DIY: Aztec Shorts

Since I love prints and colors, aztec prints are perfect for me! Here is an idea to update an old pair of denim short! 

1. Choose a fabric of your choice, preferably with a thick texture for better support

2. Measure out the fabric onto the parts where you want to place the print. I placed mine on the right leg, top left pocket and right back pocket. Make sure to leave an extra inch to sew the hem.

3. Pin the printed fabric to the shorts using dress pins.

4. Sew using a machine or hand stitch. I had to hand stitch some of the areas, particularly the pocket area and the zipper line. Then, you should get something like this!

5. Pair with a simple tee :)

I apologize for the extremely late post! I have been wanting to share DIY videos but something is wrong with my Windows Moviemaker and I can't seem to find a good video maker similar to it :/

Plus, I am thinking of giving my blog a makeover! Since this template has some errors to it.

It is summer now where I live, at 35 degrees Celsius! Crazy summer heat is making me very lazy!  

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DIY: Skull Cut-Out

I saw this exact top at H&M HK on sale, but even if it was on sale, I still did not buy it. Why buy if you can make one for free?? For this DIY, I used my brother's old shirt which had a rock n roll skull print in the front. All other materials needed are scissors, marker/chalk and a skull print-out. I had to shoot this indoors since its been raining for days here in Manila.

1. Grab an old shirt, if its a big shirt, then follow the steps below. If you already have a tank ready, skip the 3 steps below. Get your scissors, skulls print-out and fabric marker/chalk ready.

2. Lay down the shirt flat on a surface and make sure that the sides are on the seams. Cut off the sleeves of the shirt. I would suggest to cut a few inches below the sleeve so you don't end up with a large sleeve hole. It is best to try on the shirt after cutting the sleeves off so you can adjust it accordingly to your liking.  

3. Fold your shirt halfway vertically. Cut off the neckline, again, just keep it a few inches below the seam. You can always cut more when you need to but once you cut too much off, its harder to fix it. 

4. Cut off the bottom of the shirt to shorten the length.

5. Place the back of the shirt flat on a surface. Get your marker and begin to draw the cut-outs of the skull using the sample as a guide. Don't worry if you cannot draw, what's great about this DIY is that it does not have to look perfect. I am very poor at drawing myself so I'm sure you can do it.      

                         

6. Once you have your drawings, you are ready to CUT!

7. I started with the eye area and made adjustments with the cut-outs as I go along.   

8. Once you have all the cut-outs, it will turn out something like this.

You have the option of wearing it alone with a bra only but I am quite conservative so I would wear mine with a lace camisole under, still keeping a hint of skin! :P

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Hong Kong Hauls

Here are some of my hauls from Hong Kong, which I separated into Beauty, hair, skin care and makeup. And the last few photos are bags purchased from a bazaar.

Here is my entire beauty haul (above photo) from stores such as Sasa, Bonjour, Mannings and Colormix which are located at Causeway bay and Jusco at Mongkok. I thought I would have ended up getting more items but I was really able to stop myself from grabbing everything I see and stuck with the things I need. It was really overwhelming to shop at these stores! There's just so much to try out :D Also, I noticed that the prices of the items are different at each store, so it is best to check out the prices before purchasing.

HAIR HAUL: (From left to right)

Liese Bubble Dye in Chiffon Beige and Sweet Apricot (Mannings)
Tsubaki Water (Only HKD79 at Mannings vs Sasa HKD99)
Tsubaki Treatment (Mannings)
Aquair Deep Moist Treatment (Mannings)
Hair clips velcros (Sasa)

SKINCARE HAUL: (From left to right)

Cherry and Strawberry Masks in packs of 10 (Sasa)

Hada Labo Vitamin C Essence (Sasa)

Biore Cleansing Oil (Mannings)

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (Only HKD240 at Bonjour vs HKD300+ at Sasa)

DHC Lash Serum (Mannings)

MAKEUP HAUL: (From left to right)
Eyelash case (Jusco)
Dolly Wink Mascara (Sasa)
Liole Mascara (Sasa)
Eyebrow Mascara in brown (Sasa)
Eyeliner pencil in brown (Sasa)
MAC Fluidline in Dipdown (Sogo)
MAC lipstick in Ruby Woo (Sogo)
MAC Eyeliner Brush (Airport)
EOS Lipbalms (Colormix)

Aside from beauty hauls, I also bought myself new bags! All of the bags were purchased at Jardine's Bazaar, Causeway Bay. I actually got myself only 3 bags but I will also show you the ones I got for my mom and sister. I have been looking for a brown satchel backpack for the longest time! I was about to buy a black one from Timesquare that was more expensive and its a good thing I didn't get it since I found the perfect one at a better price (HKD150) ! The one on the right is a simple beige sling bag with boho cut-out details. I love sling bags and I usually it on the weekends since its light to carry around and hands-free. This was only HKD130.

Animal printed totes for my mom (left) and sister (right). I really loved the taupe color and I thought it would suit my mom but it seemed like she liked the one for my sister instead. The totes kinda resemble a Phillip Lim bag eh?

I was debating whether to get this simple black and gold tote or not and finally gave in at the last moment. This was the priciest among all the bags I purchased but it was kind of worth it since the material is of good quality. 

Phew! Finally done with my travel series! Only a few days left for October and I still want to post a DIY entry before the month ends! I will try my best to squeeze it for Halloween! :D

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Hong Kong (3 of 3 parts)

Day 3 in Hong Kong was a day dedicated to food and shopping! Our day started early at 9am and ended at 12am!! Yes, poor feet..my feet felt very numb at the end of the trip and my (big) toes were bruised because of the extreme walking. I will have to wait for months for it grow out...Moving on, here is a walk through of our day.  

Breakfast at this Chinese place that my cousin chose somewhere at Causeway Bay. I have no idea what the name of the restaurant is but the food was not spectacular.  

Each of us had fish congee.

First dibs on the iPhone5!! Kidding! This was a sample handset at one of the telecom stores. They did not sell handsets alone but bundled plans.  

We grabbed some puddings from Milk Top Pudding, located at the basement level (grocery area) of Sogo in Causeway Bay.  From L-R, Milk Tea Pudding, Cookies and Cream and Original Milk Pudding. I ordered the Milk Tea Pudding, it was smooth and tasted just like milk tea, not too sweet. I loved the bottle so much that I even brought it home with me. I might make a DIY out of it but I am not so sure what exactly yet.

Lunch at the famous Macau Restaurant located at Lock Road, TsimSha Tsui.

Portuguese Egg Tarts! I wish I could have bought more but I did not want to carry it with me the entire day. It may have crumbled with all the walking we did that day. 

Pork chop buns! Another specialty of the restaurant. I've seen this featured on TV and I was so happy to finally try it! I thought it would have tasted dry but it didn't! The bun and pork chop was crunchy and tasty.   

Fried Pigeon. Whenever we eat at Chinese restaurants with the lazy susans, I always dig in when pigeons are served, so I was really excited to try this. The photo above is already 2 orders of pigeon, the serving is small but I think that's what makes it good. I could easily eat the entire plate, with the lemon and salt sprinkled all over..*drools*. An order of pigeon costs about HKD35.

We walked and shopped around Tsim Sha Tsui after lunch. I have to say, there's soo many clothing shops! Not the luxury shops but the side with smaller clothing stores, where Cotton-On is located. Cotton-On was HUGE! About 4 floors I think. Cotton-On recently opened here in Manila and its so much smaller when compared to HK. Plus, the items for sale in HK are actually the regular priced items in Manila! That is how behind the items are. Right beside Cotton-On is an alley filled with food stalls. I chose the stall with a long line, selling spicy fishballs for only HKD10. Tip to travelers, go with the flow, try out food stalls/stores with the longest line. It usually means its one of the best locally.     

8 pieces of fishballs swimming in Chili sauce (oil) topped with chilli powder. EXTREMELY SPICY 辛辣 !!! I love spicy food but even I found this extremely spicy..still happy though and I am glad my stomach handled it well since dinner has yet to be served.

We decided to have dinner at Wah Kee Snacks, a food stall located at Hart Avenue, Tsim Sha Tsui. Since there was no tables, we ordered for take out and brought it back to the hostel. 

Tons of street food to choose from! This was one of my favorite moments! It feels so cultural :) 

 The old man starting to cook our orders. Of course, we had to have it with curry sauce :)

Dinner is served! Hotdogs, chicken wings, fish balls, beef balls, chicken balls and barbecue!!!

Maxibon for dessert, purchased from Wellcome supermarket located right below our hostel. I wished they brought Maxibon back in Manila. We had this a long time ago but instead of the cookie sandwich part, it was a chocolate sandwich. 

Phew! Only a few shots were taken the next day when we departed, so my Hong Kong travel post ends here.  I hope I have inspired some one to visit any of the places posted. For the next post, I will feature some of the items that I purchased, so stay tuned :)  

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