Goodbye 2009, Blessed New Year 2010!!!

I'm saying goodbye to 2009, it has been a roller coaster ride this year.


I've lost a loved one, my Dear Aunt.

I've conquered my fear, rode a zipline in Davao.

Almost paid my credit card bills, about 80% done!!! woohoo!!

Sad but I gained some weight. I promise to tackle this problem in 2010!

Celebrated my 31st Birthday.

Surprised my Mom on her 60th birthday with a wonderful party.

I've said "I Love You" to all my love ones last christmas.

Started a blog as my journal. I promise to write more.

Got addicted to crocheting the last quarter of the year.

I promise to take care of my dogs as I have done this year.



Next post is my goals for 2010, I don't do resolutions because I can't do mostly, so I have to set goals. So I could keep it...


Thanks & Goodnight!!

Happy New Year!!

Happy Christmas!!!

A Blessed & Merry Christmas to Everyone.

May you find the true meaning of Christmas, in your families, friends & the people that surrounds you.

May your heart burst with Love, Peace & Joy.

Have a Happy Christmas!!!


XOXO,

Lele

Love Actually

is all around.

I'm watching it for the one thousandth time. Next is..The Holiday.

Somehow, I don't quite feel it. Christmas, I mean. Maybe I should slow down. Or watch movies & listen to christmas songs.. This is not right..not normal, I am the queen of Christmas, but why do i feel this way? Kinda sad. Pre-Christmas Blues??

Anyways, back to the movie, Rodrigo Santoro is yummy! He is gorgeous!!

Lord, can i have someone like him as a Christmas pressie?? hehehe


Happy Holidays!!!

FLIP VIDEO

One of the coolest gadgets ever!! I bought one and i have been using it religiously. HAHA...

It is a very cool gift to give & even greater to receive this awesome "video" cam. Hwehwehwe...

Definitely useful when recording our family events, and some random recording for information purposes too.

It is small and very handy. You have to download the software so you can properly store your video. Oh also alongside this, you better have an external hard drive because this can surely take up space in your computer's memory.

Gotta go erase some files so I can start shooting some random stuff tomorrow..


XOXO,

Lele

Finito...or not

I am finished!! wohoooo!! Done & done on wrapping gifts for my family to be given on Christmas Eve. I hope I didn't forget anyone! I hate that, then you have to rush and buy something for her/him...ack!

OH..I AM NOT FINISHED! I haven't got a gift for my Mom yet. The most difficult person to give to. Ayayayay! I don't know what to give to her this year? Perfume? Bag/Purse? Watch? Laptop? Camera?

Sigh....

Anyways, since I'm halfway done with my "to do this holiday" list, I have yet to find time to finish it.

Here are the remaining stuff to do:

1.) Get my watch from the repair shop in Greenhills. Why does it have to be there?!?! Traffic.....

2.) Look for Menu/Dish to be cooked for our New Year's Eve.

3.) Activity for New Year's Eve.

4.) Bake some cake or cookies to be given to friends & family friends.

5.) Check the list twice!!!


Alright, better get some stuff to do or else I'll be caught up in the rush!!

Happy Holidays!


XOXO,

Lele

Moving slowly...

I am moving oh so slowly but the days goes by so fast!! It's Wednesday already!! Aggghhhh!!

I managed to do some stuff:

1.) I pulled rank and told our helper to put up the lantern. Upstairs, done. Lanai/Porch, not good.

2.) Wrap some more gifts. I managed to squeeze out more gifts from my treasure chest. LOL

3.) Worked some paperworks at the office.

4.) The lists of gifts shrinks day to day.

5.) Finished a garland for our chapel, from granny scraps & christmas balls. Will put it up on friday.



We were late today at our weekly Novena, arrived and the priest was halfway on his sermon. He said, don't be caught up in all the rush. Find the true meaning of christmas. Be happy and not haggard & tired. We tend to forget what this season truly means. Finding Jesus in our hearts.

I promise to finish everything tomorrow. Well if not, most of it anyway. So by next week, all I'll ever do is bake, bake, bake cookies & cake for my family & friends!!!


Happy Holidays!!!

XOXO,

Lele

Too Fast

Christmas is just around the corner. This month will pass us by too fast. We even tend to forget what it really means, because we were too busy shopping.

Here is a list of things i have to do; I will post it so I will never ever forget! AGHH!!

1.) Get help & finish outdoor christmas decorations. I just finished our tree & placed some accents inside the house.

2.) Gotta stop crocheting!! It takes up valuable time!! I tend to do nothing.

3.) Wrap gifts so i could see who's missing in the list.

4.) More gift shopping!!

5.) Bake. To giveaway to families & friends.

6.) Email family abroad.

7.) Attend Simbang Gabi


XOXO,

Lele

Shopping with Mom

Over the last weekend, I spent it shopping. Shopping to the max. LOL

Saturday, after getting the report cards of the yugglies, I brought my Aunt & cousin to S & R so they could shop some supplies for their yugglies.

I was here 2 days before, and i think i maxed out my grocery list for the month, so i just browsed around. But eventually found something to purchase, ketchup just ran out that morning so it that was a go, then i found some bacon ham, chicken ham & some piattos (potato chips). Hayyy. I was hoping that it could sum up for less than P1k. Not Gonna Happen. Grocery bill was P1,015. My Mom would totally kill me if the credit card bill arrives.

Oh..funny thing..while browsing around, I heard my stomach grumble, hungry!!! I couldn't find my shopping mates because i went to the Ladies room. I was gonna tell them to eat first before shopping, but noooo, they already have their carts and was shopping away.

Soon after I saw them and I burst out that I was famished, they echoed my sentiments, they told me to shop fast so that we could eat. Hello!!! All I'm getting is ketchup!!!

So you know how those membership shopping centers ALWAYS have those free taste booths? Hahaha. Now you know what happened. They were all over it. I found them eating at the meat section. But still that didn't stop the hunger fangs, I couldn't wait for them anymore, so i brought some cheese bread, paid for it, and waited for them while i ate my cheese pandesal.

When we went home, my Aunt's helper told us that my mom & my cousins left for the mall. I was like, what?!?!?! I wanna go too!! But since they left already, i had no choice but sulk in the house. Or crochet. hahaha Lola!!

But as I entered the house i found out that they were still here!! They haven't left yet!! I hate that maid! Just kidding. She received an earful from me.

Anyways, since my adrenaline is now on low and my mind & body is starting to settle down. So I'm undecided whether I'm coming or not. My mom asked me if I'm coming, I said no because I was tired na. But then, this is shopping with my MOM. Even if it's not LV or Chanel. It is still shopping and she would pay.!! HAHA! So as they were leaving, I screamed...wait for me!!!!

We went to SMNE, Trinoma was out because somebody called my mom and she didn't want to cross paths with them, so SM it is. She bought a lot of pants & shorts. My mom shops once a year. Very rarely you could just make aya to do some shopping. She hates fitting rooms & finding styles of shirts. She doesn't want what's "in" or "trendy, she just goes for what's comfortable. Since I was also helping my cousin chose her wardrobe, i wasn't able to choose some tops for me, i got one but have to wait for a long line in the fitting rooms. aggghhh.

After that, we were all tired & hungry, time for some coffee!! We went to the Sky Garden and had some drinks at Starbucks. I bought some doughnuts from Celio or Cello, I forgot.

As I was ordering our drinks, it's the same barista as before, the one who couldn't take my order properly, as usual, it happened again, and the line got longer & longer, it didn't help that the guy in front of me is so maarte with his coffee. Aggghhh...

I saw some of their holiday cups & commuter mugs, oh so pretty, i like!!! I bought the green one for my mom, i got the red a week before. Also the mug with candy cane handles for my room, and the the venti plastic cup for my car. It is soooo cute. Eyeloveeettt!!!

Then time to go home because baby cousin couldn't keep her eyes open...

Tired but happy...


XOXO,

Lele

PacMan Wins!!!!

Hidden Shoulders VS. Kuto?!?!?!

Hidden Shoulder winnnnnsssss!!!!!

As Always, The whole world stops, ok maybe just Philippines, because Manny Pacquiao is in a ring boxing for his seventh title.

A Perfect Day for bonding with your family or friends.


Today is Sunday. Have you been to Church already?!




xoxo

Lele

FLIP VIDEO

flip video, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.


One of the coolest gadgets ever!! I bought one and i have been using it religiously. HAHA...

It is a very cool gift to give & even greater to receive this awesome "video" cam. Hwehwehwe...

Definitely useful when recording our family events, and some random recording for information purposes too.

It is small and very handy. You have to download the software so you can properly store your video. Oh also alongside this, you better have an external hard drive because this can surely take up space in your computer's memory.

Gotta go erase some files so I can start shooting some random stuff tomorrow..


XOXO,

Lele

Plastiiiiiic!

Plastiiiiiic!, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

On my way home from the Grocery, I saw this truck getting off from an Industrial Scale (is that what you call it??) and saw it up close that it is a truckload of plastics!!!

All kinds of plastics, from water bottles, condiment bottles, gallons, liters, plastic from appliances, trays and many other more.

It got me thinking, if Plastics cannot be recycled, how many more years before we fill up the planet with this kind of garbage??

Then I remembered what I bought from the Grocery earlier;

1.) plastic tray for the eggs
2.) plastic from soda bottles
3.) plastic from hotdogs (one each!)
4.) plastic where they put the fruits & baby back ribs
5.) plastic/tinfoil from snacks, soups, sachets, noodles, shampoo

After paying they put it inside a plastic bag again!!

OMG, what do I do?

I do groceries for a month's supply, so I really fill up a cart, around 20 bags or more, so does that mean i have to bring those environment friendly bags?? I think i collected a lot last year, but after numerous trips & uses, our cook must have lost it, or maybe it was given away. I looked for it the other day, i found two bags!! Yikes!

I have 2 of those cute Mark & Spencer totes before, now I can't find them!! I bought one again last Sunday when my Mom bought her pants.

Our cook has figured out how to save the earth & earn money too! She collects anything plastic that we have used & metal/tin cans, puts it in a sack, then at the end of the week sells it. Ka-ching*ka-ching!!*

Today, I went to Trinoma and bought my books, I was planning on bringing my M&S tote, so i could save on plastics, but darnittttt! I completely forgot about it. Agggghhh!!! I have to really put it in my bag for next time.

Save the Earth!!!

Recycle! Reduce! Reuse!

Moleskin in colors

Why are Moleskine so expensive?! I feel so guilty when i doodle & scroodle & just write useless, meaningless stuff in it.

I bought the small daily planner in red late last month, I hope to use it everyday. The problem is, what will I write? As if naman I'm an executive with meetings every hour of the day?!?!

Anyways, I saw a cute planner, one color for every month of the year, I wanted to get that but I cannot justify buying it for the life of me.







I have so many other notebooks & notepads in my room. Some of it are blanks and some are filled with my ugly writings.

Useless rantings, my thoughts, my will, my dreams, my current feelings, my short stories, my angst when i felt bad, it's like a scattered journal.

I have to find time to compile it all.

Agh.

OC to the max...

Royce Chocolate!

Royce Chocolate!, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

Yey!!!

Royce is now open at Trinoma!!! woohooo!! People of the North are getting some treats!! well deserved may I say...

Now all I need is Pepper Lunch & Elbert's Cheesesteak...and I'm good to go!!

Go! Go! Go!!

Sorry for the ugly photo, i just passed by and I'm in a rush! I'm late for my movie!! 500 days of Summer!!

Later peeps!

xoxo

Flowers, Plants & Herbs

Chives & Variegated Oregano, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

Plant Nurseries are a dime a dozen here in Manila, if you could find one, it's like a pot of Gold. Ok, that was exaggerated...hehehe

Buying Plants used to be like Field Trips to Bulacan, where everyone else wants to come. Sure going there is easy & very accesible to us, because we live near NLEX. But now with toll fees & gas prices rising so fast. It is a treat to go there.

So I looked for an alternative place to go to and I found it! It's the Manila Seedling Bank in QC. It is found along EDSA northbound corner Quezon Avenue. I used to pass by this area everyday and wonder what in the world is going on there?!?! A seedling bank?? So one weekend, I explored it, and found it just perfect.

It is like a mini Bulacan in the heart of Metro. Tons of Bonsai, Orchids, Phalaenopsis, & other supplies you need for your garden. Last Year, I was in an "Orchids" Phase, I blew my money on Phalaenopsis, Dendrobiums, Cattleyas & Waling. Some of them have died, others have just stopped blooming. I guess I don't have a green thumb??

I wasn't going to give up, so I came back, and just bought the Orchids mainly as home decor. To Cheer up the room. I always find magazine spreads with orchids in it. My next phase is the potted plants. I bought lots & lots of plants. I figured since flowers don't work for me, how about the greens? Wooohoo! Jackpot!

The plants have names, I actually forgot them, but the gardeners feed me on some information to help care for them. I got the variegated ones, and my favorite, Rainforest. The one with the big leaves & curly edges? i have about 5 pots. I initially bought a small to medium sized one, then i just transferred it to a bigger pot, now the leaves are so beautiful and they just keep on giving me a new leaf every 3 weeks.

If only Ashton didn't have a sore tooth and bitten some of the leaves off. I bought mine at around 300 pesos. Now I asked around how much for the same size as mine. It;s around 20 to 25,000 each. WooooW!!

One pot has babies..a new set of leaves, is emerging from the Mother Plant, I was afraid to transfer it so I just let it grow.

I told it to the Gardener where I bought the plant, she said that, that is a very rare occurence, I asked her to help me transfer the babies into another pot. She said to just bring the pot an she'll take care of it.

I also went thru a "herbs" phase, i bought rosemary, chives, & parsley. Rosemary was a hit. Everybody loved the smell especially with roast chicken..hhhmmmmm....

Two weeks ago, I cleaned up the ferns on our balcony plant box, and I decided to put baby plants, so i went to MSB to buy some garden soil, compost and a few potted plants. That's where I saw the banner that said they're selling cut flowers for Undas.

I was back there on the 30th, too early for flower shopping but, what da heck, they'll live. The flowers were in a controlled environment, meaning a huge giant freezer, I was there for half an hour, choosing & choosing until my nose is cold. I settled for some carnation, mums, paper roses & lilies.

Ohmygosh!! It's 11pm!! gotta go to sleep, we'll have Lab Tests tomorrow...

Goodnight!!

xoxo

Halloween Party 2009

Getting Ready, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

One of my cousin, who is super OC & Our Halloween host every year, is in HongKong with her co-teachers, so my other cousins took over as "organizers". They were tasked for decorations, food & games for the yugglies.

The Party started early this year. Teacher R (my cousin) starts late almost every year because she's still cramming with tons of decor, which the kids hardly make pansin anyways. We started the program by letting the kids eat first. Invites says 4pm and you know Filipino time is in effect, so they had their merienda & dinner at around 5pm.

After that, Karla started the games, where everybody had fun & laughs. Lots of toys, prizes & candy were given away to the kiddies.

So we finished early and cleaned up. Everybody is happy, busog & enjoyed the games.

All the kids are going jome with big smiles, their treats & sugar high from too much candy.

The "Olds" started their Mahjong & Poker Night when the kids went home. Me included!

Found out later that my Aunt's neighbor reported us to the Police. He called to tell that they were gambling with high stakes. (Neighbor is a pesky old hag & inggit to our party) Hallllerrrrr!!! We've been having party always & much louder than that night and yet nobody told the police, and we do not gamble like millions of pesos!!! It was 10, 20, 30 pesos only!! If you ever win, kulang pa sa Jollibee!

Haynako. Mamatay ka sa inggit!!!

We have done nothing wrong, and Karma moves at the speed of light.

God Bless!

Pretty Laetitia & Cindy

Pretty Laetitia, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

Next to Cindy Crawford she's my favorite "Super" of the 90's, although she came about late nineties to early 2000. She's beautiful but different. Cindy is like the all-american-girl-next-door type, and Laetitia is sultry-exotic type.

Sure the Supermodels are making a comeback, I like them more, seeing them on magazine ads is like back in high school/college days, where i would not eat merienda so i could buy that latest magazine with the hot supermodel on cover.

Even if I didn't eat, my body still stayed the same. big butt & b***s. haaayyzzz..

This is a journey back in time post, reminiscing the times when my problems are just about school...

Oh wells...

Photo from google.com

White Lilies for All Saint's Day

White Lilies, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

Very early tomorrow, We'll be going to the Cemetery to visit our dearly departed loved ones. My Gramps, Granny, Dada & Aunts are at Eternal Gardens. I bet they're exited to see us too. Better make this clear, it's okay if they see us, but not, us see them. LOL!

We always bring food, flowers, candles & prayers for them.

After a nap this afternoon, i readied stuff to bring, paper plates, utensils, soda, water. Most of the food will be cooked early tomorrow.

One of the food is an Ilonggo dish called "Tino-um" & the pork spareribs for the yugglies. Of course it's potluck so i don't what everybody else is bringing.

Alright, gotta log off and sleep early for a whole day activity tomorrow.

Remember, Honor & Praying for their souls...

XOXO,

Lele



p.s.
*will blog about our Halloween Party later...

Ressurection

Mr. iPhone is aliiiiiive!!!

He's back from the stuck up mode/comatose phase he was in for almost a week.

It made me crazy the past couple of days, it was like back in the dark ages, no way of communicating, no updates from Facebook & Twitter, LOL. and most of all, my apps! I missed my apps!

Sunday is Family Day

Every Sunday, after our 9-10 am Mass, me & my family, aunts, cousins, nieces & nephews, we meet up & have Brunch somewhere in Quezon City. Maybe Northridge Plaza, Quezon Memorial Circle, SM North Edsa, Trinoma.

So after the Brunch which the Aunts/Olds take care of the bill, we head off to our different activities. Some went to Timezone, the Olds walked around, got tired & settled for coffee at the top of the mall. Me & my 3 cousins(sisters) went to the bookstore. I mean, where do bookworms go?? HAHAHA!
Me, i got me some new Moleskine Daily Planner for 2010, Nicholas Sparks The Choice & Prevention Magazine. Karla picked a Planner & mini notepad. Angel picked a book by Meg Cabot & Manga Magazine. Little Reign chose a 3D storybook of Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs.

Here's our Long Table at Super Bowl of China, we're 20 persons including the kids we're missing about 6 persons, who have previous appointments.

Our Brunch Budget comes from the weekend Mahjong Nights of my Aunts & Cousins.

A Mini Reunion for everyone. Catching Up.

Chance to make "Bilmoko" to the Moms & Dads.

Slow Internet Connection + I slipped...

Darn. This is hell of of a techie week for me.

Maybe I really need to upgrade my gadgets.

First, my iPhone crashes.

Second, my Vaio laptop is nearing it's end...i hope not...

Third, I don't know if it's slow internet connection or my HP netbook is getting slower too..

Ayayayayay!!

I was hoping my birthday money would go to my bills so i could be debt free by the end of the year, but no, the saying, habang may buhay may utang, is ringing true.

Anyways, i have paid 3/4 of all my bills, i hate to pay it all up, since that would mean my savings is running low, but i wanted that bill to come to me with zerrroooo balance.

So i have to evaluate what to get...

Getting an iMac or MacbookPro...

I'm leaning towards the iMac..

About the cellphone thing, I'll miss my iPhone, but I think I'll just settle with an iTouch. It's almost the same as an iPhone but without the phone function itself.

I think i'll just use my old phones and use iTouch and just imagine it as my iPhone...hehehe

Anyways, all i do in my iPhone is surf, check email, update facebook & twitter, which i can do with an iTouch anyways!

So next week, i'm gonna canvass some apple gadgets.

Time to switch!!

*On a funny but hurtful note, i slipped & fell on my butt this morning at our Lanai. I was busy watching the dogs have their baths I didn't notice the wet surface. I really hate my Uncle for choosing that kind of tiles for the Lanai. It's slippery for hell's sake. Not a good idea.

Good thing i have a backside that cushioned my fall, but my left arm hurt when i used it to stop my fall. My whole body got shaken up from that fall. I was so shocked i didn't break a part of my body. I was so scared of slipping. It's one of my pet peeves. I hate being in cast or just broken.

I gotta thank God for saving my a**, literally.

Mr. iPhone, crashes & burned...

Some of my friends told me that iPhone's lifespan is only 1 year, maxed out at 2.

Mr. iPhone, yes i named my phone, is dead, he's like, in a vegetable state right now. A comatose phase. I couldn't do a damn thing about it.

I have already tried everything the Support & iPhone help suggested. But to no avail.

Earlier this evening, I got a little happy when the Apple Software Support icon popped out, i immediately installed all of it. I don't update Safari & Mobile Me because i don't need them. My cousin told me maybe that's why it doesn't sync because it isn't updated.



After almost an hour, software download complete, rebooted to make sure everything works, then started iTunes up again. I kept my hopes up that the restore function would pull through, but then i heard the *ping* sound yet again. I hate that sound. darn!



So know what would i do?

Even my 4 year old laptop, is nearing it's end, i hope not.

I couldn't afford a gadget buy because I'm saving up for a trip, but money's gotta come out of the pocket no matter what you do.

I don't want to buy a 45 thousand iphone. Maybe i'll buy an itouch and re-acquaint myself to keypad texting once again.

I am not touching my phone right now. I read messages every 2 hours. I don't forward messages or answer calls if i don't know them.

OH EM GEE!! my contacts, photos & my apps....

Good thing before it crashed, i synced & backed up my data, EDIT( i didn't, lost all my contacts) problem is the restore itself is the problem. agggghhh.

I am sooooo frustrated...

I'm keeping it off my mind so i could relax, my muscles are so stressed out..

Rolex Greenbelt 5 Smash & Grab

I can't believe the robbers today. They've gotten more reckless. And choosy.

They attack a high end mall and goes to one of the most expensive watch boutiques, smash their escaparates or vitrines and just grabbed the watches.

Most daring smash & grab robbery i knew. In Manila, anyways.

The thing is, Mall owners & Police are shutting up, i heard this news from Twitter. Can you believe that?! (Dapat may pulis na nagmomonitor ng twitter para malaman ang latest na kaguluhan, hehehe)

For once they said, that the Police got there before the Media did, so they were able to cordon off the mall. One of the robbers was killed, wonder what happened to the rest??

Why the news blackout? or we just have to wait for it in the evening news tomorrow??

Oh, and the robbers were wearing PNP SWAT uniforms, apparently they said they were responding & checking up on a reported bomb threat in the mall.

A lot of conspiracy theory is brewing on my mind, and on Twitter too...LOL

Scallops

Scallops, originally uploaded by HunnieBunch.

Just experimented with Scallops. Steamed it alongside Brocolli then sauteed it alongside mushrooms and added ginger, celery & oyster sauce.

This is a trial post from my Flickr account

My Mom & Mikey

Wednesday Morning, while at the church for our weekly Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help, my mom complained of chest pains, pinilit ko to go to the ER. The Novena just finished and the mass hasn't started yet.

So off we go. I was calm on the outside but inside i was a wreck & in panic mode.

We got to the ER, had ECG and hour of BP monitoring, in the middle of this, a patient died next bed to us, so it added to our edginess.

Turns out, it is just gas reflux from drinking beer. I guess my mom just got nervous & panicked when she felt chest pains. But I would not hear any of it, we go to ER!!! She's hypertensive & diabetic so i'm taking no chances. After a couple of hours we're good to go, prescription meds for reflux in hand, and we're having breakfast at Jollibee later.

Around Lunchtime, when we got home from the office, our cook/manang told me Mikey went up to her room and just stayed there, also he's been throwing up. I immediately went up & checked him out, he looks a little dehydrated (as if i'm a vet! haha) his nose is dry, and he kinda just lay down on his side not moving but he is watching me, manang & ricky (our driver) fuss over him.

Then I told manang what happened to mom earlier that morning, i think Mikey must have saved my Mom. Do you believe that? that when a member of the family is in sudden life or death situations, a pet suddenly gets sick too, and most of the time is "sinasalo" nila whatever the family member is feeling.

Since my Mom is such a huge part of my life, it's weird that my favorite, oldest, alpha male dog is the one who gets sick.

I took the day off, and we went to the Vet, he throwed up in the van again, but i think his spirits is up, he loves riding around in the L300 van.

The Vet gave me liver tabs for whatever bad he ate, meds she injected which i didn't know and some hydrating powder for his drinking water.

I forced feed/drink the Mondex powder (diluted in water)to Mikey with a syringe. Thankfully he drank it, but after a few tries, he shut his nozzle up. hahaha

My mom is feeling good again but i have to monitor her BP morning & evening.

Mikey is great too, since he's been barking his head off at strangers, but i continue to give him is meds too.

I think i need to study Nursing for real. LOL

Human & Pets.

Thank You God!

Davao Trip w/ BFF's Day 1 - Airport

Sorry for the interruptions. Back to our tour-ture trip.

Soooo, we decided to meet up at the airport. Since i've been flying once a year, and we get tons of visitors who we bring to the airport every single time, i know the drill of being there early. Better late than never they say. Add to the fact that we live up north and the airport is somewhere south east/west of manila. I was up at the crack of dawn, driver was early, said goodbye to mom, brought my breakfast and off we go at 4:45am. I didn't texted my friends, i figured they might be busy preparing to go out of the house too. Yeah right, they were still sleeping!

It's my first time to fly Cebu Pacific so i was triple nervous & edgy. I arrived at Terminal 3 at around 5:50am, i decided to call them when nobody replied to my texts. They said they're leaving now. WHAT?? relax, they say, no traffic & it's early. I didn't want to go in because the terminal is so darn cold, but i eventually went in because i had to pee!

I decided to wait in line & just let people pass me until the girls arrive. I was feeling antsy already because the sun is out & in full force, and they're nowhere to be found!! tic toc! tic toc! aggh i'm going crazy!!

6:30 am i see their faces! goodness gracious! and we have to fall in line in the slowest counter! agh!! i was feeling nervous & hyper because the clock is ticking, and of course they were all relaxed, chatting it up yappity yap yup.

7:00 we got our tickets, and i rushed in to the gates! besides i have to pee again! i had a cup of noodles for breakfast, i asked the girls if they had any, they said no, so why don't you buy something to eat, but make it fast, i said in the back of my mind, i deeply regret not saying that aloud.

7:15 Grace was in line for a Hot Coco, Zenna & I was waiting for cinnabon sticks, Rose sat down in a table after getting her coffee. I was like?? what are we doing?? our flight's leaving and we're still here?? Somebody said..no no no no..our boarding time is 7:45, we have time to spare, i was like, what?? 7:45 the plane LEAVES with or without us.

Just then a Ground Crew carrying a sign & shouting for Davao Passengers, Rose turned to the guy, and said somewhat stupidly, that's us. "Mam. the gate closes in 5 minutes." whhhhhaaattt?!?!? we ran for dear life, i never ran like that! i run like there's a 400 pound bear chasing us to death. In all my life as a traveler i have never ever done a thing like that. I am never late. I don't want the plane to leave without me so i was always early at the airport. But this is a first. Thanks to my beautiful friends.

We got to the gate, huffing & puffing our lungs out, the crew looked at us with a smirk. I thought the running was done, but nooooo, the tube connecting to the plane was like an endless tunnel!! so we ran. again.

The door to the plane came into view, i sighted 2 ladies ahead of us, they were running too. We stepped inside and everyone was seated already, the plane was ready to go and the four of us were the last!!! I think they were waiting for us for the loooongest time already.

As we sat down and buckled our seat belts, i vaguely heard the stewardess announce something about cabin doors closing. Yup, we were the last.

OMG. please. make. me. invisible. now.

Bad Dog Company

Yesterday, My Mom informed me that i have to walk & feed my dogs, because our help Jeff is off to a delivery. The other guy i rely on, also has lots of stuff to do, so i have no choice.

Actually i used to do this, until my Mom decided to intervene. Kidnapping Scares & Threats. Paranoia. In fairness, i still walk my dogs every night.

So this morning, after taking care of poo business, i cleaned their cages, fill up their bowls with water & kibble, some playtime with the other doggies, i ushered them back to their "houses".

Toto/Scooby immediately wolfed half of his food. Shaggy watched my steps underneath his long bangs and didn't touch his food. And Sparky ate just a few kibbles. After minutes of coaxing him to eat, making him jealous so he would eat, he lied down and just stared at me. oohhhh...it got me so mad!!!

I got his bowl out, called Mickey & Ashton, gave them the unfinished dog food.

Harummphh...

Then i had breakfast at the Lanai. He was barking his head off. deadmabelles.

Got ready for office, i passed by his cage, petted him, and you know what i noticed? He was licking his chops like he was hungry. Oh poor baby. right then & there i wanted to feed him. but i knew what he would do. So i hold on tight to my feelings.

Around 330pm i couldn't take it anymore, i felt so guilty, i went home early from the office, took them for a walk, then fed him his kibbles, he still started up slow, but he finished them anyways.

Am i a bad human? Did Sparky deserved to be punished? or i was too impatient in waiting for him to finish up his food? or my temper is really on short fuse these days???

At the end of the day, he still gave me a smile & a wagging tail. i guess he forgave me already. i just want the guilt feeling to go away...

Unconditional Love = Pets

I love you, Mickey, Sparky, Ashton, Scooby & Shaggy....

Empire Records

It's in iTunes. Can't believe it. I have store credits but don't want to buy that, i'll just download it in my torrents. So many new Old movies. Gotta catch up!

Will go to Gateway tomorrow, buy something from Chanel, so i could get the free tickets for the Coco Avant Chanel movie. A great excuse to cave in for that eyeshadow.

Lotsa errands to do again, so i better get my butt sleeping already if i want to have energy by tomorrow.

Long day today, you wouldn't believe the paperworks, haven't had the chance to help my cousin because my table is swamped too!

Alright, folks, Sweet Dreams!


XOXO,

Lele

Getting Ready for Davao

Last July, My BFF's and I went to Davao.
Our first trip as a group.
Chaos & Riot!

Around end of May 2009, my friend Grace, who works at Singapore, just casually said that she wants to go to Vigan/Ilocos when she comes home for a vacay. I have been to Ilocos around the 90's, i want to go back because i want to see some "tourist" improvements. Time has caught up and changes have been made eversince. My other friend Zenna, is not quite open to going back there so soon, i think just a couple years ago. We exchange emails & IM's and decided we'll go to Davao. Everybody agreed. Next step is asking who would come, of course Grace's twin sister Rose is coming, our problem is asking Jenny, our friend who has a family already. But she dropped them like a hot potato when she found out! She's coming too! LOL

It all fell into place just like that! *snaps fingers*

Next step is finding cheap tickets, this went to our resident wow philippines model/traveler/tourist guide/travel agent, Zenna. Found cheap ones and in Promo from Cebu Pacific Airlines. She emailed us and delegated tasks to be done for the trip. I thought i was free! But nooo, she gave us things to be done, like a commander on a pirate ship. hehehe. The Twins took Azienda Meo, Jen got Pearl Farm & I got Hof Gorei.

I asked my Mom permission to go. It's not what you think. I just want her to know that I'm going somewhere. With my friends. They basically think i can't get anywhere, what am i? a 5 year old??

Countdown till the trip itself began, i was so excited, emails & IM exchanged every night, i could feel the excitement between my friends too.

For me, packing is a nightmare, i always overpack, i tend to bring so much stuff that i thought i need and ended up not using them anyways, so for this i edited almost every night before going to sleep. Since I'm a plus size girl, my clothes are big & bulky too, so i chose lightweight stuff and set my mind on not bringing extra clothes. My toiletries kit is another post, but i think i didn't edit it that much and it was the heaviest kit on my bag.

After choosing my clothes & whatnots, i have come to the hardest part, what kind of bag will i bring? do i bring a wheelie? a backpack? or a huge duffel bag?

Zenna, has perfected the world of packing light, suggested using a backpack, since we're all ladies and no boylets to carry our luggage around. But nooo, i had to use the wheelie because my stuff can't fit in the darn backpack. what am i? a mutant turtle?? When we met at the airport that morning, I had my wheelie, the twins had a small wheelie & a duffel, Zenna has this uber teeny tiny backpack at her back, i was like?? what do you got in there?? i don't believe it!

So on my next post, i'll tell the story of Day 1 in Davao.


XOXO,

Lele

Undecided

I still can't decide what to get for my Birthday. A gift to thyself.

Choices are the ff:

1.) Cartier Ballon de Bleu Watch.
Ultimate gift. I want my mommy to buy this for me (Because i can't afford it) Perfect if we have matching set. hihihi...

2.) MacBookPro.
Do i need another Laptop? I have my 4 y/o Vaio and Vivienne Tam HP netbook.

3.) Louis Vuitton or Balenciaga or Hermes
Nothing tickles my fantasy at LV. yet. (except for the Damier Neverfull, i have 2 other NF's) Balenciaga Motorcycle Bag. It bag of the century but doesn't appeal to me yet. OR should i wait for the coming of Hermes at Greenbelt?? Couldn't afford the Birkin or Kelly so goodluck, but i'm liking the Evelyne & Victoria, but still way out of my budget.

4.) Nikon D90
I have a short attention span when it comes to cameras, i just want to point & shoot the darn thing. HAHAHA... so this is highly unlikely :(

5.) Pay Bills.

HAHAHA! Best Option is number 5, it's a vicious cycle, i hope to stop it completely one day. It starts with maxing up your credit cards, shopping to the max, then spend the next 2 years paying it off. aggghhh! now that i have extra money to pay for it, i now have a clean slate. I hope i don't fall into that abyss known as credit card hell. ROFL

back to normal

Ok back to regular programming people! back to school, back to work, back breaking work for the ondoy victims. sigh*

anyways, started out the day with mom's injection of insulin. i peeked a the clouds and noticed that it's still grey & cloudy. i cancelled my trip to NKTI for my lab tests.

Breakfast and off i go,

1st stop: Rockwell Power Plant. Checked out Accesory Lab, Sapato Manila & Evita Peroni. Planned on eating at Pepper Lunch, but still early so i browsed around and when i got back the line was long already! sigh. Decided to try Elbert's Cheesesteak Sammys. The Beef is good.

2nd stop: Tresorie at Jupiter St., My LV speedy got sold! yehey! more money for the bills! woohoo!!

3rd stop: Gateway Cubao. Got some information about Toywatch repair/service centers. Two of my watches are broken. Also renewed FSP card. Annnd!! 2 new nailpolishes from Chanel!! US stores doesn't have it till November! woohoo! first dibs!

4th stop: Trinoma, QC. Checked out NBS for Everyday Food Magazine, Checked out Omega Seamaster's Price, Too shy too enter at Tag Heuer. Meet up with cousin Karla, then had a late merienda, early dinner at Pho Hoa.

can i say pagod??

Divisoria

Shopping in Divi is so much fun, everything is here, it's a giant, no huge, no humongous wasteland. Of course it's cheap & you can haggle/bargain.

Went here about 2 weeks ago per my cousins request, i have a few cash on my wallet, and i haven't planned what to buy yet. so i just basically just chaperoned them.

i bought a lot. hahaha

1.) kitchen towels - found 2 huge garbage bags full of crochet yarns at the bodega, i decided to make this a project. instead i'm making a vest or a bedspread. lol

2.) Pajamas - i saw a pair that could work as a pambahay. i thought the top wouldn't fit me, i figured i'll just gave it to my mom, but the shorts are mine. got 3 pairs.

3.) fruits - bought lanzones & santol

4.) beads, pearls & butingtings - i decided to bring back my bracelet making days. in the week that i was sick, i uncovered a huge plastic chest full of crap, i mean stuff. on top of that i found another chest full of sCRAPbooking materials.

5.) kids clothes - i bought my cousin 2 leggings 50 pesos each, 100 for the top.

low on cash and we decided to go back here if i have some enough, no swipe swipe here.

Sick Again

A day before Typhoon Ondoy struck the unprepared Metro Manila with it's torrential downpour, i celebrated my last birthday on a numbered calendar. (Huling taon ko na sa kalendaryo, yak!)

The days before my upcoming day i was so sick, i'm too dizzy to stand up. I have fever for 3 days, can't breathe from the colds, sneezing every 5 minutes. i got scared that it might be AH1N1. freeaking out!!! On the morning itself i was coughing my lungs out already. I got up to and made a mess in the kitchen, pesking everybody. hehehe.

I didn't want to drink antibiotics, wanted my immune sytem to work this out, but noooo, a week already and still groggy. My cocktail for 2 days were biogesic, neozep, dolfenal & claritin. I think neozep failed on me this time, so i stopped taking it. biogesic was good only if i take it every 4 hours. I would sweat the fever out, feel great and resume busybody, then i get weak & fever rises again. aggghhhh. the sneezing stopped when i take claritin, but since i'm weaning myself from it, i stopped too. what i did was eat even if the food taste like cardboard & drink freshly squeezed orange juice from s&r, and sleep/rest.

It got me thinking, i only get sick twice a year, when the weather changes, hot to cols & vice versa, so why am i sick now? something's wrong with my immune system!!! and this happened when i was taking those 1 a day multivitamins too! i'm scared! i don't wanna get sick. or is the earth suffers from global warming that it affects people already?!?! paranoid!!!

A few days after, i feel somewhat alright & spirits up a bit, but the coughing just started. It's so scratchy & dry, i just want to stop breathing! yikes!! I've gone back to the office but after doing some paperwork, i was tired and decided to rest and take the day off.

When everything goes back to normalcy, life resumes after the flooding, i have decided to follow up and take some lab tests. Let's hope for normal results!

Global Warming

I have been saying this for the long time. the world is changing, i mean, the Earth!

Ever since Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana, shows like Blue Planet, Storm Stories, Six Degrees could change the World, have fascinated me. i've also rewatched Twister and The Day after Tomorrow.

It started in High School, interested in Science but doesn't like the computation/math/physics aspect. agh. hate math. :(

After what happened a day after my Birthday, i've been on panic mode eversince. Being stuck in traffic, can't get home for hours, tends to do that.

Actually it's been raining since a day before my birthday, so it's really a bad idea to get out that saturday, but being sick the whole week, and getting a shocking gift from my Mom, i figured i deserve to go to the Mall. It's my Birthday yesterday for crying out loud! Even for just an hour! I left the house and it's raining cats & dogs already, i figured it'll stop later, as i got near the mall, i got this sinking (pun intended) feeling that something's wrong. I should've listened to my guts and turned the effing car around!

After an hour inside the mall, i was ready to go home, traffic was already building, and not moving. I got an oppurtunity to back up at EDSA and then i was back at Trinoma. Waited it out for 5 hours, doing nothing, watching the traffic at the intersection near Veteran's, the same bus on standstill for 3 hours, getting a manicure, browsed all the books at 3 bookstores, too stressed out to watch a movie.

Finally around 5 i decided to brave it out, all was good, getting around my shortcuts, no floods, puddles of water, i was smiling already. Then BAM! 20 minutes on a standstill, then i saw the road going back home, smile got turned down. I have nowhere to go. I have decided to just park my car in a safe place, prayed the rosary, tried to sleep, and just wait it out. After an hour, some movements at the traffic, i decided to battle it out again. Then more rain came. Aghhh. Another 3 hours crawling like the slowest turtle in the whole wide world. I forgot how many mysteries of holy rosary i prayed already. I already prepared my bag, stuffed my essentials in a plastic before getting it inside the bag, looking for a place to park, but i think my prayers are working, the cars have been crawling/moving slowly but surely.

Finally, i got through, after hair raising moments with SUV's & trucks alike, i called home and said that i was safe, waters have receded already. But noooo, another bridge is still chest deep in waters, and it's impassable. Decided to wait it out, but the area is too dark and i was like, the only sedan waiting it out. Agh. I made the inevitable u turn and went to my Aunt's place in project 8, which was my earlier plan, one hour earlier. darnit.

Getting to their house, i could see the plastics & debris from the flood, my cousin said it was knee deep earlier, fortunately no water in their house, in fact they turned into an evac center for a few hours. After turning on the TV i saw the disaster, devastation it caused for a few hours of rain. Listening to the AM radio while in traffic got me some bad news already, but seeing it on tv, just shows how massive it is.

Around midnight, i decided to try going home, my cousin said some of the roads have cleared, my body wants to sleep, i have a mild fever, but my mind is still on overdrive, migraine anyone?? i kept thinking on who will inject my mom's insulin early tomorrow. so i drove home, praying for no more floods, rain to stop, and no more traffic.

I got home safe & dry. Thank You Lord & Mama Mary.

Rainy Season

It's been raining for almost a week now...

I'm kinda tired of the endless shower every single day...


I don't like it because:

1.) getting my feet wet. kainis. gets me cold pretty fast. hello germs?!

2.) i couldn't take my dogs for a walk. still i take them out just to relieve them. poor babies.

3.) flood. puddles of water everywhere. couldn't even imagine the provinces which are affected by the typhoon itself. waist high water for days. ugh.

4.) of the dark skies. i just hate it when the skies are gray. looks like Jesus is angry. well, he probably is. :(

5.) my clothes are depleting. I told our Labandera (Laundrywoman) to hold of on washing our clothes, because there's no Sun. (pero pasaway, naglaba pa din, may hangin naman daw. haynako.) Oh Mister Sun, Sun, Mister Golden Sun, please shine down on me. - Barney. hehehe

6.) I want to stay in bed for hours. as in just sleep & snuggle. Darnit, wala akong ka snuggle, unan na nga lang. :(

7.) i tend to eat too much. the temps down, starting to get sluggish & sleepy. To wake us up in the office, we tend to munch & crunch junk foods. yikes!

8.) people tend to wear outlandish clothes. as if we have snow here. coming. tomorrow. maybe. LOL

9.) i crave for hot foods. as in mainit. like Pho Bo, Champorado, Arroz Caldo, Beef Mami etcetera etcetera!!

10.) the dogs can't take a bath. after all that wet walks in the rain, they're starting to smell like dogs. wet dogs. awww. my poor doggies. and i have to make sure that there is a Sun before the bath because they'll probablly freeze.


Sana may araw na bukas!!! I miss the Sun!!!

Big Dreams

ok here we go...

if i have some extra money. or if ever my bank decided to give me my well deserved indulgence this year, i am torn between the ff:

1.) Sofia Coppola Jasper Bag
(do i need another bag??ok scratch this na)

2.) Ballon de Bleu mid size steel & gold watch

3.) MacBook Pro (my latest obsession)

4.) D90 (i take crappy photos so this maybe out too)

5.) 1.5 carat earrings (impossible, but why not!)

6.) Trip to Rome (ok this is too much na, haha!)

ahhh..sarap mangarap...libre naman eh!!

Big girl like me deserves big dreams, right?? har dee har har

SM Prestige Lounge

At last! A place to hang out in the Mall, where you're not forced to buy an expensive drink just to hang out. Hah!

As you know, Filipinos love their Malls, and I'm one of them!! LOL

So thanks to Henry Sy, for thinking about the customers. Keep them coming!

The sensor thingie in the parking lot is cool too, ok, ok, call me a probinsyana, but even my cousins from the states thought the thing was way cool. hihihi

Pho Hoa

I love noodles! who doesn't?? I mean, we're Asian, for pete's sake. We live for noodles, (same goes for rice). Be it Pancit Canton, Beef Mami, Sotanghon, Hofan, Bihon, I could go on...Add to that, my Great Grandfather is a great cook and a chinese.

If someone celebrates their Birthdays, Noodles is always present, it represents long life.

Manila has 2 weathers, hot & scorching hot. A few rain to make us all sick every now & then.

A bowl of hot soup is what you crave when the weather is cold, biting cold. (this is just me, i think). But not on a 35 degree weather like Manila.

My cousin Karla & I, are noodle lovers, we love Pho Hoa's Pho Bo (Beef Noodles), it has thin slices of beef tenderloin, tendons & meatballs and the best egg noodles. Add fresh beansprouts, basil & cilantro. Yummy! I'm salivating right now. HAHA. We just gotta have that sip of hot soup to take away the wear & tear of life.

We use to eat there, twice a week!! Especially during December & July months, we're the weather is changing from hot to cold. Now that she has classes, our visits were down to thrice a month.

The other day, we ate our Lunch there, i just stopped myself from telling the waitress, i think she knows our faces by now, "The Usual Order", which is, Pho Bo noodles, Fried Chili Squid or Chicken Drumettes, or both when we're hungry, and rice.

Ahhh....Just gotta have some soup!! Yummmmyyy!

What's in my Bag??

Everyday, i carry my house. I feel incomplete, naked, exposed if i don't have a purse or a bag with me. I guess it stemmed from my mom saying, don't go to the war without a bullet. Sure sure you are ready with everything, but still you have a gun but you don't have a bullet. I remember that day clearly, i left the house in a hurry, we're going to the church, so i figured i don't need money since she's coming with us already (my bank, hehehe), left everything at home. Then nanghingi ako pera, then she found out that i don't have any with me.

Can you imagine the sermon that followed?? Yada yada yada. But it stuck with me. I never leave the house now, without a change or small bill and an ID/license, with me.

I was also a Girl Scout for a year or two i think, and you know the Motto. Always be prepared/Laging Handa. All that crap. hahaha.

So here's what inside my bag.

Pochette or Pouch as my Emergency Kit/Kikay Kit. - This is where i put my extra Napkins, Pantyliners, Wet Ones, also some small loose stuff like Purse hook, Lip balms, Lipstick, Moisturizer, Comb, Purse perfume, Comb, Nail file, Potty spray, Pepper spray, loose clips & clamps, Medicines, Rosary, Mirror, Compact, Swiss Knife.

Smaller Pochette - I used it as my camera case now

Notepad, Tissue, Wallet, Ipod, Iphone, Coin Purse, Nintendo DS & Mints.

Pocket of the bag: Rosary, Claritin, Ballpen, Lipgloss & Clips.

Believe me it fits in my bag, the kikay kit is rarely used but a lifesaver when the need arises.

I usually leave the Nintendo & Make Up stuff in the car when i'm just gonna grab something for a short while.

At the end of they day, i feel secure, yet my back aches. Compromise & Sacrifice.

Sleep evades me

Maybe i ate too much?? Well, now...hehehe

Maybe i was stuck in the office all day...

Maybe because we ate Dinner at a late time?? My Mom & I sat at about 8pm. We usually eat dinner around 6:30ish.

Maybe that Crunch Crisp chocolate has got to do with this!!! Sabi ko na eh! That's why i can't sleep for the last few days. Hmpf. Buti na lang ubos na. I ate the last two miniature after dinner. HAHA

What can i do?? I am a Chocoholic...

I Promise to do more posts! I promise!!

xoxo,

lele

Sick

I rarely get sick. As in the trangkaso kind, with the muscles aching, scratchy throat, high fever, runny nose, coughing my lungs out. As i have observed, it happens to me twice a year. When the weather changes from hot to cold. At first, i fought it off as much as my body can handle. I ordered my WBC's/soldiers to fight! fight! fight! the effing virus. But eventually my body caves.

My Sick months are usually July & December.

July. I get stressed out during my Mom's birthday, and mine too. Then the change of weather from super hot summer to raining cats & dogs. So eventually, my body just can't take all that abuse. Usually right after my birthday, the fever starts. Add to that the depression that comes after adding another year in my life!!

December. All that stress from shopping!! hahaha...Change of weather again, of course. Those Siberian winds just makes our night uber cool & comfy. But for me, sneezing is the order of the day.

Also, after taking the allergy meds, claritin, on a daily basis, my sneezing & scratching have mellowed down. Don't really know what i am allergic to. I just know that since taking it everyday, my sneezing in the mornings & evenings have lessened. Also the scratching & itchiness too! Maybe because i rarely use lotion, and the AC just sucks the air dry.

So after hybernating for 3 days in our house, a cocktail of Neozep, Biogesic, Dolfenal & Claritin, 3 books, sore eyes from surfing the net, my new BFF's Vicks VapoRub & Inhaler, I am now back in business.

I wanna go out tomorrow!! Trinoma maybe??

CliqueBooth

Cousins and a pamangkin
cousins
crazy dudes
these are the dayz of our livvesss...

Here's my Crazy, Loud, Weird, Naughty, Obnoxious Family...

Mom's 60th Surprise Birthday Party!!

Can you tell that we love photos?!?! that's why i thought of this as our souvenir...

A Very Wonderful Day...

Our Typical Family Day is transformed into a panic filled yet excitement day. Because this is not just an ordinary sunday. This is my Mom's Big Day. Her 60th birthday. And we planned a Surprise Party for her!

So we did what we usually do on Sundays, hear mass at our favorite church, with our second favorite priest officiating, Fr. Azer, had brunch at our "suki" for breakfast, Wan Chai Tea House.

Bought a cake for her, good thing the Resto just opened, we usually open it, the first customers for the day, as we were singing our hearts out for the Birthday Girl.

Everybody, my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, some Friends, are already bursting at the seams with excitement!!! We couldn't keep it anymore. We are all excited for this Surprise Party for the Most Wonderful Person, for us, in the Whole Wide World. hehehehe..

Meanwhile, she has absolutely NO CLUE. We told her that we had reserved a restaurant where, just us, her family would be there. Told her to dress up cause we would be doing family pictures. My Mom, who is OC when it comes to details, especially pag kainan and parties plans ahead like a week before. Then suddenly, on her 60th birthday, she doesn't have a thing to do?? A milestone with no plans, nothing to do??

She felt guilty..she ordered our cook to make Pancit & Menudo to be given away to our neighbors, friends and to her beloved employees also. She felt guilty kasi daw, konting kibot lang sa bahay namin, may handaan, meron lechon, then on that day, what with everybody greeting her on the street, walang feast??

That afternoon, around 3pm, while hanging out at her newly renovated garden, my mom found an ant hill on one of the potted plants, she called Ricky, and they destroyed, or killed the ants. with newspaper fire and all...hahaha! it was a sight.

Meanwhile, my kasabwats or accomplices are in a panic mode, some are hyperventilating, some are already dressed and fully made up already. As for me? i've been in a panic mode for weeks, and they're just feeling the pressure now...WTF?!?!

Around 5pm, i told her to take a shower 'cause she's all sweaty. In order for her not to get shocked or "surprised", i wore my dress na, she merely raised her eyebrows. I told her, memake-up an kita, she answered with a loud & firm, "hmpf" like a big NO. LOL. I called for reinforcements, we blow dried her hair, put make up on, the darn hairspray woudn't work, she was finished at around 5:30ish..

Then she walked into my room, and asked what time would we be going? I said around 6:30. huwat?? eh ung reservations, 7 pa eh. i almost had a nervous breakdown. Scattered around the room were invitations, prizes, etc. Good thing she didn't notice..

Then pandemonium broke. My family had started arriving at the venue, and they said walang tao. i was like, whaaat?? filipinos are always late!!! turns out they were early birds (haler! excited!!)

Mommy wanted to go na, then i stalled saying, i'm not done with my make up. Nagpunta sha sa balcony, nagyosi, and started calling up everybody. Calls & text flew between Valenzuela and Quezon City. She called Ricky to back up the car in the garage, she doesn't want people seeing her. Guilty talaga sha...

Finally guests started arriving, actually they were on time, 6pm, my family is just early & excited. HAHA. So we've been given the go signal to depart. All packed in the car & off we go.

Meanwhile, my darn cellphone kept ringing, asking us where we were. Every few minutes i text them. Then somewhere around Congressional Avenue, she started asking questions na. San ba nagpa-reserve si Ninang mo? Sabi ko sa isang restaurant, na may private function room na tayo lang. ahhh..ok..When we U turned and made the entrance to Gazebo..she said..Gazebo?? di ba dito ikakasal si Angie?? I told Ricky to drive fast before she saw the crowd waiting for her. She saw everyone waiting for her and said..ano ito?? ay dipuga!! hahahahahaha!!!

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

She got teary eyed. I mean, naiyak sha talaga. Pati mga tiyahin ko na makukulit nagsipagiyakan na..she really didn't expect it. she really was surprised...

and then everybody was hugging & kissing her...

Meanwhile, naiwan ako sa car kasi naiiyak na din ako!!

Panic Mode

My Mom's 60th Birthday would be this coming Sunday. Seriously, i am in panic. I think she knows. Some of it anyways. What she doesn't know was how big the surprise is. And how all of us shared in preparing the big event.

I hope she doesn't get angry. I mean, get mad at us getting around her? She always plans for these kind of this things then on her birthday nobody moves/plans?? I don't think so!!

Anyways, i hope she appreciate what we did for her. That we did this because we love her. So Much.

Facebook

diko akalain na maadik ako. hahahaha. ngayon twitter naman. pero hindi ko pa gamay...

facebook made me a couch potato even more. i am trying to stay away from my laptop. but i have to check it. always. kahit walang posts. basta lang.


sorry for the local dialect...


xoxo

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

New Gadget

CRAP! i have been waiting so long for this and now i'm p****d. or maybe i'm just too impatient. i promise to read the manuals tomorrow.

But i am loving the macro shots...the flash is cute too..like in those huge DSLR's that pops up. hehehe

and of course, i am loving the body..it's like a baby SLR..also the color..in black!

Gotta buy the wide conversion lens..where to buy, though??

i hafta learn all of these before our trip to davao in about ten days!! waaahh!!

Davao Trip Essentials

So....my friends and i are going to Davao next month, and it got me thinking, what kind/type of luggage will i bring?? do i bring a mini trolley(what do you call it)? the one used for check in luggages? My friend says NO. we will travel by land & SEA so she said to make sure that i don't have a hard time. since we're all girls. No boyfriends on this trip so no one to carry those heavy bags. =)

Overnight CarryAll: maybe this would be a good idea. but since i have to sling on ONE shoulder or maybe use one hand to carry it..naaahh... Okay, i will bring one that folds up small, so i can fill it with pasalubong going back...Suha & Durian, anyone?? ahaha...

BackPack: i don't want to look like those backpackers. hahaha..but i think this would be the ideal one. both of my hands would be free. i have no stuff to drop & toss on the floor and totally forget about it. so we have a winner. only problem is... i don't have a decent backpack. my back pack is a quilted chanel i got from Tresorie years ago. could barely fit a shirt in there, what more of a snorkeling gear?? so today...i hunt for the "back pack"...

Longchamp: I have washed my battered & dirty Longchamp, time to retire the designer goodies, rainy season na, better be careful of those vachettas. Also perfect for travel because of it's light weight & perfect size. Hope I win Mrs.T's contest and win that Herve Chapelier sac! wooot!!

Ricoh GX200: being on flickr makes me appreciate photos, colors, nature and just about everything God has given us, more. I thought about getting a DSLR but that would be too much for me, me with the shortest attention span in the whole wide world. So thanks to my flickr friends, i have found the perfect camera, for now. It works & functions like a DSLR, but has a body of a compact point & shoot camera. woohoo! can't wait to test drive in Davao!

Snorkeling Gear: ok i am afraid of SCUBA diving. even snorkeling!!! but i have to learn to love this or else i will miss out BIG TIME!!! will look for a decent set at the mall today...

OK..so far that's my checklist...will add more soon...any suggestions??

Bags

Two years ago, i fell into the trap that is the "it bag" phenomenon. I bought bags left and right, until i was buried in debt. haha!

Anyways, i paid it all up.

Now, i have to resell some of them, so i can pay some of my bills, debts and upcoming expenses this month. Salary doesn't really cover it much. Yes i already made some "sidelines" but i vowed to be debt free this year. After reselling 2 of my bags, i found myself lighter in debt. Yes kakahinayang. Lugi and all that stuff. But i am so glad to be free from some of my debts. I know I shouldn't have bought those bags in the first place. But it made me happy for a while and then got me thinking, do i really need this? Yes it brings instant gratification. Anybody sees you with a logo-ed bag thinks your super rich. What they don't know is you have lots of utangs, (debts) hahaha.

So i will resell maybe 2 or 3 to pay for:
1.) some of my bills
2.) pay an upcoming Davao trip with my friends
3.) to share the expense on my mom's 60th Bday. (hating magkapatid & magpinsan)
All of this happening on July. So imagine me scampering for money! I wish money grew on trees!! LOL

Some of them might say, why don't you just ask your mom for some money?? well this is my fault so i want to be the one to clean it up. Maybe i will if i can't take it anymore. But as long as i can find the ways, i'll clean my own mess up.

this has gotten me some perspective in life. sure sure a logo-ed bag says you have arrived. but before, i really don't care for this "it bag". my mom has instilled me over and over again to be simple, god fearing & humble. in the local dialect, i think, nagsawa na ako.

i just enjoy my current bags and do not buy anymore, i just satisfy my cravings by reading magazines, going to the websites, reading it on blogs. yeah slobber all over. ROFL

Oh, and more thing, maybe i should go back to my one & only, first love, jewelry. this is what i love before. i would go crazy over them. but that's another post. hehe

craving for pizza

After a long hot & sunny day, the weather seems to take pity on us and gave us a slight drizzle...now it's raining!!!

i want a pizza! BADLY! am craving for it so right now. cheese, pepperoni, veggies. agh!!!!

pizza!!!!!!!!!!!

Series Reruns

My TV Series have ended for the season. In the states, they show reruns. Me? i'm waiting for the DVD's to come out. the pirated ones. haha...

My friend Zenna, after years of telling me to download not buy stuff from the internet, finally taught me how to do it. Maybe she got sick of me pestering her for new episodes??? like every week?!?! harharhar

At first there were some minor glitches, i was following her directions to the letter, then the external hard drive thing, then the saving part...ahh...i just love making inis...

I didn't give up. almost did. never went to the laptop for a few days. then i was back making kulit...then she kulit me to do it. to get it right till i can download the stuff.. then i got the hang of it. Thank God! :)

I just finished downloading Criminal Minds...seriously can't sleep. scary...

I buy NCIS from itunes, so i can watch it from my iPhone.

CSI, CSI Miami, The Mentalist. She gave me copies of earlier episodes so i have no choice but to finish downloading it. kakabitin!

To Buy from my suki: CSI:NY, Cold Case, Without a Trace..

Wi Fi & TvSeries = Sleepless Nights

Davao

We're Going to Davao!

After years of planning, drawing, hee haw, and all that hullabaloo. we make it happen. Woohoo!!! Sadly not all of us cannot come.

Zenna, the twins Grace & Rose, and Me are good to go. Don't know about Jen ( she have a family now ) and Valerie can't go because she recently just got back to Dubai.

We have been "drawing" for an all girls trip to somewhere around the Philippines. We didn't plan an out of the country trip, which i wanted, because Zenna doesn't have a passport yet. (now she does! woohoo!) Everytime we meet during one of our birthdays, we plan this. We visualize, we schedule what to do. all the details are magnified. we all wanted this to happen. NOT.

Last week, Grace IM'd me, saying wanting to go to Ilocos. Grace works in Singapore and going home for a vacation this coming end of june-july. i said to her, ok let's go. hehe. then she said Zenna doesn't want to because she's already been there. Sadly i have been to also. I just said yes because that was ages ago. I also wanted to go back to Pagudpod. In Short, Ilocos was scratched and Davao was conceptualized.

IM, emails, SMS flew back and forth between Ortigas, Singapore, Valenzuela & Cavite. In a span of 2 days, we have a booking for Davao. At Cebu Pacific. OMG! i'm scared! this is my first time to fly that airline. We have always flew PAL. I hope everything's gonna be alright...i hate flying! why did i ever agree to this on the first place?! oh yeah. girl bonding moments...

Wait...can i still buy PAL tickets?? and just meet you there girls??

Banana Chips

• I found this Bakery near SM North Edsa. We get our bread here. Recently, at my Aunt's wake, we got the ensaymada's from them. Just a little backyard operation that boomed and sold to groceries & supermarkets. I guess i have a thing for bakeries & pastries since my lolo's & lolas started working on bakeries when they were young, eventually opening one for themselves.

After ensaymadas, i bought sliced bread (tasty/pan americano), then the buns (monay LOL), then the cheese cupcakes. Little by little, i have fallen in love with the bakery, though small. Everytime, i pass i make sure to buy something. I found bread sticks & paboritas for my mom, a constant snacker since she's a diabetic.

I then discovered Banana Chips. I got addicted to it! i know i know it's not healthy, since it's fried. But it's so good!! also not too sweet, or is it?? i like the crunchiness of it. Keeps me awake at the office. Or when i'm driving and i'm sleepy. Stave off the hunger pangs.

haaayy.... ang sarap.

Bagong Pag Asa Bakery, Project 6, Quezon City.

Oh, i renamed the bakery, New Hope. bwahahaha....



p.s. it's sunday, and i have got nothing else to do...

linens & bedsheets

Two years ago i finally managed to convince my mom to change my bed mattress (what do you call it?). i want to change my bed too, but she said, narra yan, ano ka ba? betis yan no?! ( that's narra, are you crazy? ). so i decided to just make it more comfortable & beautiful. i started shopping for new linens. and pillows. and throws. until i couldn't see my bed anymore. bwahahaha!!

at first shop, i decided on color, anything pink & green was fine by me. don't care about the design as long as it has that color. on the second shopping, somehow i didn't want the multi colored designs & prints. i was drawn to the solids with just a few accent color. but i was still drawn to happy colors. yellow. green. understandable. girlie-girl. girlaloo.pinkaloosh...

of course, i discovered the meaning of thread counts, combed sateen sheets. i didn't care about that before. i just wanted clean sheets every week. after learning thread counts, i became a linen snob. of course, money & budget permitting i wanted the best (linens direct & some other expensive brand). the one i wanted was too expensive, i would hear the end of it from my mom.

last year DOP, co designed sheets with Linens Direct. I bought 1 design first, just to try it out. aaackkk! i liked it. went back to get one for my mom. the next week got another one again. and then christmas season started and sale season is upon us. of course i bought again, even from the LD line itself. then i hear the end of the world from my mom when the bill came.

i couldn't tell her, don't you love your new bedsheets?!?! somehow, the sheets look good on her bed than mine. maybe because mine's small?? her bed size is queen, mine's full. all the linens i bought are queen size except for one sale purchase.

i wanna buy a new one again, but i'm waiting for the blue/brown combination, which i think is still stuck in customs or something. i'm holding off and waiting for newer designs.

now, quilts & throws are another post. LOL