Every time Manny Pacquiao has a fight, Vince and I shop. If we were thieves, we'd have made off with millions worth of merchandise. I remember going to Greenhills some years ago and the stores were open but there was absolutely nobody there. No one at all. We waited at Fully Booked, browsing books, while somewhere in the store, muffled roars would rumble out. Finally, when the fight is done, the employees will trickle out and they're all happy and excited and then the malls would quickly fill up, traffic will get snarled up, and life in Manila goes back to normal.
This is how not normal looks like:
This last Pacquiao fight, we didn't go out. But it would've been nice to drive on a day like that!
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Thursday, November 28, 2013
Monday, November 25, 2013
Check out the best new beauty blog this year!
This is my super duper, absolutely-can't-live-without-her, good friend, Nicole Romero.
We met when we were still working in magazines. Wow, that feels like a lifetime ago! I don't exactly remember how we became friends since she's much younger than me, but however we became friends, I'm glad we did.
Friendship aside, I'm also glad Nicole came into my professional life when I needed to spruce up the beauty pages of the magazine I used to edit. The beauty pages then were horrible and boring and template-y. I'm not in the habit of hiring my friends but I was desperate, and I knew Nicole is really talented when it comes to styling products and writing about beauty. I mean, seriously, how many ways can you describe lipstick, right? This girl will astound you on how she can make lipstick sound like the sexiest thing in the world.
So I'm soooo thrilled that Nicole finally finally finally started her own beauty blog!!!
Ladies, check out Beauty & Sparkle!
To celebrate her foray into the world of beauty blogging, Nic is holding her very first blog event this December 7. The first of her workshop classes that she calls "Sparkle Series," the Nail Art Workshop will be held at I Do Nails at Eastwood Mall. The workshop will be all about trends in the mani-and-pedi world, how to care for your nails and help polish last longer, and tips and tricks on creating your very own nail art!
So exciting! Just click here to get all the details and to sign up! Hurry! Slots are super limited!
But wait! She's also giving away two precious slots to a lucky girl and her friend! Click here to join the contest!
And while you're at Nic's gorgeous beauty blog, do give her a warm welcome into the blogging world. I've been bugging her for years to become a beauty blogger because I just knew that someone with her expertise is needed but she was so hesitant. But now that she finally did launch Beauty & Sparkle, it's such an amazing blog! I love it! I'm sure you'll love it, too.
Have a beautiful week!
*The first photo and the last two images are grabbed from Nicole's blog.
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| Nicole is part of the Wine Night Gang, but we haven't gone out at night for years! |
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| We go out for afternoon tea now haha! |
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| Or lunch. Nicole also happens to be amazing in the kitchen. We're about to eat the yummy lunch she made for us. |
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| She's fabulous with kids, too! My normally aloof sons are always charmed by her! |
Friendship aside, I'm also glad Nicole came into my professional life when I needed to spruce up the beauty pages of the magazine I used to edit. The beauty pages then were horrible and boring and template-y. I'm not in the habit of hiring my friends but I was desperate, and I knew Nicole is really talented when it comes to styling products and writing about beauty. I mean, seriously, how many ways can you describe lipstick, right? This girl will astound you on how she can make lipstick sound like the sexiest thing in the world.
So I'm soooo thrilled that Nicole finally finally finally started her own beauty blog!!!
Ladies, check out Beauty & Sparkle!
To celebrate her foray into the world of beauty blogging, Nic is holding her very first blog event this December 7. The first of her workshop classes that she calls "Sparkle Series," the Nail Art Workshop will be held at I Do Nails at Eastwood Mall. The workshop will be all about trends in the mani-and-pedi world, how to care for your nails and help polish last longer, and tips and tricks on creating your very own nail art!
So exciting! Just click here to get all the details and to sign up! Hurry! Slots are super limited!
But wait! She's also giving away two precious slots to a lucky girl and her friend! Click here to join the contest!
And while you're at Nic's gorgeous beauty blog, do give her a warm welcome into the blogging world. I've been bugging her for years to become a beauty blogger because I just knew that someone with her expertise is needed but she was so hesitant. But now that she finally did launch Beauty & Sparkle, it's such an amazing blog! I love it! I'm sure you'll love it, too.
Have a beautiful week!
*The first photo and the last two images are grabbed from Nicole's blog.
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Friday, November 22, 2013
Yolanda
It's been two weeks since Super Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda crashed through our country and that's been two weeks of me just glued to the news and on Facebook checking for updates, reading stories of survival and loss, forming half-baked opinions on shoulda coulda woulda's. I've been pretty useless as a result. My blogging duties forgotten (sorry, sponsors!) and it's only now that I'm working again.
These two weeks, the word "resilient" is being used a lot. Some hate it, some love it. However we feel about it, it's just a word that really does describe us Filipinos. I'd like to think, faced with the same circumstances, I'd be resilient, too. But the thought of losing my kids... Oh, I can't even face it. I don't know what I'd do should that happen as it happened to thousands of our kababayans. I'd like to think I'd be strong enough to move on but we'll never know until it happens and I pray to God that it never happens because I don't think I can take it.
There's been lots of "the survivors should do this" and "they should at least do that" or "I would never do that." I also thought that. "At least clear the roads! I'd never ever steal!" But quick on the heels of those thoughts are the whispers, "What if your kids are hungry? What if they are cold and sick? What if they had died?"
I like to think I'd be the type of person who rises up to the occasion. I've always been the person who stepped in when someone needed help, needed to be defended, needed money. I'm very calm and sensible. That's why I think that in the face of calamity, I'm not going to lose my head. But when my mother died suddenly five years ago, I was too much in shock to function. I was in shock for three whole days. My younger brother and sister were the ones who thought of entertaining the visitors at the wake, it was my husband and sister-in-law who fixed the financial matters with the funeral home, my aunts and cousins who fed everybody. I didn't do anything except cry.
So I pass no judgment on anyone. No one knows how they'll react to any situation until they're in that situation. No judgment! Well, except maybe on the government. But that's a whole new issue and I really don't want to go there.
And that's it! We all know how to help. There are dozens of fundraisers, charities, NGOs, volunteer work happening everywhere right now. How generous the Filipino spirit! God bless us all!
* * * * * * *
These two weeks, the word "resilient" is being used a lot. Some hate it, some love it. However we feel about it, it's just a word that really does describe us Filipinos. I'd like to think, faced with the same circumstances, I'd be resilient, too. But the thought of losing my kids... Oh, I can't even face it. I don't know what I'd do should that happen as it happened to thousands of our kababayans. I'd like to think I'd be strong enough to move on but we'll never know until it happens and I pray to God that it never happens because I don't think I can take it.
There's been lots of "the survivors should do this" and "they should at least do that" or "I would never do that." I also thought that. "At least clear the roads! I'd never ever steal!" But quick on the heels of those thoughts are the whispers, "What if your kids are hungry? What if they are cold and sick? What if they had died?"
I like to think I'd be the type of person who rises up to the occasion. I've always been the person who stepped in when someone needed help, needed to be defended, needed money. I'm very calm and sensible. That's why I think that in the face of calamity, I'm not going to lose my head. But when my mother died suddenly five years ago, I was too much in shock to function. I was in shock for three whole days. My younger brother and sister were the ones who thought of entertaining the visitors at the wake, it was my husband and sister-in-law who fixed the financial matters with the funeral home, my aunts and cousins who fed everybody. I didn't do anything except cry.
So I pass no judgment on anyone. No one knows how they'll react to any situation until they're in that situation. No judgment! Well, except maybe on the government. But that's a whole new issue and I really don't want to go there.
And that's it! We all know how to help. There are dozens of fundraisers, charities, NGOs, volunteer work happening everywhere right now. How generous the Filipino spirit! God bless us all!
* * * * * * *
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