alarming

A heart that's full up like a landfill
A job that slowly kills you
Bruises that won't heal

You look so tired and unhappy
Bring down the government
They don't, they don't speak for us
I'll take a quiet life
A handshake of carbon monoxide

No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
Silent, silent

This is my final fit, my final bellyache with

No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises
No alarms and no surprises please

Such a pretty house, such a pretty garden

No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises (let me out of here)
No alarms and no surprises please (let me out of here)

on condos

i had an annoying news about my ex-condo unit more than a week ago. they were asking me to pay the association dues which would cover june-september of last year. at first i asked for a discount then after less than an hour i realized, it was wrong for them to do that. it's just below 10k but it was a matter of principle. so, i sent them the letter below.

---

Dear Sir/Madam:

This is not a very good day for me.

It’s been a year since I turned over my condo unit (I don’t remember the unit number anymore) in El Jardin 2 to the new owner but it still haunts me up to now!

My former agent called me up to inform me that I have to pay the association dues from the time I accepted my unit up to the time I turned it over to the new owner which was in September of last year. 

I understand why the new owner wouldn’t want to shoulder the months before October, which should really be her starting month anyway.  But as far as I know I have settled everything then. Despite my investment losses in that condo unit, I happily moved on with my life.

But after a year, I will be told once again that there are still bills to pay in connection to this condo unit.  Is this right? What if I migrated somewhere or died after a year, how would you expect me to settle this? 

If I were a bad person, I would just ignore the calls of my agent and pretend that I died but I am not going to do that. What I’m going to do is to appeal to your better judgment to do what is right. I believe I have paid more than enough interest to Megaworld that it wouldn’t affect your income if you deduct these long overdue fees from that.  

Sincerely, 

Me

---

so my agent called this morning to inform me that they already waived my fees. good! hindi ko na kailangang magpakulong. 

these condo companies will really milk you dry as long as they can get away with it. 

if you're going to buy a condo, my advice is to make sure you have lots of money! have them explain all the fees associated with it before and after turn over so you won't get surprised when they bill you for something. they even wanted me to pay for the water usage even if i didn't get to use my condo ever! (my agent intervened for that) 

i'm never going to buy another condo period. it's not worth it. 

Audrey Hepburn

one of the few people i look up to and really admire...

i want to be like her.

if i can live another person's life, it would be hers.

her life is not perfect but for me, she is. 

"I don't want to be alone, I want to be left alone." 

- Audrey Hepburn

really?!

why is it so hard to write? it takes so much out of me. 

if only it was not so difficult...

i'm happier when i try to create something else. 

i don't need to be forced by a deadline to do it. 

DIY: my first bracelet

finally i used the beads i bought in Wellmanson's Quiapo last Friday!

(to know more about where to buy beads, etc. click here)

Eights A Bracelet!

for this project i used:

20 (or is it 22?) gauge copper wire

no. 03 copper wire (very thin wire)

Swarovski

different beads

i have no system of doing things. i like winging it! even looking at patterns 

or reading and watching instructions on Youtube bore me after a while. 

if i rely on them, i would get bored and maybe not finish my project. 

just as it is when you're writing a script, 

if you think of what the critics will say, stop writing because otherwise

 you'll just end up staring at your computer, not able to write anything. 

in my case, the only one i think of when i write is the audience. 

will they watch it?  will it interest them?

 that's my only desire because after all, 

would you want to tell a story in an empty theater?  

anyway back to my handmade jewelry!

this is my rose rings! 

i plan to make more because i just love it.

but next time, i want to do it using sterling silver wire. 

my fingers hurt but i'm going to sleep happy :)

DIY: pendant

roses are red my love.

so excited i couldn't sleep last night. but i wasn't thinking of my script deadline.

i kept thinking about this business venture and the next step i need to do before i start. 

which is to test the market and earn..

but before i do that i need to make sure my products would sell. 

i'm thinking jewelry is easier to do and has more market 

but i still want to continue recycling/upcycling found objects. 

and i still want to continue making lamps!

book lamp

paper lamp

i gotta get out of this place. if it's the last thing i'll ever do...

may buzz ba?

Nakakatawa yung The Buzz. Lahat ng news tungkol sa mga hosts nila. From Toni Gonzaga to Boy Abunda to KC Concepcion. Kulang na lang si Charlene.

Hay what's new? Bakit ko ba pinapanood 'to?!

---

sex life ni Boy Abunda? 7.5 out of 10?! who wants to know?! ano ba yan?! yes i'm still watching!

altering a dress

bought this dress online. when i got it, the color was different.

it's more gray than i expected and it looked boring. 

it was too long too. 

and the elastic waist was too high for me 

so i used the seam ripper to take it off.

and then i added a black cloth 

(which i cut from the hem of the black version of this dress)

here's the detail. i'm not a seamstress (not yet!) 

but i'm quite proud of what i did.

it's not easy!

so i have yet to do the back part. and fix the collar and the hems. 

it's still too big for me! and i'm still researching on how to make it a medium size. 

making progress

slowly getting there!

does it look ribbed? i made mistakes all over it

but since it's my first scarf, i think i should be excused!

leo and blake together?!

why?

i don't like her for him. 

huli sa balita! split na pala sila! 

bills bills bills!

i hate them!

i hate condo units! it's been a year since i turned over my condo unit and it still haunts me up to now!

learning to knit and crochet

we bought a lot of books in National Bookstore, Rockwell. 

they have a sale! 20% off on all imported books until today.

i bought this book on crochet plus a bigger crochet hook.

also some knitting needles because i intend to use all those

 organic cotton yarns i bought from Amazon

obviously, knitting won because i found this great knitting instruction video on Youtube.

it's amazing how much you can learn online if you just stay away from FB! 

i'm trying to make a ribbed scarf. i started at around 10pm. 

it's now 5AM and i'm not even halfway yet!

i'm excited to learn how to knit and then to crochet and then combine the two afterwards!

like this one!

crochet knit dress

DIY canvas sling bag

i made my first canvas bag using my sister brother!

i used the rubber stamp i bought from Deovir and the fabric paints.

then i decorated it with Coca Cola metal bottle caps using Fabric Mod Podge

i painted the cotton rope blue and just tied it along the sides. 

that way, it's easy to adjust the height. 

it's so simple to make especially with a sewing machine!

next time, i wish to make a more complicate bag :)

my first handmade ring

i couldn't sleep yet so i thought i would try my new craft materials and make a ring.

the main ingredient in this one is Friendly Plastic which comes in different colors.

i used the blue and a little gold and white

 (the last 2 didn't show in the final product tsk tsk). 

i had a different idea in mind but it turned out differently. 

medyo okay naman. wearable :D

notice the wires are not a perfect circle :(

Shy Blue ring

i discovered the Friendly Plastic wasn't that easy to handle 

especially because i don't know what surface to put it on while melting it

and another thing, it hardens after a minute or so, and you'll have to melt it again 

to continue shaping it.

and there i was, imagining making little animals as pendants with it!

note to self: BUY A CHEAP BLOW DRYER

Sushi and Setsuko accompanied me all throughout the process. 

while their father is snoring loudly!

DIY cabinet

today i made a cardboard box cabinet composed of 

3 layers of cardboards of different sizes. 

i'm not proud of it because i think i can do better. 

but this will do for storage room 

while i don't have a cabinet for my materials yet. 

i used decoupage. i enjoy the process of putting on glue everywhere 

but the problem is there are bubbles everywhere!  

next time, i'll decoupage my Muji table with fabric. 

i ordered some items from Deovir Arts. it's the best online shop! (not in my budget but couldn't help it.  they'll arrive tomorrow together with my Fabric Mod Podge! 

for Xmas or my birthday, a gift certificate from Deovir would make me happy!

wink wink!

crash course

Yesterday my first sewing machine arrived with the fabrics. Since last night I started learning how to use the machine. Thanks to youtube! Now, I know how to do the threading, how to change the presser foot, etc. All i have to do is start sewing.

my sister brother is gay :D

But then today i made a book lamp from another instructable instead of sewing (delaying it because i'm not sure what to do with my fabrics and i don't want to ruin them).

I surfed for my next project and before i knew it i was bombarded with lots of techniques and styles on crafting. And i want to do them all so i had a crash course on woodblocking, decoupage, papier mache, jewelry-making all in one night.

I even shopped at an arts store online and i actually reached P7k in materials alone! They're still in my cart and i was able to lower it by half but it's not in my budget right now :-( It's 6am and i have to sleep.

But tomorrow i can't decide if i should sew or go to Recto and buy materials for jewelry or should i do some papier mache first? I need to do something tomorrow because by Wed, i will be working na :-(

I don't want to work. I want to do crafts. Typing this on my iPhone before going to sleep. I'm excited. I want to do this. Only this.

on writing

while battling with my deadline, i'm also battling with my desire to do other things aside from writing.

like watch River Monster now on Discovery on piranha!

Jeremy Wade with a giant piranha. i like the guy

look online for things i can buy in Australia so Mylene can take it home with her next week.

or look at Etsy and Pinterest for nice stuff!

i want that blouse!

or just wonder where our package from Amazon is right now! tunganga lang sana.

STOP! 2 MORE DAYS! GAPANG KUNG GAPANG!

on bags

which one looks more expensive? 

this one

or this

the Goyard bag costs P75,000 (about $1,700)! personally, i think you're just buying the brand. buy it HERE if you're crazy (and rich)!

the second one which is a unique one-of-a-kind recycled leather bag only costs $70 and is already sold :( but the good news is you can find other bags like this one HERE. 

if i had $1,700 to spend, i'll be able to buy so many nice things on Etsy! :D

88 Life Lessons

Stumbled upon this here

1. You can’t change other people, and it’s rude to try.
2. It is a hundred times more difficult to burn calories than to refrain from consuming them in the first place.
3. If you’re talking to someone you don’t know well, you may be talking to someone who knows way more about whatever you’re talking about than you do.
4. The cheapest and most expensive models are usually both bad deals.
5. Everyone likes somebody who gets to the point quickly.
6. Bad moods will come and go your whole life, and trying to force them away makes them run deeper and last longer.
7. Children are remarkably honest creatures until we teach them not to be.
8. If everyone in the TV show you’re watching is good-looking, it’s not worth watching.
9. Yelling always makes things worse.
10. Whenever you’re worried about what others will think of you, you’re really just worried about what you’ll think of you.
11. Every problem you have is your responsibility, regardless of who caused it.
12. You never have to deal with more than one moment at a time.
13. If you never doubt your beliefs, then you’re wrong a lot.
14. Managing one’s wants is the most powerful skill a person can learn.
15. Nobody has it all figured out.
16. Cynicism is far too easy to be useful.
17. Every passing face on the street represents a story every bit as compelling and complicated as yours.
18. Whenever you hate something, it hates you back: people, situations and inanimate objects alike.
19. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s works alone can teach you everything you need to know about living with grace and happiness.
20. People embellish everything, as a rule.
21. Anger reveals weakness of character, violence even more so.
22. Humans cannot destroy the planet, but we can destroy its capacity to keep us alive.  And we are.
23. When people are uncomfortable with the present moment, they fidget with their hands or their minds.  Watch and see.
24. Those who complain the most, accomplish the least.
25. Putting something off makes it instantly harder and scarier.
26. Credit card debt devours souls.
27. Nobody knows more than a minuscule fraction of what’s going on in the world. It’s just way too big for any one person to know it well.
28. Most of what we see is only what we think about what we see.
29. A person who is unafraid to present a candid version of herself to the world is as rare as diamonds.
30. The most common addiction in the world is the draw of comfort. It wrecks dreams and breaks people.
31. If what you’re doing feels perfectly safe, there is probably a better course of action.
32. The greatest innovation in the history of humankind is language.
33. Blame is the favorite pastime of those who dislike responsibility.
34. Everyone you meet is better than you at something.
35. Proof is nothing but a collection of opinions that match your own.
36. Knowledge is belief, nothing more.
37. Indulging your desires is not self-love.
38. What makes human beings different from animals is that animals can be themselves with ease.
39. Self-examination is the only path out of misery.
40. Whoever you are, you will die. To know and understand that means you are alive.
41. Revenge is for the petty and irresponsible.
42. Getting truly organized can vastly improve anyone’s life.
43. Almost every cliché contains a truth so profound that people have been compelled to repeat it until it makes you roll your eyes. But the wisdom is still in there.
44. People cause suffering when they are suffering themselves. Alleviating their suffering will help them not hurt others.
45. High quality is worth any quantity, in possessions, friends and experiences.
46. The world would be a better place if everyone read National Geographic.
47. If you aren’t happy single, you won’t be happy in a relationship.
48. Even if it costs no money, nothing is free if it takes time.
49. Emotions exist to make us strongly biased towards or against something. This hinders as often as it helps.
50. Addiction is a much greater problem in society than it’s made out to be. It’s present in every person in various forms, but usually we call it something else.
51. “Gut feeling” is not just a euphemism. Tension in the abdomen speaks volumes about how you truly feel about something, beyond all arguments and rationales.
52. Posture and dress change profoundly how you feel about yourself and how others feel about you, like it or not.
53. Everyone thinks they’re an above average driver.
54. The urge to punish others has much more to do with venting frustration than correcting behavior.
55. By default, people think far too much.
56. If anything is worth splurging on, it’s a high-quality mattress. You’ll spend a third of your life using it.
57. There is nothing worse than having no friends.
58. To write a person off as worthless is an act of great violence.
59. Try as we might to be otherwise, we are all hypocrites.
60. Justice is a human invention which is in reality rarely achievable, but many will not hesitate to destroy lives demanding it.
61. Kids will usually understand exactly what you mean if you keep it to one or two short sentences.
62. Stuff that’s on sale usually has an annoying downside.
63. Casual swearing makes people sound dumb.
64. Words are immensely powerful. One cruel remark can wound someone for life.
65. It’s easy to make someone’s day just by being uncommonly pleasant to them.
66. Most of what children learn from their parents isn’t taught on purpose.
67. The secret ingredient is usually butter, in obscene amounts.
68. It is worth re-trying foods that you didn’t like at first.
69. Problems, when they arise, are rarely as painful as the experience of fearing them.
70. Nothing — ever — happens exactly like you pictured it.
71. North Americans are generally terrible at accepting compliments and offers of help.
72. There are not enough women in positions of power. The world has suffered from this deficit for a long time.
73. When you break promises to yourself, you feel terrible. When you make a habit of it, you begin to hate yourself.
74. A good nine out of ten bad things I’ve worried about never happened. A good nine out of ten bad things that did happen never occurred to me to worry about.
75. You can’t hide a bad mood from people who know you well, but you can always be polite.
76. Sometimes you have to remove certain people from your life, even if they’re family.
77. Anyone can be calmed in an instant by looking at the ocean or the stars.
78. There is no point finishing a book (or a movie!) you aren’t enjoying. Life is too short for that. Swallow your pride and put it down for good, unfinished.
79. There is no correlation between the price of a brand of batteries and how long they last.
80. Breaking new ground only takes a small amount more effort than you’re used to giving.
81. Life is a solo trip, but you’ll have lots of visitors. Some of them are long-term, (sadly) most aren’t.
82. One of the best things you can do for your kids is take them on road trips. I’m not a parent, but I was a kid once.
83. The fewer possessions you have, the more they do for you.
84. Einstein was wiser than he was intelligent, and he was a genius.
85. When you’re sick of your own life, that’s a good time to pick up a book.
86. Wishing things were different is a great way to torture yourself.
87. The ability to be happy is nothing other than the ability to come to terms with how things change.
88. Killing time is an atrocity. It’s priceless, and it never grows back.

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

ayoko magsulat! gusto ko gumawa ng DIY projects! maloloka na ko!

collect the things you love!

If you're like me who like to look at pictures online for pegs, you should try Pinterest.com. Through it, you can bookmark all the pictures and group them in several categories for easier access.

Now, you can just go to one website to see all the pictures you need with the corresponding website :)