This Fossil Stella Resin Watch was my hubby’s advance Valentine present. This definitely surpasses my other Technomarine boyfriend-inspired watch in the design department. This pearlized watch is part of Fossil’s all-time favorite collection. I especially love the sparkling topring that channels eternity bands. It totally sets the whole feminine finish. Plus the pretty contrast of the pearlized acrylic bracelet and the chocolate dial. As common as boyfriend-inspired watches are this past years, it’s safe to say that the pearlized bracelet made this Fossil watch stellar unique.

With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give  pair of new shoes to a child in need.  One for One.  —-> www.TOMS.com

I am beyond impressed. While I know that a lot of brands are tapping into different advocacies, this One for One is something else entirely. Most brands will just give a minute amount of their sales. But TOMS is at it One for One. That’s more than just zero guilt when buying their product. I love, love, love it! I haven’t bought a pair of TOMS yet. But this is definitely giving me the go signal. Especially after seeing the wedges in TOMS Holiday Collection.

TOMS has given away 1,000,000 pairs of shoes as of September 2011! This is with the help of TOMS NGO partners which are quite a few. This is understandable for the company to sustain their advocacy.

Above are TOMS NGO Partners in the Philippines. It is lovely to see familiar Christian organizations in the list like GCF and YWAM.

As I was downloading videos from youtube, here is what I saw –> a sneak peek on how TOMS go about their task.

TOMS currently give to the following countries:

1. Philippines
2. United States
3. El Salvador
4. Guatemala
5. Nicaragua
6. Haiti
7. Honduras
8. Peru
9. Argentina
10. Mali
11. Niger
12. Uganda
13. Rwanda
14. Burundi
15. Zambia
16. Swaziland
17. Lesotho
18. Ethiopia
19. South Africa
20. Malawi
21. Armenia
22. Mongolia
23. China
24. Cambodia

Another thing that sets TOMS One for One Advocacy is that they don’t give and leave. They keep giving the kids as they grow out their shoes. This is why TOMS strive to set up sustainable giving partnerships that will allow them to give repeatedly as children grow. Sweet!

Incidentally, TOMS is inviting everyone for their Give Fair happening on December 4, 2011 at the Trinoma Park, 4th Level Trinoma Mall, North Avenue Corner Edsa, Quezon City. With Christmas shopping people are onto these days, TOMS is a wonderful choice we can give our loved ones. We are essentially not just shopping for our loved ones and friends, we are also giving a needy child a pair of TOMS shoes for every pair that we buy. Now Christmas shopping can’t be more cool than that.

The color of this Tory Burch Ella Nylon Tote is almost golden yellow. It’s capacious enough to accommodate all my stuff and some. The material is nylon. Hence, the name, I suppose. The handles, corner portions and the medallion are made of leather. Before purchasing, I read a review of one who bought from Bloomingdales that the leather was not exactly the best material. Hoping my being careful in handling it is going to make a difference.

Shawna’s review can be found here:
When I first bought the bag, I was thrilled – my first Tory! But after a week of use, I noticed the handles fraying beyond belief and the bag was literally coming apart. I went to Bloomie’s after this had happened, and a product analyst was there. She told me she is embarrassed to sell this bag because the quality is not up to par! I exchanged it for the Tory Nylon tote. I love this one! The quality is much better and it is much sturdier. I would highly recommend the Tory Nylon tote instead!

medallion logo detail affixed on canvas lining

Tory Burch zipper pull. I love the deep zippered pocket that houses my valuables.

The size is a dream! It can serve as a working bag that can accommodate a laptop and some (essentially the rest of your office stuff, if you must). It can pass for a diaper bag or a weekender bag even. The huge medallion face is fun too. And if you want to be discreet, you can always wear it with the medallion facing your body instead.

The side snaps that transform the tote into a pretty triangular shape. Two bags in one!

Threads loose on my fifth use!

Come to think of it, even if I was at liberty to carry my whole closet in my Ella Nylon tote, it was just too huge to even come to the point of overflow. So this thread loosing on me on my fifth use is not acceptable. And no, I did not abuse the tote at any point by attempting to fit magazine racks in. Especially so that it was still practically new then.

Notice the tiny portions where the leather peeled off? Disappointing, I know! Let this serve as a warning. But this might just be isolated to this particular Tory Burch model.

Too bad, turns out that what that customer who bought from Bloomingdales said was true. The purse might not be literally coming apart, all right. But the leather covering the medallion and the handles are too thin and peels off easily. I went right back to Tory Burch in Greenbelt 5 to ask what’s up with the low quality of craftmanship for an almost $250 tote. I never had this quality issue with my Longchamp purses. And all the sales attendant can tell me was to have my tote fixed at Besa’s.

So Besa’s, it is.

Another disappointment, I tell ya. Here is Besa’s guarantee according to their site:

When it comes to handling, restoring, maintaining and repairing your designer bags and even shoes, there’s no place to go to but The Leather SPA by Besa’s. This is the place for your most loved expensive shoes and bags for repair or required maintenance.

I had it done in Besa’s Market Market branch. So much for high quality repair, eh? At P250 per corner, no less. I had all corners reinforced just to be sure. So that cost me P1,000 in total. I certainly expected a better quality of repair and reinforcement. Made me think that I should have gone to the Bag Doctor instead.

Tory Burch Ella Nylon Tote filled with my everyday stuff

Truth be told, the size, design, versatility and the Ella Nylon Tote’s overall look, I love. The portions of the medallion peeling off and the thread that loosened on the fifth use, not so much. Worsened by the supposed reinforcement/repair done by Besa’s. Tory Burch is located at Greenbelt 5 in Makati.

As for the weight of my chosen gadgets, I really don’t have much choice about.  While some are lucky to just be fine with their ipod shuffle, I am partial towards a heavier one and some. But with the marks I get around the inside of my arm whenever I carry my handbag and painful shoulder when it’s a shoulder bag I lug around, I know I really ought to learn to travel lighter than I got used to. Now that’s something I would need to go figure out soon. Any tips?

]]> http://www.kikaycorner.net/2011/10/the-need-to-travel-light.html/feed 0 http://www.kikaycorner.net/2011/08/beadaholic.html http://www.kikaycorner.net/2011/08/beadaholic.html#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 03:32:26 +0000 admin http://www.kikaycorner.net/?p=3399 Fashion is referred to anything that is modern and current particularly in the outside look of an individual – clothes, accessories, shoes, etc. Styles are continuously changing through the years. As a matter of fact, if you would look closely, designers today make their designs based on the former trends that made a big impact. For someone who was never big on fashion, I just about wear what I want and am comfortable in. I am wired in such a way that I resent being dictated on what I can and cannot wear. So there. But with beads, I am a beadaholic through and through.

You will find a few of my swarovski masterpieces here.  The hubby knows this much that he perfectly knows what to get me during his trip to Kenya last year. The above beads are called Kazuri beads. I love them. The workmanship is of utmost quality.

The beads from Beadaholique are lovely pieces as well. I especially love the Enchanted Memory Necklace. The more intricate a design is, the more it is attractive for me. Now I wonder if I can ever go back to beading again.

Specific Care Instruction for Longchamp Le Pliage:

Polyamide fabric with induction inside trimmed in cowhide leather
To maintain your product, apply with a soft brush Longchamp colorless cream regularly to leather areas.
To remove dirt, clean the whole lining using a cloth or a soft brush, with water and neutral soap (avoid water spilling over leather parts when cleaning).

Even the care instruction that came with the bag did not help. So I did what any diligent kikay would do. I checked out stores and places for stain removal stuff for the bag. Something that is safe for polyamide fabric, to be exact. Lo and behold, I found one of my favorite household brands carrying just what I need, in one of the malls I frequent. How convenient!

It claims to contain no harmful chemicals and is skin safe — 100% Eco Safe. Removes stubborn stains and works on fabric and leather. I got it for only P299.  The huge stick came with a mini. Something I can just have in my purse for emergency purposes.  I honestly did not quite expect it to work so beautifully. We all know that ink stains can be as stubborn as can be. But it did! I love that I can use this around the house and practically everything that needs stain removing.

Instruction for Fabric says: First wet the clothing, then apply Turbo Cleaner onto the surface area of the stain. Wait 2 to 3 minutes before putting the clothing into the washing machine. Since there was no way I was going to follow that latter part of the instruction, I used a damp cloth and manually took off the stain from the bag.

I was so thrilled to find the stain vanish right before my eyes. I took the above photo right after I rubbed off the stain from the fabric, so the portion where the stain used to sit was still damp.  When it dried up, it’s like no ink was ever there! I super love it!  Freedom to let my guards down (when it comes to accessories, that is) and enjoy life. We can now afford to bump our $200 Longchamp purses on ink, even wet paints on metal buildings, muds and what-have- yous and actually get away with it.

Dangling earrings from Jewelmer‘s Tutti Frutti Collection featuring two (2) golden South Sea pearls set
with rose quartz, peridot, amethyst  and 18-Karat white gold.

When I saw Jewelmer’s Tutti-Frutti – A Cascade of Color line, I cannot help but admire the collection. The pieces are beautifully crafted with brilliance always known for Jewelmer pieces. The whimsical tone that this line has makes this collection a stand out. I love it! I’m not really sure what jewelry fashion trends for moms are nowadays. Since I’m not exactly your ordinary kind of mom, I choose to delight in whatever pleases my eye.

Here are two more of my favorites from Jewelmer’s Tutti-Frutti line:

Necklace from the Tutti Frutti Collection featuring one (1) golden South Sea pearl set with
colored stones and 18-karat white gold

Dangling earrings from the Tutti Frutti Collection featuring two (2) golden South Sea pearls set
with rose quartz, white topaz, citrine, and 18-Karat yellow gold

Playful, whimsical, unique and classy – all at the same time. Something only Jewelmer can gorgeously come up with.

And although we might as well be still savoring our unusually cool weather, summer really is right around the corner and Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii contest will just be the perfect escape for what might just be another scorching season we are to inevitably experience.

pool of Havaianas

How to join Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii, you ask? Go grab 2 pairs of Havaianas from February 4 to March 27, 2011 to avail of the race scratch card. Visit the www.havaianassummer.com webpage and enter the unique code from the scratch card and register your two-member team. You also get to win awesome prizes during the weekly draw.

Participants only need to register once to get a chance to win awesome prizes and gadgets from Sony, David & Goliath, Hawaiian Tropic, and Havaianas flip flops in the weekly raffle draw, as well as an exclusive slot in the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest. Weekly draw dates are on February 11, 18, and 25 and on March 4, 11, 18, and 30. Undrawn entries will still be eligible the following week, and additional codes will be considered as additional entries for the weekly draw.

Entries will be drawn manually on March 30, 2011 for the contest participants for the major prize – a slot to be one of the two-member teams in the regional leg of “Race to Hawaii.”

moi with fellow bloggers Alex, Mee-i, Ria and Ryan

Winners of the Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii regional leg will compete in Boracay for the ultimate price of an all-expense paid vacation for two to Hawaii! Woot! Woot! Now that’s something to put an effort or two to.

Planet Zips performed during the Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii launch.

With the first month of the brand new decade almost coming to a close, I find it just fitting to post one of my favorite presents I got for the holidays – a Ray-Ban 3025 Aviator sunnies, no less! Thanks to my ever sweet hubby, who must have been so burdened to see my recently acquired eye strain syndrome brought about by the number of hours I spend in the computer. Even the doctor thought I had conjunctivitis. Proven by it surfacing every time I spend a lot of time working in the computer (which is practically everyday), it certainly is some kind of allergy or eye strain. Not that my Aviators healed my strained eyes. But it made getting out of the house bearable by not having to explain to the people I meet that it’s allergy and not sore eyes.

Not that I love my Wayfarer by Charles and Keith any less and having had my fair share of brands, my Ray-Ban aviator shades is by far the coolest. It being a style icon since 1930′s. It is practically timeless. Plus the fact that I may have a tinge of want to be a rock star of sorts from time to time.

Cool was invented in 1937. Originally developed to combat the blinding glare experience by US Air Force pilots, Aviators merged formidable design with cutting-edge technology and changed the face of society forever.

I love that the frame is next to nothing lightweight. My aviators are so comfortable I can even watch movies via our rackmount lcd without fuss. Yeah, I had it tested just so I will not have to miss our get together with high school buddies just because I have what looks like pink eyes.

my Aviators also came with a Ray-Ban Rare Prints shirt

and body bag. Sweet!

As much as I love the Ray-Ban classic case, I had to stash it away and make use of my Michael Kor’s sunnies hard case. I don’t feel very confident to just throw my Aviator sunnies in it inside my bag, which the husband would lovingly time to time call , “the abyss.”

my Ray-Ban aviators sitting inside my Michael Kors hard case

I may never pass for a rock star nor a real aviator in this lifetime. But a girl can dream, right? The hubby bought my Ray-Ban Aviator classic sunnies for around $200.

The Penshoppe invite read: Mix, match and make your own style! Step into Penshoppe’s Style Closet and be pampered as we dress you up. And with my schedule free on the given date, who was I to say no.

The day I got invited, the Style Closet was camped at Cybermall, Eastwood. Being the first one to arrive, I saw a bunch of call center agents who were getting styled by Penshoppe’s stylists.

And then it was my turn. The first stylist was too sweet to have handed me a pair of jeans that are two sizes down. It can also mean, though, that I am pretty good at covering up the bulges.  Suffice it to say, my right size (which I am in no way announcing) will just about tell you that my 5 foot frame is in need of diet pills that work. In my opinion, that over-sized shirt and the fedora hat made for a  refreshing, funky look that spells fun.

I was not just styled once, but twice. This time I was styled by Macy from School of Fashion and the Arts Manila. I love how she gave me tips on how to hide the things that should be left hidden and how to just experiment with different accessories as I mix and match random stuff in my wardrobe.

myself with some of the lovely ladies (Jane U., Lace, Earth, Jane C. and Phoebe) who also got styled during the event.

The whole concept of bringing the style closet to where you are, whether it be your workplace or school, is just fab! Make sure to tune in to Penshoppe’s Official Facebook Page to know where the next stop will be. Schools are up next!