We Found Wonderland

You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your own drum. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.

It's been a good 11 days since my last blog and I apologize for the lack of updates. The thing is- I wanted to make my blogs for this year extra special and amazing so I knew I had to actually make time for every outfit post. Until three days ago, I was actually quite distracted by other things (one of them, being video answers on Ask.fm which I found so much fun) and while my social media presence was actually quite very strong, unfortunately my blogging had to take a backseat. However, now that I am back, expect me to be back in full force... with guns blazing... I am excited to share with you my outfit and my thoughts for the year to come... so let's get started with this post...

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.

Anchor Yourself To Something Special

Everything changed the day she figured out that there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.

I have been on this one woman mission of reinvention ever since the middle of the year, when I woke up and realized that somehow... my life didn't make sense to me the way I needed it to. I had matching tattoos done on the left side of my ribcage with my sister Katie with the word 'evolve' and it is the single one tattoo I don't think I will ever regret because I consider myself forever changing and evolving into more of me. It is very easy to get brainwashed by the standard set for me by the society but somehow I managed to break free... (Cue in this year's very meaningful Halloween costume) There are exactly 17 days left in this year's calendar. I am thankful. I found myself this year... not realizing how lost I was. Currently, I find myself so free that even if someone put me in cuffs, I'd still feel my freedom. I find comfort in being comforting. I think at one point, I got lost in the trend of keeping up with the trends until one day, I decided that I was the trend and that I should only be keeping up with was myself. The past years, I think I have been laying my foundation on something weak and shaky... like relationships and other people but I think I have somehow transitioned. Another meaningful tattoo that I got was behind my left ear and it is an anchor which is of significance for two reasons: (1) since my initials "JL" put together resemble an anchor so much, it might as well be my own sigil and (2) because despite how many reasons are thrown at me, I refuse to sink. Life's toughest storms the strength of our anchors... and I think mine has proven to be tough enough as it has been put to the test so many times.

Lucky Strike

Today I wondered why my eyelashes aren't thick enough and why my feet aren't small enough. Then it hit me. Why do we take these insignificant things like millimeters on lashes and shoe boxes and then try to fit ourselves into those stupid molds? Why do I take the beauty that is me, and measure it up to a shoe size? A length of hair on my eyes? Am I not the more wonderful creation, far more great than those stupid things? Why do we take ourselves and desecrate ourselves daily? Pushing ourselves into cubicles because we think we are supposed to fit into them? Are we ice cubes? And suddenly I just don't understand the inadequacies anymore! Because they're not even inadequacies, at all! I will laugh and be beautiful.

Songs of Innocence

C. Joybell C. once said: “I think that the best thing we can do for our children is to allow them to do things for themselves, allow them to be strong, allow them to experience life on their own terms, allow them to take the subway... let them be better people, let them believe more in themselves.” 

Last week, fresh from the hospital, I was granted a wonderful chance to visit Keys School Manila where I was invited by the lovely faculty and staff especially Teacher Joyce to be a resource speaker to talk about Journalism and Blogging, a new topic that they are introducing into their curriculum as a special project. After my talk, the kids are going to come up with their own web blog wherein they can talk about their interests, hobbies, feelings, emotions etc. I was thrilled when I received the invite. Usually, I don't agree to give talks as much because I go to work on weekdays however since I was given the week off (from my recent confinement) and because I just simply cannot say "No" when it involves kids, I instantly responded that I was more than willing to go and give a short talk. You see, I love children. I really do. I find it refreshing to be with the young ones because there is something so magical in seeing the world through a child's eyes: with so much innocence, enthusiasm and spirit. If anything, I would love to be around that kind of energy more often because it is so pure and untainted by the world's ways. It was a beautiful day when I went to the school and the experience was absolutely unforgettable and one for the books. I am so glad to have been there since this was a day I definitely would not have missed out on the world.

PINK is POWER

Hello everyone! I am back to my favorite color: PINK for this outfit post, which I must say, was absolutely appropriate from The Clozette Ambassador's Afternoon Tea Party held at Commune over at H.V. Dela Costa Street which was exactly across the building I work in and spend most of my weekday afternoons in. It was a Saturday which meant no work so I decided to trade in my business attire for something more appropriate. The dress code called for Weekend Chic and I made sure to be situationally dressed and therefor sported this pale pink outfit. I committed to the color from head to toe, I must say.

A Rose By Any Name

I am all about situational dressing. I personally think that it is absolutely vital to know what to where depending on the occasion and the occasion I wore this outfit to called for flats, as a must and while I do prefer heels, I didn't want to be inappropriate so since the situation called for it, I wore flat shoes instead. The event I wore this ensemble to was the Cocorose Launch here in Manila where my FOSSIL Dominique was a muse and as you all know, I am very supportive and so, I made sure to support her all the way in this outfit and in flat shoes which I wore for the whole day...(I know, shocker, right?)  At the end of the day though, I was happy I chose to go and dress up this route as everyone was in flats and it was a strictly flats only event. I would've been totally out of place in my sky-highs so as much as I love my stilettos, it was only appropriate to leave them in my shoes closet, for that day at least.

A Better Version Of Me

Lately, I've been more than busy as I have decided to get up and go to the office and work from there. I once heard this popular saying that goes, “Find something you love to do, and you'll never work a day in your life” and I now that I am finally part of the workforce, I have a deeper understanding of this saying. Well, aside from the fact that I absolutely do enjoy going to work and of course, what I do, I am also quite happy to be also challenged to dress up more creatively. I never quite got it then but my outfits have always been more loud and playful even when I was in my early twenties well much into even after I turned 25. I guess that's what having your own business and being your own boss is all about: the perks. Eventually though, I had to outgrow that stage. My friend, Jamm, told me a few days ago that she has noticed that my outfit choice and style has metamorphosed into a more mellow and neutral palette... I must admit I have been going for less loud color schemes and more structured and architectural silhouettes and I didn't really think anyone would notice it because I was actually doing it on purpose... but hey, it worked apparently as it was pretty noticeable to the people around me. I grew up... my outfit choices grow up with me... but that doesn't mean you would be spared the shock of an altogether different look. As I say, my style is very bipolar and hypomanic but also, the things going on in my life play a great role in how I choose what to wear.  Now that I am experiencing how it is like to be part of the workforce (even if I am Executive Director, I am still answerable to people) and find the need to perform. Given that, I have been choosing ensembles that are more appropriate as office attire as I think how I carry myself in the office also represents the organization I am in. I think that it is all about the entire package when I get into something. I don't quite understand the concept of half-baked.

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.

Dancing in the Sun

Another series of my life is beautiful posts...I am sorry if I keep on harping about it that it almost seems like an advocacy but the one most true and honest thing about me is that because of decisions and changes I took for my own well-being, I ended up in this place where everything I see is quite extraordinary. To best describe it, allow me to borrow from a song, "I see life and light... All the colors of the world... So beautiful... Won't you come with me?...I see birds and trees... All the flowers of the world- So beautiful... Won't you come with me?" and aren't these words the best way to describe this very nature themed shoot and look as inspired by how beautiful the landscape was that surrounded me. This is one of my most natural blog posts to date... I have no extensions, my hair is just unkempt but tied up and I have little to none makeup. Allow me also to mention I have no accessories, save for this pretty Birds of Paradise flower and am in my favorite Mandals. Of course the coordinates I am wearing, provide to be the perfect clothing as well as they are very muted and simple. Do you get the dalagang Filipina vibe in this look? I sure do... And just to prove my point, I do not have to be fierce in every single outfit post. Sometimes, I like to just be carefree and as a reminder: laid back doesn't have to translate to sloppy.