I should hang around the grandparents' roof top/deck more. It's such a good place to be in when hermiting? And yes, that's a solar panel you see there...they have those in the grandparent's home to help keep from overspending on electricity. The view is good here, anyway, especially around the time the sun rises and sets. T and shorts was the uniform the whole week I'd stayed at the grandparents'. If it's not the trusty ts then it's the tank/s.
What I reached for today and also my "I want to go out and get ice cream" look. I've been craving for ice cream for a while now, since after Yuzuru and Shoma took first and second in the Winter Olympics Men's Figure Skating event or maybe it's been so since before. I'll likely get one tomorrow or something.
The skirt is definitely going up favorite staples status. I like how convenient this is to wear without anything and just the ankle boots or heeled sandals or with tights. It looks good wither way. The color is also versatile, olive green, enough to fit with anything to pair with on top.
Anyway, I have been busy reviving my ebay among other things today. The auctions will go live around Friday, hopefully. I've also put up an instagram shop, treasurechestvintage17, however it has yet to carry stuff for sale...something I'm working on the rest of this week as well. Yes, plenty of things to look forward to for my fellow local Philippine denizens/countrywomen. Other than that, I'll be working on other real life stuff this week on wards so it is quite a busy two weeks for me and hopefully it'll go on for a while.
Hmn...I haven't even checked out Yang Yoseob's new release. The lead track's MV is already out too. I'll do this some time soon, I guess. Not much on the fangirling front either...yet anyway. Just the same old, same old Da-iCE and Highlight stanning. Haha.
top, mixed berry dumaguete city. skirt, vintage/thrifted. boots, something borrowed via zalora ph. bag, giani bernini via macy's.
A lot of red is coming out so you could say I'm in the mood for the month of hearts. February 14 is Valentines' day. The irony is, I don't really care for that much commercialized day although I like the idea of the Japanese and South Korean females giving their fellow female and male friends and significant others chocolates on that said day. Valentines' day is only really fun for me when I read about it in manga (Japanese comics) and watch it on high school-themed jdramas and animes. Otherwise, it's really just a normal day for me.
What do you have planned for this month of hearts? I have a ton. 1: Pyeongchang Winter Olympics is here and everyone's arriving at the Olympics' venue and I just saw clip earlier on Twitter that my favorite male figure skater from Japan, Uno Shoma, has just made it to South Korea. Yay! Go Japan for figure skating, males! 2: Highlight's Yang Yoseob is releasing a solo mini album this month...sometime the middle of this month. I. AM. ECSTATIC. Just like your regular music otaku (music geek but I'm really more of a pop music trash especially in the East Asian region so it goes wherever...) and male idol groups otaku...er...fangirl...well, let's just say this excitement is quite normal in my case, especially. 3: it's the Chinese New Year next week, I'm wishing we'd had moon cake or some other at home. We're not really full Chinese, however. Just a very, very small part Chinese. Lastly, 4: Men's volleyball tourney is ongoing on UAAP season 80 as of this time and I'm looking forward to how my school/university's team, Ateneo de Manila men's volleyball team will fare there. I'd like for them to make it to the finals and win it all again this UAAP sporting season. I have a pretty full February 2018 that I'm currently looking forward to I don't really have any need for someone to go on a date with on the 14th. Yang Yoseob will be the stand in for that for me although I'm not much a fan of ballads from him and winter (a lot of his photos for the mini album are winter-themed so I suppose all of it will be about winter...ugh). Doesn't matter, we'll be getting good music from him anyway. And of course, his adorable, rather adorkable self on everywhere. I'm looking forward to how he will fare in the music shows and their accompanying music charts more, to be quite honest. I hope he does well.
Today's music is:
Have I shared this on here yet? No? Was it just the same group's Sea I did so? Right? Okay, then. Golden Child. Golden Child. Golden Child. They're also known as GNCD or my favorite, GolCha/Gol-Cha. I'm currently very much loving every mini album that comes from them. They've just released two since they debuted late last year-ish but those two mini-albums are quite solid and consistent to their own style of easy going tropical/chill deep house-backed pop music bops and really solid, still groovy mid-tempo and ballad tracks. Needless to say, both mini-albums from these very young baby boys (in kpop idol and kpop music fandom, to me, because I'm waaayyy older than these boys/men are...) are worth checking out. Very worth checking out. I was able to read a tweet in passing they had reached the top of the chart/s of Tower Records in Japan and it's, in my opinion, an honor they so deserve for releasing such good pop music. The thing is, about Golden Child, they have yet to debut in Japan. Should they debut there soon this year, I'm sure they'll be quite popular considering their the feel and uber good contents of their first mini-album, Gol-Cha! and second mini-album, Miracle.
photos 1-2: shortalls, cotton on. cropped top, susto the label via zalora ph. heels, zalora ph. bag, giani bernini via macy's. photos 3-4: top and skirt, forever21. clutch, ninewest. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora ph (similar but not really).
Tuesday and Wednesday's outfits in one post because the home didn't have any working internet connection until today. This usually happens when the months come with 31 days in them. And yes, a couple of cropped tops came out the past two days and they're fast becoming my favorites. The black version of the white forever21 top was worn with a slipdress to watch a local (Filipino) film, Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes (English trans.: The Two Mrs. Reyes) with the uncle in SM Premier here. It was a fun film and definitely has a whole lot of quotes to check out. It's one very quotable, very very fun film I can easily relate with because apparently, in real life, a lot of my crushes aren't at all straight. Haha. Well, life. It happens. I'll expand on that one on some other time I feel like doing so... (Count on me to never let this happen or come true. LOL. ....reason being, I'm a very private person...and I'd like to remain that way.)
Anyway, yes, I'm getting quite attached to the cropped silhouettes somehow. I'm looking to add more when I can. Susto the Label has a lot of them I like, no, more like, love that are quite on the affordable end. I haven't tired of stalking that page on Zalora yet. It's Krista speak for: Susto the Label is becoming a top favorite local brand for me. This, although the middle button of the top I got from them can't be locked in anymore because the the hole for it on the opposite side came loose... Hmn... I'll try to get it fixed some other time.
Today's music:
I've been addicted to this one for a long while now I usually have it on repeat on itunes. Hah. The music video is also so pretty I love it but sadly, Avex only uploaded the short version like they usually do for this group, among others (including their own groups, AAA and lol) so yes, it leaves us who aren't at all in Japan disappointed and hanging. E-girls is really more my aesthetic than AKB48 and their sister groups however I'm someone who's not so picky (although I may come across super picky sometimes) with pop music. I hardly really discriminate or learned not to discriminate so much where that goes and as such am one who can recognize good bops as they come my (out) way so I do recognize AKB48 tracks like Koisuru Fortune Cookie as such. It's just that, I'm more biased on the more normal, less really super cute female idoly, and the more fashion forward/modern, classy female and male idol groups. This actually explains why my fandoms are: Avex's AAA, Da-iCE, lol, SOLIDEMO, CREAM, etc.; Sony Japan's Flowback; LDH's E-girls (I think they're not called that anymore, though), Flower, Dream (they disbanded, insert crying emoji here), Happiness; for the South Korean side: Around Us Entertainment's Highlight; Woollim Entertainment's Infinite and Golden Child; and at times, Cube Entertainment's BtoB and Pentagon. By the by, tonight, I'm currently listening to and drowning to Infinite's new full record/album, Top Seed and it's beautiful, from the first or opening track to the third. Tell Me and Synchronise are my top favorites from this one. I might just become a part-time Inspirit apart from already being a part-time Light and full-time a-I... Hmn...I'll think about this some more...
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...
shirt, dkny jeans. shorts/cutoffs, secondhand lowry's farm. heels, zalora (similar). over the knee/knee high socks, marshall's (i think? i forgot already...haha.). bag, giani bernini via macy's.
It was near impossible to get a good photo of this outfit thanks to the sun's glare despite it being a cloudy, cold day earlier today, around 5 or so near-sundown. Anyway...yes. Finally. This long sleeved shirt in black has been brought out for the sort of cold day we had today. It's been like this for a couple of days now thanks to a tropical depression upon us, local name: Urduha. I know, what kind of name is that? But that's what our local meteorologists here name the storms coming by and going, nullifying their international names anyway. Also, it's a system of tracking how many storms come by the country so it's pretty useful despite how so, so local and often times tacky the names sound. Days like this, I'm missing the sun. I was hoping this would be a more tropical holiday season but we have a tropical depression slash storm slash typhoon upon us so I now have a good picture of what cold winters everywhere look and feel like sans the lack of snow in this side of the world.
Ah...the holidays. I still want to spend this one in Camiguin Island this time, preferably Mantigue Island. A tropical holiday out or some other, is in order. I really can't survive in the cold too long. I get antsy and start craving for the sun, sand and surf...err...sea. Well...hmn... It's still going to be cold in the said island I named but anything is better than being stuck here...in the dismal cold and on and off rains.
Today's music is:
I've been stuck on this track for a long time now and I still am. I love the play of words in the lyrics and how it's a mix of the kansai-ben and the kanto-ben in there. Dreams Come True is an awesome jpop band and well, Da-iCE is just as awesome for covering this classic.
Earlier today, I was discussing with friends on social media (twitter, friends = fellow fangirls) how BTS' (a kpop boygroup) fans are attacking Arashi and their fandom in light of said group making a debut on a music show in Japan. Being a primarily jpop fan as I was never a kpop fan to begin with---I only became one for Highlight [formerly known as Beast] and occasionally, Infinite---I find it funny how they have the gall/guts to do that. On social media, twitter in particular, no less. Everyone in the jpop fandom know Johnny's and Associates' lot. To me, as a non-J&A acts' fan (I've established myself eons ago as an Avex JP fangirl, since becoming an on/off AAA fangirl), J&A is notorious for banning those they perceive as threats to their own acts on Music Station, a regular music show on Japanese TV, and Kohaku Uta Gassen, an annual music concert also televised. Other than that, J&A has monopoly of the Oricon charts too when it comes to their groups releasing music. Anyway, knowing this and still being into jpop, I learned to ignore petty fan wars such as the ones started by the BTS fans against Arashi and their massive fandom. I also learned to ignore the pettiness of the participating Japanese entertainment companies on their TV (music shows) and others. I don't even care much for the Oricon charts. I've been boycotting Kohaku Uta Gassen when pretty much a lot of international jpop fangirls watch it on live stream yearly. And I certainly don't follow Music Station. All I really care about is whether ANation and Swish gets more following or what. Those two, especially Anation, are the ones that matter to the Avex JP fandom. As for kpop...I just cannot really get into how messy the fandom there is while fans of jpop, like me, learned to cope with how J&A monopolizes basically everything where that kind of music and entertainment is concerned in Japan. Fanwars are...well...pretty lame and I'm beyond that already. I just enjoy whatever music I enjoy and whichever artist it'd be that's providing it. To the jpop/pop music in general otaku (jp for enthusiast or fanatic) like me, what matters more is music and the artists are, well, just there to provide it for me/us. Anyway, I think the ones starting the fanwars are new to the kpop fandom...or if they're not, well, they just suck as a person/fan and are quite used to being an embarrassment to their fandom, the idols/artists they "support". Fangirl/fanboy ethics here somehow need to reviewed and set or something like it. Yeah...I don't know either. And...it's t minus 4 days to the Christmas party at home with people, not necessarily family. It's a company party. Socializing isn't really my thing...I dread it rather than look forward to it. Hello, social/general anxiety...by then.
silk shirt, vintage. shorts/cut-offs, secondhand lowry's farm. bag, giani bernini via macy's. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora (similar). bangles, vintage and dumaguete city souvenir shop. long leaf and arrow necklace, f21.
I meant to go for a black on black outfit today as it was pretty cool and cloudy this morning. When by noon, the sun ended up being at it's highest and clouds were nowhere in sight, I'd succumbed to the more comfortable silk shirt for a lazy take on the classic, crisp white button-up shirt and shorts/jeans/skirt look.
And yay! New headphones from Miniso in the recently opened (just this year...) SM Premier! I can't be a self-respecting audiophile without a good pair of these. Since I listen to a lot of dance (usually, pop) music, good pairs of headphones have become a necessity for me. My older ones from Urbanears had fallen apart just recently so a replacement was direly needed and this being more than half the price of the usual Urbanears (or even Sony's or Phillips' or Bose's or Sennheiser's among others, since I like those, too), is good enough. I'm not entirely sure if these are noise cancelling or the kind with the loud bass but it does give off good quality music from any device I attach it to so I'm good. 349 Php is a good deal for these already.
I'm usually alright with earphones as I used to use a lot of them growing up but headphones have been my go-to since going from being a fan of alternative (Brit/UK/Euro) rock to pop, deep house, tropical house music. The latter uses a lot of synthesizers and everything electronic so nothing beats headphones when listening to those in my downtime and when while in commute for some other.
Speaking of music, today's is:
I, once upon a time, put this on eternal repeat on itunes and on youtube. It's that addicting for something made just from the computer, the early days of Magic Man (circa first album). This duo somehow never fails to get me hooked onto a lot of the music they release. The second album might have been better with the rock vibe in it but I think the first album, Real Life Color, is more them, more Magic Man because, well, electro indie pop is their signature sound.
On other things: I'm currently following TVN's second season of Nest Escape. The kids are in Poland plus they have Produce 101 season 2's Kim Samuel as well as the child actress from Okja, a south korean film I've been meaning to watch. I'm no Samuel fan but I'm curious as to how he would get along with the other kids he's with and how he could be of help to them considering he's the most westernized (born in LA, California). Seeing his mum interact with him and the other parents on the show is also pretty fun.
tank, bench ph. skirt, vintage. boots, rubi by cotton on (they're gusset boots long gone from last season or two but this is similar. bag, giani bernini (via macy's). cat ear ring & arrow necklace, f21.
It's been a crazy few weeks at home and out and thus the reason for not much updates since the 9th of this month or so. Personal and family life are insane right now. This, I won't go indepth with. I want to keep real life drama as far away from this escape pod/space of mine as much as I can to keep my sanity in check.
Anyway, a couple of things I've been playing non-stop via youtube:
Yes, I'm aware I've been blogging one too many things on kpop. I've been trying to avoid this one but in the end, I couldn't. Now, I find myself addicted to anything cute from Infinite (Man In Love is old being from 2013...), cute and sunny and cheery from their younger boy group siblings Golden Child (Sea fits the bill! I could lose myself in this for quite a long time...putting it on loop. lol.) and all things cute, positive and fun from Highlight as well as their really pretty ballads. I also like some of Infinite's Sunggyu's solos. I've been a casual Nell fan since stumbling on Ocean of Light from a favorite actor's trip to Hawaii music video thing. Nell is right up my alley as I am a fan of american bands with a similar vibe, OneRepublic and The Fray, as well as a lot of European (mostly UK?) alternative rock.
The past couple of weeks have been so crazy these two music videos or songs have been my respite from it. Gotta keep oneself sane and happy somehow with everything gloomy happening left and right. This is one of those times in life where I'm really thankful for being a kpop and jpop fan. Pop music is life and love! *insert heart everything/emojis here...*
As for everything Jpop: Da-iCE is releasing a single in January 2018 (yaaayyy!!! It's so close already!) and lol's Nanana is about to be released early next month. Avex Japan never fails to give me something to look forward to when the year comes to an end. This was the case last year and 2017 stayed pretty bright for me despite well, my personal issues here and there among others.
Also, AAA's New Year Party will be done jointly with Da-iCE this year. YEEEEEESSSSSSS!!! I'm PSYCHED FOR THIS! It's things like this that I'm still basically alive and breathing for~
On a rather different note (but still connected to j- and k-pop), Infinite's Man In Love is a reminder to myself that my sunny, cheery, fashionisto(?) type of guy is quite a very rare pokemon to find. I might as well marry a k- or j-pop male idol star...haha. I can only wish...
I'm not going to lie, I'm not really fond of the time when a year is about to come to a close. Something about it is always gloomy although ideally, it should be pretty festive. Also, fall and winter in places around the world with four seasons...ugh...nope. No, thank you. I need sun 24/7, 365 days a year. This amoeba needs life under the sun to thrive or else dim things happen... (also, the hotter, the better. I can live, then. Haha.) Then again, I also need pools and the really beautiful beaches and island paradises like plants need water and sun so...yep.
dress & blazer, vintage. bag, giani bernini (via macy's). heels, zalora (similar). socks, marshall's (I think...? I don't remember anymore...)
Feeling playful on a Saturday because it is a Saturday. Except it's gloomy-ish with cloudy weather but it's alright. It's perfect beach weather...sadly, I'm not in one though they are close, like, just a drive or so away, when here.
Today's music mood, Faky - Sugar Sweet:
I am not entirely sure why the preview shows up and not the full video when Avex on youtube uploaded it eons ago... If this music teaser/preview makes you want to see the music video and listen to the music in full, you can just look Faky's Suga Sweet up on the site.
top and choker/necklace, forever21. shorts, secondhand lowry's. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora ph. bag, giani bernini via macy's.
Some things are meant to be had in twos...or in every color it is available in. Such is the case of the top here from f21 I got in black and white.
Meanwhile, something pretty exciting to look out for:
The snippets they released on this clip tells me the mini album is going to be good. It would be awesome if they chart high this year. They're the only kpop group I really follow nowadays anyway... Most of the time, I'm still more into jpop, western pop, and occasionally the really local, regional (Bisaya/Cebuano) pop.
And therefore follows that music of the day is:
Highlight of lol's recently released first full length album titled 'lolol' is this song, Hanauta (english translation: 'Flower Song' though it really gives more of a springtime vibe when the rest of the album screams 'summer!!!'). The music video for this is just so good. I've been hoping for the song to be released in a single or some other but it got released in a full length album so this one really made my year complete since. I still maintain then that lolol is still the summer (rather, lifetime?) album to have this year. Ah, why is it that summer jpop releases are frequently the best ever? I don't really know the answer to that either...haha. It's been the case since Da-iCE Paradive was released a year or two ago...
