thank you, darleng

this was your signature pose, darleng and i sincerely pray you get just that -- peace.

though we're still all recovering from the shock and disbelief but it is indeed too soon to be associating you with the word "was." well death, they say, is always on time and that we should accept it. for now, all we can do is remember not your death but the life you lived.

i have to admit, i wasn't always your biggest fan. the relationship you had with my sister was, for the lack of a better word, confusing but it made perfect sense to the both of you. over the last 2 years, i have seen my sister mature and learn to be independent. she has grown up to be kinder, more considerate and level-headed and it wouldn't have happened if not for you. i have seen her sincerely and inexplicably in love. my sister has learned what it is to truly love without inhibitions, without conditions. for that, darleng, i thank you with all my heart. you changed her life and in turn, you changed ours. you will forever be missed. we love you!

to my readers, who have been patient enough to hang on after 2 weeks of being MIA, thank you. my family went  through a shocking and tragic ordeal on the morning of Sinulog and we needed time to recover from the grief. my sister needs all the support so for now, i am a sister first, a wife second and a blogger third. as always, thank you for your support. life is a gift from God and we should cherish it everyday.

cebu fashion bloggers x parade of dresses

finally got to meet Cherie of Parade of Dresses ♥

i have always been in awe of Cherie's blog and the style and photos it contains. the colorful and soft outfits, the breezy beach photos and the gorgeous afternoon sun are all elements of her blog that never cease to take my stress away. so you can imagine how excited i was, actually all of us, when she asked if it was okay to meet on january 7. in perfect timing, the meet-up was right after the maze event so even without sleep, i pushed myself to survive the night and survive i did. this is all to bond with the cebu fashion bloggers and of course, to meet the gorgeous Cherie. ♥

here the photos and i have to warn you, it's really heavy. well, what do you expect when stylish people convene. 

 Cherie and her equally pretty sister -- she's still 17 and so cute!

jerrick, a young cebuano designer , whose necklace i covet and the gomez sisters -- liezyl and chyrel 

 gillian in her tribal printed body con dress & ombre denim vest | mildred in her mixed print outfit & jaw-dropping leather skirt

 chyrel in her ooh lala red jeans and sky-high booties | vanessa in her chic navy blazer & fun earrings

 mildred and me | toni in her yummy fringe bag & gold glitter oxfords from shoe etiquette (me wants one)

chyrel, gillian, me and jerrick

mildred, eden, philip, chyrel & gillian

the super-talented wonder kid of our group, philip lapinid and me

me with the uber gorgeous toni in her pixie hair (doesn't it suit her perfectly?)

group shot! the cebu fashion bloggers with Cherie and her sister

from the left: jerrick, eden, chyrel, cherie's sister, cherie, me, jem and liezyl

the outfit:

my gecko ring, tassel earrings and woven cuffs

my hilariously high-maintenance fringe knit top -- it was getting in everything i wore LOL


       giraffe meets leopard -- my giraffe printed wedge from shoe etiquette & mildred's leopard wedges from F21

fringe knit top - primal rave wholesale | sheer printed maxi skirt - thrifted | giraffe-printed wedges - shoe etiquette | tassel earrings - DIY | woven cuff - downtown find | gecko ring - bangkok find | chain clutch - vintage from mom 

photos courtesy of toni pino & mildred zapanta

the maze teen model search

in my resolution to be a better blogger, a Cebuana fashion blogger at that, by doing more posts, saying yes to more events and supporting the local fashion industry in any way i can, i said "yes" to Eden's invite to attend as one of the guests for The Maze Teen Image Model Search which was held at the Ayala Activity Center last January 7, 2012. 

Maze, which coincidentally is where my sister's retail shop Props is located, is a one-stop hip shop in Ayala Cebu where one can find every fashionista's needs, from chic dresses & accessories and even tech gadgets. 

the cebu fashion bloggers on front row

i gotta' hand it to yves camingue for the styling in this segment of the show. tribal prints overload, layered on each other -- i drool! i was literally bouncing in my seat!

the fans were the funnest part of the search -- they went crazy for their model bets!

the talented hosts, eden and mark in their costume changes -- of course styled by yves. turquoise is the peg for the night and i love it!

the lovely ladies in their gowns designed by Cebu's Young Designers and wearing shoes by Shandar

my favorite in the search -- she was chic, she had potential and best of all, she tripped so many times in this dress and even fell but she picked herself up and forged ahead. ♥

kudos goes to the Carolyn Tan, the CEO of Hype Management and Development Corp., for donating P15,000 to Clothes for Life -- an association of fashion designers spearheaded by Cary Santiago and Wendell Quisido and supports several beneficiaries, including the Little Lamb Children's Center (source: http://www.everythingcebu.com/sidebar-photoblog/queen-of-cebu-2010/)

and the winners are...

naomi grace and john paul

congratulations!