TOPAZ HORIZON

I think I'm finally enjoying my pregnancy. I say that cautiously because, well, I never know when the nausea will strike. Well, I do know now when it will strike--after I take my prenatal vitamins--but the nausea has indeed lessened. Plus, I have more energy and my acne is clearing up (thanks to Murad and VMV, damn expensive but working!). What I'm really happy about is the "less nausea" part. That has got to be the worst thing ever about pregnancy. However, ask me again when the varicose veins, stretchmarks, fat, and labor come!



Anyway, right now I'm thinking about that whole Kris-James-sugod the fan issue. So weird that after she goes on and on righteously saying "I'm a wife. I have to protect my marriage!", she announces just as righteously to all and sundry that she's now separated from him. Er, I thought she was saving her marriage? Let me be clear on one thing: I'm a wife, too, so I have no issue with Kris confronting that Mayen woman. Mayen threatened Kris' marriage and it is only right that Kris go and annihilate the threat. But now that she has, what does she do? She leaves. What the hell was all that fuss for then?

Let me tell you how Vince and I see marriage. We see ourselves as a pair of scissors. Separate, we are each a blade--we each have our own purpose; therefore we are not meaningless individuals. Together, we still have the same purpose but we work together towards one goal. And whatever comes between us, we destroy. This we both agreed on--for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, till death do us part. Only death will separate us. That's the plan. There is no other plan.  

Let me tell you about another couple with no other plan. When Playboy asked Will Smith if he and wife Jada signed a prenuptial agreement, he replied, "No. I don't even like the concept of a prenup. The idea is that this is going to work out and we're going to be together forever. I am the type of guy who doesn't have a plan B because plan B distracts from plan A."

Those are wise words for marriage and for life. Dream big. Let go. Jump in. Commit. Don't think about second chances. Think: This is it!

Life is about commitment. Freedom comes only with commitment. When I married Vince, I finally became free from insecurity, jealousy, doubt and fear. I know he feels the same way. We are free to love each other, to kiss, to make love, to get pregnant, to live the way we want because we committed our lives to each other. Why would I want to give that up? That is also part of our vows: To not just cherish but also to protect our marriage. So believe you me, if anything dare threaten my joy, I will rise up and crush it.

I know this announcement is 18 days late. That's because only 8 people joined my OK! contest so I figured that I'll reward all 8 ladies with an amazing beauty cream each! While I'd really love to give away grand prizes like a trip abroad (I hear that a stay at the Outer Banks rentals is exquisite in the summer), I'll have to content myself and my readers with the best face creams on the planet! Not bad, not bad. Et voila--I finally have them all here (with my amazing January issue!), and they are yours, my dearest ladies!

The prizes are (I arranged them with the most expensive product on top):
1. La Prairie Creme Cellulaire Platinum Rare

2. Lancome Renergie Morpholift Nuit Overnight Regeneration Cream

3. Lancome Renergie Morpholift Advanced Contour Serum

4. Shu Uemura B-G Reinforcing Gel Cream (with lotion and essence)

5. Kiehl's ACAI Damage-Repairing Serum

6. L'Oreal Paris Derma Genesis Cellular Youth Creator Day Creme

7. Avon Anew Rejuvenate Flash Facial Revitalizing Concentrate

8. Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion

And the winners are (just match your name with the numbers above!):

Congratulations! Kindly email your your full name, shipping address and contact numbers to frances@topazhorizon.com so I can send you your lovely prize soonest.

Again, thank you for joining my contest and for being ever so patient with me. I hope you've already gotten the January issue of OK! magazine. It is our first and super fantabulous offering for 2010 and it's so super juicy! Grab an issue now while there are still some left!

Hello, hello, hello! I didn't forget my Sun Life Planner contest, kids!

And I must announce it now while it's still January or else you won't want a nice planner anymore from my favorite insurance company (oy, plug! Do I get a free accident/health/pension plan now? Or can I just ask for the sweet ka-ching of gold coins in my account? Joke! Eww, so jologs to say, "Joke!").

Anyway! Five winners! Here they are (the Top 5 names):

Congratulations! Kindly email your your full name, shipping address and contact numbers to frances@topazhorizon.com so Teeyah can send you your planners asap!

P.S. OK! contest winners up next!

Last night, our friend Neil had a few beers with Vince here at home. Neil has three fabulous kids and he was telling us that kids are a great joy... and a great pain in the neck! Harhar. So he was urging us to go and have adventures now, while Jelly Bean is still not around to take over our lives.

Well, that's been exactly how we're feeling so I've booked a nice weekend at 8 Suites, this lovely new boutique hotel in Tagaytay.

We're also spending another weekend in Cebu at Be Hotel, which is a lovely place but I think they went overboard with the pastel colors.

Then I want to go see Disneyland in California (regular readers know I love Disneyland!) but Vince wants to go to Vegas. And we also want to go to Singapore to buy that camera I was telling you about, the one Vince now wants to buy for the baby. It isn't available here (boo!) but Singapore has it so we're thinking of flying there to check. Then I also want to visit my friend Kat in NYC but I'm waiting for summer to decide since I hate the cold.

While we have our nice matching Echolac luggage (we bought them for our London honeymoon), I've started browsing travel accessories sites for Samsonite luggage. I really like my little attache case and I was wondering if there was a matching suitcase.

I think it would be sooooo cool to have pink bags. For one thing, they'd really pop out on that conveyor belt. But don't worry, Vince (I know you're reading this!), I won't buy new luggage. It's enough you agreed to go on a travel spree with me!  

But I won't be around for long, I think. I just had lunch and now I'm sleepy. I'm catching up with my blog updates and I am really missing blogging, too! Maybe I'll blog again later.

So what have I been up to? Well, it's been a super busy week at work, which is just how I like it. The nausea is almost gone and I can eat a bit better now--as some moms out there know, morning sickness, dizziness and fatigue can be some of the best appetite suppressants ever, which is kinda ironic since this is when we need to eat more and be healthier!

Now that I'm feeling better, I visited my facialist yesterday at Murad so that my pregnancy acne can be managed and I also went shopping. That was fun! Today, I will sleep. Then later this afternoon, my sister and I will have our nails done and do some shopping. Sisters are the best thing in the world really. Okay, after husbands and maybe kids (I don't have an opinion about that yet, okay?) Then I'll blog again tonight! I promise a more substantial post!

Have a nice weekend, everybody!