weekend – Girl Gone Cuckoo

sunset sunday visits

my sister is my inspiration right now. despite everything that has happened, she remains strong and perseveres through the grief from the loss. she knows she must stand back up because it would have what he wanted. for anyone who’s gone through loss, stitching your life back together can be hell but my sister — although she’s feeling this eternal heartache, she is taking one day at a time in dealing with life. other people may give up but not my sister.

so every time i am extra stressed at work and feel like walking out the office door or every time i think i may never get through some shitty traffic, i think about how my sister is moving forward despite what she went through. life gives us little hiccups but we will always get past them. people go through worst things and they get past it. what happened has made me realize that i need to cherish life even more and not sweat the small stuff. life is too short.

on me: grey sheer top – primal rave wholesale | striped pleated culottes- primal rave wholesale | flap booties – shopyapi.com | coin necklace – bangkok find | bangles – downtown finds, forever21 | rings: owl, black stone – downtown finds & gecko – bangkok find | white sunnies – raybans, borrowed from sis

just us two

pale blue vintage dress – thrifted | brown oxford wedges – forever 21, gifted by sweet | feather necklace – downtown find | cutout cuff – downtown find | rings: skull and brain – downtown finds

i once found it funny and foolishly romantic that my friend’s parents celebrate their anniversary of when they first got together as a couple (you know, as boyfriend and girlfriend) and that they celebrate their wedding anniversary too. little did i know, i’d be doing the same thing too.

harry and i officially became an “us” on january 27, 2008. it has been four years since then. ♥

light as a feather, stiff as a board

if you were a 90’s child, you’d probably find the title familiar…if you don’t remember or know it, it’s from the movie The Craft which i was such a fan of. i think i was still in 5th grade then and i must have seen the movie more than 10 times. i even had the soundtrack and i swore i was meant to be a witch too but no matter how much a tried to make a pencil turn on its own, it just won’t. imagine my disappointment. haha!

anyway, i’ve long been obsessed with feathers ever since i found owlita.com and i was scouring bangkok for some cheap peacock and ostrich feathers that i could DIY but to no avail. time got to the best of me and i never got around to doing the earrings. so i was super glad to have found this necklace at my favorite downtown shop. it’s been a while since i’ve gone accessory shopping and mind you, once i step into that little shop of accessory goodness, i go wild. so i’m presenting you 2 of the loot i got on my latest trip: the feather necklace and the angel wing ring. ♥

on other news, the Cebu Fashion Bloggers have finally come out of our shells — we’ve long held a group page in Facebook to discuss fashion, events and just about anything but the discussion remained within the group. we have finally decided to take the group public with a Facebook Fan Page. ‘Like’ the CFB Facebook page to get updates not just from me but from all other amazing Cebuano Fashion Bloggers.

courage + acceptance

although summer was supposed to be the time for taking breaks, i hardly had the chance to because of the back pains from my spinal disc bulges + work + nonsense questions to myself + i don’t know. so last saturday, the boyfriend and i took a much need break from everything and just disconnected ourselves from the world. i think it’s definitely healthy to have those much-deserved alone time with each other and just have fun without worrying about anything else.

now, you all know i’ve been feeling utterly disappointed at myself because i don’t know exactly i want to do with my life and have been all over the place. i’ve realized though that it’s just the fear talking and that i can take on anything i set myself to. everything happens for a reason and we just need to be courageous enough to accept it. of course, i need to make sure that i set my priorities straight.

i’ve hated waking up for a routine everyday, whether it be school or work. even as a child, there wasn’t a morning where i didn’t drag myself out of my bed. i wanted to be in control of my time and didn’t want to have to follow a certain schedule that constrained me. although i was scared as hell, i finally decided to take control of my time. i’ve decided to dedicate my full time on our wholesale business and have writing jobs on the side and that i’ll now only be working part time for the advertising agency that i’ve been working for. so far, i’m on my 2nd week of this arrangement but i am loving every minute of it. i decide what time i attend work as long as it’s 4-5 hours and i get to spend most of my day, in my room and writing or sorting out clothes, shoes and bags for my store and our wholesale business.

they say i might get bored with this arrangement. i fully understand that and recognize that someday, i might decide to find work that’s structured or even decide to be a stay at home mom. it took me a great deal of courage to admit this but life is unpredictable. i am unpredictable and i don’t know what’s going to happen to my life or how to get to what i want in life. but to hell with it, for now i’m gonna do what i enjoy and do what i want..RIGHT NOW!

printed mini-dress used as top – thrifted

white pleated skirt – thrifted

teal belt – robinson’s dept store, dumaguete

nude suede wedges – gold dot

bangles: purple wood – bangkok find | orange polka resin – gifted |

red coral – boracay find | pewter bangles – carbon finds

rings – bangkok finds

Between The High Eighties and The Low Nineties FM

“And her voice is pure and soft,
Oh, when she stumbles on her words.
And every boy in town is pretty certain he deserves to marry her.
Someday soon.

And that’s not all; that Elouise,
she just got a Jazz Master guitar.
And her band got a blurb in the Stranger and they’ve just been submitted for a tour.

And her tone is deep as night,
when she plays her minor chords.
And the rhythm section’s tight,
but they’re always ignored.
Always ignored.”

— Say Hi, “Elouise”

Photos taken last weekend on our second family beach trip to Tabuelan, Cebu. Milking summer for sunny skies and clearer waters.

printed cotton dress – Bangkok find

knitted shawl – thrifted

wide-brimmed floppy hat – shopyapi.com

my little clone and i at the beach

…and no she is not my daughter. LOL. she’s my niece, my little curly-haired fashion doll — Audrey. i taught her the cross pose but no, i didn’t teach her the ‘don’t-look-at-the-camera’ pose. isn’t she just a cutie? welp, she’s a cutie as much as she’s a bratty. *peace*

so my family, a handful of relatives and i visited our favorite beach house last weekend as a post-celebration of my dad’s birthday and as a mom’s day celebration too. i will never stop saying this — i will never grow tired of going back to this place. our annual trip to this beach house is one that i look forward to every year. not only is it a chance to bum at the beach at our own privacy but it’s always filled with craziness and laughter. this year, our relatives from Dipolog came to visit and the trip was filled with oldies boogieing to oldies music. such a treat!

neon printed monokini – shopyapi.com

chambray top – shopyapi.com

beige wide-rimmed floppy hat – shopyapi.com

yellow flip-flops – roxy

yellow scarf used as turban – thrifted

tie-dyed in the middle of nowhere

what do you do if you’re stranded in the middle of nowhere after the car you’re driving overheats and conks out? for starters, get the guys to search for nearby houses and ask for water. second, take a deep breath and appreciate the scenery. third, take photos. oh yeah, i forgot, i called my dad too. LOL. he’s in that car doing a u-turn while i posed for photo.

on my first long drive, around 3 hours to the north of Cebu, my car overheats. typical. this happened on the way home. we left the beach house at 3:30 PM and could have been back in the city by 6:00 to 7:00 PM. instead, we got home around 8:30 PM, very hungry and grumpy. well, i’ll just charge this to experience. next time, check water on the way to the destination AND upon going home. *duh*

pink tie-dyed ethnic printed top – thrifted

denim shorts – props

yellow flip-flops – roxy

wide-brimmed floppy hat – shopyapi.com

yellow printed scarf – thrifted

wooden bangles – carbon finds + gifts from WAGW

Levi’s Roadwear Party

i have to admit, i used to be what you’d call a ‘party girl’ as you saw in my previous post when i went down memory lane and pulled out photos from way back. right after graduation though, i worked at a call center and wasn’t too privileged to have weekends off. that totally ruined my night life and had to disconnect from my friends. i hated it until i got fixed weekends off and realized that the night life isn’t all that. right when i turned 24, i traded blasting hip-hop or house music for dvd marathons at home and dancing until 3AM with friends to lounging and talking with over dessert.

so the Levi’s Roadwear Party was one of those rare nights that i became that younger version of myself. i couldn’t resist Eden‘s invite even i wanted to because i’ve declined too much of her invitations, including Inquirer’s Fashion Face-off (which i regret), that i owed her this. yeah, it was awkward at first because i didn’t know too many people but after a couple or so of vodka shots, the party became a blast! it was indeed a pleasure meeting Ana Kalaw of the Philippine Star’s Ystyle, Jeff and Christine from Thinline advertising and spending time with other cebu bloggers too — Eden, Nym Wales, Dale Wesley, Yves and Kristin Roa. til’ next time girls! maybe in 2 months when i get over the hangover i got from this night.

black sheer top – shopyapi.com

old-school flare jeans turned boyfriend jeans – levi’s

silver heels – urbanog.com

red studded bag – shopyapi.com

layered coin bib necklace – bangkok find

silver cutout cuffs – shopyapi.com

Dumaguete Day Two: A Motorcycle Ride

remember when i mentioned how our suite had a view of the ocean? this our view and we woke up to this every morning.

so day two of our Dumaguete adventure consisted of a lovely brunch at Mamia restaurant — we were seated outside so we had whole view of the ocean, a long but super fun motorcycle ride to Valencia — this quaint and natural town in the hills of Dumaguete, a little trip to Dumaguete’s famed Forrest Camp, a short visit to their new Robinson’s mall and a quiet dinner with Harry’s best friend, Richard at Hayahay over their oh so yummy pizza. might i add that Hayahay is also fronting the ocean and we had the amazing view of the full moon shining over the waves.

it was amazing having spent the whole day just relying on Harry and not having to drive anywhere. he took control of the day and i just sat behind him on the motorcycle, with music from my iPod and the wind on my hair. i dream of more days like this. i happen to like being taken cared of by someone i so love.

the food:

the food photos are only of the ones we had at Mamia restaurant because Harry and i once again forgot to take photos of our yummy pizza at Hayahay. LOL.

printed dress – gifted from Sweet (as the prize to her fashion stylist contest)

blue beaded sandals – khaosan road, bangkok

printed fedora hat – sm dept store, men’s dept

black handbag – nine west

necklaces: elephant tusk – bangkok | diamond shaped pattern – gifted from ivy

armor ring and skull ring – carbon finds

bangles – carbon finds

Dumaguete Day One: Moonlit Stroll

i apologize if i’ve been MIA for almost 4 days. i fell hard in love with dumaguete that it took me a while to recover. here’s day one of our trip — discovering that our very affordable suite in one of the hotels near the famous Rizal boulevard has floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the ocean; each having two of the infamous Taster’s burgers right when we arrived, meeting up with one of Harry’s childhood best friends over dinner at Cafe’ Antonio and drinks at Hayahay then just taking a long walk along Rizal boulevard, with the waves crashing against the rocks and over good conversation.

the food:

(1) our Taster’s burgers — Harry and i were such pigs that we ate two each; the burgers were nothing fancy really as they came with the usual coleslaw and mayo-ketchup sauce but the meat was just juicy even when it was thin and the burgers just screamed home-cooked goodness;

(2) my Jamaican porkchops at Cafe’ Antonio; wasn’t able to take a photo of Harry’s baby back ribs because we’re such terrible food bloggers that we forget to take out the camera before we start devouring the food;

black dress with crocheted details – thrifted

blue beaded sandals – bangkok find

black purse – nine west vintage

necklaces: elephant tusk – bangkok | diamond shaped pattern – gifted from ivy

armor ring and skull ring – carbon finds

the deafening silence

despite how talkative i am, i always still tend to drift off into my own space and sometimes avoid talking to other people. when my sister was out playing with the other kids in our neighborhood, i’d stay at home and watch captain planet or ghost busters while eating instant noodles and crackers. in high school, instead of spending summer out with friends, i’d while away the afternoon writing a novice novel or different short stories. i appreciated alone time and made sure to have a few hours to myself just to keep myself sane. however, on the first night alone in our house — with both my sisters having moved out, i found the time alone to be utterly sad. i finally, after 25 years have the room all to myself but it felt weird. so i succumb to the one game i avoided the most — plants vs zombies. God help me.

photo taken at banilad town center, cebu

vintage floral dress – thrifted

beige suede wedges – gold dot

braided tan belt – pratunam, bangkok

tan oversized bag – parisian, sm dept store

brass bangles – carbon finds

we eventually have to grow up

it was said that i used to invade her crib when we were babies. we were 2 years apart but we acted like twins. we had matching clothes and my most favorites outfits were our chiffon dresses with hats that had ribbons around them and the matching sailor-inspired outfits that my mom had made for us — navy blue linen sleeveless blazer with gold buttons and red linen shorts. we’ve shared a room since we were born and fought about so many things even just over something as petty as moving the electric fan. she will always be my baby sister even when we both had to eventually grow up.

photos taken at plantation bay, cebu.

lace boho top – thrifted (thanks eden for finding this for me!)

denim shorts – thrifted

boater hat – sm department store

pink flip-flops – havaianas

heart necklace – pratunam, bangkok

bangles – chatuchak, bangkok