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NOTD: Pink Polka Dot Pop-Up

2010-07-21T17:27:00.001+08:00

Here's an optical illusion. Almost. Sally Girl Type A from Christy was the exact color of what-do-you-call-it, bubble sticker? that I had. I thought of drawing polka dots and putting stickers in random places, sort of to fool others into thinking the dots might be popping out. Okay -- pop-ups -- that's how my mind works sometimes.
The green base is a NNNB gel.

Sweet Blog Award

2010-07-20T15:56:00.000+08:00

Sweet Blog Award!

Locke of Girlish Mood has sweetly given me this award to share with ten other bloggers who are sweet and friendly. Okay, so I don't know the bloggers I'm passing this on to, but I think they're sweet because of their blog and for following me even though I didn't know them. The funny thing is, some of them write in languages that I can't understand. But their fab pics bridge the language barrier effectively. Which goes to show that beauty doesn't have to speak the same language to be appreciated. ;) So thank you, thank you, fellow bloggers. I think you're sweet, I really do.

- Give this award to 10 sweet and friendly bloggers
- Make a post about the award including the picture above
- In your post, mention the person who gave it to you
- Put the award on your blog
- Let your nominated 10 know you've awarded them by leaving a comment

And the award goes to... (drumroll):

Insideofmypurse

rainbows-and-blues

Ribbonlicious

Nails and Beauty
Concrete and Nail Polish
Lacquer Ware for Tips and Toes
My Nailzz
Unhas Artisticas Nill
Lacquer Cocktail
Skulda's Claws

NOTD: Fenced In

2010-07-15T21:10:00.001+08:00

My pathetic attempt at creating a flower with a toothpick. The polish I used was so sticky and thick, it smeared and wouldn't behave properly. This is using all no-name, no-brand polishes, so I'm more than willing to share the blame. ;) It's layered on top of a plaid background.

Cherry on Top Award

2010-07-14T15:14:00.001+08:00

Lovely Jan of Hue and Me gave me this award... thanks, dear, for the compliment and the vote of confidence!
1. Thank the person who gave this award to you. (Done)
2. Copy the award and put it on your blog. (Done)
3. List 3 things which you love about yourself.
Not about myself, but 3 that came from me and am very proud of: my three sons. :)
4. Post a picture you love.
This isn't a photo I love, particularly, but it's of something I love -- mountains. I love being on mountains, enjoying the wide vista, the boundless horizon, the unlimited expanse. ;)

5. Tag 5 people you wish to pass this award on to.

Abby of Simple but Versatile
Iryn of Rock 'n Roll Baby
Katrina of Katrina's Nail Blog
Rhian of Rhian's Random Musings
Strawberry Princess of Cosas d' Chicas

Again, thanks, Jan, and here's to more years of happy blogging from you!!!

Susie's KISS giveaway

2010-07-14T14:46:00.001+08:00

In honor of her son's band, Tyrade, Susie of Susie's Home and Hobbies is hosting a wonderful giveaway. Isn't that sweet for a mom to support her son by doing something she loves? I'm rooting for her son to have a chance to front for KISS so I voted. Voting ends sometime in August, so be sure to get your votes (and your giveaway entry) before then. Best luck!!!
Joining the giveaway (see here or click on pics) is quite simple, and you get a chance to win these:

NOTD: Green Witty Repartee

2010-07-10T11:31:00.000+08:00

Here's a mani I did that I wish I'd worn to my niece's 'Princess and the Frog' birthday party last month. It goes so well with the theme! Hello, yellow green and green and glitters and swirls???
Unfortunately, my inspiration struck late and I did this a week after the party. Hence the title of my post: this mani, like my 'witty repartee,' is wittiest long after the conversation is over.
See the princess below in her Disney finery.

Another look at the mani, this time together with the polishes I used. The glitter looks yellow on bare nails, but is lovely with tiny gold glitters and red and green flecks. I also used Zoya Verouscha (from Christy) for the dark green swirl. Can you read the tiny tag? It says, "Screw the lid off and apply the nail color on the nail. Screw on the lid and tighten it after using." Wow, gosh, I didn't know to do that! Who woulda thought??? ;)

He Provides

2010-06-24T16:33:00.000+08:00

I recently got the following from various friends and relatives, and I can't say I deserve them or did anything to earn them. My sister's mother-in-law sent her a package from the US with some beauty products they she didn't have much use for, so she gave us some. Then my bff from highschool gave me cleansers (I had just ran out and was about to go buy some cheap local brands when out of the blue, she said she was giving me something and here they are)! I also received a gift from another bff who came home from Canada.

Thanks, Grace
- Estee Lauder Take it Away Total Makeup Remover

- Lancome Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

Thanks, Bebeth

- Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom body lotion

Thanks, Chic
- Watsons Energizing Eye Mask
- The Face Shop Hyaluronic Acid Essential Mask Sheet
- Maybelline Expert Wear Twin Brow & Eye Pencils in Velvet Black
- NYC Lipsticks in Garnet and Retro Red
All I can say is, my Father and Provider saw my needs/wants and knew many of these, I wouldn't buy for myself. So He provided through the kind hearts of various people. It is by grace... undeserved, totally free.

Parokeets Giveaway!!!

2010-06-24T16:31:00.000+08:00

Marvelous, generous giveaway!!! Click on pic or here to join, ends July 18.

NOTD: Green and Gold

2010-06-12T15:15:00.000+08:00

This is to celebrate life: growth, vibrancy, the ability and capacity to love.
I used the neon green gel that first made an appearance here, the glitter from here (third bottle from the left), NNNB brown, and heart glitter.
This NOTD looks green in the shade, but when light hits it you'd think it's gold. The glitter polish is very shiny and shows off quite nicely. In the first pic, the gold parts show how the polish looks when hit by sunshine.

Skin Whitening

2010-06-04T10:04:00.000+08:00

There's this article about the FDA in Chicago finding lethal levels of mercury in skin bleaching creams.
I was aware that skin whitening is big business where I live, but was completely ignorant of the fact that it is just as big in the USA. I did not realize how easy it was for me to assume that westerners are more enlightened about skin color and that it isn't as big a problem for them as it is for us brown-skinned Filipinos.
On the other hand, such assumptions -- wrong as they are -- are all too common. Consider this statement from the same article:

"Lest anyone conclude that this desire to appear more European is only an affliction of African-Americans, here is an academic article about Asians having plastic surgery possibly to fit a western standard of beauty. In addition, a 2008 post from BlogHer CE Snigdhasen talks about the bias toward white skin among people in India."

I know for a fact that the bias for fair skin is not always associated with western standards of beauty. Many fair-skinned westerners actually prefer to tan, so the "standard" is not hard and fast. But in many Asian countries, fair skin is associated with elevated social status, affluence, and security. In cultures where daughters of rich families stay indoors instead of going out to labor under the sun, and where family status spell the difference between a good (financially secure husbands who seek wealthy brides for their dowries which also assure a secure and stable future for the women and their children) and lowly marriage, fair skin carries with it more than just shallow, surface aesthetic preference. Even in cities where tradition has died somewhat, the old mindsets are hard to change. Sometimes the preference for fair skin is a deep survival instinct.
It's easy to dismiss the desire for fair skin as longing to be western. It could arise from ignorance, as with me assuming there is not much demand for skin whiteners in the US. Or it could be the myopia of some who think that all the world revolves around the west: if Asians and Africans want to have fair skin, then it could only be because they want to appear more western, i.e., caucasian. More often, though, this preference is actually rooted in those people's cultural mindsets totally independent of western influence.
Sometimes our concepts of beauty are rooted in things we aren't even aware of.
Sometimes our concepts of beauty are just... concepts.

NOTD: Starry, starry Night

2010-06-01T15:55:00.000+08:00

Or, from a galaxy far, far away...
from ages and ages past...
Okay, I was gone so long I may just as well have dropped off the face of the earth. Out into the great blue yonder.
So in celebration of my return, I show off the hexagon glitter polish that I said was awesome but couldn't show proof. I resisted to the best of my ability to just put one coat on here, to show that it's denser than the big glitters I had before. It is way shinier in real life! This time i caught the size and shapes of the glitters but not the shine. Oh well.

NOTD: A Clue! (Blue & Magenta)

2010-05-08T15:22:00.001+08:00

I see a clue! I see a clue!
This NOTD may not have anything to do with Blue and Magenta, except the colors remind me of the cute characters.
And I added 'action photos' -- sometimes I get so matchy-matchy it's sickening. LOL.

NOTD Purply Glittery

2010-04-27T15:18:00.001+08:00

These glitter polishes are so lovely and exceeds all my expectations. When I saw them in the store I immediately grabbed them, as another girl was pawing through the lot and these looked to be the only ones left. The flecks look large and dense in the bottle. As soon as I put them on, I was transported.

Which is why it's so hard for me to show you my pic because, I know. It sucks. It really does. It kinda defeats the purpose of putting a pic up at all, which is supposed to show off the beauty of this glitter. I must tell you it doesn't look this crappy in real life. I layered the glitter over the NYC Purple Pizzazz Frost that Stiletto gave me, which is dark purple polish with a downright gorgeous violet-blue flash. The glitter complements Pizzazz perfectly, and all my girl friends who saw my nails gushed that it is pretty. By the way, are you one of those sick gals who flash their fingernails in other people's faces until they're forced to acknowledge your mani? And wave 'hello' or 'goodbye' with their palms turned inwards, again to show off said mani? Well, I confess, I am. Sick. <<Hangs head in shame.>>

The glitter has tiny flecks that also flash violet blue, but more than that, there are hexagonal glitters!
I've never seen the likes of it in real life before! And the glitter is dense. I deeply mourn my inability to take a photo that will do this mani justice. Oooh, the shame.

BC Bloggers' Secret -- Join Now!

2010-04-27T14:59:00.000+08:00

I just recently learned of Paula from Mommy Diary, and her ingenious BC Bloggers Party where bloggers get to know each other and link to each other. I'm always interested to make new friends in the blogging world and thought this would be as good a method as any. It does sound fun.
From Paula:
Calling all bloggers who want to gain friends in the blogosphere and build links at the same time – BC Bloggers 3 is now open. To join just visit Mommy Diary, read the requirements, and fill out the Application Form.

Award: Blogs I Love

2010-04-26T07:51:00.000+08:00

Amused Polish gave me an award. When I got my first award, I was so humbled that someone in the great, wide blogosphere, who I don't know personally and may never ever meet, thought me worthy enough of getting an award. I thought you first had to write thought-provoking, interesting posts evidenced by a bazillion followers, hits and readers to be worthy.I've a very recent blogger, and this is my fourth award. And you know what? The thrill isn't over. I don't know Amused Polish in person, nevertheless I go visit her blog when I can because I enjoy her posts and pics. She's a self-confessed nail polish lover and lipbalm addict who's got a crafty vein and a love for the British Band called Muse. Please go check out her blog.
I hope I never get too blasé for recognition. It would be too much like... growing old??? ;)
Here are the Rules:
- Post the award on your blog - done
- Link the person who has given you the award - done
- Pass the award to other blogs you love:

Christy of Kronicles of a Konader
Saila of Adventurous Purple Koala

Sylvia, Lily, April and Daphne of Wizard of Bling

Feline of Alizarine Claws

Zuzu of Inside of My Purse

Liza of Nail Art World

Evil Angel of Black Nail Polish and Lip Gloss

Nihrida of Nihrida's Blog

Streetsmartchic of Primp and Prettify

Mary of Body & Soul Beauty

Brooke of Babbling Brooke

Padmita of Padmit'as Blog

Christel of Makeupper

Nikki ofAsk Me Whats

Perrypie of Perrypie's Nail Polish Adventures

Glitter Haul

2010-04-21T17:38:00.000+08:00

I found a newly-opened store recently. The polishes with black caps were being sold for P10 each (about US$0.25), but if one bought six, they were only P5.00 each. What a bargain!!!
So I made a haul. With only one exception, the brown, all are glitter. The gold one with blue and red flecks in the far right is an old one. All the rest are recent purchases. The purple and silver ones on the left have a mix of tiny shimmers and large flecks that are really lovely. But I can't take a decent pic to save my life, so help me!!!

NOTD: Finger Paints Easel Come, Easel Go

2010-04-15T13:48:00.001+08:00

Finger Paints Easel Come, Easel Go is this wonderful metallic silver that just begs to be worn without adornment. I was planning on doing something complicated with this, possibly another French tip or Ruffian. But then when I saw it on the nails, there was no sullying that lovely finish. I felt like I was wearing foil! Now, I’ve never seen foil on nails in person. The likes of that are not within our 3^rd world reality just yet, lol. So this was as near as I could get, and this made me so happy.

As with the other polishes that that Vixen Stiletto, you know, That One! sent me, this went on so smoothly. My first application didn’t go so well (my bad, not the formula’s) and I used two coats (index, middle and pinky nails). But I ruined the thumb and ring nails and had to reapply. Second time around, I only needed one coat to get good coverage. This was so special I wore it for putting my son’s medals around his neck when he graduated Valedictorian from elementary.

Amazingly, one week later, the polish stayed on and was still going strong. No chips, only very slight tip wear, and I hadn’t retouched the topcoat. So I decided to add a simple design in gold.
In the pic you can see the gap caused by my nails growing a little longer during the week. Proof of this polish's long lasting wear.

This has been a wonderful polish honeymoon, and there’s no sign it’s about to end soon.

I WON! I WON!!!

2010-04-13T23:13:00.000+08:00

My first-ever giveaway win, I'm so happy!

Sarah of Trend Wisely is a mom, wife, home stager, receptionist, esthetician, blogger, housekeeper, Avon Rep. A jane-of-all-trades, obviously, with a keen eye for fashion and beauty, a professional to the core. And rocking an awesome hairstyle, to boot! She blogs about her fashion finds which are always stylish and at the same time practical. I know fashion and practical don't always go together, but she makes it easy. Just check her blog to see for yourself.

I was so excited and happy to receive these from Sarah. We have Avon where I live, but Avon doesn’t carry nail products here. So it was a pleasant surprise to get these. Avon is known for quality products at reasonable prices. These didn’t disappoint.

The giveaway had a nail care kit, an eyeshadow blending brush, and two polishes: one Speed Dry in Mambo Melon, and UV Gloss Guard Top Coat. I’ve been looking for a brush like this for sometime but haven’t found one in the local stores. Uhm, okay, I’m totally aware this makes me sound like I live in the boondocks, LOL. So, thank you, Sarah, you picked out the stuff I needed exactly. Clearly, this giveaway and I are MFEO. ;)

I wouldn’t leave you without a swatch now, would I? So here it is, readers and much-beloved beauties.

And for a comparison? I swear my nails almost blended into the red of this box. I was almost tempted to paint Ronald or at least the Golden Arch logo on my thumb. But I was loathe to spoil this lovely, lovely red on my nails. BTW, this isn't a supersize container of french fries (we don't have that size here -- boondocks! Right.) My hands are really just tiny.

Thank you again, Sarah.

NOTD Neon Summer

2010-04-13T09:43:00.001+08:00

It's summer where I live -- bright sunlight, and everything is hot, hot, hot! And I thought I'd celebrate with neon on my nails. I used the polish here. The blue, contrary to expectation, was not neon. The deep orange and green were excellently neon. I've never encountered jelly polish before, but from what I've read on its description -- deep, saturated color that goes on sheer -- this fits the bill. I love it.

This pic of my nails don't do justice to the actual colors irl. They may seem dull here, but they're really bright and happy. Gives me a lift just looking at 'em.

I know this mani seems extreme: different colors for each finger? In NEON? What am I thinking??? LOL.I've never done it before, either. But I needed a lift for my mood, and this did it. What do you think?

ADDED for Brooke (and others who may be wondering): These are the No-Name-No-Brand nail polishes that I mentioned in a previous post. The blue, orange and green are recent purchases. I should have noted the numbers instead, I guess. My bad.

New Giveaways

2010-04-11T22:16:00.091+08:00

Meowcake is shares her love with followers by doing a HUGE giveaway -- this pic is only one among many that the winner will get. The giveaway ends on her birthday, which is April 12. Go click on the pic to wish her a happy one and get a chance to win, too.

The girls over at Wizards of Bling, with the help of some pug monkeys (click on pic to see them in person) are doing this huge giveaway. Wouldn't you love to get your hands on those goodies? With a cute doggy and candies, to boot? Giveaway ends April 15, so click on pic now!

Amused Polish is doing an April Fool's Day Giveaway (no joke!). It ends April 16, so sign up now and get a chance to win. Click on pic to go there.

Katrina of Katrina's Nail Blog wants to thank her followers through a giveaway. Isn't that sweet? See pic for prizes, click it to join. Giveaway ends April 17, so hurry.

Nikki of Nikki's Nails is almost at 300 followers (and they keep coming!). She's giving away wonderful stuff: see the pic and click to join. Ends April 19.

Zuzu of Inside of My Purse offers this marvelous giveaway that you can win. Just take a peek at all those lovelies, more in her blog post. Click on the pic for details -- it's in an another language but just scroll down for the English part towards the bottom of the post. Don't miss out -- contest ends April 23.

Magic Maid is celebrating 400 followers, and giving away these lovely darlings (some of them limited edition). Contest ends April 25, but don't leave it 'til the last minute. Click on pic to join!

Lily Nail of My Little World of Polish by Lily Nail is giving away this not-so-little loot! Why? Because she is celebrating 60 followers, but the number has climbed to more than double. And no wonder. Go join! Contest ends April 28.

Nea, of Fashioned in Finland, is giving several prizes away. First two winners get to choose from the loot first; some others will get what's left. Your name might be picked as one of the lucky winners, so click on the pic now (ends April 30)!

Mary of Simply Beautiful has two prizes for two lucky followers. If more people join, she might consider a third prize. Isn't that great? Click on pic now, join the fun, and best of luck to you! Contest ends April 30.

Charity of 3D Nail Art (her blog has such awesome 3d nail art) is giving away this set this month. Ends April 30, but she has monthly giveaways.
And this cute cupcake necklace from Dazzle & Chunk could be yours! Join Brooke's (at Babbling Brooke) giveaway.

The necklace features eight rhinestones set in a pink iced cupcake charm. The delicious little treat dangles from an 16" necklace chain complete with Dazzle & Chunk heart charm. The cupcake is rhodium plated and is not hollow - this is a heavy, solid charm. Click on pic to join, giveaway ends May 8.

NOTD: Purple Stoned

2010-04-10T09:18:00.000+08:00

This NOTD uses NNNB polishes gray and neon pink, and Careline Black. The gray looks like silver in this pic because of the flash reflecting off the polish, but it's actually gray irl. The Careline Black is really dark purple, not black. Neon pink was applied with a toothpick. I also used stone stickers: white on the thumb, dark pink on ring finger, and light pink on the rest.
Stoned. And Purple. Whatever that means.

My Collection (Warning: pic heavy)

2010-04-01T16:56:00.000+08:00

Today I thought I'd introduce the stuff I use. This is my polish collection. Most, if not all, of these polishes are from China, and are sold very cheap where I live (many of these cost only about US 0.25¢). They are very cute bottles. Usually they are only 7ml. I find that these small bottles are less likely to get spoiled. Polish sold under Philippine cosmetic brands cost a bit more, about US 0.50¢ to US$1. I don't buy these pricier polishes because I often don't like the formulation and the cost doesn't justify it. And from my experience, the smaller bottles are better, quality-wise. The only exceptions are the basics (topcoat, basecoat) because they are used repeatedly and are worth the expense.

The basics. Elianto topcoat (about US$2), given by my sister. This is the only topcoat that works with my pseudo nail stickers. ;) Caronia, Bobbie & Wish are Phil. brands.

The pinks. Most of these are very sheer, especially the middle one. I think I need a pink creme in my collection, don't you? ;) Any enabler out there?

The purples. The ones on the left look maroon in the pic, but they're dark purple irl. The middle is a boxed set given by my friend; the one covered by the label is colorless (see basics above).

The reds. Many of these were a gift from my sister (yeah, she's sweet that way). They range in intensity from almost black to orange-y, and Bobbie and the right-most ones have glitter.

The greens. I love these greens, but none is creme. All are sheer. The Bobbie -- I can't tell if it's green or more blue. I haven't used it, don't know what's keeping me, but love the color.

The blues. I'm a blue girl all the way, my friend Tracy gave me that purple boxed set because she always saw me in blue and thought I didn't have other colors, LOL!

The neons. The pink appeared above, but I think it deserves another appearance here. I love me some brights! These silver-capped brand is my favorite of my cheap-o polishes.

The Glitters. Nothing compared to those Christy gave me. The pink is ok, but the two golds are terrible to work with and very sparse. I frankened the silver using craft glitter.

The blacks. Actually, only the two on the sides are real black. Those in the middle are very dark reds that show up dark red, not black. The Careline is even named black.

The neutrals and grey. Neutrals are usually too bland for my taste. I use these mostly for nail art. Second one to the left, Klik Cappuccino, is my favorite for hiding visible nail lines.

These No-Name, No-Brand Polishes (henceforth called NNNB) are identifiable only by numbers found on stickers stuck to their bottoms. ;) The labeling is inconsistent. Some labels say "Color Cosmetic," some, "Xixi," some "Made in China," some just have the number on the sticker. But the bottles are all the same. I wonder if these are generic bottles that different polish manufacturers use to put their brand-name surplus polishes and sell for a fraction of the real price just to dispose of production over-runs???
That's the stuff of my fantasy, LOL.

Giveaways -- doncha love 'em!

2010-03-31T12:08:00.005+08:00

Mari and Lissi, two girls "who use pretty nails as an excuse and escape from the Miami legal field," are having an amazing giveaway. See below! Ok, wipe off that drool and go enroll! Ends April 9.

Michelle of The Lacquer Files is giving away TWO sets of prizes. See one below, click on pic for details.

Contest ends April 10 so there's not much time left.

Painted Lady Fingers is giving away polishes and Skin MD - the much-reviewed, much-loved lotion! Don't let this chance pass, giveaway ends April 10!

Dollface (youtube channel and Etsy Shop here -- she's popular!) has plenty of stuff to give away, this pic below is ONLY ONE of the huge loot she has prepared for the winner. Ends April 13, so act fast!

Jessica of Polished Lyrics is almost at 200 followers and celebrating big with this giveaway. This is ending on April 15 so hurry.

Lauren of Lauren's Dressing Room's ginormous giveaway is going on! Click the pic, quick!

Ends April 17, go ahead and join now!

Susie of Susie's Home and Hobbies is hosting an amazing giveaway. Ends on April 22. Join now!

Laura of Sawan is doing a huge giveaway!!! Look look! Ends April 30!

The Dutch Nail Blog is giving away a puppy!!! NOT!!! Lol. But I sure enjoyed this pic. Her cute dog is having puppies and in their honor, she's doing a giveaway. Contest ends April 30.

Check out the details -- click on the pic.

Book Review: "66 Love Letters From God to You" by Dr. Larry Crabb

2010-03-24T16:00:00.000+08:00

Dr. Larry Crabb’s “66 Love Letters From God to You: A Conversation with God that Invites You into His Story,” is one thought-provoking, life-changing book. I was attracted to the title because of the author, Dr. Larry Crabb. And to its promise of making more accessible the One Author who matters.

It is at once loving, and hard-hitting. To borrow the author’s phrase, “Prepare to be slapped, then hugged.”

I’ve read the Bible several times over, and each time I’ve come to a new (albeit a very small) insight on the character of God. Over the years and by His grace I’ve come to a more intimate knowledge of His nature and person. And yet this is not to say reading the Bible is easy. I especially struggle with its relevance to my daily life and how to apply it.

Lately I came to a crisis and, though it did not shake my belief in God, it did turn around all the things I simplistically assumed about Him. The author shared my struggles, asked my questions, and distilled for me the message I needed to hear.

Dr. Crabb did not say anything that I knew to be doctrinally untrue or even controversial. He only reiterated what I knew from reading the Bible, but in straightforward, simple, and strong language.

He does this not by interpreting the Bible for us, but by opening up a whole new way to see the books and God’s intention behind it. He ties up all the seemingly-difficult to understand passages and stories into a seamless plan with a common goal, a common good, by an uncommon God.

Here is a Holy God, completely loving and completely just, in conversation with the author (and with me), though very colloquially. Some may see it as putting words in God’s mouth. I don’t. There isn’t anything here you don’t get from reading the Bible. But there is everything here that I knew before but couldn’t put into words.

This book neither claims nor attempts to replace the Bible as the bearer of God’s message. Instead, it is a tool for understanding it better, and in that it succeeds. Readers will get from it what they bring in. Those who have not read the Bible before, or find a hard time doing so, will get a new perspective and understanding of the love that went into God’s Word, and may be encouraged to finally read it through. Long-time Bible readers will perhaps get a more personal, more intimate insight, in much simpler language. And struggling readers, like me, get a new view of the completely awesome, absolute magnificent, totally holy God, Creator of all, King of Kings, Lord of Hosts. And worship.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Spies and Espionage

2010-03-23T15:06:00.001+08:00

"They could never make a James Bond movie like any of the Bourne films. Because Bond is an imperialist, misogynist sociopath who goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people. He's repulsive."
This is what Matt Damon had to say about James Bond.
And I find it hard to argue with him.
Not to mention that Bourne films are just faster, slicker, more believable, and by and large more enjoyable.
It also bears mentioning that I'm biased towards Bourne because I read all the books in my teenage years, when my imagination was at its highest and finest. ;) Bourne was and is my ultimate spy, and the films didn't let me down.

Join Kikamz and other Potato Couchers here:

Pure Ice Busted

2010-03-21T13:59:00.003+08:00

I finally convinced my sister, who works in a very conservative government office, to let me put polish on her nails. With many assurances, cross-my-heart-and-hope-to-die (but not really) promises that it will be lovely and yet not OTT for her office.
This is what I used for her: 3 coats of Pure Ice Busted. As usual, photo is crappy, but the mani was not. ;)
She was okay with her nail line showing because she prefers to appear like she's not wearing polish at all.
But when she moves her hand -- ah, there's the magic!
There's shimmer, a slight purple-y glow, and lots of shine. She loves it.
Thanks to Christy for sharing.

More Beauty Blogger Giveaways to Join

2010-03-21T08:28:00.004+08:00

Deniz of emeraldsparkled.blogspot.com has these lovely stuff from Turkey.

There, there, I know you love it, I understand. I do.
Go ahead and click to join.

Closer to home, Shen of shensaddition is celebrating her 2nd blog anniversary with a giveaway. She's giving prizes to two Philippine followers and one international. Check it out!

And another from Christel of makeupper, to share the joy and celebrate her followers.

Next, from ewwitsnikki, a fabulous haul:

Keisha of The Brunette is giving this to a lucky follower:

Nail junkie's giveaway ending soon!

2010-03-20T13:44:00.000+08:00

Such a massive giveaway we shouldn't miss!!! Check this out!

Simply unbelievable, amazing stuff.

Congratulations on your first giveaway, Lyra, and to the winner, too!!!

Awards! Thank you!!!

2010-03-20T12:50:00.001+08:00

Janet of My Naked Face very kindly gave me this award, and I'm so grateful. Not just for the compliment, but more especially for the recognition from a fellow blogger whose opinions I respect, whose style I admire, and whose blog I enjoy. Thanks, Janet!
Seven facts about me:
1) I'm a child of God;
2) gifted with three children (all boys);
3) I'm a church worker;
4) I love all colors, but most of all, blue;
5) I don't make friends easily;
6) Friendships I do have are strong;
7) I'm the quintessential nerd.

Kikamz of Just About Anything also gave me an award sometime ago. I've been so negligent on posting about this (sorry, Kikamz!) but it's no less appreciated. This award means so much because I really enjoy this new-found friendship and the exchanges I get with other fellow potato couchers at her blog.
Ten things that make me happy:

My sons and family
The Word
Church
Books
Movies
Road trips
Holidays
Fellow beauty bloggers (followers and those I follow!)
Winning giveaways: Thanks to Sarah of trendwisely and Saila of adventurouspurplekoala!
The generosity of other bloggers: Christy of kroniklesofakonader

SPREAD THE LOVE!!!

Saila of adventurouspurplekoala

Sarah of trendwisely

Christy of kroniklesofakonader

toxiclipstick - congratulations on new job!

Anastacia of mymakeupmania

gilded angel of naive-nails

khymm of shopcoholicformakeup

thriszha of faburnails

jhoy of ohjhoy

angie of angiepink
niki of polishondigitalpaper

NOTD: Purple Haze

2010-03-17T10:00:00.000+08:00

My photography skills do not do justice to the loveliness of these polishes. After applying the usual prep base coat, I applied a skin tone polish (using local brand Klik Capuccino) to hide the nail line. Then applied local brand Wish lavender on a curve as base for Pure Ice Busted. On the other side I used Wet & Wild Sparked. Put Pure Ice Mint Dream down the middle. Put a sticker stone at the base, and done!
I just wish Busted and Mint Dream showed up in the photo as well as it did in real life. It's pathetic that my photography is as bad as my nail art. LOL.
Busted shows up in shimmer over the lavender base and gives off a lovely, subtle glow. Sparked is super sparkly! And Mint Dream looks alternately minty and nude depending on the light, and I loved moving my fingers around just to see the light playing on my nails. Ah! Such are the simple joys!
My lovely nail polishes are courtesy of the lovely Christy, whom you should really go see if you haven't already.

TCP #29: Rachel Getting Married

2010-03-17T09:55:00.000+08:00

My entry this week for weddings is "Rachel Getting Married." It's not a popular one, and I haven't heard of it being advertised in local moviehouses. I'm thankful for advanced technology which allows us other alternatives for entertainment fare than what the local businessmen deem worthy of showing on their theaters.
This film, which stars Anne Hathaway, alternates between the hilarious and heartbreaking. It's not an easy film to watch especially for those with strong family hangups (uhm, not looking at the mirror here). Anne's character, Kym, is allowed a few days' pass from rehab to go home and attend the wedding of her sister, Rachel. The tension is palpable, and it builds up as family dysfunctions get stirred up, especially when Kym finds out that her sister's best friend was asked to be maid of honor instead of her. That scene is only the start as various twists and sub-plots unravel. And yet there is just the right blend of humor with drama as to make this a good film to watch.
But its qualification for my choice as entry is based primarily on the wedding ceremony. (This is, after all, a wedding post.) Rachel is marrying Sidney, who's black, and their wedding is an Indian ceremony. Asian Indian, not American Indian. Talk about diversity! The rehearsal dinner was alternately sweet, (the guests' toasts), sour (Kym's toast! bummer!), and stirring (especially the speech of Sidney's mother for Rachel) .
The wedding itself was a unique ceremony with participation by the congregation. It was a wonderful celebration of a beautiful relationship that drew in families and friends, and enlarged itself to accommodate even those who were difficult to accept. Watch for the bride and groom's speeches, people, it will make you cry, I promise you!!!
I loved how this film showed the tendency of big events like a wedding to bring up a family's painful skeletons. (Isn't this what always happens during family reunions?) But it does so in such a way as to flesh out each character's strengths and flaws so that each person is a complete human, not a caricature or a stereotype. It also enabled me to see parts of myself in a new light, and my relationships with my family members in a whole new perspective. It was enlightening, fun, and it ended on a hopeful note.
My favorite quote (and Kikamz, this is dedicated to you):
"Nachtmahr."
"Nachtmahr?"
"Nachtmahr. You don't know Nachtmahr?"
"Nachtmahr was a nightmare so bad it's in German."
Have fun with Kikamz and other couch potatoes! Click here or the icon below.

TCP #28: It Was a Disappointment

2010-03-10T09:32:00.000+08:00

My entry for this week is "Precious." Starring Gabourey Sidibe as Precious, and Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey, highly recommended by Oprah, not to mention the multiple awards -- I had such high hopes. Films like this are expected to be dramatic. I expected to be challenged to think and to learn something.
But I couldn't bear to watch this. It's about an illiterate teen in Harlem, overweight and black, pregnant with her second child by her father. All the cards are stacked against her.
The language, violence, and abuse starting from the first scene was so painful to watch... I just couldn't. I've no doubt it's a good film. But I felt I needed to shield myself from this.

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TCP #27: Legally Blonde

2010-03-03T12:23:00.001+08:00

This week's theme is School Is Fun. When talking of school movies I have to put "Dead Poet's Society" and "The Great Debaters" and "Mona Lisa Smile" in edgewise, but then these are serious films, not entirely suited to the 'fun' part. Mona Lisa Smile I loved because it was a well-made period film that dwelt on present-day issues for women. Then, of course, there's Julia Roberts. And especially how the other stars, her students, moved so differently to appropriately depict how young ladies of the time behaved. "In a world that told them how to think, she showed them how to live."
In a similar vein, I also liked Dangerous Minds, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, based on the real life story of LouAnne Johnson. I personally know a Filipina teacher who's teaching at a school like this in NY, and she has been an inspiration and encouragement to her students, also. It's scary how these kids grown up in their drive-by shooting and drug-riddled neighborhoods, in single- or no-parent families.
My choice for this week? Legally Blonde. Don't laugh.

I liked the fun school atmosphere of Legally Blonde. Where a girl could be as girly as she wanted, and still be brainy. How Elle and her sorority sisters were so supportive and so there for each other. Usually in films in this setting, there are mean characters who are out to get the heroine. But in Elle, the characters are more like real life in that there are good and bad sides even to the villains. Of course there had to be conflict. But I even liked the way that Selma Blair's character eventually bonded with Elle.
Favorite quote:

Warner Huntington III: You got into Harvard Law?

Elle: What? Like, it's hard?

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NOTD Rockin' the Ruffian

2010-03-02T12:08:00.002+08:00

Everybody and her sister are agog over this Ruffian reverse-french mani. Isn't it lovely, though? And it's all over blogdom.Notable examples at emeraldsparkled and lacquerized.
I was on the lookout for a design that would showcase the beauty of Zoya Veruschka. I didn't want it plain. Neither could I couldn't draw over it because that would require a topcoat, and since the only topcoat available where I live are shiny ones, it would defeat the purpose of using a matte polish.
Enter the Ruffian, and I'm ecstatic. Finally! A mani that's eye-catching, and that shows off the strength and beauty of Veruschka!
Here's my attempt:

For the 'gold' part I first applied Nina Ultra Brassi Bronz and then Sinful Colors All About You (such lovely, lovely gold shimmer!). Then I topped it with two coats of Zoya Veruschka.

I love how the shimmer and the matte play off against each other. The gold shimmer makes the matte appear more matte and vice versa. Indoors or out, the effect is lovely. I had one friend drop by my office to see me in a hurry; in the short time I was talking she had her eyes glued to my nails and I finally had to hide my hands so she can focus on what I was saying before she had to leave! LOL!

This beauty and happiness I owe to Christy!!! Thanks, girl!

NOTD Wild, Black and Sinful

2010-02-27T08:46:00.000+08:00

This is three coats of Sinful Colors All About You over a coat of Wet n Wild Wild Shine Black Creme. Both are from Christy.
I don't know why I came up with combination. Maybe it was inspired by the bangle, or the new moon which for all I know may be some nights off.
All About You is clear with tiny but abundant flecks of gold and red glitter. It is a dream to apply! So smooth, quick, even... I'd like to put a gold ring on its finger and ask it to marry me. Except it's gold, and it's already on my finger. Oh, well.
I was debating with myself whether or not to add gold stickers. I can never leave well enough alone. But this time, I did. It looks good enough on its own. But now I wonder how it would look over red, and orange, and green..... Feed the addiction, I dare ya!

Hate Fashion?

2010-02-25T18:23:00.005+08:00

Have you seen Tanya Gold's article in The Guardian on why she hates fashion? A brief excerpt:

Put simply, I hate fashion. I scowl at Harper's. I snarl at W. I spit at Vogue. Sometimes, I tear them up, these glossy pages full of anorexic children – part human, part makeup, part computer program – just because I'm worth it...
...I am a reasonable example of a normal woman. I like food and men and comfort. It is just that at some point, the unceasing prattle of fashion has become a scream in my head. I cannot ignore its idiocies any more. I walk past a shop that sells 6in heels and I am angry. Banana Republic? Angry again. Selfridges and its loathsome "I shop therefore I am" adverts, a manifesto for morons? Don't even go there. I have had it with this tyrant-fool throwing darts from every billboard and magazine and TV screen. I want to hurl a spear back at it.

Carrie Bradshaw in Sex

and the City.

Photograph:

James Devaney/

WireImage.com

I get what she says about fashion being frivolous, and there being too many hapless victims of it. I also know that there's obscene amounts of money spent on fashion that could be better spent elsewhere. I know that it is so easy (but never justified) to judge others as fashion victims and dismiss them as flighty for getting caught up in it at all. I am aware that many women suffer countless insecurities and deprivations in the name of fashion. I know that it's true, and I know that it's more widespread than we're willing to face up to. What I don't get is: why the anger? Corruption. Crime. Inept bureaucracy. White slavery. Substance abuse. Violence in any form. Abortion. These and so much more could arouse such anger, and I'd understand.
Sure, I know fashion is not completely harmless. But why should it warrant such a vehement, passionate opposition from someone who says she's above it?
Fashion is so many things to every individual. It's rather small-minded to lump the whole industry, as well as the many forms and variations thereof, into one malignant lump of vanity. The biggest goal of fashion may be to make pretty. Whether it succeeds or fails is up to the individual who is victimized or enamored of it.
But too great an anger over something you say is inane? Not pretty.

Lead in Lipstick

2010-02-23T12:15:00.000+08:00

I read a comment in one beauty blog where it said a certain brand of lipstick causes the lips to darken. I haven't been this much into makeup for very long, so this is the first time I've heard of such a thing happening. It occurred to me why such warnings are given about cheap brands, but not for the expensive ones. Again -- prejudice? snobbery? I thought only cigarettes could darken lips from prolonged use, due to exposure to harmful chemicals. But lipstick?

A cursory search yielded these:

"It is a common misconception that dark lips are an indication of bad health and are an unnatural state of the skin and mucosa. Lips darken over a period of time naturally, and therefore it just might be a genetic destiny. In fact, you just might have a family history of it. The lips are similar to any other skin on your body and contain the skin pigment melanin. There are many triggers over the course of one's life that causes excess melanin production from the presence of androgen to excess insulin in the blood. Therefore, it might make sense to see a doctor or a dermatologist to be absolutely sure."

From dailyglow, click here to read more.

And how about that one going around about lipstick containing lead which can be detected by a gold ring?

The bottom line is that U.S. medical literature has yet to record a single case of anyone's coming down with lead poisoning through lipstick use. (And, in any case, contrary to what is claimed in the alarming e-mail..., contracting cancer is not one of the recorded adverse health effects one is likely to suffer through excessive exposure to lead.)

Barbara "lip service" Mikkelson, click here to read more

With the abundance of beauty products out there, it pays to be careful. At the same time, it is also prudent to be savvy.

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Love of Family

2010-02-23T11:39:00.001+08:00

Movies with family themes are something I really prefer watching. Usually because these are clean and wholesome, and most of the time there's little tips or lessons we can pick up. So for this week's theme I had a difficult time choosing just one. So I'll go right ahead and write about all my favorites. And, no, this is not the complete list, I'm just going through what I can recall off the top of my head. Putting together and writing all of my favorites will just be pure torture for everyone all around, lol.
For some reason, I liked Bee Season. It's a rather dark tale of a rather more-than-usual dysfunctional family. The discovery of a daughter's special gift threatened to create a rift in the usual dynamics of the family and threatened to blow their well-established personal failures sky-high. So the daughter chose to sacrifice her ambition and giftedness to maintain the family's status quo. I see in this family the daughter's worthy sacrifice to keep her family intact. But at what cost to her, and is the family, as they were, worth it? Hard question to answer.

Fiddler on the Roof - yes, another musical. I loved how the Jewish family operated and functioned, especially their observance of their traditions, the value they put on parental blessing, love for God and each other (although "Do You Love Me?" was at once both poignant and humorous, the underlying truth of love in action was so palpable and real). What parent doesn't get misty-eyed over "Sunrise, Sunset"? And most of all, the parents' love for their children despite the life choices they made, and the childrens' equally strong love for their parents -- again, despite the choices they made. And as a mother on a tight budget, I totally get "If I Were a Rich Man."
The Secret of Moonacre - totally a movie for the entire family. Although there were times the characters got confusing (as the same actors played various characters across different generations), the loveliness of this movie and the lesson to be gleaned make it a very good one. I especially like the point it makes about pride separating families and putting a curse across generations.
Lilo & Stitch, Marley & Me, and Stuart Little - These films make a case for families made up of different species. Okay, realistically we could only experience racial diversity in families, although dog lovers would definitely fight to the death for their beloved pets' inclusion into the family. Lilo adopted Stitch (an alien), Marley was a dog that was undoubtedly a part of the family, and Stuart was a mouse adopted by the Little family. I love Lilo's quote: "Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten." I have a do(g)ter of my own, so yes, we are a mixed-specie ohana.

But my hands-down favorite is "The Pursuit of Happyness." Now I know this should have been under love of children. Since the parents are divorced, this is a broken family -- and yet it's a family, just the same, and the father and son's love for each other makes this a strong one. In the story, the wife leaves her husband to find herself and make something of herself elsewhere. She couldn't live with their poverty and the limitations afforded by having a husband and child to care for. (Much like the theme in Kramer vs. Kramer also.) So she ups and leaves. The husband had to care for the child while at the same time trying to earn a living. They went through a LOT of hardships -- he lost his job, credit cards, their house -- unbelievable and tear-jerking. He applied (partly by figuring out how to solve the Rubik's cube) and got hired for a stockbroking job which meant 6 months of training without pay. How was he going to do that full time, sell scanning machines to make a living, raise a child, and keep body and soul together? Somewhere along the way you wonder how he could have put up with it and not give up. But put up he did.
The fact that Will Smith starred, and his son Jaden played the part of the son in the film, made this movie more special. The real-life bond between father and son showed (those knock-knock jokes were not scripted), and made portraying their roles just that much more convincing.
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Nail Art: Green French

2010-02-17T10:48:00.000+08:00

Here's a green french mani, which I did some months ago. (I don't have a new one as I'm still enjoying my blue sparkly one so much and am loathe to take it off!) For this I used my no-name polishes, two coats of sheer green with dark green at the tips. I'm not sure, but the sheer must be frosted? It's very shiny without sparkles. I don't know how to describe it. Anyway. I then added stickers to the smile line and a 'pebble' sticker to the thumb.
These stickers are sold as children's playthings here. They are nothing comparable to the ones Christy sent. I'll write more about them, with photos, some other time. By the time I did this mani, I've gotten better at using them, so the outer edges aren't sticking out as much. I thought the colored foil look of the stickers went well with the frosted green backdrop.

Nail Art: Valentine Mani #5 The Last Hurrah

2010-02-16T09:54:00.013+08:00

The last of Valentine's and heart-theme manis. I promise. If I can help it. ;)
For this, I used two coats of NYC Glossies #241, 3 coats of NYC Starry Silver Glitter, and toothpick-painted the hearts with Pure Ice Free Fall. The NYC 241 was very sheer, and I needed three coats of the glitter to get this much shine. But boy, do I love it. Not that I've had that much experience with glitter (the ones I used before cannot compare with this), but this is really sparkly. When I'm in bright sunlight I have to tear my eyes away from my nails to be able to do anything at all! LOL. Thanks to Christy for the polish love.

GIVEAWAYS, ANYONE???

How about a Guess and coach handbag giveaway? What girl doesn't need another handbag? And these are lovely.
PerryPie is throwing confetti (and nail love goodies) to celebrate 100 followers -- and now she's up to more than 200. Way to go!!!
Cucumpear's end of semester giveaway is ending Feb. 18, so be sure to go check it out. See this:
Gildedangel of naivenails, who's one of the most active, thoughtful and sweetest commenters I've seen in the webs, is having her own giveaway to celebrate followers (and she's got lots). She's giving out holos -- check these out. Must be awesome to have these on!
DailyPolish, whose tagline reads 365 days of nail colors (now if that isn't commitment, what is???) is saying, "Go big or go home" for reaching 100 followers! LOL, this is the first time I heard that expression but I really love it!
Blacknailpolishandlipgloss enjoys having more followers (who doesn't?) and wants to encourage you to give dog or cat food to your animal shelter. Isn't that sweet? Check out her giveaway and tell me if it isn't something you just gotta have.
Mary of bodysoulbeauty is has one of the most whopping, amazing giveaways ever! I have only one photo here but there's lots, lots more at her blog so go there pronto! Don't miss out!
Lovely Nea of fashionedinfinland (check out her blog and tell me if those aren't the most gorgeous eyes) will give awesome gifts to three lucky winners. Join now, but leave a prize for me!
Jhoy of beauty and brains is giving away Mac cosmetics! Awesome!!! See see see!!!
Shifa of getgawjus (I love that blog name) is having a 500-giveaway and this set is only one of THREE prizes at stake. This is definitely worth checking out.

As I keep saying again and again, there is so much good and generosity going on in beauty blogland.
Whether I win or not, it's quite amazing to be part of this community of people who are beautiful inside and out.
Thank you, you beautiful people, you!

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Love of Nature

2010-02-16T08:57:00.001+08:00

"An Inconvenient Truth" is a documentary of former US VP Al Gore's campaign on global warming. It shows him doing a slide show presentation of the effects of global warming on our planet, replete with detailed data, graphic charts, and video clips. Fictional movies on global warming, such as "The Day After Tomorrow" (which I didn't like very much due to the sappy storyline) cannot compare with the real-life horrific consequences of the damage done to our planet.
The evidence is in incontrovertible. You only have to see the slides and be able to make a conclusion for yourself. According to wikipedia, "The Associated Press contacted more than 100 climate researchers and questioned them about the film's veracity. All 19 climate scientists who had seen the movie said that Gore conveyed the science correctly."
Although I've been aware of global warming for a long time now, seeing this movie was the first time I saw the wide range of damage and imminent danger we are all facing. Although scientists would be careful to directly tie up Katrina, Ondoy, tsunamis, and all those other cataclysmic calamities to global warming, I absolutely believe it is linked. And I fear we will be seeing more of it, if we do not do what we can and teach the next generation to care.
Quote: "Each one of us is a cause of global warming, but each one of us can make choices to change that with the things we buy, the electricity we use, the cars we drive; we can make choices to bring our individual carbon emissions to zero. The solutions are in our hands, we just have to have the determination to make it happen. We have everything that we need to reduce carbon emissions, everything but political will. But in America, the will to act is a renewable resource."
To join kikamz and other couch potatoes, click here or the icon below.

I would also like to make this movie my entry for Kikamz's DVD giveaway. It took me a long time to join this contest because I couldn't decide what movie I wanted!!! LOL. There's just way too many things I want! But as I wrote this post today, it dawned on me that nothing could be more fitting. This DVD is something worth seeing again and again, and a must-see for my kids and others. We need to spread the word and having this on dvd will make it easier to do so.
Join Kikam's giveaway now -- click below!

Nail Art: Valentine Mani #4 I heart roses

2010-02-10T17:28:00.000+08:00

You'd think I was head over heels in love with all these vday manis going on, lol. But the truth is, I need the distraction. Pure, painless, prettifying therapy. Maybe this will keep my mind on loving instead of dwelling on ugliness going on elsewhere in my life.
But enough with the blahs.
Here's my "I ♥ roses" mani.

I used the Pink Ice "First Love" for the background color, Goya "Verouscha" for the leaves (both from Christy) and red #29 from my no-name-nail-polish.
This pink is very sheer! I put two coats of pink. Then I drew hearts with a toothpick. My idea was for the hearts to sort of fade into the background, to just there be a hint of it. So I put another coat of pink on top. It didn't happen. The pink is so sheer, and the red is so bright, that it only served to dull the color somewhat. I should probably classify this as a fail at this point, but ah. Some love stories don't end happily ever after, but it isn't a fail until we get to the other side of heaven. Or at least until the fat lady sings. Or the mafia goon croaks. Uhm. Mafia? Vday? ♥ & roses? I'm confused now. Are you with me yet?
So. Then I drew the 'approximation' of a rose and rosebud and leaves on the thumb, and a bigger rosebud on the ring finger. Yes. With a toothpick. So don't pick on my drawing, lol. The rose is just a big round drop with white lines drawn across it to look like petals. Do you see the petals yet? If you do, congratulations, you have a very vivid imagination, better than my drawing skills. I should also have planned out my design in advance so that my rose and my hearts didn't point in different directions.
The Goya Verouscha, which I've been drooling over since I first saw it on the 'nets and which God graciously, lovingly and miraculously put in my lap, is everything I thought it would be. Thank you again,Christy!
So there you have it, I ♥ roses.

Thanks, Johnson & Johnson

2010-02-10T10:33:00.001+08:00

Received this package from Johnson & Johnson as part of their Johnson's Body Care giveaway. It is so rare that we get freebies like this. Although I joined and was told that a package was on its way, actually receiving it was still a delight and a pleasant surprise.Sadly, the giveaway has ended. I got my package via LBC.
My package consisted of six 25ml bottles of the new variants of Johnson's Body Lotion: five“24 Hour Lasting Moisture Body Lotion” and one of “Melt Away Stress Daily Calming Lotion.”
Look at this: aren't they cute?

Many of us grew up on Johnson and Johnson. And I've used J&J products for all my three sons (when they were young, okay? They're gonna hate it if they learn I talk about their personal habits here, LOL).
Using these is like coming home. Although the lotions are new variants, there is still that familiar, soothing feeling of using what's comfortable. The scent is mild and not overpowering. The lotions are fine, as can be expected.
It said to share with friends. Well, I'm a firm believer that we are blessed to be a blessing, and I had to share the love. So I gave one each to my office friends Sylvia, Hazel, Jovy and Virgie. One bottle is for my hubby to keep in his car -- unobtrusive so he doesn't appear too vain, but it's there when needed. :Þ The lavender I kept for myself. I need calming.

TCP #25: The Sound of Music

2010-02-09T14:15:00.003+08:00

For the Love of Children
There's no question that movies with children are always sure to appeal to me. For one, it's something we can share with our kids and build memories on. Plus these movies are usually better, more wholesome.
So okay. I love Kikamz's choice, "I Am Sam." That was one memorable film, wonderful story with great acting. Ones I've seen recently and liked are "Secrets of Woodacre," "Simon Birch," "The Boy in Striped Pyjamas," "The Ultimate Gift," and I'm sure there are others I can't quite remember just yet, lol.
I also saw "My Sister's Keeper" recently. It's not my favorite, but it bears mention because of the supreme, sacrificial love of the mother for her daughter. I also read the book but like the movie's ending better. Both book and movie version disappointed me in that there is absolutely no hope in eternal life. I can't fault the author or Hollywood for believing what they do. But personally, if I were in that situation, having a faith in God makes all the difference in how I would view impending death and how to deal with it. Although the situation in the story is every mother's worst nightmare, there is always a silver lining. This story pointed to none.
But on a similar vein, "John Q" -- also about parents with a seriously sick child -- is more positive, more uplifting, and a better movie. There's some hopefulness here, and the fact that the parents are Christians make for an entirely different dynamics. Though there is definitely nothing Christian about how John Q chose to deal with the situation, Denzel Washington fleshes out his role in a way that you actually feel for him and somewhat understand why he had to do what he did. There's good acting, good script, highly recommended. Loved this quote: "I would tell you what I think of you, but I am a Christian woman."

My favorite for love of children is, hands down, no debate, no doubt -- "The Sound of Music." I know. Everybody knows the story (if you don't, where have you been hiding? Either that, or you're much too young! Lol). I loved this movie. When I saw a cd on sale at the mall, (this was cd version yet, not dvd -- a long time ago), I immediately bought it. My boys played it over and over!!! Even I couldn't believe it! See, the story and the songs transcend all age, gender and cultural barriers, it definitely has universal appeal. My boys even memorized the lyrics. Though I guess they may have forgotten it now, their brains are starting to erode with rap and what have you. Wait, this isn't about my boys brains, lol.
So, yes, "The Sound of Music" is my favorite. For more movies of love stories with children, join kikamz and friends at Tuesday Couch Potatoes.

Nail Art: Valentine Mani #3

2010-02-08T15:42:00.001+08:00

Another Valentine mani, this is inspired by Christy's mani and tutorial. The hearts are drawn with a toothpick, as Christy demonstrated.

I used Bobbie Cherry Blossom Glaze. The white tip is Wish white, topped with Sally Girl sparkles. It's so lovely IRL, with blue and white flecks. So sad it doesn't show in this picture.

Mac and Ever Bilena - Do They Exist in the Same Universe?

2010-02-06T22:18:00.001+08:00

Everywhere on the ‘net I find reviews of Mac (both the cosmetics and the computer. By the way, has anyone ever thought to ask whether they’re married? Because, of course, Mac the computer is a guy and cosmetics is a gal. Or is that sexist? Well, nowadays, whether they’re guy or gal or both guys or both gals, they could be married, in some states of the US of A. Although I’m with Prejean on this one. Still, you’d wonder at Mac.)
Anyhow. Where was I? Oh, yes. For the purpose of this post let’s stick to Mac the cosmetics. Everywhere, bloggers review Mac and rave. I know Mac is good, Mac is beautiful, Mac is so dropdead gorgeous if she wasn’t married to Mac the computer, she should be, and they’d have the loveliest offspring.
But I can hardly find any review on Ever Bilena. I’m thankful to shopcoholic for this review. Does anyone know of any other? Can Ever Bilena really stand as dupe for Mac, or is there just some similarity in color or some other factor? With the enormous chasm between Mac and Ever Bilena prices, it’s hard to believe that the latter could ever really compare. It’s almost always a given that you get what you pay for.

Since Ever Bilena is a Philippine product, it’s unknown to the international market and so it follows there are too few reviews about it. Even among Philippine bloggers, there’s little mention of it. I just wonder if this is so because of its poor quality, or because of snobbishness and prejudice against cheap products? I’d really love to know.
I have no way of comparing how Ever Bilena products fare against expensive brands. For one, the expensive brands are hardly available where I live, and even if they were, it’s simply not in the budget. However, EB products have worked well enough for my lifestyle. I’m not in the beauty/fashion business. Any cosmetic enhancement I use is not necessary for my line of work, but serves to boost my self-esteem and is a means for self-expression. It serves my purpose well enough. I really just am curious about the comparison thing. I’d love to ask Nikki of askmewhats what she thinks, but I’m afraid using a cheap brand might make her skin break out.
I guess what I’d like to know is: if there were a Mac-Mac nuptials, would Ever Bilena be in the guest list?

Christmas & Valentine's all at once! Plus Nail Art in honor of Christy

2010-02-03T15:56:00.000+08:00

It's Christmas and Valentine's Day all at once, my lovelies, as I am the recipient of unwarranted magnanimity and generosity. I.Am.Over.Whelmed. These warmed my heart, brought tears to my eyes, a smile on my lips, color on my nails... can you tell I'm happy and grateful? Thanks to my sister in Christ, who is aptly named after Him: Princess Christy.

And here are the pretties, all in a row:

It should be easy to see why I'm overwhelmed. These products are not available in the stores where I live. And even if they were, the cost would be prohibitive. This is exactly what is meant by grace: purely undeserved, incomprehensible, and overflowing. I cannot express my gratitude enough!

So here's a mani and tutorial dedicated to and in honor of Christy. Can I call it overflowing love? (see how the heart extends beyond the tip of the nail -- because love can't be contained and knows no bounds? cheesy!)

TUTORIAL FOR NAIL ART: Overflowing Love

Apply two coats of coral (I used NYC Classic Coral Creme -- I can't believe how wonderful this was to use! It glided on like a dream. I guess I've gotten so used to the quality of cheap polish I've been using, the experience of using this seemed nothing short of a miracle, LOL! Although it seemed sheer, two coats gave sufficient coverage and I didn't need more. And the color? I can only describe it as delicious. Yup. Good enough to eat.)
With a red polish (I used Petites Rock n Red), draw a sort of curved v-shape, one side thicker than the other.
Outline the v using white, then gently loop into a curve at the nail tip, as shown. I used a toothpick to draw the outline. This is to encourage those, like me, who don't have nail art tools. Just use what you have. If you look closely, you'll see that my outline is actually shaky, sloppy and splotchy (heh, I love alliteration, too). Lovelies, aim for expression, not perfection.
Add one coat of glitter to sort of cover up the sloppy outline. Remember: glitter (like love) covers up a multitude of sins. I used Wet and Wild Sparked. The sparkle on this polish is unbelievable. Unlike anything I've ever seen. One coat is very glittery! (Or is it just my experience with poor quality? lol)

Thank you again so much, Christy. May God bless you abundantly more than you ask for or even imagine.

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Love Story

2010-02-02T09:08:00.002+08:00

Who doesn’t love a good love story? Especially if it involves lovely people? No one is immune, because the human heart is made to love.
I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many beautiful love stories on film. Notably Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, Somewhere in Time, The Thorn Birds (a TV series but is in my list, nevertheless) When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, Ghost, Sleepless in Seattle, Bridges of Madison County, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, The Notebook, Nottinghill, The Story of Us, 50 First Dates, Australia, Moulin Rouge, Slumdog Millionaire.
My most recent favorite is Fireproof. It’s not as cinematically accomplished as those mentioned above, nor as big-budgeted. But the principles it stands for are positives that more than make up for the lack of Hollywood glitz.

Fireproof (“Never Leave Your Partner Behind”) tells the story of Caleb, a firefighter, and his wife Catherine. Their marriage is disintegrating as they argue over every little thing. Catherine is tempted at work over a doctor who gives her the attention and consideration she craves. Caleb, meanwhile, spends his leisure time surfing the web, getting his fill of his poison of choice: pictures of yachts. He religiously saves up for the boat of his dreams and not even Catherine’s need for a wheelchair for her invalid mother will make him part with his savings. Getting more and more frustrated as their needs go unmet and dissatisfaction with each other mounts, they are headed for divorce.
Caleb’s father convinces him to put off the divorce plans until he has tried The Love Dares, a 40-day caring-for-marriage regimen. Caleb does the dares halfheartedly at first. When a day’s dare called for him to do something surprising for his spouse (if I remember right), he bought her a bouquet of flowers, but haggled with the florist for the cheapest, and ended up with a wilted bunch that elicited disgust from Catherine. The more he did the dares, though, the more he got into the spirit of things, and his love for Catherine was rekindled as she started to respond to his loving acts.
The turning point for Catherine came when someone anonymously donated enough money to buy the special wheelchair for her mother. She assumed the donor was the doctor to whom she was attracted. Later, she learned that Caleb had, in fact, given the money, from his savings, and anonymously.
This film helped me at a crossroad in my life. As my life experience has shown again and again, God’s timing is never off. And though bad things happen either by our own choice or the consequence of other’s choices, God is able to make all things work for good to those who love Him and are called to His purpose. The message of this film helped me take up my own dares: to dare to love my husband, dare to uphold our marriage, dare to obey God.
Which brings me to my Best Love Story Movie of All Time: The Passion of the Christ.
Indeed, “Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends” John 15:13.

For many more love stories like this, join kikamz and friends at Tuesday Couch Potatoes.

My First Award! Woot!

2010-02-01T19:05:00.000+08:00

My first blog award from sweet Brooke of Babbling Brooke, aka caracita! I can't believe it! I've only been blogging for a month and I already got one of these! Thanks, Brooke! What a supportive, generous community is the beauty blogging world, where bloggers are beautiful both inside and out! (And yes -- the exclamation points are totally apt!!! LOL)

Now for the rules:

To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.
Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great!
Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

I can't wait to spread the love, but I suspect all the other awesome bloggers I know must have this already. And the winners are:

Christy of kroniclesofakonader - "superwoman" and super nail artist - MUST CHECK OUT
Grace of Amazing Grace - BFF from way, way back
Mae of Art of Nail - nail artist (freehand! & stamp!)
Nea of fashionedinfinland - the most gorgeous eyes, makes me (almost) forget the nails, lol
Kikamz of kikamzpera - beautiful friend-I-haven't-met
Mommy Riza of pinkcandyglitters - another bloggy friend
Bicky of Tastes Like Glitter - what does glitter taste like? gritty & gorgeous
Cheriekoala of koala's life - to affirm her and support her blog
Cindy of Nail'd&Polish'd - swatches galore plus giveaway
Michele of Lacquerized - lots of nail polish lovin'
Nikki of askmewhats - beauty guru

Don't waste the pretty -- spread the love!

Nail Art: Glittery V-Day

2010-02-01T15:13:00.003+08:00

I thought I'd give a heads-up for Valentine's Day with a mani. I don't know exactly what this is that I came up with, lol.

After two coats of Caronia Base Coat, I used FOF #48 pink glitter to do a gradient from tip to halfway down the nail.
Added a bright red gradient using Bobbie Cherry Blossom Glaze from cuticle upward to the smile line.
I then put a glitter heart & bubble (for want of better description) sticker over the red part.
Finished with two coats of Elianto top coat.
Love is in the air!

BookReview: Unravelled

2010-01-29T16:17:00.000+08:00

UNRAVELLED by Robyn Harding
Here's Beth Carruthers, a freelance writer who's recently out of a relationship with a commitment-phobic guy.
Her bff Angie suggests a knitting Stitch & Bitch Club so Angie can be up on the latest trend (she's a trendwatcher for a local tv show), and so they can meet new people. Though unsure of her crafting skills, the club was Beth's lifeline to recover from her failed relationship. Meeting with her newfound friends of three women and a man once a month gave her stability and fellowship that she badly needed.
She met a retired architect whom she interviewed in one of her magazine writing assignments. And though he was beyond the age she normally considered as date-worthy, she realized that an older man provides maturity and solidity that she required of a partner.
But the guy's secrets caused the unravelling of Beth's friendships, dreams, and recovery.
How she grew from the experience, and emerged a better, more mature, more sure person, able to gauge where her priorities lay and not caving with every setback, makes the book a fun read.
Quotes: "I’d learned that protecting your friendships and living your life with integrity were more important than snagging a man—not to mention, infinitely easier to do."
"Over the past few years I’ve spent way too much energy pining away for the life I’ve always dreamed of. After all that’s happened, I just want to be happy with the life I have now."
Too true!

Beauty for Its Own Sake

2010-01-28T14:37:00.000+08:00

A beauty queen and model dies from a botched butt job, and some people assume she did it because she wanted to be attractive to men. Not ‘men’ as in “goodwill to all men,” but men as in the male of the species. In this supposedly enlightened day and age, there still are many people who persist in thinking that women beautify themselves to attract men. Well, excuse me, men, but it’s not all about you.
Sure, there are women who wear (or not wear) makeup to please their significant others. But it’s never as simple as that. Each woman’s experience is different and we all seek to balance our needs versus others’ expectations. But for the most part, very few actually beautify themselves solely as a genetic means for the preservation of the species.
Woman seek beauty for its own sake. We were made by a Creator who delights in beauty, in uniqueness, in the sheer joy of creation. As we were created in His image, so we take our love for beauty from Him, so we take our need to create from Him. This creativity is expressed in various ways. Some create art, music, structures, performances. Some cook, some strategize, some keep a clean, organized home amidst the chaos of kids and daily life.
Some of us paint canvases; some, our faces; some, our nails; some, all surfaces (and with glitter!). We paint to express ourselves.
We take after our Creator.

Book: Remind Me Again Why I Need a Man

2010-01-27T16:47:00.000+08:00

My apologies to the author, but this book took me so long to finish.
Amelia Lockwood is a successful career girl, a tv producer who's about to turn a popular soap around. She has a strong support network courtesy of The Lovely Girls -- one blissfully married, one a single-and-loving-it, and a gay actor. She's also bent on turning her (non-existent) romantic prospects around by enrolling in a night course that promises she will get married within a year's time.
The course requires her to contact all her past boyfriends to learn what mistakes she keep making over and over in her choice of men and in her relationships.
And it quickly got boring, for me. The flashbacks were annoying. The ex-boyfriends were stereotypes. I found myself waiting and wishing for something -- a revelation, an epiphany, a single quotable line -- that would make me realize something deep.
I was disappointed. And though I loved that the jerk of an ex got his comeuppance in the end, it was way too anti-climactic.
Of course, we don't always need a man in our lives in order to be happy. This is the whole point of the book. And it was really just... duh.

More Generosity

2010-01-27T15:01:00.000+08:00

Koala's Life is having a giveaway to celebrate her 100th post. I can't believe that when she first offered this there weren't enough takers, when the prizes are quite good and there are first and second places!
See this:

and this:

Join now by clicking any of the images!

Nail Art: Not Violet, But Blue

2010-01-27T14:41:00.000+08:00

Roses are red, This mani is blue.
Obviously, no?
I applied two layers of blue frosted no-name polish, topped with a slightly-diagonal french tip with another no-name white polish.
Embellished with a blue flower-shaped rhinestone that I bought for a very cheap P8.00 (US$0.17?) for thirty pieces or so.
And for the next few days that I had this mani on, I had to carefully watch that my flowers didn't peel off, lol. But this was fun.

Babbling Brooke's Giveaway

2010-01-26T13:12:00.001+08:00

Another wonderful contest here -- there is such an abundance of generosity and kindness all across the web, and those among beauty blogs just show how these ladies are beautiful inside and out. Brooke's giveaway, for example, has wonderful prizes and well worth the effort of joining.
Check this out:

Join now by clicking on the picture above!!!

Nail'd & Polish'd Giveaway

2010-01-26T11:20:00.000+08:00

Nail'd & Polish'd is hosting a contest, and what a contest it is, with wonderful prizes to make a diehard nail art fan drool and go, "I die"!!!
Because these products aren't available where I am, it's doubly desirable -- who doesn't want what one can't have, huh?

TCP #23: Scent of a Woman

2010-01-26T09:58:00.000+08:00

ORDER IN THE COURT

I have several favorite courtroom drama movies, notably the superb "The Rainmaker," and including "The Firm, " "My Cousin Vinny," "Primal Fear," "A Few Good Men," and why not? "Legally Blonde." But my entry for today is not even a courtroom drama, "Scent of a Woman."
Here we have an idealistic, poor, but intelligent student (Charlie Simms, played by Chris O'Donnell) who works during school break for extra money. He ends up babysitting a retired and blind ex-soldier (Lt. Col. Frank Slade, played by Al Pacino) with a death wish. The first few scenes establishes both characters solidly, as Charlie shows himself to be smart, a man of character, and Frank is out-and-out obnoxious even -- or especially to -- his family. (Both actors are exceptional in this film! And the script is wonderful!) Slade brings Charlie to New York where he plans to have a last fling before he kills himself to end what he considers as a hopeless, pathetic existence.
While in New York, Frank lives it up; he pulls out all stops to make one major last hurrah. Charlie goes along and in the process, they bond, despite Franks irascible and insulting ways. There's a scene in a restaurant where Frank smells the perfume of a woman (Gabrielle Anwar, dropdead gorgeous). He asks Charlie for the coordinates of the ballroom, basically how much room there is for him to dance. Then he follows the woman's scent, goes to her, asks her to dance, and they tango. That scene alone is indelibly etched in my brain, and if only for that, this movie is worth watching.
But I'm voting it in because of the courtroom scene. Actually, there's no courtroom. Charlie is being tried before the school's board for a prank pulled by other students, which, to me, is similar to being tried in court. The administration knows that Charlie knows who did it, but he's not telling, and they're making him bleed to make him squeal. He's being threatened that his scholarship (without which he can't finish his studies) will be taken away if he doesn't tell.
Charlie won't tell because it's against his sense of honor to snitch. I don't agree with him there (so if you need to bury a body, you know whom not to call, lol). But Frank barges into the room and defends Charlie.Listen:
"Now I have come to the cross-roads in my life. I always knew what the right path was. Without exception, I knew, but I never took it. You know why? It was too damn hard. Now here's Charlie. He's come to the cross-roads. He has chosen a path. It's the right path. It's a path made of principle that leads to character. Let him continue on his journey."
And:
""I don't know if Charlie's silence here today is right or wrong; I'm not a judge or jury. But I can tell you this: he won't sell anybody out to buy his future!"
Charlie is excused from further response. The movie ends on a hopeful note. Altogether a worthy film to see.
To join Thursday Couch Potatoes, click here.

Mani Monday: Orange and gold

2010-01-25T16:25:00.001+08:00

My very first "nail art" -- does it qualify as nail art at all? I think I'll just call it nail 'do and leave it at that.
It's very simple, really. I applied 1 coat of sheer peach base (from No Name Nail Polish). Put on orange polish on half of the nails, diagonally. Then I applied nail sticker on the orange side. Topped with top coat twice to seal in the sticker.
p.s. I can't get over how jarring the orange looks against the pastel pink and blue of my theme, LOL. But it's not that far from the blogger logo. Maybe I should call this mani "I ♥ blogger", seeing as the stickers feature hearts, and the orange stands for blogger? ☺

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Girl Power

2010-01-19T17:25:00.001+08:00

GIRL POWER MOVIE: THE DEVIL WEARS PRADAThis movie has everything dear to a girl's heart: fashion! beauty! Meryl Streep! Anne Hathaway! Adrian Grenier! New York! Paris! romance! intrigue! humor! What's not to love???
The girl power here, I think, revolves around the two main actresses, Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Meryl is Runway Magazine editor Miranda Priestly, so all-powerful in the fashion word that a single lift of a well-(plucked? waxed? threaded?) eyebrow could make or break lives, careers, hearts. The viewer could literally quake at the knees at the thought of working for a boss like her. We've all probably had our share of nasty bosses, so it's easy to relate.
But the greater power lies with the character played by Anne -- Andrea "Andy" Sachs -- who, fresh from school and with romantic idealism -- gets hired into Runway Magazine and sees her ambition of becoming a journalist ground to dust under Miranda Priestly's high-heeled Pradas (and Blahniks and Choos and etc.). From an intellectual who couldn't care less about fashion, Andy metamorphosed into a fashion-plate: drop-dead gorgeous and absolutely fabulous, while retaining (even improving) on her smarts and usefulness to Miranda. But in the process, she gave up her very essence: her kind heart, her loyalty to her friends, her time for her boyfriend and family. In the process, she became more like Miranda.
In the end, she chucked it all off to stay true to herself. That's girl power.

But right now -- my girl power salute goes to Kris Aquino. She never fails to amaze! You go, girl!!!

Why I Use Makeup

2010-01-18T17:24:00.000+08:00

Makeup used to be only something I put on in the morning to look presentable. I never spent more than ten minutes putting it on, and I never spent much thought on whether I needed to retouch during the day. I don’t even know anymore why I did it at all. My grandmother was a fashionplate in her day, and so is my mother. For me it was always a given that I’d wear makeup. The only question was when I could start.
But something happened to me lately. Something that shook me to the core. I am not the most secure, confident, self-possessed in the best of times. Best I can do is fake it. But when something hits you blindsided, you take a step back and see things from a different perspective. I realized I not only needed makeup for its own sake. It can also become an armor, something I put on to assert that I, too, am a woman: I am whole and complete; I am in the right, although I was wronged. It is also my preparation. In case of a confrontation, I look my best, and I take comfort from that. It has also become a welcome diversion. Because, in the best and worst of times, makeup is fun.

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: Blockbusters

2010-01-13T09:09:00.000+08:00

My Blockbuster this week is Avatar.

I must say, though, I found the premise of this movie very New Age, in that it very obviously makes a case for the worship of nature -- and the tree as a deity that holds all of life together. Plot-wise, it isn't all that brilliant, either. It used to be that US blockbusters were all about American troops winning wars, or aliens invading (what else?) America and Americans winning, etc. Then it became the trend to show American troops going in to wage a war that wasn't theirs and losing, or otherwise making more of a mess than before. Avatar is at least 'trendy' on this score, but not that much else.

Anyway, back to the movie.

BAD SYNOPSIS, SPOILERS ALERT: Earthlings go to another planet, Pandora, to obtain 'unobtainium' (okay, that is just so laughable -- I mean, really? They couldn't come up with a better name?). So they send in these human avatars to infiltrate the planet and spy, but the spy falls in love with a native and changes sides. Earthlings wage war against Pandora, punishes their spies, but the latter succeeds in helping the natives win (with the help of the tree), and all's well that ends well.

But. And this is the but. James Cameron's vision of another planet -- especially the floating balls of islands, is mesmerizing and dazzling, especially on the big screen. The transformation of the human actors to avatars is eerie, the computer effects are awesome, the visuals spectacular, enough to make this movie fully deserve its blockbuster rating.

A sidenote: I've noticed that all Sci-fi tend to only make variations of life as we know them to exist. In Avatar, for example, the Na-vi look human despite their blue skin, they think, move, feel, and speak. The vegetation on the planet are different from actual living plants that I've seen but they are clearly based on existing life forms. Even the flying horses or whatever they were called. Despite the creativity of man, we are still limited in our imagination. I can't imagine how vastly different another planet could be that God created just to indulge His creativity. For sure, God would not be limited in His capacity to create, imagine, and bring to existence something that we could never conjure in a million years. That's something I really look forward to finding out in heaven. But more than that, I can't wait to say to my Lord and Savior,

"Now I see You."

Tuesday Couch Potatoes: New Beginnings

2010-01-06T10:02:00.000+08:00

My New Beginnings movie is "The Blind Side." It's a feel-good movie, promoting family, compassion, generosity, and grace. Though many of the characters are stereotypes, the script and acting are superb. It doesn't hurt that Sandra Bullock stars, either. But what I really like about it is the new beginnings wrought by the family's act of mercy. Not just for Michael Oher, but more importantly, for his adoptive family. I like the part where the ladies who lunch told Leigh Ann she's changing Michael's life, and she says, "No, he's changing mine." Because essentially, that's what they do for each other. By opening up their hearts for one another, unlikely as the pairing is, they change one another for the better.

The part my family and I loved best was the footage of the real Oher family when the credits rolled.

Join Tuesday Couch Potatoes

My Tribute

2010-01-02T00:04:00.000+08:00

Fun, frugal, frou-frou. Three words that describe my sense of aesthetics. I have an insatiable thirst to learn more about my world and how to make the most of what I have, and I have boundless curiosity about what others are doing to improve themselves. These led me to search out the internet for like-minded people. I have been a long-time reader and avid lurker in a lot of blogs, and have drunk deeply from what many bloggers have shared about themselves, their lives, their passions. Needless to say, I have benefited a lot from these people whom I regard as friends whom I haven’t yet met.
This year, 2009, I underwent a severe crisis in my personal life. I had to re-assess my life and re-examine what I, as a woman, am all about. Not only in conjunction or as an adjunct to a spouse, but as an individual: self-possessed, able, and worthy.
Not to make much of a drama, but it was a dark period in my life. It still is.
The blogging world – unbeknown to the blog writers in whose posts I took refuge – helped a lot in my recovery. I did not know, then, that I should have left comments, made links, and communicated how much the blogging community meant to me. I also did not think I had anything worth contributing, especially in light of the excellence of the blogs I frequent.
But I realized that I must at least convey my gratitude to the many people who have been so helpful to me yet I haven’t thanked properly. I am already a part of the blogging community, and must fulfill my responsibility. I might just be as helpful to someone, as others have been very helpful to me.

To God, who amazingly make all things work for good; and
to bloggers who share unselfishly of themselves, because they reach out and in so doing, make the world a better, friendlier place;

this is my tribute.