Siesta Saturday - Into The Wild

My Siesta Saturday comeback was a hit and I'm grateful to all the wonderful fellow Etsyian who made it a success!

This time I'm delving into the WILD...and it's open to all my fellow moms...

Few nights ago, My 4 year old, Miss Sasserfrass and I were watching a Tagalog movie : ANAK (Child) that we both agreed on - yes I'm immersing (no, drowning) her into my native language. It's a family-oriented one which I thot she would love BUT whatddya' know, it was more of a "sob-oriented" movie than anything. We watched it anyway, in between tears!

In one brief episode, they showed the rebellious teenage daughter in bed tyring to kiss her guy and laid on top of him. No sooner than Miss Sasserfrass saw this that she hastily spun away and blurted out - as loud as thunder : " OH NO! They'll have sex!"

I got startled so bad, I had chills run down my spine!

I turned to look at Miss Sasserfrass while flashing her my Cruella D'vil-like glare and so slowly said : "whhhaaaaatttttt ????" - decibel rose like sirens at the end of that what.

Ms. Sasserfrass unfazed, went on so sure of herself to say : " I said, they'll have sex! "

My face crunched up like a sourpuss! "Where the heck did she get this idea from?!" Ok people, I kid you not. This is NOT my kid - she's an alien! - wait a minute - I used to be an alien so, I guess this smartypants girl grinning up at me is my SPAWN!? lovely!"

Me: "what do you mean ? and why did you say that?"

Her : "Well, you see Mama, if a person lies on top of another person, that means they'll have sex!"

ugh! my jaw dropped and I literally fainted...

That's it! she's never ever gonna play with my laptop again while I'm away at work - ever!!!

Ultimate Siesta question:

What was the wildest thing that you're child had said or done and how did you react to it?

Count your Blessings

No matter where you are, No matter how life has treated you, amidst all these chaos in life, we all have something to be thankful for.

So in this special occassion, Let's all take a moment to start counting all our blessings...big or small, even the minute ones and be graciously thankful for ALL of it!

I want to take this moment to thank all the people who have become a part of my life : real and virtual, who continously makes a great difference in how I view life from day to day...I truly appreciate you and your presence here and I'm so grateful for you and I HEART you all...

And to all my Golden Flower Creations loving customers - YOU ARE THE BEST! Thank you...

Enjoy this special occassion with your family and friends and make sure to let them know you're grateful for them...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY TO ALL!





P.S. Go easy on the Turkey and the stuffing :)

and also check out the Etsy stores featured in my Siesta Saturday for alternative venue for your holiday shopping!

Don't Ugly Betty Me

I was looking at myself this morning as I was getting ready for work and I almost screamed at the reflection I saw! Yikes! was that me? was that really me?! Eeks! I've evolved into Ugly Betty! ewww! But If I must say, ugly Betty is better looking than me at this point. She at least wears make-up, I don't. My eyebrows hasn't even been "trimmed" for ages! ack!

Drat! What has happened to me? Tsk Tsk! I have gone awry. I have let myself totally slip to shabbyland! I just realized that I have been going to work and anywhere else looking "bare", presentable but unglamorous! My only "make-up" these days are my Lip Balm (which I just lost - for the nth time! - I have the lost-a-lip-balm-everytime-disease) and a dab of face powder. That's it! so pathetic...



I'm a mommy but I don't need to look like one and dress like one! don't you agree? There's a fine line between looking glam and still being a mommy. I just went and crossed that line and got stuck on the other side of it. My own little Twilight zone! Life's cares has gotten the best of me...Sounds familiar? Yes, and I know I'm not alone.

It is so easy to fall into this rut (or trap). Being a mother, working, Entrepreneuring and being a wife at the same time is a tough job. You just don't have time to look pretty anymore! Well, THAT is my EXCUSE, what's yours ? Hmmm...But there's a way out of this (besides someone kicking my butt to do it). I found It's A Glam Thing to be a treasure trove of tricks and tips on how to look Fabulous (including men)! One of my favorite trick is this:

" Great way to cover up a little grey on the spot is using a little black Mascara. You can paint it on the trouble spot and presto- the grey is gone."

I hate and I mean H-A-T-E grey hairs! I always have this urge to pull it out whenever I see one (even if it was from someone else's head!). Don't ask me why, I just do! So, don't go showing up my door with that grey hair of yours stickin' out. You know exactly what will happen...ah huh...

Anyway, here are a few more excerpts that I thought are worth sharing. This one is from Rosie Johnston of Rosie Jean Cosmetics who also happened to be a Celebrity make up artist in Hollywood.

To look polished but not overdone: Less is more. Women should only define what they have. Always keep it simple. A good Mascara, Pink Cheek and flushed lip is all that's needed to look pulled together and radiant.

Biggest Mistake women make is NOT wearing a Mascara even when they have naturally dark lashes. Or getting all dressed up and only putting lipstick on. Make up is just as important to your overall look as the outfit you chose to wear.

Make up to make you look younger : keep it light. Keep your lip color light. Use natural lip liner and tinted gloss. Dark colored lipstick makes women older.

Secret Tip : use a white iridescent eye shadow just in the inner corner of your eye. It gives an instant pick me up.

Now if you're 40 (just saying) and need a real quick Makeover, Fabulous after 40 has this promising 1 hour Makeover called Tweek-your-chic. Well, I'm not 40 yet and I can't afford the package so I'll just go for Andrea of Chihuahua Bites Makeup Tips and Tricks Bonanza. She even did two parts to share the secrets of the Trade! Go check her out and pick up a thing or two.

In retrospect, I really don't know why makeup plays such a vital role in our lives as women. I guess its' that old-age mentality that it transforms us into this Princess pretty iconic beauty or that we're just an ugly duckling without it! Nonetheless, I've got to get my gears going and start painting. I so need it!

It doesn't matter if they say the greatest beauty is the beauty within. Being ugly Betty, the character is quite OK, but being UGLY is another story!

(I'm so kicking myself now for posting that mugshot of mine next to Betty - I think she looks a tad prettier than I am even with that goofy face. I am so regretting this!) Make up please!!! ahem peeps, I won't mind doing a make up review about now.

P.S. Thanks to all my fellow Etsyian who participated in Nothing but Etsy and bloggy friends who Stumbled it. A lot of peeps saw the stores and I hope this in turn brings more sales to us! (Sorry but I'm going to copy that Coach in that Football commercial when I say ) "AMEN!"

Siesta Saturday - Nothing but Etsy

MABUHAY ! In the Philippine Islands, Siesta is a big part of each day. A time to take a break, nap or just unwind. It's but a lazy moment...

Ah to be lazy! I have not done this for so long and It's really a shame. It will soon change though. BIG (humongous, gigantic) CHANGE will come {{*cross fingers and toes*}} but I'm not saying anything right now. Alright I know it's a bummer but a little suspense won't hurt! So stay tuned...

Anyway, for today's Siesta Saturday, I thought featuring my fellow Etsy crafters will be the best choice. Just in time to give you another shopping venue in time for the Holidays and the mad shopping going on right now. Go 100% Hand made these Holidays and support these talented Artisans!

For Etsyians : Fill the name part with the name of your store with a word or two describing your products and the link to your Etsy store so people will have easy access to your store. (please see below)



Let's all unite to make the Holidays joyous to everyone!

Ode to Life

Dear Life,

You've been bad! That overused cliches' "this is life", it's life!" just don't cut it! You haven't been good with us lately. Economy's downfall is not entirely your fault but hey, guess what, you're connected to it whichever way you look at it. Your name flashes like a neon light and everyone points their finger at you. Yes, life, you are partly to be blame for all these. Because this is THE LIFE. This is how you made it to be. You make us suffer, you make us triumphant and then again, you make everything pleasant when you want it to be.

At this point, you gave my family a survivor challenge! A challenge to withstand the test of time and faith. Ah Life, you are so cruel sometimes! You took away my hubby's job. You forced my company to scale down my job to part time and now our belts are tighter than it has ever been, it is so hard to breathe!

But then, yes Life, we have to go on...This challenge, should we chose to accept and finish it, we'll either give us the triumph of joy or despair for not even trying. Either way, we'll be a better person, stronger and definitely sensible or yes, Life, if we don't gather our strength, wits and courage together, it will drive us to insanity, depression or worst, a sad and painful death!

Yes Life, Thank you for all the lessons learnt. Thank you for all the challenges met. Thank you for all the joys, sorrow, happiness and pleasure you granted us. Our journey with you will never end until that very day we learn our lessons well and we breath our last breath...

Until then, take us where we need to be and give us what we deserve. Like they say "You, Life, is what we make it" ....

Life is What we make it
-Edgar Guest - poet

Life is a jest;
Take the delight of it.
Laughter is best;
Sing through the night of it.
Swiftly the tear
And the hurt and the ache of it
Find us down here;
Life must be what we make of it.

Life is a song;
Dance to the thrill of it.
Grief's hours are long,
And cold is the chill of it.
Joy is man's need;
Let us smile for the sake of it.
This be our creed:
Life must be what we make of it.

Life is a soul;
The virtue and vice of it,
Strife for a goal,
And man's strength is the price of it.
Your life and mine,
The bare bread and the cake of it
End in this line:

Life must be what we make of it.

This letter is part of Secret in the Sauce Happy Link up Friday featuring "Open letters". Visit SITS for more.

Twitter Power - Harnessing its' potential

Lately, I have been "obsessed" or "possessed" (for lack of a better term) with this cute little blue birdie.

I bet you know who this little blue birdie is even w/o that little hint from my post title above. Unless of course, you're one of those seemingly conservative genre trap in the computer cave age who don't want change...well, then... you're missing a lot! - But of course, this is what I think (and so does a million others).

Inspite of its' ridiculous "growing pains" , a lot of us are addicted to it simply because it is so much like SMS texting! And the fact that it's got great potential as a powerful marketing tool is a plus (eventho SOME marketing guru frown upon this assertion) and to me, it works! Definitely a great way of finding & accessing potential customers and connecting with other people of interest in real time and "advertising" your product (or Blog ) straight to the audience at hand without having to pay ridiculous fees! Talk about free AD Campaign. That's the beauty of Twitter!

Now you don't need to Twitter each day (like most of us do) to get the benefit, but having a set schedule works best too. The key point is having an established presence in the fold so people will start "knowing" you. And when you tweet, always use catchy, quirky or relevant ones to get attention depending on who your target audience are and why you Tweet in the first place. Be creative! Your tweets makes other Twitterers either follow you or unfollow you. Others just don't get you so they unfollow (ouch!). Have quite a few of those. But you move on - not the end of the world...

So far, I've been getting quite a lot of followers lately which means my presence is out there! -and I'm happy. Now the debate is, do I follow them back? I think it all depends on ones' preference. 9 out 10 (like most) I follow back. Now about the dreaded unfollowers...Well, like any relationship : you're probably not their type, it just don't match and it just won't work. Nothing personal - remember, It's them NOT YOU!

For more cool stuffs about Twitter : @PRSarahevans has additional tips about Twitter. And Below are some useful tools to help your Twittering escapades a more pleasant experience (courtesy of a dear friend, Mark Salinas). Click on!

To manage your Twitter friends:

http://tweetybot.com/

The 100 most popular Twitterers:

http://twittercounter.com/

Who just unfollowed you : (I'm so using this one!)

http://useqwitter.com/

Twitter app for Blackberry:

http://useqwitter.com//products/twitterberry/

Twitter app for iphone:

http://twitterforiphone.com/

Twitter app for Firefox browser:

http://www.naan.net/trac/wiki/TwitterFox

Desktop Twitter app:

http://twhirl.org/

Twitterer groups by subject:

http://twitterpacks.pbwiki.com/

Upload your pictures to Twitter:

http://twitpic.com/

Wordpress plugin for Twitter:

http://http//alexking.org/projects/wordpress

Twitterers by subject:

http://www.twellow.com//

URLS being posted on Twitter:

http://twitturly.com/

Twitterers with the most followers:

http://www.twitterholic.com/

Twitter cookbook with recipes:

http://twitter.com/cookbook

Adobe desktop app for Twitter:

http://www.tweetdeck.com/beta/

To unfollow people who are not following you:

http://friendorfollow.com/

Tweetcloud of popular topics on Twitter in real time. Words shrink and grow:

http://twitscoop.com/

Similar to Tinyurl - shrinks URLS :

http://.twitturls.com/

Schedule tweets to be posted at a later date and to auto thank and autofollow new followers:

http://www.tweetlater.com/

Twitter icons:

http://thenextweb.org/2008/09/16/twitterkeys-enhance-your-twitter-conversations/

Search Twitter for specific topics:

http://search.twitter.com/

Twitter app for Outlook express:

http://www.techhit.com/OutTwit/

Find Twitterers with a similar interests:

http://crazybob.org/twubble/

Group or unfollow all of your unfollowers:

http://dossy.org/twitter/karma/

Follow a conversation between 2 Twitterers.

http://tweet2tweet.com/

Some Cool Twitter groups:

http://www.twittermoms.com/

http://www.mombloggersclub.com/group/momsontwitter

This is just a few applications (there's a lot more out there) developed for Twitter marking its' powerful presence in the web. Come join in on the fun (addiction) and Don't you dare unfollow me now! ( I'll know who you are...*wink* )

Was this helpful to you ? Add some of your cool tips in, then, please Follow me in Twitterland.

Tweet Tweet !!!

The Joy of Fall

I'm not a big fan of the cold weather and usually when Fall comes into the scene, it starts giving me the imaginary *shivers* just because Fall is the big precursor to the cold weather ahead of us!

But on the flip side, Fall is one of my favorite season ONLY because of the wondrous colors that all the leaves evolves into during this time. I love driving along tree-lined roads with the explosion of mesmerizing Autumn colors, just like the picture I took above on a not-so-busy highway on our way to SC! lovely ain't it? (ok shush! not a word!)

BUT these lovely leaves will soon turn into a BIG mess! And that's exactly what we have in our front and backyard. We have this BIG BIG (Monstrous) tree around the house that does this. Today, Hubby (inspired by his brewing angst with his nutty laptop) decided to put all his energy into gathering all the ugly, rotting leaves (rather than throwing his laptop on the floor) and piled them on each side of the yard. Yet before it went to its' last destination, Miss Sasserfrass thought of a grander idea where the biggest pile was the winner!







The pile sure did get a lot of beating but the joy Miss Sasserfrass got out of it was priceless! (And hubby's threatening wrath towards his laptop came to good use! )Even the minute things in life has its' perks! ( My perk is that I'm NOT the one cleaning up after HER mess! ) oh Joy!

What do you like about Fall? Any Fall stories you care to share?

Alien No More

Today, Thursday, November 6, 2008 marks the day that I, officially, is no longer an Alien! No, I'm not from Mars. I don't look green, I'm actually brown. I didn't get injected with Anti-Alien vaccine to eliminate my monstrous alien qualities- none of those at all - but yes, I'm no longer an Alien! - to the Immigration that is - but the transition didn't go uneventful like I hope it would...

Half-way down to my Citizenship interview, the fire alarm went off and we all scurried down the halls like Speedy Gonzales trying to get out of the building. Dang! I was so close - so close... "Was I going to come back on a later date?" All my files are inside the building in the verge of getting burnt! I was panicking deep within- not with the fire that may have been amidst us but the fact that geez, I was so close to the end, only to get all this unwarranted delays and suspense! Not to say the fear of having to re-submit all my paperworks! I gave up work just to be there and that is how it will end! dang!

Fortunately, it was a false alarm. We went back inside the building gathered like scared chickens! Sigh! NO, BIG SIGH! Ok, things are looking promising afterall. Imagine me screaming inside me saying: "let it stay this way until I actually sign those freaking papers!"- so I did! My ceremonial oath-taking will be on Dec. 1st. I, at least have something to look forward to. So as of today, this silly Asian, is finally a Citizen of the US! - now, don't ask me if I'm happy about it. I might tell you a different story :) - I actually plan on writing a book about my Immigration journey. Hmmm...another thing for me to go crazy about.

Anyway, for some crazy update...where the heck was I? Why wasn't I blogging as much? Not twittering, Not social networking at all...what the heck was I doing? - Well, for those who want to know, I am currently riding another storm in our life. When will this storm ever end?! Sigh! when it rains, it does pour! We currently have a category 4 hurricane ravishing our life right now.

Remember not too long ago, my hubby lost his job and still is unemployed to this date? And that if it wasn't bad enough, my employer decided to scale my job down to Part-time! Talk about freaking unfair! yeah my employer is aware but he chose to hack me. So now, I feel like I'm inside a big swirl and kind of lost. Darn, so much drama in my life! Can someone make a sob movie out of my life story?! The proceeds will go to our Food bank! Thank you! dang!

I'm not sour- maybe a bit- I'm human afterall. I so need a miracle! I don't even want to think about Christmas. Can you blame me?!

Anyway, hop on over to Mark's blog who was kind enough to have me as a featured blogger this Saturday. Mark has always been a very inspiring friend behind the scene. Go say "hi" to him and while you're there, show my post some love comment too! Thanks!!!

To all, I do appreciate your presence here - please don't get tired of me...you all are the wind beneath my blogs' wings! And while you're here- go look at my stuffs below:

A sneak peek on my great Holiday gift Idea Items: Not listed yet! - Patronize me! Patronize me!





On the works : Exquisite wire-wrapped pendants/Necklaces







MY NEW CHANT : BUY ME!!! BUY ME!!!