TOPAZ HORIZON

Dear Lana, Sonny, Joanna, Elaine, Nikki, Kabbie, Jay and Astro Girl,

OK! magazine was one of the best performing titles in 2008. We exceeded all our targets except for circulation which has slightly dipped due to, I am sure, the global economic crisis. However, congratulations are in order, and I want to thank each and everyone of you for helping OK! be what it is today.
I also want to thank you for many other things that aren't tangible or measurable.

Thank you for your hard work despite the not-so-fabulous pay.

Thank you for coming in to work even on days you don't have to, for staying late, for keeping company those who have to stay late just to offer moral support--unlike other staff who, even when their editor-in-chief is looking for them, refuse to come to work.

Thank you for never missing your deadlines and for not sacrificing the quality of your work just so we can meet those deadlines. This tells me you are all dedicated, passionate, considerate, and proud of your own talents and abilities without having an ego about it--unlike some staff who think they're so good the entire magazine can wait for their work, thus delaying everything.

On that note, thank you for your passion. Your meticulous attention to detail--whether in spelling, grammar, fact-checking, layout, price points, budget, the perfect picture!--convinces me that I work with the very best people an editor can ever dream of--unlike some magazines who are plagued with lazy, stubborn and egotistical idiots. Sometimes when I can't summon the energy to go to work, I just remember how conscientious you all are and I am inspired.

Most of all, I want to thank you for your loyalty to me. I know I am not the easiest person to work with--my temper and my demands can't be wonderful. And yet you give me your best and you never squeal--unlike some sissies who always run to HR just because an editor called them a name and can't face and resolve conflict within the staff instead. I never hear any reports of backbiting from you guys; in fact, I know without a doubt you have my back. Thank you for your respect, even if I know sometimes I don't deserve it.

It isn't easy to lead, especially in these troubled economic times when much is demanded from me by my own superiors and then I am given less to work with. But because I have you, your passion and your unflinching loyalty, this job is a piece of cake. Thank you.


Live long and prosper, my friends.

As in literally hot, the sun burned my cheeks and shoulders. That was minimal sun exposure--I didn't even swim or sunbathe. Vince was smarter than me--he just stayed indoors all weekend long.

The night before we left, I typed my Facebook status as: "Going to Batangas and praying for clouds." Lizelle, my sister-in-law, got perplexed and said that all the kids were praying for the sun. Well, God listens to the prayers of little children because in San Juan, the sun unleashed all its blazing glory.

Yes, we're strange that way; we're not fond of the sun at all. But when we see clouds on the horizon, our spirits lift. And when it thunders and pours, Vince and I are the happiest creatures. The harder the rain, the darker the sky, the more ecstatic we get. That's why we love the rainy summer this year and that's why we chose gray London for our honeymoon!

The rest of the Sales family, however, are sun babies. They stayed in the pool the entire weekend! They were all a dark shade of brown by the time we went home.


Nevertheless, despite the unforgiving sun, it was a fun weekend. The kids were so excited... and that's an understatement of epic proportions! Acuatico is indeed a lovely place and I'd love to go back there... in the rainy season!

I love this Kate Torralba dress. It's a backless halter with deep pockets hidden in each side of the tulip skirt. It's a housewife dress--sexy, comfy. My husband definitely agrees with the sexy part!

Anyway, my favorite part of the dress is the print. I call it the Stepford Wife dress because look at the pictures!And though you may find it ironic that a career woman like me loves a dress like this, you'll be more surprised to learn that I can cook, wash, iron, mend, sew, polish, scrub, and do a lot of housewifely things very very well! After all, I was trained since I was 5 years old to be a wife (yep, my parents had but one ambition for me) so I can keep a house and manage a career, too. Stepford Wife!

Hi! This is me at the Kerastase party the other night (in my HerBench off-the-shoulder top and with the Longchamp tote given to me by Aida, my best friend in France). Goodness, I look more tired than a Georgia car insurance salesman selling policies in this global crisis! That's why I'm glad I'll be going out of town with my Sales family this weekend. I won't be able to update for a while so if you're dropping by, here are some random posts you can read till I come back...

• Attended the chi-chi launch of Kerastase Oleo-Relax Slim
• Wrote an article for Spot.ph re: celebs and plastic surgery
• Interviewed NARS Makeup Artist Dawn Stultz
• Campaigned against taxation on books!
• Found secret Facebook photos
• Had my home featured in a magazine
  
• Got nice things from Mama's old things
• Fell in love with my husband all over again
  
• Went to Hong Kong Disneyland!
• Honeymooned in London
• Discovered the secret to true and enduring love (it's in the Bible!)

Okay, that should keep you busy! I'll be back soonest with photos from Acuatico... and with a fantastic blog contest! Why? Well, the contest for my new blog, Beauty for a Living, did so well, it now gets more traffic than this one. It's insane and so now I feel bad for Topaz Horizon. Besides, this month is this blog's 3rd birthday. Golly, I've been blogging for 3 years! More, actually, since I started with a blog on Friendster. Anyway, see you all next week!

It's Mariel's fault. She blogged about these classic flats last week so I bugged her to go shopping because I just had to have one. Turns out I had to have two! At just PHP 799 (USD 17) a pair, why stop at just one? Run to the nearest CMG shop because these babies come in 4 kinds (gold, silver, pewter and bronze--the last two colors are the ones I got!). They come in matching pouches, which really add to the adorable factor.

I also bought these flats from Schu. The big gold design did it for me. It also comes in black and white. I'm still deciding if I should get the black even though I already have 3 black flats--the sequined ones, jelly ones and my pompom ones.

Argh, shoes are my undoing really. Accessories, too. I found these bangles in a tiangge (cheap shop stalls) and I bought 10 pieces, each a different design. I couldn't resist! The bangles are perfect when I'm wearing my usual tee-and-jeans combo (left) but they also look great with my simple sheath dresses. Sigh... With all the shopping Vince and I have done (the house, the gadgets, etc), I guess we could've gone on that Disney cruise already! Well, maybe not the cruise yet, but definitely a trip somewhere!

Speaking of trips, we will be gone all weekend! Vince and I and his family are all going to Batangas, to an exquisite resort called Acuatica. Will come back with photos, and I do hope it won't rain!