Baller on a Budget

Living within my means. That's what I always strive to do but at times, it gets really hard to not want things..be it electronics, accessories, knick-knacks and most of all.. CLOTHES. And of course, before you're even done shopping for clothes, you're already thinking of what kind of shoes, bag or accessories would go with it. The next thing you know, you're racking up those bills and you're stuck having instant ramen noodles for a whole month! Oh wait, that's what happened to me. Ha!

I ain't lying..my sister and co-workers can attest to this! hahaha!

It's not a crime to want the finer things in life. The question is how to acquire them without having to live in a house made of cardboard and a stick. 

So my dear friends, here's just a few fool-proof tips that could help you save and still look supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (I know you're mumbling the word just to see if you can say the it right):

Tip #1. As much as you can, don't buy anything full price. Unless you're Mark Zuckerberg and you really really want to just throw away hundreds or even thousands of *insert currency*, it's best to wait awhile (and sometimes awhile means just a couple of weeks) for the store to mark down their current inventory to make way for the new ones. The only exception to this rule are the high-end items that NEVER go on sale.

Tip #2. Just because it's on sale, doesn't mean it's cheap. When people hear the word SALE, people automatically think that they're already getting the deal of the century. It's still best to check out other stores and canvass for prices because more often than not, you may find a better deal. Remember, every buck saved is every buck earned.

Tip #3. Don't justify your purchase because of the label/brand. I've personally committed this mistake time and time again. How many times have I said to myself Oh, this is so cheap for being a *insert high-end brand*! And then I get stuck with an ugly piece of clothing that I didn't like in the first place. Truth be told, there are a lot of so-called top brands that have sacrificed their quality all for the sake of raking in more profit.

These tips came in handy while I was shopping this weekend. And to prove to you my point, LET'S PLAY A GUESSING GAME! =) In order for you to gauge a more accurate total, here is the list of brands that I purchased:

BEBE- average prices on dresses $80 and up

COTTON ON- average on tank tops $12 and up

H&M- average on tops $20 and up

OLD NAVY- average on tops $8 and up

*I purchased a total of 15 pieces.

GUESS HOW MUCH I SPENT FOR ALL OF THESE ITEMS:

Please feel free to leave your guess on my comments page. I'm so excited (and I just can't hide it) to see on who gets the closest guess on the actual total!

On a different note, always remember that haters are gonna hate and potatoes are gonna potate. What?

A Woman's Man

It's funny how I have a lot of friends and acquaintances requesting for me to write something in regards to fashion, and I must say that I feel a little hesitant because I know how it's going to go down. I say something and someone's gonna be reading in their tattered pajamas saying Pshh... she doesn't know what she's talking about. I mean, I dress decently but I don't necessarily go for the latest fads and whatever is abuzz in the fashion world because it gets too ridiculous, really. So this post is not about fashion, it's just about common sense. This one's for the men who need a little push to....how can I put it delicately...look less...

Neanderthal.

via mhobl's photostream

Lesson 1: Grooming.

The thing you wear the most is your own skin (and hair). So boys, that means trimming and shaving regularly. If girls wanted you all hairy with matching uni-brows, Chewbacca would be the sexiest man alive right now.

Sorry I had to drag you into this Chewy.
via chaines106's photostream

Lesson 2: No SKINNY-SUPER-TIGHT-I-CAN-SEE-EVERYTHING-I-MEAN-EVERYTHING-JEANS. 

Guys, there is nothing more sissy than a man wearing skinnier, tighter pants than his main squeeze.

If you have slender legs, I understand that you do need something more tapered to fit you but you ain't doin' yoga with it so step away from the man jeggings and no one gets hurt..literally. How do you breathe down there?

 No,No.

Yes,Yes. 

Here are some perfect examples on how to rock the look of sexy skinny jeans without losing your manhood:

Helmut Lang skinny jeans

Diesel Skinny Jeans "Thanaz"

Lesson 3: A real man always, always has to have a black suit in his closet.

There has never been a time in history wherein a man has never looked good in a well-fitted suit. You give a hobo a black suit plus a crash course on the British accent and you get James Bond, well..at least the hobo version. A good suit can feature every best asset of a man and can slyly hide the worst.

Who wouldn't want to take a guy home who looks as dapper-looking as this to meet the rents:

Hugo Red "Aikonen/Hol"

Credits: Suit, Dress Shirt, Tie, Shoes(not shown) and yes,even underwear (Thank God, not shown) by Hugo Boss

Lesson 4: If you are not going to the beach or lounge around the house, flip-flops should be used at a minimal when going out into the real world.

The first thing that I do when I meet a guy is I check his shoes. I don't know why but it seems that the shoes a man wears says a lot about him. You wouldn't want to meet a hot girl and then (boo!) you're wearing flip flops, you've got your feet exposed and God knows I love how men can look so hot but whoever checked out a guy saying, Hey check out that guy's feet! He's so hot with his big toe showing like that!

When you pick out dress shoes, make sure they are not too pointy nor too square-ish on the toe. You don't want to look like Legola's reject brother with your pointy ass shoes nor do you want to look like you got your shoes from Frankenstein's haute couture collection.

Prada Leather Oxfords

 via www.saksfifthavenue.com

But what if you're not the dress shoes kinda guy. Well, casual shoes are a little bit more tricky but the safe ones that you can pick out is a good pair of loafers like this...

Prada Penny loafers

 and the more casual sneakers like this...

Lesson 5: Don't terrorize, ACCESSORIZE! 

Calm down. Don't be bustin' out with the thick gold chains and the bling-bling just yet. You don't need to wear all that jewelry unless you're a dead pharaoh who's about to be buried in a tomb. 

It's always wise to invest in a good time-piece. Sport watches are fun to play around with and are great as a substitute but you have to have at least one sophisticated watch that you can wear everyday and that you can use for any occassion.

When I become a bajillionaire,  I want to buy my boytoy (a.k.a. Miguel) a toy of his own..

This.

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph

Of course, I'm not stupid. I'll get him that watch in exchange for this Harry Winston necklace...

If you hear a thud, that was just my boyfriend fainting.

Anyway, boys..you get the point. Make the effort and you will reap the rewards with hugs and kisses from your girl, your boo, your wifey, your hunnybuns, your..*I think I just puked in my mouth*.. 

Class Dismissed!

13 Channels

During the pre-cable/ satellite TV era, growing up with having only 13 options of local channels was already enough for me. I remember watching what we call in the Philippines, "noon-time shows" which pretty much showcases a bunch of lovely people (mostly celebrities) dancing and singing to current hit songs, wearing the latest trends. Although, I didn't realize 'til I was a little bit older that a lot of these people couldn't actually sing nor dance to save their lives, if they ever depended on it. I had to secretly watch the "noon-shows" with my nannies and siblings because my Dad didn't allow us to watch any of them nor any Filipino movies for that matter. It was not about the language, it was more about the content. It really does fry your brain. It's like MTV but on speed and acid.

Let's now move on to cartoons. Man, cartoons back then were awesome. Southpark and Family Guy got nothing on Thunder Cats, Voltes V, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Transformers, X-Men, etc.

Remember the songs to these cartoons? Thundahhhh, Thundahhhh, Thundahhhh, Thundahhhh CATS!

Or that Voltes V Japanese theme song which I'm sure my brother still knows how to imitate the words, as if we really understood what they were singing about. It still sounded bad ass, nonetheless. 

And then there's the iconic Filipino horror show that up to this day terrorizes the little child in me. Even the song itself was terrifying enough back then. *shiver*

"Regal Shocker"

 Don't let the cheesy old 80's bloody font fool you. Some stories they used to show in this series still linger on even in this rather fearless society.

Last but never the least...my favorite show on Sunday Mornings! Chinese martial arts shows which had no English sub-titles but I happily watched them anyway! Those Chinese really know how to kick some serious butt. I really thought it was cool when they had those fans with concealed metal stars in it. 

Or when they would fight in mid-air and flee from one tree branch to another...

These shows make me really miss those 13 channels that we once had on the old tube.

How about you folks out there? What were your favorite shows? Don't be shy. I don't bite hard.

Sound of Music

I was born right smack when new wave music ruled the air waves and the lyrics to most songs didn't mention anything about having how many cars they drove nor was anyone's last name ever, first name greatest. It was all about wooing and flirting with women, at least before George Michael came out and said he kissed a boy and he liked it.

Seriously though..how could they not have seen that? The frosted tips totally gave it away!

I do love all kinds of music and when I say ALL, I mean everything except most American country songs. Yee-haw! But everyone knows that the soundtrack of my life consists of these types of music : Alternative Rock, Rhythm and Blues, New Wave and most especially, Ballads baby. Ballads.

I must admit that it's really hard to find good music nowadays, especially now that someone decided to make Lady Gaga and Chris Brown famous enough to be called "music artists". Don't get me wrong, I know their songs are "catchy"..but if you put Phil Collins and U2 beside these current "music artists", who would you choose? If your answer up to this point is still Lady Gaga then you leave me no choice but to put on a superhero spandex suit and put a bullet in your head. Call it mercy-killing.

Despite the inferior quality of music nowadays, it seems like there must be still some hope with these newer bands, or artists that I've come to notice over the past few years. I really hope there will be more of them or else I may have to dry-clean that spandex suit every month!

Note: You may notice that I'm a bit partial to rock tunes. A bit. A tad. A teenie tad.

TIME TO SET THOSE SOUND LEVELS HIGH!

1) Muse - Uprising. The song just makes me want to join a riot. Burn those bra's! Hahaha!

2) Black Keys - Howlin' For You. It's kind of annoying with the voice over's but I still love the song.

3) The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition. Tell me that you were not as shocked as I was when you saw the lead singer! He's not Filipino though, I believe he's Indonesian.

4) Phoenix - Lisztomania. If new wave and rock made babies, they popped this one out. The vocalist's voice is quite androgynous and the music is pretty laid back.

5) Here's another one from them entitled: "1901". There's no official video yet but it's still awesome.

6) Rooney - When Did Your Heart Go Missing? I am really ignoring the fact that the lead vocalist is that guy who played that dork from PRINCESS DIARIES.

7) Keane - Everybody's Changing. This is one of my ultimate fave bands right now.

8) And in honor of the late Donna Summer, here is a soundtrack that plays on and on in my head when slavery calls.

I work hard for my money so you better treat me right! *snap* *snap* You go girl!

Call Me Maybe

Alright people. Are we having a bad day or *gulp* bad week? Fret no more, the Harvard baseball team is here to save the day. Oh and if you are rolling your eyes right about now, you probably attend at Yale. Ha! =))

Thank you YOUTUBE for making me giggle like a school girl. I'd like to give a special mention to that guy in the middle with the black cast. HOO-HAA!

P.S. Hi to my boyfriend! By the way, do you know I love you? hehehe!

Attack of The Food Trucks

I am so predictable. As you can see, I am starting my blog with the most comfortable and easiest thing for me to talk about.. FOOD! Why not? Everyone loves food. Heck, everyone needs food. So when I found out that there was going to be a Food Truck Festival just a couple of blocks from my pad this weekend, I knew it would be the perfect way to introduce the trend to some of you readers out there who haven't really experienced the wild and wonderful cuisine of food trucks.

Tada! Instant Viking hat! That's called the "Broadsword", Half-pound Hungarian Sausage.

Long gone are the days when food trucks were dubbed as the "Roach Coach". This term was established as to food trucks being pretty much nasty old trucks carrying greasy food with less than impeccable hygienic practices. All that has changed with a blink of an eye and now, food trucks are like gourmet kitchens on wheels. What's great about them is that they offer mostly comfort food, but sassier.

FYI: I didn't really have a hefty appetite today so, I didn't consume a lot of food myself. Here are the ones I tasted anyway...First stop, The Viking Truck.

The Viking truck offers from the rather safe choice of corn dog to gourmet half-pound Hungarian hot dogs.

Next stop, The Fry Smith. If you think you won't have your fill with just fries, think again. The Fry Smith offers a great twist on french fries, with some topped with Kimchi and Kurobuta pork belly or if you're feeling the Vegan side, you can opt for their Vegan Chili Fries which is topped with Soy Chorizo.

My Chili Cheese Fries made with Angus all-beef chili made with beer and chocolate, topped with cheddar cheese.

Aside from mouth-watering gourmet food, some food trucks offer great selection of drinks which include Boba drinks as well as Slushies. It took me awhile to decide on which one to get but I'm glad I lined up for this Hawaiin Slush from Uncle Lau's.

Mango-flavored Slush from Uncle Lau's.

I really, really wanted to get dessert at that cool truck that offered delicious Belgian waffles or that truck that had the fancy cupcakes but I just didn't have enough fighting spirit left so I decided to wave the white flag. I was really disappointed at how my eating performance was today. I was even dressed up for it! I had my maxi dress on, to cover the inevitable bulge after my food binge and gladiator sandals to be able to easily run from one truck to another.

Note to readers: Don't ever, ever wear white when you plan to stuff your face with messy,greasy food. Most likely you will end up with food stains,which in my case was mustard, ketchup and yellow juice stain. My poor jacket didn't stand a chance.

Overall, it's a fun and interesting experience and I'm pretty sure this gourmet food truck biz isn't going to be a trend that's going to easily fade away from the scene. For those who haven't experienced food truck cuisine, I hope I've sort of talked some of you guys into it. It's really worth a try. It's food, it's clean and it's gourmet. What else could you ask for? 

Til the next food fest! 

And remember..Food is our Friend! =) Happy Eating!