fashionably dreaming in wonderland

I don't care if the story or plot or characters are predictable. I simply enjoyed it in yummy 3D nonetheless.

Besides being so delighted with all the wonders of the Underland and the madness of the creatures, I am most stunned with the on-the-spot haute couture that Alice wore. She changed outfits 5 times! Her fragile pale structure made it more appealing - not that I prefer skinny and pale - I just think she's the right character for it.

I empathize for the grown up Alice beause I dream in full color every night like a delusional maniac too. Having said that, yes, I remember every bit of details of each dream. Except that I can't see my dream people in real life - thank God! I talk to them, make them understand they're not real and that they are just in my dream which of course made them more confused and once it even made the "Dream Queen" so upset that she ordered unimaginable chaos because I wasn't suppose to tell them that truth. I had been their enemy for weeks! But as Alice says "It's only a dream. Nothing can hurt me."

I can also dare things when dreaming, make bolder acts even if it means death. I mostly do heroic stunts because I know that nothing can hurt me because it's my dream and I can control it and I can always choose to wake up. I used to have a dream journal but... Maybe I should start one again.

Meet The Frugal Frox Lady

Meet Xiomara.

Follow her unpredictable style, frugal outfits at frugalfrox.blogspot.com

photocredit: Tabitha Vu

wearing his t-shirt again

Husband's Levi's t-shirt (tied with a knot), my rolled-up Levi's jeans, ukay halter string polka dot top, New Look sandals, really really old heart buckle belt from GAW.

7 sets in 1 day.

Ok so I've made 7 sets in a row yesterday. Scary. It was a smooth-sailing shopping - all the great finds were showing up on my face and really all I can do is just make a story out of them.

Once upon a time, there were seven sisters getting all the pretty things in fashion. One day, the stylefaerie came to visit to play.

1. Sweet Grunge in July is heading off to a wedding. She is not afraid to mix the sweet and the edgy. Wearing her favourite boots on a pale blue vintage dress, she is the coolest bridesmaid I've seen.

sweet grunge in july by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Monsoon accessories

2. Dull and Happy is very dull indeed yet pulls off her getup quite so. She tells me she is most happy when she goes around town looking for old things - books, toys, handmade jewelry. Today she's meeting an old friend.

dull and happy by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Stella McCartney cardigans

3. Flaunt your love is going on a date. She talks a lot about how love can be very scary sometimes. She loves it when people stares at her, asks for her number, or offer her a ride home. She thinks she's the most beautiful among her sisters. She has the kindest heart. She wants to be a wife and a mother of 6.

flaunt your love! by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Balmain shoes

4. Nightingale beauty is a classic chick. She has a rare talent of hearing animals talk. This scares her and prays one day she can hear no more. She keeps this to herself.

nightingale beauty by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Zimmermann swimwear

5. Wonderland is the most playful. She doesn't like to get "squeezed" in by whatever and whoever. She's always laughing and moving and making silly faces, yet very mysterious. She always remembers her dreams and talks about it the minute she wakes up. Sometimes she writes them down on her journal.

wonderland by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Antik Batik shoes

6. Good Mourning lost her goldfish today and so is not in the mood for any adventure.

good mourning by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Miu Miu accessories

7. No Secrets is the youngest and my favourite of them all. She is free-spirited and light. She loves life in general and respects the planet. She wants to be a fairy when she dies.

no secrets by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Lanvin hats

And they all had great time and live happily ever after.

polka ❤ stripe

polka and stripe by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Miss Selfridge jackets

Got myself trying on new clothes in my me-time-playtime-at-polyvore. And it was so much fun combining the polka and stripe pattern!

Duct Tape Magic

Oh you are definitely going the wrong way if you put on some tape on your clothes and pretended that other's wouldn't take notice or think that it can rescue a wardrobe disaster that's about to unfold. I mean besides, whoever gets an idea that a duct tape can be fashionably necessary?

Jane Aldridge, a young (just turned 18!) beautiful girl who has a high sense of taste in fashion, dares that idea and does it perfectly. So perfect that the duct tape turned out to be the spotlight of the Martin Margiela blazer. That's what I call the duct tape magic!

How to wear husband's T-shirt

"I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?"

~ John Lennon

I can't resist it, I had to put on my husband's Mr. Lennon shirt. I love the print details and how easy it felt on my body. I just returned from home for my mama's-short-and-early-night-time-off feeling lucky. I would've not worn this oversized shirt in public if it isn't for the face.

So how do you wear your boyfriend's/husband's shirt? Wear it like it's yours! Pair it with tights, or skinny jeans, or shorts... even wrap it around with a belt. Black tights, brown boots and jacket are on with mine. Not bad at all.

I ran across Adeline tonight from her LOOKBOOK who rocks her oversized shirt in her black leggings and suede wedges. Beautiful.

I spotted two more shirts from my husband's closet. Haha you know what that means! :)

old for the new!

My first post for Twenty Ten. I love saying twenty-ten! It sounds promising. It feels right.

It was the craziest end-of-the-year adventure for our family. We've shifted to a new place - (bigger play, sleep, munching spaces for the boys) so that means we had a lot of packing and unpacking to do. Organizing: scissors, crayons, laundry basket, shoe racks... the list goes on! And since our new home is fully furnished, we had a hard time disposing or giving away our bed, couch, dining set even up to now. Anyone want an extra bed??

The outfit doesn't really say anything "new". But this is what I wore on new year's day - I just had to record it. This is my comfy facing-the-new-year getup - ready for the big mess, for my boys bedtime gitikanay, for welcoming twentyten simply. It's a style I'm going to wear throughout 2010: old for the new. 2009 had moments of big expectations yet accepting my worth in the end.

Details of my favorite old navy canvas shorts paired with 99 pesos top and a Bershka jacket.

wearing my heart out

I'm off to an illustration show!

the costume

After 3 mix and matches I finally settled for this one. But in reality, the H&M kids vest had to go as the husband commented "ayaw pag costume Tambol." He meant to take off the vest because I look like I'm about to ride a horse. It was actually kind of cute, for him to say it politely and honestly agree that I already look good without it.

Costumes are unnecessary for a happy family day.

why we love EISLEY.

I first heard of Eisley around 2003-ish through Erik. I was instantly hooked - from their website to their fashion statement and of course their music. "Golly Sandra" was sooo inviting and a happy song that it became my first Eisley favourite song. When I had my first son, at 4 months old on his first solid meal day, I played "Golly Sandra" and he was all smiles and mess. From then on, we never missed a day without singing their melodies. Believe me it's not an exageration, everyday is Eisley day.

At some days, the husband gets the guitar, looks up for the tabs on the net, and all three of us sing their songs while our 1yo claps in admiration. It's pretty awesome how my first son (now 3yo) can actually sing their songs by heart. Well what do you expect? He's been listening to their music since he was still a wormy inside my tummy!

Personally (well yes, husband included) and plainly speaking, I love them because (1) they don't sound like any other band I've heard - maybe because the sisters' pitch perfect voices made them uniquely...them. (2) I love their music because it's so melodic and the soundscape feels like diving into a deep forest with the faeries and all other forest creatures. Their mystery isn't scary-evil, but a magical-good one. (3) And the songwriting is aaaaahhhmazing.

Coldplay and Eisley together. I can only imagine. Sadly-funny though, you can't pair them with my husband's favourite band, Rammstein. That would be a disaster!

Before we die, we'd love to see Eisley play live. Maybe one day, when my boys get a bit older like in their teens. That would be a magical night for us. I wish for Eisley to last forever.

for the love of kutingtings

Necklace turned bracelet and floweryhearty necklace by Accessorize + a bangle-dangle gift all the way from Italy (Thanks Ma!). All for the love of kutingtings :)

oh oh boots!

One of the best things in being petite: you get to wear items in the teens or kids section thus making you pay less!

I was torn between the black suede rouched boot and the flat heeled brown boot of new look. The black one slipped perfectly on me. It was smooth and it felt very comfortable even with a little bit of heel. But I wasn't sure if it was really practical - you know having two boy huggers running around. So I fell inlove with that brown thing. So inlove that I just had to play dress up for 5 minutes.

other kiddie items include: GUESS kids shorts, Bossini jacket.

which one?

I'm doing two polyvore sets for the big opening. Can't choose which one. (Haha as if I can copy these sets totally in reality!)

exhibit opening outfit #2 by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Steven by Steve Madden sandals

exhibit opening outfit #1 by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Forever21 jewelry

classic minimal

My top 3 minimal look to drool for.

street fashion project

I wish I'm brave and quick enough to shoot people so I can serve you the street fashion in Dubai. I see so much going on here but everytime I see some potential, either I'm awestruck that I miss it before I can take out my camera or I'm having second thoughts in actually taking their picture. Argh. Any suggestions?

it's been a while

playdate with me by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Lucky Brand bags

flippyteeflop!

How crazy inlove are you with your flip flops? How long does it take for you to decide whether the getup goes fine in flippyteeflop (made that up!) or in a decent pair of sandals? Does the colour matter? How many have you got? If your toenails look aweful that day, would you care at all? How long will your pretty flip flops stay loyal to you? Did you buy it because of the label or because it just looks so yummy and it fits you perfectly?

I love my worn out Girls Gap flip flops :)

your safety is our priority

Fancy the halloween? My husband as a Security Guard 5 years ago. Tomorrow, my 3.3yo will have his first trick or treat in school as a Policeman. Maybe two years from now, the Baby Manghud can be a Military General! Oh yeah, mother feels so safe around her boys.

There were other options for him but they would never work. He can be a WWE Wrestler with my black tights and his black shoes wearing nothing on top, if only he'd wear the mask like Rey Mysterio and his Championship Belt. He can also be a ghost as my mom suggested but I just couldnt find a white cloth that could fit his entire body. Oh well, his costume turned out pretty cool for him anyway. I hope he enjoys his day tomorrow as a Policeman.

stylefaerie interview: XIOMARA'S GIRLS

Tell us about your girls.
My dolls are called Blythes. They’re highly collectible dolls that a company in Japan called CWC and Takara manufactures every month with different styles and themes.

What's your girls' signature style?
I really gravitate to the woodsy-woodland type look. I always imagine them to be mushroom gatherers rather than urbanite divas. I also like doing whimsy Tim Burton-ish type of clothing but I really have to smoke corset making.

I am most fascinated with your Twin Outfits project. Are they becoming you or you becoming them?Definitely not the latter. Haha! I have favorite outfits that I wish I could wear everyday so I copy them or get inspiration from them for Blythe dresses. The girls can then wear them till I get tired looking a the same ol’ outfit.

Do you prefer shopping or creating for their clothes?
A little bit of shopping but I want to try as much as I can to make them. It’s an artists’ pride thing. If there are clothes out there that I think I can’t make with my amateur seamstress hands and they really wow me over, I’d buy them as long as they’re not over $30. If they’re worth more than that then I try to inspire myself to make an outfit that would be worth more than my imposed Blythe wardrobe budget. I buy shoes though because I can’t make those. I actually have more Blythe shoes than dresses!

What's the biggest challenge in customizing their outfit?
For me everything looks good on a sketch because my sketches are pretty detailed but when the design is interpreted on fabric, it doesn’t look as stellar. I don’t know how I manage to do that every time. It gets debased as a finished product. Also, puff sleeves, I’ve been doing them forever and I still can’t perfect them!

Who's your favorite girl?

(don't worry, they won't be reading this blog)
Ooooh this is almost like a sacrilegious query. Haha. Let’s just say that the ones that were not my favorite were the ones I adopted out. If I was asked this question at gunpoint I would have to say my petrol haired Princess a la Mode Blythe. She just seems mermaidish to me, you know me and my fascination with scaly maidens...

I heard they're insanely expensive. How does your purse feel about that?
My purse or my husband? Hehe. They are somewhat pricey but it kind of helps to know that they have excellent resale value. I have a doll worth $ in the secondary market. It’s pretty much like owning jewelry, you own them for the prestige of owning something that has an excellent value. I am justifying. If I ever quit this Blythe mania, I can always sell them and not lose any money. Also, I make and sell dresses, I’ve bought girls with the money I make from my guerilla dress shop.

Do you plan to buy more dolls? Who's next in line?
I choose my girls according to hair color. The stock clothes come in second but not really a priority since stock clothes don’t stay on the girls for too long. I let go of a bright yellow haired Blythe to get the shocking pink haired one that I’ve always wanted. I want a blonde and a mossy green haired Blythe. Still waiting for CWC/Takara to come up with her.

So is it an addiction or a kind of lifestyle?
I would say it is more of an addiction than a lifestyle. My life doesn’t really revolve around my Blythes since I collect other things as well but Blythes fuel my creativity when I’m at home. With my other vintage toys, they’re just shelf denizens.

Lastly, why blythe dolls? and not barbie dolls or ball jointed dolls?
Blythes seems to have an ambiguity when it comes to age. Unlike Barbies or Momokos which look like adult women, Blythes can get away wearing childish frocks or lavish ballgowns. And then there’s that whole big head big eyes Japanime fascination that never seems to leave my psyche.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Xiomara has been a graphic artist since she was 4 years old.