Shopping, Cinemalaya & Banoffee Pie

Whew! What a super tiring but nevertheless FUN day!

Today I...

...went by the Boyfriend's house...just to see him! :) He took a day off. We're having a bit of a misunderstanding but happy to report that all is well. I just spent a few minutes watching Avatar with him before he went off to play basketball and I...

...took off to meet Brizie in Greenhills to shop. Brizie is the perfect shopping buddy because she doesn't get easily tired going through everything. I love shopping with her. We share the same love for flea markets and together, we make a great bargaining team. However, she already beat me to a number of really good thrift finds! She came from Cubao earlier that day and went to a thrift store there (or better known as ukay ukay here in the Philippines) and showed up with a really big plastic bag (the kind that has red stripes) full of ukay clothes. Before attacking Greenhills, we spent time inside my car to go through her loot. She brought out chiffon tops, a leopard-print cardi, plain cardis, flowy shirts and even this awesome violet blazer jacket that has black studs on it. Sweet! And for how much? Just Php 110 for each item. *fist pump*

After that, we went inside Greenhills Shopping Center.

Greenhills is a mecca of really cheap but quality finds--it's stall after stall of clothes, shoes, bags, furniture, accessories and even food.

But after seeing Brizie's loot, nothing seemed to appeal to me. Everything seemed blah and expensive. We decided, after going around, to go back to Cubao and go thrift shopping. But not without buying anything. Hehe.

These shoes were originally priced at PhP 1,000+. But today they were on sale! Buy 1 take 1 for PhP 700. If only for a pair, get them at PhP 450. Brizie found them while waiting for me. Lucky for her, I loved them too so we were able to avail of the B1T1 price. :)


Hello my love!
I totally love the color and the details on the wedge. They're pretty light to walk around in, too!

P.S.: I was also able to score a couple of plain shirts which I am currently collecting. Anyway, after that, Brizie and I...

...went to Cubao to attack the thrift stores. Going through the clothes in a thrift store can most of the time be overwhelming. You have to have the energy for it. Today I was furious. I want new clothes badly! So off I went digging for fabulous finds in a mountain of patterns, textures and colors.

Our main reason for patronizing thrift clothes is...everything's unique! Most of the clothes possess that vintage flair you want all your clothes to have. It's like wearing a secret no one else knows. And after a few washes with a strong detergent and fabric softener, they should be germ-free and ready to roll.

Anyway, I scored seven items--light cardigans and plain tops--all in some shade of gray.

When it comes to fashion, Brizie refers to me as safe because I tend to gravitate towards the basics. Which is true. I love my blacks, grays and whites.

We would really love to look around more (the place is HUGE) but we didn't have much time then. We had to go and meet our friend Pam at the U.P. Film Institute to watch a Cinemalaya feature film. So off we went and...

...saw Si Techie, Si Teknoboy at Si Juana B--a short movie produced by a group of young filmmakers. Unfortunately, we got caught in traffic and got in late so we were only able to watch a bit of the ending (which makes me ineligible to give a review).

First photo: The director and some of the cast answering questions from...
Second photo: the crowd.

After the movie, we all got hungry so we...

...went to Banapple in Katipunan and killed the night eating, catching up and laughing out loud--just like the old times. :)

Pam drove my car. I was seriously biting my nails in anxiety. Hehe.

Welcome to Banapple Kitchen.
We ordered a slice of their signature Banoffee pie, a slice of Myster-Reese and a plate of hickory steak. Yum yum yum!

Catching up.

Yeahooo!

Pinstriped top: St. Francis Square
Shorts: St. Francis Square
Shoes: SM Dept. Store (a gift from Brizie!)
Belt: Cinderella

And now I bid you all goodnight! Tomorrow will be another story to tell. :)

Some Chelsea Goodness

I couldn't be more excited for what's lined up for me and my friends this week--I need to go out! Seriously, I've been cooped up too long and although I so love the indoors, I long for the outdoors too.

It's funny that I have all this gallivanting planned, though. Last weekend, the Boyfriend and I had a series of fights due to the unexplainable crappy mood I've been feeling. (I was having PMS and will be on super sungit mode at random times). I know how annoying that can be for guys but sorry to say it can't be helped. At least, not with me. Heh. The Boyfriend thought it was because I'm getting too tired of his company since he's all I'm seeing lately (but really, it was just PMS. I wanted attention and he's the only person who can give it to me. Hehe.) So he suggested that maybe I should go out with my friends to be with other people aside from him. He basically called me crazy but the idea appealed to me. Not to say I agreed with what he said (that I find his company tiresome) but I realized that I miss my friends and I do want to see them. *Of course, the boyfriend is more than welcome to come along if he wants. :)*

Today, I went out to see my old MGM workmates to celebrate my boss's (Ms. Tere's) birthday. She treated us to a scrumptious dinner at Chelsea Market and Cafe at the Serendra Piazza in Taguig. (Yes, this girl will drive a long way for food.) It was good seeing them all again and we had fun catching up and reliving funny memories in the office amidst the seriously good food. The ride home was a crack up with Ms. Len divulging MGM's "well-kept" secrets.

The MGM gang a.k.a. Team PG (Team Patay Gutom)

What can you say as our CEO gives the peace sign? ^^

Birthday girl and her lovely family! (with peeking employees as background)

Ms. T's best friends plus me and Ms. Len!

Clams, Arugula Salad, Pasta Carbonara, Seafood Pasta

Meat pizza, fish and chicken and chips

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MS. T! ALL THE BEST IN LIFE! :)

Funny yet sweet moment:
Tristan (coming from the pastry shop across Chelsea): I have four chicken pies for my best friends!
And he gave one to his lola, one to his mom, another to Shine and one to ME! :)

And of course, Shine and I took advantage of the moment to bring out our inner "kabaduyan" and took pictures outside the restaurant.

Heehee.

I had fun planning my outfit so here are the details:

Plain black tee: some night market
Leopard skirt: David Paul New York
Gladiator sandals: Just G
Belt: Forever 21
Bag (as seen from previous photos): online

Watch out for my next night/day out with friends!

9th

July 17, 2010
Me and the Boyfriend celebrated our 9th month together--by pigging out and taking goofy pictures of ourselves. We're such geeks. :)

We both agreed it was a memorable night. We were fighting in the middle of dinner. Erm...blame it on PMS. Boo.


Anyway, hope everyone had a nice weekend!

Amazing Acrylic Nails!

Last Thursday (July 15) found me modeling for a friend taking up nail tech lessons in Makati. I was a bit nervous because since my friend is not one to be called yet an expert in nail service, I couldn't help but think that my nail beds may be in for serious damage. But I was excited at the same breath because my friend was learning powder acrylic nail application that day and I was about to be the guinea pig for it.

Short definition: Acrylic material nails are such nails that look and feel just like natural nails. These are artificially designed nails that can be pasted onto your existing naturally growing, nails. These artificial nails are made up by mixing together a particular kind of powder and a specific liquid.

Here's how it went: (photos courtesy of the world wide web)

1. First, my friend got my nail measurements by trying on fake nail tips on my actual nails. He then proceeded to glue them using Mighty Bond. (ack!)

This is how the nail tips look like. You glue the ends on the tips of your nails.

2. I seriously thought my friend would leave them that long and I got a bit alarmed. If my nails were to become this long, they'll definitely get in my way. (Imagine text messaging with those long nails!) So I was relieved when my friend took out an acrylic nail clipper and cut the fake nails to my desired length.

3. After cutting, the next step is to harden the artificial nails onto the actual nails by using acrylic gel, or in my case powder acrylic. My friend dipped a nail brush into acrylic liquid and scooped a bit of the powder which turned into a gel-ish substance. My friend then put the substance on a nail and evened it out with the fake nail. My friend did this with all my nails.

Acrylic gel application.

4. Next, he filed and buffed my nails to perfectly even out the surface. At this point, you can well mistake the artificial nails as real ones. A-may-zing!

5. Lastly, he applied clear nail polish to finish the look.

I refuse to post a picture of my real nails because I wasn't blessed with girly hands but this is pretty much how they look like now.
Insta-French tips!!!

To have the fake nails removed, my friend told me that they would have to nail file them all off. Tedious eh?

Originally, the service of having acrylic nails applied costs around PhP 1,300 - PhP 2,000. Lucky I got to have it for free...plus I was able to help out a friend. :)

For those interested, feel free to call/visit:

OPTIMA NAIL ART & BEAUTY CENTER
G-3. 108 BSA Tower. Legaspi ST. Legaspi Village. Makati City. Philippines.
TEL：8436065 & 9864273　
FAX：8436065
EMAIL：optimanailart@yahoo.com
www.optimanails.com
Business hours: 9:00AM-10:00PM(MON-SAT) 9:00AM-8:00PM(SUN)

The Room Makeover That Was

Fast forward to the present. My room has recently gone under a paint redo and I was so pleased with the results I decided to de-clutter and throw away useless stuff I tend to keep in the process. (Pack rat much?) I've been wanting change in there since forever! Plus, my dad had someone make me a most coveted furniture. (Curious, curious. What could it be?) Read on to find out. :)


1. TV area - this is where I keep all my VCDs and DVDs (both pirated and original. hehe.). And my TV of course.

BEFORE

I'm a messy person, yes. Notice the white walls and the floral curtain. So blah.

Watching One Tree Hill. Beside my TV stand is my el cheapo shoe cabinet. And beside my shoe cabinet are more pairs of shoes in individual cases. Evidently, I have a hard time keeping them in there.

AFTER

*Shimmer SFX* I still used the same TV stand but I inherited shelves from our sala. (I made the other one lie on its side for added arte--saw this from a home styling magazine.) In there I placed my collection of pretty tins, my craft box (yes, I'm into arts and crafts) and other "kalats" I have.
On top of the shelves are picture frames, stuffed toys and my 2 pet turtles, Abercrombie and Fitch. :)

Of course I had to keep my coolio electric fan because it's hotness in here. But I changed my curtains into plain, light ones. The floral curtains are much too "girly" for the new wall color now... And because they got damaged in the wash. :/

2. Vanity dresser and wardrobe - girl stuff and clothes!

BEFORE

Too much stuff in here! As you can see, that's where the other shelf used to be. It held some of my accessories like drop earrings, watches, headbands, necklaces, sunnies, etc. My dresser houses my toiletries, make-up and MORE accessories. I even stashed shoe boxes underneath it. Hay stress.

My wardrobe. Again, the blah color. Plus I hated this kind of design on its door because I find difficulty in dusting it (when I'm in the mood). Notice the lack of door handles. Thus the jeans hanging on the cabinet door itself. Horrific!

AFTER

I had my dresser and wardrobe repainted too--in lilac to compliment my burgundy walls. Less stuff, see? I did away with having everything exposed and stashed them all in tins, pretty boxes and baskets.

I also had the doors to my wardrobe changed to something simpler and easier to clean. And hooray for door handles!

3. Study/work area - (I'm skipping my bed because the reason why the AFTER photos are so orderly is because I threw all the "unnecesseties" on it. Heh. And not much change in there anyway save the wall color.)

BEFORE

Eek! How did I ever live in this mess?!

Haha, Kitty used to live in my shelves. :) *missing the creature so much!* The white paint has yellowed over the years. Disgusting!

Mess, mess and more mess!

AFTER

I wanted this shelf to look "calm" so I just put books and pictures in it. However, I can't bear to throw away my Hello Kitty goodies. (But sadly, no more Kitty.) Notice the free shelf. Anyone, feel free to fill it with books.

Now I've mentioned that my dad had me made a furniture I've been coveting for the longest time. Since I don't attend school anymore, there really is no need for a study table. Right? So we transformed my desk into a...SHOE CABINET! Dundundundun!

BEFORE

I used to house my shoes in this el cheapo cabinet my dad got from Ever G's department store.

But since not all can fit in there, I bought these clear, plastic shoe boxes to store the rest. And truthfully, there are more under my dresser and behind my bedroom door.

AFTER

Ta-dah! It's not exactly the design I had in mind. I originally wanted to do away with the boxes. But my mom argued that the boxes will help keep the shoes clean. (Sige na nga.) And space problem hasn't been entirely solved (I had to store 2 pairs in one box to fit them all in the cabinet. Plus I kept pairs I occasionally use in boxes inside my wardrobe). But I'm super happy with it! A shoe cabinet, after all, is still a shoe cabinet to any shoe lover. (Erm if that makes sense.)

Hello my loves. Happiness! :)

Sleepover anyone? ;)

Let's Bring it Back

I just remembered something and although it's old news, I'd have to argue its blog-worthiness: KRIS CAME FOR A VISIT!

Background: Kris is a buddy from college. She left for UAE 2 years ago (July 2008) to be with her family, find work and stay there for good. Sad sad. We didn't know when she'd be able to go back here, even for a visit. But surprise! This year found her coming to the Philippines for a short but sweet stay because her brother is getting married! (Marriages aren't honored in the Middle East, according to mi mom so they had it here instead.)

Anyway, we didn't waste time and met her on the day of her arrival. (Perfect timing that it was Karen's birthday celebration at The Reserve that night as well.) I haven't seen the girls in such a long time. Even Dacie came, which is a a surprise, since she's been so busy with motherhood. Needless to say, it was a reunion of sorts. I loved every minute of it!

Souvenir shot! :) Happy birthday Ka! Welcome back Kris!

The second time we went out was to put together two things we most love: each others' company and...VIDEOKE! To really celebrate her "comeback," Kris treated the whole gang to a Persian food fest at Mr. Kabab. Right after, we went to Center Stage in Tomas Morato for some good ol' karaoke, where I might add, everyone got a bit rowdy. GOOD TIMES!

After downing some serious Persian goodness at Mr. Kabab.

Partying at Center Stage! Sorry we had to partly hide your face, Kris. Teehee.

And since it's still summer at the time, our third, and sadly our last destination with Kris was a no-brainer. We went to Camayan Beach Resort all the way in Subic to enjoy the sun. :)

Group shot!!!

Whoever said you can't shoot in your bathing suit?!

Before heading back to Manila :(

Le sigh. I miss the girls. And Kris--now that she's back in UAE. Oh well, there's that house warming party Karen and Iyett are having to look forward to. :)

Where Were We?

Harhar. So I haven't really gotten around to updating this thing. But now that I'm unemployed and NOT actively seeking a job, it's safe to say I have more time on my hands. A lot actually. Sometimes too much but I'm not really complaining. I'm taking my time and being picky because honestly, I want my next job to be my last. And before that happens, I'd like to make use of all this "free time" to do stuff I enjoy like reading, watching movies and blogging. (Nerdy, I know. But to each her own happiness. Heh.)

Crash update!

Since my last day of work on the last day of May (and more about that later), I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital (in Marikina Valley Medical Center). Nah, I'm not sick. But my grandpa's been admitted in their ICU for more than a month now for difficulties in breathing. I've been helping out my Auntie Susan in keeping up with doctor's reports and buying medicine and toiletries. I'm happy to say that my lolo's pretty stable right now and I pray it stays that way. Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery! :)

First photo: That's us hanging out and playing with baby TF in our hospital room while lolo's down in the ICU.
Second photo: When lolo was brought up in the room, baby TF was able to meet him and give him his lurve! :)

My Auntie Eva came for a month-long visit as well all the way from Saudi. It's a vacation, supposedly, but her arrival was also timely due to lolo's condition. But amidst making sure our lolo got well, me and the rest of the family still got to get together for lunches and dinners, visit Ate Jac, Kuya Wendell and their baby at their home, and celebrate Father's day. Those were super fun!

This was before Auntie Eva headed back to Saudi. Had dinner with the whole fam plus the Boyfriend at Luyong in Marikina. Yum yum. Good ol' Chinese food!

I got a new digital camera! Actually, it's Auntie Eva's old camera, which I...erm..."inherited," so let's call it my new old camera. It's by Kodak, takes 7.1 mp photos and is wide-angled. (Sweet!) Not bad for a new old digicam eh? Watch out for future phlogs from moi. :)

Me and The Boyfriend? Still going. We're on our 8th month now and I couldn't be more happy still being with him. The thought of us makes me smile like this: ^______^

Please excuse the fugly faces.

...


Ulk, cheese.


On to other things:

- My puppy Popo turned one this year and we had a party for him. Lucky dawg!

The Boyfriend gave him that cheong sam as a gift. And the puppy groomers thought he was a girl and gave him that ribbon. Cute eh? :)

- My 24th birthday just came and went. I didn't do anything special, albeit all the teasing from my friends, because reality is I don't have the moolah to celebrate. Poor me. Sob sob. Spent most of the day with the Boyfriend eating Red Mango froyo and carbonara. Oh! My boss Ms. T hosted a dinner at her condo to celebrate. Roasted potatoes, bread salad, carbonara and steak. Yum yum! :)~

Team PG sans Shine. Plus the Boyfriend. Look at all the food... (Uhm what food?)

- Oh yeah. About quitting my job. Well...aside from recent and rather timely developments with the company, a larger part of my decision is due to environment fatigue. It just came to a point that my work became a chore--it bored the hell out of me. There was nothing left going for me. But I will never ever regret going on board MGM Advertising. Because I met great people! Me and my office mates, including my boss, manage to keep in touch and still go out for dinners from time to time. :))

At Johnny Rockets in Eastwood. Fries-all-you-can we LOVE! :)

- Brizie's 24th was celebrated at her house. Me and the Boyfriend bought her tequila and lemons. Booze, booze and more booze with our friends.
Highlight: Albert got her a Macbook. (Deym!)
Higher highlight: Pam Cruz came! Happy 3 Friends reunion!!!

A little background on what happened: Brizie, Pam and I used to be super duper tight as the Happy 3 Friends until we had a falling out two years ago. It became just me and Brizie after that. But a couple of weeks ago, Brizie saw Pam while attending Church and took it as a sign that maybe it's time to let go of the past and start anew. So Brizie sent her a message on Facebook yadda yadda yadda...and now we're all friends again! Brizie's party was the first time us three got together again after the long pause. We're planning to see a movie next (Step Up 3D). I absolutely cannot wait. Friday Night Habit is now officially reinstated! Wee!

Videoke is our HAPPINESS!!!

- Bedroom makeover! I used to have white everything in my room. BO-RRRRING! When the year started, my dad had the entire house's paintwork redone and he made us choose colors for our bedrooms. Exciting eh? I've always wanted dark colors for my room so I chose burgundy for my walls and lilac for my furniture. It came out great and as an honor, I will do a separate post for it. :)

What else? ... Uhm I can't think of anything off the top of my head. It's getting late as well so the brain is slowing down. Teehee. I will just have to get back to this for more updates--once I remember them.

Toodles for now! :-*