Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Ruby Red

As I've mentioned in my last post, UP Manila has two graduation ceremonies. The first one was where we had to wear the UP sablay, the second one, the toga. This peculiarity is really cool but it also means one thing-- the need for two graduation dresses.

 Like my white graduation dress, this one is also from apartment8clothing. It's actually a two piece terno. The top is a crop top and the skirt a high waisted skirt.

It took me a while to decide to go with this dress because it's actually a size too big for me. I have trouble with clothing because I'm in between a small and a medium. Most times I go for the bigger size cause I know I can always make adjustments. For this one, I sewed the sides to make it fit better but for some reason, it's still too big! The top actually fell down by chest during graduation (good thing we had a toga over it). I just noticed cause it felt a bit "breezy".


It doesn't discount the fact that the outfit is also perfect for the occasion. I love its length and its striking red color. It's classy yet trendy at the same time.
Again, thank you to Apartment 8 clothing for making me look perfect during my graduation ceremonies. I am beyond grateful that I found the perfect dresses :)

Cheers to the new graduates!

Dress: apartment8clothing
Black pumps: Parisian (circa 2012)
Black bag: Mango


Sunday, April 27, 2014

Perfect White

Those who follow me on Instagram probably know that I've recently graduated from my Master's. I took my Master's in UP also and one of the things that I really looked forward to (apart from the diploma) was being able to wear the UP sablay. In my undergrad, I didn't attend my college graduation so I didn't get to wear the sablay :( Now though, I made up my mind that no matter what it takes, I will attend my college graduation and WEAR A SABLAY!

The greatest challenge for me was to find the perfect white dress. It is part of the graduation guidelines that we must wear a white/off-white dress/ Filipiana together with the sablay. I cannot emphasize enough how hard it was to find the perfect white dress! (with sleeves and knee length!)

I ordered the dress online at apartment8clothing but because it was almost the holy week, all shipment had to wait until the Monday after. It would of course be too late for my graduation so I surrendered to the idea of having to look for another dress to wear. While chatting with my colleagues that Holy Wednesday though, they told me that maybe there was a way for me to just pick up the dress at the store. That idea sounded amazing and after hours of coordinating with the store, I finally got the go signal to pick up my orders!



Their design store is at QC and I have to admit it is a long drive from where I was at. But I was desperate and the dress was perfect so I didn't mind the traffic and long drive just to get to the store.
I am so happy I decided to get the dress from the store. Apart from this, I also got my other grad dress (yes, UP has two graduation ceremonies) plus a couple more items. Hehe :P Thank you so much to the very kind and accommodating people at Apartment 8! I cannot tell you how happy you have made me on my graduation :) I cannot repeat it enough-- the dress is perfect :)

Here's to batch 2014 and all the graduates who were able to find the perfect dress too!

A special shout out to all the UP graduates! Mabuhay ang mga iskolar ng bayan!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Bikini Shopping Made Easy

For some bizarre reason, all my swimwear are from online stores. I know buying bikinis is tricky enough as it is, more so if you're not able to try them on as in the case of online shopping. I know it's a quirk and I have to admit it hasn't all been success stories for me, but because I have been at it for many years, I'd like to take this chance to feature some of my favorite online brands (and others I have yet to buy from):

I Love Koi
I have two bikinis from I Love Koi. I've learned to stalk their website as early as December for new designs. I love how Koi understands the female body and accentuates all the right places, making the swimwear look really sexy. What's really special about I Love Koi are their designs! They have such stylish bikinis that I often have a hard time ordering just one.

Soak Swimwear
My last two swimsuits are from Soak. I've heard about Soak Swimwear from my friends before but it's only now that I bought swimwear from them. So what's the verdict? Awesome! I love that it looks so sexy! Plus their medium is a true medium. Normally I have trouble buying swimwear because I am a small on top and medium for the bottom. The medium from Soak though is perfect as it is a true medium which makes it versatile enough for my uneven measurements (hehe).

Nudo Swimwear
I don't have a swimsuit yet from Nudo but I always drop by their site to check out if there's anything I like. The designs look promising and if only they didn't sold out so fast, there's a big chance I'd have gotten something from them already.

Cesa PH
This is another brand I have yet to buy from but their designs also look so pretty! They also carry the fringe bandeaus which are so hot right now!



Zalora
Zalora is not just exclusive for swimwear but you should really check out their swimsuit collection which offers a wide array of items from different brands. I bought my first I Love Koi swimsuit from Zalora because at that time I didn't even know that I Love Koi existed. It's a great place to discover new brands and also compare different designs. The best part is, Zalora has so many payment options-- including cash on delivery!

It's only halfway through summer and there's still time to get your dream bikinis! Happy shopping summer babes!

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Soul sisters

I'm an only child but I am fortunate enough to grow up being friends with my godsister, who incidentally, is also an only child. We have a 6-year age gap but we share so many things in common that we get along really well. She is like my older sister, best friend, partner in crime, girl friend, and overall go-to girl for anything and everything in my life.


When we were younger, the age gap was much more apparent but in the latter part of my teenage years, our age gap became less an issue and we started getting closer as our concerns in life became more similar.


People think we're related by blood but we're not. We really are just godsisters. (My mom is her Ninang and her mom is my Ninang). Sometimes, it's easier though to say we're cousins cause people don't normally understand how we could be so close and not be related.
Most times, I'd like to believe we're soul sisters. That maybe in another life, we truly were sisters. Or a pair that was connected in a deeper level. You don't really understand the connection, but you just accept it. And you just know deep in your heart that this person was brought into your life for a reason. It was no accident. Like you were drawn to each other... led by an invisible hand until your paths crossed.

Not everyone believes in destiny. Or on soulmates and reincarnation. But there are things in this life that only be explained by believing in the enexplainables-- in things that are not concrete.

It may sound crazy but I believe my godsister is one of my soulmates. That in a past life, we've met before. And we are fortunate enough to find each other again in this lifetime.

They say our soulmates we meet in our lives are the people who will impact us in a great way and redirect our lives. It is them who will lead us to the right path and show us what we are brought in this world to do (and to become). It doesn't matter so much whether the concept of soulmates is real or not, all I know is that I am grateful for my godsister, and she is (and forever will be) one of the people who I know has changed my life (for better) and for good.

Striped dress: Forever 21
Red shoes: Sole Mate

// These pictures are our entries to SM Shoes and Bags' Solemate competition. Show us some lovin' by voting for us here (you must like the SM Shoes and Bags' FB page first so you won't get an error message). Thank youuuu! 

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Hong Kong Fashion Diary

You probably already heard from Sophia that I went to Hong Kong last March to celebrate my birthday. I had a lot of fun on that trip because it was the first trip I took with my college barkada. Sophia was supposed to come with us but because she also had a trip lined up (Japan, Japan!) she couldn't go :( Instead of the usual "tourist-y" blog post, let me focus on doing an OOTD post instead.

Let me say beforehand that I was only partly prepared for this trip because I just came (literally one day after) my exams so planning was out of the question. Plus, I didn't anticipate how cold it was in HK.

Day 1: Nautical
This is not actually a "nautical" outfit. It just looked like that because of my scarf. And well yeah, a bit because of the color of my skirt-- oh, excuse me, it's actually a skort, which is great for travelling.

White long sleeves - Uniqlo | Navy skort and Scarf- Forever 21 | Boots - from Temple Street

Day 1 (night): Pink and prettified
 This is my birthday "salubong" outfit. We went out for dinner and drinks and it was really cold out, I can't emphasize enough how my insufficiently clothed I was.

Hot pink dress - Shapes | Black and gold Utility Jacket - Forever 21 | Gladiator wedges - Chocolate Schubar
Day 2: Birthday Dress

White sweater - Forever 21 | "awesome" sweater (not on this photo) - H&M | Hot pink bandage skirt - Forever 21 | White leggings - H&M | PInk and orange scarf - Forever 21 | Tan boots - Temple Street find
Happy birthday to me! Of course, I shall wear pink on my birthday! :) My favorite piece of clothing here is my scarf because it's like a gradient. One part of it is in a deep pink color and the other half is orange. Also, the fabric is very soft to the touch which makes it such a dainty and unique piece!




Day 3: Sporty and striped

Didn't really get a good shot of my outfit this day, but here's a couple where you can see it:

Striped dress - Forever 21 | Red racer jacket - Gifted from Canada | Nautical Scarf - Forever 21 | Tan boots - Temple Street

There you have it! A brief ootd post during my trip to Hong Kong! The cold weather in Hong Kong was really fun cause it allowed me to try my layering skills (which I've learned I have very little of) but I really enjoyed the weather! It was just the perfect amount of cold. But I would have loved it more if I brought warmer clothes with me. Lol!

Sunday, April 13, 2014

More than just pizza

So, this is a quick post about California Pizza Kitchen. I know, it's not a new restaurant but I just wanted to do a blog post about them because CPK is one of my favorites and I realized I never wrote about them before. So I'm doing that now by featuring one of my favorites:

That's CPK's Say Cheese Milkshake-- Mozzarella, smoked gouda, monterey jack and shaved parmesan with vanilla ice cream! OHEHMGEE. Can I just say-- heaven?

It's so good I am out of words for it! Apart from the milkshake, my other go-to items are the Thai Crunch Salad (a must!), Wild Mushroom Thin Crust Pizza, Spinach Ravioli, Kung Pao Spaghetti and the Lettuce Wrap. To be honest, I could go on forever listing items on their menu because tastes wonderful! I cannot emphasize enough how tasty the food is at CPK. I am a big, big fan and I can't believe it took me forever to share my love for them with you guys :)

If you want to check out the menu, you may do so by clicking here-- http://www.cpk.com.ph/ or better yet, head over to the nearest branch! I promise, you won' be disappointed!

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Blushed and Ready for Marriage

I have a thing for marriage. I have been planning my own wedding since I was very young and everytime I attend weddings, I always go home feeling more depressed excited for my own. A few weeks ago, I attended a former boss' wedding at Fernbrook Gardens and it, again, reminded me why weddings get to me.


I used to believe that every girl dreamt about getting married. But over the years, I learned that not all girls dream about weddings. They don't pay particular attention to it nor give it that much importance, saying it's just a ceremony. I used to not believe them but with so many ladies saying the same thing, I realized maybe marriage really is not for all. Maybe dreaming about a whimsical wedding is just for the hopeless romantics; for the few (of us) who still believe in fairytales.


The weddings I've attended have all been like what I had in my head-- magical and dream-like. But I realized what really makes them more beautiful is that the ceremonies allowed the bride and groom to CELEBRATE their love. To be mushy in front of their families and friends and tell everyone present what makes the other so lovable.

I especially love hearing the wedding vows because with so many people witnessing it, I feel like there is no greater love than that-- it shows the kind of love that prompts both parties to shout it out from the rooftops and tell the whole world that this is the person they chose. It always brings me to tears.

That kind of love. That kind that is over-the-top; can't-believe-this-is-happening-to-me kind of love. That is what I particularly look forward to during weddings. It makes the ceremony so beautiful. Everything just comes together full circle. The venue, the vows, the details-- all of it is encircled and bunched up in one big ball of LOVE.

I look forward to when I can finally plan my own wedding. I'm sure I will be a bridezilla because I pay particular attention to details plus I am quite a perfectionist. For now though, I have to find my groom first :P

One day, I believe it will be my turn :)

pink dress - Salabianca
pink studded pumps - Salad by People R People

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