TOPAZ HORIZON

Pink Notes Diary is so sweet. She gave me this Perky Blogger Award. I guess she thinks I'm perky. Gee, Pink Notes, you should meet me--I'm perkier in person, so much so people always ask me if I'm drunk or high. Anyway, Pink Notes Diary gave me yet another award--the I Love This Blog Award. Thanks!
I'm sending this award to my friend Mariel Chua, who just recently completed her 30-Day Blog Challenge. She was bent on blogging every single day for 30 days. Even I can't do that! She did it so well, too. Each post was well written. There's really no point in blogging every day if all one writes is crap and, believe me, there are so many blogs out there that are a pain to the eyes and the mind. So I am in awe at wonderful and prolific bloggers like NY Minute Now.

Another blog I enjoy now is Marie Calica's The Beauty Coach Is In. It's funny, witty and full of beauty tips and tricks. A joy to read. Marie, you are now the recipient of the I Love This Blog Award!

I have another blog I like--Fifi Lapin. Or Fifi the Rabbit. I love it because it's fashionable, clever, funny and its star is a rabbit! Unlike other rabbits--like my own two cuddly wuddly wabbits--Fifi is very slim. I guess that's how she can fit into those covetable sample sizes of the desgner dresses she's always wearing. Perhaps I should ask her advice for diet pills, er diet pellets, since my Galadriel and Matilda are super duper chubby!

I'm really enjoying these awards I've been getting. Thank you so much for appreciating this silly blog! Do tell me what blogs you enjoy reading. I'm always on the lookout for fab reads!

This is a post script of sorts to my Sony Vaio story. Vince and I were invited to the Sony Vaio launch last Tuesday and I was excited to go since Vince very rarely attends events. I was pretty keyed up to dress pretty for him and go on a "date." (I know I'm silly!)

Anyway, as party invitations are wont to do these days, Sony's invite said to come in elegant black. Everyone complied with the black part. As for the elegant bit? That's another story. I was a bit disconcerted--it looked like a funeral. Having just watched Michael Jackson's memorial the week before, it gave me the chills.I do want to say that my husband--in a crisp black long-sleeved Zara button-down shirt, slim black Levi's and sleek leather boots--looked quite yummy (sorry for the terrible photo!). Lesson here then is if you must wear a dour hue, make sure it's perfectly tailored and made of quality cloth.

The general opinion is black is a safe color (or non-color) and fashion magazines always tell you to have a little black dress in your closet. While this is true, black can also make its wearer look miserable and common so the lesson here is to choose a style that brings out your best qualities--the shape of your body, for example. One of my favorite LBDs is this H&M number, which I debuted on the colorful set of Juicy. It hugs me in all the right places so even though I'm stick thin, the dress makes me look like I have boobies and an ass!Black can also enhance the color of your skin. Yes, a deep rich black looks marvelous on most skin types--depending on the cloth, my skin looks very white or creamy with a deep black. Some blacks are grayish (makes me look sallow), bluish (makes me look deathly pale) or brownish (makes my skin look dirty). Put the cloth against your face to find out which black suits you. Also, since black is very somber, embellishments like beads, sequins, embroidery or prints can cheer it up.

Oh, and as you can see from above and below pics, another way to make black less serious is to expose skin. Lots of it! The seriousness of the color balances whatever you'd want to show off--be it cleavage, arms, back or legs.
At the Sony event, I wore my Jill Stuart dress with a full skirt and a delicate print of pale pink flowers. Here's a better photo (taken when Nikki and I were guests at Lucy Torres's show The Sweet Life):
It does not look funereal at all. Nikki also makes black festive with a spangly collar and a short hem. Wilma meanwhile chose a dress in silk chiffon making her look soft and feminine.

Wearing black isn't as basic as the fashion mags would have you believe. But there's no need to despair. Just keep in mind the following: cut and tailoring, cloth quality, style. And if this just frustrates you, well, I always believe a bright smile makes black less grave.

Want to learn more about wearing black? Look to Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston. Both women have elevated wearing black to an art. Now if only their taste in men could improve...

Ladies, do you recall my poll on shoes some days ago? Well, my first shipment of shoes arrived last Wednesday! I'm super excited! I've gotten them all ready for my eBay store. Yep, my regular readers know I have an online business of sorts. It's just a fun hobby until Vince and I realized the hobby has bought us furniture and books and toys. Now it's a serious money-making venture (well, still a hobby since we do have full-time jobs).

So part of the reason I've not been blogging is I've actually spent the last two weeks clearing my cabinets of surplus inventory because I needed to make space for my new products--SHOES!

Here are four of the six styles I ordered:















Pretty! Sexy! I'm very excited! I really do hope the shoes sell. One of my Things To Do is to open a shoe shop. Vince thinks this is silly of me since he likens that to an alcoholic opening a bar. Haha! He has a point, though. I'm already thinking of keeping a few in my size!

P.S. I sell only through eBay.ph!

Vince and I attended the Sony Vaio launch party the other night at the Manila Peninsula Hotel. I was glad to see that the new laptop computers of Sony are quite colorful. My regular readers know I seriously considered getting the pink Sony Vaio CS sometime ago. A lot of you advised against it so I ended up with my HP Mini--which I adore.

I did get reminded of how I wanted a Vaio when I saw the metallic pink Vaio W (below) and the new Vaio CS in pink crocodile leather. Ooooh, I swear I kinda salivated and, with Sony offering us media people a rare offer of 50% discount (!!!), I almost whipped out the credit card (yes, I'm a credit card holder again, despite what I said).

However, when I got home, there was my lovely elegant black HP Mini waiting for me. I'm in love with my HP Mini. But now Vince just told me HP has launched a pink one. Oh dear! It's so pretty!I want it!

Hi everybody! After my recent picture-heavy posts, I'm going to rest and just be text-heavy today.

So been away for a week. I'm still alive. Barely made it on Wednesday--a super migraine as big as Manila hit me at 2 PM and by 8 PM, I could barely see, or even stand up. By 9 PM, and this time I had gotten home, Vince wanted to bring me to the ER; he said I looked ashen. But I figured all I needed was complete silence and darkness and a very thick blanket. Oh, and a mighty strong pain killer. Got knocked out as soon as I hit the pillow. I was fine the next morning. Thank goodness! That was a nightmare since I was at the printing press the entire day doing final editing on the August issue. So, my OK! readers, if you spot some typos in next month's issue, I apologize.

Before and after that nightmare, I've been incredibly busy. So busy I haven't had time to even cook (unlike my darling friend Mariel who I truly do envy now). It's been fast food every single day for the last two weeks. Michael Jackson's death had a lot to do with it as we pulled out stories to make way for his tribute--which we had to constantly update now that the toxicology report's out and his death is being treated as a homicide.

I've also been going to Aesthetic Science for Reshape treatments--I didn't do the Mesotherapy anymore because I got scared when I heard it swells you up. Well, joke's on me--Reshape also causes some swelling and so the tummy I was hoping to get rid of is now bigger than ever (hence no photos!). Everyone thinks I'm bloody pregnant. I've been exercising, too, to help the Reshape along. The doctor did say I needed to watch my diet on top of the exercising and treatment, but though I've been getting referrals for the best diet pills out there, I just can't bring myself to diet when I'm just 110 lbs. Yes, even though I subsist on fast food, I'm still underweight. Sigh. Here's hoping the swelling will go down soon and I'll be rid of this strangely swollen tummy.

Aside from the bad news, it's been a week of happy stuff, too. I had gone to a flurry of events, wrote (yey! I'm writing again!), and received some fabulous things in the mail. I'll post updates soonest. Will bombard you even. Let me just go through this cold cold rainy Friday. Now off to do my Hip-Hop Abs! See ya later!