for Therese on her birthday...

happy birthday dearest Therese/Cheche/T,

i could not think of anymore to wish for you because i feel you have everything 'na gyud' that i find are essential in life..

an extra morethan comfortable lifestyle, a healthy young family, adoring friends (ehem ehem) and a booming business.

but if i have to be pushed to ask for something for you, it will be something selfish: for you to go home for a holiday in cebu in december 2011 so that i could hug and hold you..just like the way i did in that picture..=)

Happy birthday again che..x

Love, Laughter and Positive chakras,

Cx

yesterday/last night

Yesterday was overkill.

Ana and i were back to London at very early in the morning for our personalised training with our make-up teacher Lu. This was the third day of our training.

I thought because we were just the only two students, it would have been shorter and much less strenous. Boy, was i wrong. she made sure we got our money's worth and just after 5 pm.

Lu is absolutely lovely, (especially when she likes you.which i'm thankful that she does, because when i got home, i had an invite at FB to become her friend,yayy! starstruck!). And thats not the only thing too, she and i were chatting the whole time during the class, and obviously more yesterday when it was just her, myself and the sis. she was asking me questions about my life and whether i should continue to do make up as a profession). She encouraged us to continue it, and said that Ana has beautiful strokes for glamour and fashion make-up (the eyes her forte, and mine, getting the foundation spot on and the eyebrows "exquisite"--and funny enough, doing the "wedding make up" LOL).

She also gave us tips on how to price our work and gave us wonderful funny anecdotes about the celebrities she's done faces for (plus insider tips on the 'kit' to start us off--and not everything is designer brands).

The best thing was: she trained us how to do 'false eyelashes' the proper way (not drag queen way). But of course, the drag queen eyelashes were taught in context to when to use it (for cinematic/photographic look).

During the breaks, Ana was busy facebooking on her phone (while munching her muffin,and i was just too hungry to concentrate on anything else).



***

London was extremely hot yesterday, and i was sweating like pig. It felt like i was in the philippines back again. Ana said, she regretted bringing her coat as it was boiling.

At the end of the day, we headed straight home, so unusual to our nightly stroll around Picadilly circus and Bond street for some (mini) shopping for cosmetics. (Ana's make up kit is getting pretty full!).

Last night, we headed straight home to catch some nap (looong day) before a boozy barbeque at cheryl's garden in honour of her sister Pam.

Unfortunately, the nap didnt happen. Adrian was in the garden toiling, and said us girls should make the most of Ana's last week in the UK. So Ana and i decided to do some girly bonding (again!) at Lakeside as per A's orders.


***

some photos from the alcohol infested night at Cheryl's and Glenn's. (They thought of having a barbeque as Cheryl's sister is leaving for South Africa a week after Ana )

they are like my family here in the UK and we just enjoy one another's company so much.

***

some photos...

(iphone)

the sister was tipsy..we blame cheryl for instilling the sister with a taste for expensive champangne, because everytime we go to their house, thats all they serve Ana as drink. they said one boring sister who doesnt drink is enough.lol.

*

we love the outdoor fire..sure kept us warm last night.

okay, thats just pretend drinking..someone has to carry Ana's drink while she takes the photo,LOL.

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were such a strong group. they might visit us in the Philippines some time soon.

**

(canon digicam)

dancing to some South African song..=)

i wanted a photo with a Vsign. i was indulged.

***

i have so many stories to tell. the spell has gone.

Mai was right. just write, then things will flow.

**

have a beautiful evening..

like you always do.x

love,laughter, and positive chakras,

Rx

for tonight

my plate is full. i am ever grateful and tired.

the sister (who we enrolled in january to a make-up course in London--you need time for the paper preps which is needed to prove health and eligibility to study in the country) and i have finally started our make-up course today.

after all the drama of changing the times and schedules from 2 weeks to 3 full days, because of my embarassing cough and lack of voice, we couldn't start as planned. (they are very big on health and safety,lol).

thank goodness, the school was sympathetic of changing our times and put us together with the fulltime-2day people and a 1 whole day 1-to-1 with a lecturer (special consideration only,LOL), as they cannot refund my/our two week payment.

the scary thing is, we didn't know what we put ourselves into. it is full on! (we only wanted a small scale makeup course but we didnt realise we ended up doing a 30 credit points/foundation NVQ)

the projects and the assignments are big (as its a 30 credit points/NVQ level) to get the MAKE-UP ARTIST degree from a prestigious London college.

Ana will have to do her exams in two years time, while i do mine, probably next year--(ambitious, considering its my OT thesis due next year).

Apart from the practical exam, we have to submit a portfolio assignment of 30 make-ups. (10 wedding look, 10 day make up, 10 night make up, of all skin colours: light, medium,dark/and all ages too/young,mature..) and a written assignment/project before you can qualify to come and contact them and do the exam in the school.

Our teacher is BAFTA make up artist, and generally works in films and magazines. Quite strict and meticulous. i was shivering in my brogues,lol. She was unashamedly promoting her latest film to us, (with Sean Bean--of Lady Chatterly's Lover fame), which is due next week, and urged us to watch it.

I will post more photos tomorrow as we weren't allowed to do photos today. I took a few when the teacher wasnt looking.

i hope you guys enjoyed your day like i did mine.

(although, i wish it wasnt as hectic ..the only downside to this course: being squashed in london tubes very early in the morning to get to Oxford Circus. and not having enough breaktimes.).

here's a link to the school :

***

photos taken by my iphone

cleansing,toning,moisturising..we were partners today,but tomorrow we will be paired with other girls.

*

the classmates are in pairs too

London Aesthetiques' complete make up brushes. We were not allowed to use our own make up and old brushes due to contamination. Ultra clean is the motto of the day.

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Ana talking to some classmates about foundation.

we were taught all types of skin tone, skin colour and colour correction..

choosing the correct foundation, concealing, day and night make up

the sis, being cleansed, and prepped

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evened-out skin using a combination of different skin colour foundation

the vast array of makeup

*

all for us to use..

tomorrow, it will be wedding and glamour make-up look...on at least two different skin/colour tones

oh girls and their toys!

'fessing up

a confession: i dont know what to blog.

i dont.

my sister laughs at me because she thinks otherwise. what with the daily 'suroys' and picnics we've been doing (and the at least 4x weekly london girly-sisterly-bonding we've been having)she thinks blog-drought was the last thing i should be having.

mai-mai has helpful hints: my family,'laags' and 'suroys', and other plans.

aileen has stern orders for me to blog, and yes, you girls, who are here, are soooo kind, i am pressured to write and say something blogworthy.

i feel my daily "laags" are not worth enough a read. they're lame, and just ordinary. laughable even. only tweeter-worthy the most. my daily nothings--those tweets.

but blogs are different. blogs are sacred. they're your/our own space and that is special.

i suppose, with the advent of microblogging and status posting, i dont know how to segregate my life in their own cupboards and boxes.

weird? i know. due to my being obsessive, i segregate things in little compartments so to less complicate life. the sad thing is, even my thoughts have to be in its own pigeon-holes.

so in the event that i dont know what to blog: i blog about not about knowing what to write.


so my girlfriends,i implore you please update your blogs.

i love to get ideas and inspiration from your writings.

i know i cant write about babies and children as i dont have my own, and maybe, i wont be able to write about things that excite you if its totally different from what i'm experiencing for the moment, but maybe, some way or another, there are some parts of the life you live, where i can be pointed to-- that eureka moment; some wonderful juicy topic/interesting enough for me to write about, or inspiring enough for me to motivate (or kick) me to start dusting the keyboards again.

then maybe, i can see some semblance of the ME im looking for.

coz right now, amidst all these busy-ness and running around like a headless chicken in between a flurry of activities, i feel lost.

***

announcement

there are several ways to skin a cat, and there are several ways to start a blog.

one, you start a blog and announce it to your friends.

or you could semi retire, change your mind and move to a different blog, start to blog and leave it. and go back to it again, looking sparkling new (thank you to the shutterfairy for the refreshed look of this blog).


well, i never do things the halfhearted way. i do things large, and in the process, erratic, and somewhat chaotic, so i end up doing the latter. thank goodness for friends who never waver in their supprt to get your blog juices brewing, you write again.

so here we are again.

you looking at me with much support and hope for the prodigal blogger.

i, looking like i have always been. heavy on the outset, yet with a lighter heart because i know i have a place to be myself (or looking for myself most times).

so thank you for being here.



***

this is my personal blog.

this is a depot of emotions, family moments, and everything under the sun.


blog warning though:

things might get really mushy, happy, sad, excited, or sometimes, too much self love, or self loathing on this page. it can get egotistical and ambitious, sometimes, delusional, maybe sometimes materialistic, and way over the top in this blog, but i assure you, no animals will be harmed in the process.


**

and just in case you forgot how i look, here i am:




that's me in one afternoon looking for the best tasting pistachio ice cream in london, and ended up with a chocolate cake instead.

dont mind the hair...we use the wind as our combs in this household.