Thursday, July 7, 2016

More Than a Hashtag

Being a policeman today is TOUGH. Even a good cop can make bad choices. Not every white cop is racist. If a policeman gets shot and killed in the line of duty, will anyone ask his killer why?

Being a black man in America today is tough. Even a good black man can get killed for playing on the sidewalk, selling cigarettes or CDs, or for having a tail light out. Not every black man is a criminal. When a black man gets shot and killed, we can't ever find the answer as to why.


I couldn't imagine fearing for my life everyday. I couldn't imagine what it's like to be either.

Monday, June 27, 2016

Start of Summer

Two weddings and a birthday. Family in Jax. Friends in New York. A celebration in Seattle. All, it seems, a dream.

It began with the illusive Amanda getting married-- friend, cousin, sister. It was hectic to say the least, but filled with so much love. The cousins have moved all across the country: Colorado, Ohio, Baltimore, North Carolina, Nebraska, Atlanta... Then there's me, and I can hardly keep up with myself! When we get together it is something special, and unfortunately doesn't happen enough. But the love is always the same.

Then there was New York for the other unicorn in my life, Wilzen, so perfect that if reincarnation is real, I would like to come back as her. I was back in the city that made me, in its summer perfection and all of its glory. 

It was almost like a glimpse of what our life could be like in either of those cities.

Leaving was tougher this time around, especially Jacksonville. Saying goodbye to my parents was awful. It had finally hit me. I can't just go home when I want to. I can't pick up and leave for New York again when I want to. To add insult to injury, Seattle is FAR. But then the rest of reality set in. Yes, Florida is great, but most of the people that made that week great don't live there anymore. New York was as wonderful as I remembered it to be, but it is still a black hole in our wallets, and when we were there, the city was on its best behavior: summer.

That brings us to Seattle, not ever on my list of places to live, but life isn't ever what we expect it to be. It's a place JP and I can learn and love and grow together. And if celebrating JP's 31st with cupcakes on the rooftop with a few good friends is just the start, it seems we have much more to look forward to.

Maybe JP and I will end up in New York for a while. One day, I hope we move to Florida for good. In the mean time, Seattle, you will do just fine.

Monday, June 6, 2016

Feelings. Everywhere.

If it doesn't feel like 90's r&b I don't want it.


Wednesday, June 1, 2016

(Don't) Mind the Gap

I learned about the infamous thigh gap some time in high school. It was at that same time that I realized I didn't have one. In fact, I have zero memory of ever having a thigh gap. Even at my fittest, I have NEVER had a thigh gap.

I'm 4'10 1/2", have never broken 100 lbs, both petite and athletic. I'm sharing this information to make a point: the thigh gap is sh*t.

If you do have a thigh gap, great! If you don't, there is nothing wrong with you! Please don't measure your fitness level by the gap between your thighs. Ignore the ads, the Instagram models, because most of them are photoshopped... Terribly at that.

(But heart eyes all over this suit!)


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Moral Support

When you show your sister your $8k dream dress and she tells you that she still likes the dress you chose better, it makes that affordable dress feel like a million bucks.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

(MOH) Duty Calls

As luck would have it, my closest cousin and I are engaged at the same time! And I am Maid of Honor. It's amazing that we get to experience this special time of our lives together!

As her aunt and I were doing the final preparations, I totally imagined we were Lorelai and Suki! Here are some photos of her bridal shower last weekend, thrown by her bridesmaids, aunts and mother of the bride. (Not pictured: ALL of the delicious food Tita Liz cooked!)



The beautiful bride-to-be with my cutie mom.


 


Saturday, May 14, 2016

Filipino Hospitality

We've all heard of Southern hospitality. Well, there is something that exists far greater than that. I'm pretty sure somehow, someway, you've experience Filipino hospitality, from a neighbor, a nurse, a classmate, an ex-girlfriend's family. This is a reminder to myself to find this episode of someone trying to explain it.

Update 05.16.16: Here is Buzzfeed's summary/commentary on the episode. 

Lola Amor with some of her apos in Pagsanjan, Laguna. April 2015

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Travel Tuesday

Last year, I took the most memorable trip to India and failed to document my memories. I have been terrible about this in my travels in general, I think because I feel like I need to write something thoughtful and thought provoking. Sometimes, there's not time for that. Sometimes I can't find the words. And sometimes, pictures are just enough.

So on Tuesdays (mind you, not necessarily every Tuesday), I'll be posting photos from some trip I took at some time, and those pictures may or may not be accompanied by captions.

These are from Agra, February 2015.

























Monday, May 9, 2016

Project Jenna

A little more than a week ago, I participated in Jacksonville Magazine's Fashion Project. Nineteen local designers created two looks for their models. Besides the runway show, local boutiques set up pop up booths. Guests shopped, ate, drank and danced the night away.


I was asked if I wanted to participate a little more than a month before, which is plenty of time to put together two looks. The problem was that I was traveling four of those six or so weeks! When I returned to Jax, I had a week and a half to get my looks together. I locked myself upstairs, and felt like I was back a Parsons! It was nice dusting off that sewing machine.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Finally the Bride

How fortunate am I that I have enough amazing women in my life to make choosing bridesmaids a difficult decision? Not to brag, but I have more than my fair share of ladies in my life who really understand and care about me. Childhood, middle, high school, college... Years later and they are still the best friends I could ever hope for. Already, with still many months to go before the wedding, they have all been supportive and patiently answer my unending questions. After all, by the time I walk down the aisle, I'll have stood my each of my bridesmaid's sides at their weddings! So in some ways, it's paying off to be the last; I have lots of experience to draw from!


For the bridesmaids gifts, as with the groomsmen's, I wanted to make use of the arts and crafts supplies around the house and test my DIY skills. I made the boxes out of card stock; the initials were stickers from my sister's scrapbooking phase; and the plethora of ribbon is what happens when you're a former cheerleader!


I found really cool patterned tape also from my sister's stash that I used on the inside of the boxes. (Similar here.) The cards were from Target. The jewelry was my own, which I get partially made in the Philippines. Each girl got a different, dainty piece of jewelry, either a bracelet, earrings, or a ring. I even made the little jewelry display card also from card stock, and a fancy hole puncher (a la my sister of course!)



I always knew I wanted to ask my bridesmaids with paper dolls, but obviously they had to be stylized. They were more time consuming then I initially thought, but I had a lot of fun illustrating them! I love the way they look like they're moving when it's opened up. It looks like a group of girls having a good time!  Hopefully, it's representative of what's to come!

Friday, March 18, 2016

#tbt

I am at my parents' house for a couple of months before I move to Seattle in the summer. It's a little bizarre being back here, and I kind of ended up here by accident. I decided to spend some of 2015 in the Philippines working on my non-profit and other projects, and I am happy I did. It's the latter part where my plans got a little murky, particularly when it came to my career. My personal life was at all time high; JP and I, did, after all, get engaged! Naturally, when that happened, it didn't seem like a good idea to go back to New York. And while I'm reluctant to let my doubts float around on the world wide web, some times I wonder if that wouldn't have been the worst thing-- to be away from JP for a year and continue to work in fashion.

I have complete faith in life working itself out and the universe conspiring to help you achieve you personal legend and blah blah blah blah. But doubt happens.

Here in Jax, I basically occupy the entire left side of upstairs. I've been sorting through shelves, boxes, and the like, coming across things I've accumulated over the last decade from high school, UF, and New York. This evening, I stumbled upon some of the work I did at Parsons: color theory projects, sketches, CADs. Honestly, I was a little impressed with myself. Parsons was tough. It was miserably hard. But I loved it. I look at my work and can see that I was both motivated and inspired.

I know most people could not fathom why I would go to fashion school after graduating from Florida, but I do not wish that any of it happened differently. It made makes me happy to think about all that I've experienced because of the decisions I've made. Right now, NO. Life isn't exactly what I thought it would be. Lucky for me, I have the ability to change that.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Wedding Proposals - Not Ours!

I've always thought the ideal engagement was 9 to 12 months, but I am actually loving our long engagement. I've watched a lot of friends get married over the years, some in 4 months, others YEARS! And in my observation I've learned how important it is to enjoy the process.  What started out as a sprint is now a leisurely stroll around the block, and I get to stop and take in all of the sights along the way.

There are seemingly thousands of decisions to make, and JP and I are trying to make each one meaningful not just for us, but the people involved. We have loved taking the time to let people know how special they are to us. I thought I'd share how we asked our family and friends to take part in our special day.

Ninongs

In Filipino weddings, there are ninongs, which are also referred to as "sponsors". In the actual wedding, they serve as witnesses, but in many cases, also serve as a type of godparent to the couple. The couple usually chooses people (often older, aunts and uncles) they can go to for guidance; those they admire and hold a high level of respect for. 

To ask our ninongs, I made custom cards and wrote personal notes to each of them.  Our ninang, Natasha, is a professional photographer (who is awesome)! I used a picture she took of JP and me at another friends' wedding, and designed and ordered the cards on Walmart's website. So easy! But it made our ninongs feel extra special. 


It is such an important role, so we wanted to express the impact they have already made in our lives. Frankly, with the wedding being in the Philippines, we weren't sure how many would actually make the trip. We were so surprised and moved by those who have already graciously accepted. We already feel extremely lucky and loved.

Ring Bearer

William is one of our favorite kids, ever, so much so that JP and I are afraid we may not love our own future kids as much lol! I know I'm not really supposed to say things like that, but it has been absolutely delightful watching him grow. 

I painted him a ring-shaped card on bristol paper I had. The ring shape was very important, because William's favorite thing at the time was shapes, especially circles! He's already starting to read, so I made sure to write the words nice and big for him. 



In his package, JP and I included a Gator pillow pet, because duh, Go Gators! Knowing that his dad, and sometimes his mom, reads to him before bed every night, we got him a book, Love You Forever. I, myself, have fond of memories of this book from my childhood, and always try to get it for any new moms and dads I know because it is just very sweet. I almost cry every time I read it.

Groomsmen

This was pretty fun to make. JP and I love How I Met Your Mother, so the idea for the groomsmen's card came from that. I know it's not terribly original, but we added a personal touch by making the "article" about peculiar situations they've been in together. With JP's WILD past, he kept it PG for my sake ;) The only one that was a little different was Mikey's, his younger brother's. They have such a special bond, just any old story wouldn't do. Instead, JP found a quote that reflected their relationship.


For the groomsmen and bridesmaids cards, I tried my best to use supplies I already had around the house. Thanks to my sister and because of the art supplies I acquired at Parsons, I have a small Joanne's in my parent's home; an elementary teacher would be thrilled to have so much at their disposal. 

I printed the cards on résumé paper to make it look a little old world-y, then used spray adhesive to stick it on ivory card stock that I cut in half. It wasn't perfect, but it was for a bunch of boys, so I knew they wouldn't care/notice.

We wanted to get them a little something, so bought them brass cuff links with their initial.

Bridesmaids

Well, I have lots of pictures for this so I'm going to save it for the next post :)

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Advantages: Home and Away

Philippines. It started out as just a blip on our radar. Did it sound awesome? YES! Feasible? Eh... So we set our sights on more practical wedding locations.

When JP proposed in August, we were looking to get married in late summer, Labor Day Weekend, specifically, and we felt like we were racing, no, sprinting against time. Time was of the essence. We were up against a whole stampede of bride-and-grooms-to-be who also wanted our venue, on our date, because summer in Seattle is perfect.

We looked at venues for weeks and found the perfect venue and the most perfect, sweetest chapel, available on our perfect date. What wasn't perfect was the price. Not wanting to settle for a place we (mostly I) liked, not loved, we forfeited the summer wedding race to re-work our game plan.

Seattle was out. Different city, different season, but a new set of couples to combat. Because what's just as perfect as Seattle in the summer? Florida in the fall. New perfect venue, the chapel I grew up in, and a new perfect date (the Gator's bye weekend, obviously). The price improved, kind of. When you go to the hometown, you got the hometown crowd. You do the math.

What do we do, WHAT DO WE DO?! Panic mode: ON! Ononononononononon, so ON! I found the budgeting and the guest list so stressful we considered our immediate family in Hawaii. I have the spreadsheets to prove it. But my friends are everything to me. They are my family too.

JP and I debated on and on for weeks on end, considering all options.

We were back to the Philippines. Everyone knows how much I love it, but it's what JP said about it that got me. It was something along the lines of, "I want to show everyone how special this place is the way you showed me." I was sold. We know it'll be tough to get our family and friends to travel halfway around the world to a place that isn't any where near the top of their travel list, but we also know there are a few that will try their damnedest to get there anyway. Those few are enough. And we hope to make this trip meaningful and memorable for you.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Un-Wedding Dress


I remember trying this dress on when I was younger, mesmerized by its beauty and details. This was not my mom's wedding dress. She didn't have the wedding of her dreams by a long shot; she hardly had a wedding dress at all. But this one, she has always treasured. I completely forgot about it until last night, & part of me wishes I'd thought about it sooner. While this will not be the dress I walk down the aisle in, it represents so many things: culture, tradition, family & my parents' American Dream. I'm certain I'll find a special place for it.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Lucky Number Thirteen

Love the Facebook memories feature thing. A lot of significant things seemed to happen on or around this day over the years.

Seven years ago, I was cheering on the Gators to victory at the BCS National Championship.

Six years ago, I started Parsons in New York.

Three years ago, I moved back up north and into my apartment in Jersey City.

Two years ago, JP and I were on our first big trip together to Southern California, Las Vegas, and Honolulu.

Today, well, this particular day isn't very exciting, but this past year has been. 

I traveled to India (solo!) and saw the Taj Mahal, Akshardam Temple, and the Pink City. I celebrated Holi with a former Miss India and Baliwood stars. I sailed in the Arabian Sea, and rode along the Queen's Necklace, and visited factories, beaders, and markets (the not so glamorous parts of the fashion industry).

From there I flew to the Philippines to continue my non-profit work, and to explore other opportunities there. I never thought I'd get JP to make a trip over there, but he did, and I was able to share with him everything about that country that I love so much.

As if that wasn't enough, at the end of JP's apartment hunting trip to Seattle on a chilly August morning, at the top of the Space Needle overlooking his new job, his new place and his new city, he asked me to begin a new chapter with him. JP asked me to marry him.

So it's okay that on this specific day in 2016, nothing spectacular happened. Because this time next year is going to be the most special day of all.