Good Sentiments to Welcome 2009!

Hello my friends, I thought these words of advice are worth sharing to you all and might help to bring greater clarity in your life.

There comes a point in your life when you realize
Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
and Who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past,
there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

Be Kinder Than Necessary Because Everyone You Meet Is Fighting Some Kind Of Battle.

A sharp tongue can cut my own throat.

If I want my dreams to come true, I mustn't oversleep.

Of all the things I wear, my expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends..... B1.

The happiness of my life depends on the quality of my thoughts.

The heaviest thing I can carry is a grudge.

One thing I can give and still keep...is my word.

If I lack the courage to start, I have already finished. One thing I can't recycle is wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless I do.

My mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.

The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime! It is never too late to become what I might have been.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.
So love the people who treat you right.. Forget about the one's who don't.
Believe everything happens for a reason.
If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.
If it changes your life, let it.
Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Give a note to everyone you don't want to lose in 2009, including me, if you care.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Santa is REAL!!

Remember this Little Black Dress (and matching accessories) is what I asked Santa this Christmas? Well, he read my blog wish and he paid attention!

Now I believe Santa is real!! (Remember Gretchen Shoes?)

I love you, Santa!

Piolo Pascual Fan

OK, I admit. I'm Piolo Pascual's fan, only because he resembles my husband (I'm sure you know which one is my husband here in the above photos!). But recently on my way to Chicago, I encouraged my self to listening to ballad music (instead of my usual country-rock music) to relax me on this long flight. So, I played Josh Groban and Piolo Pascual on my Ipod. And what a revelation! Piolo has a beautiful and passionate voice on his songs, and I sorta, kinda like to fall in love in his music.... Eeeeww!

Yesterday, I found myself singing Piolo Pascual's songs again as I shovelled the foot of snow that dumped on us over Christmas day. So, to mock my new crush "Papa Piolo," I recorded my self just miming and emoting on his "Ikaw ang Buhay Ko" song (You are my life, in English!) using my snow shovel as mic, and my back deck full of snow as my own stage... and my neighbors as my audience, and my puppies as my screaming fans in the background!! ha-ha!



To all who are not Piolo's fans yet, here's his video for you to see and hear your new crush. (To all the ladies, hold your pants!! No kidding!)

My Greatest Christmas Gifts EVER

I can't help but be emotional today (day after Christmas). All I asked God for the whole year is to HEAL two of my closest friends who are battling cancer. It's been a hard year for me just accepting this and realizing how precious life is. I prayed to God that I don't need anything else this Christmas but for my friends to SURVIVE this trial in their lives. God has answered my prayers. God bless my friends, Jose (with wife Lisa), and Marlyn. Please continue to be strong and have faith. You both inspired me, and made me more thankful than ever for your love and friendship. I look forward to celebrating more Christmases with you. (Sorry, if I didn't ask permission to post your photos here, but you all look good and happy here... It's just perfect!).

Story of a Lost Ski Bunny in the Windy City

I am fortunate to be able to travel a number of times a year for sales mission for my company. This December, my destination is the Windy City of Chicago!

Chicago is my favorite city of all! Since it's my third time now to be in the windy city, I found that Chicago is so easy to navigate as the downtown area is well planned. I instantly felt comfortable walking around on my own and discover new places, and still be able to find my way back to my hotel safely in one whole piece. I knew I was going to walk a lot on my free time, so I was smart enough to prepare for the worst weather in Chicago! To fight the freezing wind and possible snow while wandering outside, I brought with me my thickest SKI JACKET! ... And my story just begun!

City Preview: This is Barack Obama's and Oprah Winfrey's hometown. The hotel that I stayed at was soooo huge that my whole town could fit in it. Parking fee was $25 for one-hour or 24-hours. Lots of city busses and cabs for people who don't want to drive. There were literally thousands of people out in the streets walking to shops, restaurants, to train stations, everywhere. There were scary looking beggars in every corner. As a small mountain town diva, I easily got overwhelmed and claustrophobic!

Chicago Story: There were no signs of recession in this city. In Michigan Avenue, people shopped in expensive stores like Louis Vitton, Gucci, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, etc. They all dress up in their fancy hats, fur coats and wool jackets, and nice boots! Crazy people lined up to be able to get in the Apple Store! I was brave to walk inside Macy's Department Store. There were blood-thirsty shoppers in every square foot of this forsaken place. I thought I was in a club but I was not! So, before I could pass out of suffucation, I managed to get my self out of that place.

My Story: Ski Jacket in Downtown Chicago? What the h--- was I thinking? The first 2 days I was out, I looked like an outcast-ski-bunny in the city! I mean, I looked terribly weird. I was having a beauty meltdown. The ski jacket served me it's purpose. I was SWEATING to death... from my head, my neck and my armpits! I wanted to try out some tiny clothes in one store but I was afraid I was going to stain all over it. The only time I appreciated my ski jacket was one night when it was negative 20 degress outside! My gloved hands were frozen... and the strong wind felt like there were blades brushing through my cheers. So this is what bad weather they are talking about... and oh boy, it was cold!

Here's my only self-portrait in Chicago in my hotel before my hair and make up get messed up outside. The rest were taken as I walked down from my hotel to Michigan Avenue. The more I looked up at these skycrappers, the more I love our beautiful mountains in Utah.

Santa, what I want for Christmas....

.... is this little black dress from Saks Fifth Avenue Display window on Michigan Ave. in Chicago. Price tag: My two months mortgage!!!



I never really believed in Santa Claus. So... I'll be hunting down an equivalent of this in my $50 budget.

American Girl Place

While I was strolling down the Michigan Avenue in Chicago last weekend, I was looking for a different kind of store... until I found my self in this "American Girl Place" doll store... I was mesmerized by these expensive toys! They are Barbie Dolls on steroids!!

Of course, I tried to look for my look-alike.... So, I found this "Czarina Doll"...

... also known as Josefina Montoya (Mexican).

Meet Gretchen from Chicago!

Girls, meet my new best friend, Gretchen!! I've been looking for these perfect, red high heels with red ribbon for a long time now. I saw this first from Gretchen Barreto (Philippine Actress/Celebrity) and I wanted it since then. I think it's meant to be that I found her here in Chicago!

Gretchen is sooo tall!! I can't wait to ramp on it on our company Christmas partay! It's 4 and a quarter awesome inches!

Now you all know that this is my weakness! I can live with one pair of jeans, but I have to have a ton of shoes!

My BLAH Moment of the Day - Bloated

I was so stressed and pressured at work last week that I noticed that my tummy was... expanding! My husband noticed it and asked, "Honey, are you pregnant, and you're not telling me?" That's his nice way of saying I'm getting fat. So, I told him, "Honey, of course, I'm not pregnant! My high stress just makes me bloated and I think it's just a big fat gas that doesn't want to come out of my you what!"

My Swiss Christmas (Strolling Down in Main St., Midway, Utah)

On Saturday, December 6th, I checked out this Swiss Christmas Festival in Midway, Utah, a quaint old town just 6 miles from me. It was more than a Strolling Down experience but a humbling one instead. This is Midway Town Hall where they held this yearly traditional Swiss Christmas program and Swiss Market. My Christmas childhood came back haunting me again as I saw little girls dancing and doing ballet, some piano playing, and solo and choir singing classic Christmas music. There were about few hundreds of people, mostly local folks, who came to watch the programs.

This moose and bear sculpture were displayed outside this town hall.

As I strolled down this old Swiss town, I took photos of all the landmarks on Main St. This is Midway Mercantile, an antique store. There's more antique stores in this town than anywhere else I've been.

This is the side walk where I was strolling at. Notice the beautiful mountain backdrop. If you've been to Switzerland, you'll feel the similarity.


This is Edelweiss Gallery. There are quite a few impressionist artists and painters in this small town so you'll see fine art galleries everywhere. I like going in to these galleries and meeting the artist and knowing their inspiration for their art. Most of these buildings were built in the late 1800's.

This is the biggest and tallest pine tree that I've ever seen. This has been around for more than a hundred years.

Gigantic logs displayed on an empty lot. These interesting old houses were preserved to keep the Swiss heritage and culture alive in Midway. It's a law in this town that if you are building a new house or structure, it has to be Swiss-themed from the outside architectural design and color. This is Midway Adventure Company. There are an array of winter (and summer) activities in this town such as snowmobiling, snowshoeing, tubing, and cross-country skiing. The only thing missing is the SNOW!
Horse drawn carriages were roaming around town on this day for $15 a ride! I remember we have 'Kalesa' rides in Gasan, Marinduque, but with wooden wheels! This one has the same wheels as your bicycle! This horse is HUGE! Our Philippine horse will look like a donkey compared to this one.
OK. This part has melted my heart. These were Swiss Carollers outside the street! I hung out here almost tearfully. I never felt more humbled and Christmas-spirited! I suddenly missed my family Christmas tradition in my old hometown of Sta. Cruz, Marinduque... and my old friends when we used to do carolling singing in our neighborhood.

My BLAH Moment of the Day - Utah Jazz

So last Friday, my husband asked me to watch a live Utah Jazz basketball game in Salt Lake City's Energy Solutions Arena. I have been wishing to do this for so many years. Not prepared at all and too tired from work, I did not have a chance to change outfit at all! I realized I was overdressed when I showed up with my tall boots, long skirt and woolcoat, when everybody was in their sweats, jeans and snickers. My husband made fun of me and said, "Honey, you don't look like you're going to a Jazz game. You look like you're going to the Mormon Temple to watch a Tabernacle Choir Concert. Or better, you look like a Mormon Missionary sneaking out of the Temple." I wonder where he is learning all these witty comments.