Design(er) Diagram - Part 4

This has been fun and I'm contemplating of making this same picture format on my future posts! Though it's just a lot of work and it might remind me of work... so we'll see!!

A Skirt for When I'm 50

-- brown dress from Manila -- Carmen Marc Valvo brocade skirt -- Banana Republic necklace --
-- Prada crackle platform pumps -- Fendi watch --

I'm much too young to be categorized as "Mother of the Bride". Heck, I'm NOT even a mother yet! But that didn't stop me anyway from picking up a skirt at the "Mother of the Bride" section at Saks.

The skirt was originally very matronly - too loose of a pencil cut and with hem stopping at mid calf. I asked a friend to shorten it just right above the knee and voila, this skirt is now packing with some ooh la la!

Pairing it with a dress and I now have another "SKRESS" (Skirt + Dress) look. I wore it this weekend at our friend's baby dedication service. Coincidentally, it's the same friend who altered this skirt for me! More so, I was one of her baby's godmothers.

I guess I'm a "mother" afterall... to 6 godchildren and counting!

Travelogue: Viva Las Vegas!

If you could, would you quit your work and travel the world for a year?

Our friend from Melbourne did just that. She quit her job, packed her bags and bought a roundtrip ticket around the world! Now at the tail end of her journey, we caught up with her in Las Vegas before she headed to Hawaii to cap off her grand holiday. It was so fun hearing about her adventures from New Zealand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Burma to London, NYC, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia and LA!

And so I couldn't help but ask myself: Can I forgo 100 pairs of Loubies (or 20 Chanel bags) to see the world?

Gladly, there's no dilemma there. With a mortgage to pay and retirement accounts to fund, the next 30 years of my life is already devoted to unceasing toil.

Vegas will have to do...

Besides, you see the world when you see Vegas anyway, yeh? It's like traveling from Cairo to NYC to Paris to Venice, to Monaco & Lake Como all in one strip.... nowhere else in the world has that!!!

I'm pathetic, I know. But enjoy these pictures anyway!

The Strip

Wynn Encore

living area


study


bedroom


foyer


bathroom


vanity



more vanity!


-- brown sweater dress -- Banana Republic belt -- F21 leggings --
-- Prada camoscio brown booties --





City Center


2-story Prada & LV shops at the City Center


Cirque du Soleil's LOVE



Freemont Street Experience presents Aliens




* * *
And the winners of the wine holder giveaway are:

Congratulations "Woman" & Normie! I'll be contacting you soon. Hope you enjoy it!

I already opened mine and used it today for our wine with dinner! It's beautifully-crafted, perfectly-packaged and so slick-looking, love it!

* * *


Again, thank you CSNstores.com for the lovely giveaway!

UPDATE: Just received this Hi-Fashion award from Che of Adventures of a Pinay Neska.
Thanks Che!!

Birkin Scare

Friends, this is how to effectively lobby for a shopping budget...

Me: Hon, can I buy a new bag?
Hubz: Sure.
Me: I want a Birkin.
Hubz: I thought you want a bag?
Me: Birkin is an Hermes bag!

Hubz: How much is it? $1,000?
Me: Maybe for the key chain.
Hubz: HuWhat?!?! $4,000??
Me: No....
Hubz: $10,000??
Me: Hmmm, yeh... I think I could get a decent one for $10,000.

Looking at me with a penetrating look as if I just committed a deadly sin...

Hubz: Can you just get a Prada instead?
Me: Ahihihi, I just did!

Hubz looking so relieved!!

...Am I sly or what?!?!! ;p

* * *

-- NOT a Birkin: Prada Vit. Daino in deep red (it looks too red here but it's actually almost burgundy)---

And because I did him a favor for not buying a horrendously expensive bag, I got away with two new pairs of shoes as well!

-- Louboutin Picador slingbacks ---

-- Gucci suede pumps ---

I even think if I really push my luck harder, I could still get one more purse! Please help me decide:

Purse Survey
	Balenciaga Giant Brief
	Chloe Paraty
	YSL Muse
	Lady Dior
	SAVE it and buy an ounce of gold instead!
pollcode.com free polls

PS - I know I have been away for too long and I still cannot exactly figure out what happened to me but I was so close to shutting this blog down. It just seemed that blogging lost all its fun all of a sudden. Everything felt like a chore: posing, posting, commenting. I guess I just needed a healthy doze of vitaMinn S (S for shopping!) to keep me going again.

Who knows when I'm going to have another of this random bouts of blogging indifference . Maybe once or twice more before winter is over. But for now, I'm back! =)

Thank you so much dear Martina for all the encouragement!!

The Tale of the Halter Skirt

-- halter top: Carmen Marc Valvo (skirt) --- vest: Sisley -- jeans: Lucky Brand
-- belt: Calvin Klein -- flats: Ferragamo Varina -- purse: Prada Vit. Daino --

Once upon a time there was a frilly skirt that magically turned into a flouncy halter top....

***

One of the good things about blogging is getting a lot of creative ideas from other bloggers! Last weekend, I was in the mood for some fashion experimenting and decided to wear this Carmen Marc Valvo skirt here as a top.

I opened the zipper to create the v-neck, belted it to make it less flouncy and added a vest for some structure and voila!

***

Had lunch at "Spill the Wine".
I had grilled salmon over tossed salad in raspbery vinaigrette dressing while the hubz had a lamb gyro & potato chowder. For dessert, we had banana wanton with vanilla ice cream in cinnamon sugar sauce and yumm, it was good!!!

***

...and so the halter skirt and the girl lived happily ever after. THE END.

Happy mid week everyone!!

¡Ay, caramba!

S ummer is (supposedly) the season characterized by warmer weather but apparently, Minnesota did NOT get that memo! Today was colder than usual; our high was only in the low 70's. But we did not let that get in the way of our plans for some taste of Latin music at the Mill City Museum!

-- Calvin Klein floral top -- white shorts from Woolies (in Aus) -- Calvin Klein sunnies (useless today) -- Prada Vit. Daino hobo -- Forever 21 necklace -- Banana Republic mettalic flats -- Banana Republic cropped bomber jacket --

~ ~ ~

It brought back memories of our few months stay in Miami last year where on some weekends, we'd skip going back to the Twin Cities to enjoy some Latin singing and dancing at Bayside Marketplace. And after losing all energy from dancing and watching other people dance, we would mosey down to David's Cafe (corner of Lincoln and Meridian) for an authentic Cubano treat!

~ ~ ~

If not for the cold breeze and the fact that I had to wear a light jacket, I would have been taken back to Miami just by listening to this band, "Charanga Tropical".

~ ~ ~

Their style of “charanga,” is a unique sound that is rarely heard outside of Cuba and so it was a treat to hear and dance to!

~ ~ ~

Can't wait for the warmer weekend!

Intervention Needed

-- Chanel patent pumps -- Prada Vit. Daino -- Stuart Weitzman black pumps -- Ferragamo Ribes peep toe --
Growing up in a province south of Manila, I never would have thought that Chanel was in my future... and Pradas and Ferragamos and Fendis....

A typical year's worth of shopping is what I spent this month just for one purse and three pairs of shoes. However, I can justify this as a necessary but temporary spending. I am currently rebuilding my closet with items that are classic and practical that I could use for a long, long time. The shopping spree is going to end very soon (or else hubby's going to drag me to a Shopaholic Anonymous meeting for an intervention), so I'll enjoy it while it lasts.