How I Stopped Being "Basic"

So in case you have been living under a rock and aren't familiar with the term "basic b!tch", it means basically  (see what I did there?) to not go to any troubles to stand out or make any sort of statement through beauty and/or fashion. To me this is a rather offensive term, to label someone as "basic" for their clothing choices, when they could very well have a complex mind and life. But for the purposes of this post, let's stick with that shallow, too-Hollywoodesque definition.

All through my school and even college years, I was the walking definition of basic:

- Wearing everyday makeup for me meant applying powder, blush and lipgloss.
- On special occasions I'd go all out with some mascara.
- The first time I owned a respectable hair straightener was three years ago, one my Mother-in-Law gave me.
- I bought hundreds upon hundreds of tops and t-shirts. But I hardly ever purchased any accessories.
- I wore the same ol' gold chain my boyfriend at the time had given me. Statement necklaces? What's that?
- I got by with two or three bags that I switched depending on the occasion and didn't see the need for more than that.
- My skincare routine simply involved a scrub, sunscreen and makeup-removing wipes.
- I could spend well over a month with bare nails and would be totally fine with that.

Now don't get me wrong: I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I was too preoccupied with my studies and  social activities to pay much attention to becoming "un-basic". I am now, however, the complete opposite. I love makeup, and clothes, and have developed quite an addiction for statement necklaces and bags. But that's not what made me "un-basic". It was much more than that:

- I dress exactly how I like now, without wondering if I'm being judged or not.
- I feel more comfortable in my skin than I ever have before. That, in turn, made me a much more secure person in many areas of my life.
- I used to dress for other girls: to conform to what I thought they required me to dress like. Now I dress to appeal to myself, period. On occasion, to appeal to my husband too, of course, but he just couldn't care less if I was wearing a garbage bag, to be honest.
- I feel sexy when I apply a red lipstick, or layer necklaces, or wear a nice pair of diamond stud earrings. And I am certain I do it not because of some Hollywood standard I need to adhere to, but rather because it makes me feel good and confident. I am a sales manager, and whether I like it or not, my personal image does impact the way people perceive me. I want to be perceived as professional and serious, so now I dress the part. I have thrown away the hundreds of Aeropostale and Abercrombie t-shirts I owned in favour of a more "grown-up" wardrobe, and I completely love it.
- I used to second-guess every outfit I put on. Now, if it makes me feel good and comfortable, I will wear it without a second thought.
- A few years ago, the idea of posting an outfit of the day would have petrified me, for fear of what people would think of it. Now I have done it more than a couple of times, and some people probably have thought I look hideous but I don't care. Those are outfits I love, and that's what matters to me now.

In my opinion, being basic doesn't necessarily have a lot to do with wearing ugg boots and the same gold necklace every day, but rather with your attitude towards it: If you are ignoring your style and the clothes that truly define you for fear of being judged, that's pretty basic. If you are dressing a specific way because everyone else is too, that's as basic as it gets. Start being honest with yourself and discovering which way you feel more "you", truer to your essence. I have to admit that a few years ago, whenever I bought anything, I would carefully consider whether my friends, classmates, etc. would wear it before even asking myself if I would. It doesn't get much more basic than that! I found that resources such as Pinterest, Instagram and the thousands of beauty/fashion blogs out there are great sources of inspiration to start discovering what styles you relate the most to. Make mood boards, take notes and find out exactly how you feel your best.

And don't forget to get out of your comfort zone a little, too! Then you'll really start having fun and I guarantee you will look, if not like the biggest fashionista, at least the truest version of yourself which in itself is no small accomplishment!

Vintage Decor Tips From Grandma

Last week we stayed at my grandma's place for the whole week (hence why I hadn't blogged for what feels like ages!). There is a fine line between a beautiful vintage vibe, and a dated, obsolete, grandma-y one, and my grandma's home (interestingly enough!) falls into the former category. So naturally I asked her to share some of her insight with me.

I have always been a big fan of everything vintage, but alas, I had never been brave enough to try it in my own home for fear of looking old-fashioned. But here are the keys to add some vintage elements into your home and still have it look modern and fashionable:

1. Vintage trays and mirrors 
Little trays and mirrors add personality to a space (like a bathroom) but are also simple enough not to make too big a statement. Place little glass bottles on top, adding a pop of color to counteract its effect.

2. Add fresh elements next to old ones
In order to counteract the old feel of a space, add some new, fresh elements into the mix. For example, here she placed a clean vase with some white flowers next to old-looking vintage clock and books, which makes them look more updated.

3. Halls and corridors can use some vintage-loving too
If you have a hall, entryway or corridor that looks too plain, add two or three statement pieces that set the tone for that space. Plus, these pictured containers double as genius storage!

4. Focus on an opaque pastel color palette
A soft color palette can instantly add a vintage character to any room. If blush hues feel too grandma-y for you, however, then you can still play around with some trendier yet still vintage color palettes, such as rose gold.


These little tips are simple enough, and don't necessarily require a big budget. They are perfect if you want to give your house a much-needed makeover, with minimum fuss and expense but major effect.

Please do share, what are your best tips to give a room (or a whole home!) a vintage/romantic vibe?

Weekend Wardrobe: Spring Edition

Sadly, there are no seasons where I live, but like I say time and time again, that is no reason not to get in the spirit right?. Specially when it's spring! Everyone's spirits are high, and fun, and free and some of the freshest trends start appearing. This year I am really loving two of them: pastels and florals.

From a casual day to a formal work affair, there are a ton of ways to incorporate these trends into your outfits without becoming boring or predictable. I used to be very afraid of mixing prints but now I'm getting out of my comfort zone and finding new ways in which to freshen my look.

The first outfit is very casual: a regular print tee, which I have been obsessed with lately, and of course a cute floral skater skirt to make the whole look more girly and feminine. This is perfect for a coffee date with friends or an afternoon at the mall. This casual-chic look is complete with a pair of simple cream pumps.

This second outfit is more formal. A pastel top in a flowy fabric for the pop of color, and faux leather pants for the formal vibe make this a work-appropriate option, yet still fun and unexpected. Being a busy working mom, one of the things I look for in any outfit is its ability to make me look put together with minimal effort, and this one does exactly that. Surely this will become a staple for me this season.

What is your favorite spring trend? And what is your favorite thing about spring?

My DIY project: Affordable Decorations For Spring

I sometimes come across beautiful crafts on Pinterest and blogs, and I immediately fall in love with them and want to make them. Then I start actually reading the instructions... Look, I am not extremely gifted in the crafts department, so for me to actually attempt a craft project I need it to be easy and straightforward, yet still useful and pretty. Is that too much to ask?

Turns out no, it's not. I started "My DIY Project" to find just that: easy, simple projects that are great and look like they were a lot more difficult to make. My very first project is to attempt some cute decorations to welcome spring (not that we get any spring whatsoever where I live, but a girl can dream!). I did three mini-projects, perfect to celebrate the arrival of the colorful season. I focused on pink and gold, because I love those colors and go perfectly for the time of year. More importantly, they were incredibly easy and dirt cheap.

The supplies I used were:
- Several canvases in different sizes
- Acrylic paint in your favorite colors (I chose iridescent ones, because I wanted lots of shimmer!)
- Ribbon
- Used pots/ bottles/ mason jars.
- Circle sponge
- Wrapping paper

1. A little wall art
I am so useless at art, but I gave it a shot and was very proud of having left my comfort zone for this. Even if it didn't turn out amazing and stunning, it is mine and I actually quite like the imperfect look. For the first canvas, I was inspired by this statement wall. I think it is gorgeous and creative, so I decided to incorporate it onto my little canvas with one of my favorite sentences: "Trust The Universe". This took all of 15 minutes to make, plus drying time. Simple as that.

super chipped nails  (I know, I know!)
You can always go over with some white paint and correct little mistakes!

Then I took the larger canvas, and painted the whole surface with iridescent pink acrylic paint. Then all I did was cut out some stripes of gold ribbon and glue them, leaving about 1/2 inch between each of them to create the pink/gold stripes. Again, this took about 15 minutes.

The medium canvas I gave to my husband to decorate, and he opted for some chinese characters in gold and black, and some iridescent navy polka dots which he achieved with the circle sponge.

2. Pencil Holders
I have a *small* obsession with beauty/bath/body products. There, I said it. So I have a collection of used pots and containers, and this was the perfect opportunity to upcycle them. I simply bought three sheets of the most gorgeous wrapping paper I found at the store, and wrapped some of the pots with a different design. It was as easy as that. They now look a lot cuter and very useful to store all those bits and pieces we have lying around in the house.

Note: make sure your containers are clean. If you remove the tags (I did), wipe the container with some rubbing alcohol to completely remove all the sticky residue left.

On one of the pots, my husband drew a little tribal rose which I then painted pink, and also painted the rim gold.

And for the polka-dot one,  I simply used the circle sponge to dab some polka dots in different colors. Then I went over the rim of the pot with gold acrylic paint to give it a more "finished" look. It is a very simple pot, but the little pops of color make it perfect for spring and for planting some seeds or a cute little flower inside. This took all five minutes to make!

3. I then chose to use the big mason jar as a vase to give it an even more spring-y feel. I bought some cute fake flowers and put them in there, and don't they look pretty? Now they sit in my room.

I am a proud little bee now with my cute new spring decorations, imperfections and all!
Please let me know if you are going to try any of these :)

My Style: Sunday Layers (In Hot Weather!)

Hello and welcome to another style post!
I haven't done these very often, but I find them really fun and intend on doing them more frequently from now on.
This week my pick were layers. You might be thinking: "Have you gone insane!? layers in a city that is perpetually 90º F  (30 - 35 ºC)!!!!?" And for the most part, you'd be right, but the thing is, when the weather is so preposterous, every single place blasts their air conditioning. So I've identified those places where I immediately freeze upon entering, and yesterday I knew I was going to one of them (our mall) so I decided to layer it up.

Graphic tees are everywhere now that people are getting into spring mode, and I love me a good graphic tee, so I wore one with little wolves and birds, and on top I wore a green button down shirt that I "stole" from my mom (and when I say stole, I mean that I mentioned it was cute once, and she let me keep it). And then I just wore my black zippered tights.

Accessories were kept simple, with a vintage statement necklace, and outside I also wore a hat I've had since forever (can't even remember where it's from!). My glasses are from Detour by the blogger Zoella, and you can get them here.

Once inside, my hair was a lot more under control:

This was a perfect option for a Sunday outing. The button down shirt was very lightweight for this weather, but perfectly comfortable inside too, and when it got too warm I just took it off just and left the sleeveless tee. Finally, the outfit was completed by my all-time black pumps, and voilà.

OOTD: Chilly Evenings

When the weather starts getting chilly, I have a sort of "uniform" I love to wear: a girly dress, basic tights and boots. It is very simple, yet you look tidy and put together without too much effort, while being warm enough to be outside. It isn't exactly chilly here, but I was very much in the mood to wear this (albeit for only 5 minutes), since I haven't been able to wear my boots for many, many months.

I like keeping accessories simple and feminine with this look: a little chain and matching earrings from Forever 21, and a stone bracelet I bought last month on our trip to Mexico. 

I have a big obsession at the moment with all things coral, and I like the pop of color this dress brings to the entire look. Keeping everything else in neutral colors ensures that the focus stays on the dress. I also love how the color of the dress complements the sunset and the green lot we were visiting. 

After a while, Tommy wanted to be featured too. He enjoyed being the centre of attention when I did his photo shoot last week and didn't want to be left out this time around:

Another great thing about this look is that when the weather starts warming up, it can be turned into a summer outfit in three easy steps (which I did a minute after the photos): pull your hair up in a bun, take off the leggings, switch the boots for some comfy flats, and done!

Toddler Lookbook: 2014 Edition

Hey there!

As you know, I have this little rad man in my life. Also, I am not very good at taking lots of pictures (I forget, mostly!), and decided to change that this year (I guess that qualifies as a resolution?). So I started snapping away some pictures of him, and this is the result. Without further ado, I present to you A Toddler Lookbook, encompassing his five "coolest" looks:


Look at this sneaky little fella! Feeling all badass in his Despicable Me t-shirt:

Just chillin' mom. Just chillin'...

Yes, I am half New Zealander. And yes, I have awesome Spider Man sneakers that light up:

Oh mom, if only you knew what I have in mind... ha ha ha!!

Some quality time with my mama...

Oh, Tommy, you are so delicious! I particularly love how much he enjoys the little things in life, and I am quite proud that it was so well portrayed in this lookbook! That truly is how he lives his life: smiling and laughing, and not taking himself too seriously.
I still have a great deal to learn from him...

Let me know if you liked this lookbook, and if you would like to see more every once in a while :)

Home Accents

Fully decorating a home can be challenging for so many reasons: budget, lack of skills, or in my case for example, the fact that we move so often that we find it incredibly overwhelming to fully decorate it every time.

My tip in this case is to have some key accents around your home that make it cozy and inviting, and can multitask (thus not requiring much else). Some of my home accents include:

1. A gorgeous iron tree that we recently got as a wedding present doubles as a bed header and wall decor, giving our bedroom a lot of character. Just one statement-making piece makes all the difference in a room.

2. Scented candles. Scented candles everywhere! I have an (unhealthy) obsession with them: for me there are few pleasures like that of entering a lovely-smelling room. Spread them around your house and they will make sure it looks great too. 

3. Kids art: Kids make cute little works of art all the time, like this pretty tea light holder my 3-year-old made. Showing off their work in your home will also make them feel really proud.

4. Create some fun/ festive/ cute designs on little items around the house, such as napkin holders and coasters. They will brighten up the space. (This particular napkin holder was made by my mom using Christmas napkins, I am not nearly as talented!).

5.  For the kitchen, choose a couple of items to stand out, which will give it that chick and modern look. For mine, I chose the toaster and kettle and they really pop in my kitchen.

I have always believed that there is no need to splurge in thousands of items to make a home your own. Perhaps when I settle in one place for good (around 2015) I will, but for now all those little details really make a difference in the feel of our house.