What a shame
What a complete and udder shame
That I have to leave
For us to be OK.
Moving out in a couple of months. Very excited about that but there’s so much work to do in the process.
Oh well.
One Thing I Can Scratch Off
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Monthly Archives: September 2014
Passed On and Handed Down
Just a quick, real time post because work ended early and I’m honestly too tired to do anything else. I’m back to posing in front of our storage area’s frontage and I had to bribe my brother with my last chicken drumstick for him to take my pictures. But aside from that, everything is or will be ok. Or at least that’s what they say…
This blog entry is entitled “Passed On and Handed Down” because most of the items I’m wearing were either given to me as a gift or handed down to me.
I have no shame in admitting that a lot of my friends like to give me their used/ unused clothing because 1. I’m smaller than most of them so what they grow out of, I can grow into and 2. sometimes they are more of use to me than they are for them.
Plus, it saves me a great deal of money from shopping! I really cannot complain when it comes to being able to save. :p
[Hat: Cotton On (bought from Gizelle Faye)| Top: Gifted| Pants: Younger sister’s hand me downs| Bag: Echo Unltd| Necklace: Gifted| Slippers: Banana Peel]
Also, I have recently been asked to share 20 facts about myself on Instagram but I thought I’d share it on my blog instead. So here it goes:
1. I like to be alone more than I like to talk. But don’t worry, there’s still a lot of talking going on in my head.
2. I already wrote my top 20 things on IG but due to the character count, it wouldn’t upload my picture. So I had to do it again 🙁
3. I absolutely love animals. I’ve owned an iguana, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs, birds, fish, rats, etc. at one point of my life. I really want a pet goat and a pet pig though.
4. I like to be ironic. I named my dog Meow, a pillow Rocky and a rock fluffy.
5. I try as much as possible not to follow trends especially when it comes to catch phrases and manners of speaking. I’ve never used the line “pag may time” and I do not regret it.
6. I do not know what you mean by a basic bitch. (shout out to @faithdeguzman!!)
7. I did not participate in the transformation challenge because the only celebrity I could associate myself with was Pokwang.
8. As much as I use it on my blog and on facebook, I really REALLY hate hashtags.
9. If I could have any mental disorder, it would be multiple personality disorder.
10. This year will be my 10th year in blogging. I started under www.xanga.com/aa_bebe_phat_aa and I’ve transferred to www.issatalks.wordpress.com since Xanga shut down.
11. I am neither stupid nor smart. Sometimes my brain responds really well and then there are times when it’s all muck.
12. I despise people who deny being gay even if it’s the most obvious thing in the entire worldddd. I just feel like it’s an insult not only to themselves but to the people around them. Besides, gay people are great. I love them!
13. My “original” name is Jean Louise I. Chua. You’d know this if you met me in 2009.
14. I like to tell people that I changed my last name because I had a stalker so I had to move cities and change my last name. For some reason, people actually believe this.
15. One day, I’d like to have an assistant write down all the snarly stuff I say while going through my facebook feeds and turn it into a blog series. I’m sure a lot of people would enjoy that unless my comments are about you.
16. I do not have the will power to finish writing my book no matter how much I believe in it. I am afraid of the ending. Plus I have a ds, kindle, tab, Phoenix Wright, Star Wars. loom bands and a phone that basically takes up ALL my free time. Poor priorities.
17. I enjoy artsy things like drawing, painting, sewing, loomband-ing (?), poetry, writing. I’m not particularly good at any of this but it helps pass the time.
18. I really REALLY REAAAALLLLLYYY want a pot bellied pig and I have Miley Cyrus for getting one before I did. And I also really realllyyyy like bacon. It’s such a hard world.
19. You know how there are people who says the most random and inappropriate stuff? I’m THAT person.
20. I always thought that life would be a lot easier than it actually is and I’m at a weird stage of my life right now. I have heard that dreams should be kept dreams but dreams are the only things I’ve had. So what do I keep and what do I let go of? I’m trying to figure all of this out and yet somehow, my dreams just got a lot bigger. But we’ll see.
To find out who I’m tagging for this challenge, you can add me on Facebook.
xx,
Issa
Tiny Room Ideas
Throw Your Imperfections Into A Sea of Diamonds, My Love
What you do not love about your skin,
I’ll love and I’ll love it always.
Always because in me,
There is no time for anything less.
So:
throw your imperfections in a sea of diamonds,
and see for yourself, my love;
how well they swim
– Christopher Pointdexter
Wht My Entire Weekend Will look Like…
Black and yellow, black and yellow
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney
I wanna play you all day, all night and get paid to do that. lol
Frame Game (feat. Warby Parker)
There is an age old belief that eye glasses are anything BUT fashionable and that contact lens are the way to go when you don’t which which way you’re going (literally speaking, of course). But I’ve always kept a strong frame game on because I think that with the right pair, you can add soo much character to any outfit!
Warby Parker believes in the same thing. With their Fall collection recently released, it is specifically aimed for those who own their style, exercise their wit, and add life to the party! That’s something I can definitely relate to 😉
With 9 new frame shapes added to the collection, anyone will be bound to fall in love with the perfect frames perfect for you. I’ve been through the collection and I’ve already chosen a handful for myself!
For the bold, they’ve created three clever styles in crystal. For the polished professionals, they’ve updated three hardworking acetate frames with titanium temples. And for the folks who really mean business,a handful of angular silhouettes will be just right.
Here are my personal picks:
Really gravitating towards the square and “animal” printed frames since it’s a great mix of sexiness and sophistication that any woman in her early 20’s should aim for. What are your choices?
Fall 2014 is available September 3 online at www.warbyparker.com/fall-2014 and in stores and showrooms; frames starting at $95
Visit the website here
Find out how every pair bought from Warby Parker can help someone see the world a little bit better here
Happy shopping!
xx,
Issa
A Little Piece of Me & A Little Piece of Sky
Sharing the rest of the photos we took from A Little Piece of Sky Cafe with Jing Pascual x Jade Caballo a couple of weeks ago.
ALPS Cafe, for short, is located in M. Veloso street, Guadalupe. Getting there takes a bit of enhanced navigational skills but the adventure is worth it!
The establishment was kind enough to allow us to take photos there which resulted in these amazing photos. I love how their theme is up to par with their name and how being there makes me feel like packing my bags and traveling the world. Not a lot of places have that effect on you emotionally- I’ve been planning my eat, pray, love trip since!
A lot of people ask me how for techniques when it comes to posing in front of a camera whether it be for photo shoots, ootd’s or just random photos with family and friends. Although I don’t think that there’s really an exact science to it, I’ll try my best to be as informative and helpful as possible. 🙂
1. Know your angles.
I’m no professional model but I’ve heard it a million times on Amderica’s Next Top Model and when applied in real life, it really does wonders for your photographs. I noticed that I look better when my head is tilted to the side and when the right side of my face is more prominent because of my eyes.
Over time and after a million selfies, finding your angle will be extremely easy to identify. I think I chose my angle because it felt more comfortable to lean that way. lol
2. Find your signature pose
When it doubt, go for your signature pose! I know a lot of bloggers who rely on their signature pose, not to be recognized for it, but because it’s our safety net when we have no idea what we’re doing. It helps a lot when calming those nerves and once we’ve reached a level of calmness, experimenting with other poses becomes easier and less awkward.
If you noticed, I like to play with my hair a lot or put my hand near my face. I’ve always liked the silhouette it gives off and how it gives people more things to look at rather than my uneven eyes and bad eyebrows.
3. Be aware of your body.
When posing for pictures, I always like to imagine how it would actually come out. “What’s the use of smiling if my arm is in the way? Why do my legs look so weird in this picture? I’m looking the wrong way, my face looks too dark…” Are just a few of things that I’ve said to myself when reviewing sets so I’ve learned from that and applied it in shoots.
Also, I think it’s important to know what kinds of poses don’t work. I am completely mortified with poses wherein legs are wide open or it involves hands in weird places so I always think those are poses to reconsider.
4. Emote.
I used to laugh when I would think of the word “smize” (smiling with your eyes) because I thought it was complete and udder nonsense but I’ve come to learn that the more emotion you put into a shot, the better it comes out.
I also think that outfit posts are gratified with the emotions we convey when wearing them. Edgier outfits will look no good with a good girl pose which is why we add a little hip and flair to it and the same goes for other outfits. Can you imagine how awkward it would look if I gave a pa cute face while in a cat suit? I rest my case.
5. Be Silly.
Natural, candid laughs caught on camera. Priceless.
Those are just a few of my tips for taking better pictures. And of course, don’t forget to practice! I hope this works for you 🙂
Find out more about ALPS Cafe from their Facebook page
Instagram: @alpscafe
xx,
Issa
Gibb’s Hot Wings: The Hottest Wings in Town
I am such a sucker for hole in the wall restaurants that nothing excites me more than a new restaurant buried deep within the city I love (Cebu. Duh.)
And although I’m not a huge fan of spicy food, how could I turn down an invitation to dine at Gibb’s, the home of the hottest and arguably best hot wings in Cebu? I simply couldn’t! And for blogging purposes, I’m proud to tell everyone that I did in fact try them!
Gibb’s, which is named after the family’s dog, is a small restaurant located within Holy Family Village II, Banilad. What used to be a storage area for the family catering business’ now lies a small and cozy area where hot wing lovers can come together and eat to their hea[r]ts content.
With cut out newspapers used as a place mat, diners can enjoy different kinds of wings like their famous Gibb’s Hot Wings wherein you can choose up to 5 hotness levels, Gibbs’ Angel Wings and the Gibbs’ Spicy Honey- Garlic Wings. And just in case chicken wings aren’t enough, you can also opt for their pasta and sidings.
Jean, our boyfriends and I, together with owner Coy Oliva, were able to sit down and taste his and his wife’s works of art on a fine Saturday afternoon and although I came out sweatier than I came in (their wings are THAT spicy!), I’d recommend their hot wings to anyone!
I’ll be honest, I know absolutely nothing about wings- I don’t eat them, I never crave for them and quite frankly, I don’t really care for them at all but… Paolo does. A LOT! So on this very special occasion, I decided to drag him along and be the judge of this one. The verdict? I got a very lengthy explanation of the different types of chicken wings, what makes it good and how pleased he was that he FINALLY found a place in Cebu that he could go to to fulfill his wings cravings…
On the flip side and on behalf of the all girls who like to play on the safe non-spicy side of things, I really enjoyed everything I had that day especially the cheese sticks and potato wedges! As a firm believer that cheese heals all wounds, Gibb’s mozzarella sticks are just the right mix of cheese and breading which is really hard to find!
I also indulged in their Angel Wings which are crunchy chicken wings glazed in cream, cheese and garlic sauce and topped in Parmesan cheese. (I said cheese twice in one sentence. I’m soo happy!)
And how could I forget their choices of pasta? We were also able to try out their equally famous Gibbs’ Spaghetti and Meatballs and their Bacon and Mushroom Carbonara.I really loved both, favoring the carbonara more but that’s due to personal preference. 😉
I think it’s important for me to share my #hotwingschallenge experience so I’m going to do just that! Again, I’m a really not a fan of anything remotely spicy. I once won P 500.00 from eating an entire glunk of bbq powder from Potato Corner and that’s the last time I ever had it! Knowing my low tolerance to spice, Coy was kind enough to prepare my something I could handle. I was able to try the mildest hot wings and the 5th level (the spiciest) and although I was able the stomach the mildest level… god bless the people crazy enough to eat the 5th!
Of course, Paolo will tell you that I’m exaggerating like the true drama queen I was born to be but I’ll let you guys be the judge of this one..
Find their menu here
Like them on Facebook
Credits to Jean for the photos :*
xx,
Issa