The Cheapskateers

Night of the Living Drunk

2012-03-06T06:19:00.000-08:00

Eastwood tiangge top, Thrifted pants and shoes

Market! Market! gold bracelets and wire ring, bought from a bazaar black studded ring, Gifted black and silver rings, Regina's cat-mouse ring

Hi, first post for March! This is what I wore to a simple family get-together for one of my late grandmother's birthdays. I wanted something laid back and easy to move in, et voila. And how can you go wrong with shoes that have wings?

Of course, it wasn't all that of a 'simple' get-together when a certain bottle of booze showed up. I got pretty wasted, and it was really embarrassing because I never get THAT wasted, or at all, if any. I wouldn't go so far as to say I got drunk because I believe that the word still somehow pertains to more insane things, as all that really happened was me puking to the point of immobility. Bacardi 151 is a nightmare. End of story.

Superhero in Training

2012-02-25T09:20:00.000-08:00

Folded & Hung x Marvel top (borrowed from dad), Regina's pajama bottoms, Thrifted shoes, Thrifted hat, bought from a convention goggles

Tiangge silver bracelet, Rebel Gear studded chain ring, Folded & Hung bullet bracelet, Tiangge beaded bracelets, Market! Market! chain bangle

FINALLY! ANOTHER POST IN SO LONG! Apologies, apologies. We've just been both busy because of... reasons. Mostly school, really, but today I FINALLY got the chance to go out (for the past month I've had to miss out on random leisurely trips with the family because of my workload) and make an outfit post! Poor blog, we don't mean to neglect you. :(

When my sister saw my outfit she commented that I looked like a 'superhero in training'. Thor shirt + comic book pajama bottoms effect, I guess? Totes sleeping in these jammies tonight.

New Year's Again

2012-01-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

Thrifted top and shorts, Gifted necklace, borrowed from mom bracelets, Vintage belt, Market! Market! green ring, Gifted parasol ring and chain ring, Gifted shoes, bought from a convention hat

Happy Chinese New Year everybody! I wanted to dress for the occasion yesterday, and what better way to do so than with a Chinese-style top, in the color red, no less. In keeping up with the whole 'circles/polka-dots-are-lucky' shebang, my shorts have small pompoms and my necklace is a magical circular pendant with little bells. Oh, and the big mouse ears too. Okay, I didn't really do the circle theme on purpose, but maybe my mind subconsciously told me to do so? Also, I have so much love for these shoes. So. Much. Love.

And just so I could make good use of the video tag...

An outfit video! Although all it really is is just about 20 seconds of me moving around. It's not much, but I promise (or I hope) future outfit videos will get better! Maybe. I think outfit videos are an interesting supplement to outfit shots, so here's the first of (hopefully) many more. I hope you like it! :D

Quick Change

2012-01-23T01:40:00.000-08:00

from Singapore hat, thrifted dress, Privileged (Robinsons Dept. Store) brogues

This was a really light, simple and comfortable outfit I put together quickly because I had to rush from Bare rehearsals to watch my friend's play in UA&P.

That same friend gave me those Drama mask rings for my birthday. They're so me-- I love them to bits! Thus, I wore them in support of my friend's musical theatre debut.

The musical was an original creation about an audition, and they even made the audience feel like we were a part of it by giving us control numbers. On the left is me being a caricature of a nervous neophyte auditionee.

It's a really simple outfit, but as the saying goes, sometimes less is more. I couldn't have imagined this outfit with any more accessories without ruining the overall "feel".. if I'm making any sense. Despite being rushed, I kinda feel like I had all I needed for this outfit to tell its story-- and the comfortability was a major plus too.

Oh hey, I managed a second outfit post within the same month. I thought I'd never get the chance! Yay me.

Polka-Stripe

2012-01-22T02:20:00.000-08:00

Market! Market! top, Secondhand (bought from Mike Magallanes) skirt, Thrifted shoes, Tiangge bangle, Jellybean bowtie

I apologize for the influx of photos, but rarely do I ever get to have someone else take my outfit shots! (You can tell my enthusiasm in some of the pictures.) Thanks to Billie for these. Anyway, I attended an anime convention (for the first time in months!) yesterday, as well as caught my friend Jam's musical in her university. Congrats again bb! I wanted to wear polkadots again as a sort of late welcoming of the new year, good luck superstitions and all. This is totally like an inverse of my Blogger's United 2 outfit, haha!

It's also worth noting that the blouse's tag says Comme des Garcons. My sister gave it to me, but since it's from Market! Market!, I have my doubts on its legitimacy.

I've nothing else to say now. Happy Chinese New Year to y'all!

Tough Times

2012-01-19T07:57:00.000-08:00

Forever 21 vest, SM Dept. Store button-down, from a bazaar shorts, from Hong Kong boots

H&M necklace

Contrary to what my poses in the photos above depict, I haven't had the luxury to let loose lately, what with rehearsals for Blue Repertory's Bare keeping me out until very late every night coupled with my hell semester school work. This is also why I haven't had the time to post lately. Tough times are ahead but I must soldier on, and I am soldiering on. My badly bruised legs can attest to that.

Here's to all of us with a lot on our plates and a lot to prove! No pain no gain. Eyes on the prize. Carpe Diem-- and speaking of carpe diem, I should carpe what is left of this diem by studying. 'Til next time!

Sunday Fix

2012-01-09T03:21:00.000-08:00

Thrifted shirt, Folded & Hung brown top, Kanvas dress, Figlianina shoes

SM Accessories necklace

Market! Market! bracelets

Forever 21 key ring, Gifted parasol ring, Market! Market! wire ring

First outfit post of the year! How's 2012 been treating y'all so far? I don't really have much to say about this outfit (letting the photos speak for themselves... weh), but I was supposed to have a polka-dotty outfit to sort of wring in the new year for the blog... but the skirt I wore on New Year's Eve is still in the wash so... maybe next time.

Did you notice my umbrella? Samurai hilt! Bringing this to school makes me feel all... Samurai X-esque. LOLJK no not really. Have a great week ahead everyone!

A Greeting for 2012

2012-01-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

A first for 2012 in this particular blog: a video!

... A video in which I humiliate myself on New Years Eve by greeting you all like a rambling pile of quasi-sarcastic cheese that makes no sense. I’m sorry, I don’t do this spontaneous speech-making thing and it’s hard. And I’m supposed to be experienced in theatre… I’m a disgrace. HAHAHA ~~(but really I’m just a camwhore. … And this is a half joke.)~~

Erratum: *have fun and be happy

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!!

Meeting With The Godfather(s)

2011-12-28T00:47:00.000-08:00

Forever 21 (gifted) top, Linea Italia (borrowed from dad) pants and shoes

Vintage necklace

Eastwood tiangge silver bracelet, Market! Market! chain bangle

The Bead Shop mood ring, Gifted feather ring, Bought from a bazaar crown ring, People are People swirl ring, Gifted owl ring, Vintage silver ring

Last night my dad and I met up with his friends and their families for a casual get-together. It's an annual dinner we have to catch up on one another, usually in December. Most of these friends of my dads are my godfathers (or, with my godsiblings/cousins, are godfathers/godparents of some of us 'kids'), hence the title.

It's always fun to get to see some of my godsiblings/cousins during this annual shindig, since it's only at this time of the year do we get to see each other. Last time we saw each other was December 2010! Other than catching up with one another, we ended the night with card games (Slap, 1-2-3 Pass) and LOL'd at random Youtube crack. Good times.

With that, I guess I'll be seeing you all in 2012. Have a great New Year's celebration everyone!

Snowcake

2011-12-26T23:23:00.000-08:00

Greenhills tiangge sweater, SM Department Store skirt, Janilyn shoes

You can't get any more Chistmas-y with this really cheesy sweater. But wtvr, I have ALWAYS wanted a super cheesy Christmas sweater, and once I found one, it was magical. My powder blue skirt made me feel like a princess slash random girl part of a wedding entourage. And of course, a touch of red on my shoes to complete this extremely Christmas-y look. We can call this the snowman-snowflake-snowcake look.

I love getting dressed up for Christmas and thinking up of outfits to match Christmas themes, haha. Hope you all had a really great and blessed one with the people close to your heart. :) Belated Happy Christmas everyone! <3

A Quiet Christmas

2011-12-25T02:20:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve in the peaceful-but-almost-boring Tagaytay, where inside our house was no signal, lots of dogs and cats, and beautiful weather.

The view from our elevated patio overlooks Lake Taal.

Thrifted (Giordano) button-down top, from a bazaar shorts, from France boots

I never thought I'd end up doing a denim-on-denim look, so I'm posting about this outfit anyway, although I originally really wouldn't have because I found it a bit too casual. Although it felt pretty refreshing from my usual hoarding of either prints, textures, accessories or the color black.

Preparing the night's humble feast...

I really just felt like sharing these photos with you, since we've had this place for so long and yet I have never taken anyone here. I really should, someday...

In any case, I guess that's it.. Happy Holidays from Velvet (my beloved lab) and I! Take the time off this year to splurge on the happiness, food and festivities!

Bright Winter Solstice

2011-12-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

Details Trading black collared shirt, thrifted striped pullover, Liberte (Robinsons Dept. Store) skirt, Privileged (Robinsons Dept. Store) shoes

Never underestimate local department stores. I love digging for treasure in Landmark, SM and Robinsons Galleria.

Apparently yesterday was winter solstice (a day that happens once a year, with the shortest daytime and the longest nighttime) hence the title of this post. I guess I sort of indirectly "countered" the early darkness with bright colors and an even brighter (well, figuratively) night out. HAHA I am forcing myself to make a connection and justify my lack of creativity in coming up with a title. I wish these entries would just name themselves.

from Jerusalem cross necklace, from a bazaar dreamcatcher necklace

Hello, tired eyes. I'm totally posing all dazed-like here for reasons I can't and won't bother to explain, but in relation to the way I look in this photo, I've been spacing out way too much lately. I'm great and all but the holiday rush and all the days I've spent out with lots of different people are wearing me down a little-- the exhaustion begins the minute you hit the road, what with the impenetrable traffic. I'm sure a lot of you know what I'm talking about.

These gorgeous shoes only burned P1000 off my wallet. Quite a steal, in my opinion. I really love the color combination, and how the tongue of the shoe stands up all poised and prim. Anything edgy, feminine and affordable is bound to win my heart. They're not the comfiest, but I'm not complaining.

Spring In Your Step

2011-12-21T01:41:00.000-08:00

Regina's hat, Bought from a bazaar top, Secondhand skirt (bought from a friend), Thrifted shoes

Forever 21 necklace

Regina's animal rings, Cubao X rose ring, Forever 21 key ring, Vintage purple and pink bracelets, Gingersnaps bag charm (used as bracelet)

My springtime vibes are showing! It's been such a rainy December but this morning the sun was out, and I thought it'd be the perfect opportunity to wear this outfit. Secretly, I've had this ensemble all laid out in my head for months but never got around executing it until now, in the middle of such gloomy weather, no less. I was out running errands with the parentals for some last minute Christmas shopping and thought it'd be warm out, but on our way home it started to rain! Talk about hormonal skies.

If you ask me, this is the kind of outfit best worn at a really frilly picnic in the middle of a flower field. I'd totally blend in with the scenery.

Dreaming Of The Haze

2011-12-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

I attended a friend's gig in Attica and didn't have enough time to get ready since I just came from a hectic day of Christmas shopping and errand-running, so I threw this together real quick. Turned out rather thematic.. Or at least, I think so.

Never Been Kissed (Robinsons Dept. Store) top, WAGW shorts, from Hong Kong booties

Aldo earrings

I built the outfit around these earrings, so as mentioned, things came out rather thematic, with Native American occultism as the central inspiration.

This top reminds me of a waterfall of shredded paper. That, or I could say it's made out of a wizard's beard.

Layered gold glittery glaze over a light gunmetal polish because I decided that I wanted to carry a hint of the holidays on my nails.

Hope your December is as swell as mine is turning out to be. :)

Parental Anniversary

2011-12-19T22:17:00.000-08:00

Thrifted sweater and shoes, Linea Italia skirt, Gifted bag

Market! Market! bracelets

Gifted crown necklace, Forever 21 bunny ring

Would you believe I got this skirt at just P50? True story! My mom and I even had to ask one of the salesladies at Linea Italia if the rack really said P50--we were afraid it might've just been a misprint or something. After all, Italian goodies at that price? No waaaay.

So anyway, this is what I wore to my parents' late anniversary celebration. I treated them out to a meal as per tradition, then we just chilled about until we met up with my sister and her family for dinner and lights show at Ayala Triangle. Overall it was a pretty chill weekend.

I love how the weather's cooled down, so now I've been able to wear a lot of my long-sleeved garments! The weather still gets a little wonky though (read: WHY IS IT HOT ALL OF A SUDDEN), so I stick to lightweight long sleeves, if any. I hope the weather continues to remain chill, but at the same time I hope everyone's safe from harm. Scary flooding is scary. D:

On that note, click here to find out how you can help the victims of Typhoon Sendong. Keep safe everybody!

Rain Chain

2011-12-18T18:59:00.000-08:00

Secondhand top (bought from Karl Leuterio), Thrifted pants and shoes

DIY necklace

Market! Market! wire rings, Rebel Gear studded chain ring, Style Alliance cuffs

It was my block's Christmas party last Saturday night, and since I know we're a bit of a rowdy bunch, I opted for a comfy outfit while still maintaining the Christmas theme (read: a shade of green). I knew that, despite the weather, it would still be inevitably warm later on, so this loose top was perfect for the occasion. (That, and it's nice and flowy to make room for all the food HOHOHO)

And yes, the top and cuffs are some of the stuff I bought from Bloggers United 2! Um wala lang. Thanks to my friend Janelle for braving the weather with me just for some outfit shots!

A Better Rainy Day

2011-12-11T06:27:00.000-08:00

H&M sweater, Thrifted top (under sweater), DIY shorts, Hallyu shoes

Although it's dominantly black and all gloom, doom, spikes and bones, this is actually what I wore to a surprisingly pleasant rainy day. I usually loathe rainy days because they suck out all of the fun and coat everything in a grey haze, but I liked this one, for a whole bunch of reasons that you probably won't care to know since you're not here to read a giddy little girl's diary. Haha! Digressing, I don't know why I have all of these bruises all of a sudden. Actually, I'm lying. I do know why. It's 'cause I'm a huge klutz and manage to consistently bump into things in the safest of situations. Digressing again, my hair has lost its blood-red-ness. A trip to the salon is at hand!

(Oh, and because it was a rainy day that started out late, no decent lighting could be found. So you'll be getting a bit of grain in the photos, if you haven't already noticed that! Sorry.)

Charles & Keith bag

Here's a closeup of my shoes. I'm normally not so fond of the flatform/platform styles that I've been seeing around online stores as of late (and well I don't really think most of them are my style), but these don't really look like flatforms as they do those platform J-Punk boots I'm so fond of, so they clearly they were an exception for me. I especially like the laced-up back. It takes the boots away from the monotony of being typical black platforms.

Rebel Gear accessories

Forever 21 necklace

The metallic top was such a steal. Someday I'll wear it on its own; it's really pretty and the amount of shining shimmering splendid is just right so I can wear it casually and dress it up a little more when I need to.

These old shorts were the result of a worn out pair of jeans and half-empty bottles of textile paint I decided not to waste.

Upo lang sa sahig. Eh bakit ba, napagod ako e. Chos. In any case, I'll sign off for now. I hope that I'll be able to blog more, even though I've got rehearsals for my new play with blueREP (It's Bare, for those who're familiar with musical theatre -- I'd love it if you could like the page and show your support, and hopefully watch! :D) and mountains of schoolwork too. My fingers are crossed. Seeya!

Tintin le Movie

2011-12-11T00:52:00.000-08:00

Thrifted top and skirt, Secondhand shoes (bought from Patricia Prieto)

Tiangge plastic bangles and rings, Gingersnaps panda ring, Bought from a convention colorful ring, Gifted pink bracelets

Gifted beaded necklace, Carolina's green necklace

Wonky Weather Week calls for long sleeves! Haha no not really, but it was kinda cold when I went to see The Adventures of Tintin with some favorite people yesterday, and I have had this top since FOREVER but never got around to wearing it until now! I love the colorful details on an otherwise neutral top. As for the film, I suggest you go see it! The animation was really awesome and nearly realistic at time. It was a lotta fun too, or maybe that was all the inside jokes that ensued...

To go with my colorful (kinda) outfit, I opted for some rainbow eyes! Haha that was fun. Have a great week ahead everyone!

Bloggers United: The Sequel

2011-12-04T05:06:00.000-08:00

Also known as: "NO I'M NOT REALLY WEARING ANY POLKA DOTS"

Thrifted sweater, pants and shoes, Tiangge top

Borrowed from mom beaded necklace, Carolina's gray necklace

Regina's strawberry necklace, Tiangge magnet bracelets and green and yellow rings, Anime convention colorful ring, People are People silver ring, Gifted red puzzle ring, Borrowed from mom beaded bracelets, Vintage purse

One of the things I really like about this... sweater thing (or whatever I should call it), are the shoulder details. And uh shoulder pads, 'cause I'm sucker for those, too.

FLATFORMS AT LAST! I have been wanting a some flatforms since forever, and I finally found a pair during one of my random thrift store visits. I know you can easily find flatforms online, but we all know I'm like, the stingiest person in the world who finds even online prices pricey, unless I'm really desperate. I'm called a cheapskateer for a reason.

So this is what I wore to the second Bloggers United bazaar. I've had this outfit in my head for the longest time now, but I didn't want to wear it just anywhere, so I figured the BU bazaar was a big enough event to 'debut' this baby. So maybe I'm a little too early for New Year's, but I really enjoyed this outfit!

If you've been following us since our old school days, you'll remember that I wasn't able to attend the first Bloggers United, but Maronne went on my behalf instead. This time around, it was the opposite. Ironically, both times, one of us couldn't go because of school. ARE WE DOOMED TO NEVER ATTEND A BLOGGERS UNITED BAZAAR TOGETHER? I sure hope not.

I kept on forgetting that the event was taken at Treston International School, because srsly, it didn't look like a school to me. Look at that lobby. So ~*~sossy~*~ /shot Uh, anyway...

Ronald and Yen, two bloggers I met during my nth round in the bazaar. Ronald asked for a photograph to which I retorted with a request of my own.

REESE! Gosh I haven't seen her since her pre-SoFa days. (Not that I actually saw her often anyway. I've only seen her like, thrice, this one counting as the third. Uh.) I was just blindly going through her booth, thinking, 'Cute accessories hnnng', when I suddenly heard someone call my name, only to find out that it was Reese's booth I was admiring. No wonder everything was cute HAHA!

Raleene and Aivan, both of whom were really friendly when I reached their booth. It was really nice meeting you both! :D

Lloyda! Omg you guys, I've been following her since her LJ/MyStyleDiary days, back when her style was very Fruits-y and stuff. Oh the evolution.

Nicole of Soule Phenomenon. "Kanina pa kayo ah!", referring to how many times we went to her booth. =)) (I lust for those Soule Phenomenon shoes, kbai.)

Paul of OS Accessories. Guh so much bone goodness.

Karl, whose booth (shared with Mike), was the one we visited the most, probably because it was their clothes that we liked the most. In fact, majority of my secondhand buys were from their booth! (I even did some haggling with Mike LOL thank you for complying HAHAHA)

If you've noticed, pretty much all of my shots of the bloggers are portraits. This is because I had my prime lens on, meaning I had to back away to make some distance, but as you can see from the photo above, such a feat was a bit of a challenge. The event was jam-packed with people, so it was kind of hard to move around the crowd. The location was supposed to be air conditioned, but with that many people, it got kind of humid. I guess this could be a reflection of how successful the event was?

Here are two of my buys. The black shoes are from Lloyda while the Reeboks are from Patricia Prieto. I didn't actually get to meet the owner of the latter 'cause she wasn't at her booth so I just asked one of the ladies manning another booth to let me know the price and so and so. Truthfully, they're a bit loose on me, but it's nothing I can't work around. As for my other buys... well, you'll just have to stick around for future outfit posts to see what I got. ;)

So that's pretty much my first Bloggers United adventure. It was fun, though I wish I had my partner-in-crime with me. Thanks for reading and congrats to the Bloggers United team for a job well done on their part two!

Cookie-Selling Camel Lady

2011-11-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

Thrifted dress, bag and shoes, Saizen socks

From Quiapo peacock feather ring, Gifted owl ring, Regina's doe ring, Vintage bracelets

While I'm normally not a deliberate 'match-your-bag-with-your-shoes' kind of person, I thought this bag would go really well with the outfit (and I secretly just wanted to show it off -- hello, My Neighbor Totoro!). I really love this dress and the details on the top; it sort of breaks the monotony and simplicity of the dress with that one detail.

I also like how it makes me feel like I'm some camel lady selling exotic goods. Or like I'm a boy scout selling you cookies. Or like I'm a video game character fighting monster sand dunes. Or...

... or like I'm in a brown paper bag. That works too.

The Rajo!+Parisian Collection Unveiled

2011-11-11T07:42:00.000-08:00

Last Nov. 9 (a Wednesday night, for the curious ones out there,) we attended the preview for local fashion mogul Rajo Laurel's collaboration with SM Department Store's trendy yet affordable shoe line, Parisian.

from Hong Kong sweater, Thrifted velvet skirt, from Hong Kong booties

I really wish I had more time to prepare an outfit for the event. I was swamped with org work and was almost going to stay home and crunch down on my duties but then decided at the last minute to not waste this opportunity! I kinda had to put this together in a few minutes. Regardless, I enjoyed wearing my crazy new sweater with my good ol' socks that I usually just use when lounging around at home. 'Twas one unexpected decision after another. --Maronne

from France coiled necklace, borrowed from Mom coral necklace, Forever 21 spiked necklace, Rebel Gear lip & eye ring, Rebel Gear diamond ring

I kind of rushed this outfit as well, having formulated it on the day of the event itself. Cue "WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO WEAR" moment between me and my closet. While I've had these pants for some time now, I figured the Rajo launch would be the best time to finally... Christen them, so to say. They are quite magical and make me look like I'm wearing a skirt. --Ina

Thrifted top and pants, Vintage purse, Figlia shoes

Vintage white necklace and pearl necklace, SM Accessories clear necklace, Vintage earrings, from Quaipo peacock feather ring, Gifted owl ring, Tiangge blue ring, Regina's doe ring, People are People silver ring

The event was held at the VERY VERY HARD-TO-MISS SMDC Hall.

Nagmumurang SMDC, as I like to call it. --Ina

KSP na SMDC. Sobrang papansin. --Maronne

Outfit ko pala ang naging peg para sa breadsticks. Charot. --Maronne

I wanted a shot in front of the stage because I liked the periwinkle lighting. Plus, you can see my spiked necklace clearly in this photo too! (P.S. doesn't Ina's outfit go so well with the background?) --Maronne

Models/DJs The Zombettes got the show started with their sick beats while some models Vogued to the music before progressing down the stairs, towards the center of the room (not in the photos) and onto the stage, where the entire collection of shoes was displayed.

Here are some of the shoes from the collection. The main materials are suede and satin. Lots of classic low heels, concave wedges (that give of a sort of "heelless" vibe, no?) and color blocking with muted reds, teals and purples. There's also a lot of strapwork going on in this collection, whether layered, intertwined or garterized; a lot of the action seems to be happening in the shoes' straps. Did we mention that the prices go from P999.75-P2199.75 only? Our favorite is the one on the upper left.

After the fashion show, nagkaron ng paligsahan. Paunahan sa pagbili ng mga sapatos! Charot. --Maronne

It was a shopping, err... segment, for lack of better word. The attendees were basically given first dibs on the shoes before their release in the department stores. We're sure lots of women went home happy.

On the left are the very fresh-looking (oh diba hindi ka haggard sa shot na 'to Martin, yehey --Maronne) Martin Yambao and Cara Sumabat of House of Laurel. Congrats on the successful event and thank you eternally for the invites! Award! On the right is an amazing person with amazing shoes. (We learned that his name is Paulo Castro. Hi we still love your shoes! Sige we love you na rin! SIPSIP!?? --Maronne) Closer shot of said amazing shoes is included below. He customized them himself! Award.

We had lots of fun. Hopefully there'll be more opportunities for us to lust over shoes while listening to great beats. There is truly no business like ~~show~~ shoe business. DON'T JUDGE THAT PUN YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT AND IF YOU DON'T WELL YOU WILL LEARN TO LOVE IT.

Awards all around!

Skye

2011-11-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

Thrifted top and shoes, Vintage bag, SM Parisian shoes

Vintage earrings

Vintage silver ring, Tiangge blue ring, Gachapon Mare Ring (KHR! Hohoho.), Market! Market! rings (right hand)

What I wore to my goddaughter's baptism, which was around two weeks ago? So late, I know. Anyway, I always like going for something white whenever I have to attend a baptism, just for the symbolism of it all. Meganon? I didn't wear any necklace because I wanted to focus on the pretty details of my top. I like looking prim and proper when the occasion calls for it, even if I'm far from what that really is on the inside. HEH.

The Day We Became Hipsters (Or Hippies?)

2011-11-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

Thrifted vest, lace top and shorts, Genevieve Gozum robe, Gifted bag, star necklace, feather earring and scarf (attached to bag), Figlia boots

Gifted/DIY bracelets, The Bead Shop Mama Mary necklace, Regina's floral ring, From Cubao X rose ring

A week or two ago, I attended a Coachella-themed birthday party. I'm always game for themed parties so I go all the way when dressing the part. As I've never really been to anything Coachella, I stuck to ~*~hippie~*~ vibes instead. Or hipster, if you'd like to go with that, since the celebrant worships everything hipster. Nooo joke.

The Sweetest Scare

2011-11-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

My mom and I decided to spend Halloween (my favorite time of the year!) wandering off into the deepest, darkest, eeriest corners of...

... DISNEYLAND!!

Although I am a fan of gothic and macabre things, I am a Disney kid through and through. Plus, I love the way Disney styles monsters and darkness so we checked out Hong Kong Disneyland's Halloween event.

Thrifted top, Mango jeans

Again, I decided to stick with a fuss-free outfit. I would have gone in costume, but I didn't want to bulk up my luggage!

from France necklace

T.U.K. creepers

These babies are old and all worn out but I refuse to let go of them! I'll only do so when they've absolutely obliterated-- and then I'll replace them. I love my creepers too much.

Mom and I had a very happy Halloween for sure.

Don't you just love it when Disney goes dark? They mesh darkness and playfulness so well. The park had wonderful Halloween decorations...

... And even more wonderful treats! The eyeball bun was my favorite. I wish I could have tried them all, but I don't think I'd be willing to ruin the pastries' presentations. Haha!

The cotton candy was glow-in-the-dark, and in rainbow colors too. So awesome.

The night parade blew me away too. Disney Villains, elaborate costumes, The Nightmare Before Christmas and waltzing zombies set against a guitar-heavy rock instrumental? Heavenly. Or rather, in the context of Halloween: "Hell-ly".. But that doesn't sound quite as good. Haha!

I am very very pleased. Even when I wasn't in costume, this will probably be one of my most memorable Halloween celebrations ever. How did you spend All Hallows' Eve?

Woke Up In A Different City

2011-11-01T09:45:00.000-07:00

Details Trading top, Divisoria shorts, from Ebay shoes

I just got home from a quick getaway to Hong Kong. This post (and the next one) are late documentations of my trip (well, snippets of it at least) and of course, what I wore-- although I dress comparatively lighter when I travel. The reason for this is naturally because I need to make room in my luggage for new acquisitions (my euphemistic way of trying to sound less shallow when I mean to say I save space for shopping.)

Oh man, the last time I whipped these Rocking Horse shoes out was in high school, when I was still an avid fan of the Elegant Gothic Lolita (or EGL) look. I still adore it now, don't get me wrong! I just moved on from that phase, that's all. In the end I suppose it really wasn't something I could totally commit to, although japanese fashion is still one of my stronger influences. Case-in-point: this outfit. ...Okay, I know, it looks nothing like japanese fashion, nor does it even look remotely influenced by it as a whole. I suppose I made that point with solely these shoes in mind. I found it amusing to use this pair with a non-EGL outfit for the first time ever.

Which reminds me-- it's pretty interesting how creepers and rocking horse shoes have been turning up in local online pre-ordering stores along with the rise of the flatform trend. It rather intrigued me to see these shoes making their way into a very different market, and through a different background/culture than what I grew up knowing of these kinds of shoes. Then again I could be speaking with little or erroneous knowledge on the matter. How did they find their way to a different market? What are your thoughts?

The make-up I wear when I travel is pretty much the same as when I go to school. In both situations, I'm usually exposed to harsh weather conditions, lengthy walks and large crowds while carrying around a considerable amount of weight in the form of my own belongings and excess "baggage" such as shopping bags. Thus, I keep my face simple, light and fuss-free -- yet crisp and put-together-- by applying BB cream and a puff of loose powder to seal the cream (both with SPF of course!), then by lining both my brows and upper lids. Oh right-- you can't forget lip balm. The goal is basically coverage and protection. This way, I can worry less about maintaining my makeup and freaking people out with my dark circles, and concentrate more on taking in the sights, sounds, occasional city smog-- and clothes, of course.

A far-from-award-winning shot of my favorite shopping haunt in Hong Kong: Granville Road! (I couldn't get a better shot in, there were too many people hustling about and by the time I got to the better parts of the road, my forearms were already "preoccupied" with carrying shopping bags. Haha!) If you're looking for youthful and interesting pieces that aren't wallet-whompers, you should hit Granville Road. You'd better be willing to look through plenty of racks for a good find, though. Most of the stores here don't organize their wares to make it easy for you to find those individual clothing pieces that make you go "Aha, I want this!" It gets confusing but I ride on the adrenaline rush that I usually get when I wander through foreign streets.

You should be willing to look through the smaller, somewhat "shady-looking" stores too, although I particularly enjoyed the decorations in this store. It was very ...Japanese cult movie, what with all those homemade posters filled with sexy girls in fetish costumes. Hold on, I'm leading myself into a trap here. Disclaimer: I wasn't shopping for those! The store did have the mentioned fetish costumes, but apart from that they also had a huge variety of leggings and tights, and that's what I was there for!

... You don't believe me, do you?

Ghastly

2011-10-30T23:55:00.000-07:00

Thrifted top and skirt

Vintage ring and earrings

Vintage purse

Market! Market! rings

Thrifted shoes

What I wore yesterday as a pseudo welcome for Halloween. Figured these thrifted lace babies gave some really nice grandma (and somewhat Filipiniana) vibes, so I might've been channelling my inner... ghost of Maria Clara? Nah.

Happy Halloween!

Come Back Come Black

2011-10-25T00:43:00.000-07:00

We decided to start over with a clean ~~blank~~ black state. Why? The old blog was gathering some rather unsightly clutter! But being our sentimental selves (and seeing that all those old posts shouldn't go to waste) we couldn't let it go entirely (if you look at the sidebar, there's a link to it under the archives.)

By the way, we had no idea we would show up looking so similar! Between the idioms "great minds think alike" and "birds of the same feather flock together," we'd like to think that the former is better applied in this situation. Tee hee.

We used the semestral break to catch up on some dearly-missed quality time, moving from empty apartments to coffee shops to just-opened malls. Nice, slow and chill, just how we'd like the break to be. But alas; you know what they say about time! It seems so fast when you're busy doing what makes you happy. The end of our little vacation is drawing inconveniently close.

Thrifted lace dress, Forever 21 vest, Topshop tights, H&M booties

I know I'm stating the obvious here but it just doesn't feel "legit" enough a change if I don't put it down in writing here (I don't know why I have this silly notion), so I'm gonna say it: I've ~~recently dyed my hair red after years and years of an unsatisfied longing for colored hair~~ gone back to my real hair color! Yes, folks, I was born with crimson hair. I am actually the true form of the Phoenix Force. My red hair is the source of my overwhelming power. It was dyed black at birth to prevent the mass destruction I could cause by my uncontrollable strength. Now that I am older, I have accepted my red hair and my godlike superpowers because I am stronger and can control them. I should really stop this joke, it's going on for too long. --Maronne

Girlshoppe pearl & chain necklace, Forever 21 spike necklace, Forever 21 rosary necklace, Rebel Gear leather cuff, Girlshoppe skull ring

Black, studs, skulls, spikes, pearls and lace. These are a few of my favorite things! --Maronne

Thrifted dress, SM Department Store lace tights, Thrifted shoes, Gifted scarf

ACCESSORIES FROM EVERYWHERE! No really, I would be specific but it would just... be... I don't know. HAHA. -- Ina

This looks like a meet & greet poster, Ina. I am so tempted to edit a fake meet & greet event on the side. "MEET AND GREET INA INONOG FOR NO REASON IN PARTICULAR!! YOU CAN EVEN WIN HER AUTOGRAPH!!!" --Maronne

As per ~*~blogger~*~ fashion, here is my ~*~Meet & Greet~*~ picture. I told you it sounded pretentious... -- Ina

Can we share something sort of random? Being a style or fashion blogger has such a glamorous, "fashyon" feel attached to it lately and we can never seem to call ourselves "bloggers" without being snide and satirical about it. Being glamorous, cool, collected, mysterious and fierce is really an awesome thing but just isn't something that comes naturally to us at all! In fact, we're often self-mocking in referring to ourselves as "bloggers" because it feels very pretentious of us to be calling ourselves that. It's like we're saying that we're members of this secret society that we're really not a part of, although technically we really are bloggers because we own a blog, and the world of bloggers isn't a secret snobby exclusive society at all. It's weird, isn't it? Well, it only makes 'cause, you know, we're pretty weird. Plus, sarcasm is our true language.

This photo perfectly captures the beautiful friendship of Maronne Cruz and Ina Inonog.

Here's to a promising new beginning. We're walking through it hand in hand and hopefully you'll be joining us too! We'll see you around!

About the Blog / Bloggers

2011-10-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

Cheapskateers is a portmanteau combining the words "cheap" and "musketeers," an allusion to the blog owners' love for cheap thrills when it comes to fashion and the adventures that they go through in search of beautiful clothes and aesthetic growth.

Ina Inonog (1992) is a Fine Arts kid who can't draw proportionally, but that's intentional... most of the time. She lives off fanfiction on an almost daily basis and sometimes wonders what she would've turned out to be like had she not grown up worshipping the Japanese culture. She is an aspiring photographer who will probably take your picture one day, if she hasn't already. Ina is fun-sized and is, for the most part, okay with it. (That's a possible lie?)

Maronne Cruz (1991) is a Business Management student with an ardor for the arts and a penchant for transformation. She hopes to go to NYC to study fashion design after graduating. She is a very active and proud member of The Ateneo Blue Repertory, her university's musical theatre org. In addition to the costumes she dons in the different roles she plays, Maronne also thoroughly enjoys cosplaying as her favorite anime / manga / video game / cartoon characters. She also does costume directing for other BlueRep plays, and used to work part-time as a fashion illustrator. "Never be uninspired" is Maronne's motto. She abhors insipidity.