Lookbook: Now THIS is Colorblocking!

I wore this outfit a few weeks back and I wanted to share it here as the colors make me so happy still.  As I wrote here some months ago, colorblocking is a fun way to dress up and punch up any outfit with colors and brights.  And now, even with the holiday season, it's still workable as ever.  And even just with department store and bazaar finds, the combination is just a happy, joyful way to wear this trend. :)

Yellow blazer from SM 

Purple random shirt

Pink pencil skirt from The Landmark
Pink braided belt from SM

Red envelope clutch from company bazaar

Charles and Keith heels

Gifted ring 

I wish everyone happy holidays! Cheers! :) 

Weekend Snippets

 

Just a few snaps from the wonderfully packed weekend.  Friday,  I was able to go the Brown Bag Vintage & Crafts Market, where I finally met Mikka of A Mischmashed Life whose blog I've been following for quite some time now. Even better, I got first dibs (and a discount too!) on the latest pieces from Carioca, a line of kimonos and caftans that she started with her sister (read about it here).  I got the Caravelas kimono in cotton fabric in my favorite animal print pattern and another one in silk fabric with a surprisingly gorgeous stripes print.  

I also came across other serendipitous finds at the bazaar, like cat-eye vintage Italian shades and handmade leather and fabric bracelets (so perfect for arm parties!).  Another favorite fab find of mine was Alunsina Handbound Books, where I scored a fully handmade journal with genuine cowhide leather only at P500!  I still open the journal from time to time just to savor the wonderful smell of the leather :).

Then dinner at Ayala Triangle Gardens with my friends ANT and S., who work near the area (and I was so engrossed with our chismis/ conversation that I forgot to take a picture!)  Then it was off to Midnight Mercato at BGC, where I went on a food trip while welcoming a friend's birthday. 

Saturday, I treated myself to lunch at Mamou in Serendra, where I remembered why their Lorenzo's Truffle Cream pasta is my favorite and of course, why their Angus Ribeye steak is one of the best in the city. Then the meal was capped off with Mamou's key lime pie (but eaten at Cafe Mary Grace, one of my favorite places for coffee). 

Sunday was spent enjoying the rainy day at home, in pajamas for most of the whole day and a good book.  It was a wonderful weekend.Hope you all had a good one too! :)

Fashion Friday: Red Pants!

I've always been drawn to red---whether it comes to my things (I have a red wallet , a red phone, and I love red nail polish), makeup, fashion. I'd like to think it's one of my signature colors. So it's no surprise to me that I've been lusting after a pair of red pants. It's supposed to be a trend for fall, although in our Philippine weather, I can also see it for the summer and even to add a pop of color for our rainy season (which has been year-round these days!)

These were my pegs when I was searching for a pair: 

Isabeli Fontana for Mango

Manila Fashion Observer in red Zara pants. I love this look---and the Oxfords too!

Via Jak and Jil

And of course, red pants are just perfect paired with stripes to come up with a nautical/preppy look, which I totally adore: 

Via Junialoves.com

Lucy Laught in Anna Sui

Brooklyn Blonde via Chictopia

I scoured the shops and found a pair of red jeans in Promod (although I didn't quite like the particular shade of red of the pants) and also in Mango (didn't like the fit of their red trousers and I didn't find the right size with their red skinny jeans). I was also still on the fence whether red pants/jeans was a basic wardrobe item so I still couldn't bring myself to shell out more than P2,000 for a pair (the price range of the ones in Promod and Mango).  So, it was lucky that I scored a pair of unbranded red stretch denim jeans while grocery shopping in Shopwise Libis.

The rainbow of colors was absolutely lovely, I wanted to buy one in every color.

The shade of red was just perfect and what's best about it is it was only P595! The fit was good---although I got a size bigger since I don't want my tummy area to be squeezed in.

Lately, I've been telling myself that I want to avoid as much as possible buying cheap but disposable clothes. That I would prioritize quality over quantity. However, I think for now, I'll make an exception for this pair and see for myself if it's a wardrobe staple that I want to invest in and upgrade :)

Stripe shirt bought from bazaar

Red pants from Shopwise

Rico Salandanan trench coat

Sperry Top-siders

Handmade bib necklace by Patricia Fernandez

Cole Haan tote

What do you think?  For more on red pants, I leave you with these lovely links:

*Salt and Prep-  Style: Red Hot

*The Coveted- Red Pants: Trend or Investment?

Have a lovely weekend!

Wedding Weekend x {Photo Diary}

Last weekend was all about the wedding of K. and R. The ceremony was solemn and heartfelt (my first time to be a wedding commentator), followed by a grand reception at the Marriott Hotel Manila that was nothing short of spectacular, spectacular. And the food was superb too! Then an after-party followed at the exclusive Genting Club, where drinks, games, and dancing flowed til the wee hours of the morning. Good thing we were booked at an Executive Deluxe room at the hotel (thank you Tita A.!) and had a hearty breakfast the morning after. 

The couple also treated us to to the live screening of Pacquiao-Marquez III at the Genting Club. Then finally, after relaxing the afternoon away with coffee at Coffee Bean and Moroccan mint tea at Marriott Cafe, the couple took us and other friends to a Sunday night performance of my beloved classic The Sound of Music at the Newport Performing Arts Theater---at no less than the VIP box section. :) 

It was certainly a wonderful weekend ---made all the more beautiful because of the celebration of love and togetherness of the happy couple. To K. and R., wishing you a lifetime of happiness and love :) Cheers! :)

 

For the Love of Photography: The Joy of Imprinting with Canon's Pixma Printers

"God gave us memories that we might have roses in December." ~J.M. Barrie

When was the last time you actually held photos from your digital camera in your hands?  I can no longer remember. 

Yet when I think back on those days when I had pictures from my film camera developed in the neighborhood photo store, I can still very much remember the sense of excitement from seeing my pictures for the first time, and the sense of fulfillment from actually being able to touch my photos. I first fell in love with photography during my film camera days back in high school. Now, in this day and age of the digital camera and memory card, I am even more in love with photography.  But having my pictures exist in print is something only in the realm of nostalgia but not in reality, for reasons of practicality and convenience. These days, who actually go to the photo store to have their photos printed? Certainly not me.

Then this week, I got an invitation from Nuffnang to an exclusive launch of a line of five new Canon PIXMA printers and was introduced to a beautiful bridge between the world of digital photography and real photographs.

At the exclusive launch of Canon's Pixma printers at the SM North Edsa City Style Annex on October 18.

Until this event, I can honestly say that I have never considered getting a photo printer because I've always thought that the printers themselves were really expensive, not to mention the cost of the ink and the photo paper.

Then that day, I learned about the PIXMA MP287, which is retailing at a surprisingly low price of only P3,495.00 while the next printer in the series, the Pixma E500 is only at P4,495.00. The other printers are in the price range of P6,495 to  P19,295.

These printers are ink efficient and judging from the photos that I actually saw the printers churn out, the quality of the prints is not compromised at all.  The details were sharp and the colors were crisp and beautiful. The PIXMA E500's cost per print is only at P0.74 for each plain black document and P1.74 for colored documents.  I also asked around and was surprised that each 30 sheet pack of 4 x 6 glossy photo paper is only P125.00 or only P4.17 per sheet, while a set of inks for the E500 is only P1,290.  The colored cartridge can print up to 400 pages while the black cartridge up to 800 pages.

The Canon Pixma E500 retails at P4,495

From the cost alone, I'd say that these printers are a a good deal. But they still have added features which make them real value for money. These features include an eco monitor which allows you to track your reduced carbon emissions and paper saved by Canon's Auto Duplex Print feature.  The PIXMA MG8270 (P19,295) and the MG5370 (P8,495) printers are also wi-fi enabled and can even print from Picasa Web Albums without a PC through the PIXMA Cloud Link.  What I especially like are the printers' fun filter effects (blur background, fish-eye, miniature, soft focus, and toy camera) that can be automatically applied to the photos before printing.

What I also found just so cool was that the PIXMA printers have a Full HD Movie Print feature, which allows you to print any frame from videos shot using certain Canon digital cameras. Amazing!

And because these printers are all-in-one, even the lowest priced PIXMA printer has a built-in scanner---perfect for turning my old film photos to the digital realm.

The event also featured the works of the PIXMA brand ambassadors  and showcased the best photos they've ever printed.  The brand ambassadors (Jun Miranda, Per- Andre Hoffmann, and Jo Avila) are talented photographers in their own right and the wall of their photos was very inspiring to a photography enthusiast like me.

Hoffmann's surreal take on Mayon Volcano

Pure innocent joy, as captured by Jo Avila.

I am a Canon girl through and through---from film to digital cameras, over the years, I have trusted Canon's quality and craftsmanship. And now with Canon PIXMA printers, I know I will take my love for photography to a new, and more complete, level.

I believe photography is, ultimately, all about memories. We use cameras to take photos to capture unique moments in time, and we print photos to make those moments last for eternity (or in case of photos printed with PIXMA printers, they can last up to 300 years!). With the prevalence of digital cameras in our generation and our never-ending fascination with Facebook and other social networking sites, I think we have somehow forgotten that having prints of our photos is actually an essential step in the art and process of photography.  Until a photo captured by a digital camera is printed, it only exists as kilobyte in our memory cards and computers. It is different to hold a memory in our hands, in a concrete, tactile, tangible form---somehow making it more real. Photography is not complete until we can actually see and smell and feel and touch our photos, and revel in its lights and shadows.  It is only then that photos are not just prints but become true imprints of cherished moments and memories.

PROMO ALERT. Starting October 15, Canon is giving away Rudy Project Sprint sets (a sports watch and arm band) worth P4,300 for every purchase of a Canon PIXMA E500, a Canon PIXMA printer and a corresponding ink, or 4 Canon Genuine inks. For more information on Canon's PIXMA printers, visit www.canon.com.ph.