As a kid, I used to pretend our backyard was a jungle or forest.
Teeming with a variety of trees (coconut, mango, and papaya), wild bushes, forget-me-not weeds, muddy slopes, rocky terrain, a sole pineapple plant, and a pet monkey (yes, I had a pet monkey) whose foot was tied with a rope attached to a huge Longan tree, my imaginative self declared our backyard the stuff of legends.
According to my dad, the backyard used to be a mango orchard, and yes, it was large enough to house my own mental menagerie. In fact, in some obscure corner, I think I’ve managed to situate a hypothetical horse (or unicorn) or two.
However, as years went by with the city at the cusp of globalization, our rather humble and pastoral neighborhood transformed itself into a commercial center. Being one of the two lone houses surrounded by gigantic buildings, our family made the rather abrupt decision to let go of the ancestral home and move into a more secluded village.
So when I went to Cebu for the holidays, I went straight into our new home. The house itself was quite different from what I was used to–the surface area was a lot larger and more modern in taste, which was quite a huge adjustment considering our ancestral home was musty and hot, filled with all sorts of wooden fixtures, marble flooring, and antiques.
To my sheer and utter delight, I was ecstatic to find a tiny backyard right next to the garage–not as astonishing as the original (it was only an eighth of the size of our old backyard) but I figured it would do. It’s not as if my younger siblings held the same appreciation for it that I did considering they favor their game consoles and their various apple products to roughing it out in the wild (I use to pitch tents in our old backyard and inflatable swimming pools, yes, my childhood was awesome).
To be fair to my dad, he took a great deal of effort in making the backyard seem like the old one–with this rocky detail, wood panelings, freshly mowed grass, shrubs, and what not. So to commemorate such a happy childhood memory, I’ve decided to bring out a few items from my arsenal and put together (what I thought was) a theme appropriate outfit.
It’s a little bit more casual than the safari-inspired shoot I had a few years back but it’s more casual and more realistic–come to think about it, it would totally be an outfit I would put together when I’d visit a real jungle, think Africa or South America.
Floral Linen Stole: Bershka | Jewel Necklace: Rockwell Archeology | Black Midi Asymmetrical Dress: MPhosis | Brown Woven Belt: My mom’s vintage | Brown Structured Bag: My mom’s vintage | Gold Flats: Lanvin | Sunglasses: Juicy Couture | Ring: Forever 21
As I mentioned in my last post about my New Year’s Celebration, I have a penchant for sunglasses and to-date, the Juicy Couture one is my current favorite. I love how chic it is and how flattering it is for my face. Likewise, I appreciate the fact that it’s versatile–if I want to wear something casual or something dressy, it is always able to adapt and match my choice for the day.
I would like to thank my human tripod and sister, Anevay, for the photos. Thank you for standing under the heat of the sun, adhering to my commands–also, overshoot on the last frame. I told you to watch out for that!
Funny fact about this dress: my boss and I own the same pair in the same color. She’s a sucker for the brand and I’m a sucker for peculiar cuts. Haha!
My favorite photo out of the bunch! I’ve been told that it doesn’t look like me but I’d like to think most people are focusing way too much on the hair! Haha.
This is a vintage bag that my mom owns, which she gave to my sister. Since my sister is poor for the holidays, she recycled this gift and gave it to me.
So here’s to our second post for the week! Cross your fingers for my sake, I’m aiming for consistency and quality!
