Paper Cut Project No. 1

I'm trying to channel my inner crafter, and turn my idle time into one of creative productivity. Our office operation has been suspended this morning due to the inclement weather here in Manila and since I was already wide awake, might as well get on with the project I have wanted to start with for so long: Paper Cutting!

With construction papers, X-acto, a metal ruler, and a cutting mat on hand, I put into production the concept I had while I was on my way home from work.



It also happened to be my BFF's birthday yesterday, so this was the design I had in mind with this first ever Paper Cut project. I obviously need to work on my cutting skills, but I think I have gotten the ropes of doing it, more or less.

Just when I think I have done something that I can be proud of, I see these amazing Paper Cut arts over at Pinterest!

With more practice, I'm pretty sure I'd get to come up with really amazing ones someday soon. Lao Tzu did say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step :)

I ABSpire!

I don't know what has gotten over me but when August has started, I suddenly feel like losing my belly fats. FOR REAL! I think it is after taking a bath one day and seeing my protruding stomach that I am shaken out of my reverie, and the feeling of determination to get rid of it once and for all has sunk in.

I have shared to Jen my plan, and she has told me about this 30-day crunch challenge, which I am, surprisingly, actually adhering to!



Before I started doing the challenge, I asked myself this: whose abs do you wish to have? I easily came up with three answers, and I would like to call them my ABSpirations! #badpun



I've always envied Nicole Scherzinger's abs in this Baby Love MV. Her tummy is flat, even if you look at it from the side! Oftentimes, I stand in front of the mirror and look at my tummy from the side, and I get disgusted at what I see. But hopefully, not anymore!



I never knew Krystal had such a gorgeous pack of abs. Well, that was until I saw this picture of hers and wanted to have them, too! My goal is to have a flat tummy, but getting a defined pack like Krytal's here would just be an added bonus.

And finally...



Sehun's tummy is the sexiest tummy out of all the male KPOP idols out there, ever (at least for me *wink*)! Sure, his tummy isn't as manly-looking as, say, that of the members of 2PM's, but his tummy is the kind that I'd like to have (I'd like my future chuva to have Taecyeon's or Chansung's abs, though).

I like to wear form-fitting tops but I have grown self-conscious every time I wear them because of my bulging tummy, and sucking it all in is hard to do.

I'm on Day 9 of the challenge now, and I sure am hoping that I have lessened my belly fats come Day 30. That is actually saying something because before when I do crunches or sit-ups, I stop at Day 2 and intentionally forget about doing it thereafter. LMAO.

If you have any other belly-buster regimens, please do let me know in the comment section below? :)

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It took a lot of will-power (and a mini coaching sesh from my voice of reason) to refrain myself from asking how things are going around you. My heart wanted so much to know that you are doing just fine, but my mind got the best of me, and I'd like to think that i pretty much did the right (and practical) thing.

I wanted to show you that I still care, because I do but I wasn't so sure that I want that anymore. You may not know it, but you had my heart in your hand. You were so unaware, that you didn't even have any idea that you were already tearing it to pieces.

Until it hurt so much that I just had to pull what's left of my heart from your hands. Because inasmuch as I loved you, I remembered loving me more.

I tried my best to make things good for you, and I hope that they will. I wish I could be there to smile at you when things fall into their rightful places, but I won't be.

I wont look back anymore. I'll be working on me now.

A blog in pictures: Coffee + Seoul = Perfection

See what my cousin Ginny has to say about Cafe De Seoul over here!

Chuvaness asks: What if you saw your ex?

I'm not sure I can legitimately answer this, but I had an ex-"love" anyway. And of course, I am talking about none other than the great #thewalls of Rafa.

I see him at random times and when it happens, I always get surprised to the point that my mind goes haywire. I cannot think of ways to handle the situation and I will always end up running towards the other direction, or pretending I didn't see him, or hiding. We did not break up, because there wasn't a relationship to break in the first place. He was, however, the greatest love of my life to date, and that is something that I cannot erase from myself no matter how hard I try. Seeing him reminds me of the joyous past, how things disintegrated, and how weirdly disconcerting it is, the way we act now as if we never knew each other (or worse: as if we had gone through the worst break-up ever). Those are probably the reasons why my mind goes nuts whenever I see him.

I'm not sure how I'd handle it if #thewalls suddenly surprises me with a visit. Or maybe I'd have the very same reaction Marina Abramovic had when she saw Ulay once more.


(learn a little bit about who Marina and Ulay were here)

My reactions on the video were:
1. The handsome guy at 0:50 (HELLO KUYA WHOEVER YOU ARE ANG GWAPO MO!!!)
2. OMG WAIT LANG!!! (When Ulay sat down in front of Marina)
3. HOSHIT! ;______; (When Marina opened her eyes, and a smile started creeping up her face)
4. ;___________________; (When Marina started tearing up)
5. ;___________________________; (When Marina reached out to Ulay)
6. /STABSSOMETHING (When Ulay left)

No words were said, but I felt the love they had for each other. I'm not sure what happened to them afterwards, if they ever got back together, or if they remained friends, but the 60 seconds I spent looking at their body languages, facial expressions, and the way their eyes spoke, made me wish that they get their respective happily ever afters, whether in each others' arms or not.

I hope I'll be as calm when a similar situations happens between me and #thewalls. I hope my mind will stop going haywire.

The 2013 Birthday Wishlist (The Materialistic Kind of Post)

This is me trying to cut down on being too materialistic, haha. Oh I want these for my birthday pretty please, Santa Claus? *puppy dog eyes*

(1) Day One for Mac - I have the Day One app for my iPad, and I'm hooked! I like journals, but I get too lazy and tired to write down my thoughts at the end of the day. This app helped me get back to journaling, and I cannot end a day without writing on it. Well, okay, I don't write on it every day, but at least I try to. I still like the good ol' pen and paper, but Day One, with its form and function, provides simplicity and ease of use, and these are the reasons why I have fallen in love with this app.

(2) Ascendo French-English Dictionary - You know that I am an etudiant de français, lol. I try to infuse the things I've learned from the French classes I took into my daily living so as not to forget, and this would be the perfect companion for that! How can I not want this when it has this function/feature? I just need this in my iPad, haha!

(3) iTunes Gift Card - Or I could buy myself Day One and/or Ascendo if I am gifted with an iTunes Gift Card instead? LMAO!

(4) Black Flipflops - Because black goes with just about any outfit and as Rain has put it, black looks good. *bricked*

(5) Blue Instax Mini 7S - Because I want this, and I need this in my life!

Hey! I can dream, can't I? ;)

Twenty three!

One of the things that Emily Owens and I share in common (aside from our humongous stupid crush on Will Collins) is that we both aren't birthday persons. I'm not one to make a fuss about my birthday because frankly, I don't think I am worth the fuss. I wake up on my birthday every year feeling great, like nothing can ever pull me down, or nothing can go wrong, or I can get away with anything, but I'm just a regular human being, and special treatments (because it's my birthday), while very much appreciated (I cannot stress this enough), are things I am not really used to getting.

But still, every year on my birthday, I am thankful. I am thankful that the Lord has given me yet another year to live; thankful that my mom and dad decided to have me, keep me and let me experience living life on this wonderful world; thankful for the family and friends that make life more enjoyable; thankful for experiences that educate me, experiences that quenches my thirst for knowledge and maturity.

Years back, I would make this mental list of things that I want to get for my birthday. Looking back at it, I feel so materialistic, lol. But hey, I am materialistic, though I am very much trying to minimize my being that. As I turn 23 (can I panic for a little bit?), I think my birthday wish list has become more mature (naks, pats myself in the back) because there is nothing that I want but...

Happiness, per se, is broad, too generic. If I am being specific, I want to be happy because my mom is healthy and is safe from evil and harm, and because I make her happy; I want to be happy because my dad is no longer stubborn, is finally determined to lose weight and get well; I want to be happy because my sister has finally graduated from college, and will start working soon, and is on her way to finding her own happiness; I want to be happy because I can go to Korea with my friends, or to Singapore with my family; I want to be happy because I can finally enroll myself in a Multimedia Arts course; I want to be happy because I can finally do the things that I want to do, things that I can say are worth my time, things that I am actually passionate about; I want to be happy because finally, I am in love with someone who is in love with me, too (now I know this is a tall, tall, very taaaaaaaaaaaaaall order).

I also wish for optimism. I will be happy. I'm on my way to happiness!

Happy birthday to me ;)

I'm still alive (and barely breathing)!

January had been crazy for me, the first week alone drove my stress level to the hilt!

My dad got confined in the hospital and things were actually looking bad that I thought, "Shit. Is this it?". I was at the brink of breaking down (hence, this post) because I was hopeful for 2013, and I couldn't handle the fact that I might be saying goodbye to all the hopes and dreams I was looking forward to fulfilling just one week into the new year.

And, it came to pass; I'm here, and my dad is doing okay now. There are things in my 2013 Vision Board that I might have to postpone for a while, but I'm just happy that things didn't go from bad to worse anymore. All I can hope for now is that the storm has already passed, and that everyday I live is taking one step towards that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

This was me, post-DKFC (I have to put up a blogpost about that soon!). One of our suppliers brought in this display cabinet (which looks more like a kitchen cabinet, if you ask us), and I suddenly remembered EXO-M doing aegyo inside a wooden locker of sorts. One of my bosses indulged me in my cray, so he took these shots of me. So I guess, thank you, sir? ;)

And this was me last Friday. If it weren't too obvious, I couldn't be happier that January is already over!

How about you? How was your January? :)

2012 was the year of...

2012 should have been my year to think outside the box, but it didn't happen. As in the previous years, what I lacked in 2012 was the actual execution of the plans I had for myself. Once again, I let myself wing things and completely disregard the system I had set out at the onset of the year.

Oh well, there's no use crying over spilled milk anyway; but that is not to say that I don't regret not being true to my promise, either.

Looking back, I have realized that I have been wasting a lot of my time with a lot of things that I'm just okay with; things that I can't really say I am happy doing. I have also realized that I am not getting any younger, and that the days I spend procrastinating, winging things, and doing things that don't make me happy equate to wasted opportunities to better myself, and to shape my future.

And that, dear friends, is what scares me. I am scared that I'll get stuck at where I'm at now, and end up not being able to do what actually makes me happy. So, I have realized that I shouldn't be scared anymore. And as Sam and Hal Montgomery (of A Cinderella Story) have put it:

Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

There will always be that fear of failure, of striking out, but these should be made into motivations to happiness, not hindrances. With these things that have happened in 2012, I have realized that I should be brave enough to take risks, to take chances, to finally, finally finaaaaally think outside the box, because if I don't, I might not get my shot at happiness.

2013 should be the year for real and actual change.

2013 should be about planning, but most importantly, 2013 should be about DOING!

Thank you for the memories, 2012. Bring it on, 2013! Happiness, here I come.


---Acknowledgement/s---
Picture credit: fromjenslens

Noël 2012

Okay. If I am being honest, I must say I am freaking out that Christmas is already here. I mean, come on! Wasn't it just yesterday that your mother and father were in here buying their first wands* that we started counting the days down to Christmas? Seriously, for the lack of better term for it, ANYAREH?! Why is time flying by so so sooooooo fast?

/hyperventilates
/fans self
/inhale
/exhale

But really, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. The warm and fuzzy feeling that this season gives off is something that I look forward to all year round and now that it's here, I just feel the need to revel in it. I may be freaking out that it's here already, but I'm just as excited and happy!

And so, dear friends, I wish you a very merry Christmas. And as you lay down to sleep tonight, count your blessings and thank the Lord for all of it!

I'll end this post with one of my favorite tracks from one of my favorite Christmas albums of all time.



Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

* Thumbs up if you got the reference for this! XP

It has taken me years to realize it.

Sometimes, life pushes us at a certain crossroad where a decision has to be made. As whimsical human beings, most (if not all) of us ask life (or the universe) back for signs before we finally decide which road to take. But most of the time, we complain that life doesn't give us the sign/s, only to realize that all the signs are there, but we're just too stubborn to see it all.

Or maybe, that's just me?

Eventually, life's pushes will come to a shove, and a decision will eventually be made for us, and we will have no choice but to accept it. It might not be the decision we want for ourselves, but consolation rests in the fact that this decision is probably for the better. Then, we will move on. And then, we will forget.

Or maybe we can never forget at all. But we will definitely move on.

We just have to.

Celebrating Duizhang's Birthday

I've always wanted to throw a party for that special someone. The thing is, even after all these years, I still have no special someone to throw a party for.

But then again, there's Kris. And it's his birthday. And I wanted to do this for him. Because I am crazy -- crazy in love with him. *bricked*

Happy birthday again, dear duizhang! ♥

To that special man in my life now.

Here is the edited version of the message I have for Kris, which I have sent via Kris' International Fan Site, The Sky's the Limit

You had me at your Like a G6 performance. I have seen countless of handsome guys out there, but none really appeals to me the way you do.

And so, Kris, THE crush to end all crushes, happy birthday!

Whatever you are reaping now, you deserve them all. More than the awards and the popularity, you deserve the love you are getting because you are you, and who you are is already perfect. Yes, man is flawed*, and no one is perfect. But remember, you are perfect in your imperfections**.

Again, happy birthday! And I love you.

Hugs and kisses,
Rafa, Philippines

May all your wishes come true, duizhang! ♥



---
SOURCES: Quotes - *My friend, Celine Cabunilas, **Marcus Flutie from Second Helpings // Image - SoCooL杂志

For the lulz!

ANYAREH?! LMAO!

I had my haircut yesterday. As always, I would show the hairstylist my peg, and then I'd let her do her work. I was fairly satisfied with what she had done, to be honest. She also styled my hair with a hairdrier, and I loved the outcome. She was even kind enough to give me tips, telling me that my haircut would look better if it had some waves/curls. Eventually, she asked me if I wanted to see how I'd look like with curls. Given the fact that I was born with a natural straight hair, I was curious to see how I would look like with curls. Besides, it was free so I thought to myself, "Why not?" Gorabels!

And then, she called someone -- a guy -- to curl my hair.

Now I don't know if the guy was a fan of the K-Drama, To the Beautiful You, or if he had seen Ki Tae Young (the one in the picture above), but I'd like to think that he pegged my curls after Ki Tae Young. I was holding back my laughter as he curled my hair; I knew the outcome would look funny on me. But, I let him carry on. He even reassured me that I'd look better once he's done with me.

Minutes after, he told me that he was already finished. I was like, "OMG WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?!" (cue ROFL and LMAO here). I wasn't self-deprecating, but I really found my curly hair funny. The lady who cut my hair, I was sure, was even holding back her laughter at the aftermath of the guy's curling activity.

But, I let the curls on, and I didn't demand that they wash my hair. I paid for their services, went to a couple of stores afterwards, before finally deciding that I needed to buy a hat. What happened in Robinson's Otis should stay in Robinson's Otis (pero I still blogged about it, ano kaya yun). Lol!

At least, now I know I wouldn't look good as a curly top. It was a fun experience, nonetheless!

You. Yes, you.

It amazes me how there still is love left, even after horrible things have happened. Case in point: Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big.

This is probably the reason why the first Sex and the City movie is my favorite chic flick movie forever because in a way, I can relate. Mr. Big ditches Carrie on their wedding day, but through it all, forgiveness happens, and love, as they say, has become better the second time around.

No matter how hurt Carrie was when Big left her, I believe that she was just waiting for him to woo her back. She was ready to forgive him because she loves him. Stupid, I know, but as one of the lines from the movie says,

" She (Blair Elkin) was a smart girl, until she fell in love.

I guess that line applies to me (or to all of us, probably), too, because as stupid and pathetic as this may sound, I still am hoping and wishing for him to come back.

Or perhaps, it neither is stupid or pathetic because love defies logic?

Wanted: MacBook Pro!

More like NEEDED, actually. HEAVILY, BADLY, DIRELY NEEDED!!!

I know that you are thinking that I already have a new MacBook Pro. I also know that, in relation to what I think you are thinking, you are asking yourself this: why the hell does he still need a new one?

Well technically, yes, I do have a new (newly-issued, yes, but not entirely new, as in straight-out-of-a-sealed-box kind of brand new, but it still looks fresh!) MacBook Pro. And nominally, it IS mine. Realistically, though, it isn't. I do not own real rights to it in any way. So, if time comes that I resign from my work, they have to wrestle the MacBook Pro away from me I have to return this MacBook Pro to them. *tears*

But, then again: why do I need a new laptop?

For starters, my own MacBook, Widgey, is already 5 years old. While it amazes me that my baby Widgey is still in perfect condition (thank God!), I must admit that it needs to rest. Widgey isn't in limbo yet, but with my requirement right now, I don't think he can keep up with me anymore.

Widgey, to give you a little background, is a 2007 MacBook, a gift from my mom. It is running on a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB RAM (it used to run on just 2GB), and 80GB HD. 80GB!!! Can you imagine that?!

It still functions well but given the above-mentioned specifications, again, it won't keep up with the things that I do nowadays.

But what is it that do I do nowadays, anyway? A lot! I surf the web, do graphics (naks!) on Photoshop, store a lot of files (from videos, to pictures), do word processing -- all of which an Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4GB of RAM, and 80GB of HD space might find hard to do.

So, yes. I NEED A NEW MACBOOK PRO!

And this is where I let you in on my little plan for 2013 (Also known as my brainwashing technique to make you believe that I really need a new laptop. The fact that you are reading a blogpost from me about it is a testament to it being super effective).

Next year, I plan to enroll in short courses on Basic Photography, Basic Web Design, and Digital Editing and Imaging at the De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde. As you know now, I am a frustrated graphic artist, and a design-enthusiast. Also, I am fully interested in becoming a full-fledged graphic artist. As such, I think it will be very beneficial for me to invest in things that I know will help develop (or hone?) whatever potential, and whatever skill I have in the field of arts and design.

I need an equipment that will help me with this endeavor, and this is where the need for that MacBook Pro comes in.

I know this might sound like twisted logic (or plain and simple delusion, take your pick), but if I am being honest, I think this is me finally taking that first step towards my own happiness. And nope, this is not the materialistic side of me speaking. PROMISE! As to why that is, I'll probably explain that in a separate blogpost someday. Hopefully, soon.

If you trust me, then I can give you my bank account so you can deposit your donations. Thank you very much in advance. Tee hee.

But seriously, I really need a MacBook Pro. And I am going to move mountains to get myself one (if Santa Claus doesn't beat me to it *puppy dog eyes*) soon!

*fist pumps*

SHINee - Dazzling Girl

Dazzling Girl is starting to finally grow on me. The song is catchy, the dance looks fun, Minho still looks perfect. Plus, I miss SHINee. I still believe that their Sherlock promotion was short-lived.

I felt the need to post this entry because I would like to share a couple of thoughts I've had watching this live performance:

1. I was never really attracted to Taemin, probably because I think he looks pretty than handsome. Until now! He still looks pretty, yes, but I am finally starting to see the handsome boy (man?) the noonas have found in him since SHINee's debut in 2008.

(Bonus thought: Look at Taem's butt at around 0:24 in the above embedded video. So cute! *bricked*)

2. Jonghyun's muscular frame still freaks me out. Sorry :(

3. Key's outfit! I love the oversized shirt + denim shorts + black leggings + hi-cut rubber shoes ensemble. ♥

4. Again, the dance looks fun to watch/do. And I just love how Minho dances. And I just love him, period!

5. Onew is adorbs, as always.

It's amazing how SHINee still lives up to expectations. I really miss these guys, and I hope they come back promoting in Korea more soon (because I can keep track of what's happening in the KPop scene more than in the JPop one).

Oh by the way, Run With Me is also amazing!



* I like that D-shaped mirror!

Just getting this off of my chest.

Every so often, I scroll my feed and find something that would suddenly make me feel sad, hurt, and emotional, all. at. the. same. time. But, I rather let my head work than my heart by asking myself: Do I have the reason to feel sad, hurt, and emotional?

I do. But it's not like I didn't do my part in breaking my own heart, anyway. If this thing that hurt me happened, it's because I probably had a hand in its orchestration.

Move on. Forget! Yep, that's exactly what I should be doing.

Guess what!

I can never ever resist a good bag design. Uh... Actually, I can never ever resist a good bag. Period!

I love shoulder bags (or murses) but recently, I am so hooked on satchels. I already have a satchel that resembles the Alexa from Mulberry, and another satchel that is the cheaper version of the Cambridge Satchel. This one's a satchel, too, actually, just that I wasn't able to take a picture of the longer straps.

What I love about this is that it's style is different from the satchels I often see, and the ones that I already own. While the Alexa-like satchel gives that artsy vibe, and the Cambridge-style one exudes old-school chic, this one from F&H kinda gives off that sophisticated look, don't you think? ;)

What's more is that the materials on this one are a break from the bags I normally buy. I usually buy bags with an all-leather or all-canvas material, but this one has felt material. Surprisingly, I am totally in love with it!

I am actually on scrimp mode, but I just can't seem to stop myself from thinking about it. Lol. Besides, this bag's gotten my mom's seal of approval, anyway. ;)

I guess bags to me are what shoes are to Carrie Bradshaw. And you?

A stressful, surreal blur no more!

My unused SLs have finally been converted to cold hard cash, and I have finally gotten hold of that one thing that has finally lit up my world like nobody else... a new pair of lenses!

Boom-chicka-boom-boom-boom-oh-yeah *booty wiggle*

I retained my old frame because as I have said in this blogpost, it has a sentimental value to me, it being given to me by my cousins bnr, I'm just a cheapanga who can't afford new frames, on top of new lenses. And I love my old frame. If Harry Potter's signature frame is of the rounded type, I think I'd have mine in the square variety.

But due to my total eye-care negligence, my grades went up. Way, way, waaaaaaaaaay up, in fact!

I used to be a 75-50, but now I'm 150 on both eyes. I blame it all on those reading before hitting the sack at night with low light, and reading on my way to work while jeep moves in all its bumpy glory. But I just love reading! Can you blame me? apparently, my eyes can

Putting on the new lenses felt like being enlightened! I just love how the world looks brighter and clearer now.

So, yay to my new lenses. Lol. what a lame post