30.10.13

Sew Maui

Sew Maui is a collection of clothes by Dumaguete City based designer, Maui Lezama. Her creations are a melange of fun, girly and chic. You'd imagine Zooey Deschanel sporting her dresses. The signature high waist cuts, open back and vintage-inspired style will add flair to your daily wardrobe.

Take a look at a few pieces from her collections.
Source: www.facebook.com/mauistitches 







Maui in her own design

What's great about getting clothes from Sew Maui is that each one is unique, unconventional, charming and beautiful at the same time. The garments are uncommon; she's definitely not selling hundreds of pieces for one design-- no worries about encountering someone else in the same clothes. Her collections are limited so you gotta grab the one you're eyeing at as soon as possible before another quick buyer says "mine" on the picture. You can ask for MTO (made to order) clothes though for the same design but in a different fabric.  

Not only does she make clothes for everyday wear, her creations include formal wear and gowns that has been featured in weddings and Miss Silliman pageants. 

Of course I didn't let Sew Maui pass me by without grabbing a piece or two. Here are items I snagged:





Get a piece from Sew Maui:

29.10.13

Krista Huot

Fairy tale, folklore and vintage kitsch combined-- these generate beautiful masterpieces by Krista Huot. Familiar characters like Snow White, Alice in Wonderland, and Rapunzel are depicted in unique and remarkable features. Krista made a signature of her own in the art world making her paintings stand out and noticeable. 

Advice from a Caterpillar

I find her works are telling the stories of known characters in a different light making them interesting and more enchanting.

Masquerade

Hanami

Rapunzel

Wind-Up

Queen Mab

The Poisoned Apple

Temptresses

28.10.13

Vintage Stuff

I kept mentioning in prior posts that I have a thing for vintage stuff. The nostalgic air and the thought of it still being around despite the years might be the magnet for me. I have come across a few objects from the past and they have some kind of effect on me making me want to travel time and wonder what it'd be like to experience the previous eras. Good thing I have my trusty film cameras (which are vintagey themselves) to keep them in a collection of photographs. Oh well, can't get enough of them.

The old and classic through the analogue lens:

























26.10.13

Pentatonix

Source: http://www.ryanseacrest.com

I've seen Pitch Perfect and the movie made me appreciate a cappella even more. The creativity injected into the covered songs made them sound way better than the originals. One day while scanning the news feeds of a social media account, one of the blogs I'm subscribed to posted an entry claiming that a cover by Pentatonix surpassed the original-- the song was Royals by Lorde. I'm currently hooked on the latter so I was really curious. As soon as the video played, I had goosebumps all over.

Pentatonix - Royals (Lorde Cover)


Pentatonix hails from Arlington, Texas naming their group after the musical mode with five notes in an octave-- the pentatonic scale. They are the winners of NBC's a cappella singing competition The Sing-Off during the third season. Their first two EPs PTX Vol. 1 and PTXmas were released in 2012 and the third is to be released this 2013 with covers and original songs. 

The group posted several renditions in their YouTube channel; some, if not most, are viral. I must say they recreate the songs impressively. I'm not surprised how they became the champions of The Sing-Off Season 3, they absolutely deserve it. Pentatonix gives each one of their covered songs a certain flair that wasn't there in the original. These guys know what they're doing and they're doing it real good. They are catching a lot of attention in the biz with their remarkable blending techniques and phenomenal bass and percussion. Kudos to this exceptional ensemble. 

You SHOULD listen to these as well; get ready for goosebumps:

Pentatonix - Evolution of Music

Pentatonix - Somebody that I Used to Know (Gotye feat. Kimbra Cover)

Pentatonix - Since U Been Gone/Forget You Medley (The Sing-Off Performance)

Pentatonix - Video Killed the Radio Star (The Sing-Off Performance)



See and hear more:
http://www.youtube.com/user/PTXofficial/videos

P.S. Their Sing-Off performances are golden. If you haven't seen them yet you better watch them now. *Wink*

24.10.13

Smile

A smile is a free and easy gesture everybody needs especially during troubled times. It can go a long way-- it may make someone's day, or better yet, make their worries go away. May we always remember this expression of optimism and hope despite the hardships we face. Everything happens for a reason and there are still a million reasons to smile.

Smile and the world smiles with you.


Source: http://www.pinterest.com

Source: http://www.pinterest.com

Source: http://www.pinterest.com

Source: http://www.flickr.com

Source: http://www.pinterest.com

Source: http://www.pinterest.com

Source: http://shutter-shooter.deviantart.com

Source: http://www.weblyest.com

Source: http://500px.com

23.10.13

Help Bohol


The island of Bohol, one of the Philippines' top tourist destinations, has been devastated by a strong earthquake last October 15, 2013. Residents of the different towns badly hit by the quake are in dire need of water, food, medicine, clothing, blankets, and tents. Please help my fellow Boholanos get back on their feet. Your heartfelt support is greatly appreciated.

Please donate through:
Chocolate Hills before the earthquake
Source: http://www.adventurousfeet.com/

Chocolate Hills damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake
Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

Centuries-old Churches before and after photos
Source: http://halfwhiteboy.blogspot.com

Evacuation area; behind is the rubble of what used to be the Loon Church
Source: http://news.ph.msn.com

Quake victims in the town of Sagbayan lining up to receive cash handouts from the government
 Source: http://www.komonews.com

16.10.13

The Quake

10.15.13

Early in the morning at around 8, I was on my bed still in a state of slumber. I didn't need to wake up early since it was a non-working holiday. All of a sudden, a shake of the ground made me open my eyes. I waited for it to stop (I thought it might not be a big deal) but then it didn't and it was different compared to the quakes I have experienced previously. I could hear a loud grinding sound like there was a construction going on underground and our house itself was shaking like crazy. There was nothing else I could do but run outside in my sleeping clothes barefoot. While I was out in the open area, I kept looking around doing a head count of my family. My mom was already with me in the street and the dogs went out also (they were really scared as well), my father, sister and her son were the last ones to come out. Everyone in our neighborhood were outside; some were even grabbing their stuff to leave and go to higher ground because of a rumor circulating that there is a tsunami coming. But we decided to stay and thought it might be a false alarm. We hurriedly took important stuff-- prepared water, food, and clothes-- so as we become ready in case we have to evacuate.

As the day progressed, we still stayed in our neighborhood. We set up tables in our garage and opened the gates so we can easily get to the road if ever another shock occurs. There were so many aftershocks along the day, some light some strong. The strongest we experienced was around 6 PM (which was reported in the news to be a 4.8 magnitude); we immediately ran out into the open upon feeling the tremor.

We were dining in mere light of candles and flashlights since the power was out. A few hours later, electricity and water were already available. For caution, we remained in our garage so we set up mats and folding beds to sleep on. It was my first time to ever experience such calamity. Who would have expected a major phenomenon like this would occur in my island. We can never really tell what nature has in store in her bag of tricks. In my lifetime, Bohol have never been shaken by an earthquake with such strong impact (7.2 magnitude). Even the older people I asked verified this.

My family and neighbors were gathered in the street talking and helping each other out. Trying to comfort  ourselves from the fear and anxiety of feeling the ground tremble again.

As we were watching the news the stories we heard of old churches destroyed were confirmed; some still standing with damaged portions while others were reduced to rubble. It was heartbreaking to see those beautiful historical temples of worship in devastating states. Many houses were in unlivable forms while roads and bridges were impassable.

Despite that, our faith is not shaken. We continue to pray for all people of the affected provinces. We shall stay hopeful and faithful that God will keep us from harm's way. I am greatly thankful that all my friends and relatives scattered around the region are safe. This misfortune is an awakening to the people. We learn to appreciate more the value of life, family, friendship, and prayer. This is reality-- we can never predict what goes on on this planet we call home but it's the only one we have. We can endure. This too shall pass.

May we all recover from this disaster. Stay safe and keep the faith.


Loboc Church
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

Chocolate Hills Viewing Deck
Source: http://www.gmanetwork.com

Abatan Bridge
Source: https://www.facebook.com/xanderfrix