Trippin': Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar and Mount Samat [Travel Tuesday]

Note: It's Travel Tuesday! All Travel Tuesday posts are of course in the Travel Tuesday tag.

A trip back to the past

My first Travel Tuesday post was all about my trip to Japan. This time around, I thought I'd post about a local travel destination that has gained popularity in recent years -- Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan -- plus a side trip to Mount Samat, which has always been a must-see Bataan landmark. I went on the trip with my then-fiance, now-husband and his family back in late 2012. Somehow I just never got around to posting this anywhere. 

Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is a heritage park that aims to preserve historical Filipino houses and buildings. We stayed overnight there and then made a day trip to Mount Samat on the way back to Manila. At first, I was apprehensive because I'm not really into old, antique things and historical places. I'm more into urban adventures or chillin-at-the-beach type of vacations. To be honest, historical stuff just scares me because I feel like there are ghosts lurking in every corner! 

That is why I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this trip immensely. It was great seeing houses and buildings from the past and hearing about the history behind them. The place was gorgeous too, and though some parts of it were a little creepy when it got dark, the hotel area was new and only modeled after an old building so I wasn't that worried about ghosts, heh. 

I had fun on the trip we made to Mount Samat as well, because it was another historical place. We visited the Dambana ng Kagitingan National Shrine, which is dedicated to the fallen Filipinos and Americans during World War II. 

Without further ado, here are the photos. [Note: I did not include a lot of photos of our family. These are just the ones of me, the husband, and the scenery.]

Beauty Barrage: Manicure Monday - Rosy Valentine Nails

It's just another Manic Monday, but I had to make this quick post during my lunch break because it's Manic-ure Monday. (Yes you saw what I did there, heh.) 

When I was deciding on a nail polish color yesterday, I remembered that Valentine's is coming up. Since I'm feeling cheesy and it's always fun to work with a theme, I chose a bright red color this week for Love's Day.   

Bookworming: My Favorite Fashion and Beauty Books

Hi peeps! TGIF!

I can tell this is going to be one of my favorite blog entries ever because it combines three of my obsessions -- books, fashion, and beauty -- in one post. I was taking a look at our bookshelf earlier looking for a book to re-read when I saw my fashion and beauty books and decided to share my collection on the blog. Note that I've had these for a long time and are by no means new. They just sort of accumulated over time.

I normally read sci-fi/chic-lit/young adult fiction and food-related non-fiction. I get my fashion and beauty fix from magazines, usually Vogue, Elle, and Teen Vogue. When I do stumble upon a fashion or beauty book that captures my interest though, I get it. I really like books that inspire me in these areas and have helpful tips and how-tos at the same time. These give me my girly fix and are terrific weekend reads! Here we go.

Who What Wear, Lauren Conrad Style, The Ellements of Personal Style, Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, Lauren Conrad Beauty

Purse Peek 011511 [Throwback Thursday]

Now here's something different for Throwback Thursday. This is a peek into what was in my bag back in January 2011! The photo was taken during one of my weekend visits to my parents' house with my then-boyfriend-now-husband. I just found it in my computer and I don't think I ever posted this anywhere. It's fun seeing how different my bag is now compared to three years ago. Some things are the same, but a lot of things have changed too.

 What was in my oversize Mango tote?

Food Trip: Caffe Pascucci - First Visit

I've been noticing this new cafe called Caffe Pascucci at the new Glorietta wing for a while. It looks pretty chic from the outside and is located at a somewhat secluded spot along Hotel Drive. My friends and I considered going there some weeks back, but somehow we ended up somewhere else. I finally had the chance to try it out when I met up with my friend Irish last week.

Red and black

Bookworming: Classic Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen

When I was a kid I had this very old, very battered book of fairy tales. I'm not sure where it came from but it was one of the many books that I found hidden in cupboards in our old house - most likely left behind by my older cousins or maybe one of my aunts and uncles. It was thick and leatherbound with a castle print on the cover, and it was filled with fairy tales from a bunch of authors. The stories ranged from Chicken Little to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. I don't know where it is now, because I have moved twice since then, but I promised myself I would try to find out if it's somewhere in my parents' house.

I loved that book. There is a common misconception that fairy tales are supposed to always end with "happily ever after" and that's really not the case. The original fairy tales weren't like the Disney versions that always had happy endings. My old book of fairy tales was actually one of the first books that got me thinking. It challenged my morals at a very young age, and sometimes even scared me to the point that I would keep it at the very top of my bookshelf and avoid looking at it for months on end. (Blue Beard scarred me for life!) Still, I came back to it from time to time, going through the stories over and over again because I enjoyed how it took my imagination to places I have never dreamed of. It was a beautiful book too, with colorful art scattered through the pages.

That is why when I first set my sights on the Classic Fairy Tales book by Hans Christian Andersen at Fully Booked, I knew I had to get it. It reminded me of the book from my childhood, and it was so beautiful, I knew it was something I would love to keep in the family for future generations.

So pretty!

Opening up the book instantly takes you to lands far, far, away. The inside front and back covers have a lovely painting of a castle in the mountains, bringing to mind images of princes and princesses, fairies and elves. 

Once upon a time... 

Beauty Barrage: Cold Weather Friends

Here in the tropics, cold weather is a rare thing. It comes suddenly and disappears just as quickly. We actually just had a spate of cold weather that started late December and lasted all throughout January. It's only starting to get warm now, but the evenings and early mornings still have a bit of a chill to them.

That short burst of cold weather was enough to wreak havoc on my skin though. Aside from being used to humid weather, my skin has always been very dry. A month-long cold spell made it feel tight and lifeless. It made my eyebrow and hairline area extremely flaky, my arms and legs were itchy, and even my elbows took a beating.

All throughout the month, I tried to salvage my skin with products I have always counted on, as well as a new product I tried out and liked. My skin is looking loads better now and definitely on the way to recovery. Spring is yet to come in many parts of the world, and weather experts say the chilly air in the country might stay until March, so I thought I'd post about my cold weather friends. Here's a rundown.

Baylis & Harding Lemon Blossom Body Cream, The Body Shop Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream, Aveeno Smart Essentials Daily Nourishing Moisturizer, Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm