DIY Detachable Collar

I love statement accessories to death. I love everything that spells femininity. God knows how much I've been wanting to start collecting all those prettily detailed embellishments from SM Accessories, Mia Casa and ExtremeFinds; but I still don't have enough in my pocket so I still can't begin quite yet. Anyhoo, good thing I have the artisitic bug in my system, I can seriously produce some on my own.

As you can see, I'm already smitten to this thing Chriselle Lim coined as NECKORATING which only means decorating the neck, for an instance, with detachable collars. On that note, I would like to share to you how I did my very first DIY for this year's collar craze. But before that, I recommend you to watch this tutorial from Chriselle Lim herself. Don't forget to subscribe to her Youtube videos.

Video Courtesy of Chriselle Lim

Here are the materials I used:

I got this from my father's old and damaged Tommy Hilfiger polo. Remember, it's advisable to use collars from men's polo (not polo shirt) because they're sturdier compared to that of women's.

Take it from me, because I've tried cutting some collars from women's polo, and I just failed. They're so wobbly, and you wouldn't want that. This is actually my third and successful attempt. Thank God!

These cute hot pink wooden beads are from my necklace that I bought from a college classmate who used to sell DIY accessories five years ago. I wonder where she got these stuff.

I'm supposed to use fabric glue, but to no avail since I didn't have time to go down town just to buy one. I used Mighty Bond instant glue instead.

Just squeeze your brain for some creative juices, and think of a fun design to embellish your collar. What I did on mine is that I patterned and glued all the necessary amount of  beads on the collar until the lining is no longer that visible. Without further ado, I now present you my NECK-oration.

FRONT

BACK

This detachable collar can be a very nice replacement for your necklaces if you want. It's perfect for color blocking. This can also be an instrument for color popping if you want to spice up a neutral-colored outfit.

This is what happened to my fingers after the process!

That's it for now. I'll keep you posted on my next DIY Collar Craze adventure.

Have you tried creating your own detachable collar, pretty dolls?

Gastronomy: Lunch at Bigby's

Potato Soup

Fisherman's Catch Platter

Wild West Steak Rice Bowl

Raging Hungarian Pasta

Midnight Dream Cake

Photo courtesy of HIMATI. This is not intended for copyright infringement.

We had lunch at Bigby's Cafe & Restaurant (SM City Davao Branch) last Monday (February 20, 2012) after my mother and I attended our school University of the Philippines Mindanao's 17th Foundation Day and Recognition Ceremonies. We were there to support my sister Miko who was one of the students who got recognized for being a part of the Dean's List.

Don't you just love having an intelligent sibling when you're otherwise? Mediocrity is what I get for being a complacent student who breaks her parents' rules more often than not. Kidding aside. I don't want to sell myself short just because I'm not even an honor student. LOL. Did I sound like I'm sour graping?

Anyway, we ordered two Potato Soup (P50 each - $1.2 each), one Fisherman's Catch Food Trip Platter (P575 - $13.4), one Wild West Steak Rice Bowl (P219 - $5.1), one Raging Hungarian Pasta (P225 - $5.25) and two Midnight Dream Cake (P95 each - $2.22 each). Obviously, we got really full so we just brought the pasta and ate it at home instead.

My favorite among all these would have to be the Fisherman's Catch Platter, because I'm a big seafood fan. I love the crispy fried Dory Fish, the grilled shrimp and of course the calamares. The burst of colors in this dish made me so hooked with it. I also like the tall slice of cake because of the rich chocolaty frosting.

My least favorite is the Raging Hungarian Pasta. It was too sour because of the generous amount of tomato sauce. As a Filipino, I'be been used to sweet & sour, and creamy pastas. I could say we made a mistake of choosing it, because I was the only one who ate the majority of this meal. I did it so nothing would go to waste.

That's it for today's Gastronomy episode. 'Til my next food trip moments, my fellow connoisseurs.

Messy Curls

I'm currently obsessed to watching beauty tutorials on YouTube, and I can't help but be blown away by Chriselle Lim's wardrobe, Michelle Phan and her sister Promise Phan's make-up, and Daven Mayeda's hairstyle tips. Subscribe to their videos, and you'll be amazed at how you can transform yourself worry-free. How I wish I could be as skillfully artsy as them, but I still have to save for more doll-up weapons.

Anyway, yesterday boredom got the better of me at home so I decided to practice glamorizing myself without the assistance of others. I just simply curled my short hair, and I was somehow happy with the result; because I felt like I've improved. I felt like I got better than the last time I did this. That's the way to do it, right? Compete with yourself, and not with others. I hope next time I get to paint makeup on my face independently.

Here are my photos...

Lipcolor - Lintheric's Loganberry Moisturizing Lipstick

Lip Gloss - Victoria Secret's Beauty Rush

Feather Dangle - Modisch

Top - Celine

I used the vintage Clairol's Lock 'n Roll curlers to achieve this messy look. It's an old model, and I don't know if you're still familiar with it. My Aunt who lives in England gave it to me two years ago, because she knows that I love to perk up myself a lot. This product is a bit hassle to use, because I still have to pre-heat the stylers for 20-30 minutes. For extra curls, I twisted the sections of my hair into a spiral before rolling.

Do you wanna know my faults during this process? I didn't spritz a light holding product (hairspray, gel or what-have-you) over my hair after rolling. I also removed the stylers after ten minutes because of my excitement. They're supposed to stay in place for 15-45 minutes. BTW, Daven Mayeda has an easy way of curling hair without heat. Next time, I have to follow instructions. It's still not perfect, but I love it. How do you like it, pretty dolls?

SVS: Postura Project

Fashion. It’s more fun in the Philippines!

To all my fellow Filipino bloggers out there who are fond of glamming up all the time, this is our chance to flaunt what are country’s fashion industry has to offer when it comes to being chic and fabulous. Let’s join Sarah Meier, Arriane Serrafico, Knox Balbastro and David Guison as they venture on Postura Project’s swanky 30 Day Challenge by wearing something Filipino everyday. Just check the images posted above for the important instructions on how to take on the challenge. You can also pop in their Facebook and Tumblr pages for further details. I’ll be sharing my entries soon through my Child’s Play blog series. So, are you ready to be a part of this stylish project? Get stoked lovely dolls!

Images used in this post are not intended for copyright infringement.

Child’s Play: Church Lass

What I Wore at Church:

Top - Vintage

Cardigan – Everyday Archives

Skirt – NCCC Department Store

Cross body Purse – Versace

Oxfords – Parisian

Bangle – Modisch

Cameo Studs – Thrifted

I made use of white, green, beige (or gold) and black in my conservative ensemble for church last Sunday. It’s been a while since I’ve last worn this beige knitted cardigan, white beaded top and green Chiffon paisley skirt so I thought of putting them on again. I also decided to let black join this get-up’s light color force to solidify it a bit, so I won’t look too nimble. I will forever love black, because it makes me feel like I’m living my rock star dream.

That cardigan used to live in my Mom’s closet, but I developed a crush on it so I asked for it from her. The top which looks like a corset shows a lot of my skin, that’s why I needed to cover it up a bit. The skirt is a gift from my boyfriend. He gave it to me two years ago. A rule on wearing skirt says to show off 50% of the legs, but I didn’t stick to it because I don’t think it’s appropriate especially when attending religious services. Less skin for now.

My sister Janine and I went straight to Southeastern Philippines Baptist Theological Seminary (SPBTS) right after the sermon. SPBTS is an institution that gives training on religious faith, practices and experiences for those who have the heart to become pastors or spiritual leaders. It’s located just beside our church. We did our pictorial for my blog’s fashion series there, because we know that most of its students won’t be around during Sundays.

SPBTS and everything in it including those spooky-looking trees has been around since God-knows-when, and I love that it gave a vintage and creepy effect on the photos. Because of this school’s old age, rumor has it that not-like-ours or elemental foes actually live there. But I guess there truly are ghosts anywhere so it’s not a very surprising thing, isn’t it? Good thing, we didn’t feel there presence when we were there. I’m a big scaredy-cat.

And by the way, our church’s name is South Hill Christian Community Church (SHCCC, Inc.); but we also go to Matina Baptist Church at times especially on important occasions. Anyway, Janine and I chose the same colors for our attire that day. Thanks little sister for taking beautiful shots of me. Pardon me for my confidence.

Isn’t it obvious that my sister’s kind of obsessed with one of the principles of photography called rule of thirds? It’s when you place your subject along the 2 horizontal and 2 vertical lines, or at the points where they intersect. It adds balance in the photo. Let me just add that this outfit post is actually my first using my new best friend.

SPECIFICATIONS

Resolution: 14.1 megapixels

Optical zoom: 4X

LCD: 2.7-inch, 230,000 pixels

Maximum image size: 4320x3240

Battery: Li-ion rechargeable

Dimensions: 3.76 x 2.46 x 1.22 inches

Weight: 5.47 oz. (without battery or memory card)

Image sensor: 1/2.3-inch CCD

Movie mode: 720p HD

Canon Powershot A2200 is a budget-priced camera that takes better pictures compared to other brands of the same price. It's not something a pro would use as they say, but it’s more than ok for me since I’m not a pro in the first place. It's also the slimmest compact among Canon PS' A series. It also has a lot of special effects and modes, and my favorite would have to be the Toy Camera and Miniature Effects. I'm currently using the Program and Discreet Modes, because they take good pictures so far.

Sorry for the digression. 'Til then for my next outfit post, my lovely dolls! :-)

One True Love

Before anything else, let me just say I had a hard time thinking of a good title for this post.I got tired of squeezing my brain for some creative juice, so I just settled for One True Love. It sounds too mushy and cliché, but hey, it’s love month; and love has always been both mushy and cliché. Pardon me for my defensiveness.

February 14, 2012 is a very special day for me, because it was the first time for me and my boyfriend Ciovic to be together on a Valentine's Day after four years and five months of being a couple. We didn’t have the chance to see each other in the past Heart’s Days because of some constraints like parental and academic stuff.

It was also my first time to receive a flower bouquet from him and from anyone, and it was really romantic. When we arrived at Zabadani Café, he asked if he could go out to buy something to chew while waiting for our order. When he came back, I got so surprised when he handed me the pink roses instead. I wasn’t expecting it!

The act may not be special for you anymore, but for me it is. It was like the memories of our courtship stage came flooding back in my mind. I almost cried for joy, but I controlled my kilig emotions because the coffee shop was jam-packed with customers that time. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I recall that very moment.

 Zabadani Café

Keepsakes (Matina Town Square)

What I Wore (Black & White w/ a Hint of Red)

Top – G.F. Fashion Collection

Inner Tank – New Look

Pants: Egoist

Bag: Secosana

Tassle Dangle: FashionConvict

Bangles: Thrifted

Belt: Thrifted

Rubber Shoes: Advan

We both ordered Kebabs at Zabadani Café. This is one of my favorite dishes there, but it didn’t suffice my hunger. We couldn’t order some more because there were a lot of people, and the owner was already so busy. We didn’t want to bother him anymore, so we just went to Matina Town Square’s Keepsakes for a rice meal.

We had Crispy Fried Chicken and Spicy Buffalo Wings at Keepsakes. I only like the first dish, because the latter is so awful. It’s just too sour and chilly I couldn’t handle it. I love the place because it’s private and for me, that meant I could take pictures anytime I want without worrying about what people might think about me.

What I like about Keepsakes is the interior design. I love the bright paint colors they used which actually made the place look like a huge toy house. The prices on their menu is also very student-friendly, since it’s located near Ateneo de Davao University (High School & Elementary) and University of Mindanao (College).

Enough said. Now, let me thank Ciovic for making this year’s Valentine so memorable for me. Thanks for the treat and of course, for the lovely flowers. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save up for a gift for you. I will make it up to you soon, and that’s a promise I’m sure to keep. I love you so much, and you will be my man forever.