I Know Places We Can Hide

There are some places in life where you can only go alone. Some steps that need to be taken alone. It’s the only way to really figure out where you need to go and who you need to be.  Embrace the beauty of your solo journey.

As much as I love my job with so much zeal and passion, I have to admit that I can't do it 24/7 and that being human and all... I also need to take a break. I've always lived with that mindset that when I start something, I need to finish it so I tend to fixate on things which makes me anxious and very neurotic. I am one of those people who sometimes forget to take a break until I burn out. Thankfully, I was able to find a way to have that much sought after work-life balance and I don't feel guilty or like a slacker when I take breaks. More so, the activities I engage in are more wholesome and enriching and I am happy to have matured...finally. I look back at my past self and can't believe that huge disparity between the person I used to be and the activities I used to do and the person that I am now and the activities I make time for. I've learned to prioritize, to keep a level head and to know there is a great big world out there. This necessary awakening was a result of taking much needed time off boys and dating. I guess I have to thank my ex-boyfriends and my break-ups for giving me the chance to be alone so I can grow on my own... and so far, I like the person that I am. I am more calm and stable. I am no longer impulsive and I've managed to understand the concept of applying myself despite a few setbacks I have. At some point, I also stopped feeling sorry for myself and actually carried on and did something with my life. I figured out what I want to be and where I belong and this level of transcendence and self-actualization would not have been in any way possible had I stayed in a relationship because I learned to stop defining my happiness and myself with the person I was with. Now I can say that the source of my happiness and contentment comes from myself and my advocacy. Suffice to say, I learned to depend on myself and I think I needed that a lot. I wouldn't be able to do all these things and realize all these unless I was all by myself. It's a funny thing when people say that when "God closes a door, he opens a window," because after spending sufficient time reflecting, I think the more appropriate thing to say is that when "God closes a door and shuts the window... it's because He is building an entirely new and better house for yourself..." And isn't that just a lovely thought?

Not another teen queen in bubble gum pink

I know what everyone is thinking with this outfit at first glance. I actually taught it myself when I saw myself in the mirror. The bubble gum pink statement sweater + the pleated cheerleader style miniskirt = the outfit of the teen queen in most H.S. movies and of course when you think of H.S. teen queen, I think Regina George from Mean Girls is the first character that comes to mind. It might be that I am 27 going on 28... but I feel this strange need to dress up as fun and as young as possible the past few days because I can still get away with it. Besides, what is fashion if not fun? Sometimes, one has to take a whimsical outlook too when it comes to dressing up... So I wore this to the much-awaited for Manila Sundance Bazaar over at Metrotent, Ortigas.

They don't call it "fall" for nothing

There is always so enticing about fall colors that I like. To be honest, I am not a fan of the weather but I do like the whole situational dressing involved in the new season. I am a fan of the colors and I think that definitely shows in this outfit which involves elements of a few of my favorite colors including cobalt blue and wonderful hues of beige and brown. I have been waiting forever to wear this outfit. You see, I bought it last year and it was just forever hung on the rack of clothing I have already matched and paired. Unfortunately, some clothes were prioritized and this ended up on the back burner of the rack. By the time I realized this outfit existed (yes, it is a very dire situation) it was already almost summer so back to the rack it went. Since it is appropriate to wear now, I knew I had to wear it. I paired it with my favorite beige cape (not seen on the photo) as the weather was quite harsh then but had some time to take some photos of me in this luckily. Don't get me wrong, I am lamenting the return of the -ber seasons. A new season always brings in new hopes, new expectations so I always make it a point to take time and smell that musky scent of earth after rain (it is referred to as "petrichor" I think). It's true that like all good things (aka. summer) must come to an end. And after all, "they don't call it fall for nothing."

On Standards, Taking The Stand and Standing Up For Yourself

"I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to wish for a perfect life. The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down. I'm choosing to stand up taller. I'll probably get knocked down a few more times before this life is through with me, but I can guarantee you I'll never stay on the ground."

 -Colleen Hoover

It is a popular saying in fashion that every woman must dress like they are going to meet their worst enemy. I never really made sense of that and I never found any reason to believe in that. Now that I go to court for hearings, it still quite doesn't make sense to me. Probably because I never really dressed up for anyone other than myself. Simply put, I dress up for me but with the consideration that I am appropriate enough to make an effort to show the people who I am meeting that I respect them enough to have come up with a well-thought of outfit and not be sloppy. Don't get me wrong, I am always appropriately dressed for almost anything as the occasion calls for but I don't really put into consideration what other people will think when it comes to what I want to wear. I am an advocate of "situational dressing." But that is about as far as it goes for me. Personally, I dress up for a said situation/occasion the way I want to and the day I wore this outfit was dedicated to all-white and powder blue, which to me was inspired by a very cool and calming color palette which was the complete opposite of the events that were to transpire that day. You see, I had to take the stand.