Meet The Frugal Frox Lady

Meet Xiomara.

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

photocredit: Tabitha Vu

Sense of Sight : Photography Exhibition

Last month, I got a call from a friend asking me if I do modeling job. Are you kidding me?? I thought it he was just making a funny hi-hello-kumusta intro and maybe just looking for a design-related help. Apparently he was serious: He was looking for a 16-year old female for his photography project. This has got to be a joke.

Of course I couldn't say yes. I mean I would put shame to his project if I would look my age and the fact that I was lying about my age might get me into trouble!

I soon found out that this is going to be for an exhibition/competition for Moorfields Eye Hospital Dubai and Dubai Community Theatre and Arts Centre (DUCTAC) to support and creatively challenge local artistic talent and to promote the importance of regular eye screening.

Pretty cool eh? SENSE OF SIGHT as it is called.

3 - 24 February 2010

And so Kahlil gave me his vision:

"To go about this, I'd have a loose narrative about a woman in her thirties who creates a photo album about her older sister's life spanning 20 years. To create these pictures in her mind, she will have to rely on her memories about her sister and how the world looked like when she was still able to see. In effect, the sister will have grown up from teenager to adult without looking any older than how the woman remembers her. Also, the world will become more and more colorful as the years pass on as the woman's memories fail her and her imagination fill in the gaps."

With that idea, I just had to do it. It was clever and I can imagine the creativity unfolding. Besides, I then realized, it wasn't really about me being 16 years old and deceiving the viewers - it was me being part of something unique and exciting.

The session was easy. Well you know, I didn't wear any makeup and my hair's not in it's proper manners - so it looks like I'm very raw. We finished shooting within two saturdays and I sure hope I pulled it altogether. I hope the photographer, one of my most admired shutterbugs, did not regret in taking me. It was all fun and all good having friends come over our home.

Lastly, I hope he wins! Go Kahlil!

Fyns & Bevlee

I am so enviously happy to see this photo! My two loveliest bestfriends hang out for a day and I'm missing them terribly. I acted as their common friend who realizes the wind faerie Bevlee and the best-buddy-since-high-school Fyns (publicly known as Jhoe or Ruki by bevlee) have more than one passion in common and they're both hyper souls. By that, I know they'd be super friends. Who says only opposites attract?

Fyns and Bevlee find themselves building friendship through Paw Love, bicycle love, travel logs, photography and me (You guys talked about how you missed me right??). And I can only wait to spend sunny days with them. Love you ninyo!

iplay with paper

papersandtschai handmade journals

CIS Annual Christmas Bazaar

at Marco Polo Hotel

November 28 - 30, 2009

BOOTH #71

S O R E

Lucille Umali's first solo exhibit.

Read details here.

baby belly doodles

Stylefaerie salutes to the act of love-styling your baby belly.

Way to go Matits & Nicolo! All the best for mom and baby on labor day :)

stylefaerie interview: LUCILLE UMALI

what is style to you in terms of fashion statements?
For me, it is your way of showing what you are, you're creativeness, your signature you!

does your mood affect your styling?
YES. like how the economy affects our everyday living(eherrm), my styling would wholly depend on my mood. Haaay girls...

describe your everyday getup - say, going to the office?
First of all, I never go out in the house without makeup on or at least a defined eyes. Like I said, everything would depend on my mood but one thing is for sure, I never go to the office or anywhere with just a plain shirt and pants. Sometimes I go to the office as if im on my way to a party or a photo shoot or a costume party! Hahahahaha

do you believe in trends? do you create or follow one?
Yeah sure! It's important to be aware of what's the latest in fashion or anything for that matter. Yes i am a follower but I make sure to put the signature me in whatever trend i follow.

and what's your kind of signature?
Hmmmm... I'm not sure, I should really ask the people who always see me in my daily grinds. But I'd like to think that I have this sexy spunk signature. Hehehe

which of you is your favourite - curly or straight? your hair i mean.

I loooooooooove my curly hair! I miss it so much! but the two hairstyles represented the different eras in my life. Hahaha. I just cannot linger forever in one style, we all have to update our look and take it to another level. I'm livin' my new hair now.

do you think styling should be more than less?
more on creativeness and common sense, less on dumb choices of ensemble.

where do you shop?
I'm a pretapersonal - ukay adik! I am always drawn to that relief good smell, kung asa ang ukay, I'm there!

i find your wardrobe colorful - is that seasonal?
My wardrobe is extremely colorful! and it's never seasonal.

do you have style influences?
Japanese fashion is... impeccable! and I get easily influenced with anything or anybody, even the strangers I see on the streets or malls.

name one item that's a no-no.
White shoes if you're putot or you just simply cannot carry it with style.

how do you find yourself dressing up 20 years from now?
Still FABULOUS!!!

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find more of her bright musings here.

lucille on graffiti and lucille with shades : photography by jude crisostomo

styling: bevlee goes to a wedding party

My friend Bevlee asked me to help her out in accessorizing her Promod turquoise aqua dress for a beach wedding party. I made two sets that you can go with where surprisingly both of them got no necklaces. I don't know, but I think the dress doesn't call for one. But of course I would rather advise you go for something uniquely your style bevlee like a headband and peacock feather earrings!

She wanted to wear white sandals. Perfect. So I went out to look for a white bangle with aqua studs in it. You can also add one more bangle if you want. The leafy earings are lovely. It goes well with a summer hat too - so beachy.

styling: bevlee 1 by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring Juicy Couture accessories

The second set of accessories are brighter and sunnier to balance out the cool wave of the dress. Still, loving the bangles with hints of both warm and cool tones. Gold or bronze sandals can go perfectly well too.

styling: bevlee 2 by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring 1928 jewelry

Hope you're enjoying this bevlee!

Hey if any of you guys want an opinion to whatever fashion problem you're having - like what my friend's having, I can help you! Just email me and then I can do you a set at Polyvore. It will be fun!

stylefaerie interview: CHAD MANZO

is looking stylish important to you?
In terms of the current trend, not really. I believe style is something very personal. What makes you look good, makes you feel good. To each his own poison.:)

do you have style influences?
The japanese. They're a race born with style.

what are your fave places to shop?
Favorite......hmmmm....internet, thrift shops, ukay2, basically anywhere I can get my hands on things i like to own.:)

what's the story of your tattoos?
My flies stand for nothing. They dont have a meaning or whatever, I just figured it would look good on me, so I got it. The ones on my arms symbolize the equated value between hardwork and successs.

do you think anyone can have tattoos?
It's anyone's guess I think. Some people look good with it, and some just dont. Depending on what the tatto design probably, but like I said, it's anyones guess. If they feel good having it, why not?

are you a trend maker or a follower? or does trend mean anything at all?
I do not feel i belong to both. Hahahaha. I just do not like looking like everybody else. I do not believe in trends, in terms of fashion and I do not like to follow or be followed. I think a trend is just there to represent the current generation. It's a fact of life, merely a rite of passage to young people. The necessity to belong gives birth to trends.

do people like what your wearing?
Hahahahaha. That i do not know for sure, but I do receive compliments from friends and I am thankful for that.:)

what's your favourite accessory? why?
Shoes. I know they're not accessories, but they're in a league of their own. They either make you look barbaric, or they make you sophisticated. Shoes have a way of telling others what kind of person you are and make for good bragging rights to others. Hahaha!

do you prefer brands or no-name goodies?
Both. I guess it all depends on what type of item youre looking to buy. There are just some items that call for an investment. Like shoes, sure the fakes are easier to buy, but in the long run, you're sacrificing quality on something you will use on a daily basis.

everytime i see you, i caught you in a different wardrobe. Of all the shows, what was your favourite?
Most favorite? Whenever i am home. No one gives a f*ck about what youre wearing. Hahahaha.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Chad Manzo is a graphic artist by day and musician by night.

blast from the past!

My bestfriend had fun posting a set featuring her "look" while working at Bigfoot. We had great times then, of course that was when our friendship sparked. It was never dull working with her, we were a crazy duo, single and full of comic acts.

So I created a new set featuring my look way back in 2005. (Except that the sandals were red and the beaded bracelets were colorful)

Blast from the Bigfoot past by ✩GOViNDA✩ featuring American Eagle Outfitters

And this was the old Tingbats:

blast from the bigfoot past by tambolbee featuring J Crew

The Dreamy Details

Anybody who knows good sense of style knows that everything is in the details. And what could possibly come more exciting in choosing the right hints and tints for your wedding?

From choosing the dream wedding gown to making the wedding really about their love story, my friend Tisha, a detail-obsessed wedding planner herself, shares her wedding's dreamy details. Follow their story here.

I have also been a part of her dreamy details as I would like to think, when I accepted her offer to do her a doodled wedding album. These are some happy flower bits I did on my sketchpad...

And turned it into...

View more doodled wedding album here.

bike lovin'

My friend Bevlee and I were chatting about how lovely it was for our friend Ruki who had a bike for her pre-wedding pictorial theme. And so she showed me her dream bike:

Ohmygoodness. A Gucci Bicycle (that "only" costs $3,420) with bold red double GG leather. I mean seriously? Would you really buy that bike?? But she got away from buying her neighbor's bike instead. Now I think that's bolder. I bet it is a vintage beauty. I hope she can send me a photo of her bike with her dogs.

I later found out that this was part of The Gucci Limited Edition for the Olympics last year.

And so, I created a set pretending I had a bike. (Not that I want to ride one here in Dubai :P)

happy bike by govinda featuring Fendi bags

The Bike and The Bride-In-Green

The bike that says "just married" makes me all tingly-happy for the couple. It was the most humble, child-like-feel, sweetest wedding photograph I've seen. When you decide to get married, to others it felt like you are no longer free, but to most of us - who believe in marriages and love and the magic it brings to complete the you-ness of you - freedom it is! Freedom like riding your bike on a cool morning breeze.

She decides to wear green and her girlfriends to wear white. Why? She beamed, "why not!" And who would have thought that a bride in green looks just as perfect as the typical bride in white. I cannot wait to be with her church wedding next year. See you soon bestbuddy!

Check out the Bride, aka Josephine's story here.

photo credits: bike - Tet, bike with couple - Josephine Sicad-Minerva, couple in green - Bontic