Happiness is...

Tiffany

2012-01-28T02:32:00.009-06:00

I was able to cross off about half of the items in my wish list already and it's only the start of the new year! I'm pretty much set with my gadgets (I just got a new lappy, phone and kindle late last year) and I don't think I'd be wanting to replace them anytime soon.

Aside from the remaining items on my list (camera, designer bag, watch), here's some stuff I want to get from Tiffany's this year:

1. Ring - something to match the Paloma Picasso Loving Heart necklace I got last year. I'm looking at this matching ring:

But these variations of the Loving Heart series are also nice:

2. Bracelet - I've already got the classic Return to Tiffany bracelet, and since I've been wanting one from the lock and key series, the Tiffany Filigree Heart and Tag seems like a good choice:

A trip to Tiffany and Co. is a must when I go to the US later this year :)

vday fund

2012-01-27T21:46:00.003-06:00

With February just around the corner, Ochie, Ros and I were kidding each other that we should get a head start on this...come to think of it, it's not a bad idea! Hahaha. Oh well, bitter month up ahead!

bags

2012-01-27T06:03:00.003-06:00

Casual Friday means we get to use our Sanrio bags! Mine is the Little Twin Stars one and the My Melody is Lyn's. We don't care if it's "highschool-ish" (as what Joel said)...they're cute! :)

treat

2012-01-26T05:52:00.003-06:00

A sweet treat on a very stressful (I don't want 'nosebleed' defects anymore!) day :)

beach

2012-01-25T06:56:00.005-06:00

I wasn't able to go to the beach last year and I started making up for that this year with our recent weekend getaway at Boracay. And that's just the start. My sister will be attending a wedding in Boracay come May and what perfect time to go back! Since that's the peak of summer, we decided to have a head start and book our flights and hotel already (which is already starting to fill up!).

This time though, we'll be staying here instead of Discovery Shores since this is where the wedding will be at:

My sister and her family actually stayed at Shangri-la last year and the experience is Discovery Shores-level as well so we're in for a pampered and VIP treatment vacay once again. It's still a couple of months away and I'm looking forward to it!

With that all set, I better start planning my US vacation already! :)

healthy

2012-01-24T05:15:00.002-06:00

I passed by S&R on my way home from work for my weekly grocery shopping and as I was about to head to the cashier, I can't help but be amazed on how 'healthy' the contents of my cart was - I got mushrooms, zucchini, arugula and mixed greens, chicken breast fillets (to think that I used to hate the breast part!), and for snacks - baby carrots, apple slices and dried mixed berries. Not a single 'junk food'! Not that I purposely avoided them...I passed by the chips, cookies and chocolate aisles but nothing interested me.

Hmm, is this the effect of getting older?! Hahaha. I'm still aiming to lose a few more pounds so I guess healthy living it is! :)

update

2012-01-24T05:13:00.001-06:00

I was browsing thru Facebook and was surprised with the first update that showed up on my wall. Buhay pa pala siya. As what Lyn said, hindi pa pala siya kinain ng lupa. Oh well.

Next!

post-bday spree

2012-01-21T20:41:00.007-06:00

Leaving me at the condo for the afternoon with nothing to do is really not a good thing. Since I wasn't able to shop during my birthday weekend, and with the mall just a few steps away, post-birthday shopping it is (ok, that's just a lame excuse for trying to justify my little shopping spree!).

Marks and Spencer is still on sale and I was able to get a lot of good deals. I paid only around P4k for what should have originally cost me P11k! That's a whole lot of savings - how can you say no to that? So those were really very good buys.

A trip to Dorothy Perkins is also a must. This is my new favorite store for work dresses. There are very few branches of this around the Metro and I'm glad that one opened near the condo. I was able to get 2 new dresses :) They weren't on sale though but I loved it the moment I saw them and I'm pretty sure I'd regret not getting them, so there.

I wanted to get a new pair of shoes to go with my new dresses but I didn't find anything I liked so I decided to take a break from shopping (besides, I've already reached my quota!)...

I settled in one of the comfy couches of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf with a cup of Moroccan Mint Tea Latte - yes, tea! The latte kind though. And in fairness, I liked it (though the green tea latte from Starbucks is better)! I'm still yet to find regular tea (as in just water + tea) that would suit me. Fro once made some using loose tea leaves (forgot the kind though) and I remember liking it better over the ones I've tried before - but still not enough to make me actually finish a whole cup. I'll try my luck again next time.

With a good book (I took a break from my break...I really can't just get away from Eve and Roarke!), I got myself lost again in a another world. I didn't notice that I spent more than an hour already there until my ride home arrived.

It was a pretty good afternoon and a perfect way to kick off the long weekend... :)

new at Town

2012-01-21T07:10:00.007-06:00

The new wing at Alabang Town Center just opened which means new stores and new restos! I've been craving for Chili Crabs and Cereal Prawns (the ones from Jumbo were just sooo good!) since our SG trip last month and with Wee Nam Kee opening down south, I don't need to go far anymore for my fix of singaporean cuisine. And since it just opened, they had a promo wherein everything on the menu is 50% off if you use your Citibank credit card. Perfect! We were set to have dinner there last night and I was looking forward to dipping that yummy bun into the chili crab sauce.

We arrived at around 7:30pm and the place was packed. Since I've been craving for this for weeks already, I was willing to wait. But to our disappointment, they weren't taking in new customers anymore for the whole night since the reservations were already full! Sadness! :(

But that won't ruin my Friday night. There was actually another resto I was pretty excited to go to which also just opened:

Yes, PF Chang's is here! I don't need to go far (or rather fly to the US) anymore for my fix of chinese food. Since it just opened the other day, the place was also full as expected. But they were still taking in walk ins and I had my name listed down even if it's for an hour-long wait.

An hour after, we were finally seated. I wanted to get lots off the menu but since it was just me and my mom, we settled for just an appetizer (chicken lettuce wraps!), the egg drop soup (yummy!) and the crispy shrimp with candied walnuts and honeydew for our main course.

The service was pretty good and the food came out fast...up until the main course. We had to wait for more than half an hour until it was finally served! I've complained several times already and was even ready to just cancel the order if it still didn't come out. I openly showed my disappointment but in fairness, the server and the manager were very apologetic about the delay that they gave it to us for free! They sure know how to redeem themselves!

And I have to admit, it was worth the wait. It was really good! This is my new fave and I'll definitely come back just for this dish. So I'm letting the long wait pass this time...it IS just their second day and they did give it for free so overall, not bad!

We'll most probably come back over the weekend with the entire fam, but this time, I'll make sure to make a reservation...I don't want to wait for an hour again!

With PF Chang's now here, I do hope that Cheesecake Factory will follow as well...that would be a sure winner! ;)

kid at heart

2012-01-20T23:30:00.000-06:00

I heart Sanrio when I was a kid. I went gaga over Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, Kerokerokeroppi, Tuxedo Sam and all those cute characters that came out. I eventually outgrew them but I still can't help and have an awww moment whenever I pass by Gift Gate and see all those cute merchandise.

But I guess we can never be too old for such things. Yesterday, Lyn happily showed us her latest bag purchase - a My Melody pink tote! Cuteness it is! I almost didn't want to put it down and give it back to her. Hehehe. She got it from the Sanrio store in MOA and there were other designs in the same style. I wanted one in Little Twin Stars! MOA was pretty far but with Gift Gate in Town, a quick trip before heading home was a must.

And lucky me, I didn't have to go far:

Isn't it cute?! Lyn's husband has been teasing her that her My Melody tote was so high school-ish. To that, I say it's a classic! Hahaha. We'll both use our new bags on casual Friday. Can't wait! :)

it worked!

2012-01-20T09:07:00.003-06:00

I've been working on this defect for 2 days now and it's so frustrating that I can't recreate it because of some other errors not related to the issue reported. And to think that I'm just on Step 1! I've tried running the script in 3 different environments but the thing was, I got 3 different errors in each env! Ugh. I've been debugging like crazy and cursing the defect in between coz when I solve an error, a new one comes up afterwards!

So imagine my relief when I finally saw this after running the script for the nth time:

I've never been so happy seeing those 2 words: it worked! Even my teammates were happy for me as well coz they've seen how frustrated I was for the past days. Hahaha. Now, I just hope that the fix would work...goodluck!

pricey!

2012-01-19T23:54:00.000-06:00

I haven't finalized anything yet but I'm thinking of pushing my US vacay this year around summer. I just randomly picked some dates in June to check how much the flights would cost and dang, it's now expensive!

It only cost me around $1600 when I traveled 3 months ago and that included a couple of interstate trips already. I better save up and book those tickets soon before the prices go even higher!

break

2012-01-19T06:28:00.003-06:00

Since last month, I've been hooked on JD Robb's In Death series. There's about 40 books (it's a lot!) already in the series and I just finished the 8th one yesterday. I must say, I can't get away from Eve and Roarke...especially Roarke! I was set to start on the 9th book when my good friend and fellow bookworm, Lyn, suggested that I read this:

She just finished the book herself and she liked it. I've actually had this book for months already but haven't gotten around to reading it just yet...until now. So I'm taking a break from all the murder in New York and lose myself to some happily ever after...bitterness aside ;)

recitals

2012-01-18T07:27:00.005-06:00

I was going through some old photo albums and I came across the ones I had during my early childhood. Aside from the usual birthdays, reunions, family, school and milestone pictures, one thing constant every year was a set of pictures from my annual piano recital.

This was my first recital when I was just 6 years old...

the year after that...

a couple of years later...

and even later on...

There were still a whole lot of recital pictures (about 20 years worth!) and looking through them made me miss my 'music' life. Back then, playing the piano was my passion. Even when I was young, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and the like were household names. I played the piano everyday, practicing for at least an hour each day. I've joined several competitions and piano festivals, even playing several times at CCP, and I just get a certain high once I'm up the stage. Looking back, I can't imagine how I was able to memorize pieces that were 10-20 pages long!

Up until college, music has been a big part of my life. I was the pianist of the De La Salle University Chamber Ensemble all throughout college, where we had numerous campus performances, concerts, weddings and even mall tours. I even learned the violin on my last year and was able to play Violin 3 during my last concert with the orchestra.

I also joined our local choir in our village where I was first a piano accompanist but eventually moved up with the singers and sang Alto. Those days were also fun.

But I had to give all that up when I started working. With my crazy work schedule, I didn't have time anymore for rehearsals, or even to practice on my own time. It has been ages since I last seriously played the piano. It would take quite some time for my fingers to expertly hit the ivories like they used to, and that's something I want to get back. It would take lots of practice, but it's time to bring music back to my life... ;)

happy lappy

2012-01-18T04:46:00.004-06:00

Something to cheer me up at work...can't help but feel happy whenever I see this amidst defects that can't be recreated, environment issues, errors that don't make sense and testers failing defects that shouldn't be tested yet in the first place!

birthday weekend

2012-01-15T04:35:00.030-06:00

For the first time since I started working, I took a birthday leave - yes, now I can afford to take a few days off to celebrate my special day! This year's celebration is quite special, with the whole family taking off to Boracay for the weekend. Not only it is my 30th (eeek, I'm really getting old!) but we've planned this birthday surprise for my mom months ago. She had no idea at all where exactly we were going. We had to tell her though last weekend that we'd be going to the beach to make sure that she packs the right things.

We took the 8:30 am flight on Thursday to kick off our birthday getaway. The little one immediately buckled up and got comfy in his seat...

An hour later, we landed in Caticlan and that's only when my mom found out which resort we will be staying at - can't hide it from her anymore as we were greeted by the staff of Discovery Shores. Suffice to say, the surprise was a success!

From the airport, we took the shuttle to the port where this was waiting for us - our own air-conditioned boat which will take us to the resort...

The moment we were settled in, we were handed cold wet towels, bottled water and cookies for the short ride to the beach. And that's only the start of our well-pampered vacay. A few minutes later, we found ourselves in Boracay-heaven...

We originally wanted to get the 2-bedroom suite but all were booked already for the weekend so we got adjoining junior suites instead.

A foot spa was awaiting us the moment we checked in!

There were also snacks that were refilled everyday...

The little one even got a personalized cupcake!

I'm not a breakfast person but I can't resist the breakfast buffet! To name a few, there were platters of assorted cheese and cold cuts...

breads and muffins...

and my favorite, french toast with bacon and eggs!

I love the chairs out at the beach front. I already have a regular spot where the 'beach butler' (yes, we have a butler!) would drape a towel over the chair and have a cold glass of pandan water ready for me as soon as he sees me coming. This was my view each morning...I could wake up to this everyday!

The water was just perfect...see how blue it is! I could have swam the whole day...

When it's too hot to swim, I just lounge at the beach front with a good book (err, Kindle) and get myself lost in another world...

The pampering continues as the resort staff would go around handing out cold towels, cucumber slices for the eyes, orange slices for the face, chocolate covered fruits, flowers for your hair (seriously!) and get this, they would even spritz water on your face to refresh yourself! Talk about 1st class service! This is the life! I literally spent almost the entire day out on those chairs when I'm not swimming.

My favorite part of the afternoon is happy hour where I could have my favorite cocktail right by the beach and watch the sunset...

The 3 days were just a blur. I really wish we could have stayed longer! I've been to Boracay several times already and usually, we'd go out of the resort to do all sorts of activities (island hopping, snorkeling, etc) but this time, the resort was just so nice (and not to mention that we were pampered so much!) that we didn't leave at all! It was really worth it and since we loved our stay so much, we're coming back again in the summer :) This was indeed the perfect celebration and I wouldn't have had it any other way...

Turning older ain't that bad...I'm thankful for all the blessings I've received for the past 30 years and here's hoping for a more fabulous year ahead :)

Live, laugh, love! :)

beach-bound

2012-01-11T06:34:00.002-06:00

All set for the sun, sand and sea!

3 words

2012-01-10T06:02:00.002-06:00

I was babysitting the little one earlier and while he was in the middle of playing with his Transformers, he suddenly looks up to me and sweetly says, 'I love you, Nang-nang!' Awww...isn't that the sweetest? That sure made my day :)

the girl who reads

2012-01-09T08:35:00.005-06:00

I came across this post shared by a friend in FB and I found it quite interesting. Though I don't agree 100%, there are some points that hit the spot...

*****

A Girl You Should Date

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You'll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She's the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants.

She's the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she's kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author's making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee. Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood Joyce's Ulysses, she's just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or if she would like to be Alice.

It's easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but she's going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does. She has to give it a shot somehow.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who reads understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She'll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she's sick. Over Skype. You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn't burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you're better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

*****

So, where to find a guy who likes to date a girl who reads...and writes? ;)

jamba fix

2012-01-09T08:11:00.003-06:00

Had my fix of Orange Dream Machine to end my day...thanks, Daddy! ;)

mom knows best

2012-01-08T05:04:00.000-06:00

Just got my (early) birthday gift from my mom...she really knows how to cheer me up! :)

hangover

2012-01-07T10:40:00.002-06:00

Tequila + Absinthe is not a good combination! I think I would need some Jamba tomorrow. Ugh.

3rd time's a charm

2012-01-07T08:37:00.004-06:00

Work kept me busy the entire week which took my mind off the fact that I've been feeling a bit blue for several days now. My shopping and comfort food attempts earlier this week didn't work, so I gave it another try today. I was set to have a pre-birthday 'me' time...some pampering and another shot at shopping ought to do the trick!

I went with my brother on his way to work and asked to be dropped off at the condo. I was supposed to get my mani and pedi last weekend but the nail spa was already closed when I got there since it's already New Year's eve. And since this would be my first nail fix for the new year (and in time for my birthday getaway next week), I decided to get another nail art. It costs almost thrice my regular mani and pedi, but what the heck, I so need the cheering up!

In fairness, I actually felt better when I saw the finished product which was almost 2 hours in the making:

In a much better mood, I was set to shop...and it was a success this time!

I was able to get a couple of dresses and tops for work, as well as some new outfits for the weekends. I don't even know how much I've spent today but it did lift my spirits up! :)

I'm still not 100% a-OK but I'm slowly getting there...

party time!

2012-01-06T06:59:00.027-06:00

I worked from home today so I could attend the little one's birthday party at his school. Good thing my part in this morning's conference call ended early enough - I made it in time for the party! The theme this year is Toy Story and my sister made sure that EVERYTHING had something Toy Story in it.

From the invitations...

party hats...

name tags...

cups (we didn't find Toy Story-themed cups and since there's no time anymore to order from the US, my sister placed stickers instead on each of the cups)...

custom-made giveaways (she had bag tags made for every kid in the class!)...

to the loot bags (customized with stickers and label)...

prizes for the games...

personalized birthday banner...

balloons...

and of course the cake!

The school's activity room was transformed to a Toy Story play land for the party...

And everyone had a good time!

Suffice to say, the party was a success! Considering that we only had 1 week to prepare (doesn't help much that Gabby's birthday is just right after the holidays!), it went really well! The little one enjoyed every minute of it and I'm pretty sure he'd remember this when he grows up.

Happy Birthday, Gabby! :)

magic!

2012-01-06T02:52:00.003-06:00

The past few days at work have been quite stressful as we were completing this big estimate effort for our next release. Thing is, we were given only 3 days to complete the estimates for 6 big requirements while the others were given weeks and even months to work on it! Unfair!

But we really had no choice so we just did our best. Ochie and I were paired together to work on one of the functional areas. In fairness, we were able to meet the Tuesday deadline and we were just hoping that what we did was right.

We had this big meeting yesterday with our onshore manager and other leads to review the estimates and that's when we got frustrated coz what we were instructed to do in the first place by this other manager of ours was not what was expected! Comparing to what was being presented by the other leads, ours was lacking so many details and we're pretty sure that we're dead once they look into what we've done. Our turn to present wasn't until today so we still had time to overhaul our estimates to get it right. But still, we really felt bad coz we were given the wrong direction to begin with! If we only knew what was expected of us from the start, then we would have made it right on the first shot.

We crammed yesterday to come up with better estimates and as what we were saying to each other, it's time to do some magic! Hahaha.

And thankfully, it worked! Our presentation earlier went really well and to think that we only had so little time to prepare for it, ours had the fewest review comments! We just had to do some minor revisions but overall, we got it right!

We were kidding each other when we first started working on this that maybe they thought we were really that good that we don't need much time to complete the task. And now, yeah, we ARE good! Hahaha!

Whew. What a great way to end the work week! :)

on relationships...

2012-01-05T08:47:00.002-06:00

from one of my favorite shows...

"Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous..."

--- Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

comfort food

2012-01-04T09:20:00.003-06:00

Since my attempt on going on a shopping spree the other day to cheer myself up didn't work, I'm now gonna try the comfort food approach - cheese dip, chips and shiraz. If this still doesn't work, I don't know what else will!

bitter mode

2012-01-04T06:02:00.011-06:00

It started this morning when Lyn was talking to the people at Ford over the phone regarding the repair of their car.

She goes, 'This is Lyn Bendijo...'

We usually tease her every time she says that - we're still not used to the fact that she's not a 'Latorre' anymore! I just kept quiet and continued working but my thought bubble was 'awww....she really is married!'. Hahaha.

Then she says 'My husband brought the car there the other day...'

And before I could even react, Ochie was already commenting about it! I chimed in and can't help but say 'kelan kaya ako makakapagsabi ng 'my husband?!' (when will it be my turn to say 'my husband?!') Ros also said something about it and we were just laughing so hard and admitted, yeah, we are bitter! Envy much! So funny that all along, we were all thinking about the same thing! Hahaha.

It took a couple of minutes before we composed ourselves again and all was forgotten (or so we thought!) until we got back from lunch. We were looking thru Facebook and saw this lunch 'date' post by one of our friends and apparently he was given some chocolates as a pasalubong.

We couldn't help it and went on bitter mode once again! I commented, 'buti pa sya may nagbibigay ng chocolates! kelan kaya may magbibigay ng chocolates sa kin?!' (good for him, someone gave him chocolates...when will someone give ME chocolates?!)

Then Ros said, 'ako matagal ng sanay na wala' (I've already gotten used to not getting any)!

We were all laughing when Joel said, 'sige, bibigyan ko kayo ng chocolates bukas' (ok, I'll give you some chocolates tomorrow). We don't know if we'll be touched or what. Hahaha.

And that was just the start of it. I found myself making bitter comments on almost everything that we were talking about, even the simplest of things! I have so many quotable quotes for the day! Hahaha.

Then Ochie commented that out of our entire team of 15, we (Ros, Ochie and myself) were the only ones who were single! Everyone else were either married or are in a serious relationship. So there. More bitterness followed! Hahaha.

The conversation somehow went to the fact that I've attended so many weddings last year and that I've had enough already and Ros goes, 'don't worry, save the best for last'...and to that, I can't help but say 'when it comes to this, I don't want to be the last!'

Joel then said that for the case of his brother, he met his now-wife in one of the weddings he attended before so he goes, 'mag attend ka lang ng mag attend ng weddings!' (just keep on attending weddings!). Umm, is this an insult or what?! Hahaha.

Then I somehow mention that my best friend in Jakarta (the one whose wedding I went to last month) is planning to go to the US sometime this year, so me and my other best friend in LA (the one who I was the maid of honor to last year as well) are already planning for another reunion. But then I realize, they're both married already and would have their hubbies along...who will I have with me then?! Sadness!

Lyn later on mentions something work-related and that we should make ourselves available for questions and stuff like that...and to that I said, 'oh, I'm very much available!' Hahaha! Major laugh trip it is.

My upcoming birthday then came up and I can't help but mention that for the past couple of years, I always get a delivery of pink roses on my birthday (from the so-called ex-bf) but this year, I won't be getting any anymore :(

It's just sad yet funny at the same time...we were just really making fun of the situation but seriously, I was like, is this what happens when you're about to turn 30?! It doesn't help much that Joel keeps on saying that I just have a year left until my age is still on the calendar. Hmph.

So there should be no talk of weddings, boyfriends or anything related to those around me, Ochie and Ros unless you want us to go all bitter again and not hear the end of it. Hahaha.

This whole big 3-0 thing is really getting into me big time! I guess this somehow explains why I've been feeling off for a couple of days now. Have to get over this soon!

fail

2012-01-03T04:52:00.003-06:00

One thing I like around this time is the after Christmas end of season sale and I usually look forward to the one of Marks and Spencer's. I usually get really good deals to as much as 70% off. So when I learned that today was the 1st day of their sale, I decided to drop by the Glorietta branch after work. I'm still feeling a bit off and I was hoping that a little shopping spree will lift my spirits up - that always works! But unfortunately, I didn't find anything I like :( It only took me about 10 minutes to go around and nothing really interested me. Or am I feeling really that bad that nothing was good enough?

So much for making myself feel better.

Pffft.

hmmm...

2012-01-02T07:00:00.003-06:00

maybe it's because it's the new year and reminiscing about all the things that happened a year ago made me nostalgic...

or maybe because my birthday is coming up in just a few days and I still don't know how I'd celebrate it...

or maybe because the upcoming big 3-0 is kinda putting some pressure on me (a friend recently commented that I'm turning 30 and i'm still not married...not my fault!)...

or maybe because we were just a handful in the office this morning and we really didn't feel like working just yet...

or maybe because a good friend left today...

...that I'm feeling kinda off and out of it.

oh well. better think of happy thoughts instead.

sigh.

4th!

2012-01-02T06:36:00.006-06:00

The little one turned 4 today! His actual birthday party with all the balloons, a big cake, games and what not will not be until Friday since he wanted to have it in school and that's when his classes will resume.

We just got him a simple cake today and the look on his face was just priceless when he saw the candles lit up. He was just so excited to blow them away...

Happy Birthday, Gabby! Nang-nang loves you! :)

2011...looking back

2012-01-01T09:08:00.020-06:00

I still have a few minutes before the 1st day of the new year is over so let me take this time to look back at 2011...

If I have to describe last year, 2011 was MY year. It was this year when I took a step back and did things for ME, even if there were some that didn't end up as expected but actually turned out for the better. 2011 was also the year for changes - it was time for me to take charge and let things happen as I want them to be.

The biggest change that I did was to step out of my comfort zone and resign from my 1st job. I must admit, those 8 1/2 years were indeed something but it's time to have a life and get what I'm really worth for! I've reached the point where I was no longer happy with my work and waking up each morning was such a chore. The opportunity to move came at the right time. And it was an opportunity that was too good to pass up. It also helped that I wasn't alone...I'll be moving with my friends who were a big reason why I've stayed at my previous job for a quite a long time. I would say taking that leap was one of the best things that happened to me last year. No regrets indeed! I'm very much happy and contented in my new 'home' :)

Another change that happened was my 4-year relationship ended. I never really talked about this but it just came to the point when we realized that we didn't want the same things. I've invested so much time and effort in trying to make it work all this time given the distance, and I have to admit, it's quite sad when everything you've done all these years has just gone to waste. It's not worth reliving the real reason but the important thing is, I'm ok. I'm past the anger and the hurt. I've healed and with the help of my good friends and family, I've moved on. There's just a handful of people who knows the real reason and knowing that I have them in my life made me realize that there's just so much love around me and people who really care. A good friend told me that I should not blame myself for what happened coz I didn't do anything wrong. And he's right. I deserve so much more. For now, I'm happy with how things are and I'm thankful for all those who made me smile :)

2011 was also a year of love and friendship. I have quite a lot of friends but only few who really matter. And it was during this year that I've appreciated them even more and made the conscious effort to let them know how much they mean to me.

May it be in Manila...

California...

and even Jakarta...

...I made sure that I was present during the most important day in the lives of my 3 closest friends.

Distance is not an issue when it comes to friendship. Even if you're thousands of miles apart, may it be in different timezones, as long as you keep the communication alive, it's as if no day has passed that you were apart. Thanks to the wonders of email, YM, gtalk, iMessage, WhatsApp and Viber, California, Minneapolis and Jakarta doesn't seem to be so far away! And I've really made the extra effort to keep in touch and let them know how much I care even with just a simple 'hi' during the day.

And of course, I'm thankful for my friends who I'm with everyday. They not only make work 'fun' but I know that I can count on them anytime. We've come a long way and I'm glad that they'll be part of my new adventures in 2012.

I also always make sure to travel at least once a year and 2011 was a big year for traveling for me! My US trip was the perfect 'ME' time which I needed to just get away and be with family and friends who I haven't seen for quite some time.

New York was a blast with Normie, Abel and Michelle...

New Jersey was all about family...

California was girl bonding with Cristy...

and Fro was the best in making sure that I had a great time in Minneapolis...

The year couldn't end without going out with my travel buddies! It was Singapore this time with Ochie, Ros and Roland, and we had so much fun!

And as a last hurrah, I took a weekend trip to Jakarta for Andrea's wedding...

Last year has also been good to my family. I'm thankful for all the blessings that we've had throughout the year. Looking back, 2011 was a very good year and I have a feeling that 2012 will even be better!

Here's to a fabulous and awesome 2012! Live, laugh and love! :)

goodbye 2011, hello 2012!

2012-01-01T07:46:00.012-06:00

We were once again at Eastwood to usher in the new year. New Year's Eve dinner was at the Richmonde Hotel. We had the buffet at the Eastwood Cafe, and the prime rib and boston clam chowder were just awesome! Can't help to have seconds...all this holiday eating will put me back on diet mode again! The little one was also on chocolate high that even his daddy didn't object...

I met up with Ros and Fro afterwards but Ros had to head back home to prepare for New Year with her family. Fro and I headed to Friday's for some drinks where last night's attempt on getting my (early) birthday shots was redeemed! Fro got me some birthday martinis first. The espresso one was really good but the mudslide was what reminded me of my fave Black and White at the News Room:

And finally, my birthday shot - lemon drop shots done the right way!

We then headed to the condo so he can meet my family and I was surprised that the little one warmed up to him instantly! He's usually shy when there's new people around but the moment he saw Fro, he immediately took out his toys and talked to him non-stop! Both of them don't know tagalog so I guess they had something in common..hahaha!

Good thing it was Gabby's bed time already so Fro was able to get away - I thought they'd spend the rest of the night playing angry birds on the iPad! We then headed back down to the Distillery for more drinks this time with my brother and brother-in-law. On a side note, that Absinthe shot was just wicked! One is enough for me!

Fro had to leave though and head back to Makati just before the fireworks. With the rest of my family, I waited for the countdown and ushered in 2012 with high hopes of a more awesome year!

Thank you 2011 and bring it on 2012! Happy New Year! :)

surprise!

2011-12-30T00:55:00.016-06:00

I was so not prepared for today. Originally, the only thing I had planned for the day was to meet up with Ros, Lyn, Roland and Joel for our New Year's lunch at Lusso in Greenbelt 5. I arrived early so I went around Marks first. Ros texted that she was already there as well so I told her to meet me at Marks. I was in line at the cashier (took me less than 5 minutes to find something I like!) when someone grabbed me from behind...I was like, what the?! I turned around and was really shocked when I saw who was standing there - FRO! I was literally speechless...you're supposed to be in China! What are you doing here?! Hahaha. No one knew that he was coming so yeah, the surprise really worked!

I was right last night then...something was indeed up when Ros texted me out of the blue, asking what I'm doing. We don't usually text like that so initially, I was like huh? And she tells me that Fro asked her to ask me what I was up to right that moment...I just thought that maybe they were chatting online, but Fro wasn't online so that's weird. But anyway, we texted for a bit until we decided to meet up today with our other officemates, hence the last minute New Year's lunch. As it turns out, Fro just showed up at her door last night so she was also in for a shock seeing him there. Hahaha.

Lunch at Lusso turned out really well. Good thing we decided on a fancy place...there was more to just celebrating New Year...it was very fitting for our 'Welcome back to Manila' lunch for Fro!

Because of the unexpected turn of events, I had to free up my entire day and arranged for the driver to come pick me up later that night instead of right after lunch.

First order of business was to go to a barbershop and get Fro a shave that didn't just cost half a nail (they started using how much my recent nail art costs in determining the prices of things) and won't put him into so much pain (his first 'traditional' shave in the province a couple of years ago traumatized him big time!) Lyn and I took him to Bruno's and seeing that the shave alone costs about 2 1/2 nails (yes, the Nail System works!) was a good sign. We assured him that this will be very different from the last time - for starters, there's shaving cream! Hahaha!

Suffice to say, he was very happy with it! Lyn and I were a bit worried that it might be another horrible experience for him. But It should be really good coz the entire thing costs about 10 nails! Hahaha.

The others had to leave already since they had other stuff planned for the day. Again, if we only knew he was coming we could have planned things better like bringing my spare iPhone so he could use it while he's here...hahaha! We decided to just meet up again for dinner. So in the meantime, we went to Cafe Havana for some afternoon cocktails, then got a massage at The Spa. We went back to his place so he can change into something more 'dressier' (which made Ros and I look like his yayas afterwards!), met up with Ros for wine and tapas at Barcino later that night, then headed to I-forgot-the-name-of-the-bar-beside-kitchen for more drinks. I was supposed to have my birthday shots there (I know, it's way too early!) but their lemon drop and jagerbomb shots were just so awful! I refuse to call those my birthday shots!

I left close to 11pm already. What a day! But I have to admit, it was the best surprise ever! Talk about ending the year with a bang...welcome to Manila, Daddy! It's good to have you back! ;)

family love

2011-12-29T07:11:00.002-06:00

The holidays are made even more special when spent with your loved ones :)

touch

2011-12-26T07:00:00.006-06:00

After almost a month since I ordered it, it's finally here - my new Kindle Touch! I met up with Icko earlier so I could get my hands already on my new toy. I spent the entire afternoon organizing and transferring my ebooks. I'm loving how small it is! I still need to get used to the touch screen though. I still find myself clicking the sides to turn the page even if there are no buttons...

And of course, I just had to dress it up in pink :) I originally wanted to get the cover with the built in light but it didn't come in pink and it was for back order only - takes 6-8 weeks for it to be delivered...to late already for Icko to bring it home.

I'm now ready to read all about Roarke again :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T06:17:00.016-06:00

Christmas day is all about family and traditions. Since we were kids, we opened our gifts on the morning of the 25th then have breakfast with the whole family. By noon, we would head out for lunch with my dad's side of the family then dinner is with my mom's side. It is a whole day family affair and it never changed.

The little one was the most excited about the whole Christmas celebration. He's now old enough to understand what's going on. Ever since we put up the tree and started putting gifts underneath, he would check and count everyday how many gifts he has already. He now knows how to read his name so you can't fool him! I was awakened with the little one excitedly shouting by my door, "Wake up Nang-nang! It's time to open the gifts!" You can't say no to that!

It was just pure joy each time he opened a gift...

He has enough toys to last him until his birthday (which is just a week away)!

I got some pretty good gifts myself. We would usually give each other a wish list at the start of the month so we'd know what to get. I left out the big item stuff from my list though since I'd only end up opening 1 gift if I asked them to get me something from my original wish list! Hahaha.

My mom got me the new DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom perfume (yes, it's pink!):

a pair of sandals from Aerosoles (in pink again!):

and more books to add to my collection - the Hunger Games Trilogy boxset, The Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck and The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks:

My brother got me a dress for work:

While my sister got me some beauty stuff:

After opening all our gifts, we had our traditional ham, queso de bola, croissant and hot chocolate for Christmas breakfast...

That was just our morning and we're in for more fun and family love as we head out to our reunions for the rest of the day. Christmas is indeed my favorite holiday of the year! :)

Noche Buena

2011-12-24T08:41:00.024-06:00

For the 1st time in so many years, I didn't find myself at the mall for some last minute shopping on the 24th! I was not used to being 'relaxed' the day before Christmas. My entire family was out almost the entire day, running errands and still finding that perfect gift. Since I was the one stuck at home, I took up the kitchen duty and started early preparing for Noche Buena. It was quite tiring but everything paid off as we prepared for the midnight feast.

As always, I was in charge of setting up the table and out came all the Christmas settings. From the centerpiece...

glasses...

table napkins...

to the serving platters...

and the plates...

everything was just very festive!

Now for the menu. We kinda overdid it again given that there were only 5 of us. But then again, it IS Christmas and lots of food is happiness!

For appetizers, we got our favorites from Bizu - Mushroom Duxelle and Smoked Salmon with Pistachio Mousse:

My mom also made some Russian salad:

For the main course, we each had an assignment...

Prawns Thermidore for me:

Lengua Estofado for my mom:

and Mushroom and Parma Ham Risotto for my sis and brother in law:

We didn't have the energy to make dessert anymore so we got our favorites from Bizu again...

There's the mini Amour cakes - orange chocolate mousse in between layers of creme brûlée and brownie:

mini Samba cakes - milk and dark chocolate mousse between layers of chocolate cake and coated with chocolate sauce:

mini Opera cakes - classic gateau of sponge cake with coffee butter cream and chocolate ganache :

and the Clichy cake - layers of almond joconde, raspberry and rose gelee, pistachio creme legere and mirror glaze:

And of course, our meal wouldn't be complete without some wine (sparkling for my sis since she doesn't drink!)...

Suffice to say, it was a very good feast and such a fitting celebration for the real reason of this season - Happy Birthday, Jesus! We have so much to be thankful for and we are indeed blessed for the all the things that happened to us this year.

A blessed Merry Christmas to everyone! :)

almost done!

2011-12-20T08:39:00.003-06:00

With only 5 days left before Christmas, I'm actually doing pretty good on the Christmas shopping front. I just finished wrapping all the gifts for the folks in the office and looking at my list, the only ones missing are the ones for our household help and drivers - that I can do in the next day or so. I'm already done with my family and relatives and by the looks of things, I think this would be the first time that I won't find myself still shopping and wrapping gifts on the 24th! Not bad given that I only had one free weekend in December - though I had to squeeze in a lot of after-office shopping in between. Just a few more sleeps, and it's gonna be my favorite holiday of the year! :)

early birthday gift

2011-12-18T08:14:00.005-06:00

With only 1 day to go around Jakarta, we didn't really have much time so we ended up just going to the Grand Indonesia mall. I wasn't able to buy much except for some beach dresses from the Roxy factory sale (in time for my Boracay trip next month!). But just as we were about to leave, we passed by Gucci on our way out so I decided to look around...and there you go, my major purchase for this trip:

I really didn't plan on buying anything but when I saw this, I just had to get it...it's pink plus the intertwined Gs shaped like a heart is a sure win!

Since I already got myself an early Christmas gift, this is my super early birthday gift for myself - yes, I really have to justify this purchase! On a side note, this will be my last major buy for this year...I've splurged so much already! ;)

My Best Friend's Wedding Part 2

2011-12-17T18:12:00.034-06:00

The main event of my weekend trip to Jakarta is to attend Andrea and Rony's wedding. As promised, I'll fly to wherever they are just to be with them on their special day - just as I promised Cristy when she had her wedding in the US a couple of months back. So here I am with just a handful of her family and friends to share this moment with my best friend.

Rachelle and I got in by midnight last night thru PAL but we still had to wait for Andrea's brother, cousin and aunts who took the Cebu Pacific flight. Their flight was supposed to arrive the same time as ours but unfortunately, they were an hour delayed so it wasn't until past 1am when we finally headed to the hotel. The bride was still up when we got to the hotel and after some catching up, it was already close to 4am and we had to get up in just a few hours for the 10am wedding!

The wedding was held at the Orkid which was just across the Merlynn Park Hotel where we were staying.

Just like any other bride, Andrea was blooming that day...

The actual wedding was attended just by us who flew from Manila and Rony's immediate family. I just learned when we arrived that the reception wasn't until 7pm and that's when all the other guests would be around. I'm a sucker for weddings...I always cry whenever the bride starts to walk down the aisle and this was no exception. Her parents weren't able to make it (they're in the US and couldn't fly out) so it was her twin brother, Miguel, who walked her down the aisle.

The wedding ceremony was in Bahasa though, so we really didn't understand what's going on except for their vows which thankfully, they said in English. Unlike a Catholic wedding, they didn't have the cord, veil and candle ceremony. The exchange of rings was there and there were a lot of prayers and blessings in between...

This part we understood...you may now kiss the bride!

After the ceremony, we headed back to the hotel to rest, get some sleep again (we only had 3 hours of sleep last night!) and recharge for the big party that night. By 7pm, we went back to the Orkid which was now beautifully dressed up in different shades of orange and peach...

I loved how their prenup pictures were displayed amidst the fall background (by the way, it's customary in Indonesia to be in your wedding gown for the prenup pictures)...

The main ballroom was a sight to see! They weren't kidding when they said that the reception was grand!

The couple was a perfect picture of happiness as they walked in...

The wedding traditions were done before dinner was served. There was the cutting of the cake...

The pouring of the wine...

and their first dance (which we learned wasn't usually done in Indonesia but they put it in anyway)...

It was indeed a perfect night filled with much love and happiness and I'm glad that I flew all the way to Indonesia to be part of this special day.

Congratulations Andrea and Rony! :)

hello siri!

2011-12-16T10:47:00.004-06:00

Item #1 from my wish list is now a check! Mike was unsuccessful in getting an open line one in Hongkong - it's out of stock at the Apple store, so I renewed my contract with Globe and got the 32GB in white:

And of course, I just had to dress it up in pink!

I have to wait though til next week before I could use this since I'll be going to Jakarta tonight and won't have enough time to transfer all the stuff from my old iPhone. Can't wait to meet Siri! ;)

weekend trip

2011-12-15T10:27:00.004-06:00

I'm off to another weekend trip and this time I'll be going to Jakarta to attend one of my best friend's wedding. It's gonna be my first time in Indonesia and I really don't know what to expect...the wedding for one will be something new as it's my first time to witness an Indonesian ceremony. I only have 2 days there so things will be pretty tight but hopefully, I'd get the chance to go around even for a bit (and maybe squeeze in a little shopping as well!). One thing is for sure though...whether we end up touring the city or just catch up over a cup of coffee, Andrea and I will surely have a blast :)

mickey and minnie

2011-12-11T00:00:00.003-06:00

Bringing in some holiday cheer into my room :)

Cait turns 2!

2011-12-10T19:50:00.004-06:00

Happy 2nd birthday to my beautiful niece, Caitlin! We'll surely miss you when you and your mommy and daddy moves back to Cebu. Come back soon! :)

getting started

2011-12-10T09:16:00.004-06:00

With just about 2 weeks to go before Christmas, I braved the holiday crowd and started my Christmas shopping. I went to Rustan's last night after work and then to Eastwood this afternoon and I'm off to a good start! I'm now done buying presents for all the kids - I can now cross off the nieces, nephews and godchildren from my list. I'm just about 1/3 done though and the hard part is yet to come - buying gifts for my family and friends. At least for the kids, I just had to stick to the toy stores but for the rest in my list, goodluck! But despite the crazy holiday shoppers, long lines, crowded malls and what not, I'm loving every minute of it! :)

snowflakes

2011-12-10T09:08:00.005-06:00

I took a break from my Christmas shopping and had my nails done for the holidays...i'm loving the snowflakes! :)

holiday bearistas

2011-12-09T09:51:00.006-06:00

I've been collecting the Starbucks Bearista bears for a couple of years now and I have quite a few. A few years back, Starbucks used to release a new bear almost every month but lately, the new bears only come out during special occasions like Christmas, New Year, Valentine's and Halloween. And since it's the holidays, I took out my Christmas bears and placed them around the family room:

I didn't realize I have a collected a good number of the holiday bears over the years :)

planners

2011-12-08T00:00:00.004-06:00

With the little one still sleeping (I promised to bring him to Rustan's after his nap), I had a few spare hours so I decided to do a little spring cleaning - I know, it's waaaaay overdue but I've been really busy! The stuff from my old office was still lying around my room so I sorted them out and in one of the bags were these:

Yes, the Starbucks planners since it started in 2004! I have all the planners since it was released (have to find the one for 2010 though...I'm pretty sure it's here somewhere) and I'm now realizing how much coffee I had to buy just to get the planner each year. Come to think of it, the planner doesn't come cheap since you need to get about 15+ drinks (roughly about P2000) before you could get one.

I think I'm gonna be more practical this year. With the closest Starbucks about 2 blocks away from the office, we don't go there often anymore so I don't think I can complete the stickers on time this year. Right now, I only have 6 stickers and I need about 10 more! I'll most probably just buy a planner from somewhere else but then again, there are still a couple of days of December left. I still have time to get some coffee! ;)

pinkberry!

2011-12-07T23:56:00.003-06:00

First it was Jamba Juice, and now Pinkberry is here as well! I no longer need to wait for my US vacay to get my fix of fro-yo - watermelon with mangoes for me! If only Coldstone will have a local franchise, that would be the cherry on top :)

light show

2011-12-07T10:05:00.007-06:00

Our India manager is in town for a short visit and since he'll be leaving already tomorrow, we decided to take him out for the night for dinner at Cyma in Greenbelt and to see the light show at the Ayala Triangle. We've been telling him how Christmas is a big thing here so we wanted to show him how festive things can really be. Lyn, Ros, Eli and I haven't seen the lights yet so we were also looking forward to it.

The light show starts at 6pm then every hour after until 9pm. We got there right on time for the first show. We just had about a minute to spare as we picked a good spot. And in fairness, it was really worth seeing! Raj (our manager) was in awe and so were we!

I'd love to come back with the little one next time...I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy it! :)

Oracle family

2011-12-07T09:06:00.004-06:00

My Oracle Manila family with Raj - our India manager who's visiting for the week, and Rosh - our HR rep. Work is fun when you're with friends :)

Christmas is in the air

2011-12-06T09:20:00.006-06:00

Christmas is just 19 days away! Things have been quite busy lately and for the first time, we only finished putting up the tree today - usually it's up by the 1st of December.

It's all about Christmas angels and all things glittery...

The decorations inside the house and the lights outside are still in progress but hopefully it will all be done by the end of the week.

Coming home to a very festive house really put me into the holiday spirit but I'm now on panic mode since I haven't started my Christmas shopping yet! I can just never do away with last minute holiday preps...goodluck to me!

mint overload

2011-12-05T07:21:00.005-06:00

I went gaga over the chocolates while in Singapore...so much mint! And of course, I just had to get a little of everything ;)

happiness in a box

2011-12-04T07:14:00.004-06:00

I didn't buy anything else in Singapore except for an early Christmas gift for myself from Tiffany's! The little blue box never fails to make me happy. Item #5 in my wish list - check!

time off

2011-11-30T09:20:00.005-06:00

With only about 3 hours before I leave, I'm finally ready. I'm actually surprised that there's still lots of space in my luggage! I have this feeling though that I forgot something but then again, that gives me a reason to shop (thus, the extra luggage space)! :) A couple of days away with my travel buddies is just about right to kick off the holiday season. If this would be like our Hongkong trip last year, then it will surely be a blast! :) See you in a few days, Manila! :)

last minute

2011-11-30T09:14:00.005-06:00

My flight's in just a couple of hours and I haven't packed anything yet! My things are a mess and I haven't figured out which clothes to bring. I'm usually more organized whenever I travel but I was out the whole day and got home by night time already. Good thing this is just a weekend trip and I'm limited to just a 15kg luggage. I can do this!

parol

2011-11-27T07:20:00.002-06:00

The little one had an assignment last Friday to bring a parol to school which will be used to decorate the classroom for the holidays. When I got home, I asked him about it...

Me: Did teacher like the parol you brought to school?

Gabby: Huh? What parol?

Me: The one that mommy bought for you. Remember the big colorful star?

Gabby: I didn't bring a parol to school.

Me: But that's your assignment, right? Mommy even put it in a plastic bag so you can carry it.

Gabby: Oh! You mean the lantern? It's a lantern Nang-nang. I brought a lantern to school. Teacher liked it! She said it was beautiful!

My bad! Lantern nga naman hindi parol! Goodluck when he starts studying Filipino!

The Magic of the Boy Who Lived

2011-11-26T07:06:00.022-06:00

Since the last installment of the Deathly Hallows came out, I've been waiting for the release of the complete collection of the Harry Potter movies but I was disappointed when it finally came out in Amazon. I was expecting a special edition box set with all the extras and special features but what came out was simply an 8-disc set of the movies with NO extras! The packaging wasn't even special. Very disappointing indeed.

Amazon UK on the other hand had a special edition, limited number release of the complete series containing 19 discs - a blu-ray and DVD version of each movie plus 3 discs filled with special features. That's what I like! But getting it is out of the question...no idea how I'd have it shipped! Sadness again.

I've read somewhere that Warner Brothers will actually release the ultimate box set (which is waaaay better than what's currently released in the US) but not until the end of 2012! I was resigned to wait for another year until I heard that there's a version similar to the one in UK, which was just released here in Manila a couple of weeks ago. After some researching, I learned that there were only 100 pieces of it distributed to the Odyssey and Astrovision branches all throughout Manila - and most of it were already reserved. Waaah! I so wanted to get my hands on it!

I tried the Astrovision branch in Festival Mall the other day and in Greenbelt yesterday but they were out of stock already. I was in Town earlier and just for the heck of it, I checked out Odyssey though I wasn't expecting that they'd have it...but lo and behold, I was in luck! It was the last stock (only 3 were delivered to that branch) so with no second thoughts, I got it. The complete series comes in this beautiful box...

There's also a certificate authenticating that the copy I had is the 59th out of the 100 numbered editions:

Here's what's inside:

16 discs of Harry Potter magic! Each movie comes with a Special Features disc...

And there's a 48-page album (which looks the same as the one that Hagrid gave Harry at the end of the 1st film) with photos from the 8 films. This doesn't do justice to the actual album where the pictures are printed in a beautiful glossy finish...

It also comes with a bonus DVD about the making of the Deathly Hallows Part 2:

It's quite pricey at P5,500 but so worth it! A must-have for any Harry Potter fan :)

more mint!

2011-11-25T07:20:00.002-06:00

I just love Christmas mint chocolates! :)

6 months

2011-11-23T05:50:00.004-06:00

Exactly 6 months ago, on May 23, I started my new adventure as I stepped into the building of my new work - it was my first day at Oracle. Together with my officemates from my previous work, we were all excited to start on something new.

From Day 1, we knew that it was indeed the right move. The timing was just perfect and since then, we never looked back. Working with people you get along with is a big thing, but what makes it better is actually working with your friends and enjoying what you're doing. And I got all of that.

Work has been a continuous learning experience and things can get challenging but what makes this different this time around is that I like it. Despite the deadlines and all the things we need to accomplish, we never felt stressed (except when dealing with our counterparts who insist that they are right when obviously they are not!) nor overworked. We just finished this big development effort and we are now currently in System and Integration testing and yet, we never had to work overtime - a far cry from where we came from where we would have pulled an all-nighter just to meet the deadline.

Waking up early on weekdays is no longer a struggle. I come in with a smile on my face and go home still feeling happy, knowing that I finished what needs to be done and have accomplished a lot of things during the day. And of course, a big plus is that the sun is still shining brightly as I step out of the building - I rarely got that before. THIS is how work should be - it should not feel like something that you are just forced to do.

And today marks our 6th month which means we are now officially regular employees! We were just talking about it earlier and we all felt the same thing - it didn't feel like 6 months have already passed. Time really flies fast when you're having fun! And with how things are going, we're all looking forward with what's up ahead.

This is indeed one decision I won't regret ;)

Xbox and the little one Part 3

2011-11-22T05:34:00.006-06:00

I came home to the little one playing this Harry Potter Lego game on the Xbox...

Gabby: Nang-nang, come play with me!

I sat down beside him and he excitedly handed me the controller.

Gabby: You need to get all the gold coins and use the wand, ok?

Me: Uh ok, you teach me (this was the first time that I played this game and had no idea how it works)

I was able to get the coins but apparently, I had to do this wand thingy so I could get more (how should I know?!)

Gabby: (sighs in frustration) Not like that, Nang-nang!

He then looks at his nanny...

Gabby: Yaya, get the controller and play with me. Nang-nang doesn't know how!

So there, I got scolded again by a 3-year old. Lessons learned: never play xbox with the little one again!

a night with Roarke

2011-11-21T08:45:00.002-06:00

A nice glass of Merlot + the 2nd book of the In Death series = my kind of Monday night...oh Roarke, you're keeping me up late again!

Empire

2011-11-19T08:46:00.005-06:00

For the past Saturdays, I'd usually find myself at the condo while my mom and brother work at the site in QC. But before heading to Eastwood to drop me off, we'd usually pass by Mercato Centrale first at the Fort for lunch. One of my favorite dessert stalls there is Empire where I can get my fix of yummy french macarons but a couple of months back, they moved to the midnight Mercato and I haven't seen them on the morning slot for quite some time already.

So I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the familiar packaging this morning:

They're back! I've been macarons-deprived for over a month now so I got a box of my favorites:

Pistachio, Salted Caramel, Triple Chocolate, Hazelnut and Cookies and Cream...yum! These would satisfy my cravings for a couple of days ;)

purple nails

2011-11-19T07:54:00.000-06:00

It's mani-pedi time once again and this time around, I didn't go for my regular pink shade and got the purple one instead...I likey! :)

white

2011-11-19T00:08:00.000-06:00

Got myself a little treat today...this time in white :)

a date with the vampires

2011-11-18T09:04:00.006-06:00

I've been so bad with watching movies in the big screen this year. I can maybe count with both hands (or maybe even with just 1!) the number of movies I've seen. The last one was Real Steel with Fro last month in Minneapolis. And before that, I think it was the last installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...that was ages ago!

So when I learned that the first part of Breaking Dawn is showing this week, I convinced my brother and his girlfriend to watch it with me - quite ironic when I actually hated the book version of this installment. I liked the first 3 books in the series but not the last one - I remember I was in Minneapolis for a vacation when the last book came out and I dragged Osang and Ling to Target (or was it Barnes?) so that I could get a copy of the book on the first day it was released. But it was a letdown for me...the series should have ended with Eclipse.

But then again, it's Edward and Jacob so even if the movie sucks, at least there's some eye candy to compensate for that :) There's also this one scene I was curious in seeing - Fro and Scott told me about it and I was surprised that they, of all people, were aware of it (I knew it, Daddy and Mommy are Twilight fans! hahaha)! So with my fix of Tater's sour cream popcorn with extra butter, I expected not to like the movie.

But surprisingly, the movie wasn't that bad! I actually kinda liked it! I liked the wedding part (and ok, Edward was pretty hot in the honeymoon scenes...hihihi) and the ending was pretty cool - just right to end Part 1. This is the only time I'd say that the movie version is better than the book! I now want to re-read it and give it another chance...I might like it the second time around.

Not bad for my Friday movie 'date'. Who knows when I'd be able to watch another one again, but I'll definitely watch Part 2 of the finale...whenever that may be ;)

busy december

2011-11-13T02:22:00.004-06:00

I usually start my Christmas shopping not until December (oh yes, last minute shopping it is!). With my upcoming trips next month, I was checking my calendar and I'm suddenly on panic mode when I realized that I only have 1 free weekend to do my shopping! I'll be in Singapore on the 1st weekend, then in Jakarta on the 3rd...which leaves me just the 2nd weekend of December to complete my holiday preps! Waaah! Unless I'm able to shop abroad, I better get a head start as early as next week! I still have no idea what to get my family, officemates and relatives...better complete that list ASAP!

mint!

2011-11-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas is really just around the corner and this is one of the things I love about the holiday season - mint chocolates and make that Andes' Peppermint Crunch :)

jamba-fied!

2011-11-11T07:40:00.006-06:00

Jamba Juice just opened today at BHS! This was our default breakfast place back in the Twin Cities (berry topper with extra granola!) and our sure hangover cure after a night out in downtown.

Ros and I went after work - we simply can't let this day pass without our Jamba fix!

Orange dream machine is indeed a winner and we can now have it anytime we want :)

...coz I can't wait

2011-11-09T07:31:00.004-06:00

My 'low EQ-ness' hit me. I just pre-ordered item #2 in my wish list! :) I asked my ex-officemate Icko if he'll be going home for Christmas - he said yes and he was more than willing to bring home my new toy! Yey! This will not be released until the end of the month so the timing's perfect. Excited much! :)

wish list update

2011-11-08T07:40:00.013-06:00

Time to make my Christmas wish list! I was able to cross off some items from my previous wish lists so an update is in order. I'm still recovering though from my shopping spree in the US just a couple of weeks ago and I still have 2 trips next month (Singapore and Jakarta) so it seems this will literally be just wishful thinking for now...

1. iPhone 4s in white - my phone really needs an upgrade already. There's now a noticeable lag when opening apps and new messages (to think that I'm only using 16gb out of the 32gb capacity), and the touch screen is not that responsive anymore. I can't even update the apps anymore - it takes so many tries just for 1 download to be complete. Upgrading to OS5 is definitely out of the question. I've held off from getting the iPhone 4 before coz I wanted it in white and by the time the white one came out, hello 4s! And this time, it's really a necessity already. I'm counting on Mike to get me an open line one in Hongkong, just in time when he comes home in December.

*****

2. Kindle Touch 3G - this is really just a 'want'. I'm pretty much happy with my current Kindle but a touch screen one? I likey! And it's pretty cheap for only $150. There's also the Kindle Fire version (similar to the Nook Color) but I want my ebook reader to be just that - an ebook reader. No frills, no extra apps and what not. And this baby is all I need. :)

*****

3. Sony Cybershot TX55 - I'm just a point-and-shoot gal and I'm all for convenience - the smaller the better! I want a cam that I can easily fit into my bag or slip in my pocket especially when I'm out traveling. My current TX1 does the job pretty nicely but seeing that this is just half an inch thick and 16 mega-pixels at that, I want!

See how thin it is:

It doesn't come in pink though but the silver one above is pretty sleek and the violet one is nice as well:

Decisions, decisions!

*****

4. Louis Vuitton monogram bag - I initially didn't want to get one in Monogram that's why I got my Neverfull in Damier Ebene and my Speedy in Damier Azur. But thinking about it now, the classic monogram is pretty nice! I'd be happy with any of these...

the Montorgueil:

or the Totally:

Hmm, there's this new LV store in Singapore, right? ;)

*****

5. Tiffany and Co. heart necklace - I originally wanted to get the Return to Tiffany heart tag key one but when I saw it in person, the heart pendant was just too big and the key was too small for it. I want something simpler for everyday use and I've narrowed it down to these...

the Paloma Picasso Loving Heart pendant:

or the Paloma's Venezia Goldoni heart pendant:

Better check them out in person again and see which one's better :)

*****

6. Tag Heuer Aquaracer in pink - I haven't given up on this just yet. I'll have this sooner or later ;)

*****

There's still my birthday next year and I don't have to get them all at once (I now have something to work for for next year!) but who knows, Santa might grant at least one of them soon enough! ;)

100 things that make me happy - Part 10

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-06:00

I forgot about this already! So here's the last set to complete the 100 things that make me happy...

91. A good massage - I don't often get massages (I'm pretty ticklish and it's hard to find just the right one that won't give me a laughing fit), but when I do find one which is just right, it's the perfect way to end a tiring day.

92. TV nights - may it be a TV marathon of my favorite series or watching a movie at home, I like staying up late when there's no work the next day and a nice glass of shiraz and some cheese dip makes it perfect (a comfy couch and a soft blankie is a plus!)

93. Impromptu trips - the spur-of-the-moment unplanned vacations usually end up better than planning one for months which takes forever to push through.

94. Fancy dinner - it's nice to dress up for a fancy dinner with the company of people who matters the most.

95. Fall - my favorite season! I love it when the leaves change colors and the weather's starting to get colder. It also means that Christmas is just around the corner :)

96. Hugs - who doesn't like hugs?

97. Kisses - same thing with hugs ;)

98. Christmas list - may it be my own wish list or for my family and friends, making my Christmas list never fails to put me in the holiday spirit.

99. Holding hands - such a simple yet sweetest thing

100. Live, laugh, love - waking up to a brand new day and finding happiness even on the simplest of things :)