Just Like That, It's Over

It's really funny when life catches up with you. It's even funnier when you realize that in this race of a life, there's no choice but to continue running because whether you like it or not, there will be a finish line. If life were truly a race, I just did a 10K distance. It's not much but it is certainly a milestone. And although I didn't finish first, nor did I stand out among all the other racers, I was able to cross the line. My eyes probably wandered off from the proverbial prize but at least I got my feet running where they were intended to in the first place. 

My batchmates and I had our graduation rites in PICC last 8 February 2014. The ceremony started at 8am. I remember distinctly that more than 3 years ago, I was a bit late for LPEP, DLSU's frosh orientation. Fast forward to Saturday's graduation, I was, yet again, late. I arrived quarter to 9, with all my course- batchmates done with our obligatory bow in front of the audience. I marched too, don't worry. Only, I marched with the rest of the late-comers. What can I say, I hate breaking traditions. Haha!

my college sisters!!!

with my proud parents!

with my two grandmoms, two uncles, two parents, two brothers, and two cousins

I celebrated my graduation in Antonio's in Tagaytay which is officially now in my list of the Top 5 best restaurants I've ever eaten in. The food was divine, the ambiance was tasteful, and the service was agreeable. I changed from my academic attire into another favorite: my new gown designed by my favorite Filipino designer, Rajo Laurel. That's

 a lot of favorites, isn't? 

Gown and belt: Rajo Laurel | Shoes: BCBG

The gown itself is a stand alone. It doesn't need a belt really but I thought it needed some sparkle. I took two different belts, attached the first on top of another, tied it around my waist, and that's when I decided I'm satisfied with my look. I kind of thought this is how I want to look like as I welcome the challenges of the real world.

I know, I know. I also thought it would've taken me longer to find the push that I need to continue publishing egocentric stories here but all of a sudden, I just felt like something has to anchor me down as I meet the demands of a world I'm about to enter into. Since this blog has served this purpose for quite a long time, it's best that I turn back to it especially at a time like this. So, yes, this blog will continue rolling. It'll witness all the mundane things I do, with special activities in between.

I may have to start earning my own keep, lose some of my inappropriate quirkiness, and acquire new traits that'll save me in future endeavors, but so what! I've always chosen to run along instead of being just a spectator anyway, preferably in heels though. Cheers to a start of a more mature life! :)

Resort 2014 Inspirations

1. Saint Laurent

2. Michael Kors Resort 2014

3. Lanvin Resort 2014

4. Givenchy

5. Carolina Herrera

6. Chanel

7. Balmain

8. Alexander McQueen

9. Alice + Olivia

10. Valentino

All of a sudden, I found myself browsing the Resort lookbook I've created for no good reason at all. It's raining outside as I type, yet my mind is wandering to somewhere sunny and new to my eyes. The clothes I've shared here are my top picks from the Resort 2014 collections. Which ones are yours? :)

Pictures via style.com

Travel Philippines: Hacienda Escudero

My midterms for my last academic term in college has already passed and I already have an idea how I fared so far. In some subjects, I am flourishing while in some, I am still in the tiring see-saw stage. It's my fault, really. I wasn't able to attend the first two weeks of the term because the clinic held up my clearance. But anyway, since when did I ever have a smooth-sailing beginning of the term right? I'm so used to hassles and inconveniences that I would soon declare them as my middle names. I've plenty of weak points too you know. Haha! Honestly, I've decided to resume maintaining this virtual diary on December, the day after I'm done with my thesis and OJT. But I decided to put my virtual life on full resume button now because I've proven to myself that above all else, I make myself happy when I see some semblance of progress in my life through published posts. It's like whenever I open my page and read some of my posts, I get to relive the experience I've had. The tip of the iceberg? It's when I start reading or hearing the comments that I never thought would come my way. (wink wink)

Because I've been out for so long, there are plenty of stories in pictures ready for viewing. Here's the first batch of photos. Since my last post was about my brother's birthday, let me continue with the second part of his celebration. The following pictures were taken in Hacienda Escudero last May.




My cousin Rayne was in her element when this picture was taken. Meaning, she's in her "I want to ride that raft. If not, I'd throw tantrums" mood. Hahaha


Check out the room I shared with my grandmom





Wondering why the photos seem to be familiar? Perhaps it's because of THIS and THIS.
Want to know the other reason why I immediately went back to publishing stories again? It's because my vocabulary is kind of getting rusty. Hahaha

Psychedelic Princess on a Magic Carpet Ride

Wouldn't it be great if we can escape from all the shackles that are hindering the realization of our visions? That at the slightest possibility of running away, we can just grab that chance and leave everything else behind? To just be the flower child some of us dream of becoming? Careless, spirited, and free. Always free.

She's a psychedelic princess

On a magic carpet ride

And where her trip will carry you

Is somewhere you can't find

She's on a plane to higher consciousness

Meditation is the key

She's got her shit together

'Cause her mind and soul are free, free!
- Flower Child by Lenny Kravitz

A lot of people I personally know celebrate their birthday on 10th of May, including my best friend from elementary and my older brother. So it's impossible for that day to be uneventful for me. My family had an eat-all-you-can, or rather beef-all-you-can, dinner in Tajimaya as  per the celebrant's request. I've never eaten as much as I did that night in the entire length of summer 2013 because, well, because who in their right mind would eat like a hippopotamus and expect their bodies would not feel like exploding after? But all those grilled strips of beef, bratwursts, pork, and chicken were too delicious to pass. Especially the beef. I threw all tummy bump-warnings in the air and thought that I will not go to another eat-all-you-can affair for the remaining duration of summer as a way of making it up to my exercise-phobic body. Only to realize that I've spoken too soon. More about that on the next posts ;)

 I was extra lazy to dress up that night so I've decided to continue on with my "no-heels" policy. Luckily, as I was looking for something decent to wear, I saw this flower headband which immediately came to be the "center piece" of my night. What was supposed to be a lazy dress up actually made it into my favorite list.



White flowy top: Zara| Black high waisted shorts: from my friend Jana Medel| Red Flats: Gap| Earrings: Aldo| Flower headband: Forever 21| Rings: from Divisoria, Aldo, Mango

Escape, in whatever form, is clothed cowardice. Though it's liberating to run away or simply withdraw from our problems, in the end we weren't able to fix the main predicament. Should one day a similar issue arise, all those bottled emotions would come running straight to us, creating damages that are no longer repairable. So the issue of leaving everything behind is something that has to remain a what if. It's tempting but at the end of it all, it's impossible not to get damaged by such decision. Everything around us is our responsibility. The sooner we accept this, the easier for us to face problems head on. 

Soldierlike

Dresses always have a way of saving the day, don't you think so? Even the laziest of days, which is so common for me as I really have the tendency to slack off, become not so lazy anymore when you throw on that cute little dress matched with that cute little pair of shoes. Finish off with a few accessories and that statement bag and voila, you're good to go!

Dress and spiked cuff: from Bangkok| Shoes and ring: Aldo| Bag: Vivienne Westwood

My 4 year old cousin Rayne graduated from Nursery last 23rd of March. Being the stage cousin that I am, I made sure I'll be there. Besides, I only have two first cousins here in the country to spoil so might as well go all out right? Remember this post? The dress I wore there belongs to her. If I'm a dwarf, she's a giant! She's one of the youngest in her class yet during the performances in her graduation, she was assigned to be with the 1st graders. Cute.

Events Planner

Currently, my friends and I are trying to come up with plenty of DIY projects and crafts. All 6 of us have assigned tasks to each other by asking "What's your use?" That's the thing with friends. You can practically ask them anything under the sun without thinking if they're going to be offended.

We wanted to put personal touches on even the littlest of details so when we brainstorm, it's like waging a war against each other. Nothing's set on stone yet cause when something is about to be agreed upon, a better idea always comes up. I tried to do research on my own when I went home. I was about to look for ideas in Pinterest when I saw my cousins' pictures in my newsfeed in Facebook. It's slipped my mind that my Tita Cay, mom of my three first cousins, is a master events planner and a DIY queen. If I make birthday celebrations and other events a big thing, she makes it the event of the year. Unlike me who prefers paying for a venue where my party is going to take place and paying for catering services, she makes it a point that everything is personal. She starts everything from scratch, including the venue which is always at their home. She does magic. As for the food, well, when you have in your midst Wawa Lucette, trust me when I say that the food will always taste superb! Let me share with you some of her works:

1. Elija's 3rd birthday celebration last 8 April 2013.

Theme: Pirates

Instead of having the usual photobooth, they DIY-ed the pirate ship using Caoume's piano box, filled it with balloons and no one would ever know it was just from a recycled box. The giveaway loots were the black pirate bags. They served 13 dishes, including the 3 desserts. 

2. Ezy's baptism last 24 February 2013.

For the giveaways to the godparents, Tita Cay printed their pictures on these white fluffy pillows. For the other guests, she rolled colorful towels and inserted them in these tumblers making them appear like sundaes. They transformed one part of the basement into playing corner for the little ones. They prepared 13 different dishes. 

3. Caoume's 6th birthday party in June 2012

Theme: Western

The last time they were here in the country, Caoume was telling me all about this. She kept on telling me that she'll be inviting all her other medium-kid friends. Upon entering their home, the children were handed shirts to wear. Caoume was so pretty and such a stand-out, it actually gave me an idea to try this in the future too! Her giveaways were, aside from the shirt, foldable water bottles. There were different prizes in her cart which was good since her friends were all very energetic. They set up the inflatables too. See, even the cake was a DIY. 

4. Elija's 2nd birthday party in 2012

Theme: Angry Birds

His birthday coincided with Easter Sunday so they decided to include the easter egg hunt as part of the games. All the children were in search of the lucky eggs, which in the end they also had to paint. Instead of having goody bags, they were given angry birds bags where they will put the eggs that they've found.

5. Caoume's 5th birthday party in 2011

Theme: Under the Sea

In the backyard of the Valles, their very own waterpark was set up! The medium-kids had fun swimming and taking turns in the slide while the toddlers had fun in the inflatables and riding their plastic cars.

6. Elija's 1st birthday party


Theme: Indian
This baby boy's energy is that of Hubert, Hamish, and Harris' (triplets from Brave) combined. He's such a bundle of joy! For his first birthday, Tita Cay sent invitations and thank you notes to their guests. The loots included cute pacifiers and the ref magnet bearing Elija's adorable face.

Even though those cuties are continents away from me, seeing their pictures always bring a smile to my face. They remind me so much of Merida and the triplets from the movie Brave, what with their curly hair and naughtiness. It's now time for me to plan that party for my friend! I'll post the preparation and the outcome here one of these days. I'm so excited to be one of the party planners :)

Travel Philippines: Boracay, Kalibo, Aklan

Arrived with Excitement, Left in Need of Psychiatrist

If someone would hire me as an advertiser, or a marketer for that matter, of the summer paradise of the Philippines known as Boracay, I would greatly capitalize on what I've written as my title. I wish I can share photos that show the beauty of the place with the natural sunlight highlighting the powdery white sand or the clear blue waters but I guess we all have to settle for second best: seeing Bora's take once the sun sets in. It's magical, but in a spectrum different from what beaches are normally admired for. I brought my trusty camera along, after too much pestering from my two close friends Karen Soledad and Jana Medel, but it had to take backstage most of the time because we were too lazy to carry it around and stop from time to time just to take a snapshot of our background or what we were wearing. I mean, I'm aware that I'm big with documentation and everything that goes with it but only IF I'm with someone who's willing to do it for me. If it's me who'll be inconvenienced, it's as good as saying PASS. Sorry, I'm not really the nicest person out there. Harhar!


My personal record of functioning for 37 hours straight without sleeping was bested during this trip. My best friend and I unthinkingly booked for the most impossible flights going to and from our destination causing us stress, frustration, and more expenses. We learned the hard way that there's such thing as wise saving up and bad way to do it. The money that we thought we've successfully saved up by choosing early morning flights wasn't enough to compensate for all the agonizing conditions it had put us under. All in all, S and I didn't sleep for almost 50 hours straight. No kidding.









We were supposed to Cliff Dive but after doing this activity called Flying Fish, every thought of trying another activity fled our minds. This was insane! If you've never tried somersaulting, then try this.

We stayed there for almost 6 days and let me tell you I didn't get tanned. I got dark!!! We met plenty of familiar faces who are also from Taft. That's what's so good with this place. Anywhere you'll go, you'll bump into someone whom you're only acquaintances with in average day but whatever's holding you back from befriending them instantly vanishes with just a few swigs of good drinks. Just like my experience in this place with Jana a few years ago, I enjoyed immensely. A lot of things happened that until now, or maybe even forever, will haunt my friends and I. There were a few faulty decisions but in the end, I cannot bring myself to regret them. After all, I just let myself get immersed in the magic of the place :)
Bikini Day1: Cache Cache| Bikini Day3: Dorothy Perkins| Bikini Day4: Topshop
Romper worn in Night1: Zara
Top worn in Night2: La Senza| Shorts: from my mom's closet
Bandeau worn in Night3: Forever21| Knitted top: Apple&Eve| High-waisted striped shorts: Topshop
Black top with heart details worn in Night4: Zara| Shorts: Zara
Slippers: Havaianas| Brown bag: Fossil| Shades: Aldo

So anyway, to make up for the lack of posts, I'd be publishing long entries every now and then. Let's get started!