JANUARY
Welcomed the new year timidly bracing for the life-changing events that I knew were going to come.

Hello, 2014!

Royal Blue Flounce Skirt from Forever 21

Dress - Zalora, Shoes - Primadonna (old but you can also find this brand HERE)

Today's post features last weekend's stay in Shangri-la's Mactan Resort and Spa, which we were able to avail at a promo rate of P6,500 per room - buffet breakfast for two included. This is a photo diary, and not an actual review, because really, what hasn't already been said about this prestigious, 4.5-star hotel in Cebu?

Top - Maldita, Skort - Online buy, Sandals - Forever 21, Bag - Nine West

I wasn't really planning on taking outfit photos on this day but I spotted this cute car in a basement parking lot adorned with Hello Kitty stickers!

How cute is that? If the owner of this car ever comes across this blog post.. Hiiii, I hope you don't mind? :)

Hello Kitty car not mine. Credits to the owner. Skirt and sandals from Forever 21.

I've frequently received questions regarding how much we spent on our Ilocos trip. So I've decided to do a quick breakdown of our itinerary and expenses for everyone's reference.

First off, I'm from Cebu so we booked a Cebu-Manila flight, and another Manila-Laoag flight. Although most agencies will offer pick-up from Manila, we didn't want to endure a looooonngg drive since a short plane ride is so much more convenient. We booked our round trip tickets in January even though we had planned an August trip.


I then booked our trip with J2F Ilocos Escapades and got an unbelievably affordable deal. The more people there are in your group, the cheaper it is. The package tour was customized for us and was inclusive of 3 days, 3 nights hotel stay (don't expect a luxurious hotel, you're only there to sleep and bathe anyway), breakfast, transportation, driver/tour guide and all entrance fees.

"Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk." ~ Tony Stark

Iron Man Muscle Tee - Forever 21; Skirt - Cotton On; Bag - Pull & Bear; Sports bra - Forever 21; Watch - G Shock borrowed from the boyfriend

The title of this post reminds me of the time I was part of our company outing's "Miss Aloha" beauty pageant. It was all spontaneous and just for fun, not a real pageant. During the Q&A, I got the question, "If you were a flower, what would you be and why?" So I answered, "I would be a rose with all its thorns - beautiful, but able to somehow protect itself from harm. Because I believe as a woman, beauty does not only lie on the outward appearance but also from within, and I choose to be beautiful with power and strength as well."

Ever feel like taking a (fashion) break? Today, I'm taking a break from all the skirts and dresses.

New restaurants have been sprouting up all over the Lahug area and you can't miss this quaint little cafe across Fujinoya. While the parking up front is very limited, you are allowed to park at the Tsai hotel's basement parking area. I've already visited Tazza Cafe and Patisserie twice. First on a Saturdate and next, because I was able to purchase a Groupon voucher (yey 50% off!).

I was always a typical girly girl whose favorite color was pink. Back when I was a lot younger, I think I overdosed on pink as EVERYTHING just had to be pink, or purple, or something cute and pretty with butterflies on it. I don't know how it happened but over the years, pink has taken a backseat and I find that there are hardly any pink items in my closet now. And I miss it.

Top, inner cami, necklace - Forever 21, Shoes - CLN

Before the summer ended last May, we were able to squeeze in a trip to Dumaguete. On our second day there, we ventured off to Apo Island, Dauin, Negros Oriental, which is known as a good dive spot and is also famous for the sea turtles. To get there, you need to drive 1-2 hours from Dumaguete proper until you reach the drop off point where you can park your car, and ride a pump boat to the island. Fortunately, one of our friends lives in Dumaguete and booked the boat beforehand.

Top - Forever 21, Skirt - What A Girl Wants, Shoes - CMG, Clutch and Earrings - SM Accessories, Watch - Kenneth Cole

I was off to attend a wedding dinner reception at Marco Polo and I honestly had no idea what to expect from the event since the couple already had a lavish beach wedding and reception in Boracay a couple days before. (Check out what I wore to the beach wedding here.) I also had no idea what the dress code was. But since the venue was a prestigious hotel, I figured that I'd maximize with a maxi. (See what I did with the word play there? Harhar.) Like I said in the beach wedding post, I love how maxi skirts can go from casual to formal depending on how you style it.

I was in Boracay this month to attend my friend's beach wedding. (See what I wore to the beach wedding here.) The morning before the wedding though, we got to enjoy the beach. I have been to quite a few beaches around Cebu and even around L.A., as well as the also well-loved Malapascua and Bantayan Island, but I swear, nothing compares to Boracay's clear waters and the softest sand. Larger text and bold letters for emphasis. The sand is just that soft.

Black and white will forever be my favorite color (or lack thereof) combination and I'm sure many will share the same sentiment. Pairing black with white is a no brainer that will instantly make you look "classy."

On the last minute, my friends and I decided to fly to Boracay to attend our friend's beach wedding and since I neither had the time nor the budget to shop for a beach wedding outfit, I rummaged my closet to put something together.

I wanted the look to be romantic and comfortable - we would be on the beach after all. Wasn't sure how formal the event was so I decided to play it safe by wearing a sheer slitted maxi skirt and a flowy tank top. I love how maxi skirts can pass as casual and formal depending on how you style it.

Top - Oxygen, Skirt - Online buy

One Claypot House has been on our bucketlist of new Cebu restaurants that we wanted to try. They used to be a tiny restaurant near Capitol with no visible parking area but they moved to this place near Holiday Spa, which appeared to have only a couple parking slots in front but on the right, hidden from immediate view, is actually a much bigger than expected parking space.

First off, the interior was fabulous.

A few months ago, a friend of ours, Met Ramos, threw a photo exhibition to celebrate 25 years of existence and her talent in photography. The photos, displayed on sintra boards, were not for sale and were for display only. The best thing about the event was that although it was created to celebrate Met Ramos, she made sure that the event pointed to God instead. The program included prayers and special praise song numbers from her friends and church choir. May God bless her even more. <3

On the last day of our Ilocos adventure, we got up at 6 AM and went straight to La Paz Sand Dunes. I've read that the best time to go on this adventure is at 6-10 AM or after 4 PM so that the sun is not too scorching hot.

We had a glimpse of what the Ilocos windmills look like when we went to Kapurpurawan Rock Formation but the actual Bangui Windmills look much bigger and more awesome.

Forever 21 top, SM GTW scallop shorts, People are People sandals

The Manila airport has framed photos of the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation captured at sunset. It was the perfect teaser to get us more excited as we were waiting to board our Manila-Laoag flight.

The Kapurpurawan Rock Formation was part of our Day 2 itinerary thanks to J2F Ilocos Travel and Tours. 

After visiting Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, the iconic rock formations were our next stop. 

After we've had our fill of fun at Fort Ilocandia, off we went to the rest of our stopovers for our Laoag tour.

One of the great things about booking with J2F Ilocos Travel & Tours was that all our entrance fees were already included in the package. We didn't have to shell out money for every single museum we went to. Saves you from the hassle, eh?

Here are more places we went to on Day 1 of our Ilocos tour:

1. Malacanang of the North

Lately, reading blogs before traveling to a place is a prerequisite for me. They're always so honest and informative in a way that typical travel sites just aren't.

This was my first time booking a travel package tour so even though my friend referred me to J2F Ilocos Travel & Tours, I was a bit apprehensive. Paranoid questions like, "What if this is a scam?" would of course pop up. But they only asked for a P1,500 downpayment (for the whole group tour) and no scammer would go for that small an amount, right?

So book the tour I did and I'm soooo glad I chose to book with them. The package tour was both extremely convenient and budget friendly, I totally recommend.

Our driver slash tour guide picked us up from the airport (we had an evening flight), and we checked in at the hotel. The next morning, the guide picked us up at 7:30 AM and off we went for adventure Day 1. Our first stop: FORT ILOCANDIA.

Top - Forever 21, Skort - Vetus Shop, Shoes - Cotton On, Bag - Pull & Bear

Booking cheap, promo flights mean you can't really be choosy with flight schedules. Our flight from Cebu to Manila was 8:30 AM while our Manila to Laoag flight was at 7 PM which gave us approximately 6 hours free (when you deduct the time that we're supposed to be back at the airport). It was the same story during the travel going home. So we chose to spend the time at the closest big mall, SM Mall of Asia.

Of course, we had to:
1. dine in a restaurant that hasn't invaded Cebu yet. So we were able to satisfy Kenny's craving for authentic Japanese ramen at Ramen Nagi. It seems they only have 4 choices of ramen - but these are customizable as you can fill up the checklist according to your preference. Since I love spicy food, I chose the Red King ramen and since I'm no ramen expert, opted to only check "beef" then the rest would be according to the "chef's recommendation." It was delicious. Expensive, but delicious. It's a big bowl too, so you won't go hungry. Had a taste of my friend's black ramen and uuuhhh.. it was just a little too weird and salty for me.

I've had this sheer, nude cropped top with gold beaded details for so long, I fear that it lay in my closet for half a year or more. I kept waiting for the right occasion to wear it and felt that the occasions that came or the venues that accompanied them were too casual or too glam for this piece of gold. Finally decided to throw it on over an LBD for my birthday even though we were headed to very relaxed venues.

It is perfectly normal and expected for people to grow up and move on and take the next step in life.

But I still find it stunning how one after the other, my peers have resigned from their jobs, embarked on a new career, moved to a different country or got engaged. It appears 26 is the age to make huge, life-changing decisions.

Personally, I think this is because we underwent the so-called "quarter life crisis" the previous year(s). At 25, we've asked ourselves so many troubling (the trouble was probably self-inflicted) questions such as, "Should I keep working at this company forever?", "Is now the time to get married?", "Where is my place in this world?", "What career should I pursue that will support me and my family in the long run?"

Perhaps in the midst of dwelling on whatever dilemma we've placed upon ourselves, we discover some answers. And after the answers, we formulate plans. Then at 26, we're ready to take that giant leap of faith.

Today, I'm feeling cold and gloomy, just like the weather. Maybe the weather's got me down or maybe I'm PMS-ing.

Although I've got a cool and easy-going enough personality, I've never liked unanswered questions or situations where I am not fully prepared regarding what to expect. I may not be obsessive compulsive in a way that I have to have detailed step-by-step plans, but I always have to ensure my success by assessing my success rate beforehand and always having a back-up plan (and back-up plans for my back-up plans).

I can be adventurous enough but I also love my comfort zones. Taking a risk or a leap of faith is quite frightening. But these are musts in life. You can't stay in your comfort zone forever. Or else you won't get anywhere.

But for today, I'd just like to hug and cuddle.. maybe it's the gloomy weather. Maybe.

Plaid polo from H&M, jeans from Forever 21, shoes from Cotton On

I fear that all other pizza has lost a little sparkle for me now that Pizza Republic is here. I think that I could even go as far as to say that it may possibly be the best pizza I've ever tasted.

Unfortunately, Cebu is still so extremely hyped up about it that I don't think I'll be visiting again anytime soon. I braved the crazy long line twice already. And that was before they even had a grand opening. Talk about a very successful start. Will definitely visit again sometime though. Maybe at an unusual hour so that there's less people.

I don't know why it took me so long to try out Bucket Shrimps, which is located near the Capitol area, only a short drive from home. Probably because the people closest to me sort of scoff at the thought of paying for overpriced shrimp when you can cook it at home easily at just a fraction of the cost.

A bucket of shrimp at P350 and you can choose what flavor you want it in. We ordered one in Cajun and another in Curry. My friends preferred the Cajun one while I, a curry lover, ate more of the one in curry sauce.

Last Easter Sunday, my friends and I decided to have lunch after church. We ventured off in search of this new restaurant, Circa 1900. It was perfectly easy to find, just enter the corner next to the JY Square Jollibee branch, go straight, and you can't miss the grand restaurant that looks like a Spanish era mansion that got a makeover.

The BFF and I were off to have some snacks after a well-deserved pedicure session so we drove to Sarossa hotel (where we parked) and had two choices: Sunday 2 PM or Bar Tea More? And since we both haven't tried either yet, we decided to share a dish in each cafe.

In our pursuit for fitness, my friends and I tried out Fitfast's circuit training. They're located at Escario which is pretty convenient and they have adequate parking space too.

The best thing about it is that they have coaches to guide you and instruct you - what to do, how many reps you're supposed to do and they also encourage you too. They start you off with a warm up, and man, even the warm up is enough to get you tired. Haha. And then, we got to try different routines like lifting kettle balls, push-ups, and all those fun and stressful stuff.

I have my Sundays back and all my Sundays for the rest of the year can be as pretty as this one!

Found out about this new place in Cebu that supposedly makes "authentic" crepes. And since the restaurant we were supposed to go to was jam-packed that night, I grabbed the opportunity to drag our friends along in my hunt for Creperie Paris.

It was easy enough to find. I gave our friends this direction and they found it easy to understand: If you're coming from Capitol, take the road that passes by Coco Mall (building with Red Ribbon). Instead of turning right to Baseline, turn left. Keep looking at the left side and you can find Creperie Paris along the corner.

I am now back to my hyper I-wanna-go-try-every-new-restaurant-in-Cebu self.

So it was perfect timing when I saw a friend's Instagram picture of Cafe Tiala and read about it on iluvcebu on the same day. Iluvcebu described it as a princess-themed place that makes you feel like royals. Of course, "cute" and "princess" would automatically lure me. Haha.

So on a fine Sunday afternoon, my ever supportive boyfriend and I drove over to find Cafe Tiala. So easy to find too. For fellow Cebuanos, here's the best directions ever: "right next to Grand Convention, that building with the yogurt place." You can't miss it with those directions in mind. ;)

Whoa! Only now realized that March is already ending and I haven't blogged about anything this month yet. March whizzed past me.

And here I am blogging about something that happened in February.

Well what's there more to write about Sunnies by Charlie opening in SM City Cebu when it's already been all over social media?

Well let me say this: ADVERTISING DOES WONDERS.

You most definitely can reap benefits from investing in advertising and promoting your brand.

A week before Valentine's and we still didn't know where we were headed. A friend suggested that we try Castle Peak hotel's Love At The Top promo and since all the other restos I wanted to go to for Valentines were already full, I figured, why not? I'm not a crazy one to go out on the eve of Valentines without a reservation.

It was P699/head for the Love At The Top dinner at the rooftop. Almost backed out since you had to pay for the reservation and email a copy of the proof of payment beforehand. Hassle. On the actual day however, we found that there were a lot of walk-ins and there was more than enough room to accommodate them. Oh well.

They had two schedules: 6:00-7:30 PM and 8:00-9:30 PM. We chose the earlier schedule of course. We got there an hour early since we had nothing else planned. And I needed a lot of distraction since I was feeling quite depressed as my younger brother left the country earlier that day.

We got to enjoy the view and take OOTDs and selfies with not many people there to watch!

Dress from Oxygen, Shoes from So Fab

I'm really not one to believe in horoscopes but I do enjoy reading them. They are more often than not inspiring and everybody could use a little inspiration.

So to my fellow dragons, check out this out: