Saturday, October 30, 2010

Kate has a music video

When God made Kate Torralba and Rajo Laurel, He sprinkled extra talent on these two fashion designers, that's for sure! Not only are they two of the most celebrated designers in the country, they also sing! Check out the music video they made for Paperdolls and Wharton.



It's so cool. Kate and Rajo really hammed it up! The models, who look like they take Lipofuze religiously, definitely have that 60s vibe going. Now I always knew Kate can sing (she always sings at weddings and she has gigs at bars almost every week) but Rajo is a surprise! I was most entertained.

If you want to see the collection Kate designed for Paperdolls, click here and here!

Friday, October 29, 2010

What I want for my 34th birthday

  1. To get back in shape. I lost the pregnancy weight quick but I'm flabby all over. It's kinda depressing. Really. So I better buy some fitness equipment like dumbbells or those exercise DVDs. Or maybe I can just run. How do you keep fit?  
  2. New shoes. My feet have shrunk back to a size 6 but somehow they've widened or something because even though my old shoes still fit, they're mighty snug! Ouch.
  3. New hair color. I haven't had my hair colored in over a year! This is amazing. I am now sporting dark brown hair--my real hair color! I haven't seen this shade in 15 years! Hmmm. Maybe I should keep it like that...
  4. To eat out. Yeah. Like, good food in a posh place. Juicy steak, baked oysters, fresh sashimi, spicy sushi, crisp salad... Hungry!
  5. Bib necklaces. I just discovered Sopia. She makes really fab necklaces! Order one for me?  
  6. A topaz ring. Because!!!

Books, red velvet and carrot cakes, Nestle ice cream Chocolate Collection and Haagen Dazs tubs of strawberry cheesecake and tiramisu also welcome!

Things to do!

I'm looking forward to two things next weekend: my 34th birthday and our first family photo shoot with the Stork Studio. This means that I have to look extra extra good! On my To Do list:
  • Go to Murad at Rustan's Makati for my acne treatments. I love Murad's facials! These were totally able to manage my pregnancy acne. But since giving birth, I haven't been back so my skin is all splotchy and pimply again. If you go there, ask for James to do your facial. 
  • Go to Bench Fix in Robinsons Galleria and have my eyebrows shaped. I keep forgetting the name of the woman who does the threading but she is absolutely the best eyebrow shaper ever! I've been to Browhaus in Greenbelt 5 and to Lay Bare and my brows end up either too thin or the skin around my eye area get peeled/threaded off. Very painful. That woman in Bench Fix in Galleria is the best! Must get her name...
  • Go to iLash at SM Hypermart to have lash extensions applied. I love long lashes but I have very sparse ones sadly. The faux lashes at iLash are fabulous and inexpensive!
  • Get a mani and pedi so that my digits won't look like chewed up claws. I usually go to Let's Face It at Robinsons Pioneer. My girl there is Maricel. She never remembers me so when she does my feet and hands, she makes kwento the exact same things! Strange that I should remember her name whereas I always forget the Bench Fix girl's one... and she always remembers me!
That's it! Darn. Just looking at that short list tires me out! So this looong weekend, I'm going to just relax and enjoy my lovely family. That's the best beauty secret actually!

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Juggling act

I used to be very efficient. These days, just thinking about the word "multi-tasking" already exhausts me. The other day, someone from HR called to remind me of some documents I need to submit so that my maternity leave will be officially ended. If I don't submit, no salary. In my former life, I won't even need to be reminded.

In my former life, I also spoke English very well. The HR guy said, "Will you be able to submit your requirements by tomorrow?" And I mumbled, "Uh, yes ma'am sir, I submit very soon tomorrow promise the clearance yes." I haven't submitted it yet. So I have no salary this 30th again!

There are errands to do, bills to pay, stuff to follow up... On top of all the important things are the beautifying ones (I need to have a foot spa and a manicure, a lash extension for prettier eyes and a facial to have blackheads extracted for a photo shoot with my hubby and baby!). I know this part's shallow but my husband likes it that I try to look good. He always says, "Fight it!" It being fat, flab, dumpiness and frumpiness.

What I do prioritize is the baby and the magazine. The house can fall into disarray and my hair can go uncombed but Vito and OK! have my full attention. Which then brings me to the wife role, which I have woefully neglected. Darling Vince has been very understanding. But I really have to snap back into shape! And I don't just mean my body...

How do you juggle?

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Behind the scenes at OK!'s staff shoot


Last week, OK! magazine had our staff shoot for the December issue. Here are a few outtakes:

Managing editor Lana still doing business while having her hair done.

Red carpet columnist J Santiago checks himself out.

Beauty editor-at-large Nicole Delos Angeles looking very svelte.

Beauty columnist Nichole Reyes-Mercado (in black) and features editor Joanna Mendoza (in purple) await their turn.
 
Associate features editor Elaine Natividad whiles away the time with a book.

Me. With very lifeless hair!

Vito was mesmerized by Nikki's pearls. (I am mesmerized by her luscious long wavy locks!)

I brought Vito to the shoot and everybody gushed over him. Then the makeup artist asked when I last had a good night's sleep because my eyes obviously said I haven't had any in a loooong while. Since getting pregnant, I've been sporting bloodshot eyes surrounded by fine lines and dark circles. After working on me (a long time, sad to say), the makeup artist made my eyes look like this:

Obviously, I need help in the eye department! Because all that concealer and powder just buried themselves in my wrinkles. Good thing I got this recently:

I'll start using that elixir on Monday and give you an update on my beauty blog, maybe in 2 weeks or so. But if you need more info on eye creams,  click here.


As for the OK! staff shoot, I'm sorry this post isn't as fun and detailed as my previous posts (click here, here and here). I was too busy with Vito to actually take pictures! Wow. My priorities have changed. Either that or my hands were just too full of baby to do some clicking!

Friday, October 22, 2010

I won a $20 gift card!

I just won an Urban Originals' Facebook contest! All I had to do was post two links on their wall--one an Urbanog shoe and the other the designer shoe it copied. Easy! This was what I posted:
Valentino Couture Bow d'Orsay peep-toe pump
$695

Miss Me Jocelyn Bow Tie pep-toe pump
$23.90


And today I got this message:

And maybe next week or so, I'll use my prize! That gift card can buy two pairs of shoes if I'm lucky. And despite certain events recently that made me wanna scream my head off (and I did actually, last Wednesday. Sigh.), I do still believe I'm a very lucky girl.

Freaked out!

Saw this on our office library shelf yesterday and I know I shouldn't read that cover story but I just couldn't resist. Now, after reading the article, I am freaked out!

Everyone says that what you eat and do while pregnant affects the baby, but this new science of fetal origins has discovered that everything, absolutely everything--from the air we breathe (most likely polluted) and the food we eat (which can harbor psychoactive drugs like L Dopa) to the stress we feel--truly can determine whether our child will be fat, have heart problems or be schizo.

Why am I freaked out??? Well, when I was preggers, I wasn't exactly religiously taking my prenatal vitamins and I ate a lot of fast food. I live right along the busiest highway in the city and pass a group of smokers every day when I walk to work. I watched World War II documentaries and crime stories on TV. I was juggling work, marriage, impending motherhood. In short, I basically lived!

Then I read things like that Time story. That motherhood guilt everyone warned me about just went into overdrive. Vito, forgive mama for living her life!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Tron geek fashionista alert!

Was browsing through web pages last night for sales and discounts (you'd be surprised at all the stuff you can find, from discount codes on shoes to abt electronics coupons!) and I stumbled upon these instead... Tron: Legacy merchandise.


Frakkin' cool! Those shoes are mind-blowing. And yet so nerdy at the same time. I can't get over it! Making such sexy gear for such a geeky film (and making the merchandise really expensive) definitely adds a cool element to the Tron franchise. Well, those and Olivia Wilde, of course.


Olivia in real life. Yes, that's what she looks like in real life!
Now, for those of you kiddies who were too young to watch this classic sci-fi flick, Tron is a 1982 flick that dealt with theft, intrigue and conspiracy in the world of video games and software development. Did that make you fall asleep? Well, the fun part is the sci-fi part, when the lead character Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) zaps himself with a laser so he can go into the computer mainframe. Yes, like, literally. Now that he's literally inside the computer he battles programs to... Okay, okay, I won't bore you with the details.

Anyway, it's great fun but only to nerds, I think. Like Chuck Bartowski, who has a Tron poster on his bedroom wall...
...and a really hot girlfriend who happens to be a spy, too. See? Nerds do get the girl! The Third World Nerd (who got himself a hot girl, too!) and I certainly enjoyed watching it again a few months ago. We're definitely looking forward to Tron: Legacy, which hits local theaters this December, just before the awful MMFF season dominates our screens.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Happiness is spelled like so: V-I-T-O!

At almost 10 weeks, my Vito's interacting. And not just because he's hungry-wet-sleepy. He's curious now, he looks around, listens, coos, mimics, smiles, laughs. His favorite source of amusement? His Papa!

Occasionally, he likes me, too!

To be honest, because of certain events, these past few days have felt like a nightmare. But when we see Vito, happiness just overflows. Yes, despite the disasters, life is good. Vince even dared to say, "Our life is perfect."

Vito, thank you.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Muji weekend

I was invited to the media event for Muji's opening this week but I didn't go (this week was extremely stressful but I'll save that story for another post). However, since Vince's niece, Elizabeth, is celebrating her 9th birthday, we figured we'd shop at the city's hottest new store.

Well, a ton of people had the same idea.


Sooo many items for sale. School and office supplies, home accessories, clothes... lotsa lotsa goodies.

The line at the cashier snaked around half the store but everyone patiently waited. The shop crew--bless them--distributed bottles of water to the people lined up.

At the end of the line you can grab some canvas bags and personalize them yourself (these photos from Chuvaness) with rubber stamps. Very cool!



Vince and I bought tealight candles (cheaper than Rustan's), a pencil sharpener, watercolor pencils, a multi-colored pen, a memory foam pillow (absolutely the best find at Muji!) and--of course!--Elizabeth's birthday gift: colored markers and a make-it-yourself puzzle board. 


And here's my letter to the birthday girl:

She said she liked it! But that she didn't know what to draw. Well, E, I'm sure whatever you do decide on, it will be fabulous.

Muji is at Bonifacio High Street, above Gap, across Fully Booked.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Now that's a kitchen that screams Christmas!

It's Saturday morning, Vito's finally asleep beside me on the couch. He finally fell asleep to the soothing sound of Nigella Lawson's voice. Yep, I'm watching Nigella on the TLC channel and I am drooling over her... kitchen!


It's no secret that I love Christmas, I love food and I love Nigella. That video just warms my heart. And I just love how her kitchen looks so magical with all those little points of light. Everything looks like it was sprinkled with fairy dust!

Those lights make me so excited for our first Christmas with Vito. I think I'll buy yards and yards of C7 led christmas lights and string them along all over the house. Vito will be enchanted!

P.S. Mariel, whatever happened to our cooking show???

Friday, October 15, 2010

Happy times

Saw these photos from 8 months ago. And I just got nostalgic. We were so happy!
This was at Nikki's wedding and these are the glamorous people that make up our Wine Night group. Can I just point out my arm??? I was actually eating a LOT at that time because I was 4 months pregnant.

Yep, I was 4 months pregnant then. A lot has happened since... the pneumonia scare for me, magazine features for some, finding and losing love for one, heartbreak for others, a homecoming, leaving for another land for one, I gave birth to Vito and had postpartum depression, etc. A lot truly has happened in the past 8 months!

But certain things remain...
Love

Friendship

Style.

Here's to us, my darling drunks!

Remember Beauty For A Living?

It's resurrected! After 2 months of ignoring my beauty and fashion blog, I've finally written a post--and I announce an exciting sale happening in less than 3 hours! Now I won't be able to go to that sale since my Friday's fully booked but I hope you get to check it out!

As for my beauty-and-fashion lover readers, do expect lots of posts from Beauty For A Living soon. It's my very own special site for all things beautiful... or would make you beautiful. Problems with acne? Expect some benzaclin reviews soon. Want to lighten skin pigmentation? I'm testing Mosbeau's whitening cream. What color's hot this month? I think it's a red October--from dresses and shoes to lipstick!

Hope you visit my revived blog! Click, click, click!

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Christmas is just around the corner! Let the preps begin!

You know how some people book photo shoots for their Christmas cards? I used to giggle at them. Well, guess who just joined that silly crowd? Me!

This photo was taken by my sister, Jacqui, and it's now my Facebook profile pic. It's cute enough, I think, for photo cards but Vince isn't with us so no, can't use this. And the picture's too dark. And our outfits just won't do! Besides, by December, Vito's face is going to be much different. I guess I should just book a photo shoot in November.

Meanwhile, we're taking dozens upon dozens of shots of our little boy. This is him last Tuesday. Now, doesn't that smile just brighten your day?

Sunday, October 10, 2010

No more dress shopping

So I was supposed to buy a few dresses, right? Well, I might as well set aside the money towards travel. Why? My friend Duni of Lovely Purses left a comment on that post:
"The style and fit is great, but the fabric is a bit flimsy - as I'm afraid most dresses from that company are. So choose wisely..."
So I decided to investigate! And the wonders of Internet sleuthing revealed these:






Sadly, the dresses do not look very good on real people. As you can tell from the photos above, the fabric is not nice, resulting to wrinkles, ill fit and a look that's generally, uh, cheap. Sad sad, but, Duni, thanks so much for warning me! I could've ended up with dresses that I'd never wear! And I hope you're recovering well and feeling better!

I'll definitely save the dress budget and use it for something really worth it. Like shoes. Or a bag. Or a trip with my family to somewhere far away. After all, with the new adorable addition, we're going to need extra moolah!

*photos from the fashion company's Facebook page.