TOPAZ HORIZON

Staff shoot post again! This shoot actually took place months ago (you can see what happened there here, here and here) since we had to take photos of Joanna while her pregnant tummy was still small. You see, we usually have our photos taken a month before the issue comes out. Since this was for the December issue, we had to have the shoot late October, but since Joanna was going to give birth in October, we knew she wouldn't be available so we just shot the Christmas shoot in July. Whew, long sentence there!

Our art director Sonny tells us where to stand and how to pose. The idea was Gossip Girl. Since I never watch that silly show, I have no idea what he's talking about. But when we look at the pics, they tell me we all nailed the GG look.

This is what came out in the magazine... with some major Photoshop editing! The wrinkles and folds of my dress around the stomach area was smoothened (the dress was a size 2 and I'm a 4. I could hardly breathe in it!), Sonny's pants were darkened from blue to black to keep with the color scheme of red, white and black. Joanna's dress came out orange so we color-corrected that and...

... well, since Joanna was hugging her tummy up there, we took her photo from down here, cut it out, pasted it back up there, and removed her baby bump. Yes, that's possible with Photoshop! Since this was coming out in the December issue--and Joanna had given birth by then--we can't have her pregnant! We also extended the mat we're all standing on. The shoes--except my nude pumps and Elaine's studded gladiators--were all borrowed so to prevent scuff marks on the sole, we had to stand on that mat. Sonny, who's not on the mat, had masking tape on the soles of his shoes (you can see the tape peeking out). We digitally removed that, too.

Nikki, OK!'s beauty columnist and our stylist for the shoot, joins us. As our photographer Ocs adjusts the light, we all rest from all the smiling and catch up. We super miss Nikki! She's getting married in a couple of months and we're all buzzing about what we'll wear to her stylish wedding. Meanwhile, doesn't Elaine look so Blair?

There are three things the OK! staff all love: Hollywood celebs, eating and laughing. Our photo shoots are always a nightmare for the photographers because we can't stop laughing. I posted the photo of us looking the least hilarious (of course, I can't let us look silly!).

And here's the entire staff with the team who made us look fantabulous! Want to see the final shot? Pick up OK!'s December issue and you may even get a chance to win the most expensive moisturizer on the planet!

XOXO,

I've seriously neglected Beauty For A Living. I've been buried under a mountain of press kits and beauty products that I really don't know which to feature anymore! So I just ignored my beauty blog. But I checked it out recently and found the template had completely gone on self-destruct. I wonder how long that's been like that! Thank goodness I discovered...
Shabby Blogs has a wealth of the most adorable backgrounds, headers, buttons and cute extras so perfect for my beauty blog! Now Beauty For A Living looks really beautiful. Go visit my pretty blog now!

What's that you said? When will I update Topaz Horizon's inky look? Well, I really don't know. I decided long ago that this blog will be black for the simple reason that black screens consume the least energy. So when you're reading my blog, you're also saving the planet! But yeah, I'm getting pretty bored with it myself. Do you think it's time for a Topaz Horizon makeover, too? I want it to still be black, though, with maybe touches of orange design elements... without it ending up looking like a Halloween blog. If you can help me out, I'll send you a bag of beauty products!

P.S. Is no one going to join my OK! contest? I'm giving away a jar of the most expensive moisturizer on the face of the earth!

Have y'all visited Yummy magazine's spankin' new website? It's gorgeous, filled with fabulous photos of easy recipes you can do in 30 minutes. The best part about it is it's so easy to navigate! My favorite part is the specialized search--type an ingredient and the recipes with that ingredient appear!

So yesterday, Vince told me, "Are we ever going to eat the mozzarella?"

Are we ever going to eat it indeed! I've had that block of soft cheese for a few months now. I popped onto Yummy.ph and decided to make a Linguine with Tomato and Mushrooms. It had all these ingredients (yes, count them and rejoice, oh busy wife!):
Then you just saute them all together in a wok (I like a wok better than a pan):

Then you twirl pasta onto some nice plates, top with the mushroom and tomatoes (I added a few slices of leftover steak):

Then you finish by breaking up pieces of soft creamy mozzarella on top!

That's it! Dinner was amazing--Vincent made googly eyes at me all night and then some! And for that alone, I am a fan of Yummy.ph forever. Go to the site now for recipes that can improve your health, your mood and perhaps even your marriage!

P.S. My friend Mariel is also their food blogger! Yey!

I know I said I had a very stressful November--my birthday month!--but do know that I had a wonderful wonderful wonderful birthday because of my husband. Vince gave me my blender! And a clothes steamer, too! These may not sound very romantic to you women out there who prefer diamonds and trips abroad but if you're a homemaker/career woman like me, believe me, it's the home gadgets that you'll scream over!

Vince, thank you for my silver Osterizer and for now drinking yogurt smoothies against your will yet you do so happily for me. Thank you also for the clothes steamer and for bearing with me and the mountains of clothes to be pressed that now no longer exist because of your wonderful gift. Thank you also for my beautiful tulips and for telling me that I am even more beautiful than the gorgeous flowers. I had a great birthday. Thank you!

I am a huge fan of Lord of the Rings. I have a deep love and respect for this mighty work, both the books and the movies. While I love all the characters, I have a special fondness for Theoden, King of Rohan. He is a man of peace but when that peace was threatened, he became a man of war. These days, his words ring true for us Filipinos. Listen.

"So much death. What can men do against such reckless hate?"

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!"
  
"We shall have peace... We shall have peace, when you answer for the burning of the Westfold, and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace, when the lives of the soldiers, whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornberg, are avenged! When you hang from a gibbit for the sport of your own crows, we shall have peace!"

"Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"


Today marks the seventh day of the Maguindanao Massacre. To the government--both in power and those running in the upcoming elections--we are watching you. To the suspects who are still at large, we will hunt you down. There shall be no peace while the blood of 57 murdered people cry out for justice. There shall be no peace!

UPDATE: The body count is now 64.