some polka dots i spotted...

It's been raining on and off this past month. But I'm not ready for rain yet! I don't want the summer to end because I haven't been to the beach! 

Today, we're leaving for a weekend at my friend W's beach house. So I certainly hope it doesn't rain the next 4 days. I don't want any umbrellas being opened up... even if they are polka-dotted!

Photo from pinkwallpaper.

Click here for previous posts from the Some Polka Dots I Spotted... series.

my pretend closet: L&S travel purse

Am still hung-over from our recent trip. And I realized I still haven't found the perfect travel purse. Over the years, I've experimented on my collection of purses - mostly the cross-body ones or the ones with handles long enough to hang from my shoulder. But none of them has proven to be the perfect travel purse. I brought my nylon Prada on our recent trip. It rained a couple of times so I was thankful for its water-resistant material. It was also lightweight and surprisingly roomy, allowing me to stuff 3 sets of hats, gloves & scarves, among my usual purse essentials. But searching for things inside it made me feel like a talent-less magician pulling out the oddest non-rabbit things from his hat. I must have unnecessarily panicked a million times, thinking my sunnies or camera was missing after wading through my bag's contents over and over. I did bring a bag organizer - used it during the flight to hold our passports, e-ticket, boarding passes, etc. But I felt it made my bag overly bulky that I took it out during our daily sight-seeing.

So I was ecstatic when I discovered the multiple compartments of the OG bag by Lo & Sons! It has a compartment for EVERYTHING!

Seriously. It has a padded pocket for a laptop, another padded pocket for a tablet, almost 10 other compartments (some zippered, some open)...

... including a pocket for shoes! Yes, shoes!

You can wear slip-on flats during the flight (so it's  easier to go through the x-ray inspection and more comfortable during the flight) then change into sneakers or oxfords with laces or heels when you land! I can also imagine packing a pair of heels in there while I go out & about during the day's sight-seeing then slip them on for dinner & drinks in the evening.

Watch this video of how you can pack all your carry-on essentials into the Lo & Sons OG bag.   

I also love the idea of the key leash! Is it obvious I dig through my purse often for my keys?

And what makes it the perfect purse for going through airports is its adjustable back panel that allows you to secure the bag over your trolley luggage's handle! 

And yes, its nylon material is water-resistant! No need to worry if it rains or if Shamu splashes water on you with his tail!

And despite the extreme functionality of this bag, it still looks stylish and chic! It isn't shown here but it also comes with a detachable messenger strap which I imagine will look effortlessly chic as the OG hangs from your shoulder and your arms can swing freely as you walk (vs. clipped like the leftmost photo below). 

I love that it's a structured bag. Slouchy bags just force you to dig through your purse to find your things (I talked about my Cole Haan crossbody here with several compartments that currently makes it the best-for-travel purse in my non-pretend closet. It is quite slouchy though so I still end up wading through the big compartments.). I also love how the OG's nylon material (and army green color) tone down the structured shape for casual travel days. 

Gosh, I so want to bring the army green one into my non-pretend closet, but sadly, it's still out of stock. The black one is in stock though and I am quite smitten with the lavender lining.

Plus, one of my fave blogs, http://homesuppliesset.blogspot.com/, is offering a 15% discount code in time for Mother's Day (you just need to have it shipped to a US address)!

But I really looove the army green version with the black leather trim (as you know from here, I am so drawn to this color but would prefer if the lining were pink as I posted here. Admittedly, the camel lining the army green OG actually comes with is pretty too)!

I've decided to sign up for the wait list for the slightly smaller OMG.

After all, I'm pretty tiny (5'1") and the OMG can also pack a whole lot of stuff!

Isn't it the perfect travel purse? 

Sadly, it has to stay in my pretend closet until it comes back in stock. Derek Lo of Lo & Sons did email that they "usually give a discount for those who are patient and wait". So for now, I will be patient and wait... :)

Photos from deliciouslyorganized and lo&sons.

Click here for previous posts from the My Pretend Closet series.   

it's always sunny in the Philippines!

Seriously. It's always sunny in the Philippines! Even when we are in a state of calamity because of flooding from these torrential rains. I love that the sunny disposition of Pinoys does not ever waver.

I guess it's perfect that the sun is part of the Philippine flag. And while Philippine History classes teach very different meanings to this symbol, I think they should add our sunny disposition to the list! It's no wonder we wait with smiles and good spirits until the sun rises again on Manila.

It warms my heart to hear about these nice words an American said about the Filipino people.

Aren't you proud to be Pinoy?

Photos from my Facebook news feed.

Click here for a post on how you can help out and show that Filipino spirit.

Color Obsession: red

With the state of calamity that Metro Manila and neighboring provinces are in, I am so thankful to the Philippine RED Cross for mobilizing and responding to the flood-stricken victims of this continuous southwest monsoon rains.

This RED campaign (am not sure if it's an actual campaign, but these are the cover photos on their home page, which, incidentally, looks much better than the American Red Cross site!) is pretty impressive and inspiRED.

As early as Tuesday, the PRC deployed these Amphibian vehicles to help people in need. They say these vehicles can carry about 5 tons of cargo and 34 passengers (including the operator).

According to ANC, count of affected families has reached over 267,000 as of today. And so I am so thankful for these RED-clad rescue teams.

The Philippine RED Cross also makes it so easy for us to help out! My village has been safe from flood so far, but neighbors say that the flood is waist-deep outside our village. So I am so glad I can still help out by simply texting RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 (Globe) or 4143 (Smart). You can donate in the following denominations:

Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

I love that there are really small denominations that even Isabella can make a donation! Other ways to donate can be found here.

Let's all do our part. Let's donate or volunteer and pray for the safety of our flood-stricken countrymen. And please, even if the curly fries in that RED carton is so tempting, please don't call for food delivery! Let's keep those delivery guys in RED (or orange) safe as well.  

Photos from redcross, here and here.

Click here for previous posts from the Color Obsession series. Click here for a previous post on a Color Obsession with RED.

rain, rain, go away

I hope the rain finally lets up...

... because I don't want another flood.

But if it doesn't stop raining...

... it's best to just stay indoors.

And on higher ground.

Stay safe on this dark & dreary day, everyone!

Photos from annnniegirl and sparklesandpretending.

Click here for the down-in-the-dots version of this post.

here comes the sun

According to the Inquirer here, Metro Manila sizzled to a sweltering 36.4 degrees Celsius today at 3pm - the new record-high for the capital this year.

So I thought of sharing one of my all-time favorite songs to cool you down. Ironically, it's about the sun. Originally by the Beatles, sung here by Colbie Caillat.

Photo from annnniegirl.

Noah says...

Sadly, the weather this week tends to lead to sick kids. Here's a snippet of a conversation I had with Noah when he was sick 2 years ago.

Me: "Noah, please drink your medicine so your fever will go away na."

Noah: "Where willet go?"

Me: "... Please! So your fever will go down."

Noah: "Willet go to my feet?"

More recently, when I got home from work on a day Noah had to skip school because he was coughing, I asked him if he was feeling better. Noah said he was feeling worse so I asked how he knew it was worse. "Because my cough is louder."

And another time, when I asked him how he was feeling, he answered, "I feel kawawa (woeful)." Awww, don't you moms just hate it when your kids are sick?

Hope the storm isn't causing sickness in your family! Stay safe!

Photo from here.

Click here for previous posts from the Noah Says series.