Lookbook.nu Look: Higher Hemlines

Who doesn't love Manels? I know I do. So much so, in fact, that I ended up buying two pairs of shoes during their sale this past month - plus a wallet for the babydaddy. And I didn't just buy these two pairs of shoes because they were cheap and they just happened to be there. No, there was quite a bit of scouring going on.

See, initially, I fell in love with a pair of brown clogs from Manels before the sale was even on. I saw the pair in their Alabang Town Center branch and jumped up and down when they had it in a size 37 since it is sooo hard to find a size 37 in this country. Apparently, everyone is a size 37 here. Grrr. Anyway, it turns out that I'm a size 38 in Manels, and - surprise, surprise - the clogs were sold out in my size.

Fast forward to three stores later and a few days into the sale, I finally found my size in the brown clogs at SM Sucat. Hurray! I guess it's coz no one really goes to SM Sucat. Hehe. Unfortunately, while I was at SM Sucat, I also fell in love with a pair of blue animal print flats with a gold bow (fellow blogger Pax has them, and wears them with this outfit), and - surprise, surprise - my size was sold out. It was also sold out in the two other Manels branches that I frequent. :(

Fast forward to my trip to Cebu two weeks later and I actually ended up finding my size in the blue animal print flats at Manels in Ayala Center Cebu. Hurray! (Can you believe I had to go all the way to Cebu just to find a pair that fit me?) While I was there, I also saw the staff putting price tags on the new line of shoes. I simply can't wait to get my hands on some of them!!! I actually have a voucher for regular-priced Manels items and this hot pair is definitely going to be mine when I see it:

Anyway, since my beautiful brown Manels clogs were one of the five pairs of shoes that I had with me on my trip to Cebu, I decided to wear them to my future-in-laws' 28th anniversary dinner at Marco Polo:

white sleeveless top from Bayo

brown studded belt from Tomato

purple floral skirt from Forever 21

gold charm necklace from Juicy Couture

brown studded clogs from Manels

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The top is a bit big on me, which was a little annoying coz the sleeves kept falling off my shoulders during dinner, but I think I pulled it off. ;) What do you think?

Did you buy anything at Manels during their awesome sale, by the way? I'd love to see some of the looks you put together with Manels items. :) Post your links here!

Gwen Stefani Perfume

I've always wanted Gwen Stefani perfume - mostly because she has one called Lil Angel in her collections, and that was my nickname in my senior year of high school. Yes, I have longed for a Lil Angel bottle of perfume for a few years now. Well, lo and behold, she ended up releasing yet another new line for it (damn you, Gwen!!!). Now I have three bottles of perfume that I want: all of the Lil Angel perfumes by Gwen Stefani. Gah. Is it sad that I want them, even if I have no idea what they smell like? They're sooo cuuuuute. Check them out (I like that the Baby one could pass for Baby from 'Dirty Dancing'!):

Lookbook.nu Look: Hugs, Not Drugs

I recently blogged about Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's campaign and petition Real Men Don't Buy Girls. (Read about it here.)

Well, I came across this old wifebeater from my high school days and decided to make my own statement for the day; my own 'personal campaign', if you will: Hugs, Not Drugs.

black and white mini-scarf (gift)

pink statement wifebeater (gift)

blue jeans from Tomato

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Who's with me? :)

Kristen Stewart as Snow White: Are You Excited?

I'm not a big Twilight fan, but my brother is and I know how sad he is that the last installment is coming up because he loves Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, for some reason. Well, it looks like Kristen has been keeping herself busy with a new movie: Snow White. That's right. She is playing Snow White.

Now, when I first heard about this, I was quite intrigued. I'm not a big fan of Kristen Stewart, but I could definitely visualize her as the pale-skinned, red-lipped fairy tale princess, so I was excited to see what Hollywood would come up with for her. Then I heard that Charlize Theron was playing the Evil Queen and Chris Hemsworth was playing the Huntsman, and my heart could hardly contain its excitement anymore.

But then I saw this picture:

Not knocking the movie before I actually see it, but I saw 'Red Riding Hood' and I wasn't exactly jumping up and down after I saw that in the cinema. In fact, I was utterly disappointed because I was excited to see it when I saw the trailers. Judging by these pictures, Snow White seems to be going down that same route. When I heard the words "Kristen Stewart is playing Snow White", I thought I'd be seeing a movie along the lines of Kristin Kreuk's Snow White movie. Where is the fairy tale feel of it all? Where is the beauty? Most importantly: where is the classic Disney fairy tale - like dress that I was imagining seeing Kristen Stewart in???

Well, apparently, Hollywood will be having a similar take to the Disney movie, but this isn't the one. No, the one Kristin Stewart is in is called 'Snow White and the Huntsman' and it will be nothing like the Disney movie.

I'm a little sad that they're going down this modernized, non-fairy-tale like version since it would have been nice to see Kristen Stewart as a girly girl for a change. I actually think she'd look gorgeous if given the right makeover.

What are your thoughts on this? :)

Lookbook.nu Look: Dine in or Take Out?

Since we don't have a winter here in the Philippines, I sometimes actually enjoy typhoon season because it allows me to put on a cozy jacket and - oh, yes - boots. No longer do I have to raise an eyebrow at people who walk by me and give me that why-is-she-wearing-boots-in-this-weather look. Instead, I just walk by, short and proud, and strut my stuff. Oh yeaaaah.

Here is one of my coziest and simplest rainy-weather ensembles:

green jacket from Castro

blue faded jeans from Tomato

beige ankle boots (gift)

white wifebeater (inside) from Abercrombie & Fitch

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What are your must-haves for rainy-weather days? :)

Dear World,

This is going to sound extremely self-obsessed and pointless, but I have to get it out there because I stepped on three different weighing scales at the mall just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating...

I, dear world, have reached my ideal weight. After a grueling 9 months of yoga and another 9 months of semi-dieting, I am finally back in the 40 - 50 kg checkbox of weight (I was previously in the 60 - 70 kg checkbox. Ew.). That's right. I lost a total of forty motherfucking pounds since I gave birth.

Hello again, Big Macs. Hello again, super-sized Potato Corner french fries. Hello again, food smothered in cheese. Hello again, bottles of whipped cream as a snack. Hello again, huge bags of M&M's. Hello again, Starbucks drinks that aren't non-fat (though, I must admit, I actually prefer the taste of non-fat Starbucks drinks now). How I've missed you all.

Ahhh. I fit into XS clothes now, and I am sooo ready to get fat again (or, at least, a little fatter). Come one, come all, into my belly. Maybe it's even time to start on daughter number two: Ember Raven. <3

Gossip Girl Madness

If you have been to any of the Penshoppe stores lately, then you must have seen the gorgeous, huge photos of hottie Ed Westwick by now.

If you are a big lover of Gossip Girl, in general, though, and would like to covet the look of Blair Waldorf or have your beau covet the look of Chuck Bass, you need to check out Vern's Upper East Side blog post. It is divine. Not only do Bjorn and Vern (hehe - that almost rhymes) look the part, but they play it well in their photos, too - with scenes that look almost straight out of the actual GG show.

This is one of the most inspired photo shoots I have seen in a while. Props to you, Vern!

Lookbook.nu Look: Soldier On.

Aside from wearing work clothes, I also love browsing through my mom's closet for vintage pieces, like this great shoulder-padded blazer. What I love the most about blazers of old is that they aren't tight so I can wear them on my pre-menopausal fat days - and I don't even have to wear anything underneath. ;)

vintage beige blazer with shoulder pads from my mom's closet

distressed light blue 3/4 jeans from Penshoppe

silver cat necklace (gift)

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What do you think? :)

Do You Love Books?

If you love books even half as much as I do, then you will absolutely love grabbing them for free, right? Well, you could - with this year's Fully Booked's Book Grab!

All you have to do is fill up an entry form and drop it off at FB's Bonifacio High Street Branch. You will need to hurry, though. You only have two days left!!!

Let's Levitate

Cool shots of levitation from a Japanese blog

Harry Potter: The Finale

I have been re-watching the Harry Potter movies all week in preparation for the final installment of The Deathly Hallows. But now that the time is here, I find myself completely dreading the cinemas and having to say goodbye to the HP cast for good.

As I re-watched the movies, I marveled at how I still had the first three movies memorized line by line, and how many tears I still had left to cry for Cedric and Albus when they died.

I sit here now, reminiscing the long lines I stood with my brother to get the books when they came out and to watch the movies when they came out. A decade later, and I am now a mother and my brother is soon turning 21. It is indeed a marvel how quickly time has flown for all of us Potterfans and I can only hope that my daughter will grow up to love the books and the movies as much as I did growing up (and growing old).

Here's to the cast of Harry Potter - yes, even to Cedric who turned around and became a sparkly vampire - and to J.K. Rowling. You have created quite a legacy and I am very proud to have been a huge part of it.

As a final goodbye, let us all follow Ella's lead and wave our wands (or fingers - if you're not as much of an HP fan to have your own wand yet) in the air when the credits roll during the final movie and say "Mischief Managed". (Streaming tears are optional.)

On a happier note, here are some great Harry Potter recipes for you to try. You'll need them once you go into depression mode after you realize that the end of Harry Potter has come and gone. Trust me.

Real Men Don't Buy Girls

Have you done your part and signed the petition yet? Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher's campaign "Real Men Don't Buy Girls" aims to raise awareness on child sex slavery and stop the demand for child prostitutes.

To do your part, just visit any Body Shop branch and ask for the petition form. Then, sign it, draw your hand onto the back of the form and drop it in the drop box. You can also buy hand and foot cream, from which the proceeds will go towards this endeavor.

Let us all show a sign of hands to stop child sex slavery today!

Lookbook.nu Look: Lace Meets Metal

I thought I'd put together a girly fashion element - lace - with a more hardcore fashion element - metal - into my next look and here is what I came up with:

black belt from Cinderella / black cuffs and sexbands from Bangkok / black leather heels from Nine West

black lace top from Mango / black ruffled pants from Penshoppe

leather and metal bracelet from Bangkok

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What do you think? :)

Lookbook.nu Look: Chess Master

I know I use this shirt for my looks far too much, but I just love it to bits. It's nice and airy - perfect for the sticky to hot to sticky to hot weather we've been getting here in Manila. Boo! It's from Penshoppe, too, so I get to help Ed Westwick promote the brand. ;) Haha. What do you think of this look?

multi-chain necklace from Charlotte Russe

black shorts from Just G

grey and black socks from eBay

grey "High Profile" shirt from Penshoppe

Hype this look on Lookbook.nu!

Blog Giveaway: Keep Shoes GCs

Hey guys,

Here is yet another blog giveaway for my readers - and the mechanics are super easy!

All you have to do is:

1) Either blog, tweet or Facebook-status about this giveaway and leave your link of it on this post.

2) Comment on this post with a sentence that uses the word "keep" in it, while remaining to be 140 characters long or less (think Twitter).

I don't care what the sentence is about, but the person who posts the most creative, most unique and most eye-catching Twitter-long sentence will win a 500-peso gift certificate for Keep shoes - just like that.

This giveaway will only run until June 20, 2011. The winner will be announced before noon on June 21. The GC will be sent to the lucky winner. Good luck!

Lookbook.nu Look: Iron Jawed Angels

I am a lover of all things vintage, so I make it a point to scour through my mom's old clothes every now and then with hopes of finding something that suits my personal style. Lucky for me, I recently came across a vintage blue floral dress that she used to wear in the 90s, and - shocker of all shockers - it actually fit me perfectly! I paired the dress with my signature red crochet hat (inspired by the movie Elizabethtown) and leather Nine West heels. All my outfit photos seem repetitive, though, so I'll only post one:

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Let me know what you think! :)

The New Face of Penshoppe

Penshoppe has always been my go-to brand for pants, basic t-shirts and clothes for the baby daddy, so, you can imagine my delight when I found out its latest product endorser is a man I have looked up to for his sense of fashion in both reel life and real life: Ed Westwick. Also: ...YUM!

Anyway, I heard about this news a month ago and then I got really sad when I didn't win the meet-and-greet, but now that I'm re-watching Gossip Girl and have seen the video for the shoot, I've gotten over it and have decided to drool instead. And so you can drool with me, here's the video:

Lookbook.nu Look: Football Fierce

With all of the sports hype that went on all around me in June - arguing about the NBA finals while eating unhealthily at TGIF, drooling over the Azkals' Younghusbands while talking about future weddings, discussing whether tennis players like Maria Sharapova produce the same sounds in bed as they do when they serve the ball - I decided to come up with a sports-themed look:

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copper and black crystal-studded adjustable ring from Forever 21

black knee-high socks from Bangkok

grey ruffled open booties from Parisian

white shorts (gift) from Pena House

white belt with black squiggly design from Genevieve Gozum

grey 'high profile' shirt from Penshoppe

Who says you can't wear knee-high socks with open booties? :)

What do you think? :) Do you have any sports-themed looks that you've posted on Lookbook? Share the links!