Style and Soul

As always, our Shop Vintage collection is comprised of specially-curated and one-piece-per-item-only thrift and pre-loved treasures for YOU – my fellow budget fashionista!  Everything is in good, wearable condition and reasonably priced so that a lot of mid-income earners and trend-savvy students who depend on their allowance savings, can afford to “splurge” without actually spending too much.

This is really my goal in keeping  F-STOP up and running. When I started getting more interested in dressing up, it has been difficult for me to SAVE a lot of my hard-earned money because like any other normal girl, I do like to shop. Thank God for ukay (thrift store)! I’m able to maintain a “stylish” lifestyle on an incredibly tight shopping limit. This is what I want you, the busy (no time to go thrift shopping) but stylish recessionista to experience. 

Of course, I’m not selling the products for its ukay prices because you also have to consider the effort, investment and profit. However, I always put myself in the shoes of the shopper and make sure that my pricing is fair enough. Exceptional pieces like printed or colourful blazers, fur vests and leather jackets are sold for P900 and below (I never sell any product for over a thousand unless it’s brand new), chic dresses, tops and bottoms are priced for way less than P500 and basic yet equally trendy items are around P150 – P350 only.

In this time and economy, imagine what items you can actually buy with those prices. 

Even though I’ve been incredibly busy these past few months, my “attempt” at time management has allowed me to squeeze in a few hours for some thrift treasure hunting. Here, below are some of the items you’ll find in F-STOP store this month.

What? It's already been over a decade?

Yes friends, we are all 10 years older! Take that! 

I was around 10 as well when American Idol first began airing on Fox in 2002. Wow. I haven't realized how much I have aged (because in my heart, I'm forever 18, haha), not until I watched the 11th season of this reality TV singing competition which featured a lot of teen-year-olds. Oh my! 

Man, I am getting old, er... older.

Watching the past three episodes of American Idol Season 11 on ETC (local channel), I've been pretty much amazed with all the young and gifted individuals that I have seen on the show so far. Just in case you want to start, GO! You haven't missed much yet. Time slots are every Thursday and Friday at 6PM with a prime time replay at 9PM (+8GMT Manila).  

As an aspiring host, aside from the incredibly jaw dropping performances, one of the things I love about the show is Ryan Seacrest, someone I look up to in the field of hosting. Wishing to pick up something from his hosting style, I make sure I observe how he does it - his manner of speaking, including spiels, voice overs, gestures and tone.

Of course, when it comes to the fashion factor, J. Lo's chic outfits are worth mentioning! Hello? Every single time I see her, I just find her so beautiful (considering her age) that she makes me want to have a prettier version of my self, haha. How superficial, I know right! 

But seriously, the show made a way for me to rediscover songs that I wasn't that into until I heard another version from one of the contestants. A sample of this is Sunday Morning by Maroon 5. This song isn't my favorite from this band (She Will be Loved is the one). Not until... one of the contestants, Gabi Carruba sang it to perfection. I'm personally rooting for her now. Check her audition video!

Here's another quirky talent, Reed Grimm!

Gosh, there are so many that I've come to admire, and for this post, it's difficult to narrow it down. Watch these two because they have something special too!

If you think it's the same old singing show that you've been watching for years, I beg to differ. Number one, talent is NEVER overrated. And number two, dreams are TIMELESS. 

All of us have dreams. I have a lot of it - all are big and very ambitious. The thing is, I have an idea and yet, ironically, I feel like I am totally clueless how to get there. Still, no matter what, I'll always keep my mind, not just eye, on the prize. One of the reasons why I never get tired of watching shows like American Idol is because as cheesy as this may sound, I find it uplifting when people succeed in life. Seeing someone's journey before the big win keeps me hopeful and fighting.

Gaahd, it's just getting more and more exciting! I'm betting on a lot of dramatic turns as American Idol continues to search for contestants who possess raw talent and potential. Can't wait to find out who gets to impress the judges come "Hollywood rounds" and by the end of February, the first group of semifinalists will finally take the Idol stage for their first live performance! Will never miss it out for sure.

If you want to get involved in all the Idol happening, or share your personal favorites like I did, share what you have to say about American Idol on ETC's Twitter, Facebook and/or Website. You could win a little something! Get hooked on #aionetc!

Who needs TV when you can watch almost everything online? 

For a lot of us who just seem to ignore the fact that access to internet is still a privilege we enjoy, just so you know, most of the Filipino population (talking about those in C, D, E classes especially in rural areas) still lack the means to be able to surf the web. If that's the case, imagine how few can afford cable? The numbers may seem big but comparing it to how huge the actual populace is (we're talking about millions here!), the percentage of Filipinos getting quality television shows is very little.

For so many years, Pinoys who rely on free TV for their daily dose of amusement and information had no choice but to endure some horrible and idiotic TV programs shown on leading networks. It's a good thing that recently, some of the shows on air are getting [a little] better and the general public has [a little] more channels to choose from.

In 2011, one of the newest channels on free television is ETC. This was made possible by Solar Entertainment, the media conglomerate which is also behind cable networks 2nd Avenue, Jack TV, Diva Universal and Universal Channel. Celebrating a fruitful 2011, Solar held "Destination Entertainment," a thanksgiving party last January 17 at Genting Club in Resorts World Manila. It was a night of food, music, prizes and presentation of the media company's line up of shows for this year.

After the Pinkbox event, I still managed to go to the party just to show my support to Bloggers United's ETC family. Dubbed as the No. 1 channel for the young female demographic, ETC has believed and supported our  [Bloggers United] event since the beginning and the least that I can do was show up. 

Kudos to  Solar  for such a grand gathering!

Patti Grandidge and Kim Jones - the hosts of Etcetera

Shows You'll Love 

American Idol, Season 11 (ETC)

Coming Soon: Project Runway Philippines (ETC)

I'm such a sucker for reality shows that feature talent and hard work. Being a big dreamer like everyone else, I believe I can relate to the contestants and knowing their life stories are always a good source of daily inspiration.

Two Broke Girls (ETC)

How I Met Your Mother (2nd Avenue)

Big Bang Theory (Jack TV)

Modern Family (2nd Avenue)

Friends with Benefits (ETC)

Smash (2nd Avenue)
From the makers of Chicago, Smash is a drama series about a girl who wants to make it big in broadway. Think of Glee but for a more mature audience with a better treatment at its production numbers.

Top Thrifted | Skirt F-STOP | Shoes Manels | Necklace Bazaar

Hi! I'd like to drop by before I hit the roads to do crazy errands today. Obviously, this outfit post is from one of my archives. I was supposed to blog this to showcase these awesome buckled wedges from Manels and at the same time, to finally share to you guys my room (well at least a part of it)! I wasn't able to blog about it right away but now is the time to do so!

Debut of my wall's green room and my cork board (says: Dream Big!), hats and necklaces

Now you know why I love shooting outdoors. My room is too small to decently set up a tripod and I just like my outfit shots outside better. Haha. So before I leave, I have a few things to share to you guys:

Buckled wedges courtesy of MANELS. Thanks!

Twiggy ripped top, Tassel necklace

 

1. F-STOP Updates, Port 88 Bazaar & Blogapalooza

You see, as I type this, I'm in the process of packing some shoes for the store. I'll be shipping them tomorrow and I'll be in the Port 88 Bazaar then (until Sunday) so I need to hustle and be done with these today. I also just finished uploading new designs online so check out F-STOP (Fashion Stop) for our new shoes in the SHOP ASIAN section.

F-STOP asian fashion shoes: packed and ready to ship!

Aside from new arrivals in the SHOP ASIAN section, I also have a new collection coming up for the SHOP VINTAGE segment of the store. If you go to the Port 88 Bazaar tomorrow, you'll definitely get the first dibs before I finally upload them. And what makes our booth special? I'm sharing it with blogger friends Aisa, Ana and Aie! I'm sure it will be so much fun!

The thing that I'm most excited about the store is that I'm finally opening a reselling program! A lot of people have asked if they can resell my SHOP ASIAN shoes and this time, I'm saying YES! It will take a couple of weeks though because I'm in the process of creating a separate website that is private and exclusive for F-STOP resellers.

For the first time, F-STOP will also sponsor and collaborate with a top blogger! I can't wait for her shoes to arrive so she can finally blog about them. Clue? She's a blonde young entrepreneur who also has her own fashion line that exists in most bloggers' closets!

Aisa, Ana and I will leave our booths for a few hours tomorrow because we're dropping by Blogapalooza! Thanks Sir Azrael and Vince for organizing this. I'm so excited to meet fellow bloggers and brand representatives. I wonder what surprises await us? *kilig much*

2. ETC's Match Airing Comeback!

During my idle hours, I watch a couple of TV series like Drop Dead Diva, True Blood, Pretty Little Liars, Nikita, Hell's Kitchen, Burn Notice and a few more. But since True Blood recently ended and the rest are either on a break or nearing its season finale, I'm so excited that new shows will air very soon! Gone are the days when the Philippines is waaay behind foreign TV series thank you to ETC's Match Airing programming.


They're bringing the newest seasons of Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, Glee, America's Next Top Model (All Stars) and a new show The Secret Circle! I may watch a lot of action and serious series like Dexter, Game of Thrones or National Geographic and documentaries but I'm still a girl and I can't give in to these shows. Excited much!