the heart tag

I got tag by the every busy Mommy Ruby who, despite all the work she needs to do, finds time to plurk, twitter, do memes and be a full time mom.. :) Kudos to you Mommy Rubs!

The rule of this tag is to answer the questions below:

A# Attached or Single? Single with attachments.. LOL

B# Best Friend? best friends.. :)

C# Cake or Pie? cake!

D# Day of Choice? Friday

E# Essential Item? Phone.. :)

F# Favorite Color? Blue!

G# Gummy Bears or Worms? neither..

H# Hometown? Dumaguete City

I# Favorite Indulgence? Ice cream!

J# January or July? July

K# Kids? two doggies! :D

L# Life isn’t complete without….? God! <<>

M# Marriage date? indefinite.. LOL

N# Number of magazine subscriptions? nada!

O# Oranges or Apples? Apples!

P# Phobias? Lizards! eeeeeewwwwww!!!!

Q# Quotes? ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’

R# Reasons to smile? family and friends

S# Season of choice? winter.. :)

T# Tag five people. I’m tagging Lurchie, Zr, Tita Ebie, Rhardo, uhmmm... let me think who else?

U# Unknown fact about me? I love to cook! (most friends don't know that I love to cook)

V# Vegetable? uhmmmm... eh.. next question please!

W# Worst habit? is stubbornes a habit? :P

X# X-Ray or Ultrasound? im not sure...

Y# Your favorite foods? Pizza and Pasta, Ice cream, Cake, Brownies, and a whole lot more!!

Z# Zodiac sign? Taurus!

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Scrappin’ Mondaze #9

My entry for this weeks Scrappin Mandaze is centered on my mother. It's her birthday this coming Saturday (April 11) and I wanted to make a LO for her. Since her birthday is just a day before Easter Sunday, I decided to use Easter as my theme.

My mom and I are very close. We shop together and do a lot of things together. I know I can never repay her for everything that she have done for me but I hope she knows and feels how much I love everything about her.

To my Mama:
Thank you so much for being so patient with me. I can never be who and where I am right now without your unconditional love and support.

(click on photo to view larger image)

Credits: scrapblog.com

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thoughts on a warm summer day...

I haven’t been posting lately huh? Teehee.. Blame it on my workload not to mention the stuff I have to do at home, and mostly on the fact that I’m just too lazy busy to put my thoughts together these days. Sheesh! I’m becoming a workaholic. I never thought I could be one. This goes to show how much I enjoy my life these days not minding the loads of things that need to be done.

Anyway, the world is just so hot today. Summer is definitely here. I like summer, but I love the rainy days. What I like about summer before is that I could take a break from classes and just laze around the house. If only there’s a summer break at work... teehee

On another note, there’s a scheduled brown out today in my area. This is one of the things Dumaguete is known for – whole day brown outs. But thankfully we still have electricity here in the campus (Yeah! Lucky us!). Maybe Dumaguete is supporting Earth Hour by scheduling a whole day brown out?! Hehe well who knows?! I’m still going to turn off the lights and all the other appliances for an hour tonight though. Well maybe not all, can I just turn on the electric fan? It’s just so hot! :D

Oh oh oh, I just realized that bloggie is turning two years! To think I only created this blog out of sheer curiosity and so just so I could vent out my frustrations about work in prison camp. Teehee.. And thanks to Lurchie for badgering me to try out the blogger world.

Happy Anniversary Shenzee’s World, we finally made it to two years!

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Quote for the Day: life's choices

Let me share this quote I came upon while browsing through the status updates in Facebook (teehee):

As I was making this post, I received a mail from a Daphy that contains a link to a website (The Brown Raise Movement). I just realized this day commemorates the People Power Revolution of 1986. As I browse through the said site, it suddenly dawns on me how different the Filipinos of today compared to those during the time of Jose Rizal. The sense of nationalism is entirely different.

We are so focused on the actions of our government - who made a deal with who, who should be impeached, conducting investigations as to who is at fault - its totally a waste of time. When in fact, we should focus on what we could do for the nation as a whole (and I don't mean going on a rally of some sort to impeach this and that).

I believe if we really want to change as a nation, we should start the change within ourselves. We are so bent in changing other people, we forget the things we need to change within ourselves. They say Filipinos are hardworking, I say Filipinos are lazy. Why do I say this? I'll explain this more on my next post or so... :)

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Scrappin’ Mondaze #3

Week 3 of Scrappin Mandaze and I was early in creating this layout. I made this last night out of sheer boredom and Z was already “reminding” me yesterday to make my LO for this week. Gah! Do I really have a choice? Teehee…

This week I wanted to make a LO for my niece Nica Cassiopeia. She’s my cousin’s 10-year-old daughter. She’s a bit big for her age. Well that’s an understatement since she weighs around 130 lbs! But I love this kid. I still can’t believe she’s all grown up now. I can still remember babysitting for her several years back when her mom is away on a trip. Oh well time flies.

Credits: theme by Jodie Patterson (www.scrapblog.com)

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Scrappin’ Mondaze #2

This is my second entry for Z's meme. Since I'm a very good friend (as if I have a choice! teehee), I'm making another scrap thingy for this week. Here's my scrappy thingy..

Photos were taken when E.M.A. and I went to Bohol. I think this was my first trip with him. *sigh* I miss taking long trips and visiting new places with E.M.A. It's been a year or so since our last vacation together. Oh well.. work now, play later I guess.. *sigh*

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Hearts Day

I just love surprises! I received long-stemmed red roses, a cute Tiffany bear and a card from E.M.A. It really is a surprise for me ‘cause I never expected anything from him this Valentines. He’s not the type to go mushy but he knows I love surprises.

The funny thing is he scheduled for them to be delivered first thing in the morning of February 14, but they were delivered on the 13th. :D He was the one who was surprised when I called him and said my million thank yous! Anyway, he wanted to surprise me more by coming home today but decided not to when I told him yesterday that trips were canceled because of the bad weather. Oh well.. but I’m still so happy. I love the words he himself added in the card. *blush* (seriously, I cried!) haha! Never thought I could be this sentimental over a card. :P

Bubu - my littlest teddy bear.. :)

So anyway, I’m wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day!

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wishing wells and magic spells

I have a bad case of LSS (“last song syndrome”) since last night. I think I even hummed it in my dreams! :D The bad thing is I couldn’t remember the title and artist of the song. Anyway, I Googled a few lines which I remembered and to my delight I found it!

The song is titled Wishing Wells by Eraserheads. I haven’t heard this song for about a decade or more and it just came into my mind.

I'm adding the lyrics of the song so you could sing along (if you want). :)

Wishing Wells - Eraserheads

CHORUS
I wish i could go back to those fairy book tales
Forget the real world a while and seek the seas of the talking whales
A place called wishing wells and magic spells (2x)
Where everything starts out a once upon an time, long long ago
and lives happily ever after.....aha ha...yeah yeah!

I could go up hill and run with Jill
The Giant could smell I'm no English man
Cinderella danced with me at the ball
I told the Queen of Hearts about my plan
I traveled the wonderland with Alice
I met with Snow White in the woods
I flew with Peter Pan in Neverneverland
Picked some berries with Ms. Red Riding Hood

Repeat Chorus

I could be an outlaw in the west
Save damsels in distress
You could sleep a thousand years
I will wake you up with a kiss
We'll swim the seven seas
We can make love more than twice
Fly like dragons in the skies
We could hang around on trees
Buzz around like bees
We can make some honey, We don't need no money baby
Just turn your back, You'll see jumpin' jellybean sack
Just wait for me Jack I'll be back, I'll be back

Repeat Chorus

A place called wishing wells and magic spells (3x)
Where everything starts out a once upon an time, long long ago
and lives happily ever after.....aha ha...yeah yeah!

Incidentally I also took a photo of a "wishing well" when we went up to the mountains of Mabinay. :)

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Driven to Dream?

I’ve been having this same dream lately – one that involves me behind the wheel of a car/truck/van (I can’t still figure it out yet but definitely a vehicle of some sort) and something about the sea. Well I’ve been dreaming of the sea since last year I think but lately, dreams of driving have been occurring. I don’t even know how to drive a car, not even a motorcycle. Maybe it’s my unconscious telling me to start learning how to drive? :) I was planning to enroll in a driving school before, but I think I didn’t have the guts to go behind the wheel. Chicken!

Anyway, I found these two interpretations on dreams about driving.

1. The need or desire to throw all the dreamer's energy into a particular goal.
2. The feeling of having no choice as to how to proceed in a given situation—in short, of being "driven." If the dreamer is not the driver, he should consider who is doing it

Hmmm… Well this is an eye opener! Ok so I don’t exactly have plans goals yet (or maybe I do, but I’m just too chicken to admit it. doh!) Or maybe I’m just confused on how to proceed with the “things” in my life.

Oh well I’m just focusing too much on these dreams. Like they always say “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

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tis my banner

I'm still on a blogger's leave.. but let me just share what Z made for me...


Love it! Love it! Love it! Thanks Z! mwah! mwah!

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Status: blog hiatus

the owner of this blog is away for an indefinite period of time...
thank you..

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Happy New Year!

Only a few more minutes and 2009 is here!!

Looking back, this year has been a stepping stone to a new life for me. I won't go into details as to what those changes are but these changes made me somehow wiser and more mature in so many ways, and not to mention stronger.

This year was a bit scary for me. I had to make important decisions that could change the my life's course. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but in the end, I gained so much more. I'm not making any resolutions because I believe if I want to make positive changes, I don't have to make a list to help me keep track of them. I'll face those negative aspects in my life one at a time and pray to God that I won't go astray.

So now let me say goodbye to 2008 and welcome anything that's in store for me in 2009... Have a blessed new year everyone!

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hours before Christmas

Two hours more to go and it's finally Christmas...


I haven't posted much this month. I just couldn't find the rights words, my mind has been a blank, have been so busy with work, had to straighten up a couple of things... excuses excuses excuses... oh well... This might be my last post for the year.. or not.. who knows... please bear with me. teehee... let me just share this shot I took... it's not much.. but I think it best depicts my Christmas this year. There's something different about this Christmas. I just couldn't figure it out... yet.

Have a happy Christmas everyone!

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a pretty good feeling...

Christmas is just around the corner. I could already feel the cool breeze of Christmas. I don't have exact plans for Christmas. My family and I were planning to take this trip but decided to postpone it to the "sunny" season, the weather is just so unpredictable these days. Oh well Christmas will always be Christmas wherever we are, just as long as we spend it with the ones we love right?

I feel like a 5-year-old these days, excited about Christmas. I don't know.. I just have a good feeling on the days to come. I think about the days and weeks to come, and I can't help but smile. hehe

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Play and Help

I found this interesting site while blog hopping. I should be working right now but I'm a bit sleepy due to the meds I've been taking..


Anywho, just to cure this sleepiness I came upon this site that lets you exercise your brain and helps the needy too... I think this is a very good way of helping others while getting your brain cells a little boost. I think we should start and do something good for others don't you think? Just click on the button below and start playing...

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Nights in Rodanthe

This is an overdue review of Nights in Rodanthe. I started making this one earlier this week, however, I never got the hang of finishing it due to this nasty cold, with cough, then eventually grown into a fever. Shesh.. this was just not my week…

Anyway, Nights in Rodanthe is another successful novel by Nicholas Sparks, author of the bestsellers Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and The Notebook. I really love his books. He writes them simply and not so complicated, but still takes your away breath away and makes you want to find love more. I just love tearjerkers, don’t you?

Nights in Rodanthe is a dramatic story of a mother trying to connect with her recently widowed daughter, as she tells her daughter her true story of a hope and sacrifice and how she rebounded from losing her heart.

While dealing with the heartache of divorce, Adrienne Willis heads to Rodanthe to tend an inn owned by a close friend, and also needing time to clear her head and her heart. After settling herself in, she learns that she has one guest arriving and a storm is coming.

Paul Flanner in hopes of making things right with his life and his relationship with his son, sold his practice and goes to Rodanthe to settle things with a family of his patient who died after surgery, then plans to follow his son to Ecuador.

Preparing for the storm to come, they realized that both of them are trying to find fresh starts. As the lightening, wind, and rain crash against the inn, Paul and Adrienne found solace in each other’s arms. Though their time together healed both of them, the two must part in order to make amends with themselves and their families; while planning to meet again, never really knowing when it will happen.

Nights in Rodanthe, like all the other of Nicholas Spark’s works, is another romantic drama determined to bring its readers to tears. This is a tender story about hope and sacrifice, reminding us that lost love can be found again at any age, at any time, and often comes when we least expect it.

Here are my favorite excerpts from Paul’s letters to Adrienne:

“When I sleep, I dream of you, and when I wake, I long to hold you in my arms. If anything, our time apart has only made me more certain that I want to spend my nights by your side, and my days with your heart.”

“You are a treasure, a gift, and when we’re together again, I intend to hold you until my arms are weak and I can do it no longer. My thoughts of you are sometimes the only things that keep me going.”

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Money Management

“It’s not how much you earn, it’s what you do with your money.”

I came across this interesting quote while doing my usual work online. It strikes me how accurate this is. Most of us always complain about the balance between our low income and high expenses, and how our income cannot match the demand of our daily expenses. We work so hard to match our income with our expenses, when all we need to do is the other way around – we should match our expenses with our income.

It’s not so much as having so little, it’s all about spending beyond our capacity. Most of the time our wants are greater than our needs, this will lead us to spending for things we don’t necessarily need. Living extravagant lives will only makes matters worse. Frequent buying of new clothes, dining out, going out with friends and family, and even the cost of transportation (no matter how small, say Php 8.00 for a tricycle fare) will really cut out a big chunk on your finances.

No matter how we feel that the cost of living is too high, or we have so many bills to pay, too many things to buy, there is still a big chance that we can set aside even a very small amount for our savings. Small amounts saved regularly will add up over a period of time. It may be a bit difficult at the start, but as your savings grow little by little, saving becomes easier, it becomes a habit; it becomes a pleasure. Remember as you add more to your savings you will also be receiving interest that will definitely make your savings grow even more.

It’s hard to fight the urge to spend what we have, but think of the greater good that will come out if you spend less. Learn to say no to spending and start saving now. You can even open a time deposit so you will not be tempted to withdraw those funds.

The formula I used in saving is this:

INCOME – SAVINGS = EXPENSES

Each month I take about 30% of my monthly income for my savings. I don’t compute for my expenses first, I compute for the amount I’m going to save. It’s been working well for me and I’m quite pleased with the interest I’m earning. Most people spend first then save what is left of their money. This might not be very effective. You don’t want to ask at the end of the day “where did my money go?” This question frequently comes up after spending on a day-to-day basis without having a budget plan.

What is really needed is to change the way of thinking to a “save now and buy later” approach. So what are you waiting for? Save now!

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Books3x: The Cold Moon

I finished reading The Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver days ago and I'm quite late on making my book review for this assigned read. I just love murder mysteries and suspense thrillers - be it books or movies. But most of the time I go for books.

Jeffrey Deaver's books never ceases to amaze me. His Lincoln Rhyme series has always been my favorite. He was first introduced in The Bone Collector (turned into a movie, starring Denzel Washington), and since then I'm hooked to the series.

Click on the image below to read my full review on The Cold Moon.

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Something something about me

I got tagged by Lurchie.. I know I have a lot of work to do.. but I need to rest and unwind for a bit.. teehee...

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
-- A Turkish classmate of my father back when he was studying in UK. I don’t know the spelling though.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
-- Last week?? I think…
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
-- Before, now I think my handwriting changed. I’m always typing nowadays..
4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
-- Buttered prawns but I'm allergic to prawns so fried chicken.. heck now I'm allergic to chicken.. so I settle for steak I gues...
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
-- Nah.. I have two doggies though that I consider my “kids”.. hehe
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
-- Hehehe maybe…
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
-- Uhuh.. sometimes…
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
-- Yep yep..
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
-- Hell yeah!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
-- I don’t like cereals much.. Kelloggs corn flakes?
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
-- Nope.. I just kick them off…
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?
-- Physical strength or emotional? Physically – nope! Emotionally.. maybe??
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
-- Anything chocolatey.. I like strawberries and cream too!
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
-- Their hair? :D
15. RED OR PINK?
-- Pink!
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF?
-- Lately? My uhmmmm…. belly. <<<< same here!!!!
17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
-- E.M.A.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
-- Nah!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
-- I’m not wearing pants and shoes. I’m wearing blue shorts and bluish purple-ish flipflops.. eheheh
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
-- Tiramisu… E.M.A.'s leftover birthday cake... heheh
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
-- Baby I love Your Way by Big Mountain
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
-- I was black before, I think I’m now a purple..
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
-- Lavender
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
-- E.M.A.
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
-- Yeah… we go way way way back…
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
-- Tsk tsk tsk don’t like sports.. heheh
27. HAIR COLOR?
-- Blackish browinish??
28. EYE COLOR?
-- Dark brown..
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
-- Yeahp.. my vision is, I think, 200 in one eye-225 in the other?? I’m going blind!! HALP!!
30. FAVORITE FOOD?
-- Pizza and pasta!! AND Chocolates!! AND Ice cream!!
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
-- Happy endings, definitely…
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
-- I watched Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End again yesterday… I just looovee Jack Sparrow…
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
-- White…
34. SUMMER OR WINTER?
-- Winter…
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
-- Hugs then Kisses…
36. FAVORITE DESSERT?
-- Ice cream… Cake… Ice cream-cake.. anything.. heheh
37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
-- Not sure..
38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
-- Not sure either..
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
-- Brisingr by Chritopher Paolini and Cold Moon by Jeffrey Deaver …
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
-- The mouse? <<< teeeheee… isn’t it obcious?!
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?
-- Didn’t watch TV last night.. I was reading Brisingr..
42. FAVORITE SOUND?
-- The rain..
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
-- Beatles.
44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
-- Manila… hehe
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
-- Ahhhmmm.. ahhhmm… ahhmmm… eating? Hehe cooking??
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
-- Dumaguete City, Philippines
47. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
-- No one… I’m tagging anyone who wants to be tagged. hehehe

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Inheritance Cycle - Brisingr

So I've finally finished reading Eldest (book 2 of the Inheritance Cycle). It's still a good read but quite longer than it should be. There are a few events and descriptions in the book that have no really significance whatsoever in the main plot. I still enjoyed reading it though. See my review here.

So I will now be starting book 3 - Brisingr. Ohh I cant wait to finish the Inheritance Cycle. Christopher Paolini shaped the events in the second book in a way that would make you want (need?) to read the next book. If you want a copy of the Inheritance Cycle, I'll give you an ebook for free... :)

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