FLAGSTAFF LOVE

Just like a scene from a Christmas postcard, that is how I can describe Flagstaff, Arizona.  It was one of those spontaneous trips that we did not really plan at all. I wanted to bring my mini-me somewhere interesting since she was home for Christmas break.  We did not even have thermal jackets or even snow boots. But one thing we knew for sure was that it would only be a day trip.  

And who would have thought that it snows in Arizona? This town is about 2 hours from where we live and yet it is perched atop a 7000ft elevation.  We arrived there at around 7:30 in the morning and our timing was just right. There was a recent snowstorm, a few days before we came. The road was a tad slippery but we were thankful that it did not warrant a need for snowchains. The hunby just drove more carefully. 

We arrived at the snow park really early mainly because we did not reserve any tickets online.  Luckily, there were a bunch of people like us who did not buy online tickets. To tell you the truth, it was dead cold.  It was 10-12 degrees Fahrenheit. We had to buy additional socks and snow gloves because I could not feel my hands anymore.

They did have a fire going and my mini-me grew an attachment to it. She was always by the firepit because she was shivering.  They actually wanted to go home after 2 hours of being there.  

We also explored the city afterwards, and true to my initial description, Flagstaff is a very quaint town. I like the small town vibe of it and I would have explored more if only it was not as freezing and windy.  We went to the famous Hotel Monte Vista and we were hoping to eat at their resto; get some warmth and hot soup but the resto was under renovations.

We ended up in a quirky local  ramen shop called Sosoba and their noodles were so amazing!  One of the unique ramen fusions I had.

Flagstaff is a cool place to visit mainly because it is a quick getaway from the Phoenix valley area. Just be sure that you are dressed for the weather.  The town, though small and rustic, has a lot to offer and if you just want a different scenery feom the desert mountain landscape of the lower valley, Flagstaff is a quick answer for a spontaneous family trip.

Below are some of our expenses for the trip

Gas: 80dollars (because my husband always make sure that our vehicle is fully tanked with gas and he does not want it to go below half whenever we are a little far from home) i think you can actually go back and forth from Gilbert in one full tank.

Tickets to Snow Park: 33 dollars (11 each)

Food: Sosoba  ramen 36 dollars (12 each)

Mini-me was cold but she was happy to see snow

Fascinated by snowflakes






Coat:Bebe; leather jacket underneath:Calvin Klein; jeans, bought online in China; bag:Kenneth Cole (gift from hubby); boots:Fergilicious by Fergie; eyewear:Aldo; hat:H&M








Ramen love at Sosoba

Collaboration with Nora NYC

 

Classy and Chic.  These are the key features that I look for in an eye-wear.  Sunglasses have been an integral part of my everyday life mainly because I am a night owl.  And to insomniacs like me, we all know what happens the next day after a long night....grotesque sallow circles around the eyes that can rival any walking dead which cause us to be best friends with concealers and of course,  the ever reliable sunglasses. Eyewear is more than just a fashionable accessory to me; it helps me survive a dreaded aftermath of a sleep-deprived night.  My eyewear should be functional enough to cover those hideous eyebags and block a great deal of sunlight and yet elegant enough to get me through client meetings and work.

This is what I love with Nora NYC.  Their extensive design collections of eyewear is like a total candyshop to sunglasses fanatics like me.  I do like the fact that their designs range from trendy mirrored and colored lenses to classic elegant pieces like the one I've got here, "Liberty".





It is cat eyed shaped black frames with a gold accent at the sides.  I am particularly fond of its size mainly because it gives a lot of coverage. As you notice in most of my blog posts, I am almost always wearing humongous sunglasses that almost covers half of my face most of the time.

You can get your own too and use my code "chillsclosetshades" for a 20% off your purchase.

Love never fails-The Bohemian Wedding Vows Renewal series- chapter 1 (Pre-Wedding)

 

Last February 14, 2018 marked one of the most important milestones in my married life. My husband and I were entering the 13th year of our marriage that month when we decided to renew our wedding vows once again and recommit our vows to God before our lives change again big time (cross-continent moving and all).  I recall that it was after our Bible study when we decided to do it; and that we were racing against time.  All we know is that we had to do it before we begin a new chapter of our lives in America.  I tried hard not to do it on Valentine's date but sadly, there was no other available schedule because of a lot of factors.  Stuffs like return flights, availability of our families and our own packed time schedule made it impossible to choose another date, so we settled for the 14th.

 Our plans started rolling after finalizing the date, and our daughter volunteered to make the teaser video for the event.  I have always known that I wanted a boho themed wedding.  I was never a fan of those very formal wedding celebrations, mainly because I have always wanted the relaxed setting of a beach.

Everything was a whirlwind of plans.  We only had about a month of planning before the event.  We wanted it to be really small and intimate; rededicating our marriage is something very special to us.. A romantic, intimate beach wedding is what I have always wished for. However, one of the major concerns we had is that the resort should be dog-friendly.  We brought home all our dogs from Guangzhou and they should be in our wedding.  We found the perfect beach side setting at Stilts Calatagan.  We did not want the venue to be far from Manila mainly because we have to consider majority of the attendees' convenience and ours too. We also had to address our dogs' comfort during the travel.  They just came from the first plane ride of their lives, we did not want them to be traumatized even further. And Stilts is majestic! The view is spectacular and they were very accommodating to us and all our whims in spite of a short period of notice. I will discuss the setup later on another series of this blog- the Celebration Part.

After coordinating with Stilts about their packages and finalizing the details/set-up with them, we proceeded to look for my gown.  Initially, I wanted to buy online because that is the easiest one for me. I have a very demanding work schedule so my availability is quite difficult but my husband did not want to do that.  He said we are already in Guangzhou and there is actually a so called "wedding street" here where you can find almost everything for a bride and the wedding entourage so we should just go there and make sure of the fit.  So off we went one Saturday and visited several shops at the wedding street. Honestly, it only took me 3 hours to find the dress.  I already knew what I wanted and the only thing we need to do is find the ready made version.  The hubby wanted to have my measurements taken and made to order but I was adamant to bring home a gown that night. Mainly because we had no time, it was just roughly two weeks before our flight and I just wanted everything to be ready early.

 I chose a full bodied gown with a beaded corset top.  I told the seller to take out the 3 layers of petticoat underneath because I don't want a poofy princess cut ballgown.  And yes, she did take out everything underneath and assured me that it won't be bulgy when I wear it.  I decided to wear a lace embroidered Bohemian white robe on top of the gown to downplay its formality.  It was fun having my husband, daughter and our bible study leader around while I looked for the gown; they took turns ridiculing me and weighing the pros and cons of the gowns; (like no, you can't walk in that or you will look like a "suman" in that fishtail gown)

I opted to wear sandals because of the setting but of course, I just had to have the bejeweled one!  I ordered this one online and it is a sparkling  gladiator slippers.  Honestly, it was covered by my gown so it would not actually have mattered how dazzling it is but in my mind, I did not really care if people can see it; as long as I know that I have my glitzy gladiators underneath. Hell yeah! I am extra like that!

I will be writing more about the day itself on the next chapter in this series.  Stay tuned for other details.  Till the next one, lovelies!


All the love!
Sheri

Coronado Island

It was not officially summer yet when we went to this beautiful Coronado Island.  It was a tad cold but thank heavens for the sun's warmth in spite of the chilly winds.  Coronado is definitely my vibe and I like it more than the other beaches we had visited here in SoCal throughout the summer.  And of course, me, being the summer girl that I am, was more than ready to start wearing all my summer clothes.   

When I was a lot younger and thinner, I used to be so self-conscious of wearing cropped tops.  Being an Asian and growing up in a predominantly conservative culture in the Philippines during my time, showing your belly is not always appropriate.  Fast forward to the present and after residing outside the Phil for quite a while, my body views have changed a lot.  I am more comfortable now with what I am given with and I will wear what I want especially if I know that it works for me.

So here I am wearing my bikini top as part of my ensemble and I don't really give a helluva of a damn if I am not slim enough to rock this top.  I made it work somehow by wearing a high-waisted pants. Girls, don't be afraid to experiment on some style with your body type.  Having a fuller body built does not mean that you are limited to wearing big- sized tees and dresses. You just have to know and see for yourself what looks good on you and your body. Always remember to love what is given to you and surely enough, self care and confidence altogether exude beauty too.

WHAT I WORE:

cropped bikini top from COCOBEACH

striped pants from H&M

sneakers from CONVERSE (JACK PURCELL)

bag from STEVE MADDEN

hat from H&M

At Hotel del Coronado

Tidelands Park

with the hubs

beautiful Coronado Shores

White Sands

summer scene

Tidelands park

the Hotel

Coronado shores