Closet Fashionista

I admit it. I am a fashionista at heart. You may not think it by looking at me, but really, I am. Secretly, that is.

I think we get it from our dad, this inclination toward fashion. Ever since I can remember, my dad has always styled his hair (a la Elvis Presley) and he always takes careful consideration in putting together his outfits, from shirt to pants to belt to shoes. Simply speaking, he is the metrosexual male of his generation.

My mom on the other hand, is more casual about dressing up, BUT she will get her eyebrows and eyeliner tattooed... SO, the point I was trying to make, in short, is that my fashionista side (aka vanity) is really a family thing. Must be in the genes.

The Dilemma: I can't let my inner fashion sense out of the closet! Let me explain to you why.

First of all, I live in a third world country where the gap between rich (even middle class) and poor is as wide as Mt. Everest is high.

In a poor county where even our President caused tongues to wag when he used his own moolah (he comes from a rich family, yes) to purchase a 2nd hand Porsche, what more the regular middle class Joe or Jane?

Restraint is the key word here. We have to exercise restraint and balance. Too much show is really just that - a show. So in exercising restraint, it's about expressing your personal style for yourself and not about showing off.

I have to also consider safety (mine, that is) as my office is located in Chinatown, crossroads to all types of people and vehicular transportation, among other things.

Here, anybody wearing anything that is not the norm of t-shirt and jeans may:

a) cause an even bigger traffic scene than the current norm and/or

b) identify the person as a potential holdup target by the various street hooligans.

Did I also mention the road conditions? There is no such thing as a sidewalk in Chinatown. Neither is there anything resembling a normally smoothly paved road for either vehicles or pedestrians. Numerous unidentifiable or unnameable items litter your path and, in the event of rain, well, let's not even consider the tragedy that may bring to your beloved shoes and bottoms.

So, getting to the point: with the above challenges, how does a closet fashionista cope?

I'm curious what you guys think and am open to hearing your suggestions! Share your ideas!

Shoe Break!

Allow me to interrupt our travel chronicles with a shoe post!

I was totally behaved (shopping-wise) on our trip. In fact, I barely got anything for myself, mostly presents for everybody else. Dang! It must be the mommy/age thing or something!

In fact, the only major thing (and it's not even a major major thing) is this:

Own image but not with original box which was left in our hotel apartment in Barcelona.

from www.camper.com

A pair of suede tourquoise blue sandals from Spanish brand Camper!

The sandals are quite comfortable and perfect for the perpetual summer weather we have here in Manila! I like how you can wear it casual with jeans but you could also probably wear it for semi-formal occasions with nice trousers or a dress or a skirt. Most of all, they are flats with rubber soles - perfect for running around in and after toddlers!

Can't wait to put them to use but now the weather in Manila is unpredictable and when I do think of wearing my Campers, it rains!

C'est la vie!

Yummy Italy

Enjoying the flavors of Italy - home to the best gelato in the world.

More of Barcelona

Barcelona is often overlooked as a primary destination in Europe, often passed over for the more popular cities in Italy or France. However, there is a laidback charm to Barcelona that is hard to resist and is as equally enticing as its neighboring counterparts in other European countries.

Here are some random shots of Barcelona...

Leisurely walking along Las Ramblas (just watch out for pickpockets which Barcelona seems to be notorious for).

Personally I enjoyed the stroll in this area. There are many interesting shops selling food, chocolates, flowers, souvenirs, etc. and there are also street artists that dress up in costumes and serve as part of the entertainment.

The marketplace along Las Ramblas

More random shots

I think in comparison to other big cities like Paris or Rome, my impression is that Barcelona is a bit more laid back. Mostly, people are very casually dressed and walk leisurely. The shops close in the afternoons for siesta time and on Sundays. Dinners are late and can take a few hours so that you may truly enjoy and appreciate your meal and the company you're with. It is a city to enjoy living.

Tapas Time!

While in Barcelona, we got to sample the local cuisine as were lucky enough to have a delicious tapas bar/resto right downstairs from our apartment.

This quickly became our "go-to" place for dinners as we discovered its delicious selections of tapas and paellas. This place was also a hit with our finicky 3-year old toddler who normally avoids anything "exotic" but gamely ate delightfully delectable gambas and paellas here.

Entering the place, you are welcomed by a well-lit bar with ceiling-hung Iberico ham as part of the decor and of course, if you so choose, your meal as well. Dee-lish!

I have to apologize. In our excitement and hunger, I barely remembered to take pictures of the food! Sorry, guys! Thankfully, my husband whipped out his camera and managed to take a couple of photographs before the food was annihilated.

Here is the Hamon con Melon (delicious Iberico ham with sweet, refreshing cantaloupe):

The subtle flavors of garlic in the succulent gambas truly made this a hit. This was my son's favorite and he would actually crave for this late in the evening! Good thing it was just downstairs from us so we could quickly order for take out to satisfy the little one's tummy craving!

And of course, the secret to keeping a 3-year old's butt firmly planted in his seat while enjoying a delicious (and sort of lengthy meal): bring toys to the table!

Costa Gallega Tapas Bar

Passeig de Gracia 71

Barcelona 08008

Tel +932153141

Barcelona, the land of Gaudi

Hola!

My parents-in-law are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and in lieu of a party, they decided to sponsor a family trip and have all family members travel together. What a great idea, right? I hope when the hubby and I get to our 5oth, we can do the same!

My super organized, travel expert sister-in-law organized the logistics and after a year of planning, off we went: 3 weeks of holidays (the longest holiday I have taken in my life!). We were signed up for a 2-week Mediterranean cruise with start and end at the beautiful city of Barcelona, Spain.

Here is the beautiful view of the tree-lined Passeig de Gracia (Barcelona's Rodeo Drive) from the penthouse balcony of the apartment we stayed at.

We enjoyed the view of the streets and for the shopaholics, the view of top designer stores such as Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc. that were within line of sight - excellent window shopping exercise!

Along Passeig de Gracia are also some landmark buildings by the extraordinary Spanish architect Antonin Gaudi such as the Casa Mila and the Casa Batllo below.

Unfortunately, the photographs cannot do justice to the real thing. You really have to see these in person to fully appreciate the creative genius of Gaudi. Every detail is like an element from a fairy tale. I can imagine waking up in such a house and thinking that I must be Alice in wonderland (in a good way)!

I can imagine not everyone will be a fan but you have to give Gaudi props for his fearless imagination and drive to innovate - making the mundane into something unique and extraordinary and not allowing the limitations of current materials or technology stop him from achieving his vision.

We also got to visit his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia and that deserves a post on its own so stay tuned for more!

Long Time No Hear!

Did you miss us?

Sorry it's been a while.

We were off on a family trip and now we're back and we have lots to share.

Stay tuned!

Popcorn Message

Ain't it?

Playtime

Living in the city poses some challenges in raising kids. One of these challenges is where to take them for fun outdoor activities. Luckily, there is a nice park with a playground in our village that the kids enjoy going to.

This weekend, with the Saturday holiday, the family decided to take a short overnight trip to Tagaytay. We envisioned horseback riding and volcano climbing but the weather was cold and rainy and Taal Volcano is being observed by P

hivolcs for possible eruption due to high levels of magma. Just our luck, eh?

On the way back to the city, we passed by Nuvali and were so impressed by the community environment. The kids enjoyed seeing and feeding the Koi pond overflowing with beautiful fishes.

We also got a chance to tour around the development and were quite impressed with the amenities in each of the "subdivisions". There were football fields, basketball courts, swimming pools, and playgrounds for kids. Wow! I don't see that much in Manila, only in Vancouver when I visit my sister. It's nice to see though that this is now being considered in residential community developments and is definitely a trend I hope to see continue.

Little Photographer

My son has started using my camera as his toy camera and I am posting here some of his sample shots.

Watch out, Richard Avedon!

Cool Momma

Being the vain ass that I am, I admit that my mind is frequently preoccupied with insecurities that in the chaos of juggling work and family, I have "let myself go" and now look like, heaven forbid, a MOTHER!

Of course I am proud to be a working mom. There are so many cool role models out there who represent us well: Heidi Klum, Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, and so on. They make it look easy and effortless.

Then there are those of us who live on Planet Earth and try our best to look decent as we chase after toddlers while replying to emails on our Blackberries. I, if you haven't already guessed, belong to the latter.

In pursuit of becoming a "cool mommy" (those mommies who don't look like mothers and instead look like hip chicks who balance a job and kids), here are some looks I dream of pulling off in my daily grind:

Images from Reed Krakoff (1st and 2nd photo), Bottega Veneta (last photo)

The Difference Between Men and Women

NICKNAMES
If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah.
If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Loser, and Shit for Brains.

EATING OUT
When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
When the bill arrives, Mike, Dave and John will each throw in $20, even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back.

MONEY
A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but it's on sale.

BATHROOMS
A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel.
The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

ARGUMENTS
A woman has the last word in any argument.
Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE
A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS
A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

MARRIAGE
A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.
A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, but she does.

DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
A man will dress up for weddings and funerals.

NATURAL
Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING
Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

I got this from one of my favorite bloggers Chuvaness and thought I'd share with all of you.

Have a great day!

Summer!

My son has two weeks left in pre-school and then it's summer vacation!

I'm racking my brains for what activities I can sign him up to keep him busy this summer. Any ideas? If you know of any good activities for toddlers in Manila, please drop a comment.

Manila Ocean Park Adventure

Okay. So I've been to Manila Ocean Park three (3) times. So there.

I know, I know, it's been compared Hong Kong's Ocean Park and many others in other places but hey, you gotta appreciate what you got, right?

I, for one, am a big fan. My son is also a fan (to borrow from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel ads). The service is great, all the staff are helpful and informative, the big aquariums with the even bigger fish are jaw-dropping and the water tunnel, although short, is amazing. I love it.

When it's crowded - it seems to always be crowded the three times I have been there - it's a bit worrying trying to run after my son as he zooms from one aquarium to the next but in those times when it's not so busy, it's also very relaxing to just watch all that aquatic life swim all around you as you sit back on one of the benches and admire the view.

Don't take my word for it. Visit na!

Oh, Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!

Ethan Asleep at 7pm?

Yes, it's a miracle. Ethan is asleep when he's supposed to and unfortunately it's not because he's decided to follow his mommy's wishes. He's a bit under the weather and has been going to bed early for the last few nights. Now, what does his mommy do when Ethan goes to bed early? Ummm, you guessed it, pretend online shopping and here's what's been added to the wish list tonight:

Kooba "Grayson" Glazed Leather Satchel!

Stella Dot Pics

These are just some of my faves!!!

Stella and Dot, My New Jewelry Obsession

Did I say that one of my new year's resolution was to save money? Well, that might have to change a little bit now that I've discovered this new line of jewelry. I have now officially signed up to be a stylist, yes, check it out: http://www.stelladot.com/cecilem. I signed up to be a stylist thinking that this would be a great way to make some extra money. Extra money for vacation, for daycare or just savings. What has happened so far? I've bought pretty much the whole collection and not a trunk show in sight. So for any of you Vancouverites who want to help support a mother, please contact me and book a trunk show!!!

I am always concerned that I'm not saving up enough so I decided to go ahead with this venture. I would like to have another baby in the next while and mat leave pay doesn't really pay enough, we all know this so I am hoping this will sustain me.

Let me know your opinions!!! Jewelry and all!

Oh, The Fun Terrible Twos

No wonder when parents of older kids are asked what they remember about their kids toddler stage, they can barely remember anything. It's probably because they choose to erase this stage where your kids just randomly cry for no reason. When I tell people about this, they say, "Welcome to the terrible twos!"

Don't get me wrong. I love this stage. They are able to communicate, interact, express their feelings in a clearer way, hug you and make you feel like it's all worth while. Two second later, though, they could be on the floor, crying from the top of their lungs, kicking their legs and banging their arms on the floor. You then think to yourself, what the..... Weren't we just having a "moment" hugging two seconds ago?

I just wish I understood these "episodes" a bit better. I just feel like no matter what I say, they will never be satisfied and will continue to cry like crazy. Sigh....

Do these last till they're 3 or does it continue on?

Shoes On My Mind...

I am happy to learn that the great Karl Lagerfeld showed ballet flats for the Chanel couture show SS2011! Yaaay!

As a working mom, the days of running around in high heels or stilettos are so behind me but of course, while looking for comfortable shoes, one cannot simply forsake style, non?

Since becoming a mom, here are my tried and tested go-to footwear for all occasions except maybe the formal wedding here and there:

From top to bottom: Gucci Brehat ballet flats, Repetto ballerina flats, Hogan Interactive women's sneakers

What about the other mommies? What shoes do you swear by to provide you style and comfort while you juggle your gazillion hats? Do share!

Can you guess what this is?

Manila rush-hour traffic?

The set of the upcoming Disney/Pixar Cars 2 movie?

Maybe even a car junkyard perhaps?

Welcome to my ex-living room table aka my son's toy cars' parking lot.

It was such a steal, it was almost criminal

Those who know me well know that I've stopped buying bags for myself oh about 3-4 years ago.

As a certified bag hag, this was a tough resolution but one that I've stuck to faithfully and surprisingly enough, resulted in people gifting me with really cool bags and adding to my treasured collection without my ever spending a single cent.

Last night, that resolution was broken.

But really, it was such a good deal, really! justify, justify, justify!

And... the good part is it was the hubby who discovered the deal and it was actually the economist hubby who encouraged the purchase which can only mean it's really a good deal since the hubby never ever ever ever buys anything that is not on sale! Ok, ok, enough justification already.

You guys ready?

Here she is, my new baby:

A mauve-y pink Fendi leather clutch at 70% off!!! From about USD1000 to about USD200 only! C'mon, you gotta admit, that's a good deal!

It was serendipity as I was actually looking for a clutch for evening dinners, parties and such. Extra points for the timing of the find!

Of course, I only used my point and shoot to take pics so the beautiful pink is not accurately depicted. I may actually have to attend/host a few parties/dinners just to have an excuse to use it!

What do you guys think?

Signs of the Times

I know, I know, it's almost Chinese New Year but pardon the lateness as I share with you my Christmas loot:

Photos courtesy of clarins.com, sephora.com, loccitane.com, maccosmetics.com

Notice a common thread? Conspiracy amongst family and friends? A "hint, hint" gift-giving occasion?

Ugh. So this is what "gift-receiving" in your thirties is like...!