It's Our First Anniversary!

Hello everyone! What's up? :0

This month, Briane and I celebrated our first year anniversary. People say, "time flies when you're having fun". It's true! I feel like we just laughed (and ate!) our way through our relationship. No kidding. I mean, we've had bad days, LQs, dramas, but at the end of it all, we just laughed (and then ate).

Briane is a natural comic and he said that one of his missions in life is to make me laugh. Exactly how you get a girl! ;) I, on the other hand.. Well, you know!



So, in between transferring to a new account, 2 jobless situations, and 2 hospitalizations, here we are, laughing (and eating!)

Anyway, I'd like to share with you pics from our anniv. I know.. "yawn", right? Well, it's a big deal for me because it's my first time to celebrate an anniversary with the person I'm in a relationship with.  The only other time was a long distance relationship, which really sucked then. Ok, so THAT, plus, you'll see that I am now bigger, rounder, fatter! Maybe, when you're happy you don't care about your figure anymore? NO. I am happy but I do still care about my figure AND health -- all the more now! It's just.. the party invites! Of course I can't say no - it's rude!

Ok, so here -- we had lunch at Tokyo Table. Food was really good except the sushis and sashimis and makis. Ironic that what's supposed to be their specialty isn't their best. I love jap food, and we chose to be there for that reason so it's kind of dissapointing for me. But all's well that ends well. The unlimited dessert! Oh...

who ate more??? ;)

we had to ask the waitress (who's very nice, btw), right?

Briane ate them all! I swear!

the resto. not a great pic quality - this is from a phone cam.

where's my wasabi???

ask me how many times did Briane go for another glass??? ASK ME! hehe..

i had to take a pic with the warrior

Briane's Miley Cyrus look! hahahahhahahaha

full and happier!

Then we headed to Mr. A, at Lower Busay to "chill". It's one of my favorite places in Cebu. The view's just awesome. Their coffee mixes and cakes are not bad as well. Well, too sweet for Briane's taste. We've been there a few times but for that night, we had beers and Crispy Pata. If you wanna go there, bring jackets as it gets cold at night.

we were their first guests!

and you have this for free

dating tip 1: put your phone down! haha

look what we did.....

look what HE did! hahahaha

I love the flavored beer (lemon). Briane went light - he has to drive

we couldn't grin more!

"The truth is sometimes things aren't exactly what you always imagined... they're even better!" One of my faves from the movie What A Girl Wants. I have always imagined what it's like to find someone you can really have fun with, and at the same time, you can really trust during the hard days.. and now, it's all happening.. and it's better! I am one very lucky woman!

Lastly, I want to share what Briane has to say..

Here's to forever! ♥♥♥

Thanks for reading you guys! And thank you for all your messages! And as you can see, I'm ok. And if I'm not, you'd know. I just don't have much time for blogging anymore. But this is hopefully a start.
xxx

L4, L5

A month ago, around the same time, same Monday morning, I woke up and a nightmare began. I couldn't get up. I felt extreme pain on my lower back. I pretty much have a high pain tolerance (I have tattoos) so by "extreme" I really meant EXTREME! My tears would just fell on their own. I was rushed to the hospital and stayed there for a week. I had to undergo rehab. Oh gosh.. I thought I was going to be on a wheelchair for the rest of my life. Worst, I thought I was going to die, and I didn't (and still don't) want to.

I had Herniated Disc (L4, L5). I admit, while my doctors were explaining their diagnosis, I wasn't listening. Yeah, I'm stupid that way. Tsk. All I cared about was if I can still walk. And yes, on the third day, I was up and walking again, though very slowly. I almost couldn't contain my happiness but I had to because my therapists (Hi Eula! Hi Chubs!) were there, I was shy. Yikes! Haha!

Here are my pics at the hospital:


I had to be hooked to this monstrosity for most of my stay at the hospital.



Maybe a little too early for the "in sickness and in health" part of our relationship but this might be a start - my uyab was with me through it all. Thanks Bri! I love you so much! ♥

Naturally, I was advised by my doctors to lose weight as my gaining has A LOT to do with the bulging of my disc. My therapists taught me proper body mechanics - I need to improve my posture. I now have to always sit erect. I can't do running for a while. I have to move "gracefully" which would be very difficult for I am way far from being graceful. Man.. In other words, I HAVE TO CHANGE MY LIFESTYLE!!!

And slowly, I am. For the past month, I already lost 5 lbs. It's a start!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my doctors, nurses, and PTs at Chong Hua Hospital, my friends who texted/called/visited (special thanks to the ff: Therese Marie Cañete, Vanessa Rhea Labesig, Marie Grace Malanog, and my housemate Douey Joy Cagud - Girls, I OWE YOU.), my FAMILY, and my uyab, Briane. Lord, thank You. You truly are the most awesome!

There's a lot of articles about Herniated/Slipped Disc online. I recommend reading it here for those who don't know anything about it.

Guys, take care of yourselves. Health is indeed wealth!

Thanks to those who emailed me! I'M STILL ALIVE! May God bless you all! xxx

It's Cooking Time

Heeya!

I believe I have written about my love for cooking before and that's what I've been doing a lot lately. I invent recipes most of the time and they're not always edible (haha!) to be honest but still, I give myself snaps for trying. Anyway, I had to say goodbye to my inventing skills since now, I'm not only cooking for myself but for Briane also. And my go-to site for recipes is Del Monte Kitchenomics. I have tried most of their recipes and they're good. They're also affordable and nutritious. Go check the website out! Ü.. Below are some of my cooking and one of Briane's - these are the yummy ones (proud)!

Monggo, Pancit Canton (my specialty! Ü), Pork Soup, Dilis, Briane's Hotdog "kinda" Omelet, and Chicken Adobo Aloha



You guys can email me for the recipes. Actually, I will only be able to give you the ingredients because the quantity is according to my liking. You guys can then adjust according to yours.
Happy eating! xxx
 

Being a Shoe Whore (Tips and Stuff)

*This was first published on Monday, July 2, 2012 at 12:23pm in my Facebook blog*

So, ok, I LOVE SHOES, well footwear in general actually! Not to brag, (this might be the first time I reveal this), I have 131 (that time I wrote this) pairs already! I know most of you guys probably only have a quarter of what I have but to be honest I thought I had more. For years, I have refused to count how many pairs I have in fear of feeling guilty. I mean, you know, WE ARE A POOR COUNTRY. And then there’s Zimbabwe, Africa, Somalia, etc. Who can blame me? But in that fateful day of March this year, where I had an extra Php1500 in my wallet, I decided to count all of them, to help me decide if I was going to buy this pair:

It’s black, it’s shiny, it’s wedge-type. IT IS SO NOW! So after that I-realize-I-don’t-have-that-many-shoes moment, I rode a jeepney to SM. And voila, I am now a proud owner!

When I plan to buy shoes (which is every payday! Ü), I consider the following:

Style.
As a proud dwarf (hi bbgurl, t dee,  florie, andi, fino,cher,fino!), my legs are just an inch long. So I stay away from those rounded toe ones (except when the heel-height is above 4”). I’d choose something that would elongate my legs, like the pointed and open-toed ones. I seldom buy the strappy ones because it’d take me time to wear them. What with all the knotting, and tying, and fastening. But you want to know a secret? The strappy ones are actually the most comfortable! Why? Those “hasol” straps provide support. Unlike the Pumps, which don’t have support whatsoever but which I super adore.
Here are some of my peep-toed and strappy pairs:

Comfort.
Most people, especially the normal ones, would go for comfort first, and then style. I’m not a normal person obviously. Well, there should be a balance, you know. Like if there’s a really pretty pair, and it’s a little uncomfortable, I’d buy it. Hmmm... Now that I’m actually writing it, it doesn’t seem balanced.  Yeah, whatevs, I call it “balance”. Anyway, after a whole day’s work in that little uncomfortable footwear, there’s always a spa open for a foot massage, right?

Fit/Size.
Just like clothes, it’s important for me to actually be able to fit the shoes before buying it. That’s why I seldom catalogue-shop, but still I do and I don’t get lucky sometimes. I’ve given quite a number of pairs because of that. At least I make some people happy.

Now, there are 2 specific types of shoes that need to have specific fit:
*High-Heeled Pumps – a size or half-a-size smaller.
*Running Shoes – a size of half-a-size bigger, depending on your socks preference.

Color.
For me, Black is the way to go, especially those which are on trend. I’m not crazy over trends but whenever I buy a pair, it’d have to be black. It makes a trendy shoe look classic so I don’t only have to wear them when they’re “uso”. This, actually, is how my shoe collection grows. Because if I find something really pretty in black, I’ll look for another color and buy it as well! Ha-ha!

On the other hand, for classic Pumps, I like to be adventurous and go for colors. .  It adds oomph to a classic pair. One of my most prized pumps is this really fierce “native Mat” pair from Prince Warehouse (that pair with the arrow below). I bought it for only Php179!



colorful classic pumps



trendy blacks

Haaayyy.. I wish I have all the money in the world so that I can buy all the shoes I want. You know, if that’ll happen, I’ll probably build a mansion just for them! Ha-ha! Hmmm... But it will never happen. Coz I wouldn’t be able to save enough for even a hut – I would spend my extra dough to buy more and more shoes! ‘Till next time! xxx

First Dates From Hell

I've been watching The Hills (remember the MTV drama?) and on Season 3, Lauren dated a guy who blabbed about out-of-this-world-crazy-but-harmless things during their first date because he's so into her. Lauren was so grossed out, she didn't go on to see him for a second date.

Bad move, I say.

*I just googled this photo*

I mean, if a guy talks a lot about his ex-girlfriend or about murder then it's ok to walk away but if he just talks about buying his shirt from a bargain store and not being able to forget you after your date in a non-freaky way then I say, give the guy a chance. Not that I'm settling for something less or that I want you to, but isn't it normal to not act normal when we're around someone we really like? Like all the bad-vibe gods are conniving to make us deaf, dumb, and in my case, clumsier? You know what I mean?

Before I found love (hi Bab!), I used to date a lot. I mean, my friends loooove to set me up with their friends or their boyfriend's friends and most of the time I just went along coz it's fun but believe me, I've had first dates from hell. One of them's with one of my exbfs - man, it was one of the worst! He was sweating all over, he was fidgeting, and was talking about how they disect animals (he's a med student) while we're having dinner and it was so gross, I didn't finish my food. That night, he texted and literally begged me to give him another chance. So I did, but I told me to not talk about eeewy stuff while we're eating. The second date was beyond great and I got to know him better and he turned out to be one of the nicest people on earth. Well, we eventually broke up but still, I wouldn't have known how great he is if I didn't give him a second chance..

So, say yes to second dates! Give chance! Some relationships from heaven actually come from first dates from hell. xxx

Smoky, Smokin'

I swear, titling (is this even a word?) a blog entry is hard and I remember one time in Multiply (I used to blog there until they closed it) another blogger complimented my titles. Apparently I'm good at it and it really made my day! It's equivalent to being told I'm pretty! Whatevs - it's hard!

Anyway, while I'm super crazy over lipsticks (I can't get enough of them!), I'm not fond of make-up in general. I use blusher and lipstick and that's it. I don't wear foundation because I think it hinders me to laugh. Rarely though, I wear eyeliner with my nude lipsticks.

I love the smoky winged-eye look and God knows how many times I've practiced how to do it but wasn't at all successful. One time, I forgot to wash my face and was surprised to see myself like this after I bathed the next morning:

Ha-ha! But guess what, I was finally successful this morning (sans the mascara, eyelash curler, and all the other eye stuff because I don't own any):

What I did was I put tons of eyeliner on my upper and lower lids, then I softly dabbed the upper lid using my fingers, and then I used cotton buds to erase the line on my inner lids to further achieve the illusion.

So I guess now you see how little I know about make-up which would make you think, "why would I listen to her?" Ha-ha! xxx

Knowing Me, Knowing You

It's annoying when people have their own version of you without exerting effort to talk to you for more than 15 minutes but at the same time, it's amusing because it shows how narcissistic they are to think that they know everything (about you at least). How can they pass an opportunity to know something more??

There are a lot of people I dislike in this world but I don't just stop at disliking them. If I have time, I'll know them because it gives me a view on another aspect of life. It not only makes me know more about him/her,  it also helps me know more about myself and how I react to someone like him/her. Call it nosy, but I call it learning - it's something we shouldn't stop doing.

WE MUST KEEP SEEKING FOR KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM PEOPLE!

If I don't have time though, I let him/her live his/her life in peace. I will not judge. I am too blessed to. 

Anyway, all of this ranting has something to do with this mug I got as a birthday gift from our account, although my thoughts "kind of" escalated a little bit..hehe.. I've been working here for 7 years and while I really appreciate their thoughtfulness, I am also a little bit frustrated that they'd think I'd like this:

It's pretty and pink, but it's not me. I don't even like pink. Maybe it's because I am kikay and  OA. Unfortunately for me, they stopped at knowing me as just that.. Sad..

At least it's not ugly.. ☺

When Someone Refuses To Listen

Subtly tell him/her over and over again until he/she actually does - just catch him/her in a good mood. Depending on the situation, I really can't cite an example on this but today, I made a person see my point. I've been trying to, for the past 3 months.

Indeed, sometimes, 1 word isn't enough for a wise man.

Got Published! My First Fashion Blog!

I was asked to do a Fashion Blog on our online publication at the office and this is my first! I AM JUST SUPER HAPPY!

--
Hello everyone! I’m very excited about this fashion blog, to say the least! More than the monthly highlight, guys, THIS IS ONE OF MY DREAMS! I’ve been excited since Mira suggested that I do this! Thanks to the Publication Committee for this opportunity! Yahoo! This isn’t to give you guys fashion tips because I don’t consider myself an expert on the subject, I can’t tell you what to wear with what unless you ask me to. This would just be my Fashion thoughts, experiences, and practices. I hope that you’ll be inspired and most importantly, I hope that you’ll have fun reading my articles! ;)
So I guess everybody knows that I plan my daily wardrobe. When I was younger, I can plan for 3 months worth of outfits but now that I’m older, I can only do a 1-week plan. Blame it on my aged legs and my high heels! Dang! Now thoughts of what it’d be like when I’m 80 are creeping in my mind! Gosh! Ha-ha! Anyway, planning my outfit is like a party for me, complete with soundtrack. This is when I look at myself in the mirror a lot, which is eewy but important. 
Speaking of important stuff, when it comes to dressing-up, there’s only a few for me:
Know your body type and size. A person who wears something that’s some sizes smaller than her/his actual size looks constipated.  And I certainly don’t want to look like that and neither do you! Plus, you know when you go shopping and you end up trying on a lot of clothes just to end up looking good and fitting in just one of them? It’s time-consuming! And life is too short to be spent in fitting rooms!
Accept that not everything will suit you. I don’t have a model body and I’ve accepted that fact long time ago. That’s why up until now, I don’t own a maxi dress. I have yet to find one that’ll suit me. Will I ever?
Dress for yourself, not for anyone else. For me, it’s sad when women dress for men. I mean, I grow up with 3 brothers and of course my Papa (who’s the greatest and who didn’t, at all, tell me what to/not to wear) and I’ve asked them a lot of times if I look good in a wardrobe and they just shrugged and said “ok ra man” so I’ve concluded that those people who truly love me don’t care about what I wear. I think that if a man loves me he should see me, not my clothes. And so with that, the only person I’m trying to please when I dress is I, no one else. I do this for me, it makes me feel good! Besides, there’s no point in pleasing other people. It’s a waste of time.
Expensive brands are good but so are the cheap ones. As long as I look good in it and it’s well-made, I go for it! My stuff is a mixture of designer, high street (i love Topshop!), sale rack, and of course, ukay2!
Borrow. From time to time, I borrow clothes from my siblings and parents. I have blouses and bags from my mama and ate, and I super love my Papa and brothers’ shirts and shorts! In fact, the shirts I wore in 2 of my Editor’s Picks outfits in my WIWT site are Kab’s and Macmac’s, the bag’s my Papa’s.
For me, anything goes with Fashion. It’s all about having fun! And in this world full of murderers and bad customer service, I think a little fun won’t hurt. Don’t you think so? Until next time! ;)

Now I Know Why - Yoga

So, I tried doing yoga when I'm.. well, first, you're not suppose to do yoga at least 4 hours after your last meal.. so anyway, I just wanted to know why and found out yesterday.. it's because it's going to make you barf.. and i almost did yesterday, probably becasuse i only had a piece of egg during my last meal, and did yoga after about 2 hours..if i had been full, i probably would've barfed.. so there.. now i know..

It's Father's Day Weekend!

so why don't you all spend it with your fathers while watching the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Liddell vs. Team Ortiz? most fighters are newbies (i know..the word "newbies" is too cute) so it's gonna be a slugfest - i mean, they're fighting for a 6-figure contract, they're gonna give their all!
fights:
McGee (interesting past) vs McCray
Hamill vs Jardine (2 of my faves and i hope you'll see why)
Leben vs Simpson (watch this)
Fisher vs Siver
Yager vs Attonito
Gunderson (he's my fave in the IFL before) vs Holst
Tavares vs Baczynski
Noke vs Bryant
Hammortree vs Camozzi
McSweeney vs Browne
i, though, will maybe watch it with my bro.. i miss him!
and to our Papa, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! he's the funniest, most responsible, and most intelligent man in this planet! we love him sooo much!

happy father's day to all my father friends (HUGE!) too!

Love Tip

If it's not meant to be then, and it still isn't meant to be now.. then take your firm, cellulite-free tush off of dreamland and find someone else coz it's NEVER gonna happen!

late, one tree hill, survivor gabon, date, cuerdz

• so, my day, i mean my night (im on a night shift) started as a BIG disappointment.. i set my alarm @ 7:30 am so yeah, naturally, i was late - i wasn't able to wake up until my SUpervisor called me at 9:36pm.. MAKASAPOT! now, im sarcastic in almost all of my calls - i tried not to but i can't help it. it's unfair, i know..it sucks to me and to them (callers) too!
• anyway, im now on season 2 of ONE TREE HILL - it's heartwarming.. it's like a no-nonsense version of Gossip Girl. It's addicting, promise! and i learned a lot but for some reasons i can't remember anything anymore.. it sucks.. i swear im gonna write them next time!
• SURVIVOR GABON - Bob Crowley won!!!! he truly deserves it! hehe..
• so yeah, ummm.. i've had my share of "funny" (in a "hell-ish" way) dates - and i the guys, not the date itself ----  ummm.. you know what im gonna write about this maybe next month coz it's pretty recent! hahahaha! God, im so glad i trusted my instincts!
• ang imong video Cuerdz hap! hahaha!