on the eve of christmas eve

i can't breathe everytime i think about my trip.  i seriously can't breathe.  so i don't think about it anymore.  actually after i packed my bag last weekend i didn't touch it anymore.  but i count the days, and it is dragging on too long... which is what usually happens when you're waiting for something.

and i don't know why but i am nervous, which is totally different from the excitement i usually felt from my four trips back to manila for the past 6 years.

anyways, i had a cup of biguerlai tea two days ago because my stomach feels heavy and maricel said it will help me remove unwanted stuff from my intestinal track so i tried it.

unfortunately i don't feel heavy anymore, i feel pain.  so much pain and so many trips to the bathroom for the past two days and until now that tea still wages war against my stomach.  i am sticking to green tea from now on!


and, since my boss came back earlier than usual i am blogging my last blog before my vacation, probably, just to review my recent stuff ebay:

1.  coralista blush by benefit

" finally! i have been waiting for you for ages.  and i was not disappointed because you gave me so much sparkle on my cheeks that i don't have to use bare escentuals bare radiance anymore.  and your brush is so soft, and your color is so nice, its just the right orange-pink shade that gives my winter a little bit of summer-y look.  i really love the shimmers!!!"

from left to right: mikajy blush in rose, bourjoius blush in amber, benefit coralista, and thrrrob

from left to right: benefit thrrrob, bourjoius blush in amber, benefit coralista, and mikajy blush in rose

2. smashbox best of cream liner palette

the cutest thing in my cosmetic bag!  it is so thin, and flat, as wide and long as my credit card and only half a centimeter thick, but the liners are cost-efficient.  i only need a few swipes and a pop of colour goes into my eyes.  unfortunately the colors are not bright, and the amount of cream liners are insufficient (i probably need to restock every month or so) but if it is for handy cosmetic bags supply only, it is enough.

it is that small

and this thin!

3.  bourjouis maxi-frange waterproof mascara

mascara and cream liner

In Vert Honolulu, kind of blue green.  I only bought this because its only about $4 and the shipping is free coz it is from the same seller as the smashbox item, and i used this once yesterday only on the tip of my lashes, two swipes to give a hint of colour and already i can smell the strong scent of the mascara.  it lingered on for 5-7 seconds and it was not bad-smelling, just the usual smell of mascara multiplied by 10.  but the colour is awesome!  and until i was about to sleep it was still there, after two washes of soap and one wash of face foaming from belo.  but a couple of baby oil on a cotton pad removed the remaining tubes, i called them tubes coz they look like they coated my eyelashes on all surfaces, to lengthen, i guess.

first: extension extreme with that weird alien comb

next, volume maximum with a normal brush

and speaking of belo's whitening facial wash, i don't know if the fresh avocado face mask was responsible for it or belo or olay total effects moisturizer coz i started using them at the same time, but my face is noticeably smoother, and my pores are definitely smaller.  i am so amazed everytime i look at my freshly washed face coz i can't see the pores on my cheeks anymore.  and the facial wash smells good, too.  it reminds me of something but i can't remember.

that's all, i still have to go to cathay pacific's website to check-in online.  goodnight...

the weekend before christmas!

alu my sister!  i don't know if you're the only one reading my blog but its for all of you in manila to let you know how im doing here, kind of like my public diary exposed for all of you haha..

anyways, the night before the national day holidays, me, maricel, irish and her wanna-be suitor florin went to gosi and had coffee and finalized our schedule for thursday, which is, to have another city centre day.

and so we did go to bcc last thursday, from 11 am until 8 pm.  bambi said it wasn't normal, and i have to get my head checked for psychological problems.  hello, kulang pa nga yun e... di ko pa nalibot lahat-lahat.

(bcc photos)

anyways, bati na kami, but when he saw my post in facebook regarding jacob black this morning, his ears started to give off steam again...

i don't know why im like this, but maybe its because he left me to wander alone a lot of times while he's playing his computer games and so i looked for things to keep me entertained.  and here comes makeup and twilight.  what is he complaining about?  im a completely normal human being.

so while we were in bcc, i saw some shoes that were on sale.  i bought two for my brothers.  that's why i had to fix my bag today, to see if i still have space for pasalubongs and stuff.

i was originally planning to bring only one backpack since i already went home last may and i wasn't planning to give anything to anyone (kuripot haha), but these shoes changed my plan.  so i took a medium-sized stroller bag and included some clothes that were just sitting in my closet and thought that maybe they'll be of better use to my sister, the other one, rj makulit... she adores me.  i don't know why.

so i think i only have some small spaces left and im just gonna buy chocolates and stuff for the family tree... im bad in remembering them all.  i usually just buy stuff and let kristelle distribute them, otherwise i would probably forget the important people.  she wouldn't.  she's a family girl.  and she knows everyone.

next step for me is to pick the important kikay stuff from my drawer, and from that, still i have to pick the ones i can't go without:

i really planned on going light, so ill just pick my favorite brushes, blush, favorite primer, lip gloss and so on.. they will go inside this cute hello kitty bag i bought from ebay:

it opens up like this and it has a mirror, too!

and i probably picked mostly everything, coz i don't buy what i wouldn't use.  but the fave among the faves are:

hello kitty contact lens case (from ebay.  it has sanitized tongs if you don't want to touch your lenses, and a small squirtable bottle for your solution inside)

Be givenchy.  bambi bought this in the airport last may before we went home.  in my excitement i forgot that i had no perfume on. how gross if i was hugged and i smelled like a 9-hour flight... and i only like a few fragrances, coz other smells gives me a headache.  this one's a dream.  but i specifically use this only when im in manila, kind of like a homesick scent...

1.  sephora eye primer

2.  nivea 10-hour lipstick & gloss

3.  mikajy lip brush (i love this!)

4.  loreal eyesmoker in black (my current fave eyeliner)

5.  benefit lip beads (lip exfoliator)

6.  maybelline xxl curl mascara (super long & thick lashes)

7.  contact lens case

8.  sephora face primer

9.  benefit high beam

10.  prestige ultimate brow definer (why i love it?  it has a liner on one end, and a mascara-like brush on the other end)

11. mikajy blush

12. 22k lip palette

13. bare escentuals mineral veil

14. benefit some kind-a gorgeous foundation faker

15. bare escentuals mineral foundation

16.  bare escentuals clear radiance (subtle shimmer without dewiness)

17. benefit blush in thrrrob

18.  olay total effects 7x (my new moisturizer)

1. colourland face brush

2.  bare escentuals flawless face brush

3.  colourland lip brush ( i use it on my eyeliner, and it totally uses every centimeter of it!)

4. colourland flat stiff brush

5.  colourland angled brow brush

6.  bare escentuals maximum concealer brush

7.  angled eyeliner brush (i got it from watson's)

8.  paula's choice pencil brush

9.  smashbox shadow brush

10.  nars smudge brush

im not planning to bring my konad stuff, although i would love to paint rj's nails... i just want to bring stuff that i wouldn;t bring back, coz i know when i come back i'll have a lot to bring.  so maybe next time.

and since i have been in manila earlier this year already, im not planning on splurging anywhere.  ijust want to spend time with my little monster...


to my officemates: thank you for covering up for me.  have a nice holiday!

ps. this is where im going:

manila ocean park*

market market*

sm bicutan*

sm mall of asia*

*images from the internet, no copyright infringement intentions!

motto in ebay: "patience is a virtue"?

you'd think i'd be used to to receiving stuff by now, but im still drunk-happy when i see a package with my name on it!

especially when these arrived, coz it was packed in a big box, and i thought it was the other one, with the hello kitty gloss, blush and lip balm.  turned out it was just a brush!

im still impatiently waiting for my other stuff.  apart from above, i still have a hello kitty eyeshadow, borjouis maxi frange waterproof mascara, smashbox cream liner palette, coralista and justine case in a plane or a post office somewhere.

anyways, quick review, for the nars smudge brush, i was expecting it to be soft and cute, and i wasn't disappointed.  although im not using it everyday coz my smashbox shader brush almost does everything on my lids, this is still a good brush to keep, maybe when i learned how to do that smokey eye thing...

i can't get over how long this brush is!

next is the pencil dome brush, which is suppose to be used on the outer half of your lids, for lining or smudging the liner... it's cheap and i can't complain coz it's soft, too.  no shedding when i washed it.

smudged purple liner on the outer half of my eyes.  suppose to make it appear bigger.

and apart from ebay, my new product of choice is the maybelline xxl curl, which makes my lashes look fake, it is seriously thick and long.. i love it so much!

i wasn't born with it, it's just maybelline...

and my newest aha! moment:  i replaced my bath salt's container for my yoko milk salt!

basically, i want to use this every night.  it really makes my arms smooth super fast.  and it's heaven to put lotion on smooth skin.  but it's a tedious to dip my hands inside everytime.

so the glamourflage bath salts have this cool "salt and pepper dispenser" look, and i just placed the contents on a small jar and put yoko bath salts inside and voila!  hindi na ko tatamarin every night! hehe

im a genius (toinks!)

which face product?

one last post before i sleep.

because i didn't notice that i have been using three different products on my face depending on what time is left when i wake up, i want to differentiate their qualities and why im using them.

1.  ponds powder.

i almost didn't notice the label that says 'beauty color powder'.  ok, does this mean that it's not an ordinary powder?  maybe, but being used to johnson's baby powder, i always categorize this in the baby powder area, especially when you see it in the supermarket with johnson's.

anyways, this powder is simply amazing.  if johnson's leaves your face oily after a few hours, this one will not.  what's more, it's cheap!  and the shimmers are a plus... unless you don't want to sparkle.  but being a baby powder, it dries up my skin.  and sometimes if i overload my face looks ghostly white and unnatural.

2.  bare escentuals i.d. bare minerals foundation

shade: medium beige.  ambitious ako eh haha!  nagfi-feeling... anyways, just one use of this and i was hooked!  its super fine powder, when used with bare escentuals flawless face brush feels like nothing on your skin.  but even with no heaviness or tightness on your face, being a foundation, it gives full coverage on my face and when used with bare escentuals mineral veil, my face seems super smooth and as promised, looks like it has a soft focus camera lens effect.  no lie.  i have been using it for months and i didn't have any irritation.  actually it made my face clearer pa nga.  and for those who want to squeal in delight for the fact that you can sleep in it because it's so pure, go ahead.

what i like most about this is that even though you put it on at 7 am, your face stays matte and non-oily even at 7pm.  true story.  and it doubles as a concealer, too.  i didn't notice that i have dark circles under my eyes until i dabbed some of this powder using bare escentuals maximum concealer brush.  the brush has fine-tip to use for on the spot concealing, too.  happiness...

3.  benefit some-kinda gorgeous foundation faker

at first i thought it looked like a conventional foundation.  but little girls beware - not only is it light on your face, it's also non-oily, invisible and it blends perfectly on my skin.  when i used the sponge (included) to blend some on my skin, what was noticeable is the fact that my skintone has evened out.  no more dark vs light areas, and even the redness around my nose disappeared.  what made me switch after pledging my allegiance to mineral foundation is the fact that my pores seemed smaller with this on my face and my new blush - benefit thrrrob has given me natural looking blush that looks like i've been out on a cold day.  perfect!


so, i can't say which one is the best, coz i can go out with either three any day.


and since i received 3 out of six of my awaited parcels, i am hyper-post addicted today... i am also going to compare benefit's high beam to moon beam:

my moonbeam sample looks up to her big sister, benefit high beam (full size)

as you can see, on the right is the high beam which looks ghostly white on my complexion while moon beam, which is suppose to be golden warm looks pink on my medium skin.  i kind of think i should have ordered reverse sizes coz i seriously think moonbeam will work more on my face.  but i love the little applicator that only comes with the little moonbeam instead of the nailpolish style that the full product has:

that's it, im off to dreaming.  my goodness, 9 more days and im going home!!! *excited*

last photos

these are some of the last shots from irish'es camera before she left the office:

reflections

ipakita ang jackets!

all smiles!

the reason why im most affected is because nagegets ko si irish, and the best part?  nagegets nya rin ako. in short pareho kaming baliw!  hahaha... saka magkasundo kami sa maraming bagay - makeup, twilight, malling, makeup, chismis, foodtrips, makeup, rap songs, photography... ano pa ba... nasabi ko na ba yung makeup?!?

but in fairness, she has found a better job.  sabi nga nila, kung wala kang ginagawang masama sa kapwa mo, babalik din ang blessing sayo.  you go girl!

"alam mo girl, mamimiss ka namin... coz you are like sunshine.  napapatawa mo kaming lahat, at never kang depressed.   saka kain ka ng kain!  nahahawa kami sayo, kaya ngayon nagugutom kami ni ate maricel, ikaw ang naaalala namin haha!"

100% macbaby

i squeal everytime i see a mac on a movie.  it's just that mac users are a limited few, and i love to see someone using a mac coz i know how happy she is, or will be once she knows the ins and outs of mac computers...

so i also squealed like a piglet when i saw a pink macbook like mine on 'confessions of a shopaholic', and though macs are generally white (or that black macbook that kc concepcion owns), i was happy that she also used a case to beautify her baby.  i got mine from ebay and it's a hard case covering the top and the bottom, but hers look like a clasp-on thing...

since 2003 i have been hooked on apple and never got back to pc.  my husband bought me and ibook before, and two years ago replaced it with a newer macbook, and it is one machine i can't go through a day without.

i have more than a hundred applications, from simple time displays to serious house renderings, and basically anything that can enhance my usage.  i use it when i cook, when i want to watch a movie, when i want to emote with love songs, when working, when vacationing, and in my waking hours, 4 hours will not pass without my hands touching a mac.

i super super love it.  and i will not replace it with a pc ever...

dear weather, pls make up your mind

it's unbelievable!  almost two weeks now and it's still raining now and then, and now i truly believe that climate change is accelerating and im totally overreacting...

ok, since i have been used to one day rain per weather-changing, it has really delighted me to wake-up hearing raindrops on our window... its so nice to snuggle up and snooze the alarm when it's still dark at 7 am...

fortunately it has been sunny last friday, my usual laundry day.  and hopefully these 4-day holiday (yes, four freakin' days again!) will be sunny, too, because irish, maricel and me are planning to go to bcc one of these holidays.  since irish left the office, the mall will be our haven of laughter.

i can't believe that it's already 15!  10 more days and i'll be flying home again!  i almost don't want to think about it coz i can't suppress the excitement i feel every time i think of jared.

and speaking of excitement, i finally watched new moon last night.  i know, almost one month delayed.  the thing is, if something gets super-hyped up, i lose interest.

so there i was, smiling to meself while watching, and omg i kind of melted over and over again!  jacob is sooo super hyper mega awesome!  i cannot believe he is the same boy from cheaper by the dozen 2!  i was hyperventilating all night... ok, deep breaths, deep breaths...



i also got my phone back!  so now im back to taking pictures of my nails and eyes, i think ill post them soon!

ill be back soon!  its kind of boring in the office coz my boss is out of the country. haven't you noticed i've been blogging every now and then?

money money money

sigh, and i thought i had enough!

upon months and months of trying to save for my trip to manila this christmas, surprise expenses are popping in every direction.

i don't have too much money to spend, but i have enough, and hopefully there will be no more deductions, and in my desperate attempt in saving i have even tried the lottery.. hehe, you never know right?

so with regards to the up and coming new year, i have devised a plan not to be debt-free, (coz lets face it, credit cards are just way too awesome to give up, right?), but at least financially-manageable.

self-tip #1:  get a loan.

they said there is a good debt and a bad debt.  good debt is when you use your borrowed money to invest in proper things, while bad debt is when you use it on holidays trips, expensive material things you have dreamed about since forever, or just spent it little by little until you realize it's gone.

so my plan is not to get into further debts, but to use it to pay off and cancel one credit card, specifically citibank, because it has a higher interest rate than bMi, and start building the apartment i have been planning forever.

because upon finishing the apartment, i will have enough budget to get by (house, grocery, loan, baby, piggybank, and the remaining credit card -bMi) and our income from the apartment's rent will be our savings.

in two years, the apartment's rent will be enough to pay off my loan balance or to buy another lot and continue the cycle of good debt.

self-tip #2: stop using the remaining credit card.

yes, we have that illusion that we can buy anything we want, as long as we use our credit cards.  unfortunately, whatever we buy has to be paid eventually.  and worse, we do not have the common sense in buying because we do not hand out real cash, so we splurge and think only about the minimum interest rate that we have to pay monthly.

wrong.  if you total all the interest you have paid in one year, you will think twice in using your credit card again.  especially if the interest rate is high.  so i give myself one year to say bye-bye to my remaining credit card.  really.

self-tip #3.  set up a realistic monthly budget.

ever since, i have to calculate first my monthly budget to know how much i can spend on nonessentials, or if i have any.  so this year's goal is to assess the profits and losses, coz once i see how much i can save, it encourages me to set it aside.  you might want to try it, you'll be surprised at how much you can save in one year!

self-tip #4.  materialize your goal.

this is the year!  i will start working on our plan and i will give myself two or four years to finish it.  if only i had known earlier that this is what i want, then i would have started earlier, but better late than never.  no more delays, no more excuses.  who knows what will happen in the future, and i might never have this chance to save up again?

self-tip #5.  relax.  and stick to it!

yes, i am tight-fist when it comes to money.  but hopefully if my plan goes well, ill stop worrying about finances, coz i know i shop when im stressed.  this year, i am gonna chill, since i have started my goal and i have set aside the expenses and savings.

i hope i can stick to it though!

mistakes i did when i was younger

when we were younger, we were obnoxious, healthy, and perky little bumble bees.

we were superhumans.  we joined dance contests, finished essays, watched every new movie and practically walked all over the mall and back with no pain whatsoever.

we can manage to wake up at 7, go to school all morning, skip lunch (maybe), then go straight to the mall, which at the time we go home the rain might be falling but we felt waterproof and walked like we were walking on the moon, waddle in the rainwater flood, eat isaws in the kanto and sleep at 11, maybe 12.

our elders warned us, but didn't our they notice that no matter how many times they tell us that something is bad for us, we will not believe them until we tried it ourselves?

coz little did we know that these things are consequential.  im not saying that we shouldn't have done it, everybody has to experience something before you can learn from it.

in random order, and apart from power tripping with worms when we were young, wild and free, these are the some mistakes that i did when i was, well, young, wild and free (and careless):

1.  not brushing my teeth often.  now that i have a career to take care of, missing a tooth might not be a good idea after all.

2.  not washing my face often.  laziness, sleeplessness or whatever they call it, once a pimple scar is there, it's there forever.  unless you go to belo.

3.  not learning how to swim, or drive.  of course, i still can, but its more awkward at this stage.

4.  not taking care of my sibs.  when you grow and go apart, then you reminisce and regret the fact that you didn't take the chance to show them you cared.

5.  not thinking straight when you were in love.  young people nowadays think that the one they love is the one they will marry, live happily ever after, and so on and so forth.  i once did, too.  but the older people are right - no matter how hands over feet, truly madly deeply in love you are, things change.  don't give up your everything.  believe me, your prince charming has a more charming rival in the future.

hello, jacob black...

6.  alcohol, cigarettes, whatever vice you have.  i only took alcohol, and only during my last year in high school.  if i had known that alcohol speeds up your aging, i should've stuck to cali instead.

7.  skipping classes.  ok, you may be cool and all, but what about your class card?  skipping generally means you do other stuff too, and at the time when you started valuing your career, a tiny glitch in your school record might do some damage.

8.  not listening to your parents.  don't you know that the more you show your love to your parents, the more their heart will soften and give you (almost) everything you want?  instead of raising a tantrum, if i had known that lambing is all it take, i would have done that hands down.  unfortunately my parents weren't around when i was growing up, but you get the idea...

9.  not sleeping in a proper posture.  nowadays, when stature gives confidence, i really envy the people who have a good posture.  if only i didn't sleep sideways all the time...

10.  not taking care of my eyes.  my eyes, my most precious sense, have been badly treated from years of reading in the dark, washing my face after watching tv, and (i don't know if it's true) reading while lying on my back.  if only i can turn back the hands of time, this is one mistake i will not think twice to correct.

so, since we're all thinking of regrets, why don't we all just appreciate the present and start now to take care of ourselves so in the future, we will not write a post that says "mistakes i did when i was in my twenties..."

is thin really beautiful?

in magazines, movies, tv series, yes, thin is what we want.

i sometimes lose interest in one of my favorite tv series trip na trip because of this, but i have learned to love katkat and they really have good episodes...

when i was pregnant i thought i finally have the excuse to eat whatever i want, but after 5 months of giving birth i started watching what i eat again, which was a pain.  coz let's be honest, we get depressed when we get fat.  and the more we eat, then we seem to want more.

but i have two different person telling me that i was more beautiful when i was a little healthier.  my prominent cheekbones, they said, makes me look old.

so now i realized that of course, extremes are unhealthy (although im not really thin, my cheekbones are just really noticeable) and though im not in that place where you get to love the body that you have, im learning to eat healthy and walk as much as i can.

don't you realize that as you get old, you discover things in your body that makes it work and sometimes, not work?  like these dietings and stuff.

these are the 'ways' i tried before to lose weight:

a.  that special diet where you have a schedule of different weird fruits, vegetables, liquids and stuff every day for two weeks.

i didn't last a day.  my father cooks the most delicious meals when he sees the list in the refrigerator.  unfortunately if you don't follow it day-per-day, you have to start again at the very beginning.

b.  special soup diet. 

i lost interest preparing it.

c.  skipping meals.

i stopped this because i started to take care of myself since i gave birth.  who wants to be thin if you'll be sick?

d.  treadmill.

no treadmill matches a lazy potato.

e.  no dinner.

will not work if dinner is the only meal you share with your husband.

f.  no rice.

what kind of filipino wants to eat without rice?

g.  the only one that worked: tae-bo.

of course, it didn't work alone.  i also ate at proper times, with medium intensity (haha!), and dinner ends at 7.  tae-bo is the only one that worked our for me because the more you do it, the more you want it.

every day when i was doing tae-bo, i was looking forward to the feeling of lightness after each workout, and the perspiration feels like the toxins are exiting your body.  it was exhilarating!

aside from the fact that you can do it in the comfort of your own home, for just 45 minutes, every other day.

coming from someone who was once mistaken for a mother (when i was fat at age 22!), it really is no joke being chubs.  but you have to think about health reasons too.  tae-bo not only makes you lose weight, it also builds up your muscles.

and you might not notice it now, but all the bad stuff you do will have it's negative effect in the future.  maybe now you do not care, like i did before, but i started taking care of myself when i realized that my beautiful son will grow into someone wonderful and i don't want to miss it.  much more than not wanting to be a burden to the people you love because you're sick.

so next time you skip a meal, think not only of your bulates, but also of your stomach.  ulcer isn't really the only complication, there is also anemia, depriving your brain of precious glucose, risk of bone loss, memory loss and other stuff... what is the purpose of old age, of money, of that supermodel picture if you are just lying in your bed, while your son graduates, and everybody has gotten tired of taking care of you?

doesn't it make sense?

ch-ch-changes

ok, lesson no. 37, however good or bad a situation is, it will change.

this week was a rollercoaster of situations in our office, from being the favorite to being scolded, hehe, but everything changes, and i have mastered the art of erasing memories that i don't like.

yet no matter how many times i disappoint my boss he still comes back the next morning with a smile on his face.  no memories of phone-slamming the day before.  wow... this is so cool!!!  i am starting to appreciate my job...

so if it was a bad day i'd probably sleep it out, and if it is a good day i'll post in my blog xD

unfortunately for irish, she was really set to go.  too bad, i really wanted her to stay coz she is so much fun to be with, forgetfulness and clumsiness aside.  most of the people who left the office said they'll pass by every now and then... but time passes and people forget.  i hope it doesn't happen to irish.

anyways as set as i am to go home on the 24th, my boss is also set to go to the far east on saturday.  wohoo!  12 days of freedom!

oh, no, i remembered that i was scheduled to clean the pile of stuff i've left at my sidetable when they leave.  oh, well, it's still good coz we have another 3-day holiday next week.  i love bahrain's holidays!

rain, rain, don't go away...

everytime the weather changes, it rains.  so since winter is starting, it has rained and manama has gotten wet, dirty and flooded but i was smiling on my way to work each time coz i remember manila...  sigh...

but for two days of glorious rain i wasn't able to take a picture.  damn mobile phone, i can't see a thing!  my lcd went black, and at first i can still see it if i slant the screen a little, but after a while it has blacked out.

so i sent it to the techie in gosi, our mall-next-door, and it took 3 days before i had it back.

i was so bummed out coz i still tried to take a picture in andalus garden during the filipino club's silver anniversary even without the lcd (i know the shortcuts) and after i got my phone back with the fixed lcd i saw that our photo was like this:

yes to benefit's foundation faker, anlaki ng mukha ko!

i didn't even get the stage or the booths... loser!

appreciation is the key

while reading one of my bookmarked blogs, i came across these collection of thoughts and it made me realize what problems we all might have at a certain time seems petty compared to others.


maybe we should realize that some things might not be so important at all and some things should be.  it definitely opened my mind...






and i would like to share what i've read:

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio.   Originally published in The Plain Dealer on  28th May 2006.

 "To celebrate growing older, I once wrote 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it. (i don't know about this... -tin)

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Overprepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do. 

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

hello kitty watches, gel liner & stuff

what surprised me 2 days ago was the arrival of my hello kitty watches that i accidentally saw and won, all in one minute just 10 days ago, coz my winning is as fast as the seller's shipping!

apart from it's fast shipping, it's also super mega cute!!!  and the quality's not bad, i didn't see any weird marks or scratches, the packaging was also carefully thought of... what a winner.

i have been disturbing our new mail collector everyday because i am still waiting for more than 5 items that i bought since November 3 and they still haven't arrived.  those loser sellers!


so this week so far i have only received the watches, my BENEfIT high beam,

which im not a big fan of because it gives the same amount of sheen as my bare escentuals radiance but it wipes off my blush as i tap it on my cheeks... i still don't know how to remedy that, so it's just sitting on my closet.

and my hello kitty black gel liner,

which gel liner smudges slightly but the consistency was good and the accompanying brush was good quality, too.  the first time i used it, i was able to make a good wing out of my left eye, which was usually where i have trouble, aside from being really bad in using liquid liners.  so i gave my old liquid liner to irish and settled with this.

*update: my review after 2 uses: smudge.  it gets on my lids after a few hours, and if i don't layer eyeshadow on top of it, it smudges under my lower lashline, too!  too bad for hello kitty.

along with bcc purchases:

the mascara i got from maybelline (xxl curl power) has a primer that you have to use before the actual mascara and the name XXL was not an exaggeration, coz my eyelashes were obviously longer when i used it.

white creamy primer first,

then the mascara to make your lashes long and full.

and i also bought a new eye primer, sephora tricks of the trade, coz my first one was a bit sticky and makes blending a pain.  it is also hard to get to in the morning when im in a hurry and i don't have time to stick my finger in a little tub and try to melt its hard content.

this one's a breeze to use coz it has a brush and all you have to do was to twist the other end and the product comes out here.  you can then easily swipe the brush onto your lids.

it makes your eyelid smooth and even-colored,  although i have noticed that the colors are much brighter with my first primer, this one i can live with.  maybe i'll keep the first for loose eyeshadows, since it's good and sticky.

and although these past few days i have been interested in neutral eyeshadows... when i had this primer i started noticing the blues and greens again.  new makeup definitely makes me want to wake up early!

*update* my review for this product: it creases my eyeshadow and it doesn't give my eyeshadows that vivid color like their eye base did.


and last but not the least, our new bath salts and bubble gel from va-va-voom:

im a sucker for cute packaging!

these will now be a monthly staple since bambi discovered bubble bath and already finished the first batch i bought.  va-va-voom always has items like these on sale and these were just one dinar each!

i wonder when the others will arrive...