TOPAZ HORIZON

I'm doing this for a friend's friend. I don't know who Girrard is but he's 16 years old and he has leukemia. That's all I need to know. I have sons. Seeing sick children, especially our own--nothing breaks a mommy's heart more!

To help Girrard's fight against the monster in his body, his family and friends have started fundraisers. Today at 5:00 PM at Power Plant Mall, a special screening of The Bourne Legacy will be held for Girrard. A seat is P500. You get to watch the action movie shot here in Manila a few months ago, you get a special giveaway from the sponsors, and you get to help a young man live.

It's a win-win for all!



Speaking of winning, let me offer you a chance to win these tickets!

To support Girrard's chemo, I bought 2 tickets to The Bourne Legacy screening later. But since I'm a breastfeeding mommy, I can't watch movies yet. So I'm giving them away!!!

Just email me at frances@topazhorizon.com. Subject of email is: "My legacy is to help Girrard!" Email me your full name and phone number. That's it! Your phone number is important so I can contact you right away. Remember: the screening is tonight!

I'll text/call the winner at 3 PM! Yes, so you have until 2:55pm today to email me!!!

Or you can just show up at Power Plant with your girlfriend, boyfriend, parents, friends, etc etc, buy tickets and watch the movie! Help Girrard in his fight! To know more, click here.

UPDATE: I changed the deadline kasi raw to announce at 3pm doesn't give the winner and his/her date enough time to prepare to go out. Oo nga naman! So I'll text the winner at 12 noon! Thanks to all those who joined!

Well, not really. But I posted a photo on Facebook last night and my Wine Night friend, Nicole NB, suggested I submit it to CNN iReport. So I did!

Click here for the story

Funny how a photo, once it has CNN attached to it, suddenly becomes awesome!

What's more awesome? The sun is finally out! The sun is up, the sky is blue. It's beautiful, and so are you, Manila. So are you.

My blogs are now as simple and as clean as possible.

I'm having a major weirded-out feeling when I look at them. So far, the new look, which I applied on all three blogs, is working for Beauty For A Living, but for this blog and Topaz Mommy... I'm still adjusting to the starkness.

I'm planning a redesign next year. Something simple but pretty. Clean. Grown up.

Talking to a really talented artist right now. Just waiting for her price quotation. Crossing my fingers I can afford her!

So please bear with the super simple look. It's kinda nice, I think. The photos stand out like crazy!

The Philippine Red Cross has already deployed the amphibian rescue vehicles! And they are kickass! I feel hope and pride looking at this photo. Kailangan niya ng soundtrack!

Here are some suggestions from my friends on Facebook and Twitter:

From Vince: Voltes V


From Pyro Wanoy: Indiana Jones


From @touringkitty: Darth Vader Imperial March


From Vince again: A-Team


Stay warm and dry and safe, dear Manila! Help is on its way. Praying for us all.

It's very simple really. I put curlers in my hair and slap on some makeup (more here)! Usually I look crazy like this:
Haha, yes, that's my son, Vito. Anyway, that's how I usually look like but when I have to go out of the house, I make an effort to run a brush through my hair and pat on some concealer and powder. I end up looking something like this:
Much better, right? That boy is just so cute. Ryan Gosling lang naman ang peg!

I talk about this because someone I used to know, like waaaaay back when I was a kid, sent me a message over at Facebook and said, "You've blossomed into a beautiful young woman. May pinagawa ka ba?" Hahaha! The nerd!

But seriously, meron talaga ako pinagawa. Yes. My teeth. I got braces when I was 26. Simple as that. I had too many teeth apparently, which was the reason my teeth stuck out in front and was sungki-sungki pa. I looked like a horse. So the ortho removed 4 teeth. Yup, count them and weep. I darn near fainted the day she pulled them out. But when the teeth were pushed back in and aligned--just in time for my wedding!--I looked ohhhh so much better. Look how nice my smile is:

So if you want to look better, forget the boob job, nose job, whatever job. Go to an orthodontist first and get your teeth looked at.

I actually need to have my teeth fixed again. My two pregnancies kinda made them move--there's a widening gap between my left incisor and whatever the tooth next to it is called. And my front teeth have started to stick out again, as you can see here:

With Good Housekeeping beauty editor Pia Rojas at the Tod's A/W 2012 presentation

Ugh. Must see an ortho asap! How about you? Have you had something done?

P.S. Speaking of beauty, do check out my newly resurrected blog, Beauty For A Living!

Haven't been able to blog all week because of the biggest scandal to rock Tinseltown since Brad left Jen for Angelina: Kristen Stewart cheated on (the adorable) Robert Pattinson. As some of you know, I make a Hollywood entertainment magazine for a living so can you imagine the furor of the past week?!

What bothers me about this whole issue is the opinion that Rupert Sanders couldn't resist having an affair because the 22-year-old, fair-skinned, dark-haired Kristen looks waaay better than his 33-year-old, fair-skinned, dark-haired wife, Liberty Ross.

I get all sorts of requests in my inbox so here am I granting some of them:

Like One Hyundai Club Life in Style
I actually don't know what One Hyundai Club Life In Style is. I think it's a club for owners of Hyundai cars (which we're not--we own a Mazda). If you're part of this club, then you get exclusive rewards and privileges. Don't own a Hyundai? Well, if you like their Facebook page, you just might win a GC to shop at Zalora. So like, like, like!


Look at Michael Kors's new ad campaign
Michael Kors is the guy on Project Runway. Ya know, Heidi Klum, Nina Garcia and Michael Kors. Heidi's the model, Nina's the fashion editor, and Michael's the fashion designer.

Michael Kors's advertising campaign has always had a Hollywood theme--red carpet, paparazzi, the lives of the rich and famous. His Fall ad campaign is still all about Tinseltown, this time it features beautiful people in beautiful clothes shot by famed photographer Mario Testino at the backlot of Paramount Studios. The inspiration? The old Hollywood glam that's missing in today's stars!


Buy Latch a Babe
Lactating mama? I am! And if you're like me, you are on a constant search for clothes that look nice while providing instant access to your boob. I don't own a dress from this brand (yet!) but so far, I'm liking what I see. You, too? Then send your inquiries to lynsreyes@gmail.com.


Shop Mothercare's big sale
Or you can just go to Mothercare and make pakyaw the stuff on sale! It's no secret that I love Mothercare and shop there quite a lot. Of course, I mega-shopped right before this sale. I didn't know!!! So now that there's a sale, I'm not going because I already bought a lot (at regular price!). But hey, lucky you! You have two more weeks to get high quality mommy and baby things for a fraction of the price!


Sign up for BabyGap's gift registry
Or you can just use BabyGap's registry and get your family and friends to buy stuff for your bebe! Just sign up and you get treats and cute invitations to give to your baby shower guests.


Eat Chowking's Chao Pao
I love Chowking's fish and tofu dish. Then they discontinued it. So now I go to Chowking for their Naicha tea. It's very strong and very sweet. Love it! Now there's a new reason for me to drop by Chowking for merienda. The chow pao! I haven't yet. Have you tried it? Masarap ba?


Be a Bench Underwear model
The Bench Undies Show is like the most screamed at, shrieked at, most anticipated fashion show in the country. I've only gone to two or three shows in the distant past. Maybe I'll go this year. Maybe... But I have to get a good seat first! I don't want to squint at naked bodies anymore.

Yes, naked bodies. If you think your body is tall, long, lean, sexy (not flabby, chunky, short please!), then forget the stormy weather and be at Edsa Shangri-la Hotel on July 22, Sunday (that's today!). Registration starts at 11am. Good luck!

Usually, my Facebook feed is full of baby photos. I guess Facebook, in all its wisdom, decided that since I'm a mommy, all I'm ever interested in is family stuff.

Not true. I like murder, too. And sexy hot women. So when I saw this photo of the cast of Showtime's Dexter at Comic-Con and then I spotted Chuck's Yvonne Strahovski at far right, I was freaking out! Agent Sarah Walker in Dexter! I am oh so excited for the next season!!!


I like sci-fi and weird stuff, too. So I am a huge fan of Fringe, that show where everyone wears coats and frowns as they figure out the mysteries of the (parallel) universe(s). So this photo of the dowdy Dr. Bishop now looking dapper in a button-down and a chic fedora and the suited up Agent Broyles in a graphic tee is priceless!

Totally think this is adorable: a funny clip of comediennes Jennifer Aniston and Ellen Degeneres.


Then this. Cutest photo bomb ever!

I can read this easily. I used to write in my journal like this. Feeling Da Vinci when I was a silly young girl who thought she was smarter than everyone else. Sadly (and happily, too!), not true!

Love this! I'd rather be a Jedi than a witch anyway. Although I secretly believe I really am a hobbit. I like eating second breakfasts and elevenses.

And finally...
Soooo glad these updates got through because I'm definitely more than a mommy!

What's on your Facebook feed?

When you're a mommy like me, you want to be able to run around comfortably. When you're in the magazine business like me, you want to be able to look good at work. When you're trying to be chic whatever the occasion like me, you want to never sacrifice style for comfort and comfort for style.

So I'd like to have one pair each of these Chelsea ballet flats please! Size 36.
Tory Burch studied an actual ballet slipper when she designed this wardrobe staple. So the soft leather, the lightness, the grosgrain ribbon trim and narrow toe box will definitely inspire you to dance while walking! The name, meanwhile, is taken after New York's art district. So the shoe is for the girl who likes to while away the days visiting museums and galleries, attending exhibits and shows--in comfy shoes, sure, but in luxe comfy shoes!

At P9,650 a pair, it's quite pricey but, hey, as someone who's spent loooong days in heels for years and years, I'm ready to invest in flats as beautiful and comfortable as the Chelsea.

Tory Burch is available at Greenbelt 5.

Over at Topaz Mommy, I'm holding a contest. Yep, I'm giving away copies of Fifty Shades of Grey. Hop on over there to get a chance to win a book!

Anyway, I was reading the contest entries, all of which talked about their favorite romantic hero of fiction. It just occurred to me that, based on the answers and how we all seem to love guys from Rhett Butler (Gone With the Wind), Heathcliff (Wuthering Heights), Maxim DeWinter (Rebecca) to Edward Cullen (Twilight), we girls seem to want men who are much older, very rich, have deadly secrets and, most disturbing of all, cruel. Cruel!

Tell me, did you actually end up with a bad boy?

I used to date bad boys but that got old soon (not soon enough sadly). I finally decided I needed respect. Gosh, not even love, just plain and simple respect. Someone who will treat me with kindness and affection, generosity and trust. That's not too much to ask since I can give that and if I can, a man can. So what is this obsession of ours with bad boys?

I should be able to answer that since I did go out with their kind many many seasons ago. But, to be honest, I really don't know. Do you?