Ask MFJ is a series of posts where you can ask me anything about bags, shoes, clothes, accessories, and anything else about fashion. You can also ask me questions related to home decor/design, food, and travel. Just send them in to admin (at) myfashionjuice (dot) com, and I’ll see to it that I answer your questions as soon as I can.

Ask My Fashion Juice Question #5

“How to wear a big bold bib necklace? Should your top always have to be in a solid color?? I love bib necklaces but i also love printed tops! How to match the two?

Thanks a lot. More power! ”

- Browneyedgirl, Manila, Philippines

MFJ Answers

Hi Browneyedgirl! Sorry it took me so long to reply. Bib necklaces are best worn with solid-colored tops. A bib necklace is a statement piece. This means it is already a big bold accessory that should not compete with a busy print. However if you love to wear prints, you still can. Actually, I’ve worn something similar before but I wasn’t able to take a picture. There are two ways to do it.

1. First trick is to layer. You can wear a printed top with a low neckline and wear a solid-colored tank top inside, like black or white. This way, the bib necklace won’t get lost in the busy print. You can do this with low neck day dresses. Wear a tank or tube underneath so the bib necklace sits on the solid color and not on the printed fabric. You can also wear a button-up shirt and unbutton three to four of the top buttons so that your tank top shows and your bib necklace can still be seen, just like how I wore it below.
2. Second way to do it is to choose similar hued prints and bib necklace. In the same photo below, I could still use my gray crystal necklace on top of the gray and purple plaid shirt. Just choose a dress or top that has similar colors of your bib necklace. For example, if you have an all black bib necklace, you can wear it on a black and gray, black and silver, or black and white top. Just choose a fabric that is not so busy on the eyes so your bib necklace still pops up.

Hope this helps. I will try to take more photos featuring bib necklaces on top of printed fabric and feature them here. For all the readers out there, please continue to send me questions! Until next “Ask My Fashion Juice” post. Ciao!

The Decadestwo Pop-up store will be located at Kiki de Montparnasse, 79 Greene Street, (at Spring Street) in New York! On Thursday, March 18th, until Saturday, March 20th, they will be open from 11 am to 7 pm. On Sunday, March 21st, you can check them out from 12 pm to 5 pm. And to give you an idea of what items will be there, check these photos out!

I made sure to get my first Alexander McQueen when Gilt Groupe had featured it in one of their sales… especially now that he has just passed away. Too sad… but I’m glad I have a piece of his design to keep with me forever… And what’s even better is that it’s again FREE… thanks to you dear readers who have joined Gilt Groupe. An Alexander McQueen piece is no joke. It’s not cheap. This tank top costs more than $60! Yes, a simple tank top for $60. If I had no shopping credits, I wouldn’t get it. LOL. You know I’m cheap when it comes to clothing. I splurge more on bags! Anyways, if you haven’t registered with Gilt Groupe for free, click HERE.

• Pappadeaux is one of the 3 favorite restaurants of Beyonce in Texas
• If you are planning to visit or attend an event at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, the Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Arlington, Texas is the best place to dine. It’s just a few blocks away. You can see the Stadium from Pappadeaux.
• Since it’s craw fish season, it’s the best place to go right now!!!

P.S.

Photos were taken from iPhone, Olympus, and Google maps. LOL.

Now the story behind the founder/owner…

From the day he first learned to string a line, C. H. Pappadeaux was hooked on fishing. And it took him exactly no time at all to become the very best. There wasn’t a single creature in the sea he couldn’t bring in. Of course, there was that one time he brought in two. Many years ago, C. H. was hauling in the last of his nets, when his boat was suddenly smashed to pieces, knocking him oars over elbows right into the Gulf!

Floundering for air, he caught sight of two of the most gigantic mahi-mahi that had ever lived! Boatless, but otherwise unscathed, C.H. caught a hold of some fishing line, tied it to those monster fish, and proceeded to plant one foot on each of their backs! Before he knew it, C. H. was ridin’ those babies all the way back to the French Quarter like he was king of the sea! Needless to say, the feast that night was incredible.

Today, C.H.’s legacy lives on in every dish we serve at Pappadeaux. From the bold flavors of our fresh-from-the-boat seafood, to our outstanding service, we’re carrying on the Pappadeaux tradition of being the best there is.

Now, let’s go back to my restaurant review…

Above is the back entrance of Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen in Arlington, Texas. It’s such a lovely place to take pictures… because of the bridge and the water feature at the back of the restaurant. Going through the back entrance is already leaving a good impression on me. So I really hope that this experience would be a good one if not great…

Once you go inside Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, you’ll be greeted by the hostess right away. Beside her are tanks (2-3) of crabs, lobsters from Maine, and other types of fish/seafood. On the left is where most of the dining tables are situated. To your right is the bar area… which is huge!!! And they’ve got wide screen HDTV’s too (left side, not pictured).

Now the reason we chose to eat at Pappadeaux is because it was a Friday. As a Catholic, one of our Lenten practices is to abstain from meat each Friday, on Ash Wednesday, and the whole Holy Week. So, we have opted for a seafood restaurant and Pappadeaux was the perfect choice. We were heading out to the Pacquiao-Clottey Weigh-in event at the Cowboys Stadium and Pappadeaux was just around the corner. We started out with one of the best Calamaris I’ve tried. Fresh, crunchy, just the right temperature, and not oily at all! Love it! It comes with Lemon Aioli and Spicy Marinara Sauce… a sumptuous appetizer for only $11.95 for the large and $7.95 for the medium.

Dig in!

Now my order… fried shrimp served with french fries for only $9.95! Fresh, crunchy, delicioso!!! Yum!

Hubby’s order was the Sample Platter for just $13.95. It’s a mix of fried catfish, fried craw fish, and fried shrimp with french fries. Another delicious order. The catfish and craw fish were oh so good!!!

Our friend’s order was the Mixed Seafood Grill which was $12.95. It’s a skewer of assorted char-grilled seafood & vegetables, served with your choice of dirty rice or fries. It was definitely delicious! And the lemon butter sauce just made it PERFECT! Definitely a must-try when you’re here.

So judging by the looks of our table, you’re right, we ended up taking home more than half of our food! The portions were huge. If you’re not a heavy eater, I recommend couples sharing one dish.

Now another great thing about Pappadeaux is the excellent service. The manager came to talk to us and asked us if it was our first time there. And it was. So she told us to try their desserts and it’s ON HER! WOW! Sure. LOL! And she recommended to get the Dessert Trio so we can try three desserts in one: Creme Brulee (my fave), Bread Pudding, and Pecan Pie. Oh we loved it! The only problem is we were so full.

And here we are… trying to finish the dessert even if we were already full. We ended up not finishing the whole thing though.

So after the whole experience at Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, I have to say that I’ll give it 4.5 out of 5 stars! The only reason why it’s not perfect is because the middle dining area (where we were) have tables placed so close to each other. I don’t blame them though. A lot of people eat here a lot. Each time we pass by, the parking lot is full. So I’m sure they are just maximizing the space. All in all, I definitely recommend that you try out Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen! YUM!!!

To find a Pappadeaux Restaurant near you and to check out their menu, click HERE.

Rue La La

Calvin Klein, Color Story, Metrokane and more…

Gilt Groupe

Emanuel Ungaro and Christian Lacroix, Bric’s Luggage, Bensoni, Aviva Stanoff, LnA, Jewelry by Coralia Leets, Phaidon Press and more…

Haute Look

MD Skincare, Rebelette Girls, TRUNK Ltd., Stitch’s Women + Men, Melissa + Doug Toys, Conscious Jewelry, TOCS Watches and more…

Beyond the Rack

Lauren Hansen, Yumi, Language, Moments and more…

Ideeli

Anne klein new york, nyll italia, priorities, lori bonn, latico, oh la la cheri, kyocera and more…

Row Nine

Monteverde and Delta Pens, Sharp 22″ TV/DVD, Cuisinart Cookware, e-Moto Electric Bicycles, Sterling Silver Flatware Gorham – Towle and more…

Avelle

$195 (OR LESS!) HOT HANDBAG FINDS. UP TO 60% OFF! Beautiful styles from Betsey Johnson, Calvin Klein, Coach, Cole Haan, Jalda,
Perlina and more…

It has been a heck of a busy week for all Pacquiao fans, especially for the Filipinos of North Texas or the DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington) metropolitan area. The three previous days, Filipinos came to watch Pacquiao train and have their shirts, caps, gloves, jackets, and what-have-you’s signed by Pacman himself. Of course, Coach Freddie Roach, and Buboy among others were there to sign as well. It was indeed a fun and memorable moment for all my fellow Filipinos.

Yesterday, we came to watch the weigh-in of all the boxers to fight tonight. We got to see Bob Arum, Jerry Jones, Michael Buffer and many other fighters who just came to visit and watch this memorable event. It’s the first time that a boxing fight is happening at our $1.2 billion-Cowboy Stadium. LOL! I’m a proud Texan. I’ll post more about it after the fight.

Anyway, Filipinos have gone crazy with all the Manny Pacquiao items being sold… like I said… the shirts, jackets, caps, gloves, and even the limited Nike PacMan shoes ($110). The shoes look so nice. Three of our friends here already got theirs. They said it’s only going to be released here in Texas. There were a lot of Filipinos in the mall, buying Manny Pacquiao memorabilia. Some Filipinos were buying $100-600 worth of goodies. OMG!!! Can you imagine??? While we were there, a group of Filipinos from Chicago were buying a ton of shirts ($28) and jackets ($70). It was crazy! Heck if we have boat loads of money I would probably do the same. But since we’ve had a lot of expenses lately from restoring the home, buying decor and furniture, hosting a party, just renewed our car insurance, and having family and friends over among others – we are officially broke. LOL! And our tax return hasn’t even arrived yet. ARGH! But anyway, I got Hubby a shirt for the fight…

Close-up

Back

And the rest of the goodies being sold at Champs (Parks Mall, Arlington, TX)… sorry for the blurry photos… they were sneaky shots from my iPhone.

You see, this shopaholic (meaning gastosera) is a wise shopper. LOL. Even if I love to shop, I make sure to wait for the sale items. I take advantage of sample sale shopping sites such as Gilt Groupe, Rue La La, Ideeli, Haute Look and Beyond the Rack among others. And what’s more is that I make sure to share invites. So when my friends and readers join and purchase their first item, I get $10 to $25 shopping money for free. I take advantage of clearance stores such as Neiman Marcus’ Last Call Clearance, Saks Off Fifth, Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, Ross, TJ Maxx, and many others. But now you might be thinking, where did I get such a steal on Blu-Ray Discs… especially it’s the Hurt Locker, boasting 9 Academy Awards!

So before I tell you all about my great score on this blu-ray disc, let me tell you about the choice of movie.

War is a drug. Nobody knows that better than Staff Sergeant James, head of an elite squad of soldiers tasked with disarming bombs in the heat of combat. To do this nerve-shredding job, it’s not enough to be the best: you have to thrive in a zone where the margin of error is zero, think as diabolically as a bomb-maker, and somehow survive with your body and soul intact. Powerfully realistic, action-packed, unrelenting and intense. The Hurt Locker has been hailed by critics as “an adrenaline-soaked tour de force” and “one of the great war movies”.

In fact, this movie stands as one of the defining movies of the decade. If you watched the Oscars last Sunday, you must have seen how many awards the movie “The Hurt Locker” had won… from Best Director (Kathryn Bigelow, ex-wife of James Cameron, Avatar director)… to best writer (Mark Boal, a reporter who witnessed bomb squads in action)… to Best Picture, among many others. It stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Evangeline Lilly, Guy Pearce, David Morse, and Ralph Fiennes. Indeed, this was the perfect choice for me and Hubby to buy.

Hubby watched this movie online (ooops, hehe) a long time ago. At first, we thought it was one of those low-budget films… so I didn’t care to look. LOL. I was probably busy blogging while he watched the movie. Hahaha. But after that, he told me how nice the movie was. In fact, “The Hurt Locker” is often described as a “near-perfect movie”. WOW. So I tell yeah, this was definitely the right movie to get.

So how did I manage to get the Hurt Locker Blu-Ray Disc for $6.57?

I’ve been telling you I’m a wise shopper. I have been a member of e-Rewards.com for almost two years now. All I do is answer surveys whenever available and whenever I’m free. It only takes about 5 minutes to answer a survey. In return, you get e-Rewards dollars to convert on different kinds of rewards – skymiles, magazine subscriptions, coupons, gift certificates, etc. For the past two years, I was able to convert my e-Rewards money to Northwest/Delta skymiles, and the rest on magazine subscriptions. Now, recently, I opted for Borders Rewards Bucks.

No need to purchase anything at Borders store. Just go to the register, get a sign up form for a Borders Rewards and give it to their staff. It’s free to join and you’ll get your Borders Rewards card in an instant. It’s not a credit card but simply a rewards card where you earn Borders Bucks for your purchases. You can also register online but you won’t be able to receive a card… just a number. So after I got my Borders Rewards card, I logged back to e-Rewards and converted $15 of my account to Borders Bucks. $15 is the limit for Border Bucks. So there, I have $15 to spend at Borders.

Now as a Borders Rewards member, you’ll get coupons in your inbox almost every week. This week, they gave out 40% off on blu-ray and DVD’s… perhaps in celebration of the Academy Awards last Sunday. So the original price of “The Hurt Locker” was $34.99 less 40% plus tax less my $15 Border Bucks, comes to about $6.57! Now isn’t that such a steal?

And that’s how I got our new Hurt Locker Blu-Ray disc for less than 7 bucks!

P.S.

Sorry for the lack of posts. It’s been a busy couple of weeks… the cleaning… the party… a friend coming over… and now going to Pacquiao’s event. I have some new goodies that arrived this week but I haven’t had the chance to share everything here. I made some siopao the other day and I’ll be sharing it here too. And of course, I have a ton of restaurant reviews lined up as well. Plus, after the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, I’ll definitely be posting about it first! So stay tuned!

At Rue La La, the brands on sale are as follows. Join Rue La La for free through this LINK.

• Aquatalia by Marvin K.
• BOSS Black
• Bellora Hospitality
• Bruno Magli
• Bruno Magli – Men’s
• Carlos Falchi
• Cinzia Rocca
• DKNY Outerwear
• Earnest Sewn
• English Laundry – Men’s
• Eva Franco
• GANT
• GANT – Men’s
• Gucci Watches
• Gucci Watches – Men’s
• Hale Bob
• Helly Hansen
• Helly Hansen – Men’s
• Hobo International
• Joan Vass
• Kelly Wearstler for SFERRA
• La Fiorentina SOLD OUT
• Lela Rose
• Madame Alexander
• Magaschoni
• Modern Amusement
• Modern Amusement – Men’s
• Nicole Miller
• Paul Morelli
• Pour La Victoire
• Puma
• Puma – Men’s
• Salomon
• Salomon – Men’s
• Shun
• Sorel
• Sorel – Men’s
• Sperry Top-Sider
• Sperry Top-Sider – Men’s
• Stephen Dweck
• Stitch’s
• Stitch’s – Men’s
• White + Warren SOLD OUT

Gilt Groupe

Jacob & Co Jewelry, Pauric Sweeney, Devi Kroell, Gail deLoach and LAI Consolidated Sale, Bianca Nero, Jay Godfrey, Robert Rodriguez, Fatboy Kids & Home, Collina Strada & Monserat de Lucca Handbags, Soia & Kyo, Masons, Alpha Industries, Alife for Reebok Shoes and more…

Haute Look

Free People, Kitson, Hype Girls + Baby, Couristan Home, Janna Conner Jewelry, Sarajane Accessories, Tadpoles Baby and more…

Beyond the Rack

Tom Ford, Antique Rivet, Krush, APART, Lauren G Adams and more…

Ideeli

Chloe, chaiken, elliott lucca, vertigo paris, aviva, yanuk & taverniti, paper hart and baltic linen and more…

Row Nine

Artisan Gold Jewelry, Erica Anenberg Jewelry, Roberto Cavalli eyewear and more…

If you’d like to join Rue La La for free and earn shopping credits too, simply click HERE.

• Affliction – Men’s
• Ann Gish
• Badgley Mischka
• Bulga
• Country Love
• Dansko
• Donna Karan
• Dwell Studio
• FLuXuS
• French Connection
• French Connection – Men’s
• Hunter SOLD OUT
• Isabella Fiore SOLD OUT
• Koolaburra
• Loomstate
• Lynn Chase
• Malo
• Marmot SOLD OUT
• Marmot – Men’s
• Me&Ro
• Mitchell & Ness
• Monarchy
• Monarchy – Men’s
• Notte by Marchesa
• Paige Novick
• Phoebe Couture
• Robert Clergerie
• Sesto Meucci
• Slane & Slane
• Sweet Pea
• Tatami by Birkenstock
• Tatami by Birkenstock – Men’s
• Tibi
• Tommy Bahama
• Tommy Bahama – Men’s
• TOYWATCH
• Vivienne Tam
• William Rast
• Yoana Baraschi