gray on gray on a gray day

Maybe it’s because 50 Shades of Grey came out recently, but I remembered I had these photos from a very gray outfit I wore not so recently. A gray chunky knit sweater worn with a gray midi skirt on a gray foggy day in the mountains of Tagaytay. And yes, call me delinquent, but that outfit was from 2 months ago when we rang in the new year. Eep!

I have neglected this blog for 5 long months, but it was quite the monumental task having to pack up 7 years of my life in New York to move back to my hometown, Manila. I still haven’t completely unpacked yet. 4 more boxes are still waiting to be emptied (as soon as I clear enough space in my sister’s overflowing closet to actually place my clothes in.)

In two weeks, I will have been back in the Philippines for 4 months. Boy, did that time fly by. I haven’t had any time to really sit down and think about how I really feel being back. Tonight is one of those rare nights to myself, and I thought I’d write something here, even if it’s just to post an outfit… As if somehow that would help me find pieces of me I feel like I’d maybe left behind. And really it’s just to write, just write in general, because I haven’t had to at all. And I miss it. Just rambling on and on about nothing in particular. Even that feels good.

But before I get all emotional, let’s just get on with this outfit, because I really enjoyed wearing it in the cool mountain air. CJ, my sister’s fiance, said I reminded him of Maria from The Sound of Music that day haha! Not exactly what I was going for, but hey, we were in the mountains after all, just not exactly the Alps!

H&M gray sweater, Zara gray perforated midi skirt, Zara black and silver heels, Givenchy black mini Pandora

Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio

I received my Panerai that night and the dotted pattern on the dial went so well with my skirt’s perforations so I had to wear them together. I was so excited to put it on! And that numeral 6 is adorable with its quirky curves!

 

bien fait

Here’s an outfit I wore last weekend on a lazy Sunday. I just had lunch with some good friends at Otto, walked around the city, grabbed an iced latte at Birch Coffee (my new neighborhood coffee shop), sat in Madison Square Park chatting with Carla before heading home and plopping myself in front of my computer and watching some TV shows. I am feeling still equally lazy at this moment (on vacation in Carmel-by-the-sea, California right now!) so I won’t say a lot more haha! Hopefully I can post some vacation photos soon too!

Madewell Bien Pima cotton tee, Madewell black midi skirt, H&M cream canvas lug sole boots

I am a sucker for shadow type, so this Bien shirt from Madewell was right up my alley! The additional 30% off sale last weekend made this shirt an easy purchase at $17, woot!

These lug sole boots from H&M are surprisingly comfy despite the height! Yey for platforms!

denim shirt + leopard skirt

These days, I’m making a conscious effort to wear things that are more colorful or  interesting than my default white-shirt-and-jeans-combo.  I’ve gotten somewhat lazy with my workday dressing lately. Neutrals, neutrals and more neutrals seemed to be the only things I grabbed from my closet for a while. So, when I had the sudden will power to mix things up this week, even my boss remarked, “You’re dressing brightly these days.” Haha, mission accomplished then!

Yesterday, as part of my efforts not to succumb to the temptation of white, black and gray, I unearthed the leopard skirt I haven’t worn in probably a year and paired it with my comfy blue denim shirt. I must say, I quite enjoyed my slightly femme fatale outfit! Plus, those Charles Jourdan Honor pumps always put a smile on my face. A good pair of shoes can really change your mood!

Zara denim shirt, Topshop leopard skirt, Jewelmint necklace, Fendi 2Jours bag, Glam Rock black and gold watch, Charles Jourdan Honor pumps

I will never get tired of this bag. I must say, it’s probably my best bag purchase ever! And it constantly gets compliments too, always a plus! Positive reinforcement that the money has been well spent haha!

This Jewelmint necklace added just a little bit of rawr to the outfit (as if the leopard skirt wasn’t enough!)

tennis stripes

It’s officially the end of summer! I don’t really understand how time could have flown by that quickly! Now that I’ve officially announced at work that I will be going back home to the Philippines at the end of October, the end of summer signals something more somber to me than the usually exciting beginning of autumn. It’s now a countdown for my last 2 months in New York and I have to admit that it scares me. After 7 years of living in the Big Apple, taking in all that it has to offer, breathing in its vitality, walking its streets and living the dream, it’s time to pinch myself and wake up to the real world that’s waiting for me. I don’t want to get all sappy here, let’s just say I will miss this concrete jungle terribly!

So because I’ve slowly been working on my bucket list, I jumped on the chance to watch the US Open this Labor Day weekend! I’ve gone a couple of times over the years but thought one last time would be nice to seal the deal. I had gone shopping on Sunday and found this dress at Bloomingdale’s on sale for only $26! That’s a bargain I could not refuse. I mean, just look at that dress, it’s darling! So, I swooped it off the sale rack and bought it, without thinking specifically about when I was to wear it. With the red, white and blue stripes plus the tennis dress silhouette though, I later realized that it was a perfect match for the US Open!

Aqua striped dress, Superga mule sneakers, Folli Follie white ceramic watch

I thought I would pose with my tennis racket seeing as I was all in theme already anyway! I haven’t played in two months though, so I really should get my butt back on the court soon! It’s the only real exercise I get here in the city. I’m not much of a gym person, sports are the only things that really excite me enough to sweat and suffer through haha!

I haven’t had mule sneakers like these since 2003! I used to have a pair of Diesel mule sneakers that I wore to death. By the end of their life, my mom had to beg me to throw them away haha, but I wouldn’t because I loved them so much. Now I have a new pair to wear down!

 

sharing the love (part 1)

I’ve had this blog for quite some time now, and in its earliest incarnation on Blogger, it was just a place for me to talk about what happened in my day. It was basically a repository of all the ramblings of my teenage self. Years after I’d left it dormant, I resurrected it into what it is today. I wish I blogged more often, but it’s still gratifying to know that somewhere out there, people are actually chancing upon my blog and enjoying reading it. And even though I started this mostly for myself, it’s great to feel like part of a community.

And today, I’ve received some love from a few cool girls who nominated me for a Liebster Award! The award is designed to help bloggers gain recognition and support from other bloggers, whether they be newbies or veterans. I want to thank Emily of No Repeats or Hesitations and Anna of All Chanel Girls for nominating me!

The Rules

♥︎  You have to link back to the person that nominated you.
♥︎  You must answer all 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
♥︎  After completing these questions you must nominate 11 bloggers with under 200 followers and give them 11 questions of your choice.
♥︎  You must not nominate the person who nominated you.
♥︎  You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it.

Since I received the nomination from two people, I have 2 sets of 11 questions to answer! So, I’ve decided to combine them all on this one post. This is actually quite fun and reminds me of my younger years when we used to pass notebooks around with questions in them that we had to answer. It could be anything as silly as “What’s your favorite color Skittle?” or something as serious as “What would you like to be when you grow up?” Sometimes asking yourself those random questions makes you more aware of yourself. Anyway, let’s get right on to the answers!

My Answers

Who are your role models/icons?
I know this sounds really cheesy, but I would have to say my parents. To me, they are the perfect models of kindness, humility, hard work, and love. They now have 31 years of marriage under their belt but are still prone to making googly eyes with each other. They put a lot of younger, newer couples to shame! *laughs* Each successful at what they do, they always remind me to do my very best, keep curious and to never stop learning.

What is your star sign/do you fit under the typical description of your star sign?
I’m a Sagittarius and we are supposed to be the passionate free spirits of the zodiac signs. Always thirsty for knowledge and adventure, we tend to love traveling and new experiences. And while we are generally gregarious and extroverted, we may also have the tendency to be impatient. I would have to say I pretty much fit the bill. Although I would never have thought myself an extrovert in my younger years, I’ve found more and more that I really do enjoy going out and being in good company (but I still enjoy and love my alone time  too!)

Where would you love to travel to in the next 10 years?
The next 10 years? That is a lot of time, I would probably list too many places down, but here are the ones that are definitely on the radar! Bali, Indonesia (which will be stricken off the list when my good friend Yessa gets married there in September 2015!) Machu Picchu. I mean, who doesn’t want to go there? And… Seoul, South Korea, because I’ve been watching too many Korean dramas and have to visit what seems to be the land of infinite cute coffee shops!

Who are your favorite designers?
This could be a trick question because when I hear the word “designers”, I think not only of fashion designers but of designers in different creative fields. If I had a favorite graphic design studio, it might have to be Anagrama from Mexico. A favorite fashion designer would probably be Alexander Wang.

Stripes or plaid?
I would have to go with plaids! There are so many more variations of plaid patterns so it never gets old.

What do you never leave the house without?
My keys, wallet and my iPhone.

What is your favorite part about blogging?
Being able to express myself and reading other people’s blogs and getting to know them little by little through each entry.

If you could swap lives with someone, who would it be and why?
I think I would like to swap lives with President Obama, but only for a day! I just want to feel how it is to have the responsibility for the whole country and partially the world on your shoulders! I say only for a day because I don’t want to screw anything up, I am far from being qualified, of course! *laughs*

What are your favorite magazines/newspapers?
I really like the layout of Harper’s Bazaar and InStyle UK. I love buying Monocle magazines too, but it takes me forever to get through all that material! Well worth the money though, it’s a great way to become more of a global citizen.

Which Instagram accounts are you obsessed with?
Most recently I’ve been loving the posts from @aguynamedpatrick.  He’s always going off someplace cool, all over America too.

What is your favorite type of accessory?
Necklaces. They’re the easiest to change and can spice up even a plain white tee easily. But… if shoes are considered accessories then shoes take first place!

Favourite models?
Recently I’ve been liking Liu Wen! She can go from being very sexy and elegant to tomboyish and casual.

If you could only wear one type of footwear for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oxfords.

If you could pick one designer to design your wedding dress, who would it be?
Maybe Jason Wu! His silhouettes and details are always interesting.

Instagram or Facebook?
Instagram by far. It’s the first thing I check in the morning before I even roll out of bed.

Favourite fashion photographer?
Is it embarrassing to say I don’t have one because I don’t know enough about them? I do love the photography on Hermes’ advertising though. And a little research says Nathaniel Goldberg and Eric Valli are responsible for a few of the campaigns that I liked. Nathaniel Goldberg has done perhaps the last 4 campaigns for Hermes and regularly does work for magazines. On the other hand, Eric Valli apparently has a couple of Oscars under his belt, and is a photographer for National Geographic! Very cool!

Your perfect weekend outfit?
A relaxed striped tee, skinny jeans and Superga sneakers. Just chill and no frills.

If you weren’t blogging, what would you be doing?
Watching shows on Hulu and Netflix, designing, or reading books/magazines, dreaming up a DIY project

Lipstick or lipgloss?
Lipstick.

Favourite fashion week?
Since I’m currently in New York, I’ll be biased and say New York!

Describe your style in one word.
Ever-changing.

My Nominees

And here are the people I’d like to nominate! These were some blogs I enjoyed when I was browsing for nominees. It’s always fun to find new people to follow. I know some of these people might already have more than 200 followers, but it won’t hurt to add more! Time to share the love!

1. Love, Kathleen
2. Red Velvet London
3. Little Bennet
4. The Pace Blog
5. Look at the World Around You
6. Twenty-something Simple
7. The Intrepid Blondist
8. Neutral Insider
9. My Online Wardrobe
10. Molly Lodge
11. Vogavoe

My Questions

1. What are the 3 places you’d like to visit next?
2.  Which Instagram accounts are you obsessed with?
3. If you could wear one type of footwear for the rest of your life, what would it be?
4. What wouldn’t you want to be caught dead wearing?
5. What is your favorite city in the world and why?
6. What’s the last book you read and what did you like about it?
7. What’s your perfect weekend outfit?
8. If you could buy any watch in the world, what would it be?
9. What did you want to be when you were younger and what do you do now? Do they match?
10. What’s your favorite kind of flower?
11. What’s your most favorite item of clothing in your closet? It could be an accessory too!

I’m looking forward to reading your answers as well!

laidback chic

Yesterday I went around TriBeCa so that I could finally visit some stores that I’ve been meaning to check out. Shinola and Schoolhouse Electric both have flagship stores there and I just generally haven’t been to that area as much as everywhere else in Manhattan. It was a pleasant walk and both stores were just gorgeous! Everyone should pay them a visit, even if it’s just to admire the store and the wares. Click on the link to my Instagram on the right to see some snaps from yesterday’s adventure.

So anyway, here is what I wore. A black crop top paired with a tan button skirt that was equal parts ladylike and laidback cool. It was a good outfit to wear in yesterday’s slightly muggy weather. It did not help that it rained, but I had holed myself up with an iced latte and a peanut butter cookie at The Smile cafe inside the Shinola store and just waited it out. Thanks to my trusty Dark Sky app for letting me plan that ahead, otherwise I would have gotten drenched. I did not think to carry an umbrella around with me when it was sunny and hot when I first stepped out of the apartment.

revisiting the 90’s

I said I would stop with the shoe shopping, but it seems old habits are hard to break! Recently I’ve realized that I’ve been revisiting all these different classics from the 90’s. They’ve all been updated somewhat and they were definitely worn differently when I was growing up (Hello, Birks with socks!), but the nostalgia remains. And for most of these, actually, for all three of the shoe trends I’ve now adopted, it’s my first time to jump on the bandwagon. All my friends had Doc Martens, Birks and jelly shoes growing up. I somehow managed to go through the 90’s uninitiated. Fast forward 20 years and I finally have these in my closet!

Dr Martens

I scoured the web for these silver and white leather brogues. Part of the Made in England collection, they were extremely hard to hunt down! I’m glad I got lucky with a pair in my size on ebay. They’re boyish and chunky but cool and refined at the same time!

Photo taken while walking the streets of SoHo

 

Birkenstocks

A few entries back I contemplated getting a pair of Birkenstocks or Birkenstocks-inspired sandals but somehow always hesitated on pulling the trigger. When I glanced upon these at a Madewell store near work I knew these were the ones I had been waiting for. The navy blue pebbled leather and the white sole made them just that bit more unique. You can still buy these Birkenstocks x Madewell Arizona sandals here for $120.

Photo taken at JFK Terminal 4 on the way to Manila for a quick vacation

Jelly Shoes

In their first iteration in the 90’s, I absolutely hated jelly shoes. I couldn’t understand why people wanted them on their feet. But now that Melissa has teamed up with Jason Wu to create these Magda fisherman sandals, I finally understood. That Melissa shoes always have that bubblegum smell to their rubber is an added bonus.

Photo taken this afternoon after a day walking around the East Village

macaron trinket box

I found this at Paper Presentation (one of my favorite stores ever! I geek out over all the paper, envelopes, art supplies, boxes, etc) last weekend and can’t get over how cute it is! Macaron trinket boxes, why hasn’t anyone thought of these before? Coming in an array of pastel colors, these are the sweetest ways you can gift jewelry to a friend. I just had to share this fab find. My pink macaron now houses this adorable gold scooter vintage charm necklace that my mom got me last year.

While I got mine for $8.50 at Paper Presentation, if you don’t want to head on over to W19th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue, you can just order it online from Urban Outfitters. I just randomly did a Google search and found they sell them online for $10! Click here if you want to buy a few. (And I say “a few” because just look how cute they all sit in a box. All the pretty colors! I am very tempted to buy a few more so I can display them together like this.)

And, for those people who like me are quite confused by the Macaron vs. the Macaroon, here’s a link that I found useful! So, technically, the display box that houses those macarons on top are labeled wrong, oopsie!

 

striped shorts

It was a glorious sunny day today so I thought I would wear my new scalloped striped shorts from Club Monaco. Super cute and super comfy, these shorts are both casual and sophisticated. I don’t really have anything planned today, save for a birthday dinner for our friend, Francis, so I spent most of the day catching up on the latest season of Game of Thrones with my brother. I wish I could have done something more productive, but I guess this blog post will have to do! And I haven’t posted anything in a month because my mom and sister were here to visit and of course family time comes first! But this is definitely progress!

H&M black top, Club Monaco Amber striped shorts, Swatch gold watch, Prada tan tote bag, Madewell necklace

I also have this sunglasses pouch from H&M that I got for $3 a few months ago that I love! Such a fun way to bring my shades around.

These Coach sandals have been with me for the last 5 years. I unfortunately wore them out when it was raining once and the leather sole has curved up a little bit, but they are still lovely! The petals on the front echo the scallops on my shorts quite well.

tribal print jacket and avarcas

I love this bracelet that I got from H&M last weekend. It was a perfect companion to my jacket and that giant black tassel hanging out is so much fun!

Forever 21 tribal print jacket, Theory navy pocket sleeveless tank, Club Monaco denim shorts, white RIA avarcas, H&M tassel bracelet

Avarcas started coming up on blogs last summer (which is when I snagged these when we were in Mallorca, Spain!) Interestingly, these leather sandals are actually traditionally made in the neighboring island, Menorca. So, I actually got pretty close to the birthplace of these beauties. Here are some places where you can get your hands on your own pair! (They come in an amazing array of colors so it’s pretty easy to be tempted to get more than one.) There are PONS avarcas (about $77) which are handmade in Spain and are very much tied to the roots and tradition of the sandals, but there are also Jeffrey Campbell ones sold on Urban Outfitters that go for $50.