From Day to Night: One Dress, (minor) Transformation

  [These two sets of bracelets were purchased one year ago - never worn until this recent trip]     Why us women always buy new clothes/shoes/accessories when going on the trip (specifically vacation)? I can’t quite answer this question at least in the past (or too ashamed to answer – cough..cough). Ahem…I used to be one in this category.

Those days are over.

My attitudes towards life and money have shifted significantly since I welcomed the year 2012 – Cheers to a year of more thorough financial decisions. Vacation is meant for a true relaxation and lots of self pampering in a comfort place away from home. We as a family don’t travel much (1 time per year, two if we are lucky).  So when we do, I want us to totally soak in the experience, enjoy the places and savor delicious meals.

I began to think that I should invest more money on the vacation itself rather than spending half of it even before leaving the house.

Again - Why do I have to wear new stuff since no one even cares whether I wear new or old clothes anyway?!?

It is all in our little mind I guess.

For this trip, I immediately implemented my minimalist approach – recycling my clothes/accessories. And hello, do you remember those old days when flying with suitcases were free of charge??? The good old time was way over so it is even more important now to pack wisely and bring as few suitcase(s) as possible. I prepared and packed our outfits according to activities we planned to do during the trip. Tried to mix and match them in many ways possible.   This outfit for example, I wore it twice and tweaked it a bit. For its day look, I just kept it simple. Then for a night look, I added a few accessories. I actually wore it the first time at night for a brief period of time so it was not dirty or anything.

Below is my cost breakdown of my cloth shopping before the trip

1) $26 Sandals from Payless
2) $0 A maxi dress (c/o SammyDress – here). Yes I wore this dress twice on the very same trip.
3) $0 A maxi dress previously purchased from Bangkok in March (will do a post soon)
4) $0 DIY Make Old New Again accessories (do it myself – part one here)
5) $0 other clothes worn during the trip –old clothes found in my closet
6) $0 purses – used an existing Chanel purse (bought in May 2011) and a camera bag

Total money spent $26
After all, I still had money left to indulge our bellies, add some exciting fun activities to our days and last but not least buy a few souvenirs for family and friends back home. Best of all, no extra junk to add to my home.   ***********************************************************   In the upcoming post, I will reveal where we went for the night   Hint...hint....Meet me at the Luau   What is Luau? Stay tuned

One Random Saturday

  A little one just loves kiddie's lipsticks. It must be her new obsession.     Yes - it is the same kitty we rescued months ago [here].   Yes - her cute kitty look quickly disappeared. She looks like a full grown cat already!!       I was introduced to a PB&J by a PB&J addict (a.k.a. my husband) years ago. My favorite version is this raw and minimally processed peanut butter (only peanut butter and nothing else) and substitute jam with honey. A painless way to cut potato chips is to add fruit and steamed veggies. It took a while to get used to it but is better for health.     I now have a small produce section in my own backyard.   Perhaps, I should become a farmer!?!?

Desert & Bohemian Maxi

Our travel diary day 3 is still in Kuaui, Hawaii. That day we decided to take a break from the beach to do some fun discovery of the island of Kuaui, so here the three of us hopped on the road and drove off to an unknown destination.   By far this set of photos is my most favorite. It gives a feeling of (somewhat) being in a desert. We didn't think there would be such place on this lush and green tropical island. The copper colored sand provides such a pretty backdrop and the bright blue sky simply adds a beautiful contrast, mother nature creates amazing sights and scenes. We got off for a little bit and saw that a little road could lead to a beach. Unfortunately we couldn't make it there because a little one got cranky half way so we made a quick U-turn and regretably got back in the car.       Dress: C/O SammyDress - Behemian Style Maxi Dress review below Necklace: DIY [here]  Sandals: from Bangkok  

      Here is my first take (second and third to come in the future posts) on a Maxi dress and I love how comfy and easy maxi dress could be. When SammyDress contacted me a few months ago to select their dresses, I went straight to the Maxi dresses section knowing I could use some for the trip.   I have to admit that I didn't have high hope/expectation based on prices and knowing the site is one of the wholesale places due to my past experiences ordering from similar sites located in Asia - particulary China. I ended up picking two dresses for under $15.   Shipping: Can't comment on this one because the shipment was sent for review purpose. Standard shipping time might be as fast or slow, I am not sure   Prices: Incredibly low. Now remember you can't always get quality when they stash the prices.   Quality: As expected, both dress and its lining is extremely sheer (I had to wear something underneath). Sewing seems to be done poorly. Just carefully check the seamings to make sure that no stichings come loose before you wear. In my case, I had to trim extra yarns peeking out in many spots. Since I was lazy and late in finding stuff to bring to Hawaii, all the summer stuff had alraedy been picked up. It didn't leave me much choice but to make this baby work  - and it somehow worked!   If you are looking to find a fashionable, very affordable and unique dress (regardless of quality) to wear just for fun, they do have endless selections to suit your fancy.       Our hot ride while in Kuauai       It wouldn't be Kuaui if you didn't spot any chickens!!! They are such symbols. Did I say everywhere??       This song is just so perfect when looking at the background in these photos

How To: Shop & Get the Most out of Your Evening Dress

  Don't we ladies want to shine like a star and feel glamorous at a formal event? I know I do because there are not that many opportunities for me to go glam...beautify myself and feel this sense of femininity. This is when the evening dresses come to play.    
Left: Jovani | Right: Alyce Designs
(I am SO in love with these two beauties!!)  
Over the years, I have attended quite a few formal night functions both in the states and in Bangkok with half of those events are being classified under “extravaganza” category. One of the biggest weddings I ever attended in my life was one of my former boss, who married the daughter of a politician. This particular grand wedding was held at a 5 star hotel in downtown Bangkok with approximately 1,000 guests in attendance. They had an entire floor reserved for the night. I got to see politicians, models, actors and actresses, including a prime minister of Thailand in an up close and personal manner (almost). It was a top notch wedding, lavishly and beautifully decorated. Everybody looked absolutely glamorous. Thank god, I dressed properly for the night…phew!! Awkward moment dismissed!!     Left: Tadashi Shoji - gotta LOVE lace! | Right: La Femme - gorgeous color and dreamy silhoutte

Evening dresses are such big deal to us ladies. They are the stars of the night. They are the subject of conversation and the lasting impressing. Let’s face it - most evening dresses are quite expensive. Prices ususally starts from $100 and beyond what you want to pay for. Last thing you want is to pay for it and wear your pretty dress “once”. I know that most ladies face this dilemma when it comes to purchasing such dress, including myself in the past. We don’t want to be spotted wearing in the same dress everywhere so buying a new dress for every event sounds like an inevitable and painful option. That is not worth the cost per wear if you rarely attend formal parties unless you have big budget to shell out.

Year after year…

Event after event…

Evening dress after evening dress....

I am not a pro but am constantly learning from my fashion and financial mishap as I mature with age and style. Two most important things I look for in an evening dress are “elegance” and “practicality” - yet youthful and age-appropriate in my book.  

  Left: NightMoves by Allure - (what a fun dress! Great for daytime.) Right: Mon Cheri Montage - very elegant and feminine     Each event always put an ultimate challenge on me - a girl with a small and limited wardrobe who doesn’t want to spend a fortune. It tests my ability to be creative and resourceful with my choice so I can wear the same old dress to as many events as possible.

It is easier to find dresses that double its functionality as daytime and nighttime dress because there are plenty of clever ways to play around to make it look glam enough for evening event ,such as; adding proper accessories such as handbags, necklace and so on. However, an ultimate challenge is upon you when you have to transform an evening dress for a day look.  

  Left: Faviana (deep rich purple color)| Right: Mon Cheri (mysterious and alluring)    
With holiday celebrations coming right up in just a few months, I would like to share some tips on how to choose an evening dress that you can double its duties to a day dress and wear it more than one time. 
1) Stick with solid colored dress - avoid large bling bling, ornaments, sequin or reflective materials.

2) Choose an evening dress with appropriate length, avoid dresses that are too long so you can wear for daytime event. Later on you can even have it altered (by shortening the lenght) and turn it into a sun dress even! (this is why I suggest you to avoid sequin or bling bling material, and opt for solid color - lace also looks great for daytime).

3) Double point: if your dress has two separate pieces (top and bottom), that is even better! You can mix and match with other pieces in your closet.   ************************************************************   This post is sponsored by MissesDressy. The content and tips are 100% original and of my own. I received a form of monetary compensation for writing this post.      

DIY: How to Make Old "New" Again

This DIY is as easy as a pie (or easier than baking a pie indeed). It only requires some creative thoughts and wild imagination. The rest of the work is more about connecting dot and piece without requiring you to go crazy and purchase fancy tools. In my case, I steal some of my husband’s tools from his beloved toolbox for my jewelry making (guess I have to start paying rental fees). Fingers are also great if the loops and hoops are not too tiny for your grasp. Hey..whatever works - use it.       After looking at all (never worn pieces of accessories – I just wanted to slap my face) available options, some great ideas instantly popped up in my crazy little head. I knew I wanted bright and bold necklace so here goes – bright and bold alright.       I bought these super colorful bracelets in Bangkok while strolling (and sweating profusely to add to a statement) the market early in March. As a matter of fact, my little one wanted them but they were too big for her toddler’s wrists. Hence mama unwillingly had to claim them (yeah right). It came out about 30 cents each – I wish I bought everything in that shop! I don’t like to wear bracelets just because I dislike the feeling of having things hanging on my wrists (but I like buying them – here goes a thoughtless shopaholic) so they basically sit there since March. Thanks to Hawaii and my minimalist inspirations, I finally broke them out.   Do you know that bracelets are not only meant for your wrists – you can also wear them around your neck? Double its duty, people!   From now I will stop buying necklaces….ha (with an exception of those made of real jewelry/stones like diamond)   Of course you will most likely choke yourself trying to wrap a tiny bracelet around your neck. You will need 1) any bracelets you have     This is when an extension comes to play. You can buy cheap 2) chain from any craft store or even Etsy per length or per roll. You can choose any style you want to suit your fancy. Be sure to add some 3) clasps and 4) loops. I guarantee you won’t break your bank.   Now the fun part, design and put every piece together. Even the worst DIY challenged individual can do this.     Enjoy and stay tuned for more DIYs to come :)

OOTD: Happy Duo - Orange & Yellow / How-to to come

Orange and yellow are both fun and cheerful hcoices for colors. It is even better when pairing them together to make a lively casual summer outfit! Here is my first and formal post of "Outfit of That Day" - Hawaii edition. During the packing process to Hula land, I planned on bringing several bright colored clothes with me and I didn't think it was inappropriate because after all it's a tropical getaway. Everybody wore fun prints / patterns and colors as if we tried to compete with those bright and colorful tropical flowers!     [Top / Shorts / Sandals - purchased from Bangkok in March]       Love a quick, easy and messy hairbun     I managed to get by without buying new items for the trip except for a pair of wedge sandals. I was initially tempted to an idea of purchasing a few statement necklaces / clothes and so on but successfully eliminated that idea from my head not too long after because I just knew I would most likely wear everything "once".   In a continuous effort/approach to declutter my life home and to become a minimalist, fighting temptation is the right thing to do. After spotting my junks existing accessories laying beautifully and peacefully in the drawers..in the closet...and everywhere else, I thought to myself "why not make something new from these unworn accessories?!" - Voila. And the rest is history.   I came up with many ideas to turn existing pieces of accessories that you will have fun making (even the not-so-crafty people can do) and fall in love with them all over again. The best part - you still have a pocket full of money.  

Sun, Sand, Sea & {LIttle} Darling

It would not be a complete trip to the beach if we missed the chance to spend sometime playing in sand, water and under the beautiful ray of sunshin in the Aloha state.       Ooops - Blooper shot!!         I don't think I spend enough time outdoor, don't even mention about getting sufficient amount of Vitamin D from sunlight. Sunscreen is every girl's best friend during this trip - I almost bathed in that stuff from head to toe. Althogh there are times when I just went with bare skin and simply enjoyed the sun without having a protective coat on. A little one loved playing in the sand more than in the water. She somehow was scared of the big waves so we stayed mainly on the sand before we moved to a kiddie pool.   ......................Soaking in every last bit of warm summer and having fun under the sun................    

Let's pack and go to a paradise island!

In the upcoming days and weeks you will see more posts about Kuaui, there will be mixtures of outfit posts and tid bits on where we explored and ate. Be prepared for photo explosions!! Hope it will be helpful to those who plan a future trip. I feel sluggish as I bounced back to work the day after the trip and suffering a mild case of jetlag (5 hour difference, not too bad for me but bad enough for a young one), but it was worth the sweat and tears traveling with a young child. I would do it all over again.       Never thought we would be able to squeeze in two major trips in the same year and never thought we would be able to visit Hawaii. Hawaii sure was on the dream destination list as one of “the places to visit before we die”. An opportunity sure came knocking on our door much sooner than we had EVER imagined and we said “yes, let’s go” as fast as we could to seize this trip. Our little one who is only 3.5 years old has already embarked her world journey at young age. It is something my husband and I didn’t have opportunity to do when we were her age and we are blessed to be able to offer this kind of experience for her to do fun activities such as riding an elephant and feeding crocodiles in Thailand, visiting Phuket, sightseeing in Bangkok, having a brief visit in Japan, napping in a helicopter while flying along Napali coast on Kuaui island – yes that’s exactly where she took her afternoon nap.    

Cute and funny thing in Kauai

One thing worth mentioning - Chickens and roosters are expected to be seen EVERYWHERE on the island! I don't know about other islands but roosters and chickens are the signature of this island. Can you imagine yourself relaxing and enjoying the sound of ocean, and all of sudden you hear this "cock-a-doo-doo-doo" now and then - lol. Somehow they don't seem to go in harmony but you get used to it after a while. Funnily, they must somewhat be stray chickens comparing to stray cats and dogs.

    Why Lihue-Kuau’i?   You will find an answer in one of the future posts. I am just SO glad it was Kuaui instead of Honolulu, Maui or other super popular islands. While Kuaui is also popular, it offers a true sense of nature, pureness and magnificent scene of island landscaping and coastline. A paradise for nature lovers. I am not that into exploring nature kind of person and would often opt for shopping centers but the beauty of this island is just stunning and mesmerizing I didn’t mind doing the sightseeing one bit. It is a place you can truly relax and soak in all its beauty everywhere you turn, plus you don’t see gazillion tourists everywhere (other than at hotels, restaurants or some shopping centers).   How we got there? It took us approximately 9.5 hours from a city where we live in Texas to LA. There is no direct flight to Kauai from where we live but a direct flight to Honolulu is available. We chose to fly to LA instead (3.5 hours), then another 6 hours from LA to Kauai, Hawaii. Then on the way back, it took 7.5 hours total (not including layover plus an unexpected delay sitting inside an airplane for 1.5 hour).   When you arrive Hawaii, you will need to fill a form to declare that you do not bring any seeds/plants/animals to the island with you. They don’t want foreign species on the island! Same as when you leave, you will go through a few rigorous bag scan to make sure you don’t bring any plants/animals out of the island.   Airport?   We flew in to and out of Kauai using Lihue Airport. How awesome is this - an open air airport (there are air condition passenger rooms throughout for you to wait to get on the airplane).   What the weather is like in Kauai?   The weather is EXTREMELY pleasant with cool breeze ALL DAY LONG. Kauai temperature is usually in the low 80 degree Fahrenheit with plenty of sunshine and bright blue sky (rain occasionally but don’t last all day – mostly on and off). Kauai beach I would say it is almost impossible to swim because tides are strong to very strong, more suitable for surfing. I am not bias here but personally think beaches in Thailand look much more beautiful and serene. The sight and scene in Kuaui is very magnificent though.   Where we stayed: Kauai Marriott Resort Beach Club 3610 Rice Street Kalapaki Beach Lihue-Kauai, Hawaii 96766 (808) 245-5050 (800) 845-5279     The hotel ground is absolutely stunning with turquoise colored pools, lush tropical green gardens, many hibiscus plants and plumeria trees throughout the hotel facility and huge Koi pond (there is a fish feeding at 9am every day so grab your kids to feed these friendly buddies – they came SO incredibly close. If you have never pet a koi, try it here.   A distance from the front of the hotel to the lobby is quite far, not to mention from the lobby to the room is even farther (depending what part of the hotel you stay) but it was such a pleasant walk due to awesome weather and beautiful view along the way. Hotel room will be in a separate post to avoid a super lenghty post here. Big minus – a 4 star hotel at this caliber, we expected free wi-fi and breakfast to be included but no. You have to pay extra to get wi-fi access/day. Where to eat?   So far everything we had in Kuaui was AMAZINGLY delicious, including hotel food (which is so rare here in the US to find good food at hotels). There will be separate posts as a short guide on where to eat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------     The day we came back from Hawaii which was on 9/11 (kind of nerve racking due to engine problem at LA airport but we made it back in three whole pieces – phewww!!), we came home to find a little surprise awaiting. We soon will be embarking a trip to another amazing city. As much as I am dead exhausted from all the traveling activities this year and spending money on one trip after another (and slowly exhausting all my vacation leave at work), it would not be wise to decline a chance to explore another destination on our wish list.