Bright Here, Bright Now

Bright Here, Bright Now, 

I would like to have a dress like this for summer. 

(from J.Crew)

Or...maybe a boyfriend like this for summer? 

To be here (again) for the summer.  

Kiting in Siargao, 2007

 To change the upholstery in our home for the summer...or better yet,

To be one step further in building my future beach house.

 To dress like Kate Bosworth

From RUE Magazine

To have time to bake impossibly lovely stuff like these.

To try on all of the nail polish colors above. 

Thank you for these yummy hues, Kim! Couldn't get any more summer-y than this.

To look this fresh at work.

To wear this melon-striped dress I found at the department store, at a bargain, as often as possible.

 Handwoven banig from Manila Fame 2011

To have this wonderful pomelo salad everyday, 

at Via Mare UP Diliman. 

To do some of the D-I-Y projects at home I've been putting off for too long. 

To relax, rejuvenate, reflect. 

TO PUSH THE RE-FRESH BUTTON ON MYSELF. 

Bright here, Bright Now, that is what I want to do. :-)

Flower Child

Summer is in the air.  

Having been surrounded by so many flowers for the past weeks (see here), I can't help but envision scenes of girls with flowers entangled in their hair, sunlight beating on their faces, wearing light, cottony dresses and walking barefoot in the garden! 

How's that for some dash of color? Love the tangled, beachy waves on the pink hair, and the girl on the right shows that you can still wear a GINORMOUS bloom on your head while looking perfectly polished at it.  Oh, sometimes I wish I was a flamenco dancer so I could always have an excuse to wear flowers in my hair!

I don't know who she is but I love how she wore metallic leaves around her head.  

Totally owned it. 

Simpler strands. 

I'm no flower child but I can wear seaweed pretty well around my face! :-p Haha.  

This photo by Charlie Gomez taken in Ilocos Norte, March 2012, during an unforgettable summer vacation with my cousins and nephews.  I would say,  in spite of a stupid burn accident on my right cheek, it was my BEST summer vacation ever.  I'll write about it soon.  

Welcome, Summer 2013!

Love is in the Air

Due to a recent stay at the hospital where my room was flooded with flowers from family & friends, I have been seeing (as well as smelling, cutting, arranging, & admiring) all sorts of petals & blooms for weeks now.  Aside from books, magazines, DVD's and facial moisturizer (uh-huh!), I was sent all my favorite blooms by thoughtful well-wishers: alstromerias, stargazers, tulips, azucenas, orchids, and my birth flower, roses.  

You can just imagine how lovely (and fragrant) my room was with all of these in sight: 

it was impossible to NOT feel better post-surgery looking at them all...

...some of them made it all the way to our home afterwards. 

alstromeria overload

this one right here was particularly awesome

it was like a stargazer on steroids

Whenever the nurses entered my room, they would breathe deeply and take in the scent of the flowers like they can't get enough.  I told them to take some to the nurses' desk but they were too shy to do so.   God has a way of sending you love and in my case during those 8 days of confinement, I believe it was through the love & care of my family, time & laughter from my best friends (you all know who you are)...and these flowers that my eyes would always rest on in times of discomfort or pain.  

A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.

-Max Muller

One

 Lusting after these one-sies the whole day.

Mmmm mmm mmm. :-)

all bathing suits from J.Crew

A Heima Wedding

My friends from Heima, Bong Rojales & Rossy Yabut, finally tied the knot one lovely day last January.

On the tiny Tagaytay hilltop, guests were few and dinner was intimate.  The decor was beyond charming: paper cones & buntings in unmistakeable Heima colors, colored pencils & flags & all things a child daydreams about on lazy afternoons.  All this with the omnipresent Taal Volcano looming below.

The guests were told to wear colorful, printed & fun outfits.  And so we did. 

The brains & talents behind EWWS (Everywhere We Shoot) & fashion designer Mich Dulce who created the bride's beautiful wedding dress.  I remember just giggling and being goofballs with these table-mates during dinner.  We wanted to take home every single pretty thing on the table! 

I was happy to be seated beside my friend, fashion designer and singer/ musician extraordinaire Kate Torralba. It was a chance to catch up on each other's recent lives and share some serious secret boy issues (haha!).  She was excited to share with me her new blog, "KTLately". Check it out here. 

This was the most boldly printed dress I could find in my closet. I paired it up with orange & violet snakeskin stilettos.  But the venue was a bit, uhm...challenging to reach from where I parked the car, 

so I just took them off & walked barefoot across the pebbled lot.  #surfersoles

Outerhope performed while Bong & Rossy entered the party & greeted their guests.  It was magical.  Too bad, siblings Mick & Mike Benedicto had to rush to a gig in Manila and couldn't stay long.  

The wonderful designers & sales staff of Heima. 

Lanterns made with love by the Heima creatives.

Fireworks sealed the deal, with Kate Torralba playing piano in the background. 

The occasion was a simple, heartfelt, & happy one.  With all your dearest at your nearest, you can't go wrong.  I couldn't have planned a more perfect wedding.  Congratulations to the newlyweds! Make little Heima kids ASAP please.  :-)

A Sea Story

"The sea to me is my life...it represents love, hope, heart, fun, sometimes sadness...everything. I wouldn't want to live without it. "- Belinda Baggs