This outfit captures four essential wardrobe must haves actually: a well-cut blazer, a lived-in tee, skinny pants (it doesn’t have to be leather, can be just plain leggings too) and flats…

What’s the lesson here? Well, for one, it’s not easy to limit must haves to 5 pieces! Haha! That and if you have a well-edited wardrobe, it’s so easy to look good! Just pile on whatever you have in your closet and you’ll look great in a flash.

Think of it this way. Everything I mentioned in this post and the last couple ones can all be mixed and matched and worn together with aplomb. Pair the ballet flats with dhoti pants and a leather jacket, wear the blazer with wide leg jeans and heels, match the worn tee with cargo pants, the possibilities are endless, all you need are great fitting, classic pieces that make you feel good and look good!

Oh, and don’t forget to invest in quality accessories! A great leather bag, a luxurious cashmere scarf, and fabulous shoes will go a long, long, way!

Hmmm, in this case, it’s a toss up between cargo pants and a well-cut, great fitting military style jacket.

See, what I want to point out is, when it comes to wardrobe must haves, you have to also consider what suits your body type, personal style and lifestyle. Cargo pants may not be the most flattering article of clothing for girls who are conscious about their thighs. Because, yes, it adds bulk. Gold or brass buttons on military style jackets on the other hand, draw attention to the upper body so if you don’t want to emphasize that, then you’ve got to learn to say no to buying one even if you are sorely tempted.

Stylish women are known for their discipline and restraint. It’s knowing what clothes suit them and not being a slave to trends. It’s all about looking timeless throughout their lifetime, and being spared of cringe-worthy photos. A stylish woman may not have the most clothes or a wardrobe bursting with shoes, bags and accessories. She doesn’t have to have everything she sees. What she has instead is a closet full of well-edited pieces that complement everything she owns, and makes dressing up every morning a pleasure and not a chore.

The bad-ass leather jacket:

Provided you live in a cold climate. As much as leather jackets are cool, they honestly look out of place in a tropical setting. They look great with bandage dresses, with jeans, and with dhoti pants like in this photo, but not when you are sweating in it!

Personally, I think we should all dress appropriately. Not only should we follow dress codes, but we should seriously consider what the weather is like as well. I mean, check out those local action flicks with the hero dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, dodging bullets and jeepneys on a busy street in Quiapo, all sweaty and drenched in carbon monoxide fumes. Absurd right?

Harem or Dhoti pants may not be a closet classic (then again, I may be speaking too soon) but a pair would be a great way to update your wardrobe!

It’s another versatile piece that can go from casual to dressy, depending on the fabric and what you pair it with. Not to mention, these are very comfortable! Loose, light and with loads of style.

How to Wear:

Day: With flats or sandals, a well-worn t-shirt, cotton scarf, denim jacket
Night: With killer heels, a glittery/dressy top, sparkly accessories

This week is dedicated to featuring five wardrobe must-haves as inspired by one of my favorite style icons, French Vogue fashion director and Balmain stylist - Emmanuelle Alt.

Let’s start with a great pair of jeans. In this case, wide leg jeans in a dark wash that can go from day to night. Not too rugged and can be dressed up or down.

I think this is a wardrobe classic that will last you years! Since wide leg jeans have become very popular these days, you can find this cut anywhere - from H&M to cult denim labels like J Brand, Current/Elliott, etc.

How to wear:

With button down shirts and pumps for that crisp, polished look
With a blazer, sleeves rolled up and platform sandals for casual weekends
With a blouson type top/romantic top and wedges for that hippie vibe

I was making some pancakes with Bisquick the other day and saw a recipe for Chicken Pot Pie on the back of the box. Since I had some chicken breast in the freezer I thought of doing my own version! Instead of using the Bisquick mix for the crust, I made my own from scratch using my SIL’s crust recipe for fruit pies…

Crust:
Just split this recipe into half, as you will only need to cover the top of the chicken filling for this pot pie!

For the filling, this was inspired by the Bisquick recipe, but with a bit of tweaking…

Filling:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
2 stalks celery
1 whole onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup frozen green peas
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2. Boil chicken in a pot with onions, celery, salt and pepper. Once cooked, cut into cubes.
3. In a saucepan, cook onions in butter and then add chicken, carrots, peas, corn and chopped celery. Add cream of mushroom soup and milk, cover and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust.
5. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Poke with a fork or knife on top to allow steam to escape.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.
7. Enjoy!

* I realized, if you want a more mushroom-y flavor, you can add a can of sliced mushrooms when you cook the filling!

Check out my latest purchase for this summer! Pink espadrilles! They just look so summery fresh, like pink lemonade!

I got it on sale at the Brooks Brothers outlet store for the sum of…guess how much!

Any guesses? Ok, I’ll let you in on my secret…It’s just $4.99! Amazing huh?

I haven’t worn it out yet because I actually think these shoes are meant for the beach or for a picnic at some grassy knoll in the park, not really for concrete or asphalt. They’re quite delicate and I don’t want to get them dirty! They make excellent house slippers too! Heehee!

When I went to the Model as Muse Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of weeks ago, I saw these adorable lipstick pens from Marc Jacobs by the counter…

They were retailing for $3, and I suspect, hapless tourists must have thought they were getting quite a deal with this cute souvenir. Thing is, they shouldn’t have paid that much if they knew these same pens only cost $1.50 at the Marc by Marc Jacobs store on Bleecker Street! Eep!

A Hello Kitty bath room won’t be complete without a trash bin of course! And here’s a cute and definitely hygienic “Simple Human” style trash bin to add more HK cuteness to it!

Such a pretty bin to throw waste at no?

Ok, this one, you have to guess first!

Because when I first saw this one, I was a bit perplexed as to what this was for! It’s a rendition of the Eiffel Tower, which fine, goes with the French Hello Kitty bathroom theme, but what was this all about?

Given up? Fine, it’s a toothbrush holder! How to use it? That, I really can’t figure out as of yet! Because if you stick the toothbrush into the hole, wouldn’t it protrude at an awkward angle?

Form over function for this one I guess!