new blog site

Hi. I would just like to inform everyone that I will no longer post on this blog site. I have a new one and you'd find it here: ZANZOOKHT! https://janinithepanini.wordpress.com/
Thank you.

Eat. Pray. Smile.

To everyone reading my blog... I will no longer post here, nor will I be posting as a style blogger anymore. I will still blog however. (I'll inform you the link once I've made the site) There, you will be seeing more of good food, good friends, good music, loved ones, traveling, photography, insights, and charity work. I've always been fond of children. I thought I could become a Pediatrician, but I'm a food technologist now. I will, however, find another way to help children and other people in need. They say that if you do good to others, you'll get good things in return. I'm experiencing a lot of pain right now, and I am hoping that by making other people smile, I'd get to smile as well. -Janine

got the dynamo of volition

We only have one life.

In my 22 years of existence, I have learned that living my life should neither be playing it safe nor going full blown risky. It should be a balance of both worlds. My father taught me that opportunities in life come knocking only once (with the small chance of them knocking twice). For that, I have to take risks. Grabbing opportunities require me to take a plunge and find out if there would be warm pleasant water waiting for me, or the not-at-all-impossible ice cold one.

Even so, we have to pause and think for a sec. Then we have to ask ourselves if our decisions will be good for us and the people we value around us.

Everyone has their own unique set of priorities, but what I learned from living with my family, is that our loved ones always come first.

When I get hurt, my parents are hurt twice as much, and vice versa. (don't even get me started with my brother. even if we often bicker so much, I will protect him til I'm dead)

We have to always be careful about the things we say or do around our loved ones. If you're troubled, they just want to help, so don't push them away. It cuts like a thousand knives when you want to help someone you love so much, but that someone pushes you away. what should you do? DON'T give up. Besides, if you really love that someone, there's no need to tell you to not give up, because you naturally won't.

My loved ones are the only people I can trust.

Not all friends are real friends. The kind who'd be with you even through the toughest of times and will forgive you an infinite number of times.

When you find people like that, you keep them forever. I found that not only in my family, but also in a small amount of friends, and especially my other half.

Struggles are part of life. Life wont be life without them. we just have to always keep in mind what's most important.

NEVER give up. DON'T push people away. Value the love you receive. Be sensitive to other people's feelings as you are to yourself. There's no point for hatred; don't entertain it. Just cherish what you have now. Count your blessings. Remember that you only live once. We have the power to choose. Choose to live your life well.

Tartan polo - Grandpa's

Denim Shorts - Levi's

Tank top - Cotton on

Sandals - Mags

Leather watch - Fossil

P.S. The Philippines (Visayas Region) was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake today. Condolences to the families who lost loved ones. My prayers go to everyone there now.

when the weather is either wet or wetter

This is what I wore to take out my boyfriend today. He's been having so much stress at work and so I wanted to do something for him to unwind. I took him out. You must be wondering HOW? when he's in New York and I'm all the way here in the Philippines. Truth is we always pretend we're not apart and while I was eating at the restaurant (Bigg's Diner), I took photos of the food and showed it to him. It's like he's there with me. :)

Storm's a brewin' here again as usual. The weather's being a pain in the buttocks. I came up with my personal guidelines when the weather is being either wet or wetter:

1. Warm sweater/top

2. Water proof jacket and bag. Bag should fit your foldable umbrella.

3. Wind proof hairstyle (in this case, a messy top knot)

4. Shorts or a comfy skirt. It may sound weird to suggest shorts/skirt on a cold day, but trust me when I say you don't want wet pants.

5. Water proof shoes. The kind which you can wash easily when you get home.

P.S. The baroque hype seemed like ages ago, I know. Unsurprisingly, I also bought this skirt ages ago. I realized only now that I always wear everything late. It could be because I don't like going out and seeing someone else wearing what I'm wearing. It's my weirdness. :D

Meet my new iPhone case! I named her minimi, simply because she's a mini me, haha. Funny thing is, the iPhone isn't mine. I bought it for my boyfriend since he said his phone is broken. Not to worry though, he said he's ok with the girly casing as long as it looks like me :> Don't tell him it comes with a vanity mirror though. haha! :D

Black and gold sweater - thrifted
leather jacket - thrifted
skirt - random
vintage satchel - thrifted
(yes i'm becoming the thrift queen. haha)
white gold flats - Trendyflats

toodles for now! xoxo ~ Janine

Breaking the Hiatus

Ok ok, been MIA for a long time (too long I know). In fact, it was so long that during my hiatus, my hair grew more than 12 inches long. haha. just kidding. I'm only wearing extensions.

If I tell you how much these extensions cost, I'm certain I would surprise you. These cost only *drum roll* 150 Pesos! yes. You heard me right. Only 150 pesos, and if you call now, we'd even give you an extra strand. so dial now at 123-IM-JOKING-AROUND-BUT-IM-CERTAINLY-NOT-JOKING-ABOUT-THE-CHEAP-PRICE. Now THAT is one long hotline number for tv shopping. :D

I've been wanting so badly to grow my hair this long, but recently, I've also been having second thoughts. Serious second thoughts. It just happened when my cupcake said that he's not comfy with my hair being long coz he thinks it makes me look even prettier and he'd be jealous a lot at guys who'd stare at me. My cupcake is my number 1 fan. I made him drink potion so that he'd see me as someone very pretty. Don't tell him that. haha. :D
I find it soooooooooo adorable what he said. And of course I'm considering it coz I don't want him to feel uncomfy. And... he's just too darn cute and I love him so much.

For my hiatus breaker outfit, I chose to go comfy yet still with that extra something.  

To be honest with you I'm wearing absolutely cheapo items only. I'm really very cheap ever since I started earning my own money. haha. And, I find it thrilling to find great items with friendly price tags.

To prove my point:

1. I bought my hat when we were still living in Australia. It's from a garage sale. I got it for.....FREE. The woman was so sweet. <3

2. My shirt is actually NOT my shirt. It's my lil brother's souvenir shirt from Indonesia which was handed down to me. It's funny coz my LITTLE brother is 6 inches taller than me.

3. My shorts I bought for less than 200 pesos (less than 5 USD)

4. My awesome sunnies I bought for only 70 pesos (~2 USD)

5. My thrifted boots I bought for only 280 pesos (~6 USD)

6. My faux reptile skin bag with golden studs I bought for only 280 pesos (~6 USD)

7. And of course my hair extensions. 150 pesos (~3 USD)

Point proven? Me thinks yes. :D

gifs! :)

toodles for now! xoxo ~ J 

31 to 35

I almost forgot! I have been posting 50 things you need to give up lil by lil, and it has been months since I posted 31 to 35. So today, I'd like to share five more. :) 

36 Give up persistent multi-tasking. – Do one thing at a time and do it right.

37 Give up thinking others are luckier than you. – The harder you work, the luckier you will become.

38 Give up filling every waking moment with commitments and activities. – It’s okay to be alone.  It’s okay to do nothing sometimes.  Think.  Relax. Breathe.  Be.

39 Give up making emotional decisions. – Don’t let your emotions trump your intelligence.  Slow down and think things through before you make any life-changing decisions.

40 Give up doing the wrong things just because you can get away with it. – Just because you can get away with something, doesn't mean you should do it.  Think bigger.  Keep the end in mind.  Do what you know in your heart is right.

I had another date with my boyfriend :) I know what you'd be thinking "a date? how? they're in a long distance relationship.", but hey, nothing is impossible. With the help of unlimited internet on my phone, thanks to Sun Cellular (should be paid endorsement here! haha!), me and my boyfriend "went out together" and ate spaghetti at The Old Spaghetti house. :D

For my oufit, I opted for a more casual "ready for any weather" look, since the weather has been very bipolar. It wants to be hot, it wants to be cold, it doesn't seem to know how to make up it's mind. And of course, miss thrifter is wearing a thrifted jacket. I love my oxblood jacket coz it looks like it's leather but it isn't and the fabric is thin and comfy. It's perfect for wanting to look kinda bada** in a tropical country like hello Philippines! :D

Jacket - thrifted
Jeans - JAG
Reptile skin Bag - Random brand
White gold flats - Trendyflats
Tank top - Forever 21

Random phone selfies. A lil vanity to ease my mood

Thrift Tips

I'm sorry for the hiatus, but I've been going through a lot recently and so that's why I couldn't post. But, as promised, today I am going to show you my thrift finds. :)

I love thrift shopping. First of all, the items I find are items I won't often see anyone else wearing. Second, I get the items at a very budget friendly price. Third, it relieves stress. It's like I'm a kid on a treasure hunt all the time, and when I find the jewels, I get all giddy.

I have a few friendly tips for thrift shopping: 1, if you want a lot of great finds, go to a place where most of the people don't have the same fashion sense as you. For example, if you are in to the more urban style of clothing, go to thrift shops in "not-so-urban" places. Why? Because the people shopping there would most likely pick the clothes that are also "not-so-urban". Point is, they buy those items and leave on the shelves the items that you (the person with different taste) would like. 2, and because the shoes and clothes the other people don't like aren't getting bought, they become a lot cheaper in price. That means, hooray for you! :) This is what happened to me when I bought my latest thrift finds. I couldn't believe how cheap the items were. And, they were all in very good condition! 3, I know this might sound weird, but, smell before you buy. There are a lot of pre-loved goodies in thrift shops, and no we don't know where they all came from and what type of person wore them before. Trust me, nobody likes getting bad odor. 4, in line with that thought, make sure to always always wash the clothes again properly. I repeat, we don't know where they came from.

Leopard sheer top - thrifted

Leather shorts - random brand

Leather boots - thrifted

Bag - ZARA

Birthday Girl

"...absence is to love, as wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small and kindles the great..". 

I hope you do not mind, but although it will be a long post, I would like to share these events with you, my readers. I've received comments from readers who have been thanking me for inspiring them to love again. I'm no love guru, I am but a girl who shares her passion through her personal style and...a girl who loves. But, it is true that I aim to inspire through my stories, because when there is love, there is hope, and when there is hope, there is a good life ahead of us.

Recently, I celebrated my birthday.  My other half, although he's in New York and I'm all the way here in the Philippines, made sure I don't feel his absence on my special day. He messaged me at exactly midnight to greet me happy birthday and made me feel like I did not grow up old, just wiser.

That night before my birthday, he confessed to me, that he planned out surprises for my birthday, but that it won't go according to his plan. He said that he's been searching for what to give me and bought something  I can wear, and something I can't wear. These gifts were supposedly going to be delivered to me at my workplace, but there was a problem with the delivery and so I had to pick them up myself. He was so frustrated for he'd make me go on a treasure hunt, but I assured him that it didn't matter because I love that he tried so hard. My mother also called that night. I asked her if she knows where the addresses (for pick up) are, and she said she'll come over to my workplace at lunchtime to help me.

I took a half day leave that day so I could have more time looking for the gifts and also to spend time with my mother. We arranged to meet up at lunchtime. My boyfriend doesn't know I took a leave and I was going to surprise him by telling him I have the gifts already. Surprisingly, before lunchtime, a man called my workplace and said he's from "flower depot". So I asked my boyfriend if he asked to send me flowers. He laughed and said he's getting all the surprises and not me, because he thought the flowers wouldn't be delivered. He sent me beautiful roses freshly harvested from a private garden. It's cute to see flowers being delivered to a laboratory (I work as a quality assurance analyst specializing in Microbiology). The flowers came just in time. It's cute how fate works; my boyfriend not knowing I'd leave work at 12pm, yet asks the flowers to be sent to me at exactly 12pm. I got the flowers just in time.

After that I met up with my mom. As it turned out, my mom actually knows already about the other package because she knows the owner of the shoe store which my boyfriend chose to buy shoes from to give to me. Mom surprised me and my boyfriend (again. he's getting all the surprises on my birthday. haha). It really is such a small world, we thought.

After getting the package (I'll show you photos of my awesome new shoes next time! Their my favorite shoes now! :>), mom and I saw a thrift shop and decided to check it out. I bought tons of stuff! I bought a leather jacket for only around 9 US dollars, leather combat boots for only around 5 US dollars, and lots of clothes which I would be so happy to share with you after I'm done taking them our of the laundry. It was a great way to bond with my mom. I rarely get to bond with her like that because we don't really get along often. But, on that day, we did and it made my birthday even more special. I thanked my boyfriend again for that. I believe he's bringing me closer to my family.

My father came home from Pampanga to be with me that day as well. I'm not much for parties, and spending time with my loved ones is already too special for me. We ate dinner at a new restaurant in Lipa called Hermana's. It was beautiful there. We sat on the floor like Japanese and we were surrounded by such beautiful colors and lanterns. And the food, the food was......YUUUUUUUUMMY!!

(P.S. I'm wearing my favorite watch. It's from my aunt in Singapore. I love it because of the animation.)

All in all, my 22nd birthday is a birthday I would never ever forget. It's not always fancy things that make people happy. Sometimes, all a person needs is love, family, and ephemeral things most people don't notice.

My boyfriend and I may be thousands of miles apart for now, but like he said, "..absence is to love, as wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small and kindles the great."

PPS. hihi. I did not spend money on my clothing for this one. My top is DIYed and my skirt is my mom's when she was younger. I'll show you how I made the skirt on my next post. And, here is a sneak peek of another DIY I'm working on.

"Zara-ish crop top" - DIY

skirt - mom's (vintage)

watch - Fossil

booties - MNJ Korea

That's what I told myself

As most of everyone closest to me know (now you my lovely reader know as well), I am in a long distance relationship. Whenever people ask me about my relationship, they always end up asking me "HOW?". They all think that LDRs are hard and they never work. I always try to explain that it's hard but it's worth it. Most of them don't quite understand what I mean.

People often underrate LDRs. They often ask me how it's done coz, one, it is difficult, and two, you'd have a lot of doubts. But, what they don't realize is that love is strongest when you learn to trust even with all the doubts. That's what I told myself when I fell in love with the man who made reality better than my dreams. 

I've fallen in love with a brand. Mags. They have the most amazing stuff when it comes to clothes and bags and shoooooooooes! I got my shoes from Mags. Aren't they lovely? Simple and I can pair them with so many outfits! Oh, and they're very comfy as well despite the height. Ticks all over my shoe checklist!

I took these photos at our backyard. And look what I found! When I was little I used to catch spiders using my bare hands (talk about girly girl. haha), but now I only capture them using my camera.

If the spider photo made you cringe. I'm sorry :( Here's a photo of my dog Jolo to make up for it. *wink*

Denim Top - mom's (vintage)

Denim shorts - Levi's

Turban - DIYed

Aviators and Watch- Dad's (Air Force)

Sandals - Mags

Velvet Bag - Indonesia

Rings - silver (Silverworks), Black (random), Bejeweled lady bug (random)

quote for today..

Happy Pill on a gloomy day

It's such a gloomy weather out today. There's a storm and I can't really go outside. For some reason (maybe PMS) I felt so ugly today. So my honey bunny kept on comforting me and telling me I'm pretty.
He said I look like an angel and "(nv) your eyes.. they are the most beautiful eyes i've ever seen.. I see your soul in them.. i see heaven. your nose.. I love love rubbing it and wiping your sniffles away when you cry.. your lips.. perfect lips.. most adorable lips when you pout and when you smile.." 

I feel so lucky having him in my life.

PS. I'm sorry for the lack of photos. I promise to make up for it next time!

Dress - vintage, thrifted

Audrey Hepburn chain watch - Artista Los Banos

And because it's sunday and it's raining, I'd like to share with you the song I sang to my honey bunny.