Cebu Next

December 01, 2012

It's out tomorrow! So honoured to be a part of the list with these talented & humble Cebuanos. Please grab a copy of Zee Lifestyle's December issue.

(L-R) Vito Selma, Matteo Guidicelli, Slater Young, Vania Romoff, Mia Arcenas, Holly Dychangco, Raleene Cabrera & Kryz Uy
Photography by Dan Douglas Ong Creative Direction by Melo Esguerra Shot on location at Cebu Yacht Club ❧ some behind the scenes photos to add to my previous blog post [via iPhone]..

We were all suffering under the sun and it felt like the hottest day of the month. Look at everyone squinting/ scrunching up their foreheads! We also had solo shots taken before everyone arrived for the group photo and I had to wear the first dress I had under the kaftan. I forgot to bring a slip! No choice but to layer or else I'd be flaunting my undies... Thanks to Mia for the beautiful kaftan and cuffs ♡

It was a really fun photo shoot even if we had to look away from the camera after every shot (cos the sun hurt our eyes soooo much). We all knew each other well so you can only imagine the amount of jokes we cracked in between the serious poses. We all look so prim and proper, right? Don't be fooled! We're a wacky bunch. Thanks so much to Zee for including me in this lineup. You guys are always so supportive and accommodating every time I visit. Can't wait to see the full spread!
❤

Cebu (Nov. 2-3)

November 11, 2012

I guess my dad found it funny to leave more than 20 photos of me just floating like an otter on my camera & iPhone... Ridiculous.

The best Japanese food at Fiji

Thanks to my sister Riz for taking the last few photos from the resort.

❧

Right after the Halloween festivities I had to prepare my things for a shoot in Cebu. Sam was kind enough to lend me some dresses as I had no time to shop, plus Mia agreed to lend me one of her kaftans for the group photo. I was on the brink of having a panic attack since I didn't own any white outfit/dress! Aside from a few pairs of heels I just stashed all the items from my closet that I thought could pass as resort wear. Because of the hastened packing I forgot to bring normal-day clothes and a swim suit! Right after this trip I promised myself never to pack on the last minute since it sucks having to avoid people & places just cos of my outfits (yes, that bad).

The first few photos were taken at the Cebu Yacht Club last Nov. 2 while we were shooting for a spread for Zee Lifestyle. I can't disclose any details about it yet, but it was loads of fun despite having to endure shooting for hours under the sun. It felt like one of the hottest days ever and I really pitied our photographer because unlike us, he couldn't take breaks. We even transformed Mia's car into our holding area since the place where we had our hair & makeup done was an open-air dining area without any electricity. I'm only realizing how hard the set-up was as I'm writing this down! I guess none of us complained since we spent hours having fun talking to one another, plus Mikey kept making us sing so he could record it. Can't wait for the feature to come out this December- the photos are so nice and it made the entire day of sweating [and praying we don't get heat strokes] all worth it.

Vito invited us to his new pad that night for some drinks. He designed the interiors including the furniture and I just love it! He's leasing it out starting next year since he's moving to another country. The photos don't do it any justice because I took them at night under low-light conditions with the awful zoom/kit lens (primes are the way to go). I already envy whoever's going to live there. It's a 2-bedroom flat with a great kitchen, plus I love the photographs & decor.

For the rest of my stay my mum decided to take us to Plantation Bay. Back in high school my friends and I would frequent this resort just so we could use the game room, swim, bike around or wall climb. This time I just wanted to tan, veg out by the porch and swim. Love that the lagoon was a mere 10 steps from my bed- yes, our porch had stairs leading straight to the water! I can't really choose which resort in Cebu's my favorite because each one has something I really get attached to. For Plantation Bay, it's got to be the easy access to the swimming area and the best Japanese food at Fiji .

I can't wait to visit Cebu again! Will definitely bring along some friends so we can all beach-hop or island-hop. It's always nice to take a break from all the cooking and cleaning (almost unbelievable how I'm not used to having household help available 24/7 anymore). Plus I already miss my mum's cooking- nothing will ever beat that.

❤

First half of August 2012

August 21, 2012

It's that time of the month wherein I post a ton of uncategorized photos in one entry...

Got to see Benny Benassi at Republiq thanks to Globe Tattoo. I can safely say that his set was the best I've ever experienced at Republiq. Total. Musical. High. I'm not even saying that because of the alcy-- I was perfectly sober & had to stay that way for my 9AM class the next day. Pia might've been annoyed at me for saying "THIS IS AWESOME" the entire night, but we ended up talking about how amazing the music was when she slept over at my place. This was the week I had gotten used to sleeping for just 1 to 2 hours per night because of all the... events.

I have about 5 panels of full-length mirrors at my flat and everyone seems to like the one near my multi-level table. Cheyser's wearing my studded Zara boots & surprisingly she managed to fit her 6.5 feet into my 8.5 booties.

Nicole & I bumping into each other at Prive, as yooosh.

Webcam-hammin with the twin before a [rare] night-out with her

Me, trying to show how much I've missed the sun. My windowsill is the perfect spot to be all melancholic or pensive.

I am now a part of the Nail It! family and I feel so lucky! Love them for being quick and for always doing a neat job on my nails. The only way you can tell if I'm going through a tough time is when I haven't had my nails done in a while.

Went for a simple & polished look for a wedding gig

Also got my makeup done by Kris Bacani for a photoshoot. Glossy lips and eyes, yes? I find that I always get chosen for the strong lip look during shoots. The challenging ones for me are the more demure/feminine/smiley looks. *cringe*

Like any other girl, I seem to be obsessed with taking photos of my food before diving in... I've been trying to practice only eating real, good food when I eat out...

Grilled salmon with "veggies like rice" from Mamou- added to my faves list

And then sometimes I get forced to give in to treats... Thank you, Camille!!!

Sort of went crazy over the unlimited sashimi at Kat & Brian's wedding... This is a photo from the buffet, I couldn't hoard the entire supply to my table without being noticed. Boo.

Lounging while on a True Blood marathon. I am slowly filling up those shelves & trying to test my design. I sure hope the screws hold up. They're made of wood & stainless steel.