Travel Tuesday: Baguio Weekend with my Girls Pt I

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Oh hey another backlog, long overdue post! And yes, it's once again Baguio! I highly recommend this place for a quick weekend escape -- the cool weather plus sights and the variety of food choices! I am almost certain that I'll be back again soon. I have known of a coffee shop must-try and I wouldn't mind going back just to experience it. Haha! Moving on, would you believe that with two decades of friendship, this was our very first time to go out-of-town, with just us four??? Imagine our glee when we finally went to Baguio July of last year!! I just love these girls it was a weekend very well-spent with them!

Julie must be the one who have frequented this city the most. While I and Beng were here during one of our Girl Scout campings waaayyyyy baaacckkkk then. I was just here May of last year. With Kaye, she's a Baguio virgin and that is one thing we have to consider in touring around. :) We arrived really early, like, past 3AM early haha! (Oh btw great thanks and special mention to my loving boss amo, Luke, for purchasing our tickets ahead for us! Last minute we are hahaha!) And since we are definite that our booked BnB wouldn't accommodate us just yet, we opted for a few hours stay in one of the transient houses near the Victory Liner terminal to catc with our sleeping. It wasn't hard at all to look for a transient house. Guides would just approach you without you needing to ask them. Plus flyers are available on one booth, too.

Waking up at 7am we headed for our first stop - breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins! By now, this cafe rings loud. A lot said that it's a must stop when in Baguio. I couldn't blame them. They have delectable breakfast selection. Their place, maybe due to its popularity, get really crowded. (But as of this writing, they just opened a new branch somewhere along Session Road). We had a really satisfying breakfast, enough to fuel us up to our next stop. 

Burnham Park is just a few minutes walk away from the cafe, so we dropped by for the sake of Kaye, the Baguio first-timer. Nyahaha! We were so excited for our BnB booking so we didn't stay for long. Just a few snaps for our remembrance and for Kaye hahahaha!

We strolled along the well-known Session Road and also dropped by SM Baguio to buy some stuff.

And then we were in Forest House!! Our accommodation of choice had made us really excited even weeks prior when we booked it online. It was so cozy! The staff were fairly welcoming. We were greeted with sweet welcome drinks. We enjoyed that fact that we felt like we owned the full basement area. Our room, Yuri, is the sole room on the lowest part of Forest House. I'll write more of our stay here in the coming posts for this series. For a fourth of that weekend spent, we were already enjoying our stay. 

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January Eat-Outs

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The first month of this year didn't fail me. Below are some eat-outs for the just-ended January.

Solo eat out at my favorite Mary Grace. Their carbonara always satisfies me. Merely looking at this photo already gives me the craving. I remember that day being busy at work, I was alone and so after work before heading home, I decided to reward myself with this.

January 15 - had dinner with Chat at Toby's Estate in Salcedo. It was a sumptuous treat and tried their dutch eggs and linguine. I finally tasted their Gibraltar (the off-menu drink but everybody knows about it haha). I liked it!

 January 22 - Happy birthday Anna! It was an Italian menu treat at Amici.

January 24 - Cafe Breton with these girls! It was super fun and I missed them a lot! They were the last batch of trainees I handled and they played a significant role in my life. Nakssss! Haha! It's always fun being with them. Hayyyy and now they let go of their "comfort zone" and only one remains. 

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Miss Merie on Instagram: January

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This year, I wish to talk and blog more about my designer side aka Miss Merie side. In all honesty, I am still not confident enough to claim the job title "fashion designer". It actually gives me the creeps just thinking of calling myself such, as I feel so unworthy -- because I know I am so trivial in that world; I feel so tiny and I certainly believe that I have a very very long way to go. But the good thing is I have taken some steps farther into reaching that destination. So sige na nga pwede na siguro fashion designer. Pero 'wag masyadong malakas ah haha! 

A year into venturing into this dream of mine, I have been granted a lot of opportunities and I even had my FIRST EVER MISS MERIE bride just December of last year! With full entourage as well!! EEEP!! Just thinking about it still gives me that giddy feeling! Also, I was able to design a number of long dresses, release a humble summer collection, release a holiday collection through a collaboration and build/open my own fashion studio-slash-office or simply my headquarters (claiming big things will arise from this).

So anyway, the above photos are the designs/products and proud clients I had last month. The group of four photos above are some of the custom pieces for clients. Yes, since I am still on the early stage of my fashion career, I try to be open on different pieces from simple tops to long dresses, as long as I can design them!

From top to bottom: Chat Tacazon wearing two pieces from our Concrete Et Garden collection for a wedding; Dr. Iza Ramirez wearing a maid-of-honor dress for her sister's wedding; Tita Jean Bustos wearing a principal sponsor dress. That apple green accented gown is actually a favorite. I really like how it turned out.

The very bottom photo is a design sketch for a client. I can't wait to see this come to life!

I keep my Instagram account updated of my Miss Merie endeavor so follow me maybe?? Haha! My personal account is @mSheng12 and specifically @missmerie_online for more fashion-related posts from everywhere. 

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Orig4 Yellow Christmas

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And here is a post on our annual paying-it-forward and Christmas party with my lovelies! It was another meaningful fulfilling tear-jerking moments of giving. This time, we chose the gasoline station boys and security guards working hard during those holidays! Ang sarap sa feeling!! We then thought of doing it semi-annually. We'll see. :)

We started of course by grocery shopping and Metro Gaisano was still our top choice! We opted to give away sandwiches with something sweet and something to quench their thirst.

The mandatory grocery shopping photo with my girls fear. Rabbie!

We checked-in at Parque Espana Residence Hotel since it's an apartment style with the utilities we need for our preparations.

Elevator groupie!

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"Let everything you say be good and helpful"

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Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. –Ephesians 4:29 

I do not know anyone who hears curses as music to the ears or who enjoys a lot hearing negative statements, and more so who feels giddy when people give you uncalled, out-of-nowhere criticism or insult. On one of my morning devotions, I have re-encountered the verse above. I am reminded that my tongue should be more of a tool of flourishing words and statements than damaging ones. I noticed that recently my mouth has been gabbling a lot of rants and more than nourishing talks. I feel thankful that I have a boyfriend who forthrightly told me about this. Come to think of it, maybe one reason why I have been feeling discouraged lately is because of my self-dissuasion - because the words I say instead of affirming and attracting the maybe supposed-to-be good things blow them away instead. And it’s just the beginning of the year, it doesn’t seem right. I may have been insensitive as well to what these words have caused others, too. I might have triggered someone else’s negative emotions unknowingly. 

 It was a timely reminder that Oops Merie, hush those. You might not be saying curse words like p*ta and f*ck but the negative statements are just as bad. I prayed for my heart first, that whatever it holds, I lift them all up to Him. And that my tongue would help exude the more gratifying portion, that the words coming out will be nice and caring; that when people hear me they will be more blessed and be inspired; that I may help instead of making things worse; that I may encourage than dishearten someone’s spirit. Words even like small compliments can make someone’s day. Maybe that someone just needed a simple praise to help him get by the day. I told myself to be not selfish in giving out compliments no matter how I critique about anything, I must learn how to give tiny compliments, to encourage even in the most trivial way. 

I also came across this “Drive by Compliments” video which is lovely to watch. You’d see those genuine smiles. You have no idea whose day you can make. On a side note, in Philippine streets setting, medyo creepy ang dating but it can still make someone smile.

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WIW: Scarf as Belt

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One Saturday afternoon, after one client meeting and one gown pick-up I headed to meet the last batch of trainees I handled as a trainer from one previous job that I had. This is a group of girls I believe have played an important role on where am I now. And feeling a lot casual that day, I wore shirt and shorts to meet them. Then accessorized my scarf as a belt and put on red lipstick. I don't know why but I was feeling confident that day! Leaving with you my ggss feeling fashion blogger photos. Hahaha!

Bench shirt. Guess shorts (from my Mom which is once a pair of pants). Parisian mandals. Kenneth Cole Reaction bag.

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WIW: Anniversary Eve

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It was a quick getaway where else but in Tagaytay. It's colder these days hence the long-sleeved top that I wore and much more colder upon arrival in Tagaytay. This is what I wore on the day before our anniversary as we roamed around the nth time in this city.

Top - Mom's. Scarf from Singapore. Long skirt - The Berries. 

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New Year New Hair

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The moment finally came when I and Sonny, my stylist from Angelo Falconi salon in Casimiro, finally aligned and agreed on the decision for new short hair style and a darker color. From an almost shoulder-length to a nape-revealing cut; and from an ash blonde color to a light brown copper red dye. I really really like how it turned out. And the moment I stepped out of the salon I felt like I was so ready to face the new year and the world. Hahaha! 

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WIW: First Weekend

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Well, hi! And now I post my very first #ootd for 2015! Nothing really special. However, I feel glad as the current weather permits me to wear my scarves yay!!! Just like what I wore as I did some weekend duties. Don't you just love that wind effect on my scarf on the below photo? Hahaha! Anyway, it's the first weekend of 2015 and the last weekend to enjoy the holidays! Waaah!! Why do the relaxed and chill life have to end?? Anyway, hope everyone's having a good new year thus far.

Top - Miss Merie. Scarf - Mango . Pants - Maldita. White sandals - Landmark.

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