Canadians know how to make sure they squeeze out as much summer as they possibly can – cuz Winter is Coming and will last 8+ months of the year! 😦
That’s why we gotta make the most of the August Long Weekend!!!!
This was the first time I stayed in town. The streets of Toronto are filled with loads of party people and tons of Americans who come up for Caraibanna ! The weekend is dedicated to TONS of parties happening everywhere and the weather is usually picture perfect!
I was lucky enough to have some RMT benefit dollars to burn – so I grabbed a gf and we drove to Caldeon, ON to spend the day luxuriating at a day spa!
The Millcroft Inn & Spa had an outdoor terrace, indoor and outdoor pools, an indoor whirlpool, an Infrared Sauna, private men’s and women’s locker facilities with herbal steams rooms and showers.
It was the greatest!!!
Plus, they’ve got an award winning resturant – where we had lunch overlooking this gorgeous pond + waterfall. ❤
This was the 2nd summer in my life where I have come to peace with my body insecurities and donned a bikini (aka fatkini)! 🙂
Hope you rung in 2016 with love in your heart and a smile on your face. 🙂
I’ve been a social butterfly all December long, and for NYE I spent it cozy with my bae Netflix – for a quite me, myself and Irene evening.
❤ ❤ ❤ It. Was. Glorious. ❤ ❤ ❤
As for resolutions … this basically sums it up for me:
I started this fashion & lifestyle blog as a fun outlet to share the things I liked. Over the past two years, the blog’s focus has moved more and more into an “online journal of the life and times of moi” – showcasing What I DID and What I Wore!
Having just celebrated the blog’s 2nd anniversary (yay!) … there are a number of things I want to start introducing into blog content in 2016, I will definitely continue with many more of WID and WIW type-posts in the upcoming year. 😉
There have been some fun, new, winterized outfits in the first 10-days of January, and if you’re following my Instagram channel you’ve caught a glimpse of them.
But for now, let’s take a look back to my favourite looks on the blog from the LAST YEAR!
Poodle Skirt Perfection – You know how much I love the retro 1950’s look? I had the perfect opportunity to finally wear it … to the opening of Bean and Baker Malt Shop this summer.
2. Sea-side Sun Dress – This was a cheap buy from Old Navy and worn many times from spring through summer. Special thanks to Rebecca Northcott Photography for the photoshoot.
3. Picnic Parasol – This green checked dress was custom-made for moi in Vietnam when I visited in March. It was the perfect outfit for the annual Toronto Vintage Society Picnic.
4. Florals & Stripes – Mixing patterns more bravely was something I did a lot of this past year. THIS was one of my favourite combos from Spring.
5. Hibiscus Wrap Pants – Travelling was a major focus for me last year…and these fab wrap pants were a fashion find in my exploration of Asia – KL, Malaysia to be exact.
6. Peek-a-boo Pencil Pin-up – Found this curve hugging pin-up frock for $15 at one of Tatyana’s super-duper sale events. It was perfect for the White Kitschmas themed TVS Holiday Celebration.
7. FATkini – In the 30-something year’s of my life, 2015 was the year I embraced my bod, buddha belly, thick thighs and all, and wore a bikini bathing suit!!! It was the “most liked” photo on my Instagram and even the lovely GabiFresh commented on it!!!
8. Hello, Yellow – Ah, yes…this yellow skirt ❤ Another custom creation from my travels to Asia – Hoi An, Vietnam. It’s been styled many different ways all last year…and even helped me create a Snow White Lindy Hop Halloween look. Love. This. Skirt.
There you have it! My Favourite Looksfrom the past year. Which is your favourite? Tell me in the comments section. 🙂
And stay tuned for new blog content all year long!
For years now, I’ve heard the rumours of how beautiful the beaches of The Philippines are. So Boracay Island was one of the MUST-SEE spots on my travel agenda while I was in South-East Asia last month.
Hello, Kalibo – Philippines!
Now, getting to these beautiful beaches takes a bit of effort which included a 35-min LRT ride to Kuala Lumpur Airport, a 4-hour flight to Kalibo, Philippines.
Then a 2-hour bus ride to the edge of the sea to board a questionable mini-ferry boat for a 15-min ride to Boracay Island.
Followed by a 30-min shuttle bus AND a 10-min walk with luggage to our resort bungalow ….
The white sand beaches of Boracay is split up into three boat stations: Stn 1 known to be the ‘party spot’, Stn 2 and Stn 3. Since accommodations can be pricy we chose to stay at a more modest resort for the first 5-nights.
The jungle-like garden walkway toward the bungalows of The Boracay Island Beach Resort
The beachfront location of Stn 1 & 2 is always busy and bustling with activity.
Our little bungalow was a welcomed and lovely quiet respite from the island’s bustling party scene, but close enough to its heart for two single gals on vacation who wanted the complete Boracay experience. 😉
Our private bungalow in the jungle
Added bonus to staying at this resort: it’s fully WIFI accessible …. even on this little jungle porch! Which was perfect starting off our day with fresh fruit shakes & delicious breakfasts and for our evenings of impromptu name-that-tune challenges and Facebook updates to make family and friends back home jelly 😉
The only downside to staying in these bungalows was the window AC units were very loud. So night-time was kept cool and tropical with just the fan mode. Plus, earplugs make everything better.
Our quaint relaxing porch ….where we were served delicious breakfasts every morning and enjoyed cheapy beers every evening. Sigh… how I miss it so 😦
For our last two-nights we checked out of our sweet little bungalow and stayed at this upscale, splurge-o hotel: Henann Garden Resort
The fancy Henann Garden Resort —- Sadly, the pool was the most noteworthy thing about this hotel.
Sadly, the pool was the most noteworthy thing about this hotel…. which couldn’t be enjoyed as there weren’t any ‘children only areas’. Which meant children were everywhere running amuck, often without parental supervision! Sigh….
The other disappointments of Henann Garden Resort: it cost us nearly DOUBLE what our 5-night stay cost which got us a “deluxe room” ….. which had zero view, no balcony or access to any private outdoor space and no WiFi. In fact, the entire splashy resort only offered WiFi access in their lobby…which was always crowded for this reason.
“Deluxe” …pfft!!!!
Thank goodness the bulk of our stay was at The Boracay Beach Resort ... how I miss it so! *sniff sniff*
WHAT WE DID
Both of our hotels were located along the White Beach between Stn 1 and the island’s newest center, D’Mall. There are tons of shops and restaurants within this area…which we explored daily.
Boracay Island is a water sport enthusiasts mecca!
Sadly, as I’m a non-swimmer (for more facts you didn’t know about moi, click here), I spent my days being a beach-bum working on my tan (ha!), eating, drinking and exploring the beach.
Like the day where we noticed a grouping of rocks off in the distance towards the end of Stn 1.
According to the map this was known as Willy’s Rock. I thought maybe it had something to do with the classic 80s flick GOONIES one-eyed-Willy … but upon closer inspection turns out this point of interest is actual a Christian shrine – notice the statue.
Willy’s Rock …. at Stn1 of Boracay White Sand Beach. My gf/travel mate ventured onto the rock. 🙂
We actually walked to it from shore and you can swim to and around it, as the water was quite shallow around it.
My Outfit: Dress, Tommy Hilfiger; Sunnies, NineWest; Hat, picked up on my travels from a lil’ shop outside of KLCC
We also came across this giant Gorilla after lunch one day … kinda random, right?
Monkeying around on the white sand beach of Boracay
There was a lot of time spend lazing around on the beach and on the hammock of our bungalow’s veranda reading my book: Gone Girl. (Really, really enjoyed it. Sadly, it wasn’t one of the movie offerings on any of my flights back…le sigh.)Watching the sailboats at sunset never got old…
Toward the end of the week, I wandered over to the end of Stn 3 and noticed that the clear blue waters were keeping covered in thick green grossness. Apparently at this time of year this algae seems to take over the shores. It wasn’t THIS bad by where we staying, thankfully. And once you’ve managed to walked past all the greenness, the water was perfect!
The intense algae situation at Stn 3
And People-Watching was always entertaining…
We got pretty chatty with one of the below table of dancers/hireable companions… so much so, that by the end of the evening one asked to touch my boobs 😮
True Story!!!! LOL!!!
This table of ladies were a combination of dancers and um, hireable companions for the night or week.
Nightly entertainment along the beach included live cover bands and fire-dancers. Visit my Instagram for vid clips of these performances 🙂
Fire-Dancers!!!Roof-top cover band performing along the white sand beach
Oh! And I even donned my first bikini ever beachside and poolside! Woot!
My Outfit: Jellyfish Aqua Bikini from the GabiFresh line by Swimsuitsforall.com
WHAT I BOUGHT
Now y’all know I’m a hardcore shopper. But this year I’m really focused on spending money on ‘experiences’ rather than things…. and I have to say that there wasn’t anything particularly fabulous that I needed to purchase from Boracay Island.
I did come across this young artist on the beach, who was making personalized jewellery out of surgical steel wire. Earrings, necklaces and rings.
As you can see, I got myself one …complete with butterfly motif and pink beads…which worked out to be a whopping $6 CAD 🙂
We also found a caricaturist along the beach – THIS was not at all the pose we picked to be drawn.
LOLOL!! I’m pretty sure they thought we were apart of a lesbian commune. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. 😉
Also, seems I’m white in caricature, while my gf is part of the big-titty-committee. LOLOL!!! Too funny!
LOL! Even the crab on the shores of Boracay knows of our love. 🙂
I have to admit, there wasn’t anything AMAZING that I had to bring home with me from Boracay. OH!!! I did discover that full body massages along the beach and (if you preferred, in private air-conditioned lofts) worked out to $10 CAD for an hour!!! Naturally, I had one every day I was there!!! Paradise just got better!
All that returned to the T-dot with me was a bottle of Red Horse Beer that I couldn’t finish the eve of our departure and these chocolate covered mangos I picked up at the airport. Both are delicious!
My only souvenirs from Boracay
So there you have it friends. Hope you enjoyed reliving destination 1 of 3 in my 22-day Asian Adventure with me. Stay tuned for the next instalment. xo
Thinking about travelling to Asia yourself?
In case you’ve missed any… PPMeow’sAsian Adventure includes:
Asia: What to Know Before you Go – click here for blogpost
I started this fashion & lifestyle blog as a fun outlet to share the things I liked. Over the past two years, the blog’s focus has moved more and more into an “online journal of the life and times of moi” – showcasing What I DID and What I Wore! 
5. 
Watching the sailboats at sunset never got old…
PPMeow! 