Last post for 2007

My original plan was to post an entry about what made 2007 special. But I'm sure that by now the faithful readers of this blog know that the MAIN highlight for me this year was meeting D, falling in love with him, getting engaged and now just excitingly waiting for the day when we are bound together for life in holy matrimony! I believe you have read enough of my blossoming relationship so I won't bore you with more mushy stuff. But suffice it to say that 2007 was indeed a very good year for me! So I would just post a message I received in my email inbox a few hours ago:

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been,
The foresight to know where you are going,
And the insight to know when you have gone too far

May you never forget what is worth remembering,
nor ever remember what is best forgotten

May flowers always line your path and sunshine light your day.
May songbirds serenade you every step along the way.
May a rainbow run beside you in a sky that's always blue.
And may happiness fill your heart each day your whole life through

May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live
May you have all the happiness and luck that life can hold,
And at the end of all your rainbows may you find a pot of gold!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Hair Spa

Yesterday was pamper me day!

It has been months maybe even a year since I last got my hair cut. You see, my usual stylist got transferred to another branch all the way in hilly Tagaytay City of all places. Since then, I didn't muster enough courage to try a new stylist so I've stayed out of the beauty salons. I am very particular about my hair style. It has to be cut in a certain way so that it accentuates my curls and not hide them. Yes I am still as stubborn as ever and always have my I.dont.want.to.rebond.my.hair.so.please.don't.bother.convincing.me.thank.you spiel ready in case they get into their long boring speech about the benefits of having straight hair.

My (new) stylist recommended I go for a hair spa when she noticed the dry condition of my scalp, I wholeheartedly agreed! The smell of minty fresh shampoo and conditioner being massaged into my scalp felt utterly orgasmic! Midway during the hair spa treatment, specifically the part where they enveloped my hair with plastic wrap and enclose my head within that round thingy to warm it up, I realized I didn't have enough cash. Ngek! I panicked and texted my sister who was at the supermarket to bail me out in case I got arrested for not paying. I also texted D and told him about my foolish spur of the moment indulgence. He was willing to come all the way from Project 8 to David's Salon in Megamall just to pay for the treatment. Ain't that sweet? Not that I will accept his offer but it is the thought that counts, right? But luckily they accept credit card payments so I didn't get arrested. Phew! My new stylist (bless her!) cut my hair precisely the way I wanted it. I was indeed one very satisfied client for Ms Susie! =)

Play and Win!

If you like playing guessing games, then bid4prizes is the perfect site for you. It is a reverse auction game which you can play online or by sending text messages to a certain number. All you have to do is sign up, pick a prize then place your lowest unique number to win free gifts such as iPods, Notebooks, HDTVs to cash prizes You can play several times and bid on different prizes at any given time. It is just like betting at the sweepstakes. When the prize game ends, if you have the lowest guess which is not the same as any other current guess, you win that prize for free. Their user friendly website provides first time users enough information to better understand the mechanics of this exciting game. Let's play!

Memorable Christmas

All of my Christmases so far have been more or less memorable but this year it was more significantly poignant. A bit overwhelming (in a good way) tinged with a certain melancholic ambiance.

After we heard the 10pm Christmas eve Mass at St. Francis, we headed home for the noche buena. Our sumptuous meal consisted of Marca Pina Queso de Bola, Adelina Ham, Milky Way Morcon, Purefoods Chicken Ham (for the parents who cannot eat pork), Hizon's dinner roll and my only and usual contribution to the fare - chicken salad.

We celebrated the fact that it was my 'last' Christmas with my parents and sister as a single person and in this loft, a place I've called home for the past 6 years. Surprisingly, no tears were shed, I just felt a certain calmness and utter contentment in my little heart.



On Christmas Day itself, D joined us for Christmas lunch here at home. He added a yummy mocha cake to the reheated Noche Buena leftovers. We all had so much fun just laughing, eating, being silly, opening gifts, talking, eating some more and just being inundated with my childhood stories which is my parents' way of embarrassing me. Eeeps!



Then D and I heard the 4:30pm Christmas Mass at Edsa Shrine. I thanked the Lord Almighty for giving me the greatest gift - the loving person who always holds my hand and fans me because I sweat like crazy. His smile uplifts my spirits when I get stressed and he tells me he loves me constantly. I love the way he treats my parents and sister with due respect and shows genuine concern for their welfare. The man I will grow old with and spend the rest of my life with in (hopefully) blissful marital harmony - my one and only honey bunchy who is truly a blessing to me! =)

So yes Christmas 2007 was indeed quite memorable! As 2008 sneaks in a few days, I am both happy and excited to begin a new chapter in my colorful life.

You all have a Happy Christmas now, ya hear? =)

Prayers

Yesterday, I was shopping at Tiendesitas, Pasig with my sister and my mom when I got D's SMS. He was informed by his sister in the States that his 93 year old father suffered a mild heart attack and was confined in a hospital.
D last saw his aged parents 4 years ago when they came to the Philippines for a visit. They are kind hearted simple folks who have been together for over 50 years. Whenever I talk to D's mom over the phone, she always excitingly conveys to me their extreme pleasure that D is finally getting married. She has been wishing and praying for the longest time that D would settle down so that in her words "may mag aalaga sa kanya".

Kindly say a prayer for his full recovery so that some day D and I will get the chance to visit him in Seattle.

Thanks and God bless!

Disclosure Policy
This policy is valid from 20 December 2007.

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact daphnelaura@gmail.com

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This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

Online bookings

Let's say it's the Christmas holidays, Holy Week break or simply an extended long weekend and you suddenly feel the urge to pack your bags and escape, Hotel Reservations is a good website to visit to book a trip.

HotelReservations.com offers more than 70,000 properties worldwide - from hotels to B&B's to condos to all inclusive resorts. They have the lowest Internet rate price guaranteed. You can save up to 70% off on their competitive prices. It isn't limited to accommodations, you can also book flights, cars, vacation rentals or check out their vacation packages. They are guaranteed to make your trip as hassle free as possible.

Bon voyage!

*This is a sponsored post*

Toys Store

D has 12 inaanaks ranging from 3 to 12 years old. He is the generous type of Ninong as opposed to me the scrooge Ninang who doesn't give gifts to her inaanaks. I have 7, most of them I haven't laid eyes on since they were conceived! So we have been making the rounds of the different toys store like Toys Kingdom, Toys R Us and the toys section of department stores.

I was shocked to discover the costs of toys - mucho expensive! I mean come on, most of these toys end up scattered all over the living room. They eventually start gathering dust after the kids have lost interest and move on to other distractions. Besides kids these days are tech savvy they won't settle for anything less. They want those Nintendo, PSP games or worse the latest cellphones. In short, very expensive items. Phew!

I told D why don't you just give cash instead? He tells me well (1) the cash go to the parents who won't spend it on the kids and (2) kids are easy to please just hand them a toy, they are happy for life. Ok fine, whatever. I guess he has a point. My only input - give toys which will nurture their skills and/or develop their physical activities. You know items such as badminton sets, Frisbees, almanacs, jigsaw puzzles, jewelry beads weaving machines - things that make use of their brains.

While D was pondering on what toy to give each child, I was tinkering with sketch o matic screens, little drum sets, remote controlled toy cars and flying helicopters and musical xylophones. I had so much fun. The fun part for D though ended when his wallet got a lot lighter. Heh!

Online blogging community

Thoughts.com is a free blogging network. A blogging community where you can post pictures, upload videos and podcasts, interact with other users, voice out your opinions in the forum section and of course blog to your heart's content. Their main page has a section where you can read interesting news articles covering different topics like news, life, sports, technology, business, politics and oddly enough news.

It has a very user-friendly site. Pictures, videos and podcasts can be organized into different categories. This allows for simple navigation through different photo albums. They have a one stop control panel where you upload everything. No pesky pop ups for each task.

Since July 2007, they have been giving away one free 6 month Netflix membership each month to an existing member that has referred a friend to become an active member of the thoughts.com community. All future winners are announced on the last Friday of the month.

Thoughts.com has a user rating system so members can rate each others posts and provide feedback in the form of comments. In addition to leaving blog comments, you can also rate each blog post, photos, video or podcast from 1 to 5 stars. This rating system helps determine your average user rating. Each year thoughts.com will be bringing top contributors on free vacation to exotic destinations. This year they flew 5 lucky users to Las Vegas! How grand is that?

Sign up and be part of an engaging blogging community at http://www.thoughts.com/!

*This is a paid review*

Did you know?

The Christmas card, probably the most popular way to express holiday sentiments, was started in England in 1843.

The first Christmas card was printed in the United States in 1875 by Louis Prang, a Massachusetts printer. By running nationwide contests for the best Christmas designs, Prang helped launch Christmas cards into a multi billion dollar industry.

I got my first Christmas card for this Yuletide season in the mail today. It came all the way from D.C c/o fellow blogger Kayni. Enclosed was a gold plated bookmark with the words "With God All Things are Possible". Very true, indeed!

Thanks, Kayni I appreciate it a lot. =)

Fun stuff

The Internet is full of interesting stuff that help boost our artistic senses. If you like tinkering with your pictures, then The Bubblenator would surely keep your creative mind busy, all day or night as the case may be.

It is a fun application which adds cartoon captions to your pictures. You know those cloud like thingies you see in comic books. Simply type in the full URL of your image. Very large or extremely small images though will give an error message. So make sure your image doesn't exceed 500kb in file size. The next step brings you to the bubblenator. Pick between 'spoken' or 'thought' bubbles. You can place up to three captions anywhere on your image. Simply type your text for each, choose the size and that's it! You have 'talking' images! Once you're done, simply copy and paste the HTML code of the captioned image on your web site, blog, Myspace page or just about anywhere else!

So jazz up those vacation pictures. Tell us what you really thought about the Boracay sunset or how you felt when you first laid eyes on the Eiffel Tower. I'm sure your imagination will run wild while it brings back pleasant memories of those happy photographic moments.

*This is a paid review*

Viva Espana

Spain is one country I didn't have the opportunity to visit among my numerous travels. Back in the 80s, we were set to go there for our next summer vacation but we got recalled back to home base. Our first stop would have been the capital, Madrid. A must see is the Palacio Real, the official residence of the Spanish Royal family. Another attraction is the Reina Sofia art museum which houses a huge collection of 20th and 21st century art pieces. Works of Picasso as well as Miro and Dali, famous Spanish artists are prominently displayed in this museum. Back then, the Internet was non existent but nowadays it would be easy to book online from hoteles en Madrid.

Barcelona, the birthplace of Pablo Picasso would have been part of our itinerary. His works can be seen in chronological order at the Picasso museum. A visit to Barcelona won't be complete with feasting your eyes on the Sagrada Familia, a massive edifice by master architect Antonio Gaudi and the magic fountain of Montjuic which showcases a light, music and water show every night. Hoteles en Barcelona offers a wide range of accommodations depending on one's budget.

It would have been great to visit the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, explore Alhambra in Granada, watch a bullfight in Pamplona or simply people watch while having tapas in some quaint Spanish restaurant. The possibilities are limitless as is the wide range of hotels, inns and accommodations one can avail from this hoteles en espana website.

I'm sure on our way back to Brussels where we were based during that period, we would have passed by Paris. It was like some travel custom we had back then. Prayed at the Notre Dame cathedral or the Sacre Coeur Basilica, wave each time we saw the Eiffel Tower and spend the night in some hoteles en Paris to rest our weary bones. Ah yes the good old days. =)

Fitting room chronicles

I have basically abandoned my quest for an affordable custom made bridal gown, because well I'm being practical or you can say I'm being cheap. So I've been making the rounds of the malls to find an appropriate evening gown which will satisfy both my mother and my sister. Seriously, all of sudden they have become experts in wedding gowns. Never mind that I specifically told them that I don't like lacy (read: first communion dress), beaded (read: Reyna Elena in a Santacruzan), sequined gowns (read: Miss Universe contestant) with a long train (read: Princess Diana's wedding gown). Frankly I am still sticking to my original plan to just wear jeans and tee. OK I'm just kidding, D might feel out of place in his fancy Barong Tagalog if I showed up in casual wear.

I've tried all sort of gowns (some of them weren't even white just for the heck of it) ranging from a price range of a whooping P29,000 to a mere P2,999.00. I was surprised to find out that (a) I didn't look like a midget in a long gown (b) I was having so much fun trying them on!

But the best part is hearing the snide remarks of the companions of the women who were in the other cubicles at the fitting room. I once heard a male voice say: "Ay ano ba yan labas ang didbdib mo, tanggalin mo yan. Di pwede yan!" The lady retorted: "Ganyan talaga ito, off the shoulder style". On another occasion, a male voice yet again said: "Ganda nyan, easy access". But I nearly peed in my jeans from laughter when D pointed out to me that the dress I tried made me look like a manghuhula (fortune teller) in Quiapo. Moments later when he insisted that a white santana long sleeved Barong would do, I told him he will look like the security guy who patrols the Shangri-la food court. Hah!

By the way, I totally fell in love with this off white chiffon gown which I tried at the Landmark in Trinoma. But they didn't have it in medium size. Blah!





The search continues.

Leah's US$ 25 contest

Blogger Leah of Mga Muni Muni.com is conducting a contest to drive more traffic to her other blog ("Cool and Composed") which recently got approved for PPP.

Since she herself won the Starbucks coffee challenge, she is being generous this Christmas season. She will be giving US$ 25 to the blogger who sends the most readers her way to increase her blog's traffic rankings. The contest ends on December 23, 2007 midnight Eastern time.

So it is double the fun. You help me win the contest as well as visit her blog. Click here, drop by Leah's blog and say hi. Oh you can click several times too, just be sure you do it through this post entry, ok?

Many thanks! =)

The right person

Would you believe that I, the couch potato rarely watches TV nowadays? But since I discovered this TV show entitled "Brothers and Sisters", I make it a point to watch it every Mondays on Studio 23. They also show older episodes over at Star World, I'm not sure of the exact day.

It stars Ms. Sally Field, Calista Flockhart (Ally Mcbeal herself), Rachel Griffiths (Brenda from Six Feet Under) and a bunch of hotties who play the brothers in the Walker family. A mature show about 2 sisters, 3 brothers and their recently widowed mother played by the effervescent Sally Field. It has its light comedic moments as well as dramatic sequences and they delve into topics like infidelity, the war in Iraq, and the U.S. presidential elections among others.

A recent episode dealt with Nora Walker going out on a date. Her first date after her husband died. Her children were giving her all sort of dating advice but it turned out pretty well. The conversation she had with her date touched a nerve.

David: You're missing your husband.
Nora: Yes. Do you ever miss...um?
David: Cheryl. Sometimes.
Nora: What happened? Can I ask?
David: Well to tell you the truth I'm not really sure. We waited a long time to get married because.... Well, I'm not really sure about that either...
Nora: You were playing the field?
David: Not that much actually. I just never met the right person. The person that makes you feel like you'd better hurry up. Like there's never going to be enough time.
Nora: William made me feel like that. Its been its own perfect little hell finding out about all his betrayals. But, when it was good ... he made me feel like this whole world- like this whole big beautiful world, was lucky to have me. Little me. Some trick, huh?
David: Not at all.
Nora: Sometimes it hurts so much to remember.
David: I think ... it would hurt even more to forget.


Ever since I met D, I've felt that way. A certain sense of urgency that there are so many things we need to do before time runs out. Well for one, the fact remains that we are already in the 4th decade of our existence. But sometimes deep inside I keep wishing we had met earlier, much earlier. So we could have gone traveling together, celebrated more birthdays, Christmases and important occasions together. We probably could have gotten our priorities right, saved more and taken our time before we start a family. You know just enjoy each other more without feeling the need to rush. This probably sounds like I am being pressured to get married and I'm not ready to settle down. I'm not ... being pressured that is. I know I am ready. I have never been this sure about anything in my life. A few months ago, I had my doubts about my ability to compromise but I have always felt sure about D being the one. I won't say that I met Mr Right but merely that I met the right person for little me. =)

Tension headaches

There are two things which currently make my head spin like crazy. (a) Making the rounds of bridal gown designer shops and (b) checking property prices. The latter is self explanatory so I won't go into a winding rant about that stressful issue.

I attended that bridal fair last month so I managed to gather brochures of some designers who make wedding gowns for a living. Boy, is that a lucrative business or what? Most of the leaflets announced in big bold letters "Special Price P40,000 for entire wedding entourage". So what does a budget conscious bride to be who simply wants a very 'functional' gown with no veil, no train, no beaded sequins, no lace, no heavy fabric do? Give herself tension headaches! I'm the type of person who likes to compare prices over and over again before I make any worthy purchase. So I said oh what the heck I will go for consultations.

What do I have to lose? Well it seems a lot. For one, my self worth and secondly my pride. In my opinion there is nothing more degrading (well for an already stressful bride to be) than to be subjected to tactless (and dare I say hurtful) statements like "Your budget is too small for a bridal gown"; "How come you are scrimping on your gown when you are getting married in a nice church and your reception will be at a 5 star hotel?"; "I only use bridal duchess fabric for all my bridal gowns so my starting price is P15K"; "Your idea of a bridal gown is cheap, that is merely an evening gown"; "I believe you are too short to pull off what you have in mind for a bridal gown"; "You only get married once so you might as well have a 'bongga' gown to show off"; "How come you don't have bridesmaids and flower girls?"; "Oh I see it is the smaller chapel not the main church, huh?". It goes on and on.

Yes I know it is my fault. I was the one who dragged my ever patient and truly supportive sister to drive me all over town. From San Juan to Kamagong in Makati. Then from A.H. Lacson near UST to some dark street in the Paco area. Getting stuck in traffic, finding no parking area, almost fainting from hunger for what? To feel totally depressed that I cannot afford to spend P18,000 for a gown I will only wear for 1 hour at the most? Geez! Thank God I can bend D's ear over the phone to recount one horror story after the other to the point of getting hoarse. While he simply listens to my ramblings and never once told me the dreaded phrase "I told you so"! So I haven't really lost my mind just yet.

6 months to go before my nuptials, I still don't have a gown. Go figure! I am this close to buying any formal evening gown (or what I call the 'Ninang' collection) off the rack just to stop these tension headaches from ruining my life. It is preventing me from enjoying this.long.queues.at.taxi.stands.and.horrendous.traffic.inducing season we call Christmas.

Better caring

I am at an age where I worry about the health care of my parents. Being Asian, I highly doubt I have it in me to put them in a nursing home yet it is still reassuring to know that there are organizations which offer this kind of service if the need arises.

Better Caring is a resourceful service which offers valuable information about providing care for our loved ones or even ourselves. On their website, you can read about the different care options available like residential or nursing care. There are relevant articles from care experts who give us tips on caring for our beloved elderly. They also have a forum area where you can interact with other users to share your experiences or ask questions about health care. It is a daunting task to care for our loved ones but being part of an interactive community can help one cope with it. We owe it to ourselves and to our senior citizens to be properly informed about their health care.

Twelve Months Meme

The rules are simple:
1. Mention the person who tagged you and create a link back to them.
Interestingly enough I got tagged by both Leah and Wil and we all happen to be October born. =)

2. Copy-paste the traits for all the twelve months (click here).

3. Pick your month of birth.

4. Highlight the traits that apply to you.

5. Tag 12 people and let them know by visiting their blogs and leaving a comment for them. I'm not tagging anyone simply because I doubt there are even 12 people who read this blog.

6. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve done it!


OCTOBER: Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often I am usually very patient but lately with everything weighing down on me, I'm ashamed to admit I get angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

Dyson vacuum cleaners

An essential item for any household is a powerful yet handy vacuum cleaner. So why not try a Dyson vacuum cleaner? If you don't know which type suits you, don't worry their website provides a section where they help you choose a Dyson based on your needs. Lightweight, easy to store, all floors suitability as well as vacuums for pet owners and allergy sufferers.
Their Dyson uptight vacuum cleaner range includes 4 types. The DC07 original Root cyclone Uptight which is installed with the Root cyclone technology. It basically separates dirt and dust from the air by a centrifugal force and collects it in a bin not a bag. The DC14 telescope reach is equipped with a telescope reach wand. This comes in handy for those hard to reach places and it comes fully assembled. The DC18 Dyson Slim as the name implies is lightweight. It also comes with a telescope reach wand with flexible steering. Lastly, the DC15 The Ball. A vacuum that twists and turns to reach those little nooks and crannies of your house.
They also have an easy to use parts and accessories section. Each component is depicted with a picture as well as the product description. They are categorised by the model type of the different Dyson vacuum cleaner range. Every Dyson vacuum cleaner is covered by a free 5 year parts and labour guarantee.

Out of my comfort zone

Ever since I started dating D, I've been more adventurous and spontaneous. I've come out of my isolated little cocoon. I, the pampered spoiled brat is now confident enough to take the MRT. I've walked miles even though I perspire like crazy. I've ventured into unfamiliar territories, unscathed. Of course, I survive all of these endeavours with the able guidance of D who always asks me before hand, several times if I'm up to the task. He knows it is way out of my little comfort zone.

Last Sunday after we heard the 11 am Mass at the Edsa Shrine with my parents, I was excited and all geared up for our latest adventure. I wore my most comfortable jeans, a loose peasant blouse which doesn't 'bleed' when I sweat. I had my walking shoes, a body bag slung across my chest, my cellphone and money in my jeans pocket. My wallet devoid of my credit cards. No flashy rings and dangling earrings just a battered wrist watch. I tied my hair in a tight ponytail. Ehem I know I sound paranoid you would think I was entering a thieves haven but you can never be sure, right?

Our destination was the row of jewelry shops in the Binondo area. We were advised by some friends of my sister, wedding rings there are much cheaper than at the malls. D had the taxi drop us off in the Escolta area so he can show me around the places he frequented when he was much younger. The Bureau of Lands where his father used to work. The old buildings dating back to the American occupation and being the frustrated architect that he is, he diligently pointed out the elaborate architecture of those ancient edifices. The original Savory chicken restaurant. The PNB building where both my parents worked during their Department of Commerce days. It was a nostalgic walk back in time tour of the Escolta area. Places I hardly remember even though my parents would tell me tales of their 'pasyalan' in that locale when I was a mere toddler.

We reached the Binondo church then entered the arch which I believe is the start of the Chinatown area. We then proceeded to Ongpin Street which was teeming with several jewelry shops. I am very particular about the type of rings I want for our wedding bands. I want them to be light in weight and color, not too flashy with minimal design. It should also be thin, without any stones and look and feel like a wedding ring. At first I was leaning towards the yellow gold 14K ones but as we hopped from one shop to another, I developed a liking for the white gold 14K variety. Prices are really cheaper in Binondo and surprisingly as we moved towards the Santa Cruz area, the cost of the rings were reduced remarkably.

For instance, the first shop we entered quoted a set of 14K rings at P8,000. By the time we reached the very last store at this jewelry mall near the Santa Cruz church, the sales lady was willing to sell us a set of 14K white gold with a simple design for only P3,000! I was telling D what the heck? How much do these wedding rings really cost? How come when we first asked her, she said P4,500 when she saw our hesitation, she said ok you can have it for P3,200. Then as we were heading for the door, she suddenly said "Ok sir, ma'am you can have it for only P3,000!" I don't know it just didn't seem right. Probably it wasn't even white gold but white glass or something. Besides we were only canvassing and we were not really going to buy just yet. We will go back next year nearer to the wedding date.

Anyways, our sojourn to Binondo and Santa Cruz won't been complete without pasalubongs. The thing is every time my father and D have their after dinner conversations when D drops by the house, they always talk about the old jaunts in the Santa Cruz area. Or what I call their "Avenida Rizal" chats. So D thought it would be a good idea if we bought Eng Bee Tin hopia for merienda and 1 whole Ramon Lee chicken for dinner. Yes he bought them specifically for my father and yes he was making sipsip. Teehee!

I had a great time during our latest adventure. I was able to pray at both the Binondo (San Lorenzo Ruiz church) and the Santa Cruz churches. I got to explore the rows of jewelry shops in Chinatown. The weather was pretty pleasant and a bit windy I didn't perspire. The walk was light and easy since it wasn't crowded. Best of all I was happy that D shared with me some of his fondest memories of his childhood. Next year, our target will be Divisoria to buy wedding items like the cord, veil and the arrhae. Now that should be interesting!

'Tis the season to send cards!

I am totally disoriented. I am losing track of time with everything I need to do. It is like I'm hopping from one stressful moment to another yet equally tension filled moment. I even have the dark circles under my puffy eyes to prove it!

Some days I am busy calling up suppliers getting quotations for missalettes, flowers and a wedding gown. Everything is way too expensive for my plan of a very simple wedding ceremony. You'll see like 8 wedding related websites on if you check my browsers. Gosh!

Other days I get sidetracked by trying to find a suitable place to live in which doesn't cost a fortune. D and I agreed it would be cheaper if we just transferred to another place instead of spending money on the complete renovation of his really old place. Property developers and real estate listings websites are plastered all over my desktop. Never mind that most if not all of these beautiful condos, townhouses and house and lots are way way beyond our limited income. I just get such an adrenaline rush looking at those floor plans!

Meanwhile, in the grander scheme of things, I still have film reviews to write (I seem to have hit a writer's block in this department), paid reviews to compose (I am motivated by the monetary value so I squeeze my brain till the last drop) and a million other things all vying for a piece of my ready to explode mind!



But let's get to the event closer at hand => Christmas! I accepted fellow blogger Kayni's offer to spread the holiday cheer. In her Thanksgiving entry dated November 22, she wrote:

Happy Thanksgiving to all! And in the spirit of giving and the holiday season, I am going to send gifts to the first five special readers who will comment on this blog entry. I know a lot of you are overseas, so I will try to find something light and easy to send.

Before the end of 2007, I will send a card and physical gift to each of the first five people who comment here. The catch? Each person must make the same offer on her/his blog.

Now I hope you don't mind if I tweak the offer a bit. I am foregoing the physical gift part, I am really kuripot (cheap) that way! But I promise to send Christmas cards via snail mail your way if you are among the lucky 5 bloggers to comment for this entry. Fair enough? So leave a comment here and email me your mailing address at daphnelaura [at] gmail [dot] com! =)