“Never say never“, that’s all I could think of when I contacted the seller of one of the bags I’ve been waiting for on Ebay. Just as I gave myself a lovely pat on the back before Valentine’s Day on how I managed not to buy a bag for myself in 2013, along came this tessuto robot tote!

(Photos from the seller)

I couldn’t believe the thumbnail that I saw when I was just lazily scrolling on a seller’s items. Again, due to limitations imposed by Ebay on sellers, the one selling this was restricted to include designer names/brands in her auction titles. But I knew right away what this bag was and it was ONE of the tessuto robot designs I’ve been looking for a long time (i.e. a Tessuto Robot 2 tote bag)! I previously posted about the other Tessuto Robot I have, which was a casualty in an unfortunate event. It was admittedly a botched DIY project and I dared not use the fabric dye, out of fear of utterly ruining it. So just imagine how happy I was upon seeing this green wonder!

(Photos from Rakuten)

There were few missing parts, though, particularly one of the keys in the left arm and the mouth of the robot itself. The other tessuto tote I have suffered from the same fate as well, with the robot’s right foot lost for quite some time already. But I was not surprised to see the mouth missing because unlike the other tessuto robot designs, this fellow had the sewn-in, rubber-y, heatstamped material, rather than a triangular and/or rectangular plaque present on the others. That, of course, is easily lost.

But there was something else odd with the seller’s photos: they looked quite weird and distorted. I checked her other auctions and noticed that all of the recently uploaded pictures were bulging in the middle. I was definitely sure that she had forgotten to turn the fish-eye effect off! LOL Nevertheless, I saw no red flags as the details, albeit quite distorted, match perfectly with the other one I already have (which was checked by the helpful Gwen from the PurseWatch two years ago). I can’t wait for it to arrive because I have waited a long time for another tessuto tote! =D

Just as I have suspected, the seller did not turn the fish-eye effect off! Now that I have received this Tessuto Robot 2, it was evident that the robot did not have a bloated body, unlike the original auction photos. It was exactly as I expected and a little bit more. I thought that it only had one key hand, but it actually has both keys still intact. I immediately looked inside the zipped pocket, hoping to see the removed heatstamped mouth inside, but it was just wishful thinking. =D

But what I was most happy about was this Prada trick keychain included with the bag! Back in Halloween, when I got the nylon backpack, I contemplated over having one of these  quirky tricks/charms to use on the D-ring. I couldn’t believe that it was just given for free! I loved that seller a lot! I was trying to decide what this gingerbread looking man was. A sailor? A nurse? Does it matter?LOL

I immediately recognized this little man because I remember looking at previous collections of Prada before and the Spring/Summer 2005 collection was accessorized with whimsical tricks. I think these were first made as brooches, attached on the lapels and front pockets, then eventually produced as keychains. I also like the airplane one attached on Racquel’s top.

(Photo from stylebistro.com)

I’m really delighted over this trick because it is extremely adorable! I can even attach it to my other bags for that added touch of playfulness in my otherwise stern-looking briefcases and messengers. It is my brightest bag yet and will fit nicely with the upcoming (or should I say, already happening) summer season!

And its first act was also something green. I have lots of empty PET bottles in the office and I don’t throw them out in the bin as much as possible. We also collect these things at home and bring them weekly to an area where they will be recycled. However, I was too lazy to bring them all home and my nephew even criticized me for not doing so. Since I already have a backpack with me, I decided to use the tessuto tote just once as an eco-bag for these PET bottles. =D

I had reservations before in using a tessuto robot tote, but the advent of eco-bag usage in Metro Manila recently will not make my tote look out of place! LOL I’ll just call it my more-flamboyant-than-usual-eco-bag

I’m really thankful for the eco-bag trend (which I really hope to be a fixture) now because I can now carry tote bags like this without looking like a sore thumb. I had reservations before, but almost everybody in the streets are now carrying at least one extra bag for miscellaneous things. With this bag’s back in the front, it really does look like something you can find in SM or any supermarket to carry your stuff around. =D Plus, I’ve been doing my best to carry less heavy bags for my shoulders’ sake.

Today marks the first month since the birth of Bommie’s little kitties! I always look forward to seeing new pictures and videos of the kittens playing, even if I still have to see them in person. Faye commented that they were looking good, and it was evident that the three were well taken care of. They are also now almost capable of getting out of their box!

As you can see from the video above, they were a playful bunch, with the youngest (Miso) as the most energetic of the three. She was not too afraid to take her older brother down, even if Popo was quite bigger than her. =D As for the camera-loving Uyu, he was too busy playing by their mother’s back to meddle with the playful fight of his siblings.

Mon and I both agreed that we will have Bommie spayed by April or May. As much as his family had significantly warmed up to the idea of having the cats in their house (or even pets in general), having another litter in the coming months might be too much for them. Besides, we don’t want to endanger Bommie’s health as well due to nutrient and mineral deficiency brought up by frequent pregnancies.

I also thought of having my dog, Sophie, spayed but as she doesn’t even go outside the house unlike cats, there would be no need for that. She only got pregnant once and out of the seven pups, we kept the youngest one (Miriam). I wanted to adopt one of Bommie’s kittens but I don’t think everyone in the house will agree, particularly my mother. We used to have dogs and cats together in the late 1990s up to the early 2000s (dogs: Rasha and Kimmy, cats: Moja and Crookshanks — all resting in peace, I miss you all, my loves) and they all got along very well. But as Sophie seemed so determined to prove we have no need for cats because she also catches mice as much as her chubby body will allow her, whenever she sees one. LOL

Anyway, Sophie can’t seem to catch all kinds of mice and I think Mama will eventually be amenable to another pet in the house. I don’t know which one of the three I would get if I were given the chance, but as Mon’s mom has gotten so fond of Uyu (which she fondly calls ‘Tisoy‘, short for mestizo), I might end getting Popo or the energetic Miso. =D

Friday is wash day but I still ended up wearing these pants again instead of jeans. I think it looks good with this leather mailbag and it was as far as I can do to be color-coordinated. It rain when I was already in the shuttle, though, and I was really worried because I was wearing suede shoes! LOL

Mon and his teammate, Joselle, will be both celebrating their birthdays in Sunday. In connection to this, his team decided to throw a mini-kiddie party, complete with a chocolate fountain and hotdogs on a stick most especially. Even if there were already a lot of us inside the pantry, we still ahd a hard time finishing everything. Well, most were girls and they eat relatively less ravenous than the boys so that was slightly expected.

I stopped eating rice for dinner since Tuesday  and Faye has stopped eating some since… I don’t exactly know when. LOL Most of the people I was with inside the pantry were the “jogging bunch”, diligently getting their cardio fix before the day ends. I also wanted to join them but I am too lazy to bring workout clothes in the office. Excuses, I know. But I do my own share of exercise at home too!

I haven’t posted anything in days even if I wanted to. I was so preoccupied with fixing photos and prepping the items I’d be selling on Ebay. I decided to finally start selling internationally and hoping against all odds not to have an unpleasant experience in doing so. But of course, Ebay has been teeming with lots of scammers (yes, some buyers are scammers too!), I’ve been extra cautious.

Anyway, we will be finally going to Ilocos Norte today and I was just waiting for Mon to arrive at our house before we leave. It took me several hours to make up my mind what to bring in what would possibly be the longest bus ride of my life! If I’m not mistaken, the trip will take almost 10 hours! When we went to Zambales last September, the trip one way was about 8 hours and I had a constant case of “Are we there yet?” for each latter half of the trip.

I’m so excited to go to Pagudpud and also to swim in a river! I Just realized that I only have a pair of board shorts since I don’t really go to the beach a lot, so my gray and white pair will have a repeat performance again. =D I had to prevent myself from constantly packing unnecessary  things I won’t be using (i.e. clothes) but I think I had it easier now than our last trip (to Seoul, where I brought lots of junk).

It was hard to leave the tripod behind, even if it could no longer fit into the luggage bag. I wanted to take good pictures of our trip, and I don’t have the most stable camera hands to yield non-out-of-focus shots. I would just have to carry it freely because I also wanted to try photographing the night sky, free from light pollution!

We will arrive tomorrow at around 6:00 AM in Laoag and we will be staying there until Tuesday night. Most of Mon’s family are already there, and I can’t wait to see the place where he grew up. Manila, see you on Wednesday! =D

Following the previous day’s madness, I was able to get a very good night sleep and recuperated enough energy for the day ahead. But since we did not have anything special for the day, except for the graduation party of Mon’s cousin later that afternoon, it was the perfect opportunity to drop by the public market to buy a few things Ilocos was famous for.

So after a quick breakfast, Mon and I took the trike to the market and went straight to the second floor and looked for his grandma’s suki. I was excited to finally see a pile of bagnet on the table, but it was a bit pricey. At Php 440 a kilo, I only bought half a kilo. LOL On the other hand, I bought a kilo and a half of longganisa, which was still a bit few because I was worried to carry heavy items on our way back to Manila.

I also spotted this little kitty, lurking beneath the table and she immediately reminded us of our Miso. =D We also had to buy a bouquet of flowers and a lanyard for the graduate.

We went home around 12:00 noon just to eat some food because we had to go to the graduation party of Mon’s cousin. The party started late, though, because the graduation rites finished almost two hours overdue. Nevertheless, we headed to the third floor of a building somewhere in the city centre, and I was happy to see people arriving one by one. I took lots of photos of their friends and relatives that I had little picture of myself. I even had no picture with Mon and I together. 

After the party, before dinner time, Mon and I went to the supermarket just to buy snacks for the following day’s activities! Lots and lots of junk food and juice drinks were shoved into our mini-cart, but I was still comforted by the idea that there will be about nine of us eating them. Going home, we did not take the trike but a kalesa instead — it was my first kalesa ride ever!

After resting for an hour, Mon took me to the the plaza to see the city center at night. When I first saw the place yesterday, I was in awe of how beautifully landscaped it was. But at night, it was amazing! The lights gave it a very dramatic vibe and immediately asked myself: “Am I really in the Philippines?“

As we were still relatively full from the party, we just bought a couple of empanadas from a corner of food stalls near the city capitol. They were nice but not as good as the bunch we bought from Batac the previous day. Tomorrow will be our last day in Ilocos and I cannot wait to finally see the Bangui WIndmills and swim in Pagudpud.

It’s Easter today and my mother was very kind enough to give me a rack for my bags. She thought my room could have a bit of organization with all of my bags in a single place. Well, it was very sweet but I still have some of my bags inside a plastic container. The rack just won’t hold up all of them. I’m in the process of selling some of them off on Ebay, together with the other things I managed to sell internationally.

After lunch, I went to the Marikina Public Market to buy materials I would be needing to ship the items. I found everything perfectly fine, except for some bubble wrap. The ones I found were on a ready-made padded envelope, and I was thinking more of the ones sold per yard. I will most probably be going to National Bookstore tomorrow to buy them, before heading to the Makati Post Office.

When I got home, I was really cautious not to further wrinkle the felt cloth that I’ve bought. I managed to get two kinds of cloth: the white one for the Ebay items and the black one for my own bags. I’ve been hoping to make dust bags for some of them, because they had none when I first bought them online. I was really happy I bought my mother a sewing machine because, ahem, I would no longer have to hand sew a lot of things, which I painstakingly did for a dust bag of an extra large tote bag. =D

Save for minor interruptions, I had no trouble with the Brother BM-2600 sewing machine and I was able to sew eight white felt cloth containers in just an hour. I was only able to use about half of the three yards I bought and I have honestly miscalculated because two of the garments need dust bags with the same capacity as the others. I still don’t know how they would hold up during the shipping, so I really need to buy bubble wrap to make sure they will arrive fine to the buyers. The last time I have shipped internationally, it was for two Gucci bags bound for Australia and the buyer got them within four working days. I am honestly very nervous of this new venture but I know deep inside that I have to get over my fear of international shipping if I were to successfully sell globally.

As for the black ones, they took a much longer time to be made because I had to attach velcro to make sure they would snugly close. I only managed to make two, which were for the ‘quite sensitive’ to humidity bags. The one for the Mulberry was not perfect, but it was still acceptable; but for the Coach one, the dust bag fits like a glove. =D If I have more time next week, I will be doing more for my other bags.

On a different note, it was bittersweet seeing the buyers send the payment to my PayPal account. A lot of them has sent payment within the day, but since I’m a new seller on Ebay.com, PayPal would have to hold my funds for 21 days. What does it mean to me? It means that I would have to shoulder first the shipping of all the items tomorrow and hope to the highest heavens that the buyers will like the item because I don’t want to be traumatized this early. Oh well, at least most of the items got sold and I will hopefully get a good selling history soon. Patience. Be good to me April, my birthday month! =D

On Fridays, we are allowed to wear jeans but I still opted to wear black pants because my beloved pair of jeans is still yet to be laundered. However, I was more keen to use this printed shirt with the robot bag because they both have the capacity to make me look, errrr, younger. LOL

I’ve been using a lot of canvas and nylon bags lately, and even if I hate to admit it, I’m also kind of getting over my love of heavy leather bags. Under the summer heat, I prefer not to lug around a heavy luggage and anything non-leather makes my life easier. But in a month or so, summer will be up soon, and rainy season won’t be too kind as well. I have been looking at a functional bag on Ebay, from a brand I have never owned before. And that was when I saw this Porter by Yoshida Freestyle 2 Way briefcase bag.

(Photo from the Ebay seller)

Technically, I’ve been seeing this bag listed on Ebay since last year, and I kept on having tentative decisions whether I should just go for it or not. The first thing that put me off was the color. It it were on a happier color (i.e. red or even blue) or anything neutral other than black (preferably camel), I would have definitely gotten it in a snap. But as I already have a lot of black bags, common sense tells me that I don’t need another bag in black. Frankly, I’ve been trying to get rid of some of my bags by selling them online, but things are not going as fast as I’ve originally hoped. I’m really determined to downsize my stuff this year, given that I will be working in another sector where I need more discreet and less recognizable items to use. This Porter by Yoshida bag perfectly fits the bill. Discreet – check, functional – check, weatherproof – check; so what am I waiting for? The seller.

I’m still waiting for the seller’s reply. I remember haggling for the price way back in February but I have completely forgotten about asking. And then I thought of checking if the bag is still available, and saw that the seller had actually answered my request. It has been almost three months since that reply, and I’m still hoping that the offer still stands. I think i’m getting an extremely good deal over it at Php 1,500 total, especially the same bag is sold for US$ 500 on BLACKBIRD, and for US$ 603.25 of Ebay.com! The item looks leather-y but it is actually polyurethane-coated canvas, making it  really durable against the elements. Of course, I’m just justifying this purchase again with all my reasoning might. =D

“Black is beautiful, but too much black is charcoal” — that was the tongue-in-cheek saying I immediately thought of upon receiving the Porter by Yoshida Company bag on the mail yesterday. I already have eight black bags but it did not prevent me from getting this briefcase/messenger bag. I was really happy because the bag was lightweight and both the straps and rolled handles are comfortable on my shoulders. The coated canvas gives off a leathery finish on pictures, but I guess it will hold up really well under the heavy rains.

Anyway, on my way to work today, I dropped by the Handyman store in Farmers Plaza to buy locks and bolts for the apartment we will be renting starting in June. I found the aisle dedicated to these items and I had a great time choosing what should be used to secure our apartment. At first, I was just looking for a traditional door knob but I remember Mon describing an alternative. He was not able to give its exact name but when I saw the ‘deadbolt lock’, I immediately sent him a photo to ask if it was what he had described.  I subsequently bought approximately Php 900-worth of items, which we would be giving to the landlady so that they will be installed during the repainting of the unit.

Speaking of repainting, I wanted to have the unit’s paint changed from yellow to at least off-white, just like what I’ve mentioned in my previous post. The unit is due to be repaired/renovated for occupation this weekend, so I also asked the landlady if she could have it repainted and I will just pay for the extra cost. I wanted off-white because that is the color of our walls in our house, so the color scheme is a piece of home away from home. So during dinner break, Faye accompanied Mon and me to the apartment . We needed to give out the locks to the landlady, and I also had to measure the floor area so we can proceed in deciding what pieces of furniture to purchase/bring. I know that I should have brought a retractable measuring tape, instead of the one made for human/fabric measurements because my hands were a bit dirty as the place was still quite dusty. It was an oddly-shaped studio apartment (well, at least the area excluding the bathroom), so I have drawn a rough sketch on paper of the floor area to facilitate measurement.

When I got there, my immediate decision was to use inches instead of centimeter. I normally use inch-foot when measuring bags and clothing, but I usually resort to centimeter-meter when measuring space or floor area. SO I had no idea why I immediately jumped the gun on inches, when centimeters could have given me a more accurate measurement, especially I needed every single space I could measure. Well, no good crying over spilled milk so I would just have to live with the measurement I have made.

From the sketch, I have generated this floor plan of the unit with approximate measurements of every single side of the polygon. The total floor area is 115.50 ft²! It was not much but I see it as a challenge.  I’m not big in interior decoration as I never had the chance to foray into tinkering whatever it is that we have in our house. But honestly, I see the limited as an opportunity and I was greatly inspired by this “IKEA Small Spaces – Small ideas” video.

I love the idea of maximizing every bit of space available, and having items with multiple functions. What worries me the most is the amount of clothing, shoes and bag I have. I’ve been doing a mental inventory and selection of what items I will be bringing with me; and as much as I have pared down that list, I still could not think of how I will manage to properly fit them in the unit. We will be going to the Makati malls on weekend, and I look forward to seeing possible options for the bed and closet (if we will be getting one). I think our work would be easier because we have the floor plan with us. I just  hope we’ll find a decently-price sofa bed because that is the whole point of moving from Marikina to Makati —to have a decent sleep!

One of the first things I have brought inside the apartment was a full-length mirror — something I did not have in our house in Marikina. As we still do not have a closet, all of our clothes are still to be taken out of  our luggages and bags. We also do not have a flat iron, so we just resorted to the old ‘pagpag-and-hagod’ method to sort out wrinkles.

Last Friday, I was shocked to see that an item sent via Registered Mail, which I thought to have been lost in transit to a buyer in Netherlands, suddenly showed up as “Item Delivered” in PhilPost’s online tracking. It has been almost a month since I sent the item and as the online tracking was under maintenance for weeks already, I was left with no choice but to refund the buyer. My mistake because I was too quick to refund her without waiting for Ebay to do so. Maybe I just wanted the whole thing to be over, and I was counting on the buyer’s honesty that she would return my funds back to my PayPal account once she gets the bag. Of course, I was wrong and naïve.

My initial reaction was to dispute the case, but as it was already past the 45-day period to open an appeal, I was left with no other choice but to contact the buyer directly. In my email, I have informed her about the online tracking showing delivery, and if it was okay, she could send my money back OR return my item because I cannot NOT have both the funds and the bag. I gave her 24 hours to reply because we live in different time zones, and maybe she was busy with something. Then when I received her reply, she mentioned that she was preoccupied (for three weeks, huh?), that was why she was unable to give a feedback about the bag. The catch was, she did not like the bag because it was too small, has several scratches and the leather was stiff. Hmmm… I have disclosed all information in the auction description so I did not get why she was just telling me that when I already contacted her. As a buyer myself, my initial reaction would be to immediately contact the seller and inform her my dissatisfaction. So why wait for 20 days to react? I guess somebody wanted a free bag.

The worst thing about her reply was she was short of asking money from me so that she can send my item back. The auction description clearly mentioned that in cases of return, the buyer has to pay for return shipping. It was fair enough, considering that as Ebay and PayPal have a 21-day hold on my received funds, I have taken the shipping fee to Netherlands out of my own pocket. Therefor, it was unjust tht I shell out money just to get my bag back.

She did not bother replying until I gave her an implied warning about her school hearing from me, and discussing in full details about her fraudulent online activities. I managed to contact another seller from Slovenia, who received a negative feedback from her on May 5, 2013. I found it too hard to believe that she was busy to inform me of her dissatisfaction, yet she managed to give that poor seller a negative feedback three days after receiving my bag. I think her school administrator would not be too pleased to hear that they are employing a teacher with questionable morals in their school.

I think she got scared after that stern warning, as I flat out told her that all that hassle was not worth it — all of that for a bag. So in the end, she ended up shouldering the return shipping and eventually sent the item back to me. However, she did not mark the item as a “Returned Merchandise” and I have a feeling I will end up paying custom fees for a returned item. In my return policy, I have specified to send the item with the original packaging, but apparently, this seller was intent in keeping a bag and thought she got away after not hearing from me since May 2. What a devious buyer.

Moral of the story? Do not use Registered Mail because it takes forever. I am now using International Express Mail Service (IEMS) from PhilPost, and even if it was slightly more expensive, the 3-5 working days delivery time would surely be more favorable against impatient overseas buyer. For instance, a 500g parcel sent to US via Registered Mail cost Php 885 (and Php 1,770 once it passes the 500g mark), while a similar weight via IEMS cost me Php 1,409 (and Php 1,853 if more than 500g). PhilPost’s website is also updated with the fee, and they have the rates printed and inside a clear book so they are definitely accurate. (See link: http://philpost.gov.ph/web/international-mail-rates/) Well, the new batch of items I have sent via IEMS should be received by early next week, but my first experience of IEMS years ago was pleasant. I do hope that my funds get released earlier than the expected 21-day holding period because shipping via IEMS was no dime a dozen!

P.S.

Mama, Kuya and Ate Ja visited our apartment today, and I was so happy they thought our unit was fair enough! ^_^

My friend Ikle is back in the Philippines for a very short stay to get some things done (well, quite literally). He has to go back to China this Saturday, but he had to drop by our apartment in Makati to have lunch with me as we won’t be seeing each other until Christmas. The other day, he told me that he was in a salon to finally get his hair back to its original color. I can’t remember when was the last time his hair was black, but when I graduated in 2007, his hair had always been non-black It was a very nice transformation as the hair looked healthier than before. However, we must immediately recognize that the color and style was a dead ringer of a 90s Japanese anime villain. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Android No. 17:

Serving Android No. 17 realness

I initially thought of Rihanna’s hairstyle circa 2007 (i.e. Umbrella era), but we nevertheless had a good laugh over the creamy garlic pasta with chicken that I prepared (Mon was out when Ikle arrived). Our chat got cut short, though, because he had a 1:00 PM doctor’s appointment somewhere in Makati. We then took a photo using his phone, as a souvenir until we see each other again about a month from now. However, I laughed so hard being unable to recognize myself with the filter he had used. A lot of Chinese people were apparently a bit heavy-handed with these apps that made them, well, look like a walking Photoshop’s Blur function. Observe the difference:

Before.  I think this one has a light filter to begin with. My skin does not look remotely pore-free like that. (On a different note, notice that we already have our miniature Christmas tree behind? ^_^)

And after. Not a single flaw detected and my skin looked almost porcelain white. I’m flawless!!! LOL

Kidding aside, it was really good to see Ikle before he leaves the country this weekend. But on a happier note, this newly black-haired stork brought in a blue baby. And no, I’m not pertaining to a cyanotic infant, rather a bag in a color and material I never even dared to carry: blue denim. It was a Mulberry Tillie in Washed Denim!

Mulberry Tillie in Washed Denim

Fob and serial number

It was a long story how he got this bag and I had to completely guide and coach him on what to specifically look for to make sure that he’s getting the real deal. From the lining, the fob, the hardware engraving to the serial number, the works. Better be safe than sorry because I was not personally inspecting the item. I’m not too sure if it was for me — but I’m not going to say ‘No’ to it anyway. It was rugged and ‘sweet‘ (imagine me, sweet?), with the denim material needing a bit of cleaning, but all the leather parts and trimmings were in very good condition. I did a little polishing of the trompe l’oeil hardware in front, but I regret doing it afterwards. I think it looked much better less pristine, or maybe I am just used to carrying neutral, structured bags a lot. Also, it was not the oversized one and I usually lug bigger bags. However, I’ve been trying not to carry a lot lately because, as it turned out, I already have a minor dextroscoliosis.

Mulberry Tillie in Washed Denim from the Spring Summer 2011 runway show

Lindsey Wixson in the Mulberry Spring Summer 2011 campaign with the Tillie

And of course, my favorite Mulberry girl had to be in the campaign more than three years ago with the same bag. It might not look like it, but the bag was surprisingly heavy. Maybe it was because of the abundance of hardware from all fronts that counteracted the lightweight denim material to cunningly tip the scale. For the moment, let’s see what use I’ll have for it. It was a tad bigger than the olive green messenger I already have, but this bag is so open that I fear that I’d be a walking target for pickpockets. So I guess my original plan of making it look more rugged than usual will definitely do the trick. Anyway, thank you so much Ikle for this and I’ll see you very soon! =D

Not so long ago, I wrote about a project I wanted to embark upon. But who am I kidding? It happened more than two years ago as I even wrote about it after I finished with my comprehensive examinations. I worked from home today because I had a follow-up medical check-up with my doctor in Marikina. I thought that I might as well drop by the leather supplies stores again since I was already in the area.

(Sorry for the bad quality photos, as I have mistakenly left my digital camera in the apartment. I had also forgotten my HMO card and it was almost a disaster. Good thing I have my account number listed on my phone.)

Marikina Clock Tower

That’s one big patent footwear — a shoe automobile!

After I had my chest X-ray taken, I beelined to Marikina Public Market to first eat my lunch before I look for my leathercraft tools. First impression: I MISSED THIS PLACE. This area is where I spent my high school years and I felt happy seeing throngs of students fooling around the Freedom Park. It was very much alive as ever. Some of the old stores were still there, but I noticed that there was one big elaborate structure under construction behind the flower stalls. There also lots of tiangge stalls, mostly selling leather goods, and the giant shoe automobile was placed near the entrance. Make no mistake as it is a working piece of hilarity. I had once traveled beside it on my way home from the mall and people were pointing bemusedly at it. It was very hard not to miss.

While walking, I had a realization. There I was, beneath an overcast sky looking for leathercraft materials. About a decade and a half ago, I had once contemplated that I would choose leathercraft class if I were not selected for the star section. You see, back in the day in my ol’ high school (which is currently the city’s science high school), we had six sections per year. Our sections were initially assigned through an entrance exam and I fortunately got in the first section. For the second year, we were to be ranked again to determine our section. I am not too sure on how the students from second to sixth sections were decided, but I was certain that the first 26 girls and 26 boys were already sure for the first section on their second until fourth year — classmates from second year until we graduate. I am willing to bet that I had most probably ranked as the 26th boy, as I remember my Mathematics grades were not up to par and I was always at the brink of an “axe” (i.e. palakol, that is a line of 7). We were also supposed to maintain an average grade of 85%.

Anyway, for the students from the section two to sixth, they would be reshuffled again on their third year and each section would be assigned a different ‘shop’ to do until their fourth year. While the first section was given extra coursework on Science (Environmental Science, two Physics, two Chemistry), Mathematics (Analytic Geometry, Calculus, Advanced Algebra) and research, the other sections would have (for the boys) leathercraft, 2 sections for electricity, woodworking and welding. For the girls, they had two sections for home economics, dressmaking, culinary and another one I already forgot. I can’t fully remember how this was done, but if I am not mistaken, they had drawn lots to determine what their shop would be. As our section labor our way through Math & Science, the others spent about four hours doing those subjects.

This digital clock used to be a statue of a man washing a kid’s behind

Even before the end of our first year, I had already feared not being in the first section because I cannot imagine doing any of those non-Math & Science courses. But I was a worrywart by nature and I was already thinking that if I were to be kicked out of the section, I’d hopefully pick leathercraft. I did not see myself doing either electricity, woodworking nor welding. They were too masculine for me. =D So I had my eyes set on leathercraft if ever because I admired the grace, dexterity and craftmanship done by people from my city. Being in the first section did not exempt us from Home Economics classes though, and we still had stitching projects that I had sloppily executed.

The photo above with the digital clock with a shoe sculpture on top of it used to be a statue of a man washing a kid’s but after the latter took a dump. The statue is now located in front of the Marikina City Health Office. Meanwhile, the clock above was in front of Snow White. This is the place to go whenever you need anything for your usual craft needs. I needed big needles for saddle stitching and I was able to buy 4 needles at Php 8.00 each. I even got to briefly chat with the owner, and I commented that I used to frequent their store back in high school. According to him, they are already 60 years this year. Wow. Imagine how many student projects their store had already served.

Leather swatches

Caveat: horrible sales personnel!

For the important tools, it took me a long time to find this store in the market. I had my GPS on in my phone but I still wandered aimlessly looking for the store. I’ve spent nearly 30 minutes walking the the streets and I even reached the Marikina bridge but to no avail. On my last try, I was finally able to find the store. Noticed that I’ve been trying not to disclose its name for the last four sentences? Well, it so happened that the first sales personnel was a prick. I’m not going to promote their store. Too bad because they have quite an assortment of tools and supplies, and unless I need to buy more tools, I won’t be going back there.  Being totally green, I was carefully deciding and asking because I needed to make sure I’d get the right tools and materials. He was obviously too busy attending to another customer, but managed to give the price for the heavy-duty thread I’ve been looking for. When another personnel asked for what I need, she gave another price, so I said that the other guy said a lower price. When I clarified this, this prick went sarcastic and obnoxious towards me and it irked me so much, even if I were holding my tongue so as not to retort. Needless to say, I lectured him off about sarcasm and there was no need to give me an attitude when I was just asking. Who in the right mind would say “Baka iba ang kausap mo, wala akong sinasabing ganun” (Maybe you were talking to somebody else, I did not say such thing), complete with an annoying smirk.  I was not in the right mood to receive such crassness, having walked for 30 minutes looking for their store. Good thing that the lady was way nicer and patiently answered my questions. I did my homework prior to buying, but it won’t hurt to ask for clarifications.

I got a couple of the basic tools that I needed, and I hoped to buy some leather for practice. This was the part I was not ready for, because I thought that you could buy at least three square foot of leather. Each of the leather swatches has a price behind it, and I was shocked to hear that you have to buy the whole piece. Walang tingi. The lowest price for an acceptable split leather I saw was Php 90/square foot. Then I was informed that it was around 25 square feet, and a quick calculation on my phone indicated that it was for Php 3,870. Oh dear, I was not prepared to pay for that, especially as I would be beginning to learn saddle stitching. I looked at the other stores, but I was disappointed that most of them were selling synthetic materials. All along I thought that they all have genuine leather for sale.

Synthetic leather swatches

After a short deliberation, I have decided that for practice, I can just buy a secondhand leather belt from a thriftstore. I found a black leather belt for Php 30, whose stitch I can remove to practice on the holes. Mama had a laugh when she saw that I was really serious about this whole leathercraft thing, seeing that I even have a small hammer and heavy pair of scissors just for practice. There were no beeswax, though, so I’ll use cubes of paraffin wax instead. They also do not have diamond-shaped awls, but a standard round one.

The basic tools: thread, paraffin wax, needles, hammer, stitch marker, scissors and awl

After practicing on a belt, I will definitely be working on a whole piece of tanned leather. I need to look for a store to buy some, other than the one above. I currently have my eyes on the stores on the other side of the Marikina bridge that I’ve been seeing every weekend on my way back to Makati. Hopefully, the people there are more accommodating and personable. I can’t wait to open Al Stohlman’s books again and finally start using my tools and materials. I consider his book “The Art of Hand Sewing Leather” a bible because it was very detailed and inspiring, especially the explanation on saddle stitch. Too bad I do not have any stitching pony to use, but hopefully I could have one made to help in my stitching. My ultimate project would be to make a top handle tote, messenger and backpack in one!

We  saw Mockingjay Part 1 last Sunday and on our way home, I finally got up close the display window of Rustan’s Makati. They undoubtedly have the best windows and they periodically change them after a couple of months. However, they always reserve the best decoration for December. This year, it looked like an enchanted winter forest that is very Tim Walker (a.k.a. Mr. Fairy Tale Fantasy) meets Narnia. Of course, Tim Walker is well-known for photographing very whimsical spreads and campaigns. However, what I do not like about these was the fact that you can no longer see the clothes. The branches by the glass were too busy or had they reduced the sides for about a foot each, it would have been much better. I still get envious of all the Ayala Avenue people because they have better Christmas decorations, compared to the bleak and sparsely decorated area of McKinley Hill. Do they know it’s Christmas? LOL Yes, I’m really claiming the Holiday Season this year, and I’m as giddy as my niece Brianna seeing glittering decors and blinking Christmas lights.

Christmas 2014 display window of Rustan’s Makati

And from high-end to something more accessible, we visited Makati Cinema Square to look for something I can wear for our company’s year-end party this Saturday. Our lovely colleagues chose bohemian as this year’s theme, and they can’t even be bothered putting an accent grave in bohème. Pfffft. A year ago, it was supposedly The Roaring Twenties (The Great Gatsby), which I thought was offensive and tacky in the wake of Yolanda’s destruction in Central Visayas. How can you celebrate and push for the opulence of the flapper period, when the devastation left behind was too overwhelming to behold? Good thing we did not push through with the party and that was a classy call. We also previously had a fashion ball (where I wore a T-shirt LOL), a masquerade, a Filipiniana and some other themes I already forgot.

I was a bit sidetracked with my quest, though, because there was one book in BookSale’s display window that caught my eye. I saw Edmonde Charles-Roux’s biography ‘Chanel and her world‘. I quickly inspected the copy and it was in a very good condition. One of the salespeople saw me inspecting it and he then presented Jane Schaffer’s handy book for accessories design to interest me. This one is a good update on Stohlman’s leather techniques, and it even has a idiot-proof manner of presenting each chapters. However, I still had to leave it at that to look for a shirt I can use for the event.

Two books from BookSale: Jane Schaffer’s ‘Fashion design course: Accessories’ and Edmonde Charles-Roux’s ‘Chanel and her world’

When you think of bohemian, bright colors, patterns and layering immediately spring to mind. But as I’m not big on any of these three, I’ll be doing only neutrals – black, white and/or brown. The photo below is basically an inspiration – minimal, not busy and no loud prints nor colors. I also wanted a linen or any natural fiber material so I was hoping I can find one. To my surprise, I saw the shoulder of the shirt on the rack and I was excited to see that the material was what I was exactly looking for. It cost me Php 200, which is quite pricey for an ukay item, but as we were already pressed for time, I thought it was more time-efficient to just get over it.

Very laidback from Hermes Men’s Spring Summer 2014

Linen shirt with print on the neckline

For the pants, something straight from my closet — just a pair of black pants I have never used in months because it was already worn out. I cannot afford to buy a new one just for this party. The times have changed and people change too. =) For the footwear, I had to dust off an old pair of Ann Demeulemeester suede lace-up sandals. It was unceremoniously stored and the leather lining by the ankles was flaking a bit. I had to clean it and carefully brush the nap because it was quite dusty. I wear leather sandals very infrequently as I usually wear flip flops in my off days. And this particular pair is, well, a bit jinxed. Whenever I attempt to wear it, it rains so hard that I’d look stupid donning suede sandals.

Welcome back to my consciousness

So my monochromatic ideal is all set and I’ve managed to assemble a minimal look from head to toe without breaking the bank. As for the bag, well, this is where I’d allow myself a bit of playfulness. I’ll be conjuring a look from almost half a decade ago — fox tail bag charms! I usually say this a lot, but time really flies so fast. I had to visit looks from Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2010 to see how the tails were affixed on the bags. First of all, most of the bags were big, slouchy and saddle-shaped messengers. I think I can use a Saumur 35 for that.

Inspiration – fox tail bag charms

I saw a fox tail cheaply sold online and it was the best that I could find. A black and white one would have been better, but it might appear a bit skunky. The one from the runway has leather tassels but I don’t have time to make my own version because I’m more busy with my leather tote project. Besides, the spare leather hide is in Marikina and I only have the parts I had previously cut with me in the apartment. For the record, the seller advertised the tail as real fur. It even has some sort of photo evidence of what the tail looked inside i.e. real skin. However, I’ve noticed that the product itself is just faux fur. I was relieved to check when it finally arrived and my instinct was correct. No foxes were harmed in making this bag charm.

Saumur 35 with a fox tail charm

Trying the bag with the fox tail. Pardon the barefoot LOL

And after all of these, I still fear for Saturday’s weather, not because it will ruin my outfit but there’s a supertyphoon entering the country this weekend. The same Yolanda-hit area would receive the first blow, and last year’s disaster was still quite traumatic. All the best for all of us.

I first started doing the bag in November 25, and unsurprisingly, it took me a very long time to finish it. Aside from the lack of time to stitch, I kept on changing my mind on its details. Granted that it was designed with simple and clean lines, I must also be very sure with […]
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