Ziya Opens in SM City Cebu!

A new type of Boho Chic has bestowed their beautiful creations on the island of Cebu! Ziya, a fashion line that started in 2004, which is mostly known for the bohemian chic aesthetics has recently opened their newest outlet in SM City, Cebu! The brand that is known for their style beyond the ordinary shares to Cebuanos their gorgeous pieces that mix Asian and ethnic influences. By taking the old with the new, they are able to create fashionable and unique styles that can be easily distinguished as their own.

I was very blessed to have been invited to the grand opening of Ziya last May 16, 2014. I wasn’t just lucky enough to see their amazing products first hand, I was also able to meet Laureen Uy of BreakMyStyle. She was really great to be around 🙂

Here are some of my photos from that day: [I didn’t get to take fantastic photos because the place was FULL but at least you get to how successful their opening was ;)]

I love that Laureen is wearing the same dress as seen on the mannequin from my first photo. It definitely looks 10x better on a real life doll!

It was all just perfect timing that I was also on the way to the beach that evening and that I had also left my shades at home. I was able to buy a beautiful pair of round shades for only P200.00 and I still haven’t switched back to my everyday shades even now that I’m back in the city and my life is boring again. lol.

Ziya definitely stands out among the other bohemian themed stores in the market! I love how they play around with different fabrics and their printed dresses are to die for! Plus, throwing in the pillows are a great accent especially for those whose inner boho babe cannot only confined through pretty clothes alone.

Ziya is Located at SM Mall of Asia, SM Cagayan de Oro and soon to open branches in SM North Edsa, Gaisano City Super mall Iligan and SM Gen.San.

Check them out at the 2nd floor of SM City Cebu (near VECO).

You can also follow them on Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

xx,

Issa

Google Days Mandaue 2014 Photo diary

GBG Mandaue or Google Business Groups Mandaue is a community, supported by Google, wherein business owners can come together and learn how to utilize the internet, specifically Google tools, to make their businesses grow. Within this community, many experienced businessmen and internet rock stars share their tips and stories on how they made their presence online and how you can do the same for your very own businesses!

Having said all this, it truly is an honor to be a part of this group, not only as a member but as one of the five co-community managers. Together with Bjorn Bernales, Clifford Enoc and Mark Jamelo- we make up GBG Mandaue and we all work closely together to ensure that we can share sufficient knowledge to those who want to expand their businesses online.

Last May 10, 2014 (Saturday) at the Lakwatsa Restobar, GBG Mandaue held it’s first biggest event- GDays Mandaue wherein 200+ business owners got together for a day packed with fun, prizes and lots of learning!

Together with our sponsors, volunteers and guests, GDays Mandaue was a success and we’ve received nothing but heaps of love from all the participants!

Even thought our key note speaker was unable to make it (due to health reasons), the show still went on and we all had a wonderful time!

Here are some of the photos:

Here I am hosting the event. I got a fever in the middle of the show but the show must go on! 😀

With my mom posing in front of our tarpaulin for Citi Wear, our family business

On stage with Bree Esplanada, Cebuano fashion designer

Ruben Licera Jr. talking about Marketing Online

Clarissa Briones- Bernal of Pinoy Great Deals also talking about online marketing

Jr D. Padiila giving his marketing spiel

With the designers of the Fashion Institute of the Philippines and Aileema27

Our sponsors

 Credits to: Sheanne Photography

Wilson Ng talking about innovation

Fleire Castro being awesome!

With the CDR King

Credits to: Ryan Orcullo Photography

 Check out some of our promotional materials/ videos used during the event:

GBG Mandaue article on yahoonews. I am NOT the owner of panay.directory.com -.-

For those who are interested in joining GBG future events, feel free to contact me at iamissaperez@gmail.com 🙂

Thank you soo much to everyone who made the event possible and I can’t wait to see you all again in August for GBG Women.

xx,

Issa

#AWholeNewWrap: Jafar’s Shawarma Station

I know I like something when I insist on going there twice or even thrice in a row.

Last night’s dinner with a bunch of my friends was the minced beef shawarma wrap (P79.00) and today’s lunch, which I am still digesting by the way, was half of a chicken wrap (P79.00) and half of the US angus (P129.00) wrap which I happily shared with my mom.

Where?

At Jafar’s  Shawarma Station at the Banilad Town Center

I’ve got to admit, lately social media has been no friend of mine. It’s those times when there are countless pictures of mouth watering food while I’m suffering from an empty stomach that keep me up at night. And this month, Jafar’s Shawarma Station has been anything BUT discrete on my facebook, instagram, foursquare AND twitter feeds.

So being the curios and hungry cat that I am, we sought out for Jafar’s Shawarma Station on a busy Thursday evening… and then I came back Friday noon time and if my schedule permits, I’ll probably be back for dinner. I am HOOKED. Wrong movie but OK.

Minced Beef Wrap

Chicken Wrap

US Angus

Here’s their menu:

Here’s my ranking for the 3 wraps I had over the past 2 days:

1. US Angus

2. Minced Beef

3. Chicken – I’m not a big fan of curry or anything or the sort but this was still pretty good!

Follow Jafar’s Shawarma Station on instagram for more updates: @jafars_shawarma_station

And if you run into the owner, please make sure to ask him if he’s Jafar… I just think that’s the funniest thing to ask him :))

xx,

Issa Perez

Edit:

Jafar’s contact number: 0936 900 5747

A Basket Full of Dreams

Recycling some thoughts I shared on my personal blog, www.issatalks.wordpress.com

Everyone is always in such a hurry these days and it’s the rush, the hustle and the bustle that scares me. It’s that feeling of not wanting to get left behind and the thought that “what if the whole world is rushing, moving forward, succeeding and here I am floating” that pressures me. I feel this way all the time and I guess I’ll keep feeling this way because I tend to stress myself like that. And because I know the fighter in me is gonna want to keep up, I’m going to keep striving, working hard and hoping for something better. I think this is my ultimate goal: to not just follow and catch up but to be ahead, to lead, to be someone others can look at and be inspired of.

I keep saying this is my head and I keep wanting to tell people this so I might as well go ahead and say it: Life is different when you’re in the back seat especially when it’s from the back seat of a motorcycle (in my case, a habal-habal). I am constantly being brought back to that moment because it really did make a huge impact on me.

A couple of weeks ago I rode a motorcycle from Badian to Car-car at 9:30 in the evening and if you’re from Cebu, you’d understand how freakishly dangerous this was. I felt stupid that I did it, I was scared and I can’t even remember how many times I just wanted to get off and say, “I was wrong, I want to go back.” But looking back, I would probably do it again. I’d do it again so I can be scared and unsure. I’d do it again to feel those emotions, look up to a sky full of stars and feel… at peace. I wish there was a more dramatic way to say it. You had to be there!

I keep re-telling people it because it’s a great reminder [and a great story!]. Because honestly, I am always scared. I’m scared of everything! I’m afraid of defeat, of not being successful, I’m afraid that I’m not good enough or pretty enough or to simply put it, I’m afraid that I might never be enough. I know a lot of people are like this and it’s a silly thing to feel, really. But still, we feel it anyways regardless of how pathetic it may be.

So when days like this come along, and they come a lot, I tell myself to look up at that sky from the back of that death ride. I tell myself to picture myself on top of that motorcycle again at godknowhowmanykilometers/hour and managing to find some kind of peace and it’s been working a lot!

I want to go places but I suffer from a different type of Wanderlust. I want to travel my soul and find a place that no adventurer could explore but myself. I want to find that place in me that is capable of doing great things and is powerful enough to become someone wonderful. I want to tell my stories of climbing the mountains of my struggles and being in that black pit knowing that there was knowing that there was no way to go but up. No, I don’t want to brag… I want to inspire.

My basket of dreams is filled to the brim but what is a full basket when there is no heart strong enough to carry it?

I want strong arms to carry it and a stronger heart to conquer these dreams of mine.

Are your arms strong enough to carry yours?

Credits to Roger Cas

Shot at: IT Park

xx,

Issa

And Suddenly, I’m A Cliche

I’m mad at this dress. It was supposed to be an over sized dress just the way I like it… until my yaya decided she wouldn’t let me leave the house in it.

Now it’s an altered dress with sleeves too big and it looks like a Filipiniana. I’m never going to wear this dress again!

I guess that’s what happens when you let other people dictate you.

What the hell am I doing listening to my maid anyways? Pffft.

I Can’t Stomach This

What is that thing you get when there’s too air much on your stomach that causes a great amount of flatulence? What is it, what is it, what is it?

I’m scared I might get that one day.

But most of all, I fear that I may never get the bod to fully and confidently sport a crop top. WHY WAS I NOT BORN WITH ABS?!?

Posing in this ratchet top was really a struggle. I don’t know why I ever thought it was OK to pose with it, much more to actually go out in broad daylight in it (I blame the heat!). And let me tell you something, you can try to hide a belly as much as you want but when it comes down to it, if you have it, it’s eventually going to pop! As seen here…

POP!

I got a lot of beef for buying these hammer pants (aka sagging crotch pants) from i don’t know… ALL my friends. They pointed out how much it wasn’t in style, how it is soo difficult to wear and how incredibly ugly they were, but I just couldn’t resist. Plus, they were only P 250.00 at Gaisano Carcar (the ONLY place I shop at anymore) so I figured it wouldn’t be such a painful investment if I decided never to wear it again.

I decided to pair my harems with a cropped top because (…Paolo isn’t around to tell say “you can’t wear that!”) I thought it would be a good combination of tight and baggy. I always try to add a little volume (?) to my clothes by mixing it up like that. For example, tight jeans = loose shirt, leggings = oversized shirt, etc. That way I don’t look like a lumpia roll or a garbage bag.

The crop top may have been a bit revealing so when I went out that evening to have drinks with a friend, I switched to a longer crop top instead. Conceal, don’t feel.

Here are other ways to sport hammer pants:

And here’s how to hide.that.belly…

Behind a screen door!

Have a great Sunday, everybody!

xx,

Issa

It’s Really Hot & I Don’t Care

It’s been freakishly, unbelievably HOT lately. I honestly cannot stand the heat. It’s soo f*uickvng! insaaane!! And okaaaay, I know it’s summer and I know it’s supposed to be hot but seriously, it’s just.so.damn.hot! -.- #iamsad

If there’s an upside to this weather, it’s that I can wear as little clothes as I please (or that I can get away with, at least). And since we do own a business that mostly manufactures t-shirts and other apparel, I figured that this summer I’d take advantage of it and have as many over sized and cropped tops as I want. So if I’m tagging #citiwear on my blog, thaaaat’s meeee!!

For this outfit I simply wore an over sized shirt that I was too lazy to have tailored once I got it. Initially I wanted a long fitted shirt but then I realized that this is grey and I must avoid sweat stains at all costs so… I settled for this. 😀

I have sweaty pitts sometimes. Yes, that is indeed a fact.

To jazz the whole look up, I paired it with a Golden State Warriors cap because REPRESENT, that’s why! I also wore a gold chain necklace just because it added a bit of character to my look and lastly, I paired it off with my favorite heels, added some dark lipstick and well… this is how I looked.

I also wore this to an event a last week and I added a blazer to make it more “appropriate”. 😉

Here are some of my tips when finding the right t-shirt for you:

1. If you’re looking for a fitting tee, keep in mind that ladies sizes come in curves and the sleeves are a bit shorter in length as compared to the mens’ sizes. This allows the shirt to hug your body better and show your curves.

2. The shoulder line of a shirt plays a big factor in determining if a shirt will look too big or too small on you. Make sure that it falls right above or shoulder joint (?!) and that it’s not draping your upper arm hence, like my shirt is. #sorrynotsorry

3. There are a million different types of material you can make a shirt with and they all have their pros, cons and functions. Learn them (or maybe I’ll share on another post. Lemme know!) and find out which one works the most for you.

… That’s all, for now 🙂

 Stay cool (not like this weather!)

xx,

Issa

Electric

Happy Easter, Everyone! I hope you are all out somewhere enjoying Sunday lunch and egg hunting with your families or out with friends soaking up the sun or… reading this blog. (Thanks for being here, by the way!)

I wish the holidays wouldn’t come to an end cuz I am definitely having too much fun doing nothing except sit in front of the computer, work out, take long drives and eat all while spending time with the people who mean the most to me.

And for many like me who don’t want to go back to work or Monday, here’s a quick outfit that could easily trick your brain into thinking you’re still on Summer vacation while still maintaining the corporate/ semi- formal feel.

Long, flowing skirts always send out a “i’m-off-to-the-beach” feel and a “i-mean-business” vibe at the same time which is why it’s always my go to garment when attending events when I’m not soo sure of the dress code.

I wore this outfit to the Summer Polish Party held by Beauty and Butter last month and it made me feel like I was spot on with what’s trendy and sophisticated at the same time plus, I wore this to a client meeting right after and they seemed to like what I was wearing. Except I heard a couple of smirks from a couple receptionists that went something like “pffft… I used to have a body like that.” *eye roll* okaaaaay.

So a word of advice to all my wonderful readers: if in doubt, go for a long skirt! Take control of the liberty to dress it up by adding heavy jewelry and some dark make up or play it fun and laid back with a crop top or basic tee. The possibilities are endless for as long as you feel good about yourself and confidence will surely follow. 😉

Still the best manicure I’ve ever gotten!

Cross ring: Aizilym

 

Crop top: Forever 21

Skirt: Citi Wear

A big, bad shout out to Rabsin De la Cruz of www.finlust.blogspot.com for these wonderful photos!

I love you! You make me feel pretty ❤ hihi

Happy Easter, Everyone! Keep it holy!

xx,

Issa

My Summer Essentials [feat. Polyvore]

Summer Essentials
Got a little bored over the weekend and decided to have a little fun with polyvore. At first it was just supposed to be one set but I guess I got a little bit carried away and well, now I’ve made an entire blog around it.
Enjoy!
Bikinis
Bikinis
If you’re wondering about the lack of style and diversity in my choice of bikinis… it’s because it’s true.
I’m a bikini girl and never will I be the type to sport a one piece unless I’m training for a meet or a “thlon” of some type.
I am in love with triangle bikinis and only recently have I discovered the joys of a bandeau. Also, this year sporty is in so I’m looking forward to seeing more ladies in sports bra types of bikinis especially with fringe 😉
Cover ups
Cover ups
I’m basically in love with anything I can throw on after a quick dip especially one of good material that isn’t too heavy and takes forever to dry. Ladies, a shirt is not a cover up. I’m not saying this to make fun of you, I’m saying this so you don’t have to worry about putting something on and waiting forever for it to dry up.
Protection
Protection
Can I just be totally honest and say that I don’t use sun block? Sorry! But I know it’s important so that’s why I included it in here. The main idea was just to include a bunch of hats and shades and call it “protection” but I know it’s soo much more than that. Hey, I even threw in a picture of some lip balm to remind you to moisturize your lips! #itssomething
Bottoms
Bottoms
[see cover ups]
footwear
Footwear
Flip flops, striped wedges, boat shoes, JELLY SANDALS!!
So this post has sort of been in my draft folder for about two weeks and if I don’t post it now, I’ll never be able to do it! I kind of faded towards the end though since I don’t really have a lot to say about them, I just really liked the pretty clothes I saw. heee.
Show me your summer outfits and summer sets on my facebook page!
xx,
Issa

 

[Photo Diary] Knock 3 Times For Summer

Apparently, I spoke too soon when I said that I most likely wouldn’t be able to have any escapades this year (I stand corrected). But I’m glad that I was wrong, I’m even happier that my summer adventure came early this year and I’m happiest that I FINALLY got to go on an adventure with people I’ve been friends with ever since grade school!

Friends, meet a very small portion of our group: TOYBUDS.

I really don’t know why we call ourselves that or how that name came to be but we’re too lazy to change it so, I guess that’s what we’re gonna keep calling ourselves for the next 50 years. LOL.

Just out of curiosity… what is your groups’ name? 🙂

I’ve known these bunch of cuckoo cuckoo heads for a very long time and I’ve kept them in my life despite transferring schools in second year high school and despite going through college and everything in between and after. We all try to our best to keep in touch and get together every once in a while and of course, spend trips like this together as well.

This weekend we went to our friends’ beauuuuutiful rest house in Badian (not Barili. Doi!) and went to Lambog to catch some rays over drinks and icky sand. It really was a beautiful experience and it was definitely the quick fix to the rump I was going through over the week. Sometimes life can be so complicated and uncomplicated at the same time. Sigh.

The outdoor shower. My favorite part of the house.

Alyssa getting in the way of my shot.
And the Mcdo cup we used to drink on the way there. LOL

The beach front @ Lambog.
Entrance fee: 0.00

I hope the start of your summer is as happy as mine is!

xx,

Issa