run with horses

our visit to Gaite Ranch last February all the more confirmed my love for animals. we visited the ranch in Toledo for yet another ocular for Cuckoo Cloud Concepts and fell in love at first sight not just with the animals but the place as well. the venue had such a homey yet international feel to it that it was easy to just spend the afternoon relaxing. their free wifi in their lobby and restaurant was a plus too. 

there's really something about animals and their unspoken affection for humans that tugs at my heart. the place was packed with horses and if only i can, i would have loved to run with them. while on our way to the aviary, we also met Trager, the ranch's resident bulldog who was very sweet despite his tough exterior. Trager loves to have pictures taken, as long as he is sitting on a chair. i wish i had a bag big enough to fit Trager in. ♥

 

floral tunic - thrifted | denim cut-offs - thrifted | brown boots - props | oversized sunnies - urban outfitters | braided tan belt - props

unplanned trips make the best adventures

one of the challenges of ensuring a good photo shoot session is finding a good location. i have been finding myself craning my neck during road trips or even short trips to visit a place to look for a good spot to do a photo shoot. i usually sleep during trips as i find being in a vehicle lulling. however, Cebu City is really small and with soon-to-be married couples now investing more on a great engagement sessions, it has become difficult not to have the same location as the other. depending on the skill of the photographer, some common locations can still become different. nevertheless, finding new ones is still part of the highs of a stylist's job. 

last February, in an effort to find new scenery and to cheer up our beach-loving pregnant friend, Mildred -- who is incidentally the wife of Marlon Capuyan, one of the highly talented photographers that Cuckoo Cloud Concepts have frequently collaborated with, we went on an unplanned southern road trip. just a simple text, "let's go to the beach" (cue Nikki Minaj) and an "okay, I'll tell Harry. see you 8:00 AM tomorrow," we were off! certainly, unplanned trips make the best adventures. no expectations, just enjoying things as they come. 

do keep your eyes open for the editorial that we have been working on for the top wedding blog in the country. *palpitations* our hearts and souls have certainly been poured into this endeavor. 

polka dot maillot - cotton on | high-waisted cut-offs - thrifted | knit cover-up - thrifted | black turban - bangkok find | tan fringed bag - urban originals | oversized sunnies - urban outfitters, gifted by sister | bangles - downtown finds | elephant tusk necklace - bangkok find | multi-colored braided belt - borrowed from sister

p.s. my flip-flops is one of those, "omigad, i can't believe i bought this. it looked good with one outfit  but i can't wear it again." and i wore these because the trip was very much unplanned and we literally had ourselves running out the door early in the morning. 

nostalgic for summers spent with watercolor and acrylic

here's a continuation of our little mission to rediscover our city. this time we visited the San Pedro Calungsod Chapel, which i wasn't able to fully see on our last trip and dropped by Fort San Pedro as well. 

the newly erected San Pedro Calungsod is as magnificent inside as it is on the outside. the interior is very zen and the decor is minimial but it gives you a different sense of serenity when you're in it. i think the chapel being right by the sea adds to its charm. Fort San Pedro, on the other hand, has been standing on the island of Cebu for more than a century and is still one of the amazing structures in the city. i cannot believe that the stones on its walls were actually constructed using egg yolks and were done by hand. walking around the Fort made my sister and I nostalgic for the summer we had studying art and we spent 2 weekends hanging out by the park near the Fort, painting with oil and watercolor. 

white tank top - thrifted | teal palazzos - props | knit cardigan - thrifted | animal-printed flats - props | animal-printed belt - props | brown hat - metro dept store | tan fringe bag - urban originals | black watch - gifted by sister | rings - downtown finds | bracelets - braids and bonds | downtown finds | elephant tusk necklace - bangkok find

p.s. please don't mind the heavy eyebags -- i am still recovering from night shift syndrome and have not managed to flip back my sleeping pattern. not to mention that the females in my family suffer from insomnia. *sigh*

what we take for granted could surprise us

it's funny and sad how by looking ahead, we take for granted what we have near us. it took a visit from one of my sister's classmates in Uni in Sydney for us to get the chance to explore the city and re-learn our history. it was an afternoon city tour, visiting local tourist spots like the Heritage site, Metropolitan Cathedral, Magellan's Cross, Sto. Niño and Taoist Temple. these sites were the usual spots we visited back when we had elementary field trips but it's been awhile since we've been here and actually absorbed the history. 

Aqui, her husband, Manij and her mom visited my sister, Aimee last January. although Aqui is from Pangasinan, another province in the Philippines, it was her first time here in Cebu. they met in school and became fast friends. for the people who took my sister in and took care of her while she's miles away from her family, we made sure their first trip to our city was worthwhile, no matter how short it was. 

white button-down - props | denim cut-offs - tommy hilfiger | tan fringed leather bag - urban originals | turquoise flats - solemate, sm dept store | braided tan belt - props | black wide-brimmed hat - cotton on | geometric earrings - lovechic.ph | rings and bracelets - combined braids and bonds, downtown finds and gifts

breakfast road trip

one of the things Harry and i promised to do this year was take on more adventures and travel more. we didn't get to do as much last year or even in the later part of 2011 because we were dead serious in saving money for our wedding. we decided that 2013 will be the year for adventures, even if it's just an out-of-the blue road trip to south reclamation area to visit the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod. we drove there really early in the morning and by early, we meant the sun-was-still-rising early. it was refreshing to be up when every one else were still sleeping and having the road to ourselves. it felt infinite, like everything was alright in the world. 

the place was still closed though, which we didn't consider when we left home. so we just strolled around the place and reveled in the amazing structure which is said to be made of a hundred walls. the walls created these beautiful shadows at different angles, it was also a little eerie. after saying a quick prayer, we headed back to the city to have breakfast and start the week right. 

lace boho top - thrifted | pale lilac jersey maxi skirt - props | double braided belt - props | grey cotton flats - solemate, gifted by sister | black studded chain backpack - thrifted | coin necklace - pink pvssy bangkok | claw cuff bracelet - borrowed from mom | rings: wasp - downtown find, owl - gifted by a friend, gecko - pink pvssy bangkok, butterfly - accessorize, gifted by a friend

hale manna part 1: tribal print x polka dots

it has really been awhile since i've enjoyed the beach. aside from having to maintain long hair to prepare for my wedding, i also promised myself last year to achieve my natural fair skin -- which we got a hint of from my mom. i've been avoiding the sun and have been wearing sunblock everyday. whenever i need to be outside, i cover myself with long-sleeved cotton tops and oversized hats. last year, i only visited the beach once and we were under the shade of the boat, most of the time. don't get me wrong, i have no regrets -- i wanted to be fair so i will stand out in my wedding dress but i'm sure you can all imagine my relief when we got to hit the beach this year. 

words can't describe how beautiful hale manna in moalboal is. pictures can't even do it justice because you need to be there for the experience. yes, the sand is not as fine as that of boracay's or bantayan's and 25% of the resort is by the cliff but the serenity you feel when you're in the place is beyond measure. the beach is lined with small huts that house mattresses, overlooking the ocean so we got to spend a whole afternoon relaxing. the service and amenities were amazing too. it didn't feel like we were in a resort, we felt like we were in tita's rest house. we were pampered beyond belief. 

hold on to your seats, this will be the first of 3 posts of our hale manna vacation. ♥

tribal printed swimsuit top - props | polka maxi wrap-around skirt - thrifted | elephant tusk necklace - bangkok find | oversized sunnies - urban outfitters, gifted by sister | bangles - braids and bonds & downtown finds

catching up: tagaytay in june

okay so my last post in july was apologetic for not being able to blog for a month and it contained a promise that i will blog sporadically. it's already september and i'm as sorry as ever. 

not just sorry to my readers (whom i hope are still around) but to myself as well. over the last 2 months, i've let work take over my life. i finally understood why my former manager was always frantic and seemingly all over the place because i've just become her. i've lost any grace  and is constantly overwhelmed with things to do, it's no longer humorous. i started blogging to take a break from work and i should've kept going. this is me, moving forward. 

CATCHING UP: this was the day after bloggers united when my relatives, mildred and i visited tagaytay. it was my first time and i fell completely in love with the place. i wish we didn't have to leave. i imagined myself living the laid back life -- opening up a small cafe with a small collection of my favorite books to read and a little corner where i can sell clothes. oh tagaytay, i hope to see you soon. ♥ ♥ ♥

chiffon leopard mini-dress - props | black cutout cardigan - bangkok find | pink satchel - props | black tights - metro ayala | black studded belt - props | gold lace-detail necklace - oasap.com | bangles - borrowed from sis | rings: cross connector and armor ring - downtown finds