reductionism.

Two posts ago I wrote about my dream to have a nomadic life.. Where I could move to different places every few years, to experience new lives and new things..well it is still a dream but I wouldn't put my whole focus on making it come true as it will only bring stress. If it's gonna happen, I'll let it happen naturally.. I keep my faith.

Now I'll write about something that somewhat related to the nomadic life.. It's something I'm excited about. I have read some articles about 'minimalism' in living, and strongly interested in doing it.
In fashion, the person who claims to be a minimalist fashion enthusiast could have piles and piles of clothes and stuff in their closet (usually identified with monochrome or basics). The 'mantra' is black-white-nude-(and sometimes denim)-repeat. But it doesn't mean that they don't shop a lot or had become a fashion victim in some way.

While minimalism in living is when we practice minimalism in a broader and deeper sense. Owning less stuff is the key. Consumerism is the enemy.
Normally we are prone to buy a lot of stuff which are often we don't really need, and they end up piling up in our storage room. The habit of buying more and more stuff will create the need to have a bigger house, which also means bigger amount of bills, loans and expenses. And when we finally get a bigger house, we will want to fill it up with new stuff we like. It's a deadly circle and it has no end (especially humans are creatures with hunger and endless wants). Consumerism won't do good to our finance and it certainly won't make us into better human beings..or more importantly happier human beings.

Having moved to Bali recently has made me realized something... All the stuff I own and left at my home town, I can't even remember them. It made me thinking how insignificant they actually are. All those money I spent, now are left piled up, forgotten...become junks.
This made me really eager to adopt this minimalism life style. Although because I'm a fashion enthusiast, practicing this life style can become tricky, but it isn't impossible. I only need to learn to spend my money more wisely. The thing is, we already have what we need (primary needs), what's left is to control our wants.

Nowadays I learn to reduce my unnecessary possessions. When it comes to buying fashion related stuff (or things that I know I don't really need but often buy impulsively), I really limit myself. I start with telling myself that I'm allowed to buy new stuff once every 6 months.
"Buy less, choose well", that's my mantra when shopping now. I personally think it is better to buy stuff with long lasting good quality (even if it means a bit more expensive) once in a long while, than to keep buying cheap stuff that won't last long (which can only triggers us to keep shopping).
And with my outfits, I can get creative mixing and matching things that I already have. With one piece of clothing, I can create so many different outfit styles.

I believe that practicing minimalism will definitely change my life in a positive way...and lead to the happier life. Why? Because now with the money we have, we can manage it for better purposes such as investments, business and our future. And with the extra money, we can spend it on more enriching and definitely more valuable EXPERIENCES and activities/hobbies than on the endless amount of stuff we buy that will only become worthless junks.

To practice this is not easy, but I know it will be worth it. Own less stuff, have more experiences! Especially if someday my dream of having a nomadic life comes true, this life style will definitely be perfect :)

  

outfit: Mango blazer, Supre harem pants, H&M lace bra, Diva body jewelery & bracelets, ASOS monk shoes

jane doe.

Bali.
We came here without knowing anyone..without plans. All we knew was we wanted a fresh start.
This place is totally a new jungle for us. We were nobody. No one knew who we are.
We didn't know if we could survive in this land. But we did what we are best at, handed our fate to the hands of our Creator up there. Everything was in aleatory.

Fast forward to a month (or so) later.. We made progress, a significant one.
One of the best perks of starting afresh is that we get to meet new people.. We gained new friends.
All credits go to my husband for this. Before we came here, he made the effort to get to know in person all the photographers whose work he admires. Whether it's in Indonesia or from overseas.
The reason why was because being a photographer in Bandung was never suitable for him. Although things were running good, he was never satisfied. Everything there was so different than what he truly loves to do regarding photography.
So he started looking outside. Finding the people with same perspective as his, who he can connect with.

One thing I love about my husband that he's not scared to make a bold move to get out of the wrong water. "Before I got poisoned and everything is too late", he said.
He was always searching the right place and the right circle where he can feel truly belongs.
So when he met these guys, our first friends here, he finally can speak his own language.
He has found the right jungle to explore. It never felt so right.

From this point, he surrenders himself to what our Creator gives us here.
He proved once again that with having good intentions, being hardworking and humble person had never failed him. His faith to God and to life is bigger than anything.
That's what I love about him. That's what I've been learning from him.

outfit: TOPSHOP maroon lace crop tank, JayJays black long cotton skirt, Diva bangle, H&M rings, Rubi gladiators.

nomadic.

You.Only.Live.Once is a very popular phrase. And it has also been my life motto ever since I knew it. Scream 'YOLO' in my mind, and it can automatically be a powerful trigger for me to do things outside of comfort zone. But for me the phrase doesn't stop right there..it should be 'YOLO, do whatever it is you want as long as it's good for you and doesn't hurt others'. That has been a rule I live by, now and forever.

And knowing that I am only gifted one life, it made me become greedy. I want to experience A LOT of things! Things I haven't done and seen before. As many as I possibly can. I want to experience any kind of emotions in this world...sadness, grief, regret, excitement, love, heartbreak, happiness..the highs and lows..anything. It makes me feel real and complete as a person.

In terms of life, one of my wildest dreams is to lead a nomadic life. The civilized style of nomadic of course. Move from one place to other place every few years. Continuously experience many different lives in many different places, know and see more things, keep changing and polish myself to be a better human being.
To me it's such a waste to spend your life being settled in one place when we have the whole world to see. I believe in keep moving until we find that one place that makes us feel we belong there. Where we can finally settle down and grow our family tree and THEN live a normal life like the rest would do.
Ooh..a girl can dream right?

As for now, we just moved our life to Bali. It's the third move for me (and I heard everyone should move at least 5 times in their life haha). Life is good here, but I know this place won't be our last stop. I don't want to spend my forever-after here. There's still a looonggg way to go.. This is just another start in the whole journey.

outfit: H&M satin lace camisole in blush color, mom's vintage pants, Charles & Keith white leather with gold + wood heels.

soigne.

As we get older, our preferences on things tend to slightly change. We like anything that are simpler, easy and we put comfort on top of everything else.
That is what happened to me when talking about my personal taste in style. I used to love heavy layerings, accessorizing, bold colors, fun prints, etc.
But now, probably because my life as an adult is already complicated enough (lol), I don't want to add another complication in my brain regarding what I should wear.
Now I always seek simplicity, versatility, quality and of course comfort when choosing/buying outfit. I look for timeless pieces. And it doesn't have to be so expensive (cannot stress it enough that I am a budget shopper), for now I can only afford middle-up class prices in buying things :D
Even though they are simple, they have to be soigne.

 

Like this silky culottes jumpsuit, it feels REALLY comfortable. Makes me feel light, pretty and flirty haha.. This is perfect for a girls day out or casual brunch dates.

This is actually a feminine piece, would be perfect with some pretty strap heels. But for this one I chose to borrow my sister's booties as it feels more comfortable and more like myself :)

outfit: Forever New blush/nude culottes jumpsuit, Michael Kors watch, Topshop suede ankle boots, Rubi sunnies, Revlon cocoa wine creme lipstick.