Happy Birthday Laiza Girl!!!

Hey hey! It's my dear friend Laiza's birthday! I'll be having mine, too in a few days. I'm now in my late twenties so I guess I'm in a position to share some wisdom. One thing I've really learned in this wonderful life is to keep few real friends. They don't just keep you sane. They make life extra amazing even on rough times! And another thing I know is that Laiza is one of those true, worth-keeping friends. Since it's her birthday, allow me to honor her by sharing five things about her.

1. She has itchy soles. Maybe that's the reason she can't sleep without rubbing her feet against a mosquito net. Haha! But I don't mean that literally. What I'm really telling is that, she loves to travel. This is no surprise to the people around her. She does not live a day without talking about her past destinations or the places she yet to see. When she got her MIT - Master in Information Technology from ADMU, she also got herself another MIT - Master in TRAVEL. She's been travelling (a lot) since then and she's doing it for the rest of her life. Get to know about her travels here. I also love to travel but I love it more because of her.

2. She does not own a credit card. Thank goodness because if she does, she'll be swiping bikinis all day long! Her number one guilty pleasure is what I've just mentioned. She spends her leisure time window shopping for bikinis online. Sometimes, I can hear her giggling and wowing while surfing the web. I assume she sees Hugh Jackman's abs but nay. Nothing can make her eyes so wide but a photo of a dazzling bikini. But even if she does own a credit card, which she claims will be impossible because she does not trust herself with it, I know she will be responsible. 

3. She takes jobs left and right. Having a job on the side is something that is discreetly discouraged at where we work so I hope no administrator can read this. Hehe. But having two or three jobs in which she's evaluated as excellent is something that should be admired. I mean we all have a job and some really work at it hard but we also have other passions which should also be given time. I'm a witness to how Laiza puts her main job always the first priority while doing some other little stuff. She works crazy not just for herself but also to give some extra pleasures to her family, which makes her family proud of and grateful for her.

4. She eats plain sundae. She likes sundae better without chocolate or strawberry syrup. Paksiw will make her the happiest. Take her to a barbecue station and you will say the world is unfair. How does she keep her waistline after eating so much rice? She adores mangoes with bagoong. She can eat it all day. She does not care how her face is distorted. Behind the maarte image is a cowgirl. She is actually just plain and simple accessorized by her other interesting characteristics.

5. She is so honest. Laiza can talk all day all night about everything under the sun! When I say everything, I mean e-v-e-r-y-thing. She's a friend I can't help but be honest with because she reveals so much of herself.  She is so confident of herself that she's not afraid to be vulnerable at some appropriate times. We all have these dark little secrets which we can share only to one person. She is that kind of person. I trust her with my most kept secrets. :)

But most of all, I trust her with a most treasured friendship. Happy birthday to you Laiza girl! May God bless you with another meaningful year of travels, adventures, and love/s! :)

Happy Easter!

via Google Images

Holy Week 2013

John 3:16,17 

 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 

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Onajin Massage Relaxation Zone

I have always been frugal. Before I purchase a thing, I look at the price tag first. If it is way over my budget, I just cry myself at night. Letting go's are never easy as they say. Letting go of something I really want, say shoes, which I know would be unreasonable to get hurts as much as letting go of a company you've served for so long. Ok, the company thing maybe harder but hey, the shoes. I mean, c'mmon ladies! I need people on my side. You know what I am talking about. :)

Well, there are also days when I spend for something unplanned but I am now over impulsive buying. I am not yet very money-smart but I am miles better than I was in my early twenties. I guess that's the beauty of getting wiser each year. You know your priorities and you know how to allocate your hard-earned moolah. It is nice to have some splurges once in a while especially if it promotes the well-being of oneself.

One thing I have learned to love is having a massage. It is great to be pampered after a hard day at work and I deeply believe that this kind of treat is something I owe to myself.

I was heading to a spa along Aparente Street, Gensan when I came across Onajin Massage Relaxation Zone along the way. Since I liked trying out something new, I got in. And was immediately surprised by a 20% discount for my first visit. I loved discounts! :) They wanted me to try their signature massage originally worth P350. I just paid the discounted price of P280. How's that for an hour and a half of delightful experience?

The staff were very friendly and accommodating. And my masseuse was excellent! It was the first time that I allowed a massage for my feet because my nerves could not stand the tickles. I did not know how she did it but I enjoyed the foot massage. The best part of the Onajin Massage was the long repetition on my lower back. That was my favorite part. 

Solemn ambiance. Your choice of oil. I chose lavander. Plus a hot cup of tea at the end of the session. This is one spa I recommend to my friends.

Visit their facebook page here.

Location: 2/F HopeWell Point Building, Aparente Street, 9500 General Santos City

28 Before 28 (3)

I find the skies or the clouds very interesting the past week. I have captured a jellyfish-like cloud which make me the happiest. It's the nearest shape to a real thing. Others still look like cotton candies, which of course are always adorable. You want to jump and grab them. 

My niece, Caela, by the way wants to reach the clouds. So we explain how it is not possible. Sometimes, it sucks to break a child's heart. She wants the clouds and as an aunt I want to give it to her but I can't. It is painful to see her disappointed when told that she can't have it. But I am sure she has already gotten over the idea - the magnificent thing of being a child.

So.... It's just a week before my birthday! Yipee!!! :)

Where To Buy Books Online?

Lend me your ears (or eyes) bookworms. You will thank me for this. :) I have found a cheap bookstore online!!! How's that for a tip, huh? Ok, so it is the BetterWorldBooks.com. Check out their website and you will find tons of discounted books of foreign authors. I am so giddy about this because now, I can have the books I want at their cheapest value. Well, among other bookstores I have checked out.

This is a foreign store so expect the delivery to be such a long wait. My first book arrived a month after my order. The second book, nearly 2 months. But who am I to complain? Here's another thing to celebrate, their worldwide shipping is free! Ok, I wanna collapse right now. Hihi! Boy, was I amazed!

Books from Better World Books

Wait, there's more. What I love most about buying books from Better World Books is, I help in their mission to fund literacy in other parts of the world.

"Every book purchased from Better World Books 

contributes to individual literacy throughout the world 

and the potential for a better life."

Side notes:

1. A bookstore is one of my happy places. I find BookSale in KCC very helpful with my budget. I wish there are more bookstores like it in Gensan. Some of my favorites are children's books for my niece Caela and back issues of magazines. I am crazy about magazines but I rarely (as in like maybe twice or thrice in my lifetime) buy them on their time of release. I just find it impractical because tips and facts do not get old. And I am not also the type who wants to know the latest trends in fashion and showbiz so the back issues are just perfect for me. Topping my list  are Good Housekeeping and Marie Claire.

2. Books by Filipino authors are found in National Bookstore. Where else? It's the best bookstore in town! :)

Happy reading, fabulous you! Oh, by the way, where do you buy your books? Would you mind to give me other ideas?

Hello Summer!!!

I am not really a fan of the sun but I am a total fan of summer! Can you hear the beach calling?!? :) I grabbed some images from the web to put into my summer vision board! Hey SUMMER, here I come!

What are you up to this summer? I am pretty sure you'll hit the beach anytime soon, ey? :) Let's all have fun in the sun, guys. Or fun in the shade will do, too. :)

Why I Blog

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I started blogging on March 2010. Thus, Happy Anniversary! :) I started with nothing in mind but to keep myself sane. I needed to do something new. I needed another outlet to express myself because maybe I got tired of talking to myself. Haha. Yeah, I had this habit of talking to myself especially when facing a mirror. I got rid of big mirrors in my room so I could only do small talking. :) 

Anyway, when I feel I need some growth, I find something new to do. Then I discovered blogging. Ever since, I was already drawn to lifestyle and personal blogs so I decided to be on that genre. Ok, I was not very knowledgeable about blogging. The first embarrassing moment I had in blogosphere was taking a photo from a blog because I was excited to share the information that he posted. I did this without giving credit to the author. Oopss! My bad! The author left me a message stating very gently that I had to give a link to his site. So that was my first lesson. 

And I guess that is just the only lesson I have had. Maybe I don't really know what the whole blogging thing means. What I only know is that this here is my happy place! You also have that, ayt? A garden maybe or a bookstore, a park, a coffee shop and the list goes on. Mine is this blog. So why do I love having this blog? Here are my top three reasons. Just 3 so please read along :)

1. I like to tell stories. I really like telling stories. This is my way of updating my friends of where life is bringing me to, of what days I am having, of what things I am being giddy about. Back in grade school, I was really talkative. I was always in the noisy list to the point that I could not buy myself a snack because I had to pay my penalty. Haha! Don't get me wrong here. I am really a very attentive student but on a supposedly quiet moment, I can't help but talk. So you may notice that sometimes, all I do is blab. :)

2. I want to share information. As much as I love talking about myself, this blog is not just about me. I do not want it to be just about me. As much as possible, I want to leave something to my readers. (Ang feeler ko. Parang ang dami talaga. Haha...) Maybe it's the teacher in me. I want to impart something and this is my teensy way to make the world a better place. Hehe. But seriously, I am striving to make this blog as informative as possible. 

3. I want to spread positive vibes. Since this is my happy place, I also want you to feel happy upon visiting me. In a world with so much negativity, here is a place of refuge. Here, I rejoice for pretty things, little milestones (and big, of course), wonderful relationships, and other amazing things. 

Last month, someone came up to me and said he was reading my blog. I wanted to shake his hand or give him a high five or whatever to show my appreciation. That was the first time I felt so surprised that someone was actually reading my blog. It made my day and my whole blogger being. Please excuse my being sentimental. Just give this to me. After all, it's my anniversary. :) But actually, I don't care if I have three or three thousand readers. I will still write the same things. I will still post the same photos. I will still tell the same stories.

To you who share my happy place with me, thank you so much! :) 

28 Before 28 (2)

I am on the second week in countdown to my 28th birthday! I am taking a photo of the sky each day until my birthday. :) It has always been part of my days even in the past to look at the skies but taking photos is a whole new experience. 

Having some kinda record of the cloud formations makes me extra amazed. How can clouds be so shy early in the morning, be so extravagantly cottony at noon and be beach sand-like in the afternoon? Well, that is not always the case but on most days that is their cycle. Amazing, ey? This habit definitely is taking my birthday blues away.

I am also hoping that I can catch an unusual-looking formation. A heart, maybe or any animal or a letter E. That will be such a surprise! :)

Yummy Gensan: Lemon Chicken at Grab A Crab

Grab A Crab is one of the most popular restaurants in Gensan, if not the most popular. It is also one of the finest. Well, fine dining in its true sense does not exist in Gensan yet (to the best of my knowledge) but I know it will soon be because of a booming restaurant business in the city. Grab A Crab is on top of the list of my to-go restos. The one that I literally daydream about and put on my vision board.

I have let chances pass to dine here because of the impression that the experience may put a hole in my pocket because the place looks so sossy. Maybe it is not the kind of resto for always in nagtitipid mode like me. Haha! But I remember that since I am done with my hardcore saving for months (thank You, Lord), I think I deserve a 'little' splurge. 

I open the menu and before I even look for what to order, my eyes find their way to the numbers. You see, I love numbers but sometimes they scare me. Haha! Then I sigh (a sigh of relief). Oh, this will not hurt so bad! If you are planning to dine here, budget must be around medium high (based on my super low key standard. Hihi.) Nearly half a grand would make a decent meal for one. 

Grab A Crab, as its name suggests, boasts of their crabs. I have heard great compliments about their crab recipes but since I am no crab fan and I am also a trying-hard-no-red-meat-eater (with tenderloin steaks still under negotiation), I tried their lemon chicken and mushrooms.

Now I have full understanding why it is a famous resto. Nothing really compares to great food and excellent service tandem. Be just good at one and you'll fall short. Add a little more homey ambiance and yummy desserts and that makes a delightful dining experience. 

Location: Laurel East Avenue; SM City Gensan; and Robinsons Place Gensan

I Miss The Rain

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I dunno know about you, but I love rainy days more than sunny days. Maybe it has something to do with where I work. The sun is shining there 312 days a year and 78% more than in any part of Gensan. Haha! I just made those numbers up just to give a rough estimate of the weather here. But the rain really seldom visits Gensan. Not that I am complaining. I actually feel blessed that this city is kept safe even with the storm forecasts few times the past months.

Summer is just around the corner. While everybody is taking their floral dresses, sunnies, and shorts out of their closets, here I am missing my beloved rainy days. Those few days when I get the excuse to put on some layers, to have some extra lazy minutes on bed before dragging myself to get up, to sip from a bowl of my mom's oh so delicious macaroni soup, and to sit by the doorstep to admire the beauty of the raindrops. 

Watching the rain is one of my favorite things to do. I am completely amazed of its wonder. Though I am well aware of my science book on the rain formation and water cycle parts, I still cannot help but be in awe.

I discovered that little Caela is fond of the rain, too. One rainy morning, upon waking up, she sat by the doorstep and was quietly watching the rain. After a while, she was extending her arm and sometimes a foot waiting for the rain to "touch" her. 

28 Before 28 (1)

I am doing a countdown to my 28th birthday! Yipee! I will be turning a year wiser so soon. Well, the yipee part is only half meant because I do not like the part of evaluating my years of existence and fretting because I feel I have not done so much or enough. Whew! Birthday blues... 

I have never felt this anxious about turning a year older. I do not like having birthday blues because as much as I want to wallow over the fact of aging, I want to view  it as a thing to be celebrated and grateful for. As oppose to worrying about what was not done, I should be counting the great things that happened and were done.  And when I feel so grateful, I look at the skies, close my eyes and say a little prayer.

The countdown started on March 6. Since then, I have been taking a photo of the sky everyday at anytime of the day. And here is a collage of the first seven days. May this habit eventually turn my birthday blues to birthday yellows :)

The Five Love Languages

The Love Month has ended three days ago but here I am still talking about luuurve :) This actually is a long overdue post which was supposedly a February entry. It was the month when people get extra intimate with each other. But anyway, I just had to do this because I find this book so interesting since I heard of the five love languages just recently. And after all, love is and should be celebrated all year round. :)

When a beautiful tall white American actress says, "Meboohey Philippines" and invites us, Filipinos, to watch her movie, we'd find a way to go to the cinema because we feel she's talking to us personally. In 1994, when Miss Universe was held in Manila, we heard almost all foreign delegates said, "Mahal ke keyow" and gave us their beauty queen waves, we could not help but me amazed. When a blonde baby boy sings, "Behay Kooboe Kaheet Monti...", however awkward his words are, we still adore him so much we want to pinch that nose. Those people have different languages from us but when they speak our language, we feel that they have taken time to reach out, to communicate in the words that we know best.

Gary Chapman says that love also has its languages and a person can feel other people's love if they speak his love language to him. He wrote the book originally for married couples but I'm glad he has this singles edition. The Five Love Languages according to Gary Chapman are (in no particular order) quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation, gifts, and touch. Now let me go to the five reasons why I love The Five Languages (Singles Edition) by Gary Chapman:

1. It is something about love. Who does not love something about love? All the world needs love and learning about love besides doing something for love is something that I love :) I do not know if the author is aware of this but his book has 14 chapters and you know, Feb 14 is the Heart's Day. Well, there must be some kinda numerology in there. Haha!

2. It reveals something I have never known before. One of the reasons why we read is to gain information. And this one has definitely tons of things to offer apart from revealing those five languages. Well, I love. I receive love but I have never known that at some point, there are proper ways to love. Every page is insightful. Every paragraph is highlighter-worthy. :)

3. The author is not strictly preachy. Gary Chapman is into counseling, human behavior study, etc. He has all the reasons to impose this and that but he does not do that in his book. He tells a story to state a situation of a relationship in conflict then shares how it was resolved and how the relationship bloomed after. It seemed that all the relationship problems addressed by him were cured through the knowledge of the five languages. In real scenario, in my opinion, however, conflicts arise not only because the other person does not feel loved anymore but of course, that's another issue.

4. The book talks about many kinds of relationships, not just romantic. Love is not just for couples in a romantic relationship. This stage of single adulthood is where we deal with more kinds of relationships than in any stage in our lives. Oopss.. As if I have been to other future stages. Haha! But seriously, I still think that love should be about everything and everyone, not just focused to only one so having insights on how to keep relationships, especially friendships, is something I am pleased with.

5. The book includes a personal assessment tool. There is a love language profile in the end which gave me an idea of what my primary love language and my secondary languages are.

I was actually surprised that my primary love language was quality time. Before I took the test, I guessed it was words of affirmation because I always wanted to be complimented, to have approval, to receive sweet text messages and love letters. Hehe.. It turned out that words of affirmation was just my secondary language. But as I ponder on the ways I want to be loved by the people around me, I now agree with the result of the test. I want my loved ones' focus, undivided presence. :) See, I am not a high maintenance person. I don't desire expensive gifts. If someone who crosses my path says I'm beautiful, that'll make my day. Haha! And if it is my birthday (which by the way is just a month away *cough *cough), your presence will do but of course, a little gift won't hurt because according to the author, 

"Love in any language enhances relationships."

Ok. Ok. He also said that...

"But spoken in one's primary love language 

communicates on an even 

deeper emotional level."

But I still accept gifts! :)

And here is the great news, if you don't have an idea on your primary love language, I found a similar test in the internet. Check it out here. 

P.S. The teapot, teacup, and the bookmark were given to me few years back by someone who speaks my love language so well. :)

Love Love Love! Heart Heart Heart!

The love month ain't over yet! We had a small post v-day party at home. Thanks to the four-hour brownout which started at 6pm, the candlelight dinner buffet appeared to be extra romantic. Haha! And thanks to the camera flash, the photos turned out to be well-lighted.

I made this crepe paper curtain with heart cut outs. My sister pumped up the balloons. My brother played his instrumental love songs. And good we had a red sofa for that perfect feel of love in the air :)

It felt like a prom night only that we were not in long gowns or suits and our living room was so small to be a dance floor. So we just settled on good laughs over baked mac and tinolang manok. And instead of having prom king and queen, it was a unanimous vote for the star of the night, our little darling Caela who maybe got an extra hour of sleep that afternoon because she was at her boiling point. She enthusiastically entertained her house guests.

Then we played my super favorite game of all time - Pinoy Henyo! It doesn't require anything but a brain, man! Not the physical skills which I am so lame at. Thank goodness I have a brain! I was feeling confident at the start of the game. "I will crash every inch of intelligence left in you," was everyone's silent battle cry.  But it seemed my brain cells went to bed earlier than usual that night. Haha!

Little Caela was clapping and teasing the whole time as if she understood what was going on. She sometimes surprises me with her adultlike ways. Don't grow up too fast baby girl :)

Have a love-filled day ahead, fabulous you! :)

DIY Project: Party Hat and Bunting

I love doing things for people and I thank the Lord for giving me creative hands. Doing some crafts for my family and friends is my own little way of sharing this gift. :) But I'm not really super duper creative. Since I tend to be impatient during the process of materializing even a simple project, I do those really easy ones which of course would still appear pretty and special.

For these projects, I only did three basic steps. It's as easy as ABC PCG - Print, Cut, Glue.  I downloaded the party hat template from mrprintables. I even printed the letters for the bunting because I don't know how to letter-cut. This is what you call easy! No sweat! Haha! Check these photos out!

I made these for Rendon's semi surprise birthday party in the office. Happy birthday Rendonskie! Hope you were surprised! Hehe.

I Cancelled A Trip and Missed These Ladies

I just received an email from an airline stating that my flight to Manila from Davao tonight at maybe 8:40 will be delayed and that my new expected time of departure is 10:45 pm. It further said that they were sorry for any inconvenience it would cause me. Oh well, it just reminded me of my supposed trip this weekend which I had painfully decided to cancel a month ago. 

It was hard taking something out from my system since I had been doing that same trip for the past five years. But there were personal things to consider which made me choose to stay. I would surely miss a lot! I don't even wanna start thinking about one. But don't worry. I'm now fine. It's not a matter of life and death so there's really nothing much to worry. :) Thank you for listening reading even though I'm not fair enough in giving some information.

One thing I regret is missing the post V-day dates with two dear girlfriends. Allow me to be a cheesy gal here because I owe these two ladies some honor for being so loving friends to me.

                              

Melai. I have not seen her  personally for nearly a decade now. We've lost touch for few years when she and her family went back to Manila but thanks to Facebook we got hold of each others numbers again. Melai made me tons of love letters in high school even if it was not Valentine's Day. We exchanged letters a lot then because we didn't have cellphones. Only the richy-richy kids had those. Nokia 5110 pa uso nun. Haha! Old school kung old school. Her letters are still lovingly kept in a box in my closet.

I let her read my super teenage emote-emote journals from cover to cover in which she got the lyrics of a song she had written for me and my broken heart. The title was "Man Of My Life". I did not know about puppy love because then, it felt like forever. Aminin, you felt that way , too. She also sang very well so she taught the song to my other singer friends and by the end of the day every brokenhearted girl in the classroom was singing my song (with flowing tears and runny nose. Haha!). 

I loved the idea that the lyrics were mine. It felt so personal. I sang the song in the shower. I sang it to lull myself to sleep, when I was walking in the streets, when picking up flowers in the garden, when leaning my back against the wall just like those in music videos. :) That was how she made me feel special. She just not heard me. She understood me and made others feel me. Some even shared their puppy love stories to her asking for personalized songs, too. By the end of the week, we had a song book! Amazing!

Melai, I miss your loving words and caring hugs. I will never forget how you lifted me up when I was at my lowest and held me up even more when I was on top. I love you! :)

  

  

Mylene. I don't know if I need to say more because I've poured out my heart on this post. The day she left our humble ladies' quarter in MSU felt like she left me. It was even harder than a break up or maybe just equally hard or less hard. Ok, all letting go's are awfully hard. I don't like goodbyes. 

I still can remember her last day in the 'house'. She was packing her things when I went out of my room. We hugged each other tighter than ever. Then said our farewells and goodlucks. Then loosened our hugs because she had to finish packing. I left the 'house' first because I did not want to see her turn her back on me. When I was still a few steps away, she texted me super sweet friendly thank you's and take cares. Tears were flowing from my eyes (syempre sa eyes talaga galing ang tears. :)) Something was gripping my heart. It was so tight I could hardly breathe but I continued walking. I never turned back. Parang teleserye lang ang peg!

She is now in Manila. We have seen each other few times after that dramatic goodbye so it was just saying hello to physical distance not the emotional one.

Ate My, I always say this but I'll say it again. I'm happy and proud of all that you have become. I am so disappointed that I had to cancel this trip but we will see each other again for yet another big trip later this year. I hope we will make this yearly :) I miss your funny stories and the moment-worthy ones :)  I love you te!

To these two wonderful ladies, thank you for taking part in my very dramatic MMK-ish life story.  And forgive me for stealing your photos. Hehe. Seriously, thank you for filling up my love tank even from a distance! :)

Paint Me A Picture

We did a little home improvement by repainting the living room walls. My family conspired to produce a beautiful mess. Hehe.. The walls are all white so I suggested for a wall art to be placed on a strategic corner. After minutes of debate between the groups of conservative and imaginative, the conservatives eventually gave in to giving the wall a character. So here is the inspiration...

from Google images

And here is the final product made by my sister's husband. With me is the proudest daughter, wowed by her father's art.

My conversation with my 1 year and 7 months old niece:

Me: What's this Caela?

Caela: Twee (Translation: Tree)

Me: What are these baby?

Caela: Leebs (Translation: Leaves)

When you're an aunt of a learning-to-talk child, you become an instant interpreter. Once, Caela was trying to say a word I could not really understand. The word sounded like that of an alien's and she talked like one. I was having a hard time figuring the word out but was enumerating words which sounded like the one she was trying to say. After five words, she screamed for frustration. Haha! I wish I could learn her baby talks to understand her better. But lately, more often than not, I can get what she's saying because her speaking skills are improving as well as my understanding. :)

Are you also an aunt of an adorable child?

Braid and Breakfast

It's the month of love!!! Happy February everyone! I found a new love - HAIR BRAIDING. I'm currently at  the obsessive stage with this new love because nothing else really matters in my life but my hair braiding. I'll never be happy unless we are together everyday. I just know that our time together spells happiness. Every cell in my body screams for joy whenever I'm experiencing it. My fingers itch if I can't braid. This hobby is nearing addiction. Haha!

When I was still so much younger, I already knew I was into making others beautiful. I love everything pretty especially making pretty things. Just one random day, I bumped into a hair braiding tutorial in Youtube. I gave it a focused attention like how a child paid attention to a favorite nursery rhyme. It was my first encounter with a hair tutorial. When the video was done, I looked for my sister and experimented on her. Wow! I could do such pretty hairstyles on her. I went back on Youtube and found more tutorials. I was drooling like I just saw a plateful carbonara. If a spaghetti carbonara can be done in tons of ways, why not a person's hair which just looks like spaghetti? #Cornicks #Haha

When I'm in a crowd, I'm looking at ladies as if I'm a prospective suitor interested in getting their phone numbers. Let me just get this straight. I'm so straight. I'm a woman and I'm interested in men. But I'm also a woman who is interested in braiding another woman's hair. Haha! But I don't intend to braid everyone I meet. My precious gift is just for people precious to me. Hehe..

I am glad that there are people who are willing to embrace my ways of expressing this love. For two weeks now, this braiding hobby and Laiza's hair are in a mutualism kind of relationship. They live together in harmony - as if one can't exist without the other, both getting a fair advantage from each other's existence. Well, actually I think the major beneficiary is Laiza because she gets to be extra beautiful everyday. :) I sometimes don't get the style done nicely on first attempt. It can be a trial and error thingy and Laiza has been so patient even when she's getting few painful accidental hair pulls at times.

Here are some of the photos of Laiza's glamorous hair braid styles by a newbie hairbraider me! :)

Photos by Laiza

Every style above, I learned from Youtube. So much information and videos of just about anything (to my surprise even braiding) are flooding in the web so if you want to put a pop of extra beauty on your hair or others', watch a video and learn. Just search hair braid tutorials and be lavished with so much styles.

My niece has pretty soft curls. Even with her strong resistance, I still LOVINGLY forced the waterfall braid on her. Note: The photo may look like one of those evidences for child abuse but the resistance just lasted about 5 seconds. I was singing her favorite rhymes so her attention went on our duet and not on her hair anymore. I'm not a criminal. I'm just an avid braider. Common!

It is much easier to do the braids on others but I'm now learning to do it on myself. Did I mention I'm a DIY fan? :) Here's the only style I know for my hair as of now. Looking a bit messy but I can improve that with practice. Hehe

DIY Project: Photo Op Corner

I am a big fan of Do-It-Yourself projects. I make my own bead bracelets and necklaces. I design my own paper stationery. I make cakes and pastries. At some random times, I even sew my curtains and blouses and skirts. I am not yet a master of my sewing skill but I am working my way to that. :) In the mean time, I also do little DIY's in between like this photo op corner which I made for my brother's birthday.

Materials: crepe paper, scotch tape, foil paper, scissors, bamboo stick (optional)

I cut the crepe papers as shown below, asked my sister to letter cut the foil paper because she does that better than I do, placed the papers on the wall using the tape or you can hang them on a stick and put the stick on a wall, and I placed the letters on the crepe papers using the tape. Voila!!! It's done! I used the color silver because it's his 25th birthday. 

Can you guess his birth month? Oh yes! It's January! How could you guess that out of 12 choices? You have a gift. Maybe you could read palms and be a fortune teller. Haha!

Happy birthday to my brother who may be few years younger than me but is ten years wiser. I'm proud of you!

The Little Prince

I do research on books I want to read. A book on my list must somehow be talked about, not necessarily very popular. But I do not read reviews just yet (or sometimes never)  because those can affect my opinions towards a book. If some people say the book is extraordinary, then it must be so I'm reading it. I do not want to make the same mistake again of just entering a bookstore, reading a book's description at the back and if I'm feeling right, then I'm getting it. That should not be, at least not for me. I ended up being frustrated because the book was not really what I wanted or worse, I choose not to finish it. It was such a waste of time and money. 

I have few books on my list now and the last item is The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. I was surveying bookstores online and 'offline' (hihi)  finding the best deal. Little did I know that The Little Prince is just sitting around my shelf for so many years now! I did not notice it because I was busy with my "matters of consequence" as the Little Prince puts it. Someone lent it to me but I guess the old ugly brown pages took away the interest in me. The cover was not even original anymore. The book title was rewritten using a red marker. Shame on me for literally judging the book by its cover. Haha!

from Google images

Now let's go to the five reasons why I love The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

1. The story is short. I love finishing a book in a snap. Once I read the first words of any book, I'm always in a hurry to get to the end, always curious of how the story will end so I am glad that this book has few pages in it. After all, it has already been taken for granted long enough. It has to be read and finished at once! But then again, I have a dilemma with books of few pages. At times, I also don't want to finish reading a book because I'm having such a good time with it. I don't want to lose the feeling of awesomeness especially when I'm at the climax. Haha! Confused moments.

2. It's a children's book for grown ups. How amazing is that? I mean this is not one of those Disney fairy tales. I think it's a children's book because the title seems to say so, the main character is a child, the animals are talking but it was written somehow poetically that a young child could hardly grasp. Furthermore, the issues 'discussed' are too complicated for a child to handle. The book reminds us that we were once a child but we tend to forget that when we become grown ups.


3. It makes me want to read real children's books again. Those which I was only forced to read because I had to submit book reports. Well, I was not really forced. I felt obliged because it was part of school works. It was really seldom that I did it for leisure but now, I'm inspired to read again fables, fairy tales and the likes with great moral lessons at the end.

4. The drawings are not extraordinary. This is part of the story. The narrator is not an artist but attempted to draw as a young boy. He was discouraged when the adults found his drawing differently from what he wanted to imply. I find this funny because I also find the drawing as a hat had it not stated that it was a picture of a boa constrictor which swallowed an elephant. I hope I'm not giving away too much here. Drawings being far from attractive is a good thing to me because it looks so childlike and I can identify with not so extraordinary drawings. In all years of my existence, my considered masterpiece is a five-petal flower with a toothpick-like stem and two confused-between-oval-or-round leaves. :)

5. I love the dedication. 'To Leon Werth when he was a little boy', which makes me want to dedicate it  to myself too when I was a little girl and to the child in all of us. May we always be reminded that 'what is essential is invisible to the eye.'




... An ordinary passer-by would think that my rose looked just like you - the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone, she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen...

Seashells On The Seashore

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.”

                                                                                                           --Isak Dinesen

I cannot agree more with Isak Dinesen especially on that third cure. Haven't you always find the sea so peacefully calm it can mend a broken soul... (even just at a moment). That's the best reason I can justify my love of the sea - PEACE. My next best reason is JOY.  Who goes to the sea and find no joy at all? The sea has been a witness to a number of joyful moments in my life - with family, friends, and even with just 'myself and I'. 

I go to see the sea even alone. Good that beaches are just few miles away from my home. But I have this favorite beach house at Lago, Glan, Sarangani Province. That's about an hour away from Gensan. This was first introduce to me in 2008 when the office guys and gals celebrated a year end party. It was a private beach house owned by a colleague's friend. We had the best party ever and so we went back the year after, in 2009, and only had the chance to come again in 2012.

The beach house captured my heart in so much admiration that I was always secretly wishing we'd go there every end of the year. Thanks to Sir Efren and his friend for a beautiful venue for celebrating fun and nurturing friendship.

Special thanks to Laiza for the photos (again). I better have a new camera soon!

Eat Pray Love

from Google Images

                                    

It is not my intention to give book reviews in this blog because I admit I am not good at that. Firstly, because I am not a wide reader in terms of genres. I only go for books on psychology, business, health, biography, spiritual, travel, and sometimes romance. I am more for the realistic ones with no offense to those who love fiction and fantasy. And, because I have this mantra that all things are good and beautiful and I'm not the one to judge which one is better or lesser than the other. Haha! So every book is good and I always have high respect for all authors.

As I have vowed to read more books this year, I started with this world-celebrated one. Eat Pray Love. I know. This is so lame. Is it just me who have not read this? But finally I've read it! I am ecstatic on this choice to start this year of my reading adventure. I've seen the movie first. I fell in love with it but the book is better, as everyone says when a movie version comes out. So here are the five reasons why I love Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. And please don't expect that there are other five reasons why I don't love it because there really is none. This is the one book that I have read from cover to cover with so much anticipation leaving no word unread. That's how much I love it.

1. Elizabeth Gilbert is brilliant, honest, and funny.

She definitely knows her craft. It is evident in her words. She cites other writers and philosophers, inserts history, talks about other people's stories interestingly and vividly. She is not embarrassed sharing her embarrassing tales and she is intelligently funny.

2. I love to travel.

Who does not? And this book gives a picture of Italy, India, and Indonesia - all the good stuff, which makes me want to go to these places, too...which makes me want to plan a year long solo trip, too... which makes me want to increase my travel fund... which makes me want to change my life plan and start seeing the world now instead of just traveling in the Philippines. Haha! These books. They sometimes confuse you so be careful on what you read. I bet those Twilight fans wanted to be vampires for once. 

3. I can relate to Liz.

Everyone loves reading something they can relate to. It's not that I'm a divorcee, in a depression, or in a stage of inner chaos. But sometime in my life I was in some kinda sorta inner chaos. She expressed all the chaos in words perfectly the way I wanted to define mine. Her seeking for real happiness which she confessed could only come from God (whoever or whatever we know Him or It to be) is something I am still in pursuit of. Her finding pleasures from food and company and love are things we all can relate to. Plus, I think we have the same mantra on seeing good and beautiful in everything and everyone.

4. The book is a true story.

As I have mentioned above, I am more into things realistic and this is a true story of downfall, struggles to get better, and success of a woman which means it can happen to me or to anyone, too. So this is something I can get inspiration from in my own journey.

5. The story has a happy ending.

This is not a fairy tale but it has a happy ending.  I love happy endings. Liz finding a love so sincere in the name of Felipe in the last pages of the book makes me giddy. Love really heals all wounds.

This is such a feel good book! 

Eat Pray Love!

Side note: I'm waiting for my next book which I purchased online yesterday. I'm excited! :) And oh by the way, thanks to Laiza for giving me a copy of Eat Pray Love. I now owe you a lot Laiza girl!