WATERPROOFED!

White hooded vest - Aeropostale
Thermal undershirt - Kohl's
Snow pants, jacket and gloves - thrift buy from
Wal-Mart

Recently, Vince and I went on a ski trip.  That was the first time we've gone to such, so we needed to buy the essentials including waterproof pants and jacket and thermal layers.  We did look up in the Internet what materials are appropriate for such winter activity, and we found out that cottons are definitely a no-no, for the main reason that cottons sup up water.  Wool, fleece and polyester are recommended.  You just never know how much rolling in the snow you'd end up doing, so the idea is to outfit yourself with something that does not absorb or trap water to keep yourself warm and dry ☻

******************************************************************

For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☻

******************************************************************

My share for:

366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

BAG-ING ISLAND - EPISODE 3

This is my third post for my Caramoan island hopping adventure series.  Click on the links within this post to read on the previous episodes.

If Manlawi Island's striking feature is its gorgeous sandbar and long stretch of shallow waters perfect for running and playing on the beach, Bag-Ing Island, on the other hand, evokes a wilder side of Caramoan owing to the exotic rock formation and greens found in Bag-Ing.

It's the same "wild" reason why Caramoan Islands has been Survivor international franchises' favorite location shoot.  It gives contestants the outcast feeling and detachment from the modern world which then draws out contestants' primal instincts, which is what exactly the reality game's theme is about.

It was already late in the afternoon when the Survivor wannabees got to Bag-Ing, and the water had already started to rise.  In Manlawi, we had the liberty to walk and run a far distance from the seashore and the water level remained knee to waist deep, however, that is not the case with Bag-Ing.  We were only able to swim close to the shore due to rising tides.

I will post more pictures on the next episode to show what fun things the Survivor wannabes did in Bag-ing.  Until then!

*Photo credit to my father-in-law

************************************************************************

Still blogging in progress but you can find out more about my epic Bicol vacation here:

BICOL 2011

************************************************************************

You can read my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

************************************************************************

To read more of my Philippines 2011 vacation, please visit:

THE ADVENTURES OF PAKOY-KOY

************************************************************************

My share for:

SKYWATCH FRIDAY | OUR WORLD TUESDAY | WATERY WEDNESDAY | Project 366 Blog Photo Challenge | SCENIC SUNDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | WORDFUL WEDNESDAY | WATERY WORLD WEDNESDAY |

MINI CRESCENT DOGS AND SPAGHETTINI DINNER

A few weekends back, Vince and I had another nice bonding time in our little kitchen on a lazy Saturday afternoon.  We went out quickly for some grocery shopping and when we got home, we put on our imaginary chef hats and had a good cooking session together.  We were like grown-ups playing lutu-lutuan.  I made the appetizer while he did the entree.

For appetizer, I made two dozens of mini crescent dogs.  I got this idea from Rose (Chubskulit) who made a post about this in her blog, Spice up your Life.   The recipe is so simple even a child can make this.  Although I've eaten this a lot of times in the past, it never really occurred to me that this is very easy to make - thanks to instant refrigerated dough!   Hehe.  I found out that there are actually a lot more meals you can do with those instant dough which I will definitely be trying in the future.

Pigs in a blanket cooling off after coming out of the oven

So, while I was whipping up an easy peasy recipe, Vince was sweating himself by the burners orchestrating a spaghettini (angel hair) dinner.  He asked me whether I would like tomato or Alfredo sauce with the pasta, and I said both ☻  I asked him not to cook those two sauces together in one pan though, and that I would just mix them into my pasta afterwards when they were cooked.  The result was delizioso, I'm positive that WeightWatchers was not too happy with the huge serving I had.

Truly, I am one blessed girl to have a husband who loves to and knows how to cook good food.  Thank you, Lord! :)

************************************************************************

You can read more foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

************************************************************************

My share for:

WEEKEND EATING | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | YUMMY SUNDAY | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

SILK PONYTAIL SCARVES

I guess I've pretty much established my love for purses and bags in my Coach-aholic post.  So today, I'm sharing what other anek-anek (stuff) I buy from Coach aside from purse.

Metallic leather purse and silk ponytail scarf from Coach

2011 Christmas present from Vince ♥

I read from the Internet that it was Babe Paley, an American socialite and style icon, who first tied a silk scarf into her purse handle in 1950s, and within a matter of weeks, women all over New York were emulating the style.  Well, well, well, six decades forward, and what do you know, her fashion statement remains a statement!

I have two silk ponytail scarves so far.  One is brown and gold with the signature "C" logo (which I pair with my white/brown and brown Coach bags) and the second is as seen in picture above (which I pair with my plain black and metallic Coach bags).  I find that leather, as opposed to other materials, are easier to upkeep and has the elegant look, so most of my recent bag purchases were leather.  Plus, I've already gotten over the signature "C" logo phase, so I now prefer getting the "plain" style and just accessorize it with a scarf.  Ain't that so babe? ☻

*************************************************************************

For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☻

*************************************************************************

My share for:

COLOR CONNECTION | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE

MY FIRST SKI-DVENTURE

You most likely know by now that I'm more of a li'l mermaid than a snow bunny - I'd rather find Nemo than play with Frosty the Snowman - BUT I do have a good sense of adventure especially for the outdoors, that if given the chance to ski, no matter how hesitant I might be, I would try it anyway, right?  You bet!

Last Saturday, I went on a ski trip with Vince and his co-residents at Ski Roundtop in Lewisberry, Pennsylvania.  There were eight of us, and two in our group have skiied before; one of the two actually has her own ski gears.  The rest of us were all first timers.

My original plan was to stick with snow tubing (which I didn't get to do and haven't done yet ever).  However, we got excited when we saw the slopes and all the people skiing there, so the five of us signed up for a group basic ski lesson, and our other friend for group basic snowboard lesson.

It took us so long to get our gears from the rental shop, much longer putting our ski boots on!  Oh my!  You are not going to believe how heavy and hard those ski boots and skis are, and how painstaking it is to walk on those Darth Vader boots (that's what Vince calls them).  By the time we got on the snow, my feet were already picket fencing in protest and ready to disassemble from the rest of my body!

Anyway, I managed to stand and survive the boots, and went ahead with our lesson.  I was doing okay in the beginning, but then I struggled with gaining control, making turns, and stopping.  I got towed and rescued by our instructor so many times, especially on higher trails.   Good thing is he's a really nice and funny guy, so I was maybe embarrassed a bit when I kept on falling and all that, but it wasn't humiliating.  Vince, on the other hand, was impressive!   He really skiied well, and I think he only fell once during our lesson.  Each of us had a rolling-down-the-hill, butt-skidding, flopping-down-on-fours-from-the-ski lift blooper moment. LOL.

After an hour of ski lesson, I was all sweaty (it was a fine warm winter day at 9 degrees Celsius) and so thirsty that when we got down, I gulped a bottle of water, took off my jacket, kicked off my ski/Darth Vader boots, and rested for a while.  Vince and our three other friends went back uphill to ski/snowboard, while I and another friend stayed down to rest.  When we both started to feel a bit chilly, we went back to the bunny slopes and practiced skiing until it was time to go home.  I didn't take any more chances of riding the ski lift and going uphill, as I wanted to work on my turns and control first to gain more confidence, and hopefully the next time we go on a ski trip, I'll spend more time on the slopes with my ski than my bum! LOL.

So, did I learn anything?  A lot. TGIF - Toe Goes In First when putting on the ski.  Walk sideways when going uphill. Don't look at your skis when skiing - they're not mood skis, they don't change color.  Turn your head to the direction you're turning.  Lean forward, not backward.   "Pizza" to stop.  Make a turn to slow down, and traverse across the slope.   Put your weight onto the balls of your feet and not on your heels.   Screaming will not slow you down.  Same goes for panicking.  LOL.  Ski poles do not work like brakes!   If you find that you can't stop, drop on your bum and scoot, but be sure to do it soon enough to avoid collision.   Trust me, it's always closer than what you think. Hehe.

At the end of the day, we were all happy with our ski-dventure.   We definitely had a great and memorable first time.  It was a fun and wonderful experience - something that's worth of a second and nth time in the future ;)

************************************************************************

You can read my other travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

************************************************************************

My share for:

TUESDAY TRAVELS | WEDNESDAY WHITES | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

♪♫ YOU MAKE ME WANNA SAY I DO, I DO, I DO... LOVE YOU ♪♫

I'm sharing this over Memory Lane Monday - Special Thing: MY ENGAGEMENT RING

SCENE 1

It was just one of those ordinary Thank God It's Friday days. My job was pulling the wits out of me, so I was relieved that the week had come to an end, and Friday meant volleyball night and Chinese dinner afterwards. South of the border, a co-resident of Vince apparently got sick, so he was called to fill in a night call. He informed me by text, and when I called him, he did not pick up. I assumed his service was busy, so I went about my way to the gym.

My bestfriend was already at the gym when I got there. We did our usual beso-beso and chicka-chicka while stretching before the games. It turned out to be a slow volleyball night for me, and whenever I would sit one down, I would check my phone for messages or try calling Vince again. He never picked up though. I was starting to get worried because it's not like him not to return calls or text, regardless how busy he may be in the hospital. My bestfriend was there to assure me that most likely Vince was just swamped with patients or doing a procedure, and that he'd give me a call back in a little while. True enough, during a half-time break, my phone rang, and it was Vince. He said he had been admitting patients that's why he wasn't able to answer my calls or return them.

My bestfriend and I cut our volleyball night short. We left ahead of our teammates and went to Ajisen Ramen for dinner. We had a wonderful "girls night out" time - one thing I totally miss at the present time. At one point, we touched on the topic of me moving to the States, and how it's going to be sad that we won't be able to do our regular Friday dinners anymore. I consoled ourselves and said that I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon, which he somewhat disagreed with.

SCENE 2

Home after dinner, I did a quick spic and span of my midtown apartment then took a bath. My phone had been quiet since Vince had last called. It was past midnight already but I didn't want to sleep yet. I was waiting for him to send me to bed. It was a routine. He would always call to say goodnight. It had always been our cue, and so I had to wait for that.

Finally, Vince called. He asked me to come down the building and meet him at the door. What? The whole story of filling in and being in the hospital was a cover-up as he wanted to surprise me. All the time I was wondering of his whatabouts, he had been driving his way to Toronto. Sweet ♥

SCENE 3

The following day, Vince and I did some errands in the morning and then had dinner at Memories of Japan, where he handed me his pasalubong - a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates adorned with a golden bow. After dinner, we went to a movie, and then back home.

By the time we got home, it was already late at night. The epiphany of our long distance relationship dawned on me again. He would travel so far to see me, and yet, no matter how much quality time we spend during those visits, it never seemed enough. Goodbyes were getting harder each visit. I gave him a hug and rested my head against his chest while I poured my heart out to him - how I wish he could stay longer and us to be "together together" and not together apart.

Vince hugged me back and comforted me with very loving and thoughtful words. With my gaze fixed on the wall, I savoured that moment of being once again close to him, and at the same time counting the remaining hours until he leaves again. He then broke away from my embrace, dropped on his knee, a red box on his hand, and asked, "K, will you marry me?"

There wasn't any flash mobs or elaborate scripted acts when Vince proposed, but it felt like a hundred firetrucks blared their sirens when I said, "Yes!"

*********************************************************************

One time a year or so after Vince and I got engaged, we were having a conversation about an article I read in Yahoo which said that men nowadays do not pay as much for engagement rings as men in the past did. This led to Vince disclosing the cost of my ring and that he really saved up for it. Awwww :') I then teased him and asked what do I need to do to match that gesture to which he replied, "Just be with me for the rest of my life." Now, that is easy.

*********************************************************************

JOE'S CRAB SHACK

One thing I made sure to check out when Vince and I went to Jacksonville, Florida in May 2011 was Joe's Crab Shack.  While planning our visit, I searched the Internet for seafood restaurants within the area, and Joe's Crab Shack's hip website and fun menu caught my attention.

My bib says, "I have classy crabs."
Vince's bib says, "I like it hot and spicy."

The moment our cool, young server got us a table he enthusiastically scribbled captions into those bibs which he then clipped on us.  He also explained that every 30 minutes or so, the crew roams around the restaurant while performing a sort of anything goes song and dance number, and guests are welcome to join them in their act.

Each table are given a whole roll of paper towel and a galvanized steel bucket placed in the middle of the table for food scraps.  As well, crab cracker tools are provided accordingly.  For entree, I ordered The Diablo Steampot which is a potful of Dungeness crab, Queen crab, mussels, andouille sausage steamed in a flavorful garlicky tomato sauce with fresh cilantro and pico de gallo. *Burp*  I wasn't able to finish my steampot and had to take leftovers back to our hotel, which I then ate the next day.

After dinner, I did a little souvenir shopping at Joe's Stuff Shop where you can find cool Joe's stuff like tie-dye shirts, beach towels, shot glasses and caps.  I bought my BFF a black T-shirt which spoofs the famous Jaws movie poster in 1975 (a guy swimming at the beach and underneath him is a big shark), but instead of a shark, the T-shirt has got a giant crab pincer and "Joe's" rather than Jaws.

There are more than 100 Joe's Crab Shack restaurants in the US.  If you're one who's into chillaxing over a humongous pot of seafood, you should definitely try Joe's ☻

*********************************************************************************

You can read more of my foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

*********************************************************************************

My share for:

MY YELLOW MONDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | YUMMY SUNDAY | ORANGE TUESDAYS | ABC WEDNESDAY | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

SPARES AND STRIKES

Happiness is...

...realizing there's hope after all.

After all the countless gutter balls I threw and taunting I received from the pins I've failed to knock down (as flashed on the digital screens in bowling lanes) in the past, I've proven that I am not a basket case when it comes to bowling.

I long accepted the plain obvious that bowling is a sport I could never be good at.  Competitive as I may be when it comes to games and sports, I long gave up on myself in terms of bowling.  No matter how hard I tried and no matter how bad I threw my tantrum and frustration fits, there was just no way I could roll a bowling ball to knock down those pins.  Pathetic as it may sound but I was averaging on two to three pins per roll. I would get the rarest of the rare very lucky strike once in a blue moon, but everything else was a hilarious joke.   I swear even my own family laughed at me and teased me.  That's how bad I was in bowling. I sucked big time!

But lo and behold, about a couple weeks back when Vince, I and a friend played three hours of unlimited glow bowl on a Friday night, I was amazingly surprised with my game! I never imagined ever being able to do double strikes several times and scoring in the low to mid-100s considering my hideous bowling history, but I unbelievably did all those! I even beat Vince in one game. Ha!

I know I sound like I won an Academy award or an Olympic medal, but all the people who had played bowling with me in the past would understand why I'm totally floored with my recent achievement. I swear, with the way I bowled last time, it was like the lame was made to walk again and the blind was caused to see. You get what I mean? LOL.  In fact, when my father heard about it, his exact words were, "It's a miracle!"

A world class Pinay (in my own terms and right).
Hehe!

So anyway, Vince and I went on another glow bowl date last Friday (and on V-day), and I had again a fabulous time knocking down pins.  It just makes me so happy that after all those hopeless hit-and-miss bowling moments I had in the past, I finally got the game.  In fact, I found myself a new hobby that's something I never ever really considered before ☻

*******************************************************************************

My share for:

PINK FRIDAYS | BLUE MONDAY

MY 3-YEAR-OLD BURBERRY BEAR

One of my lovely blogging buddies, Jess, made a post about her 10-year-old white teddy bear that her husband (then-boyfriend I'm assuming) gave her when they first met in September 2001.  This reminded me of my brown Burberry bear that I've had for three years now!

It was in December 2009 when I got this bear from Vince.  It came with the Burberry perfume he gave me for Christmas.  Coincidentally, the necktie I got him that Christmas was from Burberry too!  (That must be a sign, right? *wink*) We were doing our long distance girlfriend-boyfriend thing then, and so he had to drive from the States to Toronto just so he could spend Christmas with me as promised by him the previous year  ♥

Anyweiz, like I said above, I've had this bear for three years now, and for the most time, it has been resting comfortably on my dresser and protected from dust inside it's plastic casing (I took it out of its case just now to take pictures for posterity's sake).  It hasn't always been sitting pretty on my dresser though, because eventually I came here to the States to be with Vince, and so during the move, the bear had to be packed and unpacked, but no matter what (the Burberry perfume has been long finished; things had been thrown and given away; stuff came and went; acquired new items to put on the dresser; etc.), that bear just keeps on finding the perfect spot on my dresser ☻ the same way that Vince is always in my heart ♥

I love it that my bear's year is embroidered on his sole.  That, I think
is a clever way of adding sentimental value, and making it more unforgettable!

*********************************************************************************

For a sneak peak of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☺

*********************************************************************************

My share for:

THURSDAY BROWNIES | COLOR CONNECTION | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

HORSESHOE FALLS

Can you think of a tourist spot that you've been to so many times and yet it simply never ceases to amaze you?  Mine is Niagara Falls, particularly the Horseshoe Falls.  The Horseshoe Falls is the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.  As the name implies, the waterfalls has a curving, horseshoe shaped crest.

The first time I went to Niagara Parks was in September 2005.  I was a newcomer then in Canada and my generous relatives took me with a couple of my friends on a day trip there, which is about a two-hour drive away from Toronto.

The second time I went back there was I think in 2007 when an online friend met up with me in Canada.

In 2009, I went there twice, in May for my birthday, and in December.  Vince and I did the Journey Behind the Falls tour in May, wherein from the observation decks, we were able to get really up close to the falls enough to see and hear the raging rapids going down the basin.

In 2010, I went there twice (again!), in May for my birthday (and again!), and in July.  Vince and I did the Maid of the Mist boat tour in May. 

Be prepared to get wet.  Blue raincoats are provided for Maid of the Mist tourists. 

 The Maid of the Mist boat tour begins at a calm part of Niagara River near the Rainbow Bridge (the bridge that connects New York, USA and Ontario, Canada), and then traverses the American and Bridal Veil Falls all through the dense mist of spray inside the curve at the base of the Horseshoe Falls.

American Falls

The American Falls is one of the three falls that comprise the Niagara Falls.  This falls belongs to USA as it is completely within the New York state.

American Falls on the left and Bridal Veil Falls on the right
See those people that looked so tiny on Luna Island above?

The Bridal Veil Falls is the smallest of the three falls.  Luna Island separates it from the American Falls and Goat Island separates it from the Horseshoe Falls.

Approaching Horseshoe Falls.  Look at that dense mist!

According to Wikipedia, the Horseshoe Falls is one of the world's most voluminous waterfalls renowned both for its beauty and as a source of hydroelectric power.  The falls produce a large amount of mist which occasionally renders viewing difficult.

Drenched from the mist!

I can't really remember now the exact number of times I've actually gone to Niagara Falls, but every time I go there, I can't help but be awed by such majestic creation.  Truly, how great Thou art, oh Lord my God! ☻

*************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

*************************************************************************

My share for:

WATERY WEDNESDAY | WEDNESDAY WHITES | SCENIC SUNDAY | BLUE MONDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | OUR WORLD TUESDAY | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

NUWAVE

I mentioned in a previous post that I recently acquired two new kitchen buddies, and already introduced the first one, which is a three-crock slow cooker that a friend gave me.  Today, allow me to blog about my second kitchen buddy.  Ready or not, here goes my Nuwave Infrared Oven!

I am pretty impressed as to what this oven can do.  It can broil, bake, barbecue, roast, steam, dehydrate and air fry.  It has the triple combo cooking power (convection, conduction and infrared) as well as reheat function for leftover foods.  I watched the DVD and read the recipes that came with my unit and I was surprised with the variety of meals you can cook using Nuwave from breakfast, lunch to dinner, and appetizer, entree to desserts.  You can even cook perfect sunny side up eggs and rice in this oven!  Amazing isn't it?

Anyweiz, I have only had my Nuwave for about a month, but Vince and I have already used it so many times.  Here's some of what we have cooked with this awesome invention so far:

1.  Pesto salmon fillets with zucchini - Vince got the recipe from Nuwave.  Delizioso!

2.  Grilled pork - My original intention was to cook sisig.  Unfortunately, we couldn't find the right ingredients over here on our side of the planet, so I opted to make do with whatever pork meat we could find and just cooked it in a sisig fashion.

3.  Banana bread with chocolate chips - We've baked two loaves so far.  One for our personal consumption, and the other for Vince's nurses at the clinic.  Yay!

4.  Pork chop dijonaisse - Vince knows I love pork chops, so he took the recipe (along with the chicken pot pie recipe) with him to work, and before going home, he passed by the grocery store to buy the ingredients.  He then cooked this for me.  Awwwwww :')

5.  Chicken pot pie - Vince partnered the pork chop dijonnaise with a creamy chicken pot pie, and what ensued was yet again a splendid home-cooked dinner together for us.  Who needs dessert when you have a husband as sweet as mine, right? ♥

I will show you in my future posts what other food we've cooked using this oven ☺

*******************************************************************************

You can read more of my foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

*******************************************************************************

My share for:

WEEKEND EATING | TEMPT MY TUMMY TUESDAY | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | FROM SCRATCH FRIDAY | YUMMY SUNDAY | ABC WEDNESDAY |

WIN, LOSE, DRAW OR DIAGNOSE!

Most of us are familiar with the board game, Pictionary, right?  "Quick sketches, crazy guesses."

So, about three or four weeks ago, Vince and his co-residents had a little gathering, and after dinner, we played Pictionary.  We divided ourselves into four teams, and as expected, Vince and I were on the same team.  We had loads of fun, and too bad, we didn't take pictures of the sketches and drawings, but one thing I realized is how interesting (and competitive) this board game becomes when physicians play it.

Word #1:  SNORING

Dr. E picks a card, and as soon as the timer starts, he sketches what obviously is a person sleeping, including the giveaway "zzzzzzzzzzzzz."   It is a pretty easy word (both to draw and guess), so all of us we're expecting that Dr. W, his teammate, would get it.  With a little prompting, Dr. W indeed got the correct answer, but quickly quipped, "I was going to say OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA."

I giggled and snickered, then thought to myself, "Tama nga naman, me punto sya!" *Right, he has got a point there.*

By the way, obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by loud snoring, restless sleep, and daytime sleepiness.

Word #2:   TEASPOON

The third team was composed of Dr. A, her husband, and their young daughter.  Dr. A.'s husband did a good sketch of a teaspoon, but Dr. A blurted out, "IMPREGNATION."

On figuring out why "impregnation," it took me a long time to see that the teaspoon sketch did look like a sperm cell!

Way to go, Dr. A, for your clinical eye, and analytic thinking! ☻  And yes, Dr. A got the correct word eventually.

Word #3:   GUMSHOE

Though I didn't know what gumshoe is, I didn't find it to be a hard word, because all I needed to do was sketch a gum and a shoe, which Vince got correctly.  The funny part was when I was sketching a shoe, Dr. O said nonchalantly, "That looks like a p3n!s."  And the others piped in, "Hey, we got kids here!" LOL.

I looked up in the dictionary to see what gumshoe means, and it is a slang for a detective, investigator, or sleuth.

Still, I swear, my sketch was ugly but it didn't resemble a male's reproductive organ, or at least to me! ☻

Anyway, in case you were wondering who was crowned Pictionary champs of the night, it was Vince and I.  They got owned by the Valencia couple. LOL. Our winning word was "poodle."  Vince was able to decipher my stick drawing of a dog, but couldn't quite get that it was a poodle, until he overheard one of our opponents whispered, "Yeah, it does look like a poodle."  And that's how we won, hehe!

***********************************************************************

My share for:

PINK FRIDAYS |

***********************************************************************

MY SWEET VALENTINE

Happiness Is...

...a bunch of colorful socks ☻ 

Last year, my sweet and thoughtful husband gave me a dozen of colorful socks for Valentine's Day.  This year, Valentine's came early for me as I received my present in late January.  To find out what Vince got me for Valentine's this year, check out this week's Happiness Is meme HERE.

*********************************************************************

My share for:

BLUE MONDAY | MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY | ORANGE TUESDAYS | PINK FRIDAYS

BUTTON-UP SHIRTS

One time (not too long after I got married) while shopping, I asked Vince to choose clothes for me.  He delightfully obliged and grabbed a button-up shirt from the rack.  He apparently had noticed that I need more of those shirts in my wardrobe, and suggested that I add them in my style.  If you want to see the shirt that Vince picked for me, you can read HERE, but since then, whenever we go shopping I always keep an eye out for button-up shirts ;)

My checkered pink, gray and white roll-up sleeves button-up shirt by H&M
Vince's white short sleeves button-up shirt by Guess

*Photo taken in Penn Wells Lodge, October 2011*

***************************************************************************

For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope they're not for sale ☻

***************************************************************************

My share for:

PINK FRIDAYS | PINK SATURDAYS

OTHER FUN STUFF AT DOLPHIN COVE

I previously blogged about my unforgettable experience of riding a dolphin on its belly at Dolphin Cove in Ocho Rios, Jamaica last spring.  So now, I am going to show and tell what other fun stuff I did there.

1.  I carried on my shoulder a big fat grumpy-looking iguana with a tail as long as my hair, and took lots of pictures with him ☻

2.  I pretended to be a modern-day Eve and curled a skinny snake over my nape while my modern-day Adam wrapped his arms around  my waist ♥

3.  I let a couple of colorful, pretty birds take turns on perching on my shoulder.

4.  I kayaked and soaked up the sun ☼

5. I pet a debarbed stingray.  The park attendant didn't want guests to take pictures using their own cameras as the park has official photographers for such park activities, but they charge so high ($16.00 per print!), so I'm really glad that Vince managed to take a couple of snapshots of Mr. Stingy, Mr. Stingray and me.

6. I snorkeled and stalked Mr. and Mrs. Stingray underwater.

************************************************************************

You can read more of my travel stories here:

TUESDAY TRAVEL

************************************************************************

My share for:

WATERY WEDNESDAY | OUTDOOR WEDNESDAY | TUESDAY TRAVELS | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

MAJA BLANCA AND AFRITADA

About three weekends ago, Vince organized a small gathering with his co-residents.  The theme was a cultural potluck dinner, so the idea was to bring a cultural dish, whether appetizer, entree or dessert.  Vince showcased his Pinoy cooking skills by bringing Chicken Afritada for entree and Maja Blanca Maiz for dessert.

Chicken Afritada

If you're Pinoy, you know that Chicken Afritada is a delicious chicken stew cooked with tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers and green peas.  Normally, I also put hotdogs when cooking this dish, but due to dietary restrictions for some of Vince's co-residents, we omitted that in the ingredients.

Maja Blanca Maiz

Maja Blanca Maiz is coconut corn pudding.  As the name says, it is a dessert made of coconut milk, condensed and fresh milk, flour, sugar and corn.  We then toasted grated coconuts for garnish.

We are fond of doing cultural dinners primarily because majority in his residency program are IMGs (International Medical Graduates), so that allows us to sample various cuisines on such gatherings.  Other dishes in the recent dinner included Joloff Rice, Cherry Cheesecake, Goat Curry with Basmati Rice, Tandoori Chicken, Pastelon and Ripe Plantains, Vegetable and Chicken Samosa, and Pumpkin Cake.  For the first time in his life, Vince ate goat and he actually liked it.  As for me, I tried every food on the table but I stuffed myself mostly with the Chicken Afritada that Vince cooked.  Of course, love your own, woohoo!

********************************************************************

You can read more of my foodie stuff here:

GASTRONOMY MONDAY

********************************************************************

My share for:

| ORANGE TUESDAYS | FOOD TRIP FRIDAY | FOOD FRIDAY | YUMMY SUNDAY | 366 BLOG PHOTO CHALLENGE |

COACH-AHOLIC

Who loves bags and purses? Raise your hand!

Who wouldn't fall in love with this pretty little thing?

I do, and we have to admit, that most girls do, too.  It doesn't matter how many purse and bag of different colors and all sorts a girl has, but it always seems like she ain't got enough, right?  As to why? Beats me!

So yeah, guilty as charged, I'm indeed one of those ladies who has a tendency to hoard bags.  I've handed-me-down a lot already, only to give room for recent and future purchases.

Lately, I've made a resolution to keep myself from accumulating so much purses and handbags, and that is to stick on buying only from Coach.  Why Coach?  Because if I buy from an outlet store, I can get up to 80% off the regular price, and did I mention that there are two outlet stores nearby where I live? *grins*

Wait... does that sound like a resolution to you or rather a juxtaposition?  Think about it.  Hehe!

*****************************************************************

For a sneak peek of what's inside my closet, please visit:

WEDNESDAY APPAREL

And nope, they're not for sale ☻

*****************************************************************

My share for:

WEDNESDAY WHITES | THURSDAY BROWNIES | COLOR CONNECTION