Destination: Avenue of Stars and Nan Lian Garden

I don't know why the draft of this post got deleted!  Now I have to write everything all over again.  Oh well.

Can't believe it took me this long to finish writing about our Hong Kong trip last month.  I already shared with you what we did in Disneyland and Macau; shared as well some of the places where we ate.  Our third day was spent roaming around the city.

First stop, Avenue of Stars located along Victoria Harbour in Tsim Sha Tsui.  Patterned after the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame, here you can see the different hand prints and signatures of the famous people of Hong Kong and China who made a big difference in their film industry.

See how clean the water is?  The old man was even trying to fish.

Outfit post? :P

I'm gonna ride one of your kind someday.

These were the only people I knew :P

I know we have something similar here in Eastwood but it is not as highly  regarded as this one (surrounded by bars full of drunks and smokers).  I'm not even sure if people know what they are stepping on.  I just hoped that whoever started that project, carefully thought of where to place it so that it is not overlooked as what it is now.

We went to Nan Lian Garden in Diamond Hill, Kowloon after.  It's so amazing how they came up with a garden in the middle of the city.  It is so beautiful inside; with the well manicured plants and trees.  It even has a lake in the middle.  You will feel calm and at peace, walking along the paths.  Everything is so well thought off.

Aside from the lake, it also has a small museum, souvenir shop, and a cafe.

Guess where the cafe is

For display only.  Not allowed to enter. Boo.

Look closely.  What can you see?  

This is how we spent the first half of the day.  After lunch, we went to a place where I met the coolest people on earth.  Watch out for my next post! :)

ANTM + Francis Libiran + Anne Curtis

No need for fancy words.  Filipino fashion designer Francis Libiran's creations will be featured on America's Next Top Model (ANTM) Cycle 18 "British Invasion".  Francis chose Anne Curtis to be the face (and the body) of his creations, photos of which will be featured in the said hit TV series.  It's like marrying the perfect couple: perfect dress for the perfect model!  Watch the video below to understand what I mean :)

Can't wait to see the actual episode.  This is so huge not only for Francis, but for the whole Philippine fashion industry.  We are finally making a mark in the international fashion world, something that has not been done in a long time.  I feel we deserved this chance.  So excited to see what happens next.

PS: For Anne Curtis, if you are reading this right (I hope you do), I think Tyra will love your pictures.    You did an amazing job and was "smizing" the whole time.  High fashion couture suits you <3

Gotta Love: Dress Up 28 -- Sundress

Hi everyone!  Had a lot of things prioritized this week which prevented me to update my blog.  But I'm still here! 

Can't stress enough how it has been so hot lately.  Mr. Sun is really doing his job.  And so sundresses are our best friend now ladies.  These dresses had to be lightweight and not too fitting to make moving around easy during this uncomfortable weather.  Hope you like what I wore :)

Again, mullet cuts are so popular right now.  I really like this cut, especially for dresses.  It makes life easier for girls with big behinds like me.  No more awkward moments when you have to bend over especially when riding a car.  See my other post for the mullet top I had.

Printed dress: Witchery

I opted to wear my nude pumps so as not to take away the focus on the dress.  I just love the print and color.  I'm also crazy about this necklace that I wore.  It just goes perfectly with the dress.  The chunkiness of the necklace balanced off the flowy dress.  And the colors match! 

Necklace: Witchery

Gotta Love: Dress Up 27 -- Charlie

*Before I proceed with this post, I would like to explain the location of my pictures, just so my readers won't be offended in any way.  I was in Loyola Memorial Park that day with my family, visiting my great grandma's grave for her 10th death anniversary.

I was in search for the perfect cropped jacket last weekend, when I stumbled upon this shop called Charlie.  Curiosity struck me so I went inside and found that they have so many good stuff inside.  They have cropped tops, sheer blouses, colored pants, bags, and accessories, all up to date with the latest trends.  They have clothes for men as well.  The best deal of all: it's cheap!  Check out this shirt that I bought for only 400 pesos.

Shirt: Charlie
Shorts: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Fly Wear
Earrings: Forever 21

Thanks Mommy Joy for my awesome necklace! 

Loafers: Australian

I love shirts of this size and style.  It's very comfortable to wear and it goes well with shorts or pants.  I won't even have to think about how I look; pulling your hair back in a ponytail or low bun will do the trick (since it so hot now).

They only have four branches currently (SM San Lazaro, SM Fairview, Robinson's Ermita, so sorry I forgot the other one).  The also have a website shopcharlie.com but it is still under the works.  Check out their shop soon!

PS: I still haven't found the jacket I was looking for.  I'm excited to hunt for it again.  Who knows, I just might stumble into another great find :)

Gotta Love: Dress Up 26 -- Red Metal

I think my outfit is too dressy for summer but I just love this dress!  I like how it is zippered all the way to the top which makes dressing up so much easier because you wear it like a jacket.  One zip and you're good to go!

Dress: Witchery

Love these metal-themed bangles.  It goes well with the color and the zipper of the dress.  It's also easy to wear and are light on the wrist.  Almost like you are not wearing any accessory at all.

The real highlight for me though is my new lip cream I bought from Digital Traincase.  I decided to go bold with my lip color and tried on NYX Xtreame Lip Cream in Strawberry Jam. Just one dip in the tube and it covers my entire lips and almost lasted the whole day.  I love the richness of the color and how it went well with my entire outfit.  Felt like a subtle rocker kind of girl :)

The thing with this kind of color is that it can be quite challenging to apply.  Need to have steady hands to color the lips perfectly.  I think I still need to practice.  What do you think?

Destination: Macau

I've already told you about the amazing time that we had in Disneyland for our first day in Hong Kong.  Since we are to stay here for about 4 whole days, we took the opportunity to visit a neighboring country, Macau, which is just one ferry ride away.

From our hostel, we walked to China Ferry Terminal which is located at Canton Road.  We bought round trip tickets which we got at a cheaper price.  We rode the Cotai Jet, and the ferry ride took about two hours.

Macau is famous for its extravagant hotels and bustling casinos.  Most of these hotels offer complimentary bus rides for their patrons from the port to the hotel and back.  We chose to ride the Wynn bus which would take us nearest to our next destination.  

One could really appreciate the talent and the effort that the architects who built these hotels put into walking around the city.  We were especially in awe of the Grand Lisboa Hotel which was shaped like a lotus plant in a jar.

This special administrative region of China was once a Portuguese colony.  So it's no surprise that it had a big influence on the people living here.  We visited Senado Square, which is like the city center.  Again, the architecture was so impressive.  The whole area was also paved in stone.  It's no surprise that this place was declared as one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

Don't be fooled by this scenic view.  Walking inside the square, you'll find arrays of gift shops and shopping centers.  There are also a lot of food shops offering local delicacies.  I took advantage of the free tastes that were offered around the area.  Hahaha!

We finally arrived at the Ruins of St. Paul's after going through the maze of all those people.  It was a majestic sight to behold.  The stone carvings were really beautiful and I was amazed at how this was maintained all these years. At the back of the ruins was a museum and a crypt containing bones of some of the laymen and devotees of the church as well as the martyrs of Japan and Vietnam.

Beside the ruins is the Museum of Macau.  We did not have enough time to go inside but we were able to take some pictures at the Fortress Garden located at the second floor of the museum.  One of my friends had his "photo shoot" here :P

The highlight of this trip for me was that I was able to visit The Venetian (nope, not the one beside the office in McKinley Hill :P).  I have been dreaming of visiting this place ever since I watched it in Boys Over Flowers (Korean Version).  I was secretly hoping Goo Jun Pyo would arrive.  And yeah, I also dream of visiting Italy one day.  

I was so excited during our walk leading up to the Venetian.  I kept on replaying the scenes in my mind.  And it didn't let me down.  It was so beautiful inside.  You'll have a feeling of luxury walking in the lobby.  I'll just let the pictures speak for itself.

The place is huge!  We are talking about 980,000 square meters of hotel, casino, and mall.  Its main attraction, the San Luca Canal which would make you feel you are in Italy.  Along the canal are boutiques and restaurants.  Above you will see a make-shift sky which makes you feel it is always sunset.  There is even a gondola ride for which the gondola drivers sing and actually speak Italian.  We were lucky that one of the lady drivers stopped by where we were standing and sang "Dahil Sa'yo".  We'll she wouldn't admit she is a Filipino because they have to maintain a certain standard inside the hotel.

All the time that I was inside the Venetian,  I felt like I was in a dream and I wouldn't want to wake up.  I felt I was floating, looking and walking around the canal (that is, until my feet screamed pain from all the walking that we did).  I wish I could go back and actually stay inside the hotel.  I just have to win the lottery first :P.

Before I end this post, I would like to share some quick notes when visiting Macau:

1. Ferry ride takes about two hours.  Budget your time well if you are just staying for the day.  Last trip for the ferry is at 9 PM (if I remember correctly).

2. Hong Kong Dollar is accepted although some establishments will give change in Pataca.

3. Make a side trip to the Macau Tower if you are feeling adventurous and try bungee jumping.

4. Be sure to bring home egg rolls and almond cookies.  These are just delicious!!!

Watch out for my upcoming post on the Hong Kong City Tour that we did.  Thanks for reading! 

PS.  For more of the outfit I wore, please visit this post and see how I got to be a Victoria's Secret Angel :)

Gotta Love: Dress Up 25 -- Blue Again

My aunt from Australia came home a few weeks ago and gave us fabulous clothes.  (Thanks, super!)  She is a store manager for a clothing brand in Sydney.  Her work requires her to dress up but Mom says she has a great fashion sense ever since her teenage years.  Well, I could really use some inspiration.  


Here's another blue outfit.  I think this color fits me well.  And again, I'm obsessed with bandage skirts.  See my previous posts wearing skirts here and here.

Top: Witchery

Mullet tops and skirts are so in right now (I'm not a fan of it as a hairstyle).  I like how my skirt peeps through my top.  The print is just enough to balance the plainness of my shirt. 

    
Since it's so hot recently, I was not in the mood to walk in high heels (Home --> MRT --> Shuttle --> Overpass).  I opted to wear flats instead.  Much more comfortable and fits my outfit well.

Flats: New Look

To spice up my outfit just a little bit, I wore this black beaded necklace that I got for free with a blouse that I bought from Hong Kong.

Hope you like my look! :)

Gotta Love: Dress Up 24 -- Hunger Games

I was debating with myself if I was to place this as an outfit post.  I was not really dolled up when I had my photo taken but I really like to share with you guys our amazing shirts.

Being a fan that I am of the book, I was so looking forward to watch the movie The Hunger Games (my blog entry here).  Any keepsake related to this is a must have.  That's where these shirts come in.  My sister bumped into this site called Dream a Little More some time ago when the last installment of the Harry Potter movie was about to come out.  We ordered our Potterhead tshirts from them.

Sorry for the low quality of the photo.  Taken with camera phone.

And so we were both excited when they released The Games collection.  We immediately ordered the shirts, just in time for the movie.

The shirts are so cute and costs only 350 pesos each.  They have a lot of designs to choose from.  You can also choose which cut you want, in the case we had scoop neck, for an additional price.  They do both local and international shipping and are very accommodating with your requests.  Check out their website for pictures of the other designs and collections.