Monday Sayings: No Such Thing As Forever?

Aloha everyone,

Back in November, my cousin from the Philippines came to stay with us for two weeks. I took him out to a mostly seafood restaurant in Hollywood where they cook seafood in a bag that sits in boiling water. 

Customers can write on the wall. On my way out, my cousin spotted this phrase that I was actually facing the whole night but never noticed.

"Walang forever" which translates into "there is no forever."

And it hurt my heart. 

I've gotten my heart broken so bad but I still believe in love.

Whomever wrote that must've had his or her heart broken, cut into pieces, and ran over by a hundred semi-trucks or something.

Whatever the case, it just broke my heart that someone out there didn't believe in forever. I know shit happens and things end and the trauma from the experience stays with you. That is life. But to not have hope for a forever I guess is what really makes me sad. 

Maybe I do live in a fairy tale land as my former classmate had told me. It was in my heath class our instructor asked us to partner up and tell our partner how we would want to die. I told my classmate, "In bed next to my spouse and hopefully at the same time like in The Notebook." Ok, yeah. I guess I live in a fairy tale.

But I do believe in love.

And to whomever wrote that, I wish you love, health, happiness and an opportunity to believe and hope in forever.

Xoxox

Life Update: Why I M.I.A.'d and Why 2016 Rocks (so far)!

Aloha everyone!!

I have returned (again! LOL) from a 2 month hiatus.

A lot has happened in the last two months that has caused me to skidaddle not only from my blog but from most social functions.

WHY I WENT M.I.A: 
Last Wednesday, 8/24 aka KOBE DAY!, I took my final board exam for clinical social work and I PASSED!!!!!! I am almost officially an LCSW, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. I am just waiting for the certificate that seals the deal. In the field of social work, it is a big deal and something super anxiety-provoking to get.

I took part one of my exam in March and passed. That was fine, not too bad.

Last Wednesday's exam was the clinical exam. 170 questions, 4 hours of critical thinking, reasoning, and anything that makes you want to bang your head against a wall and say, "Why did I do this to myself?" 

At the end of all that, I made it!! And that is all that matters. No more testing ever! Hallelujah!

WHY 2016 ROCKS:

<> I passed both board exams and have reached licensure! It is as though I am a legit social worker now. LOL

<> I got engaged to my Ben at the end of July <3 No wedding planning has commenced due to studying for my exam. I am in the midst of still celebrating (LCSW is a big deal in the field)!! :D I am debating whether to start planning now or in October when I quit my second job on Saturday nights. In my current M-F job, I have taken on the new role of intern supervisor (or field instructor for those in the social work world) and that starts in Sept - June. I really do not want to spread myself too thin.

<> I had the honor of coplanning and cohosting my former coworker's baby shower. It was such a joy and so much fun! I cannot wait to meet baby Theo!

Russian spread of homemade sweet treats

<> My beautiful nephew Eli was born making my nephew Ollie a proud big brother <3

Just like anyone else, I have had multiple downs as I had ups this year. But I really wanted to highlight what really made 2016 amazing. There are 4 more months left in the year. I hope the year continues to bring continued love, luck, health and blessings, not just to me but to you all as well.

Xoxox

Monday Sayings: RIP: Pray for Orlando

It's been a little more than a week since the tragic shootings in Orlando.

The shooting and killing of YouTuber/The Voice singer Christina Grimmie on June 10 in Orlando and then the massacre on June 11 in a Orlando nightclub called Pulse.

I'm sure you've heard of it. The deadliest massacre to date in the United States.

It still pains my heart knowing this happened. How can you take the life of another? What makes you think you're the Man up above to determine who gets to go and who doesn't?

Like many others, I wanted to dedicate a quick post acknowledging who the 49 innocent victims, now angels, were:

Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34
Stanley Almodovar III, 23
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22
Luis S. Vielma, 22
Kimberly Morris, 37
Eddie Jamoldroy Justice, 30
Darryl Roman Burt II, 29, of Jacksonville
Deonka Deidra Drayton, 32
Alejandro Barrios Martinez, 21
Anthony Luis Laureanodisla, 25
Jean Carlos Mendez Perez, 35
Franky Jimmy Dejesus Velazquez, 50
Amanda Alvear, 25
Martin Benitez Torres, 33
Luis Daniel Wilson-Leon, 37
Mercedez Marisol Flores, 26
Xavier Emmanuel Serrano Rosado, 35
Gilberto Ramon Silva Menendez, 25
Simon Adrian Carrillo Fernandez, 31
Oscar A Aracena-Montero, 26
Enrique L. Rios Jr., 25
Miguel Angel Honorato, 30
Javier Jorge-Reyes, 40
Luis Daniel Conde, 39
Shane Evan Tomlinson, 33
Juan Chevez-Martinez, 25
Joel Rayon Paniagua, 32
Jason Benjamin Josaphat, 19
Cory James Connell, 21
Juan P. Rivera Velazquez, 37
Jerald Arthur Wright, 31
Leroy Valentin Fernandez, 25
Tevin Eugene Crosby, 25
Jonathan Antonio Camuy Vega, 24
Jean C. Nives Rodriguez, 27
Rodolfo Ayala-Ayala, 33
Brenda Lee Marquez McColl, 49
Yilmary Rodriguez Solivan, 24
Christopher Andrew Leinonen, 32
Angel L. Candelario-Padro, 28
Frank Hernandez, 27
Paul Terrell Henry, 41
Antonio Davon Brown, 29
Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, 24
Akyra Monet Murray, 18
Geraldo A. Ortiz-Jimenez, 25

And Christina Grimmie, 22 who was shot the night before also in Orlando.

May you all rest in peace.

May your loved ones find peace, solace, and strength during this time.

May America unite and move forward together in love and compassion, not hate and division.

May our world one day know peace, love, and acceptance.

Xoxoxo

RIP: Shine Bright, Star light

Last Monday 4/25/16, I received heart wrenching, stomach-turning, I-almost-fainted news.

One of my sorority sisters had taken her life the night before.

My heart sank.

My first thoughts, "What. Oh my gosh. Oh Jamie. Oh no, Jamie."

I asked my friend if there was anything that she knew of that Jamie was going through. She told me Jamie was struggling with bipolar disorder.

A flood of memories just kept going through my heart, through my head, through my soul.

Sadness - a beautiful soul gone from this world.

Anger - how could you do this to yourself? Be so selfish.

Anger - at the system. The mental health system continues to fail the people we love

Empathy - I shouldn't be angry. Jamie was clearly going through an inner turmoil that no one can ever truly understand. This was her peace.

Sadness - that this happened. That I wasn't there to know or even help her.

She was a beautiful soul. We were close in college but soon after graduation, she moved to Kansas and then different places throughout the Midwest. We all moved on with our lives, but stayed in contact. She came every 1 - 2 years since she moved away and every time she came back, it was as though nothing has changed.

She smiled a lot. She laughed a lot. She was supportive. She challenged you. She was a burst of energy. She brought out the best in you because she always saw the best in you. She was my dance partner, my thiz face, hyphy sistahhh.

I loved her voice. It was unique, but it was Jamie and it was beautiful. She was beautiful. She was gigantically tall and worked it. She had the fairest complexion that she shone so bright. She was proudly "ghetto" and often said, "I'm the most ghetto white girl you've ever met."

Her life growing up was not easy. She is the true epitome of working hard. She went from living in a trailer to UCLA graduate to pre-med student. She worked her ass off, always working multiple jobs to support herself, did so ever since she was a young teenager.

No one had anything bad to say about her. Nothing.

Rest in paradise my beautiful friend.

I am too lucky and so grateful to have met you.

You forever hold a dear place in my heart and in my memories.

Shine bright, star light

I know you're watching over us

xoxoxox 

"I will never understand that out of all the people in this world, you thought you had to be the one to go"

Our Vegas Birthday Weekend: Food, Fun, and MARIAH!

My birthday was 10 days shy of one month ago, but I had the greatest time ever! It still feels like yesterday. And that's when you know it was a good time.

Memorial Day weekend happened to be my and Ben's birthday weekend. It was a special birthday weekend because he turned the big 3 - 0 on May 22 and I turned 29 on the 23rd. We actually didn't realize our birthdays fell on MDW until two weeks prior. We were trying to figure out why plane tickets were so expensive! Then my coworker pointed it out during my rant. Regardless, it was one of the BEST birthdays ever if not THE BEST.

There were plenty of laughs, birthday wishes, food, and my favorite - MARIAH CAREY! - to be had.

THE FOOD

Shake Shack - Shack burger and fries

Amazing, but not blown away! Delicious nonetheless

Shack Shack - Red velvet concrete

Not a big fan of red velvet, but this was AMAZING!! GET THIS!

Serendipity 3 - Fried eggs benedict

AWFUL. Don't bother on the food

Serendipity 3 - Frrrozen hot chocolate

THIS is what you come for

THE SELFIE

Ben got me the ever so mainstream NuMe 5 - in - 1 Lustrum curling wand set. I've been wanting it for over a year now and I finally get to play with it, not just stare at it online. Hehe ;P

I LOVE IT!

MY HIGHLIGHT: SEEING MARIAH LIVE

Mariah was all over Caesar's Palace: magazines, posters, key cards

Blurry photo but she is still fierce, baby!

BUTTERFLY!!

It's just a sweet, sweet fantasy baby

...except for me, this was real <3

One sweet day

The feels ya'll! <3

The birthday duo

Even though the weekend was supposed to be about his big 3 - 0, he made me feel like the queen of he weekend. Ever since I found out Mariah was coming to Vegas, I've been itching to go. What a sweetheart for sitting through a Mariah Carey concert. Thank goodness for iPhones! LOL :p

I already know 29 is going to be a great year. It's been a beautiful start to the end of my 20s. Bring on the adventures :)

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 5

This is the final installment of my November Grateful Challenge. I'm a week behind with this but the end of November was crazy! There was Thanksgiving, Black Friday, pre-Black Friday, and post-Black Friday. It was just chaos!

1. Our First Thanksgiving. Ben and I celebrated our very first Thanksgiving together. We were both orphans. My parents were in the Philippines. He decided to not go to Vegas with my mom so that I would not be alone <3 We've always spent Thanksgiving apart until this year. It was special because it was our first. I wanted to have a mini celebration at home where we would make a little Thanksgiving feast, but Ben wanted to go out. We ended up going to Marie Calendar's where I had a traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, string beans, and my favorites stuffing and candied yams! I am so sad I forgot to take a picture...but perhaps it was a good thing. I was living in the moment :)

2) Friends turned into Family. I have known Sophia and her family since I was 9. I've gotten to know not only her immediate family, but also her extended family and her in-laws-to-be. I have never really been so close to my own family, so it feels wonderful to be warmly welcomed and accepted by hers. I spent Thanksgiving morning and the Saturday after Thanksgiving with her family. As they say, family doesn't necessarily have to be blood. You can't control which family you're born into, but you can definitely choose the people you add to your family.

(Halloween era 2013)

3. I'm blessed. The biggest thing that I take from this Grateful Challenge is that I'm lucky for everything that I have. Being able to even post these blog entries shows what luxuries I have: a computer, internet, time to sit and type this up. I donated to my employer this past Tuesday for Giving Tuesday. An anonymous donor graciously offered to triple whatever amount donated. Donation allocations would go to haircuts for seniors, a holiday meal purchased, a gas card, books and toys for children, or movie tickets for teens. Simple pleasures that we find so accessible is a challenge for others to carry out. 

I am so lucky, so fortunate, and so blessed. 

Happy Holidays 

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 4

This post is 3 days late! Got lost in the grind of life. Oops -_-

Last week has been a tough week for me. The silver lining to tough weeks are the blessings that come buried within the chaos.

1. Ben. Three little letters that, when put together, mean so much to me! Last week was a challenging one. I was vulnerable, sad and had many a meltdowns. He picked me up each time. He listened and validated. He let me cry, rant, and whine, but he also stopped me from getting carried away in my emotions. He pushed me to pick myself up after the tears dried instead of letting me drown in them. In my moments of helplessness and vulnerability, he made me feel safe. It is no wonder I have loved this guy for nearly 3 years <3

2. Baby O. Big surprise, right?! I always talk about him. It's hard not to. this little guy has stolen my heart. I am very so grateful to have him in my life and to witness him grow. Last Saturday, we attended a children's event at Glendale Community College where they had ice snow (which was pretty hilarious as it was 80 something degrees), crafts, pictures with Elsa and Olaf, face painting and more! He spent nearly an hour just jumping in the icy puddles. The sparkle in his eyes when he got to sit in and on the firetruck just melted my heart <3

3. Seasonal treats. I am the biggest sucker for anything seasonal/limited edition. This time of year is my most favorite time at Starbucks. This year they came out with Chestnut Praline. YUMMMM. ANNNND they came out with a turkey, stuffing,gravy, cranberry panini. I am not a turkey person, but when you combine stuffing (my most favorite!!) into a Thanksgiving blend of cranberry and cravy, I cannot resist. If you have this at your Starbucks, you must try it. It would be a crime not to.

4. UCLA Runs LA. UCLA beat U$C in Los Angeles' biggest football game of the year. The two crosstown rivals have been going at it since their very existence. This year's victory marks UCLA's third consecutive year of victory. If you are unfamiliar with how monumental this is, UCLA has experienced an extensive dry spell/losing streak in previous years. This is so exciting for us Bruins (past, current and future) to stomp all over U$C again! GO BRUINS!!!

5. Health. I had so much negative energy within and around me last week. I decided to release that toxic energy into positive energy. I started working out (I haven't gotten to the gym since February, I know, I know.) in order to release all that bad aura. Sometimes I do get lazy to go, but so far I have gone everyday. I'm going to be real with myself and I know that I can't go every day forever. I'm aiming for 3x/week. I'll keep you posted! :) I did see the Instagram post below and it was a great pick-me-up. We only have one body for the rest of our lives so let's be kind to our bodies and treat them with the utmost care.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. I know I have a lot to be grateful for. We all do. I hope that amidst our long table spread of a yummy Thanksgiving feast, we all find the time to reflect on our many blessings and fortunes. 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

<3<3<3

November Grateful Challenge Part 3

Reflecting on the past week, there is always plenty to be grateful for. Let's get started :)

1. My little two year old nephew, Baby O. I totally adore this kid.  I spent all of last Monday with him. He's now taller, heavier, and just as cute! We were real Handy Mannys "fixing" things around the yard with his toy hammer. These baby toddler years go by fast. I am thankful I am able to share many moments with this little guy. 

(10/9/14)

2. Heavenly treats. I am a sucker for seasonal treats or any food/drinks that are limited edition. Those promos and gimmicks? They get me every time! DOH! 

(a) I found these Milano Pumpkin Spice cookies at Ralphs and bought one bag for my friend for us to munch on during our girls' night sleepover. DELICIOUS DOT COM. We went back the next day and bought 6. Granted, two were for me and of the 2, one was for my work party which they gobbled up! One coworker even "stole" the bag and brought it back to his office. LOL.  

(b) The Franken Frappuccino from Starbucks. This was a Halloween promo that I finally had last week. Oh my word, oh my word. This was definitely heaven in a cup, or rather diabetes in a cup. It definitely has a lot of sugar (Green tea frap, 3 pumps white mocha, 3 pumps  peppermint, java chips, whip cream, and mocha drizzle). I got the lighter version (green tea frap, 1 pump of each white mocha and peppermint, java chips, whip cream and light mocha drizzle). It was absolutely amazing!!!!! I will definitely order this again but with just 1 pump peppermint and java chips as a once in a while treat (and gulp a bottle of water after, lol). It tasted like mint chocolate chip heaven. YUM.

3. Friends that just get me... Self-explanatory. This has been a rough week. To top it off, I'm PMSing (TMI, sorry) so I'm more emotional. Stepping back, I feel so blessed to have people stand by my side through the storm. They get me, they feel me, and they love me anyway. 

4. Meeting Mindy Gledhill. I talk about it in detail in my post here but I feel so grateful to have been able to attend Mindy's concert. I adore her! I love her music, especially her albums Anchor and Winter Moon. She is definitely a true artist and one of my favorites.

5. My parents are off to the Philippines. They left today! They will be gone for a little less than 14 days. I'm not so much celebrating their departure. I'm celebrating their return to their motherland. My dad hasn't been to the Philippines since he came to the US in the late 1970s. My mom hasn't visited since 2007. The occasion for their return is not happy as they are visiting my Lola Mommy's grave. My Lola Mommy (my grandmother) passed away in August. I feel eternally grateful that I was able to see her in April before she got really sick. Although their return will be sad, I am sure my parents will be so happy to be back home to see family (well, my dad's family are all here in the US). 

May you all have a beautiful week <3

<3<3<3

Meeting Mindy Gledhill

Last night, Mindy Gledhill performed in an intimate concert at Lily Kate Showroom in Downtown Los Angeles.

There were about 60 -70 people present at the concert. It was a small space. Almost everyone sat on the floor including myself. Mindy performed songs from three different albums, but mostly her most recent release "Pocketful of Poetry." She also sang a few fan favorites from her album "Anchor" (My favorite album.. Every song is beautiful!) and one song from her Christmas album "Winter Moon." I also love every single song on that album.

I love her music. I love her voice, I love her sound. Every thing about her is feel good and positive.

I sat in the very back, but the venue was still small enough to allow me to see her without my glasses. Haha :) I was very excited when she called up guest singer Jess Penner to come up and join her for a song. Lo and behold, Jess was sitting right next to me. I got really excited and nervous when returned. Haha. Super dork status. 

It was a very short concert. She sang around 8:30 and the show ended close to 10pm. It was a $15 show so I was not expecting special effects or extended showtime. What I did appreciate is that Mindy autographed purchased merchandise and took pictures with everyone and wouldn't leave until everyone had a chance to meet her. GAHHH. I love her even more!! This is definitely the best thing about smaller concerts :)

Zoomed in photo

Mindy signing my CD :)

Yes, I still buy CDs. I'm so old-fashioned

Autographed CD Cover

Me and Mindy :)

The very first song I ever heard from Mindy. If you have children, this will touch your heart and make you cry. It's about love for a child. So beautiful. And if you don't have children, it's still a gorgeously beautiful song with a great message <3



<3<3<3

A Mickey Mouse Carnival Birthday

On September 28, my nephew turned 2. *Cue tears. Where has the time gone?! Babies growing up...this has to be illegal. Why?! :(

Since there is nothing we can do to freeze time and keep babies as babies, the best we can do as they get older is to throw an amazing birthday party! Well, at least that's what happened for Baby O.

He's the first and only child of one of my best friends of 20 years. Baby O's biggest obsession at the moment is none other than...drum roll please...Mickey Mouse!

This birthday was quite the event and took about a year to plan. Yes, a year. Set up at the park started at 9 am and I did not get home until 9pm. It was quite the day!

There were different booths at set up at the park: photo booth with 36" balloon props, tattoo booth, can toss, sack racing, popcorn machine, Mickey bouncer, prize booth. It was such a shame that the weather was soooo hot during the day (after it had rained in the morning) that the booths did not have visitors for the majority of the party.

Here are some of my favorite photos from the day:

Before the guests arrived

Photo booth

"Tattoos"

Cake area

My little honey bunny can't get enough of "agua"!

His favorite part of his birthday party: the mini water park

This kid LOVES water. He spent a good chunk of his water swishing through this water park and through the drinks' water cooler. hehe. This guy <3

Minnie Mouse inspired nails

Minnie Mouse inspired outfit

And that was that. A year's worth of planning poured into one day of bliss. It was all to see that little boy smile.

He definitely had the time of his life. He has a lot of family and family friends that love him to the moon and back.

We love you, kid. You may just never know how loved and adored you are <3

<3<3<3