a series of unrhyming poems

As little kids, the romantic comedies we watched taught us that love is loud– it is jewelries bought in velvet and suede boxes, buses ran after, and  boomboxes held outside our bedrooms. As we grew older and entered this little bubble called “first love,” it was further proven to us that it should be loud, otherwise it isn’t real. Photos were posted up on everyone’s walls, long messages became a trend, and bouquets became bestsellers. 

Personally talking, growing up, I’ve always loved love. I loved the grand gestures, the cheesy handwritten letters and good morning notes, the poems, the songs, I can go on and on and you’ll think of me as one giant ball of cheese which eventually grew to a person. But I guess somewhere along the way, I lost that. Don’t get me wrong though, I still love love, art and words, but if you come to think of it, how difficult could it be to write a letter or two? How do you know if it’s true or not? I have witnessed enough pain and lies to make me stop believing in them, but I’ve never stopped doing so in love. As much pain as I’ve witnessed, the love I’ve felt is twice as much; just more than enough to make me hold onto it tightly.

Oh well, if we keep on talking about the whole idea of love, we’re going to be here for a while, so instead of babbling about all the cheesy things I used to like, I would like to share with you the kinds of love I’ve witnessed and stories of it I’ve heard over the years– the ones that made me hold onto it tightly.:  

Look at how much love a look can hold. Our lolo was in his last years when this photo was taken. He was often sick and he didn’t have enough strength to work. But when his first grandson was born, he used his pension money that was intended for his medicines to buy him that red toy car.  

This photo isn’t even enough to describe these two’s relationship. The love they have for each other only grows stronger as they grow older. They look out for each other’s children, and even reprimand each other when they aren’t taking care of their health. 

Most of the time, love comes in the form of an aunt who loves her nieces and nephews as her own, from the time when they can still fit in a make shift crib/boat/tub (?) ……

….to when they can barely do in this photo’s frame. 

There are many kinds of love and more plenty ways of showing it. I’ve downloaded a lot of pictures for this particular piece but none of them captured my tita driving all the way from Las Pinas to Zambales at night to provide us supplies of diapers, only to drive back again the next morning. 

They didn’t show my tito bringing his daughter foods every other day at her mom’s place– or how my dad rushed to the church when he heard the door shut while we were having our personal prayers because he knew mom was scared of the dark. 

Sometimes, it’s difficult to look for it. There can even be times when you feel like it doesn’t even exist, which makes the looking even more difficult than it already is. But here’s a promise– love will never be gone. It is always there. It may not be at your home, but it could be with your friends who support and accept you, your teammates who push you to do better, and all the other people who aren’t used to loving loudly. They’re there, I promise. All you have to do is look a little more closely. 

More importantly, aside from it always being there, it is unconditional and accepting. 

So if you love love and gestures as much as I do, why not show someone you love that you’re thinking of them? We know just the perfect gift. 

Figuring out your style has got to be one of the most crucial decisions you make. That threshold you cross when you ask your mom to stop choosing your clothes for you can be agreed to as a “make or break” point of your life. There are so many rules in choosing what to wear– what bottom is the perfect match to that new top your lola gave you as a New Year’s gift? What shoes do you wear? Do you sport a cute purse you so innocently “stole” from your mom’s closet? And even after answering all these questions, you still give up and throw a tantrum over how you don’t have enough clothes. 

So let’s settle this once and for all, shall we? What are the ABCs of dressing up? How do you know when you’re overdressed or under dressed? How do you know if your style reflects your real “brand” and captures your personality? Dontcha worry, we’re here to at least give you a few points on how to dress well and look absolutely stunning while not compromising your comfort. 

(Just a little bit of a disclaimer though, we don’t LITERALLY mean the ABCs. It’s a metaphor guys *insert an eyeroll gif here*) 

We live in a time where one glance at you can give even strangers the teeniest tiniest idea of who you are. Do you wear branded clothes from head to toe, or do you sport a class A pair from Cartimar?  Now, here’s the most important part to remember in dressing up. IT. DOESN’T. MATTER. I know, I know. It’s always easier said than done. We see all these quotes and posts in Facebook and other platforms telling us to not care what other people say about us, but when they won’t stop talking, how do you stop them from drowning out your own thoughts about yourself? How do you remember all the empowering words you see online when their whispers are louder and what they say is more believable?

Well, can we let you in on a little secret? Confidence. Again, I know that it’s easier said than done, but you’re the only one who can. You hold the immunity against other people’s opinions on your style and you have to acknowledge that first. That is the first step to achieving confidence. Need more proof? Here’s a couple from our team: 

This is Jules. Take a look at her outfit, do you recognize some staples from known brands? I don’t. After looking at her clothes, look at her smile. Look at how well that smile goes with her shirt and Greenhills-bought denim skirt. How can we even argue? You know what they say, the only accessory a girl ever needs is her smile. 

Now this is Thea. Let me give you a little background on when this picture was taken. Thea had just said yes to her first boyfriend. She was on a cloud (again, figuratively) You’ll see some brands there but who’s to say that those lanterns shine brighter than her? (Not that her happiness came from her jowa, but that’s for another article) 

I guess the point we’re trying to make here is, there really are no rules in dressing up– that’s the actual joy of it. You get to put on whatever the hell you want, whether it’s printed on printed, colored on colored, who cares? You should only be the one to tell what your style is. Remember how we said that figuring it out is one of the most crucial decisions ever? It’s because you literally have to figure out what piece you’ll feel the most confident in without putting what others have to say in consideration. What’s important is you’re you, and that’s amazing.  That’s enough. 

We know this kinda contradicts the very name of our shop, but we promised you honesty, quality, and beauty. And if you think that branded stuff adds up to your ALREADY EXISTING beauty, then why should you refrain from buying and wearing them? Again, it’s your style, and it’s your call. No matter what happens, we’ll be here to be your one-stop shop for fashion, luxury, and comfort. 

let me still write about your eyes, my favorite shade of brown, long after the days when its color will fade in those pictures saved in the back of my head.

let me still write about your laugh, one of my favorite sounds, long after the days when its echoes will fade into silence.

let me still write about your stories, my favorite pieces of literature, long after the days when its ink burned in my memories will fade into indecipherable symbols.

let me still write about the way you kiss, and my favorite aftertaste, long after your name fades away from these lips.