buti na lang maganda ako ngayong araw (pls don't take this too seriously...)

Translation: It's a good thing I looked good today.

Hayayay, today was quite upsetting. Got so mad at my staff, plus all the not-so-good news I've been receiving about a few field people I had a semi-meltdown. Of course I didn't let anyone see me. Still, rough day. Good thing I even bothered to dress up for work today even if I wasn't feeling well (and still).

dress: thrifted

belt: Zara

Just to share, I've had this fascination with locally crafted bags for the longest time. Thanks to a Tita Angie, a good friend of my mom, I was able to get this nice, big sturdy bag from Bukidnon. It's made by the Binukid tribe (I think), and from what I know is that they also make other types of bags like purses, laptop bags, etc. These aren't cheap, though. I think they're made to be exported. Not cheap, but definitely worth every penny :)

another bag

Yes, this post is about a bag. Again. In my previous entry, I shared that I went to Davao City for work. Of course, I did find time to do a bit of thrift shopping while I was there ;) It was fate that led me to this lovely bag. You see, right after I did a bit of fieldwork I hailed for a tricycle and asked to be brought to wherever it would be easier for me to get a cab. It was a long trike ride, but the driver brought me to Ag-Dao market. While in the trike, I couldn't help but notice the ukay ukay stalls beside the market. I was quite torn if I should go down and check them out or go back to the hotel and start packing for my flight back to Manila. Decided to do the ultimate shopping sacrifice...I asked the trike driver to drop me off where the cabs were :| Thinking that I was being a responsible shopper by saying no to temptation, I was quite proud of myself. This didn't last, haha! I crossed the street since most of the cabs passed by the other side. As I hopped on the side walk (to dodge an approaching trike), of all the luck I'd see a sign saying "BAGS FOR SALE". I was in front of an ukay ukay store selling bags. Just bags. I took it as a sign that I really did need to buy something. Well, I was still trying to convince myself that I'd just look around. After just five minutes of browsing through bags of different colors, materials, and sizes, I found this....

I've been looking for a bag like this for sooooo long I just had to buy it the moment I saw it. I love the color, I love how simple it is, I love the price too :p I got it for Php 200 (roughly US$ 4). I was also able to buy another bag, but I'll post about that some other time. This baby is the star of this entry. I'm trying to keep my brother from getting this bag. He couldn't believe it that I bought this from a thrift store. He's been reminding me that his birthday is just 3 months away. Whatever. I told him he'll never get this bag and I'd just find him something similar in my next ukay trip. Crossing my fingers that I will find another one as nice as the one I got in Davao.

In case you didn't notice ze blingage on my shoes (haha!), the ballet flats I was wearing are blue, and fabulously sparkling! My aunt gave me those for Christmas and I've only worn them twice. They're really nice, yes? Yes! I'll try to get better shots of these fab shoes next time :)

sorry, I don't understand why it's sideways even if the original picture isn't :|

top: thrifted

pants: Giordano

bag: thrifted

ballet flats: gift from my aunt

iWant!

Hopefully before my family and I run off to Tagaytay for our 2-day spa trip, I'll be able to buy these babies (not this exact pair, but something very similar) tomorrow morning. Although...if Santa's still willing, I'd really be happy if he gave me these instead :) I'm a size 8, heehee.

via

obviously bored

...and can't wait for Sumer 2011!!

can't wait for summer by kookiekulasa featuring moccasins shoes

christmas dresses

I don't have a dress yet!!! I need about....4, haha! One for Christmas Eve, one for Christmas Day, and one for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day! Yes, I am very much addicted to dresses. For now, I have to find the perfect dress for December 24th and 25th.

christmas dresses by kookiekulasa featuring a slip on dress

random.

I love notebooks!

As much as I can't live without my phones, sometimes I wish I could just completely ignore them and not reply to every SMS sent and calls

Reading's such a joy :)

Quirky accessories are cool

I find the design on my bed's headboard really pretty

...and now, for my super late outfit post!

dress: thrifted

belt: I forgot where I got it haha

wishful thinking

if it wasn't that cold in this place....and if it was allowed, I'd wear something like this to work... EVERYDAY! haha!

via

...if I had a bit more courage (or if someone was able to convince me), I could even wear this

via

just to share...so excited! mishi and I will be doing a bit of 'merchandising' this weekend. wish us luck :) will reveal this project of ours bit by bit.

I want Lula too!

I saw this on daphne osena's blog and instantly fell in love with it. Now I want my own copies of Lula magazine!!!

pictures from lula

dress post

Can't think of what to write about now, but will just leave you with an outfit shot. Didn't really wear this today, and I don't know when I'll be able to wear it because it's too formal for the office (which thrives on business casual to too casual haha). Would you believe this is a thrifted dress? Got it for a steal, I think 120 pesos (roughly US$ 2.55!!). The shoes are Steve Madden, though ;) My brother calls this dress the Rhythm Nation dress.

chillin' on a Sunday

Spent the afternoon with my fab friend Seppi. Went to a bazaar near her place then we spent the rest of the afternoon at a coffee shop just talking about random stuff. Yeap, we are getting old haha! By 5:30, I wanted to sleep already. Ergs. So sad, Seppi's leaving for Singapore in less than a month for work. Seriously, she's one of the funniest people I know EVER. Anyhoo, this is another outfit post so yay :) I'm wearing gray again, haha! The dress I'm wearing is one of my go-to dresses, like if I can't decide on what to wear and I just want to feel comfortable I'd automatically go for this dress or either of the two other go-to dresses I have. The Ichigo sandals I wore it with is just so cool--haven't worn it in a while so I decided to take it out today. I think it made the outfit cooler. The shoes plus my Hardy Amies bag I bought from Dy at the Ukay Buffet= ♥.

dress: thrifted

bag: Hardy Amies from The Ukay Buffet

sandals: Ichigo Shoes

ring: H&M

shades: Forever 21

lots of gray with a pop of color ;)

Haven't done any outfit posts in a while, so here's one from this past week. Been extremely busy with work so I've been too tired to post anything, thus more backlog entries haha! Anyway, here's what I wore last Tuesday. Felt like being just a bit boyish that day so I wore tapered pants, folded twice just to make the look a bit more casual. My top was loose enough for that evening's pig-out session with my good friends Annick and Sidelle at Ninyo (which deserves another post). Wore two huge ass rings and a vintage-y necklace to add a bit of color to the outfit. And yes, I had my hair cut last week :) Loving my new do! It's been a while since I've had my hair this short, like almost 2 years. Might maintain this look for a while because I missed it. Note to self: must either fix the camera settings or get a better camera for better shots. Haha!

loose gray top: thrifted find

tapered pants: topshop

rings: Forever 21 (on my right), H&M (on my left)

necklace: bought from an online seller in facebook, hehe

shoes: melissa jelly flats from an online seller

thank you :)

To Paco Park, thank you thank you thank you :) You guys made me smile :) It's so great to receive heartwarming emails on weekdays...makes all the stress go away :)

Visit Paco Park here

Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Spreading the ♥ and positivity to everyone! :)

room makeover starts....now!

I went to Dapitan Arcade this afternoon to buy a container for a few stuff I had lying around my room. I've been meaning to renovate my room but I haven't found the time to do so. Luckily, my brother's not that busy lately so he suggested that he'd help me so this'll be our project for the year. I already have a few ideas as to how I want my room to look like, but first I have to de-clutter. I spent the rest of the afternoon up until about an hour ago rummaging through piles of books, papers, clothes, and bags and separating the ones I'll keep and the ones that are going to be given away.

sheer blouse: gift from my grandmother

sandals: I bought it online...forgot what site ;p

bag: H&M

I was able to buy this nice box at Dapitan. I initially was planning on buying a wicker box, but I saw this and fell in love with it. On top's a piggy bank I bought, heehee :)

* For those of you here in Manila who want to get good deals on containers, kitchenware, lamps, and decorations for your house you can visit Dapitan Arcade (Kanlaon corner Dapitan Streets, Quezon City. From Quezon Avenue, turn right at Domingo Street then left at Dapitan Street. Go straight and you'll see it on the right side, you won't miss it!).

playing favorites

I now have a new favorite dress in my closet....

..another one of my fab finds!! I bought it for 165 pesos (roughly US $4!!). I'm definitely going back to that thrift store.

Today, I had lunch at Orchard Road (again) with my friend Raiza. I tried the Lemon Fish served with fried egg and rice, while Raiz had Chicken Curry with rice. We also ordered shrimp dumplings. Unfortunately, I didn't like the Lemon Fish. The fish (deep-fried batter-coated fillets) was okay, although it was a bit bland. The lemon part wasn't really appetizing for me. It was like the fish was just topped with lemon jam or chutney. I wish they cooked the lemon chutney with the deep-fried fillets. This would've made the dish tastier. I don't really get the role of the egg because it didn't add anything to the entire dish. I ate the egg because I couldn't eat the fish anymore. On a positive note, the Chicken Curry was REALLY good. I'm a sucker for curry, and I tell you the curry sauce was just superb. The right amount of heat, and the flavor was just...wow. The shrimp dumplings weren't bad, either. I'd definitely go back to Orchard Road even just for the dumplings. I mentioned in my previous entry that I'd have to assess the place based on new dishes I've tried. The only thing I can say about Orchard Road is that it needs to be consistent. Make every dish great. An officemate of mine told me that she and her friends also ordered the Lemon Fish before and they didn't like it too. So yeah, I think Orchard Road's a nice place to have a filling meal in but there should be more consistency in terms of the taste of all the dishes. FYI: Orchard Road is on the 2nd floor of Mega Mall Bldg. A (beside Skin Food).

Looks yummy...but not really :( I hope that they'll improve this dish.

Yummy shrimp dumplings!!

To-die-for Chicken Curry!

And if you must know...I STILL did not go to Forever 21. Must. Save. For. GORGEOUS. Shoes.

dress week

I'm obviously in the mood to just wear dresses this week. Well, I'm still thinking if I should wear my jumpsuit tomorrow or wear another one of my fab finds. It'll all depend on my mood when I wake up.

I wore another thrifted dress today for work. Surprise surprise, it's not black, gray, or brown hahaha! It's..ummm...greenish. I forgot the exact shade. It doesn't look green in the pictures, though. Looks a bit blue. Whatever, it's really a deeper shade of green.

Anyway, I got a bit peeved this evening because I had to wait for my mom for almost two hours before she was able to pick me up. I know it's not her fault, but...yeah. I was in no mood to talk when she finally picked me up. I could've commuted home, but I had 2 big bags with me and a camera so taking the MRT and jeep home wouldn't be a good idea. Best part of the evening was dinner at Orchard Road in Megamall. I had the Hainanese Chicken Rice. It was pretty good. I'll go back and try other dishes. I'll have to research more about the place. I've been reading a few reviews about the place. Pretty mixed opinions about it. I'd really have to try the dishes for myself to assess if it's worth going back to or not. I must say, the prices are reasonable. Dinner kept my mind off Forever 21 on the same floor, haha!

Pretty lamps...I want those for my room :))

dress obsession

I am seriously obsessed with dresses. I only wear jeans when I've run out of dresses to wear, and I only wear slacks to the office if I have a meeting. I usually wear summer dresses, dress shirts, corporate dresses, etc. Yeah, I like dresses. Hahaha!

This weekend, I went thrift shopping and bought FIVE dresses for less than a thousand bucks. That's actually more than what I usually spend in thrift shops, but the items weren't on sale yet. Yes, thrift shops do have sales and sell clothes for ridiculously low prices. For that particular shop, the next sale will be in August so I'd have to cross my fingers that the items I didn't buy will still be on the racks when I go back. I don't really have any problem with thrift shopping. I do splurge once in a while but I've always loved going through clothes racks in thrift shops and coming out with fab finds. I've bought dresses and blouses that look like stuff from Zara and Topshop for a fraction of the price. There are times that we do have to be practical about shopping, ladies :)

Anyway, I had one of the dresses I bought washed already so I could wear it to work today. I particularly like this dress because it looks like something I saw from Mango about two months ago but I decided not to buy it since the price was pretty hefty that time (I just spent my hard-earned moolah on a trip and bills). What I like about the dress is that it's made of satin, the print's nice, and the length's not too short!

I'll be posting more of my great finds this week and next week. I might even go back to that store again this weekend, and possibly another one ;)

current frustrations

1. Forever 21 just opened in Manila. There's an ongoing sale in Mango AND Zara. I have money, but I don't want to spend it. Boo.

2. I'm tracking how I've been spending my money. I'm afraid that after this week, I'll feel bad and get mad at myself for being such an impulsive spender. I've been planning on opening two more bank accounts, plus another account with my insurance (more on forced savings, actually). The reality of adult life...sucks. I'm trying to look at it positively, i.e. I guess I'm being financially responsible (I think).

3. No replies yet from my job applications. I guess I still have a purpose here in my current job. Maybe I'm being taught some sort of life lesson. But mark my words, I WILL get a job that's related to my one true love: Development. *crossing my fingers for Asia Foundation*

4. There's this guy that I really like now. We're really close. He's a great friend. He's also cute, not my type of cute though. But....he's gay. Why is it that I fall for the guys who are seemingly gay or are really gay? There's something off with my taste in men. Sheesh.

5. I'm having a hard time organizing a group for a foodie trip I'm planning to Bale Dutung, Pampanga. It's said to be one of the best foodie experiences you'll have here since it's hosted by renowned Chef Claude Tayag and his wife Ms. Mary Ann. My lovely godsister Tippy was able to go there with her family and their friends.

So there, I'm done (semi) ranting. Hopefully I'll be able to post something 'happier' later this day. After work.

jumper love

I just HAD to get this jumper when I saw it at Mphosis with Nina at Greenbelt. I was saving this to wear it for an interview, but I decided to wear it today. It's been a while since I've 'dressed up' for work. I was in an all black ensemble...well, almost all black. My shoes and necklace added the touch of color to the outfit.

Of course I had to wear a sweater since it was kinda like Siberia in my office..

Now, without the sweater...

Black Sweater: Thrifted
Jumper: Mphosis
Shoes: Customized...ordered from an online seller
Necklace: Vintage...my grandmother's

wearing color!

I've had one of the most relaxing weekends since...I can't even remember! I didn't do anything for work (on purpose). Although my boss wants me to work on something, I decided that I don't really want to be stressed and I could just work on whatever that is early Monday morning.

I went shopping, haha! I bought a cool shirt from Zara. And I also bought a nice pair of flats from Celine. I noticed I don't really have sandals, which is weird. So that means I go out wearing my trusty ol' Havaianas 80% of the time. This doesn't include workdays, of course. My boss would kill me if she saw me wearing slippers at the office. And yeah, that's not really appropriate.

Shirt: Zara
Dark gray leggings: heehee from Landmark!
Flats: Celine

I got my nails done :) I wanted to use a polish that had a nice, summery color :)

random post

Here I go again with another post on my random blurbs. It's been a while, though, so yeah...Sorry, The previous sentence didn't make any sense at all. It's just that a lot of things are going on right now, and I've been thinking about a few stuff and truthfully I need to just let these out to keep my sanity. Okay, here it goes...

- To you...whatever will happen, will happen. I don't think I would really want to care anymore since obviously you don't. Will it forever be one-sided? Our supposed "friendship", I mean? Ugh. It's so annoying that you think you're aaaall that. Ummm..NO. Puhleeaaase. I'm tired of trying to understand you and being patient with your..whatever. I'm just sick and tired already. No wonder you don't have a lot of friends. You suck at being one.

- Career-wise, I think I've finally made up my mind about what I want to happen. Going home late or at the wee hours of the morning, not sleeping, working on weekends, having a not-so-good boss--I AM TIRED OF THIS SITUATION. So...let's see...Hmmm...I have a couple of deadlines that I've set. If things don't get better by June, I'm sending out my CVs. If between June and my second anniversary at work (September) things still don't get better, I'm gonna spread my wings and bid my company adios. I cannot live like this. I mean, I love what I do don't get me wrong. It's just that work is only a part of my life, and I don't want it to take over it. I don't want to plan things out based on my work. I know my priorities. Work is a priority, but it's not my TOP priority. My top priority is God, then myself, then my family, then work. I can't continue being ruled by my work.

- I've been visiting soooo many inspiring blogs that I want to do something creative as a stress reliever. I have yet to decide what I want to do, but it has something to do with art. Like painting, or something. I'll have to figure it out soon.

- I need to go shopping. Hahaha! I want to buy a nice pair of wedges so that I can wear my recent purchase from Zara. Actually, my mom's the one who bought it but I'm still the one who's going to wear it so it's sorta "my" purchase. Hahahaha that didn't even make sense but whatever.

- Working out is something I need to do ASAP. After my Pulag climb, I realized that I should be more outdoorsy not just for the sake of being sporty. It's for my health, primarily. All that dieting won't do you any good once your weight has plateaued and what you really need to do is work out or to engage in any good physical activity. Work up a sweat even if it's just for 45 minutes a day.

- I MIGHT go back to Tagaytay next month so I can start shopping for my online store. Heehee watch out for that!

- I need to start baking again. I'm thinking of selling carrot loaves again. Yummmmy! With cream cheese icing, of course :)

- In a couple of months, we'll be electing our public officials again. I hope we all get it right this time. God save our country! We need good public servants. I just noticed...our government officials seem to have forgotten that they are PUBLIC SERVANTS, i.e. they are supposed to SERVE THE PUBLIC=PEOPLE.

- I seriously miss my friends :( I haven't seen them since Valentine's. Hopefully we'll see each other next weekend...


- I didn't wear this today, but I want to share with y'all a really nice find from my ukay trip last month with my officemates

The ring on my right hand (the white ring, not the wooden ring with crystals and the huge stone)--I got from Baguio this weekend. Heehee I got it for 50 bucks! I had my hair cut, by the way...I think Tuesday. It's hot, but I didn't want to cut it too short since I'm trying to do the long hair thaang...Just had it trimmed and of course I've gotz to have zee bangs :) Oh how I missed having bangs!!