Day 94: On Changing Religions

Ms. Philippines Shamcey Supsup bagged this year's Ms. Universe 3rd-runner up besting more that 80 contestants from all over the world. i'm posting here the question asked on her during the pageant and her answer to which i most definitely agree:

“Would you change your religious beliefs to marry the person you love, why or why not?’’

“If I have to change my religious belief, I will not marry the person I love because the first person that I love is God and He created me. And I have my faith, my principles and it what makes me who I am. And if that person loves me, he should love my God.’’

Day 85: A Baptist Wedding

like i mentioned in a previous post, today i attended a baptist wedding. for a preview of what would transpire on my big day. neither cris nor i plan on changing religion. anyway, the baptist ceremony follows the same rites  of readings, sermons, blessing and prayer, minus the sign of the cross, along with fairly standard wedding vows. of course, at all in the same order as that with catholic weddings. 

on a side note, no matter what rites every wedding would be held under, the same basic elements should be magnified by the celebration: love, respect, joy. best wishes jona and raffy!

Day 64: Wedding Rings

we made some progress today re: wedding preparation. cris and i checked out wedding rings in Hearts and Arrows. cris is never into jewelry, he's not even wearing a watch, so our challenge is to find a ring that he could wear comfortably. of course it shouldn't be a secret that cris is legally off the market! since gold in not an option, we agreed on platinum rings. but not with the style! while i want a simple band with few stones, cris opts for the twirling, intertwined rings which i find phony.  don't fret if we'd be wearing two different rings soon!

Day 60: Baptist Rites

i told you, wedding bells are in the air. another friend of a friend is tying the knots soon. scheduled when i would be home in time from my old's birthday. and well, they will hold the ceremony under baptist rites. yes, same as mine. anna suggested i attend (or gatecrash?) the occasion under the guise of observing the difference (if there's any) to catholic weddings. not a bad idea, right? ok, to save some face, i'll skip the reception hehehe

Day 54: Bridesmaid Again

yep, i'm due for some bridesmaid action again, maybe my last before i finally walk my aisle. i should be attending a lot of wedding affairs for some inspiration. not that i rate 'unsatisfactorily' in the arts department, but seeing outside my turf may give new perspectives.

Day 53: Planning Break

friends are getting married here and there. isn't that a good sign? one dear friend asked for assistance in finding invitations and souvenirs for her wedding. of course, i earnestly volunteered to help; i know the stress and the drama in between plannings. it annoys me that the past few days, there's not much development with my very own wedding preps. you know that already from infrequency of my posts here. well, looking at the bright side, taking this breather makes me enjoy life even more less the hassle and drama of overdoing the planning.

Day 48: Pre-Wedding Celebrations

after we finally counted our guests and their plus ones, we recognized with regret that we can't gather them all to witness our wedding. of course we cannot simply uninvite them. here's one brilliant idea: a month before the big day, preferably on weekends as i intend to take my leave two weeks prior to the BIG day,  we'd hop on to three locations - puerto princesa, pangasinan and sorsogon. that's not in any particular order yet. on each place, we'd bring together relatives and friends to dine with us and party. cris and i will be wearing the same dress for all occasion to keep up with a 3-in-1 theme. and so will the entourage, if any. we'll play the video on the actual wedding reception. 

uhm, so instead of one grand reception, i'm planning three more. suicidal, right?

Day 47: Skin Care 3

while the metro and other parts of the country is being ravaged by typhoon juaning, there's an insane woman braving the storm to meet with her dermatologist. all in the name of beauty and perfect wedding. with all her courage and determination, she endured seething pain that seemed to last for eternity. ouch, facials hurt! *cranky face here*

Day 46: Wedding Planners

i'm hooting one complain to cris: that i feel like planning this whole wedding on my own. well, surprise, surprise! my techy boyfriend had an application for wedding planning installed in his new cellphone. the same planner i have printed on a magazine which i kept under the bed. ok, ok, i'm behind technology for that. 

so today, we gave our wedding some serious planning. we started pinning money on accounts we would spend much like venue, video + photography, ring and gown. gulp! that expensive? so we jumped to listing guests on each side. gulp again! that many? we realized we need to roll our sleeves and keep our thinking caps on, there's just too much to consider. aaaargh, we ended having headaches.

Day 45: Contact Lens

i am totally against wearing glasses on my wedding. for one, no princess wears eye glasses, right? also i'd be spending bucks for the make up, i wouldn't hide it under frames. since, i can't focus without glasses, my best option is to wear contact lenses. i'm not a great fan of it, in fact, i haven't worn contact lenses before.

i'll start wearing contact lenses a month before the wedding just so i can get used to it. i'm thinking of using coloured lenses. dark brown will enhance my eyes' natural colour and i think it'll blend well with my motiff.

Day 44: Table of Travels 2

here's some good news: this weekend, i just added another destination to my table of travels. yey! the bad news: i'm still a couple short of places to complete the table tags. well, lady luck is on my side. there's a two-day holiday next month, on top of the weekend! hurray! i know i just arrived some hours ago but the thought of a long weekend makes my feet itch. 

my inspiration

Day 43: Secondary Sponsors

remember my dilemma on having a bunch of girl friends but limited entourage count? nikki suggested that i name a few of them as secondary sponsors of cord, veil and candle and the others as bridesmaids. well, i had that already in mind as i googled the wedding traditions. as of now, i have not much choice else i choose by drawing lots. but with that a new complication crops up. so who'd be secondary sponsors and who'd be bridesmaid? yes, this planning-thing is driving me crazier.

Day 42: Flower Girl

she's one of the flower girls: 

crishen

 

Day 41: Wedding Traditions

in the past i have attended couple of weddings as secondary sponsor. for whatever that means. yes, i was in for the sexy, silky, princess-cut gowns. in make ups and updos. a scene stealer at times. but now that i'm freaking over the bridesmaid that will complete my entourage, i curiously google the significance of the candle, coin, veil and cord. here's what the net says:

candle - the light of Christ and the love that the couple must keep aflame.

coin - symbolizes prosperity and the mutual promise of support

veil - the union of the couple as one, the silhouette of a house

cord - a symbol of the couples bond, that they are no longer two but joined together as one.

ok, knowing these wedding traditions did not help me decide  who will be bearers a.k.a sponsors for candle, coin, veil and cord. bummer!

Day 40: Health Up 3

i will be staying a little longer here at the office today. what a perfect time to update this blog! actually, i'm waiting for cris who maybe at this moment is burning some fats. no pun intended. last month, he eagerly bought some running shoes which promised him more calories burned for less work. but the last time i checked, they're still on the box, sealed and with receipt still hanging by the wrapper. yeah, poor shoes! now that he's decided to finally lose some weight, i ain't so sure if this is wedding-related or not. or whether he'd last a couple of days doing some rounds. let's hope he does.  

Day 39: Bridesmaids' Dresses

we are having a garden wedding. the ceremony is taking place during the day, if its in the morning or late in the afternoon, i cannot answer yet. for the nonce, i'm thinking cocktail-length dresses for the bridesmaids are plausible. it may be hot and sunny, so i'm being kind to my friends.

an A-line dress is getting good reviews. it suits all body sizes and shapes. the more popular styles are halter tops and some criss-crossing over the back. sleeveless, of course, for the chic and sassy look. on a personal note, i want a flowing fabric with ruffles and some beadworks. here's my inspiration, a creation of veejay floresca during one celebrity's wedding (photo by lito sy):

a red of this would be perfect...

Day 38: Bridesmaids

i'm presently stressing over which of my lovable girl friends will be by bridesmaids. yes, a bunch of them, and i only need to pick 5! eenie meenie miney mo!

Day 37: Flower Arrangements

recently, i suggested to cris that we avail the services of my friend, whose work impressed me so much, to do the flower arrangement during the wedding. my friend is a straight 'he'. i even showed pictures of his recent creations in FB to convince cris. but, hey, cris rejected my proposition and stated matter-of-factly that the son of his boss will do the job. whoah! that's another 'he'. is flower arranging really a guy-thing now? just asking! :-)

Day 36: Guest Book

i'm on the look out for a wedding guest book. something that the guests will enjoy signing. i'm a big fan of scrapbooks, so i'm making my most ambitious scrapbook so far. but first, and like my previous posts, i'm putting together our pictures, i told you there's not much, mementos and notes, perhaps. compile and make a book out of these stuffs. blank pages will be provided so guests can write their thoughts and wishes using brightly colored pens. something like this:

 

Day 35: Music & Entertainment

 DJs cost too much for a wedding, that i'll skip. i'm presently putting together songs cris and i both like. i'll have music playlist burned to CDs for the occassion. i just need an application to matte-finish the CD cover. i did something like that way back in college, i just have to remember how. and oh, cris mumbled about guesting some local singers for the wedding, i still have to confirm about that and blog here for updates. or maybe we'll just surprise the guests on the reception!

Day 34: Fireworks

i want my wedding blasting with fireworks display! a perfect finale for my perfect day!

Day 33: Table of Travels

i'm busy scouting for accommodations and tour packages for another out-of-town trip with cris. mostly, i do the preps and i haggle for cheaper rates. cris mocks how cheapskate i am. oh, well, i'm footing the bill so i should get more of my money's worth. in fairness, spendthrift cris takes care of anything food-related during the travel.

as i browsed albums after albums of places we journeyed together, i had this idea to show-off the wonders of these tourist spots at the reception. instead of numbers, tables will be labeled with destinations we've been to. but hmmm i have to find pictures of us together. there's not much, cris is 'camera-shy', he'd rather be behind the lens. as for me, ahem, see my FB, i always have the best view with me!

Day 32: Teeth Whitening

click. click. click. i just set a date with a dentist. hehehe i'm using this wedding-thing again as an excuse to go vain. i'm due for a teeth whitening this weekend! well, i'll be wearing a smile all day long on my wedding, most will be captured in photos. i wouldn't want to parade in my white gown baring yellow-tinged teeth. so eeew, di ba?

i'm giving it a try now. its another work in progress, i would have to keep my patience on. again, pain is beauty! i'm loving this wedding preparation! :-)

Day 31: Budgeting 102

were not yet due for payment with our suppliers, so today i invested to a money placement which is a cross between mutual funds and time deposit the small savings i have. its a risk i was willing to take despite knowing that pre-termination is not allowed until  maturity date. looking at the bright side, in this way, i will really not be tempted to withdraw any while my savings is earning a little interest. on top of that, i'm saving anew for some short term needs, so still i'm on a tipid-mode.

Day 30: Wedding Rites

since i wouldn't be having a catholic-rites wedding, i'm doing some research on what to expect from a baptist ceremony. not much i can tell except perhaps that the occasion is officiated by a pastor. i have to ask around, there may be requirements or restrictions i may miss out. and oh, where do we attend premarital counseling, his church or mine? anna, help!

Day 29: Bridal Shower

before i get myself funky and drunk tonight, hey i'm thinking about bridal shower! yes, i am excited like that. still a year and i'm already dreamy of singlehood send-off party. and then the setback. my girl friends are cities away, and probably would be here a day before the big day. i absolutely cannot stay late the last night i would be single. although i'm sure i wouldn't be getting much sleep, who would? 

but i want a wedding shower. if only to see my girl friends reunited once more. i'm thinking of a morning tea party. or picnic. with pastries. and coffee. and hmmm... ice cream or yogurt. everything sweet and sassy. and the girls? all in their pastel-colored sunday dress! who's attending?

Day 28: Bridal Nail Care

call me OC, but after my posts on makeup and hairstyle, i am blogging about nails this time around. as days loom nearer, i know i'll have plenty to worry about. so while schedules are not too tight yet, i'm giving attention to things that i 'll probably take for granted soon. take for example - NAILS *insert grin here*

on regular days, i wear my nails naturally. if polish is a must, i pick light prom-pink for the sweet innocent look, hahah! i'll try some nail arts on my wedding day. but as much as i love red and that is my main motif, sorry to disappoint everyone, i'm not wearing red! i find that color for nails a little skanky. at least for me. here's what i find appealing:

elegant, right?

Day 27: 'No Make Up' Makeup

we used to believe that weddings are all about the bridal gowns. but after shots were taken and pictures glammed up in albums, its the face - makeup and hairstyle - that go down in history.

while browsing the website of Preview Magazine, i found their article on bridal make-up with a modern vintage finish worth a consideration.

washes of sheer pinks and berries. eyes were brightened with thick liquid liner on the lashes and shades of pearl and rose blended out, the intensity concentrated on the outer corners.  a duty rose brushed on the cheeks. sheer glossy raspberry on the lips.

 see more of the article here...

Day 26: Bridal Hairstyle

if there's anything we should learn from the recent royal wedding of Prince William and Kate, it's that everyone took notice of how the bride looks, wears, talks and acts. kate was the object of scrutiny from head to foot. today left me serious thoughts on how to wear my hair on my royal moment...

long locks are stylish but a formal classic updo is just my personality. plus its glamorous, elegant and again... dramatic! topped with glittery and bejeweled accessories. nah, i ditched the idea of wearing a tiara after my fashion consultant, i mean fiance, said that has long gone out of style. here's my inspiration:

Day 25: Skin Care 2

remember how i sought professional help to improve the appearance of my facial skin? all in the name of 'wedding'? well,  i just had my second session of chemexfoliation. and this time, it hurts, big time! end of entry...

Day 24: Chloe On Our Wedding

chloe doesn't really need any introduction, i talk nonchalantly about her. when i'm around my mommy-girl friends who chatter about married life and their babies' many firsts, ehem, i bragged about chloe too, heheheh. having a dog keeps me grounded and makes me walk everyday, i even sleepwalk at night!

to make up for neglecting her last saturday because i  rooted for Shia LaBeouf and some transforming robots, i took chloe to the salon today and gave her a much deserved pampering. i don't think she likes water and shampoo but i know she loves the  squeaky-clean feeling afterwards. while waiting, i toured around the pet  shop, and voila, i saw a red doggie dress. normally, i don't believe in dressing up dogs, except on some occasions. i know this may sound bananas but chloe is joining us on our wedding and will parade wearing something like this:

cute, isn't it?

Day 23: Wedding Songs 2

relative to my previous post,  a while ago, cris asked me for some pen and paper. before that he was on a disturb-me-at-your-own-risk attitude, ogle-eyed on his new gadget of affection. from afar i saw him scribbling while still gaze-locked on his phone. then, he got up and danced around as he proudly showed me a list of songs he wanted to be played on our wedding. finally, some contribution to this one-woman-planning event a.k.a wedding. 

we checked his choice of songs, nah, i had to shake off my head to oldies despite goodies music. oh, and we danced some of it, a rehersal of some kind.  i think we did more laughing than dancing. i hope we won't appear psychologically challenged (read: idiots) on our big day!

Day 22: First Dance

have i told you all that cris is my personal comedian? that he makes me laugh harder than you can imagine? true, behind his nerdy glasses is a naturally goofy person, aside from being quirky and bright. in one of  our out-of-town trips, he caused a foreigner who was very reserved and tongue-tied for the entire duration of the tour to burst out laughing. cris wasn't even trying. did i say, his comedy antics are really really contagious? when we crack each other up, riot follows!

and cris comes up with the most random things out of nowhere. when our relationship was still young and budding, cris, in his boy-next-door smile, asked me for a dance. i asked skeptically, "where's the music?" but he just held my hands and replied "i will sing". romantic, right? and he started right on "bawat yugto ng sandali halos di ko alam, naglalakbay ang diwa sa ligayang nakamtan, gamot na bawal ay ayaw ko nang tigilan hinahanap-hanap ko at inaasam..." and when i started to complain in between laughters and giggles, he explained thats the very song he knew the lyrics of. *insert smiley ROFL*

i'm posting here because cris was having this lunatic idea to  play 'bawal na gamot' for our first dance. call me 'kill joy' but now that i spoiled the fun, he wouldn't be too insistent on it anymore. bleh!

Day 21: Cake Topper

while the yuppies of the world are out tonight for the friday-night-gimik, there's a couple who's not joining the rest of the world. ok, that cris and i, hahaha! for lack of better things to do, we trot in our favorite mall. we used to hang around there when chloe wasn't yet with me. watching movies one after the other, pig out, shop, read books... things change when chloe arrived. anyway, while lousily walking around the mall, we noticed a stall which makes personalized mini-me figures. so we thought, not bad for a wedding cake topper. it's just a lot costly than the ordinary toppers we see on cakes. but we'll get to see our funny self in a miniature version, right?

Day 20: Health Up 2

from now on, it wouldn't just me who's getting in shape for the wedding! woohoo! cris hopes to lose pounds before the big day, too. he knows whatever we'll look like during our i-do-day, as immortalized by digital cameras and social networking posts, will forever haunt us. so we'll aim for the same thing: to look good, even for just a day.

Day 19: Extended Reception

another suggestion cris offered for the wedding is to hold it somewhere here in metro. and to that i interposed no violent objection. remember meeting halfway? although, of course it saddens me that i could not invite my every friend from my hometown. maybe i could, but i can't afford to send plane tickets to all.

perhaps knowing this troubling dilemma i am in, my sweet groom-to-be came up with a great solution: to have a little reception in my town after the wedding and after the honeymoon. not some grand reception, but at least i can invite more friends and relatives, a some sort of public announcement that i already tied the knot.

Day 18: The Engagement

my engagement ring

a friend of ours who got engaged last year - Nikki - posted pictures  in FB taken during her engagement party. cris and i were there to witness how Nikki's fiance put it together so Nikki won't suspect and how he got down on one knee and proposed.

to satisfy the curiosity of those baffled how cris popped the question, uhm, it wasn't anything like nikki's. cris and i had a massive argument last year that turned ugly. i broke up with him, if not almost. on the eve of my birthday, he asked me to marry him with a ring. and he was drunk! your guess is as good as everybody's: i said "no". he insisted that i took the ring, left it actually, then he sadly walked away. or did he pass out?

of course, you know we got back together. but i have never worn that ring since then. it reeks of a lame proposal, well, to my skyscraping romantic standards. plus it was miles too big for my ring finger, even bigger than my thumb.  but a ring is a ring, so i  thought it's worth keeping. so, how did we got engaged again?

Day 17: Honeymoon in Europe

i wish to see you, paris!

cris has this new crazy idea. he gets crazier after  our every travel. he must still have a jetlag when he suggested a Europe tour for our honeymoon. i bought his idea, who wouldn't want to be in the most romantic tourist destination, paris for one, right? but before i got too excited, cris reminded me that we'll probably max out our savings for the trip. he said if i can opt for a simple wedding, meaning economical, we can spend weeks in europe, otherwise we'll probably snore our heads off in some hotel or resort in the philippines after the reception.

so which one, a fab wedding or a luxurious honeymoon? why can't we have both? aaargh!

Day 16: Wedding Invitation

after our leyte vacation, cris and i went straight to resorts world for the sunday dinner with cris' brother and the latter's family. hey, there was a wedding expo! suppliers for wedding gowns, flowers, rings, photographers crowded the cozy venue. i twisted the, this time, legs of cris to join me as i walk around. he could not give me his lame excuse to light his cigarette outside because smoking is allowed inside the mall. 

what caught our attention was the supplier for wedding invites which creates specialized invitations. one invitation on display was laptop-designed; computer and technology played important roles in the 'love' and life of the couple, we were told. i took their flyer instantly, now we just have to figure out what we have in common, aside from books!

Day 15: Garden Wedding

garden wedding by the bay

i have always wanted a church wedding. in fairly tales, the journey to a happy-ever-after starts with a church wedding. but fairy tales rarely do come true, right? i'm not getting my dream church wedding, at least not in this lifetime. cris and i agreed for a garden wedding.

i am catholic, cris is a baptist. neither of us is changing religion any sooner. so when cris said we'll have a garden wedding to be officiated by his pastor, i offered no argument. i know that's the only halfway we can meet up. besides, it is not the place which defines whether we'll have a successful married life or not. there, we just had our once-in-a-blue-moon compromise, what a good way to start off a marriage, you think? 

before i log out, it crossed my mind, just now: should our kids be catholic or baptist? uh-oh we'll attend to that later, we should get ourselves over and done with the wedding first!

Day 14: Wedding Date

this june-month started with heavy rains. and probably will end with more of it. yes, june is the official start of the rainy and for the philippines, flood season. as we lounged around the airport today waiting for our delayed flight due to a typhoon, cris and i discussed about our wedding date. and, uhm, we're having second thoughts of holding it in june. we fear it may rain on our garden wedding. oh, i missed to tell everyone we'll hold a garden wedding! remind me, i'll blog about that tomorrow. 

anyhow, we thought of moving the date earlier. summer time when the sun is shining at its brightest and hottest. i'll hand sunblock lotions as giveaways heheh. we even considered getting married on february 29, it's leap year next year, check your calendar!  we'll celebrate anniversaries every after four years. we're half crazy, aren't we? there is a setback, though. feb 29 falls on a wednesday. my greater fear is that no one  will attend the wedding. i'd rather have a rainy wedding than march without my family and friends.

while we still are uncertain of the date to mark, for now, we'll stick with our plan, june 10 it is!

Day 13: Budgeting 101

not only weddings are stressful, the cost is also astronomical! we don't need an accounting degree to know that. so when cris asked me how much money we'll have to shell out for the wedding, i played deaf. i know he'll freak out to know my whopping estimate. so until today, we actually don't have a budget yet to work around with. yay! but we started already a bank account to pay for all the expenses. and promised ourselves never to cash out unless its for the wedding.

with this budgeting, i will have to slash my shop n' dine  outlays, travels included! well, except maybe for this weekend, we are bound for leyte. i'll start saving up next week, i promise! 

Day 12: Honeymoon on a Cruise

inspiration: Sam and Louie having breakfast on a cruise ship

going places is my cup of tea. travel far and wide! if only my work is not demanding and i have a stash of money, i would be everywhere. i just started  my mission to experience the philippines' 7,107 islands but recently cris and i agreed to cut off our travel expenses to save additional doughs for the wedding. i'm having these sad thoughts  lately: travels will become few and far between soon, the rigors of routine married life will set in after the wedding. sad face here.

i'll let you in on a secret. my ultimate dream travel is on a cruise ship!  bahamas, carribbean, asian, mediterranean, alaska, wherever! i would love to explore ports of call, see beautiful places, take a lot of pictures, watch sunrise and sunsets, sige na nga bask under the sun, kiss on deck under starry skies, sleep later than usual, wake up surrounded by sea, be incognito and oblivious and much more. 

so you wonder why post travel and cruise in this wedding blog? because cruisin' is my best option for a honeymoon! i hope he agrees... *charming puppy eyes ala puss n' boots*   

hon, should i start booking?

Day 11: The Wedding Gown

Veluz gown, my inspiration

a ball gown for dramatic effect

finally, after days and nights of swooning over images of wedding dress on the internet, and dreaming about them in my sleep, i already know what my gown will look like! and it just occurred to me, it was the same perfect gown i have fantasized as a child. yes, i have come in full circle, amazing, right?

i want my wedding dress princess-like, with frills and beadings, see my inspiration above and click to zoom in. i admit, i never really outgrew my love for fairy tales and happy endings. i still like anything that looks sweet, romantic, and  girly. with a little of vintage style for some drama effect! arte ko talaga!

now that i'd figured out what i want to wear on the day  i'd say "i do", i will have to find a couturier. i already have a long list of bridal shops i will scout as soon as i have the time. i really really want veluz , i hope cris is reading this (insert smiley), but i can't afford her. maybe i'll check on marc rancy first, he's nearest my place. i will give updates!

Day 10: Wedding Suppliers

remember my loot from yesterday's post? i had all the time to sort piles of flyers today. to boast, i already narrowed down our options to include only suppliers that are well within our budget. we'll check them out real soon, the wedding gown included! how's that for 10 days planning?

Day 9: Wedding Summit

i am on a mission to make my wedding fab and memorable. close to that fairy tale wedding i had always dreamed of when i was growing up. but i am on a tight budget so i really need a greater dose of effort and hard work, creativity and resourcefulness too!

Add caption

today, despite the gloomy weather and heavy rains, cris (after i twisted his arm) and i attended a wedding summit to look out for wedding ideas and best deals. walking around the halls filled  with wedding suppliers gave us wedding jitters aka cold feet! plus it made us realize how pricey it is to get hitched nowadays, wedding cakes for almost a hundred thousand is just too much! and since, offered cakes are way above our budget, we munched on their cakes for free tasting. not bad!

my loot bag was full of flyers and business cards when we left the venue. the expo wasn't much of help to us. we haven't booked our venue yet,  i still haven't decided on my gown's couturier. bummer!  i need a wedding professional planner. badly! 

Day 8: Skin Care

every bride hopes to look good on her wedding. i, included! being the star of the show, i'll be having my pictures taken close-up, oh no! i'm worried because i'm in my late 20s but i still have major horrible breakouts. i've probably spent a fortune for facials that did not make even a little difference plus they hurt like crap! 

i'm getting desperate, so today, i walked in a dermclinic as i start to seriously work on my skin. i was recommended with 3 sessions of chemical peeling and new set of beauty products. the peeling started today and expect me to wear a face like a badly peeled potato in the days to come. yay! and i'll go through that process again and again. yaiks! and just as my face hurts, so does my pocket! no guts, no glory, right? beauty is pain. and besides this investment will pay off big on my wedding day, that's what i told myself as i tender a handsome pay to the dermclinic.

to walk the aisle absolutely glowing, angel-like, without the halo or the wings,  is my most ambitious project yet! heaven forbid, vanity is fastly becoming my favorite sin!  never mind, i'll make up for that one way or another. for now, let the countdown to beautiful skin begin...

Day 7: The Wedding Song

during a sumptuous dinner tonight with some friends, i was reminded that while in college, i wrote a song for a local band which played my original composition in a battle of bands. no, your eyes are not deceiving you, i just bragged about my composing prowess.  it may come as a surprise to most to learn that someone like me who can neither read notes nor play any instrument could write some lines. it surprised me, too, albeit just now! FYI, i can't carry a tune!

in another blog which i keep in private, i included in my to-do-before-i-die list composing another song. with that, i just had this crazy idea to write my wedding song. crazy, right? ok, this is a maybe. or maybe not. i'm not really serious but i thought i'd give it a try. let's see how this unfolds.

Day 6: Our Story (Part 3)

 for the finale...

before he left that summer, just like in teenybopper movies, he told me to wait for him. if he's serious or joking, i couldn't be so sure. i waited, nevertheless, but when months passed and i never heard from him again, i moved on. i admit patience is never my virtue. i finished  high school and college and learned the ins and outs of life and love along the way. i was days away from graduating in law school when i read an email from cris via friendster.

a little rewind. half a year ago, i thought of my teachers that summer '98. i thought of cris who for all i know would have been a husband and a doting father by then. he was years older so i had no doubts. i sent out hi-and-hello messages to my teachers and to cris, nothing  really romantic. 

Day 5: Our Story (Part 2)

continuation...

one day, i knew i 've had enough of kuya cris and math. so, when my migraine pains seethed in, i stealthily left the room for some fresh air. when he noticed his most diligent student disappeared without a say-so, kuya cris was fast enough to find me, perhaps cursing him, outside. he was genuinely concerned and apologized that he burdened me with so much math problems saying he did that to help me hone that  talent, if you can call that talent, i already had. later did i realize how perfectly right he was when i was winning math quizzes here and there because i know how to find the area of a triangle inside a circle inside a square, thanks to kuya cris, but that's a story i should post in another blog.

that same day, for an hour or so, we sat outside and talked non-sense silly things. soon, i found myself laughing at his comic antics. he wasn't  so intimidating after all! and this math teacher could sing! when i was in high school,  someone who could throw me a joke, make me hate math and croon me with a song was a total deal maker! yes, cris was!

... read the finale tomorrow.

Day 4: Our Story (Part 1)

it was in summer of '98 when we first met. i just turned sweet sixteen (read: i was in high school!). student-teachers from U.P. were in my hometown called paradise to conduct review classes for the UPCAT exam. kuya cris was one of them. surprise, surprise, i used to call him  "kuya". 

summer '98: our first picture together

it wasn't love at first sight, at least not with me. in fact we had a love-hate relationship that early on. good for me, because the class had a hate-hate relationship with him. here's why: while the other teachers  displayed friendly attitude in class, kuya cris was always hot under the collar, always barking around. laging salubong ang kilay na parang pasan nya ang daigdig! who would forget how he flinged the blackboard eraser because a classmate could not answer him. i couldn't really blame kuya cris, it wasn't easy teaching math. i could not fault my classmates either; a dreaded subject + "uncool" teacher = i'd rather be absent, too!

but, ehem,  i was this teacher's pet. maybe because i did pretty well in that summer-math class! need i brag i was damn good in math before? or maybe kuya cris was infatuated with me! hahah, don't bother asking him, he'll deny this to death, with his comprehensive but misleading account. anyhow, kuya cris booted me out from my class and made me sit all by myself at the back with loads of advanced math problems to solve before he comes back. he was soooo cute, i mean, cruel like that!

to be continued...

Day 3: The Motif

i want my wedding to be unforgettably romantic, and elegant and sassy on the side. think roses, valentines and lipstick! we're having the same dreamy thoughts, i could tell!

it's not a surprise that i'm picking red for a motif, was it? it had been and always will be my fave color, anyway. so yes, after cris dismissed my  earlier idea for a regal-gold-theme and echoed his resounding NO to my sunrise-sunset-yellow-brown motif, the wedding will mirror the  boldness of red, the color of love, passion and romance. * note: his eyes did not roll this time around*

Day 2: The Wedding Cake

cris and i are book aficionados; we hungrily read everything and anything we can get our hands on. sometimes, we'd grab a book or magazine, sit side by side, never really talk. ok, after minutes of deafening silence and my boredom kicked in, i'd  read at full volume just so to tick him off or shift his attention, he's so caught up in his own world when  he's into reading. 

when we reunited some years back after a decade of separation, thanks to social networking, he handed me a gift: no - not the customary bouquet of flowers or imported mouth-watering chocolates but a... drum rolls please... a BOOK! while most would find that odd, i was totally impressed and i knew i was swept off my feet right there and then! Although a book and flowers and chocolates would have been a plus plus, i told him years after, in a joking way of course!

anyway, we want our wedding to be not just an empty ceremony of tying nuptial knots but also that which captures and reflects our personalities, no matter how differing they are at most times, you'll find that out in some later entries. so, we decided, actually i suggested and he consented, to have a wedding cake that depicts a stack of books that are significant to us. you think that's easy? we'll expect some fighting scene ala-crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon as we choose which books we'd stack for the cake! set your expectations higher, a word war 3, perhaps?

Day 1: Healthy Up

this i promise: i will be sporting a sleek-and-slender-goddess body on my big day! i weigh in this morning: 48 kilos, not far from my ideal weight of 45 kilos. just a little exercise and healthy diet to shed off some of those unwanted pounds. the groom-to-be,  needs more help than i do, heheh. 

the quest for a better lifestyle started today: i walked into the gym, yes, my condo's gym a few floors away from my unit which  i took for granted for waaay too long now. i was that stubborn, i know! i did some 30 minutes exercise with the treadmill and stationary bike, not bad for a first timer, right? there, a step closer to having that inaambisyon na goddess bod!

Day 0: June 10

the die is cast. another circle of our mighty earth around the  scorching sun and i'll be walking the aisle and saying my vows! I am partly excited and partly anxious knowing that we're still a year away from that forever-and-ever matrimony. yes, a heck of time to perfectly plan a  wedding, or so it seems. 

what a better way to keep my family and friends posted with the minutest preparation details than by - tada - writing to this online blog.  

journey with me for 366 days 'til i say "I do" to my happy ever after...

love lots,

florida

P.S. i welcome comments and suggestions! :-)