♡ LOLanne

instagram anyone?

2011-11-06T14:06:00.003-05:00

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username: s2anne

:)

Editing my thoughts

2011-01-10T22:31:00.000-05:00

remember my post/rant about wanting to start a new secret blog so i ~~can talk shit about my ugly cousins/sister who read my blog (j/k love you guys!)~~ don't have to edit my thoughts? i've decided against it. i just can't picture myself blogging anywhere else... i like being LOLanne :P
even though i do end up having to delete/unpublish a lot of the emotional posts i write, it all works out since i don't want to end up being the girl people are reluctant to come to for help because theyre scared i might blog about their secrets/feelings/etc.

my "real life" self is wayyyy too vulgar for blogger anyway... i'm no celebrity nor am i part of a powerful family so i can't get away with half the shit i spew out in real life if i blog about it ;)

for funzies, here's a screencap of my previous post BEFORE i edited it:

yahh i know, not much of a difference from the post i ended up publishing... buuut at least i know i won't be that embarassed in the off chance that a coworker/manager ends up finding out about my blog :P

:)

2011-01-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

it's official... 357 bloggers think i'm hot. if you don't know what i'm talking about, then that means you didn't join my giveaway, which means:
1. you're boring
2. you missed out on your chance to win
3. you're boring

justKIDDING :)

anyways, a big THANK YOU to everyone who entered.

357 people entered, for a total of 1192 entries...WOWWOWOOWOWOWOW! and i'm proud to say, a little bit over two-thirds of the entries were from my "original" followers... i'm sooo glad a lot of you joined hehehehehehhehhe.

happiness and giddiness aside, hope you guys understand why there was a week "delay" in announcing the winner... i had over 1000+ entries!!

keke enough talk, congrats to: jessica of http://jess-cakes.blogspot.com. she was able to get 5 out of 7 possible entries. for the nerds, that meant she only had 0.4% chance of winning - lucky, huh?

congratulate her!!

pic obviously ~~stolen~~ borrowed from her blog... hope she doesn't mind, she has right click disabled to prevent people from stealing her material... but i'm smart so i just print screened LOL

to jessica: reply back to my email so you can claim your prezzies :)

also, big big shouts to the beautiful people below (they got 7 out of 7 possible entries... thanks for making the time for me *tears*)

1. Madiha @ http://obsessiveness4makeup.blogspot.com/

2. Mai @ http://maitai88.blogspot.com/ (i'm linking to her old blog cuz i don't want her stalkers to find her new one :) send her an email though so she can send you a link to her new blog!

3. Aja Marie @ http://amariehi.blogspot.com/

4. Rena @ http://www.scopekawaiiness.com/

5. Kym @ http://patikym.blogspot.com/

2010 Wrap Up

2010-12-31T16:29:00.003-05:00

i'm seeing this tag making its rounds on facebook... havent seen it on blogger though sooo decided to bring it here. i tag everyone :) remember to comment me with the link to your post if you decide to do this... i love ~~stalking~~ reading these types of posts ♡

What did you do in 2010 that you'd never done before?
- go on vacay with the bf... nothing big, we just went on an all inclusive to the Dominican... my fantasy is to live a vacationer's lifestyle: wake up, put on bikini, eat at beach, sleep at beach, wake up, eat, boink in room, eat, go back to beach, sleep at beach, wake up, eat at beach, boink in room, sleep in room andddd repeat! lol
- host a giveaway (join, join! :P)... i'm a hoarder, so i found it quite hard to giveaway some of the products i'm giving out
- get my heart broken by Steef... bleh, this was the ONLY low point of 2010... we're back together now though (and for those that are curious, our "mini" break up wasn't due to a third party)... ill blog about it when i feel like it

Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
nope. i never do new year's resolutions. i don't wait til the new year's to change something in me/my life that i'm not liking.

What countries did you visit?
Dominican Republic, US

What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?
LV - BH, Eva, Wappity and Monty... why the eff are you guys still sold out? ugh :(

What date/s from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 25 - when dumbass Steef broke up with me... ugh. again, we're back together now - the break up lasted 2 weeks... still not over it though and i'm still bitter about it - and he's still guilty for doing it: which i use to my full advantage by making him buy me stuff and take me to places LOL.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
i gots a promotion! wooots!

What was your biggest failure?
my crazy ass diet that lasted less than a month =_= i've regained every single pound i lost AND MORE. i can honestly care less though - i'm fat but i'm happy. it's true what they say - fat people ARE MORE JOLLY! lol

Where did most of your money go?
food, MAC and clothes

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
vacay @ Dominican!! next year: NYC, Montreal (im embarassed to say, i've never been :S), Vegas anddd perhaps another Caribbean getaway... we'll see we'll see :)

What song(s) will always remind you of 2010?
Gabe Bondoc - You're It ♡
sighhhh... when is he going to realize that we're meant to be? lol

Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? -- happier!
ii. thinner or fatter? -- effin fatter
iii. richer or poorer? -- richer... i'm ballin. not really, i wish lol

What do you wish you'd done more?
spent more time with family... i'm always at the bf's on weekends :S

What do you wish you'd done less of?
not really sure

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
sort of... i go from hating to loving Steef every now and then lol

What was your favorite film of this year?
UP! made me sooooooooooo sad... the bf had to pause the movie cuz i was hyperventilating from crying too much =_=

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i threw myself THE MOST organized surprised party for MYSELF ever lol... then went to the beach with cousins and dinner right after. believe it or not, i turned 26! yah i know i'm old!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
win the lottery

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?
loose and comfy clothes to hide my fat ass haha

Who was the best new person you met?
my work crush ehehhehehehehehe... for the record: my bf knows about her... YES, i said "her". i'm not a lesbian or bisexual, i just like girls ;)

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010
if you can't say something nice, shut the fuck up.
you don't understand how many times i got in trouble cuz i'm soooooooooo effin tactless :S

The most touching experience you've had this year?
when dumbass Steef broke up with me, i remember going into my parents' room and crying in my mom's lap... i told her what happened and she just hugged me and comforted me. dad came in shortly after, and without a single word, he just understood my pain. he offered me his usual words of wisdom and tried to comfort me as well. at some point, my sisters heard me crying so they came into my parents' room too. in the midst of me crying my heart out, i paused, looked around -- and saw four people, crying with me. my heartache is their heartache. my family is the best ♡

What did you like most about yourself this year?
having the family that i have... theyre my best trait :)

What did you hate most about yourself this year?
finding out how utterly dependant i am on Steef

How are you different now that the year has ended?
i'm definitely more guarded when it comes to my relationship with Steef... we're still not at 100% right now since i keep on thinking he'll break up with me every time i do/say something wrong

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
ooomps oooomps oooomps

What are your plans for 2010?
- sleep more
- get healthy (no more crazy diets!)
- get a pet bunny hehehehhehehe
- stop being so snobby... ive met sooooo many new acquaintances since highschool but sad to say, i have not made any new friends since highschool :S

What are your wishes for the new year?
- have more tact
- blog more often
- get pornstar boobs (without a boob job)

now your turn!! remember to comment me with the link to your post if you decide to do this ♡

i'm a BCP popper ;)

2010-12-29T16:44:00.000-05:00

aka birth control pills

started almost 3 weeks ago... i've been with the bf for four years now and he's been bugging me to go on them for the past year. i finally decided to join the bcp team this year because:
1. it's Christmastime! and like every Christmas for the past four years, i always struggled on what gift to give the bf... this year i gave him the gift of sexy time ;) which i'm happy to add was the most anticipated gift (EVER) anddd the cheapest gift i've ever gotten him($10/monthly pack from the health clinic)
2. it gives more flexibility... do i even need to expand on this point? haha *rawr*
3. i want big humongous boobs (but will never ever consider a boobie job)... i know only some bcp poppers get increases on their boobages but i'm hoping i'm one of them!

a letter to my birth control pill:

dear trycyclen-lo,

please don't get me fat. please don't cause breakouts on my (almost) perfect skin. please don't make me have mood swings. please don't give me a stroke. and finally, years and years from now when i stop taking you because i want a baby, please leave my body asap and let Mr. Spermy do his thing with Ms. Eggy.

♡ Anne

P.S.

please give me (almost) pornstar boobs, preferably DD, if you can't give me that, then i'll be happy with a C... i'll take a REALLY full B too!

oh yah, for those that are part of the bcp team... i'd LOVE to know what side effects you encountered, if any :)

Link Love!

2010-12-20T21:42:00.001-05:00

i really wish i can use the "i've been busy living my fabulous life" excuse for my lack of blogging... but i can't. i've simply been wayyyyyy too lazy to blog. that and my life isn't fabulous... winter is 100% to blame for this.
i HATE winter. my usual 10 minute drive to work ends up doubling because of snow and idiot drivers who forget how to drive when they see snow. (yahh i know i still have it easier than everyone else, but this is my blog so i'm still going to complain about my 20 minute commute haha)

anyways i'm still too lazy to do a proper post sooo i figured i'd just link to my current loooves for the while:
1st love: babiixj @ youtube - she covers (mostly) kpop songs and rewrites the lyrics into english; my all time fave cover of hers is Taeyang's Wedding Dress and 2ne1/Rihanna's Take Care. fyi, if you like her covers, she posts links on every vid so you can d/l it for free!
seriously, i'm surprised she only has 10k subscribers... sub to her everyone :)

what i don't like about her:

no this isn't her... it's this "rapper" that she does collabs with in some of her vids

not hating buuut... okay fine, i am hating a little bit lol

* * *

2nd love: http://makeup-piggy.blogspot.com/ - hands down, she does the best, most comprehensive and most useful circle lens reviews on blogger... i love how she puts pics of the circle lenses in natural and indoor lighting, with AND without flash sooo you pretty much know how it looks in real life (and if she has similar lenses in her stash, she'll even do side by side comparisons of them!)

- pet peeve when reading circle lens reviews: pointless pictures that don't show what the lens really looks like... seriously, what's the point? lol

3rd love: TKB Trading - best known for their super affordable micas (aka loose powder pigment that are perfect for the eyes)... first found out about them when i was reading about the Lime Crime repackaging scam here.

long story short, TKB = a wholesaler... companies buy from them, repackages their products and marks up the prices like crazy to sell to customers like us!

4th love: Doko Gourmet Macarons - a dozen macarons for $15, enough said! unfortunately, if you're not from the GTA... too bad for you :P this "shop" is a one woman shop run through facebook (search for "DOKO -- GOURMET MACARONS")... the "owner" is actually my sister's friend, but i swear im not getting paid for this - she doesn't even know me LOL. i just looooooooove her macarons :P

stolen from her facebook group :P

my fave flavours are green tea and white chocolate, soooo delicious!

anddd compared to the local patisseries, these macarons are giant!

anyway, hopefully i get out of this lazy phase soon... happy holidays everyone :)

F*CK you holidays!

2010-12-10T18:59:00.001-05:00

why i hate the christmas season:
- i hate shopping for other people - and no, it's not cuz i'm cheap or selfish (i give the *best* materialistic gifts ever. ever. ever!) - it's the whole, walking around the mall for HOURS looking for the perfect present that i hate

- doesn't matter what time of day it is, malls are almost ALWAYS packed - wtf, go back to work people!! lol

- i suck at wrapping presents - i'm notorious for giving out presents in the shopping bags they came in (minus the receipts/tags). i don't see the point of wrapping gifts... at the end of the night, wrapping paper ends up in the garbage anddd if you're the one hosting a family get together for 40+ people (which my family always does), you end up with random pieces of clear tape on the floor, your socks etc (another pet peeve of mine)

- and finally, EVERYTHING i want is out of stock ughhhhh... actually this is the only reason i'm bitter about christmas this year

fyi, to the girls with big manly ogre feet... ALLLL TOMS shoes are still available in your size!

* * *

screenshots via LV online

I've been talking to the SA's @ Yorkdale literally every single day for the past 3 weeks

and they have ZERO stock of every bag/SLG i want :'(((((

* * *

whatevs, tis the season to be merry, the upside:

- i'm incurring interest on the money that i didn't spend (yet!) on these bags

- i'm almost done my xmas shopping (only 1 more person to shop for!) sooo i don't have to deal with the xmas ~~whores~~ hordes that are currently populating the malls

- family get togethers are looooove

- food EVERYWHERE, ALL DAY, EVERY SINGLE DAY

a piece of my facebook part ii

2010-11-28T20:57:00.002-05:00

click click the pic to enlarge

if this is your arm and you somehow got to my blog... i have 5 things to tell you:

1. LOL

2. save your money for laser tat removal

3. for now, invest in some long sleeves

4. you don't need to tattoo your mom's face to show her you love her

5. email me if you want this taken off

to everyone else, thanks for visiting my blog as always andddd join my giveaway here :)

Nice face days

2010-11-24T22:20:00.000-05:00

it's been a while since i posted my pics here.

sooo just like the title says, here's pics of the days where i sported a "nice face" :)

here are my two fave pics of me for the while!

i honestly dont look like this in real life... i credit it to layers of make up

(especially falsies) andddd fake hair extensions

(also, the fact that i probably took 100000+ pics on both days... these are the best ones)

LOL

* * *

seriously, i dont look like that in real life (hence why i'm writing a post about it haha);

in person, i look like this:

AHAHHAHAHAHHAHA

* * *

just kidding... that's a pic of my cousin... 3958209385 years ago.

to be fair to her, this is her now:

to Jessica and Toots: if April reads this, i know it's cuz of one of you!

no snitching bitches! lol

* * *

P.S.

yes, my cousin's boobs are real. she's a DD. and she's 100% asian (filipino!).

the DD/asian combo do exist in real life people!

gahhhhh she's going to kill me if/when she sees this LOLOL

Stalker face

2010-11-22T17:05:00.001-05:00

...book.

saw this on my cousin's facebook:

i dont know what's funnier, the picture/caption above orrr the comment below it:

LOL

not really sure if this is appropriate buuut if youre offended, let me know and ill delete the post... my point is to entertain and not to offend :)

P.S.
join my giveaway? http://lolanne.blogspot.com/2010/11/gl.html :D

GL♡ - DONE!!

2010-11-20T12:50:00.002-05:00

UPDATE @ 01/07/2011: giveaway officially over :P winner announced here.

k soooo, i've finally delivered on the promise i made 23039803980 months ago lol

Fine print:
- open to everyone
- if you're 16 years old and under, ask a parent/guardian's permission BEFORE entering (seriously, PLEASE do this... don't get me in trouble -_-)
- giveaway ends January 1, 2011 @ 12am EST (winner ~~won't be announced until i feel like it though... it's the holidays! give me a break lol~~ will be announced shortly after)
- i will NOT accept entries from blogs specifically made for giveaways
- must be a follower to enter

specifically designed this giveaway for the ladies (and gents!) that have been following me from the start... you'll understand what i mean when you click the entry form ♡. To the new followers though, don't get discouraged, you just need to work harder to get all the additional entries :P

ONE very lucky winner will receive EVERYTHING below:

In detail:

Ninja Boy and Girl made by me inspired by HerroHachi :)

for those that want to know, they're approx 5 inches tall

anddd come with Herro's pin back boy and girl neeeeenja buttons!

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small make up pouch/bag that i bought from the lovely Denysia :)

not sure if she still sells these, but click click on her blog

and bug her to make mooooore :P

* * *

2x BNIB palettes (never swatched... opened once to take this pic :P)

both are from MAC's magic & mirth holiday collection (which came out last year)

left - Sorceress; right - Devil May Dare

* * *

3x MAC blushes

top left - MAC Sheertone blush in Cute (unused but swatched)

top right - MAC Mineralized blush in Earth to Earth (unused but swatched)

bottom - MAC Mineralized blush in Pleasantry (unused, pretty sure i never swatched it,

but i can't remember... sooo i'm just going to say swatched as well)

* * *

BNIB MAC lipglass in Frozen Dream

* * *

2x MAC eyeshadow suites (never really knew these existed until i saw

a few of them at the EL/MAC warehouse sales i attended this year)

top - Rose Suites (unused but swatched)

bottom - Smoke & Ash (unused but swatched)

* * *

10 pairs of asian lashes!

last 3 pairs on the right are my fave... criss cross that flutter out ♡

* * *

here they are again:

here's just the MAC stuff anyway... i couldn't take a pretty pic of everything put together

* * *

Tips on how to be disqualified:
- you are a non follower
- you answered the form multiple times... to put it simply: 1 person = 1 entry form; once you hit the "Submit" button, that's it!

Entry form here ← click click and good luck :) UPDATE: FORM LINK DISABLED @ 01/07/2011 - giveaway officially over :P winner announced here.
(hope i didn't sound too ~~bitchy~~ picky, i just find people who can't follow the simplest instructions reaaaaaaaaally annoying)

P.S.
if you have any questions on the rules or just want to clarify something, comment below and i'll answer it through another comment on this post.

P.P.S.
i won't answer stupid questions lol j/k... ask away!!

Accent loooove

2010-11-18T17:40:00.000-05:00

noooo idea what this girl's accent is... buuuut i'm in LOOOOOVE! according to their youtube channel theyre from Peru, so Peruvian accent most likely? whatever it is, i want it! either that orrr Australian or New Zealand accent.

bahhh... why did my parents choose canada to live in? my accent's so boring *ugh

plastic fantasy

2010-11-16T18:12:00.003-05:00

note: to the ones who are content with their face/features/body... GTFO, i don't want your "love-yourself-beauty-comes-from-the-inside crap" haha j/k. you're welcome to stay and comment - inflate my ego while you're at it too and tell me im effin beautiful just the way i am LOL

here's my plastic fantasy:
- dimples on both sides of my face, $2000 ($600 in Asia) i've wanted dimples since KINDERGARTEN. when my first ever crush, a girl! smiled at me and her dimples came out. no homo

- chin implants, $3500 ($1500 in Asia) my profile is ugly. my face is a perfect circle. thanks Mama!

- double eyelid surgery, $3500 ($2000 in Asia) because all Asian actresses are doing it ;)

- liposuction - arms only, $3500 ($1500 in Asia) it's where my stubborn fat is located

- calf reduction, $4000 ($2000 in Asia) this one's a recent fat silo that popped up... *siiiigh, why can't my fat gains be in sexy parts... like boobies? whyyy whyy?

total plastic fantasy: $16500 ($7600 in Asia)
bottom line: when i become filthy rich, will i ever go through with any of these? nope. okay wait, maybe the arm lipo. i'm not that *!$&@ up in real life... just in my fantasy :)

fail blog.

2010-11-13T21:15:00.001-05:00

k soooooooo... im thinking of starting another blog. one that NONE of the "real" people in my life know about. theres sooooo many things i want to blog about nowadays but don't end up doing because:
- i don't want to ruin relationships
- and most importantly, i don't want the people i love and care about to get hurt/offended in any way because of ~~hurtful/offensive things i end up posting at moments where i feel the need to do so~~ me

im an emotional blogger. if im feeling angry, i want the freedom to post angry posts about the shit that angers me. if im feeling sad, i want the freedom to post sad posts about the shit that saddens me. if im feeling helpless/annoyed/irritated etc... well you get the point.

besides being an emotional blogger... i'm also very considerate of the people i love. this is pretty much the main reason why ive been blogging less and less. ill write a post, reread it, then end up deleting it right after because i don't want to have to deal with even the remotest possibility of hurting anyone close to me.

which pretty much renders this blog pointless. what's the point of having a blog if i can't even post any of my real thoughts or feelings?

im thinking of just pulling a "Mai"... close this blog down, start a new one and have people email me if they want the link to my new secret blog.

orrrr should i just stick to what ive been doing and follow Thumper:

it's been a while

2010-11-01T21:08:00.002-04:00

... since ive found someone i dont know so damn interesting that i feel the urge to read alllllllllllllll blog entries shes ever written. ever.

http://xiaxue.blogspot.com/

she's been blogging since 2003. she made 225 entries that year alone. im going to be busy the next few weeks. and i mean this in the least stalker-ish/creepy way... but i WILL read all her posts! last time this ever happened was with Bryanboy.

check XX out in Michelle Phan's Disney Princesses tutorial vid here. then head on over to her latest blog entry here to see how she handles idiot forum haters that hide behind internet anonymity.

* * *
XX archive circa April 2003:
After a night of sleeping on the thought that yet another guy has fallen in love with my best friend and told me in the face, i decided, finally, to ponder on the painful question of "Why?".
I think itz because i look too much like a slut.
And i yak too much.

seriously, what's not to love?

wow.

2010-10-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

that is all i can say.

http://gurugossip.omgforum.net/forum.htm

i just spent the last two hours reading some of the trash on this site.
i can't believe people actually took the time to set up a forum to hate on Youtube gurus.

don't get me wrong, i don't like gurus who sell out and rave about sponsored products. it annoys me and frankly, it's irresponsible... but that's their business. if i don't like what their saying, i click that little "x" button and go on to the next vid.

seriously, this forum is ridiculous... but i can't stop reading it. does that make me a hypocrite? LOL.

peace, love and respect guys and gals!

new walk in closet!

2010-10-24T15:18:00.002-04:00

just a quick post to show off my bf's carpentry skills...

1/2 of my closet... couldn't open the door wide enough to show the whole thing,

but it's pretty much the same on the other side!

bf added 5 shelves and two rows of clothing rods on each side! woot woot

* * *

sad fact#1: all my clothes are sweaters

sad fact #2: theyre all grey
blahh i need colours (and Canada needs to stop being so cold!)

mochi!

2010-10-17T21:05:00.001-04:00

note to self, don't try any other mochi flavour in the future. stick to this:

sooooo glad i finally found you.

* * *

dear milk flavoured mochi,

i love you like i love cake.

♥ Anne

P.S.

a big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to read and comment/email me on my last post :)

asian ladder

2010-10-13T20:47:00.000-04:00

has anyone heard of that term?

i wish i never found out about it. convo came up when me and my bff went out for dinner with some mutual friends a month ago... apparently there's a "hierarchy" within the asian community:

japanese, chinese, korean etc at the top

and filipinos all the way at the bottom

(for those that don't know, i'm filipino)

anyway, while this "asian ladder" concept was being explained to me, the way the convo was going... seemed like everyone believed and agreed that filipinos belonged at the bottom of the ladder. wtf?! (fyi, i was the only filipino at the table and the girl who actually brought up the subject thought i was another race so she was all too open about voicing out her views).

at that time, i didn't want to make a big deal out of it so i just kept my mouth shut. yah i know, im a coward. but looking back, i dont know how else to handle the situation differently... it was a dinner with old friends, i didn't want to create tension. i also came "alone". this was the first dinner i went to without the bf by my side so in a way, i felt naked.

i ranted about it to my sister right when i got home. then cried about it to my bf that night. even looking back at it now, i just want to keep shaking my head until i forget it ever happened.

sad and mad. best way to describe the feeling. blah. it sucks cuz every time i meet new people now, i end up feeling insecure... do they think i'm dirty? do they know i'm filipino? should i tell them i'm filipino? should i apologize for being one? or do i tell them i'm proud to be one?

anyways, i promised myself after blogging about it that i'd try my best to forget. my insides are the same as yours. and yours. and yours.

ladder shmadder.

and another one!

2010-10-10T13:12:00.002-04:00

remember my "how to piss your bf off" post?

i have another one to add!!!

tip #4 - take pics with him... while he's sleeping :)

i took 30+ pics with him sleeping that night... he was pretty grumpy when he woke up and saw what i was doing lol

bahahhhaahahah... he's kissing me lol
(fyi, bf is picky with the pics that go up of him, hence the happy face lol
long story short: he has a boring job sooo he has to take care of his online reputation *rolls eyes*)

:(

2010-10-05T17:46:00.004-04:00

not going to lie, this got me awww'ing and TEARING UP at the same time!!

Obi/Kimono style belts

2010-10-03T17:49:00.000-04:00

... yayy or nayy?

cardigan - Neal Sperling | tank - Aritzia | jeggings - BDG

obi style belt - Urban Outfitters

* * *

btw, i noticed not a lot of people participate in the "A piece of me" tag anymore. made me pretty sad... the blogging world changes tooo fast!

A piece of me in... October 2010

2010-10-01T08:08:00.000-04:00

a monthly game started by Shirley of Notes from the Toothfairy ♥
More info on the game: This game is to share a piece of you, every month. That way, you and your readers can see what's happening in your life, including the changes. I.E. one month, you might love chocolate, a few months later you've might come to hate it. It's also to remind ourselves of people you love and the plans you have - Shirley

I like:

- that i'm back to blogging! to all those who left me ~~threats~~ messages in FB, blogger and formspring, thank you :)
- that i finally uploaded the 300+ pics in my digicam to my computer... i hate having that paranoid feeling that i'll accidentally delete everything if i don't upload pics RIGHT WHEN I GET HOME
- that the fall weather is starting to come around = my fave weather (fall coats, layering, boots... what's not to love?)
- that i've revamped my blog layout (actually i did this a few weeks ago) andddd condensed my post labels/tags

I don't like:
- ugly people... j/k, life is good :)
- oh yahhh, i don't like that i have to do laundry on sunday :( last time i did laundry was 3 months ago (which was also around the time i started my temporary hiatus on blogger!)

I want you to know:
- that i'm reaaaaaally into this mmorpg game on iphone... the world of magic! *snort* sadly, i'm super noob (level 10, i think max level is 50) and stupid douche bag players keep killing me for no reason!! ugh
- that the main reason i abandoned this blog for 3 months was because of my GROWING kdrama obsession (believe it or not, i watched and finished TEN dramas during my hiatus)

I've planned:
- on blogging regularly... i've been staring to stalk (i.e. reading but not leaving comments) my fave bloggers lately and i sooooo want to start the 30-day blogging challenge :D
- to hit level 15 in my mmorpg game by next week... can you tell how much of a loser i am? haha
- on watching 10 more kdramas by the end of the year... again, can you tell how much of a loser i am? LOL

I want to say to someone special:
- steeef, thank you for finally reno-ing my closet :D

♥ That's it nowww share a piece of YOU and join the game by answering the 5 questions above every first Sunday of the month ;)

ummm...

2010-09-30T19:50:00.001-04:00

i'm back? *farts*

*insert awkward silence*

FML Week 2 - Round up!

2010-06-27T21:52:00.002-04:00

All gym related posts found here.

today marks the end of the second week of being a gym rat. i've been going (almost) everyday for the past two weeks for TWO FRIGGIN HOURS each time... and i'm bitter/tired/EXHAUSTED as hell! ugh.

i come home from work tired and depleted of energy only to go to the gym to work my ass off even harder. i know i've only been doing this for 2 weeks but i honestly don't know how much longer i can last.

i'm always tired. and when i'm tired i get bitchy. i hate everyone. boyfriend is taking most of the hits. i feel bad, i really really do. i'm such an asshole to him these days. i yell at him every single night for the dumbest things then apologize the next day, only to yell at him again at night. ugh.

boyfriend says he understands. i really hope he does. babeee, it's only for two more weeks... then ill be back to the funny ass clown you fell in love with.

i need a break. i need a break. i need a break. blah, i've gone this far... what's another 2 weeks right? my gym membership expires July 12th. July 12th = FREEDOM. i can't effin wait.

i miss being me.

Sneaky giveaway winnaaaa...

2010-06-24T23:03:00.002-04:00

this giveaway was just a little something something i hid in my vacay/review post

screenshot of where i hid my little giveaway :)

* * *

... soo yahh that post was superrrrrrrrr long sooo i figured people who took the time to read it should be rewarded :)

anyways, i WAS planning on waiting til the winnaaa received her amigurumi in the mail before i announced it here... buuuuuut it's been 3 days since i mailed it out anddd im just too too excited to keep it a secret lol

soooo *drum rolls*

WINNER is Erynn of http://ectini.blogspot.com/, http://materialistictendencies.blogspot.com/ and http://tinisidestories.blogspot.com/ :)

i actually drew her name out OVER a month ago! i just slacked off on mailing out her little prezzie because:
1. i wanted to surprise her
2. i didn't know her mailing address sooo how the hell was i going to do #1?
3. i couldnt just ask her directly for her mailing address cuz then... how the hell was i going to do #1?

see the dilemma? lol

ANYWAYSSSS i did finally manage to get her mailing address... but i still had to ask for it directly. she has nooo idea she won though, she thinks im just giving her a lippie that i accidentally got a double of at the last mac sale... i guess me posting this completely ruins the surprise buut i'm just sooo excited! sooo i hope she doesn't read this... shhhh don't tell her lol.

oh anddd i won't post pics of the ami baby i made her... just in case she reads this, soo i wont totally ruin the surprise for her :)

oh anddd for those that are wondering, this isn't my "main" giveaway... theres one coming up that's super awesome, if i say so myself. and i do. it's awesome lol.

kk ill stop now, i tend to ramble at the end of my posts... CONGRATS ERYNN!

FML Week 1 - Round up!

2010-06-20T21:36:00.000-04:00

today marks the end of the first week of being a gym rat. went 5 times this week... all for more than 1.5 hours each time. *pats back* i feel like i deserve a friggin prize lol. fyi, those who know me in "real" life know that i pretty much give up after 2-3 days of dieting/exercising... i've lasted a week (and still going)! thats a friggin milestone LOL

anyways, this is just a mish mash of things that i wanted to get off my chest before starting my second week of being a gym rat:

- to the people who make weights... please make ones that only weigh 1lb... orrr maybe even 0.5 lbs? 2.5 lbs is too heavy for me

- to the person who invented the elliptical... i love you. best exercise machine. ever.

- the "Triple Threat" class on sunday mornings should really be renamed to "Death" class

- to that super perky girl who gets everyone to say "woooo ohhh yeahhh" after finishing a routine... EFFFF you. hell NO i will NEVER EVER chant with you... i'm too busy trying not to collapse. keep your happiness to yourself. please and thank you.

- to the various class instructors... please stop looking at me with worried/pitiful eyes. i promise i wont die/collapse/faint/blackout/puke in your class.

- to the cute grandma that i see in most/all the classes... you're cute :) i love that even though you can't keep up with most of the routines, you're still there. every. single. day.

- to my body, please stop making friends with my fat cells. kill them. i'm doing my part, now do yours.

anddd finally to my sister Poots, thanks for being my gym buddy. without you, i'll be too shy to sweat in public.

All gym related posts found here.

Construction workers

2010-06-19T11:52:00.001-04:00

... i hate them!

my family moved into our current house late 2007. we bought it brand new so when we moved in, a lot of the houses in our street we're still being built... for the first two years of living here, i had to endure random construction workers coming in and out to do finishing touches on our house (i.e. painting, tiles, fencing etc) and neighbourhoood.

after close to 3 years of living here, i fully thought the days of dealing with construction workers were over... NOT. my parents decided to get our driveway, front porch and backyard done ughhh. the job's halfway done though sooo in two weeks, these construction people will be out of my hair, hopefully for good (or at least until my parents see another thing that the house "needs"... *rolls eyes*).

ughh i hate it! it's another 2 weeks of coming home after work and being STARED at by dirty and sweaty men. YUK! my sister says im being delirous and conceited cuz she's never had problems with these construction workers (but my sister's a slut so she's used to being stared at by dirty and sweaty men... i'm the classy and beautiful one lol).

... okay fine, i am delirious. and maybe a little conceited. but still, i hate construction workers!

(NOTE: this isn't meant to demean construction workers! if your dad, mom, girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, uncle, brother, dog etc is in the construction business... kudos to them for being able to tolerate people like me!)

Skip it

2010-06-17T17:02:00.000-04:00

sooo these are just a few products that have claimed one thing or another, buut in the end did absolutely nothing for me. oh and for the record, i will never EVER repurchase or recommend these products.

Erzulie Soothe eye depuffer balm, $5 USD (link)

Claim: A special blend of precious and essential oils that work together with anti-inflammatory properties to reduce under-eye and eyelids, water-retention and inflamation naturally and gently. Also reduces the appearance of fine line, and wrinkles when used consistently.

- used this every night for 3 months... and did nothing for me. it's cheap, minty and it comes in a lip balm dispenser... so if it fails to depuff your eyes, use it as a lip balm? LOL iono, i just tossed mine in the garbage.

Avon Solutions Plus+ total radiance eye gel, $12.50 USD (link)
Claim: This soothing gel refreshes and revives the eye area. Minimizes the appearance of undereye bags and helps brighten dark circles.
- used this every night for 3 months... and did nothing for me. Did nothing for my undereye bags nor for my dark circles. It does have a cooling effect, which i did find soothing... but honestly, i get the same feeling splashing cold water on my face.

Pure + Simple eye brightening cream, $34.95 CAD (link)
Claim: An eye cream that revitalizes the eye area, leaving it refreshed + rehydraded while also combating puffiness + dark circles.
- this one's my current eye cream... started using it at the end of March and so far... no results at all! i also get the benefit of waking up with my eyeballs stinging like hell because of the product bleeding into my eye sockets throughout the night... WOW fun times in the morning! NOT.
- but because i'm stubborn, i will use this until it runs out... maybe i have to use the whole tub to see results? blah.

here's a pic of all three products... in the garbage... tossed in with all the boogers i picked for the past 2 weeks (so don't look too closely).

* * *

... i do realize that compared to other eye creams, these products are dirt cheap. BUT, i don't care if i paid $0.01 or $100 for a product... if it's from a legit and trusted company and CLAIMS that it'll do this or that, i expect it to deliver on that promise.

*disclaimer: i was not paid for this review (LOL)

FML Week 1 - Day 1 and 2

2010-06-15T22:38:00.000-04:00

decided on doing daily/almost daily posts to chronicle my days of being a gym rat. yuuuup, i just joined a gym... for the first time this year. and EVER. below are just my brief thoughts/feelings from day to day.

Day 1 (Monday)
spent 20 minutes registering. got a monthly pass. gym ID pic actually turned out decent... even without a single trace of make up on. i don't even bother looking at myself in the mirror in the change room. i have NO MAKE UP ON! blah. oh well, whatevs... at least my butt looks nice in these leggings

Day 2 (Tuesday)
spent 20 minutes on the elliptical. i hate how i can inhale 1000 calories of food in 15 minutes easily... yet i only burned 80 calories in 20 minutes. FML. whatevs, the elliptical got me all warmed up (and even more excited) for my first gym class... from now on, my tuesday nights will revolve around STEP CLASS.
everyone looks hardcore in step class. i took two 'steps' to blend in... instructor told me to only take 1 since i'm a beginner. how'd she know i'm a beginner? ugh, bitch.
i had to take a break 15 minutes into the class... everyone's still going at it like the workout's nothing. i'm sweaty as hell, my legs are tingling and i feel like i'm about to faint. as i'm about to join in again, instructor says "ok that's the warm up, everyone ready to workout?". everyone says "yes" enthusiastically... i died a little inside. i'm so unfit. FML

Keratosis Pilaris ("KP") and Kojic Acid

2010-06-13T10:53:00.001-04:00

this is just a follow up post to my Kojic Acid soap review found here.

ive been using it everyday on my body (and face) since late February/early March of this year (except for the week i went on vacay + the week right after that) anddd i just noticed another good "side effect" of this soap.

... my KP got (a lot) better! i only have KP in my arms... courtesy of mother bear (she also passed on the KP genes to allllll my siblings, ugh thanks mama!). even though my KP isn't in the "bad" category, out of all my sibs, i have it the worst. i've been wanting to get rid of mine for the loooongest time but since it's a genetic condition, sadly, you can only minimize the appearance of KP... there is no cure :(

for those that don't know about KP:
- it's a genetic skin condition (so it's not contagious :P growing up, i was always super conscious of people thinking that my KP was contagious... looking back though, no one really thought anything of it, i was just incredibly self conscious about everything back then)
- characterized by tiny little bumps (some are red, some aren't... mine aren't, they just look like goosebumps. hence why some call it the "Chicken Skin" condition)
- ranges in severity... some people's KP just looks like goosebumps, others look like acne!
- can be mostly found in the cheek, arm and thigh area (i only have it in the arms... as far as i know, all my sibs have it in just the arm area as well)

- last point: afflicts 40+% of the population (with a lot of people not even knowing they actually have KP haha)

although i'm not entirely sure that it's Kojic Acid that's the reason for my KP becoming less noticeable, just want to say a couple points that led me to believe it is:
- aside from switching my soap to Koijc Acid, my body skin care routine has remained unchanged (i still use the same lotion, still use the same washcloth, still shower at the same time etc.)
- definitely can't be due to weather changes - i've been living in the same country for almost 15 years! if it was due to weather, i would have noticed a difference right when i first moved to Canada!

anyways, i do know of at least one other person on blogger that has mentioned she has KP. i would link to her buuut i don't want her feeling like she's being singled out... sooo yah, this post is for you :)

→ check out my review post for Kojic Acid soap found here for details on where to get it, etc.

LOL.

2010-06-09T23:26:00.002-04:00

Additional info on Estee Lauder/MAC warehouse sales!

2010-06-07T20:31:00.001-04:00

just wanted to give you guys the 411 on this warehouse sale... ("411" does anyone still use that term? haha i'm ~~such a loser~~ sooo old!). i know a lot of you are interested in attending soo here goes:

- happens four times a year... March, June, September and December (usually in the first two weeks of each month)
- ONLY happens in Markham, ON @ the Markham Fair Grounds... and that's because MAC is headquartered there :)
- they mostly stock limited edition/collection items, although there are a handful of products from their permanent line as well
- they also carry select Estee Lauder brands like Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Prescriptives (which has been discontinued) etc
- the best thing about this is that most products are around 60-80% off retail

- the catch? it's invite only... tickets are given to MAC mua's (and other companies that MAC has ties with) to give to their friends and family

- the loop hole? although it's forbidden to do so, a lot of people sell these tickets for $10-$30 online... check Kijiji or Craigslist closer to the sale date and you'll for sure find TONS of sellers with extra tix. i've never bought any of my tickets (my lucky ass has always gotten invited somehow or another ;) sooo be very careful when dealing with online sellers. there are a lot of people selling fake tickets out there and the sure fire way to tell if it's real is the silver or gold SHINY STICKER with the cursive "EL" emblem (stands for Estee Lauder which has a majority interest in MAC).

anyways, definitely leave a comment if there's anything else you want to know about the sale. i'd be happy to help!

Estee Lauder/MAC warehouse sale haul

2010-06-06T21:11:00.032-04:00

sooo i started writing out my "A piece of me" entry for this month, then i realized i listed more things under the "i don't like" category than the "i like" category... which got me "smad" (sad + mad) so i decided against doing the tag this month haha

insteaaaaaaad im posting my haul from this past weekend :)

didn't go too crazy with the eyeshadows and quads this time

... took it easy with the blushes and msf's too!

i'm definitely over my blush phase!! which is a good thing since i was just looking at my stash anddd i've somehow accumulated 10+ MAC blushes just this year alone... most of them just swatched and haven't even worn yet! blah, i admit... i have a friggin problem!

* * *

picked up some MAC lippies for the first time EVER

... im allergic to most lipstick brands including MAC :(((( soo i only picked up lippies with liquid consistencies like dazzleglass cremes, lip glasses and lacquers.

(the one and only lipstick in the pic was for a friend)

fyi, liquid lippies are the safe alternatives for me since they FOR SURE don't contain candelilla wax (or euphorbia cerifera) which is the ingredient i'm allergic too... also an ingredient that's widely used by (almost) EVERY lipstick brand out there cuz of its supposedly hypoallergenic nature... FML

but anywaysssss... dazzleglass cremes = MY NEW OBSESSION!!! i have Do It Up, Totally Fab and Creme Allure anddd i want more more more! lol. for someone who HATES sticky lipglosses, i do find that dazzleglass cremes are a little bit on the sticky side (but not as sticky as MAC lip glasses and lacquers). regardless, the colour = gorgeous! perfect to wear on their own orrr on top of lipsticks! i wore them the whole day yesterday anddd im starting to get used to its sticky consistency :) wooot woot!!

* * *

falsies!! these two were the only pairs of falsies there sooo i grabbed four of each pair (since i REFUSE to re-use falsies... YUK!)

four = the max per product that you can pick up

* * *

and thatsss it... even though i was within my budget this time around, i actually still felt "guilty" in the end since i easily spent 2-3x the amount everyone else i went with spent =_=
note to self: invite a beauty obsessed freak for the next warehouse sale that will for sure spend more than me (sooo my cousins/sisters understand that my beauty ~~obsession~~ hobby is not as bad as everyone elses)

Formspring.me

2010-06-01T21:13:00.002-04:00

... yup i got one. check it out on the side bar :)

orrr click click click here

Kojic Acid Soap Review

2010-05-31T19:12:00.008-04:00

UPDATE: read my follow up post on Keratosis Pilaris (KP) and Kojic Acid here

review dedicated to Erynn (here, here and here)... because i know she's been wondering about this product :)

First glance:
- orange citrusy scent
- lathers really well
- VERY stinging to the eyes, so if you're using this on your face, be VERY careful not to get it anywhere near your eye area
- leaves skin feeling VERY tight (that overly squeaky and uncomfortable "clean" feeling)

How i use it: i use it daily in the shower... i make a lather with my hands and apply it to my face (taking care to avoid eye area) and leave it on for at least 3 minutes; i do the same with my body... except i use those asian wash cloths to make the lather while scrubbing my body

FYI: the above is just how i prefer to use it, some people don't use the soap daily as it's too harsh on their skin (my skin's superhuman sooo it can take the abuse lol)... to get the full benefits of the product, i also leave it on my face for approx 3 minutes.

Make sure to follow it up with a good moisturizer as well... as i said earlier, this leaves your skin feeling VERY tight!

... also, before applying it to your face, do a spot test first. if you feel that your skin agrees with the ingredients, start with leaving it on for a minute, then two... and so on, until your skin gets used to having the product there for the recommended 3 minutes. FYI, this stuff is VERY POTENT and i've read MANY reviews of it causing allergic reactions (i.e. bumps, rashes, break outs, hives etc). in the end, you're the most knowledgeable about your skin's limits, if you feel the product is hurting your skin, stop using it!

another thing i should point out is the fact that Kojic acid inhibits development of melanin (i.e. the stuff that protects your skin from sun damage... also the stuff that causes your skin's pigmentation to darken when exposed to the sun's UVB rays)... so make sure to use products with SPF protection before sun exposure.

Prior to leaving for the Dominican, i used this soap on my face (and the rest of my body) daily for a month or so and already experienced results. to give you an idea, i went to my local MAC counter and got matched with a foundation for funzies... the verdict? in a little over a month, i went from NW35 to NW30 :) officially a shade lighter, woot woot! my sister also noticed the difference. she actually told me how my face appeared brighter and lighter... and that's when she didn't know i was trying out a new product!

where i got mine:
Cheers49 @ ebay (link)
- i got 10x bars from her for $20 CAD including shipping. i checked recently though and it looks like she's now charging more for shipping... 20x bars now go for approx $60 CAD w/ shipping
- 1 bar of soap lasts me around 3 weeks (and that's using it daily for face AND body)
- regardless if you buy from her or not, the general rule of online shopping applies: READ THE TESTIMONIALS for the sellers. im not in anyway related to Cheers49 buut from purchasing from her, i know for a fact that her kojic acid soaps are the real deal (and believe me, there are a LOT of fakes out there!)
- theres also brand name formulas for this soap. i can't really comment on the difference since i've never tried them, the one i bought was the generic/no name version

bottomline: THIS WORKS! if you're looking for something that brightens/whitens/lightens etc, this is it!

pichassss... because reviews without them ~~sucks~~ are boring:

this was after Dominican... notice the gradient tan? the ugly unmatched concealer? the burnt nose? blahhh i could go on and on lol

* * *

six weeks later... i literally just took this RIGHT NOW lol. it's after work sooo don't mind the oiliness, chapped lips etc. i also didn't use flash here sooo yucky flaws are more visible!
* * *

even though blogger washed out the colours + the lighting in both pics were different, the pics are still comparable as i i was wearing the EXACT same make up. notice how my concealer BLENDS in with my skintone now? :) ... anyways, it's pretty easy to tell that my "after" pic = more even skin tone + no more ugly gradient tan! yayyyy! fyi, i didn't photoshop either pictures, just cropped... YUK! this is probably the first and last time that i'm posting non-photo shopped pics... photoshop = beauty lol

Belo!

2010-05-31T18:54:00.000-04:00

just wanted to share a pic of Belo i found in my mom's digicam:

this was a few months ago, right before we took him to get groomed... when his fur was at its worst. iono, it just cracks me up sooooo much LOL. he looks like a giant fur ball with a face AHAHHAHA.

unfair shit list

2010-05-20T18:40:00.001-04:00

aka stores i wish wish wish toronto had:

Daiso - orrrr any japanese/asian DOLLAR store... we supposedly have one already buut it's not the same price point + not as much merchandise compared to Daiso

Top shop - pretty pretty pleaaaaase... UK needs to share this gem of a franchise! even my third world motherland has it, why oh why doesn't toronto?!?!?!? (btw i know topshop.com ships to canada, buuut i'm not ordering from that anytime soon -- unless i get really really desparate and "need" something -- shipping, customs and duties is just wayyyy too much -- they really should copy urban outfitters' policy of charging a flat fee for everything once your order has passed a certain amount :)

Etude house - do i really need to explain this? :P

Charlotte Russe - sooooooooo many pretty shoes!! i swear, Canadians never get anything fun :(

Chow King - it's this asian resto in the Philippines... i really only want it for its Halo Halo... i crave this every day of my life lol

Primark - i've seen soooo many UK bloggers haul super cute/beautiful clothes from there for cheaaaaap!!

okay okay... enough whining! regardless, i'm super happy to be living where i'm living. plussss, i know one thing UK/USA/the WORLD :P doesnt have that we have here...

ESTEE LAUDER/MAC WAREHOUSE SALES

June 4 - 6, 2010... it's my 3rd time going and i'm still as excited as when i first went!!

HEHEHEHEHH.

tickets... since it's invite only,

anddd i'm special sooo i have tons :)
* * *

Dear Mr. Mastercard,

Prepare to get raped.

Love,

Anne

update shmupdates!

2010-05-11T21:14:00.000-04:00

sooo i'm skipping this month's "A piece of me" tag game (shhh... don't tell Shirley :P), instead, i'm doing a little update since i haven't been blogging regularly for a while now

in point form because sentences are for people still in school :P lol

- still rocking my gradient tan buuut only on my body... kojic acid and exfoliating daily worked ~~wonders~~ MIRACLES on my face... i'm still tanned though buut not like before! kojic acid review to come :)

- soooo i was trolling my fave nail guru's blog (♥ Asami)... i haven't seen her on my dashboard recently and i was missing her NOTD's! anyways omgoshing gosh gosh gosh (i don't say that in person btw lol), she finally started doing nail vids!!! yayayaya... well actually, she just posted one so far... anddd i swear she did it for *ME* (LOL not really, i just like to think she did)... i'm really stupid at nail art anddd ever since she posted her Vday mix and match nails (here!), i've been trying to figure out how to make the one with the polka dot french tips! french tips are easy peasy, i just fail at making the polka dots (even with a dotting tool! yahh i know i'm retarded)... ive tried that "look" 03298503498509485 times now, and it's been fail fail fail so far. bahhh, im just super happy she started doing vids! :)

Asami, hope you don't mind me stealing your vid :P

subscribe to her guys!!

* * *

- went on a sushi overload last weekend... went to Guu Izakaya (review here) with the sister and her bf (double date!) for the first time evaaaa. line up was crazy since it's the craze right now (cuz of it's authentic japanese food!), buuut it was definitely worth it!! it's a tapas style resto... won't bore you guys with a review, buuut if you're in the GTA and you ♥ sushi, check it out!!

Salmon natto yukke

(chopped salmon sashimi with other thingys (lol) wrapped up in seaweed!)

took pics of the deep fried oysters, okonomiyaki and takoyaki we ordered too buuut too lazy to post lol

* * *

- next day we went to our fave AYCE sushi resto for Mother's day... it's pretty much the only resto the parents and i agree on. iono why buut it's always such a "stressful" situation every time we go out to eat as a family lol... i guess it's cuz we're alllllll eaters, soo we take food very seriously in my family haha

Spider roll + fruit roll = my faveeeee!

* * *

- coldstone creamery is nowww in my neighbourhood!! yayayyaa.. it's less than 10 minutes away from my house hehehhehe... before this opened (last friday!), the closest one was 30+ minutes away (it didn't stop us from going 483504985 times but still lol)

* * *

- i really should rename this post to "the foods i've eaten since i last blogged" lol. it's sooo sad how the only things that sticks out in my head these past few weeks is FOOD haha

- kk no more food talk... i promise!

- my littlest and youngest cousin, Nelitta joined a pageant last month...

she's the one in the yellow gown... the smallest in the middle :)

* * *

she won second place!

(not hating buut it was gross how the one who won was the little girl who danced like a...... bahhh i just won't say anything, she's a kid! let's just say her "talent" left my whole family uncomfortable lol)

* * *

♥♥♥

* * *

- red lips... rocked it OUTSIDE my room, for the first time EVER! never thought i'd have the confidence to wear red EVER! i was pretty self conscious the whole time though... buut iono why, it made me feel powerful at the same time LOL.

yes? no? maybe so?

(for those that want to know, the lippy is Avon's ultra color rich: Red 2000 - U423)

as i said earlier, no more ugly gradient tan on my face! :)

* * *

thats it for my shmupdates! ill work on a beauty review to be posted on thursday of this week... im slowly trying to get back to blogging!!

Review: Gran Bahia Principe (Punta Cana), DR

2010-05-04T20:39:00.002-04:00

**WARNING: PIC AND TEXT HEAVY**

okay sooo ive been home for more than two weeks now and i'm running out of excuses over my blogging. bahhh, ever since i let myself get away with just posting 2 (sometimes 1!) posts a week... i've been finding it harder and harder to get back into blogging! i do still keep up with everyone's blogs though... i read over 40+ posts PER DAY since i pretty much follow most blogs i find -- can't help it, everyone's sooo interesting, and i'm just too nosey lol)

anyways, back to my review on the resort i stayed at while at the Dominican Republic. decided to go through everything in detail... hopefully itll help people when booking their vacays :)

Punta Cana from the plane

* * *

All inclusive price (including return flight, transfer from hotel/airport and vice versa, taxes, accommodation, food etc): $930 CAD for 6 days/5 nights (or $155 per day)
... i'm 100% positive that if you look around, you can get the same package around $100 to $300 cheaper. like what i said before, me and bf are superrrrrrrr lazy when it comes to researching. in the end, we just ended up booking the resort at that price because we got too bored/lazy of checking travel sites lol
For those curious, we booked through Expedia.ca (other sites to check: Travelocity.ca, Cheapcaribbean.ca, iTravel2000.com, Sunwing.ca, SellOffVacations.com)

hotel is Gran Bahia Principe and we stayed on the Punta Cana side. rated as 5 stars in the Dominican, but really is only 4 stars Canadian standard :P
this resort is actually 4 gigantic resorts put together: 1) La Romana, 2) Punta Cana, 3) Bavaro, 4) Samana. there is a price difference between the hotels: in general, Punta Cana was the most expensive and La Romana and Samana the least.

regardless of which part of the resort you stay at, you do share the same access to the most important things: main buffet, a la carte restaurants, pool bars, pool side buffets, shuttle and the beach! each resort also had its own pool... the official rule was that you only swim in your resort's pool. not sure if that was actually policed since there are no barricades between the resorts (it's one huge resort... you honestly wouldn't even notice it was actually 4 different resorts if you didn't do your research :P). we also barely stayed in our pool... we preferred the beach :P

the only difference i found between Punta Cana and the other resorts was the lobby. our lobby was THE BIGGEST (and most beautiful in my opinion :P). can't comment on how the rooms look like in the other resorts though... the villas and landscaping all looked similar from outdoors!

Punta Cana lobby... like all the lobbies, it's open concept

no need for walls/doors or a/c... outdoor feel from indoors!

* * *

Punta cana lobby again :P this is only a quarter of the lobby!

i seriously fell in love with the lobby the moment i saw it!

sooooooooooo beautiful... and fyi, it had complimentary wi-fi access ;)

the main buffet was also by our lobby... probably why i fell in love with it lol

* * *

anyways, if you do have your heart set on this resort... consider booking it in Gran Bahia Principe - La Romana or Samana. FYI, La Romana is the newest addition! only rich people or stupid people book in Punta Cana (sadly, me and boyfriend are part of the latter group lol).

as i said before, regardless of which hotel you book... you will have the same access to the most important things: FOOD! lol ahhhhh, foood there was soooooo good! all the pool side and beach side bars had their own self serve bars... my drink morning, noon and night: Pina Colada! lol
the main buffet was to die for... it had endless rows of food! and the variety changed from day to day. when i was researching on which resort to go to, from all the reviews i read, everyone pretty much said the same thing: which is to choose the resort with the most food selection (makes sense right? you don't want to get stuck at a resort for a week with just one dining option!). but yah, despite eating at the main buffet almost everyday, 3x a day, me and bf still failed to sample each entree!

since this resort is HUGE... there is a shuttle within the resort that takes you to the main spots: lobby, restos, villas, pools, beach etc...

1/2 of my bf :) haha

* * *

from the front!

the shuttle comes every 5+ minutes during the day and 10+ minutes at night

* * *

took this pic while on the shuttle on the way to our villa :)

* * *

quick pic of one of the villas taken while on the shuttle

(i believe this villa belonged to the other resorts... but it looked identical to ours!)

* * *

our room... pretty standard... had its own seating area, make up table, TV, king size bed

* * *

bathroom... tub with jets (but ours didn't work lol)

* * *

walkout to balcony

* * *

best part of our room? the view from the balcony!

(oh and the fact that it was only a two minute walk from the beach/pool/bar/resto andddd 2 seconds away from the shuttle bus stop :P)

* * *

blurry pic of the punta cana pool... every pool pretty much looked identical to this, ours was the biggest though!

* * *

beach was a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!!

sand was off white... water was crystal clear! i remember being so amazed (and still am!) at the fact that even though you were waist deep in water, when you look down, you can still see your feet!!

(there were also a lot of old european men wearing next to nothing speedos lol... i know this is sooo random buuut they were EVERYWHERE. me and the bf played our made up dominican version of the punch buggie game... punch speedo lol)

* * *

on day four of our vacay, we decided to go on an excursion. (excursions = side trips you pay extra for; you book these a day in advance at the resort with your tour guide). we decided to go on the Samoa (?) island adventure... where you basically go island hopping using boats, catamarans etc for the whole day (with plenty of opportunities for diving, snorkeling, sight seeing etc). unfortunately, my stupid period came the day before soooo we decided to switch and go with the Jeep Safari excursion (my second pick, bf's first pick).

the Jeep Safari was $99 USD per person... and that included the activities for the day, food, pick up and drop off from your hotel. we thought the price was such a deal considering the day was filled with sooo much activities (also the fact that had we booked the SAME safari online through Expedia, it would have cost us $249.99 CAD!!). sooo yahh, in general, you'll def get a better deal if you book in person vs. in advance through the travel websites

* * *

there was a total of 6 pit stops/activities on the safari:

1st pit stop: sugar cane plantation - where we got to meet Haitian refugees. they were begging for $$ but the tour guide said not to give them any :((

* * *

2nd pit stop: How to make tobacco 101 - pretty self explanatory :P they also gave us a tobacco each... me and the bf both returned ours though, we're both ~~pansies~~ non smokers lol

* * *

3rd pit stop: went up the mountains to visit the school where cocoa bean farmers' kids study... they were sooooooo cute!

* * *

too lazy to post pics lol...

4th pit stop: cocoa bean plantation

5th pit stop: ziplining and horse back riding - sooooo fun!

6th pit stop: the beach

* * *

k i think i pretty much went through everything i wanted to say... buuut here's some other tips:
- booking your flight and hotel separately will save you $$ (which makes sense since if you buy the all inclusive price, you're paying extra for the convenience of not having to worry about the little things like whether your flight is timed to your hotel check in/check out times etc)
- during the day, the all inclusive price does fluctuate... in general, i noticed it's around $50+ less on week nights vs. week days!
- k sooo if youre reading this, ill just assume you've read every word on this post so far, sooo thank you :) comment below with a line from your favorite nursery rhyme anddd ill put you in a draw to win an amigurumi made by me! :) bahaha i'm soo sneaky lol (UPDATE: giveaway over... winner announced here)
- even if you go for the all inclusive price, remember to bring some pocket/tip money... me and the bf brought a total of $500 CAD between us. i like to tip big, bf doesn't... i win every time lol; theres also different excursions/side trips you can take soooo def bring $$ for them, they're great value!!
- once you get to the Punta Cana airport, make sure you have $10 USD handy for your tourist visa

...yayyyy done and done! congrats if you read this far ;) haha. anyways, expect a bunch of beauty related reviews from here on! i have sooooooo much posts on draft it's not even funny!

now i leave you with a pic of a banana tree...

for those that live in tropical countries, i know this is an everyday thing to see buuut i live in Canada sooo i'm used to seeing bananas in my grocer's fruit aisle lol.

bf: "wth, bananas grow on trees?" AHAHA

End.

2010-04-25T19:07:00.001-04:00

sooo im back :) actually i've been back since last week... just took an extra "holiday" from blogging!
i have a tshirt tan on top of my tank top tan on top of my bikini tan... add to that the sunglasses tan on my face -- i pretty much look like a bronzed goddess right now. not. im every shade of brown imaginable... allll at the same time. it's like i tan with a friggin gradient effect, ugh tanning fail.

whatevs, everything else was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! from the beach, to the resort, to the people anddd most importantly, the FOOD! bahhhhh i want to live a vacationer's lifestyle 24/7... i guess i've found my inspiration to work even harder!

anyways, ill do a post on the resort itself (w/ pics) once i get less lazy to blog :P in the meanwhile, i'm working on undoing my tan with kojic acid soap (sounds harsh but it works!) before i start posting pics of my mug on here again lol

(oh yahh, let me know if you guys want a review on kojic acid soap... it's supposed to be big in asia sooo i'm assuming most people know about this already?)

Ready!

2010-04-11T03:15:00.000-04:00

theres an hour or so til we leave for the airport... i figure theres enough time to do a quick post :) i've been soooo excited the whole week, now i'm just bored from waiting!

bahhhhh who am i kidding? i'm still sooooo excited! scared to leave though because:
1. boyfriend is sick! and i'm coming down with a cold.
2. lady lumps are tender = period in two days. a;sdj;ldkv;adlk.
3. punta cana weather is forecasted to SUCK BALLS

raining/t-storming... wtf yo!

* * *

whatevs, even with the rain, it'll still be hot + good food will surround me + bf will be with me the whole time... fuck the weather, theres still lots of things we can do in the hotel room for fun ;) lol

anyways, i'll leave you guys with my airport outfit (does anyone else plan their airport outfits or is it just me?) + other random pics...

UO open cardigan; FCUK tee; F21 mid waist flutter shorts
(i was going to accessorize with a skinny belt but it made the cardigan look like a bath robe soo i just ditched it lol)
* * *

and to ruin the look... uggs for the summer: birk thong sandals in gizeh bahahha

* * *

1/2 of our tip money (boring bf didnt want me playing with his other half lol)! straight from the bank soo it was super crisp... i <3 the smell of virgin money (even if theyre just dolla bills haha)
* * *

see you all in a week! <3

A piece of me in... April 2010

2010-04-08T18:57:00.001-04:00

I like:

- that there's only 3 days left til dominican!! bahhh im soooooooooo excited! i'm already starting to pack anddd picturing the outfits/make up im going to wear for each day lol

staying at the Gran Bahia Principe Resort in Punta Cana!

(pic courtesy of the Gran Bahia website)

* * *

- that i got my urban outfitters order in less than two business days... can't expect anything less i guess, i did spend $70 USD on shipping! ... i alsooooooo like how everything that i ordered fit exactly like i pictured it to fit! :)

- that i finally finished reading Three Cups of Tea! such an inspiring book! would have been better though had i read it in one straight week (like i usually do), instead of having weeks in between reading each chapter!

I don't like:
- that i still haven't finished the ami babies for the giveaway i promised TWO MONTHS AGO... lol fail! it's coming though... after the dominican, it'll be on top of my priority list!!... i wish there was an ami-machine that i can buy, kinda like a sewing machine, then ill just make everyone in the whole wide world their very own ami baby... or two :)
- that i don't have a travel buddy that i can go on yearly trips with (translation: bf = big cheapo sooo will only go on vaca every other year ugh). i want to go to Bali, Indonesia next year!!! anyone want to meet me there? lol

I want you to know:
- that if your name sounds like Turmalangasinalasingam... don't expect me to pronounce it correctly. heck, i don't even expect people to say *my* name correctly and my name's friggin common! i've gotten: eh-ma-re, eyn mary, annie marie, anne MAURY; fyi, my real name's Anne Mari :)

I've planned:
- on reading Beijing Confidential by Jan Wong while at the dominican
- on doing my first giveaway BEFORE APRIL ENDS!

I want to say to someone special:
- SPARTAAAAAAAAAAAA lol

♥ That's it nowww share a piece of YOU and join the game by answering the 5 questions above every first Sunday of the month ;)

window shopping

2010-04-06T17:47:00.000-04:00

it all started with some innocent browsing last week at urbanoutfitters.com. i'm on a sorta kinda a little bit on a self imposed spending ban andddd the UO website is a place i can go to browse things without feeling the "need" to buy things... because i just know i don't have the heart to pay for the shipping/duties/taxes that they charge their Canadian customers.

seriously, a long time ago, i told myself i would never ever buy anything from UO online... simply put they're ~~fuckers~~ really unfair when it comes to shipping shit to Canada. they have this policy where anything worth $150+ is charged a flat fee of $70 for shipping, duties and taxes.

wtf?!?! we're CANADIANS! we're not some tribe in a ~~fuckin~~ faraway land where you have to travel 302597398594385 miles to deliver products to us... my address is an hour away from the border!

UGH!

whatevs... as i said, i was just browsing. not buying anything. nothing at all. just looking. maybe adding my favourite pieces to the shopping cart, but who cares right? it's not like im checking out and paying for it. just browsing.

... just doing some online window shopping.

... it's therapeutic.

... not going to lose anything, cuz i won't buy anything.

monday - day 1:

Silence & Noise Open Ruched Boyfriend Blazer (link)

convo w/ self: ooooh such a pretty blazer... looks like it'll be a nice fit. ohhh there's 6 reviews on it... WOW every review said to buy it, cuz it's worth every penny. it does look like it's a nice fit. lowest rating was a 4 out of 5 stars.
*add to cart*

* * *

Silence & Noise Lace Tiered Zippered Tank (link)

convo w/ self: ahhhh i've been looking for a tiered shirt like this! this'll be PERFECT worn under a blazer

*add to cart*

* * *

tuesday - day 2:

boring old boyfriend told me to stop going to the UO website. he said if i do, i'll end up buying everything that ends up in my shopping cart cuz i dont have self discipline. ill show him self discipline.

Pins and Needles Crochet Bow Back Dress (link)... *add to cart*

Lucca Couture Chiffon Tiered Dress (link)... *add to cart*

Sparkle & Fade Solid Shoulder Detail Charlet Top (link)... *add to cart*

NEAL by Neal Sperling Open Cardigan (link)... *add to cart*

Vintage Two Tone Cat Eye Sunnies (link)... *add to cart*

Silence and Noise Rouched Side Knit Dress (link)... *add to cart*

exits firefox window. shuts down laptop. see? i'm just window shopping. i win at being self disciplined!

wednesday - day 3:

oooooh everything in my shopping cart is still in stock! happy happy joy joy... not that it makes a difference, cuz i'm not buying anything, but just saying.

BDG Pull On Denim Legging (link)

convo w/ self: ahhhh omg... jeggings that look more like jeans than leggings. i *need* this. every jegging i've seen so far looks more like leggings than jeans! this pair even has pockets!

*add to cart*

* * *

Staring at Stars Feminine Crochet Embellished Tee (link)

convo w/ self: this is soooo my style! it has that "this is the first thing i saw when i rolled out of bed" look... oh anddd that "i only spent 10 minutes to make myself look hot today" look

*add to cart*
* * *

thursday - day 4:

BDG Double Breasted Cardigan Sweater (link)

convo w/ self: ahhh sooo cheap! marked down from $48 to $19.99!! that's more than 50% off!! i'd be stupid not to seriously consider buying this...

*add to cart*

must get sister's input...

Me: soooo i have $xxx in my UO shopping cart right now...

Poots: ditch it. delete everything. forget about it.

Me: yahh but everything i chose is a CLASSIC that i'll be able to wear for a long time!

~~Poots~~ Tyrant bitch: you don't need shit like that! you have sooo much stuff already!
Me Girl deserving of everything: it's worth it! 11 pieces for $xxx is not bad at all!! they're timeless pieces!!
~~Poots~~ Tyrant bitch: youre not convincing me! remember when everything we wore cost less than $20?!?!?
Me Girl deserving of everything: no...

wtf does she know? she's YOUNGER than me. she's my LITTLE sister. i'm older... AND wiser! she's still in uni, i'm working full time! i'm part of the REAL WORLD. real world ~~girls~~ women need clothes! it's a fact of life!

*calls boyfriend*
Me: babeeee... i'm thinking of buying the stuff from UO. but Poots said not to cuz it's too much.
Bf: k, how much is it?
Me: $xxx
... but it's for ELEVEN pieces
... ALLLLL timeless and CLASSIC pieces!
... shipping, duties AND taxes are already included in the price!
Bf: that's not bad... but sit on it til the weekend though, just to make sure it's not an impulse buy

*sigh* this is why i LOVE my bf. he's sooo smart! he understands where i'm coming from.

friday (12 am) - day 5:
bf said to wait til the weekend before ordering. well technically today's friday already... and friday is considered a weekend, right?

* * *

alllll just came in the mail TODAY!! fyi 2 days to ship! YAYYAYA!

More rationalization: $70 = FLAT fee for purchases over $150... which covers shipping, duties AND taxes. the more i buy, the more i save on the cost of shipping. anddd since i bought 11 pieces from UO, i only ended up paying an additional $6.36 ($70 ÷ 11) per item! score! sooo this is what they call smart shopping ;)

fake haired bitch

2010-03-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

... thats me! (minus the bitch part... i just wanted to use that word cuz im feeling hardcore right now bahaha)

MAC's Submarine e/s used as an eyeliner

... inspired by s2pandapple's fun eyeshadow liner look tutorial :)

* * *

nothing too over the top, this one's
a look you can do to add a *pop* of colour into your daily make up routine

for those that want to know:

lippie: Revlon's Rose & Shine (one of my fave lippies of the moment!)

mascara: Fresh's Supernova

concealer: Maybelline's dream matte mousse then set with dream matte powder... (even though i've only been using these two for the past month, they have definitely been upgraded to HG status! i have officially DITCHED my MAC select cover up AND msf natural for these! EVERYONE needs to try these two together... especially if you have bad undereye circles like me!)

* * *

sprinkle in some fake hurrrrrr:

my real hair stands out in pictures cuz it's a shade or two lighter than the extensions

buuut the fake shit is actually a close-to-perfect match in real life!

* * *

extensions are clip on, and yes, it is REAL human hair (it's kinda gross if you think about it...

so i don't :) haha

* * *

purchased through a seller in facebook for $50 CAD... theyre out of business now but i'm pretty sure

they bought the stuff from this seller on eBay ← click click

(they used the same description AND picture!)

i guess i should have done my research and looked up the item on eBay first, could have saved me a few $!
*
*
*
totally unrelated buuut ahhhhhhh... lookie lookie at the weather forecast for this week:

Sweet Pancakes!

2010-03-28T22:38:00.000-04:00

tried these last weekend when i doubled with my sister Poots and her bf, Anju. we stopped by a korean supermarket before dinner and they were selling these for only $1 each!!

Korean Sweet Pancake... "Hoddeok" :)

it's basically a chewy fried dough with a sweet filling inside... soooooo good!

bf (aka boring boy) who will never EVER try anything non-boring looking actually took a bite of mine... loved it, disappeared for a second, then came back holding his own pancake haha

anyways, i didn't have work last friday, i google'd around and found a super easy recipe for it... i like pulling romantic surprises sooo i used my day off making pancakes :)

excuse the pic quality, chewing/super excited me couldn't get the camera to focus lol

close up! my masterpiece, sooooo fuc*in BEAUTIFUL!

* * *

Recipe here... super simple, even a kitchen retard like me actually pulled it off!

btw, Stephanie of Julu Jewelry and Beauty and Gardens blogged about trying these recently which reminded me to make a post about this! :)

Lush Angels on bare skin cleanser

2010-03-25T23:26:00.000-04:00

review time :) finally fought back my laziness... i'm off tomorrow sooo ill FINALLY be able to play with some of my hauled items from the most recent MAC w/h sale

anyways, heres the quick rundown for Lush's Angels on Bare Skin cleanser:
- texture is very similar to play doh in its early stages of crumbling:

* * *

- not much of an exfoliant as compared to Dark Angels and Ocean Salt cleansers, this one's wayyy too gentle (even though it claims to be a gentle exfoliant, i honestly don't consider it an exfoliant at all)

- though not overpowering, the scent isn't something i particularly enjoy... not going to try explaining how it smells, i just don't like it (but i find once i work the product into my face, i barely notice the scent)

- forms a milky "extract" once you start rubbing it into your skin... which i find soothing and moisturizing at the same time

yuuuup, it looks like watered down man juice lol

(gross, why the hell do i say/think these things? ugh!)

* * *

- some people may find this a little bit messy at first (although not as messy as compared to Dark Angels) as you do need to develop a technique to get the product onto your face without it falling/crumbling all over the place

the trick is to soak the product a little bit

as it is easier to handle and crumbles a lot less when it's wet :)

* * *

- i also don't get the point of having those bean looking things in there... it's definitely not for its exfoliating power, cuz 1) theres not enough in there for you to be able to get a good amount of "bean" each time you cleanse; and 2) once you do get some, it sucks at exfoliating! i dont know, maybe aesthetics? or for added efficacy? bah

the amount of "beans" looks substantial in the package

but on average, all you really get per use is around 2-5 beans

(unless you purposely pick them off ;)

* * *

- leaves my skin feeling and looking hydrated and moisturized... that all around nice supple BABY skin feel!

- price-wise, it's definitely at par with Dark Angels... 100 grams of this baby will only cost you around $10.50 CAD, not bad as that will last you at least 3 months with daily use

- not great at oil control... i used this everyday for three weeks, and each week i was becoming increasingly oily at the end of the day. on the last day i used this product, i was looking like oil-zilla after only a couple hours with make up. yuk!

Bottom line: I will not repurchase this, although would recommend it for people who want a cleanser that soothes and moisturizes (and don't need oil control)... like my sister Poots (who has the ugliest most disgusting skin EVER ahhahha j/k LOVE YOU and stop reading my blog, you whore!)

hurr

2010-03-21T23:21:00.001-04:00

i was going through pics from my vaca a couple years ago in the philly... got me sad cuz that's when i decided to cut a good ten to fifteen INCHES of my hair (it was for a good cause though, i ended up donating it to cuts for cancer). but still, i want my hair back :(

me and poops

this was the longest i've ever had my hair... the longest layer was down to my butt!

(this was also before i went crazy with make up... two years ago, my natural look was really natural! haha)

* * *

my face was too sexy for the camera haha..

buuut look at how long my hair was!! this wasnt even straightened at this point (i gave up on straightening it cuz phillipines weather effed it up in a matter of minutes anyway)

* * *

two years later... here's my boring hair :(

... and my natural look that takes 15 minutes to do and uses at least 10 products bahaha

* * *

hair tied up in a high pony... finally!

believe it or not, being able to tie my hair up in a pony was one of the things i missed about my long hair. the good part about chopping my hair off though is the healthy beginnings... my hair right now = no hair dye, little to no split ends and super duper healthy! :)

anyways, i hope everyone had a great weekend! i know i've been lacking on the posts and commenting buuut i definitely am keeping up with everyone's posts! <3

P.s.

i just noticed... this is my 100th post! yayyyy! i know i announced early this year that i was going to do a giveaway soon, i've been lagging on making the ami babies though lol. buuut seriously, a giveaway is coming! i promise! lol

Sexy time with Apple

2010-03-17T00:08:00.001-04:00

i love the last part... iPad = fat virgin. bahahha genius. think about it :)
fyi, there's a low tech version of this too... click click → Sexy time with Pens

The Girlfriend Look

2010-03-14T22:52:00.000-04:00

okay sooo everyone's heard of the boyfriend look... the oversized blazers, cardigans, jeans, shorts, shirts etc etc. buuuut would you tolerate it if your bf started sporting the "girlfriend look"?!?!
btw, pic taken from an h&m in store mag... according to h&m, the girlfriend look consists of leggings, oversized clutches and man purses.

i think i'd cry if Steef showed up at my door looking like this.

Lush Tea tree toner + Enzymion moisturizer

2010-03-11T21:23:00.002-05:00

these two are a match made in heaven... hence why they're in one post :)
(that and cuz im too lazy to do a detailed review on both lol)

TEA TREE TONER:
a bit of background on toners
- although there will be exceptions, as some toners are fortified with vitamins etc etc, IN GENERAL, toners are useless on their own as they are meant to increase efficacy of OTHER products (i.e. your moisturizer)... theyre meant to balance the pH level of your skin which on its own, would take several hours. fyi, you want your skin's pH level balanced because that's when they'll be better able to "soak up" the benefits of your moisturizer (in a way making it more effective). just try applying moisturizer on 1/2 of your face, and toner then moisturizer on the other 1/2... youll understand what i mean then

anyway enough chit chat... just figured i'd start off with those points as not many people really understand the use of toners (im no expert either, the above points are just the general things ive learned about toners after going ga-ga about skin care and all this preventive aging crap these past few months)

Quick rundown:
- i hate the smell... but it's subtle and doesn't linger on, so i live with it
- contains no alcohol... if youre like me and you use a cleanser that's super heavy duty when it comes to oil control, you definitely don't need a toner with alcohol as it'll just dry out your skin in the short term (and force your glands to excrete more oil in the long run!)
- long lasting... ive been using the same 250ml bottle ($16.95 CAD) twice a day for over 2 months now and it's still a little less than half full. that being said, a full bottle should last you 4-6 months with similar usage :)
- gets absorbed quickly and leaves skin feeling refreshed

ENZYMION MOISTURIZER:
- like the tea tree toner, i hate the scent too... but again, it's subtle and doesn't linger on sooo i guess it's okay
- not very moisturizing as it's meant for those with combo oily/oily types
- absorbs quite fast, but it does leave the skin a little bit sticky for the next 10-15 minutes or so... which is why i don't use this under make up as i really have no time in the morning to wait for it to "set" (that anddd because i already found a great base for foundation :)
- packaging is crap... it comes in lush's signature black pot (aka bacteria's favourite chillin spot)
- i realize i sound like i don't like this product at all buuuut with all that's "bad" about it, the best and great thing about it, is also the most important thing i look for in a moisturizer... IT MATTIFIES SKIN LIKE MAGIC :) i use this as a night cream and in the morning ill wake up with the same matte face i slept with (fyi in the past, i'd wake up to a reaaaaaally oily face!)

Bottom line: if you can live with the crap smell, crap packaging and the sticky feeling for the next 10 minutes after application... then i definitely recommend this to you! i, myself will repurchase this again and again. im just glad i found a product that leaves my skin feeling soft and matte even through the night :)

i like short shorts.. the ones that drape like a skirt... oh and high waisted... actually theyre not really short...

2010-03-09T21:08:00.005-05:00

anyone know where i can get shorts like these???

they're high waisted shorts, that drape like a skirt :)

(oh and just pretend she's wearing different tops with it, theyre not the best pairing imho)

anyways, looooove these... theyre sooo in the style i pretend to have! lol

seriously, this would look sooo cute in the spring/summer-ish

with wedges or espadrilles and a herrohachi tshirt!

* * *

oh and obviously the photos were ~~stolen~~ borrowed from Milly Walker (it's this store run through blogger that i troll when i remember). i've been looking for one for the longest time, buuut i refuse to pay almost $600 CAD for a pair, forget about $200+ CAD too. there are cheaper ones that i've found, buut they all seem to give the model a bad case of camel toes... sooo unattractive. bahhhhh the ones from Milly Walker are sold out :( i feel like destiny has cheated me once again. *sigh*

speaking of style i pretend to have...
i found a new fash bloggggg!! i swear ever since finding her blog, ive taken to ~~stalking~~ reading her old entries on my free time. she's actually a pro photographer with a great fashion sense... sooo her blog is filled with wonderful pics :)

this one's one of my fave outfit of hers :)

oh and fyi, she's a mom... to not one, but TWO TEENAGE BOYS!

* * *

she also owns a taxi cab with her name on it...

haha i know, random, buut i thought it was cool :P

* * *

oh anddd most importantly,

she thinks im coool! hehehehehhehe
(ahahha what a way to make a first impression eh? lol)
Note to self: don't use "Penis" as a post title haha
* * *

click click → http://leahtaas-infocus.blogspot.com/ :)

(photo credits to Leah, sorry for stealing, i couldn't help it :P)

A piece of me in... March 2010

2010-03-07T23:31:00.001-05:00

I like:

- that me and the bf FINALLY booked our winter/spring vacation. April 11 - 16, Dominican Republic :) ill blog on tips on how to find deals, websites to check out and best times to book etc when im less lazy :P

- that the weather forecast calls for above average temps for the next two weeks... i hope i didn't just jinx it :S

- that i got invited to the invite only mac w/h sale last weekend...

my most favourite buy would def be the 3 out of 4 palettes

that came out with the magic & mirth collection last year :))

... fyi im no baller. these products were HEAVILY discounted, hence why i went crazy lol

this is my second time going to this warehouse sale... my first time was last year,

when i won two tickets through Sanderlees's blog.

this is supposed to be a super exclusive warehouse sale, since you only get tickets

through s.a.'s... i.e. only mac ballers will get invites.

but then theres lucky asses like me, who, well, just get lucky!

im probably gonna half my spending at mac counters now that i know

i'll get invites to this 4x a year event... :)

I don't like:
- that i have to take my healthy eating/diet seriously now... i need to pull off a bikini in a month! goodbye my fried fatty calorific true loves :(

I want you to know:
- that im not on a spending ban anymore yayayyayayayayyaya! (that being said, im broke from the mac sale sooo ill probably skip the spending voluntarily, at least for the next few weeks lol)... bahhh can't have it all :P

I've planned:
- on being in bed by 11pm every night (sooo i can actually make it on time to work everyday)
- on making time to read before bed... i've yet to finish Three Cups of Tea which i started reading LAST YEAR! *ugh

I want to say to someone special:
- poops, stop keeping secrets from us! ugh stupid vagina face.

♥ That's it nowww share a piece of YOU and join the game by answering the 5 questions above every first Sunday of the month ;)

Penis

2010-03-02T22:21:00.002-05:00

...for now. since i can't find a good enough post title for this ;)

hahahah i just found this randomly on facebook!

who DOESN'T want this?!??!

Early birds part deux ;)

2010-03-02T18:27:00.002-05:00

me and the bf usually dont get up until 1-2pm ish on saturdays as we stay up watching movies ~~and catching up on some sexy time on fridays lol~~. last saturday, bf forgot to turn off his alarm clock sooo we were forced to wake up around 9am ish ugh.

my reward for getting up early?

baton rouge @ 11am... completely empty! we had 3 servers serving us :))

* * *

breakfast of champions = 10oz baby back ribs + fries + coleslaw!

* * *

me and the bf always complain about weekends not being long enough... turns out, we only need to wake up earlier sooo we could do all the things we planned on doing. not saying this'll be the norm, as i LOVE to sleep, but i definitely loved not having to share Baton Rouge with other people and the fact that i didn't feel the least bit rushed the whole weekend! :)

Comments from previous post...

(since blogger's commenting system sucks dick!)

ahahah. i never thought about how the right side of my face

felt about being referred to as my ugly side before lol

i guess im a little bit biased though, i am a lefty after all :P
click click to Ric :)

* * *

lmao soooooo true!! that's me every morning too ughhh

click click to Jay KV :)

* * *

Early birds

2010-02-28T23:49:00.000-05:00

on weekdays it usually takes me at least an hour of snoozing until my body *lets* me get up. im just not a morning person. the result? even though my work place is only a ten minute drive from my house, i always always manage to be at least 5-10 minutes late :S
i really wish i was a morning person... my simple dream = not having to rush through my morning routine, have the opportunity to eat breakfast and be able to take my sweet time applying make up! last friday i was able to attain this simple dream ;)

my boring self ended up doing the exact same natural look that i do even if im late lol

but it's okay, i got to take pictures haha

* * *

my ugly side, i rarely get photographed from this side

i always always make sure that im on the left side of pics taken of me

... am i the only one who does this? haha

* * *

me attempting to smile with my eyes... orrr as Tyra Banks calls it, "SMIZE" lol

* * *

hope you had a great weekend everyone!!

Noob nails and comments :)

2010-02-25T00:17:00.000-05:00

sooooo two days ago i *attempted* one of Asami's vday nails (the one with the french tip + polka dots). i figure it'll be fairly easy as french tips can be done using the stick on nail guides from sally's... and seriously, who fails at making polka dots right? well apparently *I* do. friggin fail ughhh. i hate nail art lol (not really, im just bitter and frustrated). anyone know how to make polka dots easy enough for even retarded nail artists like meeeee?

anyways, i ended up just redoing my nails a la Erica's asymmetrical french tip... it's pretty much by default nail "look" whenever i fail at doing anything else (which is every time lol). i've done this with red and black nail polishes already :D

China glaze For Audrey :)

* * *

oh andd totally unrelated but Jane's comment on my previous post made me LOL soo much i just had to share...

"i'm not a believer in violence, BUT..."

hahah youre awesome!

and btw, thank you sooooo much everyone for the comments on my last post! my brother's stubborn as hell and in the end, regardless of what me and everyone else in the family thinks of the THING he's dating, it's his life. his decision. i guess i knew that from the very beginning, i just have to rant from time to time... and i'm glad you ladies (and gents!) are there to support <3

WHORE

2010-02-21T17:29:00.002-05:00

you know whats stupid? staying with someone after they cheat on you. you know what's even more stupid? staying with someone after they cheat on you... on your one year anniversary, in front of your house, with your sister's friend. RETARDED!

im one to shy away from posting personal ish on blogger but im sooo sick and tired of this issue i just can't help it. the brother and his ~~skank~~ gf are back together again. it's caused my parents sooo much stress, not to mention left my relationship with my brother in shit.

ughhh. i know people make mistakes, but bottom line: if you love someone, you just don't go around offering a blowjob to anyone with a dick. if you want something to suck, get a lollipop.

followers

2010-02-18T21:10:00.001-05:00

soooo ive been lagging on posts lately... i usually blog 4x a week or more (anddd ive been doing that consistently since i started blogging last year). buuut i feel like blogging's becoming somewhat of a chore sooo decided to only blog when i really want to. forcing yourself to do something fun ends up feeling like work... i want to keep blogging fun sooo the less is more rule applies in this case ;)

some random-ish:
- i've noticed a couple people follow me then unfollow me once they see that i'm following them... it's funny how blogging is just a "popularity" contest for some. i wont be a hypocrite and say i dont care about the # of followers i have BUT insert something witty... i don't know what to say, some people just make me LOL

- heyyy i just noticed... why doesn't blogger have an underline button? they have a bold and an italicize... they even have a ~~strikethrough~~. why'd they leave out underline?

* * *

just a random pic of moi :) i havent posted any pics of my camera whore self in a while soo there. pretty pointless but i like how my lips look in here (Posy Pink U5). got it for $2.99 on sale at Avon wooot woot!

anyways, have a good weekend everyone :))

P.S.
i hope you guys don't mind that i don't have a journalistic approach when i blog haha... i wonder, is that why im getting unfollowed? lol. Gooooo Erynn, ditto to everything you said <3

10 Things that make me happy

2010-02-16T19:49:00.001-05:00

i was tagged by the lovely Hawaiian bloggers Erynn and Mai :)

Rules:
- Post 10 things that make you happy
- Try to do at least one of them today
- Pass along to 10 people

decided to pick 10 things that are *free* since im still on a spending ban ughhhhhh. can someone just book my vaca for me? bf made me promise not to spend anything until we book our vaca...i still have noooooo idea where to go, which hotel to stay at and which activities to book :( lol im such a fail at organizing things.

1) FOOD. food is love and love is food. i think everyone here pretty much knew this would take my #1 happy spot

2) LONG WEEKENDS. regular weekends are way too short... by the end of saturday im already smelling monday's nasty coffee breath ugh.

3) ONE'S... for the non torontonians, it's pretty much toronto's answer to Daiso. i do wish we had a daiso here though, One's prices are nothing special. i just love discovering new products, looking at pictures and trying to figure out what the product is for, anddd not to mention ENGRISH.

4) SINGING. i would love to lie to everyone and say i can sing buuut i definitely break the "all filipinos can sing" stereotype lol. regardless, i love singing and i love singing LOUD.

Singing with Anne #1:
me and my friend were doing a karaoke duet. my parents bust in through the door looking worried...
Mama bear: are you guys okay?
Me: yahh we're just singing
Papa bear: oh we thought you guys got into a fight

Singing with Anne #2:
me singing my lungs out at bf's basement. bf's mom comes downstairs looking worried/panicking...
Bf's mama bear: whats going on?!??! whats wrong?!?!
Steef: nothing, Anne's just singing
Bf's mama bear: ohhhhh... {starts to go upstairs while saying something in cantonese}
Steef: she said she thought someone was dying

5) MY SCENT. yahh i know it sounds sooo conceited and it probably is, but i don't care... i LOVE the way i smell and it makes me sooo happy every time i move and i get a whiff of me lol

6) FINDING LIPSTICK BRANDS IM NOT ALLERGIC TO. candelilla wax = my enemy, unfortunately it's a main ingredient in most lippies :( ugh. so far the only safe lip brands for me are: guerlain, josie maran, korres, maybelline, nyx and avon. no MAC and YSL for me :(((((((((((((((((((((((((

7) BOOKS. im a book nerd :) that feeling i get after reading a great book = happiness!

8) BORING BOY. pretty self explanatory... steef brings me food; food = love; love = happiness ♥

9) FALL. best season there is! it's dry and cool = sooo my hair keeps its shape and make up stays put :)

10) anddd finally BLOGGING. more specifically, getting to e-meet fellow bloggers that share the same interests as me, looking at pics of hot girls (and hot girls with boobies), food porn, reading reviews, seeing everyone's make up collections, hauls etc etc. love you girls!

UPDATE..... whoopsies, i was reminded by the lovely Vanilla (what's your real name? :P) to tag 10 people. haha i always forget to tag! soooo i tag: the first 10 commenters ;)

.

2010-02-12T22:34:00.000-05:00

i'm sorry. just those two words. that's it.
if youre going to apologize and mean it, that's allllllll you need to say. no need to augment it with anything else. add the "but" to that sentence and you're not sorry at all.

that's one thing i wish steef would learn. i hate it. he can't say sorry. he just has to run his mouth.
for a quiet guy, he gets pretty wordy when he's apologizing.
he always makes it seem like a part of it's my fault. that i'm partly to blame. always.

i hate it. i hate it. i hate it.
i've told him soooo many times and every time, he says he understands.
then something comes up and he does the same damn thing.

i apologize for this post. i know it's not a very "LOLanne" post. but i just had to rant.

**********UPDATE: okay sooo fifteen minutes later he brings me this:

once again, i just sold myself to food. i forgive him lol

i guess this is a LOLanne post, i fail at being mad.

To buy list

2010-02-11T20:34:00.002-05:00

Lush
- Body cream: Dream cream, Sympathy for the skin
- Soap: Honey i washed the kids, Sexy peel, Rock star, Porridge, Banana moon
- Cleanser: Coal face, Herbalism, Mask of magnaminty
- Shampoo: Godiva, Reincarnate, Ultimate shine, Irresistible bliss

Drugstore
- Maybelline dream matte powder
- Maybelline lippies

MAC
- Fibre rich lash
- 188
- 195
- Fast response eye cream

Sephora
- Stila kajal eyeliner in Topaz
- Illamasqua bronzing duo in Glint and Burnish

Question... what's the point of being on a spending ban when ill end up buying these things after i get off it? ugh.

i want it NOW please :(

2010-02-09T20:34:00.002-05:00

soooo last night's phone talk with the bf ended on a not so good note... i was hungry and craving for food that's out of reach :( so i ended up yelling and blaming him for it lol. ofcourse that craving haunted me for the rest of the day today... and probably will again tomorrow and the days after until i finally get to eat it. ughhh i ~~want~~ NEED deep fried mars bars!!!

the only place i know that serves this is at the cne... which comes ONCE A YEAR... in September. ugh. i want it i want it i want it.

i know it looks like crap but trust me, this snack is HEAVEN

(if youre a fan of chocolate and fried stuff... you will love this!)

pic stolen here ;)

a few years ago me and my friends attempted to make these... pure fail. stupid friend that thinks he's a chef put too much salt in the batter. ugh... let's just say he's my ex-friend now lol. ill probably attempt it again this weekend... with the bf's help cuz im kitchen-stupid.

Steef's Engrish

2010-02-08T18:37:00.000-05:00

despite background, race, culture etc... i think engrish is universal. prime example = my boyfriend.
he's born and raised in canada.
most if not all of his cousins were born and raised in canada.
most if not all his friends were born and raised in canada.
most if not all his coworkers were born and raised in canada.
... you get the point.

Steef's Engrish 1:
at a restaurant after finishing the main entree, we were served fruit slices. bf takes one...
Bf: mmmm soooo relaxing
Me: ughhh don't you mean refreshing?!?

Steef's Engrish 2:
Bf: babe i think im cons.... conspic... umm... conspictated
Me: what? huh?
.... i figured out later he meant "constipated" lol

Steef's Engrish 3:
when we first started going out... found out he had a cat. wanted to know what the breed was...
Me: what's Yoshi's breed?
Bf: uhhh... human lane
Me: ummm ok... *googles "human lane"*
Me: can you spell that for me? i can't find it online
Bf: don't worry about it, he's a special cat
... after much googling, i figured out Yoshi = HIMALAYAN! (fyi, he still can't pronounce it to this day lol)

A piece of me in... February 2010

2010-02-07T21:23:00.002-05:00

I like:

- that me and the bf finally made the time to buy my ipod touch this weekend :))

- that my nerdy sister Poops got an A+ average last semester... fyi, she's in the IB program sooo it's doubly hard to get an A, much more an A+ AVERAGE!!! i was sooo happy i told her i'd buy her anything she wanted... she asked for an ipod anddd since im a supaaaaa cool older sister, i got her one :) now she has two ipods lol

- that i have monday off next week AYYYYAYAYAYYAYA!

I don't like:
- that i still haven't booked my winter/spring vacay with the bf... we're just too lazy to research etc. knowing us, we'll probably end up booking a random last minute vacay lol
- that the stupid groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of winter ugh.

I want you to know:
- that i'm on a spending ban until i book my vacay... sooo pleaaaaaase don't post reviews that make me want to buy things :(

I've planned:
- on doing a giveaway sometime in the next couple months. it'll include an ami baby or two, not sure which ones... i'll know once they're made. requests are welcome :)
- on looking for a recipe for yaro (yam + taro) balls. they serve them at Bubble Republic (local bbt place)... they're little chewy balls drizzled with condensed milk. me and the bf had them yesterday and he still won't stop talking about how good they taste lol. im usually the one who can't stop talking about food which means the bf really LOVES this stuff. i want to pull a romantic move and surprise him with a plate full once i find a recipe... anyone know how to make these? i google'd it yesterday and nada :(

I want to say to someone special:
- your ami babies are coming sooooon. just need to make one more ;)

♥ That's it nowww share a piece of YOU and join the game by answering the 5 questions above every first Sunday of the month ;)

Lush Dark Angels cleanser

2010-02-04T18:28:00.001-05:00

this is the second cleanser i tried from Lush. unlike the Ocean salt cleanser i reviewed yesterday, this one's specifically formulated for people with dull, oily skin.

i'll skip the chit chat... here's the sort of quick rundown:
- comes in Lush's clear plastic tubs (their cheapo packaging). i don't like this at all. i swear Lush needs a packaging overhaul in most of its items lol. because of the crap packaging, i dont recommend this being stored in the bathroom AT ALL. if you're like me and take hot showers daily, steam will get into the container... which will then absorb into the product and just weakens its texture in general
- smell is very citrus-y (??)... blahh, again, not going to try describing the scent as i suck at it! buuut nonetheless, like the Ocean salt cleanser, it's not subtle buuut it's not overpowering either. just right :)
- texture is soft when you first pick it up... then it crumbles and you feel its grainy-ness when you smooth it onto your skin. the grains in this cleanser is uniform throughout and is a lot finer than the Ocean salt cleanser, which is great as it provides a deeper cleanse without being too harsh for everyday use
- result: results were at par with the Ocean salt cleanser... my skin appeared brighter and smoother after each use; anddd it didn't dry out my skin at all. buuut since this was specially formulated for oily skin, i found the oil control aspect of this product a lot better than the Ocean salt cleanser... i give it an A+ :)
- pricing: at $10.95 CAD you get 100g of this bad boy... with daily use, i see this lasting me around 6-8 weeks. almost half the price of the Ocean salt cleanser andddd lasts almost twice as long... I LIKE!

after using the Ocean salt cleanser for two weeks and getting used to the mess it made... i switched to this thinking, hey the mess can't be as bad as the other one. WRONG... since this thing's BLACK, not only did i leave pools of water around my bathroom sink, it was pools of water with hints of BLACK lol. it made my sink look sooo grimy and icky... thank goodness i have my own bathroom! other than the mess though, i definitely welcome this as part of my skincare regimen!

sooo for those wondering which one i like better... it's definitely Dark Angels just because it suits my needs better :) Although, fyi, i will still repurchase the Ocean salt cleanser and use it 1-2 times a week as a scrub!

**oh andd for those who care, no parabens in this one :D

Lush Ocean Salt cleanser

2010-02-03T19:35:00.000-05:00

my skin's incredibly oily. although it's not acne prone (i consider it a "break out" if i have 2 zits at one time), it's still super super oily. in fact, if i leave my skin without any oil control product, it would only take about a few hours before a huge "T" shaped oil monster appears on my t zone.

i picked the Ocean Salt cleanser as one of the first cleansers to try as it's Lush's best selling scrub. for dry/flaky skin, Lush recommends you use it only once or twice a week buuut since i have SUPER OILY MONSTER face, Lush recommends i use it every day lol.

Sort of quick rundown:
- comes in Lush's signature black pot. i feel it's not the best packaging for it as i do tend to "double dip" when im cleansing, which results (not only in cross contamination) buuut also in water getting into the pot and staying there (thus breeding even more bacteria + affecting the texture of the contents left in the pot). no biggie though as i found a way around this: before i start cleansing my face, i scoop out the amount of product i need onto the lid and just have my double dipping ways on there ;)
- the smell is a very fresh, tropical (?) scent... yah i suck at describing scents. it does remind me a little bit of a vodka/lime mix buuut all i can tell you is, i love the smell. it's not subtle, but it's not overpowering either.
- texture is very grainy and not-uniform. i can see some people becoming turned off by the fact that it's not uniform throughout buuut it's actually something i enjoy... sometimes you'll get creamy, sometimes a little grainy, anddd other times you'll encounter the bigger salt grains here and there... each time is a different experience yet achieves the overall same result :)
- result: my skin appears brighter and smoother with a squeaky clean feeling after each use; despite the salt in the product, it wasn't too harsh and did not dry out my skin (but then again, my skin is normally very INsensitive lol). as for oil control, i give it an A grade :)
- pricing: it's priced at $17.95 CAD for a 120g pot... with daily use, this'll last me 4-6 weeks. noooot bad at all!

although this product does tend to be on the messy side, i don't really mind as i do see positive results from it. because of the mess, it's definitely not something i would recommend as an AM cleanser... 5 minutes to cleanse + 5 minutes to clean up = 10 minutes i can't afford to lose in the morning! another thing to note is that this isn't recommended for those seeking a good eye make up remover... the grains of salt hurt if they get in your eye. anddd the scrub itself will be too harsh when used around the sensitive skin around your eyes! other than that... i would definitely repurchase and recommend this product to all the oilies like me :P

**one thing to note about this product though is that it contains parabens. im not an ingredient buff, anddd i do admit to not reading labels AT ALL (nor do i consider it when buying products). this is just a heads up to those that want to know :P

Why i can't sell amigurumis...

2010-02-02T18:25:00.000-05:00

heres just a quick photo comparison of how the pattern says it's supposed to look vs. how my ami babies end up looking

left - Hungry, hungry hippo (photo and pattern courtesy of Bittersweet)

right - Molieshy the hippo

... it was soooo hard balancing the head and body sooo ended up just sewing mine to look like it's sitting down =_=

* * *

left - TMNT (photo and pattern courtesy of Atsuko via Crafster.org)

right - my version

... this one actually turned out almost the same (only difference was that i used the cheapo googly eyes andd Atsuko used dolly eyes). i definitely recommend this as a first project, super easy... even I didn't screw it up lol

* * *

left - Georgina the Giraffe (photo and pattern courtesy of Lionbrand)

Right - Shmoo the Giraffe

... should have stuffed Shmoo's body more. in real life, Shmoo looks malnourished lol

* * *

left - Holiday Penguin (photo and pattern courtesy of Lionbrand)

right - Yacoppo

... holiday penguin looks sooo much cuter! lol. i really need to learn how to stuff my ami babies soooo they end up rounder and cuter.

* * *

in my sister's Poops' own words... "your ami babies end up looking like the retarded version" lol

Of Weddings and Proposals

2010-02-01T18:28:00.000-05:00

nooo im not getting married :P actually, not expecting a proposal any time soon (soooo not ready to move out of the parents' house lol), in fact, i don't want to get married until im 30! i want to spend my 20's travelling :P

buuut regardless, the bf and i finally had THE talk a couple weeks ago... we're pretty much on the same page when it comes to timeline (like me, he doesn't want to get married/engaged anytime soon) buuut i did tell him what i was expecting when it comes to the proposal...

1. he needs to ask both my parents' permission first (anddd it has to be so that i don't know about it. i want to be surprised!). marriage to me is not just the coming together of two people... buuut also the coming together of two families. i'd want the person im marrying to be accepted in my family as i am in his :)

2. no rings. i dont care about the bling. the diamonds etc etc. diamonds aren't as rare as you might think. i don't want to get into it here buuut the fact is, even with the Kimberley Process in place, it's impossible to trace a particular diamond's origin as it changes hands sooo many times. have you ever asked yourself why the most diamond-rich countries in the world have the poorest populations? bottom line is: me don't want diamonds. what i do want is a cheque for at least $50,000 to be used towards a down payment for my dream home :) lol

3. no extravagant weddings either. instead of spending $50k+ on something that'll only last a day, i'd rather invest that and spend $5k a year travelling with the hubby :)

... yahh i know im pretty ~~boring~~ practical when it comes to engagements/weddings. i did used to fantasize about the bling... the princessy wedding etc etc... buuut the older i got and the more knowledgeable i got about certain things, the more i shied away from it. (woahhh is this me showing my mature side? lol)

The Making of Yacoppo

2010-01-28T21:53:00.001-05:00

this one's another craft related post... Yacoppo reconstructed through pictures :)
amis this size (Yacoppo is about 6 inches tall) usually take me about two weeks to make... buuut i was soooooo excited with this one i ended up finishing him in TWO DAYS! my hands were sooo sore after, buut soo worth it. (i actually ended up ditching my bf last weekend to finish him... we were supposed to go clubbing for one of his good friend's bday that night; in the end though, it was a good thing i ditched him... he didn't end up making it into the club despite being on the VIP list... his doodoo headed friend forgot to tell him the club was 25+, my bf's only 24. sooooo he basically drove downtown + lined up FOR NOTHING! ugh. it still irks me everytime i think about that.)

k sooo i totally went off topic :P lol

i was a rebel with this one, i didn't follow the pattern to the letter as i crocheted the body in one piece :)

* * *

stitched on the tummy patch + eye circles

* * *

beak + feet... he's starting to look like a penguin!

* * *

arms :)

* * *

glued on the eyes! totally should have followed the pattern when it came to this step... Yacoppo looks WEIRD with googly eyes, the pattern said to use beady eyes :(

* * *

decided to knit him a scarf... since it does get pretty cold in the South Pole :P

* * *

Pattern - FREE with registration from the Lionbrand.com website

How to - for those that want to learn how to make your own ami babies watch the 6 videos here (theyre all less than 3 minutes each :)

Gary S.P.

2010-01-27T18:23:00.000-05:00

soo everyone knows Rina of Rae630 makes the most adorable sock piggies EVER. the first time i saw one of her handmade piggies, the first thing that popped up in my head was "i want to make one toooo" (can you tell i LOVE crafts :P).
i google'd for directions anddd nada... the best i found was this tutorial from Q.D. Patooties, which was close enough buuuut i wanted it exactly like Rina's :P

anyways, Rina suggested this book from one of her old posts for directions...

i didn't think theyd have it at my local Michael's store (since Canada always trails behind U.S. in product intros... believe it or not, even though we share a border with US, on average, it takes 3-5 years for new products to be sold in Canada after debuting in US... true story, look it up :P lol)... i did end up finding it at Michael's though sooooo YAYYYYY!!

* * *

okay okay, ill stop rambling... everyone meet Gary S.P. (stands for Sock Piggie lol), my first ever sock pig baby!

oh andddd don't worry... despite being of a different race, Gary definitely fits right in with my ami babies :)

Tag: 7 Random Facts!

2010-01-26T19:09:00.001-05:00

i was given an award last week by Erynn, Dana, Mai anddd Jimin. I know i commented on your posts already buuuut thank you, thank you, thank you anddd thank you :)

sooooo one of the rules for this one is to list 7 random facts about yourself, so here goes meee:
1. i want DIMPLES! im in loooove with dimples... most of my exes have dimples anddd my current bf has one. when i was a kid, i used to poke my cheeks with the eraser side of a pencil cuz one of my friends told me it works (she lied!). i was planning on getting dimple surgery two years ago but bf wouldn't let me. i didn't talk to him for 1 week... he still wouldn't let me. i cried WITH TEARS... and he still wouldn't let me. til now, he STILL won't let me. *UGH

2. the last time i drank (and got drunk) was almost a year ago... sadly, i really am boring in real life lol

3. im very blunt. if what youre wearing makes you look ugly/fat/slutty/clownish/retarded I WILL TELL YOU. if your make up is stupid looking I WILL TELL YOU... that being said, if i don't know you well, i just wont say anything

4. my compliments are genuine... see #3 :)

5. i looooove horror movies, but since im a big wuss, i limit myself to watching 2-3 per year =_= (fyi, im still sleeping with my lights on because of Paranormal Activity which i watched THREE MONTHS ago lol)

6. im not photogenic. i remember getting my health card in the mail a few years ago... my dad saw it and asked why HIS picture was on my health card lol

7. i only watch 1 hour of tv per week... HOUSE :D

wowww this was harder than it seems... took me almost an hour to come up with these bahaha. since this award has been going on for a looong time now, ill take the cheater's way out andd tag ALL OF YOU lol ♥

Sephora inspired brush holder

2010-01-25T20:38:00.000-05:00

... okay soo i'm probably the 485793485794875th blogger to do this lol. bahhh i know, im a late joiner of bandwagons :P

ever since i organized my make up/vanity area early this year, i've been thinking of ways to further organize/categorize my growing beauty collection... i was reminded to do the sephora-inspired thing when Kay posted about hers a couple weeks ago.

i didn't go fancy with my brush holder like Kay (she actually glued on Swarovski crystals on hers!), i just stuck to my clear plastic ones lol

yahh i know, it still looks a mess... buuut i like how my brushes can "stand" now :)

* * *

don't mind my dirty brushes haha... theyre nothing special either, just a mish mash of MAC, Sephora and Kirkland brushes :P

* * *

yayyyyy :)

organized brushes = happy anne!

happy monday everyone! ughhhh i hate this week already... i hate mondays... and tuesdays, wednesdays and thursdays lol. who thinks north america should add a third weekend? MEEEEEEEEE! lol

Benefit's BADgal Lash in Rich Black (non WP)

2010-01-21T19:47:00.000-05:00

here goes mascara review #2 (aka my search for the best VOLUMIZING non WP macara).
for those that are wondering, the first mascara review i did was the Fresh Supernova Mascara (click click → here :)

as i mentioned before, one thing i look at when buying mascaras is the wand. BADgal's wand = very dense, thick and bigger than the average mascara wand... which was the reason i bought it! (a rule of thumb: for voluminous lashes, go for dense and thick wands as they'll be able to deposit more product with fewer coats (which is definitely what you should aim for as the more coats you put on, the clumpier your lashes will get); for definition and lengthening, go for the opposite :P).

* * *

as for the formula, i found BADgal's formula a little bit thicker than the Supernova mascara... im a lash freak anddd i usually do 3-5 coats every time i apply mascara sooo when i switched from Supernova to BADgal, i found i had to wait a few seconds in between coats (otherwise, my lashes would start to clump with the BADgal). this one's not really a big issue for me as i find that BADgal does result in bigger and more voluminous lashes than the Supernova.
i got the mascara in Rich Black... again, when compared to Supernova, is definitely blacker and richer :)

pictures speak louder sooooo ill stop rambling :P (is it just me orrr do you get the heebeejeebies from looking at close up pictures too? fyi, im soooo grossed out by these pics lol)

sans product on the left, BADgal on the right... my lashes definitely look thicker + longer!

don't mind my red skin... i had no make up on, besides the mascara :P

* * *

since BADgal's formula is thick, i find i can even skip curling my lashes and still end up with curled looking lashes in the end :) believe it or not, i didn't even curl my lashes in this pic!

* * *

the showdown!

Supernova on the left, BADgal on the right... you can't really see the difference here buut in real life, Supernova = lengthening and some volumizing; BADgal = volumizing and some lengthening.

* * *

CON?- i would say that it dries out too fast... which makes sense since it does have a thick formula. i've been using this everyday for the past 2 weeks now andd i can already feel the consistency getting thicker... boo! anddd even though BADgal gives me more volume, i see myself reaching for the Supernova mascara more as i just LOVE LOVE LOVE Supernova's applicator... as of this post, the best non WP mascara = BADgal's formula WITH Supernova's wand lol

next mascara review = Dior's Diorshow! :)

Buffalo and bed :)

2010-01-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

went to buffalo for a shopping trip a couple weekends ago... didn't take a lot of pics (actually, i just took two lol) cuz i didn't want to seem so touristy (which im really not, since the U.S. border is only about 1.5 hours away from my house :P).
we always always go to fashion show outlet mall (?) anddd walden galleria when we cross the border. i was pretty excited about going to the outlet mall as i heard there was a CCO that opened there... when we got there, i pretty much beeline'd it to the CCO, i was pretty disappointed :( nothing much there. didn't get anything. blah.

in front of one of the stores @ walden galleria.

we were just walking by, saw this THING from the corner of my eye and screamed :S

... bf was pretty embarassed about it cuz random people started looking at me and laughing lol

it was scary :(

* * *

i was going to post the second pic i took there... it was of me standing next to that THING. i looked closer anddd i still had tears in my eyes sooo decided not to post it (yesss i cried, UGH). i don't want my pansy-ness all over the web lol

* * *

theres this RV shop @ walden that i always always go to every time we're there (i swear we spent at least a couple hours just in that store alone!)

... call me a loser buuut my retirement dream is buying an RV and going on a road trip across Canada, U.S. and Mexico :P thats my bf with his friend in the pic... this RV was my favourite out of the 398430985 models they had in the store (it was also the most expensive @ $150k)

this is actually a bus... it has 2 bedrooms (1 master bedroom that had a KING SIZE bed + 1 small room that housed 2 bunk beds), a kitchenette (complete with built in cabinetry, stove/oven, dishwasher, fridge) anddd a bathroom and toilet!

... if the beds aren't enough, the couch on the right of the pic is a pull out which turns into a double bed.

LOL i sound like one of the sales people there hahahhah. bahhh i want one :(

* * *

random pic of my bed :) as i mentioned in my earlier posts, my bed is unmade 99.99% of the time sooo seeing it all nice and neat like this makes me happy! i looove neat beds with nice fluffy and soft linens... this as well as RV shopping = definitely on my list of simple things that make me happy ♥

What's on your list? :)

Diva cup?

2010-01-19T19:00:00.001-05:00

i've been thinking of trying this out for years now... no one i know seems to have heard (let alone tried) this sooo i've always been reluctant to try it out.

for those that are just hearing about this for the first time, the Diva Cup is a tampon alternative... despite it sounding gross, it's supposed to be more sanitary and hassle free as you can get away with just "emptying" it 2 - 3 times a day (depending on your flow).

read more about the product here: http://www.divacup.com/
it retails for around $40 CAD... i've read reviews about it everywhere buuut i want to hear it from someone i know first before trying it out. has anyone tried this??

How to piss your bf off

2010-01-18T19:30:00.000-05:00

... in a cute way ;)

i'm pretty much a pro at pissing off my bf now. just thought id share a couple of my tips and tricks with you ladies that are in new relationships (orrr even the ladies in not so new relationships that want to stir up some trouble). oh anddd remember, pissing off your bf doesn't count as pissing off your bf if you do it in a cute way... it's called flirting :) lol

1. when he's yawning, stick your finger in his mouth (but be careful not to touch anything... that's unhygienic :P)
- Note: if you do this consistently, he will eventually get used to it and just keep yawning even with your finger in his mouth. once he's used to it, the next time he yawns, jam your whole fist in. he won't see that coming and he will gag a bit... then he'll get pretty pissed.
- Remember to giggle after... if you don't, he'll stay mad at you for a long time

2. this tip was given to me by my sister, Poots (if im pro at pissing off my bf, Poots = the GURU at pissing off her bf lol)... when your bf is sleeping, whisper sweet nothings in his ear in the LOUDEST whisper you can do. just say it over and over and over and over again.
- regardless of how heavy a sleeper your bf is, he will wake up anddd when he wakes up... he will be pissed
- When he wakes up, remember to say "i'm sorry, it's just that... i love you" in the cutest and most charming way you can

3. when he's doing something "important" (i.e. watching sports, finishing up a level in his game etc) sit on his lap and make him hug you. if he asks you to move, tell him you will after he kisses you... 100 times.
- Note: at about the 30- 40th kiss, he will start to get pissed and push you off... dont try to get back on his lap, just sit close to him and say "i just wanted to be close to you" in the saddest and most innocent voice you can

... fyi, all these are tried and tested :)

MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder

2010-01-14T19:30:00.000-05:00

i picked this up at my local MAC store two weeks ago after my favourite s.a. (Julia @ Square One) suggested this to me. i actually wasn't even looking for an oil control product as i felt the oil control lotion ive been using was doing a good job at controlling my oily t-zone.

decided to buy this anyway after seeing the overall difference in my face... that and i have a weakness when it comes to good looking people suggesting me to buy things lol (some people have a weakness for packaging, good looking people = my weakness haha).

Not so quick rundown:

- Texture: very finely milled... i was a little bit concerned with adding this to my daily routine as i figured it would clog my pores and cause me to break out but so far it hasn't :) it is a bit messy though but it's something you learn to deal with especially since it gives you such nice results!

- Application: i apply this using a powder brush to set my foundation and concealer. i lightly dip the brush into the jar then tap tap tap the excess. i then swipe the remaining product on my face, concentrating mainly on my t-zone and my under eye area.

- Price: an 8 gram container of this goes for $25 CAD... which is a really good deal as i can see this lasting me a VERY long time (i'm talking YEARS AND YEARS here lol).

- Results: not only does this result in a completely oil free 8 hour day, it also provides you with a nice and matte airbrushed finish to your skin. as far as loose powders go, i think one main concern everyone has is the white cast effect (aka ghost face killa look lol) which i can honestly say is something that doesn't occur with this product... it's called TRANSPARENT finishing powder for a reason :)

- Other: my s.a. actually told me that if you're looking for very sheer coverage, just skip your foundation and dust this lightly on to your face for that minimalist effect. i haven't tried this as i wear foundation daily buuut Julia = one of the most knowledgeable s.a.'s i've encountered sooo i have no reason to doubt her :)

if i were to find a con with this product, i would say it would be in the packaging. as i said earlier, it is a bit messy... and i find i have to open it over a garbage can just so i don't end up with fall outs all over my vanity. regardless of the mess though, this product is definitely part of my "must have" items... i would say HG buuut i've never tried any other finishing powders before so i can't really compare it with anything else :P

the bottom line, would i repurchase and recommend this to everyone else? YES YES YES YES YES :)

Rina the Reindeer

2010-01-13T19:05:00.002-05:00

meet Rina the Reindeer... aka Rudolph's girlfriend ;)

my bf named her... hence the boring name.

i wanted to name her something unique and exotic sounding like... Ainsley or Tavi buut bf said i had to start giving my ami babies "normal" names. he's sooo boring!

* * *

like Shmoo, Rina doesn't have a mouth either... i suck at stitching :S

* * *

here she is chilling with the rest of my ami babies (notice how ALL of them don't have mouths? lol)...

Shmoo the Giraffe... the Ninja Turtles... andd Molieshy the Hippo :)

* * *

Pattern - FREE with registration from the Lionbrand.com website

How to - for those that want to learn how to make your own ami babies watch the 6 videos here (theyre all less than 3 minutes each :)

Girls talk!

2010-01-12T18:58:00.000-05:00

i was planning on joining Girls Talk buuut figured since it's a weekly game, i wouldn't be able to keep up with it. i like this month's theme though sooooo im going to post like im part of it anyway lol

First Crush
- had my first crush back in kindergarten... at that time, i didn't know what crushing on someone meant buuut every time i came home from school, the older people at home would always ask me if i had one already. i got sick and tired of saying i didn't have one yet soooo i decided my first crush would be the chubbiest guy in class who dressed up as Santa for halloween lol

First Date
- first date was when my first bf took me to a park by a lake... we were still unofficial at that point buuut i remember him putting his hand on top of mine while we were sitting on a bench. i tried to act like it was nothing buut in my head i felt like a slut for letting him hold my hand on the first date ahahahah

First Kiss
- i honestly don't remember who my first kiss was sooo i had to ask my sister Poots for this (she has wayyy better memory than me + i tell her everything)... according to her it was during a school field trip. back then i was called "A.M." (Anne Mari :P) anddd everyone was teasing me about this guy named "P.M." (Paul Martin?). apparently he liked me, sooo i decided to kiss him (*ugh slut lol).

First Boyfriend
- first official boyfriend was back in Grade 12... he was my coworker's cousin (like a true fattie, i part time'd at MCDONALD'S! lol). we first met at mickey d's, i was closing the resto with his cousin and he was there waiting for our shifts to end so he could drive his cousin home. he had a gf of 3 months at that time... which he dumped a week later after talking to me for less than 5 minutes (talk about an ego booster :P lol). i was pretty paranoid with him as he seemed like the player type... tall, good looking anddd had a car ;) haha. it took him 6 months of visiting me at work, visiting me at home and visiting me at school until i finally trusted him and called him my boyfriend. like most highschool relationships though, it was all too serious, too much and too soon. i broke up with him exactly a year after we met... then got back together again... a month later, he broke up with me just so he can say *HE* was the one that broke it off lol asshole.

that's it... anyone want to girl talk with me? i'd love love love to hear about your firsts :)

Look-a-like fail

2010-01-11T18:28:00.000-05:00

do you guys believe in the existence of a doppelganger? orrrr how about someone unrelated to you that looks exactly like you?? i WANT to believe in it... buuuut until i see her (or him? lol) in person, doppelgangers = pure fiction in my books!

sooo according to this facebook app i look 79% like the person to the left =_=

FAIL!

according to MyHeritage.com i look like these celebs... FAIL x2

(i must admit, i am flattered though... these celebs are HOT! especially the first one :)

... im actually relieved, this is the second time i did a celeb collage at MyHeritage.com, the first time i did it (maybe a couple years ago or so) it said my top celeb look alike was friggin XZIBIT!! AHAHHAH

do you guys know of any other facebook apps orrrr free websites that do photo matches?? i find these soo fun to do! :)

Girly shtuff

2010-01-07T18:41:00.002-05:00

heres just a preview of the things i want to post a review on in the coming weeks. like what i said in my previous post, I SUCK when it comes to beauty blogging... although i have an obsession with beauty related things, i find it more amusing and fun to blog about food and pooping lol

MAC Prep+Prime translucent powder

* * *

Benefit's Bad Gal Lash (in Rich Black) - non WP formula

* * *

MAC Select Cover Up

* * *

andddd finally...

Lush Tea Tree Water toner and Enzymion moisturizer

Dark Angels cleanser and Ocean Salt cleanser

... although late, i can safely say that im officially in the Lush-aholic bandwagon. just these past two weeks, i've spent close to $200 in that store alone (i blame it on their holiday sale... 2 for 1 gift box deal is just tooo hard to pass up :P). planning on hauling hand/body creams anddd soaps next. thinking about getting the Dream cream and Sympathy for the Skin, as well as trying out a bar of the Rock Star and Sexy Peel soaps hehehehe im sooo excited lol

"Once Upon a Time"

2010-01-06T18:56:00.001-05:00

i was tagged by the wonderful Zoe of 13 December to do this one
easy peasy tag that involves...
- posting a pic from when you were a kid (<13 y/o)
- writing about it
- tagging readers :D
Zoe actually started this tag by herself... super excited that i was one of the people she passed this on to :)

excuse the picture quality on this one. it's a WEBCAM picture of a picture. too lazy to scan lol

can't remember exactly when this pic was taken... buuut judging from the fact that Poots was still a baby in this pic, that would make me around 4 y/o andd my brother (the one with the big head on the far right lol) would be 2 y/o

* * *

i'm supposed to be in a "praying" position here... which is very ironic as i was a super super evil kid. im actually surprised they let me this close to the infant Poots in this pic. my parents were seriously scared that i'd kill my siblings when no one was watching :S my mom used to say how she caught me smothering my brother with a pillow once... sibling rivalry at its finest!

i dont remember any of it though... thank goodness i grew out of my murderous ways lol

i pass this on to...

- Christy

- FreshElle

- edxaii

- Jing

- and anyone else who wants to do it :))

New Year's Eve FOTD

2010-01-05T18:55:00.000-05:00

i suck at beauty blogging. when i started this blog, my aim was to do 1 beauty related review + 1 FOTD at least once per week... 60+ posts later, i've only done less than 10 beauty related posts and have talked more about what i've eaten and my pooping habits than anything else lol
whatever, food = happiness anddd happy people are beautiful people :)

my NYE look... used all the colours in MAC's Shadowy Lady palette

* * *

used the top right for lids, bottom left for outer v andd bottom right for crease

...anddd NYX cream cheese for highlight :)

* * *

here's my sister Poops and I before heading out... spent NYE at my cousin's place :)

i actually took a bunch of pics with Poops and Poots buuut i looked like a sack of potatoes in every pic sooo decided not to post it bahaha

* * *

family looooove... Poots (Margarita), Belot (Mabelyn), Jekka (Jessica), Me, Pring pring (April)

aren't they sooo pretty? :) i like how everyone dressed up anddd i showed up wearing leggings and an oversized tank ahahhaha

Sweet Culture

2010-01-04T18:33:00.000-05:00

my boring boy took me to Sweet Culture on saturday. it's this asian resto in Markham that sells mainly desserts... my sister, Poots, recommended the place to me. apparently her bf researched it and found a lot of good reviews on it.
pricing is super cheap too... most of the menu items were less than $5 :D excuse the bad picture quality... my digicam sucks + im a bad photographer lol

honeydew soup with tapioca pearls

red bean soup (tastes wayyyy better than it looks)... although i do like my bf's mom's version better though. hers is a lot creamier and more "beany"

* * *

street style shu mai

* * *

glutinous rice balls topped with sesame seeds

... this one's the bf's fave (he FOUGHT me for the last piece... not joking lol)

* * *

we actually ordered a lot more than this... since everything was super cheap, we wanted to get at least 6+ desserts to share. buuuut for some reason, the stupid resto was out of everything fried sooo we were limited to ordering just the steamed appetizers, shakes and soups. apparently the cult favorite here is the "sweet crispy milk"... main reason why i wanted to go since my sister wouldn't stop talking about it. unfortunately, it's part of their "fried" menu sooo it was out of stock that night :( definitely going back again for those... i feel like my life's incomplete until i taste them lol

A piece of me in... January 2010

2010-01-03T13:14:00.000-05:00

I like:

- that bf and i finally found the time to go to ikea to get boxes... my vanity is now organized! no more clutter yayyyy!

looking at this brings me joy and happiness lol

(i should have taken a before and after pic...

i swear you couldn't even see the top of my vanity!)

- ninjavideo.net... i dont care if you think im supporting pirates/terrorists/ugly people, watching FREE movies in my laptop = happy anne :) i've watched "9", Brothers and The Blindside so far... allll very good movies!

- that im actually on time with this post yayyy... last month i ended up posting a day late tsk tsk

I don't like:
- that the holidays are officially over :(
- that this is the start of the looooong winter months... freezing days, minimal sunlight, snow and slush everywhere and black ice to look out for when driving ugh! if you live in a place that doesn't snow, be thankful! frosty the snowman is not a nice peson... he is ugly and scary.
- that the next long weekend wont be until mid February ughhh. note to self: book off next year's vacation at the end of january soo i have something to look forward to after new year's eve

I want you to know:
- that i downloaded and PAID for my first album on itunes recently... $9.99 for LFO's Life is Good = super worth it! i did try looking for a torrent of it at first (cheapos unite lol), it seems everyone's forgotten about LFO though, there was absolutely no torrents on them anywhere!

I've planned:
- on booking an all inclusive vaca somewhere in the Caribbean this month... i was aiming on having it booked before 2009 ended buuut ive been slacking on researching hotels :( blehhhh

I want to say to someone special:
- to the client i helped out last week... even though you probably will never read this, i want you to know that since meeting you, ive been praying for you and your family every night.

♥ That's it nowww share a piece of YOU and join the game by answering the 5 questions above every first Sunday of the month ;)

have you guys seen this??

2010-01-01T14:38:00.002-05:00

i just watched this two seconds ago and i am soooo buying it this weekend! even though my bf is a tech geek/nerd/loser lol anddd i'm pretty much well informed of the new techie things that are coming out everyday through him, i'm still soooo amazed at what the Wii Your Shape can do! (woww im sounding like a commercial lol)

anyways, ill keep you guys posted on what i think of this after i get my hands on it anddd trying it for a week or two. i really hope this works as the humongous quantities of food ive been eating ~~this holiday season~~ MY WHOLE LIFE is slowly catching up to me... i would like to start eating healthy andddd for once, be one of the first people who leave my work's building during a fire drill WITH DIGNITY, instead of being one of the last and panting/sweating like crazy lol
during the last fire drill:
Coworker #1: are you okay? you look like death?
Coworker #2: maybe you should get yourself on the list of people that need to be carried down
then they both laughed and laughed and laughed. i couldn't say anything cuz i was still catching my breath and panting like crazy lol

2009 according to my FB status updates

2009-12-31T18:29:00.006-05:00

According to my status updates, my 2009 was about:

1. FOOD (surprise surprise lol) - my most commented food status updates:

- "dangerous dan's this weekend... it's the only way to live... and die"

- just came back from sushi 168 for the 30283280938509385th time this month ughhh... disgusted with myself but my stomach is happy :]"

- "hopes to get better by tomorrow cuz steeeef promised me 938793485 peking ducks if i dooo..."

- "is craving some [insert any food you can think of]" LOL

- "Sweet banana + crushed ice + milk = diabetes heavennnnn"

2. Boring Steeef - my most commented Steef status updates:

- "1000 SLAM days :)"

- "hates steve lo"

- "i really do hate Steve Lo"

- "on the computer playing games while watching steefdaddy vacuum... bahahha if this is what the future holds, then i want it nowwww"

- "i hate Steve, but i love him but i hate him!!" ahhaha

3. Facebook games bahahahha - although i never posted about these in my status updates, i was allllllll about:

- Restaurant City

- Country Story

- Typing Maniac

- Ponzi Inc.

- Cafe World

.... i have no life :( lol.

Click click here if you want to see 2009 according to your FB status updates :)

Have a safe and happy start to your NEW YEAR everyone!! btw, i was lurking my cousin's blog the other day, he said something really profound... when youre wishing someone a happy new year, youre not just wishing them a happy start, you're wishing them a happy YEAR (not just day, week or month). think about that ;) sooooo that being said, HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone ♥

You know your family loves food too much when...

2009-12-30T19:53:00.002-05:00

... you have a BLOW TORCH lying around to make the perfect honey ham!

Mom: [talking to my brother] get the blow torch and start perfecting the ham
Brother: kk
Me: we have a blow torch? we have a BLOW TORCH? WE HAVE A BLOW TORCH?!?!
Mom: YES! be quiet, youre hurting my soul
Brother: shut up! it's just a blow torch!
seriously, you can't be wielding a blow torch around the house and say it's "just" a blow torch! it's a friggin BLOW TORCH! lol. anddd yess, my mom really did say "you're hurting my soul"... she says that to me a lot haha

does anyone else have a blow torch? lol

Blogging from the toilet...

2009-12-29T20:58:00.000-05:00

... is it just me or does everyone have a hard time naming their blog posts? honestly, on average it takes me about 5 minutes to come up with a title. ofcourse, i always try to come up with as witty and relevant titles as i can. obviously it's a fail today. whatever, i guess it's still relevant as i am actually on the toilet LOL.

i've been a little MIA from blogger recently...had myself a veryyyy good holiday weekend (anddd from reading everyone's blog posts, i'm pretty sure everyone did too :) nothing beats food + family + a super long weekend!

found out first hand that a good bit of my cousins read my blog... ughh no more anonymous anne :(
Cousin #1: You sound soooo much more fun on your blog than in real life
Me: Why does everyone say that?
WHY DOES EVERYONE SAY THAT?!?! i swear i'm fun in real life too... i swear!!

Me: [insert story #1 that happened to me recently]
Cousin #2: Yahhh i know, i read it on your blog
Me: [insert story #2 that happened to me recently]
Cousin #2: ughhh i know, that's on your blog too
LOL

Cousin #3: why wasn't i invited to THE MOST PERFECT DAY...EVER?!?!

bahhhh whatever, i guess this is another form of communicating with them as we don't see each other as often as we'd like. hiiiiiiii Belot, Pring pring and Jekka :) lol

"Why didn't you tell me?"

2009-12-24T14:29:00.000-05:00

i don't really have any cute Santa Claus stories... sooo i'm stealing my cousins, Jessica and Sarah's story lol :) fyi, i actually never believed in Santa AT ALL. my parents never bought into the whole north american ideal of "tricking" their kids into believing in Santa... they like taking credit for the gifts they bought haha (although when i grow up, i'd want my kids to believe in Santa, it's just cuter that way ;)... yayyy to being integrated lol).

anyways, back to my cousins' super cute Santa story. i can't remember now buuut i think Jessica was already in the 5th grade when her parents finally broke the news of Santa not being real to her. they actually took the time to sit her down and talk to her calmly and carefully... once she finished crying her eyes out (poor thing!), she then went to her younger sister, Sarah, to break the news (fyi, Sarah's two years younger than her):
Jessica: did you know Santa's not real?
Sarah: i knew that a long time ago
Jessica: [still sobbing] why didn't you tell me?

LOL. it's something we laugh at now buuut when Jessica was telling us that story, she actually said how she was really traumatized and sad about it for WEEKS... bahhhh she's too cute. i love her ♥

that's my heartwarming stolen Christmas story. Merry Christmas everyone!!! As Kym's shirt says, "Live, Love, Laugh, EAT" :)

Chips?

2009-12-23T18:20:00.000-05:00

ate a whole bag of these bad boys yesterday...

... because foodies don't want just any kind of bbq flavoured chips,

it has to be bbq BABY BACK RIBS chips lol

* * *

took a picture of the package, buuut deleted it by mistake sooo ended up just stealing this from the president's choice website... yyyyup i'm a rebel, straight up "G" to the "angster". okay ill stop lol

has anyone tried these chips?!??! SOOOOOO GOOD! i love the (not so) new line of pc's chips... i swear they have the best flavours:
- PC Greek (Feta, olive and oregano flavour)
- PC Spicy Piri Piri (noooo idea what piri piri is... sounds kinda naughty to me lol... hey hot stuff, want some of my Piri Piri? i want to buy it just to say that line haha )
- PC Tandoori BBQ
- PC Buffalo Wings and Blue Cheese (tried this... didn't really like it, had a subtle ranch flavour, which i HATE)
- PC Szechwan
- PC General Tao Chicken
... not sure if i missed one. i want to try PC Greek next. i was reading the description on the website and it got me drooling lol. yuuup, if you havent already figured it out, im a fatty :) ... at work when theres absolutely nothing to do, i usually look up restaurant menus online and just drool over the food item's descriptions/pictures ahahah

The Most Perfect Day... Ever

2009-12-22T19:53:00.000-05:00

instead of my weekly "Random pics from the weekend" post, i'm posting about this instead. because, well... it's THE MOST PERFECT DAY... EVER lol.

the birth of THE MOST PERFECT DAY... EVER:
conceived of this idea after coming home from work bored and hungry (like usual!). decided to phone my sister, Poots, to see if she was in on my idea:
Me: hey want to have THE MOST PERFECT DAY... EVER?
Poots: huh? wtf are you talking about?
... i then proceeded to tell her. anddd being a full fledged fatty like me, she was in on it! we then spent the next hour or so on the phone working out the details.

kk, ill skip the suspense... this is what i did last Sunday for THE MOST PERFECT DAY... EVER:

woke up at 9ish, got ready then headed to Denny's for the breakfast of champions!

i got the Heartland Scramble with French Toast :)

* * *

headed to Pmall, walked around for a couple hours... for lunch, our plan was to grab some cheap eats at the food court buuut we were still wayyyy too full from Denny's sooo just went to Tea Shop 168 and ordered ourselves some bbt and small snacks (Brick toast + fish balls)

in pic: Green tea chiller (Poots), Honeydew milk tea (Poops), Black milk tea (ME)

* * *

we then drove back to our house for an unplanned pit stop (everyone pretty much had to poop lol).

we then headed to Demetre's for some desserts... and eye candy lol

(one of the servers there is SUPER HOT! my cousin's bf works with him andd apparently he makes A LOT of money serving at Demetre's just from tips... im not surprised, he's SUPER HOT! lol. anddd he knows it too! me and Poots were checking him out the whole time and he would randomly glance at our table (which made us giggle hehehe).

* * *

after Demetre's... AVATAR!!! definitely a *thumbs up*

anddd after Avatar...

Wild Wings... where we ordered 6 lbs of chicken wings (approx 55+ wings)

* * *

The End... or is it? lol nawwww, definitely the end of THE MOST PERFECT DAY... EVER. ate sooooooo much... anddd probably the first time we spent more than $200+ on food for a day!

*TMI WARNING! TMI WARNING*

ate sooo much that when i got home, my poop was soooo gigantic i ended up naming him lol.

LOL.

Photo Tag!

2009-12-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

got tagged by the hottie Cristina of BarbieLuvsMac to do this. yayyayayaya!

Here are the rules:
1. Open your 1st Photo folder.
2. Scroll to the 10th photo.
3. Post the photo & the story behind it.
4. Tag 5 or more people.

a webcam pic with one of my fave little cousins, Marissa

... this pic was obviously taken a loooooooong time ago when smirking not smiling was the cool thing to do lol. ughhh i was debating on whether or not to post this pic, i decided on doing it cuz i didn't want to cheat haha.

my cousin's sooo cute though (still is!). she couldn't pronounce her name correctly when she was younger sooo she'd refer to herself as "Mitha" lol. she was only 3 or 4 in this pic... she's nearing 10 y/o now buut she still has a lisp hehe. now she calls herself "Maritha". she's def one of my faves... her and Lara ♥ (yahh i know im horrible for having favourites haha).

i tag:

- Karen of MissKYou

- Jay KV of Exploiting at its ReaLest

- Erynn of E.motion in: motion;

- Mai of a. maitai a day

- YOU, yessss YOU ;)

A follow up...

2009-12-17T19:15:00.000-05:00

just a follow up on my post about my relationship before vs. now with the bf (after being with him for 41 months :D)

BEFORE
Me: i love you
Steef: i love you MORE
Me: i love you EVEN more
Steef: i love you times infinity
... we would literally go on and on and on for HOURS "arguing" about who loves who more

NOW
Me: i love you
Steef: no homo

...and people say guys get less romantic as time goes by LOL.

Herro package :)

2009-12-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

not sure if it's just me, buuut i loooove reading posts about un-boxing ;) Un-boxing is also my new favourite word... iono why, but i find that word sooo sexy lol.

my second herrohachi package :)

the box was huuuuge... im pretty sure it's the biggest thing i've gotten in the mail EVER

* * *

first layer = candy, candy candy!!! lol
Kym knows the way to my heart is through my stomach!

* * *

ze tee shirts! and a note from Kym :)

* * *

each shirt was individually wrapped with a bow anddd candy cane :)

* * *

mine and the bf's couple shirts... cuz we're ninjas.

... notice how the boy shirt is wrapped around the girl shirt? Kym's tees are romantic like that lol

* * *

the blue shirt is for Poots, "What happens in clinicals, stays in clinicals"
... Poots = in her last year of nursing school. she graduates May 2010. i'm sooo proud of her... she has a near perfect GPA anddd is the president of the nursing association at her uni... in school she's known as the "girl who does everything" lol
the white shirt is for Poops, "I'm not small, I'm fun sized"
... Poops = in grade 10, pre-IB program... need i say more? :P i have very smart sisters
(i'm the cute one lol).
* * *

Kym: hey do you want a defect cupcake shirt?

Anne: YESSSSS. i dont care if it's defective, a herrohachi shirt is still a herrohachi shirt :P

... a week later, she sends me not one but THREE cupcake shirts. one for each sister! YAYAYA!

* * *

thank you Kympots!! ♥ herrohachi.etsy.com

Random pics from the weekend: Part VII

2009-12-15T18:26:00.000-05:00

this weekend marked the end of my one week vacation from work... booo! didn't do much during my vacation... in fact, i only did half of the things on my to-do list ugh. still on my to do list:
- book a 1 week all inclusive trip for april 2010 :D
- check my car's tire pressure (such an easy 2 second job, buuut it's too cold outside lol)
- organize xmas games for my little cousins (we host a big big family xmas party yearly, anddd i like to think one of the things that people look forward to are the games that my sisters and i organize ;)

what i did end up doing was: clean make up brushes, laundry andd CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!! yayyyyy. this is the first xmas im celebrating unstressed. i usually leave gift shopping to the very last minute, i.e. a couple hours before malls close on christmas EVE lol.

heres meee before leaving the house to go xmas shopping

... sooo proud of myself, i actually went to the mall by MYSELF!

(random anne fact: i HATE going to public places, especially malls, by myself!

... most of the time i'd force the bf orrr one of my sisters to come with me,

buuut the bf had work, and both my sisters had school sooo had no choice but to be "miss independent" blahhh)

* * *

had pho twice in a row. my usual order = medium pho, deep fried spring rolls and shake

... im addicted to the coconut milkshake right now. i ~~forced~~ asked the bf to drive me back to the pho place two nights ago just for the shake :) lol

* * *

another favourite cheap eats of mine: soy sauce chicken and duck!

*drools* i literally crave duck every single day of my life lol

* * *

where's Yoshi? lol

* * *

ended the weekend by going to a raptors game with the bf and another couple friend (double date yayyyyy lol)

. . . it was my very first time to see the Raptors live, i'm glad they won :)

our seats were super close, we sat right behind the court side seats.

not too shabby since the tickets were FREEEE!

not really into basketball, sooo i had to pretend to be interested the whole time

(i found myself cheering for the other team accidentally a couple times lol)

* * *

what i bought this weekend:

went into the tutti frutti store andd bought these :D

. . . finished them overnight ugh.

bahhh im craving some jelly beans now! these ones are my fave!

butter popcorn flavor = looooove

(bf HATES it and the smell sooo i always blow air in his direction every time i eat these :)

* * *

cg nail polish :D

LtoR: Up All Night, VIII, Unplugged, Heaven, For Audrey

. . . i swatched Up All Night and it's gorgeous!!

* * *

that was it for my weekend. i really wish i crossed off more from my to-do list ugh. anyone have any suggestions on good hotels somewhere in the Caribbean? i want at least a 4* rating... and preferably not in Mexico (cuz of all the swine flu business). wait, is Mexico even in the caribbean? ugh i suck at geography lol

Convo with Poops

2009-12-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

Just showed my sister the finished Shmoo...
Poops: are you making the ami guy next?
Me: maybe, not sure yet..
Poops: i like him
Me: i thought you said he was ugly?
Poops: yah, thats why i like him
Me: that's why i like you too
Poops: cuz im ugly?
Me: yah...
Poops: but you like me!! yayyyy!!

LOL my sisters are the best! fyi, Poops = my youngest sister (we have a TEN YEAR age gap... although we've gotten a few people asking if we're twins lol). oh anddd her real name is Mariel :)

my siblings and i last year :)

LtoR: Poops (Mariel), Poots (Margarita...yess like the drink), Bobong (Rodolfo) and meeeee

(don't you just love the nicknames i gave them? lol)

The making of Shmoo the Giraffe...

2009-12-10T09:44:00.003-05:00

before stitching any ami project, i always lay everything together... it's more suspenseful/exciting that way :P

* * *

tail, legs, horns and ears... check!

* * *

arms... check!

* * *

spots... check!

* * *

after almost 3 months of procrastinating, welcome to the world Shmoo :)

. . . im actually supposed to stitch a mouth for him,

buuut Shmoo's a quiet and shy guy... he's not a talker, he's a doer :)

* * *

Pattern - FREE with registration from the Lionbrand.com website

How to - for those that want to learn how to make your own ami babies watch the 6 videos here (theyre all less than 3 minutes each :)

41 Months of STAN ♥... and an "Anne" moment :(

2009-12-07T21:01:00.161-05:00

STAN = STeve + ANne... yahh, we're ~~losers~~ witty haha.

i drew this for him on msn when we first started going out :)

so last friday was my 41st month anni with the bf. he's the best thing that ever happened in my life... anddd even though im still very much IN LOVE with him, we've definitely grown out of the "you hang up, no YOU hang up, NO you hang up" phase lol (sadly, we really did do that when we first got together ahahha... very embarrassing considering when we got together, we were already in our 20's lol).

anyways, just wanted to post about how it used to be vs. how it is now at this point in our relationship...

STAN ON CUDDLING
Before: every time i slept over, he'd hug me throughout the night just because we wanted to be as close to each other as possible... even though we'd BOTH end up with stiff necks/sore backs the morning after cuz of how awkward our sleeping position was lol
Now: he would still hug me... but only until i fall asleep. afterwards, he would push me into my side of the bed then put a pillow in the middle to keep me from taking over the whole bed lol

STAN ON FLATULENCE
Before: when he needs to fart, he would get up and go to another room to fart so i dont end up smelling it (fyi, he farts A LOT lol. he's lactose intolerant buuut his most favorite thing to eat in the world is ice cream!)
Now: *bf farts*... turns to me, "did you smell it?"... i say "yes"... then he says "hehehe suckaaa" =_=

STAN ON PRESENTS
Before: presents were well thought out and ALWAYS ALWAYS a surprise
Last year's xmas present (our 3rd one together)t: i got him a Canadian Tire gift card, which was what he asked for. for the non canadians, Canadian tire = a big chain auto/hardware/DIY stores

*drum rolls* an anne moment: last week i overheard a couple coworkers gushing about how they were planning on giving their bf's the best xmas present evaaaa... (btw, one of my coworkers is actually surprising her bf with an all inclusive trip to Jamaica!!)... sooo one of my coworkers turned to me...

Coworker: so whatd you get your bf last year for xmas?

me: ughh... a set of pliers, engine oil, gas and...

(at this point i wanted to say something "romantic" so i could top my coworker's surprise vacation present)

me: ...sex

*insert awkward silence... followed by rolling laughter THROUGHOUT THE DAY*

(Note to self: think first before you speak, ugh)

Now: "Hey what do you want for xmas?"... bf: "not sure yet; ill get it online for sure though, so ill just buy it then you pay me after" bahaha

STAN ON DISAGREEMENTS

Before: fights were usually caused by ~~stupid girls around him~~ my irrational jealousy towards ~~ugly sluts~~ girls

Now: the last BIG fight we had was from him eating the last piece of halloween candy i was saving lol. ughhh, it still irks me every time i think about it =_=

i think that's it. yayyy to STAN :)

btw, this post was inspired by one of "lil Kym's" posts where she wrote about how her and her bf shop for each others' presents :)