This Is My Office

And mine. And mine.

Hahaha! Have you been watching the latest season of The Vampire Diaries? If you have, you'll notice that the classic into ("...for over a century, I have lived in secret...") has been replaced with an updated version ("This is Mystic Falls. I live here. This is my home.").

So of course my friends and I decided to make our own version. Because why shouldn't we? Hahaha! I love these hams.

Two Nights in a Row

People are generally surprised when I'm out late at night because they know my bed time is actually 9pm (although these days I've been sleeping close to midnight and not too proud of it). But staying in an office building for more than 10 hours can really make your realize how much you've been just working. So whenever there's a chance to get out—an event, a premiere, a meeting(haha)—I try to go if time lets me.

So last Thursday after work, I headed to a 20-minute preview of Disney's Tron Legacy (which was AWESOME! Too bad we have to wait 'til December 17 to see the entire thing) and ETC's Vamped event. We're big fans of The Vampire Diaries so we figured, why not check out the party?


With Angela and Tessa of ETC, making chismis about TVD and other ETC shows.



We had our picture taken with "Damon" and "Katherine" at the photobooth, had TVD-inspired drinks, and had salty calamares before we called it a night. We also got news that ETC is showing Pretty Little Liars soon!

***

Last night, after a loooong day at work (that included a very satisfying meal at Recipes, another payday waldas that I don't even know how to justify, plus a record-breaking chat event that made our numbers soar to great heights haha), my friends picked me up so we could all go "par-tay." HAHA! It's been a running joke that whenever we decide to come out late at night, it's called a lolas night out. And by lola, I sure don't mean Madonna's kid.

Speaking of lolas, this year, my friends and I decided to semi-dress up for Halloween. Last year, we dressed up as Josie and the Pussycats and actually won a prize (that we never used, come to think of it). We decided to just do a '50s theme. And we don't know but pearls seemed to have tied all our outfits together.


Binky actually did a '50s DIY project but ended up not wearing her dress. She stitched a poodle cutout on it—complete with a leash! Super cute. Laika channeled her inner Audrey Hepburn. I tried to do a Betty Draper but my brother told me I was more a Peggy. Whatever that means, I haven't exactly caught up with Mad Men. It's funny, though, because this is actually something I'd wear on any other given day. Maybe I was born in the wrong era. IDK.


As you can see, not a lot of people really dressed up. But when this girl stepped in, we all had to turn and look in her direction. She had fiery orange hair sticking up from her head and she was in a flesh bodysuit. She came as a Troll! Hahaha! Best costume of the night, I think.


And well, look at me in a club, drinking... water. Hahaha! I woke up past 8 this morning, which is late in my book. I've spent all day on the computer, only taking breaks to go to the bathroom and eat. I don't think I'm going to be out like that any time soon. I've reached my quota, hehe.

Three-in-One

Our November issue just hit the stands this week. It's our annual Hollywood issue and we've got not just one but THREE awesome covers. Emma Watson (who has a loffly accent! Still can't believe we were on the phone with her three months ago.), the cast of Glee and The Vampire Diaries.

Some of you might be wondering if you have to buy all three covers. They're actually all in one issue. We shot a super short video to show you how to change the covers.



If you're a big fan of everything celebrity-related, be sure to grab your copy of Candy!

Is Social Media A Fad?

An updated version of a video on social media I saw last year. A year ago, I was asked to give a seminar at work about using social media to market brands. (I don't remember why I was chosen.) Today, I was asked to give a similar talk to one of the sister companies of my office. I was nervous but quite thrilled that I was asked to do it. Of course I did it as a favor to my boss (therefore I wasn't paid for it, hehehe) but it only affirms that I must be doing my job right. (: It's something to consider although I can't imagine myself doing just this. But how awesome is it that I know enough to have people listen to me talk about it? I don't know. It makes me feel good about myself.

Cheap Finds

Sometimes, getting out of the office (away from the computer and the harsh fluorescent lighting) is a welcome break. Today, we got invited to try out this new nail spa (will post it on Candy soon!). It had a beach theme going on and they had a "menu" where you could choose your treatment. It was super fun! And I'm glad I went with the other Candy Girls.



After the event, we decided to check out the department store before heading home. Eep. I was supposed to buy white plimsolls (my boss found super affordable ones) but I ended up getting a dress (floral!), a tank (white and bright green stripes), a bikini (halter top, string bottom!), and white bermuda shorts. Oh, and the white plimsolls, too (they were only P199.75!). All reasonably priced and all stuff I've been wanting to buy. I guess I sort of preempted my payday splurge. Hahaha!

Hopefully this week will end on an awesome note. Can't wait for Friday. ♥

Grab a copy of our October issue! (:

My pretty cupcakes are co-starring with some yummy-smelling beauty products. Hee hee.


Here's a sneak peek at the issue.

Are you ready?

I can't believe I'm going on my fourth year at work. And tomorrow, we're having the fourth Candy Fair! I love that I get to work by going to a fair. Haha, cute boys, fun game booths, lots of food, and shops! Can't wait to check out the Accessorize booth. 20% off tomorrow, Candy Girls!

I've been eying these for a while now.


Aren't they pretty? Also checked out a teacup and teaspoon necklace and a bird necklace. Wah! So many cute things!

PS
Interview about Listography came out on QTV last night. Didn't get to catch it because I had dinner with my high school girls. My dad was so cute. He woke up at 10pm just to watch it. (:

I want to start fresh

Finally baked a cake again! (: I am itching to slice myself a piece so I can taste it, but I will wait for my relatives so we can have it for dessert later at lunch.

I can't believe it's only the end of January. I feel like there's just so many things going on! My friend and partner-in-crime at work and I were talking about it one day. How we've got shoot schedules coming out of our ears but it still felt sooo good. We're excited over the little things that we've been trying to do and everyday is just a chance to do, well, more. (:

Tomorrow, I'm going to the beach for work. How awesome is that? It would've been even more fun if all the girls could come. Pfft. I hope it doesn't rain, though. The weather's been pretty unpredictable. Woke up to a super cool morning when just a couple of days ago, it felt like summer!

I can smell the barbecue! Time to hit the shower! (: I missed lunch with titos and titas and my sometimes sungit lola. Hehe. Can't wait to try the cake with them. (: Cross your fingers that it turns out great!

At long last.

This is what she would tell me, "Bakit ngayon lang?" or maybe "Dapat lang."

And then, I'll just hear about it days later, that she's told all of our relatives and all of her friends, who probably don't care much. :P

Because that's how she is and I'll always remember to be.

In our house, we are never bida. But outside, she's mighty proud of us.

I miss you and I know we're extra blessed these days because of you.

Life Is (Bitter)Sweet

Things have been happily going my way for the past week. But there is something lurking in the shadows. I will pretend that it doesn't really exist yet. After all, I will only really know about it next week.

I don't get why they think the only solution to a problem is to start from square one. Why not build on what you already have and fix the problem from there?

Why do they always have to complicate things? Sigh. Happiness always comes with a price. /: I guess, it's true what they say. You can't have it all.

Last I Checked, Yeah.

Hilarious. Roch and I are spending our Sunday night, checking out the Candy Multiply account. From 812 pending invites at around 3 hours ago, maybe, we're down to 289 invites. Hahaha!

And yes, we're both HUMAN! Kthxbye.

Time space warp, ngayon din!

The best fair you'll ever go to. (; If you're in high school, or want to relive high school (ha ha), drop by the NBC Tent this Saturday with your September ish of Candy. It's going to be loads of fun!

It hurts but it may be the only way

I'm not very adaptable to change, I've realized not so long ago. I'm good at convincing myself that I am but I'm really not. I try my best to act like it doesn't matter but every little thing gets to me.

When I was still in that show where I used to work, I was terrified when our team of four was suddenly just, well, me. I was going to be in charge of the work that was used to be done by four people. FOUR is totally not equal to one. When I finally got the hang of it, they announced that there would be two more people to join the team. Whaaat. I couldn't let go of my responsibilities. I had this constant urge to do more than what I was told to do—sometimes forgetting that other people are supposed to take care of them. I don't know if it's arrogance (haha, it probably is) but I was always scared that if something didn't go as planned, I would want to know how to explain why it didn't. And clearly, if I didn't do it, I wouldn't know how to explain that. (Now that I think about it, though, it sounds kind of dumb.)

Anyway, I had a feeling it would happen again this time around. A different job, there's no team, but I have the same feeling of not letting go. Of things I've been doing for more than a year now. But I think I'm slowly learning that this is part of the job. I can't go on doing everything by myself! (Hello, that's impossible.) And it's possible not to do everything by yourself but still know how to explain when things go wrong.

It's kind of strange that it still feels like more work now more than ever. (Haha, I used to have some time in between to do LJ-surfing. d: Now, it's just switching tabs of all Candy-related pages.) But this isn't me complaining. I'm actually happy that this job is still a huge challenge for me. I was scared that after a year, I'd get tired of it. I'm so happy that I'm not.

P.S.
Parang walang connect yung title ng entry ko sa sinulat ko. Hahaha! I just really, really like this song right now. And diba it hurts to let go? Labo. Give it a listen. (:

I ♥ Candy

After three months of obsessing, it's finally up. I still can't stop obsessing. Refreshing every other second, making sure all the links work—even working on a Saturday to make sure that everything's in order. (Well, okay, we were required to. Haha!)

Even after my LSE moment this past week, I can't help but feel proud when I read how much the girls love it. ♥ And, for a few minutes, nothing else matters. The job has been done. I guess that's all there should be to it.

---

They're just titles, is what I should be telling myself. But can you blame me for feeling this way? Maybe I should just let it go.

Daddies ♥

He must be such a family man. When asked who his fave model was, he proceeded to describe him as "this tall," gesturing a few feet up the ground, and that he was only so many months old. He was talking about his son, Jack. Aww. ♥ What a daddy. Hehe!

Speaking of dad's, it's my favorite boy's birthday today! For the past couple of weeks, I've been asking him what he wanted but he would always just shrug like he didn't know what he wanted. So this morning, when they came back from Mass, I sang to him—in my over-sized shirt, messy hair, and morning breath—the most awful "Happy Birthday" song. Hahaha! He laughed and sang along. I ♥ my Daddy! There are days I still wonder, though, what life would be like if that moment didn't happen eight-turning-nine years ago.

Five-Minute Break

It's funny when you're the interviewer and you're the one who's nervous. Hahaha! Interviewed the first set today for an assistant position. Another round tomorrow. I wish I had the magical gift of discernment so I know whoever I'm picking is the right one for the job.

I'm hoping we find someone who's going to be efficient and enthusiastic about the job. I ♥ Candy. And it would be super if I had someone to work with so we can make it kick ass some more. :P

In other sorta-but-not-really related news, I've been moderating photos all day. I'm nowhere near done. Yeargh. At least I managed to blog today.

Now.. lemme get back to approving.

You know what's up

My old workplace still gives me chills. I hate it there. I hate it. Hate it. HATE.

But this makes me happy:

Sunday slowdown

I admit that I have some weird obsessions. Like that phase I had with downloading every single font in the entire world wide web. Seriously. And I'd excitedly shriek at friggin' fonts on TV.

My latest obsession is Microsoft Visio. It's uh-mazing. Haha! Ok, it's nothing extraordinary except that I've gotten pretty good at making wireframes with them (thanks, gandang guro!). Haha! I had no idea what wireframes were prior to becoming web editor of Candymag.com. I always started out with an image (for a header, or for a background, whatever) and then bahala na yung layout. :P Hahaha!

OK. Before I scare you away, I have to squeeze in a quick plug. Hahaha! If you get a chance, do get a copy of the March issue of Candy with its all-new look. There's a blog special there (by me, ahem. haha) you might want to check out. How to up your "web cool quotient."

It's so funny that two other magazines have gotten me to write for them about all things web. Haha! Guys, I can write about stuff other than the Net, y'know. :P I'm just saying. Thank God they were all different topics and I didn't end up just repeating what I said in the other articles. Haha!

P.S.
I finally uploaded my supersampler pics! I like Fuji film better than Kodak. And boo, I think there's something wrong with my lenses!

Dizzy Girl

My brain is on overdrive, I think. I am working on three completely different things right now and I'm trying to alternate between them. Geezus! The most mindless task was the first one I got done with—only a few minutes ago because I keep getting side-tracked with something else. You know how some sites moderate their photo gallery? I am the mechanism behind that moderation. Hahaha. Not very fun. :P Although when there are interesting pictures (read: WHAT THE HELL is this doing in Candy?!), it's not so boring. :P

But I'm excited because I'll see an old friend from my old job tonight. We haven't seen each other in a looong time so when she sent me a message yesterday saying that she was free tonight, I told her we'd meet up—no matter what. I like keeping in touch with a lot of people. (:

And because I am in a state that you call lutang, I will leave you with some random plug (riiiight):

When I grow up, I want to be Veronica Mars!, Part 2

Check out my office desktop. Don't you love it? Haha! Got it off this LJ. It was originally "Dear Seventeen Magazine," and I edited to say "Candy."

***

I saw Dreamgirls last night with Ñapie, Lani, and Pete. Halfway through the movie, I wanted to yell at the screen, "Stop singing, please!" Hehe :P But I thought Jamie Foxx was awesome (he was such a jerk!) and Jennifer Hudson, IMHO, deserves all the awards she's being nominated for.

In other unrelated and even random-er news, I'm excited for this. (: