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

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

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♥ A brand new year: a fresh start, new beginnings, and a heart full of hope.
♥ Future babies!
♥ A new cube at work—I'm back, sitting with my favorite girls!
♥ Seeing my cupcakes in another country. Super cool!
♥ Our site's new section. I'm in love with it!
♥ My new camera, hee.
♥ Tea time with my college best buds.
♥ A new episode of Revenge and Pretty Little Liars (I am probably one of three people left watching this show, hehe).
♥ Hilarious Facebook threads with my high school barkada. I love how babaw we can get.
♥ Planning surprises. (:

Christmas At Casa Alcaraz

{ Mini Nutella + Gigantic Elsie's Croissant }

{ Lazy Girl's Guide To Gift Wrapping: Tie with twine and make cards out of old business cards with washi tape and your trusty labelmaker.}

{ Raspberry Pie on the lips, Callalily on the tips. }

{ Simple dinner with mi familia ♥ }

 { With Ate Elena who prepared our Noche Buena.}

{ Nutella Crepe Cake from Dessert Du Jour. My brother's fitting description: a crepe version of Quadratini! }

 { My dad's face of glee riding his brand new wheels. }

{ My favorite 3-in-1 and my dad's gift from the grocery—which my brother paid for, hahaha! }

{ Managed not to open my treats till after 12mn. Yay for pretty things! }

 { I am aware I am no longer 15, but thank you to family and friends who indulge me and this ridiculous obsession. My small 1D collection, hahaha! }

{ Impromptu MRT ride because Shangri-la was not open and we didn't know till we got there. Whoops! I love my new sneakers. }

 { Christmas Dinner with my dad's relatives. So sad there were no lumpiang shanghai leftovers for today! }

 { My niece who shares a mutual love for the boys. So happy she read through this in one sitting! }

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♥ Finalizing an interview assignment and not sounding like a gushing fangirl, hehe
♥ A yummy burger and a cocktail that makes me wish I were drinking it by the beach.
♥ Good news—two in a row right before 10 am!
♥ Getting an unusual amount of money in your account. Yay, 13th month pay!
♥ Chimichangas and a mango margarita to celebrate the end of the week and the start of the long weekend.
♥ An awesome episode of The Vampire Diaries—I'll pretend there was no Stefan/Caroline scenes during the last few minutes.
♥ Staying in bed and not changing out of my pajamas all day. Long weekends are always awesome.
♥ Getting some Christmas shopping done
♥ ...and treating yourself to a few gifts too (:
♥ My favorite cream cheese pastry <3

Ten Things I'm Thankful For

♥ A pack of my favorite 3-in-1 coffee (my apologies to coffee connoisseurs out there!).
♥ A bottle of body wash on sale.
♥ Perfect blue winged liner.
♥ Impromptu plans and planned plans.
♥ Honesty, even if delayed.
♥ One of your favorite bands possibly coming to the city you live in.
♥ Booking everything for a shoot in a day, more than a week before your deadline!
♥ A glass of ice cold orange juice in the morning before I head out the door.
♥ Quiet time with my dad in Church on Saturday afternoons.
♥ A good laugh with friends that I happen to work with.

What are you grateful for these days? (:

Tomorrow Is A New Day

Just a reminder for when I have another one of those days.

The Good Things

I'm almost done with the project I'm doing with Mikko and Alessa. It's taking much longer than we planned, but hopefully it'll come out perfect. (: I'm pretty excited to see the finished product! I'll make sure to post something when everything is finally in order.

The Candy Girls are going on a trip this coming week! We'll be missing two and half days of work (which I'm dreading!!! oh wait, only good things pala in this post) and basking in sun and love all the way in Ilocos. (: I love weddings! Can't wait to see everyone dolled up.

A new The Vampire Diaries episode, which I didn't get to watch until this morning. Nothing exciting, but TV makes me happy.

A quiet Saturday at home. I'm still not better, but hopefully an entire day at home will cure me. An unusual working Sunday will happen, but at least it'll be near my house. (Trying my best to not complain about everything!) Hopefully I'll still catch my relatives who are heading over for lunch tomorrow.

On Monday, I'm going to be all about the sunshine again. Promise.

Happy Thoughts: Kababawan Edition

One of my outfits got featured on the newly-launched the mall.

I wore my red lippie today and a former officemate commented, "You look like you could be in a movie!"

Saw an old boss, who I haven't seen in years! She said, "I love your hair on you. So nice!"

Just yesterday, my seatmate told me I was looking a lot thinner. And though I'm really not (haha), it still felt nice to be told that I was.

Compliments may not come my way very often, but when they do, I get super kilig. So, thank you. (:

Chocoholics Anonymous

Actually, I admit it and embrace my chocoholic-ness wholeheartedly. I'm no chocolate snob. It doesn't matter if it costs P15 or as much as P1,500. If it's good chocolate, I'll eat it and love it just the same.

My love affair with chocolate started at a very young age. I remember Christmas in Marikina when I was a kid. My kuya and I would have our stockings filled with all kinds of chocolate and candy. I remember those blocks of chocolate wrapped in gold paper—some had pinipig, some had nuts. There were also chocolate coins, which tasted so good.

I graduated to Mr. Goodbar, Krackel, Barnone (the best chocolate bar EVER, bar none—DUH), Alpine White, KitKat, and Ferrero Rocher.

Of course, I also had local favorites like Serg's (RIP, sniff), Goya, and Choki Choki (which I used to have in my mouth 24/7, not kidding).

My most recent finds: Goya Chunky (I like the white one with cashews best), KitKat Orange, and M&M Pretzels (if any of you are coming from abroad, please bring me home a giant bag of this. I will pay you, of course!).


When I was at Yummy Eats a couple of months ago, I came across Risa Fine Bespoke Chocolates. We tried their truffles and my favorites were the ones with orange and Cerveza Negra. Since my friend Koko is friends with the owners, I was able to order through her a Cuadro in Tiramissyou. A block costs P280.

What's in it? It's white chocolate with a creamy center and is covered in cocoa powder just like tiramisu. I would have liked a stronger coffee flavor (I'm not sure there even is?), but I liked it enough to order twice. I can only have one piece at a time and I think it's perfect with a cup of coffee.


I'm not yet sure what I want to try next, but I'm thinking of trying the other flavors of Cuadro. The one with almonds looks really good!

What about you? What are your chocolate obsessions right now?

Things I Miss

♥ Staying in bed on lazy Sunday afternoons in my parents' bedroom while my mom watches/re-watches her Koreanovelas.
♥ Taking my cameras out.
♥ Talking to people on the phone for hours on end. (Though I don't think I can do this anymore.)
♥ Writing letters to my classmates in high school—even when we saw each other every single day.
♥ Eating anything and everything and not gaining a single pound or growing an inch.
♥ Holding someone's hand.
♥ Going on a trip.

This feels like a longer week than it is, but I'm looking forward to hump day! A long meeting then a movie that will totally remind me of high school. I just know I'll love it.

The Greatest Show On Earth

In the summer of 1997, I was part of the circus. Well, at least it was a Cirque du Soleil-inspired showcase of Pippin. (: With our costumes from the Repertory Philippines stock room and makeup by National Bookstore (glitters stuck to our face with eye putty by theater actresses), we did a show in the midst of a typhoon. Ever since, I've always dreamed of catching a Cirque show live.

Last night, I finally got a chance to step inside the Grand Chapiteau and witness my first ever Cirque du Soleil show. A few months ago, we had the privilege of seeing a 15-minute preview of Varekai and I was completely floored. We got to see the Icarian Games and the Solo on Crutches. I knew that I just had to see this live.

Fast forward to last night, after being stuck in traffic for more than 2 hours, I was prepared to be amazed. My friends Binky and Mikko had seen other Cirque shows prior to this one so I knew that they were more than happy to accompany me. Mikko, who has seen 4 shows already, says this was the one she enjoyed the most. We got the "cheapest" seats in the house, but by some miracle, we got moved closer to the stage when we got inside the tent. (:

I was like a little kid ooh-ing and ahh-ing at every act. My Top 3 favorites would be:

Aerial Hoop. Hanging on a hoop with just your flexed toes? Who does that?! A-mazing!

Triple Trapeze. I think anything suspended in air is bound to leave your jaw hanging open. But I loved these four girls who seemed to move like they were just one person.

Handbalancing on Canes. She was so graceful yet strong at the same time. Her movement was so fluid, you'd think she had no bones in her body!

And of course, the Russian Swings were just something else. Everyone in the audience was screaming at each loop de loop and each tumble. My heart was in my throat each time.

I'm so happy I got to see this. Now, I can't wait to see other Cirque du Soleil shows!

Catch Cirque du Soleil's Varekai until July 24. You can book tickets online through hoopla.ph. Photos courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

Happy Thoughts

Completing silly projects like wearing a pair of sneakers every day. (I am still missing one pair but am not in the mood for sneakers today.)




Having a cup of instant hazelnut mocha. My brother went crazy at a duty free shop a couple of weekends ago and this was part of his loot.



Putting my fate in my hands. A DIY nail job with alcohol and newspaper.



A family I'm so blessed to be a part of. Celebrating Father's Day with my boys and getting complimentary headphones (well, I sort of begged for them) from my brother. Good thing I didn't but that ridiculously expensive pair I was eying!



A happy long weekend perfect to fuel another long week ahead.

Good Eats and the Good Things

And just like that, it's four days until December. Where did 2010 go? This week felt so long yet whizzed by just like that. I ate so much this week, I believe my stomach is hurting now because I overexerted it. Ugh.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a successful shopping trip for presents. I am on a mission to tick off all of those names on my list (which I will actually print out on a spreadsheet—inspired by super managing editor Mimi, haha). And I shall sneak in some yummy things (as if this week was not enough for my tummy) in between.

Hope you guys have a great weekend.

PS
I'm thrilled that the fashionable bunny has been replying to my tweets. Haha, it's kind of hilarious how starstruck I am.

The Good Things

My Mani Matches The Tablecloth
Originally uploaded by the best kind of nice

This four-day week was tiring as hell but it was quite fun.

Monday started out with a field trip down South. I've always associated the South with the cemetery because that's where my Mom's parents and siblings are buried. The last time I went there, I got into a huge fight with my Mom because... well, I was being a brat. I have a horrible family picture to prove it—with my scowl in the foreground. Harrr. Buuut this trip was nothing like that. Ramen and Cheese Gyoza, Serenitea, Zombieland, M&M Pretzels, and my brand new toy.

Tuesday was a holiday and although I love staying home, sometimes mid-week holidays are strange. You get the "weekend is over" feeling twice in one week! I had my nails painted and stamped with a pretty lace-like pattern. Will write about it for our site soon. I can't stop staring at it and I'm being extra careful with my hands so my polish won't chip.

Wednesday was a terribly busy day. A cover shoot in the morning (the model was great so we were finished in record time) and a round table interview with David Archuleta (who is possibly the most adorable boy in the world!). Then there was a wonderful surprise because we got to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in IMAX (thanks to the wonderful people at WB!). I loved it! And Dobby certainly wins best house-elf in a supporting role, hands down. I have mixed feelings about July. Excited, because I want to see the second half. Sad, because it really is over. I want to re-read all the books, but I only have the first four. HAHA, the rest I read on my computer. O:

Thursday was quite busy but uneventful. Except for my ride home, which freaked me out. The cab I got was old and the driver was sick (he opened the door to spit—IN THE MIDDLE OF EDSA WHILE WE WERE GOING AT FULL SPEED). The car stopped in the middle of the road and he had to fill up the tank with gas from a mineral water bottle. I clutched my rosary and bottle of Holy Water (my boss's pasalubong from her trip to Europe) the entire way home. Then when I paid the driver P200, he gave me P270 for my change! I returned the P100 and he said sorry. He must've felt how incredibly anxious I was.

The Aftermath
Originally uploaded by the best kind of nice

Yesterday, I had my first ever Wee Nam Kee experience. We tried the Chicken Rice with steamed and roast chicken. 2 kinds of kangkong (I liked the one with crispy garlic bits—I had three small servings!) and cereal prawns. I'm definitely going back, but maybe when the hype has died down and it won't be too hard to get a table.

Today, I woke up at 5am like an old woman. And I think it's going to be a good day. (:

Touchy Feely

Not too long ago, I posted on Facebook that I wanted a white iPhone 4 or the new iPod Touch for my birthday. It was part wish and part declaration—and I knew I was going to get it one way or another.

A few weeks ago, my friend told me she was selling gadgets for a lot less than retail prices. Roch and I didn't even think about it and placed our orders for the iTouch 4th Gen (64G). A few days later, my friend told me the bad news that they'd run out of stocks for the 64G model and they didn't know when the supplies would be replenished. We were already resigned to the fact that we'd have to wait when her brother got us each an iPod at the Apple Store. We asked him to return the gadgets because they cost almost P20k each! Eep. Then just two weeks ago, we ordered from Amazon (well, Roch did. I have no idea about online shopping anything) and it was delivered to her brother's friend's house on my birthday (my birthday!). And yesterday...

Can you say giddy? Hahaha. My friend caught all of it on camera but I'm too embarrassed to post all the pictures here. This I-won-an-award photo will have to do!

I'm proud to say I did get some sleep (slept a little bit after midnight—but woke up at 6:30. I am such an old person) but that might be because my battery ran low. Hehehe.

I was excited to sync it with my computer and transfer all (yes, ALL!) my music but apparently, this jurassic computer's iTunes needs to be updated first (and it's taking FOREVER!). So until then, I shall try to get 3 stars on Level 1-21 of Cut the Rope.

I ♥ My Driving Queens

These girls were my constants in college. I love them and I'm glad they planned this weekend for me. I missed all four of us together and this weekend was the best!

This is the longest birthday celebration I've ever had. And it's not even done yet! Celebrating with my fellow Candy Novembers on Wednesday! I can't wait! (: Hope y'all had an awesome weekend, too!