10 Qs in 100 sec

1. What is your ideal weekend?
* Friday will go like this: a roadtrip with hubby and Andreas to a new family event, brunch at a buffet restaurant with nature's view, an action packed movie at night while sipping brandy, *Saturday will go as: a brunch at the beach, playdate with Andreas at Fun Corner, a quiet dinner, and a walk around to show Andre the moon and the stars.

2. Best Memory
*that will be our honeymoon...and yes, Batanes is always a great memory

3. What items do you carry around your handbag?
*keys, phone, wallet, make-up bag, digicam, pen, and paper

4. What fashion designer would you love to meet?
*a shoe designer -- Christian Loubuotin

5. Friends are coming over, what will you cook?
*Now this is fun! Given all the time in the world, i'll prepare fresh vegetable lumpia, cook white & red sauce pasta, plain white rice, kare-kare, chicken ala king, binagoongan baboy, lamb chops, and guinataan bilo-bilo for dessert. Yum yum!

6. Best party ever.
My 25th birthday!!

7. Best advise you have been given.
Keep peace with your soul.

8. Your favorite quote
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

9. I kill time by:
blogging, reading, cooking, shopping,

10. Five items every lady should own.
a) a perfect face framing sunglasses, jeans that celebrates your curves, knee length trench coat
b) tailored black suit composed of blazer, wide length pants, belt with attitude, crisp white shirt
c) a big everyday bag, an evening purse, and a heeled shoe to match it; a set of pearl earrings
d) shorts that flatter your legs and fabulous sneakers
e) a little black dress, a flirty sun dress, and the swim suit you were born to wear

weekend snapshot # 36

Howdy fellow weekenders! Here is a snapshot of my one year old Andreas while we stock up on groceries last Saturday. Boy, i hope he does this for Mommy until he grows up.

Helping out Mom at Spinneys, Mercato, Jumeirah Beach Road

Thank you so much for the visit! I shall be bloghopping in awhile. Take care you all and Happy Chinese New Year!

LSS

Is it just me? Or the cold, rainy days? Or am I missing Norah Jones' music?

Hubby is going to laugh at me for falling in love with a country song. But Adele's version gave me a last song syndrome.

Watch, listen and sing...To Make You Feel My Love.



When the rain
Is blowing in your face
And the whole world
Is on your case
I could offer you
A warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows
And the stars appear
And there is no one there
To dry your tears
I could hold you
For a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you
Haven't made
Your mind up yet
But I would never
Do you wrong
I've known it
From the moment
That we met
No doubt in my mind
Where you belong

I'd go hungry
I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling
Down the avenue
No, there's nothing
That I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging
On the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
Though winds of change
Are throwing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing
Like me yet

I could make you happy
Make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends
Of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love

fam priorities

Hubby and i have been talking about buying a property in Manila, Antipolo, or Laguna. Yes, it is recession time and no banks are accepting loans but still it feels good to know that we got our priorities right. On our honeymoon, we talked about house and lot as top priority but two years and eight months of marriage, we still have to buy one hihi.

Last night, we talked to some friends and they revealed some are selling their property and some are acquiring more and more property in Metro Manila. This prompted us to ask ourselves silently if we had it all wrong. We actually never set a goal on what we wanted to happen. But looking back..

2006 - we exchange vows in Baguio City and headed to Dubai
2007 - our first wedding anniversary was a celebration also of my pregnancy
- we were able to acquire our 2008 Toyota Fortuner
- after Christmas Day, i gave birth to our son, Andreas
2008 - hubby received his promotion as Design Manager...

Every year, something life-changing event occurs in our marriage. And it is always for the better. We thank the Lord for all of these because he always gives us enough that we are capable of helping others.

So this 2009, now that there are three of us, it is time we set our priorities right. I pray and hope for these:

1. start paying for a house & lot
2. buy that machine for metal works from Eisenkraft
3. a reputable nursery for Andreas
4. look for a nanny...
5. continue my HR career.

Yes, there are no vacations on deck - especially to the Philippines. We figured we have to buy that property first before anything else. May God continue to help our..

weekend snapshot # 35

Happy Sunday people!! We got a great weekend stroll last Saturday at Jumeirah Beach Residence. It was one chilly morning but we were in for a great surprise when we chanced upon the famous American 3D street painter Rod Tryon. Apparently, he has been invited here in the desert for the annual Dubai Shopping Festival.

Rod Tryon sharing his craft for the Emiratis and the expats at
The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence.

Kids, adults, and passerbys stop to watch Tyron's artistic talent.

Among his work that has been circulating the internet.
If you notice, he is wearing the same navy blue shirt.

Maybe we will go visit again next weekend to see the finished 3D painting. Dubai Shopping Festival runs from January 15 to February 21. Aside from huge discounts on retail, there are also festivities om shopping mals ina a bid to keep customers and tourists coming in Thank you so much for the visits everyone. I am excited to see all your WS entries. Take care and have a fabulous week ahead!

beauty secrets

I just finished ironing our clothes for the week and now I want to do something fun while Andreas is busy playing with his excavator. I snagged this meme from new blogger friend Andi. Time for some girl talk hihi.

I've never been a big fan of make up. Loose powder and a lip gloss is as far as i would go - even on a hot date hihi. I always let the clothes do the talking. But when you have a toddler and a house to run, and that dress is nowhere on the rack, i learned to turn to something else to make mayself feel fab.

My Moisturizer: Olay Total Effects

My Concealer: MAC

My Blush: I don't use blush. Instead, i opt for bronzer-- Boots Botanics Shimmer Pearls

My Lipstick: The Bodyshop Lip Colour o7 Pink kRose

My Essential Beauty Product: Day moisturizer with sunscreen

My favorite Make-up product: Avon's Strawberry & Cream Lipgloss!

My Perfume: Body Fantasies Raspberry

My Nails: not a fan. If my Grandma insists, i always choose the clear, colorless.

Three Products to bring on a deserted island: sanitizer, conditioner/mosturizer, and a red lipstick

My hands: Bath & Body Works Cherry Blossom

Women I admire for their beauty: Gisele Bundchen, Scarlett Johannson, Jessica Biel

Women with the best Sense of Style: Victoria Beckham! nobody comes close

My ultimate dream: an all expense paid trip to Paris for fashion and romance hikhik

My favorite fashion Publication: Instyle, Vogue, The Emirates Women

busy bee

Aaargh. I missed my favorite meme because i've been covering the event below. I got to finish the write-up and send it tomorrow. I think my writing juices is about to run dry so i am taking a break from all those machine descriptions hihi. Happy Wednesday peeps! And thank you for the continued visits. Fo those who added me to their blog roll, my gratitude. I will link you up as well. Be visiting you all soonest. Cheeers!!!

Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Center

The New Year Meme

I snagged this from fun blogger friend, Butchay. I got some research to do and my head is swirling and aching but I thought i feed my blog first. The parties last month has kept me very busy i barely had time to write. So here's for a start for my hungry baby.

1. Looking back on 2008, what might your theme song have been?
**She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5

"It's not always rainbows and butterflies,
It's compromise that moves us along."

2. If 2008 was a movie, who would play you?
**Scarlett Johanson hahaha

3. What was your greatest gift of 2008?
** patience and understanding from my darling Ceasar
** Andreas growing up a happy, healthy baby

4. What is your New Year Resolution, or, what are you committing to this year?
**not to respond in conflict, getting back to size 10 hahaha

5. If January could be represented by one song, what would it be?
** Closer You and I hihihi

6. What do you wish for your body in 2009?
**to lose that extra 5kg, strong bones

7. Name 5 new thing you would love to try in the New Year.
**Dine at the Burj Al Arab
**Finish the Harry Potter series
**Read and watch the Twilight saga
**gym membership
**i'd love to learn how to bake

8. What do you long for 2009 to bring?
**for recession to stop
**for peace in the middle east
** no more war in any other country
** a holiday cruise for the family
** that we continue to have enough so we are able to help other people

9. If that happened, how would you feel?
** lucky girl!!

10. Where would you love to vacation in 2009 if money were no object?
**OMG. I will plan a family tour to Rome, Venice, Paris, Germany, and Moscow

11. What would you like the theme of 2009 to be?
** a peaceful and prosperous year

12. If 2008 was a book of your life, and the title was 5 words or less, what might the title be?
** Expat and Loving it!!

weekend snapshot # 34

Happy Sunday fellow weekenders! How did you celebrate the new year? Over here in Dubai, the traditional revelry to welcome New Year were canceled. The order for somber salutation was made by the Ruler of Dubai to show solidarity with Palestinians suffering from heavy bombings by the Israelis. Dubai Municipality went to respond further by putting up charity donations in shopping malls. I share with you today the snapshot from Mall of the Emirates

While world leaders condemn Isaraeli bombings,
Dubai responds to Gaza crisis with charity.

Thank you to all for your continued visits. I will be blog walking in awhile. Take care and may we all have a peaceful and prosperous 2009!!