Believe In Greater Plans

I am a mom to three angel babies. I am telling my story not for pity, but more for sharing, that there are a lot of women like me or couples like us who are experiencing the same thing. It can be isolating at times, for people do not typically share this type of experience.  For me, I just want to have an outlet for my grief, and hopefully putting it into words will help me cope with it.

We got married early in 2014 and after 1.5 years I decided to see a doctor to check why I am not pregnant yet.  She gave me instructions on how to track my cycle, know when I am ovulating, etc.  It was a bit overwhelming so I did not put an effort to it.  Funny thing is, after a few weeks, I got a positive pregnancy test. This was not an easy one.  At around 9 weeks, I started to have spotting so the doctor advised me to just stay at home. After a week or so, the spotting did not stop so I stayed in the hospital for two nights for monitoring.  The doctor found out that I have an infection that probably caused my spotting and just have to take antibiotics to fight it. My condition slightly improved and the spotting lessened.  However, after maybe a few days more, I woke up in the middle of the night and felt warm liquid gush out of me.  We went to the doctor in the morning and found that I lost amniotic fluid. I was put on strict bedrest and water therapy to get it back up.  On the third day, as I went to pee, blood came out of me.  As we were driving to the hospital, I already felt pain in my abdomen that only got worse as we got there.  I was in so much pain that I do not know what the doctors were doing already. All I know is that I am losing a lot of blood as they were checking me and the baby still has a heartbeat. But things were not looking great.  I asked to be sedated so I can rest. Morning came, baby has no heartbeat and the doctors performed a D&C.  I remember slightly waking up in the OR and one of the doctors uttered the words “baby boy”.  I know that to be true because a few days before, I woke up from a dream and baby boy was my first thought. I honestly didn’t know how to process all of these so I just bottled up all my emotions and tried to move on as quickly as I can. I think I just cried it out a few months after when I learned that someone we know was pregnant once again.  I was questioning everything, why she was blessed with another baby when her family is struggling financially while me, when I know have some resource to give my baby a good life, but was sadly taken away from me at 13 weeks.

Three years after that, I woke up one day, got dressed to work out but for some reason, I have zero energy.  So I took a pregnancy test and it turned out to be positive. We went for an ultrasound but the doctor said that I have to go back next week because the baby was small for a heartbeat to be detected.  We went the following week and the doctor confirmed what I dreaded: the baby had no heartbeat. I cried in the clinic, I cried in the restaurant we went to after, I did not care.  How can our lives be changed in just 11 days.  Went to have a D&C once again the next day.  I spent most of my maternity leave in a coffee shop near the house where I drew or read books and as I walk home, I would pass by a church. I would always light a candle for my babies and say a little prayer.  I surrendered everything to Him and one day, I walked out of that church and felt all my sorrows lifted from my shoulders.  I know that He healed me.

My third pregnancy came this year.  I was preparing for our anniversary getaway but decided to take a pregnancy test just because.  I cried when two lines appeared; I cannot believe I am pregnant again.  It started pretty rocky as the baby’s heartbeat was very low and I was so afraid to miscarry once again.   But my husband reminded me that we have to stay positive all the time. I was put on bedrest for a month until my next checkup.   Baby’s heartbeat picked up, I did not have any morning sickness, and I got over a UTI.  Doctor advised that I rest for another month, which I did, just to be sure.  I was tracking how my belly was growing.  My husband even bought our own doppler so we can hear the heartbeat as we cannot go to the clinic due to the lockdown.  Everything was on track as I made it to 17 weeks. Or so I thought.

Early morning of easter Monday, I was woken up by the urge to pee.  Frankly, I did not want to get up because I just wanted to sleep but you are not supposed to hold it in.  As I stood up, a huge gush of warm liquid went out of me.  My water bag broke.  I woke my husband up and called my doctor.  Thank goodness our neighbor’s driver was nearby and I was able to go to the hospital. I was already heavily bleeding when I got there.  Blood gushed out of me as I stood up.  I did not want to believe it but I am losing my baby once again.  I was already dilated and at risk for infection and they have to take the baby out.  No heartbeat with the second doppler check.  They put me on strong medications and antibiotics to help deliver the baby.  The hardest thing was, I have to do it alone since they saw something in my xray that can be related to Covid-19 (my swab test came out negative after a few days). I have to be put on isolation as my husband waited alone in the waiting room, amidst all the other fathers waiting for their babies to be born.  I did not know how I was able to pass the 9 hour waiting period by myself, waiting for some sort of pain in my belly indicating that my baby is ready; ready to separate from me.  I was wheeled in a very cold OR, which became even colder after the anesthesia.  I was kept awake during the whole procedure so as not to put pressure on my lungs since I was a PUI.  I was so thankful for my anesthesiologist since she held my hand the whole time and trying to calm me down. The OB and nurses were speaking on low voices so I did not hear anything.  As I am being taken out of the OR, I asked for the baby’s gender.  He was a boy.  I fell asleep after that.

We were able to go home the next day after the anesthetic wore out.  I tried to eat something after 36 hours, and tried to sleep once again.  Woke up around lunch time to read some messages.  It’s at that time that it hit me; we lost our baby.  I bawled out and cried my eyes out.  We did everything we could to keep our baby safe but it was still not meant to be. Some asked if we want to claim the fetus but I cannot bear to see my baby in a jar.  I’ll just keep him perfect in my heart. 

For the mothers our there who are now challenged by spending time with their kids 24/7, remember how lucky you are; that you have your child here on earth, that you can hear them call you “Mom”. How I long for that to happen to me. 

My story is not just mine; it’s my husband’s, our families’, and close friends’ who only wants the best for the us.  My doctor advised for me to get tested for APAS after my second pregnancy but I did not do it yet because we were not financially ready at that point.  I do not know what our next steps will be, given that we are still on lockdown. For now, we are just trying to get our lives back on track.

PS: We are very thankful for all the friends and family who sent us care packages! Love you all!

Face Of The Day: Asia Shift

I usually work on EMEA shift (or mid-shift), however, there are certain days of the month where I have to work on Asia shift (or the normal 9-5 schedule).  On these days, I don't usually don't have enough time to do a whole face of makeup, but I don't want to go out without some color on my face either, ergo, my go to Asia shift look! PS: Never mind my shiny nose.

I used the following products for this makeup look:

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer to even out my skin tone.

2. MAC Cosmetics Pro Longwear Concealer to cover up my dark undereye circles.

3. Eye of Horus Ultimate Brow Define in Dynasty.

4. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara to make my eyes look more awake.

5. Used a bit of NARS Laguna Bronzer to warm up the face.

6. Inglot Blush in #126.

7. Pink Sugar Sugar Tint in Queen Bee for that pop of color.

Gotta Love: Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer

Hello Guys!  Quick intro since I've been away from this blog for soooo long, I've gone makeup crazy over the past couple of months and got a "few" items to include in my collection.  I've had several quick reviews over my Instagram account (@kmcunanan), and hopefully, I'll be able to do better reviews over this blog.

Enough intro and more writing!  First stop is primer.  I've never been big on primers to be honest.  The only face primer that I've tried is Benefit's Porefessional.  However, due to long hours in the office (~10 hours) I needed something to make my makeup last longer.  So trusting my favorite beauty guru, Sharon Farrell, I bought the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer.  Video of her favorite primers here.

First thing that I would like to comment on is, even if this is supposed to be a drugstore product, it is still quite expensive.  I think it retails for 995 pesos for a 30 ml and I bought it from the beauty section of SM Makati.  Packaging is quite nice.  It comes with in glass bottle with a pump that locks when rotated. 

The actual product is white, although it did not have any effect in terms of color on my face.  It is pretty easy to apply; I just use my fingers to work it in.  I use about 1 and a half pumps to cover my entire face with this primer.  It also has SPF 20.  That's a huge plus!  I still have to test though if it will cause any flashback.

I've been using this primer for about two weeks now and I can say I am really impressed.  Performance is true to it's name.  My makeup did last all through my long work days and it did not budge.  Although I can't say that it mattifies the face that much and prevents oiliness.  My tzone will still get oily though I noticed that it will take a much longer time for the oil to show up and I feel like blotting already as compared to not applying any primer on this area at all.  All in all, it's still a pretty good product and worth trying out.

What other primers should you think I try out?  Please leave a comment below :)

Hey There!

Hey Guys!  I haven't done any posts here for almost a year now.  So much things happened to me in the past year and I can't even imagine how I went through all of those experiences.  Some experiences are quite bad and emotionally challenging, but, most of the time, days went by that are good and things are looking up for me.

I'm not sure why I felt the urge to visit my blog again.  Maybe it's because I'm looking for something else to do while waiting for my download to finish.  Haha!  But hey, I've discovered a lot of things in this past year that I feel like sharing again to the whole wide world (well to anyone who might stumble upon this blog, and for that I thank you for reading and going through my posts).  It's been years since I first started writing as a product of boredom, and also because I wanted something to look back to when I'm older.  Well yes, I'm older now, four years older since I started this blog.  How time flies.

Looking back at my old posts, some make me go ewwww as to why I posted those (omg those old OOTDs!  waaah! ewww to the highest level! hahaha!).  For now, I'm not really sure if I'll be able to sustain this blog again, or if I would like to focus on a specific topic to write about.  Let's just see what the next days would bring.  Tata for now!

Gotta Love: Happy Skin Makeup Remover

Hello Guys!  OMG, I missed blogging so much!  I've recently found inspiration to write again and hopefully this would continue.  I can't believe it's almost been a year since my last post.  

Anyway, enough intro and more chitchat.  As my family and friends know, I super love Happy Skin Cosmetics.  I go gaga over their products and I make sure I always keep up to date with the different products that they launch.  I'm also guilty of entering their online contests.  Hahaha!

The product that I am going to review today is Happy Skin's Make a Clean Sweep Revitalizing Micellar Make Up Cleanser (whew, that's a long name).  Honestly, I couldn't care less about make up removers before.  I just use a baby wipe or go straight in the shower to wash my face.  I initially bought this product because of the brand.  Little did I know that this will change my cleansing routine for the better.  

First thing I liked about this product is it's water based.  It does not feel sticky after use.  And since it's soap-free, I don't have to rinse it immediately.  The next thing I like about it is that it comes with a pump that dispenses the liquid in foam form.  It easily controls the amount of product and I'll tell ya, a little goes a long way.  I only needed about 4-5 pumps to soak the cotton pad and remove all of my make up.  I've bought this bottle around August last year and I still have about 1/4 left. 

Using make up cleanser helped make my skin look a whole lot better.  I think that because of this extra step, I have fewer and smaller breakouts as compared to before.  I super recommend this especially for girls who wear makeup everyday.  I'll definitely gonna purchase this product again!

More on my night time routine in my next posts!  See yah!

Gotta Love: Happy Skin Cosmetics Lippies

I'm sure a lot of make up fans in the country already heard about Happy Skin Cosmetics.  It is the brain child of Jacqe Yuengtian-Gutierrez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo, both known in their own industries.  Who wouldn't trust these two when it comes to beauty, right?  

I decided to check them out and they already have a website up.  Based on the info, this is a beauty product that also cares for your skin.  That got me because I easily break out when using a new product.  I was sold and bought some lippies, foundation, and concealer.

I instantly fell in love with their lippies!  I love how they easily glide on your lips, maybe due to the Shea Butter, and is heavily pigmented.  A little goes a long way.  It also lasts the whole day so you just need few touch ups.  Because it is like a jumbo crayon, application is a breeze.  And oh, I forgot to mention the line is called Shut Up and Kiss Me.  That would definitely get your attention.

I already have three colors.  The other shades are too light for my preference.  These have been my go to lipsticks almost everyday and I'm excited to share with you the photos.

PS: Super gasgas na yung top kakagamit ko.  Hehehe.

This red one is called My First Time.  What I love about this shade is that it is just the right amount of red to be worn everyday.  Not to dark and not to bright either.  

Again, I'm not a fan of light colored lipsticks so I got Girls Night Out.  It's a lovely shade of plum.  And true to it's name, it's perfect for party time with the girls as it gives your lips a bit of omph and vamp.  I usually use it when I want to feel extra glamorous or just want to pump up my outfit.

Valentine Kiss is the newest one.  It is a limited-edition shade, which was a collaboration with Kris Aquino, inspired by her favorite pink color.  I was actually surprised I liked this pink shade.  It's so girly and sweet!  Perfect when wearing pretty doll dresses.

So there you have it!  A local brand that I think will fill up my make up drawer.  Can't wait for their summer collection which launched today!!!  OMG!!! Payday, come earlier please.

Happy Skin Cosmetics is available at Plains and Prints boutiques, Rustan's, and Beauty Bar (also at Beauty Bar online).

Gotta Love: Ingga Sandals

The end of March usually signals the start of the summer in the country.  Although it has been drizzling in the last couple of days, it's never too early to start planning for the warm, or should I say, hot days to come.  Summer = sandals season!

I remembered my friend posted this interesting DIY sandals in Instagram and decided to check it out.  It's called Ingga Sandals.  And you know me, I love anything DIY!  I was supposed to order one last year but at that time, they ran out of my size.  Last week, I revisited their page and a day after my payment, got my sandals.  Weeee!

When ordering, you will receive the sole plus three pairs of ties of your preference.  I ordered two extra ties at 60 pesos each (because I can't choose of which three to get).  You will also receive instructions on their basic designs but you can let your artistic side out.  You can mix and match the ties, wrap it around your feet any way you want to.  The possibilities are endless!

(c) KM Cunanan

I tried several of the designs and placed a spin on one of the basic ones.  Please forgive my ugly feet but I was really proud of myself for the cute designs I tried.  Hihihi!

For sure, your sandals will be perfect for your next summer getaway.  Don't forget to pair it with an awesome dress, shorts, even bikinis!  Happy designing girls!

Our Perfect Day!

Hi brides and grooms to be out there!  As promised in my previous post, I will be writing about our wedding suppliers.  I'm also excited to share that almost all of our suppliers have a connection with us in one way or another.  I guess we were just meant to be :)

Church:

For the church, our first choice was Santisimo Rosario Parish Church in UST, being that both of us were Thomasians.  It was not an easy feat booking UST as we have to wait for the school calendar to open.  We actually booked a back up church, just in case our date would not get approved.  Thank God that after months of waiting, our request was approved and we are finally booked!

Besides the church being meaningful for us, I also liked that it has a long aisle (Who wouldn't want a long one, right?).  It is also air conditioned so no sweaty problems!

Reception:

Wedding preps and reception were held at Cocoon Boutique Hotel.  I stumbled upon them via Deal Grocer.  It got me interested as it was a fairly new hotel (you know me, I don't like anything mainstream).  It was not that big, only about 50 rooms if I remember correctly.  But oh my, they are not short on luxury and quality.  I super loved the one bedroom suite; it was big enough to accommodate my suppliers.  The bathroom was even bigger than my room back home.

Their function room can hold a maximum of 200 guests for comfortable seating, which was perfect for us because we were only aiming for about 160 guests.  At first I was really nervous about their food as we did not do a food tasting before booking them.  I've heard some hotels are not known for their food.  But we were not disappointed.  The food was superb, especially the baked salmon.  Our guests were raving about it!  Perfect food and venue: check!

Invitations:

Impress Prints was one of the only two suppliers I booked during a wedding fair.  I really loved the samples that they presented during the fair, and their minimum number of prints met our needs.  After paying the deposit, we did our discussion mostly via email but Ms. Jennifer was kind enough to meet us to finalize all the details, explaining to us the different kinds of paper and the effects it will have on the ink.  She sent us different samples so we can decide on the best colors to use.  After a few months of back and forth discussions, we finally got the invites.  I chose a design that is simple but timeless.  I want to be able to look back at these in 10 years and not hurl at myself from choosing a design because that was the trend.

(c) Osep and Mimi Photography

Make Up:

This one's crucial!  After all, your make up artist should be able to bring out your inner beauty.  I booked Makeup by Lian Capili at a wedding fair.  What got my attention was the long line of girls waiting to get their trial.  I did a quick search and found her Facebook page.  The first photo I saw: Jesse Mendiola!  Whoa!  She did Jesse's make up for a magazine and other artists for a fashion show.  Besides brides, Lian also did a whole lot of print ads.  Needless to say, I was sold.

Our first (physical) meeting was actually at the day of my prenup shoot.  I just loved Lian!  We chatted for a while and it seemed like we have known each other already.  She was so easy to work with.  She easily got the look that I wanted.  She has the lightest hand.  When my make up was done, I felt and looked blooming :)

Nathan was my hair stylist and was part of Lian's team. He was so chatty; made me laugh the whole time.  I loved all of the looks he made for me during the prenup and during the actual wedding.  They really brought out the best in me.

Photographer:
This was one of the suppliers which really took a lot of time and research before we booked.  I was really keen on how the photos are presented.  I didn't want to much editing, too much sepia or other filters.  Which made Osep and Mimi Photography perfect for me.  I instantly fell in love with their photos.  It was very natural and the colors are bright.  Hindi ko talaga bet yung mashadong madrama.  But that's just me :P

We got to meet Osep several times to discuss the details of our wedding as well as the prenup pictorial.  He was very helpful and suggested a lot of good ideas.  They were very easy to work with, which I'm really thankful for because I get awkward infront of the camera.  Buti na lang, magaling magdirect si Osep.  Made us look effortless with our poses.

And our connection?  He was a Thomasian himself, one batch lower than us!  He said he was excited to shoot at UST as it will be his first time to cover a wedding there.  Here's the onsite video he presented during the reception.

Videographer:
I really can't remember how I got to J Franco Digital Films' page but I'm glad I did.  Loved the quality of their work and their packages met the budget we allocated.  We met with Fritz before the wedding and he provided a lot of good insights not only on the delivery of the videos but also for the wedding preps that we were doing.  Too bad he was sick during the actual day of the wedding.  He could have been reunited with my mother-in-law, who was his officemate before (small world, right?).  But his back up Rence and the rest of the team did a great job with the coverage and the SDE.  Click here to view the video.

Wedding Gown:
Ranier was recommended to us by one of our ninangs.  He was her good friend and actually made her wedding gown before!  He was previously based abroad but came back to the country and established Aviad Couture.  

I met with Ranier and showed him the bridal gown peg that I wanted.  He said he loved it himself and the rest was history!  He designed all of the gowns of my entourage and was very hands on with every fitting.  Initially, I did not want any bead work with my gown, only embroidery but he suggested we place a bit.  Boy, my gown was perfect!  It fit me like a glove and the bead work he did really brought out the beauty of the dress.  Thank you so much Ranier!  I felt like I was a princess.

During one of the fittings. I actually got teary eyed the first time I saw my gown's embroidery.

The front of the gown

Photobooth/Bridal Car
Clickers Photo Bar is owned by my sister's boyfriend so I'm biased with them.  Hahaha!  But if you really want quality prints, which do not fade even years after, go and get them!  They also offer bridal car services for very affordable prices.

Music
I wanted a live ensemble for the reception.  It was my hubby who found RSVP Strings.  They are a group of very talented musicians.  Our contact, sir Roberto Tarang actually played for the orchestra of Phantom of the Opera last year and was able to get in Wicked!.  But what impressed us the most was that they were able to play back up for Lea Salonga in one function.  Sold!   

We opted to get a trio of keyboard, violin, and flute for the reception.  They played our entrance music (Darth Vader theme!!!) and all the classic love songs of Martin Nievera (my fave) and Gary V (hubby's fave) while dinner is going on.  They also played for the father-daughter dance.  Needless to say, we were very satisfied with their services.

Bridal/Entourage Bouquets
I got a flyer of Angel of Hearts from a bridal fair but did not book them there since I have yet to do a research on their services at that time.  I've read a lot of positive feedback from past couples and decided to check them out.  I went to Dangwa where their main office was located and booked them there after seeing their sample work.  Ate Cheryl asked me to email pegs of the flower arrangements that I wanted and went back there last November to do a mock up.  It was done within minutes of finalizing the flowers I wanted to use!  Ang galing!  The flowers turned out great.  I never thought that combining different colors of carnations and paper roses would be so beautiful.

Mock up of the entourage flowers

I did not see a mock up of my bridal bouquet before the wedding.  I just told Ate Cheryl that I wanted all white flowers with green berries as accent.  I loved how it turned out!  She used really good quality Ecuadorian roses (those really big ones).  It was so fresh and pretty, but boy was it heavy!  Hahaha!  Too bad they just wilted after a few days :(  Thank goodness for this beautiful picture.

(c) Osep and Mimi Photography

They also do event styling for churches and reception.

Wedding Cake
Our cake was a gift from our ninang.  Her friend Ms. Mina of Mina's Kitchen makes the most delicious cakes.  I've tried her products before when my Tita brought some samples home. 

I really do not have any preference for a wedding cake.  Ms. Mina recommended that we go for butter cream frosting instead of fondant because it tasted better if I'm not very particular about the design.  I agreed since we will be serving the cake at the reception.  I just asked her if she could pattern the design after our wedding invitations.

The cake was so yummy!  As in!  It was so moist and the frosting complemented the bread.  Dessert heaven!  Even our guests were raving about the cake.  

For any inquiries, send me an email so I can give her contact details.

Besides the cake, my cousin who owns MRS Sweets also provided red velvet cupcakes.  Sa sobrang sarap, muntik na maubos ng suppliers ko during lunch time at hindi man lang ako nakakain.  Hahaha!  Good thing we were able to save some which we gave out to the early bird guests.  As for me, I ordered a dozen for myself after the wedding.  YUMMY!!!

I also ordered cookies from her which I gave out as thank you to my suppliers.

(c) MRS Sweets

Event Coordination
Tin Aguda of Events by Tin, was hubby's previous officemate.  I love Tin!  She is so easy to get along with.  At our first meeting we instantly clicked.  Even though we only got her on-the-day service, she constantly checked up on us during the whole wedding preparations.  She made sure that we get all the details that we needed.  She shared a checklist so we would not forget anything.  She also helped us conceptualize the reception program.

The whole wedding day was hassle free.  Tin was on top of all the activities and was running the show.  She made me feel relaxed and I was able to enjoy the day.  Thanks Tin!

Whew!!! This is one long post.  This made me miss planning my wedding even more.  Yes, I miss the stress and decision making of it all.  I enjoyed every moment of it, though not as much as our special day.  Hihihi!  

Hopefully, my supplier review helped a bride-to-be out there.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to shoot me an email.  I would gladly be of help! :)

Enjoy wedding preps!

I'm Back and Now a Missus!

It feels good to be back!  Finally found some time to visit my blog and write again.  I've been extremely preoccupied with a lot of things in the last few months like wedding planning.  Yes, I got married!  Wohoo!  Still can't believe it really happened.  The day was such a blur, a really happy one at that.  I was on cloud nine the whole day.  Thank goodness for the photos and videos, I get to relive the day again and again.

While a lot of people would say that wedding planning is a nightmare, I enjoyed every moment of it.  Maybe I'm just girly like that.  I had this idea in my head, and I was just glad that it unfolded as the months pass by.  Thank goodness my hubby was into the planning as much as I was and helped with the supplier hunting.

I has such joy planning my wedding that I just have to share my learnings with all the brides-to-be out there.  So bear with me as I write this post and hope I could help in one way or another.

1. Set Your Budget

This would probably be the most important part of your planning.  Do not only plan for your overall budget, but break it down into how much you will spend for each of your suppliers.  Your budget will be your anchor; it will keep you grounded and prevent you from spending all your money in one supplier.

2. Guest List Rules

For me, this was the hardest one to finalize.  There were a lot of questions to be answered.  Who should we invite?  Should we include all relatives and officemates?  Baka naman magtampo si ganito kung di kasama.  And the list goes on and on.  However, what helped us trim the list down is to establish a rule.  For us, we only invited those people that we have a direct relationship with.  People who we know we will still be able to talk to in the near future.  This is one factor that made our wedding special.  We know that the people who attended the wedding loves us and cares for us and we love them a whole back!

3. Research Suppliers 

A lot of known suppliers are there for a reason.  They have provided quality products over the years.  Tried and tested.  However, with popularity comes high prices.  If you can afford it, by all means, go and get them.  But for us who were working on a budget, a lot of our suppliers were booked by researching.  And you wouldn't believe how many talented photographers, videographers, and florists are out there.  We researched first by going to wedding fairs, collecting a lot of flyers.  We also relied to blogs and wedding websites until we found the suppliers whose work we really like.

And oh, do not book suppliers in wedding fairs just because they offer competitive prices.  Remember my tip, fall in love with their work and you won't be disappointed..  You don't want to go wasting your money on reservation fees.

4. Define Non-negotiables

With all the details that you have to finish, once in a while your inner bridezilla is bound to come out.  That's why you have to define your non negotiables early on so you can let go of other details.  For us it is important to have good photos and videos.  After all, at the end of the day, those photos and videos are all you're going to have to look back to.  So we tried as much as we can to get the photograhers and videographers that we really like.  We adjusted the budget allocated for them a bit.

5. Haggle

There's no harm in trying!  Don't be intimidated with the initial price list your suppliers will present you.  Of course, they will always give you the one with higher price for profit.  But do not be afraid to customize packages or ask for a lower price.  We got a lot of discounts because of my hubby's haggling skills.  Yes, he haggles waaaaay better than me.

6. Personalize 

This is the most fun part!  Adding personal touches and DIY to your wedding preps.  I did my entourage's boutonnieres, props for the reception games, and ring and arrhae pillows.  I had so much fun doing everything!  It was a good outlet to practice my artistic skills :P  Here's a photo.  Yeah, I'm proud of my work!

Copyright: KM Cunanan

Our emcees were also our brother and sister. Who knew us better than them, right? We got good feedback from our guests about our reception program because of those two.  Everybody was laughing and having a good time.  They were relaxed and felt included.  So if you can get someone who can do that for you, I recommend doing so.  And it saves you a lot of money from getting professional emcees.

There you have it!  Hopefully, these will be very helpful in your wedding preparations.  Share with me your thoughts by commenting below :)

PS: Suppliers review in my next post.

DIY: Depotting Your Favorite Lipstick

Have you ever had that favorite lipstick that you just can't let go of even if it's all melted and the tube is broken already?  If you're answer is yes, don't fret. Depotting is the key!

It's actually very easy to do.  All you need is a spoon, candle, bbq stick, and a small container.  The one shown below is like a contact lens case bought from Beabi.

What you do is to scoop out the lipstick using the bbq stick.  Be sure to do it in small amounts to estimate if it will fit your container.  Place it on the spoon and melt it using your candle.  Do not leave out clumps.  Once melted, carefully place it in the container.  And voila, your lipstick is saved!  

Depotting is very useful especially when you can't leave your precious lipsticks at home.  This will help save a lot of space in your bag.  Make up artists do this as well to save space.

Hope this quick tutorial helps!

Gotta Love: Red Lipsticks

Finding the perfect lip color is like finding your bestfriend (hahaha!).  For me, it came in the color red.  I've been afraid to try bold lip colors so I always bought either pink or brown tones.  I find it ok for me but these shades do not provide the coverage I wanted.  I guess it's because my upper lip is a bit darker than my lower lip.  Gaaah!

So anyway, one afternoon, I find myself staring at Anne Curtis' Instagram account, and I said, hey why not try red?  With the help of my friends on Facebook, almost everybody recommended I get Russian Red from MAC.  After a bit of research and trusting their suggestion I bought one and yes, it was just perfect for me.  Instant love!  The shade provides the coverage I wanted.  And it's matte too, which I really like, so it looks like my natural lip color.

No make up other than Russian Red lipstick selfie at 8 AM.  Eyebags!

For this post, I'm featuring another red color but which I borrowed.  It's my sister's Ronnie Red shade, from the MAC Archie's Collection.  This color is brighter than Russian Red, more fun and flirty, just like it's namesake Veronica. Perfect for casual Fridays in the office.  Totally in love with it too!

Ronnie Red on TGIF!

Russian Red vs Ronnie Red

Russian Red vs Ronnie Red

Now I'm on a hunt for more.  I actually preordered another set from a different brand, but it will be arriving sometime June.  Can't wait but I promise to share it will y'all soon. 

PS: Apologies for the selfies.  Been too lazy to pick up my SLR lately.  Camera phone is much more accessible :P

Yummy for the Tummy: Famous Belgian Waffles

A new food cart franchise has been spurting out like mushrooms in different malls around the metro.  It's called Famous Belgian Waffles; soft, fluffy waffle sandwiches with different fillings to choose from.  I was so excited that we have this now in the country ever since I tried waffle sandwiches in Hong Kong.

What I super love about it is that the waffles are baked fresh, done right in front of you.  And they're very generous with the fillings as well.  Literally, a whole glob of cream cheese in one order!  Yey!

They offer a lot of flavors in different combinations.  Of course, I was psyched to learn they have a peanut butter (my ultimate favorite).  I got the Banana Peanut Butter combination.  Since the waffle is still hot from the waffle maker, the peanut butter will melt a bit, an ooze in every bite.  Yum!

It's also very affordable.  The plain is only 30 pesos each, the most expensive one is only 55 pesos.  It's the perfect partner for movies, or just when you need a quick bite to eat.  It will surely satisfy your comfort food craving.

Gotta Love: Sunflower Beauty Oil by Human Heart Nature

A miracle oil as described by Human Heart Nature, a company known for providing organic products here in the Philippines.  Why "miracle" you might ask?  According to their website, this product provides the following benefits:

1. Softens and lightens underarms
2. Lightens dark under eye circles 
3. Lightens dark spots and pimple marks 
4. Under eye moisturizer 
5. Prevents and diminishes the appearance of stretch marks 
6. Softens feet soles, knees and elbows 
7. Removes stubborn makeup 
8. Overall body moisturizer 
9. Moisturizes dry hair ends 
10. Softens the cuticles 
11. De-frizzes hair 
12. Adds shine to dull hair 
13. Relieves itching and inflammation caused by insect bites 
14. Nourishes and conditions eyelashes 
15. Lightens dark lips 
16. Soothes skin after shaving 
17. Relieves itchy scalp 
18. Soothes skin damaged by sunburn 
19. Smoothens skin from shaving 
20. Helps soothe rashes 
21. Helps heal skin infections 
22. Hydrates dry patches 
23. Helps lighten lesions and scars.

All of these benefits in a single product?  Too good to be true right?  But as I've come to see after weeks of using it almost everyday, I can testify the good effects of this product on me.  I'm a total convert!  I love it!

I stumbled upon this product while looking for a good beauty product to lighten my pimple marks.  A lot of blogs have been talking about it, with high ratings at that so I gave it a try.  Indeed, it helped lighten my dark spots faster!  And  the best part of all, I didn't experience any break out after (except right before my period starts, a regular thing for me) unlike the other commercial beauty products I've tried available in the market.  Even though it's oil, it didn't clog my pores. I use it after my toner at night and I must say, my face looks more radiant in the morning when I wake up.

I also started to use it on my hair to tame and shape my digitally permed hair.  It's non-greasy unlike the previous product I was using.  I also use it as my body moisturizer which is better than lotion as it's more light.  I also had this dry patch of skin at the back of my neck (which I didn't know where I got) and this oil helped a lot to diminish this rough patch.  I will try to use it religiously on my underarms and let's see if it will lighten up.  My first bottle is almost empty and I plan to buy the bigger one, just in time because Human Heart Nature has a promo to celebrate their most successful product.

I'm on a "chemical detox" now and I bought their strengthening shampoo and conditioner recently.  You'll hear from me in a few weeks if this works as well.

Have a nice day everybody! :)

PS: All photos from Human Heart Nature website and Facebook Fan Page

Yummy for the Tummy: Mary Grace Cafe

I may have found a new favorite.  Mary Grace has been known for its cakes and bread, especially the cheese rolls.  But when I decided to try their other food offerings in their cafe, I wasn't disappointed.

Before I dive into the food, let me talk about the place.  I love it's homey ambiance.  The place is full of little trinkets and hand written notes by the customers themselves.  And it smells of freshly baked bread.  It does make you feel like eating at home.

Ok, I cheated a little.  I already ate here twice before posting my blog review.  Thus, the two appetizers I'm featuring here.  I love good bread and both of these come with it.  I can't say which I liked better as both were satisfying and really delicious.

Grilled Kesong Puti

Cheddar Cheese with Tomatoes and Capers

For the main course, I tried their bestseller pasta which is called Smoked Salmon and Cream.  It may be a bit pricey for pasta but you can't put a price on the quality.  The smoky flavor of the fish complemented well with the cream.  I finished my whole bowl by myself.  The second time we ate, we ordered the Classic Carbonara but sorry I was not able to take a picture of it.  Just like the first, it's delicious as well and has this distinct home made feel.

Smoked Salmon and Cream (again, that buttered bread, yummy!)

For the other main course, and which also I ordered the second time around, is from the breakfast menu, Pork Tocino.  It comes with egg, garlic rosemary fried rice, tomato wansoy salsa, green mangoes, and spicy vinegar.  Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.  I know it looks different from the typical tocino but it sure tastes superb and has become my instant favorite.

Pork Tocino

My friends know that I do not drink milk tea.  But I took a chance with their Wild Raspberry Fruit tea.  And oh my, it's just so refreshing! 

Wild Raspberry Homemade Iced Tea

Of course, no meal is complete without dessert.  I got a slice of their famous Black Velvet cake, very moist chocolate cake layered with cream cheese.  You can't get heaven anywhere else.

I think I have overused the word delicious in this post.  But it's just what I was blurting out the whole time we were eating.  Everything we got, was so satisfying and is worth every penny spent.  This is a good place to bring your family or friends.  I'm sure everybody will have a good time.