Lately

Warning: This is full of personal and unexciting stuff. If you're interested, read on. If not, go find something more worthy of your time.

• These past few weeks, I realized that most of the time I easily get irritated, even with some simple stuff. And then, I can't help but be hot-tempered. You know, like a child having some tantrums. It's not enough for me to contain it, I need to release it or else... I also feel like other people, especially in my work, already perceive me as mataray/masungit (grumpy/rude/mean/bratty). But then, who cares? Haha, this is me being mataray! Is it because of the hormones? Is this a sign of being an old maid? Waaah! I hope not!

• On other note, my skin is not in good condition. This afternoon, I looked in a mirror and I saw how worse it is! Big pores in my nose and the surrounding areas, acne scars (dark spots, deep holes, you name it!), crow's feet, pimples, and little bumps.  Geez, I hate it! I haven't been to the derma for a long time now, so I probably need to book an appointment. Probably because of being ill-tempered, which brings back to the hormones. Or I'm just getting old?!? My mom is currently using some Shiseido products so she advised me to check the line. Hopefully, I'd be able to go to the city soon.

• I went to the doctor the other day to check my kidney stones (2 stones in my left kidney which are ~0.22 cm in diameter). I was already done with the three-month medication, so we'll see if those pesky stones were already flushed out of my system or not. I was referred for an ultrasound. This afternoon I had it and the radiologist said that there is still one. Then he checked again and he said that he can't see it anymore. When I checked the result, he has written Normal but when I checked the image of the ultrasound, there's a 0.41 cm "thing" in my left kidney. Like, seriously, I wanted to go back and tell him to check it again/do his job properly (okay, I am being mataray again) but I just decided not to and I'll just consult it tomorrow to my doctor.

• Speaking of kidney stones, I got a 500 mL tumbler to help me in drinking lots of water. I'm not really fond of drinking water but now I have to. It really helped that I finally have a tumbler because I can easily monitor the amount of my water intake. I usually have 1.5-2 Li of water at work, then probably 300-500 mL of water when I get home.

• A while ago, I decided to clean my CR and after all the brushing, scratching, and wiping, it looks so much better. And I'm tired but surprisingly, I feel better. Uhm, maybe I should also do that in my life.

Image sources:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

NAST Conference

Since today is a holiday, I am just here spending the rest of the day in my apartment. It's the perfect time to rest and, well, do some general cleaning later. Haha! Geez that's my life these days. There's not really much happening but let me share some moments of last week's event that me and my colleagues attended. The 37th Annual Meeting of National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) held at the Manila Hotel. It's a two-day meeting filled with talks about non-communicable diseases - the topic for this year.

Setting aside the technical aspect, let's proceed to fashion. In case you notice, I finally get to wear the Mango dress I got on sale! Yipee! Imagine my excitement wearing it because I only get to wear dresses on very few occasions.

I paired it with a black blazer and heels and my trusted conference bag. If you've seen my other posts on the previous conferences I attended, you'll always see this bag. It's because I really bought this bag for the purpose of attending such events. As I learned through the years, it's important to invest in good quality bag, shoes, blazers, and dresses when you're attending conferences/seminars/meetings. I still have to find slacks and blouses though. But personally, I prefer wearing dresses and blazers.

dress - Mango

blazer - Forever 21

bag - Charles and Keith

shoes - Figlia

Even though it's wet outside, the rain couldn't stop me from checking the pool and of course, taking a picture. 

By the way, during this time, the Philippines has just experienced two typhoons in one week. So it's raining hard for several days and the classes were suspended. Good thing, the typhoons were not that strong.

Here's a picture I took while inside the car, listening to some good music while looking at the rain outside. Well, hello there rainy season (tag-ulan in the local language).

Tag-ulan

Saturday Shopping: Mango and Avalon Organics

Been stuck in my apartment for several weekends already so I decided to spend my Saturday in MOA (my favorite shopping haven in the metro). A week ago, I discovered that Mango was on sale while browsing their site. So I was really keen on checking their shop in MOA. Fortunately, the sale was still up yesterday. Hello 50% off! I probably spent a whole lot of time checking almost everything. Haha! And then, I got this - a flowy, floral printed dress. From P2,950, I got it for only P1,450. And it's in XS! Yeah, I really feel like a lucky girl because usually, on sales, the sizes are bigger than mine (but I still end up buying one, haha). The faux leather detail in the neckline adds a bit of an edge in an otherwise girly dress. I can already imagine pairing it with a black, leather jacket to give it a rocker chic vibe or a blazer and heels for the office look or just a pair of sandals for some comfy, effortless outfit.

Mango

I also went to Watsons - a shop that sells a variety of face, body, and hair care products. A stall caught my attention with the name of Avalon Organics (you can check their site here). You see, I'm not really particular of buying expensive bath products. As long as I have my Head and Shoulders shampoo and a soap, I'm good with that. But then going organic is something that I've been seeing in so many products, local and international. And this Avalon Organics, after reading the info, made me want to give it a try.

I hate to admit this but dandruff has been my problem when it comes to hair care for several years now. It's disgusting. I tried different shampoos but I find that Head and Shoulders is something that I should stick into. It doesn't really remove my dandruff one hundred percent but at least it doesn't worsen my dandruff like other shampoo does. But then again, it's also nice to try something that is natural and organic, meaning free of synthetic chemicals and solvents.

Avalon Organics' Scalp Normalizing Shampoo: Tea Tree Mint Therapy fits the bill! Please refer to the picture above for its uses. Well, look at all those ingredients (see image below), all those plant extracts and essential oils, all those natural goodness! And I've also been wanting to use something minty in my bath so this really is a must try. Super love the smell, too!

P.S. I'll be using it later and hopefully, after a month or so, I'll be able to make a review. By the way, I got the shampoo for P449 (414mL).

What If

Sometimes life puts you in a position of whether you should take that next big step or just stay in your comfort zone, of whether you should jump off the water or just stay at the cliff and wonder what might happen if you did jump.

Will you hit a rock? 

Will you drown? 

Will you die? 

Will you live? 

Will you conquer your fear? 

It's a risky business - going out of your comfort zone, exploring the other side not knowing what it would really be like. 

But then again, what's the point of living a comfortable yet stagnant life if you can go out there and experience something new? It'll never be easy, it's going to be full of uncertainties, but, probably, it's going to be worth it.

Note to Self

MUST.

FIND.

YOUR.

 PASSION.

I feel like a little girl in the middle of a crossroad,

faced with many options but unsure of where to go.

Wedding theme: Watercolor

Sharing some wedding inspiration here. Disclaimer: I am not yet getting married. I haven't met him yet so I guess it will still take a long time before our paths cross but, as of now, it's just nice to look at these pictures and have some idea on what that special day would be like.

wedding gown

bridesmaid dress

invitation

table setting

feather details (preferably faux feathers)

Image source:
1: here, 2: here, 3: here, 4: here, 5: here

PMCP 2015 (Day 4)

For the last day of the conference, I wore this little red number. It's the smallest size but it is still a bit big for me. But...I really like the fabric so I still got it! Haha! The neckline was kind of revealing, thus I got a little help from a black lace tube. And of course, to make things look formal and business ready, I added a black blazer.

dress - Forever 21

blazer - Forever 21

bag - Charles and Keith

shoes - Charles and Keith

watch - Calvin Klein

PMCP 2015 (Day 3): Samal Island

The third day of the conference was spent island hopping in Samal island. I've been to Samal before but this was my first time exploring the different areas of the island. We went to several coves where one can see schools of fish and other marine organisms, corals, and reefs. Unfortunately, we didn't have an underwater camera. But then again, it's the experience that counts.

Excited and nervous at the same time... That's me when I was about to take a dip.

But I get the hang of it and I have to say I really began to enjoy being there, swimming and looking at the rich marine sanctuary.

We also went to the beach. It was noon time and as you can see (in the image below), the water was very, very calm.

The obligatory jump shot with the girls. Hihi! Good thing it only took two shots to capture this.

Posing with some posts. Yes, everyone had a moment with these structures.

The one thing that I really like with this beach is that a few walks away from the waters, you'll see some trees and the ground covered with green carpet.

Before returning to exploring coves, a group shot is definitely a must-have.

It was indeed a day well-spent. Even though I got a bit sunburned, it's nothing compared to all the fun and amazing underwater view that I saw and experienced.

Nature is definitely a lovely piece of creation!