What's your favorite color of shoes?

 

Yesterday evening, my younger brother accompanied me in attending the Preview of The Red Shoes, an event where Nuffnang Philippines invited bloggers like me. We fell in line, I signed up then we proceeded to get our share of free hot dogs on sticks, Mister Donuts Smidgets, popcorn and soda. There was even a goodie bag for us with the press kit, a notebook with a matching pen, a body spray and some brochures. The movie was just starting when we entered the cinema.

The movie utilized many flashbacks so viewers could make out the pattern of the story and the reasons for the ordeals of the characters. The casting was good as the personalities of each character were portrayed quite well. In my opinion, the storyline was quite unique from the usual local movies. It revolves around shoes and the characters' preferences for their colors, or lack of it. It happened during a historical time in the country, so to be realistic and I thought this was sort of a glimpse into the life of a fellow Filipino. I know that there are many people out there with much stories to tell that they could make a movie out of. There were moments that made me go "Awww, so cheesy!" "Oh, no!" Why did he do that? and "Ahhh, I see!". Overall, it was an enjoyable movie, light and with an unexpected ending.

There was a forum afterward where there was a question and answer portion as the writer and director got feedback from the viewers, and also answered questions regarding the movie and its inspiration.

To answer the question, I guess I don't really have a favorite color of shoes. It depends on what I wear and if it goes well with my outfit. I'd like to say purple, but I never had purple shoes, and if I am wearing red, I don't think they'd go well together.

Daydreaming...

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Sometimes, I cannot help but wonder what it is like to live in a house like this. If I were to be the owner, it should be located far from the city, away from the noise and dust of the Philippine metropolis. That is what I always dream of so my kids could have fresh air and plenty of space to run, tumble and play with the dogs. The driveway designs will have to be simple so it's easy to navigate through the place.The driveway pavers must not be slippery and slick, especially when they're wet. A manicured lawn would add charm to the house. I also want a porch and a nice patio. The porch and patio designs shall feature many plants and flowers that we ourselves will plant. There shall be nice outdoor furniture, where we can relax and read books on Sundays. There could be a swimming pool, if it isn't too much to ask. And pool parties galore, although I don't know how to swim. And a barbecue grill, too! That would be so much fun! I could invite family and friends over for some quality time together. I know, I should be more realistic, but it doesn't hurt to dream big at times, right? Right? :-D

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A Little Anxious, Perhaps?

Here's my good little girl, staying still as the hair stylist snipped away at her hair. This was Elle's second time to get a haircut, but her first time to have it done at a salon or more like a barber shop. This was taken last month. She didn't look super confident, did she? What's interesting in this barber shop was there were wash basins and shower heads on the counters right in front of the customers. All they had to do was turn the chair around, lower the backs of the chairs, and they could wash the hair on the spot! The customers need not stand up and walk farther. But I didn't subject Elle to hair washing anymore, she might get scared and the water's cold. It's true what I heard from my MIL and SIL, frequent cutting of hair makes it thicker. Elle's hair has more volume now, though she just had her hair trimmed twice. When it gets longer, I'll schedule another haircut.

What do you crave for?

Featured on my side bar called Mommy cravings are food that I crave for most of the time, not just when I am pregnant.
What about you? Are there goodies that you ALWAYS like to eat regardless of the occasion or situation?

Mommy cravings

• Bananas
• Cakes
• Dark Chocolate
• Desserts
• Mushrooom gravy
• Potatoes

S is for Sheep

Inspired by art made by mommy Chris and her son Toby, I decided to make one also with my daughter Elle. It's no Shaun the Sheep, but, ain't it cute? He he!

Where is he?

This is Mark Anthony Roque, one of my hubby's close friends.

He's been missing for about 48 hours now.

We are very worried.

If anyone should have any information on his whereabouts, please don't hesitate to contact me, or these numbers 2884292/ 09152933381 / 09228423981.

Thanks!

My Early Birthday Gift

This was given to me by my mom as her early gift for my birthday, which is in April. Thanks, ma!

Such a nice butterfly detail, isn't it? I love the colors!

Spot the color: Red

For Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year:

We had tocino (sweetened cured pork meat) for breakfast in the morning. 

 

Here's a bouquet of red roses for me. They're not from my hubby Rix, though.

Some boxes of tikoy or nian gao that is very often seen in households as the Lunar New Year arrives.

We had lunch at S&R and bought a few grocery items. Then we went home to rest for a few hours, then headed out again at around 5 in the afternoon.

My family and I braved the traffic jam and went to the grounds of SM Mall Of Asia. I don't know how long we stayed in the car, I'm glad little Elle didn't get cranky.

We passed by this building where events are held. I think there was a wedding reception going on there.

The reason why the traffic was horrible in the area was because it's the first day of the 1st Philippine International Pyromusical Competition. Rix and I wanted to watch some lovely fireworks with Elle. From afar, that is, as we didn't have time to purchase the tickets. After the opening show, we decided to have dinner, and then go home. On the way out it was still very slow, there were so many cars on the road. We got to Wai Ying, a simple Chinese dining place in Manila, quite late and we were already sleepy.

It was a great day, minus the traffic jam, but I think we all enjoyed it. And there was no rain, too! Thank God for a lovely day.

Seeing Value Clearly

Eyeglasses have always been a part of my life.I have been wearing them since I was in grade school. And I realize now that it is quite expensive if one doesn't have a 20/20 vision. And, almost every year, the lenses had to be changed when the prescription changed, or the frame - if it didn't fit anymore or was deformed already. Now, people could have inexpensive prescription glasses for as low as $8 or roughly 300++ pesos at Zenni Optical. Because they manufacture their own frames and lenses, they have their own brand and do not sell expensive or inexpensive designer frames, so it is possible for these quality eyeglasses to be so affordable.If you will browse their site, Zennioptical.com, you will find so many styles and designs to choose from. You can also choose the type of material that they will use for your frame. The lenses have free UV protection, anti-scratch coating and edge polishing and beveling. These eyeglasses come with a quality hard case and a microfiber lens cleaning cloth.One satisfied customer, Eric Hammer, wrote a review on Examiner.com about Zenni Optical. Check it out here to know more about these glasses. I think I shall try to order at Zenni Optical when my current pair of eyeglasses give up on me.

Ice Cream Evening

One Sunday evening, after having dinner at Zensho (where you order as much Japanese food as you possibly can devour), I suggested to my hubby Rix that we have dessert here. I have always wanted to have ice cream here. There were no customers around, which is good because I don't like crowded dining places. But is also bad because it could mean that this place isn't worth visiting at all. The air conditioning was not very cooling. Maybe they're saving electricity and will have turned it on when customers arrive.

 

 I ordered this: a banana split. I chose the double chocolate, the strawberry and the raspberry flavored ice creams for it. As you can see, the raspberry ice cream was starting to melt already. It had marshmallows, candy sprinkles and chocolate syrup. There was no cherry, though. Rix had the cappuccino flavored ice cream scoop and we ordered the strawberry ice cream scoop for Elle. The strawberry had large strawberry bits, which I find great. The total of our bill amounted to just 200 pesos, which surprised us at how inexpensive this Italian ice cream place was.

Here is Elle enjoying her first few spoonfuls of ice cream. She then went off to explore this different surrounding. In the end, I was the one who finished it.  *sigh*

I really enjoy evenings like these...

To Rest in this Room

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When we have the resources in the future, I would like to redesign our bathroom and the bathroom vanities, here at our place and at my parents' home. For me, it is uplifting to go to the restroom and utilize a nice, clean and streamlined vanity. It would be like going to the toilet and bath of a five star hotel. It would add more meaning to the word 'rest' in the restroom.

It would be done in the contemporary style so it will be simple yet elegant. There would be a small magazine or book rack for when "one is sitting on the throne". It is my dream for our toilet and bath to have a double sink bathroom vanity. This is so that my hubby and I need not wait for our turns while putting on contact lenses or brushing our teeth. I would  also be able to brush my teeth alongside my growing toddler, which I like. There could be two separate mirrors above each sink and a medicine cabinet or an open shelf in the middle. Or one big mirror could also do, as it would make the bathroom look bigger. A shower enclosure would be nice, so the water would not splash the vanity and watercloset area. It is also my dream to have a bath tub! Would that be wishing for too much? My hubby would say 'yes'! 

It would be a great experience to design a nice toilet and bath and see it everyday, wouldn't it? I hope we could afford it in the not-so-distant future...




 
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Somniloquy runs in the family?

Did you know that there's a blog chronicling what a man says in his sleep? Check out the Sleep Talkin' man here. 

And there's another one, Nate at Night, claiming to be the original.

I know that I talk in my sleep. I am not sure if it's normal. But, my hubby sometimes does, and also my daughter, too. According to Wikipedia, it is very common for children to talk in their sleep. I am just concerned that she sometimes cries and is inconsolable when she's awakened by this or by shouting, when she dreamed of something unpleasant. Why, she even throw tantrums in her sleep!

There are times I would like to also record what I say during the night, but it may be very embarrassing. Don't you think?

The Dream Dollhouse For Me

 

  

Last Christmas, my daughter Elle received a dollhouse set from a couple, who are close friends of mine and my hubby's. Elle gets it out to play with almost everyday. The details of the dollhouse are fine unlike some other ones with less quality. The flooring of the different areas are not just flat. There is parquet for the bedrooms and den, tiled toilet & bath and kitchen, wooden boards for the attic and dining area. Pieces of furniture can be rearranged. There is a 4-seater dining set, two beds, a love seat, a lamp, a TV console, a TV, a bath tub and a watercloset with a cover that can be opened. The refrigerator in the kitchen can also be opened. The sink is recessed, the range and some items on the counter top are molded. The bedrooms have French doors leading to balconies. The dolls consists of a family of four and a family dog with its own doghouse attached to the facade of the house. The middle portion floors and columns of the house can be folded up so the two sides can be swung in to conceal the rooms and just show the outside of the dollhouse. What I don't like about it are the lack of imaginative colors on the outer and inner walls of the dollhouse and the detachable ladders that lack stability when put up. But, overall, this is a great dollhouse set children would enjoy.

If I were to design my own dream dollhouse, I'd have themed designs for every room. The kitchen could have a country feel with flowered curtains for the window, the same flowered design could be on the cushions for the wooden chairs with a matching table in the nook. The cupboards would have varnished doors in light oak. The walls would have be painted in sunshine yellow. There would be little baskets to hold some miniature produce. The living area would sport a contemporary look with an L-shaped sofa upholstered in soft beige leather. The walls would be of floor to ceiling faux glass. Other furniture would consist of a coffee table, a bar with bar stools made with materials that would look like glass and chrome. The den would have an accent rug in psychedelic design. Its theme would be a colorful retro style. Bright hues of red, blue, purple and orange shall splash the space. I'd like a Zen, spa-like theme for the master bedroom. With a simple yet relaxing surrounding, and colors of nature in its palette. If there would be a nursery in the dollhouse, the furniture would be painted in pastel colors and the wallpaper would look like this:

 

 I found this wallpaper design in the site of an online dollhouse components retailer, who can provide dollhouse-making enthusiasts with doll house kits. If I can't design my real house the way I truly like it to be, then I could probably do it with a dollhouse, right?