THE BREEZE

Note to my Instagram followers, this was shot 2 months ago or something. So naturally the baby bump has not quite protruded yet. and Note to my blog-only-readers, yes I am pregnant again ! The light was beautiful on that particular afternoon... I remembered that it was hazy, soft amongst the occasional clouds.. and the wind was wonderful as well. You know, that kind of cool breeze that made shooting in a Jakarta afternoon a tad easier, and a tad less sweaty. and thanks to that weather, I actually have some content to upload for the blog ! Otherwise, it's another Instagram iphone OOTD...

1969

I've been searching for the perfect boyfriend jeans for quite some time. I've spotted ones I like online but I don't like the idea of buying pants (or jeans, shorts, etc) without trying it on as I'm pretty picky when it comes purchasing bottoms with a good cut. So, I never quite got myself the dream pair of bf jeans.. Until.. GAP asked me to collaborate for their Styld.by project. I was allowed to pick a pair of jeans, and you can guess what kind of jeans I searched in their store..

SPARKLY SEQUINS

Since tight clothes is something I'm not really fond off, I managed to wear alot of whatever I had in my wardrobe during my whole pregnancy. The maternity-wear that I find at the mall are very frumpy and granny (not in a good way) anyway. So clearly, I still shopped at the normal human section except for the fact I'd buy it one or two sizes bigger (I do that anyway even when I'm not pregnant). That was until I saw this dress at ASOS (even on sale now here!).. I bought this when I was preggo at an early stage since I knew that I would probably somekind of event where I need something dressier. Something short and sequined seemed like the perfect answer to that..

My due date is getting nearer and nearer. Although I still have two or three pregnancy photo sets, this might be the last one I'll be posting before I deliver my child this weekend. On the bright side, I'll still have something to post (apart from some baby pics!) during my one month long confinement period where I can't even go one footstep from my door. This sequined dress ended up being my my baby shower outfit couple weeks ago. The jacket I put on the whole time, but it was too hot to have it on when I took these photos..

RED ACCENTS

busy busy two weeks ahead for me ! baby is coming out and there's lots of stuff I need to check off my to do list for the moment.. I'll leave it for the pictures for the time being. For more frequent updates, follow me on my instagram!

BLACK MAGIC

my maternity tights arrived in the mailbox the other day and I haven't stopped wearing it. Since the little one in my tummy is getting bigger (..and giving mommy stronger kicks every night), alot of my dresses tend to 'ride up' upfront (get it? bigger tummy = tummy makes dress stuck at an awkward length?). My usual cycling shorts trick no longer works now, so tights it is for most days. A little bonus : opaque tights make your legs slimmer too (a dream for any preggos out there including myself..)

BUMP WRAP

Finally got my ass back in front of the camera the other day. My pregnancy blogging plans aren't going as well as planned. Turns out that my last trimester is draining my energy much faster (while increasing my appetite much more) than I thought. Annnddddddd my body temperature is as hot as ever, which translates to extreme sweat fest (I was blessed with moderate wind when I took these photos, God tells me that the blog needs an update). The sweat fest creates headache and sticky hair strands on the face ain't pretty for the camera. Not sure how much more I can still update until my due date here, but I hope that you'll still be my lovely readers ;)

WIND CONTROL

I know that I've always said that wind is my best friend when it comes to outfit photos. Today, I take my word back. Wind was ridiculously disturbing when I was shooting this set the other day... 8 out of 10 pics snapped had my entire head of hair into my face.. Perhaps, you would probably be convinced with the idea that I was inspired by Cousin Itt at the time...

GOOD GOLD

My dog constantly barked at me, begging to come out, as I stepped to my backyard to shoot my usual outfit photo. Since I can't resist his poor beggar facial expressions, I took him with me anyway despite the fact that Hugo is one lazy arse (shitzus aren't made for walks, they're born to sleep). Then I realized how useful dogs were to ward off any irritating construction workers that usually sit and stare :P (sorry Hugo for making extra use of you...)

I wore this dress to 3 functions last weekend. All I did was switch up accessories, add jacket or switch shoes for the different occasions. and speaking of shoes.. I've been getting memos that I shouldn't wear heels when I am pregnant, I'd like to clarify again that I don't wear heels 24/7. I mostly sit while I work.. I wear Havaianas when I have photoshoots.. either that or I switch back and forth with flats/heels throughout the day.

LaFLEUR // RED GARNET

I've always disliked how men associate women as gaptek (an indonesian slang that stands for 'gagap teknologi' or technology failure) creatures. But moreover, I dislike it even more when they apply the theory to me. You see, my relationship with gadgets has always been good ever since I was young. When the other girls turn up to their daddies to get the newest pretty phone, I am the one who’d ask for the smartest phone out there (my -6 myopic degree didn't just magically appear you know...) And up till' today, my main priority for gadgets is still it's technological features. But it doesn't hurt when a 'brainy' gadget comes with 'beauty' perks. One of those gadget would be the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 LaFleur Collection.

With the great features and it’s sleek “Red Garnet” glossy coating, what's not to love about this tablet? I can not only complete my daily tasks but its “Red Garnet” color also makes a great fashion statement. It’s even better because red garnet is one of my favorite colors of the moment and just by carrying the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, I can incorporate my favorite shade into my looks effortlessly.

THE DAILY DRAWER

Remember when I talked about my 'daily drawer'? Well, this outfit pieces are the kind of stuff you'd see in there. Button down shirts, jeans, and more basic neutral colored things. The boyfriend shirt was a really nice way to contrast the tight bottoms and tank top.. and seeing these photos remind me that I really need to hem these pants (probably the only pair I can fit it now) but haven't got the time to visit my tailor !

BOY OH BOY...

I was ,again, happy to see Alice Dellal grazing Chanel's Boy Bag Campaign for this Spring Summer 2013. Photographed by the same 'Einstein' behind the bag, the stable-set campaign is utterly beautiful. Just like the Boy Bag itself, the pictures evoke the right balance of edge and elegance. Since it was first introduced just a few years ago, the Boy Bag has been undoubtedly one of the most-coveted bags ever. I bought my gold one last year and somewhat I crave for another one. and fyi, I'm the type that doesn't crave the same bag in different colors - unless it's that bag I ultimately love. Thank you uncle Karl for all of this wishlist...

ADJUSTMENT PERIOD

So this is my first official pregnancy style post I guess (..first one to actually accentuate my bump instead of concealing like I did for the past 5 months). And thank you everybody who wished me all sorts of good things from my last post (..even though some of the lovely comments were deleted when I tried approving them but fat thumbs of mine touched the wrong part of my phone screen -_-") Anyhow, I am still trying to adjust my dressing cues with the new figure. Everyday I am tempted to grab the loose-est top only to pair it with some sweatpants.. but when I am out, the comfort dressing is out of question. I don't like to make people think "Oh she's pregnant and she can only wear frumpy clothes!" wrong wrong wrong. But still, it's not as easy to find clothes that suit my figure. Yesterday, blessed by the blogging Gods, the Karen Millen team sent me in this lovely stripe dress (woohooooooo I love stripes very much, even before the trend made it big again year!) To my surprise, it fit me just nice (still nice even when I layered another top underneath).

BLACK FRIDAY

obviously, you can tell that it was extra windy when I shot this. But.. that only meant that it was the perfect day for this giant sweater paired with some other black extras.

HAPPINESS

This dress I'm wearing today literally screams "H A P P Y". I opened my package from my friend, Gloria, who designed this and I loved it the second I unfold it. I don't usually like piling on so many different colors but the dress somehow pushes me to add even more colors for the look (ie. red necklace, yellow bangle, turqouise bag.. Almost went with my red pointed pumps, but I 'stopped'). I've posted a little sneak peak of the dress a couple months ago on Instagram but this never actually made it to a proper photoshoot for the blog. So here it goes !

SHIMMERING SEQUINS

Another reason why I dislike taking outfit photos is the heat that I have to deal with. I was fortunate enough to be blessed by the windy Gods the day I shot these photos, but the winds weren't enough to keep my sweat at bay (especially when I have 2 long-sleeved pieces over my body). Because of this wind and sweat thing, my hair seems to stick to my face for the whole course of the shoot.. very inconvenient indeed.. ps. do bear with me as I am having a phase of wearing black and white everything...

TIME MANAGEMENT

I actually wanted to write "no time for photos, been busy" for the opening sentence of this post but I hit backspace because that's really boring even when that's the fact. *ps. I am so glad that I found these photos from July lurking in one of folders as I am short of photo stocks*. What's more funny is when I read my favorite blogs and I find that most bloggers write somekind of phrase that resembles "I've been busy lately.. got exciting projects.. or sorry I've been on hiatus". I couldn't help but scroll through my own posts and I've been writing that phrase for a long time as well (my to-do list only gets longer, no kidding.)

Lately, I've been disappointed by certain companies who don't take bloggers seriously. I am not sure how the system works overseas but over here, I feel like we are the "free promoters". I understand that we may not have a company or fancy smancy offices but we are humans who put effort into our blog posts just like how news/fashion/etc reporters would in their articles. Blogs don't just poof out of a cloud.. Layouting takes time, emails take time.. building a twitter audience is also another thing.. I don't reply comments as diligent as I used to but I give kuddos to those who can reply the 100th comments on a single post (try blog walking with Indonesia's slow connection).. and for myself, I spend a total amount of 4-5 hours (sometimes more) for just a single post. Not to mention that most of us also have a day job or are still dealing with assignments from our teachers. Anyway, my point is : blogging takes time.

From that amount of time we bloggers put into, we do want a better reward and compensation than just an item/exposure. We're not always after some money but offering a more mutually beneficial collaboration scheme would be much more appreciated. Through conversations, I've learned that many bloggers don't have the guts to say no. I know what it was like because I felt bad when I rejected a company during my early days as a blogger. But now, I have learned to say no when offers aren't up to my bartering standards (note : saying no is not a bad thing as long as you're polite - see here for info). Perhaps most bloggers coming from Indonesia haven't spoken out about this issue out of their head. But I feel that it's time that our work gets appreciated and rewarded in a more appropriate way.

POLKADOT LISAS

This post represents an ideal weekend for me. Quick mini-brunch and coffee at 11 followed by a fulfilling lunch at 1 with a group of friends or family of course. I simply enjoy the moments where I don't need to think about any of work/projects despite the fact that I really love my job. Thank you Hana for helping me with the outfit shots !

DOUBLE VOLUME

I may not have fashion week anywhere on my agenda (except for checking style.com's app before bed), but my schedule for september is already looking pretty crazy. With no assistant, I'm resorting back to my good old tripod and remote days. These photos were taken after a whole day of errands. Therefore, please mind the tired face..

GARDENS

I'm sad to admit that this is one of the last sets of photos that my assistant, Christy, captured for me. After almost a year being my PA, she'll be leaving out of the country to continue her studies. I wish her the best of luck !
Of course, since I am currently assistant-less for the moment (my new one doesn't work until next week), I am a little behind with my outfit photos and a pile of other blog-related work. Nevertheless, I'm excited to share today's post because one : I loved the way the photos turned out. two : it was a good 2nd day hair. three : loved my pink detachable peplum pencil skirt !

PINK LINEN

I had this ridiculous nickname only my aunt knows back during my high school days, and that nickname has to do with my love for pink back then. Until this day, that nickname still horrifies me (nop! won't share it here..) to an extent that I rarely buy anything pink (dusty/peachy pinks are an exception). One of those rare pink purchases was this linen dress from Stitch n Co. Somehow the nipped waist and slight bubble cut bottom half makes me feel ladylike instead of well, Barbie.