Happiest New Year to y'all!

I'm still in the Philippines and currently in Manila preparing for the New Year's celebration. The wi-fi here is more stable unlike back in the islands so there is no more excuse to skip a week in blogosphere. We stayed in Discovery Primea hotel in Makati and just exactly did the things that we'd like to do. What to do when in Makati? Shopping and more shopping of course. Well, our hotel was adjacent to the Glorietta mall and we shopped 'til we dropped.

We found ourselves in Rustan's Department Store where they had this winter wonderland corner which was nice for photo op.

Merry Christmas from Australia and the Philippines!

I'm sorry for the delay of my post, I'm currently island hopping in the Philippines. As of the time of writing, I've already been to my 10th island in my 10th day here since arriving from Australia. The weather was not so great having experienced lots of turbulence during our flights. But the upside of that was the sun was not blazing, the air was cool and I enjoyed walking in the beach and swimming without being burned. Today was the only scorcher but I managed to climb to the top of Mt. Tapyas in Coron, Palawan which is really not that high, only 700 steps. But hey, it's an achievement for me, I conquered the heights and the scorching sun. I will have a lot of adventure posts later to share with you as soon I am back in my desk in Sydney. 

In the meantime, I am greeting you all a very Merry Christmas. May you have a great time celebrating Christmas with your families and friends. I have photos of the big Christmas trees, one from the Customs House in Sydney and the other from Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu, Philippines.

Warm greetings from summery Sydney, Australia.

Lace in Cream

It’s insanely warm now in the Southern Hemisphere having summer finally kicked in and took hold of the season. So when it comes to the clothing department, the shops have been flooded with lace, crochet, chiffon and light fabrics in dominantly white and cream colours. From the local brands Sportsgirl and Glassons to the International fashion houses like Zara and H&M, shoppers are frolicking to fill in their summer wardrobe. There are also nautical themes which maybe encouraging people to go to the beach and chill. Oh well, wherever you go and whatever you do, don’t forget to slip, slop and slap. That is, Slip on a shirt, Slop on the 30+ sunscreen, Slap on a hat. Wait there’s more…  Seek shade or shelter, Slide on some sunnies.  As Wiki defined, “Slip-Slop-Slap is the iconic and internationally recognised sun protection campaign prominent in Australia during the 1980s.” It is still now and that’s what I do not only on summer but the whole year through :)

Mesh It Up

One of the reasons why I like warm weather is that I can wear mesh clothing, the feel of the wind just gushing to the skin and keeping me cool. Or is it the way around? I like to wear perforated clothes on warm weather because it's keeping me cool and fresh. Either way, warm weather and mesh outfit work well together like ice cream and sprinkles or churros and chocolate dip. You don't have to but it's just so great together.

Hair Extensions

While shoes can make or break an outfit, I think that the hair can seal the deal. Honestly, nothing can beat somebody who pays attention on styling her hair when arriving on an event. But what to do when you are stuck with a hair that is too short to work on? Or when you are sick of your hair colour or hair style and can't be bothered going to a salon. Or your hair is too thin and you just want a little bit of volume into it. Because women are a very complicated creatures, an answer to these tricky questions has come in a form of hair extensions.

Clip-In Hair Extension                                      16 inch Hair Weave                                  18 inch Hair Weave                             

Jac Who?

This would be the first flowering tree you'll notice if you come to Australia in late Spring and early summer which is from October to December. At this time the street vegetation would definitely be either green or purple coloured. But it's a lovely sight to behold I promise you. You will be asking what is the name of this tree and hope to remember so there's just something to tell to others who don't know about it :)

Spring Colours

Spring is almost over in Oz but I still get a lot of spring inspired stories to tell. Aside from crazy weather where you can experience different seasons in one day (see similar post here), different blooms are visible wherever there is soil found. Honestly, even if you've left a little dirt unintentionally in a pot, after a few weeks you can see a little weed with a flower blooming happily. Must be a happy time for both gardeners and the plants because of the abundant sunshine in the morning then watered by the rain in the afternoon. Too little maintenance needed indeed. This post features two common plants in my street, the Azalea and the Dandelion. 

Prom Times

A-line Strapless Knee-length Tulle

Being young is one of the most intriguing phases of life I reckon. Some people at that age don’t realise they are in the most exciting stage and in a hurry to outgrow it. And when they are out of it they wish they could go back and enjoy every moment.  Ahhhh… few realisations don’t happen until later, do you agree? So I am up for chasing the moment, savour every second kind of person. What I regret most in life are those things I wish I have done especially when it is good for my well-being physically or socially. In case you still don’t get it, I am talking about being sociable on my teens including events like school formals. In my time, part of my woes of not attending night balls was the what-will-I-wear moments. Nevertheless, I braved that bit and showed up on my school’s Prom night. Proms are undeniably the most anticipated event for the young girl's life and to help them look forward to it, PROMTIMES.CO.UK is here to the rescue.

Chanel Medallion

Don't you love those lazy afternoons with nothing to fuss about but sitting pretty with a good food and company? This post is just about that, got invited one arvo for a barbeque and chatted over a delectable dishes and fizzy drinks. Someone had done early dinner for my family so what was there to think about. It was a warm day as well, a very good time for a backless pink leopard print dress. I actually reserve this kind of outfit for a laid-back event on a cosy warm weather. It is flowy and made of cotton which helps me against sweating easily from running after my toddler who moved so much like an energiser bunny.

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Ocean Baths

It was the first hot weekend in Spring when we headed for a picnic and a swim. At first we planned to go to the Central Coast but since it was a long weekend when locals prefer to go out of town where long traffic is expected in the freeway so we decided to drive 40 minutes north of Sydney instead. We found this Narrabeen Head Aquatic reserve which is not only ideal for a barby (bbq) but for a nice dip in the water as well. As soon as we reached the entrance we found a grassy area with picnic tables and barbeque stands so ideal to let the kids frolic around. There is a tidal lagoon next to the picnic area where the water comes from the ocean, therefore, becomes deeper during high tide. Lucky I spotted this long wooden staircase which serves as an observatory for the whole place. It was a long and careful climb to the top but the view was so worth it, not to mention a perfect place to shoot for my red playsuit ootd.

Four Seasons in a Day

Spring in Australia is unpredictable as. Well, you can continue the sentence but what I am referring is the crazy weather that you can experience in a day. Four seasons in one day is easily achievable, you wake up feeling cold and don’t know exactly what to wear until you check the weather forecast which is at least pretty much accurate. As soon as the sun shines it gets warmer and sometimes becomes unbearably hot from the middle of the day ‘til late arvo. And because hot weather causes lots of surface water to evaporate into the atmosphere, it eventually comes back down in a form of rain. Or if it rises quickly and cools quickly you can get hail as the raindrops stay aloft due to convection currents rising. But more than likely a thunderstorm is happening first before a heavy rainfall. This exactly happened last week, it was very humid and sticky from midday then I heard a thunderbolt so I went out immediately to get my clean laundry from the hills hoist. Didn’t even finish one line then I felt the hail dropping on my head. Lucky it wasn’t as big as golf balls or I’ll be in a great amount of pain :) In less than 3 minutes I was completely soaked. From then on it became colder all throughout the night.

Wisteria Lane

This is my second post about flowers in my neighbourhood. I have never imagined I would know more about flowers due to my new found hobby, blogging that is. It’s now in the middle of Spring in Australia though there have been flower festivals happening (Tulip festival in Bowral and the very popular Floriade in Canberra) I have to pass them for now since I can’t travel longer because of the baby. But I am contented to see my neighbours’ front yards change its colours every few weeks. In mid-September these long clusters of purple flowers were gracing the streets.

My Classic Chanel

First week of October is already gone and I’m yet to publish my first post. Well, this month is a busy one for my family with several members celebrating their birthdays. I took these photos at the end of winter where I don’t need a coat during the day especially when it’s sunny. But I need layers and ankle boots to keep me warm and black tights to make me not look bulky. This purple one-piece knitwear is only worn on weather like this and is perfect for layering. To streamline the look I used my classic Chanel in silver hardware, who said I can only wear it to a party :)

Glorious sun rays

Unboxing my Burberry Orchard bag

I always had a fascination with Burberry, this quintessential British fashion house which is synonymous to trench coats that it globally popularised. Long before acquiring designer purses I was dreaming about this sartorial check bag with a matching wallet to be a staple in my wardrobe. But somehow it got taken over by Louis Vuitton which made my captivation for Burberry grew even more. So I ended up getting not only one but three check bags. This bag that is featured now is my ultimate Burberry item at the moment… presenting the Orchard in Sartorial house check. I ordered this online in brand-new with tags condition from Reebonz. One day when I came home from work, (hence, I was still in a suit) there it was on the coffee table waiting for me. Good thing I remembered to take a photo before unboxing, well, normally I can’t wait to rip the wrap and untie the ribbon.

Street Magnolias

I was lucky enough to catch these pink flowers in my street in full bloom which from the distance we thought as cherry blossoms. It was in the last month of winter (i.e. August) that I finally grabbed my boys to snap photos for me. Lucky too that it was shot in the middle of the day and the sun was on its peak so it was a bit warmer. A couple of weeks after we took the photos, the flower started to fall and new kinds of flowers started to blossom. It's spring now and my street has a different colour theme. Meanwhile, here are the remnants of the pink hues that saturated my street when it was on its coldest.

My first high-end designer bag

This is it, the bag that caused it all. This is my first high-end designer bag, Louis Vuitton Hampstead in Ebene PM (small) size. It was an ordinary shopping day out with my mum, nieces and nephew who was our driver :-). I was wearing my blue flip-flop because of anticipated walking in the mall and paired it with my blue Oroton tote (not pictured). Before hitting the mall, we went to the city to pick up the LV that I pre-ordered. I was so awestruck as soon as I held the bag in my arms (ahhh!), the rich fine finish of the damier canvas and the red alcantara lining inside. I was trying not to get a bag with the monogram canvas at that time because I didn’t want a loud print screaming LV all around the purse but that soon changed after a few months passed :-). What attracted me even more to this bag is the shining gold metal plate in the front which is not common in the new LV releases.

Celebrating Father’s Day

Father’s Day is observed in Oz and NZ on the 1^st Sunday of September and I think in Sweden as well. It’s the first time we celebrated outside the house ever since Jace was born, for obvious reason and that’s because he was only 3 mos and a bit during last year’s Father’s day. I said obvious since you can never make me go out with a new baby just to dine in a restaurant. With babies less than 6 months I only go outside the house for their doctor’s appointment. If he can’t be on a high chair yet then restaurants are off limits. I’m sure there will be plenty of time later for him to try out the kid’s meal when he can actually chew the food in the comfort of the resto’s high chair. So last Sunday, we went to Outback Steakhouse since the boys had voted for it. Hubby went for the steak while the boys were up for the ribs and milkshakes. Well everyone was not disappointed including Jace who even enjoyed eating the lettuce from his dad’s salad. Me, I was after for the dessert portion, my only regret was I should have ordered the bigger size haha.

My grilled salmon in between the Vanilla and Strawberry milkshakes.

My first Chanel

Featured is my first Chanel bag, it’s a seasonal Chanel with nautical charms. One day mid this year I just woke up deciding to jump on-board the bandwagon collecting high-end designer bags. Don’t know what really hit me, I suspect it’s my sudden penchant to reading fashion and lifestyle blogs that started late last year. 

If hubby has massive collections of old computers and aircraft models (among other things really since he’s a hoarder) I have this bag hag tendency.  I actually planned to get only one bag of each brand just to feel the designer’s glamour but 2 weeks later I got a Chanel Medallion tote and a month after I finally embraced my long-time dream - a classic Chanel. Oh what a feeling, I thought I’ve accomplished something haha, so shallow!

But I felt guilty afterwards that I decided to sell this seasonal flap but never really had the strength to do so. I just fell in love with it, I can’t let it go. I know it’s nothing compared to the beauty and timelessness of the classic flap but this one is lightweight and easy to carry that I can wear it as a crossbody bag. And the fact that it’s a seasonal item so it’s harder to find. The hardware of this bag is matte gold that adds glam to it, well most seasonal Chanel bags have matte gold anyway if not silver. Though my classic Chanel is my top bag at the moment yet I haven’t worn it. See I’m showing signs of a vain collector already but what can I do I have no night life anymore. So I will blog about it when I finally take it outside the house or when it has seen the light of day. But this seasonal Chanel has only been out to our front yard on one Sunday afternoon while hubby and kids were picking kumquats and blood orange.

A Gastronomic Weekend

We were cooking up a storm last weekend from Friday night til Sunday night, obviously no rest for the gastronomically wicked. We normally treat our kids to McDonalds on Friday nights (we call that a treat, bad parents :-)) to spare us from washing (aha there you go) instead I cooked salmon and baked broccoli with cheese. On top of that I made a rich chocolate mud cake that I also brought to our connection group on Saturday. I tell you it’s the best tasting mud cake ever, I’m happy that I finally got the perfect recipe. Better than any store bought, well, I always stop and buy rich and dark chocolate cakes and brownies in every café that I see around Sydney.
 

Doesn't it look moist and inviting?

The Trench and the Boys

I have to publish this post before the end of cold season in Southern hemisphere. While trench coats are colourful and mood uplifter on a rather dreary and cold mornings, I wouldn’t wear these to work on a normal winter’s day since it couldn’t really protect me from Sydney harbour’s chilly wind even in mid morning or early night. I like wearing trench on a Sunday to church or when I’m out and about with the boys in the shops and around the neighbourhood.

My love for trench is growing and here goes a juxtaposition of my trench coats and the boys. First up in green trench with black and white stripes lining. It’s nice donning it with a body-hugging dress underneath so it won’t look frumpy then leave it unbuttoned.

Movie time - Jurassic World

Few Saturdays ago my family (minus baby Jace) went to watch the movie Jurassic World, something that we haven’t done for quite some time. This movie sparks an interest with us because of its blockbuster predecessor Jurassic Park and it’s a family movie so we can’t go wrong. It has a bit of science lesson too which is good for students but not according to my oldest son. I don’t know what’s with the teenage hormones as nothing is good for him anymore; nevertheless, he came with us because he had no choice. It’s a family thing and he had nothing more to say.

My Fiji Getaway - The Beach

Back to my Fiji getaway, the beach story this time. I wasn’t aware Fiji is 2 hours ahead from Sydney, all the while I was thinking only 1 hour to add from the time in my mobile. So we woke up at 8am (but was really 9am) and headed for the beach. It was refreshing to get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep (never had one for more than a year since giving birth). Because my mum cannot walk in rough edges much more in big rock boulders she opted to stay in the sun lounger by the pool still enjoying the fresh sea breeze. The beach was accessible by going down on a wooden staircase which was quite steep.

Ahh the fine sand!

Love this wooden staircase, almost like stairway to paradise.

My Fiji Getaway - The Resort

My recent mini-getaway in Fiji was almost like a dream, it was so short but my hundreds of pictures proved that I was there. Honestly, who has the time to take a few hundreds of photos after being there for only a little over 24 hours? Trust me, I always do :) 

My mum who is here on a tourist visa in Australia can only stay up to 3 months so we have to exit her out and chill some place we fancy. It was my turn this time (my sis took her to Sg then my brother back to the Phils) and I preferred to go somewhere close but warm enough to sink my feet in the sand. Fiji is only a 4-hr flight from Sydney though the airfare is still not cheap. Well, it’s supposed to be a favourite hide-away for Aussie families because of the close proximity to the country and that explains why there were a lot of crying infants and toddlers making so much noise inside the plane, louder than the jet engines. I thought to myself before boarding that it would be a chance for me to have a good nap since I only got a 2-hr sleep the night before. Oh boy, oh boy was I wrong, the noise was unbearable though I feel sorry for the little kids. Why can’t these parents tuck them at home instead of dragging them to where I am going? And at that moment, I was glad I didn’t take Jace with me, maybe these whinging tots have busted their eardrums already :)

As soon as we landed in Nadi airport, it felt like a relief as suddenly the kids have stopped crying too. When we got out to the tarmac, the first thing I noticed was the humid air which for a second I thought I was in the Philippines. Then there were airport attendants offering help for my mum to wheel-in all the way to the taxi bay even waiting for me buying a big box of almond chocolates and sunblock lotion in the duty free shop. For a FIJ$10 tip she was so happy and wished us well for an unforgettable overnight stay.

The taxi ride only took 20 minutes to Denarau island where Wyndham resort is located next to the other resorts like Radisson Blu, Sheraton, Westin and Sofitel. Like any other Wyndham properties, this one doesn’t miss the boat. It’s a sprawling haven with more than 300 rooms that are all fully self-contained. The resort concierge was worried when she saw my mum in wheel-chair as she booked us in the 2^nd floor room that has an ocean view. Well, forget about the view, we were happy enough that she was able to transfer us to a room in ground floor with a garden view in less than a minute. What a friendly service that was! Got settled in at half past 3pm Fijian time and there was not much time to lose before the sun sets. So mother and I went out and headed for the pool and beach. This was the view and the resort amenity that greeted us under the warm sun of Fiji.

Glorious sunset of Fiji

A girl photobombing and giving a peace sign.

My one year old tries to walk...

I feel so bad sometimes not to see Jace, my 14 months old, walking yet while his nephew (yes folks he is already an uncle, a baby of my niece that is) who is 7 weeks younger than him already is running around. I blame myself of not being there with him all day everyday. But having said so, this boy is not lacking of attention in whatsoever, infact he is surrounded by too much care by those people around him to the point of holding him all the time and picking him up everytime he whines. I noticed that he tends to be lazy that way but in fairness to this bub he really wants to roam around the house with his walker opening cupboards and clicking on power switches.

So here are his photos when he's on the floor trying to move on his own from one table to another.