CrystalPhuong.net is a Personal Style & Travel Blog based in Singapore, written by Crystal Phuong. The blog was nominated FOUR times in Top 10 Best Fashion Blogs in the annual Singapore Blog Award from 2012- 2015, voted as one of the Best Lifestyle Blogs in Singapore in 2013 by Hotelclub.com, and Best Travel Blogs in 2016 by Foodpanda.com. Crystal hopes to connect and inspire young women to lead a healthy and happy life. Be confident, be positive, and be kind.
It's hard not to notice a midi dress like this on the street, especially when it comes in a vibrant shade of blue and sexy wrap details. I picked this dress for a special collaboration with Shopprincessa. I can't reveal any information about the collaboration just yet, but believe me, it's going to be big and exciting.
Besides the striking color, I absolutely love the wrapped bottom that shows a little bit of skin, leaving just enough to the imagination. When I first saw this dress on the lookbook, I thought I can wear it to work but I changed my mind after I tried it on. With a classic sweetheart neckline, light ruched waist, and asymmetrical hemline, this dress seems to be a perfect ensemble for the coming Valentine's Day, Friday night or a party.
Friday is here. It has been a stressful week at work and I feel like having a drink tonight to loosen myself up. Now that the "What to wear" problem is settled, I'll need is a glass of strawberry margarita, a joke with my friends while listening to a live band. (I'm always multi-tasking). I think I can call it a wrap of the week. Happy Friday everyone!
What will you be wearing and doing on Friday night?
In the previous blog entry "Valentine's Day Gifts Guide for him", I have helped the ladies to find the perfect gifts for their man. Now, it's time to help the gentlemen to find Valentine's Day gifts for their girlfriend. Trust me, buying presents for a girl is the easiest thing to do on earth. There are thousands of choices out there and we are so easy to please when it comes to gifts. Anything that has to do with shoes, bags, jewelry, makeups, skincare, we'll love. But then again, men always have problems buying gifts for their lady. Either they get overwhelmed with the varieties or they don't know what their girlfriend wants. So gentlemen, to save you from wasting time, I've come up with a list of items that I'm sure she'll love when she receives them. No Valentine's gift is complete without a hand-written card, telling her how much you love her.
Ladies, if you know your boyfriend is struggling to shop for V-Day, you might want to help by sharing with him this list. Who knows what you will receive on Valentine's Day?
Valentine's Day is just two weeks away. Have you had any ideas of what to buy for your boyfriend or husband yet? Buying presents for a guy is undoubtedly challenging. Try to do it early if you can so that you'll have more time to search for the right gifts. I often hear my girlfriends complaining "I don't know what I should buy for him". My advice always is "Pay attention to what he likes, what he uses, and what he needs". A gift doesn't have to be expensive; it just needs to be practical and meaningful. Just in case you have no clue what to buy for him on this Valentine's Day, I have ten essential gifts that every man will need and love. I mean, which guy doesn't shave, wear ties or go to the gym? These gifts will do you no wrong.
After blogging about fashion for almost three years, this will be the first time I show you a part of my dream shoe closet. Although, it's still in the decorating process, I'm so happy with how it looks right now and I can't wait to share with you. It's not only a shoe closet to me, but also my pride, my hard work, inspiration, and achievement. I'll tell you why.
Where I came from originally, people had no idea what designer shoes mean. Although, I was born and raised in a city, I have never thought of buying any pair of shoes that cost more than $50. Like most people in Vietnam, I believed shoes are just the wearable items to protect your feet. I never bought any expensive shoes because they would get dirty and worn out after a while. Besides, spending $100 on a pair of shoes was such a waste. The truth was, I couldn't afford branded shoes, and I couldn't understand why somebody could spend so much on them. I carried that thinking with me for more than 20 years. I would think twice before I spent more than $100 on shoes because I thought they were the last item to pay attention to. A thousand dollar shoes? I could buy many other things with that amount of money.
Things changed when I started writing this blog and stepped into the fashion industry, I took an effort to learn and appreciate more designer items. The materials, the craftsmanship, the incredible designs made me understand why people would spend thousands of dollars on their feet. Then, I began to wonder (and wish) "When can I afford to buy a pair of designer shoes?". Neither I came from a wealthy family nor had a rich boyfriend to support me. I was raised to be independent and to chase for what I want. So I made a goal and a promise to myself: "When I earn enough money, I'll buy ONE expensive pair of shoes for myself."
These Chloe Susanna studded booties were the first designer shoes I bought in 2013. I was extremely excited that I couldn't sleep the first night I had them. I wore them many times, and they are still in a perfect condition because I take care of them so well. They are like my babies!
After Chloe, Valentino was the second brand that landed in my closet. I've been talking about these studded sandals for a year, and finally I decided not to talk about them anymore. I went to the store, tried them on. The next thing I knew, they had a prime position in my closet.
First, I only aimed to achieve one pair of shoes in my goal list. Now, it looks like I have exceeded my goal 50 times or more. The latest "babies" have joined "Crystal's Closet" family are these beautiful fruity sandals (on sale) from Rene Caovilla. I was so obsessed with these shoes that I kept thinking about them for two days. I did my mind a favor by bringing these shoes home so that I didnt have to think about them too much.
There are many other shoes that I've collected over the past two years.
It's no doubt that I have changed, from a girl who didn't care much about what she wore on her feet to somebody who can recognize each brand's signature design in a pair of shoes. I've come a long way. I have no interest in buying luxury items to show off to people or to prove anything. I guess, it's more about personal satisfaction, reward and achievement to me. A few years ago, I made a goal and worked extremely hard for it. Every day, when I come back home, looking at this DIY shoe closet, I feel proud, motivated and inspired. I have made my little dream come true.
Do you have any dream with you? How do you achieve it?
I hope you had an enjoyable weekend. As usual, I spent most of my weekend doing nothing but work. On Saturday, I went to the office at 10am, did training with my team, went for a lunch meeting, and had a photo shoot. At night, I went to watch a movie and had dinner. Then, I came home to work again until 3am. I woke up at 11.30am on Sunday, had my brunch, and started working again until now 11.30pm. It is surprising to me that no matter how many hours I spend in a day, I'll never finish what I'm supposed to do.
Blogging is like a marathon but has no Finish line. There is no final stop, but we (bloggers) just keep running because we love it.
People always ask me how I manage my time between a full-time job and a blog. Here is the answer for you. Monday to Friday from 9am- 6.30pm, I focus on my work as a Sales Manager. Saturday, Sunday, and weekday evenings, I wear a hat of an entrepreneur to work in the blogging business. Can't believe that I've been doing this for three years without fail. Have I ever felt tired of doing all this? Of course, I have. There were many times I felt lost as if I was in a dark forest. The further I went, the darker it seemed. I was exhausted, hopeless and frustrated. This weekend was an example. I was annoyed by the issues with my Google Adsense account. I spent two days working on it, but found no solution. I tried to search for some answers on the internet, but the more I searched, the more negative stories I found. It's so time wasting and demotivating. You wouldn't believe if I say things like that happen all the time. How do I get over it? You ask. I'll try to look for some inspirations or do something that I love. Today, I took my mind away from this messiness by practicing my fashion sketches and looking at this beautiful pastel outfit I wore last week. The blush pink blouse and blazer cooled me down, and this colorful printed skirt reminded me that not all forests are dark. I feel much better now and I can do it all over again.
Do you have any tips to keep yourself productive and motivated at work? How do you deal with negativity?
Thank you so much for reading! Wish you have a wonderful Monday at work.
As I mentioned in the previous blog entry Silver & Gray, I'll be dressing the back-to-basic style a couple of times more before I come back to the fancy and girly me. My obsession with the laid-back style continues to grow, and I don't know how to stop it. In fact, I don't want to. I enjoy the less-is-more approach and find myself passionate by the most neutral colors. Those hues like white, beige, and brown were so unattractive to me before, are now my crush. Is it weird that somebody who loves vibrant colors so much can switch to earthy shades within a blink of an eye and never look back? These photos are perfect to elaborate my point.
I have beige polka dot denim jeans and the Ash Queenie brown sandals for almost two years, but they never had a chance to make it on my blog. Not even once. Last Friday, I saw these "boring" Jeans hiding at the corner of my wardrobe, and the sandals left unnoticed in the shoes closet. I decided to bring them out to see some sunshine. Who knew that they could make such a perfect "couple"? Because of the slim cut of the polka dot jeans, I wanted to balance the tight fitting bottoms with a loose boyfriend buttoned shirt. My hair was pretentiously messy for a relaxed and chic appearance.
I didn't think it was my best outfit, but the photos seem to prove me wrong. Through these photos, I learned an old-but-important lesson: Never take things for granted and always appreciate what we have. I guess I should start looking at the old clothes and shoes in my closet and remembering why I love them in the first place.
Do you have any clothes that are left unwanted and are crying out for your attention? What will you do?
[name=Crystal Phuong]
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[description=Singapore Travel & Lifestyle Blogger, hoping to connect and inspire young women to lead a healthy and happy life]
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