Hot in the air!

It is 104º F here in San Jose today!! HOT HOT HOT > <.....Scorching hot!! But since I am staying IN most of the time, I am glad that I didn't have a heat stroke even in my leather shorts today!! lol

Ann Taylor bib necklace gifted from Ann. There are tiny rhinestones and it looks incredible precious!
(SOLD OUT!!! ^O^) 
I love brass baubles and they are great to jazz up any kind of looks. 
I think Ann Taylor is doing not bad in business from swinging back to profit this season at their retails. 


I had purple eyeliner today. 



I don't really like to display my necklaces on a rack or anything, I'd rather store them inside the drawers. Just a few of my fave. I'd hang them on my vanity desk to keep my room look tidy. 



Isn't that a gorgeous thing or what?!


No, I don't want to wear boots or anything seems COOL today even w/ leather shorts.
Something Kawaii it is. ^^ 


I bought this lace bat-sleeves jacket in Taipei and I am so happy w/ its look and good price. 
It is made in Korea and these days most of Asians raved about Korea's culture, music, and styles...everything!! 



Rrrr,... almost twisted my neck there. 


Yu gave me this distressed lace "leggings" but it is so tight that I barely wear it pass my Bu**.  Therefore, I made it as leg warmer or arm warmer w/ elastic bands instead. 


My ODJ. 


1. Top:
Free people tube bra
Mexx sheered navy shirt (bought from Taipei, way back in 99')

2. Bottom:
Joie high waist leather shorts


3. Accessory:
Ann Taylor brass w/ crystals bib necklace 
Distressed lace leg warmer..(by me)
HoBo International distressed suede messenger bag


4. Shoes:
kron by Kron Kron 



W/ necklace and o la la ~ my complete ensemble. 

So, we are slowly renovating our Pergo floor to hardwood inside the house.  But mainly, it is our two bedrooms downstairs are given a face-lift first. Next? Should be our tiny closet!!

The warm color of this Maple "Mirage" hardwood flooring gives Ilona's room a very hospitality look. 

Ilona normally climbs onto her bed to nap in the late afternoon. But she still sleeps w/ Abby upstairs during the night. 


Sweet dream,  my little princess!!
xoxo MOM

Work It Out: Installment Dix-Sept

As you may have noticed I am not really a fan of trousers. Since I am tall and have an hourglass figure (with a high waist and wide hips) finding trousers that fit in the right places (read: love handles) is near impossible. I have, however, been loving the recent trend for 'peg-leg' cropped trousers. Sophisticated and chic they are the quintessential 'grown-up' trouser. I have been desperate to find a pair that would work with my shape, but have found most of them to accentuate the hips and flatten the bottom, which is never a good combination. For tailored trousers I tend to stick to wider leg options to try and balance out my hips, but not only are they quite masculine and dull they also limit my shoe choices. Size five stilettos peeping out below a wide trouser is not a flattering way to work proportions.

After seeing these on a friend I decided to put my fears aside and order a pair online, which I never do with trousers. I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised. Although they are not perfect as they are a little too short in the body (and the legs) I decided to keep them before I completely miss out on the trend!

Ruffle shirt: Mango. Cropped Trousers and tan belt: River Island. Cardigan: M&S. Black croc pumps: Faith. They also look great with heels!

I really love the pleating at the front, but because they tend to ride up the pleats can create a little too much volume in the area. I personally think they suit the slimmer figure and create feminine curves for narrower hips. I'm not too sure if I can quite pull them off, they may just be that elusive style that I always think looks beautiful on others...

What do we think of 'grown-up' trousers? Have you been able to make them work for you? Are there any other trends you love on others, but can't quite wear yourself? xxx

Miss Universe 2010 Final Evening Gowns: Nick Verreos and his "Pageant Red Carpet Wrap"!

AND THE WINNER IS......

Last night was the Miss Universe 2010 Live Telecast Show. And boy, was it a DOOZY! I've been blogging about the National Costumes, as well as the Preliminary Evening Gowns (just because I am a Pageant QUEEN---and a designer)--and since I have designed a gown for the gorgeous outgoing Miss Universe 2009, Stefania Fernandez, in the past--I had to watch! I won't even get into how awkward and teleprompter-deficient Bret Michaels was (You're FIRED!) and how GREAT NBC Today Show host Natalie Morales was (loved her pronunciations!). You can read that stuff HERE. But this posting--and this blog--is ALL ABOUT FASHION, and specifically, what I thought of those evening gowns.

Miss Universe 2010: Jimena Navarrete

First of all: Felicitaciones to Miss Nuestra Belleza Mexico, Jimena Navarrete, who won the Miss Universe 2010 title last night. She was one of the prettiest women of the night.

The Top 5: (Left to Right) Miss Philippines, Miss Ukraine, Miss Jamaica, Miss Australia and Miss Mexico

But it wasn't until the beautiful--but not so bright--Miss Philippines Venus Raj, messed up on her Final Question (Question: What Mistakes Have You Made? Answer: Nothing!" How about the answer to THIS question!), that we knew Jimena was "in contention".

Now, here is my "Nick Verreos' The Good and The Bad" for the Final 10 Contestants in the Miss Universe 2010 Evening Gown Competition:

Lucky in Red: Miss Mexico, Jimena Navarrete

Miss Mexico's (and now, Miss Universe 2010) fire red gown was GORGEOUS. Just perfect. One shoulder: Check. Flowy and Grecian-Goddess: Check. Not cheap-looking and overtly tacky: Check. No Slit to show her you-know-what: Well, close but she still looked great. Last year, Stefania Fernandez Miss Venezuela, won in a red gown and well, now so did Jimena. I guess next year EVERY contestant will be wearing a RED GOWN (hopefully not!).

Lady Sings the Blues: Miss Jamaica, Yendi Phillips

One of my not-so-favorite gowns was the polyester mess Miss Jamaica wore last night. Here's the Good News: I liked the shoulder-covering cap sleeves. The Bad News: I disliked EVERYTHING else. It looked like a $299 dress from "Aunt Martha's Boutique in Kingston" (if there is such a thing). The bust seaming rippled with bad construction and that inset embroidered lace SCREAMED Toddlers & Tiaras. Poor thang. The positive is that the minute Miss Jamaica took to the stage in the Opening Number, I knew she was a contender and she almost became Miss Universe. Was it the dress that did her in?!

Silver Fox: Miss Philippines, Maria Venus Raj

Miss Philippines' silver lame gown was one of the best of the night. I loved the over-sized bow and how flowy and dramatic the entire look was. She carried it really well too (good training Venus!). The color and the small amount of sequins were ideal to make a dramatic statement on stage. If only she could answer questions...

Happy Just To Be Here: Miss Australia, Jesinta Campbell

Miss Australia was a surfer girl who could not be less comfortable in this gown if you put this on a Straight Mechanic! She still somehow worked it out. You just KNOW she'd rather be in flip flops and a bikini. But this was still a good choice: V-neck re-embroidered with a nice delicate color and heck, it hit the floor and was the right length. She got "Nick Verreos Points" for that!

Sophisticated Lady: Miss Ukraine, Anna Poslavskaya

Miss Ukraine's gown was one of the best--for me--when she debuted it during the Preliminaries. It is a very classic gown featuring vanilla/creme caviar beading, an off-the-shoulder neckline and a nice dramatic sweep. She just looked a bit...well...old. Like she already had herself a multi-millionaire Russian arms-dealer husband and all she wanted to do is shop at Louis Vuitton...for an entire YEAR!

See-Through Sister: Miss Albania, Angela Martini

Miss Albania was Sex-On-a-Gown! See-through, sexy and HOT! To wear this type of gown, it's good to balance it with elegant slick hair (she did) and modern metallic pumps (she did) so I'm all for it. This is the Miss Universe Pageant after all! Would I recommend this for the Red Carpet? Never. But having your "Diva Moment" at the MU Pageant is definitely the time for this gown.

Purple Haze: Miss South Africa, Nicole Flint

Oh Miss South Africa. It looks like she went shopping at the same boutique Miss Jamaica went to. Cheap, iridescent, polyester (trust me, I know!) and way too much asymmetry going on. It's a distracting gown. I liked the color though (and she was SO beautiful!).

Golden Goddess: Miss Ireland, Rozanna Purcell

Miss Favorite To Win The Crown, Miss Ireland, went onto the Miss Universe 2010 "Runway" and OWNED IT! Like I always say: "No Should've Would've, Could've!". You only get ONE chance to be in the Miss Universe Pageant..and some of these girls sleep through it. But Miss Ireland did not! I liked her gown: It showed her fabulous curves, and gave her some elegance. I was not a fan of the up-do, or that necklace, but oh well...she still looked fabulous! I honestly think if she were styled in a more modern way she could have possibly won the entire pageant.

Sexy Senorita: Miss Guatemala, Jessica Schell

Miss Guatemala Jessica Schell: Because she was such a "dark horse", she was actually one of my favorites. I liked this gown; the high-neck, the fitted silhouette, the delicate all-over beading. It looked expensive. The fit was a tad bit too tight and her SISTERS were OUT! (and she had a difficult time walking) but other that: Good Job on your Evening Gown Miss Guatemala!

Pretty in Pink: Miss Puerto Rico, Mariana Paola Vicente

I gasped when I saw Miss Puerto Rico's light lilac/pink gown: I LOVED IT! I'm sure that many "pageant fans" might not have liked this, but I did. She gave you DRAMA and it looked very Haute Couture and the fit was just right. It was refreshing to not see ANOTHER cheap polyester rippled-seam re-embroidered lace-and-satin dress. Gracias Mariana: Viva Puerto Rico!

Winner of Miss Photogenic and Best National Costume:
Miss Thailand, Fonthip Watcharatrakul

Finally, an "Honorary Evening Gown" mention to Miss Thailand. I was a fan of this gown when I saw it for the Preliminaries and on stage last night, it looked even more stunning. It was very Versace Atelier and looked well-made, fit her exquisitely, and the styling was on-point. Congrats to her for winning the Best Costume (it was one of my faves!) and Miss Photogenic. How do you say "Go Girl" in Thai?

Miss Mexico attends the After Party

So far so good Miss Universe 2010...loving the silver 'After Party" gown...

Click Below for some fun Miss Universe 2010 Videos:

The Top 10 Evening Gown Competition (Gowns start at 8:44):

Top 5:

Honeymoon Pics Part 3: Hong Kong

This was the part of the honeymoon I had been looking forward to the most and we had a fantastic start when a lovely lady on the reception desk at the Shangri-La Hong Kong, upgraded our room and sent champagne and chocolates up on our first night!I knew I would have to be quick in getting a chocolate since Chris consumed around 4 all at once! Don't worry though, I got my fair share!

On our first day we decided to go to Ocean Park as we heard it was alot better than Disneyland in HK.  It has a Giant Panda, Red Panda and Gater sanctuary.  Above was the view of the other side of the park as we took a cable car across the hills.  I was slightly nervous of how up we were since the cable car was a bit rickety!

I could have spent hours watching the Giant Pandas, they were soooo cute and cuddly looking! The red pandas were unbelievably adorable as well, kind of like big red racoons.  I tried to get some good photos but it was really difficult to catch the Red Pandas since they are very fast! We went on lots of rides at the park and luckily we both love rollercoasters so we were in our element!

I persuaded Chris to get a souvenir from Ocean Park...a cute panda teddy that we named Xiong (pronounced Shawn) which means 'bear' in Chinese.  As soon as our friends saw it they wanted one too!ha ha.  Here's a pic of Xiong helping Chris to navigate around the park...

This is the amazing view of the harbour from our hotel room at night...it really was breath taking when we saw that view on our first night.  There's a laser show at 8pm every night too so that's always cool to see!

We also went to the Bird Garden were people take along their pet birds in ornate cages and hang them from trees...it's apparently a very old tradition.  Although all the guide books said this was a must see, we were quite saddened when we arrived and realised that there were alot of tropical birds for sale as well.  The big parrots were kept 10 in a cage and I was almost in tears looking at them.  No one had mentioned to us that there was such cruelty there.  We were disgusted to be quite honest and left.  I decided not to post pictures of this as I felt it was too upsetting.

We went up Peak Tower and this was the brilliant view of Hong Kong island from the top...

Here's us looking very windswept (notice the red blotchy mosquito bitten legs on me!)...

Chris often amuses himself by making faces at me! There were endless escalators to get to the top of Peak Tower...thank god we didn't have to climb steps!

We headed over to Lan Kwai Fong, a nightlife area with loads of pubs, bars and nightclubs.  We, of course, had to have a drink in an Irish pub! It was pretty quiet as we were there at 6pm...we thought we would start early!

The Phillipino staff, namely Avonne and Ryan, in the Irish pub were so lovely and friendly to us.  They really made us feel so welcome and chatted to us about the local area and where we should go.  It's meeting genuine people like that which can really make your holiday.

On our last day, we decided to go and see the Po Lin Monastry and Giant Buddha.  You have to get a cable car up to it and the views were just unbelievable...

As you can see, we were VERY high up but the cable car was really sturdy this time so I could forget my nerves and just enjoy the ride.  The cable car had a glass floor so you could look down and see everything as you passed over it.

There's nothing quite like seeing the Giant Buddha on the hill as you come over the last hill, it's pretty spectacular...

I thought the architecture at the monastry was really beautiful against the backdrop of the lush mountains...

There were 268 steps to reach the Buddha at the top...

It really felt like a very spiritual place and we both felt like this was our favourite day of the whole honeymoon.  There were 6 statues surrounding the Buddha called the offering of the 6 devas...

This was the view once you get to the top...we didn't know that Hong Kong was surrounded by over 200 islands...

This place was truly unforgettable...

There was also a 'Wisdom Path' that you can follow and apparently people walk this to reach enlightenment.  Once you reach the end of the path, you come across these wooden pillars arranged in a figure of 8 to represent infinity...

I was speechless at this point, you just have to stop and take it all in.

Once we walked back down, we went to see a presentation about Buddhism and where it all started.  Then the Shaolin Monks show that was on.  These guys are pretty damn impressive!

Overall, we felt that the Po Lin monastry has become quite a commercial area for tourists however nothing can take away from the amazing feeling you get from walking up to the Giant Buddha and the Wisdom Path.  You feel like you are connecting with nature because you are surrounded by mountains and lush greenery, I can see why this is a place of worship and a place of peace.

So that now concludes all our honeymoon highlights!  I hope you guys enjoyed seeing what we got up to and hopefully it will help those of you who were thinking of visiting that part of the world.  If you want any advice or tips, please just ask me!