Vintage Pop-Ups.

DRESS: Forever21 HAT: SM Accessories SHADES: MikeeMariel Luxe SHOES: Forever21

Photos by Daniella Sanchez

Call me a series of unfortunate events. Immediately after blogging my previous post last week, I collapsed, falling extremely ill due to stomach pains. It was a terrible ordeal where I was stuck vomiting, hyperventilating, and gasping for breath (and for dear life) in a public bathroom with no one there to save me because it was a holiday and I lost the right mind on who to contact at the time. Eventually though, after puking my guts out, I contacted some people and out they came to the rescue. End of story, I got ER-ed with this annoying inability to walk (which went on for 2 days straight) and with a diagnosed sickness of gastroenteritis with infection. 

Sometimes, I just love it. 

Well, I'm feeling all the more better now, hence the return with happy pop-y images. Although, I'm still not allowed to take a bunch of things such as coffee, juices, tea, dairy, oily food, junk food, raw fruits -- basically, almost everything. It is such a hassle. So, don't be like me and live a healthy lifestyle! Take in food every 4 hours and don't starve yourself and let the acids take fold within you. Find a nutrionist as well, or mark down your meals so you can keep a healthy and balanced diet.  

On a happier sidenote, I forgot to mention last time that my creative portfolio from last year, "Alice in Ballet" finally got it's dreamed-feature in the latest MadHouseMNL May issue! Do visit the online magazine if you haven't yet. MadHouseMNL has always been notorious for presenting innovative and creative editorials so you won't regret a thing with this one! 

You can find Alice in Ballet on page 154 on the latest MadHouseMNL issue. Once again, I would like to thank all of the people who contributed in the making of this personal spread and helping me make it all happen.

Last tidbit. There is always a certain air of magic when you're wearing a skirt or dress that swooshes with the wind, for lack of better term. I'm not a fan of mullet-style skirts and dresses but my mom urged me to wear this for her birthday, and I just love the teal-color. Hence, the walkways down the stairs because that's where the swoosh-factor occurs. While I'm not exactly regal when walking down the stairs...well, at least the thought was there. Haha!

That's all for now! Till the next post!

Enjoy the rest of the photos. 

yours truly,

Intensity.

DRESS: INDIE-GO HAT: H&M BAG: Bench (China) Shoes: from Singapore

Photography by Monica Villarica

I realize it's been almost a week since my last post and I hate that I've been away from this haven for quite awhile. I've been racking myself over designing and redesigning the INDIE-GO website this past week (thanks to the latest Multiply changes-slash-hassles, we've decided to take the harder road regarding this endeavor) and that's why I haven't found the time nor strength to post as much. Well, here's to the little breather I get to have from designing.

This week, I have also realized that I unexpectedly have some lamentations when it comes to being a supposed "creative" person who offers creative services. Don't get me wrong, I love designing and I desire to do nothing but improve in the craft whilst helping small-time brands advocate high-quality packaging, advertising and overall branding. However, because people have already seen high-quality work, they expect nothing less and done always at the speediest rate. And sometimes, while I super love what I do, I can't help but also be human and run out of creative juices or how I term it, "design-spiration fuel". It's so frustrating when I sit all day in my lovely workspace, completely drained and still staring at blank canvases with the clock ticking, hands shaking and no idea running. Its draining and beyond annoying, to say the least. So that's been me for the past 4 days. I do not know how I manage to pull through. It just happens. 

I wish I could engage in conversations with excellent and well-acclaimed graphic designers around the worldwide and attend design conventions just to satisfy the question running in my head - how do you do it? And what do you do when you run out of the design-spiration fuel? Things like that. 

Anyway, I do hope to become like one of those amazing artists I see in my art and design books. Hopefully, with more practice, more brands to experiment and play on, more perseverance, I'll get there.   

This week has also been an onslaught of troubling news around the world. Bombings, earthquakes, threats of war. Honestly, its crazy and extremely alarming. So now, I would like to take a little time now to just simply extend my lamentations and concerns to Afghanistan because I believe that was a news that didn't seem to get around as much as it should have (what with the whole world talking about and praying for Boston). It's quite alarming to realize just how one incident outweighs the other and only because media - old and new - made it to be so. I'm not sure why this isn't as trending a topic as it should it be, but I just think both traumatic incidents should be given of equal importance and conversation worldwide. Still, my heart aches for everyone to have been involved in such incidents. It makes me feel blessed still, that no matter how seemingly "scary" this country might be or how many things this country still lacks in or how this country just honestly reeks of overwhelming social sicknesses, we're still the lucky ones compared to our neighbors and allies on the other side of the world. It's ironic how it has always been a common thing for schools and malls to have shootouts and for cities to have bombings on a random basis in a country that is supposedly the most prosperous among us all. The world never runs out of flaws and scary things. 

And meanwhile, amidst all this, things heat up in Korea with the strained North-South relations. Honestly, this issue has been irritating me for the past month. I really don't understand North Korea's deal and why they just have to find this incessant need to show off what power they have by threatening to kill and bomb half the world off. I'm annoyed and scared - but most rightly, just annoyed. How do you make them stop? No one knows. It's like me racking my brains over for a design idea... everyone's stressed and.. no one knows. Annoying.  

So.. that's me this week. I must seem to pass as such an intense and serious person talking about these things. Hence, the running around photos. I decided to revisit my special park and just run around like an idiot as a destressor. The summer heat is not such a welcome anymore and is becoming more of an infuriating pain in the head and on the skin. 

Take care everyone and don't fall into a heat spell! Pack up with cold liquids and stacks of vitamins to fight of the dangerous and powerful rays of the sun!

Till my next post.

Enjoy the rest of the photos! 

yours truly,

Sunday Hype.

Top: INDIE-GO Pants: G.U. Shoes: Esperanza Accessories: Forever21

Photography by Monica Villarica

Initially for this post, I was planning on writing about a Sunday music playlist I've propped up for the weekend, set to soothe and calm anyone's nerves after a stressful week. As a freelancer, my days know no weekends or holidays (unless I set them up myself) and depending on the urgency of the client's needs, I usually tend to give up common break time practiced by regular folks.

So today, whilst searching for indie-pop/rock bands of my usual taste to be used as a background set as I design, I ended up stumbling upon Girl's Generation (this popular Korean-girl pop group) teaser MV of their single, BEEP BEEP and then things fell apart from there. I got all hyped up, download the full audio and for almost 5 hours straight that's the only song that has been drumming through my earhole as I work. Shit. 

For starters, I actually understand what they're singing about, given my Japanese background and overall, I find the song really sad with this ironic and extremely poppy and upbeat vibe. I mean, the guy isn't picking up the girl's phone calls and still, the girl's pursue and dream on. The happy tune doesn't exactly lessen my saddened feelings regarding the message of the song. I suppose, that's also a common thing about us women, we don't get the picture immediately, and we are such pursuants when we choose to be. 

Do check out the super cute short video version though! Super love the graphics and the clothes! I'm not a super fan of this Korean girl-group, but this song has induced the Call-Me-Maybe syndrome this Sunday and I like how they sing Japanese well. And speaking of Korean, if you haven't seen it yet, do check out my recent feature on this lovely Korean-inspired cafe, Cafe de Seoul. Very quirky and inspiring place, you must see it when you can!

My outfit is something I'd definitely wear to a concert or music festival (sans the heels, of course). It's chill, and laidback and just really comfy to move around in. I also realize the start of my 2013 has been marked with my attendance to concerts such as Motion City Soundtrack and Bloc Party (and soon to come, Aviichi), all live in Manila. And now, the biggest music festival is about to hit the city this summer and I will not dare miss out!

PHOTO CREDIT: Karpos Multimedia, Inc. 

Spread the word because rare does something like this happen in this city and if you're an indie-music lover, you'll just get and why I'm so hyped up by all this!!

I leave with a favorite of mine from band, Avalanche City and the rest of the photos for this outfit.

Start the week right with Love, Love, Love! 

Enjoy, folks! Have a great rest of the weekend!
Till next time.

yours truly,

 

Ocean Star.

Skirt (USED AS TOP): H&M Maxi Skirt: Soul Lifestyle Hat: H&M Shoes: INDIE-GO

Good Friday. 

So, its been almost five hours since Jesus officially died on the Cross. It's kind of freaky and sad when you really think about it - the idea that Jesus has to die every single year just for us to ponder and reflect about the direction of lives; the idea that there's no God for a full day and a half. Feels like the world has this now obvious void that people never really never even realized existed because on a regular day, Jesus is... well, He's just there.  

I'm a Catholic, but I don't strictly practice Catholic rites and rituals anymore. Like, for example, I don't go to Church regularly, nor go to confession. But I do ponder a lot about Jesus and the Scriptures and what a world this would be if Jesus actually lived in this day and time. I'm sure, compared to how it was during the era of the Roman Empire, our times now seem more screwed up. Or maybe not. Who knows really? We can only speculate and let our minds wander about. 

Going back to the story in mind: Last night was my first time to ever practice going through the Stations of the Cross and going from one Church to another, just to read out a pamphlet full of prayers and try to remember what Jesus went through during His final hours. Here, they call it, Visita Iglesia. Lovely experience. Tradition is, if it's your first time to enter a particular cathedral during a solemn event, then you get to make 3 wishes per Church you enter in. Right now, I suppose I've got a lot to wish for and so the opportunity was something I gladly grabbed. Although I don't enter chapels and Churches every Sunday, I love how when I do enter, the feeling of serenity and peace is so genuine for me. Of course, since I'm not a regular, there's still some reservations when I come before the Lord, but overall, the experience always leaves me in such a reflective and pious state. Anyway, at one chapel I went into, I looked up and saw how they covered the entire Cross and alter with purple cloth. Since it was my first time ever seeing that, I got extremely freaked out because I am not used to Jesus being blocked out for all to see and feel. The impact was tremendous on my case. Apparently, they do this every year and well, for my friends, the feeling is the same. See? Blatant removal of God = world in void. I hate it. Feels odd. 

Anyway, I'm feeling so reflective about all of this because after walking through the Stations, I feel like I just get it more compared to when I was 15 years old and completely disinterested about the whole thing. I was reading through these passages and literary interpretations and I just felt like I could relate some parts of it to my own life and even the society around me. There's pain, injustice, betrayal, loss, death... those kinds of things. There's also this little tidbit about forgiveness and honestly, the idea seems a bit far-fetched to me still. Oh well. While I cannot forgive the people who have placed harm upon me, I did pray for them. I hope clarity seeps into their souls during this Holy Weekend. 

TITLE: Ocean Star

ARTIST: CONCLΔVE feat. Luxe Calip

Tidbits:

One recurring theme that's been going on in my life (and my friend's lives) is death. Even in our early 20s, we're getting a good dose on that terrible reality named death. My dearest and closest friend, Luxe Calip, is an amazing singer whose mother recently passed away late last year. Its been difficult but they say, one of the ways to channel such turbulent times is through creative means. So she wrote this song entitled, "Ocean Star" and partnered with an equally artistic individual, together producing a song that's heartfelt and ethereal all at once. On a first glance, you'd notice the Lana del Rey-vibe to the overall song. Still, the imitation is wonderfully done and well-received worldwide; and still, an original twist is provided to give it that trance-like, celestial feeling to any listener. Perhaps its the idea of dedicating the song to the departed -- from the lyrics that commemorate the memory of the loved one now long gone. It also delves on how one deals with such a sudden and permanent loss -- all in all, the entire song speaks a powerful, almost painful message that pays homage to singer's deeper roots.  

To end another, yet again, long and reflective post, I present thee my outfit shots for the day -- summery, and flowy like the waves of the ocean.  

Life may be drag on a daily basis, but hey, there are always those little guilty pleasures that keep us going to live another day. 

Have a blessed weekend, world! 

Enjoy the rest of this post.

Nails by Coco Luca Nail &Waxing Salon

And don't forget to join my first official giveaway with sponsor, INDIE-GO! 3 more days till closing of the giveaway. :) 

yours truly,