TOPAZ HORIZON

I went to a medical spa recently where all my measurements got taken. Here's what took place:

Spa: Ma'am Frances, for your height of 5'4", you're underweight at 105 lbs. But your body is 20% fat. Although normal range is 20-22% for women, better if you're about 15-18%. So you're underweight but fat.

Me: I'm fat? But I need to gain weight?

Spa: Yes, ma'am. You need 10 to 15 lbs pa po. But see this flab on your upper arms and belly? That's fat. So you know that saying skin-and-bones? You're skin-fat-and-bones. It should be skin-muscle-and-bones.

Me: I'm fat.

Spa: Well, looking at you, obviously you're not. You're very very slim. You need to get rid of your fat first with cardio exercises and less fat in your diet. More protein. Then when your fat is lessened, you can start building up your muscles. Again, you need to gain 10 to 15 lbs of pure muscle. Less fat, more muscle.

Me: I'm fat!

Later at home I wail to my husband as he washed the dishes.

Me: Apparently I'm within normal range at 20% fat but instead of that comforting me, she goes, "Better if you're about 15-18%" range.

Vince: Michael Jordan was famously 9% body fat.

Later, I gripe to a friend, Ruby, who replies giddily, "Oh, I'm only 12% body fat!"

Sigh. These days, I stare at my thin self in the mirror with utmost dissatisfaction. Better start hitting the gym and stop eating all the junk I love. *sniff* *sob*

I've gone through my entire blog and decided to link up the people who actually read this blog. Oh, what a tedious thing to do. But I'm glad I did it because it's like the least I can do for the people who read my silliness.

Of course a lot of readers who left comments don't have blogs so I felt a bit bad about that. Also, I left out some blogs that haven't been updated (yes, I checked each and every commenter and their blog!). It's kinda unfair to link up people's sites and when you click on them, the dates are so long ago. It's not fun, no sirree.

So there! Leave me a comment (a real one, okay!) and I'll link you up! Hope you can link me up, too =D

Don't worry. No real spoilers here, but I'm not exactly discreet either. So read at your own risk!

I just finished the last book of the Twilight Saga and I must say the following:

1. Many events in the book took me quite by surprise, which is good. It's always a good thing when a writer can be unpredictable.

2. That said, just because a writer can surprise you doesn't mean the surprises are all pleasant. I didn't like a lot of things. A horrid name, for example. Ugh, I just can't get over that name.

3. While we were treated to a stylistic tool in the third book (Jacob's POV), to use that same tool in a huge chunk of BD was a little too late, a little too convenient, a little too lazy. I must admit, though, Jacob's part was the best read. Bella had become increasingly boring since the second book so the story told in another way and another voice was strangely a relief.

4. I miss, truly miss, Bella and Edward's love story. In this book, it wasn't really about their love story as much as it was about a family story. Make no mistake--Edward and Bella are even more deeply in love here than ever. But I guess marriage does that to any couple (including me and Vince. Sigh!): the focus isn't entirely on each other anymore; you include others into the circle. Not a bad thing really but... I just really want to say I miss that consuming, one-of-a-kind, maddeningly young, deeply private love story that is Bella and Edward.

5. I think I get the cover now. WOW! That was totally unexpected. But, like I said, that cover says it all--Bella has an entirely new passion and focus in BD. And never ever did I think that Stephenie would pounce that on us!

6. Last but not the least, Team Edward HOORAY! HOORAY! HOORAY!

Okay, I'll stop there. But darnit, I want to discuss this book already! Everyone I know are still reading it, are done but are currently catching up on sleep they lost because of the midnight release and the subsequent marathon reading, or there's someone not done reading it yet in a gathering of those who've finished it so we all can't talk about it anyway! Anyone out there done with it? Comment!!!

*book cover image from Stephenie Meyer's site. Team Edward button from Cafe Press. Click on the button to pledge allegiance to the most swoon-worthy vampire in the world: Edward!


UPDATE: Okay, I've slept already. I've digested the book. And now, even with all the negative things I said above, I think that I actually really liked Breaking Dawn! I still don't like that name though...

As you all know by now, I am a shoe freak. So when I stumbled upon Sea of Shoes via another blog I haunt (Chuvaness.com), I just became addicted to this absolutely gorgeous family.

Here's the author of the blog. Her name's Jane Aldridge. She's wearing a Carolina Herrera dress with Balenciaga ankle boots (btw, good news: Balenciaga opens today at Greenbelt 5 in Makati!). She's not a fashion model, I think, which makes that great because I really can't be inspired by incredibly thin people who look hungry (though she and I are quite slim, too). I love how she can pair any shoe with absolutely anything in her closet... or how she can make anything look glamorous (exhibit A: the messy hair, exhibit B: the bathroom of her sister that they're demolishing).

This is her sister. Soooo adorable. I love her lipstick. I can't wear lipstick; I'm more of a lip gloss girl (my favorites this month are a frosty pink from Shu Uemura and a sugary gold from Mary Kay). Anyway, this cutie is wearing a pair of peep-toe lace-up Dolce & Gabbana heels with a mini dress from Marc by Marc Jacobs.

And this is their mother. Well, now we know where the girls got their good looks! (The dog looks cute, too, hehe) She wore her Chloe triple strap patent boots with Levi's and an American Apparel shirt. So chic! I wanted to buy those same Chloe boots in Selfridges in London and even Vince encouraged me to buy them but I just couldn't get past that price tag--a whopping GBP 365 (or PHP 31,915). Damn!

If, however, I suddenly have a lot of money, I think I can buy these Chloe lovers from this other blogger. Her blog, A Woman and Her Shoes, is another new favorite. It's almost like porn actually since I get really high looking at all the delectable pairs in her blog.

Ah, shoes! Gosh, I love Jane's blog so much, maybe I'll do something similar. But since I have very limited resources and very few clothes and no sense of style at all... well, maybe it's not a very good idea for me after all. Insert tragic sigh here!

OMG. You've got to watch this video of Michael Jackson and Britney Spears singing "The Way You Make Me Feel"!!! Two superstars on stage, singing live, feeding off each other's energy--it's electrifying.

Really makes you long for the good ol' days when real singing sensations entertained us. Not the crap we get these days. Well, at least Britney's back in the studio recording an album again. I really liked Blackout, and the critics hailed it, too, as one of her best. Sad that she wasn't able to promote it because her life was in such turmoil last year. But she's much better now, healthier, hitting the gym trying to get back her old shape. And she'll also be part of Madonna's big tour next month. And her video for "Piece of Me" just got nominated for the MTV VMAs. People really still believe in Britney!

Now if only Michael will also come back...

Anyway, here's another video that I love. At least Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Missy Eliot's still in the scene. That's quite a comforting thought really!