Monsieur Abwan

A week before his flight for Paris, my Asia-particularly-China-fanatic dad was getting more and more reluctant about the trip. While we were on our way to the office one morning, he suddenly pretended to be a kid throwing a tantrum:

Daddy, shaking his head and fake-crying: "Ayoko na umalis....ayoko na umalis!!! Walang magawa sa Europe, mas masarap pa sa Chinaaa."


(After 1 week)


Arriving from the airport, he enters our main door where my brother greeted him:

Carl: O! Kamusta trip?!
...
..
.
Daddy: Bon Jour.

Definitely No Cold Feet Here

ADORABLE!! And even more adorable are the grandpas and grandmas clapping along to Chris Brown's Forever! HAHA.



And speaking of Walk-Down-The-Aisle songs, a schoolmate of mine got married recently and hers was Sting's Fields of Gold, but of Eva Cassidy's version. (HOW PERFECT IS THAT CHOICE?!?)

My friend's sister who was present at the ceremony told us that everyone had goosebumps, most especially when the big church doors opened on cue and the bride was standing at the end of the aisle immersed in sunlight.

...Which then made another partially-skeptical friend of mine to admit, "I'm starting to believe in Romance again."

♥

Finally Stopping To Smell The Roses

And then it finally happened.

My friend Michelle and I have been conversing (at times debating) on which 'Sideline' business we should partake in.

Food? Good. Steady.

Fashion? Good, too. But nah, maybe not for now.

*Now accepting orders! :)

Flowers? Hmm. Could be, could be. After all, we both are admittedly meticulously O.C. and we certainly appreciate good aesthetics. (And not to mention that I just adore both Flowers and Colors.) Having these traits would be perfect if we were to pursue a career as florists. (Ha!)

So when her niece was about to celebrate her 1st Birthday and Michelle asked me to team up with her to arrange the floral centerpieces, I right then and there said Yes. Didn't think twice about it.

And of course, crammers that we are, we started the creative thinking process a couple days before and did everything-- shopping, costing, arranging- the night before the party.

It was EXHAUSTING. But I couldn't explain it. Somehow, standing for 15 hours straight, the missed meals, and sleep deprivation didn't discourage me (and my singing, much to their dismay? I hope not haha.) at all. I honestly enjoyed arranging those flowers: matching the colors, making sure the flowers didn't clash, and that the arrangement is proportioned.

I left Michelle's house at 1 in the morning, got home, showered, hopped into bed at around 3 and when I closed my eyes to finally get some R & R, I kid you not, I literally could still see flowers everywhere. And-- as much as I would like to come up with a different closing sentence from the post previous to this, I can't think of anything more accurate- that made me smile. :)


*I apologize for the poor quality of the photo (as well as the backdrop!) as I was in a rush to get my beauty sleep.

**The Color Motif was Pink-Purple-Green. We were asked to make the flowers compact and low in height. We added the Butterflies, which we attached to wires, to make it more playful.

***For queries, requests, orders (within Metro Manila, Philippines only please), kindly E-Mail us at prettyrandomthings@yahoo.com. We would be happy to arrange your floral centerpieces for your next event. :)

Happy Mother's Day! ♥

From PostSecret.









:)

This Just Screams Artistry. Doesn't It?

Crocodile pump with grosgrain tie and rhinestone heel by Lanvin.

Mr. Alber Elbaz, you are a cruel, cruel man.

Dream House ♥

Actress Amy Smart's charming home in Beverly Hills, as seen on In Style, March 2009.

Looks sooo cozy! It's more cottage than house, which I love :)

Cutie!

*Sigh*

I'm already dreaming of Brunches haha!

A. Smart: "It's Cape Cod meets Hollywood bungalow... I wanted to keep the feel of the '40s."

The lesser the signs of civilization, the better. Her garden is lovely! It'd be my perfect escape.

Photographs by Art Streiber.

Joey Ryan's Light On

Joey Ryan's Light On. I could listen to this all day. :)


~ Discovered Joey Ryan from watching Bella.
~ Discovered Bella from visiting IMDB site.
~ Visited IMDB site for Anchorman Quotes.
~ Looked for Anchorman Quotes after watching said film.
~ Watched said film as a way to pass time on plane.
~ Was on plane en route to Manila after visiting relatives.
~ Was visiting relatives for a big Mother-side reunion a few Christmases ago.
~ Ok, I'll stop.

~ But before I forget, go watch Bella! That movie gave me goosebumps.

Bella Official Trailer

This Will Melt Your Cold, Cold Heart

From PostSecret.


In response to a postcard about stuttering.

-----Email Message-----
I am mum to a 13 year old boy who has a stammer that is so bad my heart aches for him. But his friends just don't care about it. They take phone calls for him, they cover for him, insist people let him finish and I love them for that more I can possibly tell a bunch of 13/14 and 15 year old boys!

Jack & Karen Make Me Laugh The Hardest

At 00:45 ---> HAHAHA.


They have way too many sidesplitting one-liners but this is possibly the best Jack and Karen scene ever!

7 Days

If these look fake it's because they are. Haha.
(Well, not completely, but they're not exactly real, either.)
Got these 7 semi-precious stones from Greenhills Tiangge last week for 700 bucks ($14.50). Not bad, right?

The colors in the photo look more stark, but in actuality, the stones are more pastel-ish.

I'm planning on making them into 7-Day Gold Bangles.
I think I'm over the White Gold Jewelry phase..
Gold seems more regal now, no? Oh actually, it always has been. Tumatanda na ata ako that's why my tastes are changing. Ack. o_O

Well I'm off to Binondo tomorrow afternoon to visit a jeweller. I'll post photos of the bangles once they're done.
Let's see if they can pass off as genuine. Haha.

Summer Brights

What gets me excited during Summertime (apart from the melting hot weather, thank you) are the Spring-Summer fashion collections (clothes, bags, shoes, accessories, etc.) that feature flashy, attention-getting colors that would make even a 7-colored Rainbow jealous.


I visited Zara last month trying to look for a red dress/top for my dad's surprise party. I don't usually like to spend a huge amount of money on clothes, I like to say I'd rather spend my money on music, on good food, and on a great piece of art or furniture.
Unfortunately, that whole credo of mine was thrown out the window as soon as I detected those bright yellow sleeves peeking through an array of hung tops.

Walk walk walk. Stop. Back-up. My feet automatically turning to the right, like an army man would.

Paint the town yellow.

My favorite color is yellow and my favorite shade of yellow is pastel. This is an exception, though. I literally gasped when this jacket caught my eye. The shade was perfect. Bright yet still flattering. When I look at it I envision myself wearing the jacket with a different bright-colored bag/shoes, my accessories gold, and my makeup a soft peachy-pink blush with berry stained lips roaming around New York.

Hmm, let's see:

It's yellow. Pro.

I don't live in New York. Con.

The color complements my skin tone. Pro.

It's never (or very rarely) chilly here. Con.

It's fairly cheap considering it's Zara. Pro.

It's not red. Con.

There'll never be another jacket of this exact same shade again. I think. Or if ever there will be, I'd have to wait 4 seasons long before I'd see another brightly-hued piece of clothing on store racks. Pro. Definitely a Pro.

He's 58.

Yesterday I went to the mall to have some pressed flowers* laminated into bookmarks.

*Roses from the (not-so-)surprise party we threw for our dad 3 weeks ago.


Daddy, in the car: Anong ginawa mo dyan? Buong hapon ka ba sa mall? (What did you do there? Did you spend the whole afternoon in the mall?)

Me: Ah hindi, sandali lang. Nagpa-laminate lang ako ng bookmarks. (Ah, nope. I just had some bookmarks laminated.)

Daddy: Sinong kasama mo? (Who were you with?)

Me: Ako lang. Mabilis lang naman ako dun. (Just me. It was just a quick errand.)

Daddy: Mag-isa ka lang naglalakad dun? (So you were just by yourself?)

Me: Ahh oo, bakit? (Ahh yup, why?)



Daddy, snickering:....................Loser.

American Idol

My 3 all-time AI faves.


(1) Elliott Yamin (Season 5)---> finished 3rd.




(2) Michael Johns (Season 7)---> finished 8th.




(3) Matt Giraud (Season 8)





I always like the raspy-voiced ones!

How To Know When Summer Is Officially Starting

(Especially here, where it's scorching hot 90% of the time.)

Cue Jack Johnson music. Or Beach Boys.

~Everywhere you look seems like an overexposed photograph.

~US Blockbusters start invading local movie theaters.

~Window displays become less bland.

~You no longer care for your heater.

~(Even though you're a grown man/woman,) Inflatable kiddie pools become so inviting.

~And you feel the urge to buy whale-shaped pool floats.

~You start craving for ice cream again. On second thought, everyone's love for ice cream knows no season.

~Your facial cleanser changes viscosity. (And in extreme cases, it turns to mush.)

~Havaianas flipflops become ubiquitous. Again.

~(Summer or not, I've always been a fan of mixing bright colors in my outfit i.e. fuchsia and turquoise, fuchsia and coral, fuchsia and yellow, etc.-- you get the drill- but) Somewhat disapproving (I assume) stares from strangers become more friendly and morph into smiles paired with slight nods.

You can go crazy with colors and still get away with it.

~Yes. Rainbow is the new Black.

~(And finally,) Fashion collections start making you salivate even more. (Please see Fig. 1)

Fig. 1 Christian Louboutin Petal Sandals

Lin: and these are to die for!!!

Shatan: OMG OMG!!!

Late Night With Conan O'Brien ♥♥♥

Thanks to his writers, producers, band, staff, and those who always stood by him (especially in his starting years) for making sure we get to have our Conan fix every night.

And thanks to Conan for the amazing 16 years, 2,725 episodes of Late Night.

You are the reason we go to bed with smiles on our faces.

Can't wait for your next stint on The Tonight Show.

I wouldn't miss it for the world! :D

Farewell Video For Conan O'Brien

:'(
This made me tear up. So sad!

I remember I started watching Late Night in 1993-1995 when I came across his show on cable. I was just 11-13 years old back then. I practically grew up with him haha. I've seen his pilot episode, his staring contests with Andy, his 9/11 speech, the birth of the hornymanatee.com, and yes, even that infamous Rebecca Romijn kiss.
He's basically the reason why I'm a semi-insomniac.

It's not like he's quitting the industry, haha. But it's still sad..
I'll miss him on his Late Night set! :(
I didn't even get the chance to see him live in NY! BOOHOO haha.

Well I'm sure the new show's going to be as funny as Late Night. But it won't be the same.. Hopefully he'll still be the same deadpanning and self-deprecating comedian I fell in love with. Sorry, obsessed Conan fan talking.


***Watch out for him on The Tonight Show! :)

Conan O'Brien and Stephen Colbert String Dance Off

Thank you, professional wrestling audience.
HAHAHA I super love these two. :)

Lady And The Tramp (Guinea Pig Style)

Hehe. Made me laugh.
Guinea pigs are sooo cute!

An Über-Quick Rant

Don't you just hate ALBUM RE-RELEASES???


It's happened to me multiple times:

I check on album updates from an artist I love.
I go regularly to music stores to see if that CD has come out.
I buy the CD.
A few months thereafter, they re-release the EXACT SAME CD with ANOTHER Bonus disc.
And worse even, it's an LP more often than not.



ARRRGHHH.
I literally can't decide which I hate more. This or Coriander.

A Short Video For Shoe Addicts

From The New York Times website.
09.13.08

VIDEO: On The Street With Bill Cunningham

Haha.
Everyone's a masochist to a certain degree.

Case in point:
My nude satin peep-toe booties. 4" heels.

We have a love-hate relationship. ♥

Laura Izibor's Shine

Wake up one morning you realize

Your life is one big compromise

Stuck in the job you swore was only temporary

Feel like the world is passin' you by

Never done all the things you wanted to try

Stuck in one place, got a pain in your face

From all your stressin' out

You ask yourself there's got to be more than what I'm livin for

You ask yourself there's got to be somethin else

Somethin' more, more, more

CHORUS

Well let the sun shine on your face

And don't let your life go to waste

Now is the time, got to make up your mind

Let it shine on you, let it shine on you

Feel like theres nothin', nowhere to go

You try and fight but you can't let go

Of all the pain, got so much to gain

Now is the time

You ask yourself there's got to be somethin else

Somethin' more, more, more

CHORUS

Let the sun shine on your face

And don't let your life go to waste

Now is the time, got to make up your mind

Let it shine on you, let it shine on you

You ask yourself there's got to be more than what I'm livin for

You ask yourself there's got to be somethin else

Somethin' more, more, more...

CHORUS

Well let the sun shine on your face

And don't let your life go to waste

Now is the time, got to make up your mind

Let it shine on you, let it shine on you

Well let the sun shine on your face

And don't let your life go to waste

Now is the time, got to make up your mind

Let it shine on you, let it shine on you

Let the sun shine on your face

And don't let your life go to waste

Now is the time, got to make up your mind

Let it shine on you, let it shine on you

For the audio clip, please visit http://www.lauraizibor.com/music/shine/

Happy New Year!

And in Steve Jobs' words:

Stay hungry.
Stay foolish.