What I Wore Day 1

    

    I've made a challenge for myself to post my outfit for the day. That is, when I'm not in my sweat pants or garbed in wet market appropriate clothes. The outfit itself isn't what poses the challenge but having photos taken and blogging about it. It takes diligence and devoting time to do it.

    It makes some of my friends laugh when we shop together and I say "Oh, I can wear this to school!" That's when I pick up the kids. I don't know how to explain it in another way but it's just in my system to dress up even if it's just to fetch the kids from school. Well, what are my clothes supposed to be used for? 

    What I'll be posting would be mostly my version of street wear except on days when I lunch with the ladies and get a bit more dressed up. 

This was what I wore last Tuesday. It all started with the scarf I wanted to wear that day. It's very humid here so comfort was what I was mostly after. A basic tee and jeans were perfect.

Accessories are requisite, of course. The neck piece is a birthday gift from a friend who knows my taste. I love this piece because it goes well with a lot of clothes and it doesn't look too much. And resin ring from Atelier Avatar.

High heels and motherhood don't go well together when the kids are young, so I'm mostly in flats. But I especially love it when it has the comfort of rubber shoes and looks fab. One look at this metallic gold pair from Rockport and I knew it was a keeper.

      A big carry-all to hold all the stash like hand sanitizer, wipes and gadgets is also a necessity. 

Day 1 of What I Wore done! 

"til next post!


Sandee  

THRIFT CHIC

 

The day I wore this outfit I got a lot of compliments. I do not mean to brag but merely to prove that clothes do not have to have designer labels with matching hefty price tags to look chic.

You see, that day my clothes came from the thrift shop. There are many merits to vintage or thrift shopping which I'll talk about more on another post. 

You can find very nice clothes and accessories at thrift stores. There is just a secret to wearing them without making them look their price. It is all in the styling. And some rules to be followed and broken.

 Pick out pieces that suit and fit you well, unless you have a seamstress you can trust to alter them for you. I'm lucky both my top and skirt fit me perfectly.

Ideally you should limit it to one piece of thrifted item in the whole ensemble but my blouse complemented the floral prints on the skirt and subdued the otherwise heavy brown of it. So in this case, it's a rule broken.

 

Do not forget to accessorize to help pull the look together. Preferably not from the thrift store. But if you have pieces that would go with your outfit, go ahead and break this rule!

 

See, it's really all about mixing and matching and styling and no one will ever know where you got them from, unless you tell them.

 

People who turn their noses at thrift stores don't know what they're missing. Why else do fashionistas and stylists even visit these places? I've just shared the secret with you.  

 

Now go and try your luck. Don't forget to share your finds with me. 

 

 

Happy shopping!

 

Photo Credits

Jerry Manus

Marinel Dehoux

 

top and skirt thrifted

DIY earrings by me

VNC belt

SM Dept Store bangle

Burberry Prorsum bag

Vince Camuto wedges 

 

 

Sandee

 

 

 

  

Street and Market Food Cambodian Style

     One of the first things you would notice when you come to Cambodia are the food stalls and food carts everywhere. They line the streets, al fresco cooking and eating and they almost always have customers at any given time of the day. They abound the wet markets too and it is not unusual to see tourists eating at these places.

     I normally do not eat street food, in any country. Or at least that's what I've declared.. Lol! I do eat, when someone I trust can vouch that it is clean and they haven't gotten sick from it. I love barbecued "isaw" and always bought fishballs after church in Greenmeadows.  

    Probably the very first I tried here was boiled corn. Introduced by a friend who is hooked on them. That day we were in the market for some shopping in Russian Market and we passed by this lady. I worriedly asked my friend if she was certain it was clean and she waved off my fears saying that it has "passed heat". But seeing as she's alive and fairly kicking up to now then it was probably okay.

     Obviously this wouldn't be ours. Food is normally handled here bare-handed, which would put any seller in other places out of business. But we did request that she wear plastic over her hand for ours. Of course, she had most likely touched them earlier when she peeled them.

     This friend also introduced me to deep fried bananas which admittedly are delicious with very crunchy crust. It is cooked in large vats of oil and yes, it is heated up when you buy. 

Golden crisp goodies we occasionally have for snacks on the way home from school.

   

Lo Cha is one of the most popular and common noodles being sold on the streets and markets. This is made with short and fat noodles with bean sprouts, veggies, meat and fried egg. 

 The Lo Cha  is cooked at another store but we always eat at this man's area. He boasts to have the best Iced Coffee with Milk, a popular  drink here. It was quite good with a strong caffeine kick hitting you later on. His stall in Russian Market is the only one given the seal of approval by our friend who is also quite particular about where to eat at.

Our helper likes "kabak". I don't know what it's called here and in other parts of the Philippines but it's just flour, deep fried and covered with sesame seeds. It's hard and crunchy on the outside but soft enough on the inside. It's not a favorite of mine but I eat when we have it.

Lastly, but definitely the favorite above any other food that I buy from the market is the jackfruit. The variety they have is crisp and firm yet very sweet. It is usually sold deseeded but I buy it a huge chunk of it seeds and all. I'm looking to buy an entire fruit because 3 kilos isn't enough for the kids and me. 

Compared to bugs, frogs and tarantulas, what I buy are boring. But then, I'm only looking to enjoy food and not to get sick. We've made plans to try out the exotic food. Call me chicken but it might remain just that, plans.  


Til next post!

Sandee 

 

 

Make Up Brushes Care and DIY

     Whether you are into make up or an occasional wearer and regardless of brand, one thing is for sure, your make up brushes need to be cleaned frequently. And if possible, at every use. Brushes left out collect dust and the oil from our faces get into the brushes too. This can be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs. Don't lay all the blame on the make up when we get breakouts. Your brushes could be the culprit too.

     I've found a simple method to clean mine. But second to cleaning them is drying them that will not cause the bristles to fall out or get deformed. I don't want that to happen to mine even when what I have are relatively inexpensive. So here are a few tips. 

 

              You'll need your make up brushes, of course. A body wash and an old bath net. Some would recommend baby shampoo but I want to use what's already on hand.

 Place a pea-sized amount of body wash or shampoo on your palm. Do NOT add water yet. Put your brush right smack on the soap and make circular motions until the bristles get saturated. Rinse brush and repeat the process until the water runs clear when you rinse. Squeeze out the water gently.

Now this is when your old bath net comes to use. Cut a length that is longer than your brush.

Tie a knot at one end, wrap the net around your brush and make another knot to lock it in place. Do you wonder why I did this instead of just letting it dry lying down on a towel or just hanging?

You cannot leave the brush lying on it's side to dry because the water would collect there, soften the glue and make the bristles fall out. The net makes it easier to hang the brush AND helps it retain its shape AND makes sure it dries completely in no time.

 See, ain't nothi' to it. 

 

Thin brushes easily slip through the holes on the net but luckily most of them would be just right for the clips to grip. I used small rubber brands on the tips for the brushes to retain their shape. 

Viola! Clean brushes!

But wait, there's more. You have to keep them clean too.  I got this brush holder from Michael's in the US but you can use any other pen holder.

Now you have a reason to collect the shower caps from hotels.  This will keep dust from falling into your brushes.

I hope you found my tips and DIY helpful.. Til next post!


Sandee