SMILE A LITTLE MORE

 

Mags top | WAGW leggings | 

Mango bag | Quinn Shoe Salon wedges

Lately, I've been finding myself smiling (without teeth) excessively and it's beginning to bug me. It's all because of a laceration at the side of my lips due to stress and dehydration. So I have no choice but to simper at EVERYONE. Yes, even to strangers; please don't take offense as I'm beginning to think I'm looking too self-satisfied about it. Because if I won't smile, you'll see the most nauseating, bloody hell of a gash in the whole school. Another thing, I've stopped talking too much because of it too (thank heavens. So when I get to see a friend, instead of yapping about how my day went, I smile and just nod the whole time (hahahaha ohmygod I'm laughing at the thought of it. I just remembered how silly I look like).

Hey, it's okay to laugh at yourself once in a while. Try not to beat yourself up from the stress school or work has been giving you. Look at me, school and work has LITERALLY beat me on the mouth. hahaha

Anyway, I'm going to share to you something that will somehow and I hope will make you smile: 

18 THINGS THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE

by: Kovie Biakolo

1. Elderly couples holding hands.
2. The laughter of babies/small children. (Yes, even for those of you who think they are little monsters.)
3. When you witness any sort of kindness being done to a stranger.
4. When you observe “friends” who so obviously like each other as more than friends.
5. Bacon. (As a person with vegetarian tendencies, I disagree, but many will inevitably smile at this, so I’m including it.)
6. Remembering a fond childhood memory.
7. Finding something you’ve lost.
8. Unexpectedly running into a long lost friend that you miss.
9. Getting flowers, a card, or a message of love in the form of a call, text, email, or voicemail from someone that you love.
10. When your crush/someone you’re really attracted to smiles at you first.
11. Pictures from high school or college of you and your friends having a good time.
12. When the sun finally shines after some not so sunny weather.
13. Waking up to the smell of breakfast. (Unless of course you’re one of those strange people who don’t like breakfast.)
14. Finding cash in your pocket.
15. Your apartment after you’ve had a “cleanup/makeover” day.
16. Your favorite cartoon from childhood.
17. A moment of reflection that comes to you when you realize that you have a lot to be grateful for.
18. Doing anything that makes somebody else genuinely smile.

 

 

 You've noticed? I wore heels after such a long time! I couldn't remember when was the last time I wore a pair to school but nevertheless, I discovered the perfect ones light enough for a long day ---> Quinn Shoe Salon has a lot of styles to choose from and I'm happy to tell you that they're based in Davao! Yey!

I for one am not the heels kind of girl, but when I do wear heels, they need to be comfy, sturdy without sacrificing style. I'm glad these heels mark three checks on these categories. I actually ran whilst wearing them, that's how cushy it is.

Visit their fanpage to know more about them and their new products: QUINN SHOE SALON

Glad I am of help! :)

I am Definitely (Maybe) Not a Beach Person

 

Mags hat and maxi dress

Charles and Keith sandals

I really don't get gung-ho about going to the beach -- unless if I really need to, say my and my friend's birthday "celebration" (we chowed down so much carcinogenic meat, I feel like I'm not going to make it to my next birthday). Here's why I am not and will never be a beach girl:

1. Most despised mode of transportation = anything that involves water. I don't know about you but I'm deathly scared of the open sea. It all stemmed from a trip to Brunei a few years back. We came from a Malaysian island, rode a crowded fast craft to Bandar Seri Begawan for a grueling 6 hours. I closed my eyes the entire time, chanting my favorites from the Hillsong while pretending to be in a plane. The waves bordering to tsunamis, slammed unto my window side a couple of hours before our arrival. After that, I knew that I will never ever get on a cruise. 

2. Sea Creatures. And after all that has been said, what if the boat really does sink? Yes, you have your life jackets but then, do we really have full awareness of what's underneath? Brushing up against our legs? Am I getting you jumpy? Sorry. Again, I know for a fact that there's a substantial percentage of sea creatures that hasn't been discovered yet. And I don't want to be the one to. Let's save it for the biologists or oceanographers or Charles Darwin.

3. The People. I can not deal with overcrowded places -- except for The Killers concerts, I really won't mind sweat and beer breath (me, still hoping to go to their concert this September). Here in Davao, we're lucky enough to have a lot of beaches (case in point: Island Garden City of Samal to be exact), some still virgin, some are pretty banged up ( case in point: all the others in Davao's shoreline). Blame it on the massive beer house extensions -- what the hell happened? 

I remember being in Boracay during my 18th birthday. Never did I enjoy basking under the heat of the sun, all because of the "businessmen" disturbing you to buy their products/ or for you to try their services (massage and others.. ). I detested 40% of my stay in there -- 60% of the things I loved was because of the beautiful scenery, sunset, great food and most of all, I was with my family.

4. Public Bath. Unless if you're really on vacation. But when you're from Davao, we usually go for a day trip to our favorite Samal resort. I shiver at the mind's eye of someone peeking through the thatched roof -- all the more if it's a hybrid manananggal totally immune to the sun. Oh there goes my imagination.

5. Beach as the motivation to have THE BODY. It's a win-win situation for me. If I don't work myself out to have the beach body, then I have an excuse not to go to the beach. If I do however, then I'll be fit again and HAVE to go to the beach ( don't try to defend yourselves, I know everybody thinks this way. It's summer and it's the only time we can show off our bodies in the internet without looking too slutty) - which brings us to square one -- I am not a beach person.

The only place I can think of as the perfect beach right now is El Nido in Palawan. My father recently went there for a meeting/ seminar ( he gets to choose where - lucky him) and he has been saying of how majestic and serene the place is. 

Otherwise, if you know any other beach close by, that will specifically pass my coward standards, please do tell me. Make me change my mind! On the other hand, I think Maldives is not too far from here...

 

With my girl fraaands. haha Wore a Dorothy Perkins bikini and a random skirt I got from Seoul. 

Enjoy the rest of the summer while it's still here! :)

A CONFESSION

Mango blazer | G2000 top | Forever 21 hat and leggings

Topshop wedge sneakers

WARNING: I will be very emotional in this blog entry of mine. A friend made me wake up to these insights and these thoughts deserve a write-up - well, by mere assumptions, but I really THINK I should write about it, for the purpose of:

1. If you know me, really, really well (if you're a) Chelsea Aranton b) my ex c) Wilson d)other persons who know me too well), then you don't have to read this. Skip this post and go to the other sections of our blog. Teehee. 

2. If you THINK you know me, read my story, 'cause I'm pretty sure you all made your short shrifts about me. This would be the premise to your stand. It will be my honor if you read this.

3. If you don't know me, well, I suppose you haven't made your "judgment", read this by all means. Please understand that I'm not the best writer and I try too hard to be good at it so stay for a while and know my story. 

         I remember not being particularly liked in highschool - even up until now I assume; okay maybe more in high school. If you ask me now, I would have hated high-school-Pat as well. I was what you call, a catty, malicious, bitchy and overbearing girl. I'm still somewhat bitchy though; moments to each of her own. I never backed down any fight back then, I didn't care so much if they were on the right side of the game or not. I was very mean, every year I was involved in petty fights between absolute strangers, people who don't even know me, (are you listening number 2?). But being a catty, malicious, bitchy and overbearing girl was never my ambition. Something triggered that side of me and I think about these people every now and then.

         One time ( I was in my third year), while walking in the canteen with my friends, a seemingly "scrupulous" older girl stared at me intensely. I became really conscious. Wtf. Why is she giving me nasty looks now? What did I do to her? I don't even give a shit load of care about her. Apparently, she was saying to her friends how "buki" I looked with my floral blouse and laughed at me. What she didn't know was that my father gave me that blouse as his birthday gift to me -- and that hurt me pretty badly.  I didn't understand the level of cruelty some people have at that time. She continued to torment me for the rest of the school year but I learned not to back down and I never let her show my low points. Before, I wondered if her father even has the time of the day to find the perfect gift for her, with all the money they have I say he doesn't. She could shop whatever she wanted but the feeling of getting a very special gift, that your father personally picked and took the time from his busy schedule, is a thing I will always get hopeful for and something I wish she could have experienced.

        You see, I'm very sensitive, I get hurt quite easily. Bu I'm also very transparent and you would know if I get hurt. High school made me realize that people would mind pulling you down -- for whatever reason that is. Some of the people I had altercations with are now my good friends, can you believe that? Yes, even my blog partner Wilson. We weren't in the same zone back then; blame it on the catty, malicious, bitchy and overbearing girl that I became. I would always hold my guard against everyone. It's as if school was a battleground and everyone else were my enemies. Didn't surprise me when recently, a friend of mine said, "sira na man talaga reputation mo sa mga kaibigan ko. High school pa lang" (my friends said you have a bad reputation since high school). I guess he said that in the most bona fide way possible, but because I'm the most notoriously sensitive girl, I cried myself to sleep without him knowing. 

       If only people knew what I've been through. I like to think of myself as a very strong person, but amidst the knowledge of everyone, I have put up this bitchy facade to hide away every weakness I have inside. Sometimes I would find myself inside the wash room cubicle crying just so that I would feel okay afterwards. 

      I never wanted to have a tarnished reputation, I mean, who does? I can only fend for myself. If that's what people have spoken, so be it. I learned how not care anymore for as long as I know I've outgrown high-school-pat-with-so-much-angst. I'm very stable now. I know what I want. When I'm wrong, I try my best to be humble and owe up to my mistakes. I say sorry now. But when I know that I'm in the good side of things, I still don't back down. That's the thing I could never defeat- myself when I am for sure, 100% right.

     Don't get me wrong, I'm not the most righteous person and I still can't stand people who pretend to be one -- cussing out everything wrong about me while doing the exact same things. Cough* hypocrites cough. The great old, medieval adage says, "Eat your shit" is true in every sense of the word.

After a few years of intense havoc, I'm finally here. Still somewhat bitchy and prideful at times but yeah, who's perfect again? But I'm so darn happy at where I am now. All the pain and drama in high school taught me well enough on how live in the real world. I thank the Lord for the blessings, my family and my friends who have stayed with me for such a long time despite my shortcomings.

Part of the blessings is Fashion Blog TV, a semi-reality and lifestyle program that I will be a part of. I'm really, really excited about this project. I can't wait to see it on Sky Cable!

Here's a sneak peek of our taping two weeks ago:

 

 Seeing the pictures, suddenly, all the pain in high school seems like a blur to me now. Maybe I did something good to deserve this. Who knows? :)

    a.k.a a former catty, malicious, still somewhat bitchy; not anymore an overbearing girl but truly blessed and loves her friends, family and blogging. :)

Style Zodiac x Vanilla Clothing Summer Giveaway Winners

Sorry to keep you waiting! Here are the winners of our recent giveaway! Congratulations to all of you and thank you for joining!

So there are 63 entries, most have 2 entries since they also follow our blog

 

Winner number 1:  Teng Soriano

 

Winner number 2: Anne Marielle Gantuangco

 

Winner number 3: Jam Rosos

PLEASE MESSAGE ME VIA TWITTER OR FACEBOOK :) 

CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN! :)