TOPAZ HORIZON

This post is for my family and dear friends but in case there are actually some of you out there who'd be fabulous enough to send me items on my wish list (please! please! please!), kindly take note of the following:

Item 1 - blender... my kitchen is yellow, black and white with stainless steel accents (photo here) so I'd really want a red blender. Or a black and steel one.

Item 2 - Jamie At Home cookbook... while I want Jamie's book, I'd also appreciate DVDs of his Jamie At Home show and then I can sit back on the sofa and appreciate how there's a Jamie cookbook on my kitchen shelf and a Jamie DVD on the tv stand shelf.

Item 3 - Schu flats... I'm a size 36 or a size 6. Schu gift certificates also welcome!

Item 5 - Snickers... I'm not a fan of dark chocolate or almonds so the standard ordinary normal Snickers will very much do it for me!

Item 6 - I found my sapphire ring and it will be officially mine soon! Yes, I'm buying it, just scraping together some cash to pay for it. Now, in case you saw a sapphire ring for me (why thank you!), my ring size is a tiny 4, but in case of fat days, size 5 will be safer! And I take back what I said about diamonds--I'd love to have one!
Seriously, though, I'm getting a bit weirded out about the birthday--nope, not because I'm turning a year older. I've never had a problem with getting older; in fact, I've always hated being so young (it's such a helpless and powerless state, in my experience). But 33 is, well, they call it the Jesus Age--He's saved mankind at 33. What have I done? A celebrity magazine. Okay, so Jesus is a tough act to follow. How about... Angelina Jolie? By the time she turned 33, she had a multi-awarded career, traveled the world, been a UN ambassador, donated millions to humanitarian causes, adopted 3 kids, gave birth to 3, and stole men from their women more than once as easily as if she plucked an apple from a tree! Okay, so the last part isn't so admirable but she sure does put a lot of pressure on 32-going-on-33 me! Why must we have it all anyway? Who made those rules? Can't I just be 33 and be average?

Anyway, if you were wondering about Item 4 - free travel... It has been granted!!! I'm flying off to Singapore next week as a special guest of Nuffnang and the Singapore Tourism Board! Now I truly do believe that if you ask, you will receive!

*outfit details: Jockey tee, Kate Torralba skirt, Schu flats (yes, the very ones!) and Longchamp bag

Because it's just so darn sexy. It's even called Hollywood Headboard. For the glamorous star in all of us!

I stumbled upon this fabulous headboard while I was wandering about the web, looking at stuff like iPhone and Kindle (this was for work), disability insurance and FTC disclosure policy (this was for blogging business) and the various blogs I love (this was for inspiration). Then I saw these headboards (thanks, Charmaine!) from Kat Burki. Here's a blue version. Not as striking as the kiwi one, right?

I'm turning 33 in exactly one month! If I were a hobbit, this means I've come of age. If I were Jesus, this means I'm about to die. And if I were to die a Muslim, then this would be the right time since Muslims believe we'd all be 33 in heaven--33 being the perfect age. Okay, the preceding thoughts were incoherent!

Anyway, I have no plans to die anytime soon (or later); what I do have are plans to celebrate another year! I've been very blessed so I just wish for more of what I already have--love and friendship and good health. I wish to be better at my career and develop other talents and skills as well. I don't mind more money coming in either!

While I'm grateful for the blessings, I also have a birthday list of material stuff I want to have on the big day:

1. A BLENDER
Yes, a blender or a food processor. I don't have one. I thought I'd get a ton of these at the wedding but I didn't get a single one! I really really want one so I can make my own fruit juices and milkshakes and crushed ice, etc ad infinitum!!!

2. JAMIE AT HOME BOOK
I love love love the TV show Jaime At Home! I'm a city girl through and through but when I watch Jaime At Home and Barefoot Contessa, I want to be out in the country, breathing in fresh air, sinking my fingers into the earth, picking flowers and fruits and vegetables, bringing them into my kitchen and then preparing a hearty meal. So anyway, Jamie has a book version of the show and I want it! I really really do!
3. LEATHER FLATS FROM SCHU
I wear my Schu beige flats every day. Okay, not every day, just four times a week. I really love these flats! They go with just about anything. I don't mind if I get dozens of these because this is the shoe that is so classic and perfect and comfy, I can wear them forever. Forever!
Of course, I wouldn't mind getting the other Schu styles, like this cutie:4. FREE TRAVEL ANYWHERE OUTSIDE THE PHILIPPINES
Yes, preferably near because I dislike long hours in a plane. Preferably a city since I'm not a fan of sand and sun. So Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore (photo)... let's hope someone's generous enough to send me to you!
5. SNICKERS CHOCOLATE BARS
I can eat this all day every day. Just look at this photo I got from The Frugalista Files:

Just look at that! Chewy nougat, crunchy roasted peanuts and sweet caramel all wrapped in heavenly chocolate! I wouldn't mind getting packets of this at all. I just want to eat one bar every single day of my life!

6. A SAPPHIRE RING SURROUNDED BY DIAMONDS
While I never dreamed of getting married or even getting engaged, I did want the engagement ring Prince Charles gave Lady Diana in 1981. I was just a little girl, 4 years old to be exact, and I remember seeing that blue rock on her finger and when I asked my mother what it meant, she said, "That means he's marrying her."So since that day, I've always thought that a sapphire ring was the symbol of love and commitment. Of course, when I told Vince that I wanted Diana's sapphire engagement ring, he refused: "You get nothing less than a diamond. And look at what happened to that marriage!" So I got the diamond ring, which is winking at me fabulously now as I type (thanks, Vince, for always getting me the best!)... but I still want that sapphire ring! I'm buying myself one. I'm turning 33. I should be buying my own jewelry!

Oh, I can't wait for my birthday!

I'm a creature of habit so it takes me a long, long while to add new blogs to my blog roll. But let me present five new blogs I like to read:

1. Citizen Nerd
It's written by a very special man--my husband, Vince Sales! Before I buy any gadget, I always ask him for advice. In fact, before anyone I know buys any gadget, they ask Vince for advice. Vince is the last word when it comes to technology because he is Citizen Nerd! In my book, that makes him the most amazing man on the planet! (I hope this post gets me laid--ahahaha!--or at the very least earn me a shopping spree!)

2. Hypermom
This new blog is by my friend Jing Lejano, editor of Good Housekeeping. I like her blog because, unlike most mom blogs, hers is honest and candid and discusses motherhood frankly. Sure, she loves it but she doesn't overly glorify it. She talks about the good and the bad. I like that. And--very important to me!--it's well written!

3. The Blog King
Another well written blog! Too bad he updates once every blue moon. Elijah Mendoza is an editor, a new husband and a soon-to-be daddy (although I think his wife is giving birth right about now!). So his observations on marriage and fatherhood are a refreshing read--funny, witty and candid.

4. Style Kit
Jane Kingsu is the author of one of the best beauty and fashion blogs in Manila. She writes short and sweet and really well. I always seem to get my fashion and beauty news from her--how strange is that considering I also work in media! I like how clean and stylish her blog is... and I like how I won in her Schu contest! Thanks, Jane!!!

5. Flipflopping My Way Around Town
As you can tell from above, I like reading about technology, parenting, marriage, fashion and beauty. But I also have another passion--FOOD! Fran Haw has a delightful food blog that makes me hungry every time I read it! I love her blog and a lot of people do, too, because she's a finalist in the Philippine Bloggers Awards! Congrats, Franny! As promised, here's my vote:

Now, how come no one nominated me for this award-giving body?! Can someone please nominate me next year? I'll give a fantabulously special beauty gift bag to the one who nominates Topaz Horizon in the 2010 Philippine Blog Awards!!! Okay, I've resorted to bribery... Very bad of me! Just kidding, folks!

*images taken without permission from the aforementioned blogs. Sorry, folks! I promoted you so I hope that makes it okidoki!

The times, they are a-changin'. Used to be we looked to newspapers and television for what's happening in the world. Now, we turn to our blogs, mobile phones, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other live chat software. It's back to the old ways of spreading the news--word of mouth. Citizen journalism is very democratic. And fast. It has its problems, too, like some of the news can't be confirmed to be true. But, for now, I'm going to think of it as a blessing.

For me, it started with Michael Jackson's death. For others, with Obama's rise to the US presidency. And for the rest of the Filipinos affected by Typhoon Ondoy, this new way of spreading the news was so true during the height and the aftermath of the storm.

And then there's the uplifting messages we get that we no longer seem to get from TV and newspapers. These are inspiring stories of people we'd never have heard of because there are so many of them out there but there's only so much space on paper and airtime on TV. With YouTube and blogs and the worldwide web, we get to learn about wonderful people like Logan.

This gets me every time. Every time. Especially now when I've lost a mother, I'm losing my beloved pet wabbit, and I see suffering everywhere. God understands. He will always understand. God bless you, people.