TOPAZ HORIZON

Because it's just so darn sexy. It's even called Hollywood Headboard. For the glamorous star in all of us!

I stumbled upon this fabulous headboard while I was wandering about the web, looking at stuff like iPhone and Kindle (this was for work), disability insurance and FTC disclosure policy (this was for blogging business) and the various blogs I love (this was for inspiration). Then I saw these headboards (thanks, Charmaine!) from Kat Burki. Here's a blue version. Not as striking as the kiwi one, right?

I'm turning 33 in exactly one month! If I were a hobbit, this means I've come of age. If I were Jesus, this means I'm about to die. And if I were to die a Muslim, then this would be the right time since Muslims believe we'd all be 33 in heaven--33 being the perfect age. Okay, the preceding thoughts were incoherent!

Anyway, I have no plans to die anytime soon (or later); what I do have are plans to celebrate another year! I've been very blessed so I just wish for more of what I already have--love and friendship and good health. I wish to be better at my career and develop other talents and skills as well. I don't mind more money coming in either!

While I'm grateful for the blessings, I also have a birthday list of material stuff I want to have on the big day:

1. A BLENDER
Yes, a blender or a food processor. I don't have one. I thought I'd get a ton of these at the wedding but I didn't get a single one! I really really want one so I can make my own fruit juices and milkshakes and crushed ice, etc ad infinitum!!!

2. JAMIE AT HOME BOOK
I love love love the TV show Jaime At Home! I'm a city girl through and through but when I watch Jaime At Home and Barefoot Contessa, I want to be out in the country, breathing in fresh air, sinking my fingers into the earth, picking flowers and fruits and vegetables, bringing them into my kitchen and then preparing a hearty meal. So anyway, Jamie has a book version of the show and I want it! I really really do!
3. LEATHER FLATS FROM SCHU
I wear my Schu beige flats every day. Okay, not every day, just four times a week. I really love these flats! They go with just about anything. I don't mind if I get dozens of these because this is the shoe that is so classic and perfect and comfy, I can wear them forever. Forever!
Of course, I wouldn't mind getting the other Schu styles, like this cutie:4. FREE TRAVEL ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES
Yes, preferably near because I dislike long hours in a plane. Preferably a city since I'm not a fan of sand and sun. So Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore (photo)... let's hope someone's generous enough to send me to you!
5. SNICKERS CHOCOLATE BARS
I can eat this all day every day. Just look at this photo I got from The Frugalista Files:

Just look at that! Chewy nougat, crunchy roasted peanuts and sweet caramel all wrapped in heavenly chocolate! I wouldn't mind getting packets of this at all. I just want to eat one bar every single day of my life!

6. A SAPPHIRE RING SURROUNDED BY DIAMONDS
While I never dreamed of getting married or even getting engaged, I did want the engagement ring Prince Charles gave Lady Diana in 1981. I was just a little girl, 4 years old to be exact, and I remember seeing that blue rock on her finger and when I asked my mother what it meant, she said, "That means he's marrying her."So since that day, I've always thought that a sapphire ring was the symbol of love and commitment. Of course, when I told Vince that I wanted Diana's sapphire engagement ring, he refused: "You get nothing less than a diamond. And look at what happened to that marriage!" So I got the diamond ring, which is winking at me fabulously now as I type (thanks, Vince, for always getting me the best!)... but I still want that sapphire ring! I'm buying myself one. I'm turning 33. I should be buying my own jewelry!

Oh, I can't wait for my birthday!

I'm a creature of habit so it takes me a long, long while to add new blogs to my blog roll. But let me present five new blogs I like to read:

1. Citizen Nerd
It's written by a very special man--my husband, Vince Sales! Before I buy any gadget, I always ask him for advice. In fact, before anyone I know buys any gadget, they ask Vince for advice. Vince is the last word when it comes to technology because he is Citizen Nerd! In my book, that makes him the most amazing man on the planet! (I hope this post gets me laid--ahahaha!--or at the very least earn me a shopping spree!)

2. Hypermom
This new blog is by my friend Jing Lejano, editor of Good Housekeeping. I like her blog because, unlike most mom blogs, hers is honest and candid and discusses motherhood frankly. Sure, she loves it but she doesn't overly glorify it. She talks about the good and the bad. I like that. And--very important to me!--it's well written!

3. The Blog King
Another well written blog! Too bad he updates once every blue moon. Elijah Mendoza is an editor, a new husband and a soon-to-be daddy (although I think his wife is giving birth right about now!). So his observations on marriage and fatherhood are a refreshing read--funny, witty and candid.

4. Style Kit
Jane Kingsu is the author of one of the best beauty and fashion blogs in Manila. She writes short and sweet and really well. I always seem to get my fashion and beauty news from her--how strange is that considering I also work in media! I like how clean and stylish her blog is... and I like how I won in her Schu contest! Thanks, Jane!!!

5. Flipflopping My Way Around Town
As you can tell from above, I like reading about technology, parenting, marriage, fashion and beauty. But I also have another passion--FOOD! Fran Haw has a delightful food blog that makes me hungry every time I read it! I love her blog and a lot of people do, too, because she's a finalist in the Philippine Bloggers Awards! Congrats, Franny! As promised, here's my vote:

Now, how come no one nominated me for this award-giving body?! Can someone please nominate me next year? I'll give a fantabulously special beauty gift bag to the one who nominates Topaz Horizon in the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards!!! Okay, I've resorted to bribery... Very bad of me! Just kidding, folks!

*images taken without permission from the aforementioned blogs. Sorry, folks! I promoted you so I hope that makes it okidoki!

The times, they are a-changin'. Used to be we looked to newspapers and television for what's happening in the world. Now, we turn to our blogs, mobile phones, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other live chat software. It's back to the old ways of spreading the news--word of mouth. Citizen journalism is very democratic. And fast. It has its problems, too, like some of the news can't be confirmed to be true. But, for now, I'm going to think of it as a blessing.

For me, it started with Michael Jackson's death. For others, with Obama's rise to the US presidency. And for the rest of the Filipinos affected by Typhoon Ondoy, this new way of spreading the news was so true during the height and the aftermath of the storm.

And then there's the uplifting messages we get that we no longer seem to get from TV and newspapers. These are inspiring stories of people we'd never have heard of because there are so many of them out there but there's only so much space on paper and airtime on TV. With YouTube and blogs and the worldwide web, we get to learn about wonderful people like Logan.

This gets me every time. Every time. Especially now when I've lost a mother, I'm losing my beloved pet wabbit, and I see suffering everywhere. God understands. He will always understand. God bless you, people.

You know what works better than weight loss diet pills? Teeth whitening. Yep. I had my teeth whitened two weeks ago and I was told to avoid all colored food for an entire month. I gaped at Dr. Dorotheo, "But all food has color!" He just smiled sweetly in reply.

Now I'm a tomato lover--I have to eat something with tomato sauce/ketchup once a day (read about my love for tomatoes here and here). If I can't have tomato once a day, I lose my appetite for everything else. So you can guess what happened--I've just resorted to eating once a day, so unhappy was I. I've been nibbling on carbonara, ham sandwiches (palest ham possible on white bread and mayo), congee and the like, and a lot of baked/steamed fish.

Now my jeans are loose and my tummy is flatter. My lovely friend Zerline, who is about to get married and is also opening a quirky store this month at Power Plant Mall, marveled at my thinness. "Maybe I should have my teeth whitened before the wedding!" she exclaimed at the thought of hitting two birds with one stone: white teeth, slimmer body! The perfect solution for any bride-to-be! (See our photo above? That's water we're drinking. Colorless food only!)

Well, my teeth are still sparkly white. But then this happened:Vince cooked his famous spaghetti meat sauce. Lovely meaty beef, extra virgin olive oil, plenty of garlic and onions, freshly grated parmesan cheese all bubbling away in a rich tomato sauce. Obviously, I did not resist!!! I'll just have to brush my teeth madly then! And even if my teeth yellowed again, I don't care--Vince's special spaghetti sauce is oh so worth it!

Want to have your teeth whitened for free? The Drama Queen is holding a contest at her blog to celebrate her blog's first anniversary (congratulations!). Contest ends today!!!

Bad things don't have to be the end of the world. For me, one bad storm was the beginning of a whole new world.

As regular readers of this blog know, Vince and I have been together since 1999. You also know that I never wanted to get married. While I loved Vince, I was quite averse to the idea of marriage, even if it was to Vince. But on September 28, 2006, that all changed when Typhoon Milenyo blew into town.

We were in Vince's 23rd-floor apartment that stormy morning and as I was waiting for him to dress up for work, I heard the sound of wind whistling fiercely and of water dripping... fast. I looked at the kitchen sink—nope, faucet was off. I looked under the sink—nope, no leaks. I looked for the source of the sound, which was getting faster and louder, and to my horror discovered that water was pouring in through the windows! The wind was so strong, it was literally pushing in water through the air holes of the glass windows (the air holes regulate air pressure). The good news was the glass didn't break; the bad news was the entire apartment was surrounded by windows!

I immediately alerted Vince and we tried plugging the holes. Didn't work. The wind was so strong, the water was actually jetting through! Vince hollered at me to save his precious books, which were shelved under the windows. He didn't need to tell me twice. He was busy unplugging his entertainment system. The water rose higher and higher, spreading throughout the parquet floors. It was so surreal because here we were 23 floors up and we were flooded in!

To make a long story short, Vince and I moved furniture and mopped up water the entire day, throwing buckets of it in the sink and the shower, still unbelieving that we were in a flood. But I liked how we handled the situation: Vince was entirely in control and I didn't lose my head either. We were a team, calm and methodical, not needing to tell each other what to do (although we were deeply upset inside!). In the evening, as we sank our tired asses onto the sofa, I remember looking at Vince and thinking, "I'm marrying this man."

Nope, it wasn't a romantic moment. I didn't feel warm and fuzzy inside. I was tired and cold and wet and hungry, and Vince was the same. We weren't even talking to each other, so exhausted were we! Not exactly a scene out of a movie. But there I was, looking at him coldly assessing the damage, and I knew then that when I go through the worst storms life can unleash, there is only one person I want to be with. The decision to marry him wasn't borne of a romantic or passionate emotion, it was born out of simple logic and it is perhaps the most intelligent decision I've ever made.

Three months after Typhoon Milenyo hit, I proposed marriage with a Sony Playstation 3 and Vince accepted and presented me with a diamond ring. Not a bad exchange, I say! We married in April 2007, just seven months after Milenyo. So, incredibly, Milenyo led to marriage!

What wonderful changes do you think Ondoy will bring?

Galady is still alive.

Her entire left side is paralyzed now. And though her appetite's still healthy, she looks like I had given her massive doses of noxycut because she's definitely not the chubby wabbit with the 17" waistline! But she's enjoying her warm baths and saltwater soaks. I guess that's because when she's floating about in water, she can pretend she's still moving. Sigh. Still, she's in good spirits and that means a lot to me, her mommy.

Matilda, on the other hand, is feeling resentful. For more than a month now, Galady's been the focus of our attention. It can't be helped! And Matilda is not liking it. She's either bullying me about when I'm feeding Galady or she's hunched up in the corner looking at us murderously. I do play with Matilda later on to compensate but she knows we're treating Galady differently. Sigh. I guess I sound silly. But I think mommies (of kids and pets!) reading this post can give me advice. How does one tell the healthy wabbit I love her just the same?

This reminds me of my own sibling situation. I've always been the independent one so I never really needed the attention of my parents. My younger brother was the good son, my sister was the good daughter and then our older brother... well, let's just say he always needed help. So Mama always poured her attention on him. We didn't mind but I did remember feeling annoyed when Mama can't join me for shopping or lunches because she had to attend to his needs. Again.

Whenever I told her about my problems or concerns, Mama always seemed to brush me off, telling me I'd be fine because, yes, I'm the sort of person who always is fine. But sometimes I'd wish she'd scoop me in her arms and just take away the fear and the pain. But she never did that because she knew I was strong, and that even at my weakest, my older brother still needed her more. And I know she knew best because when she pushed, I became even stronger. And look at me now!

So I guess I understand Matilda, but I hope I can make her understand that when I push her away, it's not because I don't love her; it's because she's strong and that, right now, I need to love the one who needs loving the most.

Last Tuesday, I was finally able to see my beloved brother Theodore and his wife Rose. They had been busy cleaning out their home of the thick and smelly mud that ravaged them last weekend. Knowing they had lost almost everything, I shopped for stuff for them and their family but not one taxi cab wanted to bring me to Cainta. I didn't get angry--I totally understood. So I just took the train, which wasn't so bad except that I had four bulging bags!

As I exited the train at Santolan Station along Marcos Highway, a strange thing hit me--the awful stench. Everywhere smelled of sewage, rot and mud. This was what really brought the reality of what happened home to me. The mud had also dried by then so that huge dust clouds overwhelmed the commuters and vehicles. I just took a passenger jeep to Masinag and all that dust got into every nook and cranny--when I showered back home, the water washed rust orange!

Theodore and Rose's home was utterly devastated. A huge mess. But they were happy and busy rebuilding their lives. I know their smiles kept the fear and anxiety at bay. I know they were worried about the cost but I also know that they are relieved they only lost material things; 277 of our fellow Filipinos lost their lives.

Looking at other blogs, I see the same spirit of courage and determination to rise above this tragedy. I am deeply moved by the smiles on every victim's face. A fellow blogger wrote, "We are bruised but not broken." Another quoted Albert Camus, "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer."
A new super typhoon is coming to our country this weekend. I know that this time, we'll be ready. Yet I pray that each of us will be safe and I hope that the golden sunshine that resides within each Filipino will turn the storm clouds away.

In the midst of all the tragedy that Typhoon Ondoy brought, I haven't forgotten the little boy I've adopted in my heart. I'll be posting new stuff for sale for Mio's chemotherapy later this week--let me just visit my family (the roads are finally clear of floodwater!) and then we'll get down to the business of fighting cancer.

To those who bought tickets or was planning to go: The Mio Fights Cancer Benefit Concert has been moved to October 9.

I don't really know why this cause has affected me so much since cancer hasn't actually touched me (asthma, endometriosis and migraine are my health issues) but I just suddenly felt that cancer in all its forms (leukemia, breast, bone, stomach, lung, etc!) should not be anyone's problem anymore. There's enough pain in this world and then we have children, mothers, fathers, people we love dying because their bodies have turned against them. It's not right and we should all fight against it!