however tragic last week was, this week was equally as miraculous. after having practically my whole life pulled out from underneath me in a day, the universe has somehow made itself right again.
i'm having coffee with my mom last tuesday and the cellphone that i'm temporarily using rings. i answer it and it's my old school's secretary saying that someone recovered my bag and what's left of it. ms. naomi excitedly gives me the number of the person to call and my initial reaction is "this is a joke, right?". anyway, i call and apparently a waitress sees my bag left a table where she works. she picks it up and calls every number on my stuff hoping to find someone that could track me down. it takes about a week from when i lost my bag to do so but i got all my important things like my IDs, my license and a couple of my personal stuff in my bag back.
the next day, someone also gives me a call saying that he picked up mischief and took her in. he saw the poster that i put up all around the neighborhood and on the main street outside out house and decides to give her back to us. he returned her smelling good, with a new collar and a leash and looking like she's been fed quite a lot the past week she was missing.
i just couldn't believe it! one miracle after another. it sounds like a fairytale but it's absolutely true. i think i'm truly blessed. it sounds amazing how my things somehow made it back to me and i can only credit God for being gracious enough to pull me out of sorrow.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
when it rains it pours... :( lunchtime. had my entire bag taken from me right under my nose. i had just come from the airport so most everything near and dear to me was in there. i'm wallet-less, cellphone-less, money-less, i've lost a makeup brush i stashed in my bag, my favorite lipgloss, my ipod, my ATM card and the new credit card stan gave me for valentines. i spent the whole afternoon canceling cards and digesting my loss. dinnertime, i come home to find my pet of 10 years missing. mischief didn't come to greet me at the door so i asked the helper to go get her. only then do they discover that she's not in the house anymore. we look outside the village hoping she snuck out while the gate was open but to no avail.
devastated is an understatement. the life has literally been sucked out of me.
devastated is an understatement. the life has literally been sucked out of me.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
stan was never a fan of valentine's day and neither am i so when Vday was caught in between my makeup class schedule in manila, i didn't even think twice about having to spend it apart from stan. he was already making a trip to manila a few days before Vday so i'd see him for a few days there and by the time Vday came, i'd just have a few more days till i'd be done with the course and fly back to cebu.
surprise surprise when stan said to go home for valentine's day weekend. he even made a production out of it by dressing up as touristy as we could and sneaking into shangri la to unwind at the beach, since i was complaining about not having seen the sky or anything remotely resembling nature in manila for the past 2 weeks. after that, we'd indiscreetly check into marco polo and spend the night ordering room service instead of stressing out over traffic and crowds since i was complaining about that too.
i have to say, he's got so many surprises up his sleeve lately, it's so hard to walk around without heart shaped eyes and a silly grin plastered across my face all the time. i'm so happy i'm going to get to spend the rest of my life with such a wonderful person. :)
surprise surprise when stan said to go home for valentine's day weekend. he even made a production out of it by dressing up as touristy as we could and sneaking into shangri la to unwind at the beach, since i was complaining about not having seen the sky or anything remotely resembling nature in manila for the past 2 weeks. after that, we'd indiscreetly check into marco polo and spend the night ordering room service instead of stressing out over traffic and crowds since i was complaining about that too.
i have to say, he's got so many surprises up his sleeve lately, it's so hard to walk around without heart shaped eyes and a silly grin plastered across my face all the time. i'm so happy i'm going to get to spend the rest of my life with such a wonderful person. :)
Thursday, February 04, 2010
so this is what it feels like to follow a dream
i just completed my fourth day of my 13 day makeup course and boy! do i have a lot to learn! it's nice to meet other people who share the same passion i do. i have a great teacher who isn't stingy with tips and provides us with a great learning environment. we have a whole arsenal of makeup and brushes to play with and new faces to practice on everyday.
the first day was frustrating, i couldn't believe it took me almost 2 hours to perfect just putting on foundation. the second day almost made me cry because my model looked like she had bruises instead of a contoured face. the third day was a disaster when my model's foundation started to turn dark orange because she had acidic skin. but what can you do right but learn from your mistakes, push on and do better the next day, right? so my inner sacred hearter tells me.
today was better as my teacher nodded in approval as i produced a perfect maquillage du jour, otherwise known as "day makeup" on my model. (yes, my school goes by snooty french terms). tomorrow will be night makeup and i've asked a friend to model thus upping the pressure by a notch. there's so much to learn and i'm trying to drink it all in. i do feel pretty much myself again, working with my hands and with colors and textures. i go home excited to try again even if i failed miserably at the task assigned.
yay! :)
the first day was frustrating, i couldn't believe it took me almost 2 hours to perfect just putting on foundation. the second day almost made me cry because my model looked like she had bruises instead of a contoured face. the third day was a disaster when my model's foundation started to turn dark orange because she had acidic skin. but what can you do right but learn from your mistakes, push on and do better the next day, right? so my inner sacred hearter tells me.
today was better as my teacher nodded in approval as i produced a perfect maquillage du jour, otherwise known as "day makeup" on my model. (yes, my school goes by snooty french terms). tomorrow will be night makeup and i've asked a friend to model thus upping the pressure by a notch. there's so much to learn and i'm trying to drink it all in. i do feel pretty much myself again, working with my hands and with colors and textures. i go home excited to try again even if i failed miserably at the task assigned.
yay! :)
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
mid afternoon musings
i don't know what it is about girl powow lunches that make you feel instantly better. perhaps it's the ability to laugh about something with someone you've been analyzing in your head the previous night or maybe it's the caffeine and sugar fix of a shared dessert (it's twice the fun but half the calories! ) that makes your issues suddenly melt away and you leave feeling quite empowered.
had lunch with maya this week and it was a welcome breath of fresh air. it's been a juggling act of things to do, stuff to remember and people to please the past few weeks so just to hang loose and laugh over issues and non-issues was a welcome break.
i resolve never to be too "married" for girl "dates". :)
had lunch with maya this week and it was a welcome breath of fresh air. it's been a juggling act of things to do, stuff to remember and people to please the past few weeks so just to hang loose and laugh over issues and non-issues was a welcome break.
i resolve never to be too "married" for girl "dates". :)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
:)
yes... i'm blogging at 2:49am in my jeans, halter top, makeup and half-baked sobriety. i'm so elated to have spent a few hours with ren whom i've missed so so terribly that i just have to pen it down for posterity's sake. new issues, new chapters but we'll forever be the same wavelength about things. i'm so glad to have heard her infectious laughter and be finishing each others sentences after a pretty long hiatus. there are a million things swimming around in my head right now but my makeup is begging to be removed so i shall retire for the night and blog about at a saner hour.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
according to theknot.com...
engagement squabble #1: we just got engaged and i'm itching to plan the wedding and suddenly he doesn't seem to care... what's wrong??
well, according to theknot.com (yes, i sometimes resort to self-help stuff) it's usually the bride who comes off the newly engaged cloud and itches to start pegging a date, planning the dress, calling up the caterer and dreaming up the wedding day. on the other hand, the groom seems to be almost aloof all of a sudden about the wedding plans. you must remember that it was the groom who did all the proposing ergo the planning that came with it. he's probably not up to do any major planning anytime soon and would just like to bask in the newly engaged glow. the bride on the other hand feels like a new chapter has just opened up and thus planning the wedding will ensue soon after the engagement.
theknot.com's advice: give him a little time to relax and enjoy the triumph of having you say "yes!" sooner or later, he will come off the cloud (probably later than you will) and will participate or at least give some semblance of planning the wedding/ pegging the date. don't forget that the reason he proposed was to marry you in the end.
so there you have it and it actually makes sense. i guess if i had to plan an elaborate proposal i'd be in no rush to plan another big event. i'll just have to find an outlet for my excitement like blogging or scrapbooking instead of nagging him to peg a date and decide already. it will come in its own time, just like everything usually does between stan and me. at least when he does want to talk about it, i'll have all the details ready and we can just pick off whatever i've prepared.
i'll give him till mid feb (when i come home from makeup school) to stay in his cloud.
well, according to theknot.com (yes, i sometimes resort to self-help stuff) it's usually the bride who comes off the newly engaged cloud and itches to start pegging a date, planning the dress, calling up the caterer and dreaming up the wedding day. on the other hand, the groom seems to be almost aloof all of a sudden about the wedding plans. you must remember that it was the groom who did all the proposing ergo the planning that came with it. he's probably not up to do any major planning anytime soon and would just like to bask in the newly engaged glow. the bride on the other hand feels like a new chapter has just opened up and thus planning the wedding will ensue soon after the engagement.
theknot.com's advice: give him a little time to relax and enjoy the triumph of having you say "yes!" sooner or later, he will come off the cloud (probably later than you will) and will participate or at least give some semblance of planning the wedding/ pegging the date. don't forget that the reason he proposed was to marry you in the end.
so there you have it and it actually makes sense. i guess if i had to plan an elaborate proposal i'd be in no rush to plan another big event. i'll just have to find an outlet for my excitement like blogging or scrapbooking instead of nagging him to peg a date and decide already. it will come in its own time, just like everything usually does between stan and me. at least when he does want to talk about it, i'll have all the details ready and we can just pick off whatever i've prepared.
i'll give him till mid feb (when i come home from makeup school) to stay in his cloud.
Friday, January 08, 2010
10.something.10
stan and my future in-laws didn't like the idea of a december wedding because...
1. they don't wanna wait that long
2. it's a really busy month for everyone especially retail
well, time to pull my head out of the clouds and peel my eyes away from the ring on my finger and get cracking. according to my calculations, thats about 6 months planning left... jan - october minus february when i'll be in manila concentrating on makeup school and possibly a few weeks in may when i go to vancouver for a makeup convention.
checked out Shang.. prices are pricey... sigh...
1. they don't wanna wait that long
2. it's a really busy month for everyone especially retail
well, time to pull my head out of the clouds and peel my eyes away from the ring on my finger and get cracking. according to my calculations, thats about 6 months planning left... jan - october minus february when i'll be in manila concentrating on makeup school and possibly a few weeks in may when i go to vancouver for a makeup convention.
checked out Shang.. prices are pricey... sigh...
Thursday, January 07, 2010
its about to be official
stan's parents arrived from canada today and i saw his mom for the first time since we got engaged. she seemed happy inspecting my ring and reporting how they reacted to the news of our engagement. she also happily added that she and stan's dad have been fervently praying for us to finally make a commitment and were thrilled that their prayers have been answered. "i've learned that God answers prayer in His own time." tita Helen said as she squeezed my hand.
she also proceeded to tell me that she would like to invite my family for dinner on Sunday night. i guess this is what you call the pamanhikan? that'll be a bit nerve-wracking for me. 5 years of eating dinner with stan's family still hasn't made me comfortable enough to initiate conversation with them at the dinner table. and i wonder what we're going to talk about. hopefully nothing too intimidating.
oh.. and i've also decided to document as much of my engagement as i can. i want to "savor the process" as one of stan's good friends advised me to do. bridal magazines - here i come! :)
she also proceeded to tell me that she would like to invite my family for dinner on Sunday night. i guess this is what you call the pamanhikan? that'll be a bit nerve-wracking for me. 5 years of eating dinner with stan's family still hasn't made me comfortable enough to initiate conversation with them at the dinner table. and i wonder what we're going to talk about. hopefully nothing too intimidating.
oh.. and i've also decided to document as much of my engagement as i can. i want to "savor the process" as one of stan's good friends advised me to do. bridal magazines - here i come! :)
Monday, January 04, 2010
when's the date?
my answer: none yet. why? you might ask. after waiting soooooo long for this, you would probably expect me to be rushing to set a date and close the deal already.
i still like the way things are between us except i have the comfort of knowing that one day (for sure) i'll get to wake up and sleep in his arms every day. i like looking at the ring on my finger and grinning ear to ear without having to worry if the caterer's been followed up or if the dressmaker can interpret my dream dress into reality. i like browsing at invitation designs and not actually having to worry about who to invite.
it will come though... slowly the details and the pressure will build again and it's back to the drawing board with a new deadline. for now, i want to savor a few more days of being romantic about it without too much of reality setting in.
i still like the way things are between us except i have the comfort of knowing that one day (for sure) i'll get to wake up and sleep in his arms every day. i like looking at the ring on my finger and grinning ear to ear without having to worry if the caterer's been followed up or if the dressmaker can interpret my dream dress into reality. i like browsing at invitation designs and not actually having to worry about who to invite.
it will come though... slowly the details and the pressure will build again and it's back to the drawing board with a new deadline. for now, i want to savor a few more days of being romantic about it without too much of reality setting in.
Saturday, January 02, 2010
happily ever after
i've rehearsed this scene a million times in my head but nothing quite prepares you for when he actually slips the ring on your finger. i'm still in shock that this is all happening for real. stan and i are actually going to live happily ever after.
ren, been trying to reach your phone but to no avail. have you changed numbers or something? hehe call me. :)
ren, been trying to reach your phone but to no avail. have you changed numbers or something? hehe call me. :)
Monday, December 07, 2009
next stop... christmas!
i can't believe this year is almost over. and what a year it was! i must say, it had to be one of the best years of my life. i definitely have some blessings to count instead of sheep. :)
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
chezka's latest life adventure
i think my life is on a three-year cycle. every so often, i'm so sure of what i want to do and what i want to become... i go after it like crazy, get it and after three years, i take a whole new direction and the cycle starts again.
this time, it seems to have come just in time for the new year. i get to start 2010 all shiny and new! :)
it all started when an opportunity landed on my lap from out of the blue. it was a month ago when i was busy preparing for my long awaited trip to watch U2 in vancouver. i get a call from a friend who says she can't think of anyone else to help her out with a problem she has except me. she wanted someone to train her staff on how to put on makeup right and look more presentable for work. she says it's a problem that's been bugging her when her sales girls come in all powdered up with the wrong foundation shade or in electric blue eyeshadow that screams "Hi! I'm a sales girl".
i decide... why not. i can put my 3 months of Chanel makeup training to good use and make a couple extra bucks for shopping in vancouver. i enjoyed it a little more than i thought i would and couldn't stop thinking about how happy i made those girls when they looked in the mirror to see a properly made up version of themselves. i couldn't shake off how happy i felt working with a brush in hand and palettes and palettes of color. so after much thinking about it... or actually the lack of not being able to stop thinking about it, i decide its time i turn myself into something new.
feb 1 2010. i'm officially enrolling myself in makeup forever's makeup academy in manila. it's an intensive 12 day professional makeup course and hopefully when i get back i'll have the chops to make it as a professional makeup artist. i have a lot of plans up my sleeve which i'm proud to finally call my own :)
i can't wait for the new year! :)
this time, it seems to have come just in time for the new year. i get to start 2010 all shiny and new! :)
it all started when an opportunity landed on my lap from out of the blue. it was a month ago when i was busy preparing for my long awaited trip to watch U2 in vancouver. i get a call from a friend who says she can't think of anyone else to help her out with a problem she has except me. she wanted someone to train her staff on how to put on makeup right and look more presentable for work. she says it's a problem that's been bugging her when her sales girls come in all powdered up with the wrong foundation shade or in electric blue eyeshadow that screams "Hi! I'm a sales girl".
i decide... why not. i can put my 3 months of Chanel makeup training to good use and make a couple extra bucks for shopping in vancouver. i enjoyed it a little more than i thought i would and couldn't stop thinking about how happy i made those girls when they looked in the mirror to see a properly made up version of themselves. i couldn't shake off how happy i felt working with a brush in hand and palettes and palettes of color. so after much thinking about it... or actually the lack of not being able to stop thinking about it, i decide its time i turn myself into something new.
feb 1 2010. i'm officially enrolling myself in makeup forever's makeup academy in manila. it's an intensive 12 day professional makeup course and hopefully when i get back i'll have the chops to make it as a professional makeup artist. i have a lot of plans up my sleeve which i'm proud to finally call my own :)
i can't wait for the new year! :)
Friday, October 30, 2009
u2 bc place
stan surprised me with a trip to watch U2 for our 5th anniversary this year. WOW! i feel like i'm on top of the world. :)
Monday, July 21, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
life in the fast lane.
i've officially been thrust into my rubik's cube career. why settle for one when you can do it all? marketing for iStore, voluntary personal assistant of stan (his favorite task for me to do: answer the question "What day is it today?"), ESL tutor and part time Art and Creative Writing teacher.
so far, things are going well with my trusty Starbucks planner always at my side. my days are filling up with things to do and people to see. most people might think i'm nuts to give up the slow paced, smelling the roses kind of life i had for 3 years as a full time teacher but i think my inner sacred hearter had to be sated. though i look built for comfort, i have an insane need for speed. time management has to be perfected to a tee.
and of course, being a woman.. i have to accomplish all this looking well put together, keeping a household of 4 dogs and 1 boyfriend happy, sparing time to cook for potluck dinner with friends and fixing stan's favorite white cap that turned yellow... not to mention 2 younger sisters who call in for favors once in a while.
the one thing i vow never to be too busy for: coffee date with friends.
yup. i think i have about enough practice to last me through the real thing.
so far, things are going well with my trusty Starbucks planner always at my side. my days are filling up with things to do and people to see. most people might think i'm nuts to give up the slow paced, smelling the roses kind of life i had for 3 years as a full time teacher but i think my inner sacred hearter had to be sated. though i look built for comfort, i have an insane need for speed. time management has to be perfected to a tee.
and of course, being a woman.. i have to accomplish all this looking well put together, keeping a household of 4 dogs and 1 boyfriend happy, sparing time to cook for potluck dinner with friends and fixing stan's favorite white cap that turned yellow... not to mention 2 younger sisters who call in for favors once in a while.
the one thing i vow never to be too busy for: coffee date with friends.
yup. i think i have about enough practice to last me through the real thing.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
one of those cosmo magazine moments
you know that part in magazines where people send in their most embarrassing moments and you think to yourself "i wonder if this really happened or is she just making it up." well, mine did.
it all started with my one day period. i thought nothing of it till somewhere in the middle of talking about haagen dasz ice cream with ren, i decided to nonchalantly bring it up. her response started setting it all downhill. "one day period? oh yes... that's how i found out i was pregnant!" DING DING DING DING! you can just imagine the alarm bells ringing in my head and the cold sweat starting to break out on my forehead. ren assured me though that it could be nothing too so i was appeased by that thought for about a week. then after a couple of days my boobs began to throb. at first it was just a dull pain when i squeezed them to check and then it started to escalate into a even-when-you-don't-touch-them-they-hurt kind of pain. against my better judgement and rationality, i started to panic.
instinctively, i call up maya for moral support to go and face the music instead of spending more sleepless nights thinking about it. so we go to the pharmacy and buy a pregnancy test. so we're there, discussing worst case scenario solutions when i hear the pharmacist shouting loudly from the other side of the store "kang kinsa ning pregnancy test?" mortified and immobilized, i watch in horror as the pharmacist right in front of me shouts equally as loudly and points to me "diri!" luckily, maya who was more more lucid than i snatched the plastic bag out of the pharmacist's hands with a defiant i-don't-care look.
so there. thanks to bestfriends who are willing to go with you in the middle of the night in their slippers, save you from gawking there like an idiot, getting a cup for you to pee in and telling you you're not pregnant (i was too nervous to look at the strip myself) coz there's only one line on the pregnancy strip test. i love you may! :) i'd do the same for you any day.
it all started with my one day period. i thought nothing of it till somewhere in the middle of talking about haagen dasz ice cream with ren, i decided to nonchalantly bring it up. her response started setting it all downhill. "one day period? oh yes... that's how i found out i was pregnant!" DING DING DING DING! you can just imagine the alarm bells ringing in my head and the cold sweat starting to break out on my forehead. ren assured me though that it could be nothing too so i was appeased by that thought for about a week. then after a couple of days my boobs began to throb. at first it was just a dull pain when i squeezed them to check and then it started to escalate into a even-when-you-don't-touch-them-they-hurt kind of pain. against my better judgement and rationality, i started to panic.
instinctively, i call up maya for moral support to go and face the music instead of spending more sleepless nights thinking about it. so we go to the pharmacy and buy a pregnancy test. so we're there, discussing worst case scenario solutions when i hear the pharmacist shouting loudly from the other side of the store "kang kinsa ning pregnancy test?" mortified and immobilized, i watch in horror as the pharmacist right in front of me shouts equally as loudly and points to me "diri!" luckily, maya who was more more lucid than i snatched the plastic bag out of the pharmacist's hands with a defiant i-don't-care look.
so there. thanks to bestfriends who are willing to go with you in the middle of the night in their slippers, save you from gawking there like an idiot, getting a cup for you to pee in and telling you you're not pregnant (i was too nervous to look at the strip myself) coz there's only one line on the pregnancy strip test. i love you may! :) i'd do the same for you any day.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
I'm happy!
I'm happy! I'm happy! I'm happy! I'm happy!
Finally. I think Stan and I have finally reached the end of that weird plateau in our relationship and gotten back some excitement in our lives. Maybe this working together thing is actually good for us. We have more stuff to talk about at the end of the day and I love it when he actually puts down his guard and asks for help and opinions on this and that. I think he was just getting spread too thin and needed someone to be his sounding board and support beam with the all work problems he has. We've been laughing more lately and that's such a welcome change from the indirect frustration we've been steaming off at each other before.
That spark you get when you first start going out is back. I'm proud of us for having stuck through the hard times and I'm so super glad the happier times are back.
Finally. I think Stan and I have finally reached the end of that weird plateau in our relationship and gotten back some excitement in our lives. Maybe this working together thing is actually good for us. We have more stuff to talk about at the end of the day and I love it when he actually puts down his guard and asks for help and opinions on this and that. I think he was just getting spread too thin and needed someone to be his sounding board and support beam with the all work problems he has. We've been laughing more lately and that's such a welcome change from the indirect frustration we've been steaming off at each other before.
That spark you get when you first start going out is back. I'm proud of us for having stuck through the hard times and I'm so super glad the happier times are back.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Articles I came across while passing time at work
Today was a slow day at work. The kids were busy with their year end projects hence I was left with a bit of spare time to do some surfing. I came across these two articles that I found in the New York Times that were quite amusing. Enjoy! :)
Enjoy!
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