So... Last few hours of 2012, huh?

I wanted to make a long and winding post about the milestones of this year like what I did for 2011, but then I realized that I just want to make it short and sweet this time. Consider it my blog resolution I guess, make my posts more concise. So yes, this is me attempting to keep it short and sweet.

In the beginning of the year I said 2012 was going to be awesome, and it was! I experienced new things,  loved new types of food, posed for and took a lot of photos, got a lot of new clothes and shoes, watched a lot of movies and TV shows, read new books, and met a lot of new people who I subsequently became friends with. However, if I am going to give it a unique description of its own, allow me to call 2012 as The Year of Living of Bravely. This year is best summed up in the collage below.


Let me expound.

You know how obsessed I am with Batman. The epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy came out on July and the inclusion of Batman's logo above is a simple homage to my reverence for this fictional superhero.

The pink candle and rose are for my darling, sweet, dear Polybeb. I lost her this year, and I can't tell you how much I miss her. I am actually tearing up just trying to type these words down. We have the same shoe size and have frequently gone out shopping together so these days whenever I go out shopping, I couldn't help but think of her and how she would like the stuff I got, if only she could see them. I love her so much and I miss her terribly. To whoever's reading this, I hope you make your friends and loved ones know how much you appreciate them, while you still can.

The Facebook and Twitter icons represent my new job. This year, I decided to rock the boat a little bit and veer away from the shore to see what else is out there. While it's still too early to say that I have already mastered this new course, I can proudly say that I am learning my ropes. I did say that "I hope this is one of the best mistakes I will ever make", and now I've proven that it really is. I love the new environment I'm in and the people I work with; I regret nothing.

The clock is counting down the last few hours of 2012. Unlike the old me, I am more realistic now. I don't expect things to magically change the moment the clock strikes 12 - I know that if I want things to change for the better I have to act on it myself. From this point forward, I resolve to act on myself more to become the better person I intend to be.

My wish for you for 2013 is for you to decide what you want to be, and go be it. Happy New Year, everyone! From my family to yours, I wish you peace, love & lipgloss!

The past week has been a blurred flurry of get-togethers, gifts, and too much food that I wasn't able to update my blog that much. Here're the things I've been up to. :)

On Christmas eve, my family went to church for Misa de Gallo with me and my siblings decked out in Miss Sixty and Energie Jeans shirts. We love the fit, thanks Miss Sixty and Energie!

Custaroons from my boss Jenny

We didn't have work last Friday, so I took the chance to go to HSBC to get my final pay. My last day with the company was back in August and I really missed my dear officemates and old friends from there.

However, as happy as I was to see them again after so long, I didn't feel as happy to be back as much as I expected. I had a brief Rachel and Kurt-in-McKinley moment when I felt like it doesn't feel like home any more. I don't have any other documents to go back for, no other reasons to return, and I can always see my friends somewhere else. That was my last goodbye, and frankly that knowledge doesn't make me feel sad.

Yesterday, I watched Disney on Ice: Princesses and Heroes at Araneta Coliseum with my friend Dianne, her daughter Kaylee, and her cousin Kat. It was great and Aladdin and Jasmine were amazing as always (they were also the best in all the other Disney performances I've seen in my whole lifetime), but I think last year's show was better. Nevertheless, watching it made me feel really happy (so happy that it made me cry out of sheer joy) and I know that I will keep watching every Disney on Ice show staged here.

Next concert I am looking forward to: The Script!!! I LOVED their first concert here and I love that they didn't wait too long before deciding to come back. "From what I've seen and I've heard, when it comes to you, baby no, there are no, there are no words." I can't wait!

Some new purchases:

I've also spent the last couple of days debating with myself as to whether I would get a Kindle or a new camera instead. As luck would have it, all local online stores ran out of stocks of the Kindle after I finally decided to get one and the earliest they can get one for me is late January or early February. Because I am an impulsive beech... I got a phone instead. LOL. My new phone will arrive within five business days and I am crossing my finger I can have it the earliest time possible. I am so excited! I am so excited I've started listing down the apps I will install on it once I have it in my grubby paws! ;)

It's almost 2013, you guys! Any last grandiose plans before the year ends?

Calling all you creative folks out there, Freeway welcomes the new year with a contest for you!

At Freeway, fashionalism is not just about Philippine fashion. It’s about dedication and commitment. This January 2013, Freeway is starting the year off right and grand by sharing its mission to champion the spirit of fashionalism as the brand launches its first ever Art Bag Design Contest. The competition encourages young creative minds to showcase Filipino talent and fulfill Freeway’s vision to showcase Philippines Art and Culture through innovative interpretations. 

Let your creative minds and nationalistic heart work together. Submit your artwork! The winning designs will be put into production as part of Freeway’s National Artist Collector’s Series Fall 2013 in May together with the featured National Artist which has yet to be revealed. To enter the competition, submit an originally designed artwork that includes the elements of nationalism, Filipino pride or our country’s art and culture together – it can be digital image, photo of own artwork in different mediums (pen and ink, oil, watercolor, pastel and others). All approved submissions will be uploaded on Freeway’s Facebook Page for voting which is 20% of the criteria. 

Contest period starts January 1 to February 28, 2013 while submission of entries will be accepted only until February 15, 2013. Voting starts January 1 to February 28, 2013. See full mechanics and download application form at Freeway's website or click the photo below.

The two grand winners will not only receive the satisfaction of seeing their artworks with their names on the hangtags in Freeway stores as part of the National Artist Collector’s Series Fall 2013; each winning designer will also receive a 16gb iPad Mini and Php 10,000 worth of Freeway Gift Certificates! Learn more about Freeway’s Bag Design Competition in their official website or their Facebook Page. Join and be part of the historic National Artist Collector’s Series!

I am no superhero, but I've long since realized that it feels cool to be decked in superhero "gear" every once in a while. This is what I wore to the office yesterday.

I got the cape (brand new!) for only P350(!!!) at Alex's booth during the most recent Bloggers United bazaar, and it's seriously one of the most fantabulous pieces in my closet right now! Thanks to my swift eye when it comes to great bargains, I scored it from Alex's stylist friend Nio before the bazaar even opened to the public ha ha. I love the color, the cut, and the fact that it hides my Santa belly brought about by too much cake, its military chic quality. I'd like to think that on one hand I look like a tough Princess Sarah, while on the other hand the details like the hood, patch and zippers on the sleeves make me look like a kick-ass Little Red Riding Hood! I paired it with denim jeans and my trusted Kickers boots.

What's hiding underneath the cape is even cooler. Here's a photo.

OOPS, wrong photo.

I can't seem to get the right pose or angle for a nice enough picture, so I'll just post the zoomed-in version.

Batmantium shirt by The Inksquad

The Inksquad is a shirt-printing company that lets you upload designs which they will then print on shirts for only P490 each! Best thing about it is that they don't require minimum orders, so you can have as many designs printed as you want. I will write a more comprehensive post about them and what they do, but for the meantime you may visit their official website here. The shirt I am wearing is a ready-made design that I couldn't help but order because hells yeah I am huge fan of Batman.

There are no real superheroes in this world, but do you want to know how even in your own little way, you can become one? On Christmas day a lot of families lost their houses and belongings in fires that happened in two separate areas in Metro Manila. One of those affected is my beauty blogger friend Donnarence. I can definitely relate because the same thing happened to me and my family back in January 1, 2001 and we weren't able to save anything. It remains to be one of the most challenging things our family went through, and without the kindness and help of our relatives, friends, and even complete strangers we wouldn't have been able to get through it. On behalf of Donnarence, I am now appealing to your generous hearts, that if you can spare some donations in cash or in kind, then please don't hesitate to do so. Another beauty blogger friend started an initiative to help Donna and her family, and you may read about it here. We're all talking about how great it would be to help make a difference to someone else's life, now here's a chance for us to do that. Thank you in advance and may God bless you even more.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

My family just came back from Misa de Gallo, and I just want to say I am so thankful I got to go again after years of not being able to. You see, this is the first time I am experiencing non-working holidays ever since I joined the workforce almost six years ago. I guess that's another proof that I made the right career choice. :)

I won't make this long and winding. I just want to say that I made you guys a Christmas mixtape. I've been listening to the songs I put here all December and I thought it would be a nice digital present from me to you.  These are really nice songs and I hope you like them!

Is it obvious that I also gave much thought on how to organize the list of songs so that they'll somehow tell a story? Ha ha.

Aside from 2,000 Miles (which is depressing as hell but I feel like I really should put it there), all these songs easily put me into a jolly Christmas mood. Yup, even the mellow ones. I especially like Jason Mraz's rendition of Winter Wonderland because it sounds so cheery and happy. As for Last Christmas, pardon me but I couldn't find a copy of the song without the background chatter. It was recorded live and is proof of how powerful Florence Welch's voice is. I am not kidding, she sounds like a superhero! And of course, My Only Wish (This Year) is a big, fat, red hint to Santa and the Universe ;D

I'd like to think Seasons of Love is the nice little ribbon that ties the playlist together - kinda like a segue to next week's New Year celebrations, if you will.

So there! When we wake up later (provided I get to sleep; my Santa belly is filled with too much chocolate cake!) we will go to our relatives for a big Cruz family reunion. How about you?

I wish you peace, love and lipgloss, and I hope that however which way you plan to celebrate this day, I pray you celebrate it with the people you hold most dear. Merry Christmas!

Aside from getting my heart broken, my least favorite feeling in the world is feeling left out. Ever since I graduated from college I became terribly shy and socially awkward that I found it hard to make new friends. Sadly, there were also instances when I had to let some friendships go as I felt like remaining in the relationship was already proving to be unhealthy for me and my self-esteem. Because of this, I've learned to cherish the few true and close friends I have now.

Some of my most favorite people in the world are the people from my highschool barkada. Some of them I've been friends with since we were eight, while some were welcomed into the group when we were older. It doesn't matter who've been friends the longest, though. We are a big, tightly-knit group of six girls and seven boys (and one new recruit into the fold), and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

I am a misfit, yet I fit in perfectly with them.

Last night, we had our Christmas party at Dianne's house, and as expected, [the good kind of] riot ensured.

Gifts. Food: crispy pata, Choco Monster cake, pizza, lasagna, Amber's pichi pichi, chocolate ice cream, relyeno, Jack Daniel's. Categories game. Watermelon. Starbucks coffee mugs. Old crushes I would very much rather forget. Fragrance pens. Cash prizes. Stress balls. Shine's turquoise bracelet that she will give me the next time we meet again. Sleepovers.

This Christmas, aside from peace, love & lipgloss, my wish for you is that you are surrounded by good friends who are true, honest, and sincere. Happy Holidays!

"Many marriages would be better if the husband and the wife clearly understood that they are on the same side."

- Zig Ziglar

Somehow I've always loved the idea of starting forever with that one person you've chosen to spend the rest of your life with, and that's why I love weddings. I love how this special day unites two different people who have decided to face life together, and how it all becomes a big celebration of life and love.

The wedding is just the beginning of it all, though. As we know, it's not really the wedding you have to be concerned about. It's the marriage.

Yesterday I attended a wedding to mark a couple's silver anniversary, and what made it remarkable is that they didn't even know the celebration was for them; they thought they were attending a wedding as sponsors, little did they know they were coming to their own wedding. I commend my carpool-mate Ralph's efforts in making sure everything comes as a big surprise to his parents.

They got married in the same church - San Jose de Navotas Parish - 25 years ago, and Ralph made sure to replicate everything from the reception venue, to getting his parents' entourage then to be part of this entourage again! As expected, there were tears. A lot of it. But they were happy tears. :)

The reception was held in Mary Jay, where Ralph presented a slideshow of photos from their wedding before. I wish we were able to preserve our photos from way back just in case I get inspired by this idea and do the same ha ha, but everything was burned to ashes because of a big fire in our neighborhood back in 2001.

Congratulations Ralph and siblings for pulling it off! I could only imagine how you're going to propose to your girlfriend heehee. Thank you so much for inviting me even when we only got to talking just a couple of weeks ago after our service van to work got impounded, but that's another story for another day.

And of course, congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Dominguez! You have raised three beautiful children, and I guess apart from the love, respect, and mutual admiration you've shared all these years, having been able to give life is the greatest thing from this marriage. Cheers to more years and making more memories!

By the way, if anyone's interested, here is what I wore. :)

Eyelet tube dress - 168 | White cotton cardigan - thrifted | Purse - thrifted

Corset belt - YRYS | Necklace - SM Accessories | Shoes - Ferretti

Hmm. I wonder if I'll ever get married. Dear Universe, please get on it. Kthnxbai.

Oh hello, I missed you.

First it was BU4, and then it was work. I got buried under a lot of stuff and commitments (i.e. sponsored posts) these past few days so I haven't been able to update this blog. I am trying to get my [writing] groove back so I'm starting with this. I don't want to publish half-hearted posts and there's a special wedding I attended today that I'd like to tell you more about, so I think I'll write about that next.

For the meantime, let me be superficial for a bit and talk about clothes. Here are some gratuitous outfit photos from this week ;)

Black and white mini dress - Seventeen | Necklace - Maria Paulita

Bag - Ferretti | Shoes - Solemate by Parisian

I've always loved how stripes give any piece of clothing a nautical feel. I especially like stripes when they're in black and white. The mini dress (which I now realize must have looked better if worn with pants, ha ha) was given to me by Vern when they were already packing up on the second day of BU4. We were booth-neighbors and she just told me to get whatever I want from the pile of clothes still there, so I chose this. The gray bag from Ferretti is my new favorite bag because it's roomy and looks so classy. Perfect for the office!

Top - Penshoppe | Skirt - from Vanessa

Necklace - SM Accessories | Heels - Parisian

I got home really late on Wednesday night because I got caught in the Christmas rush. I was tired, hungry, and sleepy, but seeing a parcel from Penshoppe instantly brightened up my mood! The package contained the top shown above, a collar necklace, and a handwritten note. I totally wasn't expecting this since they didn't tell me they would be sending something over, so it was such a pleasant surprise! Perfect size, too, although I knotted it at the back to complement the maxi skirt. Thanks, Penshoppe team!

The gray jersey maxi skirt is also from BU4, I got it (for free!) from the dazzling Vanessa's booth. As for the necklace, it was an impulse buy from SM Accessories. I only went there to get something for our office Kris Kringle but I saw this blush pink acrylic necklace and I absolutely couldn't resist. I am P399.75 poorer because of this, but it's okay I guess. I have a pretty necklace. :)

As for the heels, well, I was actually wearing my calf-length gladiator sandals when I left the house that morning, but it gave up on me within my first couple of hours in the office. Maybe because it hasn't been worn for sooo long and it got damaged on storage, but good thing I have my trusted Parisian heels under my desk. I left it there for emergencies such as this, so it always pays to be prepared.

Headband - SM Accessories | Top - from Aisa | Jeans - 168 Mall

Princess Jasmine necklace - bought online | Sandals - Ipanema | Bag - Ferretti

This pullover I got from Aisa's booth during BU4 is one of my favorite recent acquisitions. I love the floral piping on the collar and cuffs, plus the heart-prints are just so charming! I wore this yesterday because it was the first day of winter solstice (I love that word, solstice.) and I thought we would finally feel some real Christmas breeze. Well... I've been wrong about a lot of things before, and my assumption about the weather in yesterday's winter solstice is now one of them.

By the way, for our office Kris Kringle, one of the weekly assignments is to give your baby "something naughty or nice". My daddy Marco gave me this:

A deck of playing cards showing different photos of Justin Bieber. Well played, Marco, well played.

Enough talk about me. How are YOU? Care to share your Christmas plans? :)

PS: My Charms of Christmas giveaway is still open! I've only got two entries and I'm giving away 12, so please join?

It's the last weekend before Christmas, you guys! I am almost done with my Christmas shopping and I am feeling slightly panicky already but I hope to accomplish everything before Sunday. How about you? Are you done with your Christmas shopping yet?

If you still don't have a gift for your officemates or your friends, a quick stroll through the racks of SM Beauty is the answer! They sent me this package last week, and I'd like to share its contents with you because I think they are also excellent gift choices.

'Tis the season to upgrade to a breakthrough in germ protection. I can never leave the house without a hand sanitizer in my bag so the Green Cross box that contains bottles of Green Cross TotalDefense Antibacterial Hand Spray is perfect for me!

There're more bottles inside!

The Green Cross TotalDefense Antibacterial Hand Spray promises to protect your skin up to five hours, kill 99.9% of germs in contact, and deny the spread of germs. It is also gentle on skin and improves moisture levels. Best of all, it has a fresh, clean scent that I love. I also love that it's so handy and easy to take anywhere!

'Tis the season go back to nature. I also got a gift set from Natural Skincare Recipes that contains travel sizes of Gardener's Hand Healer, Hiker's Foot Healer, and a bottle of Botanical Cologne of the Minims. Perfect for when I travel!

Gardeners' Hand Healer contains 20% shea butter (nourishing, healing, regenerating and protective) and seven magical plants: mimosa (restores moisture to the skin), chamomile and marshmallow (soothing), calendula (antiseptic), lemon balm (antibacterial), rosemary (antioxidant and protective), and verbena (revitalizing).

Hiker's Foot Healer contains nine beneficial plants: borage oil, shea butter, and grape-seed oil (nourishing, repairing and moisturizing), wintergreen (softening), ivy (helps to improve skin microcirculation), tapioca powder (protects against friction), and essences of peppermint, lemon, and litsea cubeba (refreshing and purifying).

Meanwhile, the Botanical Cologne of the Minims has three refreshing citrus fruits: grapefruit, blood orange, and lemon; and seven beneficial plants: rosemary (revitalizing), wild pansy and lemon balm (emollient), burdock (fortifying), mallow (soothing), and necroli and benzoin (sources of well-being).

'Tis the season to have gorgeous hair. From Vitress came this pretty make-up bag that contains a bottle of Vitress Hair Cuticle Coat.

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I'm sure the bag will be of much use to you since I bring a lot of stuff all the time. The clear pouch makes sure contents are easily seen, and hopefully the Hair Cuticle Coat will be effective for me as well.

'Tis the season to pucker up! I love lipbalms, lipglosses, lipsticks - any kind of lip product, actually - so it's easy to guess this is my favorite among everything SM Beauty sent me. Thank you, Lip Smacker!



I called dibs on the Coca-Cola flavored Lip Smacker the moment I saw it. It tastes and smells sooo good and so close to the real thing, minus the guilt! I plan to give a couple to my sister and girl friends, just give me time to decide what to give away first ha ha. Other flavors include Vanilla Coke, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Fanta Grape, and Fanta Strawberry.

SM Beauty is a treasure trove! I swear I can never leave a branch without getting something, be it a tube of lipstick or a bottle of nail polish. Aside from the brands above, you can visit SM Beauty for other make-up brands that can help you look photo-ready this holiday season like Cover Girl, Majolica Majorca, Tony Moly, Max Factor, Revlon, L'Oreal. 'Tis indeed the season to look good and feel good!

Whenever I finish eating lunch or dinner I always crave for something sweet for dessert. For these lucky diners who were at the right place at the right time, their desserts have been kindly provided by Ayala Malls. :)

For Day 6 of Ayala Malls' Random Acts of Kindness: 12 Days of Christmas campaign, they distributed candies and chocolates to people eating at the Food Court of Market! Market! last December 17.

Would you like to witness or experience Ayala Malls' random acts of kindness first hand? Like and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get clues as to which part of which Ayala Mall they will visit next. You might also want to join my Charms of Christmas giveaway - also sponsored by Ayala Malls - to get a chance to win one of 12 Ana Rocha limited edition charm bracelets!

Surprises are the sweetest, even more so when the surprise is sweet in itself! Sweetception! ;)

For Day 7 of Ayala Malls' Random Acts of Kindness: 12 Days of Christmas campaign, they gave chocolate bars to the people waiting at the Event Area of Abreeza.






Would you like to witness or experience Ayala Malls' random acts of kindness first hand? Like and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get clues as to which part of which Ayala Mall they will visit next. You might also want to join my Charms of Christmas giveaway - also sponsored by Ayala Malls - to get a chance to win one of 12 Ana Rocha limited edition charm bracelets!

They say Christmas is for children, and what better way to celebrate the season than by sharing its joy to the little ones?

For Day 6 of Ayala Malls' Random Acts of Kindness: 12 Days of Christmas campaign, they distributed ice cream popsicles to the children in the playground of Centrio Mall last December 15.

What a lovely sight, indeed. :)

Would you like to witness or experience Ayala Malls' random acts of kindness first hand? Like and follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get clues as to which part of which Ayala Mall they will visit next. You might also want to join my Charms of Christmas giveaway - also sponsored by Ayala Malls - to get a chance to win one of 12 Ana Rocha limited edition charm bracelets!

In my previous post I shared with you photos of the happy, beautiful faces I was with during the fourth installment of the Bloggers United bazaar. Now I want to share photos of the bargains I got!

I got these from Aisa's booth for only P450 for both! Thanks for the discount, Mich!

Both were from Lauren's booth! Thanks for the family-and-friends/ officemate discount, Marco!

Sssshhh, don't tell my mom, but I think I spent more than I earned. Oops.

Now let's go to the gifts. I'd like to thank the people who read my blog and my blogger friends for being so awesome, showering me with these gifts. So thoughtful and touching and sweet.

Me to Luci: Oh, your bracelet's so nice! Luci: *removes bracelet and gives it to me* It's yours. Me: Wow!

And that's the short and condensed story of why I've been wearing these two arm candies for three days in a row now :)

Pink sheer pullover from Alexa

Gray jersey maxi skirt from Van

I actually meant to buy these two pieces from Alexa and Van, but they just gave them to me for free. At first I was like, "Wow, really? Thank you!", and then I was like "Do I look like I don't have money to afford these?" o.0 Hahaha!

Charm Angled Kabuki Buffer Brush from Sophie ♥

Black and white striped pullover and floral scarf from Vern

Dainty ear cap from Ava

Betty canvas pouch for my phones or camera Betty's speech bubble says, "Just drooling, thank you!" STORY OF MY LIFE, FOREVER.

The Little Prince mother of pearl necklace I've been in a The Little Prince mood for weeks now, haven't you heard?

Both the canvas pouch and the necklace are from Thingamabobs. I can't wait to order more customized stuff!

Thank you, kind people of the Philippine blogging community, for giving me great deals and including me in your Christmas gift lists. I feel sooo touched! ♥ I honestly can't decide what my favorite is... What do you think?

Did you score great finds from BU4 as well? I want to see! Post your links on the comments and I'll take a peek! :)