Sweater Weather

Since we've no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Don't you just love the holidays? Christmas is my second favorite season (next to summer!) because everyone is just in a giving and cheerful mood. That, and it's the perfect time to take out our trusty sweaters from the deepest corners of our closet. Before you say anything, yes, it doesn't snow in Manila, but it gets a bit chilly around this time of the year and it's a great excuse to cozy up. ;)

My self-proclaimed hiatus has been going on for far too long and now I'm breaking my habit of taking blogging breaks that are too far apart!

Since the two weeks before Christmas are notorious for racking up parties left and right, the holiday rush and the traffic that ensues, I was lucky enough to be invited (still!) to my Mom's office Christmas party. Luckily, it rained quite a bit and I had the perfect excuse to wear this cozy top and my new floral boots out.

Sweaters aren't exactly the most flattering clothing items in the world. They're definitely the antithesis to any LBD, but now is the perfect opportunity to go for comfort and to rock the holiday spirit in style with a little dash of attitude.

I went for a monochromatic top and skirt combo. The floral boots were the twist to an otherwise blah outfit. Look closely, the sweater actually has gold sequins that add to the festive feel of the look. I decided to go minimal on accessories with just a gold watch and a gold ring (which I forgot to take a photo of!) and just let the key items stand out on their own.

Watch: Casio

Boots: SM Parisian

LOL moment! Out-take from the OOTD shoot.

As for the makeup, I went with a basic face, just some eyeliner, mascara, and eyebrow groomed in. I focused on the dark cherry lip, which seems to be a big trend this season. The shade I'm wearing here is Deepest Cherry from Maybelline. I also did some contouring on the cheeks, just to emphasize the focal point - the lip. On the way home, I saw Forever 21's billboard which features a model who was wearing the exact same look. Awesome!

Sweater: Zara

Skirt: Vintage

Give those sweaters some love! How will you rock them this season? :)

P.S. Check out my December beauty finds! Have you tried these products? Can't wait to rave about them!

Corporate Chic: Hearts and Spades

I always tell myself to make an extra effort to look nicer when going to work, but when you're barely keeping enough time set solely for makeup in the morning, you throw on the first thing you find and hit the door. I hate arriving late at work, so I always make it a point to be there AT LEAST 15 minutes ahead of my required time in.

On the rare occasion that I wake up early and have extra time to carefully plan my outfit (I barely do it at night, because I will change my mind in the morning for sure, so it's absolutely pointless and out of the question), I am often surprised by the results of my random selections. I dig into my closet to see if there are things I haven't really worn yet or much at all, and try to work around it. Who said anything about hitting the racks in stores every time you feel stuck in a fashion rut? The secrets are all in your closets! Just have patience to sift through and surprise yourself with your selection. Just like a deck of cards, right? You never really know what you're going to get, but the fun is in making it all your own. Call it a bluff or a win that's waiting in the wings, always remember to be fierce enough to fight for your hand. ;)

Top: Vintage

Inner top: Forever 21

Skirt: from Greenhills

Wallet: Ever New

Watch: Casio

Sandals: Parisian

Have a great weekend!

Hitched

Just so we're clear, I'm not married nor did I get married recently. However, we went to a family friend's wedding in Intramuros, Manila on Friday. I had to skip work for half the day to get ready. It took place in Baluarte de San Diego, which was this amazing garden venue by the historic Intramuros walls. Love was definitely in the air and all of the guests could not be any happier for the couple. So to Jazzmin and Jason, congratulations and best wishes! Make lots of beautiful memories and babies together! :)

Anyway, here are a few snapshots of what went down that night. Please pardon the poor quality of the photos, I only had my phone and trusty old digital camera with me then. :)

Perhaps I must give you a short kwento about the two. They have been friends for the longest time. It was in high school when they started dating, and despite 11 years of ups and downs, they managed to stick it out until the end and look where it got us! It's true what they say: "Sa hinaba-haba ng prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang tuloy."

I'd like to believe that a love like theirs is rare. Having someone to love and someone to love you back is difficult enough, but surviving of 11 years through all the odds, now that's something special.

The cutest cake topper ever!

Welcome to wonderland!

OMG the long queue to the free frappe counter! Thanks, Starbucks! 

The stunning bride. :)

 

All we need is love!

Then came the night's most moving moment, when they were thanking their respective parents

Mr. and Mrs. Salazar! :)

 And now, moving on to the reception proper:

Hello, BB cream and your reflective properties! :))

Mom and Friends.

The couple share their first dance as husband and wife.

Yiheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Photo op!

Mom giving the couple pabaon.

 

As we bid farewell to the festivities.

And it goes without saying, that I will share what I wore to the event:

Dress: Vintage

Belt: Vintage

Fascinator Headband: SM Department Store

Heels: Parisian Shoes and Bags

Bangle: Gift from Mom

Weddings always inspire me and restore my faith in love and the goodness of the universe. It's a reminder that there is hope for all of us, that somewhere, somehow, there's someone out there for us. God has handpicked that very person to make all of our pain, our heartbreak, our disappointments in previous relationships, worth the tears. At the end of the day, we will be led to the one we're meant to spend eternity with.

While I'm Alive

Hola, chicas! It's a hump day Wednesday and I write to you now straight from my bed as I laze around and chill out. I can't even begin to describe how exhausted I am today, but I just really want to check in on everyone, in my continuous attempts to update this blog as often as I humanly can. Yay! :)

Earlier today, my work friends, Sha and Rae invited me for a lunch out at the infamous International House of Pancakes (IHOP) over at High Street (which, thankfully, is a few walks away from where I work).

While waiting for our turn to be seated, Sha took my outfit shots outside. That's CPK behind me, by the way. :)

I was feeling a little more vintage-y and hipstrrrr than usual. It's been a looong time since I last threw on something I really felt like wearing. I dunno. It just gets so katamad to dress up sometimes. If you notice, I haven't really posted much lately. BUT! I'm trying so very hard to change that!

These were taken with my Samsung phone. Surprising how well they turned out, thanks to the Instagram-like app, Pixlr.com. If you happen to be on Instagram, you can catch me there: ajmsaavedra and see what else I have up my sleeve. ;)

Top: Vintage

Random Belt

Skirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Parisian

  

Right, you're probably wondering about the title of the post, yeah? I was just listening to new indie stuff earlier today I'll catch you guys another day, yeah? Good night and sweet dreams. :)

Without You

Aloha! How's everybody been doing?! I sure hope you still haven't forgotten about me! Yes, your trusty neighborhood cheap-thrill-seeker is back with a vengeance! I know, I know. It's been MONTHS and it seems like I've abandoned this ship, but fret not! I am here once again and I am doing my darn best to stay afloat!

So yeah, you might have been asking what I've been up to in the past few months, well, I've been drowning in my corporate woes. If not for the numerous events I've been handling and going to, left and right, you can probably find me sandwiched between piles of paper and endless trails of administrative work. It's such a lame excuse for being cyber-dead for a while, but I am trying my darn hardest to turn things around!

Anyway, on to the outfit, I wore this to the David Guetta Live in Manila concert at the MOA Arena last October 10, 2012. Just when I was about to scream my lungs off from frustration and all the stress that's been piling on my shoulders at the time, my good friend Kach, messaged me, asked if I wanted to see the show. OF COURSE I WANTED TO SEE DAVID GUETTA SPIN LIVE! I've been wanting to for the past couple of weeks! The offer couldn't have come at a better time... and get this! THE TICKET WAS GIVEN TO HER FOR FREE! Oh, and did I mention that those were VIP tickets?

 

Dress: Forever 21

Wedges: Parisian Shoes

 Bag: Sophie Signatures

Watch: Link

 

Kissy kissy! Lovin' my Gypsy lipstick from E.L.F.!

World, meet Kach, one of the kookiest girls I know. Thanks for the tickets, love! :)

The show was wiiiild! I mean that in a good way. David was smiling all throughout his set, so was DJ Alesso and DJ Kaz James, who both rocked the house before David brought it down!

The crowd, in panorama.

We LOVE you too, David!

David kept leaping on to his table, making the crowd roar with excitement! I'm really glad I came to see the show. Without you, David, my week probably would have been one sigh of disappointment after another. Without you, I wouldn't have been as psyched to fly to Bacolod and catch an early flight (sans the sleep afterwards). 

It's good to have something to look forward to at the end of every day. For fellow working girls like me whose stress levels are always on a record high, we must never forget to still strive for that work-life balance they speak of. Yes, it's fulfilling to work yourself to the bone and get things done, but after a while, it gets toxic and suffocating. We end up being burned out and sick of everything, even before it started.

So yeah, once in a while, kick off your high-heels, strut to the beat of life outside the four corners of your office, and just have fun! 

I'll see you guys around, yeah? :)

Love, 

SGT