NITA on Me

From my previous post about our very first family photo session, I sort of had a hard time choosing on the clothes that I’ll bring.  The photographer and stylist required me to bring the ones that will define my body.  Oh well good luck to moi!

I’m just so glad that one of my closest friends in high school owns NITA (which I’ve blogged about before).  I got great stuff from their store and brought my favorites during the shoot.

My good friend Roc, who is also a stylist, mixed and matched the clothes I brought (I’d say she’s a really talented stylist to be able to do that the fact she doesn’t have a lot of options).  With a little bit of accessories and attitude…oh yeah! I rocked it! (Sorry but I really worked hard during the shoot so I guess I’ll have to commend myself for that..hahahaha!  And it wouldn’t turn out that way if it weren’t for my friends’ talent and creativity.)

I would say that NITA clothing isn’t just for the fashionistas, the teenagers, women with model-type bodies but also for average women out there who is more like me – a nanay, not at all a fashionista and kikay and a pre-school teacher who’s wearing a polo shirt, black jogging pants and rubber shoes to work almost everyday.  It’s not so difficult to match their tops with jeans or shorts.  Just add a little bit of accessories and you’re good to go.  From this I realized that fashion need not be glamorous all the time.  One just needs confidence and creativity to make what you’re wearing look good on you.

When you see my photos, you might say that it’s all glamorous.  Look at it again because you’ll notice that it was just the hair and make up plus the poses made it glamorous.  The bottoms are mine, not at all designer.  You can wear the same thing even when you’re at the mall.  Don’t you think?

top by NITA

dress by NITA

ysai’s top by NITA

Before I forget, I just can’t remember the names of the tops I wore.  You may always inquire Shop Nita or visit their store in Greenhills.

All photos by:  Heidi Aquende

Family Photo Session

Last January 28 of 2013, my family experienced our very first photo shoot.  It wasn’t just an ordinary photo shoot, it was customized and planned.

This shoot was made possible by a close friend from college, Roc, who sent us a Christmas Voucher for a family photo shoot with one of the best photographers in the Metro.  The voucher was inclusive of the pre-shoot consultation, make-over and the photo session (which was worth P2,200 during that time) plus a P1,500 for the products or prints.  We’re so glad that Roc chose us to have the voucher.  I owe this whole experience to her.

We were quite busy during the Holidays so we decided that we’ll make use of the voucher by January of 2013.  I exchanged text messages with the photographer until we decided on the date to meet up for the pre-shoot consultation.

January 18, we finally met Heidi Aquende (a Lasallian) together with her husband Melvene at Starbucks SM Marikina.  We easily got comfortable with her and discussed about the themes that we could probably work on during the shoot.  We decided to let my friend Roc, who by the way is also a stylist, to come and join us so she could also put our clothes together and make us look…you know good in front of the camera.  We’re given about 2 weeks to prepare for it.  I started gathering our clothes that would go with the theme.  Heidi also suggested that I bring a dress (oh no!) and clothes that would define my body (bigger oh no!).

For two weeks, I started brainstorming on the clothes that we’ll bring for the shoot.  Lucas’ was the easiest, he’s got more clothes than I do.  I had a difficulty with Brio too, because he’s not the fashionista type as well.  He’s all shirt, jeans and rubber shoes.  I actually ended up buying some clothes for him.  Mine’s the hardest.  I got lots of tops more on t-shirts less on blouses.  Good thing I previously bought great stuff from a friend who makes a really nice clothing line (NITA).

I communicated our theme and clothes we have to my friend Roc who agreed to style us on the day of the shoot.  Thanks again to her great talent, she got these “dream come true” ideas for us.  The night before the shoot, Heidi sent me a text message and gave me some reminders of what I need to bring.

The photo session day came.  I decided to go to the studio earlier than Brio and Lucas because the little boy is still asleep (he’ll get really grumpy if he doesn’t get the right amount of his sleep and we don’t want that for the shoot).  When I arrived at the studio, Roc came in next and she’s with the make-up artist.  There I met Cai De Leon (who is also a Lasallian…yey! An Animo shoot day!..haha!).  Then Heidi and Melvene followed.

Roc started browsing through the clothes and shoes I brought then Cai started with my make-over.  We had chit chats in between and I would say the session started right.  Then Brio and Lucas came in and I’m so glad that the little one was in the mood.  While I was still being made-up, Heidi started taking photos of him as topless (as I requested).

believe it or not that’s me

Then when I was done, Heidi asked me to change into one of my “body defining” clothes because she wanted to take some solo photos of me.  I was really nervous because it is my first time to do a “glamourous” photo shoot (and I’m so glad I did it as it is an item in my bucket list).  Roc made me wear her 6-inch size 9 black pumps which made it even more challenging.  Heidi gave me tips on how to look 10 pounds thinner in front of the camera without photo editing.  Haha!

Then in between my wardrobe change, Heidi took shots of Brio and Lucas as they play around the studio.

We finally got into the “Rock Star” theme wherein we wore band shirts or band artist shirts.  I wore a Rolling Stones Magazine cover white shirt with Madonna on it.  Brio wore a John Lennon shirt while Lucas’ was an ACDC shirt.  This theme actually depicted my love for music and my appreciation of the different genre of the artists we wore created.

Then one of our most favorite was the “Mickey Mouse” theme.  Brio and Lucas wore Mickey Mouse shirts and I wore a Minnie Mouse shirt plus a Minnie Mouse ear head band provided by Heidi.  It was so much fun since Lucas is a Mickey fanatic (a character that really makes him smile…even laugh).

Then while waiting for our lunch (care of Jollibee), we continued with the “Haciendero/Haciendera” outdoor theme (we had it in the garden right below the studio).  It was really sunny and hot but we pulled off some great photos.

When our delivery came, Lucas gained back some of his energy again.  So while he has it, Heidi continued to take photos of us even when we’re having our break.

Lastly, we’ll do our another outdoor shoot together with Brio’s black 1968 Volkswagen Beetle that we also used during our pre-nuptial shoot 4 years ago.  We thought of this theme because my husband’s car has so much sentimental value.  This is also his passion and depicts our appreciation for vintage.  Our favorite color black also came in to the scene.  To make this theme work, we drove to one of UP Diliman’s grounds.  I really loved the rusty steel sheets in our background.

Lucas was really getting tired at this time.  He started to whine and be a normal 2-year old who’s feeling the heat as well.  Good thing Heidi still captured great photos.

Then, it was a wrap.

We really had a great time doing this photo shoot.  It’s really important that you’re comfortable with the people you are working with.  I can’t thank enough the people who made this possible.  It’s an experience that we will cherish for a lifetime.

Please check out Portraits by Heidi Aquende if you want to experience this kind of photo session we had and also her blog – Camera Mom.

If you liked my hair and make-up check out Cai de Leon Hair and Make Up Artistry.

And of course, if you need a good stylist I highly recommend my friend Rochelle Rafon.

Moms Know Best: Style and Comfort for Pregnant Moms and Not

When I was younger, I used to splurge on shoes.  Whenever I buy, I just look at the design and don’t even think if they are comfortable.  I wore them once, twice and then I’ll forget about them.  Ironically, when I started working, I had more control in buying shoes or other sorts of foot wear.  I’d always go for comfort and quality.

As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I’m not a fashionista (so for my friends who would like to give me a make-over, you’re all welcome to help me with this ..haha!) but I try my best to look, you know, all right and presentable even I’m not too lazy :|.  Same goes for buying shoes now.

My mom influenced me a lot when buying comfortable foot wears.  When I got pregnant, my mom kept telling me to get comfortable slippers or shoes (non-slip soles especially).  It’ll be for my safety and of course when my tummy gets bigger I’ll need a one that’ll support my lower back because it’s really gonna get heavy.  I told her that my existing slippers are still ok and serving its purpose and since I’m pregnant, I’m gonna need to save and I can’t splurge on stuff anymore because I know comfortable slippers are pricey.  She would just often shake her head and would still insist that I NEED to buy comfy foot wear.

My mom loves flip flops.  She doesn’t wear shoes unless she really needs to.  She got tons of slippers or step-ins.  When she tried on Fit Flop‘s Electra for the first time, she immediately fell in love with it and got herself the bronze one.  When she got it, she told me that Fit Flops are perfect for me and are really comfortable.  I was still skeptical because of the price until she somehow gave up on me and said that she’ll buy me a pair! (Actually, that was all I’m waiting for..haha! Kidding. :P).  She asked me to choose a design and that time I loved the black Pietra.  True enough, it was really comfortable and my legs and lower back didn’t hurt even when I spent a lot of time walking or standing up when I was pregnant.  I don’t remember wearing any other pair of sandals since, even at work during Fridays when it’s our wash day or club day.  One of my co-teachers even noticed that I always wear my pair of Pietra and asked me if it’s worth it to get a pair of Fit Flops and of course I said definitely it is worth it :).  Until now, it’s been almost 2 years since my mom got me that pair, I still use them often.  An aunt also gave me a pair of sandals, that was trying to compete with the Fit Flop brand, but the comfort is really different.

I still choose to wear my Pietra.  Now that I’m no longer pregnant, I still find my pair essential because it still gives me the benefit of not having back pains whenever I carry Lucas (who is now 10 kilos) especially when he get tired riding his stroller when we are at the mall walking around the mall.  I actually tried wearing a different foot wear when we’re at the mall with Lucas, there was really a big difference when I’m wearing my Fit Flops.  I had a lower back pain and my legs really hurt after.

You might think it’s all worn out now but unbelievably, it is still in good condition (but I’d rather not post a photo of it 🙂 ).  I admit, they’re pricey for me (especially now, I’d rather splurge more for my Lucas than myself) that’s why I haven’t got another pair.  I’d love to, but every time I’m about to get one, I’d think of Lucas.

My mom got herself another pair (Luna).  Now she’s planning to get another one (Rokkit Supernavy).  Again, she’s convincing me to get another pair, that I need to give my old Pietra some rest.  I told her that I will (maybe if I delay it some more, she would get me another pair.. 😀 ..kidding).

There is another brand of flip flops my mom recommended me to wear when I was pregnant, it was the OKA b. (www.oka-b.com) thongs.  She actually got me pair (again she shouldered this for me..I’m such a mommy’s girl :P) of the pink Elle thongs.

She told me to wear this at home because the sole is non-slip.  She’s really confident with this because she got, I don’t know, 4 or 5 pairs of these in different styles.  She started buying these thongs after she had an accident in the house, where she slipped on the wet floor and fell on her back while wearing an ordinary thong.  After that incident, she decided to try on OKA b. thongs.  It has a non-slip sole and it is sturdy (worth it for its price, mine gave up after more than 2 years of daily usage in the house ..one of the strap is starting to tear).

To conclude this entry, I would say that my mom really knows best when it comes to foot wears especially with the comfortable ones :).

I would highly recommend these foot wears to pregnant mothers and of course even to those who are not.  They’re really comfortable and stylish.  Especially now they have released various designs.

I’ll surely treat myself really soon, to get a new pair of each brand 🙂

Long, Chin Length or Short Hair?

I have been thinking of what to do with my hair.  Well over the years, I’ve tried different hairstyles.  I had it long, chin length and cropped.  So what should it be?  I do have pros and cons for each hairstyle.

Long.  My hair is really thick, not just the volume but the hair strands as well.  It’s also naturally wavy.  When my hair was long, I was able to experiment different styles.  I was able to curl and straighten my locks.  But, it was high maintenance.  It should be treated often (hair wax or spa) because it tends to get dry.  I also had a rebond and it was really pricey to get the best hair rebond for  the length (and we know that the price of hair treatments depend on the hair length).  Another thing, shampoo and conditioner run out easily :s .

Here’s a photo of my long hair with no treatment and air-dried.  I’m so sure it won’t look this way with the humid  Philippine weather.

 

Chin Length.  As I’ve mentioned, my hair strands are thick as well as the volume and it’s wavy.  So when I had a chin length hair, I had to have a semi-rebond so it won’t go all over the place.  So again, it’s still needs hours of stay in the salon and of course should be maintained by treatments.  But it’s not as expensive as having a long hair.

Here’s a photo where I had a chin length hair.  But I had a semi-rebond then.  I had this haircut right after the wedding 🙂

Short.  I had my hair cut really short when I was about to finish high school until my first years in college.  Until then I grew it so long until I got married.  Slowly, I had it cut chin length until I had it cropped really short (especially when I got pregnant).  It stayed this way until now (but had it short with different styles).  I tried having it colored as well.  It is low maintenance, I save up a lot of shampoo and conditioner, I don’t need to have it treated as often and it’s definitely a “wash and wear” kind of hair.  But of course, I’m hoping I could experiment on the styles, but I’m really not sure what style would look nice without actually putting on too much products such as gel or wax.  The maintenance I do with my short hair is a monthly trim.

Here’s a photo of my short hair.

I haven’t had a trim or haircut now, because I’m not sure if I’ll have it chin length or long again or have another haircut to keep it short.  So what do you think? Haha 🙂  I hope you can help me decide by answering the poll.  Feel free to write comments and suggestions.  🙂 Thanks

Fashion Haven – NITA

NITA store in Greenhills Shopesville

Fashion Haven – NITA

If you like the clothes from Bayo or Kamiseta but find them pricey, well here’s the shop for you – NITA.

Located at the 3rd floor, Shoppesville – Greenhills Shopping Center (beside the atms and vendo)

Store hours: Sunday to Thursday – 10am to 8pm
Friday and Saturday – 10am to 9pm

They’ve got great designs, use high quality fabric and stuff are reasonably priced! (As compared to branded local lines)  All clothes are meticulously sewn and the owners even give their own personal touches on each design.  Clothes are also proudly made in Manila :).  Sizes are from 0 to 4! Another thing I love about their line is that each design is limited to only one or two per design – – so you won’t have to worry seeing at least 4 people in one mall at the same time wearing the  top you’re wearing..haha! (I know that’s an exaggeration but it happens right?)

And of course, the owners are my very good friends that’s why I’m promoting their store.  But even though I don’t know them personally I would still give them a great review 🙂 Their stuff are really nice.

So if you happen to be in Greenhills Shopping Center, please don’t forget to visit their store.  But if you’re too far from the area, you can still check out their collection and buy online.

https://www.facebook.com/nitaclothing or http://nitaclothing.multiply.com

Enjoy shopping!

Jeans..Jeans…

I’m not a fashionista but I try my best to look good all the time (that’s when I’m not too lazy to dress up).  

I don’t usually wear dresses, skirts, shorts but I love jeans.

Here are some of my favorite looks: