My 10th

Tea Spectral caught the cold, so for her sake, I made this video to help her blog. 

Happy Holidays everyone!

Cheers,

Eugene.

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The Lane Bryant Holiday Haul

I've been meaning to come in here and tell you of my lovely Lane Bryant Haul for some time now. I feel like I've been snowballing in the shopping department since everything is so darn cheap! Believe me, I've been still sticking to my half off only policy, yet everything seems to be dropping cheaper and cheaper. Where as the fact that products are practically being given away these days means the economy is not so great, I've never had the opportunity to refresh my wardrobe so quickly! Even the fact that I was better off financially last year than now doesn't seem to be holding me back in this department.

For those of you that follow my Instagram, you may have noticed this photo for awhile sometime. This was my receipt from the haul, something that I'm terribly proud of. Seems like being good paying the bills all year and waiting for the clearance to go an extra 50% off has it's bonuses. Spending $70 for well over $200 in items can't get any better. I got some wonderful useful items for everyday which I'm super happy about.

Here's what I got:

I just love this little thin print shirt. It's a bit baggy on me but I love the way that it goes with leggings. I wore this to Palm Springs and it was a great shirt to layer and wear with my favorite jeans. This little Anglophile is gleaming with happiness.

I love this feather watercolor shirt. It's silky in the front and has a stretchy cotton back that makes it very light. Wearing it just makes me feel pretty. I think I should go on the hunt for a dream-catcher pendant. I also enjoy that it's one of those pieces you can dress up or down depending on what your day calls for.

It was about time that I got myself a denim shirt. I was fortunate to find this peasant blouse one. It has that industrial look with a little bit of girlish touch. I love it! I'm looking forward to pairing this shirt with my brown vest for an everyday steampunkish look.

I love these button up dresses and have a slowly growing collection of them. I was happy to find this in Olive Green because I promise come around St. Patty's that I'll get more green in my closet. Well! I beat myself to it early this year since I've been really into green as of late. I also enjoyed that it came with a nice belt that I can use with other outfits. Best part about this dress is how flowy the fabric is falling in all the right places without pinching and being too stiff. I'm saving this dress for a special occasion.

The priciest item I got were these boots which I didn't mind one bit! Be it the weight I am now or when I was much thinner in my high school years I was NEVER able to quite fit into knee high boots. I just about gave up on the idea until Eugene found these and suggested I tried them on. I bought them in a heartbeat! The stretchy backing made it easy to wear without looking to tacky being stretchy all over like most boots that I've seen. I also love the thick rubber souls for all day wear without looking too much like a sneaker. I wore these once before taking these photos and they've become a winter staple for me this year. Ladies, do yourself a favor and invest in a good pair of boots if you haven't. I have a feeling these will be with me for a good few years to come.

And last but not least, a big bottle of Cacique Perfume...

I can go on with the praise about this perfume all day. As seen I had bought a small travel bottle to try for the meantime and I just couldn't stop wearing it! What I love the most about this scent is that it's bold without being obnoxious. It's so common to want a bold perfume and people suggest citrus scents. Personally I like citrus, but what I really love is the delicate naturally sweet scent of flowers. Cacique does a great job of combining both to where the floral scents take center stage and keep a presence through the whole day. The woodsy under notes combined with me mandarin just punch take the florals and make the deeper if that makes sense. I feel bold and beautiful when I put this on, its a scent that Eugene prefers over all my others.  And to think, this perfume is cheaper than most brands I enjoy and I can find it at one of my favorite shops. Such a win win!

Hope you've enjoyed this and you've been struck with shoppers luck lately.

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My Winter Study

Today I finally got a day off. There has been quite a bit going on in my life that has me on the verge of changing my course in a big way. I can't talk about it too much until the end of the year passes; but I'll tell you that I'm in the middle of a major business opportunity. Its been taking up most of my time. So much sadly that I'm not sure that the NaNoWriMo challenge will be completed. Where I am disappointed, I can't let this huge opportunity go by.

 Now that that's out of the way, I used this day to redecorate the office for the Winter. Down with the fall leaves and crows and in with the wreaths and gold. I went crazy at my local dollar store and found all of these amazing garlands! Can you believe I only spent 15 bucks!? I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw the finished result.

The garlands are actually made of two pieces. The pine part was actually thinner then it looks so I folded it in two and lightly weaved it together to make them look fuller. The gold trim is actually spun tinsel to look like rope so it's super lightweight and made it easy to adapt.

The bows are a clearance ribbon that I got from Stats a few years back. I've been saving the pretty velvet ribbon for a special occasion or more masks making, I was happy that I had something like this around to tie in the entire look. Since my office has a Venetian/Old World theme to it, I thought that the bows gave it that perfect classical finishing touch. The dark blue was a perfect contrast to bring in my stormy blue wall and my red closet.

The wreath was an extra garland that I had leftover from all the decorating. So I folded and weaved it together three times to get the circular look. I was about to head out to get a wreath hanger, but Kros was able to hold it just fine since it was so light weight. Doesn't he look snazzy? He reminds me of one of those old fantasy door knockers like in Alice and Wonderland that talk back to you.

An interesting addition is my new Angel that was given to me by the Tea Rose Garden. I love that stoic look she has; almost eerie. She matches Hitchcock, my owl, except she's a porcelain material and not stone. She has that strange affect of eyes that follow you. I like it, especially when the light hits her in the morning and makes her glow.

Stay tune for more super awesome things to come! I can't wait to 'spill the beans' as to some of the things I've been up to.

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Thoughts: Strength through Support

There was something missing for my Thanksgiving this year; part of my family was missing. My childhood Nanny, whom I now call my Aunt, called us the day after that she was admitted in the hospital and operated that day with Appendicitis. As you can imagine she was utterly depressed, switching her feast for a couple of lousy days of runny soup.

She's the manager of a vintage Hollywood Apartment complex that has been converted as a Senior Living center and lives there with her husband. Part of her job is that she's not allowed to leave the premises for a majority of the day. So what we did was bring Thanksgiving to her! My mom and I brought her favorite: Filipino food, and we had a second holiday with them.

The reason why I'm sharing this with you is because the experience was a changing point in my journey of discovering myself. In my earlier parts of this blog I expressed that I was going through a time of isolation where I wanted to get to the bottom of my feelings and the way that my life was moving. Slowly I've been going out again, seeing friends and family. I can say that this little Thanksgiving was a 'graduation' of my self dwelling and coming out refreshed and composed as the person I'm learning to be.

With a smiley face balloon in hand, I discovered that I as a positive being can be a healing force to others. Her face that night when I walked through the door was priceless. The meal around the television with styrofoam and plastic silverware was better than my traditional meal early this week. We laughed, shared stories, and did what families do: support. Perhaps this all sounds cheesy, or over said, but there is a simple truth in letting moments highlight your life and existence as a soul.

Be positive not just for you, but for the others that need you. You may not see it yet because you're in your process of self discovery; but you're a jewel to someone's life. The closer they get to that person you really are, the stronger the unity and support will be.

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Mini Holiday: Arroyo Grande

Our next trip was Arroyo Grande. We piled into the little Fiat and drove about 20 minutes away from where we were staying. Arroyo Grande is this little town that has specialty shops. Much of the older buildings are preserved for historic purposes. I'm not quite sure its heritage, but I'm curious to learn more and spend more time here on my next visit to the area.

For lunch we found this interesting little place called Klondike. It was a pizza parlor that was to resemble a bar feeling that you would in Alaska. What I loved about it was the laid back atmosphere and the arcade.

Little known fact: Eugene and I are Arcade Children. In our early years together Eugene was heavy into fighting games while I was into Bemani games. As we waited for our order we went crazy with the selection they had. Where they didn't have any Bemai games, there was a good amount of fighting games as well as a Pirates of the Caribbean Pinball Machine.

My mom called me because the cheese bread we order as well as a side salad had come to the table. It was so yummy! I really enjoyed the loads of garlic on it.

As to describe the BBQ Chicken Pizza: AWESOME! It was gooey and irresistible. The cheese was dripping everywhere. I particularly enjoyed the dough they used. From what I read from the menu it was made fresh with each order. It wasn't chewy or too dry; it almost felt like I was eating a freshly made foccacia out of the oven.

When we were finished, Eugene and I made our way to Doc Burnstein's Ice Cream Lab. I'm always on the hunt for Bubble Gum ice cream as it's only sold in one specialty shop a few cities away from me. Thankfully they did not disappoint! We also found some amazing flavors aside from my beloved Bubble Gum so we went and made a Sunday to share. Our sundae consisted of: Bittersweet Chocolate, Lemon Chiffon, Bubble Gum, and the stores signature flavor Merlot Raspberry Truffle. Each one was absolutely decadent, no flavor was better than the other. I felt like each one had a different mood to it.

While you're eating they have a set of toy trains that follow tracks overhead the shop. They're there to represent the railroad that went through the area at some point. I thought it was a nice touch. Something that was definitely a character to the shop alone.

 When we were done, we needed a stroll to settle the crazy amounts of food that we ate.So we found the local park in the area with a few cool surprises in it...

Crazy as it is, I was in love with all of the lose chickens and roosters in the area. The locals were laughing at me because I was a little giddy for my own good. So pretty, so friendly. I still would love a pet Silkie Chicken...

They build cat tree houses around the cliffs edge. I thought that was pretty interesting. If you look closely you can see a little kitty sleeping inside and the cute food and water dishes that seem to be filled often. I could dig living in an animal loving town.

My favorite was this awesome bridge! It was an actual rope strung bridge like in the old days! Granted it was rebuilt and made much more secure as it was before, but it still rocked and swayed when you went on it. After sometime it gave Eugene and me a bit of a freight and we had to get off. I think I sorta get the fear in all of those adventure movies about bridges now...

Next to it was the stairs that led to the brook below. If was so beautiful! I loved how lush and green everything was and the way the light filtered through the leaves. I hope to take more walks in places like this back home.

After sometime in it was already hitting late afternoon and Eugene and I had a 4 hr road trip back home. So we piled back into the little Fiat and made our way back to the resort. It was a great little break to be away from the pressures of the city. I loved the fact that I got to savor things more than spending on them.

I hope next time I come back that I can explore more of the things up in the ocean town's of middle California. I saw some ads of new wine vineyards and tours as well as whale watching. Hopefully sometime soon... Until then, I'm grateful that I have the chance to vacate every now and then.

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Mini Holiday: Avila Bay

Last week I finally had the opportunity to go away on a mini holiday. I did it on the weekdays before  Veterans Day so to avoid the crowds. These little mini holidays are something I look forward to year round with my family; sometimes we have them up to 4 times a year, others we'll skip on it. This was the second one for this year.

I was particularly excited with this holiday since we were going to one my favorite places in the world; Avila Bay. It's a quiet little city with a beautiful view of the California Coast and plenty of wildlife. I hadn't been back for almost a decade. The first time I had gone was the week when I started dating Eugene, and we both had to go our separate ways that weekend and I was lovesick the whole time of my visit. This time I was able to show him the sights I saw and what made me miss him even more. I considered this trip a pilgrimage in my life and a beautiful way to see how my life has grown.

 

 The way that these holidays work is that my parents book a week with their time share and they head out ahead of us. Eugene and I usually enjoy the couple of days catching up on the work and the peace and quiet that the house has to offer with just the two of us. I like to use these as writing retreats and just order take in or live off of tv dinners. About midway through the holiday, Eugene and I will drive up and spend an evening overnight at the resort. In the morning we'll go out on a family outing and enjoy the sightseeing and local attractions. By the time the evening rolls around we'll pack our stuff and head for home. We usually get another few days before my parents come back. So far this process has been working for us, giving everyone the space they need to refresh themselves. We left afternoon and spent 3 1/2 hours on the road and made it by nightfall; the place was enchanting even then...

 

In the morning I got up extra early since the excitement was getting the best of me. I love the coast! I love the power that the sound of water has over me; I'm both energized and calm at the same time. Enjoying the morning I got up early, grabbed a cup of tea, and read my meditation book greeting the sun slowly creeping to life on the resort balcony. 

The chapter was about organizing ones life and understanding the schedule that you make for yourself. This really hit home for me as there has been so much on my plate. The solitude helped me to get a few things sorted on my end. I was greatly appreciated. I wish that I could do it more often; I've even considered making visits to the coast a bi weekly practice of mine. Of course it would be the ones closer to me though...

When I was finished I went and made breakfast for the family.  What's awesome about vacation condos are the fact that they're set up like apartments with a full kitchen. The ones that we stay in even come with dining sets for four and a basic cooking tools like pans and pots. This saves my family a fortune during breaks like these, we usually only eat one meal outside each day. The rest we cook simple things inside. This is some thin cut steak with asparagus, buttered toast, and scrambled eggs. My mom also brought some cheese which I had with apples and crackers for my breakfast with tea; it was absolutely yummy!

Eugene and I finished early and head out to walk on the beach to give my parents the chance to get ready. Besides, we hadn't touched the coast since we arrived! By now the morning was lighting the waves.

Before we left we grabbed some tea from the Community Room. I love the mural on this fireplace. Avila Bay is famous for its Seals and Sea lions. I think I want to make a mural like this in a bathroom someday...

We drove my car into the little village area.  One of the highlights of the trip was driving my car up to the resort and back. I'm in love with my Scion XB! The previous owner was a professional set designer and customizing cars was his hobby. When I got it, it was well equipped with all the trimmings making for an enjoyable ride. Playing new music and long conversations always makes for great quality time in the car. My car, Pantomime (so I lovingly named it), has sort of become my thinking capsule. 

Eugene was blown away with the sight. I was so happy to share it with him! I can safely say that right then was when my Thanksgiving had started, I felt so blessed to be with this man for soon to be a decade of my life. We grew up together and have gone through the impossible and back. I still get the flutters when he looks at me, this I am thankful for.

To make things even more magical someone had the wonderful idea of adding swings and a slide to the beach. I've never seen anything like it, I was super giddy to try. There's something really unique of having a relationship with a man that didn't grow up in your culture, one of which is sharing stories. Since Eugene had arrived to the States when he was 11, no one had really ever taught him how to use a swing. I got to teach him, and what a great view to do so. He succeeded without the help of me pushing. I really enjoyed that time with him and its a memory I now cherish.

When we had our fill of the swings we started to make our way to the water. It was soothing and breathtaking...

 There was a little marsh under the resort's cliff-side. So we went and took a look at all the wildlife for awhile.

Soon enough I got the call from my mom that they were ready to head out. It was just about time for lunch and we had worked up quite the appetite. Washing my flip flops I was ready to head out. My parents had rented a Fiat 500 and I was so curious as to how it drove.

Next stop Arroyo Grande!

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