tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52764872024-03-05T20:19:25.740+08:00hello world!back in bloggerroxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.comBlogger1102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-17374470277422271532020-12-11T23:51:00.001+08:002020-12-11T23:51:05.123+08:00seven years later<p>My last post was 7 years ago. I don't even know if people still blog - or if people have the patience to read blogs but here I am writing on the online journal that sustained me throughout my angsty quarter-life crisis. </p><p>I started writing here when I was a law student who held a day job as a university teacher. I was in my 20s, there was no such thing as Instagram yet, and anonymity was the name of the game. This tiny slice of the internet changed identities so much - identities that reflected the person I was at that time. I remember being someone going through the ups and downs of what essentially was a first job to a girl who had the energy to run after the bus in heels (!) to someone who finally achieved her lifelong dream of driving and owning her own car. I think I got stuck with cardriver only because after that I wasn't blogging as much anymore. </p><p>Incidentally, my first car was the green lancer GLXI that I inherited from my mom when she migrated to the US. That car got replaced by Spike who I had for more than 7 years, then Diego, Datu, Cardo, and presently, P'Dol. By the way - this cardriver has also developed the ability to drive on the opposite side of the road. Yay, me.</p><p>As I said, I doubt if anyone will be reading this. Everything's on YouTube these days. Back in the day, blogs were online journals - the kind that made everyone feel like their own version of Doogie Howser, MD (before Neil Patrick Harris was on How I Met Your Mother, he was this child genius who ended the show by writing a journal entry on his computer). I also think I've lost the ability to write here - online journals gave way to food bloggers, fashion bloggers, and all these newfangled, very niche spaces online, while here I am trying to recapture the freedom that came from broadcasting my thoughts to strangers who happened to stumble upon this page. </p><p>By the way - some of those strangers eventually became real people, friends even. Amazing isn't it.</p><p>Anyway, I am ending this entry for now. No such thing as like and subscribe on blogger ... just a fervent wish that even without a whole lot of shameless self-promotion, people would come, read, and leave a comment or two. And that they'd share your journey with you.</p>roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-71775247848993701342013-06-16T17:04:00.000+08:002013-06-16T17:04:19.957+08:00dreams do come true<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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a couple of years ago, 9 of my friends and i stayed at a "household". at that time, i'd been living alone for quite some time, so the exercise of learning more about housework was lost on me. but for some reason, they were quite surprised that i could cook, and if i may say so myself, i could cook well.</div>
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i guess it was cause i never cooked for myself, much less for them. little did they know that in the eyes of my brother's friends, i was quite the cooking diva when i was in high school. </div>
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or was it more like a baking diva?</div>
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in any case, my cooking/baking diva self craved on of the most iconic things a self-proclaimed kitchen junkie would want to have the most: a kitchenaid stand mixer. and thanks to my mom, this dream came true.</div>
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i had initially asked for a pink one, but because of special offers, sales, and what nots, my mom decided on getting me the classic red one. taking into account that i can't afford to replace the weird 80's green tile that adorn my kitchen, the classic red one was the best choice. it's so bright and such a major stand-out that you can virtually ignore the weird 80's green tile. <i>hehehehe.</i><br />
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i had been hugging this box since it came, so i knew it was quite heavy. but i didn't really how immensely heavy it was until i had to pull it out of the box.<br />
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and here it is, in all of its shiny, bright red glory. doesn't it make you want to ignore the icky 80's green tile?<br />
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so far i've made chocolate chip mint cookies, chocolate chip walnut cookies, red velvet cupcakes, and fresh orange cupcakes. i'm excited to make more goodies. but more than that, i'm excited over the fact that even at this age, my mom can still make dreams come true.<br />
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p.s. <i>happy father's day, papa!</i> i love you.roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-67091264367427841282013-05-11T12:00:00.001+08:002013-05-11T12:00:32.157+08:00alone again, naturally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
my mom and i, we have a complicated relationship.</div>
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when i was in second grade and my teacher asked us to say who our best friends were, i didn't hesitate in saying my mom was my best friend. after all, my dad was working abroad then and except for the time i spent in school, i was basically with my mom <i>all the time</i>.</div>
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and she was a working mother. amazeballs, really.</div>
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she made sure i was first in line at the CSA entrance exam, even though my last name began with a "V" and i ended up entering the room last.</div>
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she brought us to school every single day cause a school bus from las pinas would be too early.</div>
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and she attended every single recognition, program, and school thingamajig that the teachers could think of.</div>
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even when i was in college and staying in the dorms already, she'd still bring me to UP on sundays and we'd eat at bun on the run in katipunan.</div>
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the time i made it as a university scholar one semester, she surprised me by being in my dorm room after PE class so she could attend the awarding. <i>unfortunately, it was then that she saw a pic of me and an ex. </i>she was crazy mad, but couldn't be on that day cause, after all, i <i>was</i> university scholar. hahaha. she waited till the weekend before biting my head off.</div>
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my brother and i were born ten months apart (yes, you read that right), so i wasn't even a year old when i had to start sharing my mom with my brother. and i won't pretend i don't know he's her favorite. i've grown to accept that as a fact of life, pretty much like how everything that goes up must come down. but favorite or not, i've always known that i wasn't every shortchanged by mom.</div>
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not in terms of a good education. not in terms of material possessions. not in terms of care and affection. if at all, i just wasn't able to get away with as much as my brother did. but when you're 36 years old, that doesn't really matter anymore. (or so I claim, haha!)</div>
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my mom arrived late night on April 21 (or was it early morning April 22) and i brought her to the airport at 4am this morning. it's crazy how we "tried" each other so much over the past couple of days. there were times that i was so frustrated i didn't know how to handle taking care of my mom (not that she needed taking care of) - i didn't know what she wanted to eat, or what she wanted to do, and how to make the heat go away (aircon, but she didn't like staying in one place too much, and turning on all the airconditioning units was just crazy). maybe i had just gotten so used to being alone and taking care of no one but myself. or maybe it was just how we are. i dunno. but thinking now about all the times we spent being frustrated with each other over the course of her vacation makes me want to hit my head against the wall as to how i could've been so stupid as to waste precious time with my mom.</div>
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it's mother's day tomorrow. ironically, we're not spending it together. i miss her already - i miss her calling me <i>ateng</i> and her sweeping my house every so often cause she just can't get over how dusty everything is in the philippines. i miss our weekends spent shopping (hence the suitcases that may or may not be above the weight limit) and our weekends spent with me forcing her to eat stuff at my favorite restaurants (thank goodness she liked banapple). but i'm also realistic; i do know that any longer and we would've probably ended up resenting each other beyond repair.<div>
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as i've said, my mom and i, we have a complicated relationship.<br /></div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-52042827733040062332013-02-03T11:35:00.002+08:002013-02-03T11:35:59.530+08:00first trip of the year<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{what's a trip to Siem Reap without the standard pic of Angkor Wat reflected on the pool?}</td></tr>
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Ever since my friends pulled off that trip to Kuala Lumpur without killing each other, it has been our plan to hie off to Cambodia and see Angkor Wat. Or maybe it was their plan and I just adopted it as one of my own, haha. But, whatever, we wanted to go to Cambodia and it was timely that eventually Cebu Pacific offered a direct flight.</div>
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And, as with our KL trip, this was a truly spur of the moment, a let's-check-the-website-if-there's-a-sale, and boom, sometime back in August, we found ourselves with affordable tickets to Siem Reap for the last weekend of January.</div>
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For some reason, out of the country trips with my Tuloy friends always involve me, Cathy, <a href="http://roldanroldan.blogspot.com/">Ralf</a>, and KEf. This time around, KEf brought his friend, Doc (at least that's what I call him, he's a real doctor, promise!) who fit perfectly with out group. </div>
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You do know when I say "fit perfectly" it means he basically agreed with everything I said, never complained about the food I ordered, and laughed at all my jokes. ☺</div>
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According to the websites, January is one of the best times to visit, it being their "small winter". One website even said to bring thick clothes. I'm glad I didn't listen to that advice. It was WARM!!!</div>
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On our first full day, Friday (we arrived Thursday evening), I couldn't help but feel giddy-excited. As most of my friends can attest, I'm a city girl - I like traveling to cities, shopping, checking out malls, and walking amidst people hurrying for work. Maybe that's why I loved Kuala Lumpur so much! So I couldn't really explain why my excitement was just way off the charts. </div>
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When I saw my first temple, it just struck me: this was not just traveling to a different country, this was traveling to a different time. People made these with their hands, without heavy machinery, and people made these monuments to reach out to the gods.</div>
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And while none of these were made to reach out to the God I worship, there was just something about man's desire to worship a greater deity that struck a chord with me.</div>
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And don't let this kid's sweet face fool you. My friends and I were waiting for KEf to finish taking pictures (that ends only when his camera dies on him) when this kid stood in front of me, started counting out postcards in that Cambodian sing-song accented English, repeatedly telling me, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ten postcards for one dollar." At first I was able to resist him. After five or so rounds, I caved in. With the dollar at Php40, I think I can afford ten postcards without a problem. My only condition was that he pose for me.</div>
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(I think it was that ear peeking out of his hoodie that did me in. A minute after I snapped this pic, another kid, this time in a pumpkin costume - where he got it i can only guess - did the exact same ruse of counting postcards in English. Gaaaah!!! I feel for the tourist trap!!!)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, I'm sure a hundred (thousands!) other bloggers would have better posts about Siem Reap ... for one, I was too amazed at everything that I didn't even take note of the temples that we visited. All I knew was that they took my breath away and that I would want a second go at this lovely country, this time armed with my guide book, more energy to manage the treks, and more time to just pore over every little bit of interesting thing this country has to offer.</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-44382446009977474592013-01-16T22:17:00.003+08:002013-01-16T22:17:53.673+08:00start the new year with a bang ...... or in my case, BANGS!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZy4iSaTnKrVJNuG3R9v3DCkU1KleOwjlmcKaq-499yKNzzx1glIxuKFeR-T0HD2H5JJcwNUi5Chrv19sbjLJWTzjvKCmr2jEL8M5B0DU3HlHHmcTZsjpyGEyCQPlzvsS0IL2pww/s1600/736810_10151279360553122_2137489293_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZy4iSaTnKrVJNuG3R9v3DCkU1KleOwjlmcKaq-499yKNzzx1glIxuKFeR-T0HD2H5JJcwNUi5Chrv19sbjLJWTzjvKCmr2jEL8M5B0DU3HlHHmcTZsjpyGEyCQPlzvsS0IL2pww/s640/736810_10151279360553122_2137489293_o.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{so yes, i'm making a weird face in the pic. please ignore that!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />maybe it was cause the weather suddenly turned cool.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
or maybe it was cause i was hating my hair with each passing day and regretting the trip i made all the may to this small salon in manila thinking i got a great deal on hair rebonding when in fact (1) it was expensive and (2) it ruined my hair.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
maybe it was cause i was embarrassed when the girl who colored my hair struggled like crazy combing my hair after washing it ... yeah, it was that damaged.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
whatever the reason, last friday, i asked M (my unofficial photographer and my new hair's #1 fan) to go with me to Shine Girls.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
now, Shine Girls sort of has a cult following among the korean hairstyling fanatics. and the stylist, jina, almost didn't cut my hair cause i didn't make an appointment prior to going there. but i guess she took one look at the sad state of my hair and decided that if someone needed her magic, it was most definitely me.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
since there was most definitely a communication issue (apparently, the only english she trusted was the english of one of her helpers there), my instructions were simple: i don't care what you do to my hair, as long as you take away the damaged portions. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
and oh, i wanted bangs.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
she did warn me that my hair was going to end up short and that bangs would required blow-drying in the morning but i threw all caution to the wind. after all, what have i got to lose at this point?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
so she cut. and cut. and cut. and cut some more. there was lifting and texturizing and other stuff i couldn't begin to understand. what there wasn't any of was talking. so while i was glad for the language barrier (at least no chit chat) i was afraid of the outcome.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
for a while, i was, cause it seemed like my hair was going to come out all kpop-like. then she worked her wonders with a straightening iron, and in a matter of minutes, she made my hair pretty.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
i mean, look at that detail!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjso_CSsIeOHtC58BsgRSv6O0JJZuJDawgACcQ7sjo5xwfkB1I4gUJVzGKcIeL6FFKicTC0exfVEyRFGsWEZ9_nZoRvPby9e5uneq71zd0ITu_TmU7AQTDZ1pLNwXpMJn0SZozQ/s1600/details.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjso_CSsIeOHtC58BsgRSv6O0JJZuJDawgACcQ7sjo5xwfkB1I4gUJVzGKcIeL6FFKicTC0exfVEyRFGsWEZ9_nZoRvPby9e5uneq71zd0ITu_TmU7AQTDZ1pLNwXpMJn0SZozQ/s640/details.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{screen capture from <a href="http://instagram.com/p/UV7wPKLySQ/">@dred_fabian's instagram feed</a>}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
needless to say, for a P400 haircut, i was one happy, if not overjoyed, customer!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
proof here:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltIWnNTFCTelNkk46zfp3a1CM1bMRlH9mZHU7JIajyQNWAzCO3L3ELKmbDCEDPfbBpmjqIKvAyl_1ehnhp7yam6b_2PxsKDdXObwvJV03TWa64B_Kr_OgYxgTR57Jz8edH19PVg/s1600/bangs.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltIWnNTFCTelNkk46zfp3a1CM1bMRlH9mZHU7JIajyQNWAzCO3L3ELKmbDCEDPfbBpmjqIKvAyl_1ehnhp7yam6b_2PxsKDdXObwvJV03TWa64B_Kr_OgYxgTR57Jz8edH19PVg/s640/bangs.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{yep, more pics, and all from my official photographer!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
is it shorter? yup, but on bad hair days (translation: when i don't have the energy/patience to fix it) i can put it up on a ponytail still and look decent.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
it it difficult to maintain? nope, not at all. i won't lie and say it's wash and wear cause it requires the "making" of a couple of curls with a straightening iron to bring out the nice layers. but, doing all that is super quick (less than ten minutes) with my favorite revlon straightener. easy peasy.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
the biggest plus of all though is that the damaged/easily tangled/dead portions are all gone, and my hair seems much, much healthier. and if only for that, i am so glad for this impulse trip to get my hair cut.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
(and if you can't see it, well, look real closely cause i do indeed have bangs ☺)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-8952380621005894542013-01-07T22:16:00.000+08:002013-01-07T22:16:26.958+08:00let's give the birthday boy some bacon love!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZGLTBMvL5k0_tiBN-gm2nIoqlI8ai5Yn_COGe1_8qDyjWogssOj2jUzC68tOdUjwfLCJ4sglXzKgx4dpnCMg5MNSjb7f7XIvUIYH01EDBoCEtIsjiSLyYDKJ_MeLySK03Pt6Bw/s1600/DSCF3001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZGLTBMvL5k0_tiBN-gm2nIoqlI8ai5Yn_COGe1_8qDyjWogssOj2jUzC68tOdUjwfLCJ4sglXzKgx4dpnCMg5MNSjb7f7XIvUIYH01EDBoCEtIsjiSLyYDKJ_MeLySK03Pt6Bw/s640/DSCF3001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{don't be distracted by the new polka dot dinnerware -- this is a really good hearty soup!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
you all know my<a href="http://www.thepickiesteater.net/"> food twin</a>, right? after all, he IS way more popular than i am! and you all know how much he loves bacon, so much that family bring him bacon as <i>pasalubong! </i>so, in honor of his anniversary (yesterday) and his birthday (today), i'm writing a second post for today and it's all about today's dinner which i made in his honor:</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>pototo, cauliflower, corn, and BACON chowder*</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
*recipe adopted from <a href="http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/potato-cauliflower-corn-and-bacon-chowder-L15275.html">here</a>! notes from me!!!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
cauliflower, chopped (1 big head, or several small heads)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1 large potatoes, diced (the smaller the dice, the faster they'll cook)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
chicken stock (2 chicken bouillion cubes in around 1.5 liters of water)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1 can of corn kernels, drained</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
crumbled bacon (a lot, like around 250 grams. btw - purefoods actually has this now!)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3 to 4 cloves garlic</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1/8 cup butter</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1 large onion</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
salt and pepper to taste</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
method:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. in the pan where you'll make the soup, fry the bacon. no need to make it crisp, just cooked! remove from pan, set aside.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2. melt the butter in the same pan (which will have a bit of fat rendered from the bacon, yum!). add garlic and onions and lightly fry till onion is transparent. DO NOT BROWN.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. add the cauliflower and the potatoes. add enough chicken stock till the cauliflower and potatoes are covered.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
5. using an immersion blender, blend the soup. OR, allow to cool a bit then transfer to blender to mix. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
* now after blending, you'll know whether your soup is perfectly thick or too thin. mine was, so i made roux with butter, onions, and flour and added it to the soup. it thickened a bit!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
6. add corn and bacon. season with salt and pepper. simmer for 15 minutes.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
7. serve warm! to make the soup a bit more special (and since i had a lot of it), i sprinkled parmesan cheese on top which became a "soft crust" that you can break into.</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-66120216051038884202013-01-07T08:00:00.000+08:002013-01-07T08:00:08.697+08:00let there be light*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
(*<i>ang </i>corny <i>ng </i>title, i know!)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
since i ended 2012 as a domestic diva (with the help of my amazing cleaning lady), i've been trying to keep my house in tiptop shape despite marathon cooking sessions, purging sprees, and my short stint as a vegetable dealer. so far, i've been pretty for the first four days of the new year, and, as a way of embracing my inner martha, i told myself i was going to spend the first saturday of the year doing errands.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
well, not <i>real</i> errands, but you know, the let's-pretend-i'm-domesticated-but-all-i-really-want-to-do-is-shop-so-i-will-look-for-house-stuff kind of errands. and thanks to <a href="http://roldanroldan.blogspot.com/">KR</a>, i chanced upon these:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyd0raA6JukErs0e8uBtNywrumMFkNOKI7wyjJJ1FCJ6us5xB-PA69YbqN25XkTgYsvx4H7-ONtMZcHhNOowdIuicmA7Mqe3ipQvz5BsCOoHvJu3xxUStxu0s7GSLYhhkbLFXwQ/s1600/IMG_20130105_194820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZyd0raA6JukErs0e8uBtNywrumMFkNOKI7wyjJJ1FCJ6us5xB-PA69YbqN25XkTgYsvx4H7-ONtMZcHhNOowdIuicmA7Mqe3ipQvz5BsCOoHvJu3xxUStxu0s7GSLYhhkbLFXwQ/s640/IMG_20130105_194820.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{lamp number one}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT2E_DuU2ZPMmqGlci2mn-m-AmZJcYM_aNiMZRoaWFUFHC44kUED47o6tfpLKBmHGaam4dUvQ5E8FND3CkL1v40NqM1JVVK541k4m_8CMIA431As-vo8nfa9g8ALNX9dFc3ToWA/s1600/IMG_20130105_195019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBT2E_DuU2ZPMmqGlci2mn-m-AmZJcYM_aNiMZRoaWFUFHC44kUED47o6tfpLKBmHGaam4dUvQ5E8FND3CkL1v40NqM1JVVK541k4m_8CMIA431As-vo8nfa9g8ALNX9dFc3ToWA/s640/IMG_20130105_195019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{lamp number two}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
for quite some time now, i had my heart set on this lamp with a glass base from SM, but since i divorced henry sy, i've avoided my ex-favorite mall like the plague. and, while it was on my christmas wish list, my friend wisely picked the ottoman + 2-gallon drink container, both of which are getting way more mileage than what i would've gotten from the lamp.<br />
<br />
i guess i ought to blame that lunch we had at a co-worker's beautiful condo unit.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJslTH6zsMqcJCXqh1SXyb5kCd7-aeUuC5Bp9fpGFhjabJTdBuuEoiVYhnE1vwXeQHUgOu_jh3c5fDPAEXcdeL8E1xwyOWRrYE0kJJ_aWvLlRVSR-ay7dN8FjHGZDfedcc7iOEA/s1600/544051_10151269636708122_505427347_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJslTH6zsMqcJCXqh1SXyb5kCd7-aeUuC5Bp9fpGFhjabJTdBuuEoiVYhnE1vwXeQHUgOu_jh3c5fDPAEXcdeL8E1xwyOWRrYE0kJJ_aWvLlRVSR-ay7dN8FjHGZDfedcc7iOEA/s640/544051_10151269636708122_505427347_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{photo collage from @dred_fabian's instagram feed}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
the hour and a half we spent there was so inspiring that it jolted me once more back into martha stewart territory. it began with me and my boss running over to get the last two pieces of the louis ghost chair (and bringing it back to the office, walking through a very crowded mall + walkway) that same afternoon. and then today, i totally junked my puny (they were too tiny for the place) lamps and replaced them with these beauties.<br />
<br />
there was way too much eye candy from today's trip, and my credit card thanks me that i exhibited fiscal restraint when i decided not to buy some of the other stuff that were on my cart as well. i guess it's a good thing that i'm saving up for two major items (not to mention a trip this month!), otherwise, i would've come home with more than two gorgeous lamps - i had my eyes (and heart!) set on a number of candle holders, this gorgeous artichoke vase, polka dot plates, and several serving dishes.<br />
<br />
so not a good idea, right? especially after i had just purged a whole lot of stuff from my kitchen!<br />
<br />
i AM going to go back ... after putting up the lamps and re-organizing some parts of my home (again!) i realized that i do need some of the stuff i saw over there. or maybe not. but then again, i am a girl who <i>really</i> loves to shop. sometimes, i don't really need a reason except that i want to. ☺roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-63020101329017717302013-01-05T22:38:00.002+08:002013-01-05T22:39:09.309+08:00todaytoday is the birthday of a really good friend.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToru6dVMcDWcMjJK4TnOoJv3SrXZ5Yaskenk650KdNzuuO11Ktzbd-qcOsx4AjwzoeR_iK5fFyqY_QSFCraAyN84-_FvMR4mCKPm-fCdtf3-RTEBR9Qxjo6g36vY2DhEHNS5PSw/s1600/043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiToru6dVMcDWcMjJK4TnOoJv3SrXZ5Yaskenk650KdNzuuO11Ktzbd-qcOsx4AjwzoeR_iK5fFyqY_QSFCraAyN84-_FvMR4mCKPm-fCdtf3-RTEBR9Qxjo6g36vY2DhEHNS5PSw/s640/043.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{birthday boy}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
we met in 2007 ... i was a new lawyer and within minutes of meeting him, i pre-judged him as this guy living of his parents simply cause he was in jeans on a weekday and was driving an innova. i couldn't have been more wrong in my assessment of him. <i>haha!</i></div>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
almost six years later, we're still friends. last night, when my turn came to tell the group something nice about him, i shared how he's always been there to figure out how to get inside my locked house, come in the middle of the night to repair pipes that burst, and to bring me to the airport when the flight is at some ungodly hour. he attempted to bill me for services rendered, until i reminded him that i've basically been his on-call lawyer. we have a mutually beneficial relationship (and hopefully he doesn't realize that i benefit way more than he does!).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
happy birthday, KEf. i hope you never get tired of having us around you.</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-82720131273349725142013-01-01T18:04:00.000+08:002013-01-01T18:04:33.533+08:00well, hello there 2013!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyir_UmcFrsUxrkPWgTNQzq7NrVnRIQDr7oUqyloIsVtA2ccdol_bdA0dVjtbDXBg-sQVlKY6BsfN5YV9vA3UUf5jhmdoA-_XrYtfbos92crXpZhYIIjTj9WbOb-Md32NC2wWBA/s1600/026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYyir_UmcFrsUxrkPWgTNQzq7NrVnRIQDr7oUqyloIsVtA2ccdol_bdA0dVjtbDXBg-sQVlKY6BsfN5YV9vA3UUf5jhmdoA-_XrYtfbos92crXpZhYIIjTj9WbOb-Md32NC2wWBA/s640/026.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{happy new year!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If today would be any indication of the rest of the year, then 2013 will be drizzly, will have minimal traffic, and will make me horribly fat with all the amazing food that passed through my mouth.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
To my five (and hopefully more in 2013) readers, may your 2013 be filled with all things good and wonderful.</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-15570531933657077252012-12-31T08:00:00.002+08:002012-12-31T08:00:08.223+08:002012Had the predictions been true and the world did end in 2012, I would've been okay.<div>
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It was a GREAT year for me.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8LBq-aCWoZcjR_3ayYXSrsKF-De1Z1o5f9wX78tVo8k09cCJY6AoRlvDSnfEdytpXgXx3Akdi0prsue8VT49uBvSnuW2_66SJu3GnIpuiLoMsbPy1ORqITdPeVLO563_5bhuMA/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8LBq-aCWoZcjR_3ayYXSrsKF-De1Z1o5f9wX78tVo8k09cCJY6AoRlvDSnfEdytpXgXx3Akdi0prsue8VT49uBvSnuW2_66SJu3GnIpuiLoMsbPy1ORqITdPeVLO563_5bhuMA/s640/055.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Superstars} </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSJYGFb69UQp4qH001Lv2o1DlNMrsWH1c6x6WzHywT-L0q26CHnRM89JfvqYkPM1Kq-3psti-ClQ2onqzVxgn7vKTezR3xRRgd09dkoJPvFYYfb3LMSjVSk6TlIQsYouVdhYh0Q/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSJYGFb69UQp4qH001Lv2o1DlNMrsWH1c6x6WzHywT-L0q26CHnRM89JfvqYkPM1Kq-3psti-ClQ2onqzVxgn7vKTezR3xRRgd09dkoJPvFYYfb3LMSjVSk6TlIQsYouVdhYh0Q/s640/021.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Part of Tuloy Thursday ... with kids!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMylaNc9QOT2XOSDyi2XctxNP4t4Pe0o2fFdgkBFXLpD6g7xrjsMdPSLAuo2miOKsS9HepWPbQ70Cz5JYEFB1_yUEpL7CktJTslAijphnn0n6JKxvKJ_aLqhJl56ibYlzHrWBnGg/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMylaNc9QOT2XOSDyi2XctxNP4t4Pe0o2fFdgkBFXLpD6g7xrjsMdPSLAuo2miOKsS9HepWPbQ70Cz5JYEFB1_yUEpL7CktJTslAijphnn0n6JKxvKJ_aLqhJl56ibYlzHrWBnGg/s640/045.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Work Friends}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3TZqClktQXlugEqpuqXTGGq8uZQW6CN1jT2PaUPXjBsogP-zhhHfXO2JinM_NNeewxVaGA-NNsTnN1Jm8rRmtHOocxkP3pjf2Nq5VxiTfSuYMvNRAttgEPha7x6zS7W2k589og/s1600/157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp3TZqClktQXlugEqpuqXTGGq8uZQW6CN1jT2PaUPXjBsogP-zhhHfXO2JinM_NNeewxVaGA-NNsTnN1Jm8rRmtHOocxkP3pjf2Nq5VxiTfSuYMvNRAttgEPha7x6zS7W2k589og/s640/157.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Tuloy sa Don Bosco}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJGxmr_pigXpB_QyxKv1t_CMZKmkfRoAOI48SlYHB2FGS3HaRfc4oOIraWitSYkKi5oAyYi9foc7ZPJOpBpnV9QiGGWGIqW50N3s8ZqOS3aiyjo1hm3FBh4xp16p84FDrdo_DYg/s1600/062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIJGxmr_pigXpB_QyxKv1t_CMZKmkfRoAOI48SlYHB2FGS3HaRfc4oOIraWitSYkKi5oAyYi9foc7ZPJOpBpnV9QiGGWGIqW50N3s8ZqOS3aiyjo1hm3FBh4xp16p84FDrdo_DYg/s640/062.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Wonderful memories made}</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESjetys2yCSSUMf4wiwLm6XIfjMrrkx-i3YsRILg1gm-2zbRI1clCYWvy35ghQel-3AU_93oDblVhRAQTNVmtQkTf-PW8EkiNFvTMUvVkKAdeiqlpiLPetCbJzcMJ_h0uggycsw/s1600/KAP+2012+121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiESjetys2yCSSUMf4wiwLm6XIfjMrrkx-i3YsRILg1gm-2zbRI1clCYWvy35ghQel-3AU_93oDblVhRAQTNVmtQkTf-PW8EkiNFvTMUvVkKAdeiqlpiLPetCbJzcMJ_h0uggycsw/s640/KAP+2012+121.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Tuloy Thursday ... we're growing -- in numbers, not in girth, haha!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KnHGGxBpD7a4KvqLusXwoGIjwYKYQlN9BWIaupoe-NXZg0YxOhAi5IS3CoRJk3PHj-_2qJZkqPeV5lIXrZyYQszxSbYzAqapdnbtZOh_so4ZKLE4om0dJ7OWzhuIs6Z7CX8hfA/s1600/IMG_20120520_091214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KnHGGxBpD7a4KvqLusXwoGIjwYKYQlN9BWIaupoe-NXZg0YxOhAi5IS3CoRJk3PHj-_2qJZkqPeV5lIXrZyYQszxSbYzAqapdnbtZOh_so4ZKLE4om0dJ7OWzhuIs6Z7CX8hfA/s640/IMG_20120520_091214.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{becoming more domesticated}</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fx9CRrAd-7uLJA40CBoGmDaeWr3uJTgr0uXHzenpJIRZvHMXIewz4qIUOGv_P1kZ2SsOFO0YS1g4uUrVG5Hyaey2j08owcpDdYmkigIrsnmHQBtBPYUXF8HPrDDg-KaPEnYD6A/s1600/IMG_20120721_222227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fx9CRrAd-7uLJA40CBoGmDaeWr3uJTgr0uXHzenpJIRZvHMXIewz4qIUOGv_P1kZ2SsOFO0YS1g4uUrVG5Hyaey2j08owcpDdYmkigIrsnmHQBtBPYUXF8HPrDDg-KaPEnYD6A/s640/IMG_20120721_222227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Becoming a regular employee and all the perks that went with it ... even if they got my nickname wrong!}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1zaQ6gplckTck5PhUzuZdb8bQOicp4rTAyfGlYvABN6TlAXQuRxmLWWqoY5WbIPkEdAYnmRXAj-jt9VER2RKbKSm-v96v1xcxagd7AiZEuGdD6hKHacQy-NY4MrImlhdznhirg/s1600/IMG_20120816_224916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1zaQ6gplckTck5PhUzuZdb8bQOicp4rTAyfGlYvABN6TlAXQuRxmLWWqoY5WbIPkEdAYnmRXAj-jt9VER2RKbKSm-v96v1xcxagd7AiZEuGdD6hKHacQy-NY4MrImlhdznhirg/s640/IMG_20120816_224916.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{more time to read, to relax, and to just be}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZZ17KVetmucVdXzFl4PZvFINWPcpLexgoke-xBuL7UMs9BUdm90ZLy-lkLc6CQ77GB-vMF-G4p-3_YX0xRge4Ab3hVAUv7hWBXRyWRlNXAsjXIVReZs683mbp6FCytknkumHZA/s1600/IMG_20120905_201619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbZZ17KVetmucVdXzFl4PZvFINWPcpLexgoke-xBuL7UMs9BUdm90ZLy-lkLc6CQ77GB-vMF-G4p-3_YX0xRge4Ab3hVAUv7hWBXRyWRlNXAsjXIVReZs683mbp6FCytknkumHZA/s640/IMG_20120905_201619.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{getting back into the habit of cooking}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzZhWejv0WY9nr22cF7wJx8u3iE6I1UOl5k3F_uzT62vt-GymwW5wXoiO-8ZMiTkl1MobcbZO6Tl7-yrb8jTqHUU8c9O1pVnNJykvMacFkjz3MkRON5_cuCkurnV183BFax6vHg/s1600/IMG_20121021_181027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzzZhWejv0WY9nr22cF7wJx8u3iE6I1UOl5k3F_uzT62vt-GymwW5wXoiO-8ZMiTkl1MobcbZO6Tl7-yrb8jTqHUU8c9O1pVnNJykvMacFkjz3MkRON5_cuCkurnV183BFax6vHg/s640/IMG_20121021_181027.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{hosting more parties at home}</td></tr>
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So many blessings in those pictured, and so much more undocumented here, Diego being one of the most major ones. Ever since the holiday season started I'd reflect a bit before sleeping and would be struck at how many blessings have come in one day, and couldn't help but utter a short prayer of thanks for how He has made his presences felt in so many ways. and as if that weren't enough, last Friday, I received amazing news in the morning and realized, truly, the Lord cannot be outdone in generosity.<br />
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My 2013 looks promising. I've four trips scheduled, Mama's coming home this April, Papa in December, and I finally have leaves from work. The Big Boss has predicted that while 2012 was a tough year for business, 2013 is supposed to be the year of recovery. So if my 2012 already knocked off my socks, I can't imagine how much more wonderful 2013 will be!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bXfGhezl5ex8Hl3HgYO0ZkP5VAF5Wlrqvf2y6-23IkoGh5cR0v_t5DGtjhjlZ1eca08Hq-WIqETqNZM6vftSM4UccoNje-GWX5pZ3IAVQVzzpdhVFKN9RU68MvbXlmX6WymRUQ/s1600/IMG_20121114_000516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bXfGhezl5ex8Hl3HgYO0ZkP5VAF5Wlrqvf2y6-23IkoGh5cR0v_t5DGtjhjlZ1eca08Hq-WIqETqNZM6vftSM4UccoNje-GWX5pZ3IAVQVzzpdhVFKN9RU68MvbXlmX6WymRUQ/s640/IMG_20121114_000516.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thank you Lord, family, and friends for being with me on my 2012 journey. Here's to more blessings in 2013!!!<br />
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♥,<br />
<br />
Rosa</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-78556667590817130922012-12-29T04:23:00.001+08:002012-12-29T04:23:22.845+08:00A Post-Christmas PartyVery much inspired by the home of one of my co-workers, I did my best to "level-up" for a post-Christmas party done at my home.<br />
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I'd like to think I did well ☺<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-e5srd_ILFwA9rnnzuQKpgMW5Qu3axws7pMJudBYgmfUmXYHYjV7XZj9Q3v2GfwMXejTOZbQBX9Yp5xRijyw6i_9C_chJGOghkl3pJlWXhQi79FPanBFtPZqIwn6FVXn61Ptyg/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU-e5srd_ILFwA9rnnzuQKpgMW5Qu3axws7pMJudBYgmfUmXYHYjV7XZj9Q3v2GfwMXejTOZbQBX9Yp5xRijyw6i_9C_chJGOghkl3pJlWXhQi79FPanBFtPZqIwn6FVXn61Ptyg/s640/035.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{drinks station. the drink jar and the wine glasses, as well as the wines were all christmas gifts!}<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsJgCmoNf25Tkxrwwwp67uoqF6XXW6Qzih_1Bgc6X5P-8yoJM5pK6fpbqzlx4toF8RdfgtGRtSy3lmxK72CqxsZLS4X4-PKMFCxx9O3Jlh9byn70ZfEkH43XF2D9r_90drB4VVA/s1600/036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinsJgCmoNf25Tkxrwwwp67uoqF6XXW6Qzih_1Bgc6X5P-8yoJM5pK6fpbqzlx4toF8RdfgtGRtSy3lmxK72CqxsZLS4X4-PKMFCxx9O3Jlh9byn70ZfEkH43XF2D9r_90drB4VVA/s640/036.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{a "welcome to my home" station with a few goodies and nibbles to tide everyone over while waiting ...<br />yes, my friends are notorious for being more than two hours late for dinners at my home}</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PSX6rCWra8tsAIonbYxdivg1490MiDb9hqqRJBQ6SNw9n-WWXZKGvxiwnyxE5Kyl5E6SLwE-LwHtkLTt0e-Ke7dlDEHzlgGbdt_5bS0S7m_pK_yUKUJkTwmOZVNek9z-vyByng/s1600/074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PSX6rCWra8tsAIonbYxdivg1490MiDb9hqqRJBQ6SNw9n-WWXZKGvxiwnyxE5Kyl5E6SLwE-LwHtkLTt0e-Ke7dlDEHzlgGbdt_5bS0S7m_pK_yUKUJkTwmOZVNek9z-vyByng/s640/074.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{forever the cake stand from dapitan, my mom's we've-had'-it-since-forever arcopal bowl, <br />and ceramic serving dishes from a friend at work}</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLBxIDLoI_FnYuD_Qbw_HqLZKMjxa1FSkw9_wgg0UFFaSZFVcQNVb-cZDuhdmVDydRE213I-liQMa1p4jJRbKfm1jN623ITG82CsFByGSHcZGeIoueUN9xNWmWOEqTci-wVTHFA/s1600/077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLBxIDLoI_FnYuD_Qbw_HqLZKMjxa1FSkw9_wgg0UFFaSZFVcQNVb-cZDuhdmVDydRE213I-liQMa1p4jJRbKfm1jN623ITG82CsFByGSHcZGeIoueUN9xNWmWOEqTci-wVTHFA/s640/077.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{pretty paper straws}<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdue90RyYAxY20hhXRdghVBFJsUn7462y3f0T3XpwVL2hp13ng3MmZ3yGPUsLTGiNYK1SDxaZfrXPM8HA_itvPrroEkjpJrGZW5ZEJmB1kaQVu6Cii9_nILcrchv5VfJ0ldlLGA/s1600/078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdue90RyYAxY20hhXRdghVBFJsUn7462y3f0T3XpwVL2hp13ng3MmZ3yGPUsLTGiNYK1SDxaZfrXPM8HA_itvPrroEkjpJrGZW5ZEJmB1kaQVu6Cii9_nILcrchv5VfJ0ldlLGA/s640/078.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{two-gallon drink jar which i filled up with homemade iced tea}</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxMfuvFpe1pjZNMp_BHCzDpFf9wAjI3TF0PK3gUU7Mnp2-eomzBCzita7q4FFP6qYd_LsEBrcoPPOTsTPJdgdWsRv939tL40DkpbEHZzk5CmP0VgZomyu5sBKR_jdNmi4iRXfbg/s1600/087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkxMfuvFpe1pjZNMp_BHCzDpFf9wAjI3TF0PK3gUU7Mnp2-eomzBCzita7q4FFP6qYd_LsEBrcoPPOTsTPJdgdWsRv939tL40DkpbEHZzk5CmP0VgZomyu5sBKR_jdNmi4iRXfbg/s640/087.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{Christmas napkins ☺}</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8wW4_RJFPfqC3Ee9fnOe3n4me5uKJP9PsZiITvwlLfy9dCot2VEcaH3WFXgy0jF3lrim8-jMNZzhug-yaERcxud4Zkhm-IUjgWnXT5lkLquuYAU_INmTWvC5dP7U3gQCZWKGhg/s1600/089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8wW4_RJFPfqC3Ee9fnOe3n4me5uKJP9PsZiITvwlLfy9dCot2VEcaH3WFXgy0jF3lrim8-jMNZzhug-yaERcxud4Zkhm-IUjgWnXT5lkLquuYAU_INmTWvC5dP7U3gQCZWKGhg/s640/089.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGPgdpLWe1cWXwQgGvd23TLl97WZSlcWwff6MIyaDMOYtP1tLx3wly4d7HFaHC9uOXwp_VCDVO41_LumS9P0gYqNDAIhO3jyPngwCQHL7-K9yw5_43CNhNv5kQemMxhHhdM_rig/s1600/090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGPgdpLWe1cWXwQgGvd23TLl97WZSlcWwff6MIyaDMOYtP1tLx3wly4d7HFaHC9uOXwp_VCDVO41_LumS9P0gYqNDAIhO3jyPngwCQHL7-K9yw5_43CNhNv5kQemMxhHhdM_rig/s640/090.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{signs on my "welcome to my home" station}</td></tr>
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after parties like this, there's always way too many dishes to wash, things to put away, and table linen to wash. but i've got nothing to say except that it's always worth it ☺roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-5184757701586259462012-12-27T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-27T08:00:07.325+08:00yummy treat #1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
unlike my food twin, <a href="http://www.thepickiesteater.net/">richie</a>, i am by no means a food blogger. i <i>do </i>love to eat (my girth is proof of that), but way before i got this big, my brother's friends loved me cause i'd cook yummy treats for them. as a matter of fact, there was this time when one friend purposely dropped by our house because he found out i made brownies and he didn't get his share yet. </div>
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talk about presumptuous, hahaha!</div>
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ironically, people from my current life think i am totally clueless in the kitchen. i guess they know better now.</div>
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recently, i've been cooking stuff i want to eat (dangerous, i know). so i'd get an idea in my head, troll the internet for recipes, and make them over and over again until i "perfect" it ... at least to my mind (or tongue?). one of the most recent was homemade peanut butter cups ... translation: reese's!!!</div>
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i've been tweeting about it, and jen has been asking me to post a recipe online. after much trial and error, i've finally settled on one that i liked. so, jen, let this be my christmas gift to you ☺ i hope your son likes this!</div>
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HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS</div>
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<i>Rosa's tweaked version!</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd4qDLXZh-zVIm-_Zb21EbSKgfoLXuff6-6XLp_STii5SgJ8TuGRH_PS_LUFWM0NPb71gIRAjnYRmISBDwbkgFgUuOqClWYnctaTn0uH8OMehvBAxkTa8nMVSn0YPQDd_Ckcd2Q/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwd4qDLXZh-zVIm-_Zb21EbSKgfoLXuff6-6XLp_STii5SgJ8TuGRH_PS_LUFWM0NPb71gIRAjnYRmISBDwbkgFgUuOqClWYnctaTn0uH8OMehvBAxkTa8nMVSn0YPQDd_Ckcd2Q/s640/002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{ingredients used on attempt #1}</td></tr>
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When I first made my peanut butter cups, i used <a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/homemade-reeses-peanut-butter-cups.html">this recipe</a> but made them to look like the ones <a href="http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-peanut-butter-cups/">here</a>. i've made them a grand total of three times - getting feedback from my "test audience" repeatedly until i think i hit the perfect recipe. well, at least it's perfect for me ☺ </div>
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<i>Ingredients </i>(and notes!)</div>
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16 oz. peanut butter - <i>most recipes call for creamy peanut butter. i've learned however that the perfect mix would be 8 oz of creamy and 8 oz of crunchy. my "test audience" likes the crunch and bite. me - as the cook - likes the fact that the crunchy and creamy peanut butter mix "holds together" better. if you're going to use all creamy peanut butter, i suggest adding 2 tbsps of crushed graham crackers.</i></div>
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2 pounds chocolate - <i>the first time i made them, i got two bags of goya easy melt chocolate buttons - one bag of milk chocolate and one bag of dark chocolate. my "test audience" loved this. note, however that one bag each will just give you half of the chocolate requirements, so you'll actually need 4 bags (two of each kind) to make a full recipe. i tried using deutch (or something like it) milk chocolate chips but my "test audience" said it tasted cheap and not really chocolate-y. the one that got the best feedback was callebaut dark chocolate. this one a friend liked so much that he asked for the chocolate without the peanut butter! kainis!</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs4aPM6vQ8QRGJPD78idIufd-FvLkAq1WVAZHZARtUowNtFWpw7n29Afdj_T2ZfAfb6H85irVI7q-OIgCT0XtxjJzJYJJkZT88G1U_PnmHNIKXKsNPwsyhTujcXrLLMJwigg1jQ/s1600/170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGs4aPM6vQ8QRGJPD78idIufd-FvLkAq1WVAZHZARtUowNtFWpw7n29Afdj_T2ZfAfb6H85irVI7q-OIgCT0XtxjJzJYJJkZT88G1U_PnmHNIKXKsNPwsyhTujcXrLLMJwigg1jQ/s640/170.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{callebaut dark chocolate ... chopped up!}</td></tr>
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1 1/2 cups powdered sugar</div>
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4-6 tablespoons melted butter - <i>i am a huge fan of queensland butter. do you know that now they have them on foil packs, not just in cans anymore? well, i learned that just this year and i love to use it for cooking! btw, 4 tablespoons is roughly 1/4 cup of butter. one bar of butter = 1 cup, therefore, 1/4 of this bar = your butter requirement for this recipe!</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ux3TqgBKyY1YyPbGXkQ2s-5kuSh2orjLaWB5Wi_nYteYdv1oqoG3VEXvvgrv0OfqagXkCY36i7o4tI9jHvccuTgTg5k2cdfxJdWoCh9VUqlr3KV6qFgvriO0FlJWVzrtNOadsg/s1600/167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Ux3TqgBKyY1YyPbGXkQ2s-5kuSh2orjLaWB5Wi_nYteYdv1oqoG3VEXvvgrv0OfqagXkCY36i7o4tI9jHvccuTgTg5k2cdfxJdWoCh9VUqlr3KV6qFgvriO0FlJWVzrtNOadsg/s640/167.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{queensland butter ... my favorite cooking butter!}</td></tr>
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cooking spray</div>
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mini cupcake papers - <i>i use 3/4 or 1. </i></div>
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<i>Procedure</i></div>
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1. <b>Prepare your cupcake papers</b>. I discovered that papers alone make for deformed homemade peanut butter cups. that's quite okay if the peanut butter cups are just for personal consumption. however, since i wanted to make these for friends as their christmas gift from me, i got myself some silicone cups to "hold" the paper in. a mini cupcake pan would be better, but i couldn't find them in this size. after putting the paper into the molds, lightly mist with cooking spray. (or you can put a bit of oil in a spray bottle and spray away!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qCgO4bef_RR-9on7_aA43AmtYQXi61uMxrmVmR9pTsNffji9OvfUUxGBHpt-CQUkv9tWaWEDf-ds0fibcHmbEH8Jpxo8DwLEfWiOYPujo6c7YxS_zfB5dL7Yqv111ZZvoQ5YwA/s1600/169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1qCgO4bef_RR-9on7_aA43AmtYQXi61uMxrmVmR9pTsNffji9OvfUUxGBHpt-CQUkv9tWaWEDf-ds0fibcHmbEH8Jpxo8DwLEfWiOYPujo6c7YxS_zfB5dL7Yqv111ZZvoQ5YwA/s640/169.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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2. <i>Prepare your chocolate.</i> I can't remember which this one was ... but let's just say that (1) i never tempered the chocolate (2) i never used a double broiler and (3) the microwave was my friend. if you're using chocolate blocks like i did on my third try, make sure to cut up the chocolate into uniform bits so that it melts almost uniformly. knowledge of your microwave helps ... because you don't want to blast the chocolate for too long. in my case, it takes one 30-second zap, then i mix it a bit, and then a 45-second zap to melt it all up. usually, the heat from the chocolate is enough to melt whatever remaining solids there are after the second zap. now, don't be lazy and put it at 1:15 and just hope for the best. you need short bursts + mixing of the chocolate in between bursts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROKTrpc4E9cUes-lUG5fDbbQ3Jrkx5xNCiuM1lbvhplFxrQVXLY6GLJ0e72SnlZOhkG8goTumpNH9T77-wz5RRV7rNEh-Ds1e-hGlfzGdGSLIPCfWGBbkcMo_q1TqaKBMLXXjfQ/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjROKTrpc4E9cUes-lUG5fDbbQ3Jrkx5xNCiuM1lbvhplFxrQVXLY6GLJ0e72SnlZOhkG8goTumpNH9T77-wz5RRV7rNEh-Ds1e-hGlfzGdGSLIPCfWGBbkcMo_q1TqaKBMLXXjfQ/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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3. Now things get sticky ... literally. peanut butter (especially the half creamy, half crunch mix) + powdered sugar is hell to work with. my only consolation is that by the time i was able to thoroughly fold all the sugar + butter into the peanut butter, i would've gotten my arm exercises for the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QgM8yHvYerNpt6fxRawpKPG7kXMQS2F3QfV28F6LN2j6qHHhor8vqLavLeF5Kf0XMfZFpnkVxwN68wa-LOf_rEmL4uyXqbvD26oU4IvFFY-SAzcPsXz7Ly2Jx5X1Gve9e-Nwnw/s1600/171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QgM8yHvYerNpt6fxRawpKPG7kXMQS2F3QfV28F6LN2j6qHHhor8vqLavLeF5Kf0XMfZFpnkVxwN68wa-LOf_rEmL4uyXqbvD26oU4IvFFY-SAzcPsXz7Ly2Jx5X1Gve9e-Nwnw/s640/171.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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4. The assembly! As i mentioned earlier, i did the "layered" thing over at fifteen spatulas. Sorry but no pictures here ... that peanut butter was CRAZY to work with.</div>
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Start with spooning a bit of chocolate onto each cupcake paper. Try to get the same amounts of chocolate on each cup. Once you're done, "hit" the tray against the counter repeatedly so that the chocolate spreads and that it becomes level. Refrigerate the chocolate for a bit. In my case, 5 to 10 minutes in the ref is enough to make the chocolate hard.</div>
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If you used creamy peanut butter and your mixture is quite smooth, you may use a piping bag (of a ziplock with a corner cut out) to put the peanut butter mixture into each cup. BUT if you're working with the crunch-creamy mix, expect this to be quite difficult to work with (my ziplock actually "burst" cause of the pressure to get the peanut butter out) and i'd suggest that you just spoon a bit of the mixture into each cup individually. afterwards, flatten out the peanut butter mixture with your fingers (after you've washed your hands, of course!!!)</div>
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then put another layer of chocolate on top. you may put enough chocolate so that it reaches the rim of the cupcake paper, or leave some space. in the end, it's all up to you (and how much chocolate you still have, haha!). again tap-tap-tap the tray onto the counter to flatten out the chocolate. make sure no peanut butter is showing (translation, don't follow my example below, haha!!!). throw inside the ref!!!</div>
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and afterwards ..</div>
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TA-DA!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TtiA_iIy76t0GDrykfYhDUv5VgMW-AAruNBFw7fK7H0NWu271DaXQW21Hd9aZuvc9RQDcJv3qbE_iwrCJv8-fIjVJ8R6vZ3_1Fd6-i9yzznh94i_VSWDat0T6C1TMmFy7rdfaA/s1600/172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TtiA_iIy76t0GDrykfYhDUv5VgMW-AAruNBFw7fK7H0NWu271DaXQW21Hd9aZuvc9RQDcJv3qbE_iwrCJv8-fIjVJ8R6vZ3_1Fd6-i9yzznh94i_VSWDat0T6C1TMmFy7rdfaA/s640/172.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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homemade peanut butter cups ... all ready to be sent off to lucky friends (yes, they're lucky they get to taste my cooking, haha!).<br />
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enjoy!!!<br />
<br />roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-75808434810319392642012-12-21T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-21T08:00:07.645+08:00addicted to reese's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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M, one of my good friends at work, put these ten nesting bowls on her Christmas wishlist.</div>
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before i was able to buy it, it went of sale. 50% off. yay! that meant i was able to get her another present from her list.</div>
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that also meant it was too good a deal to pass up so i had to get myself the bowls as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixztCwuEuoQjezF8vTymP0cpEWjRZSP-GsTs8DGbp8c_GOtehb2D3Ohu-cTjFTAVco3ot42gXpzwUrm0QjF2a4c_ak05c9pZiellKz7jbZ8KDiKcpcL__ISVPgX987ldwAAZjafA/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixztCwuEuoQjezF8vTymP0cpEWjRZSP-GsTs8DGbp8c_GOtehb2D3Ohu-cTjFTAVco3ot42gXpzwUrm0QjF2a4c_ak05c9pZiellKz7jbZ8KDiKcpcL__ISVPgX987ldwAAZjafA/s640/001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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they were a pain to drag from greenbelt back to the office, but they were worth it.</div>
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so they sat and sat on my counter for a couple of weeks until i thought of making homemade peanut butter cups.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7uajCcwruOYGl0RUgWydh384pGAm3Y6qHKWZeLGNrgu7coh7RCo1tflq3aCRznfhhzfUFkb2rVF_FwuN8r-3ZBsqRpMetS5-ZU1r4Eg9sk67SsVBgzisSWzLuLNJO2LYU_wSoQ/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7uajCcwruOYGl0RUgWydh384pGAm3Y6qHKWZeLGNrgu7coh7RCo1tflq3aCRznfhhzfUFkb2rVF_FwuN8r-3ZBsqRpMetS5-ZU1r4Eg9sk67SsVBgzisSWzLuLNJO2LYU_wSoQ/s640/002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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so i got myself the ingredients and got started on my reese's experiment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuL7F1MXTGs2Fe8XBsCERgkjauDUPxbKzB1mF7_knH5MpH0r5DGHNdA8XJaM4YZ-UF9Q9Sq_MpkdZiroiSzc1WEnpd1YC_f4fP8uz-p8JTnxgx3CdFiduUolJm2RUWwmuO_uHVQ/s1600/003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuL7F1MXTGs2Fe8XBsCERgkjauDUPxbKzB1mF7_knH5MpH0r5DGHNdA8XJaM4YZ-UF9Q9Sq_MpkdZiroiSzc1WEnpd1YC_f4fP8uz-p8JTnxgx3CdFiduUolJm2RUWwmuO_uHVQ/s640/003.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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first, i lined up my mini cupcake liners. i wish i had gotten prettier ones, but this was just an experiment. and notice - all my baking trays have rusted to oblivion (translation: i dunno where to find them) so i just had to make do with what i could find.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ht6JU6w3SJP7_LhrQ3EJogvwrjf8x8ViUiAFcWBh1twFLG6L95e5NmGOtDYxgPllIZAY58CfG2ogFWnwaTeatfVvbpnEGt-BmWIWDx4qDndAe19jep-itMzvCZU8Bs9M32KjhQ/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ht6JU6w3SJP7_LhrQ3EJogvwrjf8x8ViUiAFcWBh1twFLG6L95e5NmGOtDYxgPllIZAY58CfG2ogFWnwaTeatfVvbpnEGt-BmWIWDx4qDndAe19jep-itMzvCZU8Bs9M32KjhQ/s640/004.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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then i melted the chocolate (in the microwave - no double broiler and i wanted things quick!). since i was poor, and therefore cheap, i used goya. next time i'll spring for more expensive chocolate. </div>
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however, i was trying to be more chef-like, hence i mixed a pack of regular milk chocolate and dark chocolate. i liked the resulting taste. </div>
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and oooh, notice the bowl? love love love!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6qYXYqAlSRIR4vo6Cl9ZOM-yWo8WFZKIKmztN0qTcGXtDIBoLTK8rE1iZensOXtM0qKzEU7dM3XfPU7Njbac67SOP3wkbgZdMRfjZW3GAIzj_8tkk1TBSmv0YLqSJl22UbH_yg/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6qYXYqAlSRIR4vo6Cl9ZOM-yWo8WFZKIKmztN0qTcGXtDIBoLTK8rE1iZensOXtM0qKzEU7dM3XfPU7Njbac67SOP3wkbgZdMRfjZW3GAIzj_8tkk1TBSmv0YLqSJl22UbH_yg/s640/005.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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next up - the peanut butter mixture. now, this was where i went wrong: i think i put in way too much butter, hence the overly soft consistency. and maybe i should've put some graham crackers for a bit of texture (just like what the other recipes recommended).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-hkTqkhEIJY0LYEDPnFDUQyyICPQ1BnCn9mmzZDCqh9EnEEUpyUpKSFQRw9AcD7G3c8njP7Dkz0PRdLVLUjvK07-Qq2WdmZE1_W9jMTf3JRaIqUDdy20skO_R6Fjudh40WaraQ/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih-hkTqkhEIJY0LYEDPnFDUQyyICPQ1BnCn9mmzZDCqh9EnEEUpyUpKSFQRw9AcD7G3c8njP7Dkz0PRdLVLUjvK07-Qq2WdmZE1_W9jMTf3JRaIqUDdy20skO_R6Fjudh40WaraQ/s640/006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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and here's misstep #2 - i used <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/04/homemade-reeses-peanut-butter-cups.html">this </a>recipe and followed <a href="http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/homemade-peanut-butter-cups/">this </a>assembly instructions. the result? too soft center that basically collapses when you bite into it.</div>
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the final product?</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgRIFxoJ_ltjIxWK1OLcdIch6wubUAfmbLw-HkmprpXiqKeb8Y7loW7eq28V__sZJKRs6x0NKx2Y7-tsHF1G45qkp-d0h17ut_RRfY0SJkJfnR34L5G5vVmjRwxeqnz34dF7XUg/s1600/10031_10151314532644932_17024961_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgRIFxoJ_ltjIxWK1OLcdIch6wubUAfmbLw-HkmprpXiqKeb8Y7loW7eq28V__sZJKRs6x0NKx2Y7-tsHF1G45qkp-d0h17ut_RRfY0SJkJfnR34L5G5vVmjRwxeqnz34dF7XUg/s640/10031_10151314532644932_17024961_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{sorry, instagram pic and not pic from garlic the camera)</td></tr>
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nowhere near as pretty as the one from <a href="http://www.fifteenspatulas.com/">fifteen spatulas</a> but, i'm cutting myself some slack. after all, this was my first try at making these things. </div>
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since this is me cooking, expect to see peanut butter cups at least two times more in this blog (i have two other recipes i want to try out, including the one from fifteen spatulas whose presentation i copied, but failed to follow the recipe of.) hopefully, one day, i'll be able to come up with THE perfect recipe.</div>
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then you can expect to receive that for Christmas.</div>
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roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-37852034448943566122012-12-19T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-19T08:00:00.185+08:00even with traffic at its worst, some people know how to make others smile still<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2uyQJO36Lz5AvJ_nMtiXiPppaGEgp-kzoJ0n9lLEXrST0h4s4ZKB6ZusRYgOJHLbfiLzBGyp7gHCL4DGH2DuXff5pF6GsMGCUHcSt9058UxDwIIKCsa4HzeJ783eaD1UuUlmCA/s1600/069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2uyQJO36Lz5AvJ_nMtiXiPppaGEgp-kzoJ0n9lLEXrST0h4s4ZKB6ZusRYgOJHLbfiLzBGyp7gHCL4DGH2DuXff5pF6GsMGCUHcSt9058UxDwIIKCsa4HzeJ783eaD1UuUlmCA/s640/069.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{santa helping out with the traffic!}</td></tr>
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there is no question that early morning traffic is enough to make one's blood boil, and the christmas season isn't helping any.<br />
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but when i spied this at the corner of EDSA extension and macapagal one Tuesday morning, I couldn't help but smile.<br />
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so to this random traffic enforcer, thanks for this. and a very merry christmas to you!roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-29403157117930595992012-12-17T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-17T08:00:02.503+08:00a crafty christmas<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBMuPniQ13EtnGlkFEuVrM_bd09yushoKapN8_QLs76uadQyVwZwaGaYnfuWuWoZBg3YD_UND5-1-DeXYj-F1MEBdxO5E0W02W5Sa9iB09zGzQiFdFVIbGQ9vIRRdn8dCHfg8ow/s1600/072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheBMuPniQ13EtnGlkFEuVrM_bd09yushoKapN8_QLs76uadQyVwZwaGaYnfuWuWoZBg3YD_UND5-1-DeXYj-F1MEBdxO5E0W02W5Sa9iB09zGzQiFdFVIbGQ9vIRRdn8dCHfg8ow/s640/072.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{look, ma! i made this!}</td></tr>
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considering that i was the girl who would've flunked high school had it not been for her mom's inner craftiness (my mom "re-did" all my projects when i was asleep!) i'm surprising myself with all the DIY that's been coming out of me lately. i could blame the internet - pinterest most of all - for making me desire to spend my days just wielding my glue gun and putting things together. i, the girl whose sole job used to be to cut tape while my mom wrapped gifts, now has a ginormous box of craft supplies.</div>
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as one lawyer at work put it, maybe i had just missed my calling.</div>
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but all the teasing aside, i actually do enjoy making things with my hands and have channeled all the mommy hormones that usually come out at this age crafting things that i never imagined. so when i saw <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/do-it-yourself-bright-ornament-wreath-living-artfully-181213">this </a>on <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/">apartment therapy</a>, i knew a trip to divisoria was in order to i can get the necessary supplies at a reasonable cost.</div>
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of course, going to divi in the middle of december is nothing short of crazy - most of the stores which had tons and tons of christmas balls last november had sold out already, and the balls that i did manage to find had very few colors to choose from. i was quite ready to give up and just make a multi-colored wreath until i unearthed a huge stash of light pink balls and a couple of silver ones in the same size. three boxes of small hot pink balls later, i was in business. my christmas ball wreath was so going to be made!</div>
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when i got home, it dawned upon me that my wreath was too big and my balls too few (i blame future sister in law for preventing me from getting more balls - as all the internet tutorials had warned, the problem always is thinking you have too much only to realize you have too few!) so i had to visit bazillions of national bookstore branches to find a styro wreath form (out of stock everywhere!!!) until i settled on a flat round styro from SM which i later fashioned into a wreath form. while watching some show i can't remember now, i glued and glued and glued balls until i finally completed my wreath. it was a bit lopsided at first but i think it's less noticeable now. and as you can very well see from the pic, it's gracing my front door, a way of telling my neighbors that while i may not be the world's best gardener (i have a black thumb and i refuse to spend time outside, hahaha!), i do make amazing christmas wreaths. </div>
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i did wonder if it was going to hold up - i keep having visions of waking up one morning with pink and silver balls all over my entryway - but so far, it's been up for several days with no balls falling off or the wreath getting distorted. i've been sooooo proud of my handiwork that i've sent pictures of it to family and friends, with the full expectation that they're going to oooh and aaaahhhh over it (i haven't been disappointed yet - i guess everyone around me is polite!). and yes, because i'm <i>makapal</i> like that, i've offered to make similar wreaths for people in the future. </div>
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now if only i can make it to divi and buy an even bigger stash of christmas balls....</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-56316601879806150642012-12-15T09:39:00.000+08:002012-12-15T09:39:12.445+08:00meet the superstars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsHu0ak8KcRT99blDU7XMiyT55us6i4KFzkz7mvyn-4ciOFFpSqueHaGkb884is1Q1y-RgI7Bx8EsWFlgqmZKgZ2yv82vw0Iabj4in-LBxaa0to06mBSuJwyflfBXRSksaU2OEg/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCsHu0ak8KcRT99blDU7XMiyT55us6i4KFzkz7mvyn-4ciOFFpSqueHaGkb884is1Q1y-RgI7Bx8EsWFlgqmZKgZ2yv82vw0Iabj4in-LBxaa0to06mBSuJwyflfBXRSksaU2OEg/s640/055.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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when D generously offered to book two hotel rooms for our group's Christmas Party, everyone cleared their schedule to make the overnight possible. this group is a busy lot: one lawyer, one doctor, one store manager, one operations manager, one with crazy UK schedule, and two in upper management - so i was quite surprised when all replied with a resounding "yes!"<br />
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the only problem was some didn't want it to be a Christmas Party, not just yet. the reason: they haven't started shopping for gifts yet! hahaha. they know me so well! party = presents!!!<br />
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so this was our non-Christmas party. after all, we were celebrating their birthdays, so it turned out to be one belated and one advanced, with an uber yummy cake and a pile of food (as you can very well see on the picture) to share among good friends.<br />
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sometimes i can't help but wonder what i did to deserve such an amazing group of friends.roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-4445654762444413592012-12-08T08:40:00.004+08:002012-12-08T08:40:49.784+08:00embracing the S boxi am sure, that in our collective lives, we've filled out forms and have been forced to categorize one's self in a box meant to represent either a choice, one's status, or opinion about something. and to me, person who loves filling out all types of forms with a misplaced sense of giddiness, there's a thrill (or dread, as in the case of age) when one "moves" from one category to another.<br />
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income, for one, has been a sore spot in my life. so moving another tier up, that was a biggie! and age, sigh, if only i can still celebrate march 2 without gaining a year ... turning 36 means that i will be moving from the 30 - 35 range to one that is <--this--> close to 40. in the words of the characters in the archie comic book series (shucks, yet another affirmation of my "aged" status), EGAD!</--this--><br />
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but while i've moved from one category or another, there's one box that i can't seem to escape (even the religion boxes i've moved from "others" to "roman catholic"!) -- the "S" box. it comes just after you declare your age, an accusation of sorts, similar to relatives who you see once a year in holiday gatherings who look at you with unmasked pity in their eyes as they ask if you have a boyfriend or you've plans to get married and you reply with a "no". i'm a girl, so they'd remind me about my dwindling chances of becoming a mother, with the more modern one's urging, <i>pabuntis ka na lang</i>, as if sex were as easy and uncomplicated as buying coke from the corner sari-sari store.<br />
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growing up, "old maids" were few and far in between. everyone gets married, sooner or later. some even get married twice (and no, no one died, and no one's muslim so you get the picture, right?). lola peng, my mom's aunt, and lola nanay, my paternal grandmother's best friend, were novelties, generous grand-aunts who'd adopt us as their own grandchildren, their gifts a happy addition to those expected from grandparents. none of us even deigned to imagine we'd end up like them, after all, wasn't finding the ONE, getting married, and having kids part of the series that begins with go to school and get a job?<br />
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maybe my mom was right when she made an offhand comment to me in high school. by then, the martha stewart gene had kicked in and i turned into that kind of person who prepared <i> baons</i> for road trips, something my mom never did (she never espoused eating in the car). and then, when i decided to shift to education in college, she noted that my course choice would definitely be another nail in the "single" coffin. i, her only daughter, was most likely going to grow old alone.<br />
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funnily enough, my mom's prophetic words should not have had any basis then - i dated behind my parents' back, and when i actually could date, i did, and had boyfriends of all shapes and sizes. once, vanessa wrote a draft screenplay loosely based on my relationships and her mentor commented that art should at least imitate life and vanessa's story of my life was certainly more art than anything. i wanted to send a note - life is more complex than any of the things people could come up with; mine certainly was.<br />
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when i broke up with the last person i actually consider my boyfriend, i made a pledge not to date until i passed the bar. i've been a lawyer for five and a half years already ... my status has yet to change. it's as if i've reached my quota of possible beaus after the dating spree in my twenties. sometimes i try to imagine myself ending up with any of the boys i dated, as well as the boys who tried to date me, and save for a guy who i turned down and eventually became my best friend, i actually can't imagine spending the rest of my life with any of them.<br />
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on the wall of my bathroom, right beside the mirror, there's a post-it that reads, "i'd rather be single that be married to the wrong man." ironically, a boy i dated, after using the bathroom, plucked the post-it from the wall and kept it in his wallet, claiming that it will be a constant reminder to him to be the right man. i put a replacement up (actually immediately after he stole the original post-it from the wall) ... this wasn't something that was going to be negotiable for me.<br />
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when i acknowledged that marriage isn't something that happens with the mere passing of time, when i accepted that i didn't really want any of the boys i dated, when i realized that life is infinitely more complicated than any of the plots of a sweet dreams book, that's when i had finally embraced the S box.<br />
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<br />roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-87651445621595001332012-12-05T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-05T08:00:05.473+08:00christmas is officially ON!yesterday, i officially had my first christmas event -- a dinner with my prayer partner from community! and, can i just say it was lovely?<div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcHS1g8eJLQyak7GqeCSJ_3lO7Ghh6yaio1Cr5wULEae4e7ngtRRN2Xi8QfB9-r_X7YccSFv1D30d7i4IYdY0so-e8uOv6XoTvdm7xXxy70SkdNpNnEOdZW55PchLKO2KzDartQ/s1600/DSCF2309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcHS1g8eJLQyak7GqeCSJ_3lO7Ghh6yaio1Cr5wULEae4e7ngtRRN2Xi8QfB9-r_X7YccSFv1D30d7i4IYdY0so-e8uOv6XoTvdm7xXxy70SkdNpNnEOdZW55PchLKO2KzDartQ/s640/DSCF2309.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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my office friends and i were supposed to have dinner at vivere's sky lounge, but since all three live north of mandaluyong, not to mention that one is a new mom, asking them to go to alabang in the midst of the crazy christmas traffic will just be sheer cruelty. so, when yvette came up with the idea of having our christmas dinner at vivere, it was like my prayers have been answered.</div>
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funny - i'm a southerner through and through and i don't think i've ever dined here.</div>
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of course the biggest attraction of the sky lounge will always be the view. and crazy me, save for this shot (with not-so-pretty crimson in the background), i don't think i have one capturing all the twinkly lights of the city. </div>
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{a side story: as we were getting ready to pose, my heel got caught between the slats. i tried pulling it up, but couldn't. thank goodness for the waiter who came to the rescue to un-wedge my shoe!}</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgke5toqORWkomSNUyRSKkMk-R_xziwAyZCjUQ8j7SY4hUxLMIf_UM6my5gWJlFIir4bnCJC1DKFC-SslwgUdA2CplNYKxviM_20Vo2GXVo3lBvlC1UfQfa-5Ee2F93oY-kTzYX0Q/s1600/DSCF2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgke5toqORWkomSNUyRSKkMk-R_xziwAyZCjUQ8j7SY4hUxLMIf_UM6my5gWJlFIir4bnCJC1DKFC-SslwgUdA2CplNYKxviM_20Vo2GXVo3lBvlC1UfQfa-5Ee2F93oY-kTzYX0Q/s640/DSCF2317.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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one of the highlights - at least for me - was seeing the lovely tree in the lobby. oh, how i wish i knew my camera more so that i could've made the pictures less washed out because of the lights! this was what i call our "talk show" pics. i mean, it seemed like the perfect setting for an interview, don't you think?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsUKqnqeRHulXM5J7zqgEdwmdK6ealrrrOH9RN7w1y0X63dIT0U8bvv_6fYXHMR1ohOoQnBZpNyA1BV-jx6puRYLV9OF3c30bAH33eFCo1U9lax_1IANVn7520X1lQkuBfbvOYg/s1600/DSCF2318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsUKqnqeRHulXM5J7zqgEdwmdK6ealrrrOH9RN7w1y0X63dIT0U8bvv_6fYXHMR1ohOoQnBZpNyA1BV-jx6puRYLV9OF3c30bAH33eFCo1U9lax_1IANVn7520X1lQkuBfbvOYg/s640/DSCF2318.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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this is what i call my "congresswoman" pic -- if i were a congresswoman, and i were to give out calendars to my constituents, THIS would be the pic. again, i wish i knew the settings of my camera better!</div>
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and as for the food? let's just say that i enjoyed every bite, so much that i didn't even get to finish the pasta we ordered!</div>
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for the record, it was tomato soup for me ...</div>
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then we split a serving of caesar salad ...</div>
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yep -- this was half an order! generous, huh?</div>
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and then we split a serving of seafood pasta ...</div>
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again, quite generous, huh?</div>
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all in all, it was a great way to start the christmas season. hopefully, the season will bring lots of good times with friends and family, amazing presents (yes, i am addicted to presents!), and a greater appreciation of the miracle of the season ☺</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-65712297555581940782012-12-03T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-03T08:00:06.185+08:00thursday club<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_cjm1vXVYRMNyIoxeFwPxfEN_UHy6PGpdM_s4wXSnxtF7cTGSLJCydiSiQuSrJLUWFwgIyPY1b99CMirEF-f6yOVS_1NN3Hrv_8IT6qtLNGzVRuHSw0MPYVjpQus4sZ5_Cgw-g/s1600/KAP+2012+121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_cjm1vXVYRMNyIoxeFwPxfEN_UHy6PGpdM_s4wXSnxtF7cTGSLJCydiSiQuSrJLUWFwgIyPY1b99CMirEF-f6yOVS_1NN3Hrv_8IT6qtLNGzVRuHSw0MPYVjpQus4sZ5_Cgw-g/s640/KAP+2012+121.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{class picture!}<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
friends have noticed that my amazing friend Vanessa has this penchant for thursday in her movies. in <i>one more chance</i>, popoy and basha's group eats dinners on thursdays and her latest, <i>the mistress</i>, features bea's character meeting with her benefactor on thursday.<br />
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and since my thursdays are no-no's when it comes to scheduling stuff, they asked, are you the reason why vanessa keeps using thursday as a special day?<br />
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nope, and i will have to ask vanessa why she uses it (maybe she didn't even notice it?) as her day-of-choice. as for me - again let me reiterate that i'm not iglesia (neither is vanessa) and as for my thursdays, well, they are spent with this bunch of amazing people.roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-45957619205284150322012-12-02T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-02T08:00:01.743+08:00perks of the job!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
no one really enjoys being thrown into christmas party committee duty. but since five of us entered the office all at the same time, the assumption was each one of us would have to take on the task of being the committee chair. should be easy peasy, except that (1) we're expected to come up with three parties (2) on a paltry budget, not to mention (3) make sure there's a carving station on the office party that (4) should be held at a hotel and that (5) all the rank and file and supervisory employees get christmas baskets.</div>
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this year it was my turn. and this year, the party was going to be held at the mandarin.</div>
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now, us girls, we take it upon ourselves to do an actual food tasting. not that we're <i>matakaw</i> (oh yes we are) but because we just want to make sure that "the flavor profile pleases everyone's palate". okay, that was something i just made up. and i really say it. so banquet officers everywhere must think i'm crazy.</div>
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but call me crazy if you will ... at least it got us a free buffet at paseo uno.</div>
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yep, free buffet. not food tasting, mind you. free eat-all-you-can buffet at paseo uno. for dinner. <i>i am blessed i know</i>. my waistline? not so much. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F6T1qqnM-k9MV1HO_xBH4h5h20S12mMTCrIzELPhEbvXZzPZ5wW3TEphMP4OiO3wrJBjn7UGkmq7nBKwLu3t0QMeGmyhFpBXsTDjTesYmfXKq8y0UHUt3BZ4wVUo93KZB0UNnA/s1600/DSCF2077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-F6T1qqnM-k9MV1HO_xBH4h5h20S12mMTCrIzELPhEbvXZzPZ5wW3TEphMP4OiO3wrJBjn7UGkmq7nBKwLu3t0QMeGmyhFpBXsTDjTesYmfXKq8y0UHUt3BZ4wVUo93KZB0UNnA/s640/DSCF2077.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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apparently, it would be much cheaper for them to just allow us to stuff our faces silly at the paseo uno buffet instead of cooking tasting portions of the buffet we had ordered. still, we really tried to do our job by asking the banquet officer assigned to us which of the food served was on our menu. i think she knew that the food tasting we were asking for was really just a nice way of saying "it would be nice to have a free hotel meal in exchange for all the stress of being the christmas party committee" but in fairness to her, i think she did a mighty job of not laughing out loud, seeing as we were all probably googly-eyed at the spread before us. </div>
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so she just pooh-poohed away and we did some nodding, and thinking, and pretending to know what we were doing. after a while, she just said, "i'll leave you to enjoy your buffet." magic words.<br />
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cause we really enjoyed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19NfRvlPg_UGKVJ01TfZ0hNhvma1FGZShqAn92rDRHmY6VnisRLK3vL3ORLK8Bilau-FjdRzYkEAtOvKW-1Iy2c8mCJ_woEfQC6Oy186GoEUmjTAYzfN0Z0PJBD1SJH9qnmyyKg/s1600/DSCF2080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19NfRvlPg_UGKVJ01TfZ0hNhvma1FGZShqAn92rDRHmY6VnisRLK3vL3ORLK8Bilau-FjdRzYkEAtOvKW-1Iy2c8mCJ_woEfQC6Oy186GoEUmjTAYzfN0Z0PJBD1SJH9qnmyyKg/s640/DSCF2080.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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i was sad (upset!) that i had to run off to alabang to fulfill my tuloy duties. but, all the rushing and fast eating notwithstanding, i <i>did</i> manage to still stuff myself silly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZi8gq3x9InvJopWon9zTq3CUgBGBv1drF7eIg512YdHrQrytpw8andehV05SERhbvcMsN60k0fYZrbBDQkb5ONmSbQXEbKhrhsNtgDhE9KCAB-q3_VrXaYbIzcQ-h8lboKTg4w/s1600/DSCF2081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSZi8gq3x9InvJopWon9zTq3CUgBGBv1drF7eIg512YdHrQrytpw8andehV05SERhbvcMsN60k0fYZrbBDQkb5ONmSbQXEbKhrhsNtgDhE9KCAB-q3_VrXaYbIzcQ-h8lboKTg4w/s640/DSCF2081.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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any regrets? none, except that i wish i had more time to eat more food.roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0Makati City, Philippines14.554729 121.024445214.523991 120.9849632 14.585467 121.06392720000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-81503086507433104082012-12-01T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-01T08:00:08.027+08:00tiny trees<div style="text-align: justify;">
it's december! which means it is officially christmas territory. next to my birthday, christmas happens to be one of my most favorite days of the year. there's just something about the cool air, the carols, and the presents that bring out the kid in me.</div>
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when i was a kid, setting up the tree was something that my mom and i did together. she'd put on the record (as in the vinyl long playing kind) at the turntable and we'd sing carols as we trimmed our tree. then, as she wrapped presents, i'd be her human tape dispenser.</div>
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when i went off to college, i stayed in a dorm so that meant not being able to see our tree on a daily basis. you know what my mom did? she got me a tiny tree to take with me! so this tree right here is 18 years old. (okay - did i just reveal to the universe i went to college way back in 1994? i guess i did! now it's your turn to say, "you don't look that old!")</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VnBWTjNQZ18gYzKh3KnbohS5xRRp2b0CfL8p_vq-hysPujPgpRIkgVXv5jct2xs_428_JFM2xUUn52ue6dzEvoWBmuQRTtEJtvjJByGVCbEvcpOS-_mIKMLPXernBCQ8w4weRA/s1600/DSCF2094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VnBWTjNQZ18gYzKh3KnbohS5xRRp2b0CfL8p_vq-hysPujPgpRIkgVXv5jct2xs_428_JFM2xUUn52ue6dzEvoWBmuQRTtEJtvjJByGVCbEvcpOS-_mIKMLPXernBCQ8w4weRA/s640/DSCF2094.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{is there such a thing as way too many pink balls? uhm, yes!<br />and i just noticed now but my tree appears quite lopsided!}</td></tr>
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a couple of you remember the martian, and this tree here was his gift to me when i went off to law school and ... you guessed it, had to spend a whole lot of time in the dorms. originally this tree came with a whole lotta lights. and, as with old christmas lights, they eventually burned out.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw3zuqUh4VZ-TYV6LaHNy-QMyHSuPWXPhSL5oAawvE8izDmb1_iJZvUJx12rflb8AKf9KgNbEHur7wtKewF9BSGsJzZlTT5r5lGNWJMdAw7IvIfKUTGKzyitAhCTAe7v-8TYMMQ/s1600/DSCF2093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCw3zuqUh4VZ-TYV6LaHNy-QMyHSuPWXPhSL5oAawvE8izDmb1_iJZvUJx12rflb8AKf9KgNbEHur7wtKewF9BSGsJzZlTT5r5lGNWJMdAw7IvIfKUTGKzyitAhCTAe7v-8TYMMQ/s640/DSCF2093.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{faux lemons!} </td></tr>
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i will admit i was sorely tempted to buy a tree + new decors especially when one of my friends ended up decorating her condo with christmas finds from divi for only P1,700. yep - P1,700 for a 5ft. tree, 2 5ft. needle pine garlands, and a whole lotta decors (balls, flowers, leaves) in pink and gold. another friend scored a whole lot of decors + a tree as well when she went the following week. me - i went - but i was able to stop myself since kuya ef pointed out that (1) i already have way too much stuff and (2) i hardly set up the tree anyway.</div>
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bah, humbug! <i>hahaha.</i></div>
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scrooge issues aside, he <i>is</i> right. i have a full-sized tree in the maids-room-turned-into-laundry-room, and there are bazillions of decors hidden in various nooks and crannies. the pink christmas balls i think i got off season last year (used them to fill a huge bowl + the cake tray last christmas) and the faux lemons were from two or three years ago when someone from the st. james bazaar sold all of them to me for a little more than a hundred bucks i think (the white ribbons i added myself). i also found the christmas solar lamps my dad gave me last year (which will be brought out once the yard is cleaned!) so i am, without a doubt, amply covered in the christmas decor department.</div>
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what about you? how's your christmas preparations coming along?</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-13980240291872887692012-11-30T08:00:00.000+08:002012-11-30T08:00:07.709+08:00since i'm pretending i'm on a diet, i'll just get the candle version insteadthey're supposed to melt in your mouth, not in your hands.<div>
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but what happens when they're all melted up in a bottle? ...</div>
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eeep! screeching halt!!! that just sounds like really bad copy for an ad. i am so glad i don't have to do advertising work for a living!</div>
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in any case, i want to talk about this yummy find from last friday's cupcake run ...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ntjWFAL4AS9WHTFFgus1muOA9AKRz6aMiQfJAyPnUcAaGLxA9ycCMIWa8D80qgn4WFb4tQjJM2uR8QDFM6GvigyFN2xpXqxHD9Nzgst3Y5lXE8NUW4JTYmGk7p9PthWq6SqgSw/s1600/DSCF2091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ntjWFAL4AS9WHTFFgus1muOA9AKRz6aMiQfJAyPnUcAaGLxA9ycCMIWa8D80qgn4WFb4tQjJM2uR8QDFM6GvigyFN2xpXqxHD9Nzgst3Y5lXE8NUW4JTYmGk7p9PthWq6SqgSw/s640/DSCF2091.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{yum yum yum!}</td></tr>
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<br />m&m scented candle!!! </div>
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in the same breath that <a href="http://cardriver.blogspot.com/2012/11/you-can-never-have-too-many-cupcake.html">KBB told us about vanilla cupcake bakery</a>, she also told us about the pepperidge farm candles that were on 50% off at true value. now, since i'm waging a war against the critters at home, i will admit that i need all the help in the scent department i could get. so after finishing off a whole lotta work (<i>kunyari busy-busy-han, </i>hahaha!), i trooped over to the newly-opened true value at glorietta.</div>
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there were a number of pepperidge farm options, but the moment i opened the jar, i knew that i was going to come home with the m&m candle.</div>
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i mean, come on! aren't those the cutest things????<br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zrQYUFZ-gvPfuVkaa6U2QQa5fI6hOSLe7Cw56vB_pZAEMhm2qc_YlJcBvsMT_XLvEV7GuHQVGpK86k6F_JcmqA_U55dStANqW2gpp0JiNKHCi611UwJOgDmlaICeKk-WkxdmQQ/s1600/DSCF2092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_zrQYUFZ-gvPfuVkaa6U2QQa5fI6hOSLe7Cw56vB_pZAEMhm2qc_YlJcBvsMT_XLvEV7GuHQVGpK86k6F_JcmqA_U55dStANqW2gpp0JiNKHCi611UwJOgDmlaICeKk-WkxdmQQ/s640/DSCF2092.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{now, aren't these cute?}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
however, this <b>is</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>a candle and it <b>is </b>meant to be lighted. sooner or later, these lovely babies would melt.<br />
<br />
and melt they did. what i didn't expect was that they'd leave these:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUnModrnKkuFWZHo5TtcWT2k5OAg66C5LYhbHN4T7AbBSjSzvmvM_FJF6LLKjojAxpKxGjkHhsFLT9JThkp0V8CIweMpHvzaVpVvGItHJcLamiodxhHwANaCacqE3yDO4MTOKQw/s1600/DSCF2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUnModrnKkuFWZHo5TtcWT2k5OAg66C5LYhbHN4T7AbBSjSzvmvM_FJF6LLKjojAxpKxGjkHhsFLT9JThkp0V8CIweMpHvzaVpVvGItHJcLamiodxhHwANaCacqE3yDO4MTOKQw/s640/DSCF2095.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{look! the m's are left when the "candy" is all melted up!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
purrrrrttttyyyyyy!!!!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
KBB guaranteed that the pepperidge farm candles would leave your house smelling wonderful, so i was a bit afraid that this may or may not perform the same way. but, after fifteen or so minutes, my home (note <i>na hindi na </i>house, home <i>na bigla. yihee!</i>) started smelling of crisp vanilla. it works!!!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i brought it with me to the bedroom (dangerous to leave a lighted candle when you're not in the area, and what use it is perfuming the living/dining areas when i'm in my room already?) and once more, the sweet aroma - not too strong but not too light either - made the room a bit cozier, a bit happier, a bit better. so can i just say that this works?!?!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
and you know what's even better? the candle is on sale! it's 50% off from P495 so i ended up paying only P247.50 for this bottle of goodness.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
i used to swear by betty crocker candles (the cherry pie was my favorite!) but this one is waaaay better. and since i know i had grabbed the last stock at true value glorietta, guess who's going to ATC later to stock up on these? </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
yep, me. hello world, this is rosa the hoarder signing off ... and driving to ATC to look for more m&m candles!</div>
</div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-54769430873118442332012-11-29T23:21:00.001+08:002012-11-29T23:21:12.997+08:00you can never have too many cupcake options, IMHO!<div style="text-align: justify;">
one of the lawyers from work came back from lunch today with an amazing discovery. the old kamiseta is now this uber-cutie patootie place known as the vanilla cupcake bakery. i wish i had my camera with me cause that place was serious eye candy ... especially for someone like me who's in love with pastels, frou-frou, and all things sweet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsyJMPrvRi-fZa_KHW7My2UyfX7RNWYVrEPOXm1agMpCU6cr0rmr9V8uQOjsy7ci913L17XAPiVNGM8FjOqdT8lPpBK5d7_4xdzv52vI6cnIL7xKlAMOTUoe_0SRdz0Kp0fFudw/s1600/DSCF2087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsyJMPrvRi-fZa_KHW7My2UyfX7RNWYVrEPOXm1agMpCU6cr0rmr9V8uQOjsy7ci913L17XAPiVNGM8FjOqdT8lPpBK5d7_4xdzv52vI6cnIL7xKlAMOTUoe_0SRdz0Kp0fFudw/s640/DSCF2087.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{diet notwithstanding, this came home with me today}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
it was a bit difficult to pick - my default is usually a peppermint chocolate cupcake or something with marshmallow icing in it - but in the end i ended up picking two: </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWqo-_ijMviO_GUnNXuXvf_QWjGQ8sZDe-jIZJuzArbKZ2SOlwcfu0CBeHD0SGkDXwP_MKn4NHYZf5av571Rog-FgO9wcs2Ci6FHqueLzAk6RFGzSOGAbA4I-p8QnLTwJHAkAzA/s1600/DSCF2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigWqo-_ijMviO_GUnNXuXvf_QWjGQ8sZDe-jIZJuzArbKZ2SOlwcfu0CBeHD0SGkDXwP_MKn4NHYZf5av571Rog-FgO9wcs2Ci6FHqueLzAk6RFGzSOGAbA4I-p8QnLTwJHAkAzA/s640/DSCF2088.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
classic mocha and,</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrQOUahE_fPaFS0aEMsF1ttp0Yk47NcUWh7qVs4hDGB2YigQ0Eo3W5Q97rxLpn7Ogf2VJb45cgdW7Xhzc3x7-TkBAGAor89LK3UvzJCi-aTuGBYUQp-P_vRqNIFiIAAUoQL4umA/s1600/DSCF2089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRrQOUahE_fPaFS0aEMsF1ttp0Yk47NcUWh7qVs4hDGB2YigQ0Eo3W5Q97rxLpn7Ogf2VJb45cgdW7Xhzc3x7-TkBAGAor89LK3UvzJCi-aTuGBYUQp-P_vRqNIFiIAAUoQL4umA/s640/DSCF2089.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
and this salted caramel variety. now, they have several salted caramel varieties, and this is but one of them. unfortunately, i couldn't find the receipt, so i don't really know which one this is.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
and since i am not a food blogger, i can't really tell you (1) the other cupcake options and (2) how much each cupcake costs. i do remember though that these two set me back P148.00. not bad, but not very cheap either.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
i think vanilla cupcake bakery is owned by the same people who run kamiseta because some of the servers are wearing old kamiseta uniforms. uh-oh mr. gunn roque -- the lawyer in me is screaming "be careful with possible labor issues of intermingling businesses and using the same staff!"</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
my initial thoughts? the place was mighty lovely. hopefully, my friends and i will be trying it out soon, so that means i'll be able to take pictures of vanilla cupcake bakery. but if you can't wait, then imagine this: the uber-soft couches from kamiseta, with a colorful sprinkling of <a href="http://daphne.ph/furniture">daphne chairs</a>, then imagine <a href="http://www.cathkidston.eu/">cath kidston</a> cuteness and there you have it: vanilla cupcake bakery.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyts3oRUaoyCksFXqa4XuVuoyJfHdm03W1qHq691vc5rNUorv3CzAH2QTsuDgAPTFz8TnSfNWAWzjAzhoayYYVCYuylbV8U4jhXEtCAfZv2ezT6CJJmrb9dFim-Fssr8vVM0QbTA/s1600/DSCF2090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyts3oRUaoyCksFXqa4XuVuoyJfHdm03W1qHq691vc5rNUorv3CzAH2QTsuDgAPTFz8TnSfNWAWzjAzhoayYYVCYuylbV8U4jhXEtCAfZv2ezT6CJJmrb9dFim-Fssr8vVM0QbTA/s640/DSCF2090.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
for me, the cupcakes were okay. not bad, but not amazing either. so even if the entire trip home my mind was focused on devouring these as soon as i get home, all i tasted was a small slice of each before i returned them to the box and thrown into the ref to be eaten some other time. maybe it was cause i drove thru mcdonald's on the way home, or maybe it was cause i wasn't feeling well. but if you really knew me, neither of these should've prevented my <i>matakaw</i> self from gobbling these two up like there was no tomorrow.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
between the two, i liked the mocha better. i didn't really taste the "salt" part in the salted caramel, and the cake felt a bit dry. still, there's a whole lot more options at the store, and food (i heard there's pasta and coffee as well!) to boot, so maybe the proper review should wait another time.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
for now, consider this as an exercise in getting to know the macro setting of my new camera. <i>hahaha!</i></div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-63678323946939505672012-11-28T23:30:00.000+08:002012-11-28T23:30:10.354+08:00why i love my jobive said it often enough in the past. i love my job.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
so i loved being a court attorney ... until someone told me i needed to get litigation experience. so i did.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
and i loved being a "real" lawyer (doing what people generally feel lawyers should be doing - appearing in court, wearing a suit, having clients) ... until i realized i'm that kind of person who can't really be passionate over something she didn't believe in. and, when you're in litigation, there will always be that one case you don't believe in. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
so, i obeyed tita celia and finally did corp work ... until the salary, the mean girls at work, and certain issues forced me to rethink my options.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
thankfully i got this job. i think it's my forever job.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
while some of my friends aren't very happy with the compensation, i'm fine with it (although i won't say no to an increase, haha!). i'm happy with the perks. i'm glad they (partially) gave me diego. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
and i'm happy too with the non-compensation aspect of it - my work friends are amazing, my boss is beyond amazing, the job is challenging, and it's so easy to get to the office even on coding days.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
then there are the perks. the yahoo omg awards. the nba-pba all star game. then it got better: cirque du soleil's saltimbanco.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
last monday was the best: lower box tickets to watch this:</div>
<div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T7qhdwtDlT-IXQIUZ_8UUtm3UubqvcjUwfgG-Q8csOi-plBMBnz0vQvjbLuE8SgDUkcnvsrPqxcFN8WhvpNJ9zw4YclBamdWirYY7aX2Sy3c9B2zrrEPlH3v_XWjWVv4KsjlgQ/s1600/JLo+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9T7qhdwtDlT-IXQIUZ_8UUtm3UubqvcjUwfgG-Q8csOi-plBMBnz0vQvjbLuE8SgDUkcnvsrPqxcFN8WhvpNJ9zw4YclBamdWirYY7aX2Sy3c9B2zrrEPlH3v_XWjWVv4KsjlgQ/s640/JLo+056.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{actually, no caption needed!}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
heart was in front of us. directly behind me was cristalle belo. ruffa and her family were two rows behind us.<br />
<br />
and J.Lo. ... i could actually see J.Lo (which isn't what i could say for all the other concerts i've watched in the past!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXNCoOaQtuU-qYPOSuRJXVPNRnlapGOl_57NG-bUacNp4cMDAVCFp6CYEN9J1miGJ8oqJFKkXjHcK9oHu2OQ8Ba2DNcYjMgvOQCD6Q-luhVw9Lal6CZ6YKFl0of9B9GqRyv49EQ/s1600/JLo+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXNCoOaQtuU-qYPOSuRJXVPNRnlapGOl_57NG-bUacNp4cMDAVCFp6CYEN9J1miGJ8oqJFKkXjHcK9oHu2OQ8Ba2DNcYjMgvOQCD6Q-luhVw9Lal6CZ6YKFl0of9B9GqRyv49EQ/s640/JLo+047.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{believe me when i say my view was much better than this pic}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
while sen. miriam santiago claimed otherwise, i'd like to think it was one of the most amazing concerts i've ever watched. she was THAT good.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
just check out the last part of her opening number.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
i would've uploaded more, except you'd hear me singing and that's one of the most horrible things in the universe. promise.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
so thank YOU to the kind people over at HOME who sent my boss tickets. and thank you to my boss for giving me the tickets. i know you don't read this blog, but YOU are amazing. </div>
roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5276487.post-77482791525560137562012-11-25T09:22:00.001+08:002012-11-25T09:22:28.328+08:00patience is not one of my virtueswhile it is by no means a justification, i'd like to believe that the reason why i drive like a possessed woman and why i'm always half-tempted to walk out on my friends when they're late is cause i lack the virtue of patience. and because i am not the most patient of people in the world, i don't really get online shopping -- when i want something, i want it now.<br />
<br />
but then i'm also <i>kuripot</i>. so even though buying a camera at the mall would get me my camera ASAP, i can't justify paying retail for something that i know could be had for a much lower price somewhere else.<br />
<br />
a camera? yep. let's backtrack a bit, why don't we?<br />
<br />
my first digicam was from tita celia and my brother and i were supposed to share it. but since he didn't seem too interested with taking pictures, it was with me most of the time. then for some reason, it died in its sleep and i realized it only when my friends and i were on our way to tagaytay, so my dad (who reads this blog, hi papa!) came to the rescue and sent me the money to get a new camera. <b>that camera</b>, i loved like crazy. until <a href="http://cardriver.blogspot.com/2011/07/oh-bugger.html">it got stolen on the way to cebu</a>. since i was bound for cebu again a couple of days later, and since i <a href="http://cardriver.blogspot.com/2011/07/i-couldnt-have-asked-for-better-way-to.html">wasn't very happy with the pictures tita celia's camera</a> (which she generously offered to lend me), i threw all caution to the wind a immediately <a href="http://cardriver.blogspot.com/2011/07/replacement-has-landed.html">bought a replacement</a> upon returning to manila. i <i>liked</i> the camera - it went with me to cebu, boracay, countless get-togethers, and chronicled stuff for this blog, but i didn't <i>love</i> it. it would always just be the replacement for the camera that someone stole from my check-in luggage (yes, it was stupid to leave my camera in my check-in luggage. i know that now.)<br />
<br />
so when my idol, <a href="http://www.daphne.ph/">daphne osena paez</a>, posted about the <a href="http://daphne.ph/i-want-olympus-pen">olympus pen</a> about a year ago, it felt like i had found <i style="font-weight: bold;">the </i>camera that took my breath away. like her, i'm not a fan of dslr cameras. i know the limitation of my skills and am realistic enough to acknowledge that i do not have what it takes the learn about aperture and white balance and all those things. so i figured, this was what i need to get my grubby little hands on.<br />
<br />
except it was too expensive. at least for me. i did pine for it a LOT and i did start saving for it and i must've sent dbgadgets bazillions of text messages asking for it. and when i was almost ready for it, i asked my <a href="http://rjremulla.blogspot.com/">cousin</a>. and he said, "no, get the fuji x10 instead."<br />
<br />
i hemmed and hawed about this. the olympus pen was like the hyundai elantra that i had been dreaming of for months! i had read reviews, i had my heart set onto getting it. i have saved up for it. and it was going to be a big no? it was much like when the boys at the office kept on chiding me for wanting a car, much less a korean car. oh, i do love diego, but i must admit there are times when i can't help but ogle at a white elantra when it crosses my path. was i ready to let a dream go?<br />
<br />
apparently, i was, because it wasn't long before i was texting kimstore on a regular basis. and the crazy thing was i was dead set on getting it already long before my cousin decided on getting his camera and in the end, he got his first cause he was more diligent. finally, monday of last week, i inquired with them and they said it was out of stock but i could wait till this week. i said okay. then i was beyond surprised when lo and behold, on tuesday morning, they told me i could get it if i were free to meet up that day.<br />
<br />
yes! yes! yes! i had a very, very, very long meeting, but as soon as that was done, i rushed out, ready to run all the way to park square in a suit and heels, only to realize that they had cancelled and had to wait for more than a week before it would be available again.<br />
<br />
this week passed by s-l-o-w-l-y.<br />
<br />
even if i did get to meet up with tita celia and we both loaded up on back issues of magazines we love.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkUWESDdbusEH6oUiIL-GTYgNmlN92YrlbinQZfIVRiSx7kW0eDhF7DFV6t2kWbcX_wt_YVOQsIp_LsaBBzEs7A2wmAHruithvKS9-EPCgdVTeFirhD2ZQ7dNJTocBSZzvH8zmg/s1600/IMG_20121119_230822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkUWESDdbusEH6oUiIL-GTYgNmlN92YrlbinQZfIVRiSx7kW0eDhF7DFV6t2kWbcX_wt_YVOQsIp_LsaBBzEs7A2wmAHruithvKS9-EPCgdVTeFirhD2ZQ7dNJTocBSZzvH8zmg/s400/IMG_20121119_230822.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{happy reading materials}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
even if it meant fresh ponkan every morning.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0m0DY4m_8P6S2XuvJJ7tMxAn622Y5QV6GHtHfI8q5kPfpewPo7zYdcyiyJgi9Djh0ZBqUvinEYFppp9OGbKT_4h62OjJvYA5EcfUaJt3i-MvOfzyD0kW4ZYTwOpolbxdsIoh5Q/s1600/IMG_20121123_063848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0m0DY4m_8P6S2XuvJJ7tMxAn622Y5QV6GHtHfI8q5kPfpewPo7zYdcyiyJgi9Djh0ZBqUvinEYFppp9OGbKT_4h62OjJvYA5EcfUaJt3i-MvOfzyD0kW4ZYTwOpolbxdsIoh5Q/s400/IMG_20121123_063848.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{healthy breakfast}</td></tr>
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my boss must've hated me for being so unreliable this week. friday morning i was crazy excited cause they seller said it would be the day it would arrive, but it was delayed. boo!<br />
<br />
i was so tempted to order it from dbgadgets ... but he was selling it for a thousand bucks more, and there were no freebies. my friend pointed out to me that if i were to get it that night, what difference would it make since i had a lecture the following day anyway? was the thousand bucks worth it.<br />
<br />
uhm, no. <i>kuripot</i>, remember?<br />
<br />
i woke up early saturday as i was teaching a whole day class and sent multiple text messages (both from my smart and sun phones!) until it was finally confirmed: 4-6 pm at starmall. yay!<br />
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sorry to my very <i>makulit</i> student when i wasn't very patient with you by the time afternoon rolled around. i wanted my camera real bad!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNh4Zvyc9bMixfrf4hRD-xXGbQuX1sbpGrh4hUk09F8e6_RkQp7iUxc0K2H1yiNhrHDfutlo36QMIf3k5fpB_oEXU2nWOoJ394XfCepSqFUgDfjtfhIdtEMnu0NJ4A1e67WmvaA/s1600/IMG_20121124_193405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGNh4Zvyc9bMixfrf4hRD-xXGbQuX1sbpGrh4hUk09F8e6_RkQp7iUxc0K2H1yiNhrHDfutlo36QMIf3k5fpB_oEXU2nWOoJ394XfCepSqFUgDfjtfhIdtEMnu0NJ4A1e67WmvaA/s400/IMG_20121124_193405.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{the non-replacement has landed}</td></tr>
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and what the heart wants, it tries to move heaven and earth to get.<br />
<br />
i can't promise better pictures (it's the indian, not the arrow, as my boss used to say). and i can't promise more blog posts with more pictures (i find that my phone yields the most "accurate" day in the life pictures). but i can promise this: maybe, just maybe, i'll learn to be a little more patient next time.<br />
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happy sunday!roxyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08275749959482133952noreply@blogger.com0