A Dream Workout

I had a really good workout today.  I started with 30 minutes on the treadmill, another 30 on the elliptical and  then did weights and about 15 minutes of ab workout.    When I got back back from the gym, I had so much energy left and decided to salsa my  heart out with a few Zumba songs. 
In all I burned 2000 calories.            Just one problem: I woke up. Apparently I napped and ended up working out in my dreams.    



Tomorrow, I plan to go swimming .  Whether it's for real or in my dreams, that is yet to be determined.  As long as I burn calories, that's all that matters to me.    Then I'll treat myself to a mocha cheesecake after.  That, for sure, will be for real.  Because I had cheesecake in my dreams before and it wasn't nearly as good.    

                                                                     TOP: Banana Republic striped yellow long sweater

                                                                     DRESS:  Qi Cashmere                                                  

                                                                     ACCESSORIES:  Prada baroque sunglasses.  Prada nylon bag.

                                                                     SHOES:  Givenchy open toe booties

Symptoms of VitaMinn S3 Deficiency

My own wild and weird imagination will be the fall of me.
I worry too much, and sometimes even lose sleep because I cannot seem to reconcile  the art of shopping and the science of the universe.           ...I mean what if the earth loses gravity and everything is upside down,  would my shoes look good worn in my head?

...Do you ever get curious about human  life forms in other planets and wonder if they like Prada too?

...Have you ever seriously thought about  the concept of an infinite open space?   I worry if there are enough shoes in the universe to fill it up coz it won't look good empty.

...And the worst of my worries and my ultimate nightmare:  a zombie apocalypse --  because ghoulish green, bloody red and gray undertones does nothing for my skin tone!
 
  Ah that's why I should never skip my medication.    Excuse me as I take a healthy dose of my vitaMinn S3.    S3 as in shopping, shoes and Saks Fifth Avenue.  
After this Gucci suede pumps, Prada Sport bow pumps and this lovely Chloe Paraty,  I'm sane again.     Winner winner chicken dinner!   

                                                                     TOP: MNG by Mango cream top  

                                                                     SKIRT:  JLo Collection for Kohls.  Last worn here                                                      

                                                                     ACCESSORIES:  Gold collar necklace.  Only $2.89 from eBay here. (Spray with clear Krylon to avoid tarnish.)

                                                                     SHOES:  Gucci 'Betty' suede platform pumps in paprika.   Still available here.  More colors here. 

Travelogue: European Roadtrip Part 3 (Dresden, Germany)

Part 1 - Hamburg, Germany Part 2 - Berlin, Germany 
I learned to appreciate classical works of art at a very young age.    I remember it like it was just yesterday.  On a lazy Saturday morning, my brother  would randomly pick up a book of the Encyclopedia Americana and  enthrall me with pictures of The Last Supper,  the ceilings of the Sistine Chapel and the enigmatic smile of  Mona Lisa.  He'd tell me stories about the great Renaissance young masters,  how their techniques are unparalleled and how it would be a great joy to view these collection in real life. And so it has become my bucket list to see as many art as I possibly can.    Our trip to Dresden had one and only one goal: to see Raphael's cherubs. The treasure can be found at the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meiste's Semper Gallery.


  Like most everyone, what I did not know is it's part of a bigger painting: The Sistine Madonna.  The cherubs were just lazily cozying at the bottom of the painting, grabbing all the attention instead of moving the eyes upwards to the painting's subjects.   I just sat there motionless for a good 15 minutes,  admiring the cherubs and how they got into their art superstardom status, wondering how these winged darlings became more famous than the painting they're a part of! Thanks to pop culture, they now now adorn almost everything from souvenir mugs,  umbrellas, countless repros and post cards.   

The museum also houses some Rembrandt's, Vermeer's, van Dyck's and Rubens so be sure to allow at least 3 hours to enjoy them thoroughly!




After the museum visit, we went to a cafe across and enjoyed some coffee  while waiting for our train to Prague.




Please join me next week as we take this roadtrip adventure to the beautiful Czech Republic!

Easy No-Sew DIY: Rolled-up Clutch with Chain Belt

This DIY is so easy it borderlines on silly.  But a promise is a promise so I'll share it anyway.    It's basically just 3 easy steps:


     First, I tried to find a rectangular piece of cloth that I could upcycle and found this old crochet bag.  I suppose a pillowcase would work for this too.

    Then, I turned it inside out and rolled it...


I then looped the chain belt around and voila!


    And here's how I styled it.  More photos from this post here.  

Casual Sushi

I have to admit I probably will not be able to wear an outfit like this to work;
not even on casual Fridays.
The combination of bold accessories, tight fit top and non-traditional print pumps is
probably too psychedelic for our otherwise conservative corporate culture.

Even more so, by adding the scarf below would surely land me an appointment with the HR department.
There would be plenty of clients filing complaints  that they are unable to concentrate on
my meetings because my scarf is too distracting.
Sure it's pretty with all the grape details, but still distracting.
And in corporate America, distraction is costly.


 



For a sushi date night with the hubby on the other hand, this is just perfect!
Sushi chefs are usually not quick to judge, nor complain, nor get distracted.





Yes, I'm an uppity, buffed-to-a-high-sheen, sheath-dress-wearing, laptop-toting
conservative Business Analyst on weekdays.
But on weekends, I transform into a camwhoring, attention-hogging,
self-confessed narcissist and a hopeless-and-beyond-any-help shopaholic who
happens to love sushi.




Please don't hate me.
I promise I'm really nice in person.
Sometimes even fun and creative too!

Just to prove, I just made this DIY chain clutch here below.
Do come back next time for the tutorial.

                                                                     TOP: Banana Republic black sweater 

                                                                     JEANS:  7 for all Mankind skinnies

                                                                     ACCESSORIES:  tufted detail scarf thanks to Sacred Accessories! Chanel 5120 round quilted sunglasses.

                                                                     PURSE:  Chain clutch DIY 
                                                                     SHOES:  Dries van Noten curved python heel pumps

Travelogue: European Roadtrip Part 2 (Berlin, Germany)

Part 1 - Hamburg, Germany    We felt right at home the very minute we arrived in Berlin.    The city is so clean, the people are so nice, the cost of living is reasonable,  and there's so much history in its every corner.  We fell so in love with the city and were so close to shouting out in unison, "Ich bin ein Berliner!".   But we're no JFK, so we just contented ourselves to taking photos.    
The beautiful Berliner Dom is the seat of the Protestant Evangelical Congregations

     Reichstag, the seat of the German Parliament
      Brandenburg Gate where President Reagan famously said, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"        The Berlin Wall
  

       Holocaust Memorial  We actually visited a concentration camp prior to this but I just can't bear to post those photos...

 

We are such Jason Bourne fanatics, and so decided to visit a few landmarks from the movie.  The World Clock where Nicky waits for Bourne, as instructed by him.    
  Alexanderplatz where the scene were there was a demonstration and Nicky boarded a tram.        Just to complete our Bourne in Berlin obsession, we stayed at The Westin Grand Berlin;  where Bourne tracked Pamela Landy and where Abbott committed suicide towards the end of the movie.


    Next up is Dresden to see Raphael's cherubs! 

Accountability, Shopping and Logic

I can't account for exactly how much shopping I have been doing non-stop the past few weeks.
All I know is that I will have to wear sunglasses when I open my credit card statement next month!
The darker and blurrier those numbers appear, the better.

Worse yet, I cannot account how I always end up at the checkout lines at Saks Off Fifth and
Nordie's Rack with dozens of items in tow.
It seems I have a habit of apparating there.  Every. Single. Weekend. 
  And never empty-handed, mind you!

 


Therefore, the only logical conclusion to this mysterious phenomenon is this:
If I can't account for any shopping I did, then I am NOT responsible for it.

Whew!  I'm off the hook, thanks to my impeccable logic!

                                                                     TOP: Halogen

                                                                     JEANS:  Jbrand skinny jeans

                                                                     ACCESSORIES:  Chanel necklace.  Prada baroque sunglasses.

                                                                     BAG:  Mulberry Alexa in dusty pink.
                                                                     SHOES:  MICHAEL Michael Kors (gifted, thanks Normie!)

Tales of the Untruthful Scale

I am so glad my weighing scale is no longer lying to me.  For the longest time, we have not been in good terms because it's been constantly  spewing  my weight with and an additional 25 pounds.  (I do not know why I'm always stuck with gadgets that do not work)



    Anyhow, I must also mention that out of frustration, I distracted myself by taking up yoga, hot yoga, power Vinyasa and Zumba.   Months after my newfound yoga balance and coordination, I faced my foe once again. To prepare myself, I did the requisite deep inhale into a mountain pose by its side. On exhale I bravely stepped onto the scale with my right foot and placed my other foot  on the inside part of my right leg.    Simultaneously, I was stretching my arms out wide and bringing the palms together into a prayer position.  And before I looked down to see the number, I counted 3...2...1...


    My conclusion: the weighing scale will give you a 12-lb credit if you weight yourself in a yoga tree position.  Good to know!    But my journey was far from over.   I had 13 more pounds to go.   To my dismay, I must have purchased a very intelligent weighing scale because it  caught on with my yoga antics almost immediately. After a few weeks, it was hopelessly stuck in that same number.     To my credit, I did try to weigh myself in a few other poses like the dancer and  the seated chair  but the darn thing just won't budge.   (You have no idea how much effort it took to weigh myself in a warrior 3 position and  not weighing any few pounds lighter for it!)   
    But I'm not the one to give up easily so on to a few other tricks!     Did the 14-day diet which worked but I was miserable.    Did the less-carbs, counting carbs, no-carbs-after-6 but I was even more miserable.    Also did the 12-hour diet which worked, but I got seriously so  bloated which also made me very miserable.    Now I'm down to the last trick ever known to mankind -- eating less.   So far, the scale is liking it and took off 8 pounds which is why I  decided to befriend it once again.    We'll be besties as soon as I finish my journey of the last 5!   
      I greatly welcome any of your tips and encouragement in this great endeavor of mine!!    Namaste.    

                                                                     TOP: Marc by Marc Jacobs 

                                                                     SKIRT:  Escada Sport brown pleated skirt

                                                                     ACCESSORIES:  Heirloom pieces from my mother and mother-in-law. These necklace and bracelets are older than I am!
                                                                                               Shell thrifted necklace. 

                                                                     PURSE:  Gucci Bardot hobo bag 
                                                                     SHOES:  YSL Tribtoo in patent brown.