double the fun

It's been a long time since I've done a multiplicity edit on Photoshop and I thought it would be fun to combine my portraits for this entry... As I reviewed the shots I noticed that he duality of my personality was reflected in them-- I captured the same amount of static & motion pics. 

My uptight self hatin' on my crazy side.

I know I should know myself well enough by now but even I can't figure out why I'm such a bipolar creature. I guess it's fine as long as I know which to switch on when I work and play. All that matters is that I am REAL. As cynical as I may sound, I can spot fake people from a mile away and this is why I only choose to hang out with a few, and if possible, I stay in seclusion. 

Okay, enough about this self-assessment nonsense...

Might've delighted in the fact that I discovered taking photos against my perforated shades proved to be effective (for portraits). During the day they allow just the perfect amount of light to creep in for backlit shots. For the images below I used my huge floor lamp and built-in flash for lighting. I can also eliminate the shadows by disabling the flash & setting aside the lamp but I wanted them for these photos. Sometimes shadows are good. 

Perfect white background, yes!

What I wore to lead worship today. Happy that I got to sing my thanks to the Lord for passing the board! I will forever be in disbelief. I know I deserve it but I felt like I abused my lucky streak just a wee bit... 

men's shirt from Team Manila, boots from Charles & Keith, glasses from Uniqlo 

Maybe I should hold off spending on some decent equipment (background + stand + lighting) for now. This simple setup should suffice until I get a bigger place OR til I decide to give photography another go...

Hope you all had a great Sunday!

❤

Fall 2012 T by Alexander Wang Campaign featuring Azealia Banks

How could I have missed this campaign?  I'm obsessed with Azealia Banks and I LOVE Alexander Wang! ❤

Cheyser

Managed to snap some portraits of Cheyser yesterday after taking each other's outfit shots. I've been wanting to do a series of portraits featuring friends with little to no makeup. Wanted to convert these to black and white but I thought the colors matched her personality. I've always loved looking at simple portraits like these, backlit, bright and pure, with the subject's eyes piercing through....

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Lady Luck

Cat-eye sunnies from Ray-Ban

convertible Chanel from the Trend Bureau 

I surprised my friends by wearing a bright color today! Combining it with a lot of gold felt a little too festive for me but I just went for it. Decided to leave the usual knuckle rings and bracelets at home to avoid looking like a Christmas tree...

This is what I wore to the Nixon FW2012 press launch at Big Bad Wolf a while ago... Thanks to Cheyser for taking my photos! 

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Pretty sure the way I feel right now can be likened to the feeling you get when you've just won the lottery. I passed the board exam for Interior Design, guys! I doubted myself so many times. I felt hopeless during the last week before exams. I was cramming and I felt like I wasted so much of my "review time" for going out. A lot of people couldn't even believe that I could still afford to party, do gigs, go to events, etc. I may have looked like I was confident but I honestly felt so scared. I just kept delaying studying since I really CAN'T (for the life of me) memorize and make reviewers like most diligent students. I have no idea how I managed to go through my entire life getting lucky with grades... This is why I am always so thankful because the Lord is always so good to me!!! I just kept praying. I think I pray 20 times each day and that doubled during the month of the exam. 

Y'all should've seen what a nervous wreck I was. I developed allergies and was mindlessly scratching my arms/neck/face while reading my notes (my sister and dad just kept laughing at me), I would cry for hours and then laugh, I was so anti-social... I was going mental. The only way I could let out all the anxiety was to pray. I only attended about 30% of the hours for our reviews. I  never finished any of our design plates. I knew that I was going to finish during the exam since I work really well under pressure-- but I wasn't supposed to let that be my excuse for being lazy! I even told my parents to just expect me to fail. Looking at other students made me feel stupid since I wasn't studying as much. A lot of them were so serious and dedicated. 

The exam had 3 parts- the first day for design (HELL), the second and third days for 5 different subjects. Apart from the written/multiple choice, we also had to draw for the last few items of each subject. The whole time I had NO IDEA what I was doing. I finished 5 out of 6 boards during the first day (design day) but my concept was rubbish! I wrote it down while lining up to pass my work, while the others devoted at least 500 words for theirs! My only goal during the first day was to finish each board. During college I spent an entire day just to finish one perspective, but for the exam we were forced to finish 6 in 9 hours! I really wanted to cry after the first day, but I was too exhausted to even do that. Plus I knew I had to study for the next ones since I didn't get to study at all when I was supposed to. And wow, I am extremely lucky- most of the info I read the night prior to the exams were included! I even got to sleep during the 3rd day. The written parts were pretty easy for me thanks to cramming. Others will tell you to stop studying 3 days or a week before the exam, but I went for the KILLER approach. Don't do what I did. Your brain will hate you. 

I can't believe I even considered quitting so I could take it next year. Fear does a lot of things to you. This was the most traumatic exam of my life, just because I let fear get to me. A lot of those "Of course you'll do well!" comments put so much pressure on me, too. But now I'm glad it's all over. 

Here's some advice for other interior design students wanting to take the board exam:

• Familiarize yourself with all the terms, because you CAN'T memorize them. Trust me, you just can't. Our reviewers were 8" thick (filled with WORDS), so good luck with that. 
• Know the parts of.... things. Yeah, everything's important. (foundations of buildings, framing of houses, columns, etc.) Actually, all the building construction notes were useful. 
• Practice speed drafting and speed rendering. Don't be a perfectionist or you will never finish. Save your best design ideas for your future clients. 
• Prepare all your materials and buy new ones if you must. You can't borrow or talk to anyone during the exam. Everyone's going to be in a crazy state anyways, so you can only rely on yourself.
• Bring food that's easy to eat. Crisps, sandwiches, cookies, fruits... 
• PRAY. Even the ones who finish all their plates can fail. The smartest students also fail. This exam is about luck and I am the perfect example for that! Okay, I'm smart but I was obviously not prepared for this exam. 

IDr. Raleene Cabrera... I am getting used to the title already! Thank you so much to all those who pushed me to take the exam, and to those who prayed for me. Congrats to the other 171 Interior Designers who passed.. We are finally PROFESSIONALS! ;) 

❤

Be About It

Just arrived from China last night and had to fly out again the morning after to visit mum for her birthday. This was what I wore to the airport. I try my best to dress up even if it's a pain to be rushing while getting your things (and shoes) inspected since you're bound to bump into someone while checking in or boarding. 

Best dressed up, better, you best dressed down.

Just wanted to share with you what I wore to the Hennessy event at Opus...

I thought I was going to be greeted by people dressed to the nines so I wanted to put a bit of effort into my outfit. I succumbed to this oversized knit sweater even if it was one size too big for me since I fell in love with the neckline! I knew some of the bands playing so I had a hunch that the event wasn't going to be too formal. Glad I wore something breezy cos the venue was so packed and it was so hot! Platform sandals also saved me from inflicting too much pain on my soles. 

Oh, the wonders of changing the parting of your hair. It can totally alter your look! But I was really just trying to cover up my swollen right cheek. 

Nothing special about my makeup- just a bare lip, Ardell lashes (Wispies) and contouring. 

The neckline also saved me from the trouble of looking for accessories... 

Furby2012 was gifted by my father. I know, random. But I love it to bits!  

I realized that my favorite bag for night-outs & parties has been abused for 4 years already. Decided to purchase a clutch/sling bag today so that Liz Clairbone bag can finally rest (it was my fave since it was the only one big enough for my camera).

❧

Leaving for China tomorrow for a week-long construction convention (how glamorous). I'm partially excited to get on with my life & start making bank! It'll be my first time to go on a biz trip with my own room & agenda. Wish me luck, I hope I get to tweet and still be able to post on Instagram. :) 

❤

Photo diary- first half of October

My new DOOMED crystal skull shot glasses are pretty awesome and I regret purchasing only three. I've been hosting a lot of those chill nights at my flat and had to go through a lot of disposable cups for shots. Right now my place isn't earthquake-proof because of the accumulating glassware at my minibar. 

I got those shot glasses from this site but you can purchase them on eBay or Amazon as well. 

Aoki

GABAY: Dibuhong Umaakay (1 of 2)

The PSID Graduating Batch of 2012 explore the healing properties of the home as they design livable spaces for the visually impaired, the hearing impaired, the orthopedically challenged and the elderly. They were given the challenge to design rooms that will assist these individuals in their habitats, assuring their safety whilst providing function, comfort and style.

GABAY: Dibuhong Ummakay centers on 23 different spaces divided in to four main areas:
TANAW (the visually impaired)
TINDIG (the orthopedically challenged)
DINIG (the hearing impaired)
GALAW (the elderly)

These spaces- living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, lanai and bathrooms- came to life in an ambiance of healing. While the special needs of these specific groups were taken into consideration and corresponding design solutions were applied, the focus of the exhibit is on how interior design can be palliative, therapeutic and restorative solution to make their life and lifestyle one of ease, comfort, style and beauty.

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DINIG
for the hearing impaired


Booth 1: VISU CENTRIC LIVING ROOM

Lovin' that web of wood and mirror extending to the ceiling

Shelves light up when someone's at the door or when the phone's ringing.


Booth 2: MEMOIRS OF AUDREY (dining room)

Booth 3: REMNANTS 

Don't you just love the oversized booth seating?

Different lights turn on for when the timer's up for the different appliances  (oven, toaster, etc.)

GABAY: Dibuhong Umaakay (2 of 2)

(continued from HERE)

TANAW 
for the visually impaired


Booth 13: BEYOND SIGHT

Floor markings serve as guides

Nicely-done quote on the walls taken from the Little Prince done in braille- "What is essential is invisible to the eye." The color scheme is also inspired by the book!

Booth 14: BEYOND THE NAKED EYE 

Booth 15: PHOSPHORESCENCE 

The angles on the sides of the counters mark the center and act as guides for the visually-impaired user

LOVE the lines of light. The path markings made by the smooth and rough textured flooring look great, too.

Viewed the exhibit on press day with Aivan, who wore his print-on-print outfit really well. Oh, and see that induction stove? It's actually just glass marked with silver pens. Great DIY feature since the sponsor only allowed pull-outs for gas stoves.