Dream Boots!

Dying over the Everly Boot from Jeffrey Campbell. Perfection in the form of shoes. These would go well with my grey/white leopard print pants! :) I love the cutouts, the buckles and the texture. They're statement shoes but won't overpower the rest of your outfit because of the muted color. Definitely a fall/winter must have! You can get them at karmaloop.com for $115, just click here --> The Everly Boot by Jeffrey Campbell

Check out how other bloggers styled their boots:

Danielle Bernstein went for casual chic in her white Everly boots: (image taken from ashburyskies.com)

Andrea Robledo styled her perforated camel boots with a laid-back vibe: (image taken from herstylestation.blogspot.com)

Emily Chan opted for a contrasting crisp/textured look by pairing her white boots with a structured white skirt and a black lace top (image taken from thiswasforever.com)

Another pair I've been eyeing (but will probably NEVER buy unless they magically went on sale for $50 hahaha. *wishful thinking*): Piper from TIBI's pre-Fall 2013 collection. For those of you who can afford the $598 price tag, head over to tibi.com --> Can you also get a pair (size 7.5) for me?

Of course I saw them on a lot of my favorite bloggers, like Blair for example: (image taken from atlantic-pacific.blogspot.com)

And Amy Song: (image taken from: songofstyle.com)

Notice how she's wearing the black version of Emily Chan's Zara skort. I didn't get the memo about it being popular among fashion bloggers :( See this article: "The Zara Skort That's Taking Over The World"

from alwaysjudging.com

For those who are scared of high heels, there's Billie, Piper's little sis ;) It's a "little" less expensive at $495. Shop for it here: tibi.com

Serena from thespicystiletto.com let the shoes do the talking in her outfit below: (image taken from thespicystiletto.com)

I'll post about the John Mayer concert soon, in the meantime I'll leave you with a full concert video from back when we were all younger hahaha ;)

<3,

Rainy day blues

Things to do on rainy days (make sure you have an emergency kit, though! It's always better to be on the safe side. Also applicable to snow-ins):

1. EAT. Preferably hot food because rain always makes me feel chilly. (Click the name to go to the recipe)

Turkey Pho (Vietnamese Noodle Soup) from Cooking Light

Champorado (Filipino Chocolate Rice Porridge) by wokwithray.net

Sinampalukang Manok (Chicken in Tamarind Soup) by http://feastasia.casaveneracion.com

Perfect Potato Soup by The Pioneer Woman

2. READ. There are a lot of upcoming movies that are based on books, and in my opinion it's always better to read the source material first before viewing its big screen adaptation. Unless that's not your thing :)

Ender's Game (from Wikipedia): Set in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperilled mankind that has barely survived two conflicts with the Formics or "Buggers", an insectoid alien species. In preparation for an anticipated third invasion, an international fleet maintains a school to find and train future fleet commanders. The world's most talented children, including the novel's protagonist, Ender Wiggin, are taken at a very young age to a training center known as the Battle School. There, teachers train them in the arts of war through increasingly difficult games including ones undertaken in zero gravity in the Battle Room, where Ender's tactical genius is revealed.

The Monuments Men: During World War II, a group of British and American museum directors and art historians risk their lives to recover stolen works of art before they can be destroyed by the Nazis.

Jack Ryan series by Tom Clancy (this is the movie plot): A CIA analyst uncovers a terrorist plot to destroy the United States economy.

Odd Thomas: A short-order cook with psychic abilities encounters a mysterious newcomer in his small desert town.

3. WATCH. These movies are currently available to rent at Redbox :)

I watched this yesterday. Yes, it is long and has dragging moments, but it also has a lot of gems inside. The makeup can be distracting but does not detract from the storytelling. A must-watch! (The Asian version of Jim Sturgess is, I must admit, POGI hahaha.)

4. LISTEN. Here are some songs off of newly-released albums.

Other suggestions: Draw, write a short story, do pilates, basically anything to get de-stressed and not get depressed by the rain. It is essential for life, after all.

(Trivia: I used to affix a cutout of Batman's symbol to a flashlight then we'll pretend it's THE Bat Signal hahaha. Childhood is awesome, I don't know why some kids want to grow up fast.) 

Good night and stay dry! :)

<3,

P.S.

Help our brethren in the Philippines who were affected by Tropical Storm Maring by donating to reputable organizations. Remember, every cent counts!

Philippine Red Cross

ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) Foundation USA Inc.

Music Videos: Cars

A VW Beetle-filled scene from "Candy" by Mandy Moore

Raise your hand if you wished you had a Beetle after watching Candy by Mandy Moore! Seriously speaking, it was my dream car, and the fact that my father used to drive one also helped in cementing that thought. But VW parts are expensive, so once the Ford Explorer my father passed on to me started overheating, I bought a trusty silver 2012 Toyota Corolla instead (nicknamed "Kotse," the Filipino/Tagalog word for "car" because I'm not really into names lol). I love looking at beautiful cars, but I'm glad that I don't mind if mine gets scratches because it's not swanky enough. I don't know if I'll ever get an expensive car either because I'd rather spend my money on traveling/vacations, charity and investments.

I used to spell Volkswagen as Box Wagon hahaha :) (Image taken from http://www.netcarshow.com/volkswagen/2003-beetle_last_edition/ )

This post is dedicated to my big bro Jong and his love for cars. One of the best memories ever: him building a makeshift car out of seat cushions from our living room sofa when we were 7 and 9 years old. I wish I had a copy of the picture of us in it so I could post it here :) Enjoy and au revv-oir ;)

Tutorial time! Glow-in-the-dark FUN. Concert Tee

Super easy, all you need are:

-patience
-black shirt
-paper
-Xacto knife
-pen/pencil
-glow-in-the-dark fabric paint
-background music (optional but highly recommended ;) )

Here are some video splices from their concert, enjoy!
Trivia: there was heavy downpour that night and Nate Ruess (the lead singer), being such a nice guy, ran to the soaked audiences at the lawn area to check on them, then went back to the stage. On his way back, he passed by RIGHT IN FRONT OF US and I screamed like a high school fan girl afterwards, but whatever, carpe diem!

"Coz a little bit of summer's what the whole year's all about"

The title above is a line from Wildfire, one of John Mayer's songs from his new album Paradise Valley. And how true it is for me - Summer's the season I look forward to the most because it's when I get to do a lot of activities unhindered by the bone-chilling cold winds of Fall and Winter. Come those seasons, I'll retreat into my little nest again and become a temporary hermit who only comes out for work, Singles for Christ gatherings, babysitting and Pho noodles. Summer, oh Summer, how I love thee! Two weeks from now I'll be flying to LA to see my family after a year of missing them (my little bro grew so much taller, it'll be harder to give him noogies now :c ), hopefully the weather will be kind and grant us a sunny mini-vacation in San Diego. I can't contain my excitement <3 

I wore the outfit below to Mass this afternoon. I've had the dress from Old Navy for three years already, and even after being worn numerous times it's held up quite well (shopping tip: always check the seams to see if they're well-made, or else your garment will need some repairs after merely one wash). It's such a bargain considering I got it from the Clearance section! Guys and gals, you're better off buying sale items from reputable stores (e.g. Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, J. Crew) if you want more bang for your buck because chances are the garments at trendier stores will not last long (although I have been lucky at times, but then that's it, just luck). Ok? Ok ;)

Have an awesome and blessed week ahead!

<3,

Floral ditsy dress - Old Navy

Black leather wedges - Aerosoles

Tortoiseshell watch - Relic

Black leather sling bag - Coach

Black floppy summer hat - Collectioneighteen