WHEN 36 DEGREES ISN'T ENOUGH

Last weekend, my sister and I finally headed down south for that much needed weekend just worshiping the sun and getting ourselves toasted in 36 degrees heat.  

(Relaxing day at the beach with these stylish and preppy swim trunks from Tommy Hilfiger)

No, we did not pack up our L.L. Bean tote but guess what, there is always our trusty J. Crew Kelly green tote and tracks from Vampire Weekend and Two Door Cinema Club to keep us bouncy whole weekend.

 

(Here's what I packed with me:  J. Crew Kelly green tote, espadrilles and my trusty straw hat from Florence)

(And yes,  here's what I wore to the beach: Purple trunks from Speedo, Espadrilles, white linen shirt, preppy nato straps and leather bracelet from Guam - a gift from my officemate)

BASIC MATTER 37: THAT PERFECT CITY BAG

Now that I’m a year older, I have finally replaced my huge bags to simpler ones from Jack Spade, LL Bean and Porter.

I choose not to panic. And, honestly, I'm not panicking.


(The Facteur is available in a range of colors and can be found at Garbstore and Oki-Ni.)

Yes, 22 bags wrapped and all compulsively stored, hoping my sister won’t spot them.

However, (don’t stop me please) I again have spotted the perfect city bag with more easy to use side compartments and with a fully adjustable shoulder strap and easy release.

Classic and timeless, the Facteur by Veja is crafted from organic cotton grown by a co-operative of producers in the Northeast of Brazil.



Their bags are crafted from organic cotton, grown using the agro-ecology method which bans the use of chemicals and pesticides. Even their leather are tanned using extracts from the Acacia plant, a natural and pollutant free alternative.



I just need to have one of these! A post birthday gift is always a welcome treat.

JUST BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY AND I CAN....

Wrap myself in fabric at the fabric shop, have an afternoon tea party with tables filled with cupcakes...




...repaint my apartment, pop balloons, shop for more loafers and dress shirts to fill my closet, shop online for more plaid shirts at Steven Alan, A tote from L.L Bean and thank everyone for the overwhelming birthday wishes.

What better way to start a new day than a video from the Windmill Club’s S/S ’10

The Windmill Club SS 2010 from Buffalo Picture House on Vimeo.

BASIC MATTER 12: L.L. BEAN BOAT BAG

I’ve had my L.L. Bean boat bag for six years now. Nothing fancy though but it does the trick of carrying a lot from notebooks to paint brushes, paint canvas, a mini easel, my moleskines and magazines maximizing a lot into one bag and can be suspended over my shoulder rather than having plastic cutting into my fingers.



Despite getting a lot of strange looks from the public, they’re also excellent for those Salcedo/ Legaspi Village weekend market shopping excursions too.


Superior Labor Paint Tote Bag and Port Canvas Clipper Bag from Utility Coop

Aside from L.L. Bean, I’ve also discovered pages and pages of work wear and totes at the Japanese shop Utility Coop. When in the U.S., you can also find great totes at Estex, Filson, Billykirk and Klein Tools.