I was browsing through Thought Catalog the other day & came across an article that stated the 7 things you need to be doing before you hit 25.

Fairy tales.

My dad once told me the story of how he kept me still when I was younger– a healthy dose of movies (mostly sports movies because up until Carl was born- I was both the boy & girl in the family) and the occasional fairy tale.

While I loved Ariel, Belle & Snow White, I lived for movies where the tomboy (Becky) won over the cheerleader. I have always associated myself with the awkward, Betty La Fea, Josie Geller, Mia Thermopolis characters simply because I knew deep down that they were my true soulmates.

When I finally entered the workplace and was, for the first time freed from school work did I come across possible Prince Charmings.

Looking back, I was such a dreamer.

I always liked the unattainable ones and often ran away when given the opportunity to talk to them.

The first one I truly liked was an absolute charmer and I prayed day & night that he was my Prince Charming. At 19, I was head over heels over someone who saw me as a little sister and nothing else.

The crushes that followed after him were as close to perfection as he was. I didn’t have a specific physical type but all of them had one trait — unattainable.

The more impossible (meaning far away) they were, the better. I wanted to be the Betty La Fea of my story. I wanted Daniel to fall for a regular girl like me.

The years passed & today I find myself looking back at the ever so innocent crushes with a smile. Just like what Samantha Baker’s dad said in 16 Candles, they are called ‘crushes’ for a reason.

The last crush who truly made an impact followed the same pattern – perfect & unattainable and at 24, the pattern was getting old.

I was about to get bitter, but today, I realized that while they are not the perfect piece for me, they did have a piece in my story.

You see while they never liked me in the way that I had hoped, they have showed me what a godly man is like.

That while they were not meant to be more than brothers, they did show me what a quality man of God was like & boy how blessed their future wives would be!

It was such a privilege to have walked with them at one point without it being a romantic relationship. I simply caught a glimpse of what God’s best would be like and while my pride might hate them for not liking me– I’d rather thank them.

The dreamboat I absolutely LIKED at 19 continues to make my heart kilig in a way that it hasn’t been kilig since I met him six years ago. To this day, im still blown away by his charm and I’m fortunate to call him a friend. And while I’m thankful that I can finally see him as a real human being now, I’m also ridiculously grateful for his “dreaminess” simply because it reminds me of the importance of that Pinoy thing we call ‘kilig’. He reminds me of my idealistic 19 year old self and he reminds me to never ever underestimate that feeling and its significance.

Mr. 2012 was my Mr. I-Hope-He-Is-The-One. He was the crush to end all crushes and I recall letting out a squeal of delight when he followed me on twitter. Yes, my kababawan amazes me. And while we never became more than solid acquaintances, I still think he changed my life in a way that my future husband will thank him for. While Mr. 2007 was the dream guy, Mr. 2012 was the real guy– which made him more deadly. From the moment I met him, my ideals were completely challenged and my view on things were completely changed.

I don’t think I am the same person I was before I met Mr. 2012 and for awhile, I was confused but if anything it was Mr. 2012 who made me surrender it all to Jesus – with no rules, blueprints or plans — just pure abandon to His perfect will for me.

I once read somewhere that we eventually become the people we meet- that a person who passes by the adventure called life makes an impact– whether big or small. I never quite understood it until i experienced the adrenaline of today.

It was as if I have been locked in a dark room and suddenly the windows were flung open & light came through and finally, I see.

That these pieces completed the puzzle of who I am and while they were not the perfect match, their pieces were significant.

Their pieces made me a little wiser and a little smoother around the edges. They were the pieces that became part of the mold that will prepare me for someday.
The pieces, if used wisely and as they were designed, fulfilled a better purpose.

I have come to understand that often we have a choice as to whether we become bitter or if we allow whatever has disappointed us in the past to make us better individuals.

And today, I came to realize what the better choice was.

I’m pretty sure this song will put a smile on your face (oldie but goodie!)

I love desserts. 

If you we are friends on any of my social networking sites, you would know how much I love food (thus making it harder for me to do planks! ha!).

Another thing I love is catching up with old friends and this is the reason why writing about this blog entry is exciting.

I met the then Nouelle Paz (now Sanchez!) on the first day of Sophomore year where were both new students. As new kids, we were instantly voted to become President & Vice-President of the class respectively and we also became instant friends! We used to hang out in my house after school talking about the most random stuff.

While we lost touch when she moved to a different school, we reconnected again on Facebook (see, it does have its perks) and I was surprised to know that she is now a mom to three year old Ry & a wife! The last time we saw each other she was in Marketing and Promotions but now she has started her own business baking and selling my most favorite thing in world: DESSERTS!

Fondant Cake

Her famous Red Velvet Cupcakes

Golden Cups indeed! Ferrero Rocher Cupcakes!

Rainbow Cups

Nutella Goodness!!!

Mrs. S (dervied from her last name, Sanchez!) started out as a hobby for Nouelle. What I didn’t know about her is the fact that she has loved cooking & baking even as a youngster and she recalls using it as a time to bond with her mom and lola. After baking her first cake for her daughter, she then took lessons from The Maya Kitchen to learn the basic fundamentals of baking. She also says that most of the technical stuff she learned was from her patient chef friends!

Nouelle also shared with me that being a mom, wife & entrepreneur can be challenging (Let me just say we have gone a long way from talking about Britney Spears to talking about motherhood!) but she manages to mix both by including her daughter in her baking activities. Nouelle also says that while she enjoyed her first three jobs & even her first two businesses, she knows in her heart that baking was something that she truly loves & enjoys doing. For one thing, her creativity is challenged and she absolutely loves researching for new recipes online while adding a twist of her own. She also finds it inspiring to serve people with treats she made using her bare hands.

For Nouelle, what makes Mrs. S unique is the fact that it blends beauty & taste all at the same time while not being extremely pricey. Nouelle is also quick to note that she loves getting to know her clientele in order for her to add that personal touch.

Nouelle & Her Family

Aside from her thriving business and yummy treats, what inspires me about Nouelle is her faith in God that has grown over the years and it is inspiring to see her with her family.

I love success stories and I believe that Mrs. S is only beginning!

I know you want to get your treat now, so go click here or call 0917.602.3051 =)

Happy Eating!

I turned in my final exam today and I just realised on the way to school that everyone was just rushing. It was as if they were trying to beat the clock and make their vacation longer by starting it early. 

Wow!

Time passes by so quickly and it’s yet again time for the Holy Week!

As we enter into this week,  I am sharing with you my favorite verses reminding us of how good God is and how He has everything under His control — we have nothing to worry about 🙂

May we also be reminded of His goodness & the ultimate display of His love: Jesus!

I see you and I know your kind.

Now, I don’t mean to judge but I know the way you work and why you do.

A wise man once told me years ago the reason why men cheat is because of their insecurity and has nothing to do with the girl they cheated on.

This is also the reason why a single man would go from one girl to another trying to prove to their worth to the world. If you notice, the said single man is drawn to popular women (i’ll go ahead & let you define the meaning of popular) in sheer attempt to boost his ego.

I also get how you try to project that you’re a bad arse who goes clubbing every night, with a different trophy girl on your arm. I also get how you use your wealth to get girls.

I do know, however, that deep down inside you constantly wonder if the girls who actually believe the shizz you pull love you for you or just love you for your wealth, influence or “popularity”.

You mix the girls around not because you’re a bad arse but because you know that once they see the real you — they will run or leave you when they know you won’t get them that Balenciaga, but you get my drift.

What I don’t understand however is this — why you don’t just show them who you are. While you have bad points, heck we all do, I believe your good points outweigh them. I don’t understand why you  don’t just stop balking on your wealth or your fame to lift you up and instead rely on the good old saying “Magpakatotoo ka”.

I also don’t understand why you choose to base your self worth & confidence on dating popular ladies, while I think that they are nice, most of them are just looking for someone to lean on (that of which I will not elaborate on) and it is also unfair to them for you to get your confidence from them.

You are a man. You should be strong & steady on your own two feet without using a woman as a crutch. Most importantly, you should just drop the player act and be true to yourself.

Also, gain confidence from who you are & not who you are with or who you are dating. Most women make this mistake and unfortunately, guys do too.

Being with a different girl every night doesn’t make you a man, it makes you less of it. A real man appreciates a real woman: a woman who adds to him and doesn’t lessen who he is.

It takes a wimp to be a player but it takes a real man to go out there & stick it out with one woman. They are rare & few in between and I wonder why you are working so hard to become just like the rest.

I hope that one day, you don’t wake up with another broken heart wondering why you let a good girl go just because you wanted to prove something to the world that didn’t care much about your player image anyway.

We need the real, untarnished version of who you are, suck it up & be that person.

PS: And just like Jennifer Lopez, REAL women know how to say “my love don’t cost a thing”. You don’t need to impress me with your wealth, I would much rather be impressed by your manners and most importantly, your character and nope, those things you can’t buy anywhere.

I know I am supposed to go on a ten day social media hiatus and I am currently on Day 5 so obviously I did not make it through the ten days.

I felt however an urgent need to write what I am about to write so here goes.

I was in a really emotional state last week in a way that I haven’t been in awhile. I recall becoming intensely emotional when I was in my very early 20s (I had to include very cause I feel that I am still in my “early” 20s mwahahaha) but last week was just horrible.

And while I cannot tell you the reasons why I was in over my head, I can tell you that I did not like the monster that I was that came as an effect of it.  I was irritable, mad, angry and did not find any reason to get up in the morning and for someone who is Little Miss Sunshine 24/7 that is a major blow simply because I have always thought of myself as a highly optimistic person. Also, I was complaining from panic attacks, anxiety and tension headaches. I was definitely not myself and despised the person that I was becoming.

So  I thought that in order to regain some clarity, I needed to disappear. And that’s what I did. Since Sunday, I have hauled myself at home, refusing to do work and giving myself the much needed rest by reading, running (naksss) and just drowning myself in my weekly shows (Schmidt, you lifesaver).

I have come to the conclusion that I am a workaholic and working non stop has taken its toll. While I would like to end this entry with that and still have some ounce of dignity, I’d rather not hide and slink away. You see, this blog entry is quite difficult to write simply because I tend to bottle my emotions and instead of explaining myself, I ask people to leave.

And while this blog may not be a fashion blog or a blog read by millions, I have always kept at it out of the hope that my silly misadventures will bring a smile to one tired soul.

So that being said, I will try to be very honest while being very vague as well, I am still very privy about what I reveal online since I know how this whole thing can boomerang: been there, done that.

So anyway, back to the topic.

You see I don’t know if my anger last week was out of the frustration of not having something I have always, always, pretty please with a cherry on top wanted since I was like fourteen or if it was hormonal because it’s that time of the month or if it was a mix of both.

While I went through the normal process of rejection (again, I can’t tell you exactly what form of rejection this was, i’ll leave it up to you to decide), I also realized how my anger could be potentially dangerous! I was telling my brother that if it weren’t for Jesus, I would have strangled people already.

Sometimes when we get caught up in our justification of pain, we lose our heads and often times, instead of facing what is wrong with us, we go ahead and rant about what is wrong with the world. And although, it may or may not be valid, I do believe that there are days when we justify our anger and our pain and instead of taking a good look at ourselves to see if there are things we can adjust (like handling how we handle our situations) we point our fingers somewhere else.

My anger is justified. My pain is justified. I am allowed to feel this way. I have the right to this pain.

And oh man, that pain is DESTRUCTIVE! Now I get why villains are so vicious — pain has a way of doing that, of twisting normal people and turning them into monsters.

Man, I wish I could share with you the thoughts I’ve had in the past 24 hours, but I would rather not because this is an upbeat and happy blog.

Speaking of placing the blame somewhere else, a hurt and insecure person’s first shield against pain is by blaming someone who we think stole what we wanted. It doesn’t matter if what you wanted was never yours in the first place or if the person has any idea who we are but it  hurts so we exert revenge by putting that other person down thinking that they deserve it.

We forget that that person is a person just like us with insecurities, struggles and moments of pain. We dehumanize them and think they don’t deserve happiness and we do.

Ah, the web we weave out of anger and spite.

Earlier while I was spewing less than stellar comments about someone who I’d rather not name, I felt something inside of me that went something along the lines of “She has a story and she deserves her fairy tale ending as much as you do.”

I was angry and did not want to acknowledge it. I want to savor and delight in my anger — I thought that was power, but I was actually giving mine away.

It may take awhile for me to fully process that statement but my heart has accepted it more or less and I believe this is where healing begins.

As I told you, this is not the prettiest blog entry I have ever written but it is the most honest I have ever been in ages.

God is good — despite all of that and my constant pleadings for Him to answer my selfish prayers, He goes ahead, turns my world around and saves me from myself instead.

The process is messy and I apologise for the less than stellar blog entries, but I promise that once I get over this and I will because I am determined to win this battle.

And let me just say that once I have listened to that voice instead of constantly drowning it with my own, I felt peace that has not been there in the midst of the chaos and suddenly, listening to that voice has been worth it!

Ah! Such freedom!

So I don’t know if I have found the reason why I went on a media hiatus and I am not saying that I will once again go all out on all social media, but I have found my voice again and I’d like to think that my blog needed to hear it.

Here’s a toast to all the great blog entries ahead. I am absolutely EXCITED.

Man, February was tough!

It was like the weeks of February were competing for the “worst week” award and I am so glad that it is finally over! While I was formulating this entry in my head, I had so much angst inside of me that I wanted to write everything I was feeling with matching sniffles and tears.

But thank God, I took a moment to regain some sanity and I realised that while February was tough for me, I bet it was tougher for other people. It has been said that tough times show what someone is made of and it is safe to say that I have surprised myself in the past couple of weeks (more so in the last couple of days).

That being said (and this is still quite weird to me since I still think my blog is a diary that nobody ever reads) I am taking a social media hiatus for awhile, I am still undecided as to how long this will be, but most likely I will be gone from the social hemisphere for ten days.

While there are days when I thought that I could still control my social media usage, I have realised that on most days I feel like I have had too much junk food, but this time around I get the feeling from having way too much social media junk in me.

While information and keeping in touch with friends from out of the country are good things, “stalking” other people and becoming sad because my life is nowhere near the illusion of theirs.

There are deeper reasons as to why I have to bow down from social media from awhile but I would rather not divulge that insanity here, all I know is that for someone who has her phone constantly glued to my hand, this will be a major step! But my heart needs the rest and I need to realign my life and find the person I used to be before getting tangled in this virtual web.

That being said, thank you (whoever you are kind enough to drop by my blog!) for always taking the time to read my words and my blooper girl adventures and I pray, that whatever it is that you are praying for will be answered.

So just allow me to type one more blog entry after this one and it’s goodbye for now. 🙂

AH! I have always been in love with Disney, but this totally makes it to the top of the list. May this empower a generation of strong women who are unafraid of their waistlines and strong enough to be okay on their own!

Such a beautiful thing to end the day with!