Life lately and how the heck do you plan for a wedding

A couple of thoughts regarding our, uhm, engagement nyahahaha. We already have a date, which is less than a year from now, and so far we haven't argued on anything yet. Sosyal! We're both aware of a lot of couples going crazy planning for the specifics of their wedding so we promised ourselves we're not quarreling over anything (like we've done for the past 5 years yihieee). Jeckie and I didn't want to turn into a Bridezilla and whatever-its-counterpart-is* so Lord, help us keep our promise intact!

My Dream Wedding

So. I don't really have a dream wedding. I just have certain aesthetic preferences lol, that sounds like an excuse but yeah. I even surrendered to the thought of getting a civil wedding instead, as long as it's followed by a very intimate reception at a very badass buffet *cough* Spiral *cough*. All in order to taper the cost of feeding some 200 guests and sparing myself the trouble of all the preps. But then, I have a very big problem with civil weddings.

Our City Halls are ugly.

They're not good in photos. I'm not walking in a pure white outfit, all glam and pretty, flowers on hand, to board an elevator (if it's functioning) with 8 other sweaty, agitated, and dismayed citizens of the Philippines who have transactions in other parts of the building. The thought of it irks me. I'm here getting married and I'm not about to be surrounded with the negativity of people's complaints about the inefficiency of their city government, or about a sinkhole in their barangay that hasn't been covered in years. Anyway. Google pacified my horror-stricken nerves by telling me that not all civil weddings are urghly (in venue okay). There's this one, super cool looking venue that made me reconsider about pushing this type of wedding.

Enter, The Supreme Court of the Philippines

Source: rappler.com

Look at that facade, I'm totally sold. Everything to get nice pictures haha. Jeckie's mom knows a chief justice's brother so that kinda made things more possible to pull off. I think.

I've created a Google sheet of our wedding planning progress. I have a checklist, a guest list, supplier contact numbers, possible venues, possible caterers, blah, blah, blah. I've also joined a couple of wedding groups on facebook to get ideas. I sure am very excited to get in touch with suppliers and save up for it. But I also didn't want to stress too much about it. I read that the venue and catering are primal, so that's what we want to slash off first. The rest we'll worry later on haha.

So, are we getting a Supreme Court Wedding?

Nope. Just wanted to share how stoked I was about the idea of a supreeeme wedding nyahahaha. Jec and Yan invites you to a supreme wedding, how cool must that look on our invites!

*Just googled: it's called GROOM KONG!

ETA: All my wedding chorvaness will be tagged under 'Wedding' like malamang haha. Check it out heeere!

Thinking out loud

// I wasn't able to sleep well this afternoon because I got too occupied with eating pies, playing Dots & Co, and watching The Legend of the Blue Sea, that or I really just can't sleep so I decided to succumb to distractions. I haven't figured how to better fix my sleeping schedule. Right now I'm getting complete hours on an alternate basis. Because I didn't sleep well this afternoon, I'll be able to sleep long and tight this morning (I'm already super sleepy right now). Then stay up late the next day, then get a full rest on the following. It's been my cycle ever since I worked the night shift and it's so not good. God help me.

// I'm wondering if this guy from the office is cheating our company getting free parking slots everyday by taking the slots dedicated to day shifters, just because he knows the night shift slots never get full. You see, our company developed an app that allows us to reserve parking slots. There are two schedules, day shift and night shift, and you get to pick whatever. Day shift slots are given in increasing order starting from, say #1. So the first to reserve gets #1, then #2, and #3 and so on, until #100 or whatever the last number is. On the other hand, night shift slots are given in decreasing order: #100, #99, #98... down to #1 (for the last slot left). This logic was placed to minimize the chances of 2 cars getting the same slot, you know, just in case someone overstays and the other wouldn't have anywhere to park.

Now. The night shift parking never gets full, I can attest to that. So the chances of seeing the lower numbered slots occupied is rare. That only happens when someone overstays and the other car is forced to get other slots.

But this guy. I've been seeing him park all week on these low numbered slots and it's gotten me super curious. More annoyed actually. The first few times I saw him park there I thought, okay maybe his slot is still taken. But come on it's been more than a week, how unlucky can you be.

But yeah, it's very easy to get free slots. The guards wouldn't know what's assigned to you anyway, and they only check your plate when you seem new. Eventually they'll recognize you and won't bother checking anymore. Anyway.

// I appreciate that my bosses know how fully loaded I am with work and insist that I charge any overtime hours I may have incurred. Thing is, as much as possible I avoid working overtime because it freaking messes up my sleeping schedule all the more. But they think I'm so busy I needed to take a weekend to work overtime and I'm like yeahh I am that busy but I will never ever give you my weekends. Are you kidding me. I'm not running for employee of the month.

// Afternoon meetings are killing me. You know since DST happened I've been cursing my schedule even more. 3pm CST meetings are 5am here and by that time I should already be on the way home lest I perish in the rush hour traffic. Earlier this morning I had a 6am meeting, too late for me but what can I do. I can't stay longer in the office because of traffic so I decided to take the call from home. Can you believe it, right when I was about to call our internet connection went bonkers! My goodness! I couldn't call and connect remotely. Thank God I had a pocket wifi. But during the entire course of our meeting I was scared that my bandwidth will suddenly get depleted, right in the middle of a web conference. God only knows how much a remote connection w/ screen sharing and an international call would amount to. Perhaps some gigs, and I only have six.

// Lord, I hope our country's internet infrastructure improves next year.

// Other than my usual rants I'm actually doing fine, just sleepy. And cranky. I can't pick my nose there's a pimple inside. Argh.

Tis the Season to be SEPHORA Glammin

It's officially 17 days before Christmas and I'm officially putting my diet on hold. My dream body isn't gonna make it in time for the holidays so let me ditch all my faux eating plans and focus on something else!

Parties here and there are going to eat up your holidays, but before you eat your way, look at yourself in the mirror and make sure you're presentable at least! Gone are the days when all we cared about parties is the food. Now that everything is snapped and shared to social media, you don't want to be tagged with a mountain of food and a greasy face. Keep the mountain, let's work on the face. Kahit pano let's be glam. Parang ganito. Gandang di mo inakalang makaka-tatlong plato. ;) Charot

Special thanks to my friend, Ivy, who's a hair and makeup artist (follow her on Ivyoutiful!), I was transformed from that guest who's only after food, to that guest who's still after the food PLUS good photos! This soft glam look was from a random make-up session eight months ago which is also perfect for the holiday season. It's the glam look that's not scandalous. No glaring red lipstick and no fake lashes. Pure nude elegance. This is the look that will keep you looking poised even after your fifth round at the buffet table. And with the help of Sephora Philippines, you can easily recreate this look using their wide array of high quality beauty products.

Ready? Let's go!

For a smooth and blemish-free face

1. Benefit Cosmetics - The POREfessional Face Primer
2. Sephora Collection - 10hr Perfect Foundation
3. Benefit Cosmetics - Boi-ing Concealer

Using your fingers, make your skin smooth, tight, and ready for foundation by spreading a pea sized amount of the POREfessional face primer all over your face, including the neck. Next, get a single pump of Sephora's 10hr Perfect foundation and using a liquid foundation brush, spread it evenly all over your face, lightly brushing some on your lips as well. Lastly, apply the Boi-ing concealer under your eyes, on the laugh lines, on the sides of your nose, and on pimple marks and spots you want to hide, then blend with a brush.

Your face is now set!

For expressive eyes

1. Benefit Cosmetics - Goof Proof Eyebrow Pencil
2. Benefit Cosmetics - Ready, Set, BROW! Clear Brow Gel
3. Zoeva - Nude Spectrum Eyeshadow Palette
4. Two Faced - Sketch Marker Liquid Art Eyeliner
5. Sigma Beauty - Sinuosity Lash Mascara

Starting with your brows, use the Goof Proof eyebrow pencil to outline and fill your brows. Its tear shaped tip helps define the shape of  your brows, and the spoolie at the other end makes for a good blender and filler. Set it using the clear brow gel.

Using the Nude Spectrum eyeshadow palette, let's get you smokey brown eyes! Pick a light color and apply it on the inner corners of your eyes and up to the brow bone. This will act as base and highlight. Next, get a soft brown shade and apply it to the crease, stopping below the brow bone and avoiding the inner corners so your light base remains. Finally, take a darker brown shade with shimmer and apply it on the outer corner of your eyes. Blend to make the transition look smooth and seamless, and for more definition, brush it carefully on your lower lash line as well.

Add more drama to your eyes by applying brown eyeliner; just a thin line across your outer lids will do. No need to wing it ;) Lastly, curl you lashes and put on a single pass of Sigma Beauty's lash mascara.

Now your eyes alone can speak volumes!

For an unmistakable glow

1. Edward Bess - Threads of Silk Powder
2. The Balm - Mary-Lou Manizer
3. Cover FX - Contour Kit

It's time to put more life on your face! Apply EB's Threads of Silk blushing powder on the apples of your cheek, making sure you're smiling as you do so! Using a contour kit, map your face and brush a deep brown powder along your jawlines, under your cheek bones, on the side of your nose, and above your temples. Blend carefully to achieve subtle shadows and the illusion of a slimmer face and a sharper nose. ;)

Lastly, let's light you up with up with Mary-Lou Manizer highlighting powder. Apply thinly above the jawline, below the eyes, on the forehead, and on the bridge of your nose to get that subtle glow and light up your features.

Aaaand you're ready to shine!

For well-defined and radiant lips

1. Guerlain - La Petite Robe Noire - Deliciously Shiny Lip Colour
2. Sigma Beauty - Lip Base
3. The Balm - Read My Lips Lip Gloss

You don't want to miss your lips! I've chosen products that have lighter nudes to finish off the soft glam look. Outline your lips using the Sigma Beauty lip base, and for a better effect, go on and fill your lips with it, this makes for a good base and will help your lipstick to stand out.

Now apply the Guerlain lip colour, starting at the center of your upper lip and slowly moving outward toward the corner. If it feels stuffy, blot it out with a tissue paper. Finally, put on your lip gloss to complete the look.

Almost done!

Last but not the least, make sure everything stays in place with spritzes of Mario Badescu's Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater.

This light, hydrating mist helps your skin look radiant and acts as a setting agent to keep your make-up from wearing out faster. You don't know when you're attending back to back parties. With this product on, you're going straight to your next venue without retouching! Sosyaaaal!

Aaaand there you have it!

I'm sure you're excited to take on this look using these amazing products. Not only will you look glam, glowing, and gorgeous, but people will also definitely ask you how you did it. Short answer: Sephora! Long answer: show them in detail or lead them to this post! :D

Ready for the parties? Shop more make-up products on Sephora PH here!

*Disclaimer: This post was created for a Nuffnang x Sephora PH contest. All products featured are only suggestions on how to recreate the look pictured above. They were not the original products used. :)

Before I get back to work

// I'm too swamped with work I can't focus on it at all.

// I'm observing this couple from afar, curious about their relationship. Err, not really. I think it's mostly because I'm curious about them independently. The guy looks like a badminton player - he's tall, Chinese, lanky, and I caught him wearing Li-Ning shoes once lol. The girl on the other hand makes me want to sing ~ Parang di ko yata kaya, ang sa buhay ko'y wala kaaaa ~ every time I see her. I mean, she looks like Jessa Zaragoza okay.

// I ordered a small tub of Lily's Touch Miracle Cream from Lazada after Michelle Dy endorsed it on youtube (hay the power of endorsements), and also after reading a lot of mixed reviews about it. I put it on today instead of my usual BB cream. I've been warned it can be too white and fudge it really is! Will make a review of it in a separate post. Hmm... can I just say that while it did come off too white for my skin tone, it kinda looks good on me. Yay

// I have a test in three hours and that I'm stressing about right now because I couldn't set up enough test data to run it. Anyway. Test is over and I was disconnected the whole time because fck telcos!

// Around 10pm last night, I rode an Uber from Maginhawa to Fairview and was surprised at the 1.7x surge and Waze suggesting we go via Mindanao Ave. instead of the usual Commonwealth Ave route. I AM SO CURIOUS. What happened last night? The surge has been on since 8pm (if not earlier). Very unusual for a Sunday evening.

// My phone is filled with photos of restaurants I've eaten at recently, mostly Japanese, and I haven't got the time to feature them. I think I completely forgot how to blog about food.

// Errr, I think I was supposed to share about something but just now I'm getting really frustrated that we lost network connection right in the middle of a testing! As an offsite resource, my job requires me to work via remote connection since our computers are housed in the US. We're connecting via virtual tunnel to be able to access our machines and do some QA stuff, but right now, it's been down for more than an hour and it's stressing me out.

// I don't really care about our company but this frkn looks bad for our image as contractors. I'm only after getting my job done but heck how am I to move on?! Note to self: on my next job, I'm not working the night shift and I'm not working remotely.

// Good news! Payment for the last sponsored post I wrote just came in! Thank you Lord, you know I'm so broke right now!

// Hope you have a great week ahead with no network interruptions!

My De’Longhi Christmas Wishlist

All I want for Christmas is an upgraded kitchen: new pots and pans, a working stove, a new refrigerator, a bigger oven, and everything else to make cooking a better experience for the family:  specifically for my sister (who loves to cook), my mother (who hates cleaning up after cooking), and me (an overall kitchen disaster).

With the launch of our small business, Pocket Pies PH, the need for a kitchen upgrade has become urgent! Thanks to De'Longhi's catalogue filled with dreamy kitchen and household products, we've capped off our wishlist and noted the top items we'd love to have on our countertops. The De'Longhi brand dates back to 1902 as a small spares workshop in Treviso, Italy. This family run business is strongly committed to design and innovation that by the 1950's they became an incorporated company. With the introduction of new electric household appliances in the 70s and 80s, De'Longhi saw its fast growth in the international market, further establishing their brand, and expanding their market reach.

Today, they are regarded as a fast-growing, multi-specialist company, with a solid reputation in delivering high quality, innovative, and Italian designed kitchen and household products. Bongga!

Their online catalogue is a delight to look at, and because of their commitment to constantly provide something special to their products and technology, I've instantly become a fan!

Here are my favorite De'Longhi products that's sure to solve our every kitchen woe:

1. For hassle free cooking:  Low-oil Fryer & Multicooker 

I've previously shared about this small business my sister and I recently opened. It's called Pocket Pies PH and we sell homemade savory pies in Herb Tuna, Chili con Carne, and Chicken ala King.

Uiiii, bibili na yan! Php150 lang for an assorted box!

As much as I wanted to help my sister with baking and cooking and all, I'm simply not wired to be good in the kitchen. Which is why all I can offer her is what little marketing skills I have, a ton of moral support, and a chance at making her life easier by scoring this wonderful De'Longhi kitchen product.

Imagine how quick and easy it would be to cook our pie fillings with this!

The De'Longhi Low-oil Fryer and Multicooker EXTRA FH1363 is a low-oil multicooker equipped with SHS double (Surround Heating System) ensuring excellent cooking performance and perfectly healthful meals.

What I love:

✓ Time-saving - being equipped with SHS means your food will cook quickly and efficiently
✓ Auto-mixing - an automatic mixing paddle saves you from the effort of mixing your food! It can also be removed in the case of more delicate dishes.
✓ Non-stick - the inner bowl is treated with non-stick and anti-scratch ceramic coating
✓ Low-oil - because of its non-stick feature, less oil is needed to prepare your foods.
✓ High capacity - the bowl can carry around 1.5kg to 1.7kg of ingredients. Totally ready for a feast!
✓ Easy to clean - the lid, paddle, and bowl are all removable so it's very easy to clean.

Here's a video to convince you how haveyyy this product is, ANG DAMING PWEDENG LUTUIN MGA BES!

Next up that I'd love to have in our kitchen,

2. The perfect wake up call: Drip Coffee Maker

Our dream mornings would always include the fresh aroma of brewed coffee and toasted buttery bread. While my sister is busy with her multifry, I'd probably be busy making coffee for the family and watching her closely, careful not to mess around!

The De'Longhi Drip Coffee Maker ICM 14011 is just perfect as it's an easy to use coffee maker that guarantees a perfect breakfast for everyone! Amoy pa lang gising na gising ka na!

What I love:

✓ Eco Function  - it shuts down automatically 40 minutes after brewing time. Saves energy and prevents your coffee from burning
✓ Easy to use - just like your regular coffee maker: add a filter, pour in your grounds, fill the tank with water, then let it run!
✓ Aroma Button - this feature lets you adjust the brew cycle so you can choose if you want your coffee aroma light, medium or strong.

3. For that ideal breakfast: Contact Grill

Now that coffee's been taken care of, let's move to the next! With the De'Longhi Contact Grill CGH 902C, you can make all sorts of subs and burgers, press your panini, and even grill sausages and patties. Talk about an elevated breakfast experience!

Na-excite ako dito! I knew it would be the perfect addition not just to our kitchen, but also to our food business! When the Holiday season is over, my sister and I plan to market our signature fillings in sandwiches instead. The De'Longhi Multifry and Contact Grill would be the perfect combo in creating delicious gourmet quaility sandwiches everybody's sure to love!

This is probably my favorite De'Longhi product next to the Multifry because of how much it can do!

What else I love:

✓ 5 Cooking Functions - works as a contact grill, panini press, full griddle, half griddle/grill: all to aid in cooking the best paninis, burgers, and grilled meat and vegetables.
✓ Removable Plates - comes in two sets of removable die-cast plates you can use as a grill, a griddle, or a press.
✓ Ceramic Durastone Coating - the plates are made with non-stick and anti-scratch material that have high thermal conductivity; ensuring heat is distributed uniformly throughout the plates, and guaranteeing that your food is cooked evenly.
✓ Accessories - the Contact Grill includes 2 fat collector cups and a spatula for healthier cooking.
✓ Perfect Oil Drain System - the Contact Grill is also designed to efficiently drain fat and oil, ensuring 100% healthy meals without having to add any more oil or butter!
✓ Dishwasher Safe - the easily removable plates are both easy to clean and dishwasher safe.

I could rave on an on about what else I want our kitchen to have from De'Longhi, but I realized their catalogue is filled with other amazing products the rest of our house could benefit from as well. Just take a look at this:

4. Big help for the basement: Dehumidifier

We have a basement where my parents' office is located and I usually can't stand it there because the air tends to get stuffy and I get allergies quickly. I know the De'Longhi Dehumidifier DNC 65 is exactly what we need because it removes the extra moisture in the air and has an antibacterial filter as well.

What else I love:

✓ Extra Quiet Operation - run it overnight and you won't be bothered by the sound of it as it hums at a mere 34 dba. Consider that a whisper.
✓ Light and compact - with a weight of 5.5kg and a width of 17cm, it's one of the most compact dehumidifiers in the market. Its pullable handle also makes it easier for you to move it around.
✓ Ionizer and Purifier - with its anti-bacterial filter and built-in ionizer, the air is cleared with dust and bacteria and is made healthier with pumps of negative ions.

5. And for my room: Air Purifier

I've been meaning to get a decent purifier for my room because it's already the cold season and that means I'm more susceptible to allergies. I'm sure it's gonna be a delight to invest in the De'Longhi Air Purifier AC 230, because it's got a lot of different filters that ensures my room is breathable and free from bacteria.

What else to love:

✓ Air Quality System (AQS) - this smart system constantly screens the quality of air around it, and reflects it via the built-in air quality LED indicator that changes color from orange (bad air quality), green (moderate quality), and blue (good air quality).
✓ Air Filtration System - it has 5 different filtering layers ensuring that air you breathe is safe and free from harmful elements:

1. Anti-dust pre-filter
2. HEPA filter for small particles
3. Carbon filter for harmful gases
4. Nano Silver filter which is 99% effective against bacteria
5. Photo-catalyst filter with UV light for fighting against all air impurities
6. Built-in Ionizer that neutralizes dust particles, pollen, car fumes, and smoke contained in the air

✓ Sensor Touch Screen - an elegant and easy to use control panel containing all the buttons you need to operate the machine
✓ Gas and Odour sensor - when the machine captures particles of smoke and dust, it accelerates the fan speed and cleans the air in a faster, more efficient way

---

Clearly, De'Longhi is a must have in every household. It's hard to look for an established brand that produces products with uncompromised style and performance. I'm very happy to have learned about it, and I'm looking forward to my first De'Longhi product! Life will certainly be better everyday.

To learn more about De'Longhi, please visit Concept Specialist, Inc., their official distributor in the Philippines.

How about you, what's in your household wishlist? :)