For The Last Time

And just like that, I'm back. I sure as hell abandoned this blog, and for that I apologise. If you happen to read this, I would like to let you know that there was never a day that I did not miss writing on here. I would always have this inactive blog on my mind and I would always visit to re-read some of my old posts. But so much has happened and my style has changed as well over the course of, what...2 years since my absence? In as much as I would like to pick up where I had left off, I had contemplated long and hard about continuing my story on a new blank slate. So yes, my dear reader, I am back to let you know that Scarlet April is no more and this is where her last chapter officially closes. I would also like to let you know that in the meantime, I am on instagram (@jonessamendoza) where I post some of my outfits (as seen above) still, should you care to be updated about my insights and love for fashion. There's no sufficient way to say goodbye and I would have to keep this short because actual tears are starting to well in my eyes as we speak and I don't want to cry myself to sleep tonight. So, Goodbye Scarlet April. I have learned so much of myself here and you had been witness to all my turmoils, my little successes in life and whatnot. I would like to thank everyone (all 279 of you here on blogspot/blogger and those who already unfollowed when I stopped updating haha and those who occasionally found themselves here) who had seen a HUGE part of my life develop here and for simply reading what I had to say and share in my tiny space of the interwebs. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you. 

For the last time,

Scarlet April

Quirky 50's

Quite a quirky look for a comeback post don't you think? That is if you've even noticed that I haven't blogged for about 2 months. Even this look, I'm afraid to say, is a backlog. Still better than nothing, right? The direction I was heading for this was reminiscent of the quirky 50's laundry/resort wear look, made modern by itty-bitty distressed denim shorts and a contemporary print.

Of course, such an outfit required an equally fun occasion to wear this to. A mini vacation with my boyfriend seemed perfect for this. More specifically, in time for Labor Day weekend. Man, this just shows how old this post is though! Haha. No matter. Every outfit I post here is like an entry to a diary anyway.

top- Forever 21
shorts- Cotton On
leather sneaks- Forever 21
headband- Forever 21

XO.

Eat Street: Aguirre

Sharing with you now some photos of my food excursion at Aguirre Street in BF Homes (yet again). I came with the purpose of documenting all the food I sampled that day for a project that I did for school. First stop was Sensei Sushi Bar, a restaurant you might have heard of quite recently or more appropriately, seen a lot lately on instagram. What makes it different from your typical Japanese joint is that it combines western and other Asian flavors and ingredients to their sushi. The fusion is executed sublimely which only ups the umami level of the cuisine.  

First dish was both delicate and bold --- in flavor and in texture. Fried oysters topped with kimchi (2nd photo). It boasted of the flavor of the sea combined with the spice and acidity of the traditional Korean side dish. It was coated in crisp fried batter which eventually melted in my mouth thereafter revealing the slimy and mushy softness of the oyster. What delighted my palate the most though was their tuna and scallop dynamite sushi (1st picture). Chunks of fresh tuna inside the sushi rolls made rich and velvety with cream cheese (anything which has cheese in it is bound to be delicious though, right?) and topped with crispy batter-coated scallops. It was literally an explosion of savory goodness in my mouth. I am going back for this. 

After a full-bodied and flavorful start, we headed next to Larcy's for their cupcakes. I fell in love with their red velvet cheesecake cupcake during my first visit and residing in the North leaves me only a few chances to revisit. Therefore it was only natural that I went back for the red velvet cupcake that captured my heart. This time we tried their Speculoos cupcake and Hot Frozen Nutella Smoothie as well. I'm not much of a fan of both Nutella and cookie butter spreads so I didn't really care much for them. It was my boyfriend who ordered these (very macho my dear haha) and I got to try them out of sheer curiosity. For someone who can't be bothered with them and surprisingly enjoyed them, I could say that they would extremely delight fans of Nutella and Speculoos. They're that good. 

Soon it was time for dinner. We wanted something fancy and ended up in The Girl + The Bull. We got their Pork Confit with potato puree and their 100 % beef burger with fries. It was our 2nd time back and the entrees that we had that night were only okay. Leave room for their desserts though especially their famous Faux Twix! 

We finished off a whole day's meal at Magnum Opus Fine Coffees. This was the perfect end to our day. We sat outside the shop and sipped coffee under the black night sky.

I had their Belgian Heartbreaker served cold which tasted more chocolate-y than coffee which was kind of the point. Meanwhile, Mark tried their hand brewed single origin coffee which had notes of a citrus-y flavor (orange I think) and got too excited and ordered another cup of a much more potent type called Draft Spro which closely resembled the taste and fizz of beer. This was Mark's favorite part of the trip as he enjoys drinking and knowing more about coffee. The staff was very knowledgeable of their concoctions and they humbly explained every drink that we ordered. The purpose is not just to simply gulp down the drink but to appreciate its art and subtle varying flavors. I liked this part of the trip because of its novelty and the conversations exchanged during the night. 

XO.

Boy 21

And...she's alive!!! My god. A whole month had passed since I wrote last. I even celebrated my 22nd birthday and wasn't able to do a post about it. I can't claim that a lot has happened which led to my negligence of the blog as that wasn't the case. In fact, I tend to squeeze in a post or two and write more when there is so much to do. That's classic escapism for you, I guess. No, my absence had nothing to do with preoccupation. It was more of having been eluded by inspiration and motivation to continue updating this virtual and visual journal of mine. Something is amiss and ive been stuck in a rut that has alarmingly carried on for over a month. I wish that this post will ease me back in to writing.

I wore this outfit out to another foodtrip at BF Homes Paranaque thus the casual and fun look. It wasn't just a typical food expedition though as I came with a purpose to take photos of everything that I had consumed that day. It's for a photography project and I'll share some photos here on the blog once I finish editing. Stay with me 'til then? :)

shirt, headband, shoes, necklace- Forever 21
shorts- The Second Shop

XO.

Skirting The Issue

Pencils skirts are kind of my thing lately. Having been sent to the Office of Student Behavior twice now for wearing short hemmed skirts with a corresponding punishment of attending a seminar aptly called Turning Over A New Leaf (I had to pinch myself real hard under the table to keep myself from bursting into a fit of snarky and disdainful laughter in front of this stern officer) just made me more determined to ditch my itty bitty skirts...for a while. And yes, I wore this outfit to school Mr. Skirt Police. 

top- from years ago
skirt- Forever 21
shoes- Zalora 

XO.

The Little White Dress

The LBD is indeed an essential in every girl's closet but there's also the LWD which I think is given little appreciation. After all, wearing white has proven to be quite challenging to put on while managing to look pristine the whole day. Nevertheless, it's just as important and effortlessly stylish as its black counterpart. 

dress- Forever 21
denim jacket- Forever 21
shoes- from Hong Kong

XO.

Emerald City

Dressing in theme for much awaited movies and stage plays is so fun and exciting for me. This is one of the few times I get to expose my geekery for something and use fashion to show it. Last time I did was for Harry Potter, I think. The event for this one was Wicked the musical staged at the CCP in Manila which offered me this great backdrop for this outfit. Quite ironic to shoot this look near the water since the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, fears water as it's the cause of her doom. But that bit of weird coincidence was a fun inside joke in my head. 

It was very nice to see that a lot of people also dressed in theme. What was real funny for me though was noticing a bunch of guys wearing pea green shirts who were smiling and looking amused at my green skirt as I lined up for the entrance. I guess they found a fellow geek in me haha. My outfit was actually inspired by Elphie's look when they went to Emerald City. My bowler hat served as the Witch's black pointy hat, spherical sunglasses that every Ozians wore at the city, black crop top to signify her black frock and of course my skirt that matched her green-colored skin! 

My boyfriend even joked how I could've won best costume of the day if there was indeed one. Haha. #commitment

crop top, shoes- Forever 21
bowler hat- H&M
skirt- vintage from the 90's (mom's)

XO.

Golden Tiger

I just had to post at least one look donning a sweater for the holidays. It might not be as noticeably chilly now than the past couple of years but there's something about a snug wool-y pullover that just completes the yuletide season. They didn't call it sweater weather for no reason, right? 

sweater and sequined skirt- Landmark
necklaces- Forever 21
shoes- Scarlet for Zalora

XO.

Color

Before the year ends let me post a look that in my opinion is perfect for all the festivities happening around us now. Quite frankly I didn't have Christmas in mind when I put together this look. My inspirations though were nothing short of fun and color that's for sure. Upon picking up this skirt, an onslaught of vivid images of anything Latin America coursed through my mind. Cuban lady dancers wearing ruffle-y rich-colored skirts and headwraps. Chunky gold jewelries that clinked and clanked. Fruit baskets and headdresses. The feathered costumes found at the Carnaval in Rio. Of course, the resulting outfit wasn't a literal and direct translation. I subdued all the excitement by pairing the skirt with black and finished it off with gold accents. As you might have observed I am quite cerebral when it comes to dressing up. Nothing quite compares to the thrill of interpreting inspiration through fashion for me. It's like having an inside joke for myself. :)

crop top- Forever 21
necklace- Forever 21
shoes- Scarlet for Zalora
skirt- Landmark

 XO.

Panels

"You seem to be wearing just tank tops lately", that's what my boyfriend noticed about my style choices recently. Very keen my dear. I'm guessing it has something to do with feeling kind of lame because it's that time of the month. Need I say more, really? Let's all be thankful I'm not just lounging around in sweatpants. Haha! Quite fascinating how hormones also play a huge part in our way of dressing. Logical though and not improbable as it directly affects our moods which consequently, affects the way we express ourselves. 

The theme for today's outfit post is, unintentionally, panels. You can see it on my leggings and on my bag. This type of detailing is subtle but it makes a flat monochromatic attire look more interesting. The sheen from the patent and leather somehow go well with my silver accessories too, don't you think? This was my outfit when I went to see Sarah Geronimo's (a local singer/actress) concert last night hence it was also practical that I wore something comfortable and concert-friendly. 

tank top and leggings- Forever 21
shoes- Scarlet for Zalora
bag- Kate Spade

XO.