For Urban Women - Awarded Top 100 Urban Blog / Fashion, Lifestyle and Travel

Barcino Wine Resto Bar: a Special Place for Special People

8:39:00 AM

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My first wine tasting experience is with my loving Dad. He taught me his knowledge about the importance that I should know about wines, its bouquet, its palate, and also their color. Since then I acquired those knowledge from Dad, I overcome the awkwardness to try different wines.

I always find Barcino a special place to dine with my special friends. I mean, maybe because of its unidentified feeling about its cozy Spanish interior, and how they specifically arrange their wine selections. I was so inspired that I finally took these photos from my recent dinner with a friend.

Another thing I like about this place is how they entertain their customers thru a very approachable manners, pleasant smiles, and of course the classic Spanish music playing in the background. I am a fan of Jennifer Lopez's Spanish musics, especially the "No Me Ames (or Don't Love Me)" , and this is the place that I could here these classics. By the way I dine at their branch in Greenbelt 2. I'm just wishing that they have branch in The Fort too!

This place is very good to relax and unwind with intellectual friends of mine. Photos taken using my Apple iPhone 3GS

Have you ever tried dining at some wine restaurants in town?

Email me at blair.villanueva@gmail.com

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Up Close and Personal with Uniqlo Fall Collection 2012

5:28:00 PM

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fashion

I am Independent, I am the Boss

11:49:00 PM

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fashion

If fashion blogging is your full-time career (or if you want it to be), then my hat goes off to you. I've realized firsthand that it’s not an easy job… but you make it look easy — because, simply, that’s the point.

There’s a reason why there is such a surge in this industry: the fantasy of living the fashion blogger lifestyle falls nicely under the umbrella of the “American Dream” (or any dream for that matter). It’s having your cake and eating it, too. It’s business and, to the untrained eye, mostly pleasure.

The general public sees a shiny new Louboutin stiletto, brunch with friends, a trip to fashion week. What they don’t see? The long pitching, negotiating, and delivering process of working with a brand. The nights when you’re staring at your laptop until 4 in the morning trying to finish a post after your computer just crashed. The bill for dropping your camera and cracking the lens. The year when you worked two jobs, only ate Ramen, and blogged at night to build up a following.

Readers don’t see that because if they did, it would ruin the fundamental elements that makes fashion blogging so alluring – the fantasy. The catharsis. The feeling that is relatable, because a blogger is “real,” but also the lifestyle the general reader wishes they too could one day obtain (whether it be a classy outfit on a budget in the midwest or luxury goods by the pool in Paris).

Running a daily independent publication online is more work than those reading blogs may realize; often times the assumption is made that bloggers don’t work hard, that they make a ton of money and have luxurious gifts thrown at them. But the reality is, when you are just one person running the whole show (as the photographer, writer, editor, graphic designer, web developer, publicist, brand and marketing manager, social media director, business accountant, so on and so forth) it can damn well be overwhelming.

It’s not easy balancing it all, but being an independent publication and business means all the decisions are only made by one person — you. And at the end of the day, that’s what makes every sleepless night worth it.

Email me at blair.villanueva@gmail.com

Naturalizer Fall Collection 2012 + Shopping Party

1:14:00 AM

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fashion

Naturalizer Fall Collection 2012 + Shopping Party

MIYABI - Japanese Fine Dining and Sushi Bar

4:05:00 PM

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Philippine Travel

Located at the 2nd Floor, Adriatico Square, Pan Pacific Manila - Miyabi Restaurant is my favorite spot to hang-out and spend my lovely dinner. Each time I went to Malate, Miyabi is always on my list.

Here's their wide selections of menu, that I myself can't memorized. Coz all I think is "I'm hungry and I want to eat Miyabi cuisine now!"

The simplicity of the interior makes this restaurant a pleasant to dine-in and to have a peaceful moment, while appreciating your food. I also love how the staffs pleasantly greets their customers, and gives an extra mile to their services. Very tidy indeed.

My Japanese special friend, whom I'm with during my visit shows me the proper Japanese table etiquette. He said a lot of things and explanations. The arrangement represents the yin and yang whatever... but the only thing that I remember is "The hashi (chopstick) always comes with the stand. Without it, it's unlucky."

simple accessories for a simple dinner event.

they cooked these beef so tender and soft. You can savor its taste up to the last bite.

my favorite - California Maki

very delectable to see and eat!

well presentable and artistic... that's food in Japanese cuisine - there's always an ART

while waiting for your meal, you can grab some latest reads in here - from fashion and lifestyle magazines, technology and games, even sports - they all have it!

Each time that you dine in Miyabi, they will give a a 5% discount coupon, valid for 1 week. This promotion encourages customers to come back and avail the said promotion. Miyabi is worth spending for.

Dress: UNIQLO | Clutch bag: vintage | arm-band: vintage | cocktail ring: - specialty boutique |

Shoes: Naturalizer | Lipstick : Maybelline New York

Hair and Make-up: Blair's DIY | Location: Pan Pacific Manila | Photography using iPhone 3GS

Thanks for my Japanese friend for taking my photos!

Email me at blair.villanueva@gmail.com

Fashion is Architecture

10:51:00 PM

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fashion

Coat - Korean Brand, vintage store; sleeveless polka dot top - random brand; short - random brand; scarf - Naturalizer; clutch bag - korean brand; socks - Saizen brand; boots - vintage; liptick - Maybelline

Email me at blair.villanueva@gmail.com

How to handle Difficult Co-workers

12:30:00 AM

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relationships

Ever found yourself in a sticky situation with a colleague? Of course you have! Because we all have different beliefs, principles, and work ethics, it's perfectly normal for tensions to arise between ourselves and people we just don't see eye to eye with. But since this is the workplace, we have to remain professional and mature when it comes to such incidents.

Be the better woman by heeding these simple tips for handling difficult coworkers with grace.

1. Distance yourself from the person. If you must interact with the offending party, do so via e-mail or SMS. Keep interactions short and purely work-related.

2. Acknowledge your flaws. Don't put all the blame on your colleague. Understand that you may be at fault too.

3. Change your perspective. Instead of dwelling on the rift between the two of you, tell yourself that you won't let your colleague affect your performance.

4. Try to look at your coworker in a new light. Instead of focusing on the things that bother you about the other person, focus on his or her strengths.

5. Prepare a battle plan. If the two of you have to work in the same project, be clear early on about each other's roles in the task at hand.

6. Engage in dialogue. Confront the other person, but be mature about it. Be extra careful about coming off as offensive.

7. Inform your superior or HR. If the issue still can't be resolved, don't hesitate to seek advice from your boss or human resources.

Email me at blair.villanueva@gmail.com

UNIQLO released UU - UNIQLO UNDERCOVER

3:00:00 PM

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fashion

UNIQLO Philippines launches today its final collection of uniqlo undercover, based on the collaborative design project with acclaimed designer Jun Takahashi, and his cult-hit Undercover fashion label. Similar to the spring-summer collection, the 2012 fall-winter collection focuses on a family theme and include a line-up of apparel for women, men and children.

The UU line, available exclusively at UNIQLO stores, has been very successful since its debut this past spring. The concept of this unique one-year project has been the family, with collections that offer stylish clothes for parents and their children. The UU offerings have won fans all around the world by combining UNIQLO’s high-quality casual clothing with designs that reflect the Undercover label’s distinctively edgy and fashionable look.

The 2012 fall-winter collection includes close to 100 items for men, women and children, and it brings together Undercover’s unique design aesthetic with UNIQLO’s high performance fabrics. Under the direction of Mr. Takahashi, UNIQLO signature fabrics and materials such as those used in its HEATTECH line of garments and its Ultra Light Down jackets are fashioned into fresh and original designs. The line up covers a broad range of clothing needs for the fall and winter seasons; the men’s and women’s offerings come in a palette of colors such as wine, olive, gray and black, whereas the children’s items are available in a mixture of bright colors such as pink, red and yellow and darker tones such as wine and blue.

UNIQLO Philippines unveils Fall and Winter Collection 2012

11:18:00 PM

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fashion

UNIQLO launches Fall Winter Collection 2012

9:50:00 PM

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fashion

A first look at UNIQLO’s outstanding Fall and Winter collection

Global apparel brand UNIQLO bares its stylish and functional Fall and Winter line for 2012 – Stretch Jeans, Easy Bottoms, Ultra Light Down, Warm Pants and Warm Skirts, the ever-popular HEATTECH, Knitwear, Poncho Collection, UNIQLO Undercover Collaboration (UU) and Designers Invitation Project (DIP). The new line offers a range of chic new variations for discerning and fashion-loving Filipinos and features a wide range of colors and prints that style-conscious Filipinos can choose from to create a distinctive and trendy look.

Women's Ultra Stretch Jeans offer a beautiful and great snug fit minus the constricted feeling. Available in colors of Navy, Black, Blue, Gray. Php1,990.00

UNIQLO’s innovative Stretch Jeans have the look and feel of genuine denim combined with incredible stretch and with designs that come in a rich variety of vivid colors, including traditional indigo. For men, UNIQLO is set to unveil Easy Pants with the look of real denim. All these latest innovations in jeans from UNIQLO.

Men's Denim Easy Pants has that real denim look that evokes thrill and excitement and delivers an easy, comfortable fir without the stiffness and tightness associated with jeans. A unique choice for outdoor or stay-at-home activities.
Available in blue, dark blue, gray and light gray. Php990.00

A fitting follow-up to the outstanding success of UNIQLO’s Easy Pants spring/summer line, UNIQLO made stylish variations for the Easy Pants by using fabrics and colors designed to perfectly complement the fall/winter season. Made from soft, comfortable corduroy, the new lineup includes warm, fall colors like orange and burgundy as we as a striking blue.

You'll surely love the warm colors for the Easy Corduroy Leggings Pants for women. It makes a great combination with flowing tops. Available colors in Black, Red, Wine, Orange, Light Beige, Beige, Dark Brown, Dark Green, and Blue. Php990

Corduroy Easy Pants for men are made with a fine-wale corduroy fabric for softness and comfort, and does not constrict movement, perfect for fashion or leisure needs. These loose-fitting pants are right in step with the relaxed feel of the latest styles for this fall. Available in Light Gray, Gray, Red, Orange, Light Brown, Brown, Green, Light Blue, Blue, Navy and Purple. Php 990.00

The Ultra Light Down (ULD) collection of UNIQLO for 2012 include men’s and women’s lines in various silhouettes, colors and prints for its more than 100 different items. New designs include a casual yet elegant women’s A-line silhouette with a three-quarter sleeve and a men’s half-length silhouette. The carefully selected prints feature easy-to-coordinate patterns like dots and checks. Not only great outer wear for early fall, Ultra Light Down (ULD) tops are so light and sleek and perfect under layer for mid-winter. The new ULD collection, made with super-fine 20-denier nylon to reduce weight and achieve ultra-lightness, is set to transform the way people around the world dress this winter.

Premium Down Ultra Light Vest. Available in colors, solid-gray, black, red, orange, olive, purple, print-beige, dark brown, blue and navy. Php 2,990

Premium Down Ultra Light Topper Jacket. Available in black, wine, beige, and olive. Php3,990

Men's Premium Down Ultra Light Vest. Available in colors solid-gray, black, red, orange, beige, dark brown, green, olive, dark green, blue-print dark gray, green. Php 2,990

UNIQLO’s Warm Pants and Warm Skirts will surely challenge traditional wisdom when it comes to cold weather fashion. The Warn Skirts, like the Warm Easy Fleece Skirt, and Color HEATTECH Skinny Fit Straight Jeans are women’s favorites for its no-fuss versatility, while for the men, UNIQLO presents the Easy Cargo Pants, and Windproof Chino Pants that provide a chic look for any occasion.

For traveler’s usual winter essentials, the perennial favorite HEATTECH by UNIQLO continues to bring warmth to people all over the world. This season, HEATTECH adds the HEATTECH Lounge Dress and Lounge Pants, and the HEATTECH Crew Neck T-Shirt, with new and fresh prints and designs to make HEATTECH not just a great innerwear but also a fun fashion item.

Those who love great color will find UNIQLO’s Knitwear collection to their liking. With splendidly designed cardigans, tunics and ponchos together with its basic knitwear range that features carefully selected natural fabrics like extra-fine Merino, Geelong lamb wool and cashmere, this season’s Knitwear collection with its robust selection of fabrics and designs will make UNIQLO customers truly feel spoiled with choices.

Heavy Gauge Dolman Sleeve Cardigan. Available in dark gray, dark orange, green, and blue

Men's Fair Isle V Neck Cardigan. Available in two-patterns in 3-colors Php1,490

Men's Extra Fine Merino V-Neck Sweater. Available in off-white, light gray, gray, dark gray, black, red, wine, orange, beige, dark brown, dark green, light blue, blue, navy, light purple, and purple. Php 990

UNIQLO’s Poncho Collection is truly flowing, feminine and utterly versatile, and essentially breathes new life into classic, casual look with jeans. With exciting fabrics that comprise the collection, plus the knits and of course, UNIQLO’s signature fleece, dressing up during fall and winter will be something that’s eagerly anticipated.

Geometric Poncho. Available in gray, red, beige. Php1,490

The UNIQLO Fall and Winter Collection 2012 also feature the UU Collection, a collaboration effort between UNIQLO and UNDERCOVER label of innovative Japanese designer Jun Takahashi. This season will see a cozier and warm look from UU dotted with more greens, navy blues, burgundy and taupe for the men’s and women’s cashmere knitwear and flannels.

Lastly, UNIQLO partnered with several upcoming and talented names in the fashion world under the brand’s Designer’s Invitation Project (DIP) – “Double Standard Clothing” by designer Masahisa Takino, “GVGV” by designer MUG, “Balcony and Bed” by Aya Noguchi, and “Good Morning Beautiful People” by Hidenori Kumakiri – that seeks to produce innovative and unique men’s and women’s clothing truly fitted for the coming season.

With UNIQLO’s extensive fall and winter collection, expect more Filipinos to be more playful and fun in their styling attitude, with a lot of room for mixing and matching to suit their individual fashion flair – despite the biting cold weather.

UNIQLO is a global apparel brand known for its “MADE FOR ALL” philosophy where trends are not followed yet allows people to express themselves through its unique yet high quality and fully functional clothing line.

The first UNIQLO store in the Philippines is located at the 2nd Floor, Main Mall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, opened last June 15, 2012 with store operation from 10AM to 10PM.

How to Set Traffic Goals

1:13:00 PM

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blogging tips

excerpt from IFB

Higher traffic on your blog means a greater possibility of making your blog a self sustaining business. So, what’s the magic formula behind getting higher numbers? There’s a myriad of things you need to do, but one way to grow your reach is by setting tangible traffic goals for yourself. Here’s how to strategize:

Set concrete numbers to hit for both your blog traffic and social media followers.

Just having a vague idea of “I want to have more traffic” won’t do anything, but if you set a numerical goal for yourself, you can work on gaining more followers in a formulaic and mathematical way. Make sure you are setting numbers that you can actually hit — for instance, if you have 40 page views daily, it’s most likely that won’t have 2,000 page views daily by next week. The same goes with larger blogs, 27,000 page views daily this week won’t mean a million the next. Pick numbers that make sense, but are also challenging.

Example: If you have 10,000 daily page views, try to hit 11,000 a day seven days from now. That’s a 10% increase — a tangible and reachable number. If you continue this every week, your site will only keep growing!

Give yourself a high five every time you reach your goal, and if you don’t reach your goal, figure out why. Was the goal to high? Or did you post less content? What can be adjusted so you can achieve your desired number by the next week?

Make a spreadsheet to keep track of your growth and your potential growth.

Write down your current numbers, along with short term goals and long term goals. Say your goal is to hit a total of one million page views on your site within the next year, calculate how many page views you would need every day to reach this goal. Then ask yourself, “is this goal possible?” If you think it is, plan your trajectory accordingly.

Check your traffic every day.

This should seem obvious, but sometimes when you’re blogging you can get caught up in your content and forget to check your stats. If you are below your daily stats, you can try to make it up the next day.

Example: Your daily goal (based on your long term goal) was 700 page views, but you only hit 620. Tomorrow, your goal should be 780 to make up for the loss you suffered the day before. You may need to use social media more or beef up your content that day to make up the gap.

Write down which posts do the best, and which ones do the worst.

Have you ever experienced a spike in traffic? What about that day made your traffic go up? Did someone retweet you? Was it a certain accessory you talked about? Did you change the style in which you presented your post? Using your analytics tools, hone in on which posts have had the best traffic and which posts have had the lowest traffic. Then use these numbers to quantify what to repeat and what to avoid when you are publishing your content.

Keep a list of anything you notice that has hurt or helped your traffic.

Did you work with a brand or a fellow blogger and it boosted your stats? Or perhaps you uploaded a really great photo on Instagram? Or is there a certain key word that drives traffic to you? Keep a list of what affects your blog and how to stay in tune with what resonates with your readers and what doesn’t — this will be most helpful in the long run.

5 Tips To Keeping Your Blog Relevant

9:49:00 AM

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blogging tips

What makes a blogger stick around? How do you stay relevant? How do you evolve with the changing times to stay on top of it all? And, more importantly, how do you avoid having an “expiration date”?

Use this checklist to keep your blog in check:

1. Does your blog look like it’s from 2005? Maybe it’s time for a makeover. Like a person’s appearance, a blog’s appearance can be updated with age. Go ahead, give your blog a manicure, pedicure, and a haircut! (Or in other words, a change in layout, logo, colors, and overall setup to keep things interesting.) Of course, if there is something that is your “signature” style, keep it or just change it slightly. Even the smallest updates can make a site look more cutting edge — the technology behind blogs is in a constant state of evolution, so keep up.

2. Is your content outdated? As fashion bloggers, our readers look to us to provide the most up to date information by the day, and sometimes by the minute. If you are writing about a trend that’s so completely over, or a topic that has been regurgitated already, your reader’s will eventually look to other sites to find more relevant content. The same goes if you are a personal styling blog, if you are wearing items that are no longer in style or don’t represent your personality, it will be hard to move forward with your blog.

3. One of the main goals of in the business of blogging is always to get new readers, all the while building a consistent following that keeps coming back. Therefore, you should always be experimenting with new ideas for posts, different ways of presenting your blog, and your social media. Maybe try to make a gif or a video, or perhaps tweeting more on your slowest traffic day. Find these small problems and capitalize on them!

4. Have a business plan. What do you hope to accomplish today? This week? This month? This year? Set business goals for yourself (ones that are within your reach), and try your darndest to meet them.

5. Keep up with other blogs. The best way to stay ahead of your competition is to be aware of what they’re doing. Make sure you’re dropping in on other bloggers at least once a week and take note of things they do and changes they make. What works for them? Could that work for you? I’m not condoning plagiarism or stealing ideas, but other blogs can be a source of inspiration. You can learn from your own mistakes, but you can also learn from what others do.

The internet is ever evolving, so as bloggers we need to stay evolving. As we become more experienced with age and practice, our blogs should reflect that. Always be learning from your endeavors, and though there may be some growing pains, if blogging is what you love stick with it!

[Image and Content credit: IFB]

Toughen Up: How Your Blog Can Benefit from Rejection & Criticism

9:15:00 AM

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blogging tips

*excerpt from IFB

Remember when you were a kid and you got picked last for the kickball team at recess? Ouch. Rejections and feelings of inadequacy that come from assessment by our peers are often the most brutal of all.

On the other side of the coin – perhaps you also remember getting a little gold statue at the end of your tee-ball season, just for participating? You showed up, you wore a uniform, and you swung a bat – hooray! Well done, at least you tried.

As we grow, rejection takes different forms. In school it could be a bad grade on a project, maybe you’ve been rejected by a love interest, and in the professional world perhaps you didn’t get that job you were so right for, or that promotion you thought you deserved.

There’s no application process or letter of acceptance you need to start a blog. No one is going to stop you, except yourself. This is both good and bad, because when you’re the only one calling the shots, your content is completely of your own design but also potentially free from the healthy dose of criticism it may need.

Have you ever faced rejection as a blogger?

Well, have you? Has a brand ever rejected your pitch? Has a post fallen of deaf ears without a single tweet, comment or click-through? Have you received negative comments, lost a contest, failed to hit the traffic goals you’ve set for yourself?

Good.

Rejection is important for growth and self-awareness. It shows us when our work (our posts, our photography, our proposals) or our skill set is simply not good enough and needs improvement. How is anyone expected to be better at anything or to push themselves to the next level if they’re never exposed to their shortcomings?

One of the brilliant things about being a self-publishing blogger is that rejection and criticism can only stop you if you let them. Like all the rappers – ever – have always said, haters gon’ hate. If you can pick through the negativity and feedback to find what will help you improve – and then keep on doing you thing, just better – then you’re on the right track.

Grow from criticism (and rejection, too).

The development of thicker skin comes from understanding but not dwelling. Some of the rejection and criticism that will come your way (especially as you grow your blog and gain exposure) will be completely unfounded, and the product of bitter, angry, useless people. Much of it though – while having a bit of a sting – will contain truths that will profoundly change your perception of your work, yourself and the business you’re in.

Pain is temporary and scars show that you’ve been to battle and lived to tell about it.

Read the negative comments. Study the response of a rejected pitch to a brand. Figure out why this person is saying what they’re saying, and if there’s something you can do about it. Does your photography need work? Take a class! Is your writing sloppy? Get back on your editing A-game. Do you need more traffic? Go out and earn it.

As with so many things in life – those who can put a positive spin on things and learn from their experiences – both good and bad – will be the ones who prosper. Shrug off the haters and adapt with the constructive criticism you receive.

“Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential.” – Jessamyn West

How do you deal with rejection?

Have you experienced criticism that has helped you grow as a blogger and as a person?

Glam, Purses and Heels: Stolen shots at Philippine Fashion Week Holiday 2012

11:55:00 PM

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fashion

Know your Social Media Manners

11:50:00 AM

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etiquette

Two days ago, the Wall Street Journal took a look into how we use social media in social situations — or in other words, social media manners. Tweeting at the dinner table, Instagramming while standing in the corner at a cocktail party, updating a Facebook status at a concert: we’ve all done it. But when does social media prevent us from being, well, social?