For 2012

I spent the better part of the morning trying to decide whether or not to use my free domestic roundtrip ticket or my frequent flyer miles in another airline when I go home for the holidays.  I ended up using neither and booked using my credit card and chose to add to my miles instead.

There’s something about having all those miles (for travel abroad) and that roundtrip ticket (domestic) available for use on a whimsy.  2012 suddenly seems so promising.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from the past year, it’s that travel is my lifeblood.  In a place that isn’t here, I find clarity and peace.  How absolutely wonderful then to have possession of this certainty that when the need to escape overwhelms, I am not helpless.  When the time comes, I will board a plane and be happy.

Life really can be quite simple sometimes.

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by tiffy on December 14, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on December 14, 2011

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An Aside

I have, as a rule, tried refrained from posting whenever I found myself in a place which we call The Doldrums.  However, there have been exceptions.  Few and far between, but yes, exceptions.  Sometimes, there is just absolutely nothing to be done but take to your trusty computing machine and pour your heart out to the Internet.  Because somebody, somewhere must care that you are not exactly okay.  Or at least, that is my hope.

This week, and if I am honest, the week past, I have been circling and circling the roads of Ye Doldrums, endeavoring to find a way out of town, but to no avail.  I am hopeful, naturally, and ever a shiny person bursting with exuberance, but inside, I grow dimmer.  Hopes have been dashed.  Done ever so slowly and unspectacularly, but dashed they were, nevertheless.  It is a sad, sad thing when you finally begin to see people as they are, and what you are to them.  Which only goes to show that my natural instincts are ever unreliable in certain respects and should not be trusted with something as fragile as hope.

Universe, you led me on.

And that is all I have to say on the matter.

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by tiffy on December 9, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Living Inside My Head, Random

Posted by tiffy on December 9, 2011

http://thelightandthebubbly.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/an-aside/

Shangrila Mactan

A few weekends back, in a very spur of the moment sort of way, I found myself lounging in Shangrila Mactan.  I had been planning a trip there for quite some time now and because the Universe loves me like that, I did end up going.

It’s a beautiful place and lying there drowsily under the sun, I found that there was nothing in my life I would change right that moment, except perhaps the date of my return flight home. Sigh.

Already I want to go back. Is next weekend too soon?

Notice the Labor Code book on the table with the multi-color flags. I was actually working! Haha.

Oh drool.

Deserted beach in the evening, the venue of much introspection.

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by tiffy on December 4, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on December 4, 2011

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A Dillinger’s Halloween

Last night I went to Dillinger’s for the Halloween party.  As it was open bar all night for those coming in costume, I frantically raided my closet and junk pile to come up with a costume.

I came up with this.

Pocahontas with her girls

I love that most everyone made an effort to dress up.

And what’s a costume party without prizes?  There were two up for grabs, Best Costume and Sexiest Costume.

I was herded to the front when it came to vote, along with a whole bunch of others.

Mad cheering instead of ballots in the voting process. Hey, it works!

And wouldn’t you know it, I won! Sexiest Costume.  LOL.  By far not the sexiest costume in the party FOR SURE, but I had a crazy troupe of cheerleaders screaming their heads off.  They were LOUD.

I’m not complaining.  I won gift certificates worth Five Thousand Pesos!  Which was a good thing too because I accidentally tipped the bartender Five Hundred Pesos.  Yes, I know.  No wonder he was grinning so widely whenever he saw me.

Oh, and last night, someone asked me to marry him.  True story.

***

Photos by Dillinger’s photographer (sorry I didn’t catch his name).

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by tiffy on November 1, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on November 1, 2011

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New Toy!

Today was the day I first laid my hands on THIS:

 

It's so thin! And light!

 

I’ve been anticipating this since Friday and when I finally got my new MacBook Air today I practically swooned with delight.

It’s sleek and slim and beautiful! And soooo light.  I am beaming with happiness!

While my MacBook Pro has surpassed all expectations and remains the recipient of my ardent love and affection, I have found that sleek and light as it is, it can still be rather heavy for someone walking around in really high heels. I’m afraid that whenever I carry it (along with my heavy leather bags), I *gasp* teeter.  Which of course one should never do in high heels.  Enter the MacBook Air, lighter than the MacBook Pro and not as limiting as the iPad2, it is both fabulous and functional.

I am in love.

 

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by tiffy on October 25, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on October 25, 2011

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Chambray & Leather

This is me the night of the Cosmo Bachelor Bash. A fresh haircut, a new camera and a chambray shirt I had just bought in Hong Kong that had yet to be worn. I took out my black (faux) leather mini and trusty red Stella Luna stilettos. Four inches without the benefit of a platform was not going to be comfortable, I knew, but I was two days away from weeks of tourist-y walking in flats — I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity to go skyhigh!

Chambray shirt: Hong Kong boutique (sorry forgot the name)
Black faux leather skirt : Coexist
Cuff: H&M
Cowhide striped bag: Bazaar
Red stilettos: Stella Luna

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by tiffy on October 21, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on October 21, 2011

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Love for Jenny Packham

I have been obsessed with shine and beadwork for quite a while now. If it’s sequined, crystal-encrusted or just generally sparkly, then I want it. Which is why I have a deep and abiding love for Jenny Packham’s Spring 2011 collection (not so much the 2012, felt a little blah to me).

Gorgeous, aren't they?

 

Another personal favorite. Sigh

 

Clearly, I have princess issues — as in, I want to be one.  Who wouldn’t when you get to wear dresses like this?

Kate Middleton in Jenny Packham

In this case, the prince is most certainly just a bonus.

 

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by tiffy on October 13, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on October 13, 2011

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One sunny day in Victoria…

I visited Butchart Gardens.

At the Japanese Garden in Butchart Gardens

The Butchart Gardens is a private family-owned estate (I know, right? There’s a manor on the grounds for the family.).  Mrs. Butchart started the gardens as a personal project because there was a huge, gaping quarry on their property from the limestone mining of her husband’s business.  She started with the Sunken Garden and took what was once an ugly, yawning pit and turned it into THIS.

The Sunken Garden

And that was only the beginning.

I have always loved flowers.  As a child, I would walk around our neighborhood playing with everything that bloomed.

Whenever I chose to stay indoors, I would devour the encyclopedia, always going back to the sections on flowers and gardening.

I dreamed of vast gardens bursting in riotous color.   I vowed to one day run screaming across a field of tulips.

So, no tulips this season unfortunately.  I’ll save that for Holland.  Here’s to running wild across million-dollar tulip fields… And security be damned!

***

Photos by me.

Filmy white top bought in Hong Kong, Zara trousers, Aldo black combat boots, H&M polka dot scarf.

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by tiffy on October 11, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on October 11, 2011

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Prints love!

I am a lover of classics and elegance.  Dresses that drape perfectly, sinuous lines, monochromatic tones in beautiful cuts that still manage to exude drama and confidence.

But the summer girl in me is drawn by bright colors and beautiful prints.  Prints, when done right, are elegant, sophisticated and fun all at the same time. How could you possibly go wrong with such a combination?

Salvatore Ferragamo

Love, love, love.

And if you’re not a fan of pink and would rather go short…

D&G

It’s so hard to match prints with printed shoes but of course D&G pulls it off perfectly.

Can I just wear clothes like these everywhere? Please?

 

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by tiffy on September 29, 2011  •  Permalink
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Posted by tiffy on September 29, 2011

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Whale Watching: Killer Whales

Today was quite possibly one of the best days of my life.

The sun was out and making promises. It was going to be a gorgeous day and I was giddy with excitement.

The sight that greeted me as I walked out.

Six hours on the boat and so completely worth it.

I went whale watching courtesy of Wild Whales Vancouver today and it was an incredible experience. I had gone swimming with the whale sharks early this year and I didn’t think this experience could even begin to match that. But what do you know? It actually did.

This guy swam right over!

It took us about two hours to find the whales as they were extremely far out. We were in US waters when we got to them and we spent the next couple of hours trailing after different pods of orcas (even two or three at once!) and watching them frolic. The vessel also had microphones underwater so we could HEAR the whales as they communicated with one another!

We were so very lucky, the whales put on quite a show, jumping in twos and threes repeatedly for what seemed like hours! We were later told, they hadn’t seen a display like that in ten years. I was able to take hundreds of photos and dozens of videos! Hooray for idiot-proof cameras!

The guide was very engaging (and cuuuute!). He spent a lot of time telling us about killer whales (they’re matriarchal, did you know?) and would drop interesting bits of trivia. He would point out porpoises and sea lions, and a couple of hours later nearing shore, would cheekily point out Wreck Beach, apparently, Vancouver’s nude beach (haha!).

The excursion itself cost me $140. There were free granola bars and water aboard the vessel and the guide distributed binoculars and animal guides showing what we could expect to spot. The best part is, they have a sighting guarantee and if you don’t see whales the day you booked an excursion, you can rebook for free until you get what you paid for! They also only have one trip a day per boat so the trips are never rushed and every group can take its time going back. We did. We went looking for other sea creatures and spotted dolphins, sea lions, porpoises and seals. Lots and lots of ‘em.

SEALS!

For more information on Wild Whales Vancouver, go to http://www.whalesvancouver.com.

***

The photos are mine. The whales are not.

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by tiffy on September 21, 2011  •  Permalink
Posted in Travel

Posted by tiffy on September 21, 2011

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