I'm in love!

After a day of rest to "rejuvenate" my soul... I thought it's wonderful to go on a spontaneous emotional spree- a wish list daydream, that is. Life is hard, but it's full of beautiful things, too. And I may not get all these things on my wish list anytime soon, but it's still swell to crave. It's free.

And so, here is my wish list. It's a lot of reasons to be happy, actually....

Miu Miu calf leather tote, in Girasole.

I just looove the color. Who can resist a mustard-y goodness? Definitely not me. I love the clean lines, too. Not too high-falutin' yet terribly appealing, don't you think?

Dior leather pumps with logo, in Natural.

All we need is a burst of color. Live! Be free! Taste life!

Narciso Rodriguez empire waist bubble dress

I love the color! It's my dream-dress-of-the-moment. Perfect for spring. Perfect for a wonderful, never-miss-the-fun day. Nobody will ever be sad or forlorn wearing this dress. I

Jake Gyllenhaal, in February GQ

" Dreamboat Extraordinaire".

a peculiar case

Can you believe? Our Christmas tree is still standing? It’s the end of January, and soon it’s gonna be Valentine’s, and yet I still don’t have the strength to tear it down and put way the balls and all the trinkets. A pure case of indolence. No doubt about it. When I told my mom a couple of weeks ago that the tree is still there, she said to me- you’re so Pinoy. Hehe.

Anyway, I know it has to be taken down sooner or later. But when? Well, we seem to be adapted to the sight of the tree. It seems comforting. What to do, what to do? When you start hearing ads on Valentines Day on TV, it’s the time when I want to kick myself in the butt and yell to start moving my lazy rump. Nakakahiya, di ba? Maybe I’ll do it tonight.

I couldn’t be too sure, but the cold weather makes a sloth out of anybody. It’s such an agony to go out, and I feel so sleepy all the time. And yet lately, I have been having trouble sleeping at night. I think I am getting RLS (restless leg syndrome) and becoming an insomniac. See, I’m turning into a hypochondriac! I have such a peculiar case- my sleepiest times are around 2-3 pm when it’s all quite at work; 7:30 pm when it’s time to fix dinner, and 9 pm just after dinner. But when it’s time for bed, I have a hard time. And it’s harder to wake up at 6:30 am.

Can I blame it to the weather?

One thing’s funny though. Recently we purchased new bright red throw pillows. Lounging in the sofa, the minute I plop my head into its glorious fluffiness, I fall asleep instantly! It’s a good thing only if it doesn’t thwart my chores, but it does so it’s a bad thing.

I guess I am falling into a sleeping rut. What shall I do? Sloth and sleepiness is not a proper combination. I have to snap out of it, chop-chop!

haikus of different flavor

Days are in grief when
boredom lurks; so sad, so wrong
a day without you.

Love keeps me so light
like floating on air, so true;
love moves, love sets free.

I wonder, I doubt.
If only all dreams would last.
I wish. But heart doubts.

Leave a heart so blue,
is not what I want to do.
Love, I’ll make you pure.

Until I find you
this heart of mine remains dark…
love sees, love is you.

The yogurt bandit

This incident is getting funnier. It used to be irritating. Now the more irritating it gets, the more comical it becomes. You see, from time to time we like to bring some yogurt at work and we like to eat it as dessert or a snack. What I like is the fruit-flavored, thick and creamy custard style kind. I haven’t been a long-time fan of yogurt. My hubby introduced me to the habit when we met years ago. It was funny because I never liked Yakult as a child. And when I expressed my interest to try the fruit-flavored ones, he told me I will not like it because it tasted like Yakult. But when I tried it, I found it interestingly delicious, and I liked it! And I have been a fan of the fruit-flavored ones since then.

Now back to my story. This morning, I brought the blackberry flavored yogurt at work. I placed it in the ref in the 4th floor kitchen thinking how nice it would be to have it as an afternoon snack. So after a couple of (boring) afternoon meetings today, I rushed to chow down the yogurt, finally! But surprise, surprise! The yogurt was gone.

The yogurt bandit strikes again!

Yes, there's a yogurt bandit. There had been several incidents in the past when all the yogurt that we brought at work went missing when it was time to eat it. I don’t know who’s the nincompoop who got the appetite to our custard-style, fruit-flavored yogurt and stole it. What a twerp. A total idiot. It annoyed me to heavens, after at least four times finding a much-desired yogurt gone, so the hubby and I decided to put a sticker with our name on it – taking chances on being teased about it. But it worked, since then nobody took our yogurt from the ref.

Until now. Well, I stopped the stickering bit ;) so that explains the un-labeled yogurt got stolen again. Or got mistakenly eaten. But, what the ***. Some people are so stupid. I am so annoyed, however, I can’t help to think how hilarious it gets. Is a simple tub of fruit-flavored yogurt really that steal-worthy?!

I hope the yogurt bandit have non-stop diarrhea ‘til the 4th of July.

"Kilig"

What is the English term for “kilig”? Is it giddy? Is it euphoric? Intoxicated? Kilig leapt into my mind just now because I finished reading a magazine article about having a crush and experiencing throes of kilig. That unmistakable rush we feel thinking about something good that just happened, or a thought about someone. Isn’t that the greatest feeling in the world?

Kilig is not all shivers and kicks, it is so much more. Perhaps I wouldn’t be able to define it fully if I were to explain it to my non-Tagalog speaking friends. However, we all know what it is, and would smile complacently thinking about those teenage years overcome with kilig.

What are your kilig moments? I like looking at wedding pictures, and it would be on my list of kilig moments. Why? It is because weddings are a pool of mixed emotions- happiness, agitation, melodrama, guilt, pride, triumph, apprehension, hope and bliss. The look of love between the couple on their wedding day makes me kilig. The promise of a new love, the blossoming of new relationships makes me kilig, too. I delight in listening to stories of getting to know each other stages of dating, of planning a wedding, of seeing someone really likable. Basking in “I really like her/him a lot” thought is supernaturally pleasant.

An unexpected call from a loved one, an unexpected kiss, and unexpected words – these all bring flood of tender sentiments in us all. Who wouldn’t be kilig when a boy you liked brought a bouquet of flowers in front of all your friends in a crowded café? Or when a boy you recently met, and whom you really liked promised to see you after your class, and found him running up in the stairs to catch you as he was a tad late? Or when a boy gives you a tender kiss in front of his all his friends...?

Kilig moments are endless. But only if you allow it to happen. Think about the past, and you will find surprising moments worthy of kilig. Good and happy memories bring this juicy and overwhelming feeling. Love, love, love. It is a vast savannah of kilig…

This piece is for my hubby- the object of my kilig since 1999…

I like my greens... doused with vinaigrette

Recently I’ve noticed my growing affinity for the color green. Not that it has become my top favorite color (I can say I’m still a “red” girl), but green is popping out a lot lately. In choosing household items, it seems to me green was a favored color. When we moved into our new place more than a year ago, I chose olive green bedding accessories and picked a fresh shade of green when we decided to paint one wall.

Our new curtains are cilantro, and even the shower curtain is green- sage to be exact. And I own mint green shirts. Before winter, I oh-so wanted to buy a pair of mint-green western boots. But the verve faded when winter set in. So now, it’s officially in my what-in-***-were-you-thinking moments. I mean, really. Did I really want to trod in the yet-to-be-seen snow this winter in bright green footwear? I know my hubby is having a Nelson Muntz ha-haa! moment right now.

In the past, blue was my favorite color. Then I outgrew it and adopted red as my favorite. I like the fiery, ebullient aura of color red. If this were an instant personality test, then I’m stimulating, energetic and bold. It’s more like the personality I want to match. Reds also have incredible will-power and they enjoy pleasant and colorful environment.

Now, why do I like green? Green is sensational. It could mean a lot of things, too. Greens the foliage, greens the veggies, green the young ‘un, green the money, green thumb, green tomatoes, green light, green with envy. And of course, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I always associate green with calmness, ease and relaxation, and life.

Last weekend, the hubby and I made some avocado shake – perfect green thirst quencher. Then I started to pine for green kaong and buko-pandan. Darn. The hubby and I love the greens, too. Aragula, bibb lettuce, romaine, spinach, endives, dandelions. We’re happy to munch on these greens, but we don’t agree on the dressing. He’s a ranch person while I’m a vinaigrette person. And I don’t just want it spritzed, I want it doused, deluged and drenched in vinaigrette. That will make me a happy green goat.

startin' the year right

We wanted to start the year right. And so the hubby started a 365 set on flickr. And this is my idea of starting the year right: banana spice cake.

4 ounces butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
2 to 3 bananas, mashed, about 3/4 cup
1/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan. In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg, milk, vanilla, and mashed banana until blended.

Combine remaining dry ingredients and spices. Stir the dry ingredients into the first mixture until moistened. Spread in prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with finger.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Now, let’s see. Hmm, I hope this doesn’t mean fatty cheeks, fleshy arms and chubby waistline for me.