Map Struggle

The original map

It took me three hours just to tweak a semi-detailed map for my wedding invite. Why? Because I am totally clueless on what program to use. I feel that Microsoft Word still rules and " Cut" and "Paste" are the only two things I need to accomplish this task. Totally wrong. I used the text box and the insert bar. Hmmm...

Check out how my Map Card for the wedding would look like.

The tweaked map (not much of a difference eh?)

Another thing: As I was trying to attach the map I made, I discovered that I am not able to download the document because it's not in jpeg format. Ho-hum...

Samples

This should be in Aqua

For months now, I've been looking for the perfect place cards for the tables of my wedding reception. I've looked everywhere and even tried doing the place cards at home but I wasn't satisfied. After browsing through several wedding invitation websites, I came across the White Aisle. The online Martha Stewart inspired shop specializes on wedding invites, bridal accesories, calligraphy, and almost anything that deals with wedding design and accesories. One thing nice about this shop is that they have the vintage style in them. Their invites are coordinated by theme and color so you can match every invitation you have with the place cards, table cards, menu, and program of your choice. The designs they have are very simple yet artistic and their rates aren't that expensivetoo.

White Aisle

This should be in aqua

Since I'm having orchids as a centerpiece, I decided to have the "summer " theme. Basically, the design is just orchids. My color motif is aqua/tiffany blue. My save the dates are aquamarine, my favors are aquamarine, my invites are semi aquamarine and my bridal party will be wearing a semi aqua-marine motif. I decided to get the summer theme in aqua color so that it gets to blend with everything.

Samples of White Aisle's work

A week ago, I ordered samples consisting of a place card, a table card, a menu card, and a wedding program. When I got the package they were all in different colors and none of them were in aqua. I knew about the possiblity of this happening because they mentioned that samples being ordered will just be taken from present orders they have which were in stock. Since their website mentioned about the vintage feel, I noticed that the edges of every card they had were "torn". The torn effect their products have though make it look like the make is of poor quality (this is my opinion).

Somehow, I expected more in terms of workmanship. I guess that's the con of ordering online. They all look nice at first but when you get a hold of it , you end up disappointed with what you see.

The entire thing was a so-so. I still love the orchid design that they have and I really doubt if I'd be able to see something close to it. The poor workmanship evens out with the amazing orchid design... so okay, they can be forgiven.

YES, I'm still ordering it inspite of... and despite the...

Cupcakes Everywhere!

The Cookie Jar Bakery

My being a blog stalker has made me discover that cupcakes are the "in" thing nowadays. For the past month, I have read several blogsites that revolve around cupcakes. First, I read my favorite blogger, Jen Lancaster, talk about cupcakes which then led me to another website about cupcakes called, "Cupcakes Take the cake ", then led me again to more and more cupcake blogsites. To top it all, while I was checking my brother's Flickr site, he had several pictures of cupcakes in different forms and colors. Hmmm...is this normal?I now believe that we are presently having our own little "cupcake culture" (which btw is another blog).

My curiosity about these cupcakes made me ask Alan if he wanted to have a little adventure in downtown Houston to check on two different cupcake shops. I wanted to know why people are so into it and if I could also be a fan of the so-called "in" thing.

Are people wanting cupcakes instead of the traditional cake because it limits the size and calories they're eating or people like cupcakes because they could eat more variety of cakes in a single blow as compared to a traditional cake wherein you're stuck having an entire 8 X 8 or 9 x 13 which we'll all be sick of after a couple of slices?

I'm off to my journey...

First stop: Sugar Baby's Cupcake Boutique

Located near my fave, Wholefoods, Sugar Baby's is a cute cupcake boutique shop. I like its retro-ish decor in black and pastels. When I went there though, there wasn't a huge selection of cupcakes . I ordered the velvet cupcake and my fiance fancied a plain choco cupcake with vanilla frosting. I guess the fun part of being in the shop is actually not about eating the cupcake but taking pictures of the new place. I feel that people go there, not because of their cupcakes, but because it was designed beautifully. The people in the shop are so friendly too. I recommend that you see the place. It's a little bit Serendipity-ish
Rate: the velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting tasted good, I just ate it a little too late. (like after 2 days)


2nd Stop: The Cookie Jar Bakery

Located across the local elementary school of Post Oak, this bakery reminds me of the traditional bakery where the locals would just stop to read their newspaper and have a cup of coffee. This bakery looked a little bit run down as compared to Sugar Baby's but this shop has more of an at home feeling to it. As you enter, there are stuffed toys, game boards, books, and magazines all over the place. Totally kid-friendly. The cupcakes are also cheaper. I ordered a choco cupcake with nutella frosting while Alan ordered the tres leches cupcake.


Rate: the nutella choco cupcake is divine!

***The two shops had almost the same cupcake menu but both cater to different crowds. I think Sugarbaby's has a little flair to capture the yuppie crowd while the Cookie Jar targets the kids from the school across them.

When we got home, I took a bite of my nutella choco cupcake and it was quite okay. I wasn't impressed with the tres leches though. I guess I was expecting a little bit more. Thanks to actually living in a border town I know how to decipher what authentic mexican food is and tres leches is one of them. I also needed to taste the cupcakes from the other shop so the following day, I had a few bites of the velvet cupcake. It was yummy but it was too rich. One cupcake would actually fill you up immediately.

Finally, I can now say that I've tried the cupcakes and won't be joining the club. They're just glorified buns for crying out loud. Thank God!

Wedding Escapade Series- PAPARAZZI

Who would've thought that photographers nowadays cost an arm and a leg? Well, the last of my wedding escapade was all about getting a photographer. My brother offered his services and said that he'd do it for free. At the back of my mind, I was thinking that this was such a great idea in terms of how much we would be able to save. Alan then told me that if something goes wrong though, I wouldn't want my brother and myself to feel crappy. Also, I wouldn't want my brother to feel pressured during the event.

To prove how naive I am with the latest trends in photography, I thought that it was still the traditional layout wherein you could choose the pictures you like and the photgraphers would just do the layouting for you. Well, I was wrong. It's totally different now. All the photographers we've been to are actually into the "magazine" layout style. What does this mean? Think about the magazines we usually read, it's flat right? That's how albums look like nowadays. Pictures aren't just matted in anymore, they're more artistically presented with the "magazine" format.

I was actually impressed with the pictures and surprised with the prices. I've thought of a way on how I could tell you how much photographers charge in the Kingwood area without actually telling you what the rates really are.(checkout the legend)

***-Tres tres EXPENSIVE
**- Expensive but reasonable compared to a three star
*- Reasonable, still expensive, but who cares...we're running out of time.

Photographer # 1

I have thought that this photographer was on the list of vendors Kingwood Country Club gave us. I was browsing through it and his name isn't listed as a contact. Since we always see this photgrapher's shop along the 1960, we just decided to stop by, take a look at their work, and check what packages they have for weddings. Chris Walter Photography was the name of their shop. Husband and wife operate the business and Mr. Walter looks exactly like Santa. Hohohoho! A funny thing here is that their shop was actually advertising that Santa will be available for pictures this coming December. I wonder who that would be.

Anyway, Chris showed us a variety of albums, styles, and add-ons. The couple were very professional and as I've said earlier, we were very much impressed with the albums they showed us. When we discussed prices and packages, I just took a big gulp because I couldn't believe it. It wasn't the rate I was expecting. I remember mentioning to Alan that we should scout for three more photographers before we made a decision. Alan knew that the was the going rate of photographers in the Kingwood area.

Rate: * *

Photographer # 2

Alan and I decided again to check out the packet Kingwood County Club gave us for contact numbers of their preferred photographers. First on the list was Charles Falk. I gave his office a call and made an appointment in the afternoon. His place was still in the Humble Area but boy was it hard to find. This guy mentioned he didn't need to advertise because he had an abundance of clients. Lucky him then.

Again, it's a husband and wife tandem. Wife is incharge of finding out the details of the wedding and the husband is the master photographer. My impression of Charles is that anyone who'd ever work with him will have a blast because he loves to talk. He kept conversing with Alan the entire time that at one point, I was a little distracted and semi-annoyed. Hello...I'm here for the pictures!

Looking at his work, it's quite obvious that he's been in the business for so long. This was another very professional encounter that made me an immediate fan of all the photographers who take pride in their work.

The downside of this meeting was when the wife gave us their quote, it was way above our budget. For someone who didn't have a budget at that time, I just had to put my foot down and claim that it's not within our budget. This was an obvious one, it wasn't them.

Rate: * * *

Photgrapher # 3

It was actually Mama Florist who recommended this photographer. His name is Steve Tarver. Alan and I actually met up with him in his house after Thanksgiving. We were greeted warmly by his entire family. He told us that taking photographs is a family business and his wife and daughter were part of it. Each one of them had a role to play.

Mama Tarver was incharge of the interviewing, gathering details, and showing off their work. Daughter Tarver was incharge of the business side of things and Papa Tarver was the head honcho.

Most of the information we needed was discussed to us by Daughter Tarver. Their packages were reasonable enough and there were so many freebies included. Since I was aware of the rates, any package they showed me didn't come as a shock anymore.

One thing nice about this family is that they made you feel at home right away. We were even able to insert some humor now and again. The family was also able to recommend some vendors for a band and a minister.

Towards the end of the meeting, Nicole (Daughter Tarver) surprised me with a goody bag. In that bag were coasters, a bottle of water, and some brochures about their business. This was way too good. I had a feeling that they would end up being our official photographers. (Hah! I knew I could be bought)

Thank you, Nicole ;)

Rate: *

I was right! By Sunday, November 25, 2007, we were able to finalize our decision and we decided to hire Steve Tarver as our official photographer. Alan and I can't wait to work with them for our engagement shoot and the wedding.

Wedding Escapade Series-MINISTER

Okay...what's Hugh Hefner doing on my blog? At one time, Alan and I thought that the minister we were dealing with was a Hugh Hefner look alike. Seriously!

Day 2
November 21, 2007

We had a meeting with the minister at around 10:30 and it was quite a long trip because he was from La Porte. La Porte was actually closer to Galveston than Kingwood.

In all honesty, I found the minister online and obviously since I don't know anyone in the Houston area I gave the website a shot and asked the fiance to contact them. I won't be putting their website as a link for I have actually mocked him a little bit by showing a Hugh Hefner photo. I am to blame here.

I knew that something was already fishy when I saw the town. I was like thinking, who would actually be conducting services over here. Then, as we neared the place, it looked so "un"holy because it turns out that the minister we were checking out was actually a real estate agent. Hmmm...it doesn't sound right at all. To make things worse, the office building was closed and fliers of all the houses the minister was selling were posted outside his office.

Suddenly, you see a man driving a shiny black top-down sports car waving to Alan. (Hmmm, my eyebrows arched again--this time higher!) Alan immediately tells me that the guy who was over speeding was him. No f$%&$"g way!!!!

Man in sports car tells us that the minister will be late but he is also another minister in the company. Something was very wrong here. The bright side of this was that the man in the sports car was very friendly. Told us about how he became a minister and how he got his certificate online. Okay, you decide...should we get him or not?

Minutes after, a man in dirty clothes, a cowboy hat, and a cowboy accent enters the room. Introduces himself as the minister and sits on his leather chair. We wanted to run there and then, but still being polite, we continued having a conversation with him. I couldn't help but notice that the minister actually had a tattoo on his right arm and a diamond earring on his left ear. Alan on the other hand noticed the clicking sound of his false teeth that bothered him to bits. Since he was already turned-off with the entire thing, all he heard was, "click, click,click".

(Add the diamond earring, cowboy hat, and lightnin' tattoo)

That's it! Who really needed signs? No way on earth would we be getting him or sports car guy to officiate our wedding. It felt like the solemnity and importance of our upcoming wedding would just be put to waste if they were handling it. It wasn't their personality that turned us off. It was more of how they presented themselves to their clients. Do you actually think that I'd be proud telling all of you that the Hugh Hefner look alike or the sports car guy officiated my wedding?

I felt so relieved leaving the place. Luckily, our official photographer (which I'll be blogging about next ) recommended someone who officiates weddings.

Now, we have a reason to make fun of our adventure. Totally hilarious.

May God understand why I wrote about this and may we be led to the right person who will handle our wedding ceremony perfectly.

***Note: This is not to ridicule the minister nor his company.

Wedding Escapade Series- FLOWERS

This is how I want my table to look like.

Alan and I have decided to use the holidays for planning, checking wedding vendors, and basically getting things accomplished.

The drive to Houston took 10ish hours. It wasn't that bad because we got to Kingwood at around 7:00. We were so tired so it was an early night for both of us.

The following day was work day for the fiance. Since I was stuck in the apartment I decided to make Chicken Pot Pie from scratch. In a semi-kinda-sorta way, I felt it was a success despite the dryness of the sauce (I left it in the oven while we went out for a breather--breather means like 4 hours).

Going back to the wedding, I tried Virginia's Bakery for a possible meeting to inquire about wedding cakes. Each call I made was answered by her very informative answering machine. Answering machine informed me that Virginia is booked til the third of December.
Finally, I got a hold of her. She seems warm enough and told me that we can have an appointment around January of next year. Okay...isn't she in demand? So here I go explaining my dilemma that I'm not from Houston. She did understand my concerns but I guess she told me, just in a nicer way, that I could have a meeting with her this January...still (didn't get my hint at all).

Taken in one of the flower shops

Day 1

November 20, 2007

I still had to figure out what this day was about. We were going downtown to check on flowers. Turns out that we made numerous side trips to; 1) my cupcake shops (which I'll be blogging about next); 2) my favorite, Wholefoods, and; 3) Borders for CD's, coffee, and a bridal magazine.

As we hit Main St., we saw a lot of shops that were selling their flowers wholesale. It was like the trading post of flowers. Prices were very reasonable and I was able to see the flowers I wanted. I learned that the orchids I wanted are called Phalaenopsis. They're white, pretty, simple,and elegant. The long stem holds around 3-4 orchids. Again, I was envisioning how it would look like on the table (check picture on top).

1st Shop,

They had the flowers but none of them understood what I wanted and they couldn't communicate with me because they didn't speak English. The orchid was sold for $25.00 but it was set in a pot. What I was trying to point out to them was that I needed these orchids to be in a vase, a glass vase to be exact. No one gave me an answer and just handed me a business card.

Phalaenopsis Orchid

2nd Shop--Nora's

Better people because we were able to communicate. All their orchids were in a refrigerated room and the Phalaenopsis came in several colors. Nora, the lady incharge, was saying that they don't know when these flowers are available so it would be better if we get back to them around April and check again. Price of orchid--$28.00 per stem. The shop was better than the first too.

3rd Shop

The rudest of them all just told us to "GO HOME"... literally! If we weren't buying his flowers today, then we don't have any business being there. So there...$%^k him and his store. We were actually plotting something very evil with Alan. How about throwing eggs and flour at his shop during the night and TP his entire store? Too juvenile eh?My frustration and blood pressure just went up BIG TIME. All I can say is that he lost a client who was willing to spend on flowers. So eventhough his shop had the bestlooking and biggest Phalaenopsis, he had an attitude of a miserable ogre. Btw, the price of the orchid was $26.00.

***
The following day, we found our Mama Florist, Connie. It just so happened that we were driving by and decided to check her shop out. Ironically, she turned out to be "our" florist. She welcomed us immediately and answered most of our questions. Her shop is a run-down trailer named the Flower Market. She told us that she started her business during the late 70's and knows Kingwood Country Club very well. I told her what I wanted and she gave me a quote that was actually more than okay. The package included everyone in my wedding party. Aside from that, she said that she would personally deliver the flowers, help with the bouquets, and pin the corsages and button holes. This would mean less work to do during the wedding.

Phew!

That's one task down, a lot more to go.

At the End of the Day

All clip art in Discovery School's Clip Art Gallery

createdby Mark A. Hicks, illustrator.

This is how I feel at the end of the day...aside from gaining 2 pounds in one month (this is a fact, btw). What more can I ask for? Please feel free to comment.

Gossip Girl: GLAMOROUS

Setting: A Sunday that I don't remember. Apartment. Mood: my usual hermit self.

Watched the reruns of the show,Gossip Girl ,and I loved the version of GLAMOROUS.

Rating of the song: *** (3 stars) for creativity and "flossy"ness!

Priceless Artwork

Diva

Pucker Lips

Daydreamer

Straight

The Art teacher in our school had a wonderful project for my students. Obviously it was to draw their teacher in the finest way possible. Everything my students did were priceless. If you look at it thoroughly, you will see how each child sees me through their eyes. Total coolness.

THE ONE

I've come across this blog written by a thirty year old woman. The blog started with the question," How do you know you've met the one?". Recently, I've been bombarded with negative things about married life including stories about being unfaithful due to not having strong feelings for the partner. Since I'm Miss In-love with Love, I'll try my very best to negate the negative things I'm hearing into a positive. Think math (a negative and a negative make it a positive)! I'm still not affected by all these negative things. I still have a positive outlook in love no matter how screwed up the stories I've been hearing are. To prove a point, I asked "the fiance" about this.

This is what he said:

"It's not about not having strong, crazy feelings for someone (this is a little bit edited but the gist is intact) or being inlove, it's about making a marriage work."

Then, while reading the blog I've mentioned earlier, the blogger asked her Mr. Right the same thing..."How do you know you've met the one?"

Here's what he said:

"There is no ONE. No one that exists out there in pure form, in spiritual perfection, in theoretical bliss. We make it the one every single day…in what we say to each other, in how we treat each other, in what we do together. On dog walks and in car rides, over dinners and through disagreements. So stop looking for some theoretical one out there in never-never land. And agree to make this the one, each and every day, with me."

Very well said. I rest my case.

iPod Touch

iPod Touch Techie or not...the gadget is pretty impressive. Check out the new iPod Touch. It comes in 8 GB and 16 GB. They say that it's the same as the iPhone sans the phone. Hmm...should I or should I not? Christmas is just around the corner and I know someone who'll be quite happy to have this.

Hint: Not me.

Naughty Lit'l Black Book-the edited version

It's November and I now feel the need for me to be seriously planning for the "Big Day". Months ago, I felt that I had everything covered just to realize that I've skipped a lot of the small details of the wedding. I've totally forgotten about the linen, I still haven't found my perfect invitation (although I have my Save the Date cards ready), I'm not sure if I want my ceremony to be outdoors or indoors, my wedding party isn't complete, I don't have an officiant, and I need to figure out if I should have a band ( if the budget permits) or not. Even my blog feels like a run-on sentence. It just is not wanting to end with so many things in my mind (still about the wedding).

So what have I been doing the entire time? Nothing. I told myself that I'd devote the weekends for my planning and I end up browsing through wedding websites, blogs, and other stuff that are totally not connected to what I am supposed to do. I've decided to take a couple of days off before the upcoming Thanksgiving holidays so I could go to Houston to atleast sort a few essential things out. Hopefully Alan and I could settle some stuff. The reason I think I'm in panic mode is because it's November. The month where it says on the Checklist that I should be done with the major Wedding Planning. Oh well...there goes my being organized. Flush it down the toilet.

I stumbled upon this website called the Little Black Book of Wedding Vendors and it shows a compilation of several wedding vendors across the US. It may be helpful for us in every aspect. I saw a nice link on wedding invites but the price is unbelievable. Again, it's way above my budget. Another nice link is Style Me Pretty. It also talks about wedding stuff . The site deals more on color palettes, designs, and decor.

Honestly, I love to browse through wedding blogs instead of just the plain wedding websites. It lets me hear how people feel about certain wedding things that they are endorsing. It's more personal. That's how blogging should be, right?

FYI: It's a Saturday. It's my "Think about the Wedding" day.

Juicy!

Juicy Couture Small Velour Bag

Juicy Couture Baby Fluffy Satchel

Great!!! I have two dream bags at the moment. I love the funkiness of Juicy Couture. The pink bag is so cute that it makes me feel like Elle of "Legally Blonde" or some kid with her glittery lip gloss and candy. With all the people having the same designer bags, I feel that there are so many designers that have pretty styles who are under-rated. Have you ever wondered why these designers keep a very low profile and the popular ones are just screaming with their logos? Right... as if i really don't know the answer. Oh and seriously...are the designs really utterly amazing or is it just a matter of perspective? Ponder...ponder...ponder!

This is for You---WITCH!

This is who you are---WITCH!

I had an encounter with a self-absorbed witch. It was so eerie. I promised myself not to ever write about people but I just can't help myself. This is way to0 good. Besides, I never said I was nice, right? So here we go Miss Chinny-chin-chin--- here's your portrait. Totally depicts you!Bwahahaha!!!!!! Boo!!! Trick or treat!

Happy Halloween guys!

El Paso Outlet Mall: A Continuation

Here's a pic as you enter the mall

After all the excitement for this outlet mall, all I can say is I expected more. Although Dockers had the best deal that day,the rest were all blah. I was expecting a huge discount in Coach because a friend of mine said that it had a major sale. Well, silly me, eventhough some of it were on sale, it was still not within my price range. It doesn't mean though that I was discouraged. I'll be back. Heck---shopping is still shopping. Even if...!

Rating: I give the Outlet Shoppes of El Paso ** (2 stars). Rating can be negotiated depending on the good deals and buys I get. Hehehe.

Prada in Isolation

Imagine a Prada Museum in the middle of the desert.
There's a place near my town wherein a lot of artists from all over the world congregate. It reminds me of a lower-scale Santa Fe, New Mexico. The name of the town is Marfa. For the past years, it has become an artsy-fartsy place. The town has been featured in Domino's and some Travel Magazines. It's a quaint town and as you drive through this long and winding road, you'd see a small museum. Yes, the museum is all about Prada. Some artist, I think, from Germany, decided to put it up in the middle of nowhere. Purpose of it? I don't know. This must be the reason why it's called "art" or maybe they don't want the devil to wear it.

FYI: the place has been vandalized several times and if there's anyone who's interested in stealing these Prada goods, tough luck, they're all glued to the shelves and display tables. Oh, and yeah, stealing isn't really a concern here. The people in this town don't know what Prada is anyway.

Prada at night

Courtesy of NY Times, some curious guy checking it out

a closer look at Prada at night

Just Another Day

Still no Prada article nor a blog. Will the clip do?

Run, Al...Run!

So, do you actually think Alan will feel this way when "zee beeg day" comes? HE BETTER NOT!!! Despite my bitchiness, quirks, moodiness, inconsistencies, and lax personality lies a sweet lit'l angel who's made out of 100% love. Bwahahaha! (enter evil laugh)

Alan, my love, you're in for a big surprise. I can't wait!!! Here's wishing and hoping for the best...because...because...WE'VE LEARNED! (bwahahahaha!---enter again, evil laugh)

Here's to not making sense and for postponing my blog about PRADA. I'll try tomorrow.

My Dream Wedding

I'm still wondering what the cartoon is about but it's cute.

Setting: Apartment, on the phone talking to Alan. Alan is somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico.

Alan: I don't get it!

Me: Well, instead of them joining hands, they activate.

Alan: Huh??!!!

Me: Or...I think it's about incest.

Alan: Huh??!!!

Me: Yup, they're like brother and sister who got married.

Alan: You think?

Me: (digresses---off to another topic---conversation ends about this)

Shopping Galore

Guess what? El Paso has opened an Outlet Mall a week ago. Yeepee! Did you know that the nearest outlet mall that I actually go to is 8 hours away? So hurray that my traveling will be cut in half. Yes, dear folks, civilization is four hours away from where I live.

So, the deal with an Outlet Mall is---cheaper stuff during the holidays, bargains when you're out of money (although I don't know if an Outlet Mall is really a reason that we'd be saving money), and just traditional shopping for those who really enjoy it. Right, Alan? No more traveling to San Marcos.

The last time I was in El Paso was around September and I never heard that this was going on. The selection of shops are actually the same shops in other Outlet Malls...so, not bad!

Relevance of the blog: According to the Social Studies Textbook that I've been using to teach 3rd Graders, the Outlet Mall has something to do with Supply and Demand. With the growing population of El Paso, along with the hundreds of "across the bridge" visitors who also enjoy shopping, the city has to supply their people with their needs. Wal-mart isn't enough! People nowadays are going upscale (insert sarcasm). Bwahahaha! And for those who live in little towns like me, we all need a reason to escape and wash away our sorrows...by spending our hard earned money through shopping (don't forget---upscale shopping---again, insert sarcasm).

Tadah!

P.S.
We all love shopping!

What's In a Bag?-edited version

contents of my Cosmetic Bag

There are two things that happened that made me want to write about this. Maybe people who read my blog might say that this is totally shallow and useless BUT I emphasized that my blogs are shallow and entertaining (as long as we do have the same SHALLOW wave length). First, a colleague of mine said at the beginning of the school year,that there's something different with my face. I assumed she liked it. Next, is what my mother said a couple of days ago about my looking tired and haggard . She also added that maybe I might need a new beauty regimen to even the skin tone of my face.

Come on...give me a break. Make up your mind!

Relevance of this blog? Seriously readers... I has a point! Here are a few things that you'll find in my make-up kit. It's either some readers would check the links out or some readers would just make comments on how irrelevant this blog is.


1. Shiseido-Day Moisture Protection Enriched Sunscreen. It has SPF 15. I was at a Sephora looking for moisturizers when I came across this. It seems to be making wonders. Besides, moisturizer helps as a base when you apply your make-up.

2. Shiseido Pre Make-Up Cream with SPF 15. Well, I decided to get it after a year of using the moisturizer. At first you won't see the changes. Give it a few hours and you'll see how the make-up blends with with the cream. That's the secret to the "What did you do to your skin?" comment. I would've loved it if I replied with an "I'm so into BOTOX"!

3. MAC Studio Fix C4- a powder-slash -foundation combo in a compact. Slides smoothly on your face and it really does give you a perfect matte finish. I've used this for years. I think it's also time for me to get another one.

4. MAC Studio Finish Concealer NW 30- of course you need to cover the blemish that you have. I don't have perfect skin, hence, the other comment, "You look tired and your make-up doesn't compliment your skin tone". This concealer has made wonders to my skin in a camouflagy (pronounced camoufla-gee) kinda way. Hee-hee.

5.Clinique Matte Lipstick, Pink Chocolate 16- I've never used lipstick. I was actually happy not wearing any at all years ago, then I used lip balm, then to this. This red matte actually brings out your pucker lips. Quite good especially when people aren't really used to you wearing make-up. Alert: the color really stands out. Clinique has more subtle colors depending really on your taste.

These things are the basic stuff in my bag.

Reflection: Should I be changing the products I mentioned? I'm quite happy with my simple and sheer make-up. When people see me, it's as if I don't wear any make-up. But honestly, if you see me apply these things, that's really a lot of gunk put on one's face, don't you think?

Well, the ultimate beauty regimen is for ALL of us to get a good night's rest and drink lots if water . There's really no such thing as a Beauty Regimen.

Btw Mom, I know you meant well.:)

Candy Buffet

If there's one thing I want in my wedding, it would be a Candy Buffet. What inspired me to want a Candy Buffet is this show that I watched in VH1 named "My Big Fat Fabulous Wedding". There's this couple who had the buffet and their candies looked so elegant. They had glass jars of all sorts of sizes and shapes filled with candies and the candies were matching their color motif which was some dark reddish color. Along with the candies were metal candy scoops per jar. Flowers accented the buffet table and people of all ages were just flocking to it.



Although it's not a need, I feel that the candies are pretty nice to have as a party favor and as something your visitors could munch on while socializing. The kids will consider this a feast and will have a blast seeing loads of candies on a table.


Since I got so excited with the thought, I discovered this website, Candy Warehouse, that actually caters to these kinds of ideas. They even have their candies sorted in color themes. Of course, my surfing made me drool with all the candies I saw. My daydreaming started and I envisioned the buffet with white and blue candies.


I made a very obvious hint to Alan and he said that it's a good idea. Budget wise, I don't think it's that expensive. The need for it though is the one that's questionable. Think about it, who doesn't love sweets? Who doesn't want to have sugar overload la-dee-dah style?


So for those who love candies...check the pictures, links, and enjoy. Who knows...I might just get lucky.

My Top 10 Facts About Whole Foods

This organic shop found all over the US has made me a huge fan. It first started when I went shopping with my aunt in New Jersey. This store is my type of store because of the variety of foods they have and how earth-friendly they are. From organic toilet paper, to shampoo, to hair gel, the shop has never ceased to amaze me. You can leave me here for hours and I'd still ask for more time. The downside of the store though is that it's a little bit pricey. The pricey bit of it guarantees you the best quality of everything. For us, who have a tight budget, we can always consider shopping in Whole Foods as a treat once in a while.

So here goes my TOP 10:

1. Place-best Whole Foods, in my opinion , is Austin. Having three levels, this would give you enough time to discover new things.

2. Coffee- 100% Organic Kona. It's the real McCoy. You won't find it in the Coffee Area, wherein newly roasted beans are out there waiting for you guys to grind them. Nope, you find the gem in the coffee isle, comfortably hidden in a nice cheese cloth bag. What Alan usually does is get the coffee, go to the mediocre coffee section and grind it over there. Another substitute if they're out of Kona is the Sumatra blend. Mmmm....

3. Sticky Toffee Pudding- I got this from the British-ness of Alan. We just stumbled (yeah right) in the dessert section and came across the ready made pudding. Alan insisted that it was "lush". He was right , alright. The taste was to die for. A very addicting dessert. You microwave the entire thing for 40 seconds and voila...heaven!

4. Burt Bee's Products- i can assure you that the 100% bee's wax products work. I once used their foot cream. The thick consistency of the cream reminded me so much of coco jam. A couple of days with the product and you'll definitely feel and see a difference.

5. Organic Chips-these chips are all sorts of crops. From taro, to yams of all colors, to sweet potato, to radishes. I can't explain how it tastes but it definitely is a good and healthy alternative as opposed to the cholesterol culprit, potato chips. They come in different flavors too.

6. soups-they have different soup sections in different areas of the store. depending on what you're up to, you can actually have a free sample of the soup. the one i tasted and bought was lobster bisque. divine.

7. wine-although i've never bought wine here, they have hundreds of it. going through each one of them, pretending to be a connoisseur makes my day.don't forget the ...

8. cheese-yes, wine and cheese go together. And when there's wine, there's cheese. And when there's cheese, there are free samples again. Try the aged cheddar. They usually leave slices out for the customers to taste along with soda crackers.

9. food section-so many different kinds of food, so little time. name it, they have it. it really depends on what you're feeling that day. if you're in whole foods during rush hour, you'll see a crowd with their "to go" packs. they have this huge and healthy selection that sometimes seeing all of it just makes you crave for more.

10. ambiance-sometimes you feel that everyone in the store is there for a cause. If not, they're all into having an alternative lifestyle. Totally organic, totally "Save the Earth", totally hipp-y. La-dee-dah.

Well, it seems like I've over emphasized on the freebies. That's the thing that got me hooked in the first place. Don't worry, I bought some of the top 10 products I mentioned. Totally satisfied.
See you Whole Foods shopping...NOW!

FOR THE SINGLE WOMAN AND BEYOND

An Open Letter to the Concerned Family and Friends of Thirty-something Single Women*

Dear CFF,

This letter aims to address several areas that have been brought up to our attention repeatedly, i.e. every occasion that requires people to bring their significant others and we turn up alone and dateless. While we appreciate your well-meant comments about the state of our ovaries, please take a moment to hear our side.

1. We are not unhappy. Where you got the idea that single women mope around whining about the fact that they don’t have someone, we will never know. We try to live our lives as best as we can, and I think we’re doing good. Most of us are professionals successful in our respective fields, independent, smart, well-traveled, and knowledgeable about a lot of things. While it might appear that we are obsessed (and sometimes we are) about our Jo Malones, Lampe Bergers, Havaianas, gadgets and such, we are not compensating the lack of a man’s presence in our lives by being materialistic. We can afford what we obsess about anyway, with our own hard-earned money.

2. We don’t envy married people, and we have reason to believe that some of them envy us and our lifestyles. Judging from statistics, couples are more caught up in the wedding than the marriage itself. True, there are many couples who are the best fit for each other (hurray for you guys), but how many marriages dissolve before they reach their tenth anniversary? I have lost count of newlywed girl friends advising her single friends not to rush it, and coming from someone who’s married for only two months, that’s a little scary. Take somebody who’s been married for more than ten years and ask him/her straight if they’re truly and deeply happy inside out with their lives. Chances are they will say, “Yes, because we have kids.” Which is the biggest bullshit. Marriage is about two people who rock each other’s world, and working at it until one partner’s breathing stops. Children are just a bonus. A good marriage should be able to work even without producing offspring.

3. That brings us to another thing, children. Yes, we are aware that women have biological clocks, that past the age of 35 it would be rather difficult to conceive, blah blah blah. Contrary to the winning answer to a beauty pageant question, having children is not the end-all be-all of a woman. What about those who cannot bear a child because of nature’s bad joke? Will she lose her life’s meaning just because she can’t bring another life into this overpopulated world? While we acknowledge the fact that children do bring meaning to their parent’s lives (see Doodle, Abbey), we can be mothers to children not our own. It can be our own nieces and nephews, or kids we haven’t even met yet (see World Vision).

4. We don’t subscribe to the crap that we have to have children so someone will take care of us in our old age. It’s unfair to the child, that he’s brought here for a purpose. I once saw on a TV documentary a couple who has 21 children, and when asked why do they have so many, the father answered “Isa dyan ang mag-aahon sa amin.” To pass that burden to your children is not right, and to have kids for that sole purpose is just plain sick.

5. We don’t hate men. We like them very much, as a matter of fact (see Trillo, Dennis; Ventimiglia, Milo; Pitt, Brad; Underwood, Blair; et al). However, we are old enough and know enough not to settle for just anybody. Most of us have had strings of failed relationships under our belts, and we have learned from them. We have done our share of compromises and sacrifices, yet we know that if one day we wake up and we don’t recognize ourselves anymore, it’s time to run as far away as we can from the man. We’re not stupid. We’d rather be alone than to be with somebody who needs our constant assurance and coddling, then we turn our backs and they go off chasing lampposts with skirts.

6. In line with that, don’t set us up with your loser friends, or the loser sons of your friends. We can manage to find our own dates, thank you very much. We can go to dinner with our friends instead if we don’t have dates, and we can pay for it. We don’t need dates to take us to fancy places, because most probably we’ve been there already.

7. Don’t harp about our age. Don’t keep on saying that we’re of the marrying age, that at our age you already have three children. It’s different now. We have so many options we’re actually overwhelmed which one to take first. French or Spanish? Capoeira or Muay Thai? Bangkok or Singapore? MBA or some other degree? US, Canada, or Australia? Visa or Mastercard? Wedge or stilettos?

8. We’re not bitter. We’re not cynical. We’re just grounded, sensible people who believe that if there are fairy tales and happy endings, there are also villains. We know that beauty, riches and fame are not enough to bring you happiness (see Aniston, Jennifer; Aquino, Kris; Gutierrez, Ruffa; Barretto, Gretchen; Quiambao, Miriam; et al). We believe that we should first be happy with who we are before we can be happy with someone else. We know that men will not complete us, rather they should complement us. We have to make peace with ourselves and our flaws first lest we bring that baggage into a promising relationship.We hope that the above points are clear enough.

This is our cue to get out our AK-47s and start shooting people at random.

So please, read the memo.--------* Straight single women. The girls who like girls can say their own piece, and no, we don’t have anything against them.