First Online Purchase!
First, some narcissistic outfit photos! 
Forever21 beige tank top and floral/lace cardigan; Surplus shop pants and taupe kitten heels from Market!Market!
Okay, so I have always been excited by seeing very pretty shoes, tops, accessories and bags online. Back when I sold stuff on Multiply, there wasn’t much yet. But times have changed and there have been a lot of new products online. I have been wanting to buy online for the longest time but, as per my most recent post, I am stingy and can take forever to decide on something.
I just couldn’t let go of all the pretty satchel bags online though. I could do without any other item purchased online but I couldn’t let go of bags. So when I found out that one of my friends from my Advertising org was selling bags, I stalked their Facebook page in search of the perfect one!
So finally, a couple of weeks ago I had the money and the courage to make my first online purchase! I am glad that it was through a friend though, so they didn’t think I was a bogus buyer (bad experience) and I knew I could trust them with my money.
It finally arrived today! 
It’s so red and pretty and envelope-y! Haha!
I originally wanted a faded, pale pink version but since they ran out I went for the red. It’s a statement piece for sure!
The colors–they match! :O
Whew! Look at that! A perfect fit!
I honestly think that with the combination of my laptop and my new laptop bag/purse, that I explode with color! Part of me is still thinking: what if I got a neutral color, but I think I will just get used to this. I love how colorful it is. Plus, I’ve always told myself that I would be more daring
I almost thought it got lost when I thought it was delivered to someone else, but it turns out to be the guard of our village that signed for it while we weren’t at home! Thank goodness! I didn’t have a traumatizing first purchase!
Thank you, San-Sue Shop! <3
Closet Fashion Blogger
Or should I say, Fitting Room Fashion Blogger?
Another thing that people might not know much about me is that I love to shop for clothes. My mom probably knows that best, but I could spend, literally, hours inside a single store–if it’s big enough and has enough clothes for me to try on. For me, two stores that are my go-to places to shop are The Landmark and Forever21.
Yes, I’ve heard people say that all fashion bloggers ever blog about, almost is everything Forever21. I don’t deny that. But hey, can I just say that there is reason? Forever 21 is huge (at least, the stores are here in the Philippines)! There is just so much to try on and they have so many different styles happening at once that I really am not surprised if they are able to cater to different styles and tastes. It’s so amazing and amusing to find bloggers that shop in Forever21 but never seem to blog about the same pieces of clothing!
What I love most about it is that since it’s an American brand, there are sizes for me. Because I won’t deny it, I’m bigger than most girls. Sometimes I get confused still though. I am surprised that out of all of my purchases in Forever21 since it’s opened, I’ve only ever bought a pair of shorts from Faith21. After that, I never bought anything from that sub-brand which I find quite interesting.
Forever21 is also my fantasy bedroom or living room or something. I love the white, the pastels, the chandeliers. If I could make a walk-in closet and accessories area, it would look like Forever21. Someday when I’ve got enough money.
Speaking of money, I’m quite stingy when it comes to spending it. This isn’t a surprise to most people I know. Part of the reason I stay so long in stores is because I want to make sure I really want what I’m buying and not just a flight of fancy. This is why I take photos inside the fitting room. I want to know if it looks good on me, after I leave the store. I normally take a day to really decide. And if I still want it the next day and I find stock, then I buy it. If you’ve followed me from my old blog in Typepad, I’ve posts from Forever21 Megamall and Makati when they first opened. Hehe.
Here are some of the latest things I’ve tried on:
See, this is what I’m talking about. These top pieces are from Faith21. They’re so loose on me. And these are just XL, 1X. 
This is a dress I’ve been eyeing for a while. I still can’t decide if I want it or not! I’m trying to think if I look older with this dress on. I’m not used to getting print dresses (I only have one–from Forever21 too!)
From Landmark! I saw the print of this and fell in love. This is the first maxi dress I’ve ever tried. I’m even holding up the hem a bit so you can see my shoes. I am super short! I’m considering buying this for sure but I don’t know if I will keep it at this length. Suggestions?
Going back to Forever21.
My officemate and I had the chance to go to SM City North Edsa last weekend for a work-related event. It was just in time too, because the Forever21 North Edsa had just opened that weekend! We went ahead and looked around when we got there early.
Mullet skirts! I would love to start a collection on my own.
Not meaning to sound hipster or defensive, but I’d like to think I loved the mullet skirts way before they got trended. I designed my graduation ball dress with a mullet skirt. Only, no one was calling it mullet back then.
These dresses! Unfortunately, this branch no longer had the Black and White ethnic dress on the mannequin! 
Little review on Forever21. As much as I love this brand, I am annoyed with it for one big reason. I’ve been thinking and guessing this for a while now. Based off of the Twitter and Facebook pages of Forever, I concluded a while back that the stock in the Makati and Megamall branches are not the same.
I felt that this was the case because, looking around this new branch, all of these pieces above are not in the Makati branch. I know this because I’m at the branch almost everyday hunting for dresses. Apart from the pastel pink dress I already showed you above, I found nothing like this coral dress or this ethnic one. Definitely not these mullet skirts.
Another thing I dislike about Forever21: because of the sheer variety of clothes, I can never find anything that’s on the mannequin. I almost always think “are those especially made for those things?”
I remember my brother telling me that the clothes on the mannequin should be pointed to by the mannequins themselves. Since they naturally point anyway, they should point in the direction that buyers can easily locate where the stocks are. Sort of like “Do you like my outfit? You can find all the pieces over on that side.”
It’s confusing! No wonder fashion bloggers never walk out and photograph the same pieces. Hehe
Okay, it’s midnight. I’m out.
The Freakin’ Weekend!
So this is something I did yesterday, after work.
I’ve been working on this one really grueling task during the entire of last week (amongst other work-related things that I had to do) and just finishing it last night was a good feeling! I won’t be seeing that task for another two weeks. I dread it coming again but at the same time I’m glad that this one was a hurdle dealt with!
Honestly I’ve been constantly wanting to take a day off to just myself during weekends. Especially now that the weather is ridiculously hot, I want to get out of the house and find somewhere cool to, literally, chill out. Unfortunately that didn’t happen today because I am broke again. So here I am at home. There isn’t even any Milo to keep me cool (note: Milo is a chocolate malt drink that I’ve grown up with)!
A little bit of a backstory on this song which is, by the way, the song “Cheers” cover version by Katherine McPhee and Megan Hiltey from Smash. It was stuck in my head the whole day and probably the sole reason I finished work on time. I have been yearning for sometime now to get back into YouTube with something fun, and not just another video saying that I’ve been too busy to make a proper video (I dislike videos like those in general. I mean, who am I even apologizing to?).
I had so much fun doing this! And what made it even cuter was that my brother was actually encouraging to have himself in the video because he wanted to troll my viewers.
Cheers to the weekend!
Some Sketches.
In the little time I got to myself last Holy Week, I was able to get re-connected to my first medium (love) in art: colored pencils. I was the best at them, I think. And back then, I only worked with the 12pieces of Faber Castel. It wasn’t until I got involved with the watercolor variants did I try painting (and then eventually digital). I was so happy knowing that I think I got even better (and I could still draw) despite not having held them for years.
Zooey Deschannel’s dress on New Girl’s “The Wedding”
My sketch for The Rainbowholic and me!
I was watching America’s Next Top Model: British Invasion and got inspired by cotton-candy pink hair!
Ginny and Hermione Mermaids!
The Hunger Games inspired mermaid (thus the bow) haha!
As you can tell I did a lot of them. But also, that I didn’t bother to scan them. I was so inspired during the break that I just wanted to do one right after the other: and thus this. ) I’ll scan them properly, sometime. I promise.
Work. Life. Push.
I really should be working right now. That is the ultimate truth that I know I should be attending to.
Recently, though (and more and more often) I’m thinking that since getting a job, I have been less and less me–and thus, less and less involved in my own life. Don’t get me wrong. I know what I got myself into. I’ve always known that advertising is not something that eats up a lot of your time, social life and just life in general. Work is digging into my health like a flame consumes a moth’s fire–and yes, sorry, I’ve become even more sadistic than usual.
Since work started, I’ve exercised less (although my eating has considerably changed and I’d like to think it’s for the better), done less for myself and spent more time on the computer than ever before. I wasn’t a super huge fan of Facebook before (just the usual chat with friends and play games type of person–and manage my online store) but now I feel like coughing out furballs every time I click on pages. I don’t hate the work. The work is fine. I just feel like I’ve lost myself because of it.
I won’t say that it’s claimed my social life completely. Before getting work I was still more of the alone type anyway with the occasional meet-ups with friends and that hasn’t changed much. I am losing time for myself though. For those that don’t know, I can spend a ridiculous amount of time by myself and I don’t get bothered much. I have so many hobbies that I could spend one day reading, another drawing, a few days writing, another playing the piano, writing my blogs, working on designs, exercising, watching films, making videos, singing songs, and the list goes on for much longer.
I keep telling myself why I got this job in the first place: to earn money to get to the States. This is the only thing that keeps me going. Since the announcement at work that we weren’t allowed to work from the meeting rooms, I have seen less and less of the people that made my work life worth it. I didn’t mind the stress as long as other people were there. Now, I’m just working–which is the point, to be sure, of work, but there should always be a balance, yes?
Nightmares about work haunt me during the weekends and sometimes I try my best not to sleep so I don’t dream of it, but when I’m awake I feel the tiredness of my body too. The house has become equated to “bed” or “sleep” and I always refuse to do work at home (also because I never get any work done anyway). The weekends are never enough–even that long Holy Week break we had a few weeks ago.
And the more I stay working, the more I crave to do the things I love. What pains me is that I now almost never have time to give in to my cravings because I never have time or energy. By the time I get home, I’m done for the day–just a shower and zzzz all the way.
sigh.
I’m scared that I’m just wasting my time. I’m getting money, sure. It’s a means to an end. I just wished terribly that didn’t have to mean I sacrifice me too.
A little more push, Mishie. You can do it.
And now, back to work. It’s only 9am.
Blog Feature: The Rainbowholic
I have a very limited number of people I consider “idols” in my life. On the top of my list are, of course, my parents and after them is such a limited number that I’m sure I would be able to count them off with my fingers. My idols ranger in different ways–those that I admire in art, fashion, make-up, career, etc.
But I figured that since I’ve been inspired by these people, I thought that I would share them with all of you. I feel rather selfish just keeping them to myself because I know that other people would benefit from knowing them too. And so, without further ado, this is my first blog/idol feature.
This is Kaila, also know as The Rainbowholic.
The header of her awesome blog!
The title should be self-explanatory, and looking through her site would make it even more obvious why this is such a perfect fit for her. I am proud to say that Kaila is one of the, if not the only idol of mine (aside from my parents) that I know personally (aka. In Real Life). And just like her site, Kaila herself is one of the most colorful people that I know in existence in this world.
Circa 2009 when I was first classmates with Kaila, she wore this jacket which I always envied. And now…
I still love her style! Even if I am not a big Sanrio fan myself, reading Kaila’s blog always makes me remember, “I used to like Zashikibuta and MonoKuroBoo” Both, coincidentally, pigs! ) Haha!
*INTERMISSION* Exhibit A: My best friend Micah and I would always think that she was the white boo while I was the black boo. I don’t even remember who took this photo anymore! This was 2006-ish.
Going back to Kaila, when I first met her, it was because she was my superior in our organization in university. I was honored when she picked me to be an officer, and because I respected her so much, I would feel, easily, immensely guilty when I sometimes forgot my deadlines for her. ;_;
Still, when she and I ended up classmates for our advertising majors, I got to know her more and realized that we had many a thing in common: a couple of which was that we both dreamed of going to Japan (both taking lessons in a nearby language school) and we both adored Arashi! Back when my online store was still active (*wipe tear here*) she was one of the people that supported it and even bought a few things from me! I felt quite happy knowing that she supported me this way. When our orgmates and I would spend time in the infamous Room 2013, you could really see the beginnings of someone who would be destined to go to Japan and realize her dreams.
Even then, it already had Rainbowholic stamped all over her little condo–and stickered all over her sewing machine (another thing we had in common, we sewed our own things!) Her condo was full of her colorful, quirky personality and it was something that I was, at times, jealous of. You could sense that Kaila really knows who she is and had a clear vision of what she wanted in the future. And while I myself knew that I wanted some of the same things, I probably was not as hardworking as Kaila.
This is what made her my idol. And the fact that she blogs everything about it, her dreams and how they were (and still are) coming true, is a constant reminder for me that I want to have success and achieve my dreams as well.
Of all her recent blog photos, I found these to be the prettiest. Also, I’m still wondering how she was able to take a photo from this angle in this last one.
I remember one of the last times I saw Kaila here in the Philippines before she left for Japan, it was a Friday or Saturday. I was in school, walking along SJ Walk when I saw Kaila. Back then, her way of clothing was much simpler than how she dressed now, but you could already see the hint of the fashionista in her (*wink*), she told me she was headed off somewhere and I remember walking away thinking almost how crazy it was that I admire someone that was younger than me (haha)–but that didn’t make me feel bad or inferior. She motivated me even more to try to reach for my dreams.
And even from Japan, I know that Kaila is still supporting me. Last year, I joined a contest of hers and she picked me as one of the winners of a site domain. You would not believe my disbelief when I realized that she had picked me. I had been praying and praying for a way to get a site domain but did not know how. Kaila answered my prayers! So, in short, Kaila is the reason www.mishiedelrosario.com exists! ;_; I am forever grateful!
Now, whenever I’m with people that I know that also know Kaila, I can’t help but talk about her with them. “Have you seen Kaila’s blog recently? It’s so inspiring!” I recently had this conversation with my blockmates Alex and Justin when we met up for dinner and we spent a long time being inspired by her (this topic was also brought up because they are taking Japanese language lessons again and I was jealous huhu)! Yes, I’m aware that sometimes I wonder if my admiration for Kaila’s sometimes on the border of being weird, but it’s only because you can really see the fulfillment of her dreams and her follow-through.
Whenever I’m down or I feel like I’m loosing focus on my dreams because of work stress, boredom or lack of inspiration, I go to her blog, read a little and then get re-motivated. I find myself being demotivated more and more recently because there are times that I don’t seem to know where I’m going or what I’m doing anymore. But I just take a look at Kaila’s blog and know that I shouldn’t give up. My dreams are just taking a while longer to fulfill themselves and I could have to work even harder to achieve them.
Kaila’s blog, which I have been reading since forever, is turning one this year!!!
(yep, on! That’s how long forever has been haha)
She’s also having a giveaway so it would be nice of you go to ahead and tell her how she’s inspired you too! I’m sure she already knows that she inspires me even if I only comment on her entries every now and then. But, Kaila, super thank you! You already know this well.
If you, dear reader, need a little bit of motivation yourself and wondering if you will still ever attain the dreams you’ve wanted for yourself, just read her blog and know that your dreams will come true too and you’ll eventually find yourselves in the clouds and rainbows! 
Blessed Saturday
While I haven’t blogged for a while, I still always have my camera with me. It seems such a shame to not make most of this though, so I’m thinking of doing something to be able to motivate myself to blog more. I still can’t quite figure out how to section off anything yet. Best ask my cousin about that, methinks. Soon.
Anyhow, so since we’ve been stuck in our houses for the most of the long vacation (at least for me and my dad), the only other time we went out aside from Visita Iglesia was during Holy Saturday. We (or, should I say, I) drove to The Riviera where my dad has a membership, point-credit lunch thing. I would have taken a photo of the entrance, but I was driving.
Some narcissistic photos, before anything. Pardon.
My brother being weird, as usual. But I lurve him so!
Obligatory photo with food. Look at the variety–we really didn’t have a specific cuisine in mind.
And now here’s the story. After we had our lunch at The Riviera, we decided to go off and have coffee by Taal at a Figaro branch that we used to frequent. I drove up there, despite the traffic–and found a 7-11 in the spot where the Figaro used to be. Slightly panicking since I don’t like stalling on the road, we drove further and over to the Robinson’s area that had been newly built there for a year or so. However, it was just too crowded, like you have no clue. So we decided to double back and go to the crowded area.
We drove into the first parking area we could find once we found the first cafe we could see from the road. We ended up at Bo’s Coffee, which was surprisingly empty. So, we took that chance to order cakes and that chocolat milkshake that I had been craving for the entire day.
Look at that! All gone!
I also took a couple of photos of Taal but it was kind of foggy.
I, A Chronicler
This blog that I now host on my persona website is not the first that I’ve had in the history of my presence on the Internet. With all honestly, I don’t even remember how many blogs I’ve had throughout the years. I’ve been present almost everywhere and I can’t even begin to recall what on earth I’ve been writing all that time.
In fact, blogging (and video blogging) are not the only attempts I’ve had in my life to document and keep track of my activities in the past. Up until now I own journals and diaries since my childhood, all documenting my days, thoughts and emotions–immortalizing them in words that I can no longer take back the moment of. They’re part of a past that I can only, now, revisit but cannot change.
I have a journal from when I was less than ten years old, telling the reader of my day to day. When I was eleven, I remember starting a journal about my crush and all the incidents that I had in relation to my Great Crush. I dug it up recently during my Great Room Clean-Up. It had a lock that I used a hairpin to unlock (on a side note: that was the first ever time I’ve attempted to unlock anything via hairpin–I was damn proud too) and it worked brilliantly. Now, I won’t lie. I laughed like hell. I was (am) hella embarrassed too at my fangirliness over this one boy. His name? Written, literally, all over the pages of the notebook. That should be something entertaining for my future husband to see.
After that notebook I brought home a furry notebook from the United States. That became my first serious journal wherein I wrote almost constantly and brought with me everywhere. That is the first venue for, not just stating the things I’ve done, but the things I also felt.
Throughout high school I had a number of cheap notebooks that served the same functions as well. These were the times when I wrote the lengthiest. As that child that thought almost constantly and overthunk, I wrote all the time. I remember even dedicating a page to introduce the cast of people that I knew I would be talking a lot about in my entries.
In my third year of high school, I started using a new journal–a notebook that my best friend gave me. The reason this one meant a lot was because–not only would this be the venue of many of the most dramatic entries of my high school life, but also because soon after my best friend gave me that diary, we fought, she chose a boy over us her friends and more high school drama ensued.
Around this time also was the birth of the blog. Prior to this, I had only used the internet to retrieve photos of my favorite anime shows, reading manga online and updating Friendster (the Facebook of its time). I started a Pitas blog because the boy I liked had one and we cross-read our entries. This was, perhaps my most dramatic blog in a sense that, I knew that I was the most heartbroken on this blog–which is perhaps the reason why I feel the silliest and most ridiculous when I look back and read it all back now.
After Pitas I moved to Multiply. This was the time that I was transitioning into college life. At this time I also tried out other blogs like blogger or blogspot but I never liked the interface on it enough to stick with it. So I went over to Multiply, a little bit less dramatic and a little bit more optimistic. I had my FRIENDS phase here which is why I had a sitcom theme running thoughout it “My Life as a Sitcom” with blog titles named “The One about the ____.”
Later on I moved to Vox. Vox was the venue for the new fandom and obsession I was getting into: Arashi. Jdoramas were only just getting started and aside from getting my fix, I also put snippets of my life on Vox.
When Facebook came around and updating photos and lives became less frequent on Multiply, I moved from Vox to LiveJournal. This was two years into college and I was at the peak of my Arashi fandom. The Arashi fandom had a steady homebase in LiveJournal and aside from letting out my feelings on LiveJournal, I also used it to fuel my fandom.
Then later on I was informed that Vox was moving. It was being taken down and being relocated to Typepad. I was put off at first with having to familiarize myself with another blog venue, but then I accepted it. At this time, Tumblr was also starting to be known but I had decided that it just wasn’t the place where I wanted to blog. Blogging for me, I realized, was something that I had to have a singular place to dedicated it to. It couldn’t be mixed with obsessive fandoms. I decided to let LJ be solely for Arashi and Typepad would be about the rest of my life.
Typepad became an obsession for me. It was the first time in a long time that I thought blogging was the only thing I wanted to do. It was the only thing I could think about doing whenever I was outside. I wanted to take pictures and post them and talk about them. I was motivated to make my life exciting so I could tell the world that I am a successful human being.
Sometime in 2010 to 2011, I got back into video blogging again. I missed my vlogging days from 2008 and wanted to rekindle them. And rekindle them I did. I set up a new channel and, thus, made yet another venue for myself to be expressive. And for a while, Typepad became stagnant until I found work in late 2011.
Which brings me here, to you, the place where you are currently reading this. This domain was won by me thanks to a contest on a friend’s website. I had not tinkered with it for a really long time, put off my codes and fixing. Then I figured that I should make proper use of this thing I’ve won and, at the very least use it for what it can function as: a blog.
And while it really does break my heart to transfer from Typepad (how I love it so), here I am.
I stand before you, still as fascinated by time, documentation and life in its entirety. Someday I’d dig up each and every single one of my entries–perhaps one by one and I’ll share it with you all. But regardless of the venue and the manner. Here I am.
One day in the future, when I’m old, I’d like to look back and see how much I remember. I want to look back and remember all the great, simple, mundane and wonderful experiences I’ve had in my life. Each step that I took then took me to where I am now.
I encourage you to realize the same and start your own story.
Gingeritis.
I have a fascination about turning redhead. My problem is that I don’t think I can go as red (orange-ish) as I want to. So the logical route for me is to go reddish brown. When I dyed my hair recently with the Revlon Luminista in Red my hair really was bright burgundy-ish red. It’s faded a bit more into something more workable and believable though so that’s nice.
What I do love about this is that–okay, segue: I’ve been on Pinterest a lot recently. And on there I discovered ombre hair. I shan’t bother to attach a photo here because it’s too early in the morning but basically its hair with gradient colors cascading downward. There are all sorts of colors but I found this to be something I want to try. What I realized though (thanks to a comment by my mom) is that my hair is darker at the bottom that it is on the top because I put too much concentration of dye on the top. As a result, I do have ombre hair! *hand heart*
See how it’s reddish up top and darker brown at the bottom?
I’m still determined to make it redder than this though!
Sometimes I Fancy Myself a Blogger
I blog about life in general. Sometimes though, I imagine myself to be a little big more creative and try to translate other parts of myself into this blog (yadayada).
When I feel particularly proud of an outfit I’ve put together, I take a photo. I used to do this all the time a year back–a time when I took a photo of every single outfit I had in a week.
(Side note: going through my old blog to retrieve these old photos made me nostalgic. I super like the simplicity of my old blog. Someone help me do that here? Also, the frequency of my posts back then. )
I still do that every now and then, whenever I remember. The sheer tired-ness from work sometimes doesn’t make me think much of what I put on the next day. But here we go:
Sure, I’m not branded like most fashion bloggers tend to be. Maybe that’s my edge? HAHA!
What do you think?
Oh, just in case anyone’s interested: Purple top from the US (gift), white cardigan from Details, Landmark (haha), stretch denim from Surplus, white flats from Market!Market!
(Sobrang cheap ko lang)
Also, I dyed my hair redder, from a dark burgundy to red-red.
(the dramatic look)
Love, Mishie
PS. The annoying duck-face photo pose. Just because I can.
Mishie is a twenty-something imagineer. She creates content via drawing, writing and videos.
She has dark hair but would, one day, like to be ginger. 
