It started on August 13 when I had to fire a couple of people who had gone over their expiration dates. Then a couple of friends became annoyed at some of my opinions expressed online.
Emotionally, I went downhill after that.
When things get me down, the easiest thing for me is to stay home and veg in my pajamas. But when I got tired of sleeping, I called a friend to come over and get me out of bed.
We hit the mall and started with some comfort food at Cibo.
I eat there so often the waiter sees me and says, “The usual?”
The usual would be complimentary chips and dip, a tall glass of red grape shake, thin slices of roast beef with garlic and rosemary, a side of mushroom rice pilaf, and half a slice of tiramisu.
Now you know how I put on those pounds.
We ended up going to Rustan’s, which has a lot of fine things. Rustan’s isn’t just for our moms anymore.
I spent an afternoon discovering things to forget about depression, looking for cute and colorful items.
L’Occitane has this facial wash called Almond Sweet Peel. It comes in a tub that I keep next to the sink. I call it “pang-alis ng sama ng loob.”
No matter how crappy you feel, as soon as the combination of cold water and the scent of apples splashes on your face, you already feel better.
It has tiny grains in the mixture so you can feel the benefits of exfoliating while washing your worries away.
New bags are a great way to de-stress. Something about organizing stuff eases my tension. I like bags that are not too complicated, not too heavy and easy to organize.
First stop was Lesportsac, where you can always find something light and colorful, plus it’s always nice to see the latest Tokidokis.
I chose a Toppy handbag — a roomy tote with eight pockets on the outside and a zipper on top. It took a while for me to decide which pattern, because they have it in five different kinds.
For people with back problems like me, Rustan’s now carries Gogo Voyage — wheeled bags that are very popular in Tokyo.
Gogo Voyage was designed by an American fashion designer married to a chiropractor.
Having three kids always on the go with their books, gadgets and stuff, she came up with a line of bags that are not your typical bulky stroller bags, yet are fashionable and easy on the back.
Another pleasant surprise was the small range of Oilily bags they now have at the store. Oilily simply has the cutest big bags with crazy girly patterns. These are roomy enough to be diaper bags or carried by girls who need to bring their whole house around.
They also have a few wallets and cosmetic kits, and I’m hoping they expand their selection soon.
On the shoe front, there’s Sugar, whose line is too cute to be ignored. I wish they had these when I was younger! That didn’t stop me from buying a pair of retro canvas wedges to go with my wide-leg jeans.
The retro canvas boots would look good with shorts, tights, or a miniskirt. But those, I think I may be too old for.
The latest rage in footwear is Melissa shoes from Brazil, which are non-tacky jelly shoes. You’d be surprised at the styles they come up with, like the ballerina pink disco shoe that looks good enough to eat.
I tried to look for the Judy Blame-designed Melissa flats that they used to have, but it looks like they’ve all been sold out. And I thought nobody gets Judy Blame here. I was wrong!
For a more affordable fix, there’s always the Havaianas rack to look forward to. The Cartunistas line of flip-flops is adorable and can cheer anyone up. I especially liked this swirly pattern in black, off-white and red.
Mighty Fine has the softest T-shirts with designs based on thrift-shop finds, like a Swiss Miss tee in yellow, a Lakers tee, and some in cartoon characters like a stylized Hello Kitty, Powerpuff Girls and Ralph Wiggum of The Simpsons.
The fabric feels like your favorite sleep shirt that has been washed a hundred times — minus the holes.
How do you pronounce Sinequanone? Here’s a young and trendy French clothing label where you can find a special thing or two, like the skinny tunic tee with a girly print.
Over at accessories I found some Michiko London umbrellas with polka dots and frills that are very Elegant Gothic Lolita. I’m surprised they have such cute things here.
There’s a tiny JAS clock for your favorite designer or dressmaker, with small-scale scissors, tape measure, pins, threads, tomato cushion and dress form that are simply adorable.
Since we’re on a roll with cuteness, Paul & Joe has the best makeup packaging with eye colors reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton monogram.
This is as girly you can get with the retro artsy prints and retro powder puff. I love this. The best part is, if you buy P8,000 worth you get a free Paul & Joe carry-on. Very tempting.
My last stop was Essenses, which is stocked with tons of feel-good stuff, like Comptoir Sud Pacifique’s Cristal de Musc, which was highly recommended and has the lightest powdery baby scent in a spray tin bottle.
Finally there’s the range of Badger balms in cute little tins, promising calming sleep and to soothe one’s muscles. Perfect takeaways for a full day of window shopping.