Island Souvenirs: Cut & Style 2015

Posted on January 20, 2015 by issaplease

Pit Senyor, everyone!

What a wonderful time it is to be a Filipino, with our extended holidays and the Pope recently visiting our country. Life’s definitely been great on my side of the world with the Sinulog festivities recently wrapping up and some really good news which I hope to share with you all in the upcoming months.

As the blog title and poster shows, I was in fact one of the bloggers chosen this year to help out with Island Souvenirs Cut & Style festivities. Sinulog is definitely not what it used to be before- it’s much more festive, colorful and most of all, fashionable!

So along with my other blogger friends of Cebu namely Etienne, Jean and Faith we shared our fashion expertise with the Sinulog shoppers and helped them pick out the perfect cuts and styles for their body types and preferences.

It was really a great opportunity to meet you guys and I specifically enjoyed helping out the more how should I say this… “mature” age group.

Believe me, the women of that generation have still got it! 🙂

With my girls Jean and Faith.

First of all, let me just say how I love hanging out and having random conversations with these two! I’ve come to the realization that you actually can choose your friends and these two will always be on my list so I’m always happy to be around them every chance I get!

Now for my outfit of the day:

I have to admit my color palette for the day wasn’t very well thought of- I really think I should have worn something more bright and festive! But one thing I’ve learned after these many years is that when you want to seem “professional” especially at events, it’s best to stick to basic colors- in my case, black and shades on bronze.

Not only was I stylish, I was also comfortable which was really the main goal when I was putting this outfit together.

I especially love the leather detailing on my top and even if I’ve had this for over a year, it’s still in mint condition and as good as new!

It’s really the best kind of top for someone like me who still cannot fully commit to everything girly or boyish at the same time. #identitycrisis

Hat: Cotton On| Peplum Top: Forever 21 (gifted)| Pencil skirt: Forever21| Combat Boots: SM Department Store

Til the next,

Issa

Backyard Burgers in Cebu!

Posted on January 8, 2015 by issaplease

It’s not everyday that Cebuano’s are graced with amazing burgers from different corners of the Philippines. Luckily, this year in line with the Sinulog festival, Backyard Burgers from Davao will be setting up and giving us a taste of their gastronomic pieces!

Backyard Burgers takes the business of burger making very seriously and I love the fact that all their burgers are made of fresh ingredients, proving to us that burgers can in fact be hearty, healthy, fresh and top quality.

Make sure to catch them at the Mercado Sinulog and Sinulog Invasion 2105 from January 14 until January 19 to sample their top of the lines beauties such as:

Don’t they all look amazing?

Backyard Burgers surely does not disappoint! Not only are they bringing in their famous pieces here to the Queen City of the South but they are also giving away free burgers to 20 lucky people simply by filling out the survey here.

Can’t wait to see the guys behind these burgers, I’m definitely getting my hands on them! I’m lusting for the Cheesy Steak and Signature burger 😉

Backyard Burgers is located at:

#88 Quimpo Blvd. (Beside Lechonero’s Across from TireSmart)
Ecoland Phase 1
8000 Davao City
Davao del Sur
Philippines

Inside Pard’s Compound,

E. Quirino Avenue(right across ICOHNS tower)
Ilustre Davao City
8000 Davao City
Davao del Sur
Philippines

Check out their

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

INSTAGRAM

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

Offical hashtag:

#BBCEBU

xx,

Issa

Blank Space

Posted on January 7, 2015 by issaplease

Starting the year with a blank canvas and sporting an all white ensemble to symbolize the start of something new and awesome!

While many may think that white can be plain and boring, I beg to differ especially when mixed with the right textiles and patterns like this piece from Style Haven.

White is always a great color to work with especially when trying out new colors (or new eyebrows. Never again, I promise) which can oftentimes be scary.

I’m slowly trying to incorporate rustic hues in my life which can be seen from my sheets and white has been a great medium to ease me into it.

So there, my first piece of advice for 2015: start simple and build up from there. 🙂

xx,

Issa

The One with The Extremely Lax 10 Year Celebration

Posted on January 3, 2015 by issaplease

Like they say, it’s better late than never. I had originally set this to go live on the eve of my blogging “career’s” 10th year birthday but I was too busy living in the real world to make this post.

So I guess this year’s resolution ought to be: to be more punctual but to live a more meaningful life while documenting it as necessary as possible. Or you know, whatever.

So to continue…

I have a thing for traditions. I used to love them soo much but I’ve eventually killed most of them off but kept this one- just because.

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! I’ve been blogging for 10 wonderful, crazy years!! WHERE’S MY AWARD?!

If you click the years below, you will be able to see the changes I’ve made along the years with every answer. In the past 10 years, I’ve had 3 boyfriends, a million jobs, graduated grade school, high school AND college, traveled, moved in and moved out, started smoking, stopped smoking, started smoking again, gotten drunk and what not. Every time I look back on my past selves I admit; I feel repulsed, amused but always with a sense of empowerment. So enjoy everyone!! The tradition truly lives on!

(2012) <- lost with Xanga

(2013)

2014

1. Will you be looking for a new job?

Ironically, last year I was in love with a job I currently hate so I guess life really is full of surprises.

I like my NEW job and I intend to open up a few businesses so hopefully next year, I’ll be able to say that it was a success!

2. Will you be looking for a new relationship?

HEEEE. NO. :>

3. New house?

Maybe, maybe not. BUT IN YOUR FACE 2013, I MOVED OUT!

4. What will you do different in 14?

Be more diligent with work and business but will also to be sure to reward myself by traveling more.

5. New Years’ resolutions?

MAYBE TO EAT HEALTHIER!

And to work out. I’m going to sign up to the gym… ON MONDAY!

6. What will you not be doing in 2014?

Shutting my doors to the possibilities of anything.

7. Any trips planned?

Siargao, Manila & Korea!

8. Wedding plans?

Yes, but not mine. [same answer as last year]

9. Major thing on your calendar?

Saying goodbye to my entire family who’ll be leaving for big bad America. THANKS FOR LEAVING ME HERE, BTW!

10. What can’t you wait for?

Saving enough money to travel and maybe buy a car!

11. What would you like to see happen differently?

I don’t know….

12. What about you will you be changing?

I need to stop being a pampered princess and rough it up a bit, for sure.

13. What happened in 2014 that you didn’t think would ever happen?

Hating a job I had waited forever to get, moving out (again) and more permanently,

finding a new job

and just becoming my own new person.

14. Will you be nice to the people you care about?

Even to the ones I don’t.

15. Will you dress differently this year than you did in 2014?

Always.

16. Will you start or quit smoking?

—

17. Will you better your relationship with your family?

Definitely. But God, why is my mother so difficult to love??

18. Will you do charity work?

If given the opportunity, always.

19. Will you go to bars?

Only when necessary.

20. Will you be nice to people you don’t know?

Indeed!

21. Do you expect 2014 to be a good year for you?

Always.

22. How much did you change from this time ‘til now?

I’d like to believe I’ve become more independent than I was before and I’m much less ignorant, which is nice.

But at the same time, I don’t think I’m as enthusiastic as I was before but hopefully this is just a phase.

23. Do you plan have on having a child?

Marriage first. Child, 5 years later.

24. Will you still be friends with the same people you are friends with?

Yes, until unnecessary.

25. Major lifestyle changes?

A healthier lifestyle, a COMMITMENT to keep that vow, more work and play

26. Will you be moving?

Not until further notice.

27. What will you make sure doesn’t happen in 2015?

Unplanned pregnancies, bankruptcy, robbery, separation and obesity or famine

28. What are your New Year’s Eve plans?

I was sick this new year so I was hot but I still tried to get some alcohol in body.

29. Will you have someone to kiss at midnight?

Paolo, for ever and for always.

30. One wish for 2015?

To never lose the fire to want the extraordinary!

It’s been an amazing ride and I’d like to thank everyone who made my 2014 as perfect as it was!

Unfortunately, I’m such an internet spazz that I wasn’t able to properly link and back up my photos from when I officially started blogging under Issaplease. This explains ALL the broken images on this site. I promise, 2015 will be better- I promise and I’ll try to fix the clutter :> I’m “smarter” now.

Thanks to everyone who’s been supporting my blog for the longest time ever! To all the friends I’ve made, the jobs I’ve gotten, the brands I’ve worked with and to all the lessons I’ve learned.

I started writing as a way to get over my depression and 10 years after, here I still am- no longer depressed but still writing my heart out and still making you guys laugh and smile at all the stupid sh*t I have to say. I am always grateful for that.

This blog is truly the biggest thing that I can ever leave this world and if you ever wanted to know who I really was: crazy, neurotic and a down right pain in the ass; you’d find it all if you skimmed through the pages of this blog that I ever so openly brag about and on Issatalks, where all the magic started.

I’m not going to skim through 2014 anymore like in my older posts because it’s already the 3rd of the new year and seriously, whose got the time for that anymore?! But rest assured, it was an amazing year and I so glad to have spent it with all of you!

LOVE YOU ALL,

ISSA

Relaks, Puso Lang ‘Yan, Malayo Pa Sa Bituka

Posted on December 30, 2014 by issaplease

Hey everyone! Here’s a quick post before I cap off the year with my annual year ending post. 10 years blogging- YEEEY!

I hardly ever do product reviews but this organizer is just too cute to not feature on my blog!

This year, I’ve finally decided to let go of the slightly overrated Starbucks planner and go for something more interesting and functional, at the same time. I usually use two organizers every year because I like to separate my work life and my personal life (or maybe because I’m a loser like that, who knows) but I will only be featuring this beaut for obvious reasons.

The “Relaks, Puso Lang ‘Yan, Malayo sa Bituka” Planner 2015

(Don’t ask me what this translates to in English or Bisaya)

I was very lucky this year to be gifted this organizer by a good friend of ours. It’s witty, colorful, lightweight and entertaining all at the same time.

Seriously, I was going through this thing at the airport and I kept laughing, people thought I was gonna go crazy!

If you’re a hopeless romantic or if you just have a knack for quirky things then you will definitely enjoy this organizer.

Almost every page is filled with interesting lines and illustrations which are bound to keep you busy on days when you’re bored and you’ve got nothing on you but your trusty friend.

One of the things I really love about this organizer is how space efficient it is. I’ve never used an organizer as small as this before and I thought that I would have a hard time with it but so far, I haven’t had any problems at all!

For those who are wondering, each entry is lined so if you’re OC like me then you’ll appreciate this small but useful gesture.

** I hope someone makes left handed organizers next year. **

Find out more about The Relaks, Puso Lang ‘Yan, Malayo Sa Bituka 2015 organizer and how to order your own organizer on their

Facebook page

wittywillsavetheworld@gmail.com

+63 906 465 2191

@titawitty

Price: P 480.00

P 520.00 in leading bookstores

Have a great rest of the year, everybody! :*

xx,

Issa

PHOTO DIARY: I Went To Manila For The Burgers!

Posted on December 27, 2014 by issaplease

Ok, totally kidding about the burger bit! But yes, they were a great part of my recent Manila trip!

I don’t get to travel a lot due to financial and time constraints but since it was my dearest uncle’s birthday, I decided to not let the opportunity pass me and I went to big, bad Manila on my own… for the very first time! #whimp

Here are some of the photos from my trip. I hope you enjoy!

8 Cut Burger. Awesome. Love it. 8/ 10

MIA: Bata. Buti nga. har.

Love you guys!

Just like my boyfriend

The Proposal Garden @ Tagaytay. Don’t get any ideas.

I dreamed of this place.

Family – some

Don’t get the salad.

Mostly what my weekend consisted of: Eating, sleeping and lots of drinking

BEST FREAKIN’ MEXICAN PLACE IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!

Reminded me of my sitter 😐

This post is making me soo hungry!

xx,

Issa

So You Wanna Organize Your Own Event?

Posted on December 25, 2014 by issaplease

Happy Holidays, everyone!

I hope you had a great Christmas surrounded by friends and family like I did! 🙂

As we all know, this season is all about parties and events and as I promised in this post, I am going to share a few tips and tricks I’ve learned over the past few years of organizing and working in events. Just so you know, event organizing is not my main source of income but of course, I do it every once in a while when I get the chance to.

I was recently asked to help work on the Great Cebu Closet Sale last November 29- 30 at The Marco Polo hotel. During this event, we aimed to sell as many branded pre- loved clothes as we could in order to raise enough money to buy equipment for the Cebu City Medical Center which is currently under construction.

It was a very successful event and even though there was so much work put into it, I enjoyed every single second of it because I was surrounded by amazing people and clothes, at the same time!

I started working on events when I was in my third year in college. Although I had worked on a few smaller events in high school and earlier years in college, I got my big break back while I was a Junior studying nursing. Since then, I’ve been able to work for other prestigious event organizers in the city and organize a few on my own which you can see here: [PORTFOLIO]

I’m not an organizing extraordinaire but I’ve picked up a few lessons which I think would be helpful for anyone when planning small parties or gatherings and eventually, bigger things!

[ 1 ] BRAINSTORM

Pre- planning is always the most important part of anything. During this phase you get the chance to practice your creativity and find out the basics that you will be needing. Mostly this consists of:

THEME of your party:

NUMBER of people/ WHO to invite:

VENUE of event:

THINGS NEEDED:

BUDGET:

[2] CANVAS

I usually find this the most tiring but most useful part in the end. This is when you start canvassing the things you need for the party like the venue which is in line with your budget, the cheapest materials (whether it be tables, chairs, sound systems, balloons, hosts, etc.) and whatever else you have on your list.

It’s always a good thing to keep a directory of all the resources you’ve collected because trust me, it will come in handy one day!

[3] VERIFY & HAVE A BACK UP PLAN

Sometimes things go down the drain and sh*t happens so I find it best to double check, verify & secure everything I need and have proof of whatever transactions I’ve done just in case I might need it. This includes receipts, text messages, emails and etc. which might come in handy in cases of need. Then, there are times when you just can’t control certain circumstances and you are pushed to think of something else… and fast! I find this the hardest to compensate for but you’ve gotta do it anyways so for instances of parties, I find it best to have a back up plan at someone’s house or elsewhere just in case reservations don’t push through.

This is when your directory becomes useful.

[4] MAKE SURE TO HAVE FUN

I feel like I always involve this element whenever I give talks or when I’m trying to give tips on this blog. I just really think that you shouldn’t do anything unless you enjoy it [despite the stressful situations] so this means, planning and executing everything properly so that you don’t end up suffering in the end.

I hope these tips are useful and if you guys need any help, ideas or contacts, feel free to leave a message or contact me through my social media accounts!

Merry Christmas again! ❤

xx,

Issa

Fauxy Leather

Posted on December 10, 2014 by issaplease

May the only thing that is fake in your life be leather and fur.

Issaplease, 2014

OK so HI EVERYONE, I am totally still alive!

Lately my life has just been so crazily blessed that I haven’t really had time to blog or do anything blog related (which includes events/ photo shoots/ etc) and I am so sorry about that!

I’ve recently switched careers or more like, added another career to my life, moved out and just wrapped up a big event which I will be blogging about in the near future- heads up to all aspiring event organizers out there! It’s officially dawned on me that I’m too fickle minded to just stick to one job as of the moment so I’m just going to do EVERYTHING while I still can and I’ve just been so happy since I made that decision for myself.

FYI, you’re going to see a lot more of this white wall and rack while I’m still tripod-less and photographer-less. Unfortunately, dearest yaya couldn’t come with me in this exciting new chapter of my life. 😦

So as colorful as my life has been apparently, so have been my clothing choices! 😀

I was recently gifted this amazing faux leather skirt from Let’s Stylize and with the weather we’ve been having lately- leather definitely wouldn’t hurt anyone!

Because of the playful hue of this skirt, I was able to woman it up a bit by pairing it with this colorful top and of course,my big floppy hat to make it seem more me.

Usually when you see leather, biker chick’s immediately come to mind but I wouldn’t say the same for this look.

Let’s Stylize

Hat: Topshop| Dress used as top: July| Leather skirt: Let’s Stylize| Heels: Zalora

P.S. The power box on the side of my photos will eventually grow on you. It did on me. 🙂

xx,

Issa

Caffe Dara~~ Love, Sweet, Savory & Magic

Posted on December 9, 2014 by issaplease

Love, sweet, savory & magic! Not exactly how I would imagine using these 4 words in one sentence but it’s definitely charming, delightful, delicious and homey at Caffe Dara!

Love

This is what I love about Caffe Dara:

I love the cute graffiti/ wall art that is plastered all over the walls, the cozy environment and the fact that it’s a good place to go to if you feel like getting away from the common hang out places in the city.

SWEET

The warm coffee, other drinks to choose from and lots of dessert are definitely SWEEEEET! I love how they use geography in their drinks [lahugccino, among other names] and the cute containers/ drinks that they serve.

Ok, I’ll be honest… I mostly love how they serve beer at any time of the day! Scroll down for their STRAWBERRY BEER.

Blue Lemonade

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Iced Dara Latte

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Almond Cheese Cake

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Strawberry Beer

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Sauna Tea

SAVORY

The different Korean food available on the menu! They have so many food that isn’t common is other Korean restaurants and I’ve seen their upcoming menu which is also equally awesome.

Caffe Dara practices an open kitchen policy which means that anyone can go in the kitchen and check the ingredients they use to see if they’re safe to use which I think is totally cool. I’ve tried almost everything on their menu [even the ones that haven’t been served yet] and it’s definitely something everyone who loves to eat should watch out for!

Spam Mayo Rice

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Stickywich

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Dara Dara Toast

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Cheese Noodles

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Korean Military Fried Rice (Actual Korean fried rice served in the military. True Story. The owner recently served in the Korean army for 6 months)

Magic

All the wonderful memories and the great time you have when you’re there!

Caffe Dara has been one of my most recent hang out spots whenever I have time to just sit back, enjoy good food, wonderful company and even to just relax. I’ve also been getting most of my make up here since they also sell Korean products there for cheaper prices.

For those who are wondering about their other products, here’s their menu:

Caffe Dara is located at One Kenji Place, La Guardia St., Salinas Drive, Cebu City.

Operating hours: 8:00 am – 12:00 mn

Contact no.: 0915-390-8611

Website: http://darapageph.blogspot.com/

See you there!

xx,

Issa

Style Haven

Posted on November 10, 2014 by issaplease

also an establishment where you can buy “investment pieces”.

Fashion trends come and go but there are always a few staple, classic and timeless pieces that wouldn’t be so bad to splurge on- these are called investment pieces. Although the shopping scene at Parkmall is mostly known for its tiangge style, serious shoppers can now breathe a sigh of relief because now, there’s a place where you can now find pieces that will last you a lifetime!

I took a little trip there a couple of weeks ago and I was enthralled (oooh, big word Issa!) to find branded items such a BCBG, Little Monsters, Ralph Lauren and many more. Everything from their bags, shoes to garment pieces were uniquely hand picked by the owner, Maritoni Pereyra, herself from her recent travels to the States and certain parts of Asia.

Here are a few of my favorite items:

Style Haven, which is located at the second floor of the Parkmall keeps true to its name- not only is it a safe haven for women who are keen on style but it is

I really need this striped black and white dress in my life right now. I am dead serious.

Be sure to check them out at the 2nd floor of Parkmall, Cebu.

Open during mall hours.

Worth every single penny! ❤

xx,

Issa

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