(This is an obligatory 2009 Starbucks Planner post.)

Have you got your SB planner yet? Got mine about a week ago, and currently halfway through the second sticker card.

I’m not crazy about this year’s planners, I actually don’t dig the calendar’s experimental vertical format. But since about 5 or 6 years ago, collecting Starbucks stickers has become something like putting up Christmas trees in December. It’s irresistible, it’s tradition, it’s something you just have to do because hey, you go to Starbucks like, everyday, anyway.

Now what I’m really crazy about is Toffee Nut Latte. Ahh. Just saying its name out loud makes me crave. Up to now I still don’t understand why it’s available only during the Holidays. Then again, it’s a reason (one of the many) for me to look forward to this time of the year.

So forget all my sad thoughts about Christmas, there are just a lot of reasons to celebrate, and to be happy, and to be filled with hope whenever this time of the year comes by. (That’s a schizo moment right there, I’m preaching to myself, don’t mind me.)

I think I’m ready to face December now.

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. ;)

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.

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? :)

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. :)

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

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. :)

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):

“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):

“(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 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:

by Lilacmoon

by Toni

by Lyptonvillage

by Dreamincolour

by Lilylove

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.

DAY THIRTY. One last, before I call it a day, for closure’s sake. :)

There was a time in my life when I preferred separating images from words. I didn’t like putting images in my blogs and would rather keep them in one place (like, in flickr or multiply), something akin to how Sam (character played by Sean Pen in the movie I Am Sam) wanted the lima beans on his plate separated from the corn because he didn’t like seeing green and yellow together. I never really got around to understanding my autistic tendencies, ugh, but I’m just glad I’m over that stage.

Now, I feel like there’s something wrong if I blogged something without a photo in it. I love the idea of combining these two powerful art forms together to convey a message. (Someday, my message, and my art, will have more depth, just you wait!)

I thought it was nice to look back to the past month through these photographs. I mean, come on, who’s crazy enough to look back by reading through all 33 posts from that day up to now? I’m just so glad there are photos to look back to — after all, they speak in a way that no words can do (and in less amount of time as well).

So.. I think that’s it. My 30 awesome days, over and done with. I know it’s a cheesy thing to say, but to be honest, this past month has really changed me in more ways than one (uhm) six.

What’s up for me after this? Well, for one, I will continue blogging. Maybe you’ll see my pessimistic self resurfacing once again now that I’m not obligated to write about life’s awesomeness anymore, lol. And then I’d rant about my failures again (yay, I can’t wait, lol). But at least now I know better than to hit publish without realizing the silverlinings first. If only for that simple reminder — to see beauty and joy in the most everyday of places, and in the most random of things — I think the past 30 days was worth it, indeed.

Thank you, one and all, for keeping up with me.

Stay awesome. :)

Xoxo, Riz

30 Days of Awesome, 30/30.

..but I have to choose just one, and it’s difficult choosing when you want ALL OF THEM!

DAY TWENTYSIX. Although it may look like I’m starting to get lenient about my 30-day challenge and posting late, I’m as determined as ever to reach finish line. The delays you’re seeing is mostly me, stalling, because for some reason I don’t want this 30 days to end. Ugh. Senti much? More thoughts on this later.

Meanwhile, remember when I won a print from one of Simply Hues‘ contests? I’ve been exchanging Etsy convos with Chelsea Lee, the photographer who’s sending me my *ehem* prize, and here are some of her photographs that I would’ve picked if I’m not limited to just one.

Guess which one I picked? :)

Check out Chelsea’s blog and etsy store!

On another note, I’m going to announce who won the Camera Charm Earrings later today! I’ll try my best not to post the results past midnight as per usual, promise! Watch out for it tonight, 9:00PM! :)

30 Days of Awesome, 26/30.