10 Things About Me in Photos

The following items have been listed from the most obvious down to the least obvious. ;) 

Here you go:

  1.  I am probably the mushiest, cheesiest, corniest girl you could find.  

Or if not, I would probably be in the top ten. =P 

I am a hopeless romantic, as you may already know.  

And with Rolly, I don't mind being so. Coz he is, too! :)

 2. Pink is my color. :) Need I say more?

3.  I am a Hello Kitty fan! :) My car accessories are all pink kitties, 

and if I had all the money in the world, I'd build a kitty house like this! :)

 4. I love dogs, especially cute ones. :) 

I now have two darling doggies, Blair & Bubbles.

5.  I've recently developed a fondness for makeup. :)

I'm not the type who puts a lot on my face, but I enjoy the act of putting color on my otherwise pale skin.

I've started my collection already! :)

6. High heels are my best buddies! :) I am vertically challenged,

and by that I mean I'm only 5-ft tall. =/

Thank God for stilletos, I can fake long legs. ;)

  7. I have always been in love with books and reading.

For me, the thicker the better. :)

Historical fiction is my fave genre.

Crime investigations are good, too.

8.  Writing is my outlet, even when I was still a child.

I love thinking of stuff and writing them down.

It makes me happy. :)

9. I don't eat vegetables.

I know I need to, but I still refuse to.

I know, I'm stubborn. =/

10. Ooops! I am neither a mommy nor a wife yet, but to get there is my ultimate goal. :)

Even as a kid, that's what I used to say when asked what I wanted to be when I grow up.

I guess that's my life's mission, not to be a CEO in the corporate world

but to be the best wifey and mommy in my own home.

Geez, I'm really domesticated.

AND THAT'S IT! TEN THINGS ABOUT ME IN PHOTOS,

AND A FEW WORDS. =P

On Weddings: Royal and Real

I have always been fascinated about weddings - brides, grooms, the entourage, the romantic ambience in reception venues, and the like.  As a little girl, I always imagined myself walking down the aisle in this perfect white dress, while my groom (with no face) waited for me, smiling.  Haha, you might say I have always been sappy... yeah, that's true. =P  And now that my groom already has a face, it's so much easier to imagine and daydream.

Yesterday marked the nuptials of the century - the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was what everyone was fussing about, and I bet all the ladies were glued to their TV or computer screens watching the coverage as the ceremony took place.  I was, even at work. =P Thank God for live streaming. :)

Of all things about the wedding, it was Kate's gown that made my jaw drop in awe. It was a simple and conservative gown, but it looked so regal and elegant. Kudos to Sarah Burton, the designer. :) The veil was long and sheer. It showcased her hair, which she was wearing down. The veil was made of layers of soft, ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers, which was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework according to Yahoo.  The veil was held in place by a Cartier ‘halo’ tiara, lent to Kate by the Queen. She was wearing a train that measured over six feet. The sleeves were long and lace. The front was cut in a low V.

I bet all brides-to-be are now pondering on the idea of somewhat copying Kate's gown. I myself am tempted. Hehe. I like the front's V-cut, and the lace.  Perhaps that's what I'm gonna adopt. =P But as to the style in general, I have my own preferences.

For my own wedding, this is my peg at the moment.  I want a halter dress fitted to the waist and the thigh to show off the shoulder blades and the curves. 

This one looks nice, too.

As to the hair, I want long, loose curls for a soft, romantic touch.  Here are my current pegs:

Or I might also wear a tiara like Kate! =P

Weeee! ♥ I'm exciiiiiiited! *kilig*

I could wish to trade places with Kate except that I don't want her groom who's a real-life prince with a royal life that sometimes seems surreal.  I want a real man in the real, tough world because I'm a real girl who wishes to achieve real, simple dreams.  And with my own, real guy who treats me like I'm more than a princess, who needs real-life royalty?  With my prince charming, I am more than satisfied. ♥

Meet the B

... the boyfriend.

Nah.  He's more than a boyfriend to me. He's my best friend, my caring critic, my number one fan, my awesome trainer, my life partner. He's all that and more, rolled into one. My Rolly. ♥

His full name is Rolando delos Reyes III, born to a loving family in Mandaluyong City.  He has one sibling, Rolando delos Reyes II.  Obviously, the first Rolando in their family is his dad. ;) Hehe. He spent his grade school and high school years in an exclusive school for boys, Don Bosco, where he was a varsity player in football.  In college, he went to the University of the Philippines Diliman and took up Bachelor of Arts in English Studies.  This was supposedly his pre-law course, but after he graduated, he decided not to pursue law anymore.  Sayang, I could have had a lawyer boyfriend! :p Hehe, just kidding.  Had he gone to law school, we wouldn't have met.

Besides spending time with me (ahem), Rolly's hobbies include reading, running, and playing video games. He's crazy about wrestling, too! He always says it's like the soap opera for boys.  He sometimes imitates wrestlers, like The Undertaker, and that creeps me out!  :)) He's never absent whenever the WWE has shows here in the country.  I bet he would still go and watch even if he's alone, haha, or even if it would cost him a fortune.  Geez, he's really such a big wrestling fanatic. 


Hmm, ano pa ba? Aha! He's a history buff! :) He likes reading books about wars and military stuff.  Ask him about World War 1 or 2 and I bet he could answer you.  He knows even the freakin' dates!  There was a time when he was asking me if we could travel to Vietnam.  I said, Vietnam?  What are we gonna do in Vietnam??? Shucks, he wanted to visit the war sites!  As you probably know, we never set foot there. 

An old photo when he visited Corregidor

Rolly is a trainer by profession.  Currently, he's a language trainer at John Robert Powers (http://www.johnrobertpowers.com/) where he teaches grammar, accent neutralization, voice communication, and sometimes business writing. Most of his trainees at JRP are executives like doctors, lawyers, businessmen, managers, and the like.  He even had a pilot and military men once. :)

Aside from being a trainer at JRP, he is also a full-time corporate trainer in Anxa, a private company in Alabang, where he works with French bosses and Filipino + French officemates.  Here, he trains the workforce not only about language, but about other things which are deemed important by the company.  Like with JRP, Rolly is happy about being part of Anxa because it shares many of his values, such as wellness and love for travel.  :)  In fact on May 14, they are going to swim with the whale sharks in Donsol, Sorsogon. I know he's excited. :)

Hmm.  Aside from being a wrestling fanatic, a history buff, and a trainer, at the end of the day, he is my Rolly. ♥ A boyfriend who never fails to make me smile, who takes time to say sweet things to me for inspiration during the day, no matter how busy he sometimes gets.  Though he takes charge in our relationship, it's never an issue to him to say sorry and make lambing, even when I'm the person to blame during quarrels.  Even when it's hard for him sometimes, he gives in to my demands just to keep me happy. :) Thank you hal.♥ Though you treat me like your Queen, I still acknowledge that you're the boss. You are my "bossing," remember?

I love you. ♥ I wrote this because this is my blog, and it's never going to be complete without an entry about you, because you are half of who I am. 

http://rollyandjoyce.blogspot.com

What's in Your Makeup Bag?

I don't know with other girls, but with me, not all the items in my vanity kit are regularly put to use.  Only half of them is in my must-haves list, and I'm not really sure why I still find the urge to buy and keep the rest.  Hmm. Perhaps that's wired in every woman, to collect even the most useless cosmetic. :)

In this article are the items found in my makeup bag, although some are left on my dresser most of the time. Pardon the images, almost all of these things are old already, thus the unreadable labels. :)

First things first.  These are my essentials:

1)  Belo Essentials Sun Expert (Face Cover SPF 40). It's a sin not to wear sunscreens, especially when you're going out and Haring Araw will spot you.  Unlike other sunblocks out there, Belo is lightweight and non-greasy, it feels as if you're not wearing it at all.  It also doubles up as my moisturizer already. :)  This costs 299 pesos (50ml). The Body Shield (100ml) is 449. :)

Whenever I run out Belo Sun Expert at home, what I use is Belo Essentials Day Cover Vitamin Cream with SPF 15.  Works well too in protecting your skin from UV rays, especially when you're only staying indoors (Yup! SPF is important as well even when you're under a roof, thinking that the sun can't harm you.)  The 50g cream in a tub costs 169.75, while the 20g in a tube costs 56.75.

2) Maxfactor Lasting Performance in Soft Beige. I've been using this for years now and it's fantastic! :) It's a makeup foundation that is long-wearing and doesn't smudge onto your clothes.  I only put this on in the morning and that stays the entire day already.  The best part about this product is that it doesn't 'cake,' unlike other foundations I've tried in the past. Each 35ml costs 700 bucks. :)

Mine. Readable pa. :)

 3) Maxfactor Pan Stik. This is a stick foundation, but I only use it as a spot concealer because it feels heavy on the skin.  The tone that I use is Olive, and it gives excellent coverage. :)  If I remember it correctly, this costs 600 pesos.

mine vs. a brand new stick :)

4)  Revlon Colorstay 2-Way Foundation.  I use the shade 06 Natural Beige. I forget how much this one costs. Uhm, either 899 or 999. :)

Mine vs. an internet photo. Ang loser ng picture ko. :))

5) Maybelline Eyestudio. I love how this product has instructions at the back, with a drawing on how to use each shade and where exactly on the eyelid.  Galing! :) I got mine for around 450, if my memory serves me right. :)

mine vs. a brand new palette :)

6) Maxfactor Flawless Perfection Blush. I'm a no-makeup makeup fan so I use Classic Rose for a more natural shade. :)  I switched from Revlon Matte Powder Blush to Maxfactor just for a change. So far, so good. :) This costs around 450 bucks at 5.5g. Not bad. :)

Mine.

7)  Artdeco Bronzing Powder. I didn't know what a bronzer was for until this was given to me as a gift. :) I have no idea about the price since there's no more Artdeco in the Philippines.  The brand is now only distributed abroad.

Mine.

8) Cover Girl Continuous Color Lipstick. I use Mauve Malva in semi-matte. :) MAC has this shade that I love but they don't have a matte or even a semi-matte finish.  I don't want too much gloss and shine on my lips so i settled for this Cover Girl alternative. No regrets! :) Costs 420 bucks.

Mine vs. one from the net

9) Nivea Cherry Kiss Lip Balm. I remember saying before that I never used lipstick in the past.  That's true.  And in those years, only this thing gave my lips a bit of color. Other people use this to mend chapped lips, but since my lips never get cracked or chapped, its selling point for me is its SPF 4. :)

Mine.

10)  Ponds Perfect Care Cold Cream.  As the day draws to a close, it is a must to wipe out all those traces of makeup, and this is what I use. :)

Mine.

11) The Body Shop's Eye Definer in White & Eye Colour Matte 05.  (UPDATE! I just got these two new babies last Easter Sunday. SRPs are P550 and P595, respectively. I loooove these two, especially for work makeup. The white eyeliner instantly brightens up my eyes even when I'm stressed, and the tan eye shadow is perfect at the office, fits whatever color my outfit is. Definitely a must-have for yuppies like me!)

Mine.

*******

Last things last. =P (?@%$!) Hehe. These are my not-so-valuable makeup stuff that are always left sitting on my dresser.

The Color Workshop Designer Series.  With a lip crayon, blush, and an eyeshadow palette.

Estee Lauder Total Makeup Remover

Maybelline Coral Orange blush. It's too loud on the cheeks! :/

Maybelline BB Cream. This doesn't blend so well.

Estee Lauder Signature Lipstick in Pink Champagne.

Estee Lauder Projectionist High-Def Mascara. I'm not a mascara person, so I don't use this often.

That's it for me! :)

Jesus' Death on the Cross

Today is Good Friday.  I've spent the last hour browsing references about the Lord's passion, and I've encountered interesting articles on http://christianity.about.com/od/goodfriday/p/crucifixionhub.htm and I've taken the liberty to share them here. :)

"Crucifixion was not only one of the most disgraceful forms of death, it was one of the most dreaded methods of execution in the ancient world.  Accounts of crucifixions are recorded among early civilizations, most likely originating with the Persians and then spreading to the Assyrians, Scythians, Carthaginians, Germans, Celts and Britons.  This type of capital punishment was primarily reserved for traitors, captive armies, slaves and the worst of criminals.  Crucifixion became common under the rule of Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.).

 

"Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity, died on a Roman cross as recorded in Matthew 27:27-56, Mark 15:21-38, Luke 23:26-49, and John 19:16-37...

"The Jewish high priests and elders of the Sanhedrin accused Jesus of blasphemy, arriving at the decision to put him to death.  But first they needed Rome to approve of their death sentence, so Jesus was taken to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea.  Although Pilate found him innocent, unable to find or even contrive a reason to condemn Jesus, he feared the crowds and let them decide Jesus' fate.  Stirred by the Jewish chief priests, the crowds declared, 'Crucify him!'

"As was common, Jesus was publicly scourged, or beaten, with a leather-thonged whip before his crucifixion.  Tiny pieces of iron and bone chips were tied to the ends of each leather thong, causing deep cuts and painful bruising.  He was mocked, struck in the head with a staff and spit on.  A prickly crown of thorns was placed on his head and he was stripped naked.  Too weak to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene was forced to carry it for him.

  

"He was led to Golgotha where he would be crucified. As was the custom, before they nailed him to the cross, a mixture of vinegar, gall, and myrrh was offered. This drink was said to alleviate some of the suffering, but Jesus refused to drink it. Stake-like nails were driven through his wrists and ankles, fastening him to the cross where he was crucified between two convicted criminals.

"The inscription above his head tauntingly read, 'The King of the Jews.' On the cross Jesus hung for his final agonizing breaths, a period that lasted about six hours.  During that time, soldiers cast lots for Jesus' clothing, while people passed by shouting insults and scoffing. From the cross, Jesus spoke to his mother Mary and the disciple John. He also cried out to his father, 'My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me?'

"At that point, darkness covered the land. A little later, as Jesus gave up his spirit, an earthquake shook the ground, ripping the Temple veil in two from top to bottom. Matthew's Gospel records, 'The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.'

"It was typical at crucifixions for Roman soldiers to show mercy by breaking the criminal's legs, thus causing death to come more quickly. But this night only the thieves had their legs broken, for when the soldiers came to Jesus, they found him already dead. Instead, they pierced his side. Before sunset, Jesus was taken down by Joseph of Arimathea and laid in a tomb according to Jewish tradition."

***********

Now that I'm looking back on the sufferings that Jesus Christ had to endure to save me from my sins, I can't help but ask myself, 'Am I worthy?' Jesus must have loved us so much that He submitted himself and willingly suffered all the pain, pain that I still can't bear to picture out in my head.  As I was browsing for images to include in this blog entry, I felt my throat tighten, my tears threatened to fall.  Jesus did all of that for me, for us, and it pains me to realize that there are still countless times when I don't care about it at all.  I do things that I want, even if I know that I would fall short of God's expectations. :( I am far from being worthy, but Jesus still loves me, and He died for me.  Isn't He awesome? :)

This Good Friday, I hope that all of us take time to remember the Lord's passion.  Find time to pray and talk to Him. 

To end, let me share this prayer of contrition:

Merciful Father
I am guilty of sin
I confess my sins before you
and I am sorry for them.
Your promises are just;
therefore I trust that you will forgive my sins
and cleanse me from every stain of sin.
Jesus himself is the propitiation
for my sins and the sin of the whole world.
I put my hope in his atonement.
May my sins be forgiven through His name
and in His blood may my soul be made clean.

AMEN.

House Party at Dasma

Date: 18 April 2011, Monday
Location: Belo Residence, Dasma Village

April is the birthday month of our big boss, Cristalle Belo Henares. Accordingly, we were all invited to their place for a night of party, games, and  fooooood! :) It was not just a celebration of her 28th (or 29th?), it was also a welcome party for our new General Manager, Mr. Robert Sicam. ;)

Jem, Yan, Jacq, Nikki, Jam & I playing Rock Band

With Ms. Cristalle and the rest of the gang. Foosball!

Allan & sleepy Leo

the two tanned girls

Pardon the quality, but these are just blackberry photos since nobody brought a camera.  The lights were dim pa, thus the slight blur. :)


Wish every post-work hours were like this.  Woohoooo! ☀

Longchamp Le Pliage? Na-ah.

These past couple o'years, it seems that the Philippines has become a Longchamp country.  The brand has gained huge popularity that when someone goes abroad, s/he is made to bring back a Longchamp for herself if she's a she... for the wife or for the mother if he's a he.

Longchamp is a good brand because it has made its way to become a symbol of class and its designs stay trendy all the time.  It is so good that it's become a target of the masters of counterfeiting, especially in the Philippines.  I'll have my fingers cut if FAKE long champ bags here do not outnumber the genuine ones, I am pretty certain they do. The rampant existence of such replicas is the reason why my friends and I are having second thoughts about buying, especially the Le Pliage line.

Nonetheless, if you're planning to get one, here are some tips on how to spot a fake Le Pliage.  I got this from

"http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-Spot-Fake-Longchamp-quot-Les-Pliages-quot_W0QQugidZ10000000006532305."

General

The fake is on the left, the real deal on the right. Right away, notice the left bag looks too shiny and the handles don't look right: too short for long handles, and too long for short-handle variant.

Leather
There is contrast stitching on the leather parts of the bag, which is a different color than the leather itself on the visible side (and same color as the leather on the back of the flap). FAKE Pliages have plastic tubes in the handles, because the leather is soft and not very durable. REAL Pliages have no plastic tubes and are made from durable, high-quality leather.

The fake leather looks like a fish-scale pattern, with clean lines of even depth.Sometimes it looks smooth or bumpy. On an authentic bag, it is almost a diamond pattern, and grain is not embossed as deeply as the logo.  See the leather flaps:

FAKE!

AUTHENTIC

LOGO: (shown above) There is a jockey on a horse impressed down into the leather, and a straight line underneath. On the fake one, the logo is not centered above the snap, the lines of the impression are not as clean as on the real, and the horse is lacking details like hooves.

Fabric and Lining
Bags should have crisp seams, and perhaps creases from the original folding. Your bag should fold nicely and the two parts of the snap meet easily. The fabric on fakes is too shiny and texture is much smoother compared with real Pliages. If a bag looks too shiny in a photo, you may want to double-check its other features.

Inside, the plastic coating that lines the bag feels like plastic but not rubbery. For pastel bags (light blue, pink, so on), lining should be WHITE, not same color as outside. The tan fake above is lined in tan, when it should be white. Dark colors are lined with black or brown.

Zipper Pull

Longchamp Pliages have round logo zipper pulls, which can be gold or pewter depending on what shape the bag is. The real one is extremely detailed, and on the fake, the bodies of the jockey and the horse blend together. Longchamp currently use YKK zippers, and you can see the letters on the zipper below.

FAKE!

AUTHENTIC

Backside of Flap

Fake bag leather looks hairy and the edges jagged. Real one is also raw but is smooth and clean. On the snap itself, the fake has the words "guang tong" and real says, "ORIGINAL."

FAKE!

AUTHENTIC

Tag
Look at the serial number on the white tag inside the bag and make sure it matches the serial number on the plastic bag that covers all new Longchamp bags. In addition, the tag should read "AA" (Made in France), "AE" (Made in China) or "AB" (Made in Tunisia).

If you come to think of it, it's kinda easy to spot fake Longchamp bags, you just have to know what to look for. :) So if you're bent on spending your 6,000 - 7,000 bucks on a Le Pliage, just better be careful.  Personally, I'm not too keen on getting that line.  It would just annoy me to see anyone carrying the same bag, and not everybody could tell which one is a genuine and which one is a counterfeit.

If I were to buy a Longchamp, the Victoire line is what I would pick. This one costs between $190-200, or roughly around 9,000 bucks.

 

Le Pliage? Na-ah. Victoire? GO! :)