Saturday, July 28, 2012

Best First Sleepover Ever:D

Okay, I've experienced a night or two at family friends' house with my parents (you know, for vacations), and I've slept at my friend's house in the Phil. for more than five nights (when my parents were abroad), but sad to say, I have never experienced a "stay-up-late-for-movies-&-games" sleepover in America... until last night!  Woot:D

Yesterday, I went to my friend Ghevont's cozy southern house (look at the pics) and we had a lot of fun!  We went swimming, but there was thunder so we went inside and watched a movie.  And then, the sun came out again and we went swimming again.  Nobody was even there except the lifeguard and he was in his shack.  We had a lot of fun walking funny walks and impersonating people on the diving board lol (hope there was no video cam!!).  We also played the game where you have to get the right answer and if u don't, you get dunked.  It was really fun.

And then we watched Garfield and then did blind makeovers and watched another movie, Beethoven's 4th.  And we finally flopped into bed at 1:30 am lollll... and woke up at 8:30.. so tired right now but worth it!

Just wanna thank you, Ghevont!  Best first "American" sleepover ever! ^^

♥♥♥

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Family Summer Get-Together 2012

My relatives traveled over 13 hrs to visit us!  
At first I was really worried that I would become that shy girl I am, but guess what.  I was actually normal:)  [meaning I wasn't shy or crazy. just normal. not boring. but friendly]  
It was really fun hanging out with them (especially with my Tita, Tagalog for aunt, who loves to go shopping).  It was fun playing the Logos Quiz with them on the iPad.  They knew so many brands and logos!

•shopping~ 
my fashion dilemma 
We went to an outlet mall here and I got a cute Banana Republic skirt with white flowers for only $15 (it used to be $50)! I also got some new wedges from Payless for around $23. When we went to Myrtle Beach there was a store with TOMS shoes!!! I was very excited:)) It was a dream come true to be surrounded with so many of those shoes, lol. I didn't get to try many on cus I didn't want to hold everyone up and I didn't purchase a pair, sadly, because I didn't have the money (really wanted a pair of TOMS wedges). When we got home, we went to another mall and I purchased a chic mint polo from Banana Republic for $30 (from $60).  I don't know what to match with my new mint top so I asked a fashionista from my fave blog- Sarah from Welcome to the gOOd life.  I can't believe she replied back:) (actually she's so sweet that she replies to  most of her viewers) We also went to CharmingCharlie's (only my second time there, first time I didn't come out happy cus I was expecting to find a geeky glasses necklace I saw online) and my Tita bought me this cool "cage with a bird inside" necklace (I added a bow to the side for a pop of color). As you can see, I had a lot of fun shopping!!♥




•around~
Myrtle Beach was our summer escape.  We went to Broadway at the Beach, a boardwalk with shops and other cool things (like that cool upside down building in my pic).  We played Captain Hook's putt putt after leaving our condo at Caravelle Resort.  I was the loser:P  I had fun taking pictures though :D  We cooled off at Friendly's afterwards.  I haven't been there since my family moved from NJ!  



 So that sums up our whole summer get together= shopping, eating, beach, logos quiz, and more shopping:)


I hope we'll all get together again soon!

♥♥♥



Monday, July 16, 2012

LOTR marathon

Last Saturday, my friends and I watched the Lord of the Rings (well, i watched the 2nd and 3rd cus they already started the 1st on Friday).  I must say it was pretty good.  One of my fave characters was Smeagle (in the 2nd).  I felt so sorry for him!  I was really hoping that he would become normal and kind.  It was so cute when he was singing when he was fishing before Faramir captured him.  It freaked me out when Emma's dad scared/ surprised us from behind when we were watching Smeagle/ Gollum's tranformation;  it was scary and funny lol.  I also liked Treebeard, Sam, Frodo, Mary, Pippin, and Gimli.  Gandalf was cool for a wizard, but I just wished he used his powers more.  I felt sorry for Eowyn when she was trying to get close to Aragorn xD  LOTR definitely has humor. I was glad that the ghosts were on the good people's side.  Never mess with ghosts!

I really disliked the gross looking Orcs and other villains (one we called Potato Head guy/ Mr. Potato Head).  Denethor II was such a mean man!  If he was my dad (thank goodness for my loving dad!) and I was Faramir, I would curl up in a ball in the corner and cry.

My heart ached in the part where Frodo just woke up in a room and everyone was laughing and hugging him and Sam showed up and just smiled.  Sam was such a good friend!  I wish I had a best friend like him (actually I do; it's Jesus Christ!)  The farewell was sad too.  I don't understand where they went off to but it was sad how the 2 best friends had to separate.
The movie (s) isn't something I would pick off the rack but it was funny, adventurous, and "romantic" (lol and ew...).  You should watch or read them!

Check out my friend, Emma's LOTR blog: http://lotrrific.blogspot.com/




Thursday, July 12, 2012

Summer Cleaning

Sorry I haven't posted recently!  I've been so busy cleaning our house for when my relatives come to visit.  I had to (and still have to) clean a lot of things from the glass doors with nearby cob webbed walls, living room, the microwave, the fridge (yucky adhesive/ grease on top which I still can't remove!), bathroom (big success!), my room of course, dusty ceiling fans, and other thing-a-ma-jigs around the house.  (Need tip for cleaning dusty blinds!)

I said that the bathroom was a big success because there was so much mold around the bathtub/ shower in the beginning that some creature could've been living in it (an exaggeration but it was that gross).  After reading a blog post from This Blessed Life and applying the instructions, our bathtub and sinks are finally pearly white!  [Quick summary of our procedure: -My mom bought a big bottle of Clorox Bleach for about $2 -Put the bleach in spray bottle -Squirted the moldy area -Put rolled toilet paper on the area, soaking up the bleach (overnight is best) -Turned on the exhaust fan to let the strong smell go away (bad for you) -and Voila!]

I kind of enjoyed cleaning (maybe I'll sign up for Custodial crew next summer...if I learn how to handle cleaning toilets:p).  My favorite tools were paper towels (used A LOT, finally got a rag), Windex multisurface,  Mr. Clean spray.  My tip for you is to be patient and just bear the hard work.  A clean house is worth the sore muscles:)  And oh yeah, don't forget to wear gloves and/ or masks when in contact with chemicals and dust!

After about a week of cleaning, I finally got to do my nails!  Chic and Nautical, eh? lol☻

Wish me luck as I clean some more tomorrow!
And please pray as my relatives travel.


♥♥♥ 

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy 4th! ~ from an American girl

I can truly be proud that the United States of America became independent on July 4, 1776 now that I am an American citizen.  I praise the Lord for letting us become citizens on November 10, 2011.  My parents had applied for citizenship around July last year and God smoothed out the process.  I am a Pinoy (Filipino) at heart still but America takes a big part of my heart also.

♥♥♥

Happy 4th!
Thank you for everyone who is serving and protecting this country.


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

I AM A BOOKWORM:)

Since I was a little kid, I loved to read... well maybe just to look at the pictures haha. 


But seriously, I am a bookworm:)  I would rather curl up and read a good book than go to some crazy party with people I don't know  (you see, I'm shy/ socially awkward at times and not a party girl).  I love how books take you on crazy adventures where nothing happens to you- well not physically (unless you fall off your bed and hit your head or read too much and don't get any sleep), but emotionally, maybe.  I love excitement and suspense.  I love it when I think I know what's gonna happen, but then the author throws a twist and catches me by surprise.  This is weird, but I love crying over books... it makes my feel "good" to just let out my sadness.  (I recommend Cookie by Jacqueline Wilson)


I used to love mysteries like the Nancy Drew series, but I outgrew that stage.  They had the same pattern (mystery, clue, trap, freed, success, reward) and became boring.  The mysteries that grip me now contain technology and some fantasy.  I don't like fairy godmothers or sugar plum fairies or dragons.  What I mean by fantasy is like the trilogy, 13 Treasures, by Michelle Harrison where there's magic but not the "Cinderella" type.  I don't like ghosts but one mystery series that caught my eye was Gilda Joyce by Jennifer Allison.  I can't really remember all the books but I remember that they're good and thrilling.  One of the best mystery series I've ever read:)  The 13th Reality series by James Dashner isn't a mystery (it has riddles) but it has magic; will be hard to put down!  Also, read the Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch and the 100 Cupboards series by N.D. Wilson. 


I love spy thrillers.  Who doesn't like to think about the future and cool gadgets?  (Note: I don't like sci-fi   aliens and Star Wars-y stuff)  Spy Agents are so cool (call me a geek); well at least the ones in the books.  I just finished H.I.V.E. #4- Dreadnought by Mark Walden and he is one of the most detailed authors in the world.  Being a former video game designer and producer certainly helps;)  It's kind of violent but that's how to create suspense.  I like violence...I mean action (God is a god of order and we should be a people of order and not destruction).  Other thrillers I can remember: N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley, Steel Trapp by Ridley Pearson, Hunger Games and Gregor the Overlander series/ Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins, will post some more later.


I'm not an all action girl.  I love to read family & friends fiction too.  I like to look at what other families and groups of friends experience and realize that I'm not alone. Wendy Mass is one of my favorite authors (her books that I've read: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, 11 Birthdays, Finally [12], and the Candymakers). If you're a girly girl like me and you want to read about friendships, I suggest the Camp Confidential books by Melissa Morgan, Candy Apple books (by many diff. authors), the Mother- Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick.


Other nice books I have read are The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar (funny), the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins (I only liked the 1st book), more later . 


What are your favorite types of books?


♥♥♥

Around the South in Six Days!

I'M HOOOOMMME!
Last week when we went to Florida, Storm Debby was in the area but God blew her away!  
We stopped at Jacksonville and stayed at a Quality Inn which had an indoor pool that was beautiful (I didn't get to swim there but it was nice).


The next day, we met our friend, Angelica, at the La Quinta behind Busch Gardens.  (Review: -outdoor pool  only -kind of dingy... depending on the room -doors open to the main balcony like a motel -there was another La Quinta in front of the Busch Gardens and it had a better curb appeal; We barely stayed there though so it was alright, and we did have fun so I should be thankful.)

We went to Busch Gardens, Tampa for half of the day.  Storm Debby had just left so there were puddles and most of the rides were closed=(  We had fun riding the Scorpion, Banga-Banga bumper cars, Jungala log jump, and other rides. 

At Sea World, Orlando, we enjoyed all-day dining (costs around $30/ person).  There are only a few rides (I saw 3) there and two of them my dad didn't let me ride.. but there were a lot of shows and other attractions.  The ride me and Ate Angelica rode was Journey to Atlantis.  We went on a busy day so the line was very long but we didn't mind (since that was the only ride left) and we had fun reminiscing all the memories we made in the Philippines years ago.  We sat in the front row of the boat to get more wet but since we're so light we didn't get super soaked.  It was really fun and kind of scary when we went down the highest part (in the picture my head was all the way back like half of me wanted to stay up there, lol)!  I loved watching the Shamu/ killer whales show.  They were so big o.o... and smart!  They splashed us with their tails (we were in the Soak Zone and my eyes got saltwater in them..ow) and did amazing "jumps".  We also went to Turtle Trek where we "became" sea turtles and went on their journey in the 3D adventure.  I had lots of fun=)  BTW, I miss you Ate Angelica!






After visiting Florida, we traveled to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  It's pretty famous in the U.S.  I expected the beach to be right beside the road like the other beaches I've been to and to have a nice boardwalk right beside it. 
 It was right beside the road, crowded with more buildings than I expected, and there was a boardwalk but I didn't really enjoy it, because there were a lot of tourists (unlike the boardwalk I went to last summer in TX) and there was a loud live concert.  The hotel we stayed at was Boardwalk Beach Resort.  At first, I wrinkled my nose (I usually do..I'm very picky) at the fee (our room was only beach view and it already costed around $150 per night), then at the smelly carpet (from dripping wet people from the beach and pools), and the worn bed covers.  I changed my mind though when I saw the pool- accompanied by jacuzzis and a lazy river!  I loved the jacuzzi... it was so relaxing.. and the lazy river was fun.  Most of the people left the pool at the end of the day so my family practically had it all to ourselves. We were only planning to stay at MB for 1 night but since we arrived there late and hadn't even swam in the Atlantic Ocean yet, we decided to stay another night.  I'm so glad we did!  I swam in the ocean from 11 am- 3pm (well not straight and not really swam, I bobbed over the waves) and after that, relaxed at the lounge chairs and read a good book (H.I.V.E. #4: Dreadnought by Mark Walden).  So 
relaxing...ahh...I feel like I'm still in the ocean (not really good cus sometimes I feel like 
I'm gonna fall...)  They didn't have many sea shells at the beach, unlike where my dad was born (Tingloy, Batangas in the Philippines), but my mom found some pretty good ones.  Overall though, Myrtle Beach was fun and relaxing! I can't wait to go back! 




So now I'm home=) safe and sound.  I'm really thankful that my family got this opportunity to have a vacation.  And I'm very thankful to God that He moved Storm Debby!  It was such a beautiful week.  God gave us the perfect place and week to have our vacation.  When we arrived home, temperatures rose everywhere and God timed it after our vacation.  God is so powerful and mighty!