A Little Help Goes A Long Way.

In light of the recent tragedy that befell Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, and Dumaguete, my fellow mommy bloggers and I are appealing for your help. The easiest way would be donations through the Philippine Red Cross. If we can work together, the littlest amount that you can give (that's a measly Php 5) to our 'kababayans' can go a long way. Donations can be made by simply following these instructions:


For Globe subscribers:
via SMS, c/o Red Cross – text RED <amount> and send to 2899 – valid donation amounts are P5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 (For ex, RED 10). Transaction is free.
via GCASH, text DONATE<space><amount><space><MPIN><space><REDCROSS> and send to 2882

For Smart subscribers:
via SMS, c/o Red Cross – text RED <amount> and send to 4143 – valid donation amounts are P10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500, 1000 (For ex, RED 10).

Donations made through Paypal and credit card are also accepted. Also listed in this page are the bank accounts where cash / check donations can be deposited.

While most of us are looking forward to Christmas Day (which is just a few days away), the people from these afflicted areas can only think of how they will be able to live after this devastation. Let us, in our own little ways, extend help to our grief-stricken brothers. After all, Christmas is about giving and sharing.

Wedding Weekend, in Pictures.

Not even Sendong could stop yesterday's wedding from pushing through. Amidst the strong winds and incessant rain, Jesser and April exchanged vows, and officially became husband and wife. It was a very beautiful wedding, despite the one-hour delay in the ceremony proper, and my sister not being able to fulfill her dream of doing a long and dreamlike walk down the aisle. That's the downside of garden weddings. Things go awry when the weather goes berserk.

Anyway, here's a glimpse of what transpired yesterday - unofficial photos from my camera. Will try to share the official photos once they've become available.

My little man! All prepped up for his first stint as ring bearer.

With my brother. Together they're James Bond. And Austin Powers. Haha!

Oh snap, I must have lost the rings! Must find them before Tita April arrives.

He's got the sweetest smile, too.

Snagged for myself a very handsome date.  

Boys over flowers. Naks! With Michael and Patrick. Yes, they're brothers.

Maggie and her Mama (my sister-in-law, Ana).

Here comes the bride!

Mr. and Mrs. Boone.

First dance!

Count on my sister's innate creativity. Instead of the usual wedding cake toppers, she opted for peacocks instead. These came all the way from London, mind you.

One of my favorite photos - Patrick holding Maggie for the first time. And we just had to take a picture of this. :) 

Here's a trivia. All three of us (April, Joey, and I) experienced rain on our respective wedding days. According to the old folks, rain on your wedding day means a shower of blessings. I guess my siblings and I are all bound to have blessed married lives, after all.

Sharing this photostory with







Hosted by Cecily and Lolli Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

A Whimsical Wedding.

I'm off to a wedding today. And it's my sister who's getting married.
She's the youngest in our brood of three, and since our marriages came in chronological order (mine in 2008, my brother's in 2009), that means my Mum will be giving away the last of the Mohicans. Har!

Seeing my sister all dolled up in her wedding gown makes me feel a bit sentimental, and a tad older. I guess her lavish 18th birthday party six years ago got stuck in our memories too much. And now we're already marrying off our debutante. LOL.

Praying for good weather this afternoon. Sendong, please stay away from Villa Evanzueda today. You can shower the couple with your blessings tomorrow. Or at least after the wedding has commenced.

A toast to April and Jesser, and their journey to ever after. :)

It's 2012! Make Your Wishes Fly!

When I saw this poster a few weeks ago, the first thing that crossed my mind was Doctor Champ, and the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival (whoa, tongue twister!) in South Korea. These wish lanterns are a common sight in Korea, and I've become pretty familiar with them from the countless Kdramas that I've watched.

Looks like I've found something to do on the first day of the New Year. Join in the fun, too!

For all we know, these lanterns could perhaps make your wishes come true.

Visit SM City San Pablo for more of the activity details.

Smart Shopper, and the Start of Something Smokin'.

I said I love makeup, right? But here's the thing. While I've been wearing makeup for the longest time (I was already using mascara and lipgloss back in high school), I never really paid much attention to how makeup should be worn. Back then, I was content with just pressed powder, concealer, lipstick, and using just one shade of eyeshadow. No more, no less. That is, until this baby came along.

It's a Profusion Eye Glaze set, which I got as a present from Tita Mac of SmartShopper. I ordered a pair of Onitsuka Tigers from her last year, and this makeup was sent as a freebie. 

I almost always receive makeup items as freebies each time I buy something from her. Tita Mac is pretty much aware how much of a kikay I am, because she's seen my vanity plastered all over my Facebook page. LOL.

Seeing the shades in this palette, I knew it was meant for the 'smokey eye' look. I was never fond of dark makeup before, thinking that it does not suit me. But then again, you'll never really know unless you give it a try. 

So I Googled smokey eye, read makeup blogs, watched makeup demo videos, and experimented with the stuff I have at home. The next thing I knew, I was putting on BB cream, lining my eyebrows, wearing liquid eyeliner - all those stuff that were not part of my usual makeup routine. And as it turns out, smokey eyes suit me, after all. 

I love the transition from dark to light, and the drama that goes with it. Plus the fact that attention is drawn to my eyebrow ridge and not my (dark) undereyes. Haha!

With that, I now take makeup matters seriously - which also means an extra thirty minutes has been added to my already one hour prep time. I've already gotten complaints from my son (Mommy, ang tagal mo naman magbihis! Gusto ko na umalis ng bahay!) and my Mum (Jusko anak, saan ba ang shooting mo? Aabay ka ba ngayon?), but my husband has only praises for it. So I guess it's all good.

Quick tip: Opposites together. 

Dark eyeshadow + light lipstick. Light eyeshadow + dark lipstick. 

Never match dark with dark unless you're acting in a stage play. :)

Great makeup finds? Items from US websites? Check out Smart Shopper now! :)