the art of working weekends

...i have been very busy for the last 3 weeks and spent most of my weekend in the beach (one in Bantayan and one in Camotes - all work related by the way)...i am now sporting a much darker tan and i think it will take more than a month to get back to my natural color but i don't really mind..i even want to have another dose of sun lovin' while doing this post and feel infinite all over again :)



i had more fun in Camotes and enjoyed it better than Bantayan...Camotes is such a charming island and i was instantly captivated...i like the fact that it's not too commercial yet and it's more laidback compared to other islands in Cebu...the view is breath-taking and it's the perfect way to kickstart summer and a perfect backdrop to do some color blocking ala summer/spring 2012 LOL!



...i have also spent most of my free time raping the mic to do some karaoke (and yes, i made my own Whitey tribute and i feel i did her justice LOL!)...i think that by the time we left the island, peace was restored and Camotes regained its mystique charm LOL!



..i want to talk more about my fun working weekend but i still need to get back to my Sims game...i have been playing it for a couple of days now and i'm on my way to building an empire with few romantic relationships on the side :)

toxicity

...the past 2 weeks went by so quickly and the next thing you know, it's already the end of January...there was the super busy but very fun Sinulog weekend, a quarterly business review that came a week after and a few client visits coming up in the next few days..i don't even know how i managed to keep up :)

...the extra time that i get is spent playing with Champ - our French bulldog :)



...and ow, this app that i just downloaded for my new iPod touch is so addictive...i have been cutting few hours of my sleeping time just to get going with this game and it's well worth it...Temple Run is love :)

turning 2012 around

...the start of my 2012 may not be promising but that doesn't mean that i can't turn it around...i have realized that my pessimistic view for the new year was just because of the German measles where i felt like i was literally on my deathbed but now that i've recovered, i feel like an Energizer bunny bursting with energy :)

...few things will keep me busy for the rest of January...my close friends including my BFF are coming over for Sinulog...i'm planning to take some time off from work so i can get enough rest for the weekend parties (last year was a BLAST!)...i haven't seen my bestfriend for a long time and this one is extra special coz she is now preggers with her 2nd baby and i can't wait to spend time catching up with her :)



...i will also be flying to Manila a week after for a quarterly business review in Makati...performance for Q4 is not that stellar and i think i may have a bit of a hard time for this review (wish me luck!)...one good thing about it is that it coincides with the premiere of Mamma Mia in Manila which is something that i really wanted to see...it creates the perfect timing for me to catch the show and cross it off from my bucket list :)



..there's still a lot of things i'd like to talk about but it's time to take Champ for an exercise (yes, i'm now starting to become a dog lover, this is sooo not me , i know! LOL!)

paradise

i've spent the weekend with my mom and my evil sister in paradise...a post bday treat for them and for myself :)

enjoy your weekend friends...have a wonderful Sunday morning...here's a breathtaking view to inspire you :)

SSB - the Sunday shower routine

...i remember about one episode of Sex and the City where Carrie was talking about SSB (Single Secret Behavior) which she defined as an action or habit that one indulges in only when alone...this is the reason why i always love Sundays' - it paves the way to do my own SSB...i know most SSBs' put out there in the show were downright embarrassing but mine is i think worth something sharing LOL!

...every Sunday afternoon, usually right after the clock hits 4, i lock myself up in the shower and spend an hour and a half date with these babies...my SSB shower essentials :)



...i always start off with Kiehl's Ultimate Man Body Scrub soap (not shown in the picture above for obvious reasons)...this soap scrub is made out of bran and oatmeal which perfectly works on those rough areas (the elbows and heels) and it smells very invigorating...i call it the "Fatigue Scrubber"



...Kiehl's Amino Acid shampoo comes next..this baby creates a smooth lather on your hair and made out of coconut oil and amino acids (i usually don't like the smell of coconut oil but i made an exemption on this one)



...every man needs a good shaving cream and Kiehl's Ultimate Brushless Shave Cream is the best i've tried so far..i said goodbye to the other shaving cream few months ago..this makes the whole shaving process less of a work and less manly LOL! and leaves your skin moisturized :)



...Kiehl's Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash is something that i have been using for a long time and i like the cool feeling it has on my face (it has to do something with the caffeine and menthol in the mixture)...true to its name, this one leaves you feeling refueled, reenergized and refreshed :)



...the 2nd half of this lengthy shower routine goes back to doing another scrub...i bought 3 bottles of salt scrubs when i was in San Francisco and it became the perfect addition to my shower routine..this salt scrub is infused with bamboo, rainforest and citrus/basil oils which made the 3-layer salt scrub combo DIVINE!!! :)



...Philosophy's Cinnamon buns is the perfect finisher for this routine...after putting in a lot of refreshing wonders, i like to finish it off with something sweet, silky and ridiculously smooth...this shower gel/bubble bath/shampoo combo smells like freshly baked cinnamon buns..it's sooo good that i literally want to eat myself when lathering it on my skin :)



...after all that, the cherry on this routine is Kiehl's Facial Fuel SPF 15 which i have been using for the past 3 years (it's something i give credit to for my clear, flawless skin LOL!!!)...it has the same refreshing effect with the special wash but only better because of its SPF :)



...this is a not a blog about Kiehl's by the way (but i wouldn't mind getting something from them for whoring them out LOL!)...i know this shower routine is nothing out of the ordinary and may not come close to what girls do on a daily basis but it's something i have been doing to recharge myself and get me pumped-up for work the day after :)

..what's your SSB friends?

red velvet love

...i attended a friend's birthday party last night and had some red velvet cupcakes for dessert (which i think is the perfect way to cap a meal after having so much of that roast beef LOL!)...i have been a fan of red velvet cupcakes for the longest time and whenever i get the chance to visit Sonja in Serendra, red velvet is definitely on top of the order list

...and since we're on the topic of red velvet cupcakes, the best that i had so far was the one from the famous Magnolia bakery in NYC



..the place was packed as usual but i didn't really mind the long line coz i know it will be worth it plus the cupcakes displayed in the rack looked so sinfully good that you just want to eat them all and just forget the fact that they can do so much damage to your hips LOL!



...Magnolia's red velvet cheesecake has a chocolate cookie crust for its base followed by a red velvet cheesecake layer and topped with whipped vanilla icing..just describing it makes me want to grab one right now!!!



...comparison is easily done once you had a taste of perfection...in this case, i will be waiting for another trip to Magnolia to get a little piece of that cupcake heaven :)

on halloween and costumes

...each time halloween comes close, my mind is flooded with a lot of costume ideas but i never get to materialize them...i'm not the shy type, i can tell you that but there's always something in me that holds me back everytime i want to pull off something major for halloween...i think i will stick to what i do best - giving treats to kids who couldn't even pull off a trick :)



...with that in mind, i have updated my bucket list to make sure that before i hit 30 (2 more years from now) i will fulfill my dream of dressing up as Rogue of X-Men LOL!!! now all i need is a fab wig and a good pair of white gloves

..enjoy your halloween parties friends! :)

thankful

...i'll be having my birthday 2 weeks from now and i'm starting to hate the fact that i'm nearing my 30's (i'll be turning 28 by the way)...i have a lot to be thankful for this year and i was able to accomplish a lot of things in my bucket list and i just have to post them here to make sure i get to immortalized them :)

1. watched the amazing Cirque du Soleil's breath-taking performance of Varekai...the show which lasted for about 2 hours was just so captivating that i didn't want it to end (and ow, i was still rocking a shaved head at this time)



2. enjoyed Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite tour in Manila and i must say the wait was so worth it...it was by far, the best concert i've been into :) love live the goddess! (and did i mention that this show was just a day after Varekai?)



3. went to the Zoo for the first time...it was one of those things that i didn't get to do during my childhood and i was very happy to finally get to visit one and Washington DC's National Zoo for a first timer is totally not a bad one :)



4. cried more than 4 times while watching Wicked - the Musical on Broadway...it may not be Idina Menzel as the lead but Jackie Burns did Elphaba justice..i am still overplaying the soundtrack up until this time :)



5. conquered NYC for 6 days and it was still not enough but i get to cover the basics - Statue of Liberty, Grand Central, Empire State building tour, Central Park, Rockefeller, SoHo, the MET and Upper East Side and of course the Times Square :)



6. finally reunited with my chilhood bestfriend in San Francisco after not seeing each other for the last 6 years...4 days was not enough and she made me fell in love with San Francisco that leaving her and the city made me very emotional



...i should feel like i need to segue to telling you what i wanted for my birthday but i feel like it needs a new post (i'm becoming more and more materialistic LOL!)

inspiration

so raise your glass if you are
wrong in all the right ways!! :)

can't wait for weekend to come...i got so much plans i wish i can multiply myself...cheers for being very busy and for living a good life :)

and i am back :)

just trying to see if this iPhone app actually works...i can't remember the last time i posted something...a lot happened the past few months and i can't wait to backtrack, reminisce and share 'em with you...for starters, this pic is one of the highlights for September :)

i defied gravity and it was unforgettable :)

love for Adele

...i have been overplaying Adele's "21" album for the past 5 weeks now...i just can't get over it...she's the best singer there is right now and her talent is just unbelievable...she's proof that you don't need to be skinny and sell some skin to be successful...i love her to pieces and i can't wait for the chance to see her live

...as of now i'll just soak in the talent and beauty of Adele :) these are some my favorite songs from the new album which she performed live effortlessly...love, just pure love :)

vakasyon!

...i spent the weekend in CDO for a much needed vacation and got the chance to spend some time with my girlfriends...nothing much on the itinerary, just hanging out and catching up on things that happened for the past few months :)







...the only thing that can happen bad when you're having too much fun is a bad hangover the day after...but who cares when you are still able to take a ridiculously good looking photo? LOL!!!! feeling hehe :)



...now i'm back to Cebu's loving arms...and back to my reality

on contract signing

...i got on a rough start with Avida, two sales agents were fighting over the commission they will be getting from my purchase (one was the one i was sending an email to and one who i signed the contract with)...all i wanted was to pay and get my contract but no, they got me into this mess that made me think that maybe getting one is such a bad idea

... good thing it was fixed right away or else i will be having a BIG bitch fit...i am a very patient person, totally not confrontational but when you hit on my last nerve, you will see the monster alter ego and you won't like it...not at all LOL!

...i guess it's the season of buying investments...2 of my closest friends also made some purchases but they opted with getting units from Horizon 101...for the past 2 days, we've been doing a lot of contract signing and i just love it coz i feel like a movie star LOL!!!!



...can't wait for weekend to come...i'll get to spend some time with one of my supergirlfriends fresh from NYC :) hope you all get to enjoy your weekend :)

investment

...it will always come to a point where you'll start thinking about your future and sometimes it hits you in the most unexpected way (i got mine while downing a couple scoops of yogurt LOL!)...i got some money stashed into a savings account but the thought of investing into something bigger didn't come to mind until now

...just last week i finally took the first step of thinking about the future by getting my own condo unit which means i might have to slow down on my splurges (the ridiculously priced headphones, the Hugo Boss and Lacoste shirts, designer eyewear and then some)...got to make small sacrifices for it will all be worth it in the end :)

...this boy will be working so much harder....wish me luck :)

upcoming

...in the next couple of days, i will be flooding this blog with posts but it wouldn't be about me (for a change), instead it will be sort of like random photo posts taken using my new toy - the Canon G12...i still have to look for a kick-ass digital photo editor like an Adobe CS5 (though it's quite pricey) first so i can play with layers and textures :)

...but for now, please enjoy your early Sunday morning friends as much as i did :)



...i miss having a date with myself :)

S&R

...after few months of waiting, S&R finally opened in Cebu and that equally translates to one thing - my cherry Coke!!! i decided to go there earlier to take advantage of the zero traffic (thanks to Manny Pacquiao)...but i was wrong in expecting that it wouldn't be that crowded...the place is still packed!

...but after seeing the stack of cherry Coke boxes, it made it all worth it...i die and went to cherry Coke heaven!



...i was also able to hoard my favorite 3 musketeers, teddy grahams and my fave soy milk Silk in vanilla flavor...i can't wait to go back there and do cartwheels along the grocery aisles! :)

x-mas wishlist 2010

...now that my b-day's over, it's time for me to move on to my annual x-mas wishlist and this year, i have a great feeling that i'll get all these babies before the year ends :)

1. Solo HD Beats by Dr. Dre - i think this will be the perfect pair for my new iPod touch. The bass is amazing and it's noise canceling which is just perfect. The only con for this baby is it makes your ears sweat after using it for too long but i think it's something that won't bother me much



2. Brown Calf Strap for Philip Stein - my lizard strap is way too overused and i need to get a different color with a different texture...not as luxurious but it looked as beautiful with that crocodile strap



3. Polycarbonate iPod Touch case - the best thing about this case is that it comes with a kickstand back for convenient FaceTime video calling and landscape media viewing and the colors available are just sweet :)



4. Oakley Probation - i saw this pair a day after i bought my Oakley Holbrook and i instantly loved it...i just think that it's not right to get this pair when i haven't even used the new Holbrook but i will definitely get this baby before this year ends :)



...these babies are in the top list right now and i still got a lot on my list which i prefer to keep it to myself...who knows someone will just surprise me with something special come Christmas :)

27

...few hours from now, i'll be a year older and i'm at a point in my life where i can say i'm genuinely happy...i have a stable job that affords me some beautiful sometimes useless things, a boyfriend who super loves me, great set of friends - they're not much but they're all special :)

...nothing fancy for tomorrow, just an intimate lunch with close friends that are here in Cebu and few more friends from work..made reservations at Ipar's - a Spanish resto i've been wanting to check out for the longest time...pre-ordered the staple paella, slow-cooked chicken and some lengua and will just decide on the rest when i get there...i just hope the food will taste good coz they looked super delish in the picture :)



...and since it's my birthday, i've already given myself 2 gifts in advance hehehe...a new scent called Milano by Prada which comes in a huge 200ml bottle which i super like :) it starts off with a clean powder scent which then turn into a masculine but very subtle scent :)



..and a new pair of shades (which i think is about time i get a new one) Holbrook by Oakley which is super cool...the frame is super light and the lens are just wonderful!



...these shades felt like they were the ones used by cyclops of the x-men LOL!!! too bad my Blackberry cam didn't give this picture much justice hehehe



...i still got a few things on my bday wishlist..who knows one of my friends got one item or two in that list for me...it will be so much easier moving to my x-mas wishlist if that's the case :)

Mariah and wishlist

...i downloaded Mariah Carey's 2nd christmas album earlier and i have been overplaying it for the last couple of hours...it exceeded way beyond my expectations!!! it's vintage Mariah and i super love it...the physical release of the album will be a day before my bday and i can't wait to get my hands on it (better yet , someone can give it to me as a birthday gift)



...and i'm now being reminded to start completing my birthday wishlist which includes a new timepiece, a good book, a new case for the new ipod touch, a new pair of shades, a fresh new scent and a box of cherry coke :)

check

...one of the items in my to-do list is to find a red pair of shoes and finally!!! after few weeks of searching for one, i was able to find it last weekend and i was super happy (i was like a little boy seeing the most gorgeous toy for the first time)...it's just what i wanted to wear on my birthday (which is 2 weeks away from now by the way)



...i have also started reading a new book and spent flipping few chapters of The Hunger Games before bedtime...it's fast-paced and interesting plot kept me up way pass my bedtime but it's worth it..can't wait to get my hands on the other 2 books of this series



...i still have a few things to cross off my list before my bday and one of them is to decide where to spend it..i was thinking of taking the beach route but i don't know where...i spent a weekend in Shangri-la 2 weeks ago, did Hilton 2 months back and the new Crimson bored the hell out of me and the food was bad...it's the most boring breakfast buffet second to something you can get in Microtel (which was the worst by far) and no, Plantation Bay is not even an option

...so there, i've ran out of options and bahala na si Batman...i'll decide when that day comes...i know i'll be force to make a quick decision for sure