A Fairytale Wedding of a Muse

I visited Rajo Laurel’s site just minutes ago and learned that the stunning model, Sarah Meier, finally walked down the aisle last Tuesday. I first saw Sarah on a magazine years ago and was enthralled by her exotic beauty. Then she had a short stint as judge on my favorite show, Project Runway Philippines. I found her to be not only beautiful but also kalog. No wonder her wedding theme is enchanting, just like she is.

Best wishes Sarah and Benjo!

See more wedding photos at Rajo's blog.

Hollywood Hair Makeover

It’s Saturday! How do you want to enjoy it? If you ask me, I seriously want to have a hair makeover today.

Last night, I tried on the cuts I wanted at InStyle and oh boy, I had fun! The not-so-fun is that my hubby thought I looked like bayot (drag queen) on my photos but he tactfully added that I don’t have to look like somebody else because I’m already beautiful as I am. Awwwss!

In my dangerously lambing voice I said, “Honey ko, I’m really bored na with my hair, I need it styled differently na, okay?” But of course, the answer was the usual “ok, if it makes you happy”.

So my friends, please help me decide on what will be my next hairstyle..

Let's Go Boho!

When you go out and instantly you wish you were in Iceland, you'd know that it is summertime. Of course, you’d also know it judging the fashion cuts shops are displaying on their stands and racks.

I passed by a shop at SM Cebu the other day but I forgot its name yet the designs of their clothes and accessories really stuck in my mind.

Then I found out through my friend, Google, that the style which caught my eyes is called Bohemian or Boho fashion. I lust over it and soon (hello banker?!), I’m gonna wear a few of these..

You'll be Missed, Kiko!

The master rapper, Francis Magalona, succumbed to leukemia at noon today. He asked for prayers on his last blog post and it was rained with lots of support from his fans and friends. His family requested for privacy and they asked that instead of flowers and mass cards, cash and blood donations to Philippine Red Cross will be greatly appreciated.

You were the man, kababayan ko. Your legacy in this kaleidoscope world will surely live forever.

Don't You Just Love KC?

Isn’t she gorgeous?

She’s The Best-Dressed Celebrity of 2008.

For me, she’s the epitome of glamour and elegance, and I love her!

Check out KC's sites here and here.

Drooling Over Hermes

Imagine owning a bag worth.. drum roll please.. 3 million pesos! Wowowie! Well, why not? If you happen to be a megastar and have been working your butt off for 30 years then you unquestionably deserve it.

This is the Hermes Black Crocodile Birkin Bag with diamonds own by Sharon Cuneta. It has surely put showbiz denizens in awe. Check out related post at SNN.

Happiness Comes in Pieces

On Mark’s 25th birthday in 2002, I gave him a book entitled “The Next 500 Stories” by Frank Mihalic, SVD, and I wrote a note on its first page that said, “Age is not a date in time but a state of mind. Our duty here on earth is not to add years to our lives but to add life to our years. I love you honey. Happy birthday.”

For many years, this motivational book has guided him and me on how to make the right decisions and choose the right roads. Sometimes we read our favorite stories all over again and talk about what we have learned from them.

Now, I want to share the #384 story/poem that helps us understand the partiality of happiness and why we don't ask God to give us more of who we are and what we have (though I don’t mind having more) as long as no one in our family gets sick or get into trouble with the law or something. Moreover, it gives us the rationale on why we should have peace of mind first before anything else.

Happiness Comes in Pieces
Happiness is like a crystal,
Fair and exquisite and clear,
Broken in a million pieces,
Shattered, scattered, far and near.

Now and then along life’s pathway,
Lo! Some shining fragments fall;
But there are so many pieces,
No one ever finds them all.

You may find a bit of beauty,
Or an honest share of wealth,
While another just beside you,
Gathers honor, love or health.

Vain to choose or grasp unduly,
Broken is the perfect ball;
And there are so many pieces,
No one ever finds them all.

Yet the wise, as on they journey,
Treasure every fragment clear,
Fit them as they come together,
Imagining the shattered sphere.

Learning to be thankful,
Though their share of it is small,
For it has so many pieces,
No one ever finds them all.

-Priscilla Leonard

I Think Therefore I Am

and I am who I am..

What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Having my family around on a Sunday afternoon, cracking jokes, and laughing out loud without any reservations or whatever.

What is your greatest fear?
I fear death, not of my own but of my loved ones.

Which living person do you most admire?
Definitely my tatay. I look up to him since I was a little kid. He is passionate, dedicated, and disciplined. As I grow older, I appreciate more and more the little and big things he does for us.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Backbiting. There are nasty people in this world who take pleasure in ruining other’s reputation, and I despise them all.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Extravagance is defined as “the quality of exceeding the appropriate limits of decorum or probability or truth.” My first answer was “books,” but the bookworm in me says one can never have too many books. So I say it would be food. I will not hesitate spending on good food.

What is your favorite journey?
My journey through life. If I die and live again, I still choose this path I’m taking right now.

On what occasion do you lie?
I am such a bad liar. My eyes expose me every time I attempt to save my ass. Though I would be hypocrite if I say I don't tell white lies, I do, and I think they’re acceptable on certain occasions.

Which living person do you most despise?
Those who are trying hard to climb the social status and hurting others along their mischievous ways. They’re disgusting.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
“OK!” I say this when I’m in agreement with someone, when I spot a good buy, or when I’m enjoying a moment. I may use it too much, but that’s a good thing, right?

What is your greatest regret?
I regret not taking my piano, guitar, and voice lessons seriously when I was a kid. My father, a great musician, used to teach me and my siblings at home but I was hard headed (mom said) and I just preferred playing outside than being stuck in a room with musical notes. It would be nice if I could entertain a crowd with music, no?

Where and when were you the happiest?
Every time I am with my husband, family, and closest friends. They are my angels in disguise.

What is your current state of mind?
Stable and contented.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
Too much sensitivity because more often than not, it consumes me.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Being married to my knight in shining armor and having a great marriage. I am blessed.

If you were to die and comeback as a person or a thing, what would it be?
Still the old simple me, or maybe a better me. I love my life, everything in it.

What is your most treasured possession?
My wedding ring.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Living alone.

Where would you like to live?
Our dream house in Bohol, that includes a medium-sized garden for Sunday BBQs, a study room/library, entertainment room, an average-sized kitchen with a kickass oven, Zen inspired dining area, a veranda overlooking our private beach, comfy rooms, a nursery, a laundry room. Set in a safe and friendly neighborhood. Dream on!

What is your favorite occupation?
This doesn’t count as a formal occupation though it does occupy a lot of my time: blogging.

What is your most marked characteristic?
Resiliency.

What is the quality you like most in a man?
The take-charge attitude. It stems back to the caveman days I suppose, when he’d go out with his buddies to bonk a dinosaur on the head and bring it home to his wife for dinner. And, someone who faces the odds no matter what obstacles he must have to hurdle.

What is the quality you like most in a woman?
The nurturing quality. The maternal instinct shines through in everyone, even those who are not mothers. A woman cares like no other.

Who are your favorite writers?
A lot. Lately, I read all four books of Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer, and I read for the third time The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Right now, Edward Cullen of Twilight.

Who are your heroes in real life?
Tatay, nanay, my husband, lolos, and lolas. Having heroes so close to home inspires me the most to become a better person.

What is that you most dislike?
I highly dislike cigarette smoke, but find myself living with a smoker. Then I realize it’s a matter of how you deal with that kind of negativity. So I highly dislike knowing that I live in this negativity but not successful in doing anything about it. *sends note to self*

How would you like to die?
Peacefully in my sleep.

What is your motto?
Live, love, laugh.

A Day in a Military Wife's Life

“As I rouse from deep sleep, I offered a prayer to God for a good day ahead. Just then, a voice over the PA system announced: It is now recall. It is now recall.”

As a military wife, I can't help being like a PA system that sounds off at five in the morning to remind my military husband to get up and prepare for the day at such an awful hour.

That’s basically when and how my typical day begins.

I figured that it would be all right to let you know my daily schedule. Though, I must add, that it does not apply to every military wife’s life because every family in the armed forces is different – some have working moms while others stay at home, and some have no children while others have one or more. So, all of these schedules would definitely look different.

0500 Reveille (means hit the alarm and wake hubby up)

0515 This is the final warning and he has to get up. Otherwise, I set the alarm beside him so he would be rudely awakened. He leaves our bedroom, do some exercise or inspection at the unit, and I hit the pillow once again.

0630 Time to forcefully pull myself out of the bed and take a bath ahead of my husband.

0645 I prepare his uniform as he showers. This is also my time to watch the news on TV.

0700 Breakfast (I have to eat with him at the dining area with some members of his troop and I make it to the point to look at my best. I dread this part sometimes because there are days when I just want to look like a simple Jane Doe, you know just wear my old worn out shorts and tops, but I can't.)

0800 Hubby does his duties as Commanding Officer while I clean our room which happens to be just adjoined to his office. Convenient no? Nah, not at all times because I have to give him all the space and time in the world even if he is just arms’ length away from me. Then, I do the things I love to do such as reading books, surfing the net, eating, and doing feasibility study for a business.

1200 – Lunch (Thank heavens someone from the troop is cooking our meals otherwise I would run around the kitchen on my pumps. Remember I have to look presentable at all times? I wonder if I could even roll my eyes in front of someone.)

1300 – If I don’t go out, I usually head down for a long nap.

1900 – Dinner. After that, I surf the net or watch the news. Hubby would still be working at this time.

2200 – Taps. Woo hoo! This is my bonding time with my Mark. Usually, we just talk and talk until we get sleepy and call it a night.

Now this is just a regular day, nothing exciting and I haven't really explained completely what I do during the day. It’s not as easy as you think, trust me. As I’ve said, this is just a typical day, wait until you hear about inspection week or when he must work late (late means wee hours in the morning). That's a whole other blog though.

A Trip Down Memory Lane

My young and moving experiences definitely happened in high school. It was there that I prepared myself in the process of growing to maturity. Also, I went through the trying days of a teen’s life when I was constantly tested on how well I made the right decisions and did the right thing.

Recently, I visited my alma mater – Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Technology (formerly Bohol School of Fisheries), and I took a couple of pictures that reminded me of my high school days.

Field

Stage

SAC (before it was a pagoda for hang-outs)

Gym (used to be an open tennis court)

High School Building

More high school buildings

Info Tech Center

Flagpole and Admin Building


Gate

Covered Walk

College Buildings

Library

Bulletin (i used to be a staff in our school paper called The Harpooner)

Friends since first year high..

Thanks for viewing!