To the Better Days

It's crazy how we're sometimes being teased by time. When we have to attend to the things for one of the most important events in our lives, that's when we are bombarded with even more work. It's driving me all nuts, really! I get work left and right these days, and one equally demanding than the other. Add to that is my crazy schedule. I work 8am to 8pm already, with not even a lunch break, since I've been bullied into accepting two additional teaching loads. (Okay, bullied is exaggerating it, really... but it feels like it.) I sometimes wish I can just say no whenever I want to, but I freakin' can't! I can't, and its frustrating! And currently, I've been having a bad case of jitters, which is not helping at all. Blame that to the overwhelming excitement/anxiousness/fear/busy-ness. 

Anyway, life goes on. I'm still up for embracing positivity, still clinging on to all the positive energy left in me. Better days are ahead, and I'm going to make the most out of them. Now let's cheers to that! (Sudden moodswing, eh? I get that these days, pardon me.)

Top, Pants - thrifted

Shoes (which is not shown. Bummer!) - Zara (old)

Searching for Vintage

Last week on our way out of town, Leop and I were busy chatting and catching up. Within our thirty-minute ride on the bus, we were so busy talking about books, clothes, and the usual jhet-and-leop-conversation, and we both ended up craving for the same thing - vintage. We decided that we will (soon) have to buy ourselves vintage bikes with cute baskets on the front and vintage and cute clothes to wear. We were even laughing at old houses and cars that we passed by and pointed out which one we'd buy too! Ok, that was probably over the top, but that was awesome!

I haven't had the time to visit the thrift store yet to get myself some vintage finds. Just sad. But, one lucky day, I found my friend (and co-worker before) wearing this peach dress with polka dots and I joked that I have to have her dress. Honestly it was a joke, but jokes are half meant! Wink! And because you guys are seeing me wear it here, yep she said yes. Goodie!

Dress: Gifted!

Belt: Thrifted:

Bracelet: Aissa's

Wedge: Primadonna

Versatile

It's been a while, yes. Let's see what you've missed in all those weeks:

Hmm, we'll I finally finished the first installment of the Beautiful Creatures series. Quite a read. 

I haven’t been to my therapeutic, stress-relieving thrift stores for what seems like a decade already. Sad.

And, just yesterday, my everyday has become half-part work. Yes, 12-freaking-hours of nonstop,  non-lunch break work. It actually was a choice I have to make between a 12-hour workday or a 6-day workweek. And I can't just give up my weekends as those are the only time for me to do my other loves; hence, the first option.

That... or the preparations for the big day. Oh, I can't wait to blog about that! 

Anyway, on to my outfit. One thing I love about maxi skirts is that they can easily be transformed into a dress. You may already have seen me wear this skirt before here. Since maxi skirts are quite impractical to wear with the fickle weather that we are having lately, I decided to use it as a dress instead and covered up with this little denim vest. 

Well, what do you think?

Skirt worn as dress - thrifted
Denim vest - thrifted
Flats - Solemate
Belt - local mall

The Bookish

I never thought of myself as bookish. I read books, I do. Charlotte's Web and Harry Potter series that is Haha! Okay, I'll tell you on two secrets: 1. that was a long time ago..ehem, ages ago, and 2. that picture is not me. Anyways, so I started and got myself reading Sophie Kinsella's books and soon enough, a new obsession. Hooray! The downside of it all though, I'm a night owl! 

So, here are a few of my top picks, getting the most of my night's sleep:

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

This is definitely not your typical teen love story or cancer book. It is funny, witty and very inspirational. The Fault in Our Stars would make you think and rethink about life, love and everything in between. This made me all teary eyed as I got through the unexpected twist of events with Gus and his fight with osteosarcoma, again. Okay, no more spoilers! Haha! 

Some reviews from John Green's website:

“A smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance.” -Kirkus, starred review

"A blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical, and funny. Green shows us true love…and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.” -New York Times Book Review

“A pitch-perfect, elegiac comedy…it will linger long and hard in the minds of teens and former teens.” -USA Today

“An achingly beautiful story.” -SLJ, starred review

Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins

"Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?"

Definitely a chick-lit that is a must to read for all those who can't seem to get enough of handsome French American guys with hot English accents, and of course Paris! Anna sure reflects the young girls in us and sure enough you can relate to when you read through the chapters of the book.

Some reviews from Stephanie Perkins' website:

"No one captures the exhilarating and exhausting 'but-does-he-like-me?!' question better than Stephanie Perkins. A scrumptious read." —JUSTINA CHEN, author of North of Beautiful

"Magical. Anna and the French Kiss really captures the feeling of being in love." —CASSANDRA CLARE, NYT bestselling author of The Mortal Instruments series

"Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book." —MAUREEN JOHNSON, NYT bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes and Scarlett Fever

Can You Keep a Secret?
by Sophie Kinsella

"Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets:

Secrets from her boyfriend: I’ve always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken.

Secrets from her mother: I lost my virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while Mum and Dad were downstairs watching Ben-Hur.

Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone in the world: I have no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is.

Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger... Until Emma comes face-to-face with Jack Harper, the company’s elusive CEO, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her."

The summary says it all. Everything in the story will really make you smile! So what if you blurted out you secrets? It's ok if blabbing almost everything to wasn't your boss! uh-oh! But there it is again, "things happen for a reason". There is no such hilarious and embarrassing event in our life (not every event maybe) that happens with no such great deal of a catch. Specially of eventually falling in love that is. Wink!

Some reviews from Sophie Kinsella's website:

"A light, frothy and thoroughly entertaining novel." - Daily Mail

"An insanely chatty, fast-paced romantic comedy." - Closer

"Fab." - Company

"Romantic but refreshingly witty." - Sunday Mirror

Now Reading:

Twenties Girl

by Sophie Kinsella

If you suddenly had a friend that only you could see or hear, what would you do?

Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don’t get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara’s great aunt Sadie – in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl – has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can’t rest without.

Lara’s got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she’s just been dumped by the love of her life.

But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie’s ghost be the answer to Lara’s problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?

After reading Sophie Kinsella's books, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Remember Me, The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep a Secret, I came across Twenties Girl and thought I'd pass. There's a ghost in the story. Well not that I am afraid of ghosts, but I'm kind of not into stories with them on it. Feels like The Ghost movie. Hehe. But Janjie finds this story cute and funny...so here it goes! :)

Happy reading then!