beauty

happy birthday ate!

A sister is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. 

~Barbara Alpert

i am really amazed on how my older sister can untangle any knotted thread. she is always there to the rescue whenever i get annoying knots everytime i sew. so i once told my college friends that if i'm going to live in another country, i would like to have my Ate with me so she can undo any tangled threads i might ever come across with. but behind that silly reason, i know deep in my heart that i want my sister to be with me - always. we may have pulled each other's hair when we were kids and still fight over things until now; i may not sometimes understand her quirkiness, her love of sleep, her long hours of shopping then end up with nothing, her addiction to koreanovelas and farmville; or i may not ever figure out how she always have lots of money, but i would like to have her near me, beside me, because i have proven so many times that she is always there for me. a sister with a big heart, whom i can always depend on, who always loves me for who i am.

happy birthday Ate! may the good Lord bless you with lots of love and happiness today and always. i may not tell you often, but i know you know that i love you and i feel oh so lucky to have a big sister like you. we will be together soon! :)

coupons and invitation

when i got here in the US, shopping became my favorite pastime (hihi!). since i can get out of work as early as 4pm, i go straight to the mall or grocery to buy something nice (if my budget allows it) or window shop just to kill time. but i'm still the same old me, the cheapskate! so when i learned about coupons, in store passes and invitations, i got hooked! from a $1 off coupon to 40% off entire purchase pass, i always find time to cut, print and collect. and believe me, these "papers" really make a lot of savings and take the shopping guilt away! hah!

i got an invite to Gap, so we went to the mall today to check it out. and viola! - a cute stripped top for $10!

i also love clearance sale! it makes me so happy when i buy something that is 70% - 90% off! you just have to have a lot of patience and strength to rummage hehehe!

imagine that!

i am a dreamer. and i imagine a lot. there is nothing wrong with it. but i have learned that you have to keep yourself in check to know if you are still living in reality or not.

trying the self timer

okay, my dslr is new. and i'm still familiarizing myself with it. one of my favorites with digital cameras is the self timer. i tried it, and turned out nice! bleh! lol!

japanese in a bit of spring!

me and my friend Stephanie went out for lunch today. it was sunny and warm outside, winter is almost over! (yey!). got lost first because of crammy side street parking lol! anyway, we went back to this oriental restaurant called Bull and Buddha. it is a bit pricey there, but hey you have to give in to indulgence once in a while. i just love the interior of the restaurant, especially Buddha sitting in the middle of wines -

we tried their Bento Boxes, too bad they do not serve it on weekends. it is $11, but it was worth it because my tummy was happy! :)

love the cute rice!

life is like a book

another chapter has ended. he is gone. though i still love him, the best thing to do is to move on with life and embrace it with courage and smile. i’ll be okay. :)