Golden Gate + Sausalito + POFA

Obsessed with these dusty sneakerboots. If I could buy safety pairs, I would. 

When you have impatient and unwilling siblings as your photographers you can't help but flash this look of annoyance on 50% of your photos. Shoutout to my lazybutt siblings! Thanks for putting up with me anyways. ✌

C'mon, a trip to San Francisco isn't complete without a touristy photo of the Golden Gate Bridge! 

the city ♥

We visited Sausalito and I fell in love with the place! All I could do was daydream about having a house on top of the hill and owning a yacht.  

Special post with my mum since I liked her outfit today. Teased her about her getting style tips from this blog but she denies regularly visiting my site! My dad reads every post but how come my style/aesthetic won't rub off on him? Hmm.. 

We dropped by the Palace of Fine Arts. 

It reminded me of being in design school and having to memorize the parts and details of columns/classical orders. Not part of my favorite memories of interior architecture at all. 

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Tomorrow's going to be our last day here in America and I can't help but think of how much I'll miss San Francisco. The number one reason why the fam chose this place for the holidays was the weather- it never gets too cold or too hot. Everything is accessible downtown and staying at the JW Marriot Union Square was really convenient for us. We're also thankful for family friends who were kind enough to drive us so we could tour around a bit. 

On our first week I expressed how I really missed Manila, mostly because of the weather, but later on I think what I missed the most was having my own place/personal space. Two weeks with the fam was a bit overwhelming for me- having people constantly talking and moving around me 24/7 is something I haven't been accustomed to for 7 years now. I like being in America obviously because it's a lot cleaner and organized than the Philippines, but it will never replace home. 

Because of friends and family I'm always tempted to move or work here. I can honestly see myself being here in the future but I don't think I'd be able to really settle here because of the weather (again, I HATE the cold) and me being an antisocial grinch- it makes me crave for happier/warmer people whenever I do decide to go out. That quality about Filipinos just keeps me sane. 

I'm excited to go back home and get back to working but I'll definitely miss San Francisco (except the food). 

Happy new year, guys! Hope you guys had a blast welcoming 2014.   :) 

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Castello di Amorosa- photo diary

Umm... I am obsessed with my GoPro! 

I had a scarf with me that didn't make it to this photo, but yes it was crazy to wear this top considering that it was 8℃ out this afternoon. Never got to wear it more than once in Manila since I always managed to sweat in it even if it's supposed to be breathable but I guess that doesn't apply to all climates. 

Frescoes in the Great Hall were done in 18 months by two artists from Italy. So beautiful! 

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We visited the Castello di Amorosa this morning for a tour of the castle and to taste some of their wines. Learned so much from this trip and I'm glad I didn't back out since I thought it was going to be boring at first. The authentically styled 13th-century Tuscan castle/winery was really pretty and I can only imagine the grand events they have around the place each month! They had so many things brought in from Europe and the imported materials to build the castle alone amounts to at least $40,000,000. I especially enjoyed the torture chamber with authentic tools & machines, as well as the great hall with frescoes by two Italian artists. If you're visiting San Francisco I'd recommend driving up to Napa Valley if you're into wine and your group consists of mostly adults (my brother didn't get to sample the wine so it wasn't as fun for him). 

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I know you've seen this green Topshop jacket in a lot of my posts but I can't help it, it's definitely one of my go-tos because it's thick enough for the weather here plus the huge pockets are so awesome. 

This Adidas by Stella McCartney backpack is hands-down my most favorite bag at the moment. I use this a lot for work since it has pockets in all the right places- a water tumbler on the left and my keys, tape meter and iPhone on the right, makeup/quick grabs on the back pocket and a super roomy main compartment that can even fit my MacBook pro. It's the best for traveling since I don't need to get shopping bags from every store & just stash everything I buy inside it. The matte black is just perfect for me. With the amount of tugging and heavy items I pack I'm impressed with its durability! 

Another pair of comfy boots made it to my faves shoe rack. 

This piece from River Island made some people on the street stop just to ask me about it. Quite heavy but it's definitely a head-turner! 

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Spent the 24th downtown just looking for cute items and shopping with my parents and siblings. Our Christmas eve involved chatting and eating inside our hotel suite, but we had cousins and relatives with us this year. It's becoming a yearly tradition- spending Christmas in a hotel room- and I guess it's because we're too lazy to cook up our own meals or even dress up when we're stuck at home. I feel very blessed to be able to do this with the fam! Spent about 2 hours calling and greeting relatives around the world after hours of gluttony as well. We didn't do presents this year, but spending Christmas here has got to be the most fun in a while! I love San Francisco!!! 

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