TOPAZ HORIZON

Based on recent blog posts, it looks like I'm swimming in money. So I guess it's kinda strange when I start talking about how baby stuff are so expensive, I don't want to spend on baby clothes, and all my gasps and exclamations over the cost of having a baby. Well, I'll tell you a secret: I really set aside a budget for everything!

I'm not an impulse buyer. I will sleep on something I saw in a shop window for days, weeks, even months! If I really want it, I take out envelopes and mark them: "Topaz Ring," "Maternity Dresses," "Sunglasses," "Eyeglass Frames," etc. So, for example, my budget for maternity dresses is 10K. Every pay period, I will slip in 1K or 2K or P500 in that envelope, whatever amount I can set aside after paying the bills. When it finally reaches 10K, BAM! Off to the stores I go and so it looks like I went on a wild shopping spree!

Then when I say, "I don't have money for that breast pump!", it's kinda true. I just mean the envelope marked "Breast Pump" isn't ready yet. 

Here's another secret: When I go on a spree, I don't bring the cash. I usually charge it to the card so that I collect points. I don't despair because I actually already have the cash to pay for my credit card purchases—they're just in my little envelopes. And I always pay the balance in full to avoid fees and other charges. Of course, I can afford to do that because I've already spent a lot of time saving up for it!

I also usually don't get money from my salary. I use the money I earn from blogging, eBay and writing projects. The money that comes from the paid blogging network I belong to is the best because I feel I get it for free. I just write posts and I get $5 for each blog post. It's a small amount but after a month or two, it really adds up. That's how we buy our Threadless shirts from the US and film nerd tees from London. Blogging money!

So though I might appear I'm throwing away money, I'm not. I scrupulously save every extra peso (emphasis on "extra"!) so that I can shop! It takes a lot of discipline and patience but the reward is oh so sweet!

First, let me establish that I love coloring my hair. That's me in October 2009, the last time I had a color job done at Louis Phillip Kee in Greenhills.

When I was a young girl, I absolutely adored supermodel Linda Evangelista because every time I saw her in magazines, she'd have a different hair color. My Mama was the same. In her family, you see, white hair appears really early so she colored her hair in various shades of brown and burgundy all the time. She was gorgeous!

So when I started sprouting white hair when I was 15, I begged for color. My parents allowed me to do so on my 18th birthday and I've colored my hair ever since! I've been blue black, mahogany, blonde, chocolate, chestnut, strawberry, magenta... The only colors I haven't been are green, pink, platinum and purple!

So my chief agony all the time I've been pregnant is I have been forbidden to color my hair! I've been complaining complaining complaining nonstop about my roots. While other mom-to-be's are happily busy with shopping for bottles and baby clothes or worrying about their health and asking around for medical insurance quotes or even maybe exercising and taking Lamaze classes, I've been obsessing over my roots.

I'm normally not a whiny girl but these past few months, I've been whining about it constantly. My OBG and my hubby refuse to be moved by my whining, however. They are adamant: You CANNOT color your hair!!! So after agonizing over recent photos like this...

... I went to a salon and had most of my hair chopped off! I now look like this:

I actually wanted a Carey Mulligan crop so that all the colored hair will have disappeared but the hairstylist said gently, "You're hormonal. Let's do this gradually." So we agreed that I'll drop by every month for a trim so that by the time I give birth, I'd only have an inch or two of blonde tips.

Argh, il est vraiment horrible! I swear that my first beauty act after giving birth is a complete hair color--deep magenta with strawberry red highlights and mahogany lowlights!

There are benefits to reading this blog, people. Most say they get entertained, some say they are moved and cry, while others get to win prizes! Now, if you're a fan of Topaz Horizon's Facebook page, then you know I held a raffle for the first 150 likers. These were the prizes:

Tani Villamora won the bag. Very lucky girl! I said on the FB wall that it was a Kenneth Cole Reaction; it's actually a Kenneth Cole New York.

Kristine Dianne Millet won the Body Shop loot. She was super delighted!

Mina Gonzales-Politte won the NARS stuff but since she's based in the US (and I specified that the winners have to personally claim their prizes from me), she graciously said that the next name on the list can have her prize.
So Bea B. Panti-Gonzales won the makeup by default. However, she hasn't claimed her prize and I really have become too busy now to go meet her so I don't know what to do.

I met up with these beautiful ladies in Red Mango at Greenbelt 3 so that I can get to meet my readers. I chose the yogurt place because I've heard about how yummy the froyo there is and I wanted something healthy so I wouldn't need a Lipofuze after I give birth!

Anyway, it was so nice that we hit it off immediately, like we'd known each other for years! Well, they have an advantage since they've been reading my blog so I will confess that I felt a little shy to meet them. If you're a regular reader, you'd know I'm a bit of an anti-social most times. But I must say Tani and Tin made me feel so comfy that we were soon sharing stories--from heartbreaks to Brazilian wax!

Congratulations, Tani and Tin! Thanks for reading my blog and for making the time to meet up with silly old me. Enjoy your prizes!

I'm the sort of girl who appreciates gifts like a clothes steamer, a top-of-the-line blender or a 7-piece all clad copper core cookware set, but hey, I won't say no to these beauties... Presenting the Tiffany & Co. Filigree Heart pendants!

This design is actually resurrected from 18th century French and English jewelry. In Tiffany’s version, a delicate heart is filled with a pattern of seven petals around a keyhole. Of course, there's a key attached to the pendant.



Now, if you prefer a bigger key, or maybe just a key, then nothing can trump Tiffany's Keys Collection. The keys here are from the new collection, and these range from the simple to the intricately bejeweled!

Now if you're wondering why anyone would have a key for a pendant, here's the history: In the olden days, people locked away their jewelry, photos, secrets and other precious possessions in beautiful boxes. Even albums and diaries had locks! And of course when people traveled, they had steamer trunks and train cases. The safest place to put your keys is around your neck! 




I adore them all but my heart is set on a certain topaz ring that I want for my 34th birthday. I have 6 months to save up for that ring. So these pendants will be for another occasion... maybe when I'm super duper rich!

Tiffany & Co. is exclusively available in Rustan’s Makati and Shangri-la Plaza Mall. 

Photos courtesy of SSI and Visions & Expressions.

It was the deadline week of OK!. The last week is always deadly for me and my staff but I made it more stressful by penciling in my OBG and facial appointments, too.

The pregnancy is going very well and my OBG prescribed these new vitamins that are so frakkin' expensive but are supposed to have all the vitamins and fatty acids and minerals my baby and I need. Then I also have to do birthing classes, a 4D ultrasound and the usual lab tests. Drain my blood away now, why don't you? It's a good thing the hubby and I have jobs!

So even though I'm already spending a lot on this pregnancy, I went shopping! Bought three dresses from Tango, a dress from Warehouse, sandals from Celine, new eyeglass frames (they're red!) and yet another dress from Kamiseta. It's so adorable! But I have to bring it to the seamstress because the shoulder straps are too long. Will have a decent photo taken as soon as that dress is ready.

Oh, and I bought a new cellphone, too, from the Big Sony Sale. It really is a big sale! I love my new phone. Had to buy a new one because my old Sony Ericsson is more than 5 years old and it's dying on me. Will write about the phone soon.

Oh, and I finally put the Facebook Like button in my blog! It's soooo cool! If you wanna know how, let the Third World Nerd teach ya...

And you can also join my Facebook fan page. I'm meeting a few "likers" tomorrow--they won my FB Fan Page raffle. So fun!