I'm moving out

Halu! I'm moving out of Blogger and moving in Wordpress. Just discovered that Wordpress has more features. So for more of my shoe-loving posts, visit my new blog site: http://chocolateshoe.wordpress.com
Drop me a note! Or notes! I want lots of 'em!

I'm back... really now.

Now I'm really back. Wow I missed writing in my blog! I remember not skipping a day to post something in it, even if it was just nothing. Oh well, here I am now again bringing you whatever stuff that comes in my head and jumps out of my heart...
This is a pic taken on the night after our first play date last Feb 28. This is my sister Chat, who was my co-actor in the musical "The Filipino Dream"... now please don't wonder why we have seemingly heavy makeup (itchy!).
For now, I won't be writing a whole post yet... just an FYI that I'm back (if there really are avid readers of my blog hahaha)... or maybe I'm just saying this to myself. Hehe. See ya!

My Fabulous Comeback

After months of being unable to update my fabulous blog, here I am again fabulously bringing to you fabulous news about my fabulous twin nieces :) Go figure why this is 'My Fabulous Comeback'.
God is just really so good for adding to our family two very beautiful babies: Ma. Christiana Annalise and Ma. Christiana Therese. These precious little ones are gifts from above. And they have the weirdest birth story! Annalise was born in the birthing clinic at our church in Mandaluyong, while Therese was born in Medical City in Pasig. Yes, these twins have separate birth places! But still, they are one in heart.
I just love them so much! As early as (almost) 2 months old, their own personalities are being revealed already. But still, they are loved equally. The photo below shows how Annalise is the funny and outgoing one, and how Therese is the more feminine type. Can you guess who is who? ;)

To All The Fabulous Single Girls

I received this message from a good friend. Beautiful words and substance. It is for every single girl to realize the REAL reason why she's single.

Women are like apples on a tree. The best ones are at the top. Men don't want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. Instead, they just get the rotten apples from the ground that aren't good but easy. So the apples on top think something is wrong with them when in reality, they are amazing! They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who's brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

For now, just aim to always be the reddest and juiciest apple you could ever be. Stay beautiful! Make yourself worthy to be climbed all the way for. *wink* *wink*

What Might Have Been

I know it is never healthy to think of the "what ifs" of life, but sometimes you can't help but think of what could have happened if you were five minutes earlier in a meeting or if your bestfriend gave you a teddy bear instead of a Barbie doll on your 10th birthday or if you had chosen to date your more attractive suitor. It's sometimes fun to look back and be amazed at the realization that our life depends on the decisions that we make.
Here are my what-might-have-beens...

1. If I didn't study in Miriam, I would have studied in an equally good school that is far.
2. If I pursued my ballet classes, I would have reached the toe-shoes level but most probably have quit ballet by now.
3. If my Mama did not leave for the US, I would be happier.
4. If I had the money, I would have at least a pair of Jimmy Choos.
5. If I did not have my hair curled, I would not love my hair now.
6. If I was not born, you would not be reading this fab blog.

Okay I have to stop here. I just realized how hard it is for me to go back, try to hold on to what's been done, and think of what could have been if this happened or not. Waaahh... labo. The feeling sucks. I guess Jonathan Larson in his musical "Rent" (which is a favorite) is right in saying: "Forget regret... or life is yours to miss... No other course, no other way... no day but today." I guess there's no need to hold on to the past. No need.

On Being a Bum

Whoa. It's been almost a week since my last post. Am I running out of things to say? Nah... I will never run out. Can't afford to run out. I guess it's just been a busy week and I deliberately did not make time to think, reflect, and write (or in this case, to blog).

It's good to keep yourself busy. Great, actually. It's funny how I find myself saying this because I used to tell myself how fun and lovely it is to be a bum. You know, just sitting and lounging on the couch with the remote control on your hand, and a bag of potato chips on the other--not worrying about anything at all. It's just you and your lazy self wasting time... even until the wee hours of the morning.

I used to see how fun and lovely it is until I experienced too much of it. The last days of my very hectic and almost-no-rest semester in 4th year college were excited to see the scene of the cozy and inviting couch I could lounge in for days and weeks. I yearned so much for total rest and official "bum-ness". I did satisfy that yearning. Too much satisfaction, actually, that it almost sickened me. Yes, the having-nothing-to-do in the cozy and inviting couch made me happy on the first days and weeks... but it almost killed me of boredom and loneliness. I realized that being too much of a bum will make you not just bored and lonely, but also stupid. In Filipino terms, "nakakabobo".

And who would want a boring, lonely, and stupid life? Not me, definitely. Yes, it is good to be idle sometimes--but not always. In fact, we were not created to be idle at all. We were shaped to be moving and working in every way we can: eating, dancing, writing, teaching, walking, playing, swimming, walking our dog... we were created to do all these things. Rest is necessary, definitely and absolutely, but life is not all rest. Rest can never exist without work. And therefore if we want rest and idleness, we must see ourselves working first.

After all, we don't want to be bored, lonely, and stupid. Well, if you do, then you don't know what life is really all about. Whether we like it or not, our keeping ourselves busy is what makes us truly alive and happy. Whatever it is that you do, how you value work reflects how you value life.

Carrie Bradshaw: Fabulous Fashion Icon

If you read my post: Passion for Beauty... through shoes, you must already know the probable reason for my love for shoes. Carrie Bradshaw led the way for me to have a yearning for those beautiful and gorgeous objects you wear on your feet. Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo suddenly became household names (although I don't have even at least one pair of them yet).

Aside from her shoe-loving character, she has also become a definitive icon in the realm of fashion. Her style can not be contained in one or two words because she transforms it in almost every episode. In this UK website for women, an article describes the evolving fashion of Carrie: "a casual bohemian look at lunch, demure elegance by dinner and flesh-flaunting club wear into the wee hours of the morning."

She may wear the weirdest and most outrageous outfits but she always manages to pull them off. Her greatest fashion tip? Don't be afraid to be weird, strange, and glamorous all at the same time.

Here are some of my favorite Carrie looks:





I love the sailor look mixed with the classic pearl hat and the cream clutch. Love the hair, too.













Very cosmopolitan and sophisticated, the chocolate striped dress is a perfect date dress. The T-strap stilettos make up for the length of the dress.











Carrie goes vintage with a vintage Mickey Mouse tee and a vintage white coat. Vintage all the way.












Oscar de la Renta's raspberry dress is looovely. I love how balloon-ey it is.










The polka-dot ruffled dress matched with white pumps is perfect for cocktails and a walk in the streets of Paris. Too cute.











A Versace fairy-tale couture you could wear only in Paris.











Carrie's famous huge flower pins. Makes every getup look classic, feminine, and romantic.












One of Carrie's specialties: mixing and matching.











This pink bubble dress perfectly compliments Carrie's body structure. Great for petite bodies and match it with silver or bornze stilettos.





These are just very few evidences of why Carrie Bradshaw is definitely one of the most fab fashion icons. I love her!

Check out HBO online for more photos.

*All photos here have been taken from HBO.com. Sex and the City Seasons 5 and 6.

Beautiful Dummies

Childhood is never complete without your own Barbie doll. Barbie was not just a toy I liked to dress up for different occassions. She was my model and inspiration for all the glamour and beauty it possessed. She was the ultimate girl. Beautiful and perfect.

But that was all there is for Barbie. She was physically perfect. Period. Nothing beyond those long lashes, pinkish cheeks, and sparkly teeth. And yet I idolized her so much. Every girl, at one point or another, did (some still do).

Of course I couldn't blame Barbie for being so beautiful outside and so empty inside. She is just a doll that is manufactured a million times at once in some big factory. It's not her fault for being so undeniably drop-dead gorgeous and so undoubtedly dumb and yet every girl likes to have her hands on her. But where are my Barbie dolls now? They're either in an old dusty toy chest or in the hands of a poor girl through charity and donation. Barbie is now forgotten. The ever-so-beautiful and glamorous Barbie is now buried in a lost memory.

Just a thought. I firmly believe that we women have the responsibility of beautifying ourselves, because we have been created to be beautiful. But this beauty we have been given does not only talk of what is physically seen. It is our whole being. Are we beautifying ourselves outside and inside as well? As much as we carefully choose the food we take in to take care of our bodies, do we also cautiously choose the things we hear and listen to? As much as we consciously pick the best fashion getup, do we also consciously choose the words we utter and the actions we do?

I know of women who spend so much time and effort and money to make themselves Barbie-perfect... so beautiful outside and yet so empty inside. Just like Barbie, they are utterly admired and idolized. But in the same amazing way, that's all there is for them. The ultimate girl with nothing inside. The only difference is, I could blame these women for being so. Barbie can't be blamed for being such a beautiful dummy, but these women who can't stop making themselves superficially beautiful alone are totally responsible for such irresponsible efforts. Soon enough, because of their lack of depth and substance, these ever-so-beautiful and glamourous women, just like Barbie, will be buried in lost memories.

The Little (and guilty) Pleasures of Life

Life is beautiful. Downs, trials, contradictions may be there but they're nothing compared to the big and small pleasures that make us grin, smile, giggle, laugh... pleasures that make life beautiful. Here's my own list of the little (and guilty) pleasures of life... in no particular order. Do you have your own?

1. Sleeping through a cold rainy night with soft and comfy sheets.
2. Good childhood memories.
3. Good hair day.
4. The Bible.
5. Family bondings.
6. Kodak moments.
7. Snickers.
8. Alpine White.
9. Cleaning your ears with cotton buds.
   
10. Finding a fabulous pair of shoes.
11. Finding a fabulous pair of shoes with your size.
12. Finding a fabulous pair of shoes with your size within your budget.
13. Meeting an old friend.
14. Meeting a new friend.
15. A child's tight embrace.
16. A night under the stars.
17. Clean bathrooms.
18. Making poopoo.
    
19. Laundry day with Mr. Sun.
20. The perfect eyeliner.
21. Music lounging.
22. Finding an old high school diary.
23. Singing your heart out.
24. 8 hours of sleep.
25. Getting a 1.0.
26. Beautiful people.
27. Reading a good book.
28. Finding a quotable quote.
29. Laughtrips.
30. Food tripping.
31. Reflecting.
32. Compliments.
33. Essays with substance.
34. Rereading own essays.
35. Photo albums.
36. Victoria's Secret Sweet Temptation.
37. Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea.
38. Getting a message or call from an old friend.
39. A good massage.
40. Movie day or night.
41. Yummy Japanese food.
42. Children.
43. Grocery.
44. Sweet Milk.
45. American Idol.
46. Musicals with fantastic lines.
47. Romantic comedies.
48. Feel-good movies.
49. Incredible conversations.
50. Relaxing music.
    
51. Cable TV.
52. Ice Cream. Vanilla and strawberry.
53. Johnny Depp.
54. Fashion.
55. Adam Sandler.
56. Effortless funny people.
57. Carrie Bradshaw.
58. Songs with beautiful lyrics.
59. Bonding sessions.
60. Clean home.
61. Jimmy Choo.
62. Baguio choco flakes.
63. Flat tops.
64. Leo Buscaglia.
65. Robert Fulghum.
66. Nice-smelling people.
67. High-speed downloads.
68. Sun and sands.
69. Photos with your good angle.
70. Brazilian music.
71. Thesaurus.
72. Wonderful teachers and mentors.
73. Unconditional relationships and commitments.
74. People who don't pretend they're cool.
75. Puppies and dogs.
76. A newborn baby.
77. My sister's twins!
78. Rainbow.
79. Cooking a hearty meal.
80. Hotels.
81. The smell of saute.
82. A nice-fitting top.
83. Being admired.
84. Healthy glowing skin (not oily).
85. Cheesy 80s and 90s music.

This list is just a very small portion of the beautiful life we have. The list is, in reality, endless. I hope you find what makes you grin, smile, giggle, and laugh in every little thing that you think, say, and do. Because life is indeed beautiful.

If you want to add more or if you have your own list, leave me a message.

Being featured in YOU

Two or three days ago, I sent one of my essays (which I posted here: "True Faith") to Joey Alarilla of YOU. And voila! Come Friday midnight (which is now) and I see my essay in one of the most popular Filipino youth websites online. Feels damn good. One of my essays was published in the same website too, four years ago. And I never thought that history of mine would repeat itself. Well, you might want to check it out. Oh come on... do check it out! I'm a proud woman right this moment!
http://you.inq7.net/express/05172006/exp8-1.htm

The Unspoken Promise

A good family friend passed away 2 days ago. Everyone was shocked, surprised, dumbfounded, stunned, and every other word that describes an overwhelming feeling of unexpected blow. For so many days, weeks, months, and years, he was up and about... nobody ever having an idea that his life would end in his 36th year.

Of course I, too, was shocked. We didn't have a close connection whatsoever, though. There's just one memory of him that keeps on flashing in my head. His 3-year old son, Juan, is very fond of me for some reason. I have been told that even in their home, Juan keeps on calling for my name. Sweet, huh? Because of this, the father would always tell me: "..dapat ring-bearer si Juan sa wedding mo ah... magtatampo yun pag hindi..." In a great way, thinking about that certain reminder of his makes me realize that I am making a vow and a promise to this father. To this father who is now in the arms of God. Although it is an unspoken promise, I vow to do make Juan, his 3-year old son who doesn't have any idea of what has happened to his father, my ring-bearer in my wedding... no matter how old he may be when the time comes. Well, I really can't imagine having a teenager bring our wedding rings to the altar. But regardless of that possibility, I am keeping my promise.

The Wonders of Ebay

I have started to become amazed at the wonders of Ebay... that of course I looked into shoes. Here are some good picks:


This is a Nina... so it's pretty expensive. Ok, it is expensive... P4650. But not bad for an Ebay product.







Cute, huh? I just wish the bow wasn't there. But anyway, it's pretty cute overall. P450.






I do not know the shoe brand of this one... but I'm guessing it's imported because this pair costs P3000!








Nine West pair at P1999. Nice flats.







Good-looking local flats. It's leather so it must be durable. P450.










This pair would have looked more presentable and buyable if the seller removed the white stuffing. But it's kinda cute anyway. Schu. P700.






Note! Ebay, I must say, is an online ukay-ukay... so most of them are second-hand. So buy at your own risk! You may be buying a pair along with athlete's foot...

Know again that I am not selling any of these. If you are interested, go to http://ebay.ph

Weird Ebay Stuff

One boring evening, I browsed through Ebay Philippines and checked out some stuff. I wasn't planning on purchasing anything, just wanted to see if Filipinos really do sell stuff online, and if other Filipinos do buy stuff online too. Wahaha... and I found some very interesting and hilarious stuff. Oh Pinoys will always be Pinoys.

1. A Collection of Books on Sex Education
This was the seller's description of the product:

"A Collection of Books about s*x, getting a girl, laying with a girl etc. very good collection for those kids learning these stuff."

Titles Include: 101 Romantic Ideas
2002 Playboy Calendar
A Mens Liberation Guide to Women
Amargi Hillier - Mind Power Seduction
Another Sex Tutorial
Art of Oral Sex
Art of Sensual Masssage
Building A Better Girlfriend
Complete Guide To Handling Women
Complete Idiot's Guide to Amazing Sex
Dictionary Of Adult Film
Eating Pussy Madonna - Sex
PLUS MANY MANY MORE!

Eew. Can I just say eew? I hate it that he's actually marketing the whole sex ed kit to "kids learning these stuff". I'm sorry, I just have to know what the "Building a Better Girlfriend" is all about... waaahh can i say eew again? "Madonna - Sex": what the hell does this mean? It should be called "An Idiot's Guide to Being a Pervert" instead.

Oh by the way, I wouldn't want to know who's interested in buying this. So to avoid questions on how much this is, i'm spilling it right here and now. It's P300.

2. 10-Yard Bubble Wrap

Ooh I looove this! It's just so weird to find it being sold online... I would want to know its final bid! Ultimate stress-reliever! Right now, its bid is at P250... some people just don't know what to do with their lives anymore...

3. Vibrating Condom

Enough said.

By the way, it's P202.50.

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Note: I am not selling these stuff!!! These are here for the purpose of sharing with you how weird and strange Filipinos can get. Anyway, if you are interested in any of these, go to http://ebay.ph
I'm not interested, once again, to know if you are interested in these.

True Faith

A number of people have already asked me about what I think about the controversial Gospel of Judas and the sensational Da Vinci Code. Both of them are, as they say, challenging our deepest foundations of faith. Both contain possible truths and ideologies that may either strengthen or totally destroy what we have believed in for thousands of decades. As you may already know, the Gospel of Judas is a discovered account that reveals that Christ plotted his own death and simply asked Judas to betray him. Discovering its authenticity has blown away people's faiths. The Da Vinci Code has drawn millions upon millions of readers because of the controversial affair of Christ with Mary Magdalene. Although fiction, this hit novel by Dan Brown has tremendously affected the whole world.
For some reason, maybe a divine one, while the whole world is affected, I am not. Being a firm believer of the Catholic faith, I am expected to react and go against all of these controversies. But again, I really do not find any reason to. I did watch the Gospel of Judas on National Geographic out of curiosity and as a Christian, I feel like I'm supposed to have endless questions in my head about how to fight this and how to come up with ways to unconvince other people. Prove to them that "hey, these are so wrong..." and "you shouldn't believe them!". But really, I do not see any significant purpose to do so.
One may think that I feel all this indifference most probably because I am a passive Christian. A 21-year old telling the whole world how unaffected she is about all of these seemingly dangerous controversies and issues about the faith simply spells passivity and total indifference. I have thought about it, thinking that I may just be really careless about my faith. That I may just be too preoccupied with thinking about more worthwhile topics at 21. That I just may just have no time to think about matters of faith such as this.

But then I realize that it's not about having an "i-don't-care" attitude. It's not a matter of passivity and indifference. As i think about it, I am totally feeling no worry about this because of my faith. My true faith. One of my friends told me how negatively powerful the Gospel of Judas is to the Christian faith, and I just found myself telling him that it all boils down to your faith. No matter how seemingly possible, true, and authentic these accounts may be, with a profound faith, why would you be shaken?

Faith is that which is there against all odds. Against all circumstances and contradictions. If it begins to doubt and worry, then it is not faith at all. Yes, it is true that you have to fight for your faith when a situation calls for it, but not to the point of weakening it because you start to think about these so-called dangerous situations too much. Your faith is greater than anything and everything that this world may challenge you with.

So why am I not affected by all this? It's all about true faith. A good kind of indifference.

The Best of Modern TV

Although I still believe that Old School TV shows are still the best, I can not deny the fact that there are absolutely fab shows on modern TV. Here are some of the reasons why I can spend the whole day just lying on the couch with the remote in my hand...

• Sex and the City - The most probable reason why I am a self-proclaimed shoe-lover. The lives of Carrie Bradshaw, Charlotte York, Miranda Hobbes, and Samantha Jones were my headlines.
• Scrubs - Silly hospital humor with a hilarious cast. Laughtrip show.
• The Simpsons - Everyone's favorite funny family! D'oh!
• Grey's Anatomy - A show that proves that hospital life goes beyond medicines and surgeries. Fantastic script and wonderful cast.
• C.S.I. - Nothing beats the original Las Vegas CSI team. The cases are so unpredictable, I'm always challenged to try to solve at least one before CSI gets to... but of course, I always end up being left behind. Oh well, that's the way the show's so damn addictive.
• That's So Raven - Another laughtrip show. Raven's exaggerated antics and expressions make the show super fun to watch.
• Project Runway - I can not miss one episode. Honestly, I want to be in the show! I love having to get a glimpse of how it is to design a whole new outfit or wardrobe. Also having to guess who will be out.
• American Idol - I am a music freak! What do you expect? Can I just say... Simon Cowell rocks!
• Everybody Loves Raymond - Family humor... I love Ray Romano's humor so much.
• Ally McBeal - Ally is a darling. I sometimes see myself in her every time she exaggeratingly imagines a whole new scene right before her.

There are sooooo much more goooood and no-nonsense TV shows. These are just a few of the best for me, my couch and, my remote.

Some of the Best Albums Ever

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