The back up bridesmaid

There is no such thing as witnessing too many milestones, all in less than 12 hours. I had a wonderful opportunity to witness a wedding, a 50th birthday *surprise* party, a sweet sixteen and still push for a 'girls night out' in its most literal sense. I obviously hyperextended my energy.

I was a mere spectator at my boss' wedding, and a tad overdress at that! But I must say I blended in pretty well with the motif and was jokingly referred to as a back-up bridesmaid. You can't expect anything less from someone notoriously overdressed on a regular basis so I took it to the max with this sleek number.

Miss Selfridge maxi dress | Stradivarius t-strap sandals | YSL Le Sixieme chain purse

Very-millenium prom is how I like to call dresses of such silhouette. It's flowy yet snug in all the right places. The very simple design makes the sweeping back cut out detail all the more interesting. And this is my attempt to try new things:

1. I opted for a simple up-do (thanks to my sister and her donut bun maker)

2. I wore a plain and simple dress

Both of which I rarely do/practice since I'm always going for the kill. Just like how I always say it: go for the kill, go for the jugular! 

I can't apologize for boring you with my blog entries, which appear to be the extended versions of oh-I-love-this-dress-read-all-about-it-in-3-paragraphs-full and while I have not steered my blog in a completely new direction, I think I'm lowering my anchor here for a while. 

Don't mind if I do. 

Golden. Cupcakes fit for a 50th birthday party.

I had 5 cupcakes too many.

Sweepstake 'Ana'

Nine days into 2014, I was rendering overtime work, totally minding my own business when I mindlessly checked my personal email out of habit. Just like my initial reaction to when I read the Topshop Unlock Your Wardrobe email last year, I thought it was just one of those spam messages:

It was one gruesome Thursday (which by the way is the longest day of my week with a 3-hour class sandwiched between working hours) so I initially blanked out and had to take a moment to absorb what was happening. I FUCKING WON THE WISHLIST SWEEPSTAKES! MISS SELFRIDGE -- That's Topshop's fancier, dressier and flashier sister. Anything Topshop or Topshop/Arcadia group-affiliate, I'm an instant convert. The email lost me in the product name overload so I had to recall my picks from a selection of 12 items from the lot. 

Contest Mechanics: From a selection of 12 items, the participant must create her own wishlist with 4 items and submit the wishlist online. It was that easy.

I'm easily blinded by stylish and fancy pieces so I was drawn to the Snow Fairy dress with beaded bodice. The jewel neck skater dress came in close second because of the classic silhouette and neck embellishment. I selected the shoes to pair each dress because I have serious issues with pairing. If I get stand out piece, I'm gonna have to get something to match it with. To be honest, it NEVER crossed my mind that my wishlist would be chosen because I already won the Topshop contest last year. :) 

See my honest lack of thought? Had I know, I would have chosen a more casual selection I can wear at work or school on most days. But no regrets, I am absolutely obsessed with these pieces.

Last Wednesday, I had to leave for Manila straight after work to meet my best friend (entry to follow). I had to take a quick detour to Greenbelt to claim my winnings. I was reeling with anxiety considering the complaints raised by the other two winners (one received the wrong sizes for 3 out of 4 items; the other had to bring home a substitute to one item; the other winner,I am not so sure of because only the three of us were looped in the email communication). In my head I knew I was doomed for something bad.

I would say lady luck was on my side that day. Seeing the items individually wrapped in white Japanese papers and neatly tucked into separate bags made me so giddy. This may have been a far cry from the other branch, which I heard stowed all prizes in one bag. The supervisor warmly welcomed and congratulated me while my IDs were being verified et voila! Three shoppingbagsfull:

Look # 1. Edgy Kate Middleton

Look # 2. Winter Fairy

This was just the start of a string of good news this month. Isn't it absolutely amazing how good news can easily turn a bad day upside down?

I would like to thank RSSI, Miss Selfridge and Schmuzter for this loot :) And Thank you God for always walking with me. 

PS. 'Sweepstake Annie' is a movie. Yup, you're welcome.