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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wired crown from Anagon

The golf cart is the only thing I can drive besides an ATV. Sadness. 

And I swear the color scheme of this house changes each time we gather here for the holidays. 

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Snapped some photos during my quick trip this morning to see the fam over a late thanksgiving celebration. Being the eldest among the grandchildren, it's natural for the adults to keep prying into my life, especially when it comes to my career. I've never been pressured to set an example but now they're saying that all the things I've accomplished has made me the benchmark for what my cousins have to attain.

Coming from a really traditional family, it's been predetermined for each one of us to choose a "real" profession- that means all art courses  (even Bachelor of Arts courses) shouldn't be considered/are unacceptable. It's a pretty backwards way of thinking, especially nowadays when making a business out of your name or brand through a more artistic output can actually generate more income (but we all know it comes with a bigger risk). I guess our parents just want all of us to have a license to serve as a fallback. I honestly felt that taking the oath for Interior Designers this afternoon didn't change anything for me. Sure, it meant I could charge more for my services and my work would be recognized by the government, but it doesn't guarantee a successful career.

I'm curious as to what my cousins will be taking up for college. My sister quit her first course (Accountancy with Applied Economics) since her passion was clearly in music, so there's an added pressure on her part to prove to the family that she made the right decision. But I am happy that she has that passion- a lot of people lack the fire nowadays! As for me, I'm glad that my course is like design married with science. I want to try my luck in other fields and I am planning to take up Industrial Design or even get a master's in business administration, but first I have to get more experience in design. My goal for next year is to step out of my comfort zone and find another firm to learn from. I'm already nervous, but then again, I'd rather feel that way instead of being complacent. There is ALWAYS room for self-improvement.



Got the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers pin right after my Filipino Inventors Society pin... Not a bad way to close 2012! I am beyond thankful.

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Cebu photo diary (0226-0307)

My Beauty and Beyond godmother, health/fitness freak & kindred spirit, Jen. 

David and his cool DIY mask

Neil made his own mask, too!

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The Beautiful Cebu Movement Foundation recently organized a really grand masquerade ball last February 29 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu. It was the main reason why I visited for a while but the trip had to be extended since I had to fix some papers and I wanted to take a break from everything. The event was amazing! Everyone obviously prepared for it and I think I enjoyed the free-flowing champagne too much (my excuse for the lack of better photos of people). A lot of personalities from Manila flew in and I loved how they decorated the ball room. 

Mia made my dress and it was done over a couple of e-mails and some inaccurate measurements I took myself sent over text. I only had a day to try the dress on and thankfully they fitted it properly the morning after. I went for the safest design and color-- black with a plunging neckline and a slit (that I forgot to pose with ala Angelina) in front, plus a long trail. I don't even have a decent photo of it and these photos don't do it justice (I have this but it's not clear & it just highlights me stepping on some girl's gown) . I guess I ate too much champagne an hour into the program. I managed to walk out without tripping and proceeded to Gilt with friends right after, only to find out that I impulsively ate fries and left the contents of my purse in Mikel's car! 

That night was too much fun and I'm glad I actually stayed for it. Some of my friends know that I had to battle some issues during the first night of my stay, and I guess that experience was a prerequisite for an amazing week in Cebu. 

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My mom is the total opposite of me and thought that I was having a hard time coping with my horrible first night experience, so she made it a point to send me to the beach while I was away from Manila. I amazed everyone (including myself) at how easily I was able to overcome it, and my friends were all wondering where my emo tweets went (LOL). I guess I was able to remind myself quickly that I have more than enough to be thankful for and that I knew myself well enough to survive. As I've said before, not everyone is as privileged to have choices in terms of love, career, lifestyle, etc... I am super grateful for my parents and friends who've instilled a deep sense of faith in me at an early point in my life. I don't think I would've recovered in a couple of hours if it weren't for Him and my spirituality. I know faith is something that can't be forced on anyone. I'm not a perfect Christian myself (I am so far from it) but it's what gives me the most amount of confidence in myself. It's the only thing that truly fills that void. 

Back to my trip... 

The original plan was to join my father in Boracay for a meeting but I didn't have enough time and had to catch an event that week. 

I stayed at the Shangri-la Mactan Resort and I seem to have forgotten how beautiful it is!!! I guess I took those beach trips for granted when I was a kid. Growing up in Cebu makes it possible for you to travel a mere 30 minutes to get to any beautiful resort you want. The management was also really kind enough to upgrade me to a room with a seaside view!

I invited my friends who were free that day, and most of them arrived at night.

My brother visited the next morning and only stayed out with me for 30 minutes! He went back to the room to study for his biology exam and then left the resort before lunch. I hated him for ditching but it reminded me of how much of a nerd I was when I was his age. I never used to like the beach as well because I wasn't fit or confident enough to don a swim suit. I did the same thing during most beach trips- stayed inside hotel rooms and ate my heart out at the buffet. Much has changed since high school.

The goggles are cool, okay. I spent so much time snorkeling since the fishes were too pretty! So glad my contacts didn't fall out or dry up during this trip. I really need to get laser eye surgery. 

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I'm so happy that I actually stayed in Cebu for a while. This trip made me realize that I really didn't take time to see my good friends during the past visits. I got to hang out with people I haven't really talked to since high school plus I got to spend more time with my mum. At times I ask myself why I chose to give up my life there, but then I get reminded of how much I want to grow and really push myself to be in a bigger, more fast-paced city. I've never been one to stay in my comfort zone. I am so thankful that I have an island paradise to come home to, and I am even more grateful for the wonderful people I get to see each time I go back. 

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