Month: September 2009

Playing with Florals, Pinks and Plums

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I bought a body form for TheDreamerie last month coz I initially thought I was doing this whole online boutique thing solo and without a resident model to work with. But now that I’m working with a partner, we both agreed to use real people as models in our product shoots.

I’m sure I’ll still have a use for this mannequin in the future. But for now, I play dress up in my spare time, much like playing with a life-size doll. Hence the mannequin’s name, Barbie. (Yes, I name stuff, deal with it.)

Here’s my own live version of Polyvore. ;)

Pink Plums and Florals

I abhorred purple my whole life (because it reminds me of Barney), until recently. I’d like to think of it as Xaris‘ crazy addiction with anything purple rubbing on me. Now, I’m crazy about the color too! Not all hues of purple though. I don’t like flashy neon purples. Instead I like the deep shade of plum. (And you know how much I like it with blue.)

Today I put on Barbie these girly colors of pink and plum, balanced out with some yellow gold, bronze and brown.

Playing with Pinks and Plums

Rose Watch Locket from Stoic

Pink Plum and Brown Zara Muffler/Scarf

Leather Belt from Terra Nova

Purple Bag from Folded and Hung

Pink Floral Skirt

Knitted muffler from Zara; Brown leather belt from Petit Monde; Purple faux leather purse from Fold and Hung; Floral printed skirt from *ehem* TheDreamerie *ehem*, thrifted

I’m addicted to skirts that are worn as tube dresses.

Also, I’m addicted to skirts and dresses with pretty patterns and fabrics, that even though I don’t like the cut, or it’s too long for my liking, I’d still get it off the rack because I can’t stand turning my back on something so pretty. (Is there some cure to this form of obsession?)

Other than the lovely fabric, there are a lot of things you can do with this skirt so I thought it was worth stocking it up in the shop. It’s garterized and has draw strings, which makes it wearable as a tube dress, or a skirt that falls up to mid-calf, or a high-waisted skirt. And you can just imagine the many colors you can mix and match with this skirt’s pretty floral print!

It reminds me of Reese Witherspoon when she was Melanie Smooter in Sweet Home Alabama. She went back to her home town wearing a black-and-white floral printed mid-calf skirt, a plain black off-shoulder top, and black pointed knee high leather boots. Ahh, I totally digged the Southern look.

How about you? What’s your latest obsession? :)

If I knew her before, I would have named that rose-patterned top ‘Feanne’

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The other day, Feanne posted this lovely photo of herself wearing this vintage rose-pattered long-sleeved top she purchased from the first collection of dresses in the shop. :)

By Feanne

Later on, I found an outtake in her tumblr account:

By Feanne

Isn’t she pretty? :)

Pay her a visit, you won’t regret it, she’s a brilliant artist: Site | Tumblr | Deviantart

It has been a blast since TheDreamerie was launched three weeks ago. I admit that venturing into something that would generate extra income was among the major reasons why the idea of putting up an online store came to fruition (not to mention finding an outlet for my unavoidable impulsive shopping sprees, but that goes without saying). However, I realized as I went about finding clothes and dresses to put up in the shop that the real profit in this business, more than the money, is meeting new people and finding items that would inspire others to express themselves through their clothing.

Is it so weird that I’ve developed a certain attachment to the clothes we put up in the shop? Ahhh, especially after naming them as if they’re our children! Conversations like, “Have you sent out Fiona to Liz already?” or “This dress looks like Seraphim to me.” or “Yay, someone is getting Janice!” are normal everyday YM exchange between me and Marian, as if we talk about real people and not clothes. I guess what I’m trying to say is, more than the thrill of shopping and being surrounded by pretty vintage clothes, I’ve grown to love the idea of finding these dresses someone to take care of them.

Such is how I felt when I saw Feanne’s self portraits. It made my heart swell with joy knowing that this rose-patterned long-sleeved top, which used to be hanging in some unnoticed rack in the corner of a thrift store in some old building in the city, which I later named “Old Rose”, is now in good hands.

I thought seeing these photos was the sweetest thing that happened that day.

Thanks, Feanne. If I knew you before, I would’ve named that vintage top after you. :)

* * *

Meanwhile, we recently launched our Third Collection over at TheDreamerie.Com. Do drop by, you might find something you like. :)

Hi, How Are You?

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It’s the end of the week again, and I’m sure at this time on a Saturday morning, you’re still curled up in bed catching up on sleep. Enjoy it, you deserve it! :) Me? Well, I don’t (deserve it). Because I’ve been oversleeping the whole week, and now, I have to force myself to be up early in hopes of correcting my body clock again (one has to keep trying, you know).

I’ve been doing night shift the whole week, starting my day really late and sleeping at past 5AM the next day. Not that I’m required to, but my days have become twisted and I just couldn’t get any work done when it’s too.. (uh) bright. (What a lame.) I really have to stop being like this. The effects are manifesting physically already, I seem to be so sickly lately.

Today, Sept 12

OAN, I suddenly miss being forced to blog and take photos everyday! Hence this photograph I took 5 minutes ago, and this post. That’s how my desk looks like right now. I can’t remember when I moved those fake flowers from the coffee table to my desk, but I do remember liking the view of something — anything — pretty in a pile of mess while I work. That red giant button is actually my handy dandy sewing kit, I used it the other day to fix some items for the shop. And then there’s a roll of paper twine, some pearl and beaded necklaces, 5 peso coins, rechargable batteries, and my cup of coffee that’s already cold.

But enough about me and my boring desk and my boring Saturday morning.

Three of my friends have been doing the 30-day blog challenge and I’ve been following them closely, excited to see where their journeys will take them:

Reah‘s 30 days is almost over. Hers is a collection of musings of a 26-year old wife and expecting Mom. I’m glad there are people like her who share their story. And then the rest of us can get a glimpse of how it‘s like. ;)

I just love getting to know Tina more with her 30 days that is composed of just about anything that makes her Tina. I love the idea of finding one of those Switchfoot CDs she hid in random places. I’m tempted to go to Eastwood and look where the Starbucks bearistas are. It reminds me of what R thought of doing 3 years ago, leaving simple art pieces in random places for strangers to find. I’m inspired to do something similar. :)

Lastly, Lovelle’s 30 Day Love Challenge is just the perfect theme for her. She ends her posts with little challenges like, “Give a chocolate bar to your boss who you really dislike,” or “Give your mom a break this weekend, do the laundry,” — simple stuff you can do to spread teh luv. It’s brilliant, I love it. :) I did the laundry “challenge” yesterday, only for me, it involved putting the dirty laundry in a bag and carrying it over to the laundry shop and paying extra so they would deliver it back. Err, does that count?

Carry on, ladies. Keep us inspired. :)

Meanwhile, it’s drizzling again in this side of the world. Why isn’t the weather cooperating just when you’ve made a decision to be productive? Okay, scratch that. I’m going to get some work done, by hook or by crook. c”,)

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Wedding Invitations that Tell a Story

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My friend Olivia and I were just talking over YM about how frequent we’ve been receiving wedding invitations from friends these days, and how many people our age are, at this point, settling down and starting their own families  — another obvious indication that we, indeed, are coming of age.

While I don’t have any plans of tying the knot just yet (and this post has got nothing to do with getting married), I admit that I like browsing through wedding blogs lately because let’s face it, weddings (excluding all the marital shenanigans that come after the wedding) — the color motifs, the photographs, the flowers, laces, and ribbons, the diamonds, the giveaways, the letterpress-ed invitations — are just so pleasurable to look at.

Check out these two unique wedding invitations that caught my attention while weddingblog-hopping. Promise me you’ll read ALL OF IT.

Hannah and Lee’s Save-the-Date (Source: A Day in May):

Hannah Lee Save the Date

“Confused, she opens it to read, ‘Will You Marry Me?’. Lee is on one knee. She says yes.”

And Jill and Matt’s Wedding Invite (Source: Share Some Candy):

Matt and Jill

“(Dinner and dancing and eternity to follow)”

I’m really digging the vintage-inspired wedding effect (okay, okay, I’m digging vintage, period). I find letterpressed invitations with layouts that look like they’re from some advertisement from the 70s so chic and classy. But vintage aside, I like wedding invitations that tell a story. There’s got to be more to a wedding invite than date, time, venue, map, and seat numbers, right?

Lastly, I’m not saying go and be inspired to get married. I’m saying, go and be inspired to do something out of ordinary. ;)

I’m in Desperate Need of Polaroid Film

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I thought it’s not enough that I twitted and posted a Facebook status message about my quest for Polaroid sheets in this third world country, so now I blog about it too. Again. Because I still can’t find Polaroid sheets for my One 600 (ever since I got it 4 months ago), and now that I have acquired a new toy — a Polaroid Spectra 1200FF which I won from an ebay auction, woot! — I’m even more desperate to find both Polaroid 600 and Polaroid Spectra packs.

Where in the Philippines can you get these stuff anyway? I heard there are stores in Hidalgo, Quaipo that sell them, I still have yet to check that. (But I also heard that finding polaroid film packs in Quiapo is unlikely, so yeah, I don’t know what to believe anymore).

In the meantime, I torture myself some more by browsing through pages after pages of Flickr photos such as these:

polaroid-lilacmoon

by Lilacmoon

Polaroid | Doyoumissmetoo

by Toni

polaroid-roidrage

by Lyptonvillage

Polaroid | Dreamincolour

by Dreamincolour

Polaroid | Lilylove

by Lilylove

Polaroid | Susannah

by Susannah Conway

Why issit raining Polaroids everywhere in the world BUT the Philippines? Is it wrong to sometimes wish I live in a different country because of this?? Haaaay.

The First Impulse is Always One of Love; Tribute to Alexis Tioseco & Nika Bohinc

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Alexis Tioseco passed on, but these very words he wrote that was published on the pages of Rogue Magazine is eternal.

In Memory of Alexis Tioseco and Nica Bohinc

I was not aware of film critic Alexis Tioseco’s existence—I’ve never really been one to appreciate indie or art films, much more the Philippine Cinema, sorry Alexis—until yesterday, when I received this text from Marian:

My friend, film critic Alexis Tioseco and his Slovenian girlfriend, Nika [Bohinc], were robbed and shot yday night in their house in QC. Please pray for comfort for family and friends they left behind.  They are a lovely couple and among the nicest people I know.

It was sad, I thought upon receiving the text, knowing how it’s like to lose someone you love, how much more to lose someone over such a tragic fate. But you see, my real “attachment” to Alexis and Nika started about 30 minutes ago, when I read this article written by Alexis himself sometime last year.

So that was their story, I thought after reading Alexis’ love letter. Brought together by their love for film (Nika was also a film critic in Slovenia), Alexis and Nika shared a love story that was not bound by cultural differences, nor the distance between Manila and Slovenia.

Truth is, they could be anywhere in the world living a comfortable life together, but Alexis chose to stay in the Philippines because of his love for Philippine Cinema, and Nika, having understood this form of love, agreed to move here as well.

“The first impulse is always one of love,” Alexis said. Those words, along with this beautifully written love letter, were enough for me to know what kind of life Alexis (and Nika) lived.

My dear Nika,

If there has been a single cause of strain that has stuck out in our relationship it is this: the idea of my attachment to the Philippines, the strong desire you see that I have to live and work here, and the way that, perhaps, you see this as a matter of misappropriate priorities. Does a place mean more than a person? Does my work in the Philippines mean more than the possibility of a life with you, somewhere, anywhere else? Must it be you that moves, makes the (I know you hate the word, but let us use it) sacrifice of moving? And what, if anything, does that say about us—that the scales of our love weigh more heavily on your chalice?

I know you’ve come to terms with the idea of moving here, hopefully next year, we discuss—but I still feel the need to talk a bit more about some of my reasons for wanting to stay, at the very least for the meantime. I’m not attempting to compare my affection for Manila with yours for Slovenia, but only to explain the thoughts that go through my head, the things I feel I must do, things that, perhaps, we can do together.

Yours,
Alexis

It has always amazed me how a piece of article or letter  you wrote years ago, or a sentence you unknowingly said, or a photograph you randomly took, can speak not only a thousand words but anecdotes that people would talk about and draw inspiration from for years to come, even after you’re gone. Such is this love letter written by Alexis.

What happened to Alexis and Nika—their life, their written work, their passion for the film industry—is a reminder for all of us to stay true to our word, to love unceasingly, and to live each day as if it’s the last.

“The first impulse is always one of love.”

Thanks Alexis and Nika, for living up to those very words. May you both rest in peace.

Edit. 

Other blog tributes to Alexis and Nika:

*Alexis used to blog at http://alexistioseco.wordpress.com.