The first time I stepped foot inside the adorable shop when I moved to New York, I gasped with glee, eyes alight with the magical wardrobe possibilities… It also made me reminisce to my own childhood, and the significance of  ’dalaga’. The Mangilimans describe the term to mean “a young woman in her prime,” but I often have a hard time expressing what it means to others, as the feelings and hazy memories attached to the word get easily lost in translation. As a young Filipina coming of age, being referred to as ‘dalaga’ provoked an almost inexplicable feeling of simultaneous blushful embarrassment and flattered euphoria. Dalagas were who little girls looked up to with awe at their grace, confidence and 2.5-inch heels, who represented what they could someday become. And at a certain point in your life, you became pretty damn proud upon entrance into that very realm.

A wonderful feeling and salute to a warm and loving heritage. Thanks for reminding me of that, ladies, and for sharing your charming treasure trove with a new audience!

Top four photos from Dalaga’s Instagram feed/Tumblr

With Kristin outside the Soho boutique
Photo: Ernie Peña

Check out the Ark & Co. blouse I scored at the opening!
Also, Jovovich-Hawk dress, Jeffrey Campbell shoes, vintage necklace

Ark & Co. blouse

((Zola Jesus – Skin))

Thus begins the picspam (cue escapist Moby track):

Ugh, right??

The beginning of a brilliant weekend

Obligatory foot-in-milieu photo, aka “the life”

I’m taking a {{mental vacation}} looking at these right now

Free People slip dress (x2), Topshop sandals (in fluro yellow)

Bayside

Getting rrrrrrripped…or something.
Forever21 shorts, Acne Strain sandals

Just one of the many colorful lifeguard stations that line the beach

Deco lovers paradise

(Gah, this is torture, I’m torturing myself)

Aritzia lace dress, tuleste market clog wedge sandals, Mat & Nat crossbody bag

Obligatory bathroom photo. Free People tee and scalloped shorts, gifted vintage necklace from B

We both made this face upon departure from The Standard

Squa?? Old-ish All Saints dress, Nine West sandals, makeshift flower crown from many tiny little Forever21 flower pins.

Norma Kamali cat-eye sunglasses, faux attitude

James Perse white jeans (srsly), American Apparel polo, Dear Creatures chambray blazer, Soludos espadrilles

The garden at Casa Tua, where the ‘skeeters ate me alive

Hitchcockian.

 My Lana Del Rey impression, complete with cheap beer (will never be good as this one, though)

((Moby  - Porcelain))

Goth cookie cake! I made it!

Goths are such goofballs.

American Eagle eyelet corset top, UNIF Birkin crochet skirt, Ecote split suede wedges

Gothy babe in arms

Happy birthday!

<3<3<3 Bff’s Katja and Danielle. (Not pictured: Erika, ’cause she’s a vampire and can’t be photographed)

She just moved away DO NOT LIKE.

Bff’s. Ennui.

This post would not be complete without a kitteh.

((Future Bible Heroes – I’m a Vampire))

Brian managed to keep dinner a surprise for weeks and, boy oh boy, did that surprise deliver. He took me to David Bouley’s Brushstroke, for a modern take on a Japanese kaiseki meal — nine courses of mind-blowing, party-in-my-mouth dishes. The ingredients used are incredibly fresh and seasonal, but this meal also elevates eating to a visual art form, with balanced decisions made based on flavors, textures and colors. I pretty much squealed with delight upon eyeing, and then consuming each new plate. The blonde wood and minimalist dining decor worked in perfect harmony with the feast, and I unwittingly put on a birthday dress fitting to the milieu that morning.

This is the face of 31.

I’m going to grow older and older with him.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled personal style programming for some food porn. Check out the candle holder made of radish.

Our cherry blossoms withered over the course of the 3-hour meal, which was, beautifully, the point. This is how I want to wither — with grace, not botox.

My favorite course — chawanmushi with dungeness crab (#1) and black truffle oil. Yeah, that tasted exactly as unsettlingly delicious as it sounds.

Crab course #2 (soft shell crab in tempura batter and sesame seeds atop a ramp puree)

Well, of course I had to make this face. I’m eating.

Birthday treats, with a side of sinister. A delightful finale.

Dark like my soul

Peach Zara frilled dress, Anthropologie ankle socks, tuleste market clog wedge sandals, vintage Coach stewardess bag

Husband’s birthday gift, via Dear Fieldbinder

So there we have it. I am officially past 30 and ‘in my thirties.” Inasmuch as 30 blew the decade before it clear out of the water, I’m pretty pumped to see what this one holds. If this surprise meal serves as any sort of metaphor for what may come, something tells me I’m in for something good.

((The Bird & the Bee – I’m into Something Good))

Let’s frolic!

Cat. Je te plumerai la tête, cat!

Easter bunny. Duh.

This fragrance still fills our home. Mmm hmm.

Blah blah vintage pussy bow blouse, Free People lace skort, old Bass shoes blah blah

Hippity…

[pause]

hoppity…

…makes for puzzled cat. Poor befuddled Audrey.

Happy April!!

((Mark Ronson & The Business Intl – Bang Bang Bang))

Le’s hang out!

So much buttery goodness.

This photo is a sham. Those scissors could not cut those chains.

Paper prototyping.

Trying it on.

Katja prepping for some fantastic fringe action.

Note that morning’s failed and chunky DIY nail art on my ring finger.

Highlighter yellow, obvs. Shocked I didn’t screw up the cutting portion of the project.

Pounding grommets with large mallet-type objects is surprisingly therapeutic.

Ta-da! My finished product.

Finished product on my person.

Wilfred Marquis jacket via Aritzia, BDG jeans, Justin roper boots, Filson tote bag, I Adorn U bracelet and arrow earrings

Happy hunger games, everybody! After a couple years of impatient childlike anticipation, the day finally arrived! Persnickety critiques of minuscule book deviations and the lack of Battle Royale-esque violence aside, this movie (for me) delivered. The cast was pretty damn fantastic. Exception: Liam Hemsworth is veering dangerously close to Taylor Lautner (::shudder::) territory, but we’ll just have to give him the benefit of the doubt until installment #2. Overall, the spirit of the novel was beautifully captured, the cinematography breathtakingly bleak. And every Capitol scene was like one giant Dances of Vice shindig (hello, feast for the eyes!).

Like probably every other fan out there, I went in lightly Katniss inspired, sans side braid (as that is my lazy girl coif of choice). Opted instead for a clumsy, nest-y approximation of the prettiness in Madewell’s current Parisian[!] lookbook (yeah, yeah, it needs practice. I know this.) You know you all have some sort of utilitarian/workman inspired jive in your wardrobes, and it really does make the viewing experience that much more fun. And anything that empowers just a smidge of bad-assery in us all is a positive in my book.

Carb-up day is serious, make no mistake about it

Mental preparation for food battle, with metal collar points

Bedrock to lay dessert upon: pimento grilled cheese (+fried chicken sammich, not pictured)

A decent approximation of what the carbed up eye spies

This weekend’s main attraction: sfinge, aka zeppole, an Italian confection available for a very limited time  once a year to commemorate St. Joseph’s Day. It’s basically a giant cream puff with cannoli-style pastry filling. This stuff is an explosion of yummy.

Yeah, that’s a cannoli on the side

Things are happening

My delicious nemesis

Defeated by sfinge

Zara tunic, ASOS Petite leather moto jacket, Old Hollywood Spearheads necklace, Tart leggings. Belly not included.

The willowy tunic and stretchy waisted bottoms (i.e. leggings) uniform is pretty much ideal for expanding bellies. And for my shorter sisters, especially, the tunic-that-functions-as-frock adds so much to a wardrobe, no? The above Tart leggings are some of the softest and most supple buttercream-on-my-legs ones I’ve ever worn. They’re also incredibly thin, so no leggings as pants blunders here — cover your bottoms, people!

What about you guys? Do you have go-to armor for days involving big eats? If you’ve got any ideas for incredible carb-ups in NYC, please share!