secrets from a stylist.

so did you watch it? the season premier of secrets from a stylist. on hgtv. her name is emily henderson and i just love her style and eclecticism! i love the way she mixes different elements from several styles and eras. and she's not afraid to use bold patterns. checkout the wallpaper and rug on this:

this was actually one of the challenges she won on hgtv design star competetion. check her amazing portfolio on her blog. can't wait to see more of her!

blogging tip #1.

this is me testing the tripod for sophie and showing her some pose ahaha

how to make your own comment signature.

so i've had this blog for a year now. mostly just random posts. but beginning of his year, as part of my new years resolution, i wanted to be more active in the blogging world.

one of the things i learned and i think is one of the most important things in blogging is to leave comment. sincere and honest comments of course. i love recieving comments, makes me feel so connected. (and not like i'm talking to myself) so yes i too have started leaving comments. and sometimes i feel wierd including my blogsite and it's too much work just to check your website - copy and pasting, maybe opening a new window...you know how that's like. so to make things easier, i've been using a html code where your name becomes a link to your website like so:



hi! love your blog!

xoxo, ayan

so everytime you leave a comment, paste this html code in place of your sign off name:

<a href="your link here">"your name"</a>

 just replace "your link here" with your website and "your name" with your sign off name or whatever word you want.

hope you find this helpful! happy blogging! and did i mention i love recieving comments?! leave a comment to test your comment signature. i'd love to visit your site!
(via running on happiness)

day 25: instant infinity scarf.

so today was a gloomy, rainy, windy, yucky day. but yey!! it maybe my last chance to wear my wellies before the 30 for 30 challenge ends. yeah next time i am not including that. they're awesome and everything but seriously they're for rain and/or snow. i don't know what i was thinking. i think i got too excited when i got them. so anyway moving on, to brighten up the day = bright red sweater. and to change it up a bit = i wore a scarf as is -

belted -

and with nerdy glasses -

sweater: h&m, cargos: old navy, boots: hunter, belt: gap, scarf: h&m

i bought this scarf  like 8 years ago, never wore it because it's too long for a chunky scarf. and now i see everyone wearing it. i also see a lot of the infinity scarves... 

so i altered it a bit. this was a fun and easy diy.

(yes i actually did it standing up in front of my cam like a crazy person) and tada!

that's all there is to it. mwah! goodnight.

day 23: ooops i missed.

so this is what remixing does to you. you get creative and start tucking in your dress. i likeeeee. you also forget to post outfits. i am also mixing brown and black? o.m.g. lol. i can't wait to blog about my experience once this challenge is over. 

prom.

angel (niece) and i were talking about prom dresses. yes, she got invited to go to prom! how exciting! she was asking me about what style is nice. and that was a really bad idea. i went to prom in the 90s. yikes!! so it got me thinking, what do kids wear nowadays?!? she really liked one we saw in a mag by betsy johnson.

here

i can totally see her rock this. definitely changed since then that for sure. gosh, every time i talk to her about clothes, i feel ancient. lol. but oh how i wish i could go to prom again and this time with j. that would be so awesome.

etsy finds.

i can't believe how many toys i had forgotten. see this is why i am a hoarder. lol. i hove hunting for little things that makes a home. i can't wait to be finally settled in our own permanent place where we're gonna grow old. i can't believe i'm that old that "my" toys are now vintage.
i was browsing etsy and boy did i traveled through time. remember these?

here

here

and how cute are these?

here

here

day 24: awkward and awesome thursday

awkward
- leaving sophie with mom in law and the house a complete mess. i'm talking about sewing machine, needles, threads in the office. leftover fabric in the dining room. iron and ironing board in the bathroom sink. (i know! go figure) unfolded bedsheets. and of course sophie still waiting for a bath. but it was unexpected! kinda. this is what happens when i'm itching to make something and in this case a failed attempt at adult skirt.
- giving last minute change to cashier when she's done already
- sophie screaming ayudame at kohls. help in spanish??? thanks dora!
- hearing a song you like in the car so you start singing and dancing and you get carried away. and you realize someone at the bus stop is looking at you. lol. i immediately looked at sophie in the back and pretended i was cheering her up or dancing with her. but she wasn't
- having the biggest zit ever (weekend, it's kinda gone now). gosh people stop staring i know it's there.

awesome
- getting an early nights sleep and waking up at 5 am. i love it. it's so quiet.
- free cruise compliments of the casino
- madagascar vanilla from red mango, yummmmm
- seeing j so happy and excited like a crazy person for the first knicks game and carmelo anthony.
- this a&a that's actually on a thursday!
- realizing that sophie's fully potty trained, i didn't even notice anymore

snackin' on right now.

yup that's right. crackers + yogurt + fruits! it's surprisingly good. and healthy too. sophie just turned 3 in jan and let me tell you, they eat so much. like non-stop. i always have to have food and snack around. (there goes my diet too, growing toddler = growing mama) so anyway, i have all these snacks i buy in bulk and sophie gets tired of them. so my solution mix them all together. like what we're snacking on right now. that's right "we". hope we don't end up eating cheerios + cheese + jello.

day 22: leopard + denim

shirt: ae, cardi: old navy, jeans: express, boots: famous footwear

day 21: argyle + denim

shirt: ae, sweater: esprit, cargo: old navy, boots: famous footwear

day 20

shirt: trifted, cardi: target, skirt: h&m tights: banana rep, flats:gap

day 19: walking shots

dress: old navy, tights: simply vera, boots: famous footwear

day 18: diy necklace

jacket: ae, tank: gap, pants: express, flats: gap

remember this post where i mentioned that i made a flower necklace inspired by the denim bag i made? well i finally managed not forget taking a pic and here it is!

so easy! all you need is some scrap fabric and chain.
fold the fabric lengthwise and do a basic hem. make sure you leave the threads loose on both sides and pull to gather fabric (like a ruffle). form a flower and sew as you go to set the shape of the flower. i used a paper fastener for the center and to attach to the chain. and that's all there is to it! don't mind my dora scissors - i mean sophie's scissors.

funny.

just for the record, no one got hurt. lol.

a&a.

meet theresa behind theresa is your homie, she's hilarious. i like to call her angel.

awkward
- being cranky because really no one knows why unless you tell them so they just think you're that way (but it's because haven't had any alone time or alcohol in a while and no i'm not an alcoholic just do it to unwind i guess)
- you know how celphones can be loud? and people can actually hear the person you're talking to? well i called my sister's cel yelling whhhhhaaaaaduuuuupp thinking she's off but actually at work - sorry dude
-  the hugging or at-least-we-should-put-our-arms-around-each-other when we did this photo. yep we're a bunch of wierdos
- my zoolander face in pictures. yes people i only have one smile
awesome
- nonstop laughing out loud. ahaha the entire time angel and i were taking photos.
- good news about our property for sale
- post valentine cafe night tomorrow
- can i just say... popeyes.fried.chicken.

day 17: gingham & denim.

shirt: old navy, skirt: old navy, tights: vera wang, flats: gap, belt: filenes

mustard oxfords, snipping tool, help.

so today i was browsing online for some oxfords because i've been wanting one for a while now and came across this. i love. love. love. i'm into mustard color lately. anyway, since the virus on my pc, i've upgraded to windows7 and so far so good. i've been introduced to the snipping tool which is what i used to get this pic. only problem is i don't remember which website i got this from. help! if anyone knows, please leave a comment. (that is if anyone is reading my blog at all. lol)

day 16: challenging

dress: f21, sweater: h&m belt: f21

this is the first time i'm doing layers on this dress. i just love this dress and color is good for all season. wow this 30 for 30 is really a challenge. i'm thinking about all the items i picked and all i can say is next time i'll know better. btw. this dress reminds me of this one that they're giving away over at cup of jo. only i got mine for a lot less! like quarter of the price.

bhldn.

i heard about it a few months ago but checked today and the website is up already! i wish it existed already when i got married. i love anthro and i definitely love bhld. fun fact: the company who owns anthro and bhldn owns urban outfitters too. who knew. i've been avoiding shopping at urban outfitters because they make "indie" designs mass produced. (but i always find myself loving their stuff!!!).

sweater dress.

1. find an old sweater. in this case my shrunken cashmere sweater.

2. i used one of sophie's dress as a sizing guide.

3,4. mark & cut. wasn't sure about the sleeves, if i could even make it. so i just made a straight cut. then decided to use the leftover sleeves of the sweater to make a smaller ones. sewing was kinda tricky but all in all easy.

5. i did it! i made sure that all the edges had the original seams. i thought it was very plain and boring for a girl's dress so...

6. we sewed some buttons and a flower i made from a ribbon to embellish the dress. (my lovely assistant picked the buttons) i was trying to do a faux necklace look.

tada!  so cute!

day 15: red & pink

sweater: h&m, shirt: zara, skirt: old navy, boots: famous footwear

i think valentines got to me because i wouldn't normally mix red and pink.it's either that or the 30 for 30. hey i'm remixing.

day 14: valentines

cardigan: american eagle, ruffled tank: jcrew, skirt: old navy, boots: famous footwear

sorry for my red face - that's after a few beers and cosmos.

red velvet v-day cupcakes.

yummmmmm.....sophie, excited much? i'm gonna go with yes. she eventually ate all the cherries on top and had to replace them for the photos.

met with j after his work. we were gonna do the dinner and a movie but ended up so comfy at the restaurant. i love people watching. we had ice cream afterwards.

happy valentines day.

“Sometimes, when we’re lying together, I look at her and I feel dizzy with the realization that here is another distinct person from me, who has memories, origins, thoughts, feelings that are different from my own. That tension between familiarity and mystery meshes something strong between us. Even if one builds a life together based on trust, attentiveness and mutual support, I think that it’s important that a partner continues to surprise." --Barack Obama
 (via alkeemi)

day 13: happy anniversary, qbc.

shirt: american eagle, skirt: h&m, belt: forever21, shoes: gap

i wore this to church today and of course as soon as i got there i ripped my stockings. actually at first it wasn't noticeable but i kept on pulling on it (yeah like i'm trying to make the hole disappear) so then it got longer then eventually took it off. i am not a big fan of stockings anyway no matter how cold it is. when i used to work in the city, never wore tights, stockings or thermals. i always say 'you gotta suffer for fashion'. i got that from my boss.
anyway, qbc stands for queens bible church. yes, we go to church and today is the 24th year anniversary.

day 12: dress & taxes

dress: old navy, cardigan: h&m, leggings: gap, shoes: gap

yes you got that right. went to my accountant today to do mama's taxes.

day 11: d&b

shirt: old navy, cardigan: target, jeans: express, boots: famous footwear

so yeah my first time at dave & busters. everyone says it's like chuck e cheese with beer but i wouldn't know because i've never been to chuck e cheese either. had so much fun!!!! i love watching j's serious face while playing catch the falling apple (kinda like whack-a-mole) which btw he's so good at!! i like the amusement park feel. and winning tickets! love skee ball even though i suck at it. we pretty much tried all the games but spent most of our money at the coin fountain (i know so lame). we ended up getting a lot of candies and toys for sophie from the tickets!

day 10: a&a

cardigan: american eagle, ruffled tank: jcrew, jeans: express, boots: famous footwear, belt: h&m

awkward:
day 9 photo
first response to boss' poker invite (ok that's someone else's awkward moment)
sophie saying "no, no, no" outloud during pastor's sermon and usually when he's asking a rhetorical
computer crashing (i was in the middle of writing this post when my computer crashed)
backing up files on computer - i always feel like i missed something *barf*

awesome:
crumbs cupcake and jollibee spaghetti
spending time with sis after not seeing her for 2 weeks
tax refund, yeyah!
how about the view from this rooftop
ancient alien marathon with j and mama
bonding with mom-in-law
my first time at dave and buster, playing all the games with j and collecting tickets, watching jay's serious face while playing catch-the-apples (kinda like whack-a-mole)

day 9.

jacket: american eagle, sequined tank: old navy, skirt: forever21, tights: gap, shoes: gap

my first skirt.

(i missed a step between 5 and 6, don't forget to insert elastic on the top seam you made. )

today we.

... made crab cakes for breakfast.
... cleaned the whole house.
... sorted toys and  clothes.

... made salmon steak with lots of onions for lunch.
... went through the fridge and pantry to see what's staying and going.

... made the a different version of bread pudding and it's the best so far.

... made meatballs and penne + light tomato basil sauce for dinner.

... annoyed max. a lot.

so pretty much our tummys are full (thank god). this is what happens after one day of diet.

(this is actually a post from yesterday that i forgot to publish, and this is what happens after a full day)

day 8: equestrian look.

shirt: zara, cardigan: h&m, belt, h&m, jeans: express, boots: famous footwear

sophie, where's my horse? ahaha.