Made To Love

You haven't seen strength until you witness a woman who continues on after being hurt, smiles after being hurt and still remains hopeful even though at times it hurts. You almost can't tell that she's in pain because the way she wears her smile from day to day is symbolic of the strength that only lives within a Queen. You have not seen real strength until you've seen her.

I don't know what it is but I somehow find it odd that I love being decked out in gowns and long dresses... almost like I was born in the wrong era. To be quite frank, I love wearing fancy formal dresses more than I love wearing normal "everyday" clothes which somehow gives me validation that I was indeed probably born in the wrong time period. Now, as I have high respect for situational dressing, as much as I love gowns... it would be quite inappropriate to wear them while running errands, going to work and on a daily basis. That would just be off. However, there are formal occasions that beg for long dresses, pomp and circumstance... one of said occasions include a wedding... which hopefully by now, you are well oriented enough to know how much I love attending them.

Call It Magic

Last Sunday, I got the great experience of attending one of my dearest College friend's wedding. It was beautiful. I always loved weddings. Yes, I am that friend who will gush to you about how beautiful you are, willingly come forward once all the single ladies are called out to catch the bouquet and actually stay, which qualifies me as the best wedding guest ever but the allure of it will never fade for me- no matter how many weddings I attend. Add to that the fact that I was born in the wrong time period and think wearing gowns and high heels should be my default outfit and my unwavering belief that it is really beautiful to see two people who love each other and want to publicly declare it have every right. As cynical as I may portray myself to be, I still do believe in happily-ever-afters and there is nothing like a lovely wedding to bring that out. So, on that day, I decided to be appropriate and finally wear this nude gown I've had in my closet for a long time... (to those of you who don't already know, I am that girl who has two closet full of gowns for no other reason than because I love gowns and always love having a dozen I haven't already worn yet... just in case.) Thankfully, I wasn't wrong and on this absolutely marvelous night, I decided understated and elegant was the way to go. The good thing is I also actually blended impeccably with the surroundings at the reception, which was in so many ways absolutely beautiful, by the way... the way I think all receptions are because they are filled with so much love and happiness all in one location.

Crimson Day

Crimson is such a lovely color and it was only fitting to wear this dress for a friend's wedding which had the theme that consisted of fall colors. There were so many choices to choose from- amber, bronze, midnight blue, forest green, burnt sienna etc. but ultimately I chose red because even if I used to try to avoid the color because it made me look more Asian than ever...I realized that it's not a bad thing because after all, I really am Asian and proud to be one at that! I always associated this color to affection, intensity, passion and well blood, which, well to be honest, are all elements of love. I will shed more insight on this topic as I go along the post but for the meantime, enjoy my outfit as I definitely had a grand time wearing it...

Melodies and Desires

Here I am wearing a Spanish Rose outfit as it was the styling that was fitting for this romantic lace dress that I got from the collection of e-foxcity.com. The dress was in every aspect romantic and had such ornate and delicate pieces and so I decided to go along this passionate route and play every part of a senyorita. This outfit is built on the idea of seductive Latin-Spanish references. I decided to use red accents to make the look more passionate and enticing. This is a different take on another Spanish Rose outfit I wore for Valentine's this year but I am happy to have been able to get a new chance to style something so different with a similar vibe. The good thing is that my entire ensemble was just perfect to shoot amidst the backdrop of columns and marble poles. It had a very classic, vintage and elegant vibe and that definitely went well with my outfit. I look at the photos and just go, "Wow!" because I was so in awe on how perfect the entire outfit played out. The photos were unbelievably amazing and I loved every bit of how this turned out. Isn't this outfit post just absolutely like a scene from a dream? By the way, this outfit is especially for my brother Enzo, who leaves for Barcelona soon!

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! This year, I decided to create a white and gold gown for our traditional annual Christmas Eve dinner at Old Manila at The Peninsula Manila. I patterned this dress after seeing it on Marchesa's S/S 2011 catalog and I knew that "THAT" was going to be my Christmas dinner dress right away. It has a huge satin bow at the back and a 2 meter chiffon train which made it inevitable that I was teased the whole night by my cousin and brother as being very bridal. Modified the dress though by making the dress tighter with the body/ base made of white and gold brocade. The chiffon train also was not plain but rather had a pinker cream tone and was embellished by gold metallic flowers. It was a great night of scrumptious food from the new chef, good wine and champagne and of course the best company of loved ones and family. Happy Holidays!!!

It's tradition that I glam it up for our Christmas Eve dinner. In memory of the 3 Christmases I have been on Chictopia, here's a link to the past years' dresses:
2009's Dress
2008's Dress (I had short hair then....)
2007's Dress



The menu for the night was:
(Thanks to Manila Pen's staff for accommodating a special menu for us since I have so many allergies. The chef was genius! One of the best dinners EVER!)

Amuse Bouche
Asparagus Arugula Green Salad with Olive Oil and Vinaigrette
Spiced Foie Gras wrapped in Prosciutto w/ melba toast
Pan Seared foie gras with caramelized apples and pears
Mushroom consomme
Champagne Blueberry Sorbet
Grilled Beef Tenderloin served with pumpkin, baked potato, caramelized shallots and port wine sauce
Layers of raspberries and mango coated mousse with whipped cream
Coffee or Tea and Christmas Cookies
Chocolate Pralines
(+ champagne/ wine for every course!)


And of course, here are some photos of my fabulous and loving family.....

Hope you all had a great Christmas shared with family and loved ones!

xx

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