Part Two: Inspiring Moms

Whether you are a stay-at-home mom, working mom, single mom or mom-to-be, you need to make a conscious effort to maintain your appearance and health. These are the wise words from Charlotte Lim, our "Rock Chic" mom who is always bursting with energy and passion in what she says and does! Charlotte is in her 50s (can you believe it??) and has 2 adult children, Nigel, 26 and Kimberly, 22. She owns a fashion retail business called "Forget-Me-Not"(Anchor Point) which carries reasonably priced trendy items.

Describe your sense of style: Casual streetwear inspired style

Beauty sacrifices after childbirth: Manicures and Pedicures

How important it is for you to make time to pamper yourself? Pampering myself, even if its just enjoying a coffee and magazines/papers, or relaxing by the pool, is important as it refreshes and recharges me to face the day in a more positive way.

How do you maintain your appearance despite your busy schedule? Keeping an eye on a healthy diet of more water, fruits/vegetables and less sugar and salt; as well as setting aside ample time for regular outdoor/indoor exercises, makes me feel 'good' despite busy work and domestic schedule.

Share a beauty tip: Keeping a personal style that's no-fuss as well as flattering, helps to boost my confidence levels;

Inspiring message to moms: Firstly, its important to watch your daily diet intake and exercise regularly. And then, you have to WANT to make a conscious effort to maintain that presentable and healthy appearance. You have to be comfortable in your own skin.. work on finding your own style and investing in a wardrobe of versatile pieces. Looking good does not mean having to spend a bomb on the latest trends!

Part One: Inspiring Moms

Motherhood can be the most challenging role yet it can be taken for granted most of the time. There are many moms out there who put everybody and everything else first before them and in doing so, neglect their own image, aspirations and identity. While these important values will be less priority when you become a mom, no doubt, I hope that all moms will try to squeeze in a bit of "ME time" into their schedules. If you care about yourself (please do not interpret this as being selfish!),you will be able to make hay while the sun shines as quoted by Dora Yip! I have the privilege of interviewing four fabulous mommies and I hope their stories will inspire YOU to start doing something for yourself TODAY!

                         Dora, 33, a Corporate Communications Manager with son, Jordan Ross Turner, 1

• Describe your sense of style: Eclectic, practical, comfortable

• Beauty sacrifices after childbirth: My regular facials have fallen by the wayside, as have regular manis and pedis. I even find that sometimes I just forget to put a mask on my face at nights! My beauty regime has now been completely pared down.

• How important it is for you to make time to pamper yourself? Fairly important. I was never really into the traditional notion of "pampering myself" in my pre-Jordan days, although I did enjoy my regular facials and pedicures. Since having Jordan, I consider pampering myself not so much to be about the way I look, but more about a sense of holistic wellness. It's just as important for me to find time to read quietly, as it is for me to have a luxurious full-body massage!

• How do you maintain your appearance despite your busy schedule? Well I'm not sure if I'm the best role-model in that respect! I try to squeeze in little pockets of "me time" whenever I can throughout the day. For example, if Jordan takes a nice, longish nap, I'll paint my toenails (pretty toenails never fail to cheer me up) and read my book while my toenails are drying! It's all about making hay while the sun shines!

• Share a beauty tip: Dress to please yourself. Don't feel the need to subscribe to every fashion trend that comes along - skinny jeans may not be for everyone!

• Inspiring message to moms: Take your time to regain your sense of self. Childbirth presents a seismic shift not only for your body, but also for your identity and lifestyle. Don't feel pressurised by the constant messages from the media about Hollywood stars and their pregancy weight-loss. They have an entourage of professionals to help them achieve their goals! For regular moms like us, nothing works better than a sensible diet, regular exercise, and lots of kisses and hugs from your kiddoes. And remember, even if our bodies look a bit different from before we had kids, we are all still yummy mummies in our children's eyes!

The Art of Speaking

I was invited by my image consultant friend, Li Kin to an Asia Professional Speakers Meeting recently. Interestingly, I noted that it was a male-dominated event... and I thought that women talk more! Two distinguished speakers, David Lim, acclaimed Mt Everest team leader and c.j.Ng, top sales advisor shared their nuggets of wisdom on how to make it big in speaking. One thing that struck me was how both speakers were so focused, articulate and clear about their life's vision and goals. David Lim has permanent disabilities in both legs as a result of a rare nerve disorder but made a dramatic comeback to climbing the world's great mountains. I believe his success in overcoming the obstacles are partly due to him having a plan for his life and the ability to keep his eyes on his goal which was to climb the highest peak. Whether you are aspiring to be the next Bill Gates or Singapore Idol or a fabulous mom, you need to have a plan for your life, your future, your career, your family etc... To quote the famous Sun Tzu, an ancient heroic general "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!" As an image consultant, I will always ask my clients what are their goals/ outcomes they want to achieve from the consultation. It is important for me to know their vision, aspirations and goals so that I can help to make them shine from the inside to the outside in harmony with their vision and aspirations. So, ask yourself today "Do you have a PLAN?"

                                                                            Melissa with David Lim

Melissa with  c.j. Ng (left) and Joe Augustin (right), one of Singapore's best radio presenter 

A.L.L For Love

"Take Me Home" was written on the handkerchief which was tied around this handsome mutt, one of the several V.I.Ps (Very Important Pooches) who came and strut their stuff at the A.L.L (Animal Lovers League) fund-raising dinner on Saturday, 21 November Forrest @ Orchidville. The event was organised in hope of raising $80,000 that will pay for regular medical expenses, maintenance and upkeep of the facility, as well as A.L.L’s rehoming and sterilisation programme. A.L.L operates a no-kill sanctuary for some 300 dogs and 500 cats, and the numbers of abandoned and abused dogs are increasing by the day. For more information on A.L.L, please go to http://www.animalloversleague.com.

Do your part in saving these important lives!

                                                                                          

                              Irene Low from Cherries Vintage (left) and Melissa                   

Paradise in Hong Kong

As you all know, Hong Kong is a great holiday destination for shopping and feasting. And I certainly did just that on a recent trip there. The roads are always bustling with hawker fare, stalls and PEOPLE way till past midnight. Upon reaching our hotel about 3pm after a long long wait at the airport for our coach, we wasted no time except for a quick dash to the toilet, raiding the shops at Fa Yuen Market (which is quite similar to Petaling Street in Kuala Lumpur), Langham. Pedder Building and the last stop was Harbour City. By the time we settled down for dinner, it was late and we were famished, tired and thirsty! Dinner was at Super Star Seafood Restaurant at Harbour City (www.superstargroup.com.hk); we each had three cold crabs which were absolutely mouth-watering, cheap and SO GOOOOD!

The next day we had a dim sum breakfast at The Sweet Dynasty in Tsimshatsui. The food was passable but ambience was nice and cosy. I love the way it was decorated. With our batteries recharged after a good night's rest and a sumptuous breakfast, it was time to hit the malls again. We went to check out the branded outlets at Horizon Plaza. This industrial looking warehouse space tucked away in AP Lei Chau carries past season's unsold clothing and accessories from the JOYCE boutique, including other designer brands like Dolce & Gabana, Giorgio Armani, Max Mara etc...at more than 40% off. Stock is replenished daily. The only downside is there is only one small cafe which sells snacks and drinks! So make sure you have a hearty breakfast and bring your own water! I got a chunky bracelet and a super cute necklace with a bee pendant from MARNI. Clothing sizes are limited though. Citygate is also another great mall to visit. It is huge and you can find past season's collection of brands like GUESS, Timberland, Vivienne Tam, Espirit, DVF just to name a few. I bought a cute Kate Spade tote with spring flowers and two anteprima rings at 50 percent off!

                                          Shopped till we drop...!!!                                      H & M

The BEST roast goose I have tasted must surely be at Sham Tseng Yue Kee (9 Sham Hong Road). The restaurant was featured in The Sunday Times recently. The goose meat was so crispy on the outside and succulent on the inside. If you do go to Yue Kee, then you must not miss the famous mango and durian pancake dessert at Lucky Dessert (also featured in The Sunday Times) which is just a few minutes walk from Yue Kee restaurant.

















 Well, if you haven't been to Hong Kong, you SHOULD! The food is great, shopping is heavenly and the current exchange rate is excellent. Most importantly, go with GREAT company like I did!

Hong Kong Street Fashion

There is no denying that Hong Kong women's fashion is as interesting and varied as its shopping offerings. They are bold in expressing their individual style, fashion forward looking and enjoy dressing up which I find rather refreshing. Perhaps if the weather here is a bit kinder, our Singaporean ladies may amp up their style to the next level. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps! Sometimes a fedora or just a pop of colour in your footwear can make you look more confident than the rest. In the first place, you have to have some confidence to pull that off. Whether you look good in it or not, that is a separate issue which I will find time to expound in my future posts! I wished I had taken more photos to share with you but certainly, there will be more pictures next time as Hong Kong will be my regular shopping destination in the near future!

                            Melissa and Priscilla, a Hong Kong friend                               


Everyone wears boots in autumn!

Diva Kitty

You do not have to be an animal lover to fall instantly in love with this cute flat faced and no mouth kitten.  At 35, Hello Kitty still looks as cute and youthful as ever and adored by fans from little toddlers to octogenarians! I, too, could not resist holding her in my arms when i was shopping at the ANTEPRIMA boutique in Hong Kong recently.HELLO KITTY and ANTEPRIMA worked together to launch a series of Kitty collections which are now HOT!


Paris Hilton has one and so do I...or so I wished!

The "Swarovski Raso Kitty" is one of only 80 limited edition pieces worldwide. Its body is decorated with beautiful Swarovski pink crystals. Measuring W42 x H70 x D30cm and costing SGD$4,999, the bag is already sold out in Singapore! ANTEPRIMA's famed wirebags are made and hand-knitted by skilled craftsmen using exclusive wire code from Italy. Blending techie and fashion, the quirky designs extravert its theme which is "FUN & JOY". Those who are more creative and feminine in style will find the bags most appealing. The bags generally go better with the romantic type of clothing like sundresses, flare skirts, floral prints or sporty looks like jeans and a tee. For work, you can choose the minimal designs in darker shades as the glittery effect of the wires will not be too loud. Rather than a plain canvas tote, invest in a bright coloured ANTEPRIMA classic tote this Christmas to add a little spark in your style!

Head Turners

I was browsing through the shops in Far East Plaza when I caught sight of a halo of beautiful big curls. It instantly reminded me of "I Love Lucy" but with a modern twist. The proud owner of this vintage glam hairstyle is Xuan, a bubbly sales personnel. When asked what was the inspiration behind it, Xuan said she was attracted to Betty Grable's hairdo in the movie "How to Marry a Millionaire", which also starred Marilyn Monroe back in the 1950's.

To update this 50's-inspired style, Xuan has her sides cropped short and kept the curls big and loose as tighter curls will look matronly. The style also balances out her face and the curls relates to the softness of her facial lines. For a sexy look, she can grow out her fringe into a long side swept-fringe. This is an easy look to maintain as all you need is to diffuse-dry hair upside down to inject maximum volume and to create soft touchable ringlets! And curls will continue to be trendy, according to celebrity stylists. A note of thanks to Xuan, for letting me photograph her. You are a head turner!