A Year in Songs (2017)

In the year 2002, I made my first soundtrack of the year inspired by Larissa from LJ. To give you an idea of just how long ago that was (15 years!), it was the first time I listened to Jason Mraz (thanks to my friend Mika for introducing me to his music by way of "Sleep All Day") and I was obsessed with Babyface. Haha! I managed to find everything on the list and made a playlist of Spotify except for this song, which I totally forgot about till I pressed play.

What is it about music that instantly transports us back in time? How the first few bars of a song can make you remember an exact moment in your life and immediately fill you with...feelings. Like when I play "After Party" by Koffee Brown, I'm transported to Batangas back when my friend's resort was only two kubos wrapped in kulambo. A time when I took photos with my Advantix camera and wasted a ton of film cartridges because I covered the flash or the lens with my finger. Or when I learned how to breakdance to J.Lo and Ja Rule. LOL. Or how I played Shelby Lynne's "Dreamsome" for my imaginary radio show in Speech 160 with DocLa. Fifteen years ago, when I was editing an online zine with my online friends.



I've since made one every year save for 2004 and a momentary pause from 2013-2015. Here's last year's soundtrack.



What's on yours? ♫

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♡ opportunities i didn't know were possible slowly opening up for me
♡ finding a favorite recipe for bread (we ended up gifting our family with for christmas)
♡ treating myself to a few gifts because after the year i've had, i think i deserve it haha
♡ getting to write again (1, 2, 3, 4)
♡ learning that sometimes, friendship just takes time
♡ spending hours with old friends who are like sisters to me laughing, crying, and everything in between
♡ the thrill of opening gifts on christmas eve—and seeing faces light up when they open theirs
♡ sharing laughs, sweets, and homecooked meals with family you don't see often
♡ committing to a daily habit i hope to keep well into the new year
♡ getting a hug and kiss from my favorite not-so-tiny human

my day

Do you remember when we used to write down every single detail of our day, not caring who would read our words? Just typing, typing, typing. When blogging meant an online diary of sorts, chronicling crush sightings, everything you ate, and what songs you've obsessively been playing over and over.

These days, there are more photos than words, more hashtags than friends, more #content than context.

Just because I've been trying to get myself to write—not for work or anything—let me tell you about one of my days.

I took a bus from Katipunan to Makati to meet with friends on a Saturday morning. Dropped off a Kahlua cupcake in a cardboard pink oven at my friend's store before paying for my one-way ticket. I settled into a seat across the door and placed a paper bag filled with 3 more boxes with cupcakes inside beside me. Forty-five minutes later, I was in Makati making my way from Glorietta 3 to Greenbelt 5.

I slid into the couch at a table by the corner of the restaurant where we agreed to meet; we only decided where to eat that morning. J was running late but P and I ordered truffle fries ahead. When M joined us, we got pizza and sushi and pasta. In between bites, we talked and talked and laughed and got mad (but only for a moment) and laughed some more.

Three cups of coffee and 2 slices of cake later, we decided to catch a screening of Smaller and Smaller Circles but not before slipping into a stationery store to get a notebook personalized and do a bit of window shopping while walking to the cinema. We sat in the dark for two hours—a quarter of which was spent with eyes half-open and hoping the images flashed on the big screen would not haunt us in our sleep.

We head down straight to the food court and figure we could have dinner before calling it a night. But of course, after dinner, we walk over to find dessert and we spend a little more time together. We say goodbye and promise more stories for next time because sharing stuff in person is always much better than through a screen.

Songs I Like: My Top Tunes for 2017

LOL, who knew I really liked that Zayn song enough to put it on top of my 100 most listened to tracks this year? HAHA!




What's on your list?

Ten Things I'm Thankful for

♡ my yummy.ph debut, lol

♡ a beach trip on my birthday weekend that involved lots and lots of eating with friends who will wait for you to catch your breath under the heat of the noontime sun
♡ slowly adding to my list of easy recipes; follow me on Instagram for my cooking journey (haha)
♡ finally finished alias grace and about to start the sinner. ahh, i'm always thankful for tv time!
♡ seeing my fellow novembers to celebrate our birthdays, exchange gifts, and laugh like old times. if there's anything i miss about my old workplace, it's the people i used to see every day.
♡ hanging out with my former teammates, but more importantly, friends for lunch and coffee and dessert. we've been through a lot the past 3 months but i wouldn't trade it for anything because this friendship i've forged with them in the course of those 3 months is truly irreplaceable.
♡ knowing the right words to say to people who aren't having the best day. thankful because i have people who are the same to me.
♡ seeing harry styles live! eternally grateful to my welcoming committee of one in singapore. will always look forward to visiting you!
♡ a trip to the same place for the fifth time (my third this year alone, wow) and still discovering spaces that surprise me and make my heart flutter with joy
♡ coming home

Songs I Like: H.E.R.

Currently: Watching

I love television. I can spend an entire weekend binge-watching one season and be completely satisfied with how I spent my time. Now that I spend most days at home, I try not to overdo it.

Not too long ago, some of my friends and I watched Making a Murderer and got a little too deep into it (reading articles about the case, coming up with our own on theories if Steven Avery is guilty or not, and obsessing hard over figuring out whodunnit). This spiraled into checking out true crime docus like The Keepers and series like The Night Of.

Just recently finished watching David Fincher's Mindhunter (also on Netflix), which was so good. By the end of it, I felt as if someone was clenching my heart in their fist.

Now I'm starting another series sort of in the same vein as all of these shows I've mentioned. Alias Grace is based on the book of the same title by Margaret Atwood. I thoroughly enjoyed Hulu's adaptation of The Handmaid's Tale (which I watched while I was reading the book—making everything twice as painful) so when I saw the trailer for this last month, I knew I had to watch it. Since it's a six-hour miniseries, I'm trying not to binge-watch it.

Got any other suggestions for me to watch? What are you guys currently watching?

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♡ getting some writing for myself done
♡  making yummy banana cake from our blackened bananas (gave one as a gift and mixed in some malagos dark chocolate)
♡ new music (niall's album is finally out!)
♡ mindhunter!!!
♡ watching thor: ragnarok this time not for work d:
♡ whipping up a batch of my fave tuna corn casserole and having someone make it and actually like it, too!
♡ making it to two art events in one day on opposite sides of the city
♡ being contacted by a prospective client (:
♡ hanging with my high school girls and their kids on a sunday afternoon
♡ a goodbye and thank you weeks late but still very much appreciated

Baker's Bites: Tuna Corn Casserole

Now that I have a bit of free time on my hands, I've been home a lot. I promised myself that after a couple of days of a much-needed break, I'm going to get back in the kitchen to make and bake. My past posts have been of the dessert kind but this time around, I'm sharing a quick and easy recipe for one of my all-time favorites from our kitchen. This isn't exactly the same one my mom used to make but I made do with the ingredients on hand. You need about 10-15 minutes prep time and then probably 30-45 minutes for the whole cooking time.

Cook 200 grams of elbow macaroni (we usually use fettuccine but we didn't have any on hand) in 2 liters of water with salt. Wait for the water to boil, pour in the macaroni, and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain right away and set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter (I used Calaboo) and sauté half a red onion that's been diced. Add cream of mushroom (I used a 10 fl oz can of Campbell's) and half a cup of grated cheese (I used Quickmelt, lol). Stir until cheese has melted then turn off the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in a can of tuna flakes and a can of whole kernel corn (drain both before adding!) to the sauce. In an oven-safe dish, transfer macaroni and toss in tuna sauce. Make sure to coat all the pasta with the sauce before topping with more cheese. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 300F for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Click and save the photo below for future use! Tag me if you decide to make it. (:

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♡ a seemingly untimely (but actually well-timed and long overdue) reality check

♡ the perfect dress for a wedding 5 months away (lol)

♡ the right words at the right time from the right people

♡ new episodes of your favorite shows

♡ impromptu get-togethers that always involve food and laughter

♡ a new haircut that makes you feel like your old self again

♡ remembering to write things down so you have something to look back on for days when it gets tough

♡ friends who always have your back and tell you the truth even when it hurts

♡ family—the best support system anyone can ever ask for

♡ time: to think, to rest, to discover old and new loves

countdown

http://conversationbreak.tumblr.com/post/165648220340/two-weeks

Weekly / 09.24.2017

The last time I did this was two years ago. I've spent the past two weeks reacquainting myself with things I've sort of forgotten about. Went to a watercolor workshop, popped open a book, scribbled on a notepad, and met up with friends.

Music Monday

Haven't heard this song in a while but it played at the end of episode 7 from the first season of Grace and Frankie so I looked it up on Spotify right away.

Tasty Tuesday

I don't have a photo of it but I'm obsessed with Pi Breakfast and Pies' Chocolate Chip Cookie. Y'all know I'm picky about my cookies because, well, mine are pretty bomb. LOL! They're just the right size bursting with chocolatey goodness (you always get a mouthful of choc in each bite, amazing!).

Wishful Wednesday

A post shared by Macy Alcaraz (@macysfields) on Sep 13, 2017 at 5:53pm PDT

Lots of things, really. But mostly for the next few weeks to roll by without a hitch. Can't wait for Scorpio season!

Thoughtful Thursday

A reminder from almost two years ago. Because you just gotta keep at it. To borrow some very wise words from The Handmaid's Tale, "Nolite te Bastardes Carborundorum, bitches."

Fashion Friday

A post shared by Ines de la Fressange (@inesdelafressangeofficial) on Sep 6, 2017 at 3:15am PDT

Window shopped last Friday and spotted a cute ruffled chambray top from my fave Uniqlo collab. Of course I shall wait for it to go on sale first before I snag myself a piece.

* weekly-themed post adapted from That's Chic

Nailing It: ban.do-inspired Mani

There was a time when I'd paint my nails a different design every weekend especially when I was working on my nail art books a couple of years ago. On a whim, I brought out a couple of nail polish bottles and decided to do nail art inspired by my ban.do planner.

What I used:

Orly Top 2 Bottom as base coat

Glossier pink on all nails

Orly white tips for flower petals

Orly cupcake for petal shadows

Deborah Milano 03 gel effect for petal details

Deborah Lippman defying gravity (from Wicked trio) for leaves base

Deborah Lippman laughing to the bank for leaves details

Sally Hansen clear'd for takeoff as top coat

I started off by painting the base. Glossier's pink shade matched my planner best!

For the flowers, I decided to do just 3 nails on each hand, some with 2 flowers. They don't have to be perfect. I just added details with 2 different shades of mauve to form the flowers.

Did the same thing with the leaves. Used the lighter green to do the basic leaf shapes and added details with the darker shade.

Sealed everything with a clear top coat and voila my ban.do nails are done! Really love how they turned out and crossing my fingers they last at least a week without chipping!

Photo Diary: Craft Camp, Antipolo

I can't believe it's already been a week since we spent a weekend in Antipolo for Craft Camp PH. While organizing a full-day activity—and doing it twice in one weekend—can be physically taxing, there really is something about spending an entire day making, and doing it in a relaxing environment.

This year, we decided to bring our campers to Antipolo. It's always been a special place because I grew up there. I studied in Assumption Antipolo since Kinder, but surprisingly, there are still many places I haven't discovered. In a way, this camp was also something new for me to experience.

I've put together a few photos to show you what we were up to in the boondocks. But really, there's nothing quite like experiencing it all for yourself.

We're planning the next one for the beach, so make sure to keep tabs on all our social accounts so you can get first dibs on our next camp. Till then! Keep making.

What's in my bag: 09.22.2016

I can never really carry a small bag long enough. I always think I'm going to need something so I tend to overpack my everyday bag with more than just essentials. LOL. So you can imagine how heavy my tote gets. I bought myself this Carrie City from Aranaz Tu as a "reward" for a book project last year. Used to look longingly at my mom's raffia and straw bags. So I thought since I didn't get to save any of them, I would invest in my own. I've taken this around the city and on a beach trip and I love it to death!

On this day, I headed to the office before having lunch out with my high school friends and attending a store opening. Had a craft date with some friends which explains why I had a bunch of notebooks and paintbrushes that day. But, who am I kidding? Even without those, my bag looks like I stuffed my entire room in it.

What do you tote around in your bag?

Current faves

1 The comfiest heeled mules from Carmelletes · 2 Big Brow Pencil in Lingering from MAC · 3 The Wes from Sunnies Specs · 4 Glam Squad liquid matte lipstick in Naked Peach by Denise Go-Ochoa from Happy Skin

Photo Diary: Pintô Art Museum, Antipolo City

I grew up in Antipolo. That's where I went to school from Kinder to high school. It was a bit farther from the city but I loved always being surrounded by trees. These days, it feels like a field trip whenever I head to the east even if I lived there when I was younger.

The day after a holiday is hardly the "right time" to take a leave but I felt like I could use a day off, and opted to do a bit of work on a holiday instead. Mikko had plans to take Evelyn, whom we met because of Pinterest, to Pintô Art Museum in Antipolo and asked if I wanted to tag along. I've never been but I've always wanted to go so it just seemed like the perfect time.

What started out as a gloomy day turned into the most perfect day out at the museum. The rain stopped just as we parked right outside Pintô and it drizzled while we had a late lunch at the museum cafe (get the pizza—so good!). We finished our artsy escape by passing by the new Hey Kessy spot in UP Town Center before finally heading home.

It sometimes takes a bit of extra work to get days off, but it really is necessary to step out and just breathe.

Pintô Art Museum is located at Sierra Madre Street, Grand Heights Subdivision, Antipolo City. Entrance fee is P200 for adults.