My Lavish Life

Clothing : Perfect Jeans

2008-08-08T07:10:00.000-07:00

I love wearing jeans! But it's important that you know the kind of jeans that suits you. There's different types of jeans to choose from. Bootleg, flare, skinny high waist and more.

Kinds of Jeans

Flare Jeans look great with fitted tops and skinny cardigans even long sleeves polo that can be tucked onto the waist. Chunky platforms balance out the flare. Flared jeans tend to make you look slimmer.

Bootcut Jeans this kind of jeans disguise your large calves and make your legs look leaner. It can make the most of your curves and their wider hem deflects attention away from ample waists, hips and thighs. This jeans is best worn with high-heeled boots to create extra height, these jeans have a very slimming effect.

Skinny Jeans do look best on long-legged boyish figures. Wear skinnies with flip-flops or ankle boots or sandals for an edgy look. If you are sort and petite then straight-legged or slightly skinny jeans are preferable than wider cuts.

Straight-cut Jeans is for a naturally well proportioned body type. It is also perfect for a tall and sporty kind of person.

Finding the Perfect Jeans

Denim is versatile when it comes to different cuts and styles to choose from the selection can be mind-boggling, not to mention time consuming. First get an idea of which shapes are more likely suit your body type.

The right length Short frames should wear a leg length that enables to be just above the ground. Bunching around the lower leg is an advantage as it has slimming effect. Whatever figure a woman have, there is only two lengths of jeans, one to be worn with flats and the other with high-heels. Of course, if you are wearing boots then these can be tucked inside the jeans, or you can always roll up the legs and wear with flats.

High waist or Low waist?

Low rise jeans can show off unsightly butt-cleavage which is not so comfortable for conservative girls. For those enviable hour glass shapes waist bands can cause a particular problem, as to find the right fit on the hips usually means a large expanse of gaping waist. Choose a hipster cut which avoids the waist entirely and gives the added benefit of visually reducing the line of your hips.

Right color

Dark colored jeans makes a slimmer look. Go for grays, blacks and dark blue if you want to create the illusion of thin legs and hips. Also shaded denim can work to camouflage a heavier figure, providing the shading is in the right places. These days bright colored skinny jeans are in pared with a contrast colored top.

Sunglasses : How to choose the perfect frame for your face

2008-08-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

Triangle-shaped face features a narrow forehead that gets wider at the cheeks and chin. Try aviator frames to create balance.

Round face has the same measurements in both the width and the length. A round face looks great in angular, narrow frames like rectangles or geometric shapes because these styles break up the monotony.

Oval- or Egg-shaped face is perfectly symmetrical. It looks great in almost any style, but wraparounds often look most modern. They scream “timeless sporty cool.”

Diamond-shaped face has high cheekbones and is narrow at the eye line and jaw line. A diamond looks fab in square or rimless frames because the frames balance out the widest and narrowest parts of the face.

Oblong face is longer than it is wide, and looks best in frames that are deep from top to bottom or have decorative temple details. Temple details draw the eye to the middle of the head where the ears are and break up the length of the face.

Square face has a broad forehead and a very strong jaw line. Squares look wonderful in narrow frames like ovals, rounds, or sexy cat-eye styles.

Heart-shaped face has a wide top and tapers down to a narrow chin. Hearts look fab in frames that are narrower on top and wider toward the bottom. Light or rimless shades flatter too.

Find the perfect frame for you!

Nails : Manicure

2008-07-30T03:52:00.000-07:00

6 Steps do-it-yourself-manicure

Step 1 : SOFTEN
Remove old nail polish with acetone-free polish remover. Acetone can be harsh on the nail's surface that can make it weak. By dipping your hands in a bowl of warm water with a cup of fresh milk for 5 minutes can give your hands a moisturizing boost.

Step 2: EXFOLIATE
Using a very mild hand stone which is available at drugstores , lightly rub off dead cells and those hard edges behind your knuckles to reveal the new skin. Don't do this in one direction only to avoid cuts.

Step 3: CLEANSE
Dip your hand back in the bowl every now and then, without leaving it in the water for a long time. Wrap your hands with a warm towel for 5 minutes to suck out dirt from deep within your pores.

Step 4 : MOISTURIZE
A moisturizer can lock in the softness. Massage the back of your hands in a circular motion, then move in to your palm all the way to the elbow. This can help to renew the layers of your skin.

Step 5 : TRIM & FILE
Trim your nail as you desire without cutting deep into the sides. Smoothen the edge by filing them down, remember do this in one direction only to keep it look clean and smooth.

Step 6: POLISH
The perfect polish starts with a steady hand relaxed on a flat surface. Apply 2 coats of your polish and dip several cotton buds in polish remover to quickly wipe off smudges. Apply a colorless polish for prettier finish. Top it off with a fast drying top coat. Relax for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the polish to dry.

Have a pretty nails by yourself!

Marriage : Things to consider in getting married

2008-07-21T02:05:00.000-07:00

Are you sure you're ready to get married?

WILLING

Are you willing to give up your fun, free and exciting single life?
* Single life is really fun, you can do anything that you want to do and nobody can stop you, you're free as an eagle. Are you sure you can give up this?

Are you willing to do things with your soon to be wife/husband?
* If you are single you often go out with your friends, enjoying a movie chilling out in a coffee shop or just hanging out in one of your friends house. Are y ou willing to give up this?

Are you willing to prioritize your family not thinking only about yourself like when you are single?

* You are going to have a major lifestyle change. Are you sure you can give up you precious lifestyle?

STABLE

Of course nobody wants to depend to your immediate family or even closest friends in times of trouble especially when it comes to “money matter” So the couple should talk about financial issues to know if you both are ready to get married.

*Are you stable enough to build a family of your own?

*Do you have a stable job and income to have a family?

Responsible

Marriage is not only about you and your spouse. Sooner or later your going to have children. It's your responsibility to give your family shelter, clothing, education, discipline and also love. Are you responsible enough?

Parenting

Are you ready to be a parent? Sure you love kids and everything , but parenting is different. For first time parents, you'll be needing a lot of adjustments (especially for women).

* Are you ready to breastfeed you baby every 4 hours?

* Are you ready to change diaper every now and then? (Do you even know how to?)

* Are ready to hear a crying baby all the time?

*Are you ready to wake up in the middle of the night to make your baby go back to sleep.

Exhausting!!!!!

Plan

Are you ready to plan for your future? Or you're still stuck in your own little world enjoying your single life?
Planning Involves:

* Preparing for the wedding.

* House for your family to live in.

* Finances

* Sharing of household chores

* Number of kids to have.

Love

Let's say that you are Willing, Stable , Responsible, Ready to have children and you have a plan, but are you sure you're in love with the person you want to get married with?
Ask yourself:

* Are you in love with your partner?

*Will you accept your partner not only for the good things that he/she have but also for his/her shortcomings?

* Would you like your partner to be the first person to see everyday?

* Will you still love your partner whether he/she get fatter and older?

* Can you see your future with your partner and share the rest of your life with each other?

If you think that you have all what it takes to have a family of your own, don't waste time and ask you partner to get married.

"As long as God is the center of your relationship everything will be alright."

Restaurants : Eating Out

2008-07-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

I love eating out and I know the consequences from eating too much food, but I can't help it , thanks to my good metabolism, I don't have to worry about gaining much wait (I wish). I often eat out with my friends and relatives, but most of the time with my boyfriend (who is a health conscious). We love to try different kinds of restaurants.

A-must-visit-restaurants:

Chili's Bar and Grill

I went to Chili's with my friends. Since it was around 2:00 pm, all we wanted is to have a place to hangout and eat some "meryenda" (snacks). So we decided to order some finger foods and also known as "pica-pica". We had "Chicken Crispers" (P250), it consists of chicken breast strips, hand battered and fried, it is also served with sweet corn on the cob, honey-mustard dressing and home style fries together with "Grilled Chicken Breast on Penne Pasta" (P330) with marinara sauce, Parmesan cheese and a garlic toast.

Red Crab Seafood's and Steak

I don't often go to a seafood restaurant because I'm not really into seafoods. But since me and my friends are looking for a different kind of restaurant to have dinner at that time, we decided to try the Red Crab Restaurant. I can say that I really enjoyed their crabs and as well as the shrimps. But it was not easy to eat the crab at first because we have to use something to break the crabs claws but we get used to it eventually. We ordered the restaurants specialty "The Steamed Crab" (P118 per 100g) it's a bit expensive but very satisfying. My friend also ordered the "Swing Out Shrimpters" (P225) it's a white shrimps stuffed with ground pork, served with hot and spicy sauce. Just make sure to wash your hands first before eating.

A Veneto Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante

I've been to Napoli several times already and I loved their "Buffalo Wings" (P125) it's really tasty. I've also tried their "Meatball Parmigiana" (P200) it has really big balls! I mean meatballs. Their pizza is also a-must-try, you can have their pizza in slices or in whole. I've tried their "All Meat Pizza" (P80/slice - P450/whole) and the "Double Pepperoni" (P65/slice - P345/whole).

Leslie's Restaurant

I've tried Leslie's in Alabang and Tagaytay, they serve Filipino cuisine. Their specialty is the "Bulalo Special" (a kind of beef soup)(P499)this dish is perfect, since one of their branch is located in Tagaytay. I've also tried their "Inihaw na Liempo" (grilled pork) (P250) and "Chopsuey" (mixed vegetable with seafoods and meat) (P175). Leslie's restaurant in Alabang has a good ambiance, perfect for wedding receptions. While, Leslie's in Tagaytay is good for overlooking, since you can see the famous Taal volcano from the restaurant.

T.G.I.Friday's

I've tried eating at Friday's once with my boyfriend, my boyfriend's sister and her sister's boyfriend (at that time). The food are really pricey, but it's ok because they have big servings. Two persons can actually share for one meal, but since we we're treated by the ex-boyfriend we don't need to share YES! I ordered the "Friday's Cheeseburger" (P310) with fries and the burger is really big! We also had some "Shrimp" (P450) because my boyfriend's sister loves shrimps.

Fish and Co.

I had dinner here with my boyfriend and my boyfriend's sister (agan) but this time with her current boyfriend. Since it's a seafoods restaurant again (and I'm not into seafoods as I mentioned) I just ordered the "Grilled Porkchop Basilico" (P435 good for 2) it's a succelent 2 pieces chops seasoned and grilled to perfection and topped with tomato caper relish. They also have big servings here so I shared it with my boyfriend. We also had the "Peri-peri Prawns" (P585, it's a butterfied, grilled prawns and served with peri-peri sauce.

and more ...... Bon Appetit!!!!

Hair Care : Hair Treatment

2008-07-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

I'm very conscious when it comes to hair / hairstyle. Of course I always want to look good, who doesn't want to look good? So I see to it to visit a salon at least once every 3 months for my hair treatment. My hair is kind of sensitive, so I make sure to pamper it well. I only use shampoo every other day because, it can damage the hair according to research, but I use conditioner everyday to keep it soft. I never go out with a wet hair because I want my hair to dry as I want it to be dried. I don't often do "pony tail" because it can give wave to my hair (but it still depends on my outfit).

Here are some of the hair treatment that I recommend :

Hot Oil Treatment – This is the cheapest tretment that you can get in a salon. Temperature change, pollution and humidity, as well as regular brushing, and the use of hair products such as curlers, straighteners and dryers, can result to damaged hair. Since it uses oil, it moisturizes the hair as well as the scalp. Hot oil treatment are a temporary fix and must be repeated on a regular basis.
* Takes about 1-2 hours

Hair Spa - This treatment is recommended for people who suffer from hair loss and dandruff, spa is an excellent treatment. This treatment keep dandruff and hair fall in control and in hair fall this is effective if done regularly over a period of time.
* Takes about 2-3 hours

Hair Cellophane - This treatment can make the hair look super shinny . It can also be an alternative for hair coloring because you can have it with you preferred color. But it doesn't straighthen hair.
* Takes about 2-3 hours

Hair Relax – Also known as hair straightening tretment. It' a cream that straightens hair by chemically "relaxing" the natural curls. It is also said to have minimal chemicals than rebonding.
* Takes about 3-4 hours

Hair rebonding - It gives your hair a silky, super straight hair, the way the girls in hair commercials look. But for the first few months the hair can be very fragile and need to be handled with extreme care, tucking your hair behind your ears is a big no no.
* 5-6 hours depending on the hair

Stay pretty!!!

Craving for Pasta

2008-07-15T04:22:00.000-07:00

I crave for food every now and then, I can say that I have a big stomach, but you can't blame me it really feels good to eat. These days I'm craving for pasta! Yummy! I think I can eat pasta everyday together with my usual meal. I've tried different kinds of pasta from different restaurant like "The Old Spaghetti House " , "Sbarro" , "Veneto Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante" to "Shakey's", "Jollibee" and "Mc Donald's" spaghetti and it all tastes good. Since I've been craving for pasta these days I searched for some easy to cook pasta recipe and I'm gonna share it with you......

CORNED BEEF SPAGHETTI

Ingredients:
250 g Spaghetti pasta cooked
2 gloves garlic minced
2pc small onion, chopped
1 can (150 g) corned beef
1pc small carrot, coarsely grated
1 pouch (250 g) Spaghetti Sauce

HERE'S HOW:

1. SAUTÉ garlic, onion, corned beef and carrots. Add Spaghetti Sauce and 1/4 tsp iodized fine salt (or ¾ tsp iodized rock salt). Simmer for 3-5 minutes.

2 BLEND with or pour over cooked pasta. Top with grated cheese if desired.
Serves 5

CARBONARA

Ingredients:
1/4 kg pasta, cooked
150g bacon, fried until crisp then crumbled
2 tbsp butter
1 pc chicken bouillon cube
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup evaporated milk, mixed with 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup diced cheddar cheese

HERE'S HOW:

1. MELT butter. Add chicken bouillon, flour and salt to taste. Stir until blended. Add combined milk and water gradually with continuous stirring until smooth. Continue cooking over low heat while stirring for 20 minutes or until thick.

2 .ADD bacon and half of cheese. Pour over cooked pasta. Top with remaining cheese
Serves 6

THREE-CHEESE PASTA BAKE

Ingredients:
1 (16-ounce) package ziti
2 (10-ounce) containers refrigerated Alfredo sauce
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese

HERE'S HOW:

1. Prepare ziti according to package directions; drain and return to pot.

2. Stir together Alfredo sauce and sour cream; toss with ziti until evenly coated. Spoon half of mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

3. Stir together ricotta cheese and next 3 ingredients; spread evenly over pasta mixture in baking dish. Spoon remaining pasta mixture evenly over ricotta cheese layer; sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Refrigerated Alfredo Sauce.
Serves 8-10

Happy pasta cooking!!!!

Clothing : Ukay-ukay

2008-07-14T03:20:00.000-07:00

Ukay ukay - Meaning to dig through, is the term generally used throughout the Philippines to describe how people choose garments from the imported second hand clothing.

Wagwagan - Often use by locals in Baguio which also means halukay or ukay-ukay.

UK - From a TV Ad catchphrase "Tide" (a detergent powder) , which also means ukay.

Exploring UK-UK :

Yesterday me and my friends went to an ukay-ukay shop near our place, it was raining hard yesterday but it didn't stop us from intruding the UK shops. I'm always fond of the "ukay-ukay". Despite the itchy nose and sneezes that I get when searching through the piles of clothes. The main reason why I like to get some of my clothes from the "ukay-ukay" is the satisfaction that I get when people tell me that I have a good fashion sense, only to startle them when I say that what I was wearing is only 50 pesos.

It doesn't really score point if you are wearing a Zara, Guess, Esprit, or something when you don't look good in it. It's the wearer that makes the wardrobe and not the wardrobe that makes the wearer. People won't even believe me when I say that what I am wearing is something I bought from an "ukay-ukay". Well... I can't blame them.... maybe it really looks good on me.... I'm sure......

What to expect in an ukay-ukay shops :

1. The smell - Even if an ukay shop is air conditioned or not, expect a "baul" (chest/footlocker) like smell, because most of the clothes are stuck together that makes an unusual smell.

2. People from all walks of life - Expect all types of people, from "Shala girls" to "Jolens fans", from "car owners" to "tricycle drivers", from "athlete's" to "athlete's foot"... (just kidding).

3. Weird background music - Most of the ukay-ukay owners are from Cebu and Baguio, so get ready to hear your parent's favorite old songs sang in different dialect. Cool.....

4. Hotta - Most of the ukay's don't have air conditioner so expect hot atmosphere. Best time to go to ukay is when it's cloudy or even rainy.

5. Annoying sellers - The sellers or most commonly called "tindera's" can be sometimes really stiff when it comes to haggling the price. "Tip: go straight to the cashier and ask for a cheaper price, because most of the time the cashier is also the owner. "

Daily life

2008-07-12T15:26:00.000-07:00

My day starts as early as 3:00 am. Since my work shift is from 5:00am to 2:00 pm and I'm all the way from Valenzuela, I really should be getting ready as early as 3am everyday. It takes about less than an hour from our house to my office.

My daily life schedule:

I have my service Kuya Juanito who fetch me from Tuesday to Thursday from my house to the bus stop. It's my boyfriends turn to accompany me to office every Monday and Friday only, since oil price keeps on increasing every week it's not practical to make pahatid to him everyday.

In the office, everybody is busy getting ready with their computers, having coffee in their stations and some are taking a nap. While me and my crazy office friends start to make fun of everybody. As early as 4 am we're like teasing and laughing already but only until 5 am because that's the time for us to start working "eeeiiiiiwwwwwww". Fun time starts again at around 9:00 because it's our break time..... yeah.... It's time for us to compare notes... talk about the things that happened the other day and even things that "just happend" hahahaha..... Usually it's about the funny stuff that we experienced, we've seen on TV or about our students (since we're a Korean online instructors). But my favorite is when we're making fun of our officemates and giving pet names to everybody.....

Here are some :

Sarimanok - Because of her extraordinary bloody red hair .

Fake ass gurl - From the word itself, she's like wearing an ass enhancer thing everyday, even when she's wearing a leggings. Just imagine...

Da boy & Da Girl - A shameless couple who keeps on fighting in public.

Jhonny B. - A guy with a really hotta body but with little head and not to mention a little voice too.. (and I don't know what else is little....)

and more............... BWWHAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!! "You don't know who you are...."

These are the things that makes my day beautiful.....

1:50 pm: Log out time . Time to go home, it's not that difficult for me to commute everyday since it's not yet rush hour, it only takes me 1 and a half hour to get home but I was in luck last week because my boyfriend fetch me for like the whole week, thanks to their project in Makati and Laguna where in he can pass through my office to fetch me.

After work I often meet up with my boyfriend , we usually hangout in their place to watch DVD and eat, or in our house and surf the net and sometimes we stay in Ate Ivy's house (my boyfriend's sister) to play with Arwen and baby Eouori. But I'm like Cinderella with a curfew, I have to get home before 7pm because I should be sleeping at around 8:00 because as always "My daily life starts at 3AM".