an impromptu trip to the beach would be ideal right now...

 secondhand Pull and Bear tissue-like striped button-up, forever21 sailor shorts (from seasons past), ninewest bag, Rubi gusset ankle boots via Zalora, aizilim rings, necklaces and wooden bangle/bracelet, Smashbox net choker 

Ideal weather out right for a beach trip...an unplanned one on a Saturday inspired this one. I'm currently itching to go, unfortunately the good ones, mostly the beach resorts are an hour and a half away towards Balingoan, way past Jasaan from the city proper here. It'll take a bus ride to make it there, tops. That is if one didn't drive around here...yeah, I don't. I'm a not so good driver, to be honest, and city driving scares me to bits.

It's probably not ideal to wear this pair of boots, comfortable for walking around as they have been proving to be, around the beach but likely, I would...still. I am that...weird, it seems. But when I do get tired of the ankle boots and stomping around resorts/the beach with it on...this is going to ensue:

 ankle boots switched out with Zalora men's sandals

It would be so me to switch out staple ankle boots with Birkenstock-like Zalora men's sandals...

This is what those sandals look like up close:

Obviously, it already has telltale signs of how abused it has been since that fateful pool day with the bff in Xavier Estates Club and Country House...

And they're proving to be the easiest to wear on the way to run errands out. This adds a bit of masculinity to shapeless t-dresses I own in multiples I also grab as frequently as I do this pair of san...err...mandals.

It's the UAAP Cheerdance Competition on TV today. Nationally televised, as per usual. I'm opting out of watching, however. I don't know either. I only ever watched tv yesterday for one South Korean reality tv program and I've been tuning TV stuff out the whole week in favor of other things to do. I don't usually watch a lot of TV anyway. 

And yes, finally got around to fiddling with the hair and braiding a small portion of it somehow. A nice change for the usual down and messy 'do.

heads up, 2014 coming through!

This week has been... Well, the whole month of December until this week has been all about de-cluttering and organizing tons of things namely, life. I figure I've made it a mission to do that every break I get and I had a pretty long one. To be quite honest, I'm still not sure when to get back in the grind which includes masters thesis and work mostly because I haven't been handed one by the boss who still seems to be on vacation mode and it's already the first week of January, not that I'm complaining, but I'm pretty sure this spell has to be broken sometime this month and the next. Life choices are cropping up and it's high time to grab onto them. Well, hullo 2014, now what's up with this year in general? Here are a few I have in mind:

• Well being (health and lifestyle)

I'm officially pescetarian. Hoorah! But I can't still lay off the dairy and the occasional white bread and rice. That has to be remedied somehow but the lack of nondairy substitute choices for regular milk and yogurt is discouraging in this side of the world. All we have in the grocery stores are soy milk (in different flavors) and dairy yogurt. It's the same where my mother gets her supply of yogurt---the local Ateneo's own farm, Manresa.  

• Everything else: Minimalization

Minimalism. That's exactly why I am de-cluttering in the first place. It's that time to get rid of books I hardly open since I have a small shelf in the bedroom. Or maybe it's time to get one room in this house to turn into a library? It's also that time to get rid of stuff in the closet and the shoe rack that are hardly used. I'm still contemplating what to do with the lot of them. Some are likely to be up for sale online sometime soon. 

Even if I've set up a more minimalist wardrobe, chucking away the more frivolous clothing I own, I won't exactly be following the minimalist lifestyle. It seems, upon my reading, a lot of people are calling bs over this lifestyle. To put simply, I'm going to go with the simple and the mostly frugal. 

As for the career part, I'm already thinking of handing in application papers for two schools though I haven't worked on them yet considering having freelance written for so long, I wouldn't have any idea what to put in a would-be university teacher's resume. Add the fact that I have yet to finish my masters thesis and haven't really contacted/met with my thesis adviser for that matter, well, that's one lot of mess to sort through. 

This sure is one narcissistic post and I deemed that old fashioned just recently on twitter but then again, this is my blog and therefore it's like my personal space, too for a few things.   

Now, let's do our best this year. :)

quasi-grandoise weekend

photos by me and Kristel Punu

Hightailed it to Cebu City last Friday when my mother texted they were going there for father's mid-year convention at the Radisson. One of the best weekends catching up with a foster brother/uncle at a Japanese restaurant and roaming around aimlessly at SM City Cebu a stone's throw away from the Radisson. 

Black and white is the usual uniform, yes.

day in, day out: polyvore sets

Day to Night by crysta17 featuring a leather shoulder bag

Mango dress, Givenchy sandals, Opi nailpolish, Marc by Marc Jacobs hobo bag, H&M faux leather jacket


The perfect pieces to wear for coffee or tea, small talk and random shop browsing on a sunny Saturday.

Untitled #24 by crysta17 featuring a bike backpack

Roberto Cavalli dress, Zara military coat, Ninewest backpack, Freepeople tights, Charlotte Russe beret, Aquazzura shoes, Norma Kamali sunglasses

Now, if I could just move to where climate gets a tad colder where jackets, coats and such are a must on some days...

A large part of the quiet Tuesday night, instead of being spent on thesis/research crafting, has been devoted entirely on creating these dreamy sets on Polyvore while the room mate is out on a dinner date and young'uns outside were excitedly talking plans (and, in my imagination, executing such plans) of their own version of the harlem shake---whatever that is, I've had enough of getting introduced to it by another friend through random images in the internet and just as quickly decided it's one of those things people are into that I'd rather much avoid despite the hype. Energy spent on the harlem shake and all things similar is useless energy spent, I'd like to think. As a friend so puts it eloquently on the internet---tumblr, twitter, I forget where---it's the most useless meme around. Am I, along with a few friends, a minority in thinking so?

staples

Note to self, new footwear needed. I'm still in the process of acquiring a few of them. At the moment, my Dumaguete/Silliman University wardrobe is pretty limited. 

tshirt hanes, skirt ebay, boots and bracelets/bangles forever21, bag vintage, 

a pop of orange

Blogger-life has just been made easier with blogger's ipad/mobile application I managed to grab for free today. My internet has been nada for two to three days now so pardon the scarce uploads recently.

This somewhat quilted leather skirt might be the best to come out with me from a thrift shop yet. I got it last week for less than a little more than a dollar---technically, 50 Php (currency in the locality)---and as they say...ka-ching! No one bothered getting this in the nearby thrift shop which makes me...well...lucky enough to find it. This is basically what happens when I try to limit my spending in thrift shops to just one item. I was only there to search for a decent knit jacket or hoodie for the unpredictable rainy days but I found this and couldn't just let this go. I totally did not mean to spend so much on clothes this week though 100 Php (nearly a couple of bucks) isn't much, or is it?

Monday is the anniversary of the EDSA revolution and the teacher for Drama/European Literature class won't be around on Wednesday therefore I have four days of catch-up reading for thesis to do and actual thesis-writing. Yep, it shall be a full week before hell-week next week. Time to get started.

tee, robinsons department store (blacksheep label); leather skirt, thrifted; bag, secondhand Aldo; boots, bracelets, necklace, forever21

super heroes, lazy days and crazy, fun nights

(photos by Kristel Ann Punu)

The only thing I've succeeded today in doing is watching the whole of Super Hero Taisen and arriving at the conclusion that the whole tokusatsu movie fiasco that brought all kamen/masked riders and sentai/power rangers together is all a front to the Kaitou Daiki x Kado Tsukasa romance. I'm kidding and highly exaggerating of course. Oh and anyone who is into tokusatsu from Japan, it's a kids' show normally, would know what I am jabbering about here. But really, the ending for the movie was all friendship between super sentai and kamen rider and all that sap. I ended up watching the film after having decided it was too late for me to go out to comply with a Sunday obligation/practice and do some poking around thrift shops afterwards. I slept in until at least past 8:30 in the morning, not that I'm not that conscious of the time.

Yesternight was Japanese cuisine night courtesy of the room mate (thank you!)...with coffee jelly ice cream or something like that. Then it was followed by Watsons-raiding for a few things we needed and a long walk from the only Robinsons Mall around to the Rizal Boulevard and eventually around the school complete with me in the Mags flatforms. High heels. Considering they were flatforms, I somehow survived the walk with one or two minor mishaps along the way. And then there was a moment of stargazing by the field in front of the library and walking along unknown terrain in heels. I think I accomplished a ton of balancing feats last night I'm officially thinking I'm too cool for doing so. I'm probably not anything but crazy for doing all that walking.

 Oh and equipment for last night's insanity. The clutch held everything important in it's wee size that I didn't bring anything else but that and the digital camera. It's a gift from my grandmother as is all the other things from that part of the family I own, namely most of my jewellery stash back home. I use the clutch when I'm too tired to lug around the bigger, spacier bags I normally like on most days of the week.

And I'm off to either read or contemplate my next move this seemingly bright Sunday...day. Apart from the planned snacking on some fruit pies from nearby fastfood joints since I'm undecided on what to feed my picky self with, the rest of the day's plans are currently non-existent.

vintage tee, What a Girl Wants shorts, sandals from Mags, gifted clutch and watch, random rings and necklace (not highly visible) 

of caving in

(forever21)

After a month or so of debating things...a month or so of no shopping whatsoever except for that shirt from Ateneo de Manila University I had my room mate get for me when she was in Manila late last month, I had to cave in. I'd been eying these for weeks now and needless to say, I caved in. I just had to. I justified getting this by reasoning with yours truly that the two bodycon skirts in black I direly needed from the same store needed company somehow. (I have a shortage of skirts of this kind, don't even ask. The ebay-ed one is getting lonely.) This would be perfect for walks out to beaches and stuff, I suppose sans the not-so-high heels. I needed a pair of thong sandals too but I decided to put off buying it for later. I'll probably just look around here for a substitute. The last gladiator flats I had for beaches was something I procured from the local SM department store brand, Parisian that later fell apart after a year of productive over-usage. I used it running around the university back home a lot. It's destruction was sad and yet inevitable.

Oh and because the following day---today, a pair of ankle cowboy-like boots I lusted over which was on sale (yes, on sale---I'm still moping over losing it) disappeared really quickly. 

There are a few other trivial things I have plans of obtaining from Forever21 in mind, namely a suede-like moto jacket or faux leather jacket (contemplating white and red/burgundy but I'll settle with black first), but I'll probably reserve that for another day. At least not until I get my daily uniform in of white shirts, denim shorts, really basic formfitting (bodycon)- and mini-skirts and everything boring and basic. This basically sums up my existence in this world.

In other news, I have no class today because teachers are in a meeting until around 5 or 8 p.m. tonight. I shall be working in on academic papers (research) as per usual. Yesterday's date with myself to the local staging of the Vagina Monologues and the launch of One Billion Rising was anything but eventful, I ended up dancing (even when I really am timid around that act and can only dance sparingly, not at all like someone so lose and limb-y and all) with the cast along with others in the Luce Auditorium towards the night's conclusion. Yep, fun~

boredom begets random posts part 1

(fashiongonerogue)

Something about the description, "The Girl with Green Eyes", although deceptively overused that I read on fashiongonerogue on this fresh face in the modelling world is just as intriguing as the shape of her eyes and her round-ish face. I hardly linger in the fresh face section of fashiongonerogue but when I saw this post on Sara, I just had to click on it and see how this French beauty is just that...typically French.

 (somewhere around google, I'm not sure where)

Flimsy, whimsical white mini-dress: check. Black gladiators: check. Minimal accessories and a pop of red in the form of a headband: check and check. Inspiration c/o Zoe Kravitz. I love her casual style the most but her style during the big events have their moments as well.

I'm going back to reading a ton of things in a few. It's bad enough to be cooped up in the room for a day, procrastinating around the interweb just because I don't feel like doing anything yet but at least I do get to go out later tonight. The Vagina Monologues is on at the Luce Theater. It's my first time watching it even when I have had a friend and colleague at a student publication who was cast in it back in undergraduate college on a local staging of it back home. So...should I be excited about the contemporary stage play? It's not really a requirement for class given I have Drama/European Literature this semester but I'd rather watch it than do nothing other than read for research, no?

I'll try to document something like an outfit to the event tonight. I don't think I can manage anything beyond casual, something that leans towards the semi-formal side of things. It's just...not me.

2 for 1

(photos by me, Kristel Ann Punu and Julius Canja)

If early yesterday afternoon was a disappointment having had missed the chance to grab a copy of Pasumbingay---an anthology of Sugbu-anon (Cebuano/Bisaya) balaks (literal meaning: poems)---at the Tabuan by the hotel by the Rizal Boulevard, Bethel, today was an early morning traipsing around with a dorm mate around the Freedom Park while the room mate participated in the 5-kilometer run organized by Red Cross, Dumaguete City chapter. Yesterday's failure to secure the copy of the much coveted book with poems in the local language was eclipsed by the fun that followed around the university and the only mall around later toward the Saturday evening. Hmn...this must sound so boring...but then again, I'm basically boring---my life is basically boring in it's utter normality and my self-imposed domesticity on most times of the week. At least it's not the usual dull weekend this time around.

I always found these pair of shorts from the local boutique, Mags, quite funny since acquiring it last year. It's basic, flowy and skirt-like. Does it seriously qualify as 'shorts'? I must've also lost a ton of weight because apparently, the vintage Chanel belt I thrifted years ago could now cinch shorts and stuff pretty well with just enough comfortable tightness around the waist. I never got around to wearing it out until today. Side-eye to someone who said I was too dressed up this early morning. What's wrong with dressing up on random parts of the day? Though I'll never probably be too dressed up on most days.

wearing: photo 1: straw fedora picked up in Vietnam, Target (xhilaration) romper, Nike sneakers, thrifted/vintage bag, most likely faux Rayban wayfarers; photo 2 onwards: secondhand baseball cap, thrifted/vintage backpack, belt and denim shirt, Mags shorts, Forever21 ankle boots, Forever21 stacked bangles, random bracelets   

thinking about...

(Topshop High Neck Lace Dress, F21 Southwestern Embroidered Dress)

....whimsical dresses in black, white and a lighter color like very light pink/blush for Valentine's Date sans being without a date---I could always use it for the Vagina Monologues we're watching that night---all the while listening to whimsical indie-pop music from Diana Vickers. 

I actually found the perfect Valentine's Day dress at a nearby store, I don't seem to have enough budget to get it---poor graduate student is poor. Might as well get it after that day to wear for next time. It's hard to get it off my head at the moment so hopefully it would still be available next week or something or it'd go on sale.

On the more fangirly side, I've been rereading the last few chapter of Ouran High School Host Club manga for the past few days. The chapter 69 onwards is quite mindblowing plus I do have a love-hate relationship with Tamaki Suoh and would do as the twins and Haruhi do---insult/tease him to the best I can. LOL. If I ever met someone like him, that is.

And with this being my favorite Diana Vickers chorus of a song...I leave you. Can you guess which it is? 

"Dancing in the dark with the boy I met in Paris

Sitting in the front row of my radio show

Underneath the stars, stole my heart with this rhythm

We were dancing in the dark, dancing in the dark..."

pop of colors

A li'l pop of orange and yellow to liven up the outfit of the night on a random night out in a cafe with dorm mates after dinner at a fastfood joint. Spices thing up a bit, eh? Needless to say, it was a fun night of intermittent reading, nonsensical and very random chatter and laughter until 10:30 came and we had to go home. I'm definitely back to crafting that thesis this early morning.

uniform

(Photos by Kristel Punu)

I've been living in ponytails, flats, shorts and everything plain pale pink and white these days and yes, it's been that lazy. I do occasionally break out the heels when I want to. I love them too much to miss out on them. I need to work double time on the dissertation or research paper this weekend so that has been pretty much life this past weeks. 

Sun shines very infrequently these days and days and nights are as cold as they are in the winter season in western countries. I live in the tropics therefore it makes me question what the heck is going on in my country. Global warming, I suppose.

Speaking of summer and beach trips, I'm thinking I'll need something like this and some irrational walking and biking ankle boots complete with heels to traipse around small islands with akin to this in black from Forever21. The first would be my first comfy (or is it? It's a theory that needs testing) drabby slash clean and simple beach foot wear to date---note that I don't own any of the typical Havaianas that most people have in this side of the world---and the classic black pair of ankle boots would be my nth pair somehow. I'm eying the ones I found in Primadonna. Oh and they just opened a branch in Robinsons Dumaguete so yay! Other than that, I think Tribu is a brand of beach footwear I'd wear to death...sort of like how Birkenstocks seem to be staple for the Olsen twins and my favorite fashionblogger. Definitely staple footwear for when I'm with family and/or friends in random beaches, islands and resorts once its comfort and style flexibility has been proven true.

Off to grab an apple or two and then to the library. Yep, the life of a bumbling literature graduate student. It's stressing me out, to be honest.
 

PS I'm too lazy to tag whatever the heck I'm wearing. Feel free to do whatever if your curious. Formspring, tweet, e-mail, whichever works.

Hello 2013, bye bye 2012

Late happy new year greetings!

 (my photos)

After a failed attempt at infiltrating Sinulog 2013 with friends slash dorm mates owing to a lot of budget hotels nearby hot spots being fully booked, I'm currently looking forward to a ton of this in the coming summer, aren't you, too? Excuse me while I go dreaming of bicycling around the small island of Bantayan by Cebu and being the normal comfy beach bum that I aim to be...sort of. I miss beach trips and stuff.

三浦大知

Can't wait for this to drop come December 12. 

Along with this

 But I'll have to wait until January to get this. =.=U

 

20 things

Left to right: leopard hat with ears, fake leather skirt, quilted leather skirt, leather high heel ankle boot, basic high socks, Da-iCE keychain, bella moon headpiece, velveteen skater dress, pintucked mini bodycon skirt, scalloped mini skirt, human heart nature cleansing oil, Krave liquid foundation in casatta (or any light-medium shade), Miura Daichi - DM + DVD, Miura Daichi Live 2012 "D.M." in Budokan, Miura Daichi - Right Now/Voice with extime tour digest, interlock bra, stretch floral lace bra, abstract lace bralette, Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal Cat Eye mascara, Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Waterproof mascara

I'm most likely not shopping for christmas gifts this year and am going to diy fun ones instead. I already have a few things in mind. I'm definitely taking a page from my favorite fashion blogger who says that accessories are the classic Christmas gifts, one size fits all. 
Hnn...let's see how many of these I can try to tick off the list since I've decided to try for a part time job. Something I've been doing for years but recently quit to focus on studies. I am going to regret this since I have literary research this sem and the next. I don't want to get overworked since I find it difficult to focus on one thing most of the time. But we'll see if this thing does burn me out after awhile like last time.

09/26-09/30

 

(my photos)

This week was one for walking along the boulevard, trying to capture the waves in photos as they hit the wall prompting passersby to stay away from the ledge. Moon-, star-, sky-gazing was also in the nightly agenda with the penumbral eclipse that occured not so long ago. The night before yesternight, I suppose? And of course, decking myself in blue and black and rediscovering my love for this pair of denim shorts I can apparently shorten and of course, the Primadonna pointy toe heels I fell in love with back home. Note that I rarely ware pumps and am considering getting a few for the wardrobe. Uhmn...but I'd really rather stick to ankle boots. 

Yesternight was supposed to be devotion at the dorm but it didn't come through *insert sigh of relief here*. I always am disturbed by those however wonderful spiritual (and perhaps emotional)respite might be as they offer it. I already feel like a hypocrite enough when I go to church on some Sundays. (This is me being truthful here which is a very rare occurrence.) I know Da-iCE made me happy when three of them: Yudai, Toru and Hayate had that ustream session with AAA's Urata Naoya as guest, though. Yesternight was fun. 

Today, it's listening to Miura Daichi, staying in and reading Modern Feminist Thought by Imelda Whelehan for literary research and trying to finish it so I could read the other book and figure out exactly what my research on Saiormoon and other such manga of the same vein and some classic literature form would be. I know, very pop culture. And it's a long weekend. So kudos.

(random button up shirt from a nearby boutique, thrifted shorts, primadonna pointy heel pumps)

devoid of accessories

Things can get really bland when I decide to tone down on accessories. And when I say tone down, I mean not wear anything at all aside from the watch which is a constant and the thrifted belt I've abused so much since acquiring it years ago. If there's anything I'd like to be good at when it comes to styling, it should be completing the looks with random accessories. Too bad my stash hasn't been updated since forever ago.

There has got to be a rule about wearing everything vintage or everything designer or new but it's one I'm bound to break that every now and again. My reason being most of the things I own are vintage somehow.

I'm alone in walking around Centrio today it seems. Sad, I know. I should see it before I go back to Dumaguete tonight. I'm also going to look for somewhere to sit in and read as well. Malls aren't normally my thing unless I'm there to just hang out with pals or check on What a Girl Wants and a few other shops I'm pretty much fond of.

Vintage/secondhand everything; bag, Ninewest

tights

Tights and over the knee socks, and a great variety of them: yay or nay? This one came to me after my mother affirmed we resided in a place where it's colder than the rest of the Philippines. I'm not talking about Baguio. Let's just say, it's one of the coldest around the island of Mindanao. I'm a strong proponent of the denim shorts + tights and have a decent few from SM department store and elsewhere else in my closet whose stash somehow needs to be updated. This will be my next F21 haul, I suppose. Most of the time, it's really hot in my locality so I'll see about wearing them at the right time like these days when rain clouds loom over the city most days of the week.

Crime increasing everywhere in the Philippines. It's not good news but have you seen what TV Patrol reports about recently? Utterly disappointing. I continue to ponder over question why such people with no remorse over what they do to harm others exist. I'll never get an answer, I suppose.

catch up post

Going back to this in a few days.

About the only place I visited when I was passing through Cebu City a week ago to board a flight home. I still find this place beautiful among other things in the city.

 First day Ayala Centrio opens and it's chaotic. JM and I ended up hanging out in Chowking, Gaisano Mall right across it then I decided to roam around, get lost in Lim Ketkai Mall for the nth time. I never tire of the place.

 Something I've been meaning to finish and write a report on for school. I already finished the other one so this is the only one pending at the moment. About to devour it today and tomorrow before the trip back to Dumaguete on Wednesday.

Some of the few things on the plate today. Never got around documenting daily outfits because I normally stay home and don't get to hang out much when I'm at home. Domesticated, homebody, boring person, I know. I missed out on a best friend's birthday party Sunday last week due to a couple days of trying to recover from RCT (root canal treatment) which I most positively abhor and plan to never undergo again. Health purposes in mind and all. I just don't think it's a safe dental procedure but really, not all medical and dental procedures are a hundred percent safe. Had an early start this Monday morning which is pretty rare but worthy enough to lounge around in this. Oh, how. I. Wish. I'll look for something similar locally made some time.

All photos taken by me by phone. :) That's erm...a rarity as well.

Definitely a better post than last time's. Pretty sure I'm not sorry about the most recent post. Ha.