WORLD PREMIERE: My adiSTAR Raven 2

What's my birthday gift for myself? A pair of running shoes to abuse for the next 3 or more years. I know I have a weak-knee sob story to consider, but hey, I've babied my joints for so long. In my recent conversation with Muay Thai fighter, Dodong Galindez, otherwise known as Buhawi in the circuit, he said injuries are supposed to make a particular body part stronger. I suddenly feel sorry for subscribing to orthopedists' watch-your-knee warning for so long. I should get back to sweat + strengthening sessions! Stat!

Besides, it's my turn to keep my pinkie promise. As I've mentioned in this entry, I've challenged myself to bring out the sporty stuff that's been gathering dust in my closet and shoe rack. As they say, there's a Sporty Spice in everyone.

My own adiSTAR Raven 2 and my hot legs!

Being a cheapskate that I am, I still ask myself why I bought something top-of-the-line. All I wanted is something that will provide support and that will make my flat feet happy. I've tried on Super Nova for women but, as always, they don't have my monster size. Instead, the staff made me put on Super Nova for men. I don't mind the bright orange design and I'm relieved it looks unisex, but I'm quite uncomfortable that I'm using something specifically made for men. Arte lang! As soon as I wore this stylish and waterproof pair, I felt ready to run away wearing 'em. That sole-searching adventure got me drained and starving kasi.

That mandatory photo opp with my ka-pinkie promise, Rush


The outfit that made officemates go, "Try mo mag-pink, teh!



Today's Outfit:
Pink tank top
Pink lace bra from I Love Cocco
Hand-me-down jacket
Denim miniskirt from Her Bench
adiSTAR Raven 2

Photos from Rushelle Barrameda.

What's In My Lunchbox Today? Cucumber Mint Chia Smoothie!

In an attempt to appease my recurring craving for Tempura Japanese Grill's cucumber mint smoothie, I decided to concoct one myself. So I brought out cucumbers, peppermint oil and the remaining chia seeds in the kitchen.

However, it got problematic when Papa poured too many for a single drop of peppermint oil. It tasted like your typical minty mouthwash vs smoothie! We tried to salvage it by adding stevia, but it proved to be futile. We should have increased the base to distribute the peppermint oil. Baby oh, well.

The rawk stars!


Soak and stir the chia seeds for 15 minutes. Make it gelatinous!


What's brewing?


What's in my lunchbox today? Cucumber mint chia smoothie!

Nail Loft Revisited

Preparing raw food, particularly green smoothies, had subsequently diminished my passion for nail polish. I used to alternate having my nails painted and keeping them polish-free to let them breathe for a while, but recent months witnessed them being plain and simple. And I don't feel less of a lady for such.

However, thinking about this sweet November's last Irie Sunday made my dying relationship with nail polish resurface. From my signature puta red polish, I wanted something different. Something that proclaims "Jah love!" when I raise my hands to the live ska music that evening and from that point on. Rasta colors, please!

Yesterday, I decided to sqeeze in some me-time between attending our Church's 29th anniversary noontime service in Crossroad 77 and the last leg of my birthday celebration with the beautiful boxers in The Collective. Although me and my desk jockey friends had a long history of destress episodes in their outlet in Sct. Ybardaloza, my friend Atong and I decided to have ourselves pampered in Nail Loft's outlet in Libis instead. It's my first time there and I didn't miss the relatively small space in the Sct. Ybardaloza.

Ooooh! The parade of nail polish!

Being a typical home-service type of client before, I found Nail Loft's wide array of polishes from Orly, Essence, China Glaze and Opi impressive. For nail treatments that didn't cost me P500+, they really stayed longer on my nails.

Foot soak for my unhappy feet!


My neglected hands meet the lukewarm water for a cleanse




Gasp. Where did my hands go?!

Please forgive myself for being unable to take BlackBlurry™ photos of the nail polishes that I chose the previous evening. If my memory serves me right, I asked for Orly's bustop crimson, lemonade and wandering vine. However, lemonade wasn't as bright as I expected. It was rather faint still after 2 coats.

My rasta nails blend well with my pipe necklace!

What's In My Lunchbox Today? Chico-Banana-Spirulina Smoothie

I've heard my best friend Lakapati rave about the chico-banana combo before. Being a sweet-toothed monster that I am, I decided to give it a try today. Aaaand, for the first time, I felt an experimental soul creep within me. I reached for my container of spirulina to make it deliciously green. Superfood, work with me!

Bananas + chico


Reduced into tiny pieces


Ready, set...


Go!


With spirulina!


Two variants for my baon tonight!


Chico-banana smoothie and chico-banana-spirulina smoothie!


With some citrus! Blame it on the bipolar weather!

WORLD PREMIERE: That Floral Tube Dress

As part of their 25th anniversary celebration, Coco Beach tapped Sesa and Kali for a fashion show. It was my first time to attend in one, so you could just imagine my excitement. If there were any dress code for guests, I have no idea. I've decided to go for something flowy and casual. After all, I'm staying in the resort. In fact, it struck me as the perfect opportunity to wear my latest ukay ukay purchase.

An hour before the fashion show, I was already garbed in my colorful tube dress. I was down to my towering footwear - the only tiis ganda accessory for the night. To my horror, the strap of my wedges slowly turn into white ashes while I tried to put it on. What's going on? I realized this pair had been hidden in my shoe rack for so long (the first and last time I wore it was during my goddaughter's baptism in 2008) and it probably lost the vigor to live. Ha! 

Of course, I panicked. There's no way I can borrow my girlfriends' sandals (my feet are too big at size 10) and there's no way the world would see me wearing my beautiful dress with my slippers. Or so I thought. I know they hardly match but I really have no choice. I can't miss this fashion show! Off I went, wearing my dress and indoor Waraji slippers. 

If you were in my shoes...?

White wedge image obtained here.

Waraji slippers photo by Duane Pascua

After the show, my friends egged one another to unleash our inner ramp models. I had too much red wine and margarita that evening so it was rather easy to say yes, yes, yes! My little drunken catwalk moment was actually documented, but I have no idea how to embed it here (it's not uploaded on YouTube) and I'm not sure if you'll take me seriously anymore after you've viewed it. Aaaaand I did my amateur moves in barefoot, so it was all fun until I felt a thumb tack pierce my sole. Another epic fail moment. Haha! 

Outfit of the Day:

Mullet floral dress from ukay ukay

Recycled leather band from Clinton Aniversario
Seashell anklet

Waraji slippers from Mike Hosoya

***

Needless to say, this post won't be complete without photos of the collection and the models. 

WORLD PREMIERE: That Colorful Skirt

The typically sweet November just got sweeter. Tonight witnessed the fulfillment of my recent pinkie promise (to be discussed in detail later) with my newfound friend named Rushelle. Still licking her own wounds for the ugly split-up with He Who Must Not Be Name-Dropped, she allowed her self-esteem to vanish into thin air and slightly neglected her own appearance as she's forgotten the beautiful soul within her. She once told me how her friends got too accustomed to her usual sporty attires; she longed for her guy friends to treat her like a lady and her girl friends to consider her as one of them. For a change.

Just the same, I wanted to take the plunge and give sporty look one more chance. See, I've tried it before and got discouraged by most people's shock and possibly disapproval. Looking back, it was probably my own discomfort that reflected in their faces. Now that I'm dating an athletic guy, I wanted to look more casual and relatable. Not that I'm a high fashion-type.

As a result, we had a pinkie promise to aid each other in our envisioned fashion evolution: I shall push her to let go of issues and wear more skirts and, in turn, she'll coach me how to unleash the Sporty Spice within and, most importantly, how to feel at ease in doing so. Tonight, she'll be back from her much-deserved looong birthday weekend and, as I insisted, it'll be our skirt night. Imagine my awe when I saw her waltz in.

Meet Rush and her heart-studded blouse and layered skirt. I heart it!


Grey skirt from Her Bench


Another Scorpion in her new skirt!


Close-up of my new ukay ukay find! Don't you love the orange fabric underneath?


Twogether for lunch break

We celebrated our skirt night together during lunch break (that's past midnight for you). I was fighting happy tears upon hearing that she felt so pretty and loved and how grateful she was for supportive people like me and how my example encouraged her to be more loving of herself. When it was my turn to share what's in my mind, I disclosed I was having jitters for the meet-the-big-sister episode later. But, as Rush pointed out, how can this flirtatious skirt and my consistently sweet smile fail me? Good point. Desserts, please!

My birthday cake! Treat ni Rush!


Rush treats herself to iced coffee and [birthday] cake!

Today's Outfit:
Green top from ukay ukay. You've seen this here.
Mum's knitted bolero .
That colorful skirt from ukay ukay
VNC's strappy wedges

Photos from Rushelle Barrameda.

WORLD PREMIERE: That Floral Kaftan

Somebody went shopping for resort wear in preparation for the -ber months. If you just tuned in, please be aware that this birthday girl tends to welcome her natal return all month long and, if her time and budget permit, spends it in close proximity to the soothing shores. This year, I got invited to attend Coco Beach Island Resort's 25th anniversary. Sweet November, it is!

As always, the much-deserved me-time begins at the beach. I decided to don my recent ukay ukay purchase as a cover-up for my swimwear. Floral designs don't usually get my attention, but I appreciate this green number for its light fabric and overall appeal. Very perfect for summer! My friend MJ was quick to remind me that I may also use in urban setting; just wear square pants with it and I'm ready to waltz away. I don't see it that way, but I'll probably give it a try in the future.

Little Ms. Sunshine!


Birthday wish: this hammock!

So I took this kaftan off, went for a swim and went sunbathing by the shores. My friend Joey decided to go swimming in the pool instead and we agreed to reunite later. When I retraced my steps to the main pool area, the boys insisted I get wet in the pool, too. They attempted to throw me to the pool and failed twice. As they say, three is a charm.

Doc and TJ in their initial attempt!




Uhm, can you please give me a moment to take off my kaftan?


Yes, it took 5 fit men to lift me up!


Nooooo!


Me and my wet kaftan!

Photos by Joey Saunar.

Lipstick of the Day: Avon's Celebrity Red

"Your 30th birthday is an important landmark. You are now ready, after ten years of dicking around with your personal style, to select a signature lipstick. This is the lipstick that will get your through thick and thin. When you are screaming for mercy during childbirth, this is the lipstick that will be smeared across your face. When you kiss the corpses of your dead parents, this is the color that will stain their cheeks. This is the lipstick that will flow into the fine lines and wrinkles around your mouth as the death rattle grips your throat. Choosing this lipstick is a momentous task. In order to complete it, you need to be slightly drunk."

-Simon Doonan, Eccentric Glamour

Now I'm pressured. I've only got one more year to find my signature puta red lipstick! Not to offend my dear friends who find pinks or browns more suiting for my lips, but I really feel bolder and sexier in reds. That's what matters in searching for your signature lipstick, right?

I thought I found mine as soon as I've tried Her Bench's Ruby Glaze and, just recently, Avon's L404 Super Red. Unfortunately, it can't remain my ultimate must-have when the makers discontinued them already. Yes, I'm still mourning.

For my 29th birthday, I put on Avon's Celebrity Red for the first time. I'm delighted with its red-orangey hue and its moisturizing feel that I don't typically experience in matte lipsticks. However, it's far from being smudge-free, much to my boyfriend's chagrin. Inasmuch as I'd like to provide some photo evidence, the model refused to be in front of the camera. He'll be a camwhore, too, in time.

Avon's Celebrity Red







Read my lips!


Swatched once on left, thrice on right. In a well-lit place.

Photos by Rushelle Barrameda.

What's In My Lunchbox Today? Vegetarian Spaghetti + Pineapples

At home, it's been customary to serve spaghetti during birthdays and other special occasions regardless of the celebrant's age. In spite of the fact that I've chosen the path to vegetarian diet and I've turned sweet 29, my family still expects a pool of spaghetti to grind for days. Should I give in to their request and beg the resident chef to prepare something else for me? Thanks to veggie meat, THEY have no choice but adjust to my liking for once. *insert evil laughter here*

Although I've tried veggie meat as early back in college, this is my first time to actively search for such in the market. I've heard that SAGE products are available in SM supermarkets, so I went looking for this. The veggie meat variants being offered in the frozen food section are greatly outnumbered, you won't have a hard time looking for them.

When I woke up this afternoon, I felt excited to see the vegetarian counterpart of my usual birthday meal at home. My mother greeted me with her I-don't-like-it spiel, but that's typical to hear from someone with non-adventurous tastebuds. [She had a history of clamoring for sinigang and other Pinoy meals when she's on vacation in Hong Kong.] Remember how my brother Lec disliked my spirulina milk here? It definitely takes an open mind to appreciate tofu instead of the usual bloody meat.

So...even if I have a date with my boyfriend in Kanin Club before shift, I heartily consumed this veggie spaghetti for theoretical breakfast and packed some more for my lunchbreak (that's past midnight for you!) later. I happen to have the perfect excuse to overindulge again! ;)

The not-so-meat sauce!


Spaghetti with veggie meat and pineapples for lunch


What can you say about my food combining? =P


Lunch time!