... and it's alright.

I don't think I've ever been THIS happy to see the sun again.

It's been a long cold lonely winter.

For the past three weeks --- especially from last Monday until this morning --- Manila has experienced nothing but torrential rain accompanied by scary thunder and lightning. It honestly felt like a recurring dream that would never end well and there was nothing I wanted more than to go back home and hug my family but the flood prevented me from doing so.

I was safe and dry here in my apartment in Quezon City (special mention to my good friend Mich's family for treating me as their own) but I was so worried for my family in flood-prone places Navotas and Malinta. I was sick with worry last Wednesday night as it was so difficult to contact them. Thankfully my parents and siblings were not affected by the flood except for the power outage in Navotas which has been solved yesterday. As for my aunt, she was rescued together with my grandparents and my cousins (five year-old Jerico and four month-old Gab) from the second floor of their house as the flood already reached chest-deep levels. It was so scary! She said they were soaking wet but they put Gab in a durabox so he won't get sick. It was heartbreaking to imagine them going through a situation like that but I am just so thankful that they are now safe. They are currently staying at their neighbor's family who lives in another village and hopes to return back to their house once the flood subsides so they can start cleaning and rebuilding. Thank God for brave rescuers and kind-hearted neighbors ♥

And hey and hooray, the sun peeked from the clouds today!

It feels like years since it's been here.

But even though the rain has stopped and the flood has started subsiding, a lot of our countrymen (especially those based in NCR and other neighboring provinces) still need a lot of help rebuilding their lives. A lot of people lost their houses and even their loved ones, and thousands more are still in evacuation centers. I consider myself really fortunate to have come out of this unnamed and destructive monsoon unscathed.

It is undeniable how indispensable Twitter and Facebook have been in disseminating important information that have saved and rescued lives. When I tweeted how worried I was for my aunts, I immediately got a barrage of supportive tweets and directions on how I can ask for them to be rescued. That same night, rescue came. Thank you, wonderful world wide web. Of course you cannot stop scare-mongering trolls, but good and responsible netizens definitely outnumber them.

Now, it would be great if we can utilize the same social networking sites to spread details on how we can help. I've personally experienced losing everything except for the clothes I was wearing when a big fire razed through our neighborhood back in 2001. Likewise I've experienced other people's kindness and generosity first-hand when we received donations from our school, the local government, and even from complete strangers. Other people may never know this, but sometimes a bag of relief goods can spell the difference between losing all hope and renewing faith that everything will be okay again. Our family hasn't been the same since the tragedy struck us but I can proudly say we've grown stronger and closer to each other. Every little thing means a lot, so long as it's given freely and with good intentions. When you can, please pay it forward and donate; it will definitely go a long way. Visit reliefPH.com for a consolidated list of evacuation and relief centers where you can drop off relief goods and other donations. Bangon, Pilipinas.

PS: We may not score top medals at the Olympics, but you cannot argue with the beauty and resilience of the Filipino spirit. I am sure we will go through this. I just hope though that this serves as a lesson to all of us (especially the government) to focus on more important matters like flood prevention. The Philippines is an archipelago so this is bound to happen again... I just hope we will be better prepared next time.

Here comes the sun, and I say it's all right.

Peace, Love & Lipgloss. ♥

In exactly a week from now I will be going to work on a completely different office and one tool I will be needing is a new laptop or netbook. I need something lighter for easier mobility and I'm afraid to shell out more cash to have my Lenovo S10-2 Lady Fabrize repaired just to have her crash again after just a couple of days so I decided to get a new one instead.

Yesterday I third wheel-ed on my parents' date at SM North EDSA so they can get me a new netbook. (Can I just say that I have the best and most supportive parents ever? ♥ Of course it's on loan and I need to pay them back, but I am thankful that they're behind me on this career change.) I already went there last Thursday to compare brands, models and prices so I could check the reviews online before buying, making deciding on my perfect new work-buddy easier.

For your gadget needs, I highly recommend Electroworld in SM North EDSA because their staff are very accommodating, helpful, and so funny, especially the people who assisted us - Criselda and Jerod. Here's my loot:

My parents got me a Samsung NC110 in pink (P16,900; P15,400 if paid in cash but Criselda gave it to use for only P15,000 without us haggling for it).

I wanted to get it in black just because the previous one I used came in white but they don't have stocks anymore. Also, I wanted a black unit so I can name it Bruce Wayne, but then I figured Robin will be a better name not only as a tribute to my never-ending love for Joseph Gordon-Levitt but also since it will act like my sidekick at my new job. Yes I do spend time analyzing these things, and no I don't think that's weird at all. Okay, maybe a little. Haha #meandmyproblems.

So I came up with a new name instead since a candy-pink netbook like this is clearly a girl.

For our purchase we got a Samsung Slim Portable DVD Writer (made especially for netbooks), Screen and Keyboard Cleaning Kit, and an Imation 4G Flash Drive for free plus a Plus! rewards card that earns points for purchases at Electroworld, Abensons, and Waltermart branches. So grool! (I meant to say great but said cool instead.)

I love this laptop bag because it's the perfect fit for Robyn and it has another zipper with compartments for the charger, mouse, flash drive, and anything else I'd like to put in. It also has straps so I can use it like a regular bag.

I will write a review after tinkering with this new baby for about a month. I will be using her almost everyday in my new job so I am counting on her to be the perfect work-buddy. Today I will go to my new office so Kira can mentor me as she will be out of the country when I start going to work next week. It's raining right now but I hope it will stop when I leave later. Seriously, aren't you getting tired of all this rain? It's like we're in London. Please cross your fingers with me that I will be able to easily absorb everything that Kira will teach me.

Be safe and dry, everyone! I hope this week will be wonderful for you.

Today is the last Sunday that I had to wake up at 3:15 (but get up at 3:51), leave my apartment before 4:30, and be in the office by 4:50 for my 5AM to 2PM shift. Forgive me for being melodramatic about this whole 'saying goodbye to HSBC' thing, but if you've spent more than half a decade with people you've become close friends with in a company you've already grown to love, well yes, it can be *quite* difficult to let go.

But then, I know the next chapter will be another amazing adventure so I am really looking forward to it ♥

And because I like bouncing to a completely different topic while in the middle of another subject, guess what I did yesterday?

I did a shoot in a studio in Makati with a few bloggers for a well-known brand I still have to keep my mouth shut about. It was fun and the makeup artist Alyssa made me look (and feel) so pretty, I wish I can do my makeup the same way, every day. I can't wait to see the final photos!

I'll keep this post short and sweet because it's just my lunchbreak. Later after work I will meet my benefactors *cough*parents*cough* at the mall so they can buy me a netbook for my new job. Life's good.

I hope you're all enjoying your Sunday! Peace, Love & Lipgloss ♥

I saw Disney and Pixar's Brave last Thursday with my friend Ana and while it wasn't Toy Story 3, there were still lots of scenes that made me laugh out loud and even tear up a bit. I loved Merida and found myself rooting for her because she is fierce and feisty, two things I wish I can be. She refused to be tied down and be restricted by the norms, but when the situation called for it she was quick to own up to her mistakes and stand up for her family (plus her red hair's gorgeous and her Scottish accent's endearing). If you can wait for it, there's a short scene after all the credits have rolled. Also, there's an accompanying short film shown before the movie called La Luna. It's so charming and the graphics are so beautiful ♥

Today is my last Saturday with HSBC, and I feel excited yet scared at the same time. Monday after next I will be starting with my new job straightaway, and I am anxiously crossing my fingers that everything will turn out okay. I guess this is the time to look inside myself and be fierce and feisty like Merida.

Some of my friends from the office have already sent me lovely emails saying goodbye and good luck --- FRIENDS, Y U MAKE ME CRY?? --- and I just want to say I really, really appreciate them. If there's something I can say about my stay here, it's that I am thankful I was able to forge lots of great friendships that I will never forget, wherever life takes me. HSBC will hold a party on Thursday for its employees who've been with the company for five years and guess what, my last day with them's on Friday. What a perfect send-off ♥

The weather's been particularly crazy this past week, I hope you're all safe and dry wherever you are. I have to go now because I'll be doing something fun and I can't wait to share it with everyone. More stories soon!

Aside from being one of the leading local brands offering trendy clothing and footwear at affordable prices and an expansive fragrance line plus having an All Stars campaign fronted by global favorites Ed Westwick and Leighton Meester of Gossip Girl, Ian Somerhalder of The Vampire Diaries, Asian matinee idol Mario Maurer, and Hollywood hottie Zac Efron(!!!), PENSHOPPE has amped up by expanding its product line with the launch of its personal care collection available in stores and online.

PENSHOPPE’s cosmetic line, the Color Hydradiance collection, gets a makeover with the launch of two limited edition cosmetic products: Mirage Aqualiner Pencil and Rouge Lip Shade.

Mirage Aqualiner Pencil, a handy and easy-to-apply eyeliner pencil, has the perfect smooth glide to color the lash lines all the way. With three lively variants to choose from — Celeste (white), Nymph (teal) and Royale (purple) — Mirage Aqualiner Pencil promises an eye-popping look to highlight the most striking area of your face. Get a light and sophisticated look for only P149.

PENSHOPPE also allows you to channel your inner vixen into a sexy pout with Rouge Lip Shade, a limited edition collection of red lipsticks. With three rich hues to suit the different skin tones of women —Satine, Scarlet and Sangria — Rouge Lip Shade is a woman’s must-have for that voluptuous pout. It is fortified with Color Hydradiance factor, a healthy blend of antioxidant benefits from white tea extracts. Each shade is available for only P299.

Capping off the collection is a limited edition 5-piece Makeup Brush Set that contains five soft synthetic hair brushes: a powder brush, eye shadow brush, a sponge-tip brush (for blending colors), a lip brush and a grooming brush for the brows and lashes. The Makeup Brush Set is available for only P399 (you can also get the brush set at a discounted price of P249 if you buy any product from the Color Hydradiance collection).

All these plus the entire personal care set are available in all PENSHOPPE stores and online. Online payments can be made via credit card (VISA, Mastercard, AMEX or JCB) or through over-the-counter transactions in BDO branches nationwide (free shipping anywhere in the Philippines with a minimum purchase of only P500). More information can be found on their official website or you can also follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook.

Transferring to a new job soon means leaving my current apartment to live somewhere else --- thus comes the thing I am so not looking forward to: packing my things. I have way too much stuff (clothes, shoes, bags, books, etc.), it should be illegal. I don't even know how a 26 year old lady like me can accumulate that much in the less than two years I stayed there.

Oh actually I know why and how: I am a human magpie.

Yes, I am a human magpie, and you know what magpies love collecting? Shiny, happy, precious new things.

It's great at first, but when you've acquired as much stuff as I have, organizing them becomes a pain.

Sounds familiar? The problem with having this many and the organizing skills of a donkey make accessorizing more time-consuming than it should be. Sometimes I even forget about having a particular piece and then kick myself after seeing it and realizing it would've looked perfect for something I was wearing a month ago. The pieces shown in the photo above are only half of what I really own, but I can't find them at the moment. Maybe some are in my other bags? Trapped in the hidden recesses of my apartment? Or my room which has aptly earned the title Serenity in Chaos? Who knows? Not me, apparently.

Good thing that - as with several other aspects in my life - SM quickly came to the rescue! SM Accessories sent me an accessory organizer, and I might not over-reacting when I say it might have saved my life.

It has eight loops for necklaces and bracelets, and twenty clear plastic pockets for earrings and rings. A quick show-and-tell is in order.

As expected, it was impossible to fit everything in one organizer. I need one or two more!

Thank you so much SM Accessories! My accessories and I really appreciate this gift. I think I actually need more trips there to fill out another organizer I am planning to get haha.

Want to get yours, too? Here's how:

Go, human magpies ;)

HAVE AN AWESOME AUGUST, EVERYONE! May this month be great for you ♥