fuzzy white

 vintage fuzzy sweater dress/one piece, Robinsons department store tights, zalora ankle boots, aizilim rings, verano via zalora tri-strand ribbon choker in pink

I'm quite positive I'm the exception to the rule of asian people being dressed quite colorfully on a daily basis. The vibrant cities of Asia are colorful...true. Unfortunately, when it comes to wardrobe color schemes, I don't really contribute to that multitude of color in the streets. I'm mostly monotonic when it comes to dressing up on a daily basis and thrive mostly on comfort and textures despite often being seen in black, white, navy, and gray. I guess I'm more attuned to the simple western style of dressing than the frivolous typical asian girl daily dressing.

....and this is totally that vintage dress I was talking about in the previous post being the one of about two fuzzy, furry things I own.  

These are couple of things that get me through the colder days and nights in the tropics. That Humanheartnature's citronella oil-based bug shield is available in oil form is a blessing as I can use it in two ways: with the clay tea-light essential oil diffuser and as a regular body oil insect repellant. Rainy season does mean more mosquitoes and the likes so one might as well stock on this one...oil or lotion form.

rainbow black

 tally weijl dress, ralph lauren sport shirt (similar), rubi (via) zalora ankle boots, vintage chanel clutch, aizilim necklaces, rings and wood cuff

Swapped the clutch for a bigger vintage leather bag to contain a box of four Human Heart Nature stuff to give out to people for them to try out and this was the right Christmas outfit to go out in and party at an aunt's house. Family business thing, yep. This tally weijl dress was begging to be outed somehow this season and I finally saw to wearing it out in some way that its not just a strapless thing. I'm...not really that fond of wearing strapless dresses and tops unless they were the really beautiful bandage types that need no reinforcement from shirts or tanks? I don't really know either. Haha. I'm normally more of a spacier up-top, and if possible, everywhere else person. 

It's that time of the year where I DIY my yearly planner instead of getting it from, say, the Coffee Bean...well, not because I'm a cheapskate, maybe, partly that but mostly because for the past two or three years now, this has been practice for me. I like it when I can combine the personal journal, ideas notebook and planner in one carry-all notebook than having a planner with a compartmentalized template that's separate from the other two. Such a thing keeps me from cluttering bags I carry around with me when I go out. What I also really like about this is I have the freedom to put whatever I want on the planner-ideas notebook-journal-in-one thing. Pictures/snaps included.

I'm currently catching up to where Doubutsu Sentai Jyuohgers are already (episode 40, still in episode 19 right now). Preoccupying myself with this while waiting for more episodes of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid because being kept hanging per week spells torture for me. Also currently keeping tabs on the Jdrama, Last Cop because it has my favorite young actor from Kamen Rider Drive: Takeuchi Ryoma. I watch Kdrama on tv on and off so I only follow select Jdramas now as opposed to following a lot before. Tokusatsu is mostly the only thing I really watch...slightly religiously however. 

Did anyone else miss my random music talk corner here? Just me? Okay, then. Here goes: I feel like I've been listening to a lot of things with Steve Aoki today but it's just really two tracks (one with Adam Lambert as main vocals, another with Walk the Moon, see below). I'm not even much of a Steve Aoki fan where my tastes on edm DJ-producers go---I usually lean towards those that specialize in deep,tropical house...mostly. I just have this on repeat because I'm a fan of Walk the Moon. Yep.

Now listening to/playing (mood): Steve Aoki & Boehm - Back 2 U feat. Walk the Moon

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.

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.

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.

shoes coming my way...

After much window shopping around yesterday and today, I finally bit the bullet. 

I'm a little skeptical of most faux (synthetic) leather but let's see how these fare. One is the only highest-heeled ankle boots I could find on Zalora and the other got me by its tons of buckles, the latter ordered in a deep brown so I can look about how to play around with it.

after H&M Ayala Centrio's opening

photos by Candice Calonia
 
vintage bag and ankle boots; D&G longsleeved shirt; Forever21 shorts; Robinsons' department store tight; aizilim necklaces; beaded bracelet and rings; dad's sunglasses

H&M opening was fun but really, really crowded. The line to get into the first of the store's 2 floors was pretty long and I'd say, everyone was most likely there. Well, those who had the time to go, anyway. Notable things from H&M in Ayala I found I'd sort of like to have: the cozy sweaters (which I'd likely get 2 sizes larger than me for the slouch, off shouldered, long-sleeved...longer than my arms would allow anyway...effect), triangle bras that's somehow all I really wear on a daily basis dresses and tops, and that faux (?) but really, really soft (like butter) leather tote that reminds me a bit of the Givenchy Nightingale I'd probably overuse for some occasional shopping. In the end, the shopping partner and I didn't get anything because there was too much people in there and either it drove us mad or gave us a headache. I don't really do well with crowds.

I didn't really get a lot of things from the random trip to the mall except for a bottle of virgin coconut oil I usually use on a lot of things (thank you, Watson's for providing me with a really cost-effective option---reason being it's, like, 10 Php or so less than my usual coldpressed VCO brand) and a choker from my shopping pal's favorite accessories stall. There was a one-shouldered dress in both black and white incarnations from Mango that hasn't yet left my mind however, it's on sale, and a pair of cross strapped wedges from Primadonna also on sale I really wanted and could see myself wearing a lot but decided not to get somehow.

Met some people here and there...a newly discovered favorite dish from Tokyo Bubble Tea---their pork-less tofu steak which was so vegetarian/pescetarian friendly and really, really good and a funny, sort of weird incident later, after all that, in Cotton On on our way out that had us scrambling to take the taxi to the city center...all in all, it was a good day to be out.

mesh over a slip

vintage fine mesh top, slip, and lace-up ankle boots; terranova over-the-knee socks; coach iphone wristlet/pouch; aizilim rings and necklaces; random dreamcatcher necklace; forever21 cuff.

My idea of layering in rainy but still humid climate. Good thing I didn't go out to shoot today because it rained minutes after this.

The last time I wore this fine mesh top thing was while frolicking with a friend in Siquijor Island which was a couple years ago or so. Not entirely sure when I can go back there but I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK there. Until then, I'm happy with just Camiguin Island being a few hours away from here by bus and the barge. 

I lost the knit cap/beanie in the same color as the socks worn here somewhere in transit from the Philippines to Philadelphia to California and back, late last year and early this year. Come to think of it, I lost a lot of things in that single trip alone...including a really warm, fuzzy and cozy cashmere knit scarf---used it as a reinforcement blanket on the plane somehow---mum brought back for me from her, dad's and an aunt's trip around Europe years ago (it's from Italy and thank heavens, the gray cashmere sweater is still around as it is one of my favorite, warmest things to wear when it's too cold or something close to it) and then the finely checkered/plaid black and white/grey 4$ fedora from Burlington in Philadelphia I'd been wearing non-stop during the trip. I might've lost the last one on the Philippine Airlines flight from Manila to here in Cagayan de Oro /cries. Sometimes I wish Philippine Airlines had some way of informing some of their passengers of some things left in the plane so they get those back to them somehow.   

Note to self: get something that's the approximation of a blanket when travelling next time. Not that the airline issued blankets aren't any good...I just need something else...warmer. I get too cold way too easily as someone who's lived all her life in the warmer part of the globe.

Still my favorite things: peppermint lip balm and the lip creme in coral charm (their nudest possible shade) from HumanheartNature and the lipstick brush from Watsons. Just in case you're wondering what else I put in the Coach phone case/pouch other than the minuscule and pretty ancient iPhone 4s. I'm currently thinking of HumanheartNature's day-to-night eyeshadow palette at the moment. It's really practical and handy in four compact shades when you're on the go. Beats having to think of getting the 600+ Php nudes palette from Maybelline as the former is just less than 500 Php. I'm happy and content, at the moment, with my older ones including an Almay 3-color palette for the same purpose as Maybelline's nudes eyeshadow palette and the HumanheartNature one I want, however.

olive green

(photos: mine)

Back to regular blog posting because internet is finally back and more stable than before. I don't have to rely on pocket wifi anymore that's not only slow but also, really damn difficult to use when you're uploading photos and stuff that it only exacerbated some personal issues I'm still trying to deal with.

I'm partial to a lot of bodycons but I always have been into them anyway, just...I hardly get to wear them out unless they were skirts and stuff. This Uniqlo long shirt/tunic dress of sorts is actually a thrift find from eons ago, way back when the night market here was still thriving. I just never get to wear this thing out a lot as it's 3/4th sleeves long on the arms, very cozy yet warm and not appropriate for this 365-days long almost eternally summer weather/climate in this part of the world. I just thought about busting it out now because I thought it would be perfect for the not so cold, not so warm, cloudy weather situation of sorts outside. It's already the first of the -ber months so that explains the crazy, unpredictable weather/climate. It's usually the rainy season for us here and it makes me still itch to get the right wellies to wear when walking out in the rain and such granted it's again becoming a constant, and will be the case at least until December to January or even February later on.

I've also been busy traveling with an aunt two weeks ago so that explains the absence as well. I wasn't able to take photos because I suck. But we did get to go to an island beach strip across Hagonoy Island in Mangagoy and swim there to our hearts' content on the last day of our trip there, right before going home to here and the family vacation house in Jasaan the next morning. We also got to swim with the stingray in a fish-pen on the second day of the trip which was pretty scary and just amusingly weird at the same time. The ones taking care of the sea creatures in the fish pen assured us that the sting-rays' barbs have been removed so it was safe enough for just about anyone to swim with them then. Pretty cool experience all in all, and 10 times better than swimming at Enchanted River. As an aside, I've been to Enchanted River twice in this lifetime but never did I, in the two times I've been there, take a dip in the thing. I'm unnerved by it for some reason. The first time I went there, I just wandered around and people watched. Swimming in Britania is way, way better than swimming in Enchanted River and I'd even take an annual trip to Camiguin over that one either. I think the situation at Enchanted River just reminds me so much of the number of times my grandmother took me and a cousin to the cold springs for swimming. Cold springs are known to be terribly crowded with locals and visitors alike here so I generally avoid them. If I'm there, I don't even bother swimming (not a fan of cold water) and would much prefer the hot springs (Ardent in Camiguin Island being the closest and my default favorite) deep in the night until midnight.

Highlight of the trip, definitely so much sea food. We got to eat sea urchin...different kinds of sea urchin. Fresh ones were had when we were in the island on the last day of the trip. My pescetarian heart was happy and satisfied then. 10/10, would definitely do all over again even if the 12 hours travel time by bus was the hardest part of it. A long drive from here to there would definitely be more ideal if one is able to drive and have his/her own car/vehicle.

dress/tunic, ankle boots all vintage; Coach pouch/mobile phone holder; bracelets/bangles, a mix of forever21, souvenir shop and vintage finds; dad's sunglasses; choker, Verano; long necklace with leaf pendant, forever21

   

from a couple weeks ago

 

(photos by Candice Calonia. Thanks so much, b!)

Really late post. I swear I don't mean to fall off the face of the earth when I go back to Dumaguete City for school and yes, it's all because I'm finally finishing my last semester of graduate school. No one knows what's going to happen after this not even myself. I've been busy working on revising my Master's thesis proposal so far and colloqium is around the corner already so I've been sparse even in both accounts on twitter lately. Oh and instagram as well. It doesn't exactly mean I have abandoned anything.

I still do hang out with some friends from time to time but even they are sparse these days. I probably need to acquire new ones. Sort of. But being the usual introvert I am, I'm not that lonely, really. Basically just stressed now because of, well, a lot of work to do and I've been spending days on end in the library I've probably forgotten what civilization looks like. Yep, I dunno exactly anymore either.

Lately, it's been school-rented pad-school-and sometimes McDonalds' so far I'm a very normal college graduate school student, finally though I don't hang out in the graduate school section of the library too often. I love the second floor of the Silliman University library too much to mingle with co-gradschool students in the first floor. It's also been so hot these days my current wardrobe consists of denim shorts and a lot of tanks and camis later covered up with a hoodie when I'm freezing in the arctic...library.

Also, walking. When in Dumaguete City, there's so much walking to be had I've been ignoring pedicabs wanting to take me anywhere for a fare (fee) of 9 Php. Why ride when you can walk early in the morning or late in the evening and get exercise from that as well?

And it will be awhile before I ever get home so I might as well make the best of being here at this point. 

 

Oh and my special skills apparently now include carrying two to three things at the same time in one hand including coffee cups. I normally take mine iced regularly now. 

vintage boots, bag and curdoroy jacket; Mixed Berry skirt; hanes t.

should probably bring out new colors

Test drove the nth pair of ankle boots recently acquired from the Payless Shoes branch in Centrio today as I ran around Pabayo-Gomez Sts. and then to Velez-Hayes Sts. for random errands. It says its Fioni on the purple and pink girly box and the tag. I don't know either. It was on sale at merely 800+ Php and thus was too hard to resist. (Plus it reminded me of one of the older Jessica Simpsons I fell in love with or that Jessica Simpson Callian ankle boots I've been meaning to get, only simpler.) Needless to say it was my first foray at the Payless Shoe branch in Ayala Centrio right after lunch with relatives and the family yesterday. I browsed through their branch in Lim Ketkai Center not too long ago and found a few things I liked but never bought anything until this happened yesterday. Hmn...probably one of the most chaotic stores around due to how footwear is arranged though there's really not much people in it save for me and the couple of women with a kid whom they were buying school shoes for. One dutifully examined one of the boots I was about to pay for at the cashier probably wondering what I'd use these for. Notorious ankle boots wearer. Yes. 

The two doggies wouldn't move away earlier today...end result: the second snap. They're probably two of my favorite beings inside the house. Fluffy. Check. Tiger-like and fierce. Check. They're shih-tzus. Semi-miniscule toy-dogs.

skirt, Target (mossimo & co.); t, random brand; boots, payless shoes; bag, secondhand ninewest