daisy print

slip dress and blazer, vintage. clutch, diy from a shoulder bag that's a christmas gift. boots, something borrowed via zalora ph. 

Two things vintage, two things mostly new. It's a balance in dressing up that I quite like. Or probably even love. But, to be honest, I just really feel lazy thus the ribbed slip dress in dark blue with daisy prints came out. It's been hot and sunny today, humid like it usually is here, rain or shine so I've been itching to get into dresses and shorts and/or skirts so this is a welcome thing to wear today. Mostly, around the house.

Speaking of vintage pieces of clothing, I visited thrift shops at the city center (Divisoria) this morning before proceeding to do a bit of grocery shopping at Savemore that's only a few minutes' walk away from there. I found two things I liked: a pair of Levis jeans in medium---clearly boyfriend style and with bits of ripping here and there---at just 100 Php; and a cheery yellow dress that's flower-printed and just so darn cute and thinly cozy, perfect for this humid climate, that's about 50 Php more than the price of the Levis jeans. I did not get to buy either. The latter was still quite expensive for thrift shop prices for me, the former did not look like the perfect boyfriend jeans to me but it does seem to make a good pair for casual trips out, errands and more. I'll probably come back there some other time soon, maybe on the next few Mondays when I'm done with personal errands and the likes for the morning.

Today's music is something uncharacteristic of me:

I'm not really one for female idol jpop music outside of what E-girls from LDH release. I just got into this one from AKB48 and one of their sister groups, Bangkok, Thailand's BNK48 because it kept playing in the background last Saturday, while I was watching MNL48's top 200 girls being cut down to 75 that are to vie for the coveted spots that make up MNL48. While I was looking around the thrift stores and doing the groceries earlier today, this song kept playing in my head I even tried to hum it softly. This is how infectious said song can be...to me anyway. It'll likely be a while before I get unattached and/or less obsessed or fixated with this one. I'm surprised though...I actually am liking BNK48 when I thought the opposite. I'm not too into female idol groups in Japan and everywhere else in Asia like these two but I can't dismiss this song, Koisuru Fortune Cookie, as it is a pretty good bop/

I'm keeping tabs on MNL48 on the noontime show, Showtime on the Philippine national TV network, ABS-CBN more because I'm a Japanophile and would want to see how this one turns out but not because I'm an AKB48/Akimoto groups' fan. I'm not really an AKB48 and/or general Akimoto groups' fan. I do like the two second generation of AKB48 girls from Team K though. They are Oshima Yuko and Akimoto Sayaka. I like the former because I was able to watch her in a jdrama that airs on Mondays (they are getsu jdramas, right? I forget what they're usually called...), Watashi ga Renai Dekinai Riyu (English translation: The Reason I Can't Find My Love), and the latter, because I found her to be charming in a reality talk show with one of my favorite Japanese actors, Chiba Yudai (since Tensou Sentai Goseiger, a super sentai series from eons ago). I haven't really been following both of these ladies since so I'm out of the loop as to their current gigs/activities.

I'm also not one for the really kawaii (cute!) Akimoto groups' stage outfits but I do like their hairstyles and hair accessories. The Japanese really do not disappoint where cuteness/kawaiiness is concerned with hair, clothes and the likes. They just know how to package their ladies in the entertainment business, looks-wise, without resorting to them going under the knife (plastic surgery, so to speak). This is what I like about the Japanese entertainment industry and why I prefer it to the South Korean entertainment industry I don't have much of a feel for. Looking at them through their live concert uploads on youtube make me want to stock up on a whole lot of the really cute, very random hair accessories. Haha.

it remains cold and gloomy most days of January

top, mixed berry in dumaguete city. jeans, zara (old, from 2-3 seasons ago). bag, giani bernini via macy's. boots, something borrowed via zalora.

Cropped and fitting is quickly becoming a favorite silhouette right up there with skintight skinnies when it comes to jeans. ....and you might be seeing me with jeans more often in this space for this year since I started the daily-ish personal style posts with one. Yeah...this won't be lasting for longer. I'll be back to wearing cutoffs/jean or denim shorts in a few days or so. It's tough to get out of wearing them and going for the ones that offer longer coverage of the legs when it's indian summer hot here 365 days a year. It's just...we've been having colder days still this month with another low pressure area on its way to our region.

To be quite honest, I'm not all too fond of the rubbery faux leather material this pair of boots are made of and have been thinking whether to return and get it exchanged for another rather more presentable pair that's not faux leather of this kind. Rubber-like faux leather or not, however, this seemed a good deal and would work for the rainy days so there's merit to keeping it rather than getting said pair exchanged. I'm pretty sure this pair will be worn out and all by the end of this year or so.

Music for the day (or night since it's night time here):

I have this on repeat for a long...while now. It's definitely addicting. A true ear candy. I'm becoming a Cube Entertainment (for Beast back in the day, some BtoB and some Pentagon), Around Us Entertainment (yay, Highlight!), and Woollim Entertainment (Infinite most of the time, Golden Child on some days but mostly for Sea) fan where South Korean pop, kpop is concerned. Speaking of kpop, I just watched a few of the documentary of Bigbang's latest world tour on E! News Asia and it failed to move me although I acknowledge generally how huge Bigbang is everywhere. It's just that...I'll stick with my Highlight and Infinite boys where kpop is concerned.

For the Jpop side of things, which is admittedly my first love since Globe's Feel Like Dance happened to me when I was little (think, really early 90s era electro-dance music), Da-iCE has just released Tokyo Merry Go Round single. So, yay! Clap. Clap. Unfortunately, the a-side had me feeling short as it reminds me of retro-AAA sound (think AAA's Kuchibiru Kara Romantica, Dangerous Gamble from the Way of Glory album of last year). I'm impartial to retro-sounding tracks. They're not really my favorite but they're alright to me so this was just a so-so a-side for me along with Watch Out and Everybody to name a few from Da-iCE's growing discography. I guess the longer you stay with a certain boy group with a fast growing discography, the more you realize there are just certain singles, full and mini albums that you think they'd be better off without or those you just least like. But you stick with them anyway because they continue to serve you good bops and some superb ballads here and there anyway. That's how I felt and continue to feel with AAA and now, it's how I felt (since three to four years after their debut as a boy group) and am feeling with Da-iCE. They are from the same entertainment company in Japan, Avex. The upside of TMGR single is...the b-side. When I don't like the a-side or main track of a single from this group, this follows with both AAA and lol as well, I default to the b-side or the coupling. The b-side or coupling is usually better when the a-side or main track of the single doesn't go down so well on a couple of listens. For TMGR, the couplings are: わるぐち(Waraguchi), a theme to a jdrama whose title escapes me, and the acoustic version of せつなくて(Setsunakute) from the I'll Be Back single of so long ago that is now sung by all 5 of the Da-iCE boys. I love わるぐち the most but others will refute this and say せつなくて here is better. I say both are alright, though. My personal bias just leans on わるぐち more where sound quality is concerned pitting all the contents of this single with each other with. I know, redundant and confusing, that last statement is.

Hmn...I'm beginning to think I picked the wrong date to make a Zalora purchase since the End of the Season Sale is still ongoing where the prices have gone even lower from before... From this time until the 28th of this month of January, one only has to spend 1,500 Php to get 15% off (using the code: END15) or spend a minimum of 2,000 Php to get 25% off (using the code: END25).  No matter. I'll take advantage of the next sales some other time. They have items on sale that's worth looking into from time to time anyway so it's okay to not be looking into sales like these (though they, too are worth it...) at this time. This is what I find fun when stalking stuff at Zalora from time to time...

all things new to start 2018 with

1. I predict I will have a ton of fun with these skin care products. A lot of which are christmas presents from the best girl friends that came to celebrate Christmas and the New Year with me here in Cagayan de Oro City. Well, the Beauty Fix Peel Off mask is an old favorite from the local Watsons' pharmacy/drugstore but the rest are mostly South Korean skin care products. You'll have identified the Innisfree ones as that and the facial wash from the Face Shop as the other that is also South Korean. I'm mostly excited about trying out the facial masks...
Skin care products tend to make me more excited than the makeup ones although I'm a huge fan of eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascaras, lip pencils (I don't use the lip creams much except for some isolated occasions and I'm not much a fan of lipsticks so...) and lip balms.

2. These came in from Zalora's Something Borrowed just this afternoon. I'm thrilled to have something to alternate the Rubi by Cotton on heeled ankle boots with now that these have come to me. It'll take a while to get used to though. It's usually always that way when there new boots are newly acquired like this pair. They were on sale so I snapped them up after much deliberation between this and another pair also on sale. 
You can check out ZALORA Exclusive up to 60% off and heels under 1500 on Zalora (for Philippines based buyers) and use code HELLO2018 to take 13% off a minimum amount of 1750 spent there.
Well, I didn't really use the code when I purchased this and another piece from Susto the Label I'm waiting on but a lot or on sale on said site so it's worth checking out/window browsing on, still.  

january 5-11 luzvimin roadtrip photo diary

luzon leg: manaoag church's view from down the main street, a fiesta city mall in luzon (somewhere between Pangasinan and the NCR), Mayon volcano from a random road towards or in Legazpi City (Albay, Bicol), and the views around Cagsaua Ruins. 

visayas leg: molopolo beach by brgy. tabugon, lilo-an, southern leyte.

I felt short on the time spent in the mother's mother (maternal grandmother)'s place in Southern Leyte, Baranggay Tabugon in Lilo-an. Should've stayed there longer because the beaches there are really pretty, very beautiful and picturesque they remind me of the ones in Siquijor Island and Mantigue Island in Camiguin Island. Too bad the time we went to the beach after lighting candles at the ancestors' graves, it was getting dark, the waves were getting larger and stronger and the tide was getting higher. It would have been worth staying there the whole afternoon had we arrived in Tabugon earlier. We made it there around 4 in the afternoon just enough for a really late lunch and some catching up with the family members staying there. This is the ultimate highlight of the land trip for me. Not even Mayon Volcano, Cagsaua Ruins and the site of the Manaoag Church (I'm not that religious anymore, to be honest---an apatheist and humanist sectarian here...) can compare. I say this as a professional or about to be professional beach bum. Haha.

I packed enough for this trip but the Zalora romper, mixed berry skater skirt and secondhand Lowry's farm shorts ended up with the most use along with the zalora birkenstock-like men's slippers. I think this will be the clothes packing formula for me where beach trips for professional beach bumming are concerned. I'm definitely planning another trip to Leyte soon-ish. 

P.S.

The t in the last photo is secondhand/vintage/thrifted with a pepsi can and coca cola can duking it out on the print. LOL. It reminded me of Da-iCE Hanamura Sota's obsession with colas so I had to get it. I didn't even try to resist grabbing it when I got hold of it while browsing through one of many thrift stores in Dumaguete City way back when. This might be about 2 years old or so now.

looking back on 2017

I'm so behind on year-end recap posts among others. Reason being, the real life has been busy with stuff. The drill is I don't really tell on this...much. 

Anyway, 2017 looked really experimental especially towards the end where dressing up/personal style is concerned. That year, I found myself wearing things like the lace shorts from Tally Weijl and the What a Girl Wants collared lace dress, that were out of my comfort zone. I miss What a Girl Wants already. I'm still sad this one closed down as they were having difficulty trying to keep up with the competition in the local fashion and style market. Local to Cagayan de Oro City brands like Bettina and Mags really just can't compare to the peak of WAGW when it celebrated style by the younger people, mostly females. I don't really wear that much clothing that are bedecked with lace everywhere. Favorites remained favorites, however, and were worn on repeat. This includes the numerous white ts I own (I don't think I can ever live without these...yes...), the slip dresses, the blazers and favorite corduroy jacket (because I gave away my denim jacket, this replaced that one...), the newly acquired (just in the middle of the year, during the short trip to Dumaguete City) secondhand black Lowry's Farm cut-offs/shorts,  the white dresses (of course!), the silk shirts or button downs and the Zalora belted heels and Rubi by Cotton on boots. Other emerging favorites: striped everything and plaid button ups/flannel shirts. I like that the printed shirts, for instance, were scarce this year though I do wear them out on days when I feel like my plain-ness is well...too blah or boring. 

In 2017, I was able to use up the items in the clothes rack/s and some new ones I'd received on the way to 2018 pretty well. 

A lot of them survived the lot of wear they received. So they're alright to wear and/or use, still, this year on. The white ts seem to be the only things looking overly worn although for the hanes ts, I don't really mind them looking that way. It helps when I want a disheveled very casual look on for some errands running to name a few. I don't think I'll be buying new clothes this year except for one or two pieces here and there, when I can. This year, I think I'd rather focus on the ankle boots acquisition and collection.

2017 also saw me travelling with people to local places I've been to before like Camiguin Island (my favorite place to be in! so un-stressful is this one), Tagaytay and Dumaguete City. There was also the swimming session with the best girl friend, of course. Although this one was only within the confines of their village/subdivision's clubhouse. It is a popular destination for some locals and visitors, though. There were a lot more people than I'd thought there'd be in the clubhouse's pool later in the day when we were there.

Now, what am I looking forward to for this pristine, new year that is 2018? More travels for one, I suppose. Like tonight, I and the family are going to the vast city up north, Metro Manila, to fetch a newly purchased vehicle and go on a random road trip on it on the way home after. I'm also looking forward to moving to somewhere on my own for work and just to start anew somehow. My target being: Japan. But before that, there is another travel, swim and hang out planned with the best girl friend which I'm beyond thrilled about.

On fashion and/or personal style, I don't expect it to move to the more extreme shifts because I think it'll remain as minimal as I can keep it in. 2017's documentation of daily outfits, although inconsistent, told me I'm someone who sticks to uniforms and what is the most comfortable to me even if it means lounging around in vintage slip dresses and bits of lingerie here and there. I definitely like the minimal in black, white, gray...neutrals and with subtle edginess to them in the tiniest, cutest details. Also, this year: more ankle boots. I'm getting tired of the ones I own so I suppose it's time to add more and in some colors different from the usual but still neutral enough to fit with the daily outfits. And of course, more heels because this is frequently what I'm all about. 

On fandom, since this is a fangirl blog second after being a fashion and personal style blog, it'd still be the same updates on jpop and kpop and trickles of local and western pop---I have a preference on indie acts and less known mainstream acts on the latter so, yeah, there'll be that. I think it'll be the usual Avex jpop groups I like and Highlight, some Infinite and Golden Child in the end anyway. In the future, I do hope to be able to attend these groups' concerts. My main priority are Japan's Da-iCE and South Korea's Highlight since I'm a huge fan of both as this year's posts on fandom indicate. I'm not really a huge fan of film, kdrama (although I am currently waiting on Highlight's Yoon Doojoon's Radio Romance airing end of January this year) and I've ceased being much of a jdrama fan lately along with a few others outside of jpop music. My current addiction has been south korean variety shows from 3 Meals a Day Fishing Village and Sea Ranch to anything with Infinite's Kim Sunggyu and currently, Nest Escape season 2 because I like Samuel in it and his interactions with the other kids participating in it.   

Right, before I forget. A happy, happy, HAPPY birthday to my favorite, Highlight's Yang Yoseob! I don't think I ever greet Da-iCE's Hanamura Sota this way here last year's August 15. Mental note to self that's easily readable here: greet HanaSou baby too when his day comes~

I feel like this new year, 2018, will be quite full where real life among others are concerned...hmn...we'll survive it somehow like we did the previous year despite the dreary year-end holidays.

And on that note, I need to pack for tonight's trip and get things ready. I meant to do a double post but I'll postpone the second one I have planned for when I get back from the trip next week.