A Prom Story

I'll tell you a secret: I don't have the fondest memories of my own Junior and Senior Prom. I was an honor student and the school paper EIC so I was among the popular kids in high school but those didn't change the fact that  I. AM. FULL-FIGURED. Well I undeniably have the looks but you know teens (boys, especially) have a preference for the slim and sexy. Thus, I was a wallflower when it was time to dance and par-tey. I know it's kinda embarrassing but yeah, I haven't experienced a prom dance.

That exactly is the reason I am all giddy when Faye started talking about her prom. She's beautiful and smart, not to mention the incoming Student Council president, so I want to make sure that she'll look stunning for this event. I don't want her to be like me; I want her to enjoy her first prom night and have a beautiful memory of it when she reminisces in 5 or 10 years.

Three weeks before the affair, we already bought her gown. Whenever I have free time I would google hairstyles in the quest for the one that would suit her best. I would ask her almost every day about the details -- the date and time, the venue, the food, even her classmates' dresses. And.. wait for it.. I filed a VL just to be there for her on the very day! That's how seriously I take my job as a sister! Hahaha

And so February 23 came. At half past 2, we headed to a nearby salon to have her hair done. I was skeptical at first if the stylist's suggested do would fit the shape of her face (her wide forehead, to be specific :P) Good thing it turned out great.

Good job kuya... err... ate.. err... whatever! Basta, good job! ^_^

Afterwards we hurried to Rustan's Makati for the Paul and Joe Make-up Makeover that I have won. Karen, the nice P&J promodizer-cum-makeup artist, attended to us at once, asked what color she'll be wearing and started her work. It took more or less 1 hour but I loved the result. The make-up was chic and young and oh-so-natural. If I were to rate it, it's a 9. It could have been a 10 had the lipstick been a wee bit brighter but nonetheless, it's another good job! :)

Before and after. I love the glowing effect! :)

We went back home to dress up then off to the venue just in time for the 6PM assembly. It was funny because when we got there, her female classmates shouted her name in unison as if they're seeing a celebrity (LOL!) while the guys were whispering to each other how pretty she is, waiting for perfect timing to make a move. So high school. Hahaha.

So friends, without further ado, here is my pretty little sister on her Junior Prom:

She looked like a princess daw according to her classmates. I couldn't agree more but I may be biased. What do you think? :)

A closer look.

I left the venue with pride and happiness. Looking at her I  am certain that she won't be like me. She'll remember her prom as one great night of socializing and celebrating her youth. Good job, Ate Em :D

Celebrating Vday the Hot Air Balloon Way

A buzzer beater post for Flashback Fridays =D

Two weeks ago, my girls and I traveled all the way up North for our Valentine's Day celebration, with the men of our lives of course! ^_^ We went to the 16th Philippine Hotair Balloon Festival at Clark Field, Pampanga. It was a fun, fun day, and it was extra special because it was Jhay's first getaway with the School of Fish.

Now it's easier to share our adventure through pictures...

We left Manila at 12MN because we were told that the Clark Area gets pretty much jampacked by around 4AM. We got there at 2AM, still too early, but there are still folks earlier than us! This is among the day's first few shots -- From left to right: Donz and Nhix, Emil and Jejo, Edmund and Jaq, Jhay and Me!

Noreen (right) was the one who took the first photo. She's the barkada's only single lady! But mind you, she's perfectly happy that way. Her only sister, Lysa, is her boyfriend for the day :-)

We got the ticket for the event a few days ahead via their Manila office. The process was a little tedious (you deposit your payment to their bank account, fax them the deposit slip, wait for the confirmation e-mail then pick-up the ticket at PSE Tektite) but it's definitely better than falling in line on the day itself :-)

At 4AM, we joined the crowd and waited for the gates to open. They let us in after about 30 minutes.

The first balloon that we saw was that of Caltex, the company behind this international event. It was tethered, probably for picture-taking purposes. We intended to pose by it but by the time the sun was up, the queue was already long :-(

I found it pretty cool when the Philippine flag was flown as the National Anthem played in the background. Sorry, first timer here. Hahaha. And please, excuse the poor quality of the photos, mine's just a point and shoot :P

The programme published in various websites said that the balloon flight is at 5:30 AM but by 6AM, they've only just begun filling them with air. I was amazed at the process but I tell you it ain't easy.

You can feel the anticipation of the crowd (us included) as the balloons slowly took shape ^_^

Photo opp while they're still there! :-)

And another one! Oh yeah, the field where the balloons are are fenced and only those with photographer's pass (worth a thousand bucks, by the way) are allowed inside. But, but, but... our spot isn't bad at all! Being early paid off :-)

Colorful balloons taking off one by one. It was really a pretty sight. These are the moments I wish I had a DSLR. But don't be sad dear Ixus, you're still my first love :-)

With the sun rising in the background.

Crowd favorites =D

When all the balloons were already soaring high, we opted to eat. Finding a table was a real challenge but that's nothing compared to buying from McDonalds. It took Jhay an hour to get a burger meal, 1-pc chicken and a sundae. In fact, our friends were already done eating by then.

After our meal, we roamed around a little then went back to the car because it was scorching hot.

Going out of the compound was a struggle too. To give you an idea, imagine the gates of the cemeteries during All Soul's Day. Exaggeration aside, I promise. The volume of people and the heat made us decide to leave by 9AM. We thought we'll just stroll at SM Clark instead. But wait, there's more -- going out of the parking lot also took an hour! Thus, by the time we got to SM Clark, we were already too lazy to move out of the car. We definitely weren't able to make the most out of the festival but for me, my PhP 150 is already worth it. It's only the hot air balloons we went there for, anyway :-D

We drove straight to NLEX and just stopped over at a gasoline station at Mexico, Pampanga. While asking each other where to eat, we posed by (of all the spots) the watermelons! Kanya-kanyang trip lang yan :P

We had lunch at Kenny Rogers and then it was time for couples' shots.

After lunch, some more picture taking followed.

The girls.

The boys with Lysa.

The Lovebirds ^_^

And what better way to end a happy trip than a pair of uber happy pictures :-)

It was indeed a short-lived out-of-town trip but it was nothing short of fun. The journey is, after all, more important than the destination *wink*

Hopin' you enjoyed the first installment of the series,

It's a Happy Monday!

I stayed up late last Friday mainly to make up to this blog site but as I was trying to put my thoughts together, I blog-hopped and landed at Ms. Nikki Tiu's beauty blog, AskMeWhats. I saw that she's hosting another contest:

Screencap from her site.

I thought it was very timely because Faye will be having her JS prom this coming Wednesday. Being the stage sister that I am, I typed my entry right away and submitted it with high hopes. When I checked back after a few minutes, my heart was crushed when I saw that a lot of other readers have already joined and there is no way I'll make it to the first 5. Thus, I convinced myself that the prize isn't meant for me. Better luck next time, Em.

And then today, I checked my mail and almost jumped for joy when I saw this:

I went to her site again to know how I won and it turned out that Paul&Joe gave another 5 GCs and I'm part of the second batch. It was, after all, meant for me!!! :D

With this, I'm sure Faye would look stunning on her prom night. A huge thanks to Ms. Nikki for the giveaway! ^_^

Oh let me say it again... Happy Monday everyone! :-)

Cebu vs. Ilocos

Three months and a week left until our 6th Anniversary and I'm still undecided where to celebrate it. When it comes to stuff like this, Jhay always takes the back seat and gives me full control. Well that's a no-brainer because he knows that I plan getaways... with a passion. Our 2011 getaway, however, is a tough one because after about a hundred web pages visited and a handful of comments from friends, I'm still torn between two local destinations: ILOCOS and CEBU.

I've always wanted to visit Cebu. It boasts of a lot of tourist spots, Magellan's Cross, Taoist Temple and Bantayan Island among others. And when I heard about the Skywalk Adventure, my eagerness to set foot on the Queen City of the South skyrocketed. Just thinking of exploring a city far from home, just the two of us, makes me wanna book the soonest flight out.

Here are some photos of Cebu attractions, so you'd understand where the excitement is coming from :-)

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

And then, thanks to a cousin who recently went there and brought home nothing but good words, Ilocos came into the picture. It's undoubtedly rich in culture and history and natural beauty. Calle Crisologo, Marcos Museum, Malacanang of the North, Bangui Windmills, numerous baroque churches and the famous Pagudpud Beach are more than enough reasons to fall in love with the province. It is, however, still in Luzon thus defeating my desire to expand my horizons.

Nonetheless, join me as I marvel at what the northern part of the country has to offer:

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

photo from here

Here's the deal. Based on my research, a 4D3N trip to Cebu would cost approximately Php15000 while that to Ilocos is more or less PhP12000.

Have you guys been to both provinces? Considering the distance, the itinerary and the budget, which is the better choice? I have to decide soon so I'd really appreciate some expert advice. Let me know what you guys think :-)

Thanks in advance!

Presenting... Flashback Fridays!

If you are a frequent passer-by of Maude's Avenue, you may have noticed how not just once I've neglected publishing posts on a regular basis. My absence spanned 7 days, 1 week, and then just recently an entire month. I'm definitely not happy about it, I tell you. Especially because in those days that I'm not posting, there are some draft blogs that completely lost their value. Some became already outdated (i.e. my "2010 in Review" post) or some just became a distant memory I'm not sure if I'll still be able to capture in writing. The good news is, I'm determined to give it a try ;-)

Hence, a blog series that I'll call...

Here in my blog, Fridays are dedicated to a food trip, a barkada bonding moment, a family affair, or a romantic getaway that occurred in the past but I haven't had the chance (or the energy) to share. We all deserve second chances, don't we? :D

Because it'll be Saturday in a few minutes, next Friday comes the first official FF post. Stick around, ha? ^^,