Rainbow in December~**

From these photos, do not let the sun fool you because it was freaking cold this past weekend where I live!! Almost every plant/tree in the backyard was seriously dead. I normally try to avoid the sun but was more than willing to expose myself to UVA and UVB for some warm and toasty feeling. I find myself wearing so many dark and dull colors during winter. In order to brighten up the day, I decided to wear an array of colors.

Face of the day (last weekend)

It literally took me about 10 times to acheive this look. That says a lot how good and experienced I am with eye makeup. One side looks good while the other looks strange lol. Bear with me, I may be good at it one day.

Special thanks to Sydney of Petite Little Girl for her sweet and thoughtful surprise. Arrived just in time for Christmas :) Look how gorgeous the color is, it is highly pigmented. I used it in above photos. Sydney is one of the sweetest bloggers whom I am proud to call "friend". Blogging community is a place where I never expected to have found anything "real" or "sincere" let alone friendship - but I am so glad I did.

What did Santa bring?

..Beauty..

(Not this beast but she sure is a cutie)

..Family..

..Love..

..Great Food..

..Presents..

And.....Creme de la Mer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo - Hooooo! Santa rocks!

Thank you everyone for your warm and well Christmas wishes in the previous post. I hope everyone had a memorable and wonderful time with your loved ones. Chirstmas had never been this ultra special until we have our little one. I can't believe how much fun and joy she has added to our family, grandparents and aunties.

Life is much sweeter and more meaningful when you know what your reason to live is. Special thanks to my Santa Husband for bringing me everything on my list (even though I was telling him to just pick one thing) and for every other Mr. and Mrs. Clause in the family . Christmas is not about presents under the Christmas tree, it is all about those people who love and care for you. Don't you agree?

Last but not least, thank you and welcome new readers/follwers/blogging buddies :)

My Christmas Edition

Hi Everyone..Christmas is only 2 days away!!!! My frustrations and excitements escalate as we get closer. I stayed up until about midnight last night frantically wrapping gifts. Boy oh boy, I am not done with Christmas shopping yet so wish me luck! Thanks to Toy R Us, they open 24 hours until Christmas Eve. I still have to get some presents for my little daugther and a handful of people. Where is my Holiday Spirit this year, I am not prepared whatsoever. On Christmas Eve, my husband and I will host a Christmas Eve dinner at our house. It has become a new family tradition to cook and serve hot and spicy Thai food since we will be stuffing ourselves with traditional American food the next day. My in-laws and his sisters enjoyed it in the past years so we will continue this tradition :) My dad was in the States last year to spend time with us and I will miss him greatly not having him here on Christmas. It was his 1st Christmas and he had so much fun opening presents and seeing his first grandchild. However, we will be seeing him in a few months, I am BEYOND excited!! It looks like I will be getting off work half day today. The parking lot is almost empty and not many people are at work today. It is so hard to focus on work with Christmas being just around the corner and so much things to accomplish.

Just a quick post to let you know that I recently did a guest post for one of my sweetest friends AB of "The Owl's Closet" which is now featuring on her blog. If you are interested, please stop by and visit her awesome blog.

The joy of family gatherings, the excitement of Christmas morning, the familiar aroma of homemade food and goodies - what else could be better? Chirstmas is one of the best occasions that remind us how thankful we should be to have such loving family and caring people in our lives. Read more on the Owl's Closet>>>

Purple & Gold and Special Thanks

Still can't believe I actually won the giveaway a few weeks ago hosted by sweet Elle at FastFoodandFastFashion. Her package got here in no time! Thank you once again Elle for your generous and awesome giveaway. I absolutely love this Romeo & Juliet jacket that she picked. As mentioned in a previous post, one of my 2011 shopping goals is to add and incorporate more "colors" into my dark, dull and boring wardrobe. This jacket came in at a decent time, Elle got me an early start ;) This jacket is in size "M", I am pleasntly surprised that it is not as big as expected. Still roomy but fits good overall despite the very long sleeves (buttoned or unbuttoned).

Colorful or what?

On a related note, I recently received a long lost gift from Liane of PetiteXXS. I had no clue that Liane sent me this sweet and handmade glasses case to me almost two months ago. My husband called me one day and had a confession to make. He picked up the mails and forgot an envelope in his truck for almost two months - a - ha! Thanks again Leane for this lovely handmade gift and your sweet and thoughtful note.

One of the best things I have experienced during my time on blogsphere is to come across one of the sweetest bloggers. Friendship on blogsphere is fast, superficial and hard to find in my opinion. It is something I had never expected when I first started blogging but I am blessed and thankful to have found them.

Wardrobe Analysis - Hoping for a Better Year~*

Fashion blogs are such wonderful places for inspiration. I have become totally obsessed with blogs and I always enjoy reading and browsing fashion/beauty blogs more than magazines these days. Part of that is because those girls seem more personal and are normal people like me, not models or celebrities who always look picture perfect. They wear wearable outfits seen on the street, not the runway. I find that I can relate to them in one way or another.

Finding my own unique style and fashion identity are very impotant. You come across blogs after blogs, inspirations after inspirations...there are endless possibilities and ways to incorporate them. What I recently found about my fashion side was that my style is very limited, I am stuck with same colors, same styles, same solid pieces. The fear of branching out for the bright, bold prints, patterns and colors have conquered me for so long. I am in need of something new and different that still represents "me" and wearable on a daily basis. Most importantly, I want to wear them with confidence.

My wardrobe seriously lacks of colors and print items. 98% = solid colors in black, grey and brown. They are the staples for everyone and good to mix with something else but I can be more adventurous. I also have tons of skirts which I purchased but do not wear for some reason. I wear pants 99% of the time for work and play so that is something I should think more when shopped for clothes.

My shopping goals for 2011 includes:
-Think more thoroughly!
-Add more colors
-Be bold with prints and patterns
-Wear more skirts and high heels
-Buy items that can be mixed and matched several ways
- Invest more in high quality clothes so they last longer

What are your shopping goals? What would you like to try or do differently to borden your style for 2011?

Below are some of my "nice-to-have" itmes to spice up my feet

BCBGeneration Women's Michah Pump (shoemall.com)

BCBG Easton
(shoes.com)

BCBG Lace-up Peep-toe Bootie (BCBG.com)

Holiday Glam..One night only~*

Hello everyone..hope you all have had a wonderful and relaxing weekend so far. It may be kinda difficult to relax when you have holiday shopping at hands, right? Some of you may remember me mentioning about my Company Holiday Party and a mysterious dress from Bebe a few weeks ago. For two years now, Bebe has become my one stop shop for party dress. You may be surprised to find some appropriate holiday party dresses at Bebe (Oh no clubbing type).

To me, Company Party is completely diferent than any kind of party. You still have to display the professinalism and respect towards the place you work for and the people you work with. With my work setting, I work in a corporate environment with senior engineers and IT professionals for a Federal Agency. Revealing too much skin is not going to be very appropriate even though it is outside work. There is a fine line that you have to be careful still, depending on the work setting you are in. If I was going to wear this outfit to go out with friends or the husband, I would not worry about covering up too much and probably do my hair and makeup differently.

At first I was not going to purchase a dress. As previously mentioned, I hate spending $100+ on a dress that I can possibly wear once and I learn that lesson many times in the past. The challenge is to find a dress that can be transformed and used during daytime as well . I have a simple black dress at home that I was going to wear but it was too simple for the event and it makes me look pregnant so I decided to visit Bebe on the day of the party. I didn't want to be intimidated by other co-workers because everyone went all out and looked absolutely glamorous. The facility they used to host this event was at a 5 star hotel so the dress had to be somewhat decent.

I fell in love right away with this cute little dress that comes with zip details in the front and back. Very form- fitting, chic, sexy but not X-rated. It is well made and well constructed inside and out, the dress is actually a bit heavy and thick (dryclean only). I just love everything about it and it fits perfectly in size zero (almost too small!). The lenght is not too short, it hits right above knees. This is going to be a versatile dress for me and can be used during daytime with a nice white blazer and black boots.

It felt a bit naked on the shoulder so I thought I should pair it with a scarf. I happened to find this super cute and unique scarf that you can use as a shawl at Kohl's. It's from Vera Wang. The color goes so well with the dress and accessories.

Grey theme from head to toe ;)

Party was fun and food was good. The hotel is beautifully decorated with Christmas trees and Christmas decorations. Very gorgeous. It really reminds me that Christmas is just around the corner.

Dior Reviews~*

Holy moly..after years of searching for the perfect skincare products, spending tons of money, going through disappointment after disappointment, I finally found an amazing duo! You may remember my Dior Capture Totale and Dior Hydra Life haul about a month ago, yes folks - they work! This is my first review on the skin care products so feel free to ask if I miss something worth mentioning. However skincare products are tricky to review, what works for me may not work for you. With that said, you may not see the same results.

Before I go on rambling and raving, I should give you a brief condition of my skin so people with similar skin type can fully benefit from my two cents. Dry all year round and worse during winter, mild to medium rosecea on my cheeks, sensitive, large pores, fine lines around mouth area.

As previously mentioned, I searched high and low for a moisturizer that can keep my skin well hydrated. These are some of the brands I tried in the past ranging form drugstore to high end: Olay, Eucerine, Aveeno, Burt's Bee, Ponds, Kose, Skin Food, Boscia, Pangea Organic, Origins, Lancome, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Boscia and the list go on. Quite a list, huh? Nothing worked. (Have yet to try the famous Creme de la Mer though, it is on my Christmas list - hope Santa will bring it to me).

My plan was going to use one product at a time to see which one works and which one doesn't but my intention failed because each of these two offer different benefits. Dior Capture Totale aims to correct visible signs of aging but it doesn't have that extra moisture which I need so I have to use Dior Hydra Life to keep my dry and flaky skin at bay.

The odds: After using both products for a week, skin irritation occured on my forehead and cheeks. I spotted a few rashes. My rosecea flared up and I had to stop using them. My skin gets that way once in a while so I was not sure if that's from these products or not. However, I took a break for few days and tried them again. I haven't had any problem since then, wired but true!

Hydra Life - $56

Product description: The Hydra Life formulas feature a trio of plant extracts straight from Dior's gardens. Jisten, black rose, and centella help hydrate and fight oxidation. The fresh combination of ingredients builds collagen for a radiant, youthful appearance.

Formula: There are two different formulas. One for normal and oily skin, and one for dry skin. I happened to grab a wrong one (for normal and oily skin) but it works just fine.

When I use it: Morning under my sunscreen

Absorption: Medium to Fast

Scent: Mild to medium

Texture: Smooth, cool and soooooooo refreshing. Not greasy at all. (same with eyecream)

Results: Skin becomes hydrated, radiant and velvetly smooth (seriously I can't stop touching my face these days). The result can be seen in the 3rd week for me personally.

Verdict: I will buy it again.

Capture Totale -$125

Product description: Capture Totale perfects the skin by correcting all visible signs of aging. The specialized formulas treat wrinkles, loss of firmness, dark spots, and lackluster skin. Its powerful, patented Alpha-Longoza™ complex helps prevent the breakdown of 20 biological components, such as elastic fibers and collagen, that define youthful skin. Simultaneously, Centuline™ preserves the skin's vitality and youthful appearance. Within 30 days, skin will appear smoother, firmer, and more radiant.

Formula: For all skin type

When I use it: Bedtime

Absorption: Fast (for me because I have dry skin). Cream is quite thick but absorbs really well. Skin feels instantly smooth.

Scent: Medium but quickly disappear after applied on skin (based on the reviews on Sephora, it seems to bother a lot of people but to me it is not that strong. I have used a product that has much stronger odor than this one like Estee Lauder Resilence)

Texture: Thick but feels light on skin (depending on how much you apply)

Results: Radiant, smooth and firmer skin. I cant' really tell whether it corrects dark spots or not as well as fine lines.

Verdict: I will buy it again

Do you know how smooth your skin becomes after applying a primer? That's exactly how my skin is after using these two products. It is incredibly soft and velvetly smooth, makes it easy to apply makeup without using a primer. My skin is glowing and looks healthy.

I wish I could use one product at a time to tell you which one does what though but I hope it helps in some ways if you are looking into trying something new.

Disclaimer: I purchased all products with my own money and am not affiliated with Dior. My reviews are based on my personal experience.

Moment of Love & Awards

All images are from www.weddingcastlestudio.com - Bangkok, Thailand

It is interesting to see the revolutions of wedding photography over the years. From the once- ever-famous Asian style which makes your face look as white as a ghost to the hip/modern wedding photos, I love seeing people in love.

How far will you go when it comes to capturing the moments of yours? I have no idea how much those wedding photography packages cost here in the US and other countries. Crazy expensive I am sure, especially the good and famous studios/photographers. I didn't have the time to get our wedding pictures done by a professional photographer when my husband and I got married 6 years ago.

Ever since my daughter was born last year, capturing the memories and moments becomes a big deal. I feel the same way with the wedding photos, I want to have something that I can look back and treasure those joyful moments 10 or 20 years from now.

I am planninging a trip to visit my family and friends in Bangkok next year. Bangkok is a home to some of the most talented photographers and I am thrilled with the thought of getting our photos done there with my husband and our precious little girl. It would be so special and so much fun to include her in those moments.

One of my best girlfriends got married last year and she used this studio. I was blown away when I saw the work they did on some of their clients here. So chic, stylish, modern and artistic. This is something I have been looking for. The price point is incredibly expensive - high enough to where I can purchase another round trip ticket! It sure is a place for people with thick wallet. I am still weighting my option whether to chill out that money or spend it at a luxurious resort by the beach. These photos may be too much for some people who prefer traditional wedding pictures. This is totally different and more like fashion shoots. They are so much fun though and I LOVE them.

I adore this wedding dress and this pose~~!! Every bride is so pretty and they pose like a pro!




Last but not least, I was so late in posting these awards. Thank you ladies, it is very much appreciated :)


First award from Nadia @ It's always summer on the inside
Rule: Share seven things about yourself (here)


And second award from Mimi @ What Mimi Writes
Rule: Sum up your blogging philosophy (blog to release my stress, I guess), motivation (comments from my readers), and experiences using five words (journey, montherhood & me, passion, balance and life).



On a seperate note, I just realized that I have never put my contact info anywhere on my blog. Feel free to email me with any questions or just for a chit chat for things in general @ narakista@gmail.com. Ask away ladies! :)