SUBRA!

(A little late post but Christmas Season pa naman!)

The blog title is a long story so I think I have to keep it as our inside friendship joke. Haha. Anyhoo, perhaps all of us could feel nostalgia when we look back on our grade school and even highschool Christmas parties. The excitement of giving gifts and receiving in return and even the thrill of having new clothes. Kasi diba, tuwing birthday lang or Christmas may bagong damit? Haha. When you're already in college, Christmas parties are no longer customary unlike in grade school and highschool. Kaya kanya-kanyang effort and organize. So last December 20, we had our "barkada" Christmas Party and exchanging of gifts at Pahayahay. 

What I really enjoyed most was the exchanging of gifts. Why? Because almost everybody took the effort to surprise their respective Kris Kringle. It involved a bit of acting and white lies para di mabisto. Tapos may GMs pa (in my case, blog post and GM) at parinig ng mga gusto na gift. Hihihi.

As for me, I got - guess what- a BOOK!!! Turned out Kent picked me. Ang saya lang kasi it's a John Green book plus two authors. So natupad talaga yung nasa  book wishlist ko! Haha. 

And as for the outfit post:

(Ph: Kristine Acharon)

The night didn't end there! 

So here's a more detailed account from Pat's blog. :)

HAPPY HOLIDAZE! <3

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CHRISTMAS BOOK WISHLIST!

 I'm not sure if Santa trawls over the internet now to have an idea what are on the wishlists of people who are neither naughty or nice this year. But I just feel like sharing to the world (I hope North Pole has an internet connection) what books and coffee table books that catch my fancy and would love to have this Christmas (hehe). I just really want to update my Goodreads more often. :)

1. John Green Box Set

 2. Parisian Chic: A Style Guide by Ines de la Fressange

3. DECORATE by Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

4. Any book by Haruki Murakami

5. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

And speaking of Christmas, Santa and wishes, here's a video I found at Patty Laurel's blog. 

I got teary eyed sa inggit! Haha. The reactions are priceless. AMAZING.

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GIRLS CATCHING FIRE

Some snippets of our "Single Girls Day Out" last Friday. I was with my lovely friends, Pat and Kim. We watched Catching Fire and this particular line in the movie struck me:

Peeta: "See Katniss, the way the whole "friend" thing works is that you have to tell each other the deep stuff." 

It was very striking because the girls and I were really planning to have a heart to heart conversation about some matters. Uhmm, matters of the heart to be specific. We are together almost everyday but some of our conversations just revolve around the obvious and the superficial. So we set aside Friday to really talk and tell each other "the deep stuff". (I have this theory that small talk is literally cheap while real conversations are not. It has to be at a fancy cafe and over frappuccino that costs more than a hundred bucks).

Anyway, we were in a hurry because we watched Catching Fire twice at the cinema. It was that nice. After the movie, they grabbed frappuccino at CBTL. There, we shot Pat her outfit pics for the day (you can check it out in her blog ) and we sat for awhile. But then, there goes our curfew. Bummer. We have to go home. We haven't really talked as planned.

Anyhoo, it was still a happy day spent with the girls.
There's always a next time. :)

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DEFINE SEXY

 

 THIS.

My kind of sexy. Haha. How I wish!

I was blog-hopping as usual and found these sexy film photographs of Kryz Uy. Perhaps you've stumbled upon it too if you're also a fan. Jeez, allow me to say: She's smokin HOT! I love the way the photographs are done with class. Sexy and skin-baring but very tasteful. Like hey, Maria Clara can rock a sexy swimsuit too!

I poll my gal pals who among the Philippine top fashion bloggers they admire most, and Kryz Uy is the unanimous decision. Her style is very much relatable. Never over the top but still chic. I couldn't agree more.

Talk about girl-crushing mode.

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I AM NUMBER FOUR

I'm obsessed with anything that is about the human personality. I suppose that studying the human personality is a form of self-discovery and will eventually lead to self-actualization (Mr. Maslow emphasized the importance of it). When you begin to understand yourself, you also begin to understand others and how they are different from you and life becomes more peaceful.

Last year, my cousin introduced me to Florence Littauer's Personality Plus book. I talked about it a little in this post (See No. 9). I liked it so much. It has become my "personality bible" since then. I even begged my cousin to give it to me haha. The book is now actually being passed around my circle of friends because I've been encouraging them to read it too. It certainly helped me understand myself more and I've become more tolerant to people who do not have the same personality with mine.

I was identified as a Sanguine in that test. To summarize, the Sanguine temperament is:

impulsive and charismatic
tend to enjoy social gatherings, making new friends
tend to be boisterous
quite creative and often have many ideas
struggle with following tasks all the way through
chronically late
to be forgetful
sometimes a little sarcastic
often, when they pursue a new hobby, they lose interest as soon as it ceases to be engaging or fun
they are very much people persons
they are talkative and not shy
warmhearted, lively and optimistic
they have been called "people-oriented extroverts"

Now I've come across this Enneagram test while riffling through one of my favorite blogs, Nothing Spaces. Enneagram sounds too foreign for me. I don't remember it being mentioned in our General Psychology class. Needless to say,  I was curious and took the test. (You can take it HERE.)

As it turned out I am a Type 4 (The Individualist):

Enneagram Type 4 - The Individualist

Identity seekers, who feel unique and different

People of this personality type tend to build their identities around their perception of themselves as being somehow different or unique; they are thus self-consciously individualistic. Fours tend to see their difference from others as being both a gift and a curse - a gift, because it sets them apart from those they perceive as being somehow "common," and a curse, as it so often seems to separate them from the simpler forms of happiness that others so readily seem to enjoy. Thus, Fours can manage to feel superior to others while also secretly harboring some degree of longing and envy. A feeling of being a member of the "true aristocracy" alternates with deep feelings of shame, and fears of somehow being deeply flawed or defective.

Fours are emotionally complex and highly sensitive. They long to be understood and appreciated for their authentic selves, but easily feel misunderstood and unappreciated. They have a tendency to withdraw in the face of a world that seems harsh or crude, and are often somewhat moody or temperamental. They are emotionally centered and spend much of their lives immersed in their internal mental landscapes, where they feel free to cultivate and analyse their feelings. A desire to manifest this internal world often leads Fours to an interest in the arts, and some do become actual artists. Whether artistic or not, however, most Fours are aesthetically sensitive and concerned with self-expression and self-revelation, whether it be in the clothes they wear or in the overall nature of their often idiosyncratic lifestyles.

Fours are somewhat melancholic by disposition, and under stress tend to lapse into depression. They also tend to be self-absorbed, even under the best of circumstances, but when unbalanced, easily give way to a self-indulgence which they perceive as being fully justified as a way to compensate for the general lack of pleasure they experience in their lives. Rather than look for practical solutions to their difficulties, Fours are prone to fantasizing about a savior who will rescue them from their unhappiness.

Intellectual Fours tend to mistakenly type themselves as Fives, and a heavy wing can certainly exacerbate this tendency. Fours however, unlike Fives, tend to be self-revealing and comfortable with emotional expression.

I have a mixed feeling towards it. I'm surprised that most of it are really true but I was thinking it's a little contradictory to my Sanguine temperament. I was expecting I was more of a Type 7. But I realize I also have this other side. It dawned on me that this is exactly what I need to reveal about myself.

In my group of friends, I'm dubbed as Miss Korny (see post here). Corny not only because I throw the most nonsense jokes and punchlines but also because I can be deep and philosophical at the most inappropriate times. It rings true too that I am emotional. I have a huge thing for sentimentality and profound thoughts. Sometimes, I suppress showing it because I don't want to bore people. I'd rather make someone laugh. I don't want people to diss me as someone too mushy or too cliché even if deep inside, I really am.

I think Jennifer Love Hewitt's "Barenaked" song got it right:

Do you ever feel so deep
That you speak your mind
To put others straight to sleep
You wonder if anybody cares

Thankfully, I have friends that relent to me once in a while and they patiently listen to my pa-deep and profound musings. No wonder meaningful conversations (preferably over frappuccino) truly make me happy. This makes me think too that maybe it's my Type 4 personality that lures me into the art of writing. Hmmm...that explains.

There are still a lot of things I want to pinpoint and discuss. Yet at the same time, I'm still taking it all in. Finding out true things about yourself can be overwhelming, in my case at least. I can not translate further all my thoughts yet but I'm glad I found out this Enneagram thing today.

Try it too!

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NISE DRESS UP COLLECTION

If you ever find yourself looking for that perfect dress for the perfect occasion, Nise Dress Up Collection is surely the place to go! They have a wide array of dresses and gowns up for rental at a reasonable price. Plus accessories and shoes are also available to complete your whole outfit! But if you want to be unique and prefer bespoke gowns, they also design and make custom-made pieces. Prom nights, weddings, debuts, celebrations...you know where to go!

Here's the first part of  the promotional campaign for Nise Dress Up Collection which we produced and starred in. 

Help us spread the word and click below to like their Facebook page!:)

Photography by: Nise Romero

LIKE Nise Dress Up Collection on Facebook! (CLICK CLICK) 

ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE...

The past two weeks have been upsetting for the country and even for the rest of the world. The rage of Yolanda is still fresh in our memories, much more to the victims. It was haunting, moving and depressing. Not to mention all the politicking, pointing of fingers, spats between media people and issues concerning relief operations that followed after. STRESS. I have my personal reactions regarding those issues but I guess we should not dwell on those kind of things anymore. It's really nonsense to deal with those trivial things when people out there are in misery.

Since the damage has been done, what we can do is take action and move forward. I know it's so easy for me to say this because I'm here blogging, all dry, my family intact and safe from any threats of typhoon since we live in Mindanao. 

But I'd just like to share some of these photos and inspiring stories. It warms the heart to know that the world is with us in this very unfortunate time. Aside from prayers and donations, I feel like this is one of the least thing I can do, to share optimism and hope. 

Let's carry on Philippines, we are one strong nation!

 A rainbow popping over Tacloban skies days after the rage of Yolanda 

Another two popped in Eastern Samar plus a smile from Manong  :) 

(Photo by: Abdel Elecho)

NYC shows us some love   

(Source: Inquirer.net)

Houston City Hall also lights up for Yolanda Victims 

 Not really a fan, but still... (Source: TMZ)

Six year old Japanese boy donates his savings for typhoon victims. 

Selfless-ness at such young age.  (Source:Rappler)

NFL Fil-Am player Doug Baldwin waves the PH flag

(Source: Spin.ph)

 THIS. How little things can make a positive impact. (Source: Bianca Gonzalez)

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SEMBREAK 2013

 Quickie recap of le last college sembreak!

In no particular order.

1. PHOTOSHOOTS

 We started the sembreak with a photoshoot, blogged about HERE and HERE.

And we ended it with another one! 

To be blogged about SOON!

2. BIRTHDAYS AND SURPRISES

 Melvin's pre-birthday celebration. Dinner, videoke and dancing!

 Nise's birthday surprise! See the video HERE

Charm's post-birthday treat. Busog! Thank you :)

3. ALONE TIME DAVAO

 Whenever I have time, I make it a point to visit Davao. Not just to see family and friends but to have some much needed alone time. How I love wandering around the city all by myself. :)

4.DAD 

I like wandering around lawn cemeteries. Parang park lang but with lesser crowd and calmer ambiance. Ha, I know where to bring my first date, I'll let him meet my Dad! Hahaha

5. HIGH SCHOOL BESTIES REUNION

 I'm deeply grateful that despite the time, distance and even past disputes, this friendship is still at its strongest.

I love these girls. :)

6. MOVIES AND BOOKS!

I've FINALLY watched this cult-classic! :)

(Disclaimer: Photo not mine)

FINALLY again, a Nick Hornby book. I got one with the similar cover at Booksale! 

Nice and light read.

7. CELEBRITY SPOTTING!

Ish and I fangirling over Kuts Friddie Ruts! Haha

But don't be fooled. In the three weeks of vacation there were also days spent being idle, just lying around, staying at home and cleaning the house all day. Haha. Classes just started. Let's get rollin' last semester!

XX

P.S

I know. Here I am blogging about how I spent my semestral break when our brothers and sisters in Visayas are suffering the rage of Typhoon Yolanda. Let us donate anything we can. I did my small part of help through a friend. And let's not cease on praying.