Fashion Favorites: 2015 Golden Globes

I know this is late but...

Emma Stone did it again! She's one of my favorite style icons. Time and again she has showed that she's never afraid to take risks when it comes to fashion. And the in the Golden Globe Awards, in a sea of gowns and frocks, Emma stood out in her Lanvin jumpsuit. The top is a gorgeous beaded tube and the bottom consist of black pants.

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There's also a fabric tied at her waist, which is kind of an accent at her back and which also forms a short trail. Though I am not really a fan of that, they probably put it to make the outfit look formal and add a touch of femininity. All in all, Emma is all about being classy and sophisticated.

Another favorite was Lupita Nyong'o in a lilac Giambattista Valli. The upper portion of the gown consist of appliques that resemble flower petals and the bottom part has some flowery prints. She surely looks ethereal.

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Lastly, Sophie Hunter in a printed, metallic Erdem gown. Though the color combination (red, silver, and navy) looks a little Chrismas-y, what I love about it is its simple style and the fact that it's not too revealing. Way to go Mrs. Cumberbatch!

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Homeless But Hopeful

Currently, I am basically homeless (ala Ed Sheeran). Yes, he experienced what it's like to be homeless before he became famous. I still have the apartment though but I don't sleep there anymore. Right after the theft incident, my parents advised me not to spend the night there and to look for a new place as soon as possible. The mere thought that someone got inside my room and got hold of my things left a trauma on me. My room, my apartment, is not what it used to be. It's not a happy place anymore. It's not my home anymore. It's not safe anymore. It just looks gloomy and reminds me of the incident.

Staying at other people's place is not my thing. I prefer to be in my room, in my own bed. It's kind of uncomfortable to be at a place that's not your own. However, the nights that followed, I was left with no choice but to sleep over in my friends' place. 

They say you'll know who your true friends are in times of trouble, in times of need...and this incident made me realized that I am one lucky girl to have friends who are ready to help me. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights at my colleague's apartment, Thursday night until tomorrow night, I am staying at another friend's house (the one who recently got married where I was a bridesmaid). Wednesday afternoon and Thursday was spent apartment hunting with another friend, who's also willing to let me stay at her apartment. Seriously, I really feel blessed and grateful they are all there for me!

Right now, I am eyeing a dormitory inside the campus which has a security guard and CCTV cameras. They're kind of strict when it comes to accepting residents but I am hoping and praying I get accepted. Last Friday, I already sent the requirements, a Letter of Intent and Certificate of Employment. It will take one to two weeks for the processing. An officer will screen the submissions, a call or an email will be sent to the applicant, who will then be interviewed at the main office. It's a meticulous process but it's okay, at least I know they really screen the residents. I am really, really hoping that I get accepted there this week (Please pray for me) so that I'll be able to have a place I can call home here in LB.

P.S. Let's go back to Ed Sheeran. I am now in his shoes. He was homeless, then he became famous. I am not wishing to be famous after this, but I am hoping that after all these misfortunes, something good is still in store for me.

Karma

This is just the start of the year but some bad things are already happening in my life. Yesterday someone broke into my room. My housemate arrived at about 3:45 pm. He was about to park his motorcycle at the back of our apartment when he noticed my air-conditioner on the ground. He then called me and I thought, How on earth would it fall out of the wall? It was stable and even during the typhoons (with strong winds and heavy rains), it didn't even fall off. Then I panic and I asked him what's the condition. If it fell, it's probably damage because of the impact. But then, it shouldn't even fall in the first place. Then it struck me. Someone probably removed it and got inside my room. And at 4:00 pm, my suspicion was proven true. Someone or probably two people removed it and the one with smaller built got through the hole. When I opened my door, all my things were out of place. The cabinets were opened. It was a mess.

My laptop was gone. It was an old one but it was the one I used when I was still in Korea and all my files (MS thesis and raw data) and pictures were there. They basically took away my two years worth of stay in Korea. 

My DSLR was gone. It was a Canon 1200D unit. For such a long time (from year 2009 to be exact), it has always been my dream of owning a DSLR. I never got the chance of buying one before because it's expensive but last year (October 2014) I took the plunge and bought one through credit card. It's worth P22,000+ and it's one year to pay. I'll only need to pay P1,800+ per month, such a good deal already. It was only used during my trip to Korea and during the Christmas season. It was placed in a camera bag, which was then placed inside another bag to prevent dust from accumulating. I'm kind of OC when it comes to my things so I really make sure they are properly taken cared of. But in just one moment, it was gone.

My wallet with only a few bills was also gone. The amount wasn't that big but it's something special because that money was given to me by my grandmother last Christmas. It was her gift to me. I'm keeping it because I want to give it back to her again when I get home. But in just the blink of an eye, it was all gone.

My back pack which I got from Hyundai Korea was gone. They gave it as a souvenir when we visited their company. I'm supposed to leave it in Korea but my father packed it when we went back to the Philippines. It was the bag I use whenever I travel and I love it because you can put as many things in it. It expands like magic. One time, one of the straps loosened out and I diligently sew it back in place. And now, it's gone.

Those burglars, those robbers, don't they know the importance of the things they stole from other people?

Don't they know the stories behind those gadgets?

That it takes time and effort of saving a lot of money just to buy them.

That those were once dreams put to reality.

That those things are special because they've been given by our loved ones.

They just don't, don't they? They just don't care.

But one day, all the bad things they did to other people will go back to them...

That thing called karma.

On Weddings and Being a Maid of Honor

Hello February!

We're already on the second month of the year. Whew, time flies! It's like January just came around. And I'm sorry guys for not being able to post on a regular basis. Aside from the super slow internet connection, I find it hard to compose blog entries at night because every time I come home from work, I hit the bed right away and sleep all the way. Geez, in other words, I'm getting old already. Haha! Anyway, since it's the "love month" once again, I'm gonna be sharing some love. A love that was bonded into one last January 23.  And nope, it's not my wedding. It's the wedding of my dear friend.

I love watching wedding videos but being in an actual wedding is something different. I have never experienced being a flower girl when I was little, let alone be a bridesmaid when I was growing up. But then, for the first time, I became a Maid of Honor, the one tasked to help the bride. And if you watched the movie 27 Dresses or have been a Maid of Honor yourself, you'll know what I mean. It's not easy but it's all worth it. And just knowing that you were there for your friend on her big day is more than enough and truly warms the heart.

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Maid of Honor and Best Man duties

  Weddings are a testament of love.

And it reminds us that

Once in awhile, right in the middle of an ordinary life, 

love gives us a fairy tale. 

                                                                   -Anonymous

Capricorn

Overview

There is a huge plot change for you this year, Capricorn. Your ruling planet, Saturn has been navigating the dark and fixed waters of Scorpio for the past two plus years, teaching you everything there is to know about deep feelings, letting go and resourcefulness. You've been putting a tremendous amount of energy into your career and life goals and committing to the long haul. This has served your career well. The only downside is that you've been a bit all work and no play, dear. You're so ready for a serious break and more you-time in 2015. Saturn will now spend the next few years in your sector of sleep, escapism and retreat. Cultivate as much time in your daily schedule for soul time, zoning out and tuning into your dreams as possible. This summer, Saturn will dip back into your house of goals and social networking between June and September. Use this time to finalize any loose ends or revamp any of your bigger schemes that still feel clunky. This year brings the final of seven Pluto-Uranus squares in March. You've been on a crash course of growth, evolution and power for the past few years. Actually, this intense metamorphosis began in 2008 when Pluto first entered your sign. You have until 2024 to go for the final transformation, but this could be one of the most pivotal of all in terms of a huge growth surge. You're truly stepping into your power and determination to build work and relationships that last. Integrity is where it's at, as always.

You'll have the continued power and presence of the North Node of Fate at the top of your chart pushing you hard to achieve more worldly goals. This influence started last year in your career zone and will continue throughout all of 2015. This makes you a bit obsessive about taking your status to the next level. It feels fated. This April, there is a total lunar eclipse occurring at the top of your horoscope. This will totally catapult your career to crazy new heights. Expect to be ridiculously busy and popular (even more so than last year). In order to balance all of this ambition and success, you're going to be in need of serious downtime. Make a plan to slow down this summer if not sooner. It's time to give back to yourself for all that you give, Capricorn.

Jupiter will continue to bless your house of resourcefulness until August, so expect generous support from friends, benefactors and people who just want to help and support your empire. There's nothing wrong with an abundance of gifts, just be sure to show your gratitude to keep it flowing. You're also tapping into your own depths and learning how to transform any archaic fears and insecurities into your greatest strengths. The first half of the year is excellent for research and introspection. Give yourself plenty of private time to go deep. You're preparing for some major breakthroughs during the latter part of 2015. When Jupiter changes signs in August, you'll be ready to expand your horizons in a major way -- perhaps even internationally. Loads of long-distance travel is definitely in your future from late summer and well into 2016.

Romantic

The full Moon arrives in your relationship zone right at the start of the year on January 4. This first week will highlight love themes from 2014 that are culminating and perhaps ending now. Relationships are still a huge theme this year, Capricorn. It's all about balance and the never-ending give and take. You tend to be the caretaker and forget the importance in giving back to yourself. This year, you're learning how important it is to take equal if not more time to replenish your own heart. You're also more aware than ever how necessary it is to make quality time for your relationships. Ambition has to take a backseat to your love life in order to regain the lost balance from 2014. Making your romantic realm the priority will actually sustain every other area of your life, because it will fill you up.

The total lunar eclipse in April puts the focus on partnerships. Peace, harmony and compromise are the continued lessons in love. You're a born diplomat at heart, so you may be teaching others in your life how to get along with more peace and sweetness and less conflict. You've been a bit obsessed around relationship themes, patterns and for several years now, but this is the time you may actually and finally get the clarity you have so desperately been wanting. Mars and Venus will have a sexy collision at the base of your horoscope this April, so you can look forward to a sassy little springtime renewal. Venus, the planet of love and beauty goes retrograde in the sign of romance this August, Expect old lovers to come crawling out of the woodwork when you least expect it, Capricorn. This transit will take place in your house of sexuality and intimacy, so should bring a heightened sense of drama to your love life. If you're tempted to go back to an old flame, make sure this isn't just a nostalgic fancy that will shift again when Venus comes out of retrograde at the end of summer. It's probably just a little summertime reminiscence of romantic days gone by. Enjoy, but best not to remain attached. You're totally ready for the higher love in 2015.

Career

Your career continues to be stellar and clipping along at crazy speed. You're forever ambitious but you're definitely in an especially potent success groove in 2015, Capricorn. The North Node moved into your career zone last year and continues to bring fated opportunities to keep your status elevated and moving forward to even greater heights. There is a total lunar eclipse occurring at the top of your chart in April. This is the most prominent professional surge of the year. Expect your eyes to be blasted wide open to epiphanies this spring. You're being shown the perfect way to balance home and career in a way that radically alter your life for the next 19 to 20 years.

Saturn, your ruling planet will spend the first half of the year taking you into more of a research mode, Capricorn. Better to reflect than do. When Saturn goes direct on August 2, you'll feel like you're able to turn some of your more elaborate and expansive dreams into gold. Your imagination continues to be your best asset this year, so don't underestimate the power of drifting and fantasizing. It's, in fact, not a waste of time. You need regular intervals to unplug and tap into your creative force in order to prepare for a new and more glamorous cycle with your work. Your resourcefulness is your second best asset this year, with Jupiter bringing heaps of wisdom and creativity. Give yourself plenty of time for private time and research because that is often where you will reap the greatest inspiration. This could mean you're less social than you have been in the past few years, but it's just a phase and it will totally pay off, Capricorn. It's worth embracing your inner introvert in order to access your inner world of infinite possibility and ideas.

The real expansion phase begins late this summer when Jupiter moves into sister Earth sign, Virgo and emphasizes your travel zone. August kicks off a year of wanderlust and the need for foreign travel. Adventure is calling and you should have plenty of opportunities to expand your horizons. This is all preparation for your best and luckiest career phase in late 2016. You are cultivating global experience to enrich your world of inspiration and understanding. In other words, the more travel, the better in late 2015. Your career will greatly benefit as a result, so there is no need for guilt over the extravagance. Jet set your way to success!

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Say Geronimo!

My anthem for the season
Because I'm still trying to rise up amidst all my emotions.

Feeling of Emptiness

I guess my 2015 isn't off to a good start. I feel empty and left out. Sorry if I'm being a drama queen but that is what my life feels like these days. The emptiness comes from deep within. Another quarter life crisis? I don't know. Probably not. I thought I'm past that stage already. Besides, I'm already 28. All I want right now is to have a stable and happy life. But how? Sometimes I just wish that my "the one"/prince charming would come along, we would fall in love, get engaged, be married, and build a happy family. You know, the kind of stuff adult or mature people do. And then, I also dream of pursuing my goals, career-wise. I still dream of becoming a doctor. I still dream of doing that big MD-PhD thing in a world-renowned university. Or maybe I can do a PhD first, then MD.

Dreams, dreams, dreams.

Right now, I feel like I'm light years away from all of them.


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A year older and, hopefully,a year wiser. 

#twentyeight