new look for the new year

thanks to Foreign Beauty i now have a fab layout for this blog.

the one before was way too dull (kulayan ko daw sabi ni abril) and the older one had too many things goin on so i had to look for something simple yet girly and of course has to be pink!

i hope you guys like it as much as i do.

happy new year everyone!

best christmas gift ever

a stork came by and dropped us a wonderful present.

my sister is having a baby!

the first apo in the family and we are all so excited.

ooohhhh i'm sooo gonna be the tita mommy that spoils!

i come bearing gifts

as of 3:50AM today, i'm officially done wrapping christmas presents for all family and friends. considering that i did some of my shopping late this afternoon, i have to pat myself on the back for finishing on time. and believe me, wrapping pressies for a huge extended family is not easy.

as always, we'll be spending christmas eve with my mom's side in bulacan and christmas day with my dad's in alabang.

i'm off to bed now as i have to be up early to go to work. i don't mind though as i'm already in that christmassy feeling. it is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year.

'tis the season

to forgive those who have caused us pain, no matter how hard it may be

to give and be generous not just to family and friends, but moreso to those who are in greater need

to see and remember the good in people

to look back at the happy times and forget the bad

they say that Christmas is for kids. i say it's time for us grown-ups to see Christmas the way a child does - a day of joy and thanksgiving. more than the presents and the noche buena feast, it is a day where people get together and celebrate as a family.

and though we lost two people this year, kuya pochie (cousin) in june and mama lily (aunt) this december, there is no need to be sad. their journey may have ended here but i know they're having a blast with the new one they have. though they are missed i know they're not very far away.

merry christmas everyone.

it's a blog world

i've been on sick leave the last 2 days (bad cold/cough plus i sound like some macho guy). normally, i wouldn't last a day doing nothing since, as most of you know, i don't really watch TV that much. plus, even if i wanted to watch, there wasn't anything nice on the tube and i've finished all my DVDs. i still don't sleep much so staying in bed was not an option.

but bored, i was not this time. i was oblivious to the time of the day. missy took most of my mornings. she's onl;y 10months old so she wants to play all the time. she smelled funny but i didn't mind. it was fun.

afternoons are naptime for the lil bitch so that left me with my ever trusted computer. it was blogtime for me. and i meant not just writing but reading other people's entries, both of strangers and friends, as well. it has become a habit for me once i go online.

call it whatever you see fit but i love reading them. it's my version of tele-novelas i guess. except of course, the ones i read are really happening and not just one writer's story.

blogging serves not just a medium for me to express my thoughts. it allows me to look at other people's lives and makes me want to appreciate more and complain less.

a means of escape you may say. but i don't see it any different from when we watch movies or read books.

it is life as it unfolds, a front row seat to one's journey. and while most are there to entertain and bring smiles to our faces, there are those where reality bit hard and still continued to inspire.

i write not to please. i read not to judge.

blogging is therapy for me and the best part is, it's FREE.

newest bitch in the house

everyone, meet missy - the ugly but uberly adorable pug.

my baby

Sony Cybershot Digital Camera

25 days to go and you'll be with mommy.

i know, i know! my first love (and still is on my wishlist) is a Canon EOS 400D. but when i saw this cam in pink, how can i resist???? it screams ME! it is sooo ME! it needs a mommy like me!

the only logical thing to do is for me to have her. and so i ordered and next month, she will be mine!.

ooohhhhh i can't wait!

is it January yet?

Furuta - best chocolate ever

i'm not a sweet tooth by nature. i'd choose savory food over desserts anytime. but once in a while i do have my cravings and when i do, i WON'T stop til i'm satisfied.

right now, my guilty pleasure is a pack of Petit Choco B&W by a Japanese company called Furuta Seika Co., Ltd.

i usually go for Swiss chocolates but this one hits the spot right on. it is the perfect marriage of the bittersweetness of dark chocolate and the richness of white. it's not too sweet and it melts perfectly in my mouth.

a friend just got back from HK and was sweet enough to bring me some. there's only one store in HK that i know of that sells them (a small japanese store near henessy) and i'm not sure they are available in manila so treats like these do not come often

i'm on my 10th piece and no, i'm not gonna share them. these are mine!

start of the rest day of her life

so my sister pau got married today. it was a short ceremony with a handful of guests capped with a simple lunch in makati.

on a previous entry i said i couldn't be happy for her unexpected news just yet.

today, however, as i looked at them, holding hands in the presence of close family and friends, i couldn't help but heave a sigh of approval. she has found her one true love. the one she will spend the rest of her life with. her happily ever after has begun.

so to you my lil sister, my wish is a lifetime of happiness, a marriage that would stand life's blows and a house filled with wonderful and adorable children.

i am happy for you. your courage inspires me. i love you.

32 years ago today

a fabulous lady was born.

she was blessed with a wonderful family and loyal friends.

she went to a reputable school and landed a mighty fine job.

she fell in love a few times. had her heart broken more than once. she's had the love of her life and have had her share of marriage proposals.

she has turned into a woman of character. one who will not be swayed by what society expects.

she is halfway through her journey called life and there is still a lot to learn and discover - places to go, things to accomplish, people to meet.

and though love has been elusive for her the last couple of years she knows she will have her happily ever after one day.

~~~ o0o ~~~

thanks for those who remembered.

youtube star marie digby

i first heard about Marie (pronounced ma-ree-yey) a few months back when gail showed me a video of her version of Rihanna's Umbrella on YouTube. for someone who doesn't even like the original, i was completly blown away.

she's just so fun to watch and her voice is simply amazing. more than an eye candy, her voice is effortless yet full of soul. she does mostly cover songs but her originals are at par with the industry.

do check out her website and see for yourself.

my personal favorites are stupid love, an original song which has a very upbeat vibe to it and Joan Osborne's One of Us

but the one that made me a fan is her take on Linkin Park's What I've Done.

she just recently signed up with Hollywood Records and her album is scheduled to come out in February 2008.

a mighty fine deal for a girl who, a few months back, was just singing her heart out in the comforts of her living room.

retail therapy

nothing beats a good old fashioned retail therapy to drive away negative energy. i figured since my birthday's comin up, i deserve to splurge a little.

i did mention that i needed a me time soon so yesterday, on my way home from work (yes, i was working on a holiday. talk about pathetic! dedication), i decided to call and make an appointment with my stylist.

i wanted to have my nails done but i had to go to another salon for that and i didn't have much time so i went shopping instead. after a good hour or so, i left the mall with a pair of decent jeans, a really nice maong mini skirt and two flirty tops. not bad huh?

and so, as i count the days til "the day", i don't feel that bad anymore. enough to make me go out and celebrate perhaps?