Project 365: shipwrecked!

sorry for the long overdue post; i've been focusing a bit more on my more public blog (meaning more than 3 people know about it), as well as on some YFC activities, and my 12-week "Artist's Way" journey (i'm in week 7 already)!

anyway, i would like to confess to you that i have somehow abandoned my Project 365 (did a tear just slide down your cheek?).  beyond my allowed Christmas shopping (courtesy of my dad), i bought a National Geographic shirt, and made two mini ukay2 shopping trips. they all probably amounted to less than P1,500 though, and a third of my purchases I gave to my mom.  once you start spending again, it's really difficult to control it! shopping sprees = NO-NO.

now i'm still going to do my best to refrain from unnecessary shopping, but i'm already foreseeing actual needs in the future (i.e. bridesmaid duties, swimming, Pinatubo trekking) so i won't pretend to all of you that i was able to tough it out for 365 days.  but props to whoever can!!! it is INCREDIBLY difficult, but even more rewarding when accomplished.  I did for 32 weeks, and i'm very proud of that (i did have a minor slip though--remember the necklace?).

it's pretty amazing, now that i think of it.  a lot of the things i was tempted to buy during that time frame, i now hardly care for. and that thrill of buying something? it plateaus and dives once you swipe that credit card or hand over that wad of cash. i experienced it when i make especially large purchases, but even with the smaller ones. truly, it isn't what you've got, but what you make of what you have. 

so let's support each other! who needs fabulous fashion when you've got even more fantastic friends?!!??!

DIY: inspired by Alexander McQueen

(yet another overdue DIY post)

i receive a ton of email every day, maybe half of which are all related to fashion.  anyway, i remember receiving one about nail polish trends sometime in June.  one of the girls featured there was Drew Barrymore.  anyway, the nail color article was interesting enough, but what really caught my attention was Drew's Alexander McQueen dress:

i don't really go anywhere so I'd never really get a chance to wear something like this.  and even if i did have an event to attend, chances are that the McQueen brand people wouldn't be willing to just lend me this dress.  but i loved it so much that i knew i had just one option: DIY!!!

i've had this lace dress lying around for months.  one of my last purchases before i started Project 365.  i bought it at an ukay-ukay near BIR Intramuros for Php 50.  Btw, the owner of the place was Ilocano and they played Ilocano music in the store.  the ukay was also very decent--spacious, clean, well-ventilated. aaanyway, i bought it because i saw some potential in it.  i especially loved the crochet detail on the neckline.

however i try to pretend not to care what everyone else thinks about me, i'm still an insecure girl.  and whenever i'd try the dress on (after washing in boiling water and detergent, mind you), my ate cla would always say "yuck" or something along that line of thought.  so i knew i needed to do something to try to elicit a more favorable or at least neutral response from the people who would be seen with me while wearing it.

i decided to try to make my version of the McQueen dress.  first I carefully cut out the lining (too lazy to rip the seams), making sure not to snip the stitches so the dress would remain intact.

then i prepared a dye bath--using 4 packets of black Venus dye this time.  i figured it wouldn't matter so much if it was in a small basin. in the event that there would be unevenness in the color, it would look like the intended result, much like the intricately designed lace of the original dress.

unfortunately, i learned through this experience that color fastness is something better achieved, not just with quality dye, but also with a proper process.  but since i had neither, i ended up with gray lace.  the only thing that did turn black enough was the crochet trim on the neckline and at the hem of the dress.

i tried to see what it would look like with yellow fabric underneath, but gray doesn't make the color pop out as much.  so i decided to just use the crochet trim instead.  i had 1 1/4 yards yellow cotton voile lying around at home (i often have fabric-buying urges)--also one of my last purchases before Project 365--so i didn't even need to buy that.  i cut out a simple pattern for the bodice using a hybrid of the lining (which was more loose) and my bias dress pattern from FIP (more fit).  since cotton voile is pretty sheer, i used up all my fabric to make two layers (i'd suggest at least 1 1/2 yards next time, especially since bias uses up more fabric).  

with the help of my trusty portable Brother sewing machine (which we got several years ago from credit card points), i was able to make this top:

it's definitely one of my favorites :) it's dressy but i can also wear it with jeans.  i can belt it, tuck it in, or leave it as is. DIY rules!!!

DIY: pseudo chambray shirt

back when i made this a few months ago, i had been reading about the resurgence in popularity of the Chambray (a kind of cotton aka Cambric) shirt among the fashion crowd in the West.  Denim shirts of various washes were also a big craze (and i guess still are depending on the styling).

this was my inspiration:

not having the cheese to afford yet another item, and also having an abundance (okay 4 is not exactly that much) of white collared shirts, i decided to DIY instead.  here's what went on:

one of my white shirts was less traditional than the others.  it had a different kind of yoke and huge sleeves!  i liked it for a while but then i realized that i would sometimes look like i was swathed in hospital bedsheets.  this was the shirt i decided to dye, using the Venus dye available at National Book Store (i know, sorry but that's the only one i know of.  i'm searching for dyes online but it's gonna be real costly what with the $ and the shipping, etc.)

i used two packets but you can go darker if you want.  if you're not really sure, i suggest you go light first; you can always intensify the color later.  now, having limited resources and a slightly overbearing mother, i couldn't follow the instructions to the letter.  but i think it went ok. 

it would be a lot better if you use a bigger basin though, to keep the fabric from clumping.  mine did, and at the underarm area too! it's not that noticeable but if someone looks very closely, you'd think i had sweat stains even if i had just put the shirt on.

and voila! don't mind how i look though. haha.  you can belt it, tuck it in, leave it untucked, or unbutton it too :D hope you like!  DIY is pretty easy.  the first thing you need to do is just determine what project you want to make and i'm sure you'll find SOMETHING in your closet or somebody else's wardrobe that you can reconstruct.  it's so rewarding and pretty cool too.

am i an idiot?!

"Wise people live in wealth and luxury, but stupid people spend their money as fast as they get it."  --Proverbs 21:20 (TEV)

nagpaparinig sa akin ang Panginoon! haha. but seriously.  this past week, i've been acting like an animal cut loose from the zoo--shopping (almost) like there's no tomorrow.  It's almost Christmas and, instead of getting us gifts, Dad usually just gives us some spending money, on the condition that we spend it on apparel so we have something to wear during the holidays.

so, i bought a lot, trying to maximize my break from retail therapy fasting.  but afterwards i kind of felt sick and realized that i had somehow returned to my old ways.  even though i did try to think of what i could really use, i did get side tracked at times, and also bought some things which i'm sure would not last that long. 

so, for the next year, i have set some new shopping, or non-shopping, rules (after my Project 365):

1. DIY to death! and using existing materials first, rather than buying new fabrics, etc.  I'm not allowed to buy any more tops or yardage of fabric until i've completely exhausted all my existing resources (pieces i bought or stole from my mom's closet, telling myself i'd alter them to make like new)

2. stick to the list!  i'm going to write a very specific list of things that i can buy, and that's it.

3.  wait, then think.  i was very tempted to buy this pair of wedges at CMG on sale for P999. so sexy and seems versatile enough.  heaven knows i need variety in my shoe rack (they're all neutral, mostly black *sigh*).  but even though i relly wanted to buy those shoes, i've decided to put off buying footwear until i have a clearer picture of what i'll be doing next year, after my contract at UPM ends.  will i be going to school? will i be working for a broadcasting company or publication and, if so, will i be on the field or at the office?  will i be starting my travel show project with my friends?  will i be starting my own business?  will i be acting more (and in need of options for wardrobe)?

4.  NEED versus want.

5.  prioritize! and make your money work for you.  so looking good would be nice and i might need it if i'm gonna act more.  but i might not need it as much as tuition for school.  i may not need it as much as children need schoolbooks.  i really need to remember what's most important in my life and how i can use my little wealth to accomplish my goals and to help others.

Pampanga roadtrip part 2: the cursed necklace

i cracked.  after 119 days straight of zero fashion retail therapy, i succumbed to the sweet beckoning of this candy-colored floral necklace at Accessorize (on sale for 70% off).  i'm so so so sorry! i let you down, and i let myself down.  and, what's worse, i am already itching to find an excuse to purchase this pair of gold and coral Ipanema flip flops. damn you, consumerism!  mind you, all my flip flops have been worn to the ground and i really have no choice but to wear other types of footwear when going on even the simplest errands. poor me  (how's that for an excuse??? *googly eyes*)

anyway, i'll leave it up to you to decide on an appropriate punishment. but before you make your final judgment, let me first defend my case.  i've been really like-you-wouldn't-believe stressed at work the past few weeks and have been so busy that i couldn't even get a back massage for the thickening shoulder muscles.  also, the components of the necklace are quite difficult to find in the country so i'm sure i wouldn't have had an acceptable DIY option.  third, it's so cute, i can get ideas for future pieces from it hence, helping me actually earn in the long run.  last, it looks great on me!  so, now you've had the chance to see what's going on in the mind of an almost-reformed shopaholic, you may announce your verdict.

i must say that, even though i cracked with the necklace, there were tons of opportunities yesterday alone that took most of my willpower NOT to take out my wallet.  i'm in no way telling you to buy buy buy and acquire acquire acquire but, in case you were in the market for the following items anyway or are just planning your next purchases (mine will be on Christmas, then Summer 2011), here are a few options you might want to consider:

Primadonna bags

it was my first time to enter their shop (i believe the brand is also available in Megamall, among others), and i was immediately drawn to the bags.  usually, the ones we have here, even the higher-end local brands, are too overdesigned.  too many trendy details but not enough attention is given to the things that really matter.  and, more often than not, these are so trendy that it would be passe to keep using them after the season.

here's one of my favorites, which costs less than P900:

here's the design on the other side.  it's 2 bags in 1! (available in 3 different sets of colors)

now, i can't speak for the durability of these Primadonna items yet, seeing as i don't have one piece from the line, but if i were to buy based on looks and price alone, i'd get one or two pieces from their current selection of shoulder bags. very classic and fashionable at the same time.  in case you haven't heard the memo, ladylike bags are all the rage this season.  and guess what, they were never out anyway! maybe they haven't been as much in the spotlight in the last few seasons as they are now but i tell you, these bags are quite similar to the ones i've seen my mom carryin in her old photos.  in fact, i just inherited my first designer bag from mother superior and it does look eerily like the ones on the runway, albeit the latter has less scratches.

here are other options from the brand:

Follie shoes

now i wouldn't say that all the pieces were great, but i did find a really cute and affordable one that was also quite comfy too.  these three charactersitics can rarely be found in the same item and i really was tempted to start counting my bills (i left my card at home to help keep myself from spending).  but i figured, there'll be other opportunities.  for now, i'll just have to locate a Metro department store that's not in Pampanga.

hey, if i can't buy them, at least i can write about them, right?

oh yeah, here's a photo of me wearing the culprit necklace.  i fished it out of my bag on the same day i bought it, right after my hwa rang do session. then i wore it again to work the next day.

also shown is TJ's incredibly hot hot hot Fossil watch, which he got for P4k (nka-sale na un sa lagay na un ha).  i borrowed it for an hour :D isn't it pretty? i have an affinity for male watches, as long as they don't overwhelm my tiny wrist, which is always the case with my dad's watches, unfortunately :(

to all my readers (if indeed there are any. magparamdam naman kasi kayo!) contemplating going on Project 365, i really hope that i didn't disappoint you too much.  i'm still planning to continue this mission, regardless of my small slip.  hey, we all make mistakes right? but the important thing is picking up the pieces and really striving to correct our wrongs and to live the best way we can, regardless of our dark past. amen?

less is more (and a side comment on The Rider)

once again, i read a wonderful article yesterday about a couple who decided to wean themselves from most of their material possessions after having realized that they weren't taking much satisfaction and happiness from these.  i'm finding more and more of these stories during these times.  i especially enjoyed the one about people living in ridiculously small but adorable houses.

these days, we work our asses off just so we can afford that next new thing--whether it's yet another hi-tech gadget that you don't even really need, an incredibly wonderful pair of shoes that would just get ruined in the rain anyway, or even a lavish trip (which, more often than not, is wholly aimed at gaining extra bragging points on Facebook).  we're trying to plug this emptiness in our lives with as many possessions as we can.  but it ain't the right fix, so that giant hole is never truly covered and we end up wanting and wanting, buying and buying, trying to hide and camouflage all the things that are wrong in our lives.

they say that the consumers are wisening up, learning to really plan their purchases, discerning which ones will give them more value--not just in terms of money, but also in terms of the experiences they will gain through the purchases being made and the relationships being formed.  i say, this is still a tiny percentage of the population.  maybe it's because the financial meltdown hasn't made that much of a difference in our lives here in the Philippines (we were already messed up even before the 2008 recession).  maybe the problem needs a greater intervention.  i don't know.  i'm neither well-read in Psychology nor in Economics.

well, as you all know, i have my Project 365, right?  and the very existence of this blog is based on the belief that there are more important things in life than money; that you can be happy with less; that money should be used to bring joy and goodness to this earth and its inhabitants, rather than destroy it.  i'm really grateful for having read this article at a time when i'm itching to buy yet another pair of shoes (100 days down, 265 days to go) because it reaffirms my convictions.  even if it is hard to control the flight of the plastic card, i know it'll pay off in the long run.

this weekend, i will start sorting my clothes and shoes and bags yet again.  i'll be donating them to a friend's garage sale, the proceeds of which will be used to pay for the expenses incurred due to her dad's funeral.  my under-used and under-appreciated belongings will be better off there, helping a family get back on its feet after the death of its patriarch.  i plan on slowly cleaning out my wardrobe until i have 100 or less items in it (excluding underwear though).  maybe i could organize a garage sale on September too, to get rid of all the stuff we have in our aunt's store.  we'll use the proceeds for our room's renovation :)  or a really good cause--maybe sustainable education or livelihood, a library, or even an arts program for the youth--which i have yet to find (please help me with this one, if you can).

it all comes down to this: will it make you truly happy?

**on a side note (totally unrelated), i saw a female driving a motorbike today.  she had a scarf under her helmet, probably to keep her hair nice, and she was wearing 4-inch heels!!! gawd! how did she do it? no idea.  but it got me thinking, if i can't buy a car, would i rather continue commuting or get a motorbike instead (provided that i knew how to ride one--i can't even ride a bike)?? what would you choose?

rainy days

during the summer, i had nothing to wear--everything was too warm.  now that it's rainy season already, i still have nothing to wear--they're all NOT waterproof. darn weather. anyway, as is the custom come july-october, i am obsessing over rainboots.  there is really a poor selection available in the country and most of those i see online are way over my budget.  it's really frustrating because it rains here all the time and we Filipinos insist on shying away from the rainboots because they are supposed to be baduy or whatever.

well, i have a pair of psychedelic green rainboots. mind you, they were the subtlest ones available already, but at least i can hold my head up high whenever Taft Avenue turns into a raging river.  i really wish some company would come up with simple but lean rainboots though; the plain ones currently sold by Advan are way too macho chunky for my taste.

anyway, i saw this pic of the gossip girl set and i thought, "God, i wish i could look that hot in the rain!" hahaha.  so i'm adding a clear umbrella, nice trench, and stylish rainboots to the things i CAN'T buy anyway.

PS -  don't et mad at me but i'm seriously thinking of abolishing Project 365 in favor of a Trinny and Ssannah-esque wardrobe overhaul. once i get the funds, i mean

makeup madness

ang hirap magpaganda...grrr!!!!!

so, i have a project that will require me to appear on cam, and everything has been going great! i think i'm doing a good job.  now, my only problem is--my darn looks.  huhu, i need to look good and therefore need makeup, tons of it! curse this spotty, ruddy skin of mine (just kidding, Lord. i'm very grateful).  but i do need to clean up a bit.

unfortunately, "a bit" is quite relative.  though the difference might seem tiny on screen, it sure isn't when it comes to the preparation, not to mention the effect on the pockets!

this is what the "natural" look requires:

1. toner for my oily face
2. primer to make my skin look smoother and to let the makeup last longer
3. foundation to even out the skin tone
4. concealer to minimize those terrid acne marks and my giant undereye circles
5. powder to blend it all in and keep shine at bay
6. eyeliner to make eyes pop
7. several shades of eyeshadow
8. brow powder
9. eyelash curler and mascara for the wide-eyed look
10. blush for a natural flush
11. lip balm and lip color so i don't look like a corpse

this means, unfortunately, that i'll have to break my Project 365 rule on makeup. aaack! i'm trying to limit though, and am determined to settle for cheap but good alternatives.  i need to buy #s 2,3,4, at the very minimum.  mind you, those are the most important items too, since my skin is really the devil here.

no wonder all those celebrities are shooting up! if you had to do this every day, you'd go crazy too.

wait a sec, what about my hair?!?!?!?!?

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.