coccoon-ish

 dress, vintage. boots, rubi by cotton on (via zalora). cuff/bracelet, forever21. 

A pretty lazy cocoon-ish dress for a rainy Monday afternoon in while working on the ebay (or attempting to, I'll be updating it today with stuff at least...). This dress is actually two-tone that goes a lighter brown on the back in reference to the darker brown in the front. Although two-tone is something I'm not so into, yet---I'll get around to it one day---this was just too cozy to let go of when I found it in a thrift store. The fabric is really smooth and soft and draped just loosely right everywhere. I like some unshapely dresses like this from time to time. It's definitely lazy wear appropriate around the house and possibly even out---will just have to wear something to keep the rain off of the inner layer like a coat, jacket or a cardigan, preferably something knitted yet still warm, should I go out in this today. Rain-proof footwear is required, too. It's still summer or should still be summer but I'm hearing that by the end of this month, the rainy season is starting. The latter seems coming in early this time of the year. Well...it's time to get the anti-rain gear out and ready...

fri...yay!

 t, h&m. skirt, a&f. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora ph. purse/mobile phone purse/bag, coach.

White t and printed skirt combo for a friday that I spent watching the last two episodes of the police/crime kdrama, Signal on TVN. The thing about weekends is...it excites me even if I spend it at home and probably just catching up to the tv shows I watch almost-regularly or on movie marathons. I rarely really go out on weekends although I'm currently missing going to the eco/nature parks and beaches closest to the city. Proximity to these places is actually what makes living in this side of the world, this (still developing) city fun for me. I'm currently itching to go nature tripping. 

mint green

 slipdress, vintage. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora. purse (mobile phone case), coach. choker, verano ph via zalora.

This is what's up on a sunny, humid, very very humid Thursday mid-afternoon. Body contorting and floor sitting are among my  many (?) talents, apparently. The slipdress is mint green which I feel, makes it appropriate for the humid summer days and it's thin enough one can sleep with or just, well, hang around at home in it. Finally, yay~ Some other color other than white, cream and navy, black.

....and I'll be catching up on episodes of the police procedural kdrama, Signal now. I missed a bunch of it due to life stuff but I might have reconciled with Kissasian english subs, which I wasn't so happy with on some kdrama of the same genre, so I figured I might as well go ahead with it this time, for Signal. I can't really follow the series on TVN week in and week out anyway for certain reasons. 

a lacey number

 dress, what a girl wants (shopwagw). boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora. clutch bag, gifted by aunt.

So I'm not really into lace---especially one with a collar unless maybe it is topped with a decent thin sweater/thermal in, say, coffee color or some other close to the white/cream shade---much but I'd go for it once in a while anyway. Such is the case of this dress from What a Girl Wants (back when the label still existed but now..../sighs...may it RIP...) worn the whole of today doing whatever. I actually bought this a couple or so years ago. It was a  last minute purchase for a wedding to attend in the metro (National Capital Region/NCR there, up north). I never got around to bringing it with me on the flight to the metro, city up north however as it arrived the day following that of when I departed via plane for the said vast and pretty chaotic (/shudder...that traffic, that noise and mess everywhere...) city up north. Thankfully, my mother packed a couple dresses I could choose from, from the wardrobe here in Cagayan de Oro City so I had something to wear to said wedding.

Today's activities consisted of watching a really thrilling and fun (it actually zapped all energy I had midway to the end...only to be replenished at the end, if that makes any sense at all...) 5-set finals volleyball game between the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) men's volleyball team and the National University men's volleyball team. It was the first game of the finals between teams 1 and 2 in the collegiate games' league. Best of three so the next game is on Saturday, still around lunch time, 12 noon. Of course, my boys...err...team (read: alma mater though technically, it's more of a sibling school as I finished college and high school in the Ateneo here in CdeO, not really the main one in Manila...) won. One big fight, boys! Let's do a threepeat! I hardly can't wait for Saturday as it's just, what? Three days away or so? There's also cooking a lunch of vegetarian tapa and making freshly squeezed orange, with honey in lieu of sugar as sweetener. I'm going to have to catch the rest of episode 11 of Signal and all of its 12th episode on Friday. Apparently, the second half of Signal 11th episode and all of its 12th episode conflicted with AMVT and NUVT's game 1 for the UAAP season 79 finals... Oh and just this afternoon, I had to climb a tree...I'm kidding. More like, climb a stool to try and get some moringa (malunggay/kalamunggay) leaves that still are pretty potent. Our tree of it outside is drying out thanks to the hot weather. The climb and the stretching to get some stems of the tree told me the dress is quite delicate. A stretch or something akin to a soft ripping sound was heard from the dress, which of course terrified me, when I reached out a limb to a cut a hanging stem from the tree.  I thought the dress would rip somewhere around the really short, almost non-existent sleeves it has. Thankfully, it did not or if it did, I have yet to see which part of it did. I suppose this dress is not suitable for semi hyperactive me---who danced the late afternoon away at the beach house/cottage while imitated by a fascinated 2-year old daughter of a short course classmate---when out and about. The theory that this dress is suited for such semi-vigorous activities such as dancing is yet to be tested.

There wasn't much to document of yesterday's beach trip. I didn't go swimming, just hung around, ate stuff (mostly fruits) and drank (water). It was fun hanging out with the classmates on a short course in school, however. Some chitchat about life here and there and intermittent reading of a Gossip Girl book series installment was done. Not much worth documenting because I ended up staining my white t and skirt combo all the while stayed mobile with a pair of really comfy but not too attractive? pink and gray World Balance flats (rubber shoes slip-ons). Not exactly the most exciting of outfits I've donned this start of the month. Anyway, I feel pretty short of beach trips, still. I kind of want more... Next time, swimming will be involved, of course. I'd like to slither into a pool again too...one day soon this summer season. Rather, one weekend soon.    

If I'd be shopping right, I'd be getting myself a couple pairs of shoes, rather ankle boots. This one pair I have is quite tired and tried already...in simpler terms, this has been seen many times on this blog. A few more packages arrived and from them, I just received a couple more H&M tops, one of which I'm ready to wear and shoot just as soon as it comes to me, fresh from the laundry. The other has lace around the sleeves/shoulder but is in the amount I can take (minimal lace?) and the color just fits my current color palette. So yeah...I'd avoid shopping as much as I can this year... Maybe including the next year. But I'd likely shop for shoes...heels and ankle boots are my weakness. As for clothes...let's just say that lately, I hardly really buy any. I've been receiving and owning way too much already from the aunts and grandmum in California.

skirt on repeat

 tank, bench ph. skirt, ebayed laundry by shelli segal. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora. clutch, gifted by aunt.

It's long been established I'm a repeat offender. A chronic repeat offender to be exact. At least when it comes to pieces of clothing I get obsessed with or too attached to at some point. This skirt has been on rotation since what...? Last week? I'll retire it sometime this week somehow. Went with this for something simple today while working on the previous post and some other things...

There's not much up today but the final game between Far Eastern University and National University on tv for the UAAP Men's volleyball event. The team that wins this now-5-set game faces off my favorite team of the event. Ateneo de Manila University blue spikers (or eagles? ....whichever works, I guess...) on Saturday for the first game of the finals. And I am highly thrilled for this one. I'm definitely clearing my saturday schedule for this game, gotta cheer for my boys somehow. Their 14-0 sweep of the two elimination rounds of this season shouldn't be all for naught...at all, after all.

 

white tinkerbell-like

 vintage slip as cami top. skirt, secondhand. belt, vintage chanel. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora. clutch, gifted bag by aunt turned clutch.

Most summer days, it's therapeutic to dress like Tinkerbell in a slidress turned cami (it's too short on me now so wearing it on its own is pretty iffy...good thing there's that black one from UO to replace this vintage number with...) and dreamy secondhand/vintage skirt and of course, the ankle boots. Who can't forget the last one? It's pretty criminal to...

that old white dress from multiply days

 dress, from multiply (I think...I don't remember anymore, haha). boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora. leaf necklace, forever21.

Other times, a dreamy white dress and a pair of ankle boots would suffice. It's an alright look as long as there's a pop of rosegold somewhere, say on a wrist, and silverware around the neck as well.

It's so, so humid today but otherwise, still a lovely day all around. I enjoy heat like this, thank you very much.

Today's mood music? SOLIDEMO's Happiness because one has got to feel happy no matter what, I think.

So my favorite Jpop band, Da-iCE, is close to releasing a new single now. The World Team Trophy for figure skating (I'm likely only watching the individual/singles men division, as usual...both SP and FS/LP) is in about three days...so much things to look forward to so far. I am ecstatic over everything! I think I've actually forgotten I was following a police procedural kdrama on TVN every Monday or Friday. I have other things to do other than that however so I guess that can wait. I haven't even caught up to new episodes of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. I already have them, I just haven't really sat down to watch them...yet. I'll do that...maybe later this week. I'm not sure yet. 

no drama

 button-up shirt, vintage. diy partly bleached denim cutoffs,  gap. boots, zalora. headband/wrap and long leaf necklace, f21 (unsure where it's from however, faulty long-term memory to blame, haha). 

Really dramatic real life, no drama clothes. If only they can be one and the same then the world would probably be a better place somehow...

Regarding this pair of bleached cutoffs...I just had to, like, DIY my own pair way, way back when half-bleached denim shorts were a thing. I think Zara had something similar a few seasons back. Definitely, you can be trendy or in fashion without having to spend much...and that's what I like about being into it.

Lighting is too bright in this area apparently. The photo here and in the previous outfit post are evidence enough I probably need to find another place to take outfit blog photos from. Ironically, I shot this near-sundown, basically golden hour. And I'm going back to the favorite by the gate photos next week.

so it's definitely summer now

 tank, secondhand Ralph Lauren. denim cutoffs, levis. boots, zalora. tri-strand ribbon choker, verano via zalora. belt, vintage. sunglasses, dad's. 

 fedora, jessica simpson (w/o belt)

This might be the real start of the summer, dry season. Finally. No rain in sight the whole day, just pure sun and tolerable heat in the most appropriate summer day outfit. I've actually worn this cream-colored, pretty flimsy excuse for a sunny, summer's day appropriate top under a vintage cream silk button-up shirt. It was on the recent Camiguin trip post. I found it a bit too tiresome to list down what I wore on the post so I never mentioned this thing being worn at all there until this one. So, due to how cozy this is and how it allowed me not to even put on the fan for cooler air...I actually lounged in this today, watching the kdrama Signal on TVN/Channel M without english subs which was pretty much torture. I mean, watching Signal not having any english subs the one that was pure torture. The South Korean language is pretty alien to me being someone who's more of a Japanophile than a South Korea-nophile like a high fraction of my compatriots and fellow...err...south east asians. But anyway, back to this ensemble...yes, it's pretty easy and fun to accessorize which was why, when I saw it hung on a thrift shop in Dumaguete City a couple or so years ago, I just had to get it. Also, it was pretty affordable so why couldn't I not have snatched it up then?

....and finally, I think I can start posting more summer, islander-denizen friendly, Californian-French minimal chic outfits on this blog from this day on. Thank you, dearly beloved, highly revered summer sun! There are already a few things I have in mind for these dry season's posts that, I think, I can afford to actually stay the repeat offender that I am in some of them. This season makes me want to actually do my own version of the 10x10 wardrobe challenge that's about to start at unfancy and others. It seems really fun! But I don't have instagram so I can't participate on this one there. I'm too lazy to attempt it on here either, for some reason so I think I'll just dedicate a post for pictures of this season's key pieces one day next week or so instead. Anyway, yes, it's officially summer! 

In other news, if Big Little Lies is going to be marathon-ed on HBO Asia one day after this week's 7th episode conclusion of its first season, I'm so on board on this. I enjoyed what I've glimpsed of its 7th episode yesterday.

saturday, just another movie day

 denim cutoffs, levis. tank, never been kissed (via robinson's department store). boots, zalora. braided headband, diy.

 ....defaulted to something comfortable today. 

source: google images

Yesterday was Beauty and the Beast in the Lim Ket Kai Center/Mall cinemas, today was 10 Cloverfield Lane on HBO. ....basically my version of 'netflix and chill' on a pretty glorious, really sunny and hot weekend.

I feel like I missed something...perhaps the memo on how high the level of creepiness this film emanates when one watches it even on a sunlit, pretty pleasant living room (thank you, windows and some dreamy curtains here and there!). Yes, 10 Cloverfield Lane is THAT creepy, as in the two male characters of three (including the one lone and lead female) are suspect...talking and looking into their background/s and all. The bunker scenes and even the out of the bunker and into the field scene/s towards the end are all kinds of...cool and creepy...sort of hybrid. I don't think I've seen anything of this sort. I wouldn't even say Aliens has a similar vibe to this, towards the end where we see Clovie's little minions, yes, but I don't know how to explain this. I'm at a loss for words. The film, from start to finish, is just really a mix of cool and creepy. Needless to say, I like it as much as I do the main film of the franchise, Cloverfield. Now, I can't wait for God Particle to come out in the cinemas later this year. Like, I will definitely jump the wagon on this one should this hit cinemas here. 

Hmn...seems I've been watching films much these days. But honestly, it's just a select number of films as even with this, I'm pretty picky. Really picky. 

rain shower, slits and JJ Abrams' Cloverfield

 t, h&m. skirt, ebayed Laundry by Shelli Segal. hoodie, vintage anne klein. boots, zalora.

What I ended up wearing today because it was cloudy then sunny then cloudy again with scattered summer rain showers. Is anyone getting tired of these boots? Well, I am. Sadly, I don't have a lot of heeled boots similar to this to alternate pairs with. I'm working on getting another pair, however. I'll eventually get there. Meanwhile, as of late, I seem to be abusing this pair one too many times now. I tromped around the city's Divisoria on this in a mini-skirt and t combo while running errands. There weren't too many stares from people but it's probably because this pair looks pretty boring outside of the block heels. So maybe when I get even more insane pairs of boots like maybe the Kurt Geigers I have been drooling over at Zalora...let me mull over it... But I do swear I have other ankle boots, mostly non-heeled and one pair that's 5-inch tall in stiletto heel form, on rotation with this one.

The slits are what made me fall for this skirt when I saw it on ebay... So Xena the Warrior Princess-like?

 src: google images

Right when Hunter x Hunter on Animax ended, I was able to catch the JJ Abrams produced scifi found footage film, Cloverfield on HBO. I know I'm really late discovering this film, my reason being that I'm not too updated with mainstream and indie film releases. I'm not a regular cinema-goer and I definitely do not check on new film releases on an almost daily basis. But hmn...this has got to change, probably, but I've seen more disappointing films being aired in the cinemas than ones I actually really like and ardently wait for upon hearing news of them being aired in cinemas worldwide soon so I'd really rather not risk it. I...I'm not all too happy with spending money on tickets to films I actually end up disliking...and even those that are just so-so for me... That said, I only go to cinemas at least once or twice a year. But back to topic, Cloverfield. Okay, I am now questioning myself: how did I miss this?! This film is so, so, so good. It's, in my book, a sci-fi-ed Blair Witch Project that's been upped a notch (quality-wise), done even better. ....what else would one---sci-fi, psychological thriller, crime/true crime, and even action film/tv/literature buff---expect from a JJ Abrams produced film?! Nothing less than good to near-perfect, yes. He did give us two superb Star Trek films that I stan hard (never mind that I'm not much of a Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan as in general, I've never really been a Cumberbatch fan...), and of course, that recently released Star Wars film. You could say sci-fi is JJ Abrams' forte as much as sci-fi, often-times children's fantasy is Steven Spielberg's. To clear any question that may rise around why I am a Star Trek stan more than a Star Wars fangirl like the majority...I'm not even really a die hard Trekkie, just a casual one. I think I just like the idea of being able to operate high tech equipment in outer-space travel and space itself. So Star Wars...I just never really got into the franchise.  
Cloverfield in a nutshell: party in NYC, then some alien makes it to Manhattan...in Central Park no less and rampages thereby killing a huge fraction of people living there, and plunging the Big Apple to just utter chaos all around. I compare this film to the Blair Witch Project because they are of the same kind, they just differ in genre. Cloverfield, like the Blair Witch Project is a found film type. It is just sci-fi while BWP is horror and supernatural combined. I'm pretty sure you've seen these kinds of film, if I'm not mistaken, Paranormal is another of this kind. However, what I like about this more than the other found footage or film types I've seen is that it goes full circle with its ending clip. I don't think the others in this type of film have accomplished such a feat as Cloverfield has. I wasn't able to see the whole film as I wasn't able to catch the very beginning of it---thanks to Hunter x Hunter and before that, a couple episodes of Golden Time on Animax---but I'm definitely planning to watch it whole should I catch it as a lunch feature or presentation on HBO or something similar. 
This film made JJ Abrams one of my favorite director-producers along with Christopher Nolan (the Dark Knight trilogy, The Prestige, and Inception has me hooked on anything this one does/comes out with). Sorry, but not that much sorry, I am not your regular person pretending to be eccentric stanning directors like Tim Burton or James Cameron (I couldn't bring myself to like Avatar, to be honest) and other...well, 'eccentric' arts figures in the pop world. But I'm proud of being someone who gets so, so excited by slice of life, psychological thrillers, crime/true crime, southern gothic, sci-fi, action, thriller, some fantasy, horror and even supernatural. Just something about these genres named here get to me somehow. Hence...why I just had to blab about JJ Abrams' Cloverfield on here.
I'm definitely keeping an eye out on everything Abrams and Nolan come out with. I may now have found two directors slash producers I can stick to that I know won't disappoint me with every film they are heavily attached to.    

two as one

 photos by Candice Calonia

 

slip dress, urbanoutfitters (out from under). silk top/shirt used as jacket, vintage. boots, zalora. fedora, jessica simpson.

Things came up today that made shooting a couple outfits at the bff's village's basketball court and clubhouse grounds impossible but we still had fun catching up and talking random things we usually end up doing anyway whenever we're together (because apparently, we're insane like that...). The day didn't go to waste anyway because these still turned out nice which were shot close to her place, on our way out to get chai tea latte for me and taro milk tea for her at our favorite hangout place by Grand City Hotel, Chinkeetea. We might as well establish that place as a base for the two of us one day. Haha.

I suppose it's time to look for another better location for shoots. There's really not a lot of those here. Maybe on a trip to an island or some other next time. We should have one planned for summer because, well, it's summer and dips in bodies of water, especially the sea is a heavy requirement...rather standard operating procedure.

This Friday? Movie date to Beauty and the Beast although I'm highly skeptical of Emma Watson's singing prowess in a movie musical of this production scale/size. I only probably liked Emma in the Harry Potter series, her fashion-related campaigns, and her The Bling Ring (well, I am a Sofia Coppola stan...film buffs would understand this). Also, I'm not much of a feminist (I'm an egalitarian and humanitarian by general...err...self-labeling)...okay, slightly, so I find some of her feminist advocacy quite...err...I don't know...disagreeable? Or something like it anyway. In sum, I'm not a huge Emma fan despite having grown to love a lot of Harry Potter. Bff and I will wing this Beauty and the Beast film date by this friday then...I suppose. I'm more just a tag along at this affair than anything, anyway.

PS

Do I need to explain the post title? I currently have Da-iCE's Two as One track playing on the itunes player. Also, the boys and I have similar outfit color schemes on this post and the Next Phase album's (where Two as One can be heard/listened to from) cover so... 

tank and shorts summer uniform

 tank, bench ph. shorts, levis cutoffs. boots, zalora (rubi - cotton on). fedora, jessica simpson.

Today's mood called for the usual white tank and levis cutoffs, reason being, the whole day was gloriously sunny and hot, aka: this is just the kind of day I live for. I have a feeling I will be seen sporting this fedora for most of this season unless I find something similar to rotate this with.

....and I know this was so last year but I feel the need to revive the love for this Da-iCE track on here because it is officially summer (unless it threatens to rain again then hello on/off, really weird summer...)

 

I haven't actually forgotten that this all-around California-I wish I were back there again as I miss it much being there lately-goodness exists, too... maybe one day I'll have to move myself to California for good...I'm the kind to love living in that part of the world...that or Sydney, Australia...or better yet, Ibiza.

 

Alright, summer! Bring it! Of course, it's not all too out there, obvious, that this is my favorite time of the year. It makes being a lifelong resident of the paradise-like tropics sweeter. You have no idea how ecstatic I am at this time meanwhile people all around me are likely groaning their complaints of the hot, extremely sunny weather. Well...let them.

americana

 photos by Candice Calonia  

plaid top & necklace, forever21. pants, zara. boots, zalora (rubi - cotton on).

What I wore out to lunch with the bff today and the subsequent random shoot at home after a failed attempt to reach the bff's place for a shoot at a better location (the near-empty really pretty basketball court in their subdivision close to the clubhouse we swam at last time). The reason for the latter being that I was called to house sit as one of our 8 dogs that had a recent accident had to be fetched from the vet after some time of rest post-surgery. It was cold and wet out so this get-up seemed appropriate. I do like plaid. But...I only seem to have a couple of pieces of the pattern in the wardrobe. I'll probably need to add more...well, next time.

dressing down a romper

 romper, zalora. hoodie, secondhand anne klein. boots, zalora (rubi - cotton on). bag, sr squared by sonda roberts

The romper...I wore around all day due to the humid but a tad bit cold and cloudy day. The hoodie...I accidentally smeared some Human Heart Nature cream lipstick in Coral Charm (their version of nude) on one of its sleeves while trying to apply the thing with my using the lipstick brush I got from Watsons eons ago. I can be quite clumsy. It's an acquired habit since young, unfortunately. But the smear on the sleeve of the hoodie probably can be taken off by washing it, I suppose.  

One thing I love about this romper is it's pretty easy to dress up and down. Hoodie and ankle boots? Dressing down. Hoodie and wedges? A bit dressed up but still not quite as in exhibit B here below with CLN wedges:

Anyway, a little something to remember 7-member AAA by since Ito Chiaki has left it as of the start of this year due to pregnancy:

This song is just so much love and the album of the same title as well. 'nuff said. 

I've seen 6-member AAA and it works too but I think I'll keep missing seeing the group having two girls. Plus the saddest thing about Chiaki leaving this year is that there was a planned MisaChia (Uno Misako, Ito Chiaki)tour that ended up being scrapped. The album does have two tracks I love that were sung by both of them. I suppose, on AAA's tour this year, it'll only be Misako singing both songs. Yep, sad indeed.