TOPAZ HORIZON

After all the excitement over the Ethan Allen headboard, funny it got eclipsed by the arrival of our son Inigo!

I've mentioned before that Vince and I have wanted a tufted headboard since watching Mad Men.

I love Don and Betty! That gold bedspread, not so much.

And Chuck, too, actually. I wish they had shot more scenes in Agent Walker's bedroom!

Sarah's uber stylish green and white apartment.

Now where can I get mirrored wallpaper? (Hi, Chuck! I miss you!)

Well, the heavens answered and gave me a tufted headboard in the green that I always saw in my imaginings (but I actually wanted white or cream haha). It's been standing majestically in our bedroom for 6 weeks now and I have had all of those 6 weeks imagining a bedroom makeover!

It was inevitable really. If we had gotten a white or cream headboard, it would fit perfectly in our coffee-and-chocolate bedroom. But we got a sea green one so I've been obsessing on redecorating. Of course, we could just follow the design that won us the headboard in the first place:

Behind-the-scenes look is here!

But now that it's actually ours, I want something less Ethan Allen design aesthetics and more Vince and Frances, the amazing design duo! Here are a few inspirations:

The no-brainer white-and-green combo.

Same combo but with wood accents. Kinda boring though.

Add a pop of color, like sunny yellow. Or a fab pink!

Maybe we can keep our current mocha walls.

Black, white and green.

Or green with gray and glass!

I love the surprise of the blue walls.

Or maybe we can just keep the room as is and tell people, "The theme is eclectic." *Roll eyes!*

Very interesting ideas! Very inspiring, too. But it's all mood board stuff for now. Dream stage. Vince says if we're going to spend tons on renovation, we might as well buy a house-house and abandon our condo-house. He does have a point there but I love living high in the clouds so much so maybe this post (hi Vince!) will at least convince the hubby to paint the walls!

*Images from Better Homes and Gardens, Apartment Therapy, Visualize Us, Comfortable Home Design, Decor Pad, The Big Bed Company, Days of Chalk and Chocolate

Since the start of 2012, Vince and I haven't gone on a date. A "just us" date. A romantic date. A date that allows us to flirt, eat food at a leisurely pace. Nope.

Then last week, I remembered I had bought coupons from Deal Grocer, a really good deal for a lovely lunch at Lu (or more popularly called as LuLu) at Rockwell. I had bought it as a surprise gift for Vince, for our 5th wedding anniversary. But when that special day came along (April 18), I was very pregnant and very tired and just couldn't imagine going out. But I'm no longer pregnant! So Vince and I had an impromptu date last week.

Look at how happy we are haha!

We left Vito at home with the yaya. Vito naps around noon so we figured he wouldn't miss us. We literally stole away for lunch! But we brought Inigo along since I'm breastfeeding him. He's 4 weeks old here. Ya, so it still wasn't a "just us" date but since Inigo slept throughout lunch, it was easy to pretend Vince and I were "alone." Haha!

While waiting for our food, we perused the books on the shelves.

We started with pumpkin soup.

This Napoleon salad was a revelation!

We had the basil-strawberry shake. The basil's strong herbal taste was a jolt at first but this quickly became quite refreshing!

This is a goat cheese-and-mushroom open-face sandwich. It's very good but I shouldn't have had it with the salad since they taste almost the same.

Vince had this chorizo pasta dish. It was very tasty!

Oh, this cheesecake is divine. I dunno what that sauce is but it definitely added a sublime freshness to the creamy dessert.

Yum yum yum! I want to go on a date again. Where should we go to next? We haven't been out in such a long while, we really don't know which restaurants are great to visit!

I've been telling everyone that I'm selling everything in my closet. Nearly everything I have is for my pre-pregnant body, which was a size 4. Now I'm a 6 and, with my birth-widened hips and milk-filled breasts, I don't see myself shrinking back to 4 anytime soon (or ever). So I need to sell everything so I have money to buy new stuff for my new body.

Then I remembered that for Christmas, Pinky, my old old friend from way back in third grade at Assumption, gave me GCs for Unarosa. I wasn't familiar with the brand. Pinky said the clothes are nice and I'll like them. So I went to their website (but their Facebook page was much better) and she's right, I do like the pieces! Here's what I loved:

Top- P 1,795.00, Pants- P 1995.00, Shoes- P 1,760.00

I love pussy bow blouses. And lace. Vince doesn't like lace (he's reminded of doilies) but I really like that top. I also like the pants. But since I still have a post-partum belly bulge, I don't think I'll look good in it. Yet!

I knoooooow. I've been neglecting ze blog. Forgive me, my dearest readers. I hate to admit it but "superwoman" me ain't super at all. I'm having a very hard time juggling the needs of a new baby and a toddler, on top of managing my house, and my work as editor and writer! Stress Drilon araw-araw!

But I'm happy. Yes oh yes!

Don Draper and Joan Holloway. Two of the sexiest people on TV (and in the world)!

Anyway, does anyone here watch Mad Men? I never get to talk to anyone about Mad Men. It seems like no one I know watches Mad Men. I seldom get to feature the show in the Hollywood magazine I edit either. So I only have the hubby to talk to when it comes to all things Mad Men.

Such a shame since the past couple of episodes have been astounding and outstanding. But I'm not going to do a review today; I'm going to explore the decision that Joan made two episodes ago and how it's affecting my marriage (hala lagot!).

Joan, played by the lusciously curvaceous Christina Hendricks (who deserves an Emmy dammit!), got an indecent proposal. The ad agency needs Jaguar to hire them and the creatives, pushed by Don, are busy coming up with a fantastic campaign. But the head of the dealership association tells Pete that the deal would be made much sweeter and surer if he gets to spend a night with Joan. Yuck.

Pete and the agency's partners are shocked and then aren't shocked (pfft, men!). Don walks out but the others tell Pete to offer Joan $50,000. Joan is mightily offended, even though she admits that the money--four times her annual salary--is huge. Lane comes in later and tells her to not settle for the money; she should ask for a partnership plus 5% of the firm. Now, she's going through a divorce and is raising a baby boy all on her own. This is the 60s. A broken marriage was a shameful thing. What's a single mother to do?

She slept with him, of course.

Did he have to be so icky?

You have to watch the episode to see that it isn't as sleazy as it sounds. And to see the utterly magnificent acting of Joan as she plays the role of desperate mother, resolute seductress and ambitious career woman.

Now how is this affecting Vince and me? Well, Vince labels what Joan did as prostitution. That's very Vince--he calls a spade a spade, everything is black and white for him. That's what makes him a good man. I, on the other hand, am a believer in context. Shades of gray, if you will. So in my mind, unpalatable and despicable as the deed was, I saw it as something that Joan needed to do to secure the future of her son. Vince, of course, is beyond shocked when I said that. He exclaimed in dismay, "Thank God we don't have daughters!"

Well, thank goodness I wasn't alive in the 60s! What Joan did really didn't strike me as prostitution. For me it was a desperate act of a mother. Matthew Weiner, Mad Men's creator, says:

"Honestly, I think that if I had not mentioned the word 'prostitution' in the episode, I don't even know if the audience would have really realized that that's what it was. It's more complicated than trading sex for money because it's really about this woman getting into a position of power." 

And getting into a state where she won't need a man to provide for her and her son. When you're a mother, all your choices are defined by your children. Even Christina Hendricks says:

"The question is, what would you do to protect your family? Joan is raising her son all on her own. She has no help from anybody. So is it noble? Is it slutty? I don't know."

Ya. I don't know either. I do know that I'm a mother. I understood. I think I'll never do what Joan did but I won't judge her or women who had to make choices like that. So Vince said, "We have to let our children know that they will always have us, that they can always come home, so that they'll never have to do anything desperate."

And this is when I pray to God desperately that we stay alive and healthy, leading abundant lives, so that our sons will always have enough. Maybe sometimes even plenty. So that, as their father fervently hopes, they'll never have to do anything desperate.

*images from The Hollywood Reporter

I spent a Saturday a few weeks ago at a Wacoal workshop learning a whole lotta stuff about underwear. And, boy, was it such an eye-opener! All the girls who attended the workshop were horrified at how our body ages and how the wrong underwear can make you look awful. We were also inspired to take some action on that!

But let's start at the very beginning. My friends My Mom-Friday and Mommy Fleur and I were invited to the Wacoal workshop and found it quite amusing that we were surrounded by very young fashion bloggers (more on them at the end of this post!). I mean, seriously, with such lovely skinny bodies, what do they need shapewear for? Well, we were all (yes, even those fabulously perfect girls) in for a surprise!

Posted this over at Twitter recently:

Yep, I'm still looking for health insurance! If you've been reading my blog long enough, I started looking for a private health plan for my family when the TMC disaster happened. By private, I mean it's a service that we pay for and not provided by the company I work for. Almost all of the recommendations I get from blog commenters and Twitter followers are the health plan providers that their company works with. The company I work for has health benefits, of course, but I'm looking for something more comprehensive and one that would cover all the members of my family, not just me.

So I've been researching and I've narrowed down my choices. I won't say what those are yet since I'll still give them a call and check them out. They might not look as good on paper, you know. What I'm really looking for is the kind of health plan my family got when my Mama was employed at Meralco. It's almost as good, if not better, than health plans in the US before the current health crisis. As a child, I was sick constantly. Like, I'd be confined at a hospital maybe 3-4 times a year. Not once did Mama have to take out her wallet to pay for my bills. Our dental needs were also completely covered, unlike today when only cleaning and temporary fillings are covered. Back then, we were assured that we can have everything from a filling to a root canal and not worry about the cost. Even cosmetic treatments (braces, bleaching, etc) were covered up to 25%. Absolutely frikkin' awesome. That's the kind of plan I want for my family!

Of course, that means I've been apprehensive about the cost of personal health plans, thinking that there's a reason why companies subsidize them. But I am happy to report that we actually have cheap health insurance here. My research shows that for just P10,000 a year, a family of four can get good coverage--private hospital room, good accredited hospitals, annual physical exams, dental check-ups. If you add another 5K-10K to that amount and you get absolutely fantastic coverage, the type that asks no questions, just pays your medical bill.

That plan, even if it may be P20,000 a year, I like very much. It's really not a lot of money. Just divide 20K by 4 (that's me and my three adorable boys!), and that's just 5K a family member for an entire year. That covers dental work, annual medical checks, and should someone get sick, great medical service and treatment. For peace of mind, 20K is nothing!

Someone told me, however, that the best health insurance is money in the bank. She doesn't believe in insurance, you see, thinking that it's all a scam. She said, "How many times does one get sick anyway? Once, twice? As long as you live a healthy lifestyle, you'll be fine. And for those times you do get sick, nothing beats cash." I do agree with her somewhat, especially since when I gave birth, both times were completely paid for by cold hard cash. There's a certain sense of pride knowing we were able to save up for a hospital like St. Luke's Global.

Still, if there's cheap health insurance available here anyway, I don't see why we shouldn't avail of it. What do you think? Should I or shouldn't I? Do you have personal health plans or is yours provided by your company?

Everyone I know seems to be talking about the "Call Me Maybe" vid of Manila's most beautiful people so I'm glad Karrots blogged about it because I had no idea what all the fuss is about!



Well, all I can say is Georgina is head and shoulders above all the other girls. And that's saying a lot because all the girls are gorgeous, but Georgina, grabe, ang ganda-ganda niya! Too bad the video was so dark. It would've been nice to see their gorgeousness in all their glorious detail!

While that was a fun video, this next one was what really made my weekend. It's also a lip-dub vid but this one had a wonderful purpose: Get the girl to marry him! It is so sweet and fun and happy and full of LOVE!



When he said, "You've given me a lifetime of happiness. Will you let me spend the rest of my life with you?" I so know what he means. Vince did that to me. In the first year we spent together, in the first month even, he already changed my life. Even if we hadn't ended up together, he'd still have given me a lifetime of happiness. So being together all these years, with all the laughter, the adventures, the love, the kids, my life is absolutely filled with happiness. Thanks, Vince!

I've been sooooo busy with my new mommy duties that I've absolutely forgotten to show off (hell yeah) my new Ethan Allen tufted headboard!

I've made it no secret that I want a Tod's D Bag. I've wanted one since 2008? Or 2010? Basta it's been a long while. I wanted one becausd I'm obsessed with Princess Diana. Yes, the D in the D Bag is her initial. Anyway, I may want one but the too simple design is making me hesitate. I mean, don't you want something more spectacular for 70,000 pesoses! Look at it. It's so plain.

So Tod's came out with these goodies for their Spring/Summer 2012 collection!

This D Bag comes in snakeskin, which will look really good with...

... these matching Gommino driving shoes!

Or if you're not the matchy-matchy type (I'm not), try these driving shoes in bright colors.

I love the color orange and this D Bag in bright citrus and rough textured leather is love!

The perfect shoe with that orange bag? This heeled lovely in smooth buttery leather!

But since I'm a mommy now and I run after a toddler, these penny loafers are better for me. Except that I am so not the loafers type!

So if I must go with practical flats, then I should go wild with the bags! Just look at these luscious colors and skins!

So there. After all this time, I'm still lusting after anything Tod's. Well, a Tod's D Bag more than anything else since I don't drive so I don't need their iconic driving shoe nor am I the loafer-type (but Tod's does have adorable ballerina flats!).

Anyway, Vince keeps telling me to just end my misery and go buy a bag already (and if I remember right, every year, the Italian brands at Greenbelt 4 go on a mega sale). But I keep feeling guilty over that price tag. I think I need more blogging raket and eBay sales to finance my Tod's obsession!

*photos courtesy of Visions & Expressions

... from the blogging world is this cutie:

Say hello to my second son, Iñigo Julian Amper Sales. As with tradition, the very proud Papa Vince wrote about the birth (which happened almost 2 weeks ago) over at my mommy blog.

I've been, quite understandably, up to my eyes in new maternal duties. It's harder this time around because I have a newborn and a super active (and whiny) toddler. Plus, we had to let go of the new yayas (see previous post) because their medical exams came back and both tested positive for tuberculosis. So newborn plus toddler plus no help whatsoever equals mega-exhaustion!!! Hence, no blog updates.

But we're slowly getting the hang of it. And we hired a new yaya (with a clean bill of health!) so I think I can start blogging again. See you around here soon and thanks for still being around! Mwah!

So I haven't been updating here. Sorry, sorry! I've been updating Topaz Mommy instead. I'm very near my due date so of course I'm all about mommyhood now so if you're interested in what I look like pregnant, what birthing options hubby and I are considering, what's in our hospital bag, etc etc, hop on over to my mommy blog now!

Anyway, I've also been busy hiring and training my two new yayas/maids. Ya know, I've always thought that whoever does the training should be the one getting paid. I hire these people to do a job for me so if I'm teaching them to do the job I hired them to do, shouldn't they be paying me for the education? Sigh.

Anyway! So many new complaints with my new yayas, but between them and the last one, they're waaaay better so okay na lang, sige na lang. Train, train na lang me. But kanina (oy, napa-Tagalog ako bigla!), after dinner, muntik na akong manganak sa stress. Etong nangyari:

Me: So bukas ng umaga pakilinis yung kotse.
Yaya Rose: Okay, ma'am. Ang dumi na nga naman talaga.
Me: Oo nga. Actually, last week ko pa sinabi sa iyo na kailangan nang linisin yung kotse, diba?
Yaya Rose: Opo.
Me: Eh di bakit di mo lininisan?
Yaya Rose: Ma'am, ang sabi nyo kailangan nang linisan. Hindi niyo sinabing linisin ko!

Stress! Mega! Sa sobrang shock ko, hindi ako nakasagot! Why why why am I so stupid? I think I'll go lie down now. Good night.

What a big month this is for me! I'm giving birth any day now and I'm celebrating this blog's 6th birthday! Check out my Facebook page's cover photo:

I actually started blogging in 2005, over at Friendster (do any of my readers still remember Friendster?). But I decided to go over to Blogger the following year. I had 20 visitors every day for 2 years, then it became 50-70 in 2008. Then my visits jumped to 200-300 in '09. Last year was my big year--that was when I finally hit an average of 1,000 visitors a day. Now I have about 45,000 page views a month.

Took me 6 years, folks. And I know I'd get more if I just promoted my blogs more, did more giveaways, did more SEOs, optimized, professionalized, etceterized! But... the plate is very full so I'll just let it grow organically. I'm happier this way!

I had also wanted to do major giveaways but I'm giving birth this month. I figured I won't be able to handle a new baby and a big contest at the same time. So we'll do a mega big huge one on our 7th year! Here's hoping you're still around by then!

I really do appreciate your readership, your support, your encouragement and your friendship. It's been absolutely amazing how loved you've made me and my family feel--from our wedding, my mother's death, my pregnancies, my adventures in marriage and motherhood, my rabbit's sickness and death, my victories big and small, and my defeats both silly and crushing, you've been there for me. You are all a great blessing. Thank you!