For years, H&M has been collaborating with high-end designers to create a limited edition Fall collection sans the usual high-end price points. This year, they got Alexander Wang. I'm probably going to miss out on this as I'm currently preoccupied with too many things... but I hope you, my dear minions, would be lucky enough to snag some of these goodies for yourself!
Here are my picks from the sporty collection!
Women's
Wool Blend Biker Jacket $199
Cut-out Halter Dress $99
Patterned Jeans $99
Lace-up Boots $249
Suede Boots $299
Men's
Down Jacket $349
Hooded Scuba-look Jacket $99
Knee Socks $14.95
Leather Backpack $249
All photos via hm.com
The collection is going to be available in select stores and hm.com on November 6, so make sure to check for availability in your city/country. Oh, and I should remind you that these special collabs usually sell out in the first hour. So...GOOD LUCK *insert Liam Neeson's voice*!
Today, I am happy because I got to spend another Father's Day with my main man, my Papi. It was a nice day out so we decided to take my Papi somewhere he hasn't been to yet (almost an impossible feat to accomplish, if you ask me!). We wanted to beat the rush of the Sunday brunch so we moved our celebration to Saturday instead.
My brother's friend suggested that we go to San Juan Capistrano and coincidentally, I have always wanted to go see the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano, a Spanish mission that was led by Father Junipero Serra to spread Christianity to the native inhabitants of California. In fact, right when you get there, you will undoubtedly notice the colonial Spanish architecture that the little town exudes.
The town center is actually pretty small so you can park just about anywhere and walk around to browse through cute little local shops as well as restaurants that offer great al fresco dining. We were pretty lucky to get a parking space right across the Mission, which also happened to be a couple of steps away from the restaurant that we were going to dine at.
Cedar Creek Inn
Al fresco dining.
Being the Asians that we are and to avoid premature ageing, we opted to be seated inside despite having an inviting weather that would have been perfect for dining al fresco. I'm glad we chose to do so because the interior of the restaurant was cozy, yet it had large windows that allowed a good amount of natural light to shine through.
I love the rustic details.
On to the food! Apparently I was the only one who was hungry (my family ate before they picked me up while I, on the other hand, was deliberately starving myself so I could feast when we got to the resto), so my family and I ended up just sharing whatever I ordered.
Sesame Calamari. This was actually very tasty. The sesame definitely gave this appetizer a boost on the taste category and the japapeño tartar sauce was awesome.
Beer Battered Green Beans. This tasted alright, but I think it would have been better if the dipping sauce they used was the same japaleño tartar sauce that came with the Sesame Calamari.
Cedar Planked Salmon. I was totally disappointed with this dish. I ordered this because I was expecting a salmon to do some major planking. Hardy-har-har. I know, I can be a cornball at times. But seriously, this dish was YUM-O! The salmon didn't have that fishy taste and the maple-soy glaze wasn't too salty.
Marcy's Divine Salad. This salad tasted kind of like a Mexican-inspired salad to me. It had cilantro, corn, tortilla strips, apples, bleu cheese, bbq chicken and some other stuff I forgot.
My dad said he wanted Fish and Chips because he missed eating the "chips". I said, do you mean you just want to eat fries without sounding like you're ordering something so unhealthy at this hour? He just kept offering his fish to my brother so he could devour all his "chips". As if calling it chips makes it a whole lot different than eating fries. My dad just tried to lawyer his way out of it --- it's Father's Day so you get a free pass, Papi-san.
Your honor, I present Exhibit A.The case of the missing fries.
This mischievous looking fella right here is my Papi. Love you, Dad!
Right after we had our late lunch, we headed straight to the Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano to attend the anticipation mass.
There was a solo violinist playing beautifully as we were making our way to the front of the basilica to find some seats.
After mass, we wanted to go inside the Mission to explore the ruins but we needed to do some errands before heading home so I was happy to see at least part of it peeking over the wall as we were parked right across the entrance.
It's a funny coinky dink 'coz I wore a crochet dress and I felt kinda like La Isla Bonita while being surrounded by colonial Spanish architecture.
Dress by: I totally forgot who (random bargain brand)--- sorry too lazy to walk to the closet and check; Belt by: H&M ; Espadrille wedges by: Steve Madden.
And no. This is not in San Juan Capistrano, it's inside South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. I was so embarrassed as hell to take a picture but I had to do it because I forgot to have one taken after hearing mass at the basilica. So yeah, I sacrificed to look like a tourist in a local mall just for you guys.
Tropical the island breeze, All of nature wild and free, This is where I long to be, La Isla Bonita
Southern California is not only well-known for its mild weather year-round, it's also a great place to be in if you just want to quickly get out of the city and do a day trip excursion with your loved ones. The great thing about day trips is that you don't have to pack anything or worry about travel arrangements---You simply get in the car and go! Being just about a 45-minute drive from my place (with light traffic, of course!), Lake Arrowhead is a great option if you don't want to go all the way to its bigger counterpart, Big Bear Lake. My favorite part about Lake Arrowhead is that they have a plaza right by the lake so you can enjoy a spectacular view while taking a stroll along the walkways.
Once you get there, you can choose between both indoor and outdoor parking spaces, it doesn't matter where you park---either spaces are free of charge. Retail shops and restaurants are scattered around the plaza and they are open most of the time, just like any other commercial plaza in your neighborhood---except for the patios, they are closed during winter season.
This is the by the entrance of the plaza.
I usually bee-line in here during winter time before my hiney freezes over to kingdom come.
Yep, they even got Coach up here.
The plaza is dog-friendly so don't forget to bring your furry babies during your visit!
You can ask for a patio seat so you can watch over your pet while you pig out grab a quick bite.
That grass is fake by the way...Do you hear the landscapers rejoicing?
Okay, so where the heck is that lake that I was talking about? Hold on... I see water.
And...Tada!
If you prefer exploring by water, you can join a boat tour. I think the boat leaves every 30 minutes or so.
It can be a bit windy up there, especially if you're by the docks so make sure to bring a light jacket or cardigan if you're the type to get cold easily. Also, make sure to wear something comfy so you can move around freely.
As for me, I went for the ultra comfy look to keep up with my nephews so I opted for a billowy top from H&M, cropped pants from Zara a.k.a. one of my fat pants and nude sandals by Franco Sarto. Notice how I wore black here? It's spring time and that's clearly not stopping me from wearing my fave color. The key is to know how to balance your outfit. If you've got a black top on already, don't pair it up with dark bottoms. Instead, opt for anything light wash to tame down the dark hue or go for bright colors for a little kick.
I love how my top has pleats all over with a lace hem.
Okay, moving on---before I bore your eyes out with fashion stuff
If you've got kids tagging along, like my hyper little nephews, they do have a little kiddie section complete with a carousel, bumper cars and even go-karts for your little speed racers!
My two little munchkins riding the go-karts for the first time, they could barely reach the pedal!
After go-karting, we went back to the store where we bought the go-kart tickets 'coz they wanted to add some sugar to their natural rush. Great idea, since I won't be riding back home with them. Mwahaha.
Funny how random that store was, it was filled with quirky little posters, quotes and signs like these:
And when you're done there, you can buy some duck feed to fatten up the Cole-Haan's paddling around the lake.
We did all these things in a span of about 3.5-4 hours. Not bad right? Plus my sibs were doing some shopping in between!
I had so much fun just watching the kids explore down to the docks, eat candy, chill underneath a tree's shade... it goes to show you don't have to travel so far or spend so much to enjoy your day. Sometimes I take for granted the fact that I live here in SoCal, where nature is so close and accessible (traffic is an utterly different story)!
The adventure doesn't stop here, find out soon where we went for Easter Sunday! :)
Who's gonna save the world tonight? Swedish House Mafia...that's who! The electro dance trio are trotting around the globe for their final tour, aptly called One Last Tour, before they split and do their own thang. For those of you old-timer ravers (think PVD, ATB, Daft Punk scene) who can't keep up anymore of the current glowstick-filled parties, SHM group is composed of Dj's Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso.
Anyhoo, it's been quite awhile since I've been to a dance music event (last one I've been to was Paul Van Dyk or was it Chicane?! Holy Shawarma, I am old) so I decided to just give it a go. I guess you can say it's only fitting that I'm tipping off my hat to the final days of my 20's by bobbing my head, pumping my fists in the air and mane-smacking everyone in the face with some of my hair strands left on someone else's mouth. Yeah, I rock like that.
Before I spill all the stuff black mail dreams are made of, let me tell you now about the crazy before the real craziness happened. Picture one of the busiest, horrifying freeways in the U.S. versus the person who has lived in the greater LA area for the past 10 years but has never taken the plunge to hell drive on the notorious 10 freeway. And then picture me finding out that I had to drive my sister and myself to downtown, using this said freeway---during rush hour. Let's just say there were some sweaty palms and a couple of Hail Mary's involved.
Now for the fun part!
With every bit of us squished like a pack of sardines, I tried my bestestestestestestest to hold still and take some photos and short videos. Regrettably, I wasn't able to take a lot since the rain was pouring over us and I was too much of a pussy to risk my camera getting soaked. Oh, and I was busy going crazy just like everyone else was...yea, that too.
Scattered rain + muddy dance floor + Half-naked men/ pretty-much-naked women + about 30,000 people + Otto Knows + Nero + Alesso + SHM= One crazy mutha of a night.
It was my little sister's first rave and she enjoyed it so much despite the wet, cold rain and sardines part!
My poor little camera couldn't take the loud bass that the audio recording is so scratchy! Boo.
Anyhoo, here are some snippets of senseless dancing and jumping around. Dont forget to select HD quality:
Alesso on stage. He's a bit of a cutie.
Lose My Mind
Dont You Worry Child - FYI, there is a woman cussing in this video and it ain't me. Mmmmk?
Their final song for the night, Save The World...and some random girl's pits. Ha!
Like what I say about going to concerts and events, it always pays to prepare. Since this was an outdoor rave event, it only means that the weather may well be your friend or your worst enemy and you're bound to ruin your outfit one way or another. Always check for the weather forecast, it'll pretty much dictate on what you should and shouldn't wear. I wanted to dress to the nines but there's no way in hell that I was going to risk ruining my premium stuff so off I went to the mall to find cheap alternatives.
In my case, I needed a cheap pair of boots to stand on the muddy ground and a cross body bag/clutch that was big enough to keep the essentials like tickets, cash, driver's license, wet wipes, lipstick and a compact camera. I survived the rave but needless to say, there were definitely some casualties...
The clutch couldn't withstand all the jumping that one of the straps detached in the middle of the show and ended up on the muddy ground...See that little leather piece hanging with the chain? Yep, it ripped right off. I got it for cheap at H&M so my heart isn't bleeding. It's a bad photo of the bag but it's actually pretty cute with the tassel detail (you can see it peeking through on the lower left) and the little chain strap.
Not realizing that I was clutching a muddy purse all throughout the last half of the show, I got home and saw this...
* Is it me or does this angle make me look like I have a bulge where I'm not supposed to...Ha!* I really love the black shirt I have underneath. It reads, "BAD DREAMS ARE MADE OF ME"
Thanks for screwing up this picture, Mr. Fat Fingers.
SHM threw a spectacular and overwhelming show so it was sad to see them go. Parting is such sweet sorrow...but alas,we must party on...tugsh tugsh tugsh.
Toodles!
