This Is 30

It's finally here. The day that I've been dreading, the day that I succumb to the dark side. Okay---not really, Obi Wan. I just turned 30, is all. THIRTY. I tell ya, the first thing I did when I woke up was run to the mirror and check for signs of ageing...let's see...Grey hair? Nope. Wrinkles? Eh, the usual weird ones under my eyes when I smile. Sagging skin? Not really. That's it?! I guess it's not so bad. But then there's the other list of telling signs: Countless wedding, baby shower and baptism invitations, numerous newborn pictures pouring in on Facebook, swapping tequila shots for a glass of sangria, the nerds back in school now ruling the world, having a seemingly non-existent metabolism (bye-bye bacon cheeseburger pizza diet) and a newfound appreciation for platform heels.

It's weird how I'm always in deep thought while I'm in the shower that I was able to experience a myriad of emotions while looking back on the things that I've done (and didn't do) as well as the decisions that have brought me to where I am now. Truth be told, there are things in the past that I would like to amend like attempting to eat leftover mexican food, but in stories such as this, we simply cannot. Hindsight is always 20/20 and having to lament on the shoulda-woulda-coulda's is just a waste of...well, everything. As you all know, I am my worst critic and I can't help but still beat myself up for feeling like I've never really accomplished anything, given that this is supposed to be a significant milestone. But then I realize, that the beauty of celebrating a milestone is that you can look back at everything and be able to celebrate the good, the bad and even the ugly. So what if I'm not tying the knot yet? If I don't have kids of my own yet? If I'm not yet earning 6 or more figures? If I still don't know what I'm supposed to do in life? If I still don't know how to put make-up on without looking like something that Edward Scissorhands spat out? Boy, do I have a looonngg way to go.

I'm dying to turn a new leaf over.
I want to...
- fight for a cause (leaning towards animal rescues, in the name of my Skyler)
- detach myself more from any sort of narcissism.
- be more mindful of the things I say or do...Hey, I only speak the truth. But I know I have to tone it down a bit  :)
- be more discerning with the company I keep. Only offer my friendship to people who truly appreciate it.
- spend more time with my parents and siblings, because they always have my back. Love you guys!
- eat more stuff that's good for me but tastes awful.
- be more adventurous and explore uncharted waters.
- not go chasing waterfalls... and stick to the rivers and the lakes that I'm used to. Hmmm...that sounded way cooler in my head than out loud. Wushoo. I got you hummin' to a tune, didnt I?

So anyway, dramatics and biological clocks aside, I think age is just a state of mind but exfoliating twice a week helps too. Let's not waste this day of celebration, shall we?

It's my birthday and I'll cry, eat and drink and go nuts if I want to...

So to mark a beginning of a new decade, I decided to be a little bit more adventurous with my birthday dinner. And I thought, what better restaurant to fit the bill than The Bazaar by José Andrés.

I'm going to spare you from a pseudo-food critique report and simply say that this has been by far, one of the most interesting and innovative dining experience I've ever had. I mean, they had me at "liquid nitrogen" and "air bread". Here's one of the staff mixing some nitro drinks:

The Interiors

Disclaimer: I apologize for the poor quality of some photos. I transferred all the good ones from my Canon to my PC but my hard drive completely died on me so 50% of the photos here are low res photos from a camera phone! *sob*

The restaurant was a huge space split into four. There's the main dining area "Rojo y Blanca", the bar "Bar Centro", the dessert bar/lounge "The Patisserie" and the hidden dining area, "Saam" for those who prefer the restaurant's most luxurious dining experience.

Rojo y Blanca

Check out the wall filled with back portraits.

Bar Centro

I don't know if this was still considered part of Bar Centro but the chairs were freakin' awesome!

The Patisserie

The Patisserie has a wide variety of items to satisfy your sweet tooth and you can just imagine me all googly-eyed while scanning through all that sugary stuff on display.

El Baño - Totally making this up..can't resist to show the nice ladies' room, though! hahaha.

On to the food!

For those of you who haven't tried this place out, be reminded that they serve everything tapas-style...meaning: it's impossible not to order several plates to satisfy your hippo appetite.

This was the air bread. It's pretty much a best-seller here.

I think this is the Sauteed shrimp and behind it is the Braised Wagyu Beef Cheeks. I'm bad with names.

The caprese salad called Not Your Ordinary Caprese Salad. The mozzarella is at a liquid state but it only bursts into cheesy goodness in your mouth.

Oops sorry forgot what this was. Tee-hee.

Jicama Wrapped Guacamole.

Eggplant Tempura - Oh my yum!

Sweet Potato Chips.

Overall, the ambiance and food were all very much worth it. I wouldn't suggest though coming here if you've got a growling appetite 'coz you'll end up re-ordering food just like we did and that can easily run the bill to the hundreds.

So, this is 30. Feels like 21, tastes like chicken.

Toodles!

I Got The Blues for Shoes

Looks like I need to write more on funny and apparently, gross topics. Someone typed in "something gross" in the suggestion box and that cracked me up. Dudes, I know you guys probably roll your eyeballs every time I do a fashion post but just bear with me. I'll try my best to write "something gross" next time. Okay? Okay!

Let's talk about accessories. I think you've noticed that in every Fashion Files that I do, I don't have that much accessories on me. I just wear my watch and the gold necklace which has two pendants on them, one with an "A" engraved on it which obviously stands for Angel since my parents think I'm godsent tee-hee and the diamond studded pendant that I added on to the necklace (The boyfriend's nth anniversary gift). Why so few? Well, truth be told, I am not responsible enough to wear (real or fancy) jewelry...God knows how many diamond earrings and South Sea pearls I've lost along the way so my parents just keep them for me until I really need to use them.

I know I must be breaking some kinda bloggers' Ya-Ya Sisterhood code for mentioning this, like I really give a flying squirrel but I managed to peruse over a fashion blogger's website and I could see she had it all down to a T. The hair, the make-up, the pose, the lighting, the background, the clothes...they were not bad at all. And then you look down further...no, really way down...Golly jeez, Batman! What happened to the shoes?!

Sometimes those little trinkets of fancy jewelry can get you all googly-eyed and next thing you know, you're stacking up those things from your wrist all the way to your throat...and then you forget about one of the most important accessories EVER. SHOES.

I gotta admit, this lady rocks the "stacking" trend. Beauty is pain?...

Source: kudumomo

The other most important accessory that I would always recommend to invest in, aside from a pair of high quality shoes, is a versatile leather bag . Why?

a) a leather purse in a classic color like black or vintage brown (dark earth tones) will blend with any outfit.

b) you will have to outgrow those trendy purses that you tote around... a neon yellow purse with rock studs might not exactly help you land the job of your dreams, unless you're applying to be a Harajuku girl.

c) fabric purses are not as sturdy as the leather counterparts and they tend to stain or fade quickly.

A great pair of shoes sometimes doesn't need to have so many bells and whistles to stand out. As long as it's made of high-quality materials and of great craftsmanship, it'll show.

Black patent leather pumps... this is a MUST!

via us.christianlouboutin.com

Grey-colored sandals to neutralize pastel or neon-infused outfits, so you won't entirely look like a pack of Skittles.

Alexander Wang via saks,com

But just in case you want to taste the rainbow...

Brian Atwood via saks.com

Gold Leather Mary Jane sandals for those dinner dates or sassy girls' night out ...

Rebecca Minkoff via saks.com

For the more formal evenings like your bestfriend's wedding...just try not to out-dress the bride!

Christian Louboutin via saks.com

If and when you do manage to out-dance the bride and groom, your aching feet might need some reinforcements through some gorgeous jeweled flat sandals. Always keep a spare of dressier sandals or flats in your car during a night out! Imagine resorting to rubber flip flops with a gorgeous gown? Yeesh.

Rene Caovilla via neimanmarcus.com

Need the height but don't want the pain? You can go for a retro-inspired design with platform soles and chunky heels to give you that extra support.

Marni via barneys.com

Prada via saks.com

Stella McCartney via saks.com

Tod's driving mocassins...Holy Shawarma, these are super comfy. Ironically, I don't use 'em for driving, instead I use them mostly when I travel on long-haul flights and they're great for days when you're running with the bulls kids! The suede ones are awesome too but they may be a pain to maintain.

via tods.com

Purchasing cheap finds can be addictive but you have to realize that quality always knocks out the cheap competition. Invest your money on timeless pieces or those that work well with your current wardrobe. Instead of having 10 different low-quality trendy bags, why not spend it on a durable, well-crafted purse that will last you forever? The same logic goes for shoes as well but of course, there's always an exception to the rule. I do purchase cheap (in value and in quality) shoes so I don't wear out the expensive ones fast. I know sometimes you may have a favorite pair of shoes that you just want to wear everyday but don't forget to alternate your shoes to help extend its lifespan.

Call me crazy but...$200 for a pair of flip-flops? Hell to the NO. And yes, I'm talking to you, HAVAIANAS.

Toodles! =)

I Heart Fruit

Broken-hearted? Dazed and confused about love? Betrayed by a loved one? Falling in love with your bestfriend? Involved in a love triangle? Love quadrangle? Love pentagon? Hey, we don't discriminate! Fret no more, The Love Fruit is in and we are officially accepting entries from our love-stricken readers who need sound advice about love and relationships!

Just click on the CONTACT ME tab (which you can spot easily as shown below) and start bringing out the Nicholas Sparks in you.

Once you get in the Contact page, you can fill in your name or as Anonymous and write I HEART FRUIT on the Subject line. This is just to ensure that your mail doesn't get lost in the hundreds of junk mail or love letters from hot Brazilian models that the boyfriend doesn't know about. It's free to dream.

For your privacy and to protect your identities, we highly recommend that you use aliases for yourself and anyone involved in your telenovela story. But if you really want to let the whole world know who you are...then by all means, cocoa beans! Also, you don't need to write an epic novel. If you have just a specific scenario or question that you need enlightenment on, we are more than happy to listen!

C'mon now. Don't be shy. I'll even call on our dear friend Stephen Bishop to put you in the mood.

Stephen Bishop - It Might Be You

Kleenex, anyone?

Toodles!