Girl's Bestfriend(s)

Diamonds are girls' best friend.

But PEARLS and DIAMONDS are their ultimate BFFs.

Don't you agree?

My mother received an exclusive invitation from Citibank to Metro Jewelry's Pearls and Diamonds collection. While we don't often agree on some other things, my mama and I surely nod our heads together when it comes to jewelry. We freed our schedule on November 24, 2011 to attend this exclusive preview.

There was a mini fashion show where the models donned some of the exquisite pieces from the collection.

Also at this event, the face of Metro Jewelry was revealed in the person of Cebu's very own Murrielle Adrienne Orais, Ms. Philippines Water 2011.

The highlight of the event was the mini talk of renowned celebrity stylist Liz Uy, where she also entertained questions from the crowd on fashion and jewelry.

The style icon-- Liz Uy.

For me and mama, the highlight of the event was this...

South Sea Pearl in champagne.

HAPPINESS!

Metro Jewelry's Pearls and Diamonds Fair runs from Nov. 27 to Dec. 18 in all Metro Cebu stores. So girls, what are you waiting for, you still have THREE days more to go. Don't forget to bring your Citibank card to avail of their great lay-away plans.

Meet my nephew, Skyler Keith

aka as "the bouncing boy" according to

his Ate Nina Marie.

Carolers

These kids came by the office and played christmas carols. 

It's 11 days before Christmas!

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Cebu Chamber Singers

Last October, the Cebu Chamber Singers regaled us with beautiful music in a world-class performance. Singing is one talent I wish I had, but that didn't hinder me from appreciating music, even the classical ones. Having been introduced to classical music at the age of three, I have grown to love this genre and all other genre not belonging to contemporary music. Imagine my excitement and delight when we got invited to listen to the Cebu Chamber Singers.

"The Cebu Chamber Singers (CCS) is a dynamic local group composed of music enthusiasts from different parish, school and community choirs. Its members therefore have experience in choral music. As chamber singers, the choir aims to make Cebu known for its choral music.

CCS was founded on July 10, 2006 by Mr. Dennis Gregory A. Sugarol, a multi-awarded musician who has extensively performed and conducted choral groups here and abroad. Its co-founder, Mr. Rey Roa, is a US-based musician is also known for the choral groups he trained and conducted while in Cebu.

Immediately after its organization, the choir underwent workshops to hone their basic skills in vocalization, breathing techniques, phrasing, and music dynamics, among other things. The initial activities were so encouraging that, energized by the workshops; the group eagerly scheduled regular rehearsals twice a week.

The 35-member group of professionals and students (doctors, lawyers, teachers, et al) sings regularly at the Pedro Calungsod Shrine, Cebu City. It is committed to promote religious, folk, and popular music to the community."

{Source}

I was able to capture on video only two songs from their repertoire. I am posting the first one as the second is still being uploaded.

Just recently, the Cebu Chamber Singers bagged the top prize in Busan International Choral Festival held in Korea. Said singing competition was participated in by 900 singers, coming from different parts of the world. Kudos to the CCS team! You made Cebu proud again. 

By the way, here's what I wore to the concert:

OUTFIT: Impulse

Who is guilty of impulse buying?

ME!

Not a very good habit, I must say (though, it's really not that bad. Teehee).

I am not the type who will go around all stores, comparing notes or prices at that,

then go back to the store where you initially fell in love with an item.

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.

BUY AT FIRST LOVE.

That's my motto. LOL.

Yes, I guess I can say I am an impulsive buyer.

I buy stuffs that I find cute, even if I have no decent use for it.

Like this dress, for example.

It has been with me for three years ago and I used it only now.

I bought it because of its sexy back (even if my back is far from sexy!)

But I will challenge myself from now on.

I will be more prudent on my purchases.

Can I do it? 

Haha.

Major Girl Crush

Monki Television

One of the things I love about blogging is the inspiration  I get from other bloggers across the world. Blogging is a unique avenue to share ideas and information about anything under the sun. I am most attracted to fashion, lifestyle and travel blogs. 

Among the top international fashion bloggers, I am seriously having a girl crush on Andy Torres of Style Scrapbook. Why? She doesn't try to hard to be fashionable. I personally love her style, simple yet practical. And she dresses her age. She openly admits that on ordinary days, she prefers not to wear make-up.

Do check out this episode on Monki Television where she showed a part of her walk-in closet. 

OUTFIT: Amaya

Simone dress || SEPA earrings || Boracay market necklace and woven floppy hat

My good friend, Francis, aptly called my necklace Amaya. Yes, the teleserye (TV series) in GMA. I haven't seen the show, but I have a pretty good idea on what the plot is all about. Thanks to a special reenactment. Lol.

This, by the way, is my very first maxi dress. I consciously stayed away from maxis as I felt it was quite a risky outfit considering my height. What drove me to buy this was the colors. Simply irresistible! I also loved the way the dress flows. The beach just made the whole get up perfect.

Supersale Bazaar

I was at the right place and at the right time. It seems that the stars have aligned. Teehee.

I shall stop at the word SALE. No further explanations needed.

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OUTFIT: Electric (blue) Dreams

Familiar with that 80's music?

Well, it has nothing to do with my post. Haha.

But with the color electric blue.

It is no secret that I am biased to the color blue.

I'm a true BLUE lover.

I remember when I was in high school, I painted my room blue.

(Yes, I did most of the painting myself)

When the paint started to peel off years later,

a repainting was in order as we were doing major renovations in

the house. 

I wanted to veer away from blue and befriend the other colors

as well. After trips to the hardware store and looking (and comparing)

numerous color palettes, I finally ended up with---

BLUE!!!

How predictable right? Haha.

While choosing a paint color proved to be no-brainer for me,

selecting and creating an ensemble around my electric blue leggings

was surprisingly difficult. I bought the leggings precisely because of the

color. Little did I know that it will stay for months in my closet.

I didn't like the fit because it was not flattering in the hips area.

But,

thanks to the numerous fashion blogs, I finally found the inspiration and

courage to work on an outfit with my electric blue leggings.

My inspiration?

Chiara of The Blonde Salad.

via

So here's how I pulled it off:

Top: C2 || Leggings: SM Dept || Necklace: SEPA

Summer in October

We are nearing christmas where the nights are longer than days. It should be cold or a bit chilly at night. Surprisingly however, it's really hot. I'm in Boracay now and it's quite humid. What amazes me the more is the volume of people here. The place is overflowing with (partey partey) people! I'm not in my best "Bora body" but KEVS! (slang for "who cares?") LOL. PARTEY PARTEY!!!

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OUTFIT: Fiery Red

When I don't have scheduled hearings, I forego the all-out corporate attire.

I don't feel most comfortable covered in a suit or blazer.

You will see me either in printed skirts or in a dress like this.

Is that a baby bump?

I WISH. 

Haha.

But it's just fats. Lol.

OUTFIT: No Other Woman

Have you seen the movie already? If not, then you should. Trust me, it's worth every penny. I don't normally watch Tagalog films in the movie house (don't be too quick to judge). With the jacked-up price of the cinemas nowadays, I carefully select the films that I should watch on its showing date from the films that can be shown either on HBO or Cinemax. If it doesn't fall on either category, well there's always the Internet for downloads or streaming.

Going back to No Other Woman, when we got to the movie house, I was surprised to see people lining up. The movie is really a hit! Because of the volume of people, we were seated to the farthest end of the row. I had to pass by several moviegoers before landing on my seat. Unfortunately for them, I wore my sky-high booties and I did feel a couple of toes being stepped on. Pasensya na, wa tuyua. ;-p Got distracted with Anne Curtis' opening salvo in a skimpy swimwear. Haha.

I know a lot have seen this trailer, but I'm just going to share it anyway:

Libera in Concert

Christmas is just around the corner.

Can you feel it already? No?

Can you hear it?

If you're answer is still no then you better read on.

Libera will be serenading the Cebuanos this October 28, 2011 with new

songs from their Christmas album.

And zerothreetwo will be giving aways tickets to the concert!

What a great way to start the Christmas season, right?

For more details, click HERE.  



Three's A Crowd

Not in it's figurative sense.

I am talking about the three pairs of shoes I got recently.

I had to relocate some shoes for these pairs to fit into my small and crowded shoe rack. 

Lolo (thrifted)

My second thrifted shoes. When I saw this on the rack, I instantly fell in love with the cut-out detail and the color. It's hard to resist things in blue. Hehe. Everything about this pair is cute save for the comfort. My gawd, these aren't the most comfortable shoes ever. As they say, regrets almost always come in late. 

How to combat feet sores and prevent corns & calluses? The secret my friends is just your ordinary petroleum jelly! But please do not use the same petroleum jelly for your lips ha. Go get a separate bottle for your feet. Apply a thin layer of the jelly on the area of the shoes where it hurts the most. Then you can now walk on happier feet!

Charles & Keith

By the looks of this pair, first impression comes to mind: killer shoes! But, as in a very big BUT, this booties are surprisingly comfortable. Yes, believe it or not, I don't lose my balance with these. I can even jump, skip, bounce, and do a little walkathon. I won't dare run with these though, not for fear of falling flat on my face, but for breaking the heels. Lol.

Shoenet (Hongkong)

I am not a fan of flats, for two reasons: first, I stumble more when I'm in flats than in heels. Weird, huh? Second, I don't think I look good in it (I won't elaborate to avoid incriminating my self). But this pair may just be the exception. It is quite comfortable. And I love that I have it in black, very versatile--can be paired with almost anything. This is perfect for running on errands or simply giving your tired feet a needed rest.

MALA's 3rd

October 8, 2011. MALAnniversary-- MALA's 3rd.

Every year after that fateful day of our vehicular accident three years ago, we have an obligatory (and compulsory) celebration that we aptly call as our MALAnniversary. We take it upon this day to meet, dine out and (sing &) dance the night away.

This year, we chose to eat at Cul-de-Sac at the end of Maya St., Sto. Nino Village. It's a cute little resto, filled with Portuguese-inspired ceramics. Probably a total of 15 persons can be accommodated inside while less than 10 can be seated outside overlooking the garden. It's a perfect place for a private party of some sorts. I love the feel of privacy and exclusivity. However, I cannot speak for the others dining with us that night, as we obviously dominated the place and were at times oblivious to the presence of other people. It proved to be difficult for us to tone down our combined voices in disturbing decibels. Haha.      

What I LIKE about the place...

• Cozy ambiance. Detailed set-up. Basically, the feel of exclusivity.
• Meals are reasonably priced. A meal already includes soup, the main dish of your choice and a scoop of ice cream.
• Delish food. I ordered Lengua (ox tongue), one of my favorite dishes. This is quite a risky order because if the quality of the ox tongue is not good, it feels like eating rubber and it would take you forever to chew it.  But I was not disappointed with their lengua. I was able to cut through the meat easily.
• Wi-fi. Yes, the place is equipped with wifi--a perfect killing-the-time activity while waiting for the food. 

How I WISH...

• they can let the customers chose the flavor of the ice cream. We were told that the flavor of their ice cream is "per" day, meaning every day, they change the flavor of their ice cream. That night, we were served with ube. Not that I don't like ube, but I would have loved it if it were chocolate ice cream. The more frustrating part was when some of our friends who came in late, they were served with chocolate ice cream! Now, that's not fair. Hehe. Anyway, the waiters explained that they have to finish serving one ice cream flavor before opening another one (or that was how I interpreted it). 

Happy MALAnniversary my "scandalous" friends. LOL.

We then headed to Veranda (at the Maria Luisa Road), but when we got there, almost all tables were reserved to a certain person. It seemed like the place was up for a private party, so we just decided to go to the ever reliable Formo for some good ol' 80s music. 

I rarely drink for one tiny bottle will summon a gazillion rashes or red spots on my face, neck and chest. Plus, after I had Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or more popularly known as acid reflux disease, taking in alcohol is a big no-no. Caffeine and carbonated drinks also trigger the GERD, but how can one successfully stay away from coffee, eh?

Believe me when I say that there ARE (very) interesting people in Formo. In between our dancing, we were greatly entertained by the bizarre dancing moves of some people. Haha.

Camwhoring at its best!

Formo is located at Banilad Town Center (BTC). Every Saturday, they play 80s music with THE Gilbert Go behind the DJs booth.

The boys in their "very rare" dance moves (if I can even label it as DANCE). Hehe. 

I was supposed to be in another equally-important event. I honestly overlooked this matter and got my schedule mixed up. But I just had to be with these people for they are my life lines. 

The scars from that traumatic accident may still be visible, nightmares may still haunt us at times, but one good thing surely came out from that unfortunate event, and that is, the gift of friendship.

Hiatus

I wasn't able to live up with my self-imposed 30-day challenge. I was on a blog hiatus-- actually, I still am.

I have been very busy juggling so many tasks and responsibilities. It's overwhelming. I don't want to keep up with the challenge just for the heck of it, because I realized that people do read blogs. I owe it to them (char!) to at least come up with something interesting. However, bright ideas seemed so evasive these days and I am saving every little sensible brain activity for work.

There are days that I just want to sit quietly and do nothing. Do you feel that too?

Anyway, since the speech contest is over (well, as far as I am concerned though. Congrats to the champion Desiree! I'll definitely see you in Bora.), and my work load is more or less manageable (note to self: hold on to your newly-found discipline), I am looking forward to a less-stressful (fingers crossed) October. And of course, I am uber excited for our travels this month.

While I was scanning through my photobucket album, I forgot I promised a friend that I'll post a pic of the dress I ordered online which I blogged here. You might think I'm shallow but for me, it's somehow significant. Why? Precisely because, it's my first ever online buy and international at that. I still have reservations over buying stuffs online. The OC in me still prefers to actually see and feel the product. This particular piece from Romwe however is too tempting to pass.

The overly-thick shoulder pads display the character

while the asymmetrical hemline gives it the feminine touch.

I am quite surprised at how sheer the material is when worn.

It looks beige in the pic but in actual, it is more of gold. 

For OCs like me or those who are wary of doing online shopping, should you decide to buy a dress or shoes, the Number One rule is: Know your size and by knowing, I am referring to the metric system of measurement i.e. in centimeters (cm.) because most online shops provide the measurement in centimeters, not inches. Of course, you can always do the math-- 1 inch = 2.54 cm. I suggest you reserve your conversion skills during the payment part, from foreign currency to peso. Haha.

If you are not confident of your mathematical and estimation skills, always choose the safest. Check the type of material used. Always go for the stretchy or garterized ones. There are online shops that follow the "No return, No exchange" policy. If you are still unsure, choose the item which will not leave a dent on your pocket or which will not break your heart should it not suit you well or meet your expectations. By then, you can always charge it to experience. Happy shopping!  
   

Office Make-over

Day 17:

I love our newly-renovated office.

The design theme chosen by my bosses revolved around

earth tones, neutrals but with a touch of bold color.

After two years, my cubicle is finally properly arranged and well-decorated.

Something is still missing though, that a dear [and talented] friend has promised long long time ago.
(Pressure2x. May your inspiration arouse you to pick up the paintbrush again. Hehe. Peace Atty. Abad)

OUTFIT: Sheer Black

Day 16:

(Crazy workweek + Lazy me = Super delayed posts)

Last week, I barely had time to breathe.

Meetings. Office blessing. MALA Sessions.

TM duties. Wife Duties.

Need I elaborate?

We just had our newly-renovated office blessed last Saturday.

I actually didn't know the dress code.

But I was told that my boss mentioned something

like a coat, not with a tie, but over denims.

Men. And their fashion. Lol.

Being the only lady lawyer in the firm, I got confused on what to wear.

Formal? Semi-formal? Corporate? Casual?

One thing's for sure though-- I must move freely in it because

I know I'll be moving a lot on that day.

I had this dress for almost three years now,

but this is the second time that I wore it.

Thank God, it still fits me. Lol.

When I bought this, I found it too plain, save for its asymmetrical hemline.

So I spiced it up by sewing on some beads.

It's supposed to run all the way down on the ruched part below

the line of buttons. However, laziness got in the way. Sigh.

I will make a mental note on this to have it done before the year ends. 

Weirdest Shoes

Day 15:

(yeah, I know. Delayed again.)

I had a great session with my MALA friends tonight.

We were kidding a friend of her bisyo [bad habit as per google translate]-- 

shoes-shopping.

(Don't ask what they said was my bisyo bec i don't agree. Lol.)

I am a shoe-lover. I spend more on a pair of shoes than a piece of clothing.

When I was looking at my shoes, I noticed that I have a predictable pattern.

I am most certainly attracted to shoes with "shining, shimmering, splendid" embellishments.

Anyway, while I'm thinking of shoes, I was suddenly curious on the weirdest shoes in the world.

I was surprised at the results I got. Oh the wonders of Google!

Here they are:

I call these "The Creation by Genesis" shoes

"Goodluck sa Kubal" shoes. Lol

"Goodluck sa Tetanus" shoes

"Kumusta naman ang til-as" shoes

The Tarantula

Origami shoes.

This has got to be the original CROCS. lol.

The Manny Pacquaio shoes

The Ibong Adarna shoes

The "Lurch-of-The-Addams-Family" shoes

This, for me, is way beyond weird.

Which one do you find the weirdest?

Sources:

http://www.oddee.com/item_96499.aspx

http://www.smashinglists.com/most-weird-shoes-in-the-world/