Oh Joni... it would be such an understatement when I say Joni Mitchell made such a huge impact in my life. When I was a little girl, our Dad would play her songs in the car during road trips and most of the time I'd either sleep through the whole album or ask Dad to skip it to the next artist. It wasn't until I'm all grown up that I started appreciating her music. Choosing a "favorite" from her album is extremely difficult because each and every song has a unique element to it but if you ask me what song made me the most emotional, it's definitely "A Case of You".

"Go to him. Stay with him if you can. But be prepared to bleed". If you listen to the song, this line really struck me the most. Joni is giving us a warning that love comes with getting hurt and we should always be prepared for it. When we love someone, there is no guarantee that we won't get hurt; in fact, the people we love the most are the ones that will cause us the most pain. One of the best, but often scariest feelings of being in love is feeling so vulnerable and knowing how much that person could hurt us, but we can't go through a relationship and worry the entire time that we are going to get hurt. In hindsight, its almost inevitable even if its on a small scale. That's why it is very important to have a positive mindset and treat the person we're in a relationship with the way we want to be treated. Although, this may not entirely work to other people but at least you know in your heart that you're doing the right thing. Let's just leave it to their conscience.

Love talk aside, let's head on to my outfit for today. Aside from Joni's incredible music, I also admire her fashion sense. One of the reasons why I got so engrossed in her is because her style is very bohemian. So, here I am channeling my inner Joni Mitchell with a long dress from ZARA and round daisy glasses from ALDO. What do you think of this Joni inspired look? 

I don't know about you but I'm feeling 22! It's been a month since my birthday and I want to thank everyone who went all the way to my house to celebrate with me and to those who made an effort to send their birthday greetings. Special mention to my parents, to my best friends Coley and Ale and to my brothers Joe, Jidd and Juha for helping me prepare and for making sure everything goes as planned. My #WildChildTurns22 birthday celebration would not be a success without your help! I am extremely blessed to have friends and family that want to make my day special for me. Anyway...

Instead of just a normal OOTD or other post about life and love, I thought I'd list 22 unusual facts about me... seeing that I just turned 22, after all! However, if you're not interested you are free to skip over this. No hard feelings, I am feeling very generous today. Hahaha! So here it goes...

1. WATCHES IRRITATE ME.

... I just hate the feeling of having something on my wrist. The only watch I've worn the longest and actually liked was the wood watch sent to me by my sponsor, Jord.

2.  I LOVE OPM (Original Pilipino/Pinoy Music). 

... Urbandub, Eraserheads, Parokya ni Edgar, Silent Sanctuary, Bamboo, you name it!

3. NOT A FAN OF FISH.

... I know you guys are going "what?! why?!" on your heads right now but truth be told, I don't like the taste of fish. I just don't.

4. I'M NOT AFRAID OF HEIGHTS.

... I knew I wasn't afraid of heights when I started climbing the tall trees we had in our backyard at the age of 8. Skydiving in Dubai or Cebu is on my bucket list!

5. COFFEE SHOPS HAVE BECOME MY SANCTUARY.

... I can sit for hours in CBTL and totally chill to the sound of espresso machine and clinking teaspoons. That, and getting wired on caffeine. 

6. I HAVE RANIDAPHOBIA.

... A.K.A: Fear of frogs! Sometimes I wonder, how the heck did I survive our biology class?

7. I CRY A LOT.
... No, I'm not always sad. If my emotion level gets too high (or too low), I find myself tearing up. This happens more often than I am usually prepared for and the fact that I get teased by it doesn't help at all. 

8. I USED TO LIKE THE COLOR PINK.

... If you've read my "30 Facts About Me" post before, I've mentioned there how much of a pink-a-holic I am but *surprise surprise* that is no longer the case now. I'm already into warm undertones such as brown, cream and gold.

9. TRAVELING IS MY STRESS-RELIEVER.

... School deadlines, heart breaks, petty arguments with friends, online bashers and anything that causes me stress are the reasons why the hashtag #saskiatravels is on Instagram. The sights I see, the people I meet and the new things I experience when traveling helps me enjoy the moment and forget the things that has been bothering me.

10. WHITE CONDIMENTS DISGUST ME.
... I just can't handle the sight, smell and especially the taste of mayonnaise and sour cream, or anything of that strange texture and hue. Blah!

11. I WRITE SONGS.

... Okay, maybe I'm the girl who can't sing and play instruments to save her life but one thing you should know about me is I love song writing. So far, I've written 28 songs including the ones I've had in my journal since 5th grade. Although, there's this one particular Tagalog song I've written that I'm very proud of. Hopefully I'll be able to release and have you guys listen to it before the month ends.

12. MEN WITH THICK EYEBROWS ARE ATTRACTIVE.

... I mean, don't you find Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Zayn Malik and Ian Somerhalder extremely hot?! There's not much of an explanation for me, I just think it's a huge plus if you're a dude with thick eyebrows. Hehe. 

13. I'M A TAYLOR SWIFT FAN.

... And I got to meet and hug her 2 years ago! Despite the T Swift drama that went down, my love for her and her music will never change. There were people on Twitter asking about my opinion on the whole Taylor-Kanye drama but I chose to keep mum mainly because it's none of my business and arguing with close-minded people will just be a waste of time. The media and haters can say what they want but what I'm sure of is Taylor's very genuine to her fans (Swifties). That's proven!

14. I LIKE TO CLEAN MY ROOM.

... It has become a habit more than a chore, really. I just find satisfaction in arranging my things and organizing my closet. 

15. DON'T GIVE ME MILK.

... Unless you want me to puke in front of you? 

16. I'M A DLSU ALUMNI.

... Yes, I took up AB-Psychology in De La Salle University - Manila and just graduated last February. Anyway, I'd like to take this moment to thank my Mom and Dad for being my support system during my 4 years in college and rooting for me, even during the tough times. But to be completely honest, I don’t think a million "thank you’s" would be enough to show them how much I love and appreciate everything they've done for me these past 22 years. I know I have put them through many stressful situations, but knowing that I will always have them both to back me up and believe in me makes a world of difference. I love them... so so so much!

17. I CAN SPEED READ.

... Depending on my mood and the story, I can finish a book in one sitting or in one week. My favorite among the books I've recently finished is "Where Rainbows End" by Cecilia Ahern.

18. BUTTERFLIES AND SUNFLOWERS MAKE ME HAPPY.

... Need I say more? 

19. JOLLIBEE IS MY FAVORITE.

... I used to weigh 130 lbs (I'm now 115 lbs. YAY!) in college from eating Jollibee Spaghetti and Dairy Queen Ice Cream for the whole week with my best friend. Nevertheless, that didn't change my love for the fast food chain. 

20. I'M A SPICY FREAK.

... I love anything with spice. I personally find it enjoyable, it adds a nice flare quality to a good meal. I guess, the burn is just a small price to pay for an otherwise savory meal. 

21. I AM BAD AT GIVING DIRECTIONS.

... Because I only know One Direction. Get it? get it? Kidding aside, my friends will definitely vouch for that. I'm not sure but I am just particularly bad at figuring them out. Suffice to say that I always get a panic attack when people rely on me for directions because most of the time we just end up getting lost. LOL.

22. SASKIA IS A DUTCH NAME.

... My Mom initially thought of naming me after Sushmita Sen, the winner of the Ms. Universe pageant during the year I was born. However, my Dad wasn't fond of the idea, so he decided to name me after the wife of Rembrandt, a famous painter, instead. In case you're wondering, my brothers were given unique names too.

Stay Sassy! 

I have never worn contact lenses ever in my life until last July 10 during the Freshlook and Air Optix event held at Robinson's Ermita. If you're wondering why? Well, aside from the fact that I don't see the point of wearing one hence my 20/20 vision, I'm honestly terrified of them. Let's be real here, just like anything in this world, contact lenses does pose some risk. Eye infection can occur and in worst cases, can lead to blindness. I wouldn't say wearing a pair of contact lenses for the first time was better than I have expected but I would definitely recommend it.

As a kid, I remember feeling very uncomfortable with crushes or boyfriends whenever someone would casually bring it up. I even swore to myself that I wouldn't date anyone, as crazy as its sounds but I'm sure some you can relate to me. Needless to say, just a mere mention of the term "boy" creeps me out way before I even got the chance to interact with one outside my family. So, first day of 6th grade came and I had a seat mate named Kurt. As we started talking, my heart would never be the same. It was my first awkward crush (and first heart break too), little did I know then that it was only the beginning of so many more. As usual Kurt ended up liking someone else in my class. The fact that I still took the risk and consider my feelings for him, even though I know my heart would be in jeopardy, was already a big deal for me.
One thing I learned in life, it's all about taking the plunge. Sometimes you have to jump without a safety net to feel what it's like to live. By taking risks we open ourselves up to being hurt in relationships, to loosing things we thought we had and to acquire personal injuries but at the same time these risks may also lead us to the one great love of our life. It is during these crises that we find things that are more valuable than what we have lost, and learn things about ourselves that will shape our character in the future. Playing it safe will not change anything but taking risks will definitely help us live our lives to its fullest potential.
Well, let's take my outfit for today as an example. In the Philippines, low hanging Harem Pants (as seen in the photo) is not something you see everyday at the mall or in the park. The only place where I catch people wearing these kind of attire is at the airport and usually they're Caucasians backpacking in Asia. I find it odd why there are only a few number of people here in my country who consider wearing low hanging Harem Pants when it can be both comfortable and trendy. I mean, what more can you ask for? The best part with wearing these pants is that you can make heads turn for as long as you know the right clothing and accessories to match it with. Not to mention the proper ambiance.

So if you're considering buying low hanging Harem Pants in the future, here's what you need to remember: it's always recommended that the pants should be emphasized so the top should be tucked inside the pants. Remember to keep the clothing above simple as possible to provide the background for the accent, which are the pants. If your pants are dark go for a colorful top to liven the outfit up like how I did with mine, and always keep the leg down. It’s not anymore out of place if you see someone wearing them out in public today. It's better to set the trend than follow one. Of course you'll catch a lot of glances but that's the whole point, isn't it?
My point is this, there's no harm in taking risks. This not only applies to romantic relationships or fashion choices, but life as a whole. The only way to get to where you want to be is by taking the first step of a thousand mile journey. Sure there will be people who will try to bring you down, but at the end of the day it's you... only you can live your life, nobody else will!

Get the look:

Harem Pants: Etsy | Top: Topshop | Sandals: Solea

What do you think of my outfit for today? Tweet me!