Mixing Prints

Last July 2, my mother celebrated her birthday (exact age to remain a secret, hehe). I know, that's more than a month ago... talk about backlogs *sigh*! But what can I do, school's been getting the best (and worst) of me. But I'm happy that I'm just around two weeks away from the term break! I have a lot of things planned out already (hint: one of them is catching up on my backlogs, and another is finishing my blog's new layout heh)! Well anyway, here's an account of what transpired on my mom's birthday!

Since my classes are only halfday (but the workload is h e a v y), my family went out for lunch. We make it a point to take advantage of every holiday/special day to head on over to the Fort, for some reason. Of course, I made sure to shoot my outfit! So here's what I wore:

Top: Forever 21 || Skirt: Mango || Watch: Casio

Denim jacket: Guess || Cut-out boots: Topshop

Honestly, I may have underestimated the weather (in terms of temperature, particularly in degrees) with wearing the jacket. But hey, it was cold in class so it worked out at some point! The denim jacket has actually been in my possession ever since I was a kid! No kidding. I'm really happy we kept it though, and I rediscovered it. It feels pretty good to fit again in something that you had when you were a lot younger and tinier. 

From the old and vintage, we go to the new. I wore two new things in this outfit: the skirt, and the boots. The skirt was one of the pieces that I bought as a means of taking advantage of the sale season. I really love the print: I like how it's floral, but not the big-flowers kind of floral. I want more floral and/or flowy skirts; I feel like one can never have enough skirts!

And we go down to the boots. I think this pair may just be the best bargain ever!! Another steal from the oh-so wonderful sale season, I got these Topshop boots for only P600!! YES, you read that right. Have I mentioned how much I love Topshop sales, particularly their markdowns on shoes?! This lovely pair of booties is actually my 3rd pair of Topshop shoes, and all of them were on sale when I got them. (Fun fact: they're all suede too!) The best thing is, I've been wanting a pair of cut-out booties for so long, and I've been eyeing these in particular! So when my I saw them on sale, my jaw literally dropped; and I knew I had to snag it at once. Talk about 'meant to be' hahaha!

As can be seen, I wore two prints together. Some say that mixing prints is a no-no, but I believe there are exceptions. I feel like one of the fool-proof pattern combinations are stripes and florals. It would work especially better too if at least one of them are "minimal" in nature. 

For example, the thin stripes of my top works well the small flowers of my skirt; but even if the print of my skirt was an explosion big floral patterns, it would still look nice. But if both of then were big, meaning the flowers are big and the stipes are thick, it might be a bit too much. That's just me and how I see it though; what do you think? :)

Moving on, we ate lunch somewhere we've never tried before: Mamou. My parents heard word of how delectable their steak is, so we figured to try it out for ourselves.

We decided to get a salad for a starter. We originally wanted the one with soft shell crab, but unfortunately crabs weren't in season that time. So instead. we got the Harvest salad instead. It's got lettuce (duh), tomatoes, cheese, pecans, and cranberries. It was pretty delicious and reminiscent of  one of Project Pie's salads (which costs a lot more less, by the way).

We also decided to get the Truffle Cream pasta. It was perfect. To be honest, I'm not a fan of pasta-- well, Italian food, in general; so I'm really picky when it comes to them. But this one's really good! And if it's coming from me, one who's not exactly a fan of pasta, then that should say something, right?

And here comes the star of the meal-- the Angus Rib-eye USDA Prime Grade Steak Twin. We got the Twin size, which is good for sharing. We got it in medium well, our usual preference when it comes to steak. The photo below may not do it justice, but I tell you: it's h e a v e n l y. It's so tender, it almost melts in your mouth. It's juicy too which, ironically, makes it sinful. But it really is good! I didn't even bother leaving out the fat of the beef because its got so much flavor. But at least we all shared on it; at least the guilt is shared too hehe. Aside from sea salt, the steak is also served with a gravy. But as it is usual in most steaks, the gravy should be left untouched in order to taste the pure goodness of the steak. However, I did sprinkle some sea salt on my portion because I'm kind of fond of salty food on times that I don't worry about water retention, that is, lol. I suggest you add some salt too! It makes it even more flavorful.

An order of the steak also comes with two free side dishes. We got creamy spinach and mountain rice. The creamy spinach kind of reminded me of laing, while the latter was something new for my taste buds. It was rice left unpolished, so it had this earthy kind of taste. It served well to balance out the slight saltiness of the steak.

Mamou

Serendra

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

We then did some walking around Bonifacio High Street, and eventually ended up at Toys R' Us, where we found these cute walls! Of course, I decided to pose for some photos.

We then decided to eat dessert at Magnum Cafe (again-- read about my first visit there on a previous post of mine). But this time, instead of making our own ice cream bars, we decided to dine in and try their gourmet creations. We got the Death By Chocolate, which is a pan of brownie served with Magnum and cream. It smelled good, like chocolate, the same as the rest of the restaurant. In my opinion though, it was just so-so. The whole thing was too sweet. Also, I would have preferred if the brownie was chewy, instead of gooey. But then, maybe that's just me. (Wasn't able to take any photo, sorry.)

So that was my day! I didn't post a photo of my mom here because she's pretty shy; but if you're curious, feel free to check out my Instagram. I posted a photo with her during her birthday.It'd be great if you followed me there; I'm a lot more active there than here. Follow me also on GFC and/or Bloglovin! I've also just joined Chictopia, so join me there too! I'm sorry it's taking me a while to get back to your comments and/or follow back, but I promise I'll do them all in time. :)

x Erika Rosales

Hey There, Stud // Bluer than Blue

The weekend was one well-spent, I must say. And so I bring you two outfits in one post! I'm certain most people went either out-of-town or out-of-the-country for the long weekend. But for us, we did Visita Iglesia last Thursday, and stayed at home on Friday. The day after, we went farther than we usually did-- I guess that counts as going out-of-town? But for a day only (or more like, half a day).

Last Saturday, we went to Sta. Rosa, Laguna. I have always wanted to visit Nuvali, and so we did. It was a good few hours away from home, so I got to practice my driving! (In my outfit photos below, you might see the car key peeking from my pocket heh) The scenery was lovely. However, it may have been a bad move for us to go there during summer because it was scorching hot! Oh well, that's life in a tropical country for us.

There were some factory outlets in the area, especially in Paseo, so we went to check them out. Surprisingly, I didn't get to buy anything that day haha! Outlet shopping is actually one thing that I love when going to the United States. Unfortunately, outlet shopping is not that popular in the Philippines.

Before we move on to my OOTD, here are a few (really few, just three) snaps from our Saturday adventure. I meant to take pictures of the food we ate for lunch at Crisostomo at Solenad, Nuvali-- a modern Filipino restaurant; but alas, I was too hungry that I dug in the moment the dishes landed on the table. What a shame, they looked and tasted great.

Now let's talk about my outfit that day! I knew it was going to be hot, so I wore a sleeveless crop top. The top's actually a size bigger for me, but it's alright because I believe it just gave me the right kind of coverage haha! I wore a navy blue lace bandeau inside since the sides were low (sadly, I have no detailed photo of the bandeau). And since it's a hanging top, I paired it with high-waist shorts. Can I just share how much I love the shorts? Aside from the cool studs, it also has a button fly!

To add to the toughness of the look, I sported my Adidas Originals Honey EF hi-strap white sneakers. I love the pair so much because they're unique! My quest for all-white sneakers was a tough one. I wasn't sure at first whether I wanted sneaker wedges or high-cut ones. But then my mom found these in Hong Kong and I fell in love with them! I mean, check out those studs at the back! (PS: Hong Kong's one of those countries where you can find unique shoes!)

My outfit was actually heavily spiked and studded haha! I went with edgy silver accessories, hence the spiked bracelet (a gift from a friend) and layered rings. Of course, shades were a must! I have been wanting a pair of round sunnies; thankfully, my Secret Santa granted my wish! The shades are just sooo versatile.

Crop top: Forever 21 || High-waist shorts: Terranova || Sneakers: Adidas

Bandeau: Cotton On || Bracelet: Tomato || Rings: Aldo Accessories || Watch: Casio

---

The next day was Easter Sunday! It was indeed a happy Easter for me and my family. In the morning, a package arrived from our relatives in Chicago. We have been waiting for it to arrive! It was filled with spreads and sweets (like Speculoos jars, limited edition Oreos, etc.). But aside from those, there were also clothes! Some of them were requests from us; but some were voluntarily bought! I must say, my uncle and grandma have good taste. In fact, I loved the pieces so much that I had to wear one of the clothes that they gave!

I never knew that I could pull off tea-length skirts until I tried on this royal blue piece. Blue's my favorite color, so it's no doubt that I was totally enamored by it. I found the liveliness of the color appropriate for a remarkable day such as Easter. I wanted to be simple that day, so I paired it with my favorite white crop top and pale pink wedges. (Yes, the shoes are pale pink, excuse the lighting and settings) I wore wedges because I thought the length of the skirt would make me look shorter than I already am haha! In the end, I felt so regal in this outfit-- must be the color of the skirt, yeah? I mean, it wouldn't be called royal blue for nothing.

Since the skirt's blue, I matched it with silver accessories. I follow this rule that cool colors go best with silver, and warm with gold (but it's fun to break the rules from time to time). From yesterday's edgy silver pieces, I went with delicate pieces for Sunday's outfit. For that, I decided to wear my Pandora charm bracelet. Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon during its hype. But I think it's a good investment because I've decided to add a charm for every milestone that I will reach. Right now, I have an opal charm to mark my 18th birthday (since I was born in October), and a clover for good luck. I also have a safety chain which is not only useful, but also beautiful (it's somehow like another charm too)!

*yep, one of those typical weird-looking legs poses lol*

*Kinda feeling like Michael Jackson here, 

if only I lifted both of my feet (is that even possible when wearing wedges???)*

You might have noticed that I'm wearing lipstick. When I realized that I actually don't look bad with plum-tinted lips, I wanted to get a lipstick in that shade! So I asked for MAC Rebel. It's also one of those goodies from the package. My uncle bought me three of it, so I thought, "hey, why not wear it regularly?" So there, you'll be seeing me wearing Rebel on my lips from now on haha. It's amazing how the color of your lipstick can change your look, isn't it?

Crop top: Apartment 8 Clothing || Midi skirt: Forever 21 || Wedges: CMG

Charm bracelet: Pandora || Watch: Casio || Lipstick: MAC (in Rebel shade)

That's all, folks! I hope you enjoyed reading this 2-in-1 post. Do leave a comment below, I'd really appreciate it! Also, feel free to follow my blog via email or Google Friend Connect. Also, follow my blog with Bloglovin! I'm sure to follow back. :)

x Erika Rosales

PS: I've been nominated for a Liebster award, thanks to An-Katrien of Teacups & Dresses! Will post about it soon :)

Texture Versus Print

Oh hey, it's been two weeks since my last post! Finals just ended for me last Friday and YES I AM FINALLY FREE!! I can finally enjoy summer. Naturally, the past few days have been hot although it did rain yesterday, and that was really weird. Oh well, that's climate change for us (unfortunately).

Anyway, as I was saying, the weather's been crazy hot. If school rules allowed it, I probably would have worn shorts every day. Actually, shorts are allowed in school. But for some reason, my demure skirts and shorts don't meet the required length (at least one inch below the longest finger when standing up). I've come to the conclusion that my arms are unusually long. That's why you'll often see me outside of school wearing either a skirt or shorts because I use all my pants in school haha!

So for today, I decided to wear this pleated plaid skirt that I've had since I was in first or second year high school. I rarely wear it because I find it difficult to wear it without looking like a schoolgirl. But then I had this idea of wearing it with my pastel pink eyelet top. A lace-like top and a skirt-- perfect for the summer heat! I rarely wear "clashing" pieces, but I thought they contrasted each other perfectly. What do you guys think?

Eyelet top: Topshop || Plaid skirt: Forever 21 || Necklace: The Landmark
Bracelets: Promod || Tank top: Uniqlo || Nude flats: Lower East Side (Payless Shoe Source)

  Fitclip: Renouveau Manila || Nails: Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat (c/o Nailogy)

Like I said, I've had the skirt since around 4 years ago. Back then, I was still a size Medium, so I had to use my fitclip again! My top's actually a size 6 so yeah, I just had to wing it lol. 

So there, happy summer! Also, have a blessed week. Will publish another post by the weekend, stay tuned! You might want to subscribe to my blog via email for updates, or follow me on Google Friend Connector (GFC). You can do these by checking out my sidebar, thanks!

x Erika Rosales