naturally. it also keeps you feeling fit, strong, and happy! (remember Elle Woods' endorphins?) i'm planning to really go through with my workout wednesdays. i went jogging for 15 minutes last week, preceded and followed by stretches and lunges.  i also did a few (literally few) push-ups and crunches.  i WILL do the same today.  i also want to try to enter a ballet class, if my budget permits. hope it works out!

4. Sleep and destress.  apparently, the body works harder to renew your skin cells or something when you sleep. so, the next time your mom gets mad at you for oversleeping, just tell her you're doing it for your skin! haha. just kidding. 7-8 hours will do for every night, while it's also important to take a few minutes for yourself when you're feeling stressed to avoid it showing on your face. creases and furrowed brows are expensive to repair so might as well just prevent it.

5. Eat healthy! a well-balanced diet is good for both the inside and outside of your body. check this out!

6. Do good!  doing something for other people, especially the less fortunate or perhaps a very important cause, always brings about a different glow.  trust me, the most beautiful people i know don't have perfect skin or bone structure, and some of them are always dressed in just a shirt and jeans.  but their beauty radiates from within, and you can really sense that whenever you're around them.  my greatest aspiration is to be beautiful in this way too.  for some ideas, contact me or check out Hands On Manila.

to end, i would like to leave you with a poem often quoted by the most beautiful woman who ever walked upon this earth (my personal opinion):

For attractive lips
speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes
seek out the good in people.
For a slim figure
share your food with the hungry.
For beautiful hair
let a child run his/her fingers through it once a day.
For poise
walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.
People
even more than things
have to be restored
renewed
revived
reclaimed
and redeemed
never throw out anyone.
Remember,
if you ever need a helping hand,
you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older
you will discover that you have two hands
one for helping yourself
and the other for helping others.
-Sam Levinson

Sources:
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/makeover/8-natural-no-make-up-necessary-ways-to-look-and-feel-glowingly-gorgeous-1361806/#photoViewer=2
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/makeover/what-to-eat-for-gorgeous-glowing-skin-1268136/#photoViewer=1

musings after a week of P365, my Outfit of the Day, and Roman Holiday

it's been a week since project 365 and, so far, i'm still doing fine.  my hands are itching to shop and swipe that credit card though haha.

i'm realizing that, although there are things that i do need but don't have, most of the things necessary for me to actually survive are already in my possession--i just haven't been making the most out of them.  i'm afraid the rapid modernization of society has turned me into one lazy-ass femme and, like so many people out there, i have been content to buy,buy,buy instead of working hard to accomplish or acquire something.  i do hope that, by the end of this project, i would've learned to maximize all the resources and gifts that i have.  it would be such a waste if i didn't.  not a waste of 365 days of penny-pinching but, rather, a waste of blessings and talent and time, even.  after all, we weren't born to simply survive and be couch potatoes, right?

51 weeks to go!!

today's outfit consists of:

- a blue and gray striped shirt bought for $4 at Forever21

- a navy pencil skirt which i made  from scratch myself (first project at FIP)

- white plastic chain headband worn as necklace from H&M

- a gold and white chain charm bracelet from tita Portia which i redesigned a bit to reflect my values (the components are: a heart, a cross, a book, a video camera, and other trinkets)

- my silver cross ring, of course

- beige (are these beige?) loafers from Matthews @ CMG for P2,499

**note that the newest thing i'm wearing is almost a year old. yay!

btw, i was finally able to watch Roman Holiday, which won for Audrey Hepburn her first Oscar (in her first lead role too, mind you).  i had wanted to see it for the longest time now, not only because i love love love Audrey, but also because i needed to do some research on 1950s fashion in preparation for a wedding i'm attending.  (thank goodness for surf the channel!) anyway, i've realized that i really want to be like her.  the grace, the poise, the intellect, the kindness that she epitomizes. that's the type of person i want to be like.  i don't need to be extremely fashionable or trendy; nor do i need or want to be the center of attention.  i just want to be a good person.

Values as true wealth

i read a wonderful article about Warren Buffett's son, Peter, discussing the greatest gift his father (one of the richest men in the world) ave him.  hint: it ain't money.  it was the way they raised him and the values they taught him.

- his parents didn't give him everything he wanted, even though they could have
- they showed him the different situations other people were in
- they encouraged him to find and pursue his own passion, rather than insisting he follow in his father's footsteps
- they taught him to take pride in his own accomplishments, rather than depending on those of his father's to give him a sense of self-respect
- they taught him the importance of iving back to the world

"Economic prosperity may come and go; that's just how it is," he writes in the book. "But values are the steady currency that earn us the all-important rewards."

Project 365

i cracked. this long weekend, i bought training shoes and a blazer for work at the Megamall sale.  then, i finally succumbed to the perfume debate (more on that in a different post) and bought eau de toilette for the first time ever. i also bought a dvd and 1 1/4 yds of cotton voile for fun.  in short, i almost burned half a month's salary in 3 days, and had to readjust my budget so that it won't look like i'm exceeding what was originally allocated. hahaha. so this is what politicians do to cover up their luxury binges.  there is one exception though: this is my money where as they are using the people's money.

anyway, i figured every now and then, we all have the need to spend money.  we all need to pamper ourselves sometimes.  however, that doesn't mean we have to go bankrupt! maybe we make a few slip-ups once or twice in a blue moon, we crack under the sheer force and weight of commercialism and extremely clever advertising.  no worries! whenever you take a fall, you can always choose to rise and continue walking towards your destination.  and that is exactly what i'm trying to do.

if you know me at all, you'll also know that the biggest portion of my paycheck (next to the savings) goes to the apparel department. albeit, my annual expenses in this category can't even buy a decent piece of anything in Greenbelt 4, it still constitutes 7% of my entire annual income.  note that the Republic of the Philippines only spends 1-2% of its money on health.  that translates to me giving more importance to what i wear than the RP government does to health care. that's huge!

hence, i am embarking on a new project (another one?) to keep me from buying any clothes, shoes, or accessories for 365 consecutive days, beginning today.  i will have to make do with whatever is in my possession (or that of my family) for an entire year, and am only allowed to make a purchase during the Christmas season, should my dad decide to sponsor our holiday clothes (as has been tradition).  i will still be allowed to purchase the necessary grooming products, but no make-up and no more perfume either.  the only other things i may spend on with my own money during this 365-day period are alterations/repairs, and the following: 1 pair of black tights, a striped shirt, and a sports bra.  that's it!  this will be a challenge in styling as well as penny-pinching. hope it works!