when the storm has passed

 Something Borrowed  via Zalora scalloped silk top; secondhand rue21 cut-offs; vintage belt; Rubi via Zalora gusset boots; from an aunt ribboned bag; LC Lauren Conrad bracelet; from the grandmum jewelled bracelet; aizilim rosegold cuff, rhinestoned midi and non-midi nail rings; forever21 cat ears ring; dad's sunglasses; verano via Zalora tri-strand ribbon choker in light pink/blush; aizilim necklaces 

I sometimes forget I have this top because I rarely wear it anywhere. But it's one comfortable flimsy piece of fancy scalloped...but still minimal thing I don't mind over-wearing on some days of the week. Definitely perfect for a more humid climate we're having now that the storm has past. The top is from two or three seasons ago so it's likely not anymore available on site. 

And speaking of the storm locally now named Marce, she's still hovering around Palawan Islands or at least her eye is and everywhere else around north is under signals number 2 and 1. Today, it's been anything but sunny here since she hit us first on her landfall. So far only 2 days of her rain and consequently 2 days where it felt like 5 to 5:30 in the afternoon the whole day due to having no sun visible through rain clouds...well...it's been a nice weather-ed week regardless.  

Anyway, happy Friday! And it's Black Friday to boot so take advantage of the sales everywhere, I guess? I know Zalora---and they have the boots I've been eyeing on sale now down to 1800+ Php, too /cries---has one on now but I can't buy anything yet...anyway. Next time.

current favorites (accessories edition)

 ph1: aizilim necklaces, midi rhinestoned ring; and wooden and rosegold cuff/bracelet; dumaguete city souvenir shop black shell bangles; and vintage silver hammered bangle. ph2: jeweled bracelet from grandmum; LC Lauren Conrad bracelet. ph3: cross earrings from a multiply store (I can't remember its name anymore); SM department store dangling heart and cross earrings; SM department store dangling mini cross earrings (I can't find its pair apparently but might try wearing it mismatched next time just for the heckuvit...) 

Stuff I wear on a daily basis, except maybe the earrings because I wear them occasionally. They're all pretty microscopic or around that size anyway and yet...still fun.

denim that's not jeans

denim dress from Bangkok, zalora heels, ninewest clutch, DIY headband, aizilim bracelet/bangle and rings

Possibly the only way I'm found to wear jeans. The dress's straps were falling apart so I had to have them chopped off but otherwise still one of the better denim stuff in the wardrobe. I don't often wear much strapless stuff unless there's occasion to, though. I'm fond of topping them with shirts most of the time. Might try that one with this next time for a more casual, worthy of going out randomly for tea or whatever look. The dress is pretty comfortable enough I rolled around in it on the floor by the stairs (my dubbed working space as of late) for a good fraction of the late afternoon yesterday while working on stuff on the laptop.

Music talk of the day: who's heard of Tove Lo's Lady Wood record by now and loved how it started with Fairy Dust as intro? So, so good record, by the way, as expected of her after the awesome thing that was Queen of the Clouds (this still keeps me high in the clouds when I listen to it plus it gives me that feeling of rolling around fluffy heart shaped clouds somehow...haha). The track Cool Girl speaks volumes to me and Imaginary Friend is just all out self-love appropriate. Also, weirdly, Lady Wood reminds me of wood nymph---which isn't really what she meant when she sung it on the titular track but w/e---which is what this outfit hints of. It's never been a secret I love Tove Lo so much *insert tons of hearts here*.

Kind of missing Bangkok, like I do Hong Kong, and the shopping there. I wasn't able to go around there as much on my own as I was stuck with the aunt and her friends/colleagues way back when. Pattaya was rad though. I'll go back one day...on my own, I guess...or with a girl pal so it won't be as lonely? Well, yep.

hints of boheme and some music talk that might be a constant now here

 benchPH tank similar here, Gap cutoffs, vintage belt, rubi via zalora gusset ankle boots, smashbox choker, sm department store heart & cross dangling earrings, secondhand (from grandmum :D) and LC Lauren Conrad bracelets, aizilim necklaces, diy braided headband

I lean towards the more boho side of the style spectrum than I'd care to admit. I'm suspecting much of it has to do with the fact that I reside in the most tropical region the world knows and that the city I'm in is also by the bay. Beach casual boho, style-wise then, I guess?

 with the secondhand corduroy jacket

The jacket is probably one of the favorite ways in which I'd dress casual things up to get ready to go out with. Well...since I don't have the jean/denim jacket equivalent...yet. I gave away one that came my way before and definitely regretting it at this time. I'll go hunt for something similar most likely in the thrift stores.

Music talk (this might be a constant here since I do love music as much as I love fashion...which means...by a huge lot): I'm not so sure if it's a coincidence that the one very east Asian (Jpop) record I'm listening to since the weekend is 1 Finger's One Dream 2. I don't think it is, knowing me and my preference for everything sunny and summery like this sun belt I've been touting since the early days of the blog---the dim dark days when it had a more bohemian free spirited girl title that matched my LiveJournal's. If you don't have this record, I recommend looking for it. It's so, so, so good I have, like, 4 of a total of 8 tracks on it on eternal repeat the past 2-3 days now. 

Favorites from this record include track #s: 2 サマラバ☆, 4 Dawn Night, 7 Try Again, and 8 ヤシの木~Sha la la~. These four? Really effective in taking the gloom away from the rainy season at the year's end...in the tropics. And if winter isn't your thing, definitely listen to these to get the tropical island cheery living feeling in. They're proving the most effective in warding away depression to me nowadays. Case in point, today: it's gloomy and about to rain outside but I have summer music on. I'm all well and good now.

I caught wind of 1 Finger thanks to their contribution to Kamen Rider Drive and Kamen Rider Ghost Chou Movie Taisen Genesis's OST. They sung the ending theme to the film and their performance of it in Chou Eiyuusai 2016 is quite good, too. One of my favorite parts from there. So I searched for that track to no avail and came across this record instead. Well...it was still a win-win thing in the end so let's leave it at that.

Yesterday's news of Fukushima and Miyagi in Japan being under tsunami warning watch made me nervous. This was after the 7.4 magnitude earthquake they had. Then later, the warning had been lifted, I was relieved nothing else like 2011's followed through. As a Japanophile living a few hours by plane outside of it, of course, I'd be concerned by this. It's a given.

black and blue

 secondhand cutoffs and gap t, vintage belt, zalora heels, ninewest bag, aizilim necklaces and rings

The many times I've blogged an incarnation of this get-up...I can't really recall anymore. Played it up a bit with a vintage belt in deep brown that's quickly becoming my favorite, however. Never said you can't wear one too many things with multiply buckles in them in one outfit post. I guess I just am the type to not get enough of the good edgy things. A repeat outfit can never get old with different variants of accessories---how to make a repeat get-up on a daily basis not boringly repetitive 101...

 plus secondhand corduroy jacket

Luckily, I caught the tail end of the golden hour enough to shoot this one. I almost didn't today.

Even when making the Chun-Li buns, I'm a mess. Let's just leave it at that. My skill in hair-styling is as hopeless as my make-up skills...yep... Even if my life depended on those two, apart from clothes styling...I...can't. I'll just be the clumsy ardent disciple learning the art however I can't really promise anything on that front... I can bleach and dye (blonde) the h*** out of hair however, so that's a consolation, I guess?

And now a couple music recommendations because...just because...

 

Just. How good is this Da-iCE cover of Ariana Grande's Into You? Like how good, GOOD, exactly? If you get what I mean in the midst of incoherently flailing on this one here at the mo...that is.

I seem to have this on eternal loop on itunes today...well, since the weekend that is. That I prefer this to the original version of Shakira's for the Zootopia soundtrack is...well...a no brainer. I am a semi-E-girls fan. Like an on/off one.

an impromptu trip to the beach would be ideal right now...

 secondhand Pull and Bear tissue-like striped button-up, forever21 sailor shorts (from seasons past), ninewest bag, Rubi gusset ankle boots via Zalora, aizilim rings, necklaces and wooden bangle/bracelet, Smashbox net choker 

Ideal weather out right for a beach trip...an unplanned one on a Saturday inspired this one. I'm currently itching to go, unfortunately the good ones, mostly the beach resorts are an hour and a half away towards Balingoan, way past Jasaan from the city proper here. It'll take a bus ride to make it there, tops. That is if one didn't drive around here...yeah, I don't. I'm a not so good driver, to be honest, and city driving scares me to bits.

It's probably not ideal to wear this pair of boots, comfortable for walking around as they have been proving to be, around the beach but likely, I would...still. I am that...weird, it seems. But when I do get tired of the ankle boots and stomping around resorts/the beach with it on...this is going to ensue:

 ankle boots switched out with Zalora men's sandals

It would be so me to switch out staple ankle boots with Birkenstock-like Zalora men's sandals...

This is what those sandals look like up close:

Obviously, it already has telltale signs of how abused it has been since that fateful pool day with the bff in Xavier Estates Club and Country House...

And they're proving to be the easiest to wear on the way to run errands out. This adds a bit of masculinity to shapeless t-dresses I own in multiples I also grab as frequently as I do this pair of san...err...mandals.

It's the UAAP Cheerdance Competition on TV today. Nationally televised, as per usual. I'm opting out of watching, however. I don't know either. I only ever watched tv yesterday for one South Korean reality tv program and I've been tuning TV stuff out the whole week in favor of other things to do. I don't usually watch a lot of TV anyway. 

And yes, finally got around to fiddling with the hair and braiding a small portion of it somehow. A nice change for the usual down and messy 'do.

tiny bit of yellow cheer during the rainy days

 Gap t and buttoned cutoffs, vintage belt and hoodie (Ann Taylor Loft), Rubi gusset boots via Zalora, Smashbox net choker, aizilim necklace and rings (latter not clear/visible in the photos)

Found this shirt in a forgotten bag of clothes from so long ago while trying to see what else I can do away with so others can make full use of them much more than I have. A lot of things I own currently need new homes. I'm putting a lot of these older things I have, that I hardly used, on sale on ebay between this month and the next. It has been kind of irritating that I have given a lot of stuff away last year and I still ended up having a lot more...that I hardly used. Much of this I'd have to blame the maternal side of the family that's in the US. They're mostly 3 women (aunts) and the grandma and being women, they looove to shop when they get the chance to. I'm partly kidding here as I love them so much either way. Haha.

Either way...hmn...there's fun in styling something so old and hardly used when you dig them up from the deepest depth of your seasons' old clothing storage. This might also have contributed to why I only have isolated shopping trips or binges now and then for the past two or three years or so now...

Speaking of shopping, a brief spiel of it and how I've been going about it lately here: shopping for me has been about...say, just twice or thrice a year for about two or three years now. I don't really shop a lot anymore as opposed to how I did almost daily while attending graduate studies in Silliman University in Dumaguete City. I shopped a lot more than I do now when I was in college, too. This is mostly because the thrift shops are in close proximity to the schools I attended way back when. I guess I just came to a point where I'd had enough of owning a lot of things I use once then discard to the deepest depths of my wardrobe storage. I'm currently making it my life's mission this time to build a wardrobe of stuff I use frequently...for lounge and casual since I seem to be an expert on that. I still like the idea of owning a lot of clothes to last me a lifetime since I do love clothes but one thing I'd really like to have the most is a more edited closet/wardrobe because...isn't this always the goal to our getting into and loving fashion in the first place? Well, unless you're the kind that just love shopping for the sake of shopping (or stress relief) and hardly cared about personal style or fashion but otherwise, yes, that, exactly.

Back to the shirt one here. It seems this blog has been seeing a lot of stripes...I still have a few more I'd like to make use of here...okay, for real, just one now since this is done (not saying I won't be wearing this piece a different way here again one day however because I know I totally will... and like the next normal person, I have the tendency to overuse momentary favorite pieces so...). Stripes...they're being a constant in the wardrobe and have been relegated to my definition basics. They just are so, so fun to wear with everything.

Vivi February 2016 Maggy and Reina

(photos of Vivi February 2016 pages by me)

Editorials---technically this doesn't seem to be like the ones on magazines like Vogue, Nylon, Teen Vogue and more however this should count as one, should it?---on everyday casual and cute wear always gets to me. Always.

These pages (Maggy Gibb and Reina as models respectively) resonate with me well on the February 2016 issue and seems so apt for the colder week nights and extremely early mornings ahead. These are definitely what I'm imagining wearing out and about for those.

socks and electric blue pumps experiment

 secondhand t dress and curdoroy jacket; Zalora heels; ninewest bag; forever21 long leaf necklace, hawk ring and etched bangles; souvenir shop bangles; vintage bangle; Smashbox (in Ayala Centrio) choker; aizilim rings; random stockings/socks

The inspiration for the socks experiment with pumps is from the second issue for this year's Vivi. I don't think I succeeded in this one, however, as the socks are looking more and more to me as calf-length stockings. I should probably look into hunting down some legit really soft, sort of thin socks in grey, black, brown or navy to make this work. I imagine scrunching the top part of calf-length socks of this sort to make this look much better than...this result.

I'm not really a huge fan of pumps nor do I use those often and might have had around one or two pairs in this lifetime---one used for school way back when, another for some sundays out. This one just struck out to me in Zalora, while browsing around their sales or their outlet for something to brighten up an otherwise dull get-up. Something that isn't really a bag or a purse for another way to do the pop of color in an everyday casual outfit for whatever with. I bought these one size larger than my original size (I'm a US 7 to 7.5 originally) as they were the pointed tip kind. And I've had nightmarish experiences with that kind after purchasing them in my original size. Nope. Never again. Either way, I'm only using this pair occasionally. Pumps are pretty boring to me outside of maybe airport wear and some semi-formal to formal wear which is why experimenting with wearing them with socks was a welcome distraction. 

The t dress is something I've had since forever. A lucky thrift find that's easy to grab and wear when I'm feeling lazy (which is, no surprise, almost all the time). Mum might have been right in saying this one as resembling comfortable regular sleeping wear sometime in the past when I wore this in a different way to a family and friends dinner. The remark never stopped me from reaching for this when I want to get dressed fast to go out however. This has been what started my penchant for t-dresses. I continue to amass those until now for easy grabbing and wearing...and going out. There are already a few from the Zalora brand, F101 I'm itching to get but don't have the funds to, yet. Next time.

saturday and sunday

 vintage E.D. Michaels dress, Ninewest clutch, knee high socks from Marshalls, zalora heels, LC Lauren Conrad bracelet, aizilim rosegold bangle, necklaces and rings

An improved version of what was worn to dinner last night at a family friend's home. Crabs was had and some version of the Japanese sushi endemic in this region: kinilaw.
 

secondhand skirt and t, CLN wedges, LC Lauren Conrad bracelet, aizilim rosegold bangle, necklaces and rings, Hollister tote 

....and what I went out with when running errands last Saturday. Partial gift shopping was done on the nearby Human Heart Nature store/boutique which is probably fast becoming one of my favorite places to go to around here as of late. I was in time there to catch the early morning magalogue turnover session and promptly was able to get my hands on the recent magalogue they were giving out.

grey day

zalora skirt and shoes, secondhand shirt and silk scarf, bag from an aunt (probably from Target but I can't be sure either...), aizilim and vintage arm cuffs/bangles, aizilim and forever21 ring

Who isn't feeling grey upon learning who won in this year's US elections? It's not even my nation's elections---I'm clearly not from the United States but I do get to visit it from time to time with family in Long Beach, California---and even my morale was zapped after watching update after update of the electoral college voting results on CNN. I finally decided I had enough of it today and have given up watching the channel altogether. I...don't really see a point there anymore anyway. Well...I now don't know who has it worse this time. Is it the Philippines who has...well...you know who had been voted to office here from May 2016's Philippine elections. Great Britain who use Brexit-ed (not sure if that is even a word it it is now...?)or the US... 2016 has been quite the year so far with Brexit, the Philippine May elections and now this. What's next? I'm starting to dread it. 

But I'm not really the kind to dwell on the negativity things like these evoke. I might be down a bit these days due to the turn of events but a few things have been getting my hopes up reading stuff around the internet and even as I stay out of it for well, the real world. That I know there are still people out there fighting to change things and more is enough to keep my hopes up. All because I'm trying to do the same outside of this blog among others.

And...personal style related blabber: this bag really is everywhere on this blog, isn't it? It's been my favorite go-to for quick packing to go out...very briefly. I use a bigger bag when I'm out for longer. It's so easy to stash in everything I need in it for a quick run of errands and the likes out.

pretty pleasant pool day

photos by Candice Calonia

vintage ruffle front cream silk shirt, ebay top, What a Girl Wants bottom, Zalora faux leather double strap sandals
 

Owing to the fact I have a ton of separate pieces of tops and bottoms for swimming in pools and beaches (lost the bottom to one of my favorite What a Girl Wants bikini last year while moving from one water body to another around Surigao del Sur), mismatched bikinis is now a thing for me. 

Had so much fun lounging around Xavier Estates Sports and Country Club's poolside in between slithering into the pretty vast adults' pool they have and getting out of it to people watch and munch on snacks (of fruits and fries) and chitchat with the lounging companions. Yesterday, the whole day was perfect for pool day as the sun alternated to shining hot with isolated rain clouds and being hidden by the clouds in the early 8 to 9 in the morning. There wasn't any drop of rain either granted it's been raining on and off the day before and even before the latter. Best time I think we had in the pool area? Between 8 to 9 in the morning when there weren't anyone but the three of us and we had the place to ourselves, right before the club house's guests came down to swim and have their brunch. I like it when we have the place to ourselves but it isn't really bad when there are others besides us just so we can people watch, really.

There was definitely a lot of lounge-playing involved...

With this place being something I find to be easily accessible and just right by the village (what we'd call a private subdivision here because one, it's gated and pretty guarded---think Bel-Air?) where the best friend since high school resides, outings as random as this might just become more frequent...hmn...250 Php isn't too much to pay for a whole day's---until night because they close somewhere between 9-10 in the evening and night swimming is a must during the extremely hot summer days too---use of the pools here, really. 

....the sandals are originally for men but they proved to be lighter than the first use here. This might end up being used more often on quick errands and such...and walking around every kind of terrain possible here minus the desert which we don't have? Yes.

local fun find: my pretty little blings

L-R: Sideways wishbone necklace in gold,  Eliana knot bangles (options include matte black, gold and silver), Overlapping mini ball ring (options include matte black, this pretty gold and silver), and Queen head piece (more like head chain, right? of course, the two terms are interchangeable, I guess...) in gold

I've been looking for local online stores since forever ago that sell mostly varied accessories or more like jewelry at affordable prices---at least prices within my reach anyway---sans the sort of still pricey shipping fee every purchase from them comes with. Domestic couriers or shipping establishments here charge exorbitant fees that to anyone purchasing stuff from online stores would be hard put to do combined shipping on one-time purchases to make the most of said fees. Anyway, I lucked in on stumbling upon this one while I was looking around for body chain harnesses and pretty, pretty and still really rad head chains in the interweb earlier today. I felt I sort of needed an alternative source for the most minuscule, dainty things I've since been obsessing on putting in the varying parts of the body they're meant to be put on to Zalora, the local store I frequent close to the abode, the little jewelry/varied accessories stall me and the regular, consistent shopping partner (in crime? yes) frequent in the local Ayala mall and regular shops like H&M, Forever21 and UO to name a few. This recent discovery was pretty timely. These four are what struck out to me while browsing the site along with a couple of their chokers,dainty lariats they funnily called dangling necklaces? huh? and the curb tubed long necklace that was a late discovery (read: I stumbled upon it like, after I finished making the collage). I'm definitely going to see about getting some stuff from them soon. Their midi rings or knuckle rings are pretty tempting along with the head chain...and that minimal-ish knot bangle...hmn...

Other things on my lookout list when it comes to jewelry they don't have on site and I have difficulty searching for everywhere local include dainty ear cuffs and ear hoops (like, really thin and borderline microscopic ones...I die for those...) and still, the harness body chains (I sort of have something specific in mind for this it's been a frustrating hunt so far...but I lucked in on a few finds not so local friendly as they're mostly to be imported and pretty pricey for the average RP denizen). I'll continue looking around for more of those. Etsy has been a good place to start searching so far but it'll be a while before I can commit to a final purchase or at least a shopping/buying decision. I'm incredibly picky when shopping online and offline hence why I hardly do these days. Window shopping and collage wish listing has become more me as of late. 

Random note: I don't really say 'bling' as much as I can in real life and even try to avoid the term in writing (blog post crafting?) because...I don't know...I find it too fancy, too gaudy a term for something with just five letters? My mind works in the weirdest ways, that much we've established here henceforth it's now one word I use sparingly or as necessary---specifically when the situation calls for it. 'Accessories','baubles', 'pieces' or even my favorite Buffy-speak term 'thing'...complete with the dash before it, take the place of that one for me. Weirdly, I'm writing this (something random that popped in my head) down while thinking about how it's pretty ironic since I like the film Bling Ring after having seen it once---no such concrete connection as the word is in the movie title, that's all. 

for the rainy days, a polyvore set

rainy day wear by crysta17 featuring a rainy day outfit

Polyvore-d today because I had a headstart on what to do with wellies? All I know is...this would totally be something I'd love to wear out today while doing some random shopping close by...or maybe to tea or coffee with a friend or two.

For two days and a night now, it's been raining intermittently and mostly, it's strong rains hence the inspiration for this set. I'm still forever on the lookout for the right wellies to this day. Sometimes I look into what Zalora has or what Primadonna on their physical stores have...or I'm thinking of going True Value on this one as I found a few of those there last time. 

Hopefully there's minimal rain at the pool come Monday as that is the current plan with the best friend.

Oh and nude everything for the win! 

P.S.
Photobucket has been down for a couple days now. Says maintenance is ongoing and thus the reason why photos on this blog uploaded there have been nonexistent... Hope they fix that one soon.