168 Divi Dress Disaster - Camille's Boutique

I decided to write an article about this horrible experience for everyone who will want to have their dress made in Divisoria. I'm not criticizing Divi dressmakers in general, but I'm just talking about one boutique in particular--Camille's Boutique (the one near the textile stall and RCBC at the 4th flr. of 168 Shopping Mall - Soler Wing). Owned and operated by Rebecca Cruz, this made-to-order gown shop may be your horror train ride to your event.

Just recently, one of my friends got engaged and she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. Along with my other college friends, I volunteered to pay for the dress. I know I'm also at fault because I wasn't there to help my friend decide where she would have the dresses made, but I know that she chose Camille's Boutique in good faith.

Since I haven't had any dress made in Divi, I asked my friend if I could have the fabric and have the dress made by my seamstress. It would also be less stressful for me because I would not have to go to Divi for measurements, fitting, and such. My friend discouraged me to do so because according to the mananahi, "Mag-iiba yung treatment." Obviously, that mananahi just want to keep all the earnings to herself.


I also had doubts about the boutique she chose because sje said that we could send our measurements via text message and they can start creating the dress from there. What??? It does not happen that way, especially for women like me who have curves. Everybody who has ever had their dress made knows that the final output of a dress depends on the cut. Kaya nga may "Master Cutter" dahil importante and tabas ng damit sa kalalabasan nito.

Anyway, for the last few months, I did not budge and still encouraged my friend to buy the fabric for me. However, even up to the last minute, the mananahi refused to provide the fabric swatch. So I gave up and went to the boutique to have the dress done. I gave them about a month to complete the dress. I know most people will say that I should have booked them earlier. Mind you, I tried to have my dress made about 3 months before the deadline, but because they refused to give the fabric swatch, I wasn't able to do so.

A week before my deadline, I texted AJ, the boutique personel, reminding her that I would come the week after to pick up the dress. She did not reply. Three days before the deadline, I reminded her again. Since they were not replying, I assumed that there were no problems with the dress and that I could pick it up on the deadline. I even told AJ that I could get the dress the day after the deadline.

Typically, I do not bring a cellphone whenever I go to Divi to avoid becoming the prey of thieves. When I got to the shop at around 12PM, AJ and Vecca (Rebecca Cruz) already looked annoyed. Vecca said, "Ikaw yung tinext namen kanina?" I already knew something went wrong. She said she texted me that morning, telling me that the dress was not done yet. Grabe! I told her, "Sana kahapon mo sinabi. Sana nag-reply ka sa mga text ko. Alam niyo bang ito lang pinunta namen dito. Galing pa kami ng Antipolo." Ugh! Grabe lang talaga.

Here's another annoying fact: Vecca did not apologize. I remember her saying in a condescending tone, "Yung damit mo nga lang yung bongga. Kinulang pa yung telang binili ko," but she never apologized. She made me feel that it was my fault why they missed their deadline, and that I should have been thankful because they made my dress. Vecca told me that they had a sewing shop in Taytay, and that I can pick up the dress there after a week. I agreed and went home.

A week went by and I texted AJ and Vecca reminding them about the dress. My friend also told me to keep reminding them about the dress because apparently, she's had issues with her order too. There was a wrong piece in the groom's set of clothes, and they commonly inform the client that they'll push the deadline on the day itself. The groom worked at Singapore and whenever there was a need to go to Camille's Boutique, he had to make arrangements with his employer. Imagine the stress Rebecca Cruz gave the groom and bride.

So I kept on reminding them, even calling them. But they did not reply or answer my calls. I even sent one text message saying, "AJ, bakit di nagrereply si Vecca? Di ko na naman ba makukuha yung damit ko?" Eventually, they answered the call (my mother was the one making the call because I got tired of doing it repeatedly). My mother asked the person on the other line the exact address of the sewing shop so we can directly go there. To my mother's surprise, he did not know. Note: Vecca told me that it was one of their sewing shops. So we agreed to meet the guy at the closest restaurant.

We waited for three hours (Yes, THREE HOURS) for the delivery guy to arrive. Since we were tired of waiting, and it was already night time, I decided not to go to their sewing shop and just take the dress home with me. Diba we waited for three hours for the delivery guy? He still had the nerve to be annoyed at us. His name was Leonardo Diaz. He said he was Vecca's husband. I asked him why Vecca's last name was Cruz. He wasn't able to answer that with, "That's her maiden name." He just said, "Ewan ko dun." Kaloka. Obviously, he wasn't giving us his real name.

I went home and tried the dress. It was horrible. There was no hook to hold the dress together, my boobs were falling off, the end cuts of the fabrics were showing. Basta, there were many things wrong with the dress. So I had it repaired for 250php. My mother told me that it was more difficult to repair clothes than to make them. In the first place, I should have had my dress done kay Aling Lita--it would cost less and I would not have to go through all the stress. Aling Lita said that when you're making a chiffon dress there should be at least three layers of fabric--mine had two. The boning should be cut right by the waist--mine reached my legs. The cocktail dress with lace bolero costs 1800php.

Meanwhile, my other friend who also had her bridesmaid dress done by Camille's Boutique was also having problems with AJ and Vecca--they were not replying to her texts. She was supposed to pick up her dress two days after I got mine but they were not answering her calls. On the day itself, they texted her and told her that they lost her dress--that was two weeks before the wedding. Grabe lang no? They had her dress made on a rush and when my friend tried the dress on, it did not fit her and the design was different from what she submitted. Of course, it would not fit her--the measurements were based on the bride's. So professional and organized.

When I had my doubts about Camille's Boutique, I tried searching for it on the Internet. The shop did not have a Facebook account and there wasn't any blog entry published regarding it. Now I'm doing the worldwideweb a favor by uploading this entry. Hey Rebecca Cruz, if you are reading this, I want you to know that I am disappointed at you. You are an unprofessional seamstress with a crude attitude. I am an SEO writer (I make a living by writing content for search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing), so I made sure that this entry is stuffed with every keyword that your prospect clients will use in searching for you or any Divisoria seamstress, Divisoria boutique, 168 dressmakers, 168 bridal gown shop. So I hope you start cleaning your act.

Noemi's Makeup Portfolio 2013

Ate Noemi recently resigned from being a public school teacher to pursue a career in makeup application. Imagine the horror my mother went through when she revealed that she'd go full time on makeup! Anyway, I hope everything turns out well. I can also see Ate really working hard to find gigs. She even updated her portfolio, and of course, I was there to help, taking pictures and stuff. Photos were also posted at http://www.facebook.com.makeupbynoemi We asked our cousin's wife to model for us. She already has 2 makukulit na babies, and she doesn't even have time to fix her hair. Kaya she was really excited to help ate.


Here's Lanie's Before shot. This was taken at eye level kaya medyo harsh yung angle.

Here's the After shot. Ate calls this one, "Fairy Tale Bride" Pasweet lang and super fresh look.

Here's another look Ate prepared. This one's called, "Pixie Dream Girl". May konting spunk dahil sa subtle smokey eyes, but still charming and sweet.

This one's called, "Smouldering Grecian Bride". Heavy smokey eyes with nude lips.

Diba, she's really talented! She just needs to put her heart to what she's doing. Here's Lanie nga pala with her bunso, Uno:

  

 

Ate's makeup lesson with Punggay

We live 3 houses away from each other, and yet we haven't seen each other for ages! The first question she asked me was, "Diba nag-Baguio ka?" Wah! I graduated 4 years ago! Anyway, we easily caught up on stuff that happened for the past years, including her career shift. She wanted to be a nurse before, but realized that makeup artistry was her true passion. So, she asked ate Noemi to give her some basic lessons on makeup application. BTW, someone hired her for prom makeup services (o, that's true talent). Since it's an evening event, Ate taught her two ways to do the smokey eyes effect. Here's her photo:

Oh, diba, so pretty, even without makeup! ^_^

Ate Noemi's makeup for Mrs. Remy Serapion

I am having so much fun using my new lens! I also discovered new curves settings on Photoshop which make my photos look better. As I previously said, Ate Noemi has a makeup gig today. She did her godmother's makeup this morning. Here are the before and after shots:

Here are the products she used:
Graftobian - Makeup base, foundation, blush, corrector, finish powder, finish spray
Revlon lipstick
Etude lip liner
Maybelline cream eye liner 

She did an excellent job on covering Tita Remy's age spots and reducing the dark under eye circles. And nope, she didn't use airbrush! That's all traditional makeup! Who says you can't achieve that high definition, flawless look with traditional makeup?  

I also love what she did with Tita Remy's hair:

She created 4 hair roses with star pins in the middle. Those pins normally cost around 50 pesos here in Antipolo. Good thing we found this shop in Hidalgo, Quiapo where we can buy each for 22 pesos. 

Ate's getting better at hairstyling!

Nikkor 35mm f1.8

Last Saturday, I bought new lens for my camera. I decided to buy Nikkor 35mm f1.8 since I do not plan on upgrading to full frame any time soon. I took it for a stroll along Manila and it did not disappoint me. I was very happy with how much details it can capture. Here's a photo of Mami and Dadi...and Ate Noemi goofing around.lol

 I took more photos during the trip, but I'm having problems uploading them here in my blog. So here's the link to the FB album for this trip: FACEBOOK

It also got a decent depth of field. Here's a photo of my uber, super dooper, cutie patootie, nephew:

The cake we ate at Teacher Rose's birthday last night:

Ate Noemi has a makeup gig on Saturday and I 'm so excited to use my new lens! I'll upload those photos soon after the gig's done!

Makeup by Noemi Samson - Kim Aquino

I've said before that I've been helping my sister develop her portfolio but I haven't posted any of her makeup photos in this blog yet. There are a lot, mind you. Hence, I will post my favorites.
Ate has always admired Kim's (our churchmate) facial features. Lately, Ate practiced her skills with Kim.
These were taken for Jam's school project. She posed as the lover in the movie poster of the Legend of Bulkan Mayon.

Here's a closer look:

Here's the movie poster that Ate Abba edited: (Boyong's hilarious!)

Before 2011 ended, we also asked Kim to model for us. Ate Noemi's concept was New Year's Eve makeup. By the way, Ate studied hairstyling by the time we took these photos. So Kim's hair looked better compared to the Mayon shoot.haha

Kim is soooo pretty! Ate has improved a lot. I really hope she gets booked in the future. I hope she can fulfill her dream of becoming a runway makeup artist in New York.:)

SLC's Blacklight Presentation

Because lately, I've been broke, I've searched for rakets on photography. I've been taking photos of Shiloh Learning Center's activities. (Well technically, I did not apply for the job - I am an alumnus and a member of SLC's church.haha)
Every year, SLC prepares a blacklight presentation for their commencement exercises. Instead of presenting the traditional "song with white gloves" performance, Teacher Abba uses her creativity by incorporating fairy tales. During my stay in SLC, I was part of the Creation and The Three Little Pigs blacklight presentation. All I can remember was the fun we had creating the props and the tension we felt while carrying packaging tapes, praying that the props won't fall apart.haha Back then DSLRs were not popular. These kids are lucky that they can keep photographs of their blacklight presentation. but I could never be more happier because I was the one who took their photos.
Here are the photos I took:

The cast
L-R - Prince, Messenger, Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Stepmother, Stepsisters

The cast and crew

Cinderella

The Stepsisters and Cinderella

The evil stepmother and Cinderella

The evil stepmother

The evil stepmother and stepsisters

Fairy Godmother and Cinderella

The cast on house lights

The cast with their creative director, Kim Aquino
L-R - Justin, Ransom, Tiffany, Habakkuk, Kim, Eom Shin, Kendrick, Genzen

The cast with the voice over talents
L-R - Justin, Isaac, Tiffany, Andrea, Shannon, Habakkuk, Kim, Justin, Joey, Kendrick, Genzen, Nathalie

I also took productions stills but I'll just upload them on a separate entry. These kids are fun to work with! :)

Good things happen sometimes

My blog feels like an open ended story.
So here's an update.

Last March, I graduated from FPPF. Yay! Here's the photo I submitted for the graduation contest:

It's not really my favorite among my shots (it got murdered during the evaluation!haha). Here's what I liked (but it's more of a portrait than a picture of human activity):

  

Hey, but whatever, it won 5th place anyway!

I still don't know what I want to do with my life but I know God is leading me there. :)

FPPF Photos

Hay. Haven't posted for ages. A lot has happened to me these past months. First, I resigned from my job as a Quality Coordinator in Yell Adworks. Then, I got broke. Got enough money to study basic photography. Now, I'm broke once more. But then, I feel really satisfied with what I've achieved so far - kahit wala akong pera.
Went to study Basic Photography at FPPF despite the negative comments my college instructor gave the workshop. I wanted to give it a try and I also knew that by the time a workshop schedule comes up from my preferred photography instructor, I would be penniless.
Here are the photos I submitted during the workshop:

Black subject on black background, supposedly

Deep depth of field

Glassware on black background

Motion blur

Motion freeze

Portrait using window light

Shallow depth of field

White subject on white background, supposedly

The Internet...O.o

Oh my. I know that the internet is a powerful medium of information...but oh my...this is the first time I got paranoid on how well people can find things about you. The horrifying part of it is people most especially can find your dirt through the internet.
 Up until now, I still wonder how people found SQ's blog when all the vital information that might help SEO were divulged in riddles and initials like YA, WG, NL. Is that how smart technology has become?!LOL
After I found SQ's blog, I urged to checking my gmail for social network site updates (yes, I'm not allowed to access FB, especially LinkedIn from office). I choked when I saw that my boss send a request to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn! I know I didn't say any horrible thing about him or my job in those sites but I did mention in Twitter how I felt about my job. I didn't want my boss to know how I felt because I wanted to show him how strong I am. When the day comes that I've decided (to whatevurrr), I wanted him feel that I am indispensable. Letting him see a slight hint of my discouragement might destroy the image I wanted to build. Is it Google? Have you been giving away my sites?! Ugh! I hate you! I trusted you. CHar! Lol
Ay nako buti nalang protected ang tweets ko. Lol! (and I can't remember my password!)

My Sister's Other Job

It's been a while since I wrote here. I've been very busy with work...too busy perhaps. I've been promoted to a Quality Coordinator position. I'm not going to say anything about that job...for now.
The only thing that keeps me happy during my spare time is my sister's other job - makeup application. I've always been supportive of my sister. Imagine how ecstatic I am to know that she has found her true passion and that she finally has the courage to pursue it.
My sister is a graduate of HD Makeup Studio & Academy (formerly Basement Academy). She specializes in bridal, debutante, special occasion, and fashion makeup. Ate Noemi was trained and equipped to do makeup that can withstand high resolution/definition cameras.
I've been helping her develop her portfolio. I've been assisting her during her makeup stints and taking photos of her work. Here's her portfolio:
http://www.wix.com/makeupbynoemisamson/home#!portfolio
I've also helped her develop her own website:
http://makeupbynoemi.weebly.com/
I know, I'm bad at web designing. I still believe that it's the effort that counts.



My sister not only has a good heart, she is also talented. I hope someday, people can notice that.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I hate coming to work everyday. At the start of the week, I just wish that the weekend would come fast. I do not like my job and the shift schedules. If it weren't for the new shift schedule I might not even think of hating my job. I could not totally say that I hate what I'm doing because why else would I stay for over a year in this company? The only consolation I get from this job (aside from the pay) is the two weeks (every other month) that I feel like I'm like any other working person in the Philippines--I go to work during the mornings. However, last month, they rolled out a new shift schedule - 12mn and 3am (thanks to the "shining beacon of hope" and to mr. "designers!").
I would not deny that I liked the 12mn shift. There was no rush in coming to work and I actually slept well. Come next shift though, I felt the effects of never seeing the sun and never experiencing weekends (because I spend them sleeping, and when I'm awake, everybody else is sleeping. Sunday leaves too fast.).
What was worse was hearing that the new manager does not welcome critical and logical thinkers--he is basically a dictator. I really wish that Sir Art is still our manager. I miss having him as our OM. Naalala ko tuloy si Cor. Sir Art na mahilig mag-eavesdrop.haha At least he cared.
Last week, Liss told me that DDB is looking for SEO writers. I hesitated on giving her my resume because I haven't really thought of leaving the company. Hindi naman lahat ng bagay sa kumpanya eh masama.
1. I have really awesome friends
2. This is the first time that I get paid this much
3. They have up to par health benefits
4. I like their PTO program
5. The job really isn't that hard
6. They give opportunities for us to learn
Yun nga lang, they can be abusive at times--depending on the "company's needs."
If I leave this company, I'm afraid I might not be able to find a job that can offer the same benefits.

Decide, decide...hay mag-aaral muna ako sa May or June, tapos saka na ako mag-iisip.

Welcome home Vevi Nikon D3100!

I'm so happy to have finally bought my first ever, awesome DSLR - the Nikon D3100 (a.k.a. Vevi, I still haven't thought of a better name for it)!

 
Despite the tax and the "no log out" deductions from my salary, last Saturday, I still went to Hidalgo as planned. I was with the family. Mami was so happy for me now that I have my DSLR. Finally, she would be hearing less of my almost-quarter-life-crisis rants. Dadi was happy to lend me money (haha).

Ate was psyched about Savory

I allotted 31k for the DSLR because I've already called some of the shops in Hidalgo. But upon learning that the prices may vary from one shop to another, I checked out all of them before deciding to buy one. Henry's was the last shop I checked out, and that was not because it was at the corner of the road. The 1st shop (coming from Quiapo church, forgot the name) offered D3100 kit for 31k, with a free bag, 4g memory card, 1 year store warranty and a duster. Honestly, I wanted to buy that one already because the shop dude was really accommodating. Yes, I'm a big fan of sales talk.haha But I did not trust my instinct and went on to check out the other shops. Almost all of them offer the same price and freebies. 24k offered the cheapest price - 29k. but here's the catch -- it doesn't have a free bag and they offer 6 months store warranty only. Mami then went on with saying, "Di bale nang mahal basta mas matagal yung warranty, anong malay mo."


So finally we've reached Henry's. The shop lady had me at, "29,800 libre bag, 4g memory card, saka may 1 year store warranty." Yehei! Since nakamura ako nang malaki, I've decided to buy a lens filter. Saka na yung iba. I got my D3100 kit (body, 18-55 mm VR lens, bag, 4g memory card, and lens filter) for 30, 200.

Here's the 1st photo Vevi took of me:

  I'm happy that I was with my family who helped me buy Vevi that day.

Then off we went to Dadi's "sentimental journey." We passed by Dadi's favorite bakery, favorite carinderia, favorite movie house (now an abandoned lot), and of course, his favorite restaurant:

We spent 1,200 for a large serving of Pata Tim, Savory Chicken, and Pansit. It was really cheap considering the amount of serving they offer. We weren't able to finish them all and in fact, we ate the left overs until the night after that day.

Look at that Pata Tim plate and compare it with Ate's plate! Grabe, ang dami!

Dadi wasn't happy about the pansit though. He said David's had the authentic Chinese tasting pansit. Okay, winner na ang David's (true naman!).

Hay, so from now, expect that this blog will be filled with photos from me Vevi.

"Managing" as what by boss would say

It's been 2 months since I last posted here. They say you forget to post a blog entry when you are happy and content with what you have. I must say that's true for me, but not entirely.

As my boss would always say when I ask him how he's doing, "Managing." He's tired, but still he finds life and happiness outside work.

I'm tired, but still I've learned that there are good things that await you when you work hard.

So far, I've received 2 blessings from work:

1. Money to buy my first ever, awesome DSLR

Yes. This coming Saturday, I've got everything planned and I'm heading out to Hidalgo! :D Last December, I've decided that if I don't save up for my DSLR, I'd have to wait for another year. I initially planned on buying one on February. But I've realized that I needed this camera by the end of January since I'm joining the kids' camp at Laguna.

I begged Dadi to lend me 10k, just so I can buy the DSLR this coming 15th. I promised to pay him by the end of Feb. Mabait talaga si Dadi, kasi pumayag siya! :D (that's what you get when you're great at sucking up to your Dad.haha)

After much deliberations and phone calls, I've decided to buy Nikon D3100:

It's got 14.2 Megapixel DX-format CMOS Image Sensor and HD movie recording.
BABY! See you in five days!


2. An 8.5 out of 10 rating in my December scorecard.

I'm not sure if 8.5 out of 10 can be considered high already, or laging late lang talaga ang team mates ko. I got a perfect 10 on attendance because I always come to work on time and even 30 minutes early sometimes. Eh malakas pala manghatak ang attendance, mataas kasi ang percentage niya sa scorecard. Anyway, I'm happy enough to reach 8. (syempre inspired! sa DSLR saka kay teenage crush!haha)

Ay, si Teenage Crush pala...he's not gay, OKAY?

Hay. I can't wait for Saturday to come. Sana bukas Saturday na! :D

1st entry for this account

I never maintained a blog. That is one mistake that hadn't realized for years.

I am stressed at work and don't even know if I'm gearing towards the right direction. What I know right now is that I want a DSLR, badly. But, what should I do after buying one?

That's how messed up and vague my life is. The worst part is, I'm having a difficult time relaying my feelings to the people around me. It must be the age and cultural difference. No matter how close they are to you, they can't get close enough to fully understand your situation.

I know, I'm 21, and I am not allowed to waste my time playing around...just like what I did in college. I have to be serious because every decision I make affects my future. "You can have short term goals, kid, but they must be part of your long term goals." That's what I kept saying to myself.

Last Friday at work, I was reading blog entries from friends. Most of them were written during their quarter life crisis phase. That kept me thinking. If at this point of my life, from the scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), my level of ranting and whining is 7, how higher can it get 3-4 years later? Ugh.

"I hate to pressure you dude, but these things, you'd have to confront them sooner. You never notice them hanging behind your back, and in no time, you're completely eaten up." (Hold up, Dasepo Sonyo clips suddenly popped in head.haha)

And yes, I talk to myself, mostly during office hours (that's how isolating my job feels, weird eh, I'll talk about some other time).


That was when I decided to put up a blog, one that I commit to maintain for the rest of my life.

Nobody can help me if I'm not able to understand myself. I know I'm weird, I'm a psycho, I've been told.
So this blog, I hope will help me pick up the pieces and eventually help me find my way (ew, it's like writing a song for my blog).

BTW, I've been saying this, but I'm really not serious about it...I want to be a photographer working at a cruise ship. :)

push to AA!!!!

yey!