playing sarah bailey the natural born witch for halloween 2018

white t, h&m. vest, vintage. skirt, mixed berry in dumaguete city (old). random knee highs from 2016-2017 trip to California, USA. heels, zalora (sold out on the site, unfortunately). backpack, seocndhand gucci from dumaguete city.

It's been a very long time since I posted a random slew of self-taken photos for this personal space of mine. I miss it so. Anyway, yes! Halloween!!! It's my favorite time of the year. Christmas feels like such a draining season for me. It drains one of money (because it's gifting season, yeah...) and well...energy. I do like the celebrations that come with Christmas but they wreck a ton of things so...I'm NOT at all that fond of this time of the year, to be really honest. At the back of my mind, I'm aware that I really do hate the Christmas season but I'm becoming more aware of how much I really do so now.

Sarah Bailey from the Craft will always be my aesthetic for Halloween. Classic American school girl looks like hers and Serena van der Woodsen's on Gossip Girl season 1 are those I have been fixating on for a while now. The Craft is a cult classic witch movie of the 90s and I'm not kidding when I say I still remember every scene of it in my head. My favorite is when the four went on an excursion to the fields to cast spells and of course, the last part, Nancy vs. Sarah. Sarah...I've always loved her effortless style and her natural-ness as a witch the same way I love Serena Van Der Woodsen on Gossip Girl season 1 for her carefree character so...well...that figures a lot of things that's me and about me. Also, for reference on where I got the idea to dress up as Sarah as, there is this photo below of the 4 on The Craft:

photo taken from here

I think Sarah is the easiest to dress up as on Halloween. All you really need is a skirt that's pleated---it can be a plaid skirt or a plain one will do as well---and heaps of necklaces of different sizes (I am admittedly a huge stan of layering one necklace after another) and a vest and you're done! Knee high socks are, of course, mandatory as well. And the wedges...well, they were scored from Zalora Philippines on one of their sales.
And speaking of Zalora Philippines and sales, I currently am waiting for their 11.11 sale for something I've been keeping my my on, on for a while now.

Anyway, yes, Halloween. What did I do last night's All Souls' Day night and last weekend? Last weekend, I went out with 2 girl pals to Lifestyle District. It's where the workplace, that I currently work at, is located. The place has a lot of bars, restaurants and cafes and it's, probably like, one of the best places to be in the city during Halloween. There's always something going on there like the Halloween Costume Party we originally planned to join when we passed by the notices for it. It's only because their registration for the contest ended early that we didn't make it into the contest. Memorable part of the night is Jigsaw from a movie franchise, Saw, I following us around and my friend hugging him not once or twice but thrice. For the record, I am never a fan of Saw and the rest of its movies and I do not plan on touching this one either...in this lifetime. I like really horror movies with ghosts and maybe some monsters of the South East Asian and Asian Lore in general. I'm not a huge fan of gore movies that to me, are pointless anyway. I would watch 90s trashy slasher films, however. Those are my thing as the amount of blood there isn't as much as when you compare it to Saw movies and even, maybe, hmn..., say Texas Chainsaw Massacre. 
At the end of the night of fun, I've decided that as Lifestyle District is such a good, good place to eat and drink in, I would say 31st Bistro's hot chocolate is high up there among drinks and food I've tried. I would go and visit 31st Bistro again probably on another weekend after work if only to get their hot chocolate again. The pina colada at this other bar closest to the office building is...well...err, their tequila sunrise is better. The alcohol content on the pina colada was just too high. I haven't been much of a drinker since long ago, in the dim dark past as a Master's degree student and even in undergraduate college. I am, however, happy to report that after one glass of that awful pina colada, I still had the tolerance to liquor in me that keeps myself from getting too drunk towards the middle of the night. I now know what to avoid on their cocktails menu. All in all, October 27 was a fun night with the two gal pals.

Last night, as I was alone and still am alone and being my hermit self at home, I had the South Korean cable channel, TVN on, on TV while I watched about two episodes of The Guest, a kdrama recommendation for the Halloween I found on a Soompi article I stumbled on early this week. I fell asleep in the middle of the third episode so I was never able to finish the thing but it sure is an interesting watch. It's about evil spirit possession and the tag team of a lady police officer, a rebel-y shaman and a very serious exorcist priest makes it all the more interesting. I wonder how it's going to play out in the end...? It has 15 episodes and I'm down to finishing the whole thing this weekend along with other creepy, Halloween appropriate tv shows and films I like to watch this time of the year. Yes, I watched it while I was alone at home with just 8 to 9 dogs outside and an indoor pet cat. The mum is in Jasaan, at the grandparents with the cousin; the dad, with his high school friend, is in Zamboanga City until Sunday since around Thursday this week; and the sister-figure went home to Medina for stuff... I survived a night of fright as I always, regularly do. I'm someone who can handle scary stuff well even at night but I'd probably freak out in a haunted house attraction in amusement parks... Hmn... Well, we'll see...
By the way, The Guest is an OCN drama and OCN never really disappoints me with their thriller, action police dramas so it's worth the watch for mystery lovers like myself. The supernatural twist is just as good, I guess. I don't mind it and I like supernatural twists anyway. Or this could just really be me. Haha.

Anyway, music recommendation because I kind of miss doing so lately:

I'm still waiting for Pentagon mini album to arrive... I'm getting kind of tired of waiting but I'm keeping the patience in. I think I ordered it about a month ago or so...
Yes, I'm stuck on both songs and especially on Just Do It Yo that I have on repeat with this one:

I'm currently conflicted with whether I'm getting Golden Child's Wish mini album or Infinite's Kim Sunggyu's Shine live album he released, as a farewell gift to fans, before enlisting in the military. I'll probably not get Golden Child's album yet and will stick to Sunggyu's granted I've been falling in deeper with him sine stumbling upon The Genius season 1 where he displayed his savageness and top notch strategist skills in. 
At first, I found it difficult to get into Golden Child's Genie because it felt not as bop-y as their Let Me that they released before this. But this impression was probably because I was listening to it without the headphones or earphones. It became a quality bop, characteristic of every Golden Child release so far since their debut, when I ended up playing it on eternal repeat with the headphones and/or earphones on. Yep. Never really shoot down a track as boring and bland before getting a closer look at it using the appropriate audio tools---lesson learned at that time. 
Also, Produce 48's I*Zone's La Vie En Rose is the best debut so far among all three Produce 101 franchise groups (including season 1 and 2). If you haven't gotten into it yet, now's the best time to get into it so GO! But yes, I'm still not much a fan of female groups...so...yeah.

Bonus, two things I find useful nowadays that they hardly live my bag now:

Australian make-up brand is climbing up the top of my favorite make-up brands list with these two lip liners. I don't really use the cream lipstick and other lipstick variants as much these days so I'm living with lip liners and tinted lip balms and cheek and lips stuff lately. I find them the most convenient to use in the office and out.
I got these when with the 1000 Php gift checks I got from SM Supermalls' 60th anniversary twitter contest a while back so, like, double yay! I didn't spend as much on make-up among others then. 

Ah yes, until the next post then and in which case, I don't know when that will be but hopefully soon. In the meantime, you can follow me on instagram for some timely updates here and there. I'm not a very consistent instagrammer either.

sweater weather and messy hair

sweater, forever21. slipdress, urbanoutfitters. boots, rubi by cotton on via zalora (similar). clutch, diy from a bag gifted by aunt.

Typhoon Basyang (local Philippine name thanks to PAG-ASA), please go away. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of sweater weather but it's here, we're here, at least until the typhoon goes away, that is. Needless to say, I spent it drinking a large mug of milk tea and some iced (decaf is usually all I can manage) coffee.

Today's music:

Something sunny to ward the gloominess of the day/night away. Golden Child has released two of the most solid mini-albums in the kpop industry so far. I'd recommend getting it if you can. Everything in the two mini-albums, from the bops to the mid-tempo tracks to the ballads are superb and flows so well from one track to another they're both just a treat to the ears. I've been playing both mini-albums on itunes on repeat as of late. 

slick in all black

top, something borrowed via zalora ph (similar in the lightest of pink). quilted leather skirt, vintage. boots, rubi by cotton via zalora ph (similar). clutch, from a bag from an aunt...most likely a kohl's find. 

The last time I brought out this leather skirt that's a vintage find, to wear out was when? Exactly. I don't remember either. Setting that one aside, I love how slick this one looks sans the dainty cute top from Something Borrowed. 

I was out for half a day today for stuff including a trip to the dentist. ....and I'm not really a huge fan of dentists, to be honest.

Music of the day today, rather night since it's night time here already...:

I'm not a hero but I suppose we all could be, at some point. Tove Lo is love and with Alesso...enough said. I'm good. This is an oldie but a goodie and I go back to this from time to time whenever I feel like listening to a lot of western pop/dance music. 

4-5 days until Valentines' Day, what do you guys have planned? Me? I'll be waiting for the 19th. Highlight's Yang Yoseob is releasing a mini-album/solo work by then. *insert all the hearts in the emoji keyboard here...*

it's cold thanks to the storm but i'm missing the sun and heat by a lot

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.

shortalls and about a couple of swede ladies in pop music

 shortalls, cotton on. t, zara. boots, forever21. bag, vintage/old ninewest.

From last Saturday. The shortalls are proving to be an all-rounder...cozy something lately.

Tuesday. And it's really early in the morning. So I woke up today to checking out 19-year-old Swede, Zara Larsson's music which, surprisingly, I ended up liking. This is all thanks to my aimless wandering towards lol_avex's twitter timeline where I found a tweet saying they attended Zara's live in collaboration with H&M around Tokyo. What I found out about Zara is that So Good is a solid pop/dance pop album so far. When it comes to the Swede musicians and the ladies at that, I'm really more of a Tove Lo fan (hint: we're the same age, she's just really more brilliant music making-wise...not that I ever tried or attempted putting out some music covers, not really originals, outside of the youtube thing I did way, way back...) where pop music making---songwriting, beats creating and all---is concerned but Zara is definitely getting there and just at 19, she's quite a promising all-around pop music talent. She comes off as someone with a lot of potential at such a young age for me. She's not Tove Lo solid yet as a songwriter (Tove Lo is god-tier for me thanks to Queen of the Clouds which was utterly brilliant pop in my book although Lady Wood is just as good however...) but I can't wait to see how this girl, Zara grows up as an all-around pop musician like her predecessor, Tove Lo. I think she'll be a force to reckon with in the near future. Anyway, three of what I currently like from So Good:

Zara's So Good record is definitely bop-able. *insert heart-eyes emojis here...*