When I was younger I had no brand preference when it comes to clothes, shoes, and bags. I just purchased whatever was cheap and looked good at the time, because hey, it's not like I earned a lot of money. I also believed that it was all the same thing, more or less. I'd hate to spend on something that I could get for cheaper.

But through the years I realized that cheaper does not equate to better. My stuff broke down and those that didn't looked outdated, too quickly. So now I'm a little more careful about the things I purchase! I have come to prefer brands that offer the best value for my money - even if they're expensive, I find that I can get more mileage out of them.

But there's another but. Haha. As you know I run my own household and pay my own bills. I like expensive things but I also like being able to pay my rent and keep a healthy savings account. :P That's why I love Rabeanco. The leather is ridiculously smooth, the colors are fairly unique, and the styles aren't something you'd see SM knock off. 

I was hell-bent on buying an expensive designer bag last month, but thought the better of it. One bag could get me a new Macbook, or that money can go a long way to fund my travel plans. I decided to just add that cash my savings and get a bag that's practical, yet still beautiful.

This blue Rabeanco tote is perfect. It's made of soft, light cow hide leather (smells soooo good), roomy enough to fit anything I'd throw into it, and makes my profile look slimmer. Lol. It's the perfect work bag for my 2014!

I like to call this "Smurf Blue". Haha. I don't know why, I just have this crazy addiction to cobalt and navy blue at the moment! Maybe it's because blue makes my skin look better and brighter than any other color, for some reason. Anyway here's what's currently inside my bag.

Alcohol spray and Watsons tissues. Is it possible to love tissue paper? I love these "mini-hankies" from Watsons. They're super thick and absorbent, unlike other pull-up tissues I've tried before. 

Smart iPhone 5. You're looking at one of my body parts. It's constantly attached to my hands.

If you've been reading this blog for a while now then you would know how much I love satchels. They have this classic, structured form that goes well with any outfit! So when I saw this design from River Island, I knew I had to get it. It also came in emerald green, gold, and black/white. I spent a LOT of time thinking about the color I want but in the end I went for the electric blue.

Mong Kok in Hong Kong is a dusty, damp, and densely crowded place where people go to shop for awesome bargains. It's almost like Divisoria here in Manila, except that there are more Chinese per square foot! Get it, Hong Kong is in China, ha ha? Pff anyway.

There's a lot of amazing fashion finds to be had in Mong Kok. There is only one rule in that wild, unfiltered place: bargain. Then, bargain some more! I was blissfully unaware of that until I started buying a few things, one of which was this cute pink satchel.

Okay, before we continue - Hong Kong dollar conversion confused me greatly. It's not like US dollar where you know that one dollar is a huge amount; or yen, where Y1000 is not really a lot of money. But 1 HKD is equivalent to about 5 Philippine pesos (or 7 PHP if you were foolish enough to change money at the airport). To my mind that's not a terribly big gap. 50 HKD is only P250, so what. But 200 HKD is already 1,000 PHP. 250 HKD is already 1,250 PHP, and so on. Before I know it, I've spent money I wouldn't have otherwise spent if I just actually computed exact conversion rates rather than just winging it in my head.

So. Back to Mong Kok. My mother and I visited it in the afternoon. I think it was on our first day in Hong Kong; we were both still excited about exploring a country new to us. It was a terrible idea. I was tired, and I didn't expect the area to be so ridiculously crowded. Apparently, Mong Kok is named by the Guinness Book of Records as the busiest district in the world due to its extremely dense population. Well, if I knew that, I would have avoided the migraine I got while I was there.

Hey folks! I have a couple of meetings plus unplanned errands later so I won't be able to post my step-by-step graduation makeup tutorial as I originally planned. I was so excited to write about it pa naman! 36 photos for the win! But it's not to be. Not today. 

In the meantime, let me just quickly share this super cute quirky eco bag that I got in the mail last week. 

Yes, this is a reusable bag although it could easily pass for a chew toy Snaps will love. He did in fact try to slap it around and have marvelous fun with it, but of course I can't let him have his way! I need every eco bag I can get my hands on more so if they look like this SAC People Bag.

Compact? Check. Light? Check. Conversation piece? Double check!

My mother thinks I'm careless with my money, but I think I'm not doing too bad at 24. I save up and I know when I need to back off from a potentially wasteful purchase. Living independently from my parents taught me difficult financial lessons - way more effective than wordy lectures, I think! Nonetheless I want to learn more about financial wisdom ala Frugal Honey this year.

But. I work hard, so if there's something I really like that I can afford, I buy it. I've been in love with a bag from Tory Burch since November and I finally got it shortly before Christmas!

I actually bought a Tory Burch tote first. I liked it in the store, but when I opened it at home my feelings have drastically changed. I thought it was a bit too plain and too big for me. I mean, if I were to blow money on a luxe bag I might as well get something that looks like it! So I took the tote back to the store and purchased the bag that I originally liked, which was the Tory Burch Medium 797 Satchel.

The satchel bandwagon has come and gone, but I for one don't care. I still like the structured, prim look of this particular style, and how convenient it is with handles and/or body straps. For me, satchels make casual preppy outfits look more sophisticated, more put together. My casual clothes fall under that category so satchels are no-brainer choices. :D

I first read about Cuzo leather bags some months ago at Topaz Horizon, one of my favorite blogs (hi Frances!). I learned that the products were locally made, and that the leather Cuzo uses is real. Still, the prices are very reasonable at less than P2,500 for most bags. You can understand why I had to grab my own Cuzo bag at AVA.ph, and on sale too.

The green Ann Satchel was originally P2,250 but it was 30% off so I was able to score it for only P1,500. There were other designs but all of them are sold out - except for the maroon Ann! You should get it before it goes out of stock.

I have a nasty case of bag fever at the moment. I don't need a new bag, I just want something new and luxe to hold. Someone has to talk me out of it but in the meantime please indulge me. I checked out all the stores within my budget and found two drool-worthy bags!

I saw this at Tory Burch Medium 797 Satchel yesterday. It was love at first sight - I'm not kidding! I love the deep forest green color, the elegant combination of suede and leather, and of course, the shape. I have a thing for satchels because they're structured, poised, ready for anything. This one is just the right size for me, too, since it's not too large but it's still roomy enough for housing my usual stuff.

So you already know what my favorite bag is right now. Here's what's inside! Surprise, there's A LOT of stuff in it. I'm big on travelling light but if there's extra space I tend to throw in more things just because. Oooh I forgot to take a picture but I also sometimes stuff a pair of thin heels inside if I need to!

Breakdown:

 1. Book of the moment: The Bride Wore Pearls by Liz Carlyle. It's a romance novel, haven't gotten too far yet to tell if it's any good. I like bringing books if I know I'm in for a loooot of waiting in meetings and what not.

2. House keys. See that Happy Lemon key chain? Proof that I'm addicted to that stuff. You get a key chain for free if you complete 16 stamps on the loyalty card. I stopped getting stamps because I felt embarrassed by all the Happy Lemon I'm gulping down.

My bag of the moment is this black Avon Manzzini Bag. I first saw my friend Mara carrying it at an event in Marriott Hotel and I honestly thought it was a high-end bag! Just yesterday someone also asked me if it was designer. It does have an expensive, discreet look to it (minus the key wallet), which may explain the first impression it usually gets.

Dimensions: 12.5" L x 16" H

Best thing? It's only P1,750. It's expensive for an Avon bag, since the normal collections are just around P600-1,000. But if you like the design then why not right? These bags come with a key chain wallet (for the black), detachable organizer, and dust bag (for storage). 

My healthy obsession with blue is far, far from over. It's the color of my summer because it feels so cool and calm, a sharp contrast to the burning heat outside! Blue puts me in a good mood, is all. I have no idea why some of the connotations of blue are sadness and melancholia.

Anyways, I just wanted to share more blue outfits that I've worn recently, plus the new blue Aldo bag that I got last Friday!

Nine West bag / Forever 21 blazer / Bench dress / Ferretti pumps / Pinkbox leather bracelet

I immediately grabbed this candy-striped Bench dress when I saw it on the racks. I normally don't like bold stripes (horizontal ones at that!) but I like the color combination and the dress looked so flattering on me.