WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS

hello blog! long time no blog!

The December wind is here again. Belated happy birthday prince. Yesterday, we went out and watched A Christmas Carol. We found it just okay. Is that a good thing? That's not good. Technically, it was screaming "beautiful" to my senses. Unfortunately, I was sleepy half way through. Probably because of the donuts. But then we also had coffee. It's weird having coffee while watching a movie.

On another note, I'm the sweetest girlfriend. We've been together for three years now and I haven't given him a gift. Save for the time I gave him cash (yes, cash?!) so that he could buy this old school gaming console. Ninang much? I'm too sweet right? I feel filthy each and everytime. But I can't elaborate on that right now.

It's been more than a week of adjustment at work. I was recently assigned to the night shift, which became my biggest source of stress for the past week. This is the fruit of my labor. To put it simply, when you give your best shot (in my company at least) at work, you'll end up working in the night shift. Isn't that the sweetest thing too? To top it off, I was figuratively alone in this endeavor. My buddies were still dayshifters. I was alone. It was like the first day of work all over again. Much worse, first day in school in a foreign country. I was six all over again.

After a week filled with unbelievable perseverance, I'm still trudging this unfavorable turn of events. I have a whole lot of "me-time" these days. Not that I have me-time because of my own choice but me-time because I don't have company during my wake time.

I'm not sure what the future holds for me. Right now, I just want to be. Panic Room and crabs, here we come.

KATE FEST

i wish it was the early nineties again, when she was a fresh face...

THOUGHTS

• i just watched the latest episode of how i met your mother. i'm sad that robin and barney broke up. really sad. (paka-arte pweh)
• this morning, out of nowhere, i missed the face of gemma ward. i ended up watching too many videos of her. and did i mention too many pictures?
  
• i just had a phone conversation with papa. i'm worried about him having nightmares. i'm used to having nightmares all the time. i'm so used to it that i'm not fazed by it anymore. i told him he just needs to wash his face after the first instance. that should do the trick. but i'm seriously worried.
• work life has been so so sooo zzzzzzzzz... i have mixed feelings at work. my job is seriously too "chill" to be true. we were given almost two weeks paid off for christmas (a first time in my entire work history) and just today, it was announced we could all take our leaves for the remaining days before the official holiday week. seriously? how creepy is that? maybe i'm just used to things not going my way. not complaining lord.
  
• laptop is off the christmas list. i'm preoccupied as to how i would celebrate christmas with just me and my father. i need some kind of wonderful before december 22. and i need to download the brothers four concert.
  
• where have all my money gone?
  
• i hate mood swings. especially on me.
  

RAWR

Shania Twain clad in an all leopard print ensemble? Check.
Red lips in the desert? Check.
Singing "That don't impress me much" and taking a pass on Brad Pitt? Check.
So you think you're elvis or something? Hahahaha. Winner na winner si Shania!!!

SEEING WHITE

anna inghardt

I've been meaning to post these. We all know it's manipulated, but there's nothing like a dreamy photograph to brighten one's day. Photos are from Anna Inghardt ^_^

Tomorrow is another work week. I'm just taking my time at home, quietly doing mundane stuff. Tomorrow morning will also be the long awaited pay day. I'll be booking a plane ticket to Surigao. I haven't mentioned before how happy and thankful I am to finally be able to celebrate the holidays off from work. Finally, finally! I'll be home for Christmas.

KATE PLUS PARISIENNE

"my number one"

SHOW AND TELL

i haven't read that much since i left college. i guess one of the things that i'm embarrassed to admit is that i have a habit of buying books, which end up not being read. it's like food not being eaten. they kind of feel like neglected, and i feel like a total poser. i used to read like nobody's business. used to. however, college was an intoxication. i was forced to read stuff i don't really care about that much (I was forced to care about those books). that was just sad and painful. lately, when i started working, i got into the habit of buying books again. this time they're usually coffee table books. lovely images, snippets of texts, and very light reading which don't require that much brain work. it doesn't sound that intelligent, huh? hahaha. i know i should get on with really good fiction but not for now. here are some of the books/coffee table and not so coffee table material that i hoarded for the past two months. i haven't finished all of them thoroughly, but i'm working on it.


1. kate moss style - yeah i know kate moss is overrated, but i'm still fascinated by her: her style, her aura, her and depp (very much fascinated than i would hate to admit), her persona. i got what i wanted out of this book plus images dated way, way back during the time when the only thing i listened to was michael learns to rock on the radio.
2. a year in high heels - this is what you call uber light reading. it's like a magazine read full of bullet suggestions, little bits of information about style, pop culture, history, ideas for things to do, women icons etc... though it's not like the most enlightening read (obviously), it works for me.
3. in vogue - this was a birthday gift from prince. sooooo happy to have this book. it features incredible images of vogue and its history: earliest covers, most iconic covers, editorials (lots of it), editors-in-chief, and easy to read text supplements that trace vogue's colorful history. i especially love the old, illustrated covers of vogue. there was something sooo fairytale like about beautiful illustrations, which i only get to see on garance's illustrations on a daily basis, that were representative of an atmosphere rather than just a drawing. lurv.
4. the sartorialist - i just have to have this. talk about scourging national bookstore. when i finally got a copy, i admit i was a bit disappointed because i was hoping to see more new images from scott schuman. i've seen most of them from the blog. it was more of a collection of his favorites. i like the fact that he emphasized the importance of looking at "details" when putting together or looking for an outfit. it's always more than just the clothes. it may be beautiful to me but not to you, but little elements of a whole look, whether it be the color, texture, volume, or the vibe, does bring inspiration to "visually-greedy" (in Scott's words) individuals like myself.
5. 1960s - love at first sight. if there's one decade i would love to know more about it's the sixties. (but actually i also the love the seventies, eighties, and the nineties) therefore, i need to get all the books in this series. hahaha. it's literally a walk down memory lane. but the poser thing is i'm not a part of that memory. it's more like looking through the lens of time and seeing how chaotic, distinct, and intense history has always been through the captured photographs. for sure, i won't necessarily familiarize myself with the details of the vietnam war but it's the images i'm after and the informative feel they give me.

SOMEONE TOLD ME

carla bruni - Quelqu'un m'a dit

i don't understand a thing. liar. i've looked up the lyrics and it goes something like "someone told me that our lives are not worth a lot... someone told me you still love me." probably along these lines. i've been dying to listen to it again after watching 500 days of summer. these french songs are swirling in my head all day long.

lefelefafu

oh and im in love with 500 days of summer. best i've seen so far this year.

WISH LIST:FRANCES MAY

FRANCES MAY

I discovered this online boutique while looking for online shop pegs for a future project. Frances May caught my attention because the website looks clean and polished while maintaining a personal approach. I won't say much about this future project. hahaha. I just wish it would materialize next year. That navajo print skirt is to die for. How I wish I'd find something like that soon. I've been in search for character prints for sooo long now, that's why that short, print dress is also on my wish list. The white dress? Well, I just like that it's frilly, short, and a bit slouchy (bust wise) !

CHARLOTTE

joy oh joy!

ONE POST A DAY

i told myself to post one post a day. just one post a day. it's so frustrating when the only reason I open my blog is to check my blog links. i might as well name it my favorites. so much has happened and yet i've got so little urgency to write and update this thing. i had my birthday, watched the september issue, bought coffee table books, watched julia & julie, thought deep about being soooo damn competitive in everything i do, bought the sartorialist book, slacked off at work, drank three days straight and right now, enjoying regular employee life. boring. my friends and i had a drink a few weeks ago and we realized we had nothing exciting to share or to talk about. it's just amazing how boring we have become. i couldn't possibly be "all said and done mode" at age 23. but then i guess we were just really a bunch of people who always (always) wanted something more. who doesn't right?

b: raspberry swirl

w: hala nostalgic!

me: ui bench? very high school.

b: naman. gusto ko yung amuy nito parang mapapangiti ka lang.

me: meron din akong kalevel nyan na gusto nung high school, yung parang amuy baby ka. sa penshoppe yun e.

w: smells like baby. amuy baby ka jan.

me: hahaha

w: uu gusto ko rin yun. pati yung kiwi something ba yun ng bench. or penshoppe?

b: may gusto din ako sa penshoppe dati. (may dinescribe na parang sa bench na cologne)

w/me: baka sa bench yan? anu ba yan.

me: or baka sa benchshoppe?

(not verbatim but something to that effect. we were trying our best to say something.)

INSPIRED BY JUDY ALDRIDGE

All I want to wear nowadays are cuffed jeans and skyrocket heels (okay interesting heels would do) but as ive said im all about heels. I also dream of all the basic white, black, and gray tees paired with scarves or jackets with interesting details. In short very much like Judy Aldridge. She is really sophisticated with a style that doesn't seem to try too hard. The key pieces of her wardrobe are high quality, one-of-a-kind jackets and shoes that when mixed altogether with simple or avant-garde accessories make a strong, masculine, and feminine statement all at the same time. Here are some of my all time favorites from here blog Atlantis Home. All pictures are from her blog.








Other looks I love (and covet)...





PC: Garance Dore, Sartorialist, Nast-Magazine

Finally, this orange trousers are to die for.

G'nyt!

PARIS, ILOVEYOU (A LOT)

Sitting there, alone in a foreign country, far from my job and everyone I know, a feeling came over me. It was like remembering something I'd never known before or had always been waiting for, but I didn't know what. Maybe it was something I'd forgotten or something I've been missing all my life. All I can say is that I felt, at the same time, joy and sadness. But not too much sadness, because I felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall in love with me.

I have found love in Paris, I Love You. No other word can describe this film but love love and more love.

18 short films (really short ones) that feature the different facets of love set in no less than (almost) everybody's dream city (of love). If you haven't watched it, please do yourself a favor. If you like artsy fartsy (with stress on the fart---sy), slice of life, moments, particular moments, color, poignant sequences, imaginings, nostalgic music, and love... this is it. Did I mention love? Okay, just checking.

THOUGHTS ON PR AUSTRALIA FINALE

I'm experiencing one of those days (actually weeks) when you just don't feel like writing. I am still inspired by the gazillion of pretty things I see online, but I find it hard to create words that could perfectly describe my thoughts and feelings as of late. Sometimes I give up and just tell myself it will all come due time. When you feel like blogging again, you'll just blog again like nothing happened.

Last night, I was on the verge of my seat watching Project Runway Australia's finale. I recently discovered perfect high quality downloads via bitlord and I'm addicted to HQ videos now especially my weekly dose of PRs. As I finished all my weekend chores at around 9pm, I was contentedly sitting in front of my computer, sipping coffee, and smelling the freshness of my new sheets. It was a more than perfect atmosphere for a quiet Sunday evening.

As the final runways came down, I was shaking. Is that normal? I was shaking because I was in awe. As I think of it now, it was probably the result of good editing. The Australian version of PR captures the hopefuls' passion in their fashion. I know it sounds icky but that's exactly how I felt. Reality TV shows are prone to produce forgettable characters after everything's been said and done. However, Australia seems to make sure their Top Model and Project Runway franchises are of high quality, surpassing its US (original) counterparts (if I say so myself). To be honest, I'm just bored with PR US' Season 6.

Okay, let me go back to the shaking part. I'm downplaying my description here. The three finalists: Anthony Capone, William Lazootin, and Lauren Vieyra have showcased extremely well-designed collections. There was such drama and vibrancy through each of their collections, it was hard not to cry and clap (all alone in my apartment with no one watching but me). I just love the black, the colors, the textures, the layers, the amazing amazing accessories, and the overflowing passion. The last time I remember falling in love with PR finale collections was during Christian Siriano's and Bidell's finale collections.

I actually liked the fabulous layers of Anthony's male models. They looked delicious.

Anthony Capon, who reminds me a lot of Christian Siriano's aura and talent, won with his "black roses" inspired collection. At first, I had mixed feelings about the choice of black. I love black, but I, too, am a bit done with it. However, Anthony's collection turned out to not just be all about black. He was drama and theatrics personified. For me, there are two kinds of designers: one who makes wearable, beautiful clothes , and one who is a visionary. Visionaries are what makes this industry continuously inspired and raving with art and passion, while designers who make pretty and wearable clothes remind us why we love to dress up and just be fabulous. Anthony aspires to be one of those visionaries. Although I must say his collection was already reminiscent of Galliano, Wang, and McQueen's; you can still see Anthony's signature written all over his clothes. What is this signature? He loves whimsical accessories like gigantic roses, gardener's shears, and structured braids and ropes. It's all about the drama and the flare. I particularly loved his last words upon winning the competition. He said that people should start dressing fearlessly in their own ways. By that he means that we should just have fun with fashion and not take it too seriously.

i'm in love with this stunning red and pink ensemble from William's collection

William Lazootin is my favorite. William's collection was a huge contrast to Anthony's black. His was full of vibrant colors and stunning fabrication. It was quite a feast to the senses. I liked it a bit more than Anthony's because the I feel that embracing color is more risky than the black. William's choice of color in bright reds, mustards, pinks, and some exquisite prints was inspired by his travel to South America. It was an optimistic array of clothing. And did I mention his accessories? Swoooooooonnnnn. The accessories were to die for. Layers and layers of chunky, glittering, and bejewelled necklaces along with those black chord-like scarves perfectly complemented the pop of colors on the runway. Construction wise, they were all superb.
Lauren, on the other hand, really looked feminine and edgy. When her clothes came down the runway, I kept saying the word "beautiful", one after another. But then it was obvious that Lauren's was the weaker collection the clothes became too much "alike" in concept --soft and structured-- it became a bit monotonous. I would say hers was a really good collection too, it just so happened that Anthony and William's were better. Nevertheless I'll wear her clothes in a heartbeat.

I'm looking forward to all these three designers making a name for themselves. Obviously, I am a very big fan.

I'M BACK

Yehey! Monitor? Check!

Finally, a decent (in fact more than decent) Samsung monitor in the house. I couldn't ask for more. Hmmm...except (perhaps) for a good cpu to match or my laptop back? Mwahahahahaha

I missed the internet at home so bad I thought I wouldn't last. But as always, things were bound to happen in ways that we least expect it to. With the internet gone, I was more productive. I was productive in cleaning my apartment before leaving for work, I was more productive in reading tons and tons of magazines which have been sitting in my shelves for months, and I was even more productive getting tons of decent sleep which I haven't done in a long time. Heck I'm off to bed as early as 10pm for three straight weeks now (except weekends of course). Save for frequent unhealthy food and cigarettes, I'm quite a normal person now.

It's been a very long week for me and I'm dying to get some serious relaxation this weekend. Thank you for the blessings Lord. Thank you.

GIDDY

etc

...i might just cross out one item in my bucket list. yihaaa
...i can't sleep just thinking about it.
...feeling unsure what would come up next.
...adjusting slowly but surely.

ahhhhhhhh

STYLE ICON:RACHEL BILSON

I just got home from another "the gang (ginanggang) event" this time in Eastwood. I couldn't sleep so why not update. I've been wanting to post a few things in the past couple of days but lately it's proving to be a challenge. All the photobucket uploading and resizing takes 50 minutes and patience is a virtue I have only on weekends.

Anyways, I have finally decided on a style icon. Before, I had a list of celebrities, models, and socialites whom I look up to in terms of style and "dating" but I never really thought of them as practical objects of inspiration for my daily wardrobe. Style wise, my favorite girls are: Kate "The Great" Moss, Kate Bosworth, Sienna Miller, Zooey Deschanel, Kate Hudson, Selma Blair, Jane Birkin, Audrey Hepburn, and Patti Boyd. Now, I'm all about Rachel Bilson. Even though I'm not really a big fan of LA girls, her clothes are as approachable as they can be.

rachelbilsonstyle

• Not only is she petite but I see myself exactly in her body shape (except for her thin legs).
• She assures me that short girls can look good on their favorite pieces despite not having the modelesque height. She gives me a form of beauty that I can relate to the most.
  
• I love all her wardrobe choices (dresses, skinny jeans, denim cut-offs, vintage tops or skirts, and flat sandals). In a way, I can see my dream closet walking in the streets of LA.
  
• She flaunts her stature by being so comfortable wearing flats most of the time.