Retail Therapy: Part I - Bag Hunting

What a perfect day to go for bag hunting! Never thought in a million year to step my foot in these high end retailers' doors but what the heck, right? My husband and I had an errand to do today and "happened" to be in the area. On top of that, I have been wanting to purchase a new bag that will really last me, not falling part after two to three months due to its poorly made materials. I am quite pround to say that I do not change bags often, basically I use one bag for up to 6 months or longer without rotating (due to my laziness of course). Last year, I only puchased one bag and this year I have purchased two so far. If I were to spend a "serious" amount of money on a bag, I wanted to make sure it is versatile and I could use it when I dress up or down

I personally like the look of Dior bag more than Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci or Fendi. If you know me, you know that I like a "big" bag or a shopping tote because I have so much junks and I seriously can't downsize to something as a size of Chanel Flap. My dream bag has to be somewhat at a decent size BUT not too big to the point that I look like a crazy person or the bag looks ridiculously bigger than me.

So I found a possibility while browsing online "Dior Panarea" (pictured above), I wanted to see it in person. It is a nice size tote bag and quite cute but its material kind of disappointed me. For a luxurous handbag I don't think you can expect to get leather at this price. That is still a lot of money for a frugal person like me who never spend over $100 on a handbag my entire life. Yet, at this age and time coupled with my husband's support (yes - he seriously pushes me to buy "any" bag at "any" price - no questions asked but once again my frugality talks myself out of everything), I want to "treat" myself with something..something.

Can't remember a name of this Dior model but it is made of lambskin and it ensembles and costs the same as "Chanel Grand Shopping Tote", please tell me who copied who?!?! The only thing I don't like is it doesn't look very sturdy and seems to lose its shape. Then I stumbled upon the Chanel Grand Shopping Tote. Similar design, more sturdy material, nice size and shape - OH MY...OH MY.. I fell in love as soon as I tried it on (I used to read somewhere that if you don't want to buy something - do NOT touch it because you will develop the sense of owership - so darn correct!). I think (yes I think) I have found a bag but the only dang problem was "what color?!" As far as materials, lambskin feels more luxurious but is so fragile. I don't think it is a smart choice for me personally based on how often I will use it.

Image source {Polyvore}

So much for tough decision to make...I came home with this tiny little goodie bag. As soon as I can make a decision and am mentally prepare to spend $x,xxx, I shall return. (Black or Beige? I am leaning towards a light beige color because I want to break free from black but at the same time black goes with everthing)

Ruffle Madness & The Winner is...

And the winner is..........................................................for some excitment.................please see at the bottom of this post.

There is absolutely no doubt that I have a serious love for ruffles at the moment. I hope I have yet to bore you with my "ruffle madness" phase that I am going through for a few weeks now. Rest assured that not every single piece in my closet has ruffle, just most of them do (haha). This phase too shall pass (I believe).

Taking these photos took EXTRA effort and sanity this evening. There were some tears and drama (tantrums) going on behind the scene. Suddenly I felt like I had a stress attack that I wanted to throw a tantrum myself. I know it will soon be a "time" for therapy. Later on this week, I am heading to Neiman Marcus for some retail therapy. Can't wait to meet my therapist!

Can you drive while wearing high-heels? I, for one, CAN'T do it and have no idea how other ladies do it (I salute you...). I always have a pair of sandal (which I call my driving sandals) in my car all the time. I just can't drive with heels on and it is probably dangerous.

These heels are my love at the moment..gotta love those red soles.

Earrings which I wore with today's outfit

HurricaneKerrie.....................you are the winner of the Pretty in Blue Giveaway!!!!!!!!!! Please send me your addresss to narakista(at)gmail.com

Thank you everyone for taking your time to enter. For those who do not win this time, do not give up :) I may host a "mimi" giveaway for my current followers after my retail therapy trip. Stay tuned.

30 Happy Ideas ~ A Road to A Happier Soul

I have been thinking lately about things that make me happy or used to make me happy. How pathetic..I could only think of a few things. Just like most people in today's modern, hectic and crazy world, we all are too busy or too focused on certain things like trying to finish school..finding a job..trying to be the best employee we could be..raising a child..thinking about things that need to accomplish..saving for this and that... we do not realize how deeply we are engaged and get caught up in our "normal" day-to-day activities/moments. We are stressed and completely forget to smile and enjoy simple things in life.

If you are like me who can't even name 5 happy activities..it may be time to revitalize our busy little minds. I am coming up with this little idea, i decided to call it "30 Happy Ideas". I will post 30 ideas that make me happy and share with you. If you are interested, feel free to join by leaving your comment and blog url so I can link to your blog and perhaps borrow your happy ideas too. You do not have to do a daily post and it doesn't have to be an entire post about it. Do it whenever or however you feel like (you can add it to the last paragraph of your regular post too, just whatever suits your fancy).

1st Idea: *Use my favorite perfumes*

The moment I spritz my favorite perfumes, I feel like I temporarily escape to a secret santuary.

My favorite perfume - "Lune" by Laura Mercier

2nd Idea: *Get in touch with nature* Even though it only means nature in my backyard. It is always good to go outside and take a full fresh breath of air, sit there and forget about everything and anything for 5-10 minutes

3rd Idea: *Decorate my food then eat it*

4th Idea: *Look and play with my clothes"

I love..love..love this top but haven't worn it

5th Idea: *Be lazy* Boy oh boy I wish I could do this one. I wish I could sleep in late every weekend. I wish I could take an afternoon nap or rest whenever I would like. I don't even remember when was the last time I slept until 9 or 10am in the morning. It must have been at least 2 years. Being lazy can be good but it sometimes makes me more streesful because nothing gets done around the house.

A winner of my giveaway will be announced in my next post. Thank you for taking your time to participate, please stay tuned :)

A Little Romance~**

There is no candlelight dinner..no date under a starry sky..no sweet kiss from an angel..only me and my outfit that I call my romance of the day. C'mon - those sweet days were long gone, only romantic past that lives vividly in memories. Since the day the precious little one arrived into this world, everything changed. All eyes, all attentions, all conversations - all about her. Romance slowly escaping the windows as a role and busy life of parents crept in.

Can't help it but romance and parenthood do not seem to go hand in hand. On top of the busy lifestyle..work and everything in between, seem to consume all of the precious little time we have. If you are parents, you probably know how difficult it is just to find an alone time with your partner. However we gotta revitalize that romance. Just like our health, marriage requires regular check-ups and treatments.

Pink Rosette blouse from F21 (purchased last year)

Brown Ruffle cardigan from F21 (purchased last year)

Skirt from Bangkok, Thailand (purchased 3 years ago)

Finally - someone up above heard my prayer (a.k.a. my complaint). I was told to day to have "an opportunity of a lifetime" to go do "something" in a sunny state of Florida in a couple of weeks. I wish I could tell you right now what opportunity has been given to me but it would not be a surprise. It is just a matter of time, all you have to do is wait ;)

As for now, I live my romance through my clothes. I didn't think I had worn pink and brown color combination but you know what? I LOVE it. They are somewhat dreamy and feminine. As I look at these photos, I realize that the top part look a bit too busy with both rosette and ruffles but I wore it to work anyway.

One of my favorite earrings (purchased from Bangkok 3 years ago)

Feeling content..(for now)

This is such a wonderful feeling...feeling content and do not feel such needs to buy unnecessary stuff and proudly say "no" to everything I used to "gotta have it".

-Dress and shoes from Bangkok, these gladiator shoes are sooooooo comfortable!!-

The best money saving method is to stop "looking" and 'wanting" altogether. I find this to be very effective. I used to be the one who dumped hundreds or thousands on new beauty and skincare products, and some on clothes, and some more on non-sense items, just because I felt like I wanted to try..I wanted to have.


-my very first Revlon lipsticks (purchased since January), I used a nude color as a base and glided a thin layer of red on top-

Perhaps I spent enough to the point that I feel extremely content now, I feel an unusaul peace in my shopping soul. I can live without buying that new lipstick, that new mascara, that new moisturizer, that pretty blouse and those shoes. I only hope this contentment will last for a long time - Amen. That will be good for my wallet.

-Chicken kabobs, Mac & Cheese and Green Beans-

My belly was very content with these yummy food on Sunday (delicious lunch: courtesy of in-laws)

-Sponge cake with fresh strawberries & whipped cream-

Pink Swan & Thai Red Curry

What does a swan have anything to do with Thai Red Curry? Nothing - I was just combining two subjects together for the fun of it :D. Miss Little Swan received this Tutu as her second birthday present from one of her aunties. By the time I put this on her, she almost outgrows it (already). It is amazing how fast a child grows and how fast they outgrow their clothes. It feels almost like you never buy enough clothes to keep up with their growth spurt (wish my wallet can keep up too!)

She is now on her way to become a "big" girl. Therefore it might be appropriate to start this "potty" training fun. As from what I heard, it is not fun. You may think it should be as easy as one..two..three because it seems like the most simple thing. Hell - NO! However, it has to be done. I was calculating in my head today as I opened yet "another" package of Pampers. At 2 years old, we do not change her diapers as often as when she was a newborn (which you roughly change every 2-3 hours, then you space out little longer as they grow). We pretty much change her every 4 hours now depending on the situation and how messy it gets (you don't want to be too frugal and skimp on that because it is nasty for your child to sit in a wet diaper, yikes!!).

We pay 70 freaking dollars every month so multipy that by 12, we spend $840 on diapers per year. Yes it costs a LOT more when they are newborn since you feel like all you do all day is changing diapers. I feel the "need" to do potty training as soon as possible so we can save that money for something else!!!! My husband and I bought her a "singing potty" a few months ago with the hope that she may be intersted in using it. WRONG!!!, she was more interested in playing with it than using it. So we have been using it as a step stool for now (it is a fancy potty that can be use as a step stool as well). Wish me luck, ladies.

Since we are on the tummy subject, I thought I would talk about food as well (lol). I remember the old days when I first moved to the US, the only thing that helped me deal with my homesickness was Thai food. Food has a healing power, it is incredibly powerful and comforts you in a way that you never imagine. It brings a fond memory of your mama or papa's homecook meals. My food do not taste exactly like what my parents make but they suffice.

One of my favorite Thai dishes that I enjoy making is "Curry". Red, green, panang, masaman..you name it. They may seem complicated but are the easiest dishes you could ever make. It is just the matter of ingredients that makes it seem difficult to make but it is simple, really.

Pour coconut milk in a pan (pot or whatever you have in your kitchen), I usually use half from a can. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of red curry paste. I don't measure things when I cook (sorry, can't tell you the exact amount for everything)

Coconut milk and Red Curry Paste that I use. If you can find other brands, that will be fine too. Wish I have all the ingredients and courage to make my very own curry paste because it tatses so much better. Unfortunately, I don't have any of the above lol.

Stir coconut milk and curry past and mix well. Cook until bubbling and add chicken (pork or whatever). Stir and mix in your vegetables. I use thai eggplants, squash, zucchini, carrots and thai basil (or holy basil). Basil will go in last, you do not really have to cook them. Just throw them in last minute before serving.

Voila~~~~~~~~

Random Thursday

One of our hairy family members - she used to rule...

Until this little lady came along - she is the QUEEN

She is quite a fashionista herself - at the tender age of 2!

This week has been a very quiet spring break at work. As of today, Thursday, half of population at work was gone. Needless to say, Friday will be a very very quiet working day. I am so jealous of those who took this entire week off to enjoy warmer weather and beautiful days outside the office. I envy you!!!!! My game plan tomorrow is to munch on goldfish and sip my favorite tea while finding motivation to get work done. What an energetic and motivated I am, right?

It is tax season here in the US, what is your plan when you get your tax return this year (if you will get any)? My husband and I filed early so we have already received ours. Every year we are terrified with the thought of owning and that was how it used to be before we moved to a house and had a child. Childcare deduction helps A LOT even though it is not a significant amount, it helps.

Our computer needs major upgrades badly and my husband has been wanting to do that for a while but we had to use money for something more important. Therefore, we will use our tax returns for computer upgrades. Boo no shopping money for me, I am seriously hoping that we will put a halt on major spending and start saving again. It is much easier to use than to save, really.

Have you filled your tank recently?? Lord, I am terrified and want to faint while at gas station. Wish I lived close to work so that I could walk. Although my vehicle doesn't require premium gasoline, having a large sedan doesn't help much (glad I do not own an SUV or an explorer or a truck!) I know a lots of women opt to buying an SUV when they have the little ones but I am too loyal to a sedan. Another secret is I just can't drive and park big vehicle without hitting something lol. I have had enough difficulty handling this car as it is *_*

Terrific news - tomorrow is Friday...yay for everyone

Be bright..very very bright

What a depressing weekend to see and hear about the most horrified double (or triple) diasters in Japan. My thought and prayer go to the people of Japan. My eyes got teary everytime I thought about those who are alive and left behind - how difficult it would be for them to deal with loss and grief after the Tsunami wiped away their fathers, mothers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, babies, their homes and their memories. I probably would not want to live if I lost all my loved ones in situation like this. It is not the kind of death that you see it coming at all. It must take an extraordinary kind of strenghts and supports for them to get through this difficult times, I can only pray and donate little money that I have with the hope that it will somehow help fullfil their physical needs.

Face of Spring (really?!? lol)

As we move closer to Spring here in the US I want to take a colorful move in my style by adding some "colors", something new and refreshing. After those dark and dull days, months or even years of living and buying mainly black, gray, brown combo I know I want to break free and live on a brighter side. One of the reasons I am afraid of colors is because I simply don't know how to style or look good in them. With that said. I am going to embark on a new journey of colorful clothes and learn as I go.

The first item I would like to debut is this dress I got from Bangkok last month. As soon as I saw it, I knew I gotta have it. Look at all interesting details on the shoulders and the bottom, and not to mention about the color it is bright. Definitely something I do not own.

It is one of the most comfortable dresses, perfect for summer due to its lightweight fabric but so delicate that I almost torn it apart. Handwash is the only option to clean it but I think I can live with that. I found that a lot of clothes I bought back required handwash and air dry only so I have to forget about washer and dryer and handwash them (how fun!)

I think I am going to wear these shoes - I can sense that it will look good (at least in my opinion lol)

I bought this gorgeous skirt but don't know what top/blouse to wear with it. Isn't it gorgeous with all the lace details? I have a $50 Forever21 gift card which I received as a Christmas gift but haven't had a chance to use. I think i will use it to find a top to pair with this skirt. Do you have any recommendation(s)?

Giveaway: Pretty in Blue*

As I slowly browsed, sorted and organized my goodies I realized that I picked up three items from Bangkok for one of my readers. I decided on "blue" theme for this giveaway - not blue or miserable as some may interpret. This shade of blue represents a new beginining, a fresh start of upcoming Spring season and the bright blue sky. Blue is a fun color but also has a calming effect. These items are my personal favorites and they seem perfect for both Spring and Summer.

Item # 1: Elle Brand Wallet

A few close-up shots to show you the details. Its color is a little lighter in person, very very pretty with cream color trim and interior. Beautifully stiched/sewn, made from high quality material plus it has several slots for all your cards and even a small coin pocket.

Item # 2: Earrings (Roses and bowl are not included lol)

Item # 3: Small Floral Tote

One lucky person will win all three items plus one surprise makeup related item (I love surprises!)

Here is how to enter (one person can have up to 3 points / readers outside the US are also welcomed):

Mandatory: +1 point when you become a public follower and indicate in the comment that you want to enter this giveaway (so I can easily identify you from general comments)

Optional

+1 point when you blog about this giveaway

+1 point when you post below button on the sidebar

This giveaway ends Friday, 3/25/11. A winner will be ramdomly chosen by random generator and announced by Sunday 3/27/11

Disclaimer: these items were purchased by me during my recent trip to Bangkok, Thailand in February, except for a makeup related item which was purchased in the US.