Denim on denim is a year round look that is actually super easy to pull off. But if you’re still feeling a little lost, I’ve got five tips that will help you pull off the look.
The Prettiest Floral Dress You’ll Want to Wear This Spring
April 23, 2019
As Miranda Priestly would put it, florals for Spring may not be ground breaking. But there is a reason it’s a season favorite.
You won’t find many floral items in my closet as it’s not a print I typically go for. However, you really can’t (or shouldn’t) get through Spring without wearing at least one floral outfit.
For this outfit, I decided dial up the girlyness all the way to the right. Frillies, tie collar, florals and pearls: yes I got it all in this outfit.
Read on to see more of this outfit and more of my favorite floral dresses.
This Denim Jumpsuit is Anything But Boring
March 28, 2019
I feel like as a fashion blogger, I’ve seen it all. After all, a big part of my job is spent sifting through trends and perusing (read: shopping) for items to style the next photoshoot. It’s not often where I see something and go: okay that’s a bit different. This C/MEO Collective denim jumpsuit was one of those that gave me pause (and which was immediately followed by a “gimme must have it now” hand gesture).
Jumpsuits are nothing new and novel, but the design and material of this is a change from what I’m used to. Usually denim jumpsuits are not really true denim, but is rather a chambray. This jumpsuit has the feel and weight of true denim, which aside from the lovely substance, has a nice added bonus of being more wrinkle resistant. I’m also a huge fan of the puffy sleeve details. If this was made from any other material, that puff sleeve would deflate easily. The structure of the denim ensures that the jumpsuit will always have the full puff effect.
Another reason why this jumpsuit is bomb is its versatility. I styled this for a breezy day with Uniqlo heattech turtle neck shirt layered underneath. But you could easily wear it without an undershirt, which makes it wearable for multiple seasons.
Mixing Knit and Faux Fur
March 25, 2019
I hope I convinced you with my last blog post that you shouldn’t pack your fur jackets just yet. I’m not sure what the weather is like were you live, but here in New York, we’ve got weather predictions that ranges from the low 30s to the mid 60s in the next two weeks. In other words, there are plenty opportunities for you to don your fuzzy jackets.
One of the easiest unexpected items to pair them with is knit sweaters, which I’m almost certain everyone has in their closet. If you don’t yet, you definitely should invest in one, since you’ll be able to wear them will into late Spring. Once the weather gets warmer, you can wear them sans fur (or any outerwear for that matter). They even look great paired with a fun spring-y floral maxi skirt.
Read on to see more of my knit-and-fur outfit as well as some of my favorite knit sweater picks.
How To Wear Fur for Spring
March 21, 2019
The first day of Spring may have passed already, but that doesn’t mean you should put your fur jacket in storage. Gone are the days of “this item is only for that season.” And let’s keep it real, depending on where you live, early Spring can still be pretty chilly. So wearing fur for Spring can be both stylish AND practical.
Read on for a few practical tips on how to style the fur jacket for Spring.
How to Wear The Trend: Earth Tones
March 19, 2019
Earth tones are not something that I used to be a fan of, especially the brown ones. I thought that being brown-skinned myself, wearing earth tones would get me in danger of disappearing into my clothes.
But I’ve since changed my mind. I think there’s an air of sophistication about mixing shades of neutrals (and I’m counting my skin color as one of those shades). Here are some tips on how to wear the trend.
Easy Layering Tricks
March 6, 2019
I used to find layering so intimidating. Probably because I grew up in Jakarta, a tropical city where the weather is typically a balmy 86°. And then in my teenage years, I moved to Texas, yet another (sort of) warm city. So I guess you can say I didn’t “grow up” learning how to layer. But really, layering doesn’t have to be complicated or difficult if you know the tricks. Read on to find out some of my favorites.
90’s Kid
February 27, 2019
Nowadays I may be struggling to keep all of my clothes contained into my small NYC-sized closet, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 90’s, my awkward ungainly self went to a middle-school that had uniforms. And it’s likely a good thing too. If I didn’t, I probably would have to repeat my wardrobe ever week since I didn’t have much of it.
Back in those days, I used to haunt the mall after school. Every time, there were three spots we had to visit: arcade, food court, and this small boutique that sells skater-inspired clothing. I remember thinking that store is epitome of cool. And I used to be so jealous of my friends who’s parents gave them enough allowance to buy something from the store on every trip. This outfit is for that little 90’s kid in me, wearing my skater-inspired outfit (that I buy with my own money, thank you very much).
How to Wear a Sheer Dress
February 20, 2019
Styling a sheer dress can be intimidating, especially as winter wear. But honestly, the winter time is probably one of the easiest time to wear a sheer dress. Especially if you’re not looking to show off any bits (more power to those who do, but I’m not ready for that yet). What’s the quickest surefire way to style a sheer dress? Layer an all black base underneath of heattech turtleneck top and compression tights. If you want, you can also add a additional layer of black slip dress. Add some chunky 80’s inspired gold accessories and combat boots, and you’re ready to go!
Feeling extra chilly? Leather jackets pretty much goes with everything and would be a great addition to this outfit. Scroll down to see more of this outfit and a line up of my favorite sheer dress.
The Other Way to Wear Your Shirt Dress
February 18, 2019
You should try to get the most wear out of every piece of clothing you own. So I’m a big fan of the pieces that can be styled multiple different ways because they get the most milage. I bought this H&M v-neck dress initially to wear just as a regular ol’ dress. But as I’m trying it on the night before the shoot I thought: maybe there’s a better way to wear it. Especially since the weather’s probably a little too nippy for me to wear the dress on its own.
So instead I decided to wear the dress as a duster-style jacket, layered over extra warm heattech turtleneck shirt and a flattering high-waist jeggings. Read on to see more of this outfit.
Life’s Too Short To Fake It
February 7, 2019This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Astroglide. All opinions are 100% mine.
Remember that time in sex-ed when they talked about orgasms? Yeah, I don’t either. A lot of the sex talk I remember from my teenage years typically revolves around not getting pregnant, or not getting a disease. We don’t ever really talk about the other O-stuff. So I guess it makes sense that when we grow up, orgasm is a topic that still doesn’t get talked about much.
In Black and White
February 7, 2019
When dressing myself, usually I start by picking a piece of clothing and then build around that. Sometimes I pick a statement item that narrows the option of the items I can pair it with. Other times, I start with the most basic of basic like high-waist jeggings. When you go with the latter, you’re pretty much starting with a blank canvas. The possibilities are endless.
So when I’m stumped on what item to add next to the outfit, I pick another parameter to narrow the options. For this outfit, I chose only items that are black and white. Mixing-and-matching patterns and textures are fair game, as evidenced with the jacket and booties, as long as you stick to the same color family.
Read on to see more photos of this outfit.
Baby Proofing and Decorating The Easy Way with Modsy
January 31, 2019This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Modsy. All opinions are 100% mine.
Max is getting more and more mobile every day. I feel like she’s going to start crawling before we know it. Which means the deadline for us to baby proof is drawing ever nearer. Since we also haven’t changed our furniture since we moved to New York six years ago, I figured this a good opportunity to do a complete re-haul of our living room.
To be frank, unlike styling an outfit, decorating a room does not come easily to me. I think my hang up is the fear of commitment. Even if I purchase my items at inexpensive furniture retailers, the price tag is still nothing to sneeze at. Heaven forbid you buy an expensive piece, and realize once it’s in your house that it actually doesn’t match the rest of the existing decor as well as you imagined. Because of this I have always been really apprehensive about doing full room makeovers and am less likely to to take risks when it comes to decorating.
Every time I watch one of those home decor show, I always imagine myself in it. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a husband-and-wife or twin-brother team take all your requirements and design preference, and magic it into a turnkey design? Although my favorite part of the show is definitely the final reveal, I’m all about that moment when they pick which design option they’re going to go with.
Well thanks to Modsy, I can have my own exciting “which design am I going pick” moment. They helped me visualize my home decor plans with a 3D model of my living room. This model even takes into account existing pieces of furniture I plan on keeping.
Read on for my full experience with Modsy and to see the finished design of my living room.
Trend Alert: Sports Uniform Inspired Fashion
January 9, 2019
I gotta admit to you guys that I don’t know the first thing about how to play baseball. I don’t know the rules of the game. Hell, the first instinct I have when I see the ball coming my way is to duck. I do, however, know how to make a baseball uniform inspired dress look good.
Meal Prepping with Ashley from A Cook’s Beet
January 4, 2019
In the past years, my new year resolution usually involves something around the lines of working out more consistently, eating healthier, or saving more money. Not that any of those aren’t good habits to start and/or keep, but I wanted to do things a bit differently this year.
2018 was a year of big life changes for me, precipitated by the birth of my daughter. Before Maxine came into the picture, my schedule was already full to the brim. On a typical day, there was barely enough time to get things done and I would regularly sacrifice sleep for work. It wasn’t enough for me to have a day job at an advertising agency, I had to add blogging on top of that (which pretty much is a second full-time job). In addition, I was the kind of anal-retentive “A type” person that likes her things just so. This means I’m often times the one doing everything because, okay I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a control freak.
After I had Maxine, things kinda went belly up. My attempts to try to control and do everything myself usually ends in a lot of frustrations, because (no duh) it’s just not possible to have two jobs, a baby, and keep up with life all at once.
So this year, my resolution is to be kinder to myself, recognize that it’s not possible to take on everything, and to ask for (and graciously accept) help where I can. One of the said help I receive is from my friend Ashley of A Cook’s Beet.
2018 Reflections with Willow Breast Pump
December 31, 2018
To say that we’re going to have a low key 2019 New Years Eve will probably be the understatement of the year. After all, I’m currently writing a blog while watching Great British Baking Show. But just because I’m not ending the year with a bang, doesn’t mean that it has not been an eventful year. In fact, considering the arrival of Maxine, 2018 is probably the most exciting (and dare I say the best) year ever.
One of the goal that I set earlier this year is to breastfed Maxine for at least 6-month. I’m happy to report that we hit that milestone mid-December — and we’re still going strong (woohoo). I wish I could say she was exclusively on the boob for that entire 6-month, which would mean that I was at home with her for that long. This is the part where I wish I’m Canadian and have a year maternity leave. But alas I only had 3-months off, a total luxury by American standard. Once I was back at work, I relied on pumping, with the help of Willow breast pump, to make Max’s food supply.
One of the thing that gave me major anxiety about coming back to work is being able to pump enough. I did make a bit of a stash while I was at home, but I knew I would blew threw it very quickly if I did not make enough going forward.
5 Best Places To Get Matching Family Pajamas
December 9, 2018
Hi guys, I’m back! And hopefully will be blogging more regularly from now on. A lot of you guys are asking me for an update on life with Maxine, and I’ve got that coming soon (promise).
For now, let’s talk about matching pajamas! The whole idea of matching pajamas started because I was trying to think of what to do for our holiday card photos. I wasn’t one for doing holiday cards before, but I thought that it’s a nice way to keep family and friends updated on Maxine. Fellow blogger and friend, Megan Zietz of TF Diaries, did matching pajamas for their pregnancy announcement last year and I thought that it was such a cute idea. Plus I love that you get to be lazy and shoot the photos at home in bed (bonus).
Although it makes for a great holiday card theme, you definitely don’t need to have a planned photoshoot to get matching family PJs. I think it’s a great way to get the family together and possibly even start a holiday tradition.
Read on to see my five favorite places to get matching family pajamas.
Continue Reading…
How to Prep for a Hospital Newborn Photoshoot
July 12, 2018
Did you guys know that you can have professional newborn photos taken at the hospital? I had no idea and found this by accident on one of my Facebook mom groups. At first I thought, why bother? I could just have my husband take the photos. Plus my parents had planned on being at the hospital, so I could also have my dad (who’s a professional photographer) take the photo. But then I realized that my family is part of the birth experience. They should be in front of the camera, not be behind it.
This is why I was so happy to find Bella Baby. They take the worry and hassle out of taking the photos on that very special day. Did I mention they’re also total swaddle experts / baby whisperers? Being a first time mom, who at the time was still trying to figure out how to calm Max when she’s upset, I can’t believe how well they do with babies. I guess it makes sense if that’s what you do on a day-to-day basis. Best part about Bella Baby is that you don’t need to make any commitments ahead of time. Bella Baby is on site at several hospitals throughout the US (I delivered at NYU). The actual photo session is complimentary and you don’t need to make the decision to purchase until you get the photo proofs.
So you’ve decided that you’re sold on having a professional take your newborn photos. But how would you prep for the shoot? Read on to find out how to prep for a hospital newborn photoshoot.
What to Pack in Your Maternity Hospital Bag
July 6, 2018
Hey guys, long time no see! I’m finally back from my baby-imposed blogging hiatus. I’m no dummy so I didn’t think the first couple of weeks of parenthood would be a breeze. But boy, this first time mom really did underestimate how much of my time baby Max will take up. Maybe this is different for moms who are not exclusively breastfeeding, but I feel like pretty much my entire day is taken up with feeding, changing diapers, or rocking the baby to sleep. I’m learning as I go, slowly getting the hang of things, and finally feel like I’m at the point where I can steal some free time to write a blog. And of course the first topic on hand is what I packed on my maternity hospital bag.
I meant to write this one before I had the baby. But the good doctors at NYU decided that my belly Max’s apartment is getting too cramped for her and she needed to come a bit early. So writing the blog pre-baby didn’t work out quite as planned. On the flip side, this also meant that I am able to actually test the items that I brought with me. You want to know which items were lifesavers and which ones I could’ve left at home? Read on to find out.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Bloomlife. All opinions are 100% mine.
I remember being asked by my OB in one of my check-ups if I’ve been feeling any Braxton Hicks contractions. My best answer to the question is unfortunately one big shrug emoji. I knew what Braxton Hicks contractions are, but I’m not really sure what it’s supposed to feel like (and thus no idea if I’ve been having them). Apparently you can have these “practice contractions” as early as 7 weeks — although first time moms-to-be may not feel them until 17 weeks or later (or maybe not at all). A quick search online tells me that most describe it as a “tightening of the stomach”, while some say it’s akin to period cramps. Well I don’t think I’ve felt that…or maybe I sort of have? There were times when I’ve woken up in the middle of the night with a feeling like I’m in the middle of doing an ab crunch. Was that Braxton Hicks? Or is my belly just getting so big that it literally takes the effort of doing a sit-up crunch to change sleeping positions? Or maybe I dreamt it all? Crud, how do I know if that was a contraction or not?
Lucky for me, and all the moms-to-be out there, we’re living in an era of fem-tech revolution. From apps that track your cycle to period discs that provide an alternative to tampons, there are so many female-targeted new technology coming out that aim to make our life easier. One of these innovation that I’m so happy to discover is Bloomlife. This app and sensor combo helps me take the guesswork out of tracking my contractions. Read on to find out how Bloomlife works and why I’m such a huge fan. Also, since paying full price is totally overrated, I’ve got an exclusive discount just for you guys.