Be Right Back

I shall leave for Bicol, our province, tomorrow to visit my grandparents' graves and celebrate Halloween there (and maybe go to a resort). So far, packing light is proving to be difficult and challenging (as you can observe for yourself) because my luggage is quite full already and doesn't have enough room for my pambahay clothes anymore. But enough of my silly woes I'm sure I can squeeze in a few more pieces here and there. I will be away for a week and won't be able to update my blog much---not that I blog regularly haha---but I will definitely miss it. I'm already preparing for a blogging withdrawal---have you also experienced this sort of thing? :)

It saddens me that I won't be leaving an outfit post to compensate for my being away for a week and all I have here instead are photos of books that I have read (rather slowly) in the past weeks and my favorite lines and passages from Emma and The Great Gatsby. I'm currently reading Emma and will bring it with me to Bicol and let me just say that reading a classic is both a pleasure and a pain. A pleasure, because it transports you into another period of time, lets you have a glimpse of what life was like in that era but it is also a pain because of the language, to be honest. It is a lovely language, yes. It is by no means flowery but it has a lovely cadence to it that I greatly enjoy especially when I read it aloud to myself. But I cannot deny that those words can sometimes be overwhelming and a bit too much for my "21st-century-young-adult-novels-reading-self". Haha! I sometimes find myself stuck registering a line/paragraph (oh the old fashioned English wit!) or spacing out. And when I have managed to comprehend it at last, a new word/phrase presents itself to me. That's why I have my handy dictionary glued to my side every time I read Emma or any classic novel for that matter. The first time I skimmed it, I was in 3rd year HS. A page took me at least 20 minutes to understand---because I had to consult the dictionary after every few words---that I gave up on reading it entirely. Now though, I am far from giving up. It is such a reward to read it. Haha! 

My Name is Memory was a breeze to read. Animal farm by George Orwell was not hard to understand at all especially because I already read it in 1st yr HS for our English class, though I must say that I understand its meaning and satirical nature much better now. Then I started reading The Great Gatsby which was given to me by an important person in my life then. He hoped that I would enjoy reading it as much as he did...but honestly, I just couldn't bring myself to like it. I'm so sorry. Haha! I know how much he was greatly interested in the Great Depression/Jazz Age which, If I can recall correctly, was somehow connected to the birth of his favorite superhero, Superman. It wasn't that hard to read, I just didn't feel connected to the narrator and the characters although I did love the vivid imagery (scenes of the extravagant 20's lifestyle) painted to me by the author and Gatsby's undying yet twisted love for Daisy (it's amazing how one can love a person so much that it twists one's perception). It was a tragic story.

It appears that I have rambled again, so let me end this post by saying that "I'll be right back!" :)

 XO.

Oh So Random

Been away from the blogosphere for a while. Sorry for the unannounced hiatus and for not bringing you an outfit post today. Been reading like a maniac this past week, well re-reading the last 5 books in the Vampire Academy series in preparation for the final book: Last Sacrifice. And my god that week was great. See, my ideal day would be staying in and reading a book all day long. And I did just that starting last Saturday! School wasn't even a hindrance. (I may have skipped a class in order to finish a book in this series? Haha!)

So anyway, this post is just about some things that I took photos of this September and during the last week of August. Random post I know. I suppose you could think of this as an update of sorts? :) Photos above include my newly altered zebra print dress, snakeskin skirt, mom's resurrected super ancient beepers and cellphone (it looks more like a walkie-talkie if you ask me haha), new tassel necklace from Bubbles, sequined blazer and furry jacket from F-stop, my new fringe bags, my cousin Mariel's and Mama's cakes and more sweets! I'm especially proud of my homemade wicked oreos though I'm sure a lot of you can do it too. Oh well, I can dream that I'll make a good housewife, right? Haha!

But going back to my intro, (and you could skip this one if you're not interested in reading my review) I really enjoyed reading the VA series. It was sooo much better than Twilight. Then again, Twilight wasn't really good (for me at least so don't hate!) so no point in making that comparison. I know that it's a vampire-saturated market out there but what can you do? It's a classic. Back then Bram Stoker's Dracula, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles and L.J. Smith's Vampire Diaries were the books that entranced readers (and they still do). So I'm not really ashamed to admit that I like reading stories like these. And trust me, the VA's plot's a bit different from other vamp stories. Vampires were shown in a different light, a bit of teen drama and intrigues were thrown in here and there, some politics and mystery to keep it refreshingly interesting and hallelujah the forbidden love aspect wasn't too cheesy. And the VA never disappointed me...well okay, some parts did but the plot and characters were written very well that I had to overlook the flaws and still give it to Richelle Mead. I especially loved it because of the characters. They all felt very real that reading this series had been such a cathartic experience for me. Rose was sassy, feisty, impulsive, reckless and rude yet all these flaws made her startlingly real. And even though I hated her for being such a whiny brat at times, for making selfish and rash decisions and ending up with Dimitri Belikov while abandoning charming and sexy Adrian Ivashkov (really, even his name oozes with sex appeal), I still think Rose was a badass heroine. Her POV was also very sarcastic, witty and funny which never failed to crack me up. Although the last 3 books didn't live up to my expectations (Rose just became increasingly annoying because she showed no character growth), I still recommend you give this saga a chance since parts 1, 2, and 3 were worth it. I stayed 'til the end due to my love of the side characters who developed really well (like Lissa, Christian, Adrian and Eddie) as the story progressed (and 'coz I didn't want an unfinished collection in my bookshelf). Character-driven plot FTW! Woohoo! Flaws aside, I do think the series was a step above other young adult vampire series out there. I even resorted to wearing my prescription glasses because I literally couldn't put the book down and my eyes started to sting, get blurry and puffy from crying so much. Yeah, it was that good. And now that I just finished reading all the books...I will patiently wait for the movie to come out. I do hope they push through with it. And now I'm moving on to The Hunger Games Trilogy! Can't wait!!! :)

PS. I hope you didn't feel like brushing your teeth after seeing all that sweet stuff above. Heh :))

XO.

Date A Girl Who Reads

Found this on my good friend Abbie's tumblr. Not really a fashion post (but hey, like I said, it's not always about fashion) it's too cute that I just have to post it here. Plus, I've been keeping all these pictures from tumblr, thought I'd share.

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag.She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted. Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilightseries.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her. You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

Don't you just love how everything seems still when you're so engrossed in the book that you're reading?

Ahh...this post must be about my desire to escape from my chaotic state of mind as I'm silently panicking and freaking out about the fast-approaching finals week. Wish me luck! :)

XO.

It's Not Always About Fashion

I love books. I love reading. I love the alone time, the "me time" that I get from reading. It's that time where being alone isn't really dreadful.

Right now, I'm in my book-shopping obsession phase. When I'm in this phase, I could get by without shopping for fashion-related stuff. So now, I don't really think much about shoe-shopping or clothes-shopping, instead...all I think about at the moment is buying that book that's on my list.

That list is LOOOOONG.

Probably my fave Vampire Saga yet! This is not your run-of-the-mill vampire story. Think Gossipgirl (the setting's in Manhattan New york, fabulous fashion, bitchy cat-fights, voyeuristic feel of the narration), only this is about vampires. I think what makes this series more special to me is that the author is a Filipina. Melissa Dela Cruz makes me one proud Filipino by giving birth to this series. She writes sooo well I could cry. Haha! Her books have great plots, believable characters, and the twist and turns of her novels always catch me off guard! Definitely a must-read!
My second fave! Do not be fooled by the books' simple covers, Vampire Academy (in its entirety) has a real voice and spunk thanks to protagonist Rose. The take on this series is also different from that of Twilight and all those cheesy vamp stories out there. The VA is action-filled and exciting! The fast pacing of Richelle Mead's novels always put me at the edge of my seat!
Really want to buy the Vampire Diaries novels because I want to know if the book-version's much better than the TV series.

Enough vampire stories, let's move on to fairies (Wicked Lovely series), ghosts (Darkest Powers series), and fallen angels (Fallen series).Aside from YA (young adult) novels, I also like reading light stories and chick-lit. Sophia Kinsella's Shopaholic series and stand-alone novels like Remember Me, Twenties Girl, The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep A Secret are the perfect reads when you want light and humorous stories! I've already completed the Shopaholic series so I'm moving on to buying her stand-alone novels! Yay!
The Hunger Games Trilogy and the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series are top priorities on my list! I am sooo excited to get my hands on a copy! I've read a lot of good reviews about these books, hope they won't disappoint! :)
Anddd...a few more stand-alone novels that I would love to read and add to my growing collection of books. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (authors of Nick & Norah's Infinte Playlist!), My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares (author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), One Day by David Nicholls (this will be made into a movie starring Anne Hathaway!), and Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane (yes, it was turned into a movie as well starring Leonardo Di Caprio).
Waa! I really need more moolah! I hope my mom reads this. Haha!

XO.

8 Little Facts

Hello gals! As promised on my previous post, I will blog about 8 random facts about myself in accordance to Channie's Stylish Blogger Award since I wasn't able to put 8 facts about myself in the last post. Anyway, here goes. Hope this'll let you get to know me more. :)

1.) I have this uncanny ability to catch cockroaches.

Eww I know. It was on my 16th birthday that I developed this skill (if you can even call it that). I was happily asleep when I felt something flutter by my headboard and just like that I caught it with my bare hand as if it were acting on its own accord (take note I was sleeping! Haha!). Panira ng beauty sleep. After stirring a 'lil, I realized what I just did and went straight to the bathroom to wash my hands and soak it in alcohol. Haha! 'Coz of that incident, my family now teases me as the "Ipis Queen" 'coz they think it follows me wherever I go and that I'm the only one who has the special abilities to catch 'em. *Shudders* gross naman. So not glamorous. Hahaha! :))

2.) I can draw and it's heavily influenced by my love of anime.

3.) I love detective stories, mysteries and police procedural dramas.

I'm not sure if I have expressed this enough here on my blog but I love those things mentioned above. In my intermediate years, I was already into reading Nancy Drew mystery books. Now though, I'm more likely to read Sherlock Holmes and Lisa Gardner's crime novels. I still love Nancy though and she will always hold a special place in my heart as the first sleuth who got me hooked on detective stories. As for the police procedural dramas, I'm currently loving Criminal Minds, NCIS, Bones, and CSI among others.

The yellow ones are my Nancy Drew books.

4.) I want to be a detective/FBI agent if I weren't into Fashion/girly things/and if I were tough enough to qualify for it.

Random and almost foolish, I know. Haha! If I were living in an alternate world/reality, I'll be an FBI agent specifically assigned in the Behavioral Analysis Unit specializing in profiling criminals or as a detective/teen sleuth. This must be due to my love of number 3. :))

5.) I am a homebody.

I only go out when my friends call for one but that doesn't happen often since we usually just meet during the summer and term breaks. And, I dunno about you guys but I enjoy staying in and bumming around the house all day. I like watching TV, reading novels and surfing the net all-day and I don't find doing those things boring. Hehe. Whenever there is a family outing which involves going to the beach (most of the time), I'd gladly stay home instead (as I am also not a beach babe). My blockmates could also attest to this since I seem to always be in a hurry to go straight home after school hours. Yes, home is definitely where my heart is. Haha!

6.) I think I have a very "split-personality" erm well...personality. Haha!

No, I'm not talking about the disorder. I can't fully explain it but I seem to have two, almost completely different personalities. One of which is my being such a prim and proper girl. This is usually exhibited when I am around new acquaintances. I guess it's because of how I carry myself when I'm speaking (like how I get so formal all of a sudden for reports and stuff like that) and some say the "accent" which contradicts my very bubbly disposition and my Tagalog/Filipino-speaking, wapoise (no poise), bakla self.

7.) I am wapoise in real life.

Do not be fooled by my uhm...graceful(?) poses as seen on my photos here on the blog 'coz I am a very wapoise lady. I laugh really hard (as in yung tipong distorted na yung mukha ko kakatawa, high-pitched laugh with matching pa-sipa sipa effect pa at sabay hampas sa katabi) which earned me the titles Jossabayo (Jossa + Kabayo), Petrang Kabayo (due to the pag-sipa gesture that I make when laughing real hard) and a whole lot of other names that have been thought of by my friends. Haha!

8.) I am drawn to nerdy, super smart guys. (mapa-fictional man o totoong buhay) Hahaha!
Sorry but I rarely get attracted to jocks, the prince charming and the boy-next-door guys. I usually develop crushes on nerds/smart guys and the like. Hahaha!

For example:

Artie of Glee (Kevin McHale)
Dr. Spencer Reid of Criminal Minds (Matthew Gray Gubler)

Did you know that his character in Criminal Minds has an IQ of 187, an eidetic memory and can read 20,000 words per minute! Hell yezzz I super crush him! Now that's my kind of guy. HAHA!

Tom of (500) Days of Summer (Joseph Gordon Levitt)
Well, I certainly had fun doing this. Hope you enjoyed reading this. Though I'm pretty sure you find me weird now. Oh well. Haha!

'Til the next post!
Scarlet April xx