TOPAZ HORIZON

First of all, I'm not angry anymore. After listening to me rant and rave like a lunatic last Tuesday night, my husband wryly told me, "Well, if you handle trash, expect your hands to get dirty."

Indeed. So I won't complain anymore even if I am now a lot poorer because I just paid for some celebrity's new clothes. The company will reimburse the cost so I'm not too upset except that I'll have to watch my spending until the check comes!

On to better news, I will happily share what's making me really excited today:It's an ant killer! It's a poisonous substance that attracts the little critters. It doesn't kill them right away. Instead, it's more insidious, allowing the ants to bring the substance back to the nest and feed the queen ant and larvae ants with the poison. It's fascinating to watch... and a bit horrifying, too, as the ants come out full force to devour the poison. So you'll have to replenish with a drop or two because the ants get really greedy. Then after a few days, no more ants! There are absolutely no ants in the house now!!!This is such a fantastic find! Now if someone can just make a batch of this stuff for that celebrity pest... I kid, I kid!

Terro Ant Killer is available at Handyman for just PHP 149.75.

I just want to share my favorite new thing. Well, it's not so new since Vince bought it for me soon after our second wedding anniversary. But I just had to share because it's super hotness!

I said I wanted a pink netbook, right? Then I ended up buying a little black beauty a few months ago:

Well, with my darling baby needing protection, I needed a laptop case. I looked and looked and everything was either too big or too small (the HP Mini's screen is wider than most netbooks). And must all laptop sleeves look so horrid? So as Vince and I wandered into a luggage store, this little cutie called to me.
Isn't she pretty? It's a Samsonite Black Label Signat Mini Attache. It's pink. I'm sooo happy! Vince thinks it's so retro cool. And it actually is retro--this is a re-issue of the 1965 design. I learned that from the little leather label here (sorry, my photos are terrible!):
Because it's Samsonite, we didn't think we could afford it. The original price was PHP 11,390 (USD 238) but--wonder of wonders, it was on sale! It was sold for a huge discount--Vince got this pretty pink sweetheart for just PHP 3,970 (USD 83). Unbelievable. Sold!

Ah! Look at that! It's like it was made for my HP Mini! And it has a little compartment for the charger and pockets for my USB sticks and little odds-and-ends. Love it! Thanks, Vince!

Since my Belle de Jour talk on earning money online, I've been getting a lot of questions about how I make money with my online activities. To answer your questions, I'm writing this post.

(That's a bad photo, I know, but it's the only one which proves that I really did give a serious talk--on money no less!)

I earn money through three ways: (1) I have an eBay shop, (2) I'm a member of a paid blogging network, and (3) I have ads placed in my two blogs.

(1) Selling on eBay is very easy. While a ton of girls use Multiply as their online shop platform, I find it easier and safer to sell on eBay. First, because there's a feedback system so I have a better idea of who my buyers are and, second, the tools are already there so uploading photos and item descriptions, answering questions, sending invoices, etc. are a piece of cake.


I highly suggest that if you have a lot of unnecessary stuff at home like clothes that don't fit anymore or if you like making lovely items like gift cards or cloth bags, then sell, sell, sell! You'll be amazed at how much money you can earn from your junk/hobby!

(2) Another way to make money online is to join paid-blogging networks that give you assignments from advertisers. Each post you write for them is a paid post--you are literally writing for money. Some networks ask you to specifically promote or review their product/service. Others just give you a phrase that links to their clients' website.

This latter is my favorite and this is what the network I  belong to is all about. I like it because the advertising is not so obvious and the assignment challenges me to think creatively. For example, how am I going to insert "Pleasanton motorcycle accident attorney" in my blog post? As you can see, it's not always easy!

Because of my paid blogging work, I've been able to buy the coolest film nerd shirts, necklaces, shoes to sell on my eBay shop, and--for my PS3 addict husband--this super rare Sackboy doll that is only available in the UK!


(3) I also have ads placed on my blogs but I'm not earning much from them. They're from Google Adsense and Nuffnang. I've heard of people earning USD 100 a day (!!!) with just the ad revenues on their blogs. How do they do that???

I'm very aware that my online money making experience is not that impressive. I'm a newbie--just started in November last year because, as my credit card was stolen, I was desperate to make money. And my friend Jennie of Marriage and Beyond has been so encouraging and helpful because she earns super duper lots from her blogs.


So it's funny that Belle de Jour actually asked me to tell the BDJ girls how to make money since they ended up teaching me instead! If you have any advice at all, please help--how do you earn from your blogs? Because, as much as I love my magazine, I'd really like to start working from home one day!

My sister Jacqui and my niece Nicole came by this weekend. Jacqui is regularly at my home because her dermatologist's clinic is in my building. For this particular visit, she brought Nicole because she just turned 8 years old last Wednesday. And for her birthday gift, she asked for new school shoes.

Anyway, while Jacqui was getting some top acne treatment, I did Nicole's nails. First, a base coat, then fun glittery stickers, then a final sweep of clear polish and voila!Nicole loved her nails! What a sweet silly girl! This is such a fun thing to do. And it's inexpensive, too. Nail stickers are available at Watson's and Face Shop and you can get nail polish just about anywhere! Little girls love it and you bond over the activity. Fun, fun, fun!

When Jacqui was done with the derma, off we went shopping for Nicole's shoes, slippers and socks--all very girly of course! I'm happy I was able to take my sister and niece shopping. I know God has blessed me a lot and spreading the joy--through shopping!--blesses me yet again. Love it, love it!

Ladies, do you recall my poll on shoes some days ago? Well, my first shipment of shoes arrived last Wednesday! I'm super excited! I've gotten them all ready for my eBay store. Yep, my regular readers know I have an online business of sorts. It's just a fun hobby until Vince and I realized the hobby has bought us furniture and books and toys. Now it's a serious money-making venture (well, still a hobby since we do have full-time jobs).

So part of the reason I've not been blogging is I've actually spent the last two weeks clearing my cabinets of surplus inventory because I needed to make space for my new products--SHOES!

Here are four of the six styles I ordered:















Pretty! Sexy! I'm very excited! I really do hope the shoes sell. One of my Things To Do is to open a shoe shop. Vince thinks this is silly of me since he likens that to an alcoholic opening a bar. Haha! He has a point, though. I'm already thinking of keeping a few in my size!

P.S. I sell only through eBay.ph!

Vince fell in love with the Philippe Starck Louis Ghost chair two years ago. It's a simple chair made of polycarbonate and it's famous for melting into its surroundings and standing out at the same time.


He asked if he could buy one. Two years ago, it cost P12,000 each. I said, "No, let's wait for a sale." Last year, he asked me again. This time, the chair was P14,000. Again I said, "No, let's wait for a sale." A few weeks ago, while we were at Rustan's, the price tag on the Ghost was an eye-popping P16,000 (USD 332.55). Vince said, "If we wait for a sale, it will just get even more expensive. Let's buy it while we can still afford it."

So we bought two. I know that's a lot of money for an invisible chair but to get just one seemed incomplete. Now, twin Louis Ghosts sit in our house. They are stark and simple and elegant. We are in desperate love with them.


Today I found out from Real Living magazine that Dexterton in Greenbelt 5 has a sale on its home and office furniture. The Louis Ghosts were marked down.

I sat down on one of my beloved Ghosts and allowed one frustrated tear.

*images from Marley&Lockyer, PointClickHome, StyleAtHome

Last November 21, this woman stole my wallet and charged more than PHP 80,000 (USD 1,709) worth of gadgets on my gold HSBC card.


For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV

This is not the first time she's been featured on the local news. But no one can seem to identify her! The security team of our office building--they had caught her before and released her!--say her name is Noralyn Beltran. Her modus operandi is to go to offices and steal. She does this every end of the week, at around 4 PM, which is about the time people are having their merienda (coffee break) and so are apt to leave their belongings on their desk. This thief must be caught. Please forward this post and video to everyone you know. Thank you.

Kate Torralba, one of Manila's most celebrated young designers (and now the star of a Colgate TV commercial!), is a good friend. We've been friends since we were just starting out in the real world, as slaves to a lady senator I will not name. Kate and I call each other "foul-weather friends" because we only see each other when there's trouble. So it's not a bad thing to say that the rarer we see each other, the better!
Last night was not that kind of day, however. She was in town--an unusual event since she's always jetting off somewhere. And I also had to give her her Christmas and birthday gift! Ack! So off I went to her Greenbelt 5 store.

We window-shopped at Adora while we waited for our table in Cibo. I really adore the stuff in Adora but I don't adore the prices! I did fall in love with these chairs--I think they'll go well in my living room!--but, they're property of the cafe, so they weren't for sale.
At Cibo, I had my usual: pomodoro soup and chicken sandwich. Our dear friend JR Isaac, editor-in-chief of Circuit and society editor-at-large of Preview, joined us for dessert--a tiramisu sent over by Cecile Van Straten, Philippine Star columnist and author of uber popular blog Chuvaness, my daily guilty pleasure.
I enjoyed dinner very much. We talked about love, relationships, making money, prayer, God... quite fascinating actually! I really should go out with my friends more. This busy life is not very good.

Kate Torralba's atelier is at the second floor of Greenbelt 5, Makati City. Do visit her store soonest! She has an unbelievable anniversary sale till February 28--all dresses are marked up to 70% off!