For an avid shopper and mom of a little girl, there is no greater satisfaction seeing these dresses online at Chichi Mary Boutique and gleefully adding them to my shopping cart:
And of course, having them reach our doorstep a day or two later, ahihihi. Seeing the fabric and prints look as pretty as I imagined? Such joy.
The shoe section is a delight too. Cienta shoes from Spain is a new addition to Chichi Mary's roster of stylish children's brands.
this Cienta comes in sparkly purple, pink and red
Of course, Berry loved these glittery Mary Janes at first sight!
If you'd like special pieces for your little girl, that won't be as easily found, Chichi Mary, purveyor of pretty little things, is your best bet. I always look forward to when Mitshi uploads her new season collections each time. It's almost like uncovering little treasures.
Shop Chichi Mary at www.chichimary.com to see for yourself. And don't forget to use coupon code MFOSS15 to get your 20% discount. Chichi Mary ships worldwide!
Coupon is valid only until April 28, 2015. Use it! Buy everything you want and abuse it! ;)
We all live such busy lives, that sometimes the lack of time takes the fun out of shopping and dressing up.
Thankfully, online shopping keeps me sane. It's a great way to de-stress, and even the mere act of browsing online late at night, when everyone in the entire household is asleep, is so relaxing.
So when Chin Joson of Chicifyinvited me to be part of Chicify's re-launch, it felt like a siren call. So enticing, and yet potentially dangerous. It was like walking into temptation central.
In a Chicify bib tunic, during our shopping party. One of my fave easy, slip-on pieces
For one, our goal was to fill Chicify with brands and products we would personally vouch for. Great finds, curated selections, so you don't have to sift through shit.
Second, Chin and I got to design the clothes we've always wanted to wear, but couldn't find elsewhere, or at least, at pocket-friendly price points.
Third, we had a ton of criteria: The clothes we make had to be easy to slip on, comfortable, and made from quality fabrics.
But they also had to fit well, and had to have the ability to make us look like we made an effort to dress up, even if it only took us five minutes to get dressed.
True enough, I ended up buying most of the clothes we designed for Chicify. I'd try them on and fall in love, and never want to let go. Maybe it's self-love? A subjective appreciation of our work? Or healthy narcissism. I don't know. All I know is, I can practically live in these clothes, not just this summer, but the whole year round.
1) The best-sellingChicify culottes. We are obsessed with culottes. Obsessed. They're just so easy to wear, makes us look instantly stylish, and is so perfect for summer. This is version 2.0 and we've had to re-stock this because the initial batch sold out quick! Currently available in white...
and chambray.
Instead of wearing jeans, I'd wear these chambray culottes, and they're just so perfectly breezy! My friend Maymay says she loves to wear this to work, especially during summer, because it is so forgiving in this heat. Let's put it this way. Culottes vs Skinny Jeans under the scorching summer sun. What would you pick?
2) The Shirt Dress. It was love at first sight for my friend Karrots, that she wanted to buy the sample I had at home. I was planning to send it back to the office, but when Karrots bought one, and wore this exact same shirt dress with black wedge sneakers, I decided to keep it for myself. Ahihihi. When I spotted these old school Nike running shoes, BOOM! Bagay na bagay.
But pair it with pumps or ballet flats, and they're work appropriate in an instant.
3) ThePainter Dress. Inspired by a painter's smock that you button all the way at the back, this is the everyday dress version. Rendered in navy linen and also in chambray, they look so mahal that it looked right at home at homme et femme in Shang. But mind you, it's just Php1,699. Where to find a heavy linen dress for Php1,699 pray tell? At Chicify, saan pa.
4) The Donya Dress. Technically, it's called the Tunic Maxi, but once worn, it has this magical effect of making me look tall, and Donyatique.
If a dress can make you look like you lived in a private island 165 out of 365 days of the year, or at least in a rambling house with a huge pool and a cabana on your sprawling backyard, you've got to believe in magic.
Lucky for you, I don't need to tell you how you and this magic dress can find each other. In a world that's full of strange brands, you've only got to believe in magic. Something's stronger than the moon above.
Because it's magic when you and Chicify fall in love.
Promise. Cross My Heart. I don't want to die, but lightning strike me for telling a lie.
I often talk about my personal style philosophies here at MFO, but I figured, it would be infinitely more interesting to feature stylish girls and how they found their personal style. Finding our own style is a process, and I hope that this series will not only teach us a thing or ten about how to put together an outfit and where to shop, but also to help us discover how to dress according to our taste, budget and lifestyle.
Next up in this series is Gretel Pery, a loving wife, a mom of two kids, and get this, her work has something to do with shopping online. OMG Dream Job. I stalk her on Instagram because she is always so chic, with a classic, effortless style that defies time. She wears a lot of comfortable basics, but she puts everything together so flawlessly. Let's learn from her!
You shop for a living! What's that like?
I
am the purchaser of Forexworld Online Shopping. It’s a service Forex Cargo offers to people who have no access ordering from most websites.
So aside from the usual balikbayan boxes we are known for, we also offer drop ship and online shopping services. A lot of shopping websites now don’t accept orders if you don’t have a US credit card, a US billing address or a US shipping address. I do the ordering for them and ship through Forex.
What is a day in your life like? How do you spend your weekends?
I work from
the house. I coordinate with our customer service reps through email and phone calls. I do the work in the morning. In the afternoon, I bring my daughter to school, go to the gym, run errands and fetch my kids from school if I can.
I’m home before dinner with my family. My weekends are spent with my husband and kids. This is the time for haircuts, doctor’s
appointments, eating out, watching a movie or simply just hanging out
together.
When running errands, Gretel goes for comfortable clothing like button downs, jersey tops and dresses and jeans, paired with functional flats like espadrilles, ballet flats or classic white sneakers.
How would you best describe your style? Why does it work for you?
Clean, easy
and minimal. I’ve always been attracted to structured clothing and clean
lines. I try to balance it to look more flattering. This style works
for my lifestyle.
How has your style evolved and how did you know you've finally found your trademark style?
When I was
younger, it was all about trying to blend in and be socially accepted. I
was gullible and faddish. However, even then, I already knew what I
liked, and was drawn to and appreciative of certain styles. However putting
them together was still a challenge.
As I grew older, I
became more confident with my choices. I think it all started when I
became a mom. It was a lifestyle change. I started prioritizing comfort
without looking frumpy. I would say I‘ve learned to edit along the way.
When attending her kids' school activities, and the occasion calls for dressier pieces, comfort is still key, but she switches the shorts and button down with a pencil skirt and a boxy top, a dressier top and heels to go with skinny jeans, or a jersey wrap dress instead of a jersey tunic.
What are your wardrobe essentials?
Dark slim fit
jeans, ballet flats, a neutral colored everyday leather bag, a crisp
white and light blue shirt, classic black pumps, a black clutch and a
bunch of well fitting underwear!
Gretel's wardrobe essentials: Dark slim fit jeans in a very current flare cut, ballet flats to balance off a poufy skirt, classic white button downs. The secret to her style is the fit. The hems are cut at just the right length, waist bands fit snugly, and tops fit well at the shoulders.
Where do you shop?
Mostly abroad and online. Locally I like Uniqlo and MUJI.
When traveling, Gretel relies on her trusty trench coats and white sneakers. Having a personal uniform philosophy, especially when you travel, takes the stress out of dressing up every day, and makes it easier to pack for trips as well
Best style advice you've ever received and what advice would you give to those who want to nail her own personal style?
Less is more and always go for quality over quantity.
Style is about how you carry yourself and put everything together. You have to know what you really like but know also if the stuff will suit your personality and lifestyle.
Don’t get carried away by trends. What works for others doesn’t mean it will also work for you.
Learn when to stop. A pair of Valentino Rockstuds doesn’t look the same on every woman.
What would your advice be to someone who wants to build her closet but is on a budget?
You have to cover the basics first. Update in small doses. Make sure to buy something that goes well with the rest of your wardrobe.
Buy the best quality you can afford. Purchases made this way will endure longer in fashion and durability. Moreover this way, you don’t have to buy too much.
For more tips on chic, stylish dressing, read Popsugar's 15 Things Stylish Women Do Everyday. Bookmark it! It's a wonderful reminder that style also requires discipline, and the little things we do to take care of our things, and the time we spend to give thought on how we look, all add up to great style.
Because these days, I don't go anywhere without my UNIONBANK Platinum MasterCard. It's pretty much the card Dada, Nana and I use for most of our expenses. Sorry na lang to our old, no evident benefit, credit cards.
From buying groceries, and stuff for the house...
To dining out...
To paying bills, it's the card we choose.
A huge come on is the fact that we get a 1.5% cash rebate every time our cards get swiped. That's instant cash back that I can credit back to my card, to offset our expenses. Which, is so much better than racking up credit card points that I don't even get to use.
But more than that, it has made my life so much simpler. Let me tell you how:
1) It's straightforward. There's no messing with your head with this one. You see, not all cash back cards are created equal. This card is a game changer.
There are NO CAPS. If you spend Php1,000, you know you get Php15. If you spend Php1,000,000 you know you get Php10,500. You get the cash back you've earned from spending, no ifs and buts.
That said, there are NO CONDITIONS. There's no need to do a minimum spend on certain spending categories just to earn cash back.
More important, there is NO EXPIRY date on your cash back amount. You can accumulate it for as long as you like, if you like.
2) I use it to shop safely online. Online shopping has allowed me to save on time, precious time.
I don't have to do emergency runs to the grocery to buy disposable diapers. When I am alerted by Nana that stocks are running low, I just order a pack online at Cudsly.com, and I get it the next day. Imagine the time I saved from having to shower, dressing up, getting stuck in traffic, lining up, and all that.
Let me tell you, this card is so safe to use online, that when I used it to buy at Cudsly.com and net-a-porter.com, I was contacted both times by UNIONBANK, asking me to confirm my purchase.
Talk about peace of mind.
3) I delegate tasks via supplementary cards. I applied for supplementary cards for Dada and Nana. This allows me to earn cash back every time they swipe the cards, and also frees up my time to spend extra hours at home with the kids, focus on work, and all the other things I have to attend to.
As much as I enjoy shopping, yes, even for groceries, I've empowered Nana to do those unscheduled grocery runs, to accompany the driver for when he needs to put gas in the cars, to run to Mercury Drug or Watson's when we're in need of medicines or National Bookstore when we need supplies. Again, saving me precious time.
Because goodness knows I have no more time to kill. The concept of "killing time" escapes me now. "Free Time", what's that?
Gone
are the days when I could read a book in one seating, stroll the mall
aimlessly, have quiet time with a cup of tea, or goodness, even just
have three minutes without at least one child calling out, if not
wailing for me while I'm in the shower, or worse, sitting on the toilet. I swear, with the way my kids treat me when I'm in the bathroom, it's like I'm committing a crime. Bawal na bawal!
That's why anything that makes my life easier, I'm game. At the rate things are progressing, with my time being consumed by the needs of the family, errands, deadlines that I need to be on top of, work and everything else that need to be done ora mismo,I seriously need tools to keep things on track, and the UNIONBANK Platinum Mastercard allows me to do just that. It will help you too, as it has helped me and my friend Kris, aka OC Mom in Manila, promise.
For more about this card, click HERE or call their Customer Service Hotline at +632 8418600 or Domestic Toll Free 1-800-1888-2277.
P.S. Next on my "to simplify" list, is a brilliant suggestion by Ana Delgado of UNIONBANK to get EON Debit Cards for the household staff. This makes salary pay-outs so much easier and safer. It is also more financially sound for the staff to have their money go straight to the bank. The EON Card also allows them to use the card for purchases, and transfer money to a relative's bank account, whatever bank it may be.
P.P.S. Watch Kris, Eliza and I on Karrot's show, Live Love Lolz, where we hash out how we've simplified our life, our shopping life, with the UNIONBANK Platinum MasterCard.
A new offering from my favorite pizza place, the Strawberry Burrata at Gino's Brick Oven Pizza
This strawberry burrata at Gino's Brick Oven Pizza is so yummy, you have to try it! But what made it more yummy in my case was the fact that it was Gifted(Thanks again, Elaine!).
Kasi diba, "Mas masarap pag libre!" Ahihihi.
A Gifted.ph voucher which entitled me to a meal at Gino's
Syempre, mas lalong masaya magbigay. And that's what Gifted is all about.
Gifted is the first online gift certificate retail website in the
Philippines.
You can in fact shop gift certificates from over 50 of Manila’s well-loved local and international brands at Gifted.
Each gift certificate comes with a customized greeting card and recommended gift
item, adding a personal touch to a typically generic gift certificate.
And because I'm always up for new and novel concepts, especially if it make's my life so much easier, I tried it myself and loved how easy it is to give gifts via Gifted, not just for special occasions but for random moments as well.
The other day, I surprised Dada with a Saboten gift certificate.
I just added a gift certificate to cart...
And made a card,
with a note saying, "Lunch is on me, Dada!"
He was so surprised because it was out of the blue, and I think he loved it too! Heehee.
Gifted also has fashion brands (Rosanna Ocampo/Le Bunny Bleu, etc), specialty stores (Fully Booked/Quirks), and even Benel archery and Enderun cooking classes in its roster, so if you want to give clothes, jewelry, or lessons as gifts, no need to worry about choosing the right piece, or scheduling a class at the right moment. Just gift a Gifted gift certificate so your recipient can do the honor of choosing what's perfect for him/her!
Gifted is also perfect for Filipinos based abroad who would like to give gifts to family and friends back home.
It also solves a lot of problems if say, you forgot to buy a gift for someone on his/her birthday. Just send a Gifted gift certificate, and they get your gift in seconds! No need to worry about time delays, shipping, or meeting up and such. So convenient!
Check out Gifted.ph to find out how it can make the act of gift-giving, a joy and a breeze.
Back when I was in high school and college, my favorite place above all was the mall. Ahihi.
So, you can just imagine what online shopping has done to my life. It has brought temptation right to my doorstep. Eeep!
I mostly shop US online stores, and a few homegrown sites like Chicify, Elin, Seek the Uniq, Ava, Taste Central and such. But I've found another locally based online store to add to the list - www.ssilife.com.ph, and it's not just any online store.
It's like an online mall of SSI brands!
Crazy good right?
Of course, I shopped it already. Bought a tea scoop, the crowd-pleasing TWG Silver Moon tea to serve to guests at home, a bottle of balsamic vinegar and a stainless steel funnel from O & Co., and of course, my ever trusted K-Palette eyebrow liner from Beauty Bar.
Buying is so easy. As with the typical online store, I just registered to create an account, browsed the site (they do need to add more brands and products to the merchandise mix), added my choices to cart, checked out, inputted all pertinent information, paid and received an order confirmation. That's it!
In two days, I received this well packed box...
So well packed, all the items were individually bubble wrapped inside.
And when I opened each one, each was so pristine, it was like I shopped and chose the items with care myself. Love, love, love.
With most of the SSI brands under the ssilife.com.ph umbrella, customers have the option to purchase online, or browse online and purchase offline in stores.
Says Anton Huang, President of SSI Group, Inc., "We are the only e-commerce participant that is able to implement an omni-channel apporach, where are bricks and mortar will complement the online shopping experience of our customers and vice versa".
In this day and age where "customer experience" happens to be the retail buzzword, SSI is definitely on the right track, with a digital shopping experience like no other. Especially as there are more SSI brands to be added in the following months.
To shop SSI stores online, visit www.ssilife.com.ph
Some exciting news over at Elin! This should also solve your "What to give my pregnant sister/friend/cousin?" conundrum, and settle the "What to give my favorite mother-daughter duo?" issue.
For one, Elin has just recently released a special collection for the Holidays - "Like Mother, Like Daughter", where our little girls get to finally dress in the clothes we ourselves love to wear!
Berry was so excited during the shoot, not just because she loved the dresses she modeled, but also because she loved seeing us in matchy-matchy pieces.
Me in the Navy Alice Dress (available in this color way) and Berry in Pink
Berry loves the Lia Dress best, she calls it the "Princess Dress" because it's like a gown she can wear every day. All of Elin's pieces come in the softest, most comfortable jersey too, so they are a joy to wear.
More so when you are pregnant like me, and want pieces that will move and stretch with our growing bellies.
Here are some of my favorite pieces from my shoot with Martina and Kathleen of Elin, and there's more styles to love as you can see in their blog posts here!
I love the Aria Tee so much I have it in Grey and Navy too! (also available in Oatmeal)
Carmen Dress in Red (currently out of stock)
Can I just say, I feel so lucky that my third pregnancy has been
documented so beautifully, thanks to these photos taken by Kathleen? I
love that it's natural and fuss-free. Just the way I like.
Thanks Elin! These pictures alone are gifts I would treasure my entire lifetime!
