STAYING DRY

Babies and diapers... in our modern days, they're literally the 2nd most important item to stock up other than milk ! Otherwise, all the magic that comes out from the babies' bottoms will cause a severe mess. Yes, there has been a debate that cloth diapers are better, but for myself and Denzel more importantly, disposable diapers are simply more convenient. Plus, washing all that junk off in the laundry room doesn't sound appealing to me either. Therefore, even months before my son was born, I was fixed that I shall find disposable diapers that will suit my son perfectly.

I bought a couple of diapers brands ranging in all sorts of prices in the beginning to see which I liked most. But, the very first diaper my son's buttocks came in contact with were MamyPoko ExtraDry(s). My hospital just happened to provide these but immediately, I liked how they stayed dry for a long period and as a Disney fan, of course I enjoyed the Mickey Mouse prints as well (LOL.. well presentation is important!) ... Little D then came home, and I began experimenting with the other diapers I bought earlier, and I still liked MamyPoko Extra Dry the most. The sizing was perfect for my not-so-big baby, they didn't inflate much, and being reasonably priced was an added bonus. Fast forward one and half year later, Denzel is still a MamyPoko baby ! Only now, he has transitioned into the MamyPoko Pants Extra Dry as fastening tapes is becoming a chore for an active toddler. With a soft elastic waistband, my son's tummy is never irritated. In fact, he enjoys slipping his legs through the "pants".

SMART !

I am quite sure many dslr owners can relate to my story I'm about to share today. Remember that moment you've just bought your dslr? No matter how heavy it was, or how little space left you have in your purse, or even how those 'journalist-screaming' camera bags were... You'd do whatever it takes to bring that dslr so that you can take the perfect picture.

Fast forward some time later.. Where you might or might not have bought top notch lens that makes the camera a hell lot heavier... Suddenly, carrying your slr becomes a burden & you start to look for great cameras with a weight that won't make you look like hunchback of notredame in the long run. Today, meet my new buddy : the Samsung NX 2000. A "mini" dslr in which its' white body had me fall in love the moment I unboxed it (and for the girly girls, you'd be happy to hear that it also comes in pink!). Dead easy to use, transfers to my smartphone in just less than second with the Samsung Smart Camera App or even shoot & have all pictures directly transferred to my phone/tablet with it's Autoshare feature. All this just over a wifi connection.

PÊCHE

During the rain and flood season a couple weeks ago, not only was I able to focus on my photo editing, I also managed to smidge in some web shopping. Everyone who knows me well knows that I shop online more than I do offline.. And it doesn't get better when webstores like DO NOT BREAK even allow their customers to try the clothes they are interested in buying at the comfort of their own houses (info here)! At the time, I was not sure of which size to get for this pretty peach skirt. So I asked for two sizes that I could try at home, keep the well fitted one, and return the other size. easy peasy just like that...

Of course, I didn't just add the skirt into the virtual shopping basket. Since DO NOT BREAK carries a variety of styles, I also 'grabbed' the creme blouse and red pouch to complete the look.

CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S WITH COACH

The beginning of the year is always loaded with a bunch of holidays and celebrations! We got over Christmas and New Years. We have the Chinese New Year in about a week, and Valentines Day is right up next! This Valentine's Day, Coach is offering a selection of chic and stylish gifts perfect for every Valentine on your list. Say I love you with Coach's Legacy collection, full of bold and brilliant colors and guaranteed to make your loved ones' (... or your own) heart flutter.

PURE WHITE

You know how those personality tests can be so interesting? Especially when they're quick to do and the results usually match your personality? Well, one way to determine a person's personality is by colors. I happen to have just taken the personality test from www.FIMELAgirl.com called What's Your Color ID? I guess you can tell that I fell into the white category from the photos below :P

To find out what #ColorID suits you most, you can also participate in www.FIMELAgirl.com 's FUN QUIZ. In which you can also WIN THE NEW BlackBerry Curve 9320 in the colors that suit your own personality. Read more for instructions.

LET'S TALK STYLE

It may sound surprising to you, but I admit that 90% of my closest friends aren't as crazy over fashion as I am. In fact, I'm usually the go to person for some q&a session and I myself don't have many people to rely for advice. Not that I ask others' opinions much.. but there ARE times when you need to trust your friends when you don't trust your gut. And since I don't have friends to rely on, this is where Go Try It On comes in handy.

BLOG BIRTHDAY: $100 MODCLOTH GIVEAWAY

My blog hasn't quite turned three yet (it will on Tuesday!) but since no birthdays are complete with gifts, I thought that I'd throw this lovely giveaway (sponsored by FashionSpace, a place where you can create "looks" from emerging designers and merchants such as Shopbop, Modcloth, etc. and get commission when people click!) for today..

ONE WINNER WILL WIN a $100 MODCLOTH.COM VOUCHER

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY1. LIKE my page on Facebook
OR follow my blog on Bloglovin (if you don't have facebook)

2. Create an account on FashionSpace and follow the directions on screen to create your own look (click for more tutorial) based on the theme : "WHAT I'D WEAR THIS FALL/WINTER"

I am fully aware that's a very broad theme but the thing is that there are different people with different likes out there. and I don't want you guys to be stuck with a trend/theme you don't like. I believe that your Looks should be personal ;) you can pretty much create a set of look on anything you like (personal style, streestyle, runway, red carpet look, anything else you can think of) as long as it fits the FALL WINTER theme.

3. Copy the link of your look, and paste it on the comments below with your email

I will be picking my favorite look from the entries for the winner of this giveaway!
Contest is open until August 19 2012 and is valid INTERNATIONALLY!

and if you're wondering.. here is an example that I've made on FashionSpace combining feminine fabrics such as tweed and lace with sturdier pieces (boots and military coat). I uploaded a streetstyle photo to put in a dash of inspiration

BLOGLOVIN   ||   TWITTER   ||   FACEBOOK   ||   FASHIOLISTA

CRYSTAL DREAMS

I love sparkles. Let it be diamonds (duh...), glitter, or just some faux gemstones. But more precisely, I like sparkly things when they are used appropriately. I remember when Swarovski encrusted accessories started to take a storm awhile back but I wasn't convinced to get one because I thought that they all looked tacky especially when the gems are poorly designed..
When I found out about Cubic Bling, I fell in love with their Swarovski loaded pieces. From cellphone cases, fashion accessories and even earphone buds.. they were all simple, elegant, and yet still statement making. They were also open to new customization ideas. And that... Is how I came up with the idea of bedazzling my bow flats.

VOBEE

One of my favorite trends this season is the idea of combining neutrals with blinding hues. I thought that this is much of a better way of wearing colors as opposed to the 'thrown in 4 shades at once' trend from last year. Some time ago, I discovered an Indonesian brand called Vobee. Founded in mid 2011, I find that Vobee has done a great job of compiling a collection that's fashion forward yet timeless (.. and wallet friendly) at the same time. From flattering teal shift dresses to neutral boxy jackets, everyone can attempt to wear color(s) from the pieces in Vobee's collection. In my case, I opted for a bright red and yellow piece but kept the rest of the outfit within the neutral zone to keep the color blocking to a minimum.

TIMEKEEPERS

after the ring party, necklace party, arm party... now comes the watch party! Majority of the people in this world will think that you're nuts when you have two watches on one arm (especially when like me, both of the watches aren't set to the correct time). but hey, fashion does not always equal to function.

BAG REVEALED

In another click and a couple for scrolls, the content of this bag will be revealed specially to my readers. I don't usually like people rummaging through my sack; one because it's always messy (stray smelly cash and receipts), two because I don't like it when they have reached my notebook/agenda. But due to the amount of emails & questions I get, I guess it's better to dedicated today's post to it. a big bag is essential for me. the clutches that I post on the blog? well, they're just my 'lunch time' bag when i don't need to bring my life (..literally) with me..

GETTING PERSONAL

It’s funny how trends recycle every now and then. Ten years ago, I remembered that I picked up a DIY book on making friendship bracelets. The idea of friendship bracelets was totally uncommon in Indonesia FYI. My family and friends thought wearing bracelets made out of cotton string was simply weird. To me however, those bracelets had a personal meaning.
Fast forward today, my best friend told me about Pandora, a jewelry brand from Denmark. What appealed most about Pandora was how personal each and every product is to the owner. Wait… you might be asking how can ready stock jewelry pieces be personal? Well, that lies in every customer’s customization process.

ANGELINA & MAGNUM

It's been almost a year since the time I went to Paris and all in 2010. I make regular clean ups of my computer hard drive once in a while and I encountered my photos from that vacation the other day. I flicked through it while I refreshed those fabulous memories. From the night I sat on the plane to London to the afternoon I stressed upon GPS breakdown in Milan and even until the day that car transported me to the international airport, every memory was pretty darn fresh in my head. Best trip of my life I can say. I can't help but miss my Jardin Tuilleries hotel room view and Angelina's chocolat chaud every morning... and the fact that my hotel was only a couple steps from Colette & other boutiques at Rue Saint-Honoré...

FULLY WHITE

28 March 2010 marks the date I got my first dslr camera. From that day, I discovered a relationship with cameras that I never thought I could have. As a blogger, my camera(s) have become a part of my daily life, carting them pretty much wherever my feet takes me. You all know how generic camera bags are ugly (sorry, can't find a better word than that!). My only solution to keep those ugly totes at bay is to stash my DSLR in my giant bag or simply place the strap over my shoulders, in which both methods are prone to bumps and collision.
For two years I've searched stylish alternatives for my DSLR and a couple weeks ago, Kipling Indonesia notified me that Style Scrapbook's Camera Bags are finally coming to Jakarta. I'm glad that my EOS is finally getting a better 'moveable home'..

WHEN WORDS LEAVE OFF, MUSIC BEGINS

Music : something that I rarely (or even never?) discuss in Glisters and Blisters and in real life. It's not that I don't enjoy a good tune or two but these days I just can't find a good song that I can listen to forever. Spinning through my iPod wheel, most songs you'll see in there are either original oldies tracks or newly improvised jazz versions of those old tracks.

This changed a bit after I first heard an Indonesian song, Serba Salah (wrong in every way). It's not everyday that I find a new Indo song I love. But this time, I was pretty hooked. For this past 3 weeks, I'd listen to Raisa's song at least once a day through various radio stations. But, like I always do, I never bothered googling or asking anyone what the title nor who sang it. Well, this week I found out. It was Raisa Andriana.

WHITE SUIT

the black blazer and black pants have been my favorite combination for long.. and now, it's time to switch the head-to-toe white version. I lost my camera remote, these were the photos shot with the remote before it disappeared. I have to buy a new one if I want to keep on blogging my outfit photos..

folding blazers over my arms have become my favorite way or "wearing" jackets

FLOWER NUMBER

after coming across this Céline flower number, I think I've rediscovered my childhood love for floral prints. I remember wearing those tiny floaty dresses with white stockings and bright colored shoes whenever there was some party to go to. Fast forward till today, Walk in Closet showed me some of their new collection and I immediately fell for this top. Floral prints do have a tendency of being marked as a "summer" piece. But, I personally think that they can make great transitional and even winter pieces with the right styling. I was getting bored of my usual blazer, so I dug out my closet for this lightweight trench coat. Trench coats in Jakarta? Well, it's probably not the most practical thing to wear but that day I knew that I was going to be inside air-conditioned rooms anyway. So yeah...

SWEET DREAMS

I am often questioned "what do you think of the growth of fashion in Indonesia?" during interviews and my answers have always been something like "yes.. [insert some shallow justification here]". I've never really given much thought to the question until just last night. Yes, market and business-wise, fashion is quite at its peak at the moment. The easiest way to justify that would be the growing number of online retailers. From Facebook sellers, blogshops, and even to webstores, sometimes I feel that I may not need to get up from my couch to get what I want (even my contact lens solution is bought from an online retail). One of my latest online discoveries was Dream Shop. Specializing in casual wear, Dream Shop carries a selection of tops, dresses, and bottoms for girls who have that feminine and sweet vibe. I personally choose some floral pieces for another print-mix look..

REWINDING : JAPAN

As always, I had trouble sleeping last night and I suddenly had flashbacks of my trip to Japan in 2003.. So I thought, better write than just sit in bed for doing nothing. My obsession with the Japanese culture takes me back to those days where I was an anime freak. Yes, me an anime freak. All thanks to Doraemon, that magic blue cat who seemed to have every imaginable gadget to save Nobita's life. Then I had a period where I was into Cardcaptor Sakura.. then eventually moving into the gothic lolita Harajuku girls.. and so on.. I find the Japanese very unique. They are one of a kind. I like how they maintain their traditions while being open to modernism at the same time.

me, circa 2003. i cant believe that im wearing a hat that's identical to the 3 strangers in the background...

MINUS SEVEN

For about 80% of my friends, a party or dinner invitation means a great excuse to dress up, head to the hair salon, and to get some pretty makeup on. As for me, I was a part of the 80% number. But now? I've turned into a lazy arse when it comes to curling irons and eyeshadow palettes. If you read Garance Dore's "10 Degres de Sophistication", my level has dropped from an 8 or 9 into a 5 (minus the messy bun part as my hair is pretty easy to tame without much labor anyway) for the weekends. and if I got nothing important to do, I would drop to a level 4. These photos represent that "level 4 weekend", as I like to call it now. No makeup, a breezy tank dress, and a pair of sunglasses to hide under... oh, and the hat would be a nice add-on if I lived somewhere outside indonesia (with the exception of bali..)