royal hat day!

i found this hat laughable

Princess Beatrice of York

but there were really beautiful hats. i actually was envious that Philippines is not a hat country. you'll get laughed at if you wear an elaborate hat here, even something as beautiful as this one.

stunning Miriam Gonzales!

even Kate's mom looked elegant in her attire and her hat. i love British style!

Carole Middleton

didn't like Victoria Beckham's somber look

Prince William's broad shoulders made me not mind his serviceman attire.  but i do mind whenever he takes off his hat. i love Harry!

 i liked Kate's wedding dress. very elegant. i just don't like the bust area. it doesn't compliment her figure though i think they also took into consideration the conservative nature of the ceremony. some people said she had nipple pokies. did you see that? i didn't. was she looking at them here?

 

back to the princess beatrice. i don't notice the yellow. i see the HAT!

 

Photos by AP Photo/APTN, Dan Kitwood/Getty Images, Mike Marsland/WireImage.com

2:46 Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake

just bought this online. if you want to help Japan some more, it's just one click away as Amazon said (for me more or less 20 clicks as i had to download Kindle for Mac and iPhone as well) for only $9.99. 100% of the price will all go to Japanese Red Cross Society!

a review of this ebook from Japan Today.

ok will read it now before i write. maybe it will give me the inspiration i need...

NO to Skycable broadband!

whatever you do, don't ever subscribe to Skycable broadband! it's soooooooo sloooooooooow!

Smartbro, i heard, is no better.

i had a good experience with PLDT broadband. as in i could play Scrabble online without being forfeited because of suddenly disappearing in the middle of the game and i also was able to make hundreds of looks in Looklet and save them without any trouble.

but one fateful day, Skycable offered a bundle price for cable and broadband which will help us save about P500 in monthly bills. i was excited so we switched. if i could only turn back time...

pathetic speed!

mahiya naman kayo sa balat ni'yo! stop blaming the tsunami for your slow internet speed! do something about it! di ako makapag-Looklet ng matino 'no! ang hirap bihisan ng mga models ko sa bagal ng internet na 'to!

i-deport ni'yo na ko sa Japan please lang!

someone's waiting for you

i'm forcing myself to write. 

this might just help. nice song from the animation The Rescuers. haven't seen the movie yet but it looks good and heartwarming. 

(the video from The Rescuers had a bad sound so i replaced it with this video. the song was also used  in Bambi. haven't seen the movie too)

yes, some people are definitely expecting this script!

i have a Seacret...

i've been searching for the right skincare ever since. i've switched from product to product looking for the one that suits my very sensitive skin. 

after using different facial cleansers from Cetaphil to Shiseido, i went back to this product which i used 3 years ago. 

Nuderm Mild Wash Lotion from Dermclinic

the facial wash has no smell but it does the job of cleaning your face without drying your face. i hate that feeling of tightness after washing your face and this one doesn't do that. 

i also went back to using their moisturizer with sunblock. it also has a good smell. 

Nuderm Revitalizing Moisturizer

it's not really the brand that matters or how expensive it is. it's what suits your skin type and i can say that after trying so many products, the Nuderm line of Dermclinic is the only one that worked for me. i will not switch again, promise!

the only thing missing in my daily skin regimen is exfoliant. before, i used to mix olive oil, oatmeal and a little sugar with honey as my exfoliant but i feel it's too harsh on my skin so i stopped.  i researched about exfoliants online and found out about this top selling brand. 

$31.28 in Amazon. Worth it!

it's gentle enough to use daily but i don't want to run out of it too soon so i think thrice a week will do. it's in powder form and you rub them in your wet palms first before rubbing in circular motion on your face. i used it only once but i already love it! makes your skin feel softer and smoother instantly.

i also have Seacret products which master bought for me in the US, among them is this salt scrub. i didn't find a lot of reviews online about Seacret though they have a few product reviews in Amazon.

mine is Pomegranate

made in Israel, these products contain minerals from the Dead Sea. 

heavenly smell! i also have their hand cream, foot cream, body lotion, body butter, and even the peeling gel (when i'm feeling braver, i'll try the latter) and i can say they're worth the price! lotions and creams are not greasy. 

i don't want to turn into a vain woman as a grow older but applying such things on my face and body relaxes me and gives me satisfaction. if it makes you happy, it can't be that bad right? ; D

---

PS: i still need a good eye cream. what should i buy?

---
(updated)


the Dead Sea is suffering because of these mineral beauty products! Yahoo News said the Dead Sea will disappear in 2040. please don't support beauty products with minerals! will just use these up but will not buy again.

a little Mujified

went to Muji, Rockwell to buy some furniture. happiness!

5 row shelf

 

the mirror stand!

a desk for writing/drawing. the one i got is not exactly like this but close.

next payday, i have to buy this for more storage space.

and one of these near my desk for easy access since my desk has no drawer

and last but not the least, i want a dresser. sadly, nothing from Muji. i want something like this

will it be crazy if i paint them crazy colors? like the drawers i saw in a store in Rockwell. i wasn't able to take a picture. sayang. but the paint looked vintage and classy. o baka maging baduy lang? it just concerns me that the color of my mirror stand is different from the rest of the wood but i guess it's not noticeable anymore. but i still want to do something about it. maybe apply some wallpaper on its borders.  ewan...

Appreciation

“I can live for two months on a good compliment.” -Mark Twain

Skype!

i've been online for more than 4 hours in Skype. most of it was spent just watching Erik sleep(!) and hearing him snore. one time i even woke him up because his snore was very irregular. hahaha!

i love Skype! i can turn off the sound of his snore whenever i feel like it unlike when he's here with me hahaha.

great find in Baguio!

one last thing about Baguio, if you go there and you're gaga over rings like me, then go to Session Road at night and look for a man who makes and sells these beautiful and cheap rings/bracelets in front of Pizza Volante (near KFC if i remember it right). he sells handmade rings for just P50 each while the bracelet is only P100 i think (not sure). 

Baguio trip

went to Baguio the weekend before Holy Week. we arrived at 430AM via Victory Liner. we took the De Luxe bus which is faster, more convenient with fewer seats, a lavatory inside and no stopover. the P715 fare also comes with a free bottle of water plus cookies.

we stayed at PNKY Bed & Breakfast.

Van Gogh room (for 3pax)

it was nice. malou, the one in charge of the accommodation, let us check in at 5AM for an additional fee of P200 only. very nice of her!

they also have a PNKY cafe downstairs and all the waitresses are nice and smiling all the time. i like the vibes! not only that, they serve very good food! you can feel the love of the chef in every plate served. i tried almost everything (except dessert) in their menu and i can say i liked everything i ordered especially the tomato soup and the Baguio Longganisa breakfast. compliments to the chef!

Baguio longganisa breakfast (yum!)

American breakfast: ham and egg

whenever i travel, i like to stay at beautiful hotels. yes, some people would say it would be a waste of money because you'll be out most of the time anyway. but if you go home after a day of walking and you can't sleep well because of the condition of your hotel room, that can ruin your vacation, don't you think so?

i definitely would stay again at PNKY next time. it's a very private place but still in the heart of Baguio. it's also very near Victory Liner terminal. it's a little more expensive than other hotels like Casa Vallejo which was recommended to me. we went there and looked at their standard room which was so small and cramped! good think i didn't book there. and their restaurant is overpriced and the food is not really memorable. it was the most expensive lunch we had in Baguio. i wouldn't recommend it.

anyway, the first thing we did was to eat at Cafe By The Ruins. they don't serve my favorite food there anymore. i forgot the name. they also expanded the place. every time i go there, it gets bigger and bigger.

then we went ukay-ukay at Bayanihan which offers cheaper Ukays than the one in Session Road. i bought 3 items. i helped my sister choose her ukay items because she badly needs some color in her outfits. i chose this flowery top for her for only P100 and then this bolero for only P100 or less. i think we haggled for the price.

Day 2, we went to Bencab museum. it's quite far from the city. you'll have to pay P100 per person to enter the museum. if you're not an art enthusiast or just hungry like we were, immediately go downstairs to eat at Cafe Sabel.

Tuna sandwich and coffee. love it!

then after eating, you can hang out at the garden and do a photo shoot.

pond

tried to read

but there's really not much to see. there's a pond, a small garden, the mountains. if i knew it would be like that, i wouldn't have taken that long trip. it would have been nice to just sit there and read but i was with non-readers so after eating, we went upstairs to look cursorily at the paintings (mostly acrylic) then exited the museum to our waiting cab to go to the market!

flower shop

if Mcdo and Jollibee were partners...

Baguio market is full of old beggars and kids who sell you bags and offer to carry your shopping bags for you for a price of course. they'll follow you everywhere until you say yes.  

this old woman was begging for alms. i asked her for a picture and she readily smiled for the camera. 

colorful broom! i should have bought one!

vegetables were so cheap! we bought kilos of them!  

on Monday noon, we went back to Manila at 1215pm via Victory Liner again. i booked for a De Luxe bus but something went wrong and they gave us this bus which had no CR and with one stopover. without being asked, VL immediately refunded us P100 per person which is nice of them.

i would definitely recommend taking Victory Liner going to Baguio than renting a smaller private vehicle. 2 days before going back to Manila, i heard about the accident involving AJ Perez, the 18-year-old actor. apparently, the driver of their van overtook a truck and didn't see an incoming Partas bus. the bus ended up hitting the left side of the van and killed AJ. 

on the way back, i immediately realized how easy it is to get into an accident in the MacArthur highway (is that what it is called?). just imagine, buses and trucks ply this route with tricycles and slower vehicles! our bus had to overtake at least 5 tricycles and several slow-moving trucks because they were just too slow! but the good thing about it is that we were in a bus and the driver can see everything in front of him including the other lane. just imagine what the ABS-CBN van driver saw that night. in front of him was the truck and it was midnight so his visibility was limited. it was irresponsible driving on his part. 

(rest in peace AJ!)

anyway, we arrived at 5PM in Manila. 

i love Victory Liner!

i love PNKY B&B!

i don't love Baguio as much as i did 5 years ago but it still has its charm. 

bored already in Baguio

Going home tomorrow yehey! Have lots of pics.

---

Sad to hear about AJ's death. He was still new when we did Abt Ur Luv. It was a show to launch new talents of Star Magic. He was there including Lauren Young. So young to die so early.

---

on another note, i miss my master na. Thanks to skype.
Sana si Sushi at setsuko nakakapagskype din hihi

needy

i need someone

who would want to know everything about me

who would remember what i've already forgotten

who would understand my needs
who would think about my welfare before me
who would comfort me when i need comforting
who would say the right things
who would encourage me and believe in me
who would know what i want and need for myself
who would love me as much as he loves himself...

Shizuoka lovers,  2008

poor little children

setsuko was sleeping while sushi was seeking my attention.

since i'm writing, she decided to wake up setsuko who growled at her! she got scared and lied down beside me while setsuko stared at her, daring her to come near her again hahaha!

afterwards, she stepped on my laptop, barked at me, and then tried to get in between me and my laptop. she wanted to play but i couldn't! darn deadline. sorry sushi :( mommy needs to make money.

the world is a blur

i may be needing new lenses. my eyes feel tired all the time especially when i'm in front of the computer which is almost all day.

to laser or not to laser? i want to experience the 20/20 vision. i've forgotten how it is to see things clearly and not have to squint and still not be able see or read anything.

free again!

it's the first day in 2-3 weeks that i'm not doing anything

there's so much i want to do! go shopping! but i turned down an invitation to go to Muji because my body aches all over. i have 2 mixed media drawings i need to finish but i'll do that tomorrow since my hands are still tired from typing all week.

i want to read a book or even the magazine that Raymond brought me from HKIFF but my eyes are tired from staring at my computer screen for weeks now.

so i just ended up here in bed, lazily watching TV while blogging.

...something about serial killers again to relax me. maybe i'll watch a DVD later.

this morning was master's flight to L.A. i woke up at 8am and we sent him off to the airport. bye bye master! beware of serial killers!

Setsuko and Sushi

sick and tired

Photo credit

cutie sushi!

her hair is now long enough for a ponytail!

---

carmi martin finished Fine Arts at the age of 47! it means it's not too late for me, isn't it?

disappointed

- at a sound designer who acted like a 12-year old boy. we gave you a chance. you didn't give us any. not even an explanation.
- at myself because i can't resign from work. i'm working for the money.
- at someone because he didn't remember to include my name in the acknowledgments for his recent work. am i just being sensitive?  this is not the first time he forgot about me. maybe i'm not helping him enough? i wasn't expecting my name to be there but when i didn't see it, it made me feel bad somehow. i don't want to make a big deal out of it.
---

i had a nice birthday dinner. as a gift to myself, i checked in at New World Hotel. nice room. they upgraded us for an additional 2k and put us in the topmost floor (25th floor). we were also entitled to free cocktails at the 24th floor and free buffet breakfast but we didn't avail of those two hahaha.

instead, we ate at Italianni's where we saw Heart Evangelista and Daniel Matsunaga dating. then i bought myself a dress from Zara ( another bday gift to myself). then we watched Lincoln Lawyer (didn't like it. watch Law & Order instead) then we ate at our favorite restaurant Nanbantei Japanese restaurant

Bestseller: all chicken!

the next morning, we didn't wake up for the breakfast. we missed it, not surprisingly. we ordered room service and checked out at 4PM.

i don't recall how i celebrated my birthday last year.  so, all in all it was a memorable birthday this year.  hope next year, i can celebrate my birthday without any deadlines.