The Occasional Daydreamer

Just a random post about the things I’m crazy about this summer =) 

Warm colors and anything gold!

(chiffon top from Greenhills, gold bandage skirt from Forever21 and gold cuff from H&M)

And the addiction with gold never ends….LOL

Best bacon ever! No, make that the Best. Breakfast. Everrr!

If someone asks me what I remember most about 2011, it would have to be STUDYING. A huge chunk of 2011, half of it to be exact, was devoted to studying…no wait, make that 9 months since January to March, I was still in my senior year in law school. =p

It was surprisingly an eventful year, despite the studying, which we sometimes dubbed as stuDYING hahaha! Here are some of the highlights of the year that just ended. It was actually hard to choose the best moments but I managed to narrow it down to these…enjoy! =)

Law School Graduation

I made it on time yay! My friends could attest to the fact that my law school journey was on a higher difficulty level (haha parang video game lang) than the rest due to some circumstances. Nothing beats the feeling of finally wearing this blue robe, receiving my diploma while my name was being called onstage, seeing my parents’ happy faces….priceless! All the sleepless nights, the usual palpitations and butterflies-in-the-stomach, long crazy hours in school, extremely overloaded semesters, all the things that I lost and missed, countless bitch fits and all the drama and tears were all worth it.

No, this isn’t the prom. It’s our graduation haha =) Funny how most of my pics were either with the LOML, my friends or my parents. I couldn’t find any solo pics of myself in a toga…so that only goes to show that I’m not a vain person hahaha!

STUDYING

…and more studying and panic moments and cramming and staying all day at the library, a place I couldn’t stand during my undergrad years, and more &*#@! Ok, go figure haha BUT…

I made new friends

Yup, that’s right. I made new friends while studying for the bar which made it much more bearable. These lovely people here were my study buddies for 6 months and we shared the same sentiments every single day…we kept each other sane during bar review. I’m so glad I met them, that’s a major bonus! I will never forget our random study breaks, chismis sessions, Good Friday dinners, our territoriality, and just about all the memories.

Trips with the LOML  

Singapore

Nasugbu, Batangas weekends

Eat Pray Love day trip to Our Lady of Manaoag for divine intervention during bar review and the bar exams

Hong Kong

So all in all, 2011 wasn’t that bad. In fact, it’s one of my favorite and greatest years thus far. =) Thank you, Lord, for making 2011 a great year. Cheers!

And to 2012, here’s to more new friends, more time spent with existing friends, more trips with the LOML, good health for me and my loved ones, and no more studying! Hahaha! Happy New Year! May you have a blessed year ahead of you. =)

I went to Hong Kong recently with the LOML and his sister. The trip was actually the LOML’s birthday gift from his sister and I just tagged along since (brace yourselves for the cheesiness of the next few words) it has become a tradition that the LOML and I should celebrate each other’s birthdays together (heehee, there! I said it!). Plus, I wanted to celebrate freedom since my 6-month study marathon for the Bar exams just ended (here we go again with the Bar exams…everything is about the Bar exams, isn’t it???)! I sooo deserved this much-needed vacay…so thank you to the LOML’s sister for letting me tag along hahaha!

Though I’ve been to HK several times in the past, this has got to be the fun-nest trip ever! We only stayed for 3 days but we were able to do so many things! Let me share with you some photos from my trip. =)

Me and my trusty suitcase! This was probably the only trip where I didn’t overpack since I didn’t know what clothes to bring for the cold weather. I did my research beforehand and found out that it was cold in HK, probably below 20 or 15…basta cold haha! As I’ve previously said, I have low tolerance for cold weather. So I’ve come prepared this time with a scarf and several coats. 

We decided to take the bus from the airport since we didn’t want anything “tourist-y”. We wanted to live the way the locals did and believe me, it’s much much more fun that way!

Dum dee dum dee dum…

Death by dumplings! hahaha

Milktea! HK is a milktea haven for milktea lovers, no make that addicts, like moi =) Come Buy’s cup cover full of cute little babies=)

My favorite part…SHOPPING!!! Hahaha…it’s my first time shopping in this part of HK. Everything was so incredibly cheap, I love it! And the best part was, this place was just walking distance from our hotel =) The downside was that, most of the stuff were for the winter season but I was still able to score some good finds…

like this long cardigan, for instance =)

The pic says it all haha

the LOML went loco over his favorite team’s cafe haha

Din Tai Fung’s Xiao Long Bao. The. Best. Xiao. Long. Bao. Ever. I’m not really a fan of Chinese food but after eating here, I became a convert…

Pork chop…yum…

Veggie dumplings…

Xiao Mai or siomai hahaha ok enough food posts!

At the subway the following day, on our way to Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha. Hello, Big Buddha, we meet again after 4 years haha! So we decided to do something tourist-y and also because this was the LOML’S special day and for that, here’s my greeting…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LOML! =)

Funny how this cable car ride did not make me feel the least bit nervous 4 years ago but it did on this trip…must be the age…I’m getting old!=(

Tourist pic! Yes, I was carrying another coat since I didn’t know how cold it was gonna get and I felt that the light jacket that I was wearing here looked more fashionable than the one I was holding hahaha the things I worry about!

I love this pic! I wish I had something like these at home hihi

My dinner at a Vietnamese resto…love the food! Plus, it was quite affordable. See, we ate where the locals ate, we made sure we ate at restos where there were a lot of people. That’s a sign that they serve good food, don’t you think?=)

Ok another food post but I just have to share this…breakfast the following day (and also our last day huhu) at Australia Dairy Company. The best scrambled eggs, the best toast and the best hot milktea! Ok, the best breakfast place haha it was so early in the morning but this place was packed with people on their way to the office or school or wherever and tourists like us. There was actually a long line outside waiting to be seated.

One last tourist pic before we head out for some serious last-minute shopping haha

And it’s time to go home =( Bitin trip but all in all, I had so much fun! Til the next trip!=)

So! As some of you may know, a huge chunk of my 2011 was devoted to studying. Yes, studying for the November 2011 Bar exams and it’s also the first ever multiple choice Bar exams here in the Philippines. I started studying in May until November (oh yes, studying for 6 months…that’s half of 2011!) That’s the reason why I haven’t been updating my blog and so, forgive the mass posting here and there. 

I came across this photo of mine taken last July, while I was on shopping break (hihi - insert sheepish smile here) at the SuperSale bazaar at the Rockwell tent. The perks of having your school right in Rockwell haha! The downside: added distraction! Anyway, I wasn’t feeling very fashionable here coz I was having a bad day and I was so stressed out since I was running behind with my study schedule plus I arrived late at the library (I planned to start early so that I could go to the bazaar but it didn’t happen…I don’t want to get into details =p) So imagine my surprise when the folks from Female Network took a photo of my outfit. Lesson learned: Always try to look your best coz you’ll never know what will happen or who you’ll meet! Haha!

Top: Greenhills | Skirt: Forever 21 | Shoes: Zara | Necklace: Tinitch Accessories | Cuff: The Ramp | Bag: Louis Vuitton

Photo courtesy of femalenetwork.com (View the rest here http://www.femalenetwork.com/fashion-beauty/real-style-30-weekend-shoppers-in-cool-and-casual-looks)

I know it’s late but still…I’m wishing you all a Merry Christmas! May you have all the love, peace, joy, and whatever it is your hearts desire, this Christmas.=)

Meanwhile, here’s what boredom can do when it takes forever for the elevator to reach your floor (I just can’t take the stairs sincewe live on the 11th floor!). My dad insisted on taking my photos LOL. Thank you, Papa.=)

Forgive the quality of the photos and the reflection of the flash at the back…lighting was so poor in the hallway.

Snakeskin-print top: Details | Skirt: Forever 21 | Shoes: DAS 

Been addicted to animal-print lately but recently, I’ve moved on from leopard to snake (thus the title, Merry Christmasss with a hissing sound. Ok, ha ha very funny. *laughs at her own joke*). This is probably my third (or is this my fourth?) snakeskin-print clothing. I just love how soft the fabric of this top is and how it flows whenever I walk. Plus, I love the fact that it’s sheer and at the same time, it hides all of my unwanted fats (are there any “wanted fats” to begin with?? yeah, fats in the chest area=p). I also love love love the color of my top, my favorite colors, pink, purple and black, all rolled into one.

If we had these here in the Philippines, I would be the happiest girl. *sigh* Unless of course, there’s a place here selling these which I’m clueless about, let me know will you?

Last Friday, December 16, tropical storm Sendong (international name Washi), hit the southern part of the Philippines, my hometown Cagayan de Oro City, and caused flash floods that left hundreds of people dead, missing, homeless and the entire city in destruction. I’m quite grateful that my family is safe since we’re all here in Manila and that our house in CDO is far from the flooded areas but I just feel so terrible for everyone else out there. Reading all these stories all over the news and seeing all those images of the aftermath of the flood is just so heartbreaking. =(

This is indeed the worst flood in the history of CDO. Storms and typhoons rarely visit CDO, in fact, when I was still living there, classes were never suspended due to bad weather since there was no bad weather to speak of. Pls. help my hometown and my fellow kagayanons recover from this nightmare.

Help spread the word! For donations, go tohttp://cdocity.com/ for details. GMA Kapuso + Red Cross are also accepting donations in kind and in cash. See http://www.kapusofoundation.com/donate and http://www.redcross.org.ph/donate

2011 is probably my most shoeaholic year ever. I’ve been a shoeaholic ever since but as I grew older and more mature (haha!), I became more picky with shoes plus, I always have a hard time looking for shoes that I like in my size since my feet are so small. I’m only a size 35! But this year, I’ve been buying shoes one after the other, blame it on the internet.

Recently, I became addicted to Jeffrey Campbell shoes, my very first pair being the black wooden Foxys. Then I started obsessing about the Litas. I wanted a black one (yeah, I’m boring, I want something that would go with any outfit) or a gray one but since they don’t have it in my size anymore, I ran out of hope. Last month, however, I was browsing thru Facebook and I saw this person’s post, selling brand new Litas in mustard. Ok, mustard wasn’t among my preferred colors but they’re gorgeous! Then I thought, “yeah ok, so what are the odds that the Litas are in my size?” I clicked the photo and read the details underneath and gave out a little scream….THEY’RE A SIZE 35!!! Imagine my delight when I saw the figures “35”! I immediately messaged the person and it turns out that she bought the shoes from Solestruck but then they were too small for her (poor girl, but good for me!=)) Being the shoeaholic, I went to pick up the shoes from her place, on my way to the hotel where I was staying every weekend for the entire November since I was taking the bar exams. Never mind that I was busy cramming for Sunday’s exam…I just had to see and feel the shoes before I had my exam. It’s my way of de-stressing. Haha!

I looooove love love my Litas….just like the other JCs, these babies are so comfy you can walk in them all day. Ok, enough blabbing already.

Last month, I turned a year older but I was too busy and preoccupied to even celebrate my birthday. Why? Because my birthday fell on the week before the first Sunday of the bar exams. Sucks right? So much for having a bonggang bongga celebration. But still, the LOML, who’s also taking the bar exams by the way, still managed to make that day special. Thank you, LOML. =)

We had lunch at Chelsea Market and Cafe in Serendra (since it’s close to school LOL and Rockwell was definitely not an option puhleez haha)

A haggard-looking birthday girl. Haha

Thank you, LOML =)

Grilled-Roasted Herb Chicken and Crispy Bacon salad

Grandma’s Crispy Duck Confit and Mushroom Risotto (yumminess!)

The night before, since we would be studying late anyway, cramming for the first Sunday of the bar exams (Political Law, Labor Law, and Taxation Law…my hatest subjects in law school), the LOML  decided to give me a birthday salubong and so he gave my gift at the stroke of midnight. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE his gift. He got me none other than…

Jeffrey Campbell Tick!!! I looooooooooove it! THANK YOOOOU!=))

(why are my legs so shiny? eew)

And so, I decided to wear them immediately the following day haha excited much?=)

Dress: Thrifted | Blazer: ShopVintageFinds | Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell | Bag: Chanel

My birthday outfit. Since I’m such a sucker for tutu skirts and dresses, I decided to wear this. Never mind that it’s a little overdressed for reviewing in the library but hey, it’s my birthday (and even if it weren’t I would still dress up haha). I’m not used to wearing cream r white-colored dresses and skirts so I decided to toughen up the look by adding this military blazer. There’s an interesting story behind my dress but I’ll save that for a later post.