Sleigh Bells Ring

And it's one day to go before Christmas so let me just say ho ho ho!  Christmas will just swing by really because I (unfortunately) will be working on an effin Christmas day. How good is that yeah? Looking at the bright side of life, it'll be double pay so I'll be few days frigging richer I guess (whimper, snicker, snort though) on my next payday so cheers. It's been so cold lately and my being a Hypothyroid does not make me much of a happy camper because if it's cold for normal people then I may feel close to hypothermia lol. Seriously, the biting cold can be a bit uncomfortable for me at times that I need to make sure I'll be warm this coldest time of the year.

Anyways, I'm still hoping and yearning I would be able to get off early from work tomorrow for NocheBuena as it'll be unboxing day for me and my kins supposedly and I meant that literally because we'll be unwrapping presents  when the clock ticks midnight to Christmas day and If that's not gonna happen I won't fret because it is what it is. Let me just add that I truly enjoy wrapping presents for some inexplicable reason. I'm not the person who love presents from people, I love to put a present together because I get to use my creativity and all. What can I say, crafting is such an enjoyable and stress free past time which is best applied during this joyous time of the year. I love the color gold, jute twines and doilies in putting together my Christmas presents, they're just really nifty.

Holiday DIY Project...

The Christmas season inspired me to create something creative and colorful so I came up adorning a tin can with some of my crocheted ear warmer overruns. I just patched them altogether with glue stick and I hope I was able to channel bohemian-hippie-nifty-shabby chic. I got addicted to it after I saw them beautifully coming together like a piece of puzzle. The effort was real though because I had to make those little crocheted pieces in varying colors to fill in the gaps and avoid the aluminum tin from showing until I just felt lazy. Nevertheless, it went well I think. 

Truth of the matter is, spending Christmas at work can be really heartbreaking and given the chance I would rather watch movies at home, sip hot cocoa or tea, listen to Christmas songs, eat, chitchat with the family etcetera than get paid double because money just can't buy happiness, I'd rather indulge in life's simple pleasures. 

(segues to 'I'll Be Home' by Meghan Trainor song)

December at Last

Finally done with my Christmas shopping yesterday and boy I was really exhausted. I decided to shop for Christmas presents all at once 'cuz this season is busy enough and I despise last minute shopping. The thing was, herds of people have done the same yesterday so it felt like a last minute shopping all of a sudden! Well, what choice do I have right? Anyways, I wrapped all my presents so that all I need for Christmas is to prepare for Noche Buena and I should be on my nook in weeks to come lol. Christmas season, the best time to be on hiatus. 

Diy Project..

I have decided to upgrade my message board because it suddenly became crowded and unable to accommodate my sister and I's receipts, paper bills etc. So, I dropped by at the fabric store yesterday as well to get myself some tapestry for my diy message board. The textile shop have all fabric type you could ever imagine (kinda like the ones you see on Project Runway where designers run to whenever they have a new challenge). Anyways, I picked the black velvet tapestry one with silver leaves and flowers because black, as always, need not to be overly ornate just to be striking. I worked on this project for less than an hour with the help of glue sticks. This project just cost me less than Php500 as the tapestry was less than Php200/yard.

Munch Time..

I was totally starving after my Christmas shopping yesterday so my sister took me to this local pastry shop/cafeteria along the way as it's brand new and cozy so she wants me to try their milk tea which I gladly did. The place is called Victoria Bakery and it was really cozy inside. I loved the hanging plants because I'm fond of succulents and aerial plants myself. The place exudes this earthy vibe plus their milk teas were pretty affordable too. The Blueberry milk tea only cost around Php75 if I'm not mistaken which made me also try their Banana Cream since the tub just cost roughly fifty something I think. Their hot Matcha green tea latte wasn't as good though and I love matcha lattes but theirs has this overpowering milk taste than matcha. Nonetheless, I loved the look of the place, t'was dimly lit and the flooring was spanking new. 

Cat Momma..

Bought him his new collar
before his trip to the vet

It's a good thing I don't have work today because I was able to take my cat to the vet since he's been really grumpy lately and hisses at everyone who touches him due to his swollen right arm which he might've acquired after a terrible cat fight. The vet suggested an x-ray to rule out fracture which I of course complied except the vet clinic's x-ray machine is busted and my sissy and I had to drive roughly 10KM (round trip) just to take my poor cat to a vet clinic with a working x-ray machine gadh. The good thing was, he did not sustain any fracture and was just prescribed anti-inflammatory and anti-biotic meds. 

It was just an ordeal though to get him to the x-ray table because my cat isn't very easy to deal with and he can get very aggressive (hisses and scratches) when he's in pain so the vet needed to pin him down the x-ray table and tape his paws and muzzle on his mouth so he wouldn't scratch and bite which really broke my heart because I know how stressful it was for him. I promised myself never to take him on that same vet clinic for x-ray ever again. I hope the vet could've been easy on him and did not use too much force just to get the x-ray done and over with. Animals, no matter how big or small deserve to be treated with care, there's always a subtle way to get things done really because they're like kids. They're like babies, helpless especially when they're in pain and ailing. On a lighter note, my cat was loved by many at the vet clinic because he was the only cat patient early today since all patients were dogs lol 😂. 

Living & Stuff

So, what did I miss? The US election, Super moon, Manny Pacquiao’s feat over Jessie Vargas and the media black out after swarm of people protested against the Dakota Access Pipeline. 

I haven’t written anything in a while because I was so busy waiting for my eBay parcels lol. Since Christmas is in the air I wouldn’t be shopping on eBay until next year because busy season could lead to tons of delayed international parcels, well not just eBay but all other online marketplace per se and I don’t want to subject myself to stress brought about by the holiday rush so I would rather go against the flow for now. Ok, so speaking of eBay, I picked up my last parcels (for this year) from the post office weeks ago and I was so glad they arrived earlier than expected. I’m always excited to pick up my parcels from the post office every time because I just love unwrapping them even though I know what they are, it still excites me to see how they actually look like. I was happy with my new rose gold iPhone case and kitten brooch/pins as soon as I got them because they even look better than the photos, the perks of shopping online. 

Moving on, I know the entire America was appalled by Donald Trump’s victor as President, I know how it feels though because I did too. I personally do not have any bet but between Trump and Clinton, I would prefer the later because she has more experience in politics although she does not have exemplary track record neither in my opinion. However, I believe that the voice of the conservatives prevailed, those who voted for Trump possibly were senior citizens who wants the old America back. Some blamed the millennial babies for not voting because the future supposedly depended on their hands because of the massive number of youth in the U.S. and their number could’ve made such a huge impact on the recently concluded election. I personally do not like Trump to be honest because I have watched tons of episodes of ‘The Apprentice’ and it never occurred to me that one day, Trump would vie for the Presidential throne and that I thought it was a bluff at first but lo and behold he really did run and eventually, unfortunately even won.

Hillary’s concession speech almost set me to tears because it was really heartfelt considering I don’t like her neither. I thought, how come the best ones never run for the most coveted post? But then, to answer my own question, leading a nation like the U.S with 50 states ain’t easy. I’m hoping Trump gets impeached (just kidding although jokes are half meant) but seriously, the situation in the U.S right now is very disconcerting because Trump is known for being anti-immigrants, a racist and many others. The Statue of Liberty was actually built to symbolically welcome migrants, I hope Trump shouldn’t forget that. 

Super moon…

I know it’s silly but I did wait last Tuesday for the emergence of the so called ‘Super moon’ which won’t happen again until 2034. News said that it will appear at around 7:30 P.M so I did wait and got ready with my phone’s camera expecting it would be really gigantic because the sky was really clear last Tuesday just to find that it just looked like your average full moon, all round and bright. I thought I may have expected too much though without taking into consideration where geographically I am which may not be as close to the moon though I guess. Oh, btw, I saw some photos online and the views were spectacular on other parts of the world. Well, lucky for them not for me. 

And yes Manny Pacquiao won again. What’s new right? I would be surprised if he didn’t and so as the whole world.

No to Dakota Access Pipeline...

I was skimming through my Instagram feeds the other day and found these hash tags #NoDAPL #WeStandwithStandingRock trending. I realized the rally was in support of the protestors at Standing Rock, North Dakota which aim is to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. I’ve read about the Dakota Access Pipeline before through my Facebook feeds as well and thought instantly  about the risk it may pose to the citizens of Standing Rock. Installing an underground crude oil pipeline would put their water at risk because of it’s possibility to leak into the Missouri River and most of them I read depend on the river for their source of livelihood. Aside from that it would also lead to desecration of the sacred land of Indigenous people because they have buried their ancestors there. I hope this is dealt with now before the problem becomes full blown as it’s easier to prevent something than deal with disaster later on. I also read that a lot of the natives had been hurt in the process due to what the oppressors are claiming as civil disobedience. I mean, what do you expect these people would do, stand still and watch? It’s as if they are being evicted because sooner or later if the DAPL pushes through, they would be left with no choice when their water is already polluted and their mortality rate is already raking up. 

Remembering

Today is a time off for myself so I spent it in my lonesome. I visited the Columbarium where my Mom’s urn is nestled, bought her flowers and talked to her in silence. It was just a bummer work got in the way that’s why I wasn’t able to spend my All Soul’s Day with the rest of the family so I had to make up for my absence, the odd one out I know. It’s been three years since she passed on and I still miss her, every single day. I know she’s in a happy place now but not seeing someone for the longest period of time can take a toll on people sometimes, I try not to be consumed by melancholy because she wouldn’t be happy. Nevertheless I know she’s looking after me, she’s totally irreplaceable.

Anyhow, another reason why I was out today was to get myself some yarns for my crocheting projects. I just love it that these yarns came in different colors, the world feels a better place to see colorful things. I just finished working on my iPhone’s USB cable, I wrapped it as well to protect it from getting easily damaged. I’m still thinking what to do next although a crocheted dream catcher project might be a good idea.

As I am writing this blog I am watching “The 6th Sense” for the nth time. I love this movie especially the part when Cole and his Mom were stuck in the traffic and he told his Mom that his dead grandmother often visits him. I just believe in ghosts, I really do.

Soon It'll Be Christmas Day

It is November indeed and were getting closer to Christmas. I can feel the breeze because the cold is beginning to bite when the temperature drops between evening ’til wee hours in the morning. I have installed all the Christmas lights and the world is shining shimmering splendid again in all its glorious beauty. It's Christmas time in the city Ring-a-ling, hear them ring, soon it will be Christmas Day. Moving on, I’m finally finished reading Lang Leav’s “The Universe of Us” and it was worth reading so if you haven’t grab a copy please do so as it’ll be a classic years from now and you don’t want to miss it while it’s still in bookstores.

What do you do once your done reading a book? Do something else. I opted to keep myself busy with more DIY projects such as crocheting to keep my brain cells working or I will see the world in a ball jar doing nothing. Crocheting is such a good way to de-stress because it feels really good when you see the outcome of your hard work in form of colorful wrapped earphone covers or ear warmers. I have given  away those old crocheted ear warmers my sister made years back in the office and for all I know everybody wants one. I decided to make one of my own because of my love for anything custom made/personalized. I’m not planning on selling them yet because I still need to work on my crocheting skills and it’s not an easy hobby. I want them all polished first before I consider making money out of them so for now it’s just a hobby of mine, a good way to kill boredom and it keeps me pre-occupied when I’m away from work. I’m looking to collect those colorful yarns first and i’ll see how it goes. Crocheting is the closest I could get from crafting since I haven’t been crafting in a while due to my limited idle hours. 

Watched a couple of movies last night "The Girl on The Train" and "Mrs. Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children" and I'll blog about them whenever I get the chance.

Calm After The Storm

super typhoon Lawin

Hello y’all, I hope everyone’s safe after the wrath of the recently concluded typhoon Lawin. It was by far the second strongest typhoon that hit the country in my lifetime (the first one was tropical cyclone Ondoy back in 2009). People were all worried sick of course because strong typhoons can be life threatening especially if you live in mountainous regions which are very much prone to landslides and other typhoon related catastrophes. I’ve grown accustomed to strong typhoons because the country is so typhoon stricken since I was still a kid but the dangers brought about by this calamity grew stronger and much more devastating over the years. 

I missed the electricity so I made some 

milk shake the next day to celebrate lol. 

My dragon fruit, papaya, apple & 

Selecta ice cream Quezo Real milk shake.

Last Wednesday, I just learned that typhoon Lawin has entered PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility) and started lashing in Cagayan at signal number 4 then progressed to number 5. I was shocked that signal number 4 even exist what more signal number 5 wtf?! So, I thought, is this really a natural calamity or triggered by a force of some sort (as in HAARP)? When I left for work the wind was not that strong yet but as I was about to go home after my shift, wow it was a deluge. Everyone in the office were highly advised to ‘not’ go home for the time being whilst the typhoon is lashing outside but I left along with couple of my workmates anyways because I can’t sleep in the confides of the office and my house is just a taxi ride away. Truth of the matter is, I think of the office as a place to work and not to sleep unless I really do not have a choice, it’s just a strange feeling to not be home especially when there’s a typhoon and I know my cat would be very scared to sleep alone as animals can get pretty scared when nature releases all its wrath through storms.

I honestly would rather stay

home during stormy days and 

crochet. Yeah it can be boring

but I made a pair of headphone 
ear muffs out of it... 

The power lines were already shut off hours before typhoon Lawin, it wasn’t knocked down though but they were purposely shut off to prevent furthermore damage I presume. Oh, it was really scary hearing the strong winds outside and my room sees the world from my window. As expected, no electricity, no internet connection, my supposedly radar to the outside world. The power went back couple of days ago but my internet connection did not resurge until early this evening. I just hate it every time my DSL internet quit working because mobile data access can be really crappy. 

Anyways, moving on, I thank God for the sunny weather and stream of blue skies these past days since the typhoon left. I can now take my clothes to dry outside. I hate stormy days, I hate wet seasons because everything is damp, the road, the leaves of the trees etc. 

Lost Stars

It's 71 days to go before Christmas, time flies like time warp.  I'm just glad my Christmas tree is complete with string lights and all. The month of October is a go signal to take out the Christmas tree..then, time will fly afterwards--Halloween, All Saints & Souls Day then Christmas. Seeing the Christmas tree sparkle like little colored stars brings this inexplicable joy to my heart. I guess it's cuz the yuletide season reminds me so much of my childhood, the incessant happiness that the Christmas season bring to kids can be truly memorable, very immaterial and not worldly.  It's getting cold again, the yuletide spirit seems to be taking its form through the lonely clouds and fog.

Moving on, I'm not even halfway reading Lang Leav's book because work is getting in the way and sleep is such a luxury when you work graveyard shift. I feel like I'm hoarding its pages, trying to digest every word so I won't finish reading it soon. When you have such good read, you take extra time to read it and not squish it in like it's some job you have to finish. A book requires your time, your undivided attention. A cup of ice cream and a good book is haven for me these days, enough sleep would be next, it sets me free because my horizons flail after reading a book. 

(Lost Stars is playing in the background by Keira Knightley). 

In the Mood for Swatches

I’m currently on the hunt for really good matte lippies so I bought a couple of new ones, sport them and now here’s what I have to say about them. 

Let me start with L.A. Girl’s Matte flat finish pigment gloss in Dreamy. 

Dreamy... 

What’s good about it? L.A Girl’s matte lipstick last long (and I mean hours) does not crack nor flake and it does not come off pretty easily even if you drink something.  However, because it’s so long wearing, it’s really difficult to take off so go easy on the applicator and don’t apply too much as it can get really sticky/gunky on your lips and you may not like it. Personally, I’m kind of neutral about it because I really love nude shades and Dreamy is by far the ‘nudest’ shade L.A. Girl matte flat finish pigment has to offer. I would suggest to exfoliate your lips first before you apply it to give it a clean, smooth matte finish. Is the price reasonable? Yes it is because it cost less than P300, but it may not be as competitive quality wise compared to other liquid matte lippies such as Matte Me, Kiss Proof, Nyx etc.  By the way, I often use my Nyx Lip Cream in Cairo (which I wasn’t able to use before due to it’s overly nude shade) first before I apply this L.A. Girl matte to sort of lessen the sticky feel.

Maybelline's ColorSensational Creamy Matte Lip Color in Clay Crush

Rumor has it Maybelline’s Clay Crush is a good dupe for Kylie Lip Kit in Dirty Dupe. However, I cannot really confirm that because I haven’t tried any KLK lippie yet since I find it really pricey (although I am stoked with KLK’s Maliboo and might consider purchasing one in the future). I know there’s tons of fake KLKs in the market nowadays (even on eBay) but, I will never patronize them and compromise quality over price just to be at par with everyone else. Anyways, going back to Clay Crush, it smells effin good and the quality is also excellent because it does not flake, dry or crease easily since it obviously has moisturizer. I seriously love it because your lips would look luscious on it. However, it may not be as long wearing compared to liquid matte lippies (because it’s a stick not a liquid lipstick btw) but what the heck it’s a good alternative if you just want to wear something matte. And oh it’s cheap too for P199 a piece (it’s now on sale! original price was P299). 

So, to wrap this us up, you may consider reading reviews first before you make your purchase to probably save you time and money then end up a hoarder like I used to myself lol.

Weekend Shenanigans

National Bookstore Php595 | US $16.99 |
Canada $21.99

I finally scored my copy of Lang Leav’s fourth book “The Universe of Us” today yay! Am I stoked? Yes of course. I waited couple of months since the book was released in the U.S to get a copy (no matter how squeamish I was) but I waited...and waited in vain. I had the chance to pre-order online but I figured it’s much more expensive that way than pick up a copy myself plus the long wait made me feel t’was all worth it as soon as I got my copy. Lang Leav also showcased some of her pencil drawings in “The Universe of Us” and the book’s content is worth more than it cost.  So, I guess I’d be busy in a while, my perfect read while drinking a hot cup of cocoa or strawberry tea.  

my sappy looking christmas
tree and I'm proud of it. 

Moving on, it’s 78 days to go before Christmas and our tree is all dolled up except for the string lights because I used them for my diy cloud project lol thus I need to pick up new ones to make the tree sparkle. It wont be Christmas without the Christmas Tree yeah?

Japanese Teriyaki rice bowl

Oh by the way let me just share that I love KFC’s Japanese Teriyaki meal (Food Trip: Rice Bowl series) because I love veggies and it’s affordable as well. I don’t usually like fast food but KFC’s Japanese Teriyaki meal made the cut. The monsoon rain is making me hungry. I tried by the way to go back to just eating wheat bread and apple for lunch but the low on carb diet made feel so down and low. I guess the chemical imbalance in my body is badly affecting my mood. I felt so under the weather these past few days and I realized I started feeling that way since I cut down on carbs so I figured I need carbs to fuel my body and mind. 

Ok, nuff of my shenanigans, I have a book to read so I’ll shut up and leave lol. 

Pumpkin Spice

Hello October. Christmas is indeed just right around the corner as it's only a couple of months to go until December. Time flies like taking yourself for a ride on a witch's broomstick. Speaking of which (or witch lol), October is the month for trick or treatin' and I hate being in the office during Halloween because of the whole costume thing. I mean, I love Halloween as a spectator, who wouldn't right? It's the season to sport those gothic looking lippies but I hate to be the one wearing costumes, I feel too old for that and If I could just leave it to the younger folks oh my effin God I would. I would love to be the make up artist but not wear costumes, nah. My idea of a good time this Halloween is through taking pictures of the raddest Halloween get up (maybe).

L.A. Girl glazed lip paint
in "Whisper" and my raven
black hair..

red velvet cup cake is oh so
good with a cup of matcha
green tea latte..

October, October, what else's in store? What's done in my to do list so far: Assembled the Christmas Tree and decorated it yesterday after having collected dust for a year; bought a new matte lippie and what else? I'm looking to collect more succulents btw because I now have tons of tin cans at home which I'm looking to up-cycle by painting them to store more succulents except I just don't have the time to go to the hardware store to pick up paint.

Speaking of lippie, I realized I could pull off a glossy nudest of nudes shade recently after I ran out of which one to wear for my everyday office look. I bought this glossy L.A Girl nude lippie called Glazed lip paint in Whisper about a year ago, shoved it in my make up organizer and forgot about it because I didn't really like the color until recently. When I bought it back then it wasn't as popular because it was still new, now, you'll see tons of online shops selling them because lip tints are so in demand nowadays. I've been a fan L.A Girl since I started using their concealer although I find it kind of pricey but compared to L’oreal and Revlon it's still pretty affordable of course. I'll make a separate review about the new addition to my matte lippie collection, another L.A Girl product called Matte flat finish pigment gloss in Dreamy. 

I need some matcha green tea latte. It's out of stock again. Arrrgh. 

One Helluva Scary Train Ride

Ok, so I’ve been reading posts after posts in Facebook about  this zombie apocalypse flick Train To Busan and I was like maybe they’re just exaggerating or it’s been a while since the last movie about zombies hit the theatres thus explains the clamour. Just by looking at the movie poster you know you’re up to something with lots of gore and heart thumping scenes as it is with typical zombie flicks say Dawn of The Dead, Warm Bodies, Zombieland etc. the only difference is Train To Busan is an all Korean cast zombie film which grossed $99 million worldwide.

If you’re a fan of Asian horror flicks like I do, Korean horror movies are good cinematography wise plus their plot is out of the ordinary, eccentric I should say. I have seen a lot of their horror movies and I loved them such as Yoga, Whispering Corridors, The Doll Master and Muoi of course just to name a few. I know not everyone may have seen a lot of these movies I mentioned because they did not really enjoy worldwide commercial success like Train to Busan. Mind you, Thailand horror flicks are also good and they also produced a thrilling zombie movie which was Phobia 2 (Backpackers). 

Going back, I just watched Train To Busan after I came home from work past midnight today and braced myself for zombie impact lol. I don’t always rely on others who saw the movie first because my take on movies often differ from everyone else. Alright, so Train To Busan started really strong because there’s no namby pamby, It was thrilling from start to finish which is what I loved about it plus it ended in such a way you wouldn’t expect say for instance I thought at first four of the main characters will emerge alive, however, only couple of them survived. It was very tragic and I totally lamented on the death of couple of my favourite characters. The plot was pretty straight forward.

Gong Yoo as Seok-woo

Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) a workaholic dad failed to attend his little girl’s recital in school and to make up to her gifted the kid the same stuff he gave her the year before. To again make up to her for forgetting he gave her little girl the same gift during her last birthday, he instead granted her wish to take a train bound to Busan to see her ex-wife, the mother of Soo-an (Kim Su). Before the train left for Busan, an infected girl sneaked at the train, bit one of the employees and one thing led to another, for all I knew almost everyone turned into a zombie. Seok-woo and his daughter Soo-an met Sang-hwa  and  Jin-hee (who happened to be pregnant) after they fled from the rest of the zombie passengers. They became friends although it did not go well at first because Seok-woo almost had a fit with Sang-hwa after he almost got the couple killed for closing one of the train doors whilst they were being chased by zombies. Of course there was one annoying character as always in every horror or zombie movie, the selfish CEO Yon-suk who caused Sang-hwa’s death and many others. I thought at first everything would go well after Seok-woo, Jin-hee and Soo-an boarded another train and escaped the swarm of zombies (but what do we know right ?) because Yon-suk was on the train as well, infected and bit Seok-woo which caused him to jump off the train since he’s turned into a zombie too. I was like what the hell? He’s turned into my fave character just to be dismissed in the end? Arrrgh. I was disappointed really because I thought at the least the three of them would survive but like I said the movie ended differently possibly to veer away from mediocrity. 

Train To Busan is of course a must see. I was thrilled and enjoyed it but I wasn’t happy with the way it ended because a pregnant woman lost a husband and a little girl lost his father and yeah t’was very tragic. Nevertheless, It was really heart racing and yeah Gong Yoo was hot, I couldn’t agree more. Oh btw, this flick isn't something for the faint hearted.

Time Out

something DIY...

I love being away from work because I get to sleep longer and rest. I have been really stressed out with work lately that I badly yearned for my rest day. I just wish one day I could retreat in a house that overlooks the ocean like those we see in movies then retire early to chase what life has to offer--new adventures, travel, write etc. Work is a such drag. Anyways, moving on, I bought some more succulents for my room because the ones I used to have withered due to the month long rain which just dissipated few days ago. Lack of sunshine, even for indoor plants isn’t healthy because they also need warmth to survive like any other living being here on earth. I did my best to care for them but life cycle is life cycle, there’s a beginning and there’s an end.  

Today, I joined my sister with her pursuit to create Bento Lunch for our niece. I helped out in making the “Gimbap” so I could learn how to make one myself as it’s something I haven’t tried before. Since our niece goes to school really early, we decided to make the Gimbap today and just shove it in the fridge to save time preparing them tomorrow morning. I realized it’s such a good stress reliever other than crafting. Speaking of crafting, I decided to use my last scrap of burlap to create my bedside DIY mobile phone charger holder/caddy, it’s just really convenient that way.

Oh btw, just completed Mickey D’s Secret Life Of Pets Happy Meal toys last week and they’re so cute. I honestly couldn’t even remember their individual names but what the heck, if you share the household with a kid such as my niece they just bring out the child in you too lol. 

new indoor succulent. my organic air purifier...

Sunday Morning

Welcome September…and yes it’s still raining. The ‘ber’ month just began and for all we know it’s Christmas. I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel happy or sad for Christmas because it’s always the same. I guess the rain is making me sad lately thus explains my pessimism. Well, I’ll see how it goes. I badly need sunshine as each day is beginning to feel like the nimbus cloud is looming above my head. 

my make up table. the endless rain is keeping
 me from cleaning my make-up brushes
 and they badly need bath.

Anyways, today is such a lazy  Sunday morning so I decided to re-arrange my make up table which is something I often do to kill time and de-stress. I had a long work week and the sudden change in my routine has turned me sluggish and what's worse, my body clock is a mess. I’m looking to dye my hair black again because the streaks of brown hair is beginning to fade and I hate it. My hair is black anyways so I’ll just bring it back to the way it was. I went back to reading Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, I realized I haven’t finished reading the book yet because I got too caught up. I should stop hoarding ebooks and go back to paperbacks instead. 

Here's my current mood,  a video snippet I made using Lomotif. I feel like spinning round and round today...

Music: Sunday Morning (Maroon 5)

Monday, Monday, Monday

Matcha tea is oh so perfect during
rainy days..

I just love my morning Matcha tea especially during cold and rainy days. It’s been raining for almost a month now here up north and it’s just really flaky not being able to say 'hello’ sunshine for such a long period of time. Let me also share that I went to National Bookstore last week and they still do not have Lang Leav’s ‘Universe of Us’ book, yeah what a bummer right? Anyways, what to do but wait.

isn't he adorable?

Moving on, I recently learned that Nicholas Hoult is here in the country for the AsiaPOP Comic Con (APCC) and I was like wuut? I love Nicholas Hoult (yes I’m a fan) and practically almost watched all of his movies (which you’ll see if you scour my blog entries) and wrote quite a few reviews of his movies including my all time fave ‘Warm Bodies.’ He’s matured a lot because he’s quite scrawny and young when I first saw him in Warm Bodies. I just suit myself looking at photos of him on Instagram for the Comic Con lol. And yes, he doesn’t like ‘balut’ ("Fertilized Duck Egg”) as well like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I eat a lot of Filipino street food (fish ball, kikiam, Squid ball etc.) but ‘balut’ isn’t something I would devour because I find it weird to see an egg embryo, what more eat it?

My Sabbath

something for a cat person
like me! :)

Being away from work even just for a couple of days is so divine for me. Today, I chose to eat out and rummage the vintage stalls for great finds and eventually got myself a cute pair of slip on shoes and a jacket. I also tagged my sissy along this morning to this new cafe in town that serves vietnamese noodles and coffee because we were both curious with their Pho Bo (beef noodles) since we didn’t get the chance to try it during our trip in Hanoi, Vietnam last April. We only got the chance to taste Vietnam’s Pho Ga (chicken noodles), Vietnamese coffee, Banh Mi and egg coffee during our stay there and felt our trip wasn’t totally complete. Because it’s payday I decided to treat my sister to The Coffee Library to try their Pho Bo and Green Tea smoothie. We went there before lunch time so the place isn’t hogged by students (as it’s close to tons of schools) since we both hate crowded places because of the noise and all. 

Pho Bo & Green Tea Smoothie

Apple Pie ala Mode with
Vanilla ice cream

The Coffee Library is located downstairs from Rex Hall Residences. It was cozy  although a little small like other coffee shops. The service was swift and we were handed the menu the moment we settled to our seats. I love the food presentation by the way because a vietnamese noodle is served in such a way you have to mix the condiments yourself (veggies, chilli sauce etc.) because that’s how it is really served in Vietnam. The Green Tea smoothie is also a must try because it wasn’t too sweet, that's how it is anyways with healthy beverages, sugar shouldn’t be too much or it'll turn into a dessert. And, last but not least, the Apple Pie ala Mode topped with vanilla ice cream for dessert which my sister and I both enjoyed, seriously it was really good and also a must try. I never thought we can even put ice cream on pies lol. I’m not into desserts that much but, their apple pie is very delightful to the palate. 

Pho Bo (Php150)

Green Tea Smoothie (Php130)

Apple Pie ala Mode (Php95)

They actually have more affordable items on their menu like their Breakfast meals etc. We just chose the healthy ones because we’re weight conscious people that’s why and that’s how it should be as you get older lol. 

Moving on, I really enjoy looking at my sister’s Bento Lunch project feeds on Instagram for our niece. She told me that our niece enjoys her lunch so much because of those quirky characters she puts inside her Bento box. Well, I couldn’t agree more after I saw them, I mean, a concept for a Bento lunch ain’t easy since you have to be really creative and patient. Hmm..I don’t think making Bento lunch is my thing lol, just baking and cooking I guess. Seriously, it is a pretty tedious thing to do. 

Alright, I’m happy that my new cactus is still alive despite being exclusively indoors for many weeks now. So, what I did, I skipped removing the cactus from its original potting soil (the one that came with it when I bought it) and just shoved it to a vase and so far it hasn’t withered yet. I’m looking to add some snake plants to the house in the future because I learned it’s also an indoor plant. 

And oh, I just picked up my parcel from the local post office today which is another one of those items I bought in eBay. I ordered it second week of July and travelled all the way from Shenzen, China. It's a LAN adapter for my macbook air since it doesn't have any LAN port. I bought one so I could use my ever reliable D-Link router instead of the modem that came with my DSL internet (because my internet connection gets really slow upstairs) and I'm hoping the old router would be much more reliable, hoping...hoping..then crossing my fingers. Yeah the adapter was cheap for $3.00 but I paid $2.42 for customs fee which was almost the cost of the actual item geez. I know right? 

Ok, 'nuff of my so called weekend. 

Rainy Days and Fridays

The week long monsoon rains is driving me crazy. I am not a fan of rainy days nor summer because I just long for something in between and too much of something is always bad enough. Heavy rains makes flood whilst prolonged heat makes drought. Anyways, moving on, I just suit myself shopping online to alleviate the melancholy brought about by the rain, it’s just really gloomy these days.

Ok, so I gave Lazada another shot because I found this really cute watch I wasn’t able to find on ebay or other local online shops (plus the seller accepts credit card payments). I was apprehensive as usual and prepared myself for the worst having bought items from Lazada before and they all took ages before I got them. Let me just say that I love quirky and androgynous watches secondary to make up that’s why I’d face all the odds just to get myself one thus led me to shop with Lazada one more time. I ordered my Q&Q watch couple of days ago and learned that the estimated delivery would be between 22nd-26th of this month so I anticipated to receive my item between those dates or even later just to save myself from all the dramas I’ve been through with Lazada before. I downloaded the app to my iPhone so I could track my item’s whereabouts and was surprised it was shipped early yesterday. What’s more surprising was I just got my item today yay! Isn’t that awesome? No, I’m not being sarcastic, because I’m seriously pleased I got my watch ahead of schedule and  I even wore it today for my sissy and I’s lunch date and I effin' love it. I think it’s always best to set the delivery date later than earlier because it makes their customer feel they went an extra mile once they receive their item earlier than expected. If they continue to do business this way then that’s truly effortless shopping.

Yes, I am a happy camper this time.



A Dose of Love

I love poetry and every time I come across prolific poets over the world wide wed I really take time to read their works and follow their social media accounts. I was first blown away by the works of Nayyirah Waheed, author of ‘Salt’ because of her profound writings. Her poems are mostly about love and her command of words are very simple yet powerful and striking, there’s just this inexplicable sensitivity to them. Her poems will find its way to your heart. 

my personal favorite from Lang Leav's
The Universe of Us book. 

Then, just recently, I discovered Lang Leav, another prolific poet behind the books ‘Love,’ ‘Memories,' ‘Lullabyes’ and her latest work which I’m so raving to have ‘The Universe of Us.’ I swear I’ll grab my copy as soon as it hits the local book store because I was stoked after I saw some of its pages from her Instagram feeds. I really love her poems about love, they’re so heartfelt, so sensitive. I was blown away by Lang Leav’s poems, smitten If I may. You know a great poet when you found one because I also dreamt of becoming a great poet at one point in my life and reading Lang’s poems inspired me to let my heart do the talking and my hands do the writing.