Circle

Our friends, Lauren and Rachel, opened Circle, a jewel box of crafty goodness beside Poetry.

Rachel employs HIV+ women to do her recycled, fair trade, eco chic designs.

Love, love, love the silk screen prints of rats.

This piece of art was trash bin before. Perfectly at home on the wall.

Lauren designs vintage inspired pieces and also incorporates vintage fabrics to it.

They served the yummiest gluten free cupcakes!

Diet buster!

Their friend Lia baked them. She named one of her cupcake creations after moi. It's a dark chocolate cupcake with chili flakes and yummy chocolate icing. It's the best!

We had a great time at the opening. Here's moi with Loven.

Jam, who's opening an organic cafe upstairs of Circle, looking dapper and wearing a DP 'Bird' print waistcoat.

Solomon was there, too, and he's wearing a Loven Ramos for Poetry printed shirt.

I was with Leigh and Conor the whole night until early morning.



Love Leigh's charm necklace which she got in a craft fair in New York.

Mixed

This is the outfit I came up with to attend an eco-chic store opening, a 1920's birthday party and college frat style pool party, all happening in one night. I was feeling fasyon that night so I thought of mashing it up (gee, what a GLEE term!), eco-chic slash Coco Chanel slash patchouli college hippie types.



The straw boater hat is a find in Phsar Cha for a dollar. Under my DP jacket is a layered DP tee with this flour bag top. Wore it with a drop crotch pants I got from Bo Parcon. To complete my look I wore Converse sneakers, Vivienne Westwood bag and necklace by Marc by Marc Jacobs. I don't usually explain my outfit but my friend Faith totally got my references.

Tractor Shoes

Went thrifting for shoes and saw this huge tractor shoes which looks chunky wonderful! It's way too large for me, though. It's screaming Scary Spice all over it ;) LOL!

SPA

There are days when I NEED to escape even just for a few hours. I used to do that when I was still living in Iloilo. Either I go shopping alone or watch a movie alone.

Here in Siem Reap I try to indulge in going to a spa once in a while. Of course, Spa Indochine is my first choice for the ambiance, service and quality of products used.

You get a cold towel and a refreshing drink while you sit and wait for your treatment. There's varied choices for your needs. I opted for something rejuvenating since I'm quite frazzled of so many things lately.

The spa lobby is homey and I like that it's not looking like a clinic.

On your way to the treatment room there's a nice water pond to see. So calming to hear the sound of flowing water.

My treatment room is warm and cozy. The soft glow of the lamps compliment the blush pink linens and towels. I like that it's not so dark.

Apres your massage and body treatment, you have the option to use the steam or take a refreshing shower al fresco.

The view outside from the shower area.

I wore one of my fave tank to the spa by Stereo paired with denims and canvas work boots.

The fabric used for the tank is so comfy and I like the button details, the topmost one a sort of tiger's eye stud.

Batchoy

Seafood Batchoy, soooo yummy! It's a famous Ilonggo dish. I grew up eating this.

And fried dried fish from Roxas and Bago.

Ilonggo comfort food ;)

Longyi

Franco, Bettyinme ITSELF, got me this longyi, when he had his vacascion grande in Burma. Thanks F! I'm planning to use it in one of my designs.

Random Inspiring Stuff

I got this metal bird at Wanderlust Phnom Penh. There's something quite nostalgic, vintage and melancholic about it.

Eairth by Melissa Dizon tassel neckpiece. I love what it represents. See more here.

Plastic durian fruit from Cheap Cheap Buy Now. There are things without purpose that you just NEED to buy ;)

Hammer

Still feeling black and wearing my own designs, here a DP jersey top paired with a DP black pants tucked into my Adidas boxing boots.

Here's my new fave necklace now, a hammer pendant. Soooo cool, non? It matches with my silver AA gym bag ;)

Jinkee

Thanks Kuya Blady for the Jinkee Preview. Loves eeet!

I specially like the feature on Kate Lanphear, style director of Elle US. Her style is inspiring for moi.

I can imagine myself wearing all her clothes!

Thank you also for the sesame roll. Yum, yum, yum!

1st Longchamp

Seems I'm succesful in my bid to wear more of my own stuff, here moi wearing a DP tee paired with DP pants.

The top has a very interesting pattern with the sleeves re-positioned almost to the front. A Margiela technique for his flat patterned collection. Mine's not so severe.

Love my boxing shoes but taking it off is a chore.

This is my first Longchamp given to me by Tita Jaki. I love the ochre/orange color. Soooo sturdy and practical especially when I go thrifting or shopping.

Sir Paul

At $1.00, this Paul Smith tie is a steal! Got it from Japan Japan Thrift Shop ;)

Lunch

Sinigang na Hipon

Fried dried fish

Green Pancit Seafood Guisado

Palachao, a Burmese dish made of fish and spices

DP reworked

I'm doing some one-of-a kind pieces for Keok Jay, an ethically minded brand that employs HIV + women and uses fair trade principles. The collection for them is called the Lazarus Project, a line of reworked vintage articles. Here's a preview:

Kansai Yamamoto

One of the labels I've been hunting (and there are so many I'm telling you) for its historic relevance in fashion and for the crazy style of its designer is Kansai Yamamoto. It is with immense joy that I thank Japan Japan Thrift Shop for selling random stuff like this one and making me soooo happy. I got it for $1.00 and in fine condition, too.

Isn't this piece lovely, front and back? Kansai is one of Japan's founding father of contemporary fashion. He recently had a major retrospective of his works at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. His exuberant and colorful designs is quite a foil to Rei Kawakubo or Yohji Yamamoto's more deconstructed style.

I'm so in love with the quirkiest details like the buttons used. His forte is knit wear in weird style and grade. He designed costumes for David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust tour so you could imagine his bold aesthetic. His idea of chicness is all about making a 'wow', according to this article.

Proudly made in Japan. This is the first of the many Kansai Yamamoto I'm going to collect.