Seeing Stars

Take the weakest thing in you, and then beat the bastards with it.

And always hold on when you get love, so you can let go when you give it.

You know you went to a good show when you can’t stop listening to them days (okay, it’s been more than a week!) after.

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They played almost all my favorites (no Wasted Daylight thought) and even if I was standing for more than 4 hours it was so worth it. My lucky charm Meryll grabbed me the setlist from the stage and snuck both of us into the meet and greet to get it signed ❤

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At this point, I have enough validation that this year will be awesome despite questionable horoscopes and missing Weezer.

I should probably stop counting the awesomeness and just do more of it, yeah?

Long Weekends

I could have gone to the beach or somewhere far from the city for the two long weekends that came last month, but I was just lazy to plan anything.  I probably spent more time complaining about not being able to go on vacation vs. planning or going on one.

I decided to stop being so whiny at times when I can really tell myself to shut up and just keep myself busy. Like maybe dig into my plastic bin of projects and go on a tv marathon (hello, Revenge). So I did both and finally got around to making this pearl collar:

Yes, I’m not over collars yet. They are so pretty and they might as well be the equivalent of wearing a tie to make things more “office-friendly”.

I’ve been meaning to finish this lil baby for a long time now, but I was just really lazy. And somewhere along the way, I realized that the first one I made had an odd shape and lost interest when I had to re-do everything. Since I haven’t found the kind of pearl collar that I like, I might as well continue, right? Glad I did!

Another craft project I had in mind was to make something out of a crate I got from a gift packaging last year. I couldn’t decide whether I should make it into a closet drawer or something until I saw this:

Photo Source: Pinterest

And so Funny got a bed upgrade that day:

The mattress was originally propped up higher than the crate, but my brother said that Funny likes to lean towards stuff when she sleeps, so I removed some of the cushions and did not take out one of the sides.

Here’s an example of leaning against “stuff”:

Teehee!

And speaking of getting stuff done–guess who ate her words when she said she won’t be reading A Song of Ice and Fire until the HBO series is over?!

I can’t help it! 🙂

I had so many questions after watching season 2, so I decided to pick up the books. I said I would only read the corresponding book after each season, but after Clash of the Kings, I just can’t stay away! 🙂 As you can see, my cat and I have the same reactions when it comes to Jon Snow/Daenerys chapters. Haha.

You know November’s gonna be awesome despite the retrograde when you’ve got two long weekends making way for it!

Date Night: Tapas!

The boyfriend and I were feeling particularly antisocial one Friday night. Okay–maybe it was just  me, because I said we should try making tapas first for us before inviting other people, whereas VMB wanted to have some friends over. Anyway, after a really heavy lunch we went to the grocery (I abide by the rule never go the supermarket hungry. You’ll spend more than you need to!) and gathered a list of things we would need to make this fine, fine spread.

We really should’ve invited people over. No matter how we tried to be good with portions, this spread lasted us about three meals, including one shared with some friends the next day. We had:

Patatas Bravas, modified. It was more of fries mixed with a bit of paprika, which we had with tartar sauce.

Baked mussels. It was the first time we ever cooked mussels, so we had to google how to clean (VMB had gloves, would you believe that!). Baked in cheese and garlic

Salpicao. We both had different takes but I ended up winning the argument. I wish I didn’t. Haha. Maybe next time.

Pan con Tomate, modified. Instead of toasting the bread with tomato and garlic, I made the sauce on the side so we can dip it and use it for other things

Cold cuts. We had cheese but decided against opening it since we already had too much food!

Since we’re not big on wine, we opted for imported beer. We went crazy when we stumbled upon Rustan’s selection, which went beyond the usual Heineken-Stella-Tiger. And the prices weren’t bad either.

Not bad for a first attempt! I think we’re ready to be  “antisocial” with friends next time!

Hello Second Half of 2012

It’s the second half of the year and I just need to revisit my list of to-dos (okay, resolutions–but there is a semblance of urgency in “to-do”) and I just want to say–I’ve done a pretty swell job so far, except for visiting a new destination. Which is okay, because I’ve got six months to do that!

I’ve been in all sorts of moods lately, and most of the time it’s that kind of mood where you can’t really pin down if you’re just anxious, sad, bratty, or just in need of a LOT of chocolate. Or an exaggeration of everything. Haha. I would normally go out and buy something random, but I’ve been forcing myself not to buy anything unnecessary (my trick is that I always think that it’s going to that “go somewhere new” fund, which works like 70% of the time..hahaha) and wear LOTS of color.

I made a cuff out of old necklace beads, a piece of fabric, and some velcro.

And I’m still obsessed with cute collars. I found an old pair of plastic earrings I bought in Bangkok a couple of years ago. I pinned them on my collar tips and they turned out pretty cute!

I also gave in to reading A Game of Thrones since I was getting so much spoilers from friends who read the book. I wanted to not know what was going to happen in the series but I just wanted to know the back stories so I wouldn’t confuse the characters further or think that Ned Stark’s real name is Neddard. Sorry.

Since I can’t have a direwolf in real life, I am calling Funny my direcat (I know, the puns are getting painful!) and made her a scarf out of scrap fabric, just so I can Instagram it and caption it “Winter is coming!” 😐

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Yup. Told ya I’ve been “busy”.

Sunday Brunch in the Land of Slippers

 

There are a few things that would get me out of bed early on a Sunday morning: an early flight (ugh), an extreme case of we-must-do-laundry-even-if-it’s-Sunday, and maybe “special” shopping cases–the ones that promise cheap (but great) merchandise or the hard-to-get-so-we-should-try-harder case.

I said no to the usual Saturday night debauchery (which is not debauchery, really) so I can wake up in time to join my folks, my aunts, and my uncle for a day trip to Liliw, Laguna. The four-hour car ride promised a good brunch/lunch upon arrival and the possibility of coming home with lots of pretty shoes and sandals in tow.

We got there in three hours and entered the packed Arabela restaurant. Luckily, my mom had made reservations 🙂

 

 

I love the pretty little details, like the Eiffel Tower spice container and the blue glasses.

 

 

Went up and chatted a bit with the owner, and saw this small balcony overlooking the street. All the scene needed was me and a cup of coffee! Someday, Sam, someday.

 

I regret to report that I was too busy shopping to take photos! I got myself two pretty pairs of flats and these pretty flowers, which my mom picked out from a sidewalk vendor.

 

Man, I should really wake up early more often.

We Live For Weekends

 

 

My weekends have adapted some sort of homage to my favorite summer memories. The food (more on the grilled/fried variety), the homemade shakes, the wholesome fun (the joys of finding perya rides in the neighborhood park!), the silly dates, and the post-drink-grubfest at your local Burger Machine.

I always wish that weekends were longer than 48 hours (or more than 54 hours if you count Friday night). But the compressed amount of time always forces you to make the most out of it. And yes, I think we’ve done a good job so far.

To my 2004 self

Dear 2004 self,

8 years from now, you will be able to watch a couple of your favorite bands live in Manila. Yes, your emo heart will not explode because eight years is enough time to get over post-teenage angst.

You will be singing along to Transatlanticism live in the flesh (#bestillyouremoheart–that’s a HASHTAG, by the way haha), but also to a whole lot of new songs you will also love, like What Sarah Said (cry, cry, cry) and You Are a Tourist.

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And yes, you’re gonna get that setlist!

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Hopscotch will be long gone by this time, but you’ll see The Used with the same fun and dumb friends, and of course, Wacky! (Why I’m saying “of course” is another surprise! Haha!)

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Yup, they’ll play Blue and Yellow, but they won’t play Buried Myself Alive. And Bert won’t be able to reach the high notes anymore, but that’s okay because you’ll see the funniest wall of death and mosh pit ever!

Oh, Chris Carrabba’s also there at the same concert (gasp number two!). His is an acoustic set, but don’t worry–you’ve already seen him two years ago with the rest of the band.

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And then, there’s Taking Back Sunday. YES! I’m not shitting you.

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John Nolan’s back with them! And he’ll be singing the only Straylight Run song you know. Yep.

It’s just April, but your 2012 will be awesome. I promise.

My favorite time of the year

The view from outside my bedroom window–summer’s here!

 

I spent the first weekend of summer making colorful things, like these mini horse ribbons brooches from this tutorial. I think they go nicely with my rainbow purse, don’t you think?

Another reminder that summer’s here: Joey‘s Summer CD! He has been making these for about ten years now. Perfect for a breezy summer night.

And ended the weekend driving around the city with my brother, this in full blast.

I might have found my summer song! Teehee

All That Glitters is GOLD!

I was on a tight budget last month, and I had to bust out some gold shoes to complete my bridesmaid outfit for Klassy’s wedding. I had a pair of gold flats that I can’t seem to find, and I had already spent most of my money on accommodations so I decided to be more resourceful and DIY it.

I started with a pair of white heels I barely use. For some reason, I can’t pull off white shoes and decided not to buy any white shoes after this. The material was stretchy fabric and plastic–workable for spray paint! I found a can of gold at home and went to work.

I suck at reading labels. I realized that the paint was matte after I sprayed the first coat–but that’s okay. The white base made it easier for the gold to come out. It took me about 4 layers to get the color I wanted–just make sure to let the paint dry every time you add a layer!

Realizing that it might look dull instead of sparkly, I busted out the gold sequins and some Elmer’s Glue. Mod Podge would’ve been better, but we don’t have it here!

It took me a couple of hours to finish both heels! The photo below tells you that I forgot to paint some parts–hopefully ones that aren’t noticeable from afar

Turned out well, according to my standards. Haha. Check out our color palette. We were afraid we’d look a bit elfish but we put our faith in Klassy (who, by the way, works for one of my favorite sites, Refinery29!) and I think we looked Kate Spade-ish. LOVE.

Oh, being the best bridesmaids in the world, we made a fansign:

You can see our feet at the 0:12 mark in Klassy and Eric’s same-day wedding video made by Jason Magbanua.

And I have to flaunt my rings–I’m Green Lantern-ish like that.

More photos soon! Hopefully. Haha.