The Rest Is Still Unwritten...

Today is the first blank page blog. 

I have decided that this time around, I am writing a good one.

My mom and I were talking earlier today at 2:30 am (yes, unlike everyone else, I decided to spend my New Year after the clock struck 12 midnight at home...) and she asked me about what it was about my never ending obsession for sunrises. Again, yes, I am one of those people who bask in the dawn and absolutely love witnessing the sun ascend on the horizon. I have never been a sunset kind of girl. Probably, I surmise, it's because I hate endings but am absolutely obsessed about new beginnings. Granted that, I guess that by now, you would know that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE new years. I love the fact that I am closing the chapter of one whole year behind me... no matter how good, bad or average it has been... I like that kind of closure. There is something about it that I find so fascinating. I love the feeling of at least being able to be given the chance of starting over again (even if everyone says there is no such thing as do-overs) and I love having a fresh 365-days ahead of me... filled with (and I say that with so much hope)- new chances...new experiences. A new year comes in and with it... the possibilities are endless.

 I once stumbled upon this quote that goes, "An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up until midnight to make sure the old one leaves..." Right now, granted everything that has happened, I am not quote sure which side of the pole I belong to... perhaps (and probably) a combination of both. To explain myself more clearly- I am happy and thankful for everything that I have been through and at the same time, I am looking forward to see what life has in store for me. "Cheers to a new year...another chance of getting things right..." I think Oprah said that or something.

Blank Space

I crave space. It charges my batteries. It helps me breathe. Being around people can be so exhausting, because most of them love to take and barely know how to give. Except for a rare few.

Sometimes, you just need to be alone and I have absolutely no problem with that. I actually love that... and I think that it's okay to be that way. Contrary to popular belief, it does not mean that something is wrong with you or in your life. You see, sometimes, you simply need to create the space to soul search, think, rest and just BE. I don't think you need to apologize for needing or taking this space. At the end of the day, it is part of what makes you a happy healthy person. The thing I realized is that you can't always keep on dealing with people every second... There are times that you have got to stand alone...if for anything- just to find out how damn strong you are...even if it is longer than expected. For an introvert like me, that comes easy... I thrive on this scenario. However, not everyone is like me and if you fall into the other category and are an extrovert, this is something that would be very hard to do. I have seen it all too often and I have to admit that I have been guilty as well of creating distractions just so I don't have to face my problem...and simply sweep it under the rug. I mean ultimately, isn't that the easiest route to go through? Denial? After facing problems heads on, gun blazing... it came to a point that I just got really tired and burnt out. At some point, I wasn't even quite sure anymore what I was fighting for anymore and that was when I decided that what I needed was some time in a beautiful place to clear my head. I also believe that sometimes, the best way to appreciate something is to be without it for awhile. Clarity, peace, serenity are very important things to find...don't you think?

Break-Up Birkin

I had no idea it would be this much. 

I had no idea I could handle it.

I had no idea how beautiful it all actually is.

A lot of people have been commenting on how my aura is radiating of positivity recently and though I hadn't really done anything drastic, I don't know why this has been the main compliment I have been getting from people...Not that I am complaining. I don't actually know how to describe it except for the fact that I have decided to be unapologetically myself and when I decided to be that, there was no further decision to make... everything fell into place. You see, a lot of us tend to take this for granted but incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't. So where do I begin? To start off, I can't force people to love me or to even like me as I have no control over how people perceive things. However, I do have control on the fact that I can make space for those who matter and who appreciate me for who I am and for the mere fact that there are people who support me in the highs and the lows of my life mean so much to me. I considered myself blessed... and on that Sunday... I was truly enchanted to meet some of you. I never really expected that people would approach me and ask for my signature or a photo with me and be so happy with the mere fact they finally got to meet me. It wasn't exactly on my mind when I signed up on publicly sharing my thoughts and photos online but it fascinates me that there are people who read my ramblings and my stories and can relate and learn from it. It gives me so much satisfaction to know that. And it surprises me how much people actually know about me and can notice such minor things like how I changed my hair color or how I have a boo-boo on my left arm and how I feel and if I am handling the demise of a relationship well. The thing is, I always thought that whenever I type random things in this blog, I was just sending it out to the universe...it never actually really occurred to me that so many people read what I say and what I wear or what I am going through and actually remember it. It is such a big deal to me, seriously... you have no idea.

What Boyfriend?

No boyfriend? No problems.

I was walking around some bazaars and saw a number of statement shirts with that caption and laughed. While I am happy for all my friends who are blissfully in relationships, personally, I don't think that would work out for me... For now. As I have said multiple times, I am currently happily single and I don't think I want to change that as of the moment. It's refreshing actually to not even be dating right now because there is just no pressure, no drama, no tiffs... And I love it that way. At some point, I think I got tired of all the effort it required and all the issues involved- the main one would be my independence and refusal to inform my significant other of everything I do. I find that prerequisite taxing, actually. Probably because I am not techie or that I forget that I have to and that I seriously forget that I even have a phone in the first place...but that's always how I've been and it's so hard to change that. Trust me when I say I've tried and failed many times.  

Locked In My Own Daze

I live in a generation where everyone always is all about what the new thing is. While I think that may indeed be a good thing, since having something new always means there is development and progress, I cannot help but think that sometimes, reverting back to the old, the tried and the tested matters too. I've heard it all happen over and over again, people complain about doing the same old thing. I don't quite know when it happened exactly when the "same old thing" became synonymous with "boring" and I know that such a generalization is absolutely false. I find comfort in the classics which is probably why I find rummaging through my mom's old clothes so much fun. Case in point: this dress.

White Out

White on white is a very difficult outfit to wear. I know because there have been many times I have tried sporting this look and failed. Apparently, as with life, you can't help getting dirty or soiled at the end of the day. Circumstances make it almost impossible for us to remain clean and pure... in fashion, these may come in the form of accidentally grazing your outfit against a dirty pavement, spilling a beverage on your outfit or if you're really unlucky, accidentally blotting a pen on your clothes (and I think the common consensus on this is the stain of a pen is the hardest to remove on white clothing). In life, there are so many events and circumstances that we have to face which requires actually getting our hands dirty and I guess remaining untarnished and unstained is a privilege most of the population is granted (myself not included). However, I got to thinking and told myself, "what the heck," since we are all just winging it, I might as well try. I have always believed in the whole what you risk reveals what you value school of thought and I think I value learning very much so I decided to risk going white on white and go all in thus the outfit. It was a particular rainy day when I wore this (talk about wrong timing right?) but I was shocked to see that as the day ended, I was almost practically unscathed except for a few minor dust marks which could be easily erased... nothing permanent enough actually.

The Perfect White Tee

"I've always thought of the T-shirt as the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet."

-Giorgio Armani

Didn't he say it best? From one closet essential to the next... (this is becoming a trend already) but here is yet another post on one of my closet staples which is the plain white t-shirt. It is just absolutely a MUST! I can go on and on and on to tell you ways to wear it and I probably won't run out of styling tips because it is THAT essential. No matter what, every girl has got to have the perfect white tee and it is here to stay. The search for it isn't as easy though since it has to fit you perfectly. Thankfully, I was able to discover a brand that provides exactly that- called Sexy White Shirt and everything about it is just amazing: the fit, the sizing, the quality of the fabric... you've got to trust me on this... I am obsessed with it so much that I even styled it in such a way that I made it appropriate for the office. Yes, for those of you who don't know, I now go to the office and work as the Executive Director in one of my dad's companies. No, it is not an "ad hoc" job where it is simply a title I was given since I'm his daughter... the thing about my dad is he expects much so I actually have to work hard for the company and go to the office and attend to important matters.