Corporate Chic: Let Loose

"Work hard, play hard. Keep partyin' like it's your job."

David Guetta sure has gotten this statement down to a tee. It's a yuppie's dream. Work-life balance. When you're drowning under a pile of paperwork, spending hours on end on that impossible assignment, losing friends one by one because you can't just seem to make the time to show up in barkada get-togethers, and finding yourself slumping in bed after each and every work day. Sad to say, but it's a common scenario. Even I am unfortunately suffering from this too-busy-to-socially-function syndrome, but I am still in the process of struggling to strike that perfect balance between work and play. Work to live, not live to work, right?

I guess I'm blessed to have learned, grown, and evolved so much from my severely idealist fresh-grad self. And I'm beyond grateful for having met such amazing people that I choose to surround myself with everyday. When there's just so much going on in your life at any given time, being around positive souls that encourage you to outshine the darkness that engulfs you really helps.

Don't dwell on the negative, on what's exhausting. Instead, liberate your spirit and enjoy the ride!

Inner top: Forever 21

Loose knit top: Vintage

Pants: Stradivarius

Heels: Charles and Keith

Watch: Basic from Unlimited Manila

Snake wrap-around bracelet: Luxe and Luster

Shades: Random

Photos by Ja Quintana

And now, making their debut on She Goes Thrifty, I'd like you all to meet Ross and Red, fellow yuppies, hipstrrrrs, Mean Girls, and soul sisters.

Stay warm and dry!

Weekend Warriors: Brighter than the Sun

I'm sure you've seen or heard this commercial:

I was invited by my friend from work, Ericka, to go to the opening of Solaire Resort and Casino over at Pasay. Having nothing better to do on a weekend, I decided to make rampa with Ericka to the newest attraction in town.

Getting there was such a hassle. Since it's the first day that the place will be fully opened to the public, the traffic was bad! We got there pretty late. The program was over and we didn't get our free goodie bag! :(

Nevertheless, we had fun exploring and touring the place. It was actually quite spectacular. Compared to Resorts World Manila, Solaire is definitely more exquisite. We really felt the exclusivity of the place. The only downside is that RW Manila had something for everyone. Solaire can be pretty limiting in terms of food choices and activities.

Check out our random moments while enjoying getting lost inside Solaire:

That's us, trying to entertain ourselves while stuck in intense traffic.

Almost there!

 This chandelier really caught our eye.

Some of the restaurants inside:

If you're feeling like having Japanese.

For the meat-lovers.

Chinese food fanatics, this is your best bet.

This is inside Eclipse Lounge, where we hung out.

Eclipse Lounge is definitely recommended for those who just want a chill time with their friends and family. Enjoy their wide selection of cocktails, wines, and other drinks. We tried out their mocktails. 

It had green apple slices, muscovado sugar, and mint leaves. Definitely a must-try! :)

We managed to take a few snapshots inside the casino, but we got asked to stop taking pictures mid-way. :(

Wait, I'm also going to share my makeup look for the day. Used my Benefit Hello Oxygen Wow Foundation and Brow Zings! I went for a simple day look with a punch of bright pink lips to pack some unpredictability into it.

 

And of course, no entry is complete without a quintessential outfit post. Lately, I stopped planning my outfits and I just go with whatever I blindly pull out from my closet. I haven't worn this red top yet and I wore it over my LBD from, well, my favorite brand, Forever 21.  You may notice that I like to mix things up with vintage items with branded ones. I'm not particularly brand-conscious, but I do favor some brands more than others. I'm on a constant evolution in terms of fashion and I stand by all my style choices. 

You can never go wrong with an LBD. But knowing me, I can't just go with a plain outfit. Also, the neckline of the dress was pretty low, so I felt the need to cover it up so as not to attract the wrong kind of attention. It was, after all, a formal occasion. Thankfully, this top hasn't had the chance to step out into the world, and today it did.

 Dress (used as a skirt): Forever 21

Cover-up: Vintage

Heels: Charles and Keith

I bid farewell for now but I'll be back for more kwentos and ganaps by tomorrow. Can't wait for my appointment with Barenaked Sugaring Salon in Katipunan! I will also see Atlantis Productions' Piaf tomorrow! It's a busy weekend after all! See you around the city!

Fancy Pansies

Hey! Ho! How's everyone doing? Gosh! I can't believe it took me weeks to get back here again! I've been crazy busy traveling all over the Philippines for work lately, I barely had even enough time to take a breather.

Writing can be such a release for me. Despite all the stress and worries that have been plaguing me, even in my dreams, I know that I can always go back to that one happy place, tie all my frustrations to my word balloons, and let them go. 

Life may have thrown in a few storms here and there, but I'm so glad to have a solid rock to rely on in times of tough winds. I'm grateful for the rain and for the silver linings that never fail to remind me never to wither away with troubles, but to grow through them, to become better despite them, and to inspire others to do the same.

Moved by the figurative winds, this outfit is something I wouldn't normally wear on a day-to-day basis. My mom got it for me from Mint. I was saving it for a special occasion, and that very moment came in the form of Sinulog Festival Queen in Cebu.

One of our brands sponsored in the event and we were fortunate enough to score VIP seats to see such an amazing show!

Basically, they search for the most beautiful and most graceful muse from among all the contingents in the current Sinulog Festival, to be the face of the whole festivities. It was just spectacular!

 Dress: Mint

Heels: Charles and Keith

Necklace: She Goes Thrifty

Meet my good friend from work, Liz! She took my pictures for this very post. Thanks, Liz! :)

We're just big goof balls, that's all!

Don't let the winds knock you down. Go with it, fight through it, whatever you do, let them take you where you want to be.

Check out these snapshots of the Sinulog Festival Queen! The first photo shows the 2-minute sampler performance of each contingent for the festival proper, along with their muse. The last two shots show two of the contestants vying for the title, as they dance along to the Sinulog, with the Santo Nino in their hands. Look at their elaborate dresses!

 

Happy weekend! :)

Black and Blue All Over

 "Let the rain kiss you. 

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops.

 Let the rain sing you a lullaby."

~ Langston Hughes

The weather has been anything but warm and sunny. It's early in January, yet it's as stormy as July. Odd, isn't it? If you're like me who's always been a summer kid (I was born in April, the peak of the summer season in the Philippines), you probably won't fancy the chilly breeze on days like what we've been having lately. Au contraire, there's something melancholic and beautiful about the rain. It makes me want to cozy up in my room with a nice book and a warm cup of hot dark chocolate with extra marshmallows. Like some senti person who watches the rain drops crawl through the glass outside, as if clinging on to dear life, hoping to find its place.

Oddly enough, that's what I've been feeling lately. I've been out of sorts, perhaps due to all the mayhem going on in one side of my otherwise humdrum life. I'm somewhat happy elsewhere. Okay, maybe not in the love department, but you get the point. Work has been anything but gentle. I just wish that life would play on like a well-rehearsed music video fit for the rainy days. Not even the wind can calm down the beast's heart, not even with its lethargic lullaby.

Enough of the poetry, on to the outfit, shall we go? Right, so one rainy Friday, a new teammate of mine, Ria, has agreed to take a walk outside the office, snap a few shots of me, grab coffee, and return to our reality as per usual. Thanks, Ria! :)

 Top: Forever 21

Jeans: Forever 21

Heels: Charles and Keith

Rosary Necklace from Quiapo Church

Soak in the out pour! Live every waking moment, no matter how depressing it may seem to be, remember that even the darkest clouds carry with them the brightest sunshine after all.