Style Inspiration: Jessica Quirk

As I mentioned in my last post, my outfits are getting simpler so I rely on accessories to "quirkify" me. I've been following a blog for some time and I think she is the perfect example of what I want my outfits to be --- simple & basic outfits but in really amazing colors matched with gorgeous "look at me" accessories. If she does wear prints, she does it with flair. So who I'm I talking about? Her name is Jessica Quirk (love her last name too!) and her blog is What I Wore.

She even wrote a book about style tips & inspirations and of course, her daily outfits :) I wish I could get a copy of this book in the Philippines but it looks like it's only available in the US and online. I tried to look for this at the local bookstores but unfortunately, they don't have it.

book cover

For now, I just have to stalk browse through her blog. Hope you'll enjoy reading her blog too :)

XOXO

* picture courtesy of Ballantine Books

2012 Travel Hopes & Dreams (Updated)

I think I already mentioned this on a previous post that I had booked flights to Legazpi City (February) & Camiguin (June). Although these two destinations are on my list of places to go (since I've never been there before), there are some others that I wanted to visit/revisit too. The only obstacles right now are of course, time & money :P

Anyway, all of these are known for their classic beauty... in terms of places that is. They are full of history and there are a lot of beautiful sights to go to:

I've been to Korea last year but only in Seoul & Busan. What my sisters & I really want to visit in Korea next time is Jeju Island. Known for it's volcanic soil & formations, it's also famous for a lot of Korean Drama locations hahaha... Boys Over Flowers being one of them :P

 I've been to Bohol twice and their beaches are great especially the ones in Panglao Island (picture above). They also have Baclayon Church which I believe is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Of course, Bohol is famous for their Chocolate Hills. What I really want to do there (that I haven't done in my previous visits) is to enjoy Loboc River in a floating restaurant :D I also heard that there are new attractions so I'm curious to find out what they are.

 Batanes - it's one of the last pristine places in the Philippines. It's totally isolated from the rest of the country making it a good place to go for sight seeing and nature tripping. It's a bit expensive to go there though (since there are no seat sales going to Batanes :P) and there are only a few accommodations to choose from.

 I've been to Cebu many times. I was actually born in Talisay, Cebu but when I was 3 years old, we moved to Baguio City (it's a long story why :P). However, my eldest sister (who's now based in Australia) went back to Cebu after graduating college in Baguio to work there. I remember distinctly during my high school years that my other sisters & I go to Cebu during summer breaks to visit her (and we sometimes stay at our aunt in Pardo).

The best part of Cebu, I think, are the beaches. Two of the most memorable places I visited were Bantayan Island & Malapascua Island (shown above). I also remembered the Chinese Temple, Magellan's Cross, TOPS, Shangrila Mactan and Plantation Island (we only went for picture taking to these two hotels since it's too expensive there!) .

The last time I visited Cebu was after my college graduation and I haven't been back again since because my sister immigrated to Australia not long after that. So, I think it's high time for me to visit Cebu again :)

(phew, what a long story hahaha).

 So there it is, my 2012 Travel Hopes & Dreams ... though, I'm really hoping they won't just remain a dream :D

Have a good day!

XOXO

***all photos courtesy of Lakbay Philippines

***UPDATE (January 22): I was successful at booking a P1 fare from Cebu Pacific just a few hours after posting this !!! yahoo :D I  chose Bohol (August) and Cebu (October).... so two places on this list will now be actually a reality :)

Daily Outfit: Marilyn is Alive!

This is what I wore last Monday (I know, late post :P) . I feel like wearing print-on-print that day so I chose my black & gray striped top and printed skirt. To balance the busy prints, I included my classic black blazer and bag. I only realized it today but both the top & skirt are thrifted... oh, the wonders of thrifting! My thifting adventure didn't push through last weekend because I was suddenly lured by the extended year-end sales... and besides, when I went to my favorite thrift store, all the items were "New Arrivals" so I'm pretty sure the items are still expensive for a thrift find. I'll be uploading the pics of the items I bought last weekend on another post.

Anyway, here's Monday's outfit:

blazer: Alexane @ SM, necklace: Landmark, top & skirt: thrifted, bag: Sophie Martin

The print on the quirky skirt includes the Hollywood sign, MGM sign & Marilyn Monroe :)

up close pic of the skirt

 As a finishing touch, I wore a layered “pearl” necklace that I just bought last weekend.

up close pic of the layered necklace

Daily Outfit: Black & White Redux

Just a quick post of what I wore today. I'm already a bit sleepy :D Here's my work outfit today. I wore a dress that I recently bought online (www.vivavintage.multiply.com). Thank god it fits :D Usually when I buy online, it's either a bit smaller or a bit larger than described. This one's just right :) I also love the polka dot print and the silk fabric.

dress: bought online, bag: gift from sister, belt: Landmark, watch: bought online, bangle: bazaar bought, ring: Forever 21

To match the black & white color of the dress, I used my black & white houndstooth bag given to me by my sister last Christmas. I finished my outfit with a red belt to give the look some color and some black accessories (watch, lace plastic bangle, and studded bug ring). Lastly, I wanted to be comfortable so I wore my trusty flats :)

upclose pic of the accessories

love the houndstooth print of the bag

So that's it for now. I have to sleep... My eyes are really droopy :P


XOXO

Daily Outfit: Beetle Mania

Happy Wednesday people! :D Here's my work outfit today. I chose a simple, solid-colored dress & cardigan to highlight the bag. The dress is flattering in a way that it has a knot located at the narrowest point of my waist... that created folds to hide my belly :D The bag, meanwhile, is actually a laptop bag that I used as a tote bag. I really love the print on the bag--- it's a vintage Volkswagen Beetle with two hippies…. I say, very classic vintage! I just adore quirky prints on anything :) My eyes just gravitate towards them.

blue cardigan, dress: Landmark, bag: Glorietta (forgot the name of the shop)

up close pic of the knot in the dress

up close pic of the bag

bazaar bought earrings

This is the first time I’ve taken a picture inside the office. A lot of my officemates were on break so I asked one of my friends to take a picture of me hahaha. So in a way, this was a quickie shot :D  By the way, that’s not my workstation you see in the photo. My workstation is a bit messy so I looked for a vacant one.

My work day was pretty uneventful. Well, in a way it was a good thing because that means there's nothing much to stress about :p I just hope that in the coming days I'll still be able to say this because there is a huge backlog on our onshore counterparts so that means we will also have a lot of things to do. However, I also feel blessed that we'll have a lot of things to do... this only means that we can keep our jobs :D

XOXO

Start the new year right... I hope

I usually don't create a New Year's Resolution because I know I'll break them anyway :D But this time around, I made one because I'm determined to make things happen. Hoping & praying that I won't break my promise to myself. Anyway, here's my resolution:


1. Lose 30 pounds (ok, make that 20 :p) and eat healthy
2. Stop swearing (easier said than done...)
3. Stop being lazy
4. Don't procrastinate!!!
5. Be F-A-S-H all the time
6. To update my blog and my Facebook account as much as I can (this helps me if I'm actually following the first five resolutions :p)
7. Be more paaaatttttiiiiiieeeeennnnntttttt with everything and everyone :P
8. Work harder!
9. Make more accessories and finally have the courage to sell them :D
10. Be happy :D

I said on my last blog that I'll be posting pics of the items I bought from Vietnam. Unfortunately, my camera's busted so I still don't have the pics. So my item of the day is not actually an item, but a place.... so here's the Place of the Day :)

Ho Chi Minh City was occupied by the French so some of the buildings there have a classical French architecture.



Notre Dame Cathedral (inspired by the real Notre Dame Cathedral in France)

 Outside the Ho Chi Minh Post Office

The telephone booths inside the Post Office

 Inside the Post Office (talk about a very posh post office!)

Exteriors of the City Hall (for a minute, I though I was in France :D)

 XOXO