top it off

I shall write a love letter to hats soon.

Fresh Produce

I know summer's nearly over in this part of the world, but I'm not giving up on my favorite season that easily. I'm squeezing every bit of it as much as I can. Good thing I live in a country known for its beautiful beaches and warm weather, which makes it summer pretty much all year round, and light and breezy clothing a necessity. Whether rain or shine, fighting the heat and humidity is a battle we go through 24/7, and a major challenge is to still look physically fresh and clean despite the circumstances.

Fresh Produce, a U.S.-based brand co-founded and run by mom-entrepreneur Mary Ellen Veron, houses great quality, comfortable spring clothing in fun prints, vibrant colors, and casual but stylish silhouettes. It has been around for almost three decades, and prides itself for bringing a positive impact through color, making sure that their customers light up every room in their clothes. Their collections bring a laid back and relaxed vibe with a feel-good twist. Ideal for when you're planning to hit the tropical islands, like the Philippines! The simple and easy-to-wear pieces are perfect for daily wear.

I think I'm generally a carefree and no-fuss dresser, so when I checked out the Fresh Produce website, I was immediately drawn to the subtle colors and effortless styles. They're a great match to the warm and easy-going environment that I'm used to. I eventually ended up getting a pair of basic and incredibly comfortable beach pants, the By the Bay pants in South Beach Blue. I especially love the roll-up function -- with a snap of a button, I can convert them to capri length whenever I want to! I absolutely love their line of women's capris. This one is now officially my go-to pair!

1: Dean & Trent white button-down top, Fresh Produce pants, leather boots from Italy, SM hat

2: Topshop eyelet tank top, Fresh Produce pants, Dressed to the Nines mahogany boots, Forever 21 beanie & hoop earrings

So, if you're in denial like me or simply looking for happy, every day clothes, I highly recommend checking out Fresh Produce. I assure you that you'll find yourself smiling and dreaming of summer in no time.

Fresh Produce now ships to over 200 countries worldwide. For more information, visit their website at http://freshproduceclothes.com/.

a little bit of what we do in school: 80's punk

white long-sleeved mesh top, black bandeau underneath, Cotton On bodycon skirt, DIY ripped tights, Forever 21 hoop earrings, black socks, black booties

I know this style is totally unlike me (then again, I don't like typecasting myself), but I enjoyed doing this homework for school. Two weeks ago, for Contemporary History of Fashion class, we were told to wear our own versions of 80's punk. We needed to take an item from our closets and then reconstruct them to agree with the theme. I'm not really good at DIYs, so I went for the easiest way, which was ripping one of my tights. I felt absolutely uncomfortable sporting this look, but hey, it was all in good fun. Plus, it was the perfect excuse put my hair up in a faux hawk again!

GERA

I'd been debating with myself on whether or not I wanted to post this on my blog, because 1.) I'm perpetually lazy, and 2.) as selfish as it may sound, I wanted to keep this lovely find all to myself. I'm sure we all have certain places and things that we don't want others knowing about, that we want to keep our very own precious little secrets. I don't know about you, but I personally turn into Gollum when it comes to this sort of thing.

But in the end, I couldn't put a stop to my excitement and just wanted to tell the world how much I love this beyond breathtaking accessories store I discovered online. Well, actually, they found me! It was meant to be!!! For those unfamiliar of it, let me introduce you to GERA! Gera? Gela? Coincidence? I think not!

My dear GERA, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

If there are two superficial things that I love most in this world, they are lace and leather. I don't even think anybody understands how crazy obsessed I am over these, especially lace. I went into a phase about two years ago when I wore a lace dress almost every other day and procured a new one every week. Last year, when I went to Burano, an island in the Venetian Lagoon known for its lacework, I was so happy, I was literally sobbing inside the shops. I'm not even exaggerating.

Imagine how fast my heart was racing when I looked through this album on GERA's website. I cannot even begin describing them. Gorgeous? Beautiful? Exquisite? I felt out of breath at every click of my mouse. I needed them in my life. I was going a bit overboard, but I knew that if I ignored them and put it off, I'd be constantly dreaming and daydreaming about them for days. So, I settled for three different designs and bought them in an instant.

When I opened my package, I stared at these beauties for what must've felt like hours, and I couldn't believe that I own such wonderful pieces. If it were legal to marry inanimate objects, I would say a resounding yes to these three in a heartbeat. I know I'm super dramatic about this, but if you could only see how many random lace items I have in my room and in my closet and in my life, you would understand where my craziness is coming from.

There isn't much more to say, but thank you, GERA, for bringing me, Martini, Fame, and Tatum together. I will take absolute care of these babies, and if a flash flood strikes in our neighborhood, they will be the first ones I will save.

GOOD NEWS! Readers of boat ride through the sky get 10% discount on any lace design purchase valid until the end of May 2012. Simply input this discount code when you check out your GERA item: GERALACE10. Visit GERA at http://geraonline.multiply.com/.

a mother's day special: blast from my mom's past

My beautiful mom in the 70's!

kiss a new day

"Don't stop breathing if you're caught down a well.

There's a hole in the sky, and you're stuck in a shell,

But the ground that you're standing on belongs to you.

Like a bubble or a bird, all things go up and down."

Sunkissed -- iLO

Subic w/ Amir

Subic, Zambales

April 7-8, 2012

up for grabs: P500 Multiply shopping money!

In case you haven't seen it yet, I'm featured on Multiply's Bloggers' Picks, together with fellow bloggers Lissa Kahayon and Tracy Ayson! Check out each of our top 12 favorites from Multiply, which, by the way, I personally found really challenging to narrow down to a few! Here are my picks:

With Multiply's very efficient shopping cart system and buyer protection program, transactions with Multiply sellers are now easier, faster, and less complicated! On the other hand, I don't think that's good news at all for my credit card bill, haha! In fact, I just bought one of my picks -- this lovely pair of Jeffrey Campbell-inspired wedges over at Asian Vogue Shop.

Of course, here comes the best part. Courtesy of the awesome people from Multiply, we're giving away one (1) P500 e-GC each to three (3) of my lovely followers! For a chance to win, all you have do are the following:

1. Must be my follower on Google Friend Connect, Bloglovin, and/or Twitter.
2. Tweet this: "Check out @gelatomique's top picks on @shopatmultiply: http://ow.ly/afYSt. Plus, win shopping money over at boatridethroughthesky.com!" Don't forget to mention @gelatomique and @shopatmultiply to make your entries count. If your account is protected, send me a screen shot of your tweet. E-mail it to gela@boatridethroughthesky.com.
3. AND/OR share this link on Facebook together with this status: "Check out blogger Gela Abores' top picks on Shop at Multiply. Plus, get a chance to win P500 shopping money over at boatridethroughthesky.com!" Don't forget to tag Shop at Multiply to make your entries count. Post must be set to public, so I can check it.
4. Comment here with your name, e-mail address, link(s) to your tweet and/or Facebook post.
5. Winners will be chosen via Random.org on May 9, 2012 (Wednesday).