It was the birthday of Ate Evelyn, one of my sister's co-teachers. But before heading to the restaurant we had a short side trip at Swensen's! Then we had dinner at Prikhorm... the food there was great! It was my first time to taste Seafood Tom Yum! I ate all the shrimp :))

More of our pictures here -  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150652941876797.413171.579326796&type=3&l=5f1db1cb53

Oh Bangkok I never get tired of you! Went back to Bangkok with my mother to visit my sister and also to have that engrandeng vacation hehe This is our 2nd day in Bangkok and my sister just arrived from Chumphon, 8 hours away from the city, and we headed straight to Pratunam market and Terminal 21 Mall. It was a pretty amazing mall, every floor has its own theme and it only calls for one thing... cam whoring! Here are some of our pics taken there.

My mother noticed that we were all wearing different shades of blue ^_^ loved the floor with the Rome theme, wish I had one of the angel statues in my room... just for that ROMA effect. :))
More of our pictures here - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150651666091797.412958.579326796&&l=dc324512ca 

Finally coming back to Gensan, where my father's hometown is. It has been more than a decade since I the last time I set foot on this beautiful place... too bad we're not there for a vacation, something more serious happened that's why my father, my mother and I went there. My father's oldest brother died, my uncle, and this blog post is for his memory.

In Filipino culture events like this turns into a reunion. Since me and my family were to stay there for only a short amount of time, the Advincula clan sure made a heck of a reunion.

Just as my plane landed i was welcomed by relatives whom I've not seen before, smiles, hugs and kisses were a very welcoming treat. We then drove up to the pineapple plantation and to the small farm of my cousin. My father was overly happy because there's more DURIAN for him! I gotta admit, it is quite delicious, minus the  foul smell of course.

The next day after my Uncle's interment the family opted to have a little fun at Amandari Cove. We'll never know when we'll be able to come back so we took the opportunity to bond with the relatives.

Before heading back to our hotel my cousin was kind enough to drive us around where the Pambansang Kamao and his family lives. We also saw his hotel and his wife's commercial bldg. 'twas pretty awesome!

The next day we had to leave early to catch our morning flight back to Manila. Our stay in General Santos was brief but very fulfilling, seeing my other relatives and bonding with them... weird though, well i guess its not weird at all, it felt like i've known them for so long already.

We'll definitely comeback here next year! I can't wait to go back to the pineapple plantation and eat as many pineapples as i want! hahaha

xoxo J♥

Happy Birthday to the most adorable, chubbiest, cutest, smartest and most maarte girl, apart from me of course, Mary Grace! Valentine's Day, a day both dreaded and looked forward to by people during this Love Month but for my family it's a special day because it's my niece's birthday! My sister decided to celebrate it at my niece's school on the 17th.

My task was to order the cake, as simple as that but i failed BIG TIME! A day before i realized I haven't ordered any cake yet and yes it was too late. THE PLAN: Buy the biggest chocolate cake. Buy decorations. Fetch the cake from the cake shop. Transport it by walking from the cake shop to the school. Inhale. Exhale. And decorate like a mad person. I've got to admit, I did a pretty good job at it.

Birthday parties are fun for kids and a grueling task for adults but it was fun watching the kids enjoy even if it was only for an hour. Mace was excited to open her gifts when we got home. She has a smile from ear to ear. Hahaha glad she enjoyed her day.

Last 2007 my cute little niece, her overly adorable baby brother and her Mom (Ate Inday) and Dad (Kuya Francis) went to Canada because her Mom was offered by the embassy to work there for 5 years... and now my little (sarcastically saying because she's already bigger than me!) niece is back! She'll be studying at De la Salle Zobel this coming school year and she has to take an exam and then go back to Canada to finish her last school year there.

We had a little get-together at our my Aunt's house.  

Wahaha one funny moment of the night... my nephew [Kobe - the one wearing the green shirt] accidentally drank a glass full of wine and coke hahaha he choked and did not like the taste at all.

[Pictures taken last January 7, 2012 - after my photo coverage]

Hi world! Last December 2011 the Head Nurse Administrator of the last hospital I've worked in asked me if I could shoot her daughter's 7th Birthday party. I was a little sceptic because photography is just my hobby and I mostly take pictures of myself (ha-ha obvious na VAIN!). So during that one month of preparation, more like deep thinking, I agreed a week before the event.

With only my big bros camera and a tripod I was in a shooting frenzy... here are some of the selected pics taken from the event. [Pictures taken and edited by me]

It was very tiring going around and taking pictures of every kid in the party... some were too shy to take pictures; some were hogging the camera ha-ha. It was a great first experience for me and guess what... I booked a new client! Hopefully it pulls through... fingers crossed. ^_^

[Pictures taken last January 7, 2012]

Hi, my name is Joy and I'm a shoe addict.

Okay, so I've just started collecting shoes last 2011 and I haven't quite made that much of a number. Reason #1. Shoes can be expensive #2. There's so many shoes to choose from! #3. Since I'm a nurse, I don't get to wear my shoes that often 4#. Most of my shoes are sky high that it can be inappropriate for some occasions that I attend to. Ha-ha! #5. Uhmm did I mention that they can be EXPENSIVE???

So here are some tips for essential shoes in a girls closet: 

Tip #1 - The Little Black Pumps

It should be a girl's best friend! It goes well with a lot of outfits; may it be pants, shorts, dresses, skirts, and the likes. It can be rounded, pointed, peep toe or any style that you want you LBP to be

Tip #2 - The heavy duty, versatile, sassy, sexy, chic, cute FLATS

Okay, a lot of women today wear high heels but there are times that out beloved heels can be a b!tch and hurt our feet; from calluses, blisters, sore feet, and sometimes broken foot/feet. But thanks to our trusty flats we can always confide on them. A lot of shoe stores, may it be online or in boutiques, have made flats that are so comfy, so cute, so versatile and can fit into any purses and bags. Gone are the days that our feet are all swollen and battered by our sky high heels.

Tip #3 - W.E.D.G.E.S.

If you're not a big fan of thin-heeled shoes and scared that you may look like Bambi taking his first steps, better go with the WEDGES. Wedges give the same effect like high heels (e.i. Booty tooch, proper posture, sexy walk and elongated legs) and you'll have a better balance and confidence. There have been an array of styles for wedges that the imagination of a person can only limit itself. There's the espadrilles, the Mary Jane, the Penny Loafers, and a lot more depending on your style, Wedges have become edgier and edgier as time goes by.

Tip #4 - Sandals. 

For those who are not a fan of high heels and wedges, one can never go wrong with sandals when it comes to comfort style. Just like the evolution of heels and wedges, there have been a lot of varieties of sandals for the demanding consumers. I like sandals that can be statement pieces for an outfit, with lots or ornament, complementing combinations of colors, sequins, glitters, and a whole lot more! I haven't found the perfect sandals for me but I do have two or three sandals stuck in my closet. Ha-ha

Tip #5 - Flippy-floppy FLIP FLOPS.

Hey! I know what you're thinking, flip flops aren't stylish and must not be a part of the SHOE ESSENTIALS. But here's a thought, flip flops can be stylish enough as long as you know what kind of flip flops to buy. They are not the typical "PANG-BAHAY NA TSINELAS" anymore. As i said with sandals, Ornament and all the other hullabaloo are key to a trendsetting flip flops. I have been a fan of flip flops since college, using my favorite brand Havaianas.

Tip #6 - BOOTS to boot.

Ooookay boots may not be advisable in the Philippine weather but there are boots that are designed for our tropical weather (minus the fur or wool lining inside). I particularly want to have a leopard designed ankle boots, they're so fierce and wild! It's one of the shoes in my SHOE WISH LIST! :)

Tip #7 - RUBBER SHOES.

Being in style while getting fit is a must. Nothing but a trendy and comfortable shoe to accompany your feet while running on a treadmill or just simply strutting your stuff in the gym.

Having these SHOE ESSENTIALS will jump start your shoe closet for sure! Just a friendly reminder... store your shoes wisely! (Hmm what a great idea for another blog!) T.T.F.N. :) <3 

Happy Birthday Maple!!! ^_^ her party was fun! There were games including cherries and whip cream! Haha dirty minds shoo away! The mechanics is we had to get a cherry under a bed of whip cream and the team that loses will drink a glass full of gin! Kamusta naman un? And so we thought that our team already won... too bad it was just a trial! The second time around our team lost, boo to us waha! I didn’t drink at all. I might not be able to go home in a conscious state.

Next game, trip to JAKARTA! Ahaha joke! Trip to Jerusalem with a little twist, the participants will wear a blind fold and the chairs are scattered all over the room. The game was pretty competitive especially for the boys! Good job Dexter! Sa iyo na ang chair wahaha

Hulaan mo drawing ko – present day’s DRAW SOMETHING hahahaha

God i miss high school!

Actually this was an advance despidida because the following week my friend will be in Cebu with her idol, whose name will never be mentioned, to spend time with her and watch her idol’s concert. How cool! So back to the despidida, more booze than ever! Shots for the ladies and gents! Labelled shot glasses (smart thinking tart)! Unlimited videoke! Laughter! Fools fooling around! Pictures! The veterans vs. the amateurs! Culture shock (thank you Larvie for traumatizing our friend Nette)! Isaw! Yummy nachos and salsa! All time favourite ginisang hotdog (thank you Tito Alex)! Heart to heart (Heart to heart nga bay un? Puro tawanan at interruption... even though we’re with you Iris)! Exes reunited (you know who they are haha)! It was a fun-filled night, it was like college all over again. We’re going to miss you Tintin!!! See you soon! <3

Honouring our friend’s arrival... (Wow! Honouring talaga?!) we set up a dinner date for the whole barkada. Only a few came though, given the tight schedules and some were already abroad but we still had fun! It’s impossible for everyone to come in time so the meeting time was 6pm... 3 cups of Starbucks coffee, 2 packs of cigarette and 2 hours after, we were almost complete. We head to Giligan’s for a feast! In our barkada pag gutom, wala nang patumpik-tumpik pa. See the pic? That is no joke dude... we finished in just 5 minutes! Kami na ang gutom! Too bad for our friend, Cat, who came in right after we just finished. There was nothing left on our plates. Dinaanan ng bagyo, literally. Hahaha

They had more of that Starbucks coffee... but for me and my  friend Shana, we want Swensen’s! We ordered my favourite Nutty Basket, i was in heaven! I missed it so much. Swensen’s Ice Cream parlor is my ultimate guilty pleasure. The first time i ate a piece of heaven was when i was in Thailand. It’s a good thing a franchise opened in Mall of Asia, and i think they’re going to open another one in Eastwood and SM Soutthmall (yey closer to home!!!). I never get tired of eating their ice cream, beats the other expensive ice creams i know! Swensen’s is and will always be the ULTIMATE SUNDAE EXPERIENCE.

Since it’s the dinner that’s long been over due i dressed up for the occasion. Thank you Ron for taking my pictures; took only 3 shots and we got the look! Give yourself a pat on the back.