For some reason, September felt like it went on forever! I don't know why, but for some reason, I wanted it to end already.

These are the things that made me appreciate this month:

I did an article for her newsletter that tells about the stuff I thrift-shopped - online! Click here to read it, and click here to visit her shop!

These two share the same closeness that my best guy friend Jerome and I have. Isn't it just amazing when two people from the opposite sex can be platonically in love and be super close friends without the pressure of a romantic relationship?

Blogged in detail here, eating out in a new place and shopping with them was certainly one of my favorite memories of September 2010 ♥

I finally got the chance to try out this new dessert place in Manila called the Caveman & Yeti, which offers flavored shaved ice served with lots of yummy toppings to choose from! Delicioso! :)

Because really, John Peacock's Fashion Accessories (The Complete 20th Century Sourcebook) is made with her in mind. Don't you just love giving just-because presents to friends? :) Photo taken when we attended Crystal Jade's Media Lunch, blogged here.

They are my best friends from college. The last time us four were complete was three and a half years ago, when we returned our graduation toga to the university. I got the chance to see them individually but our schedules never did let us spend even one single afternoon and just gab away, like we did in our college years. What's just sad is that only a tragedy made us see each other again, when Minnie's dad passed away this month. RIP Tito Nelson.

I was supposed to attend an event where I will get to meet, interview, and maybe hug my second-biggest celebrity crush Gerald Anderson, but my request for a half-day shift got declined. My manager, TL Carlo, felt bad for me so he treated me to free lunch that day. Not a bad trade off, I sincerely appreciate the thought behind it :)

I blogged about feeling bad because no one wanted to see this movie with me, and the Universe must have taken pity on me because I got to see it twice! One was with my gay friend Joner, and the other one was the day immediately after with Mich and Dane. Now, if you Universe would be so kind, I want my own Minion. Please? :)

Photo was taken when these ladies and I bonded over desserts, love dilemmas, and shopping. Blogged in detail here.

September meant the return of my favorite shows! I don't think I will ever get tired of watching Survivor, Penny and Sheldon's banter in The Big Bang Theory is the funniest ever, and I swear, just hearing the opening theme of How I Met Your Mother made me soooo happy I teared up! Photos from Google Search. And of course...

Glee! I blogged about attending GLEE's second season premiere! The Britney/ Brittany episode of Glee is the best ever! Brittany (Heather Morris) is such an amazing dancer! Brittany saying her full name is Brittany S. Pearce? Hilarious! Fun fact: She didn't actually audition for a part in the cast. She went to the set to teach the actors the steps to Beyonce's Single Ladies, the producers liked her, and bam! She's in. Awesome, right? And their version of Toxic! What's not to love?? Also, I may have shed a tear (or two) at Rachel's version of The Only Exception.

And if you don't know already, I am Britney Spears' biggest fan. Never did I dislike her, even when she went through all those drama a couple of years ago. My old room (in our house that got burned down) was covered with her posters. I also kept an album with her photos and clippings. I was obsessed, I was even called Bryttel by my friends back in high school. Yes, you may say I'm corny and all, but I am a BFF = Britney Fan Forever (with squiggly hearts all over).

Because there are some people who are better off as friends.

Because some things are better talked about with a friend over a yummy treat. Thank you Mich for accompanying me (and my lonely heart)! Photo taken the day I found my perfect pair of jeans, blogged here.

It is the last day of the month. I am also opening a new bank account. It's like I caught a financial responsibility bug; suddenly I became concerned about my finances. I also figured it'd be much easier to have an account where I can just transfer the funds for bill payment from. Surely beats going to the malls just to pay the bills. Besides, I work for a bank, I should practice what I preach ;)

Well, come to think of it, maybe September wasn't so bad after all.

Shopping for pretty clothes is a fun activity in itself, but getting them at dirt-cheap prices is even more fun! After Mai taught me last month how enjoyable (and affordable!) thrift-shopping can be, I swore I will try it again. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I went thrift-shopping with my good friend and officemate Marsha at this ukay place a few blocks away from their house (where I am also staying in at the moment). I loved it because it's a big store with racks and racks of clothes that you are bound to see something you'll like. Plus the salesladies are nice and willing to give more discounts ;) Here are the stuff I got:

I actually saw it a week ago but I didn't bring my wallet then so I wasn't able to get it. Good thing it was still there when I came back!

It's a simple dress but I can dress it up by using a belt and some nice shoes :)

So pretty in its simplicity, I can use it as a cover-up for most of my dresses.

This was recommended to me by Marsha. So cute and pretty and flirty! Brand new, too, as it still had a tag on. I will bring it on my trip to Singapore :)

This is probably my favorite from the lot. It looks so sweet and romantic and lacy and pretty ♥

Can you believe that everything cost me only P540 (approx 12USD)? Pretty finds without breaking the bank, oh yeah, I can definitely get used to this :D

I've noticed something about myself. Lately, I have been drawn to more muted colors. Like last month, I totally went into this nude-phase when everything I bought is in the shades of browns. And then, these clothes are all in the shades of gray. I also edited my blog banner and layout (yet again!) in these colors. What do you think btw? Did you like it? Is this just a phase or is this a sign that I am maturing? I think this is just a phase; I love bright colors too much to let them go. And besides, whoever said taste in color is a sign of maturity? Sorry for rambling and for being philosophical about gray colors LOL.

This is a lame post, sorry. I hope you're having a fabulous week! Better than I have, as I've been sick for the last two days x_x

A few months ago, I saw and fell in love with a pair of jeans in Penshoppe. It is black, it is sexy, it is perfect. But because I am a total cheapskate, the price totally made me turn in my heels and walk away. I left the store, but that pair lingered - mixed with a little regret - in my mind for a while.

Today, after Mich and I got our yogurt fix at The White Hat in SM North-EDSA, we went inside Penshoppe as we did our regular rounds of window-shopping. Guess what?

My black, sexy, perfect pair of jeans. Last pair. In my size. Aaaand at 50% off! I am so lucky when it comes to things like this! Remember the pair of shoes last month? ;)

If only I am just as lucky when it comes to love...

Back in 2008, I broke someone's heart. The same year, someone else broke mine. And this year, he did it again. I left someone who loved me completely for someone who did not care enough. I took a big risk, crashed and got burned. I cleared the air with the person whose heart I broke, and just when I started harboring thoughts and feelings of a possible second chance with him, he suddenly stopped talking to me. Neglected by some of my friends, left hanging by the people I loved. Hey Universe, don't you think I have hurt enough?

I just miss being in love and feeling loved (not as friends-kind-of-love but falling hopelessly, romantically in love). 

If only looking for love is as easy as finding the perfect pair of jeans. There are a lot of jeans in the shops, sure. But there's always that perfect pair that fits you snugly in all the right places and make you feel like a bombshell. Today I found my perfect pair of jeans. Can I find him-who-fits-perfectly-with-me anytime soon? I hope so...

So willing to trade my luck in shopping for some luck in the love department,

Put your party hats on and do an awkward celebratory dance with me, because today is my blog's SECOND ANNIVERSARY! Oh yes, that's right, my blog has been sprinkling you with whimsy, pretty and crazy for two whole years already, and I hope you are loving every second of it ;)

I started this blog one lonely September day two years ago, hoping I'd be able to maintain it. You see, I have had about seven other blogs before, most notable of which is my Multiply journal. I was pretty happy with it, but then I figured out I wanted Blogspot's snazzy gadgets. I thought of a URL I can use, and krissyfied was born. On the first half of 2009 I went on a hiatus. I returned after four months, and everything went full throttle from there. I met lots of friends and shared many memories, and on August this year, I bought my own domain.

All I wanted was my own space in the world wide web where I can rant and rave and store precious memories in. What I didn't know is that blogging has turned out to be a very interactive and engaging community. Most of the people I met online have become my real-life friends; I know I can turn to you for just about anything, and you can expect that I will do the same for you. ♥

Thank you for sticking with me, for putting up with all my heartbreak woes and whining, for sharing with my joys and little victories, for never failing to put a smile on my face with your sweet comments, for sympathizing when I'm feeling under the weather, for cheering me on when I'm happy, for making me feel good about being myself, and most importantly, for sharing your worlds with me. Really, it has been a fantastic journey, you guys, and everything will just keep on getting better.

Yesterday I was stuck at home playing online games minding my own business when I received an SMS offering me VIP tickets to the Cinema Premiere of Glee's Second Season at the Centerstage of SM Mall of Asia. It was from my friend and classmate from college Dewi, and it's for free! So really, who am I to say No? Our plans almost got ruined when it threatened to rain and my parents just advised me to stay home. I figured, why let life pass me by just because of the rain? Yeah I got all philosophical about Glee LOL. Anyway, armed with a determination to have a great time with my friends and New Directions, I braced myself for the two-hour commute to the biggest mall in the Philippines.

Watching Glee on TV is awesome, but seeing it on the big screen is just freaking amazing! It was great to be in a big room (of 900-people capacity) filled with people who were as eager as me to see the show: laughing at all the funny lines (Brittany: She did not touch my boobs. Actually, I want to touch her boobs.), applauding the characters we root for (hello fellow Filipino Charice Pempengco as Sunshine Corazon!), and going awww at the awww-inducing moments (i.e. Tina dumping Artie for Mike). Aaaand, I love Puck, but Chord Overstreet as Sam just stole my heart! His rendition of Billionaire is just... WOW! But, from spoilers, he will be Kurt's boyfriend, so there. Why must all most hot guys be gay?

Ed also came! He is a much bigger fan than I am and it is always great to see him, so I am glad he was able to make it on time. :)

Other photos from the event:

SM Department Store was also selling some shirts and I really wanted to get the white one with GLEE all over but my Singapore trip is fast approaching so every peso must be saved x_x

The event ended at around 10PM. I had so much fun! And to think I almost missed it. Good thing my officemate Frank asked for a shiftswap last Monday so my rest days for the week became Wednesday and Thursday, or else I wouldn't have been able to go. Good deeds are ALWAYS rewarded :)

Thanks again Dewi and Ed for such a fabulous time! Can't wait for our next events!

Yesterday was supposed to be my rest day from work but my friend/ officemate Frank asked for a shift swap so he and his niece Badeth can collect the new DSLR she won from 24/7 Taxi Service's Photography Contest (congratulations again Badeth!). So I was at work doing my job, while having the privilege of surfing the Daily Mail between calls when I read an article that made me a human well of tears.

Nothing extraordinary about the photo when you first look at it, but what is extraordinary about it is that Gemma has breast cancer. Despite getting the all-clear, the cancer returned last October. This time, the disease has spread and is incurable. She asked to be discharged from the hospital so she can accompany her children - especially the youngest Thomas who has just started studying - to school. She died the next day.

Just look at the photo and notice how Thomas is holding his mum's two fingers... Isn't that enough to melt your heart?

From the article:

Rest in peace, Gemma. My prayers are with you and your family.

Read the full article here.

Yesterday was also my paternal grandmother's death anniversary. It is customary in our country to hold a "padasal" or a ceremony in memoriam of the dead which involves prayers and songs and a mini-feast for everyone who attended. Relatives and friends are invited so after work, I went straight to their house in Malabon City. It has been a long time since I went there and I am glad I did because I missed my relatives. We are a big, close-knit family (my father have ten siblings so you can just imagine how many cousins I have), and it is amazing how my younger cousins have grown. 

My paternal grandma's name is Virginia, and I called her Lola Binyang. (Lola is the Tagalog term for Grandma.) She is a beautiful lady, and I got my dimples from her.

There was also a choir that sang - accompanied by an electric keyboard - between prayers. They have such beautiful, haunting voices that it was impossible not to be touched. I got the chance to record one of their songs and hopefully I will be able to share them with you. I also got emotional and couldn't help but shed some tears. I just realized that I miss her. She was such a kind, gentle soul who loved watching movies at the cinemas, and I will forever love her.

Rest in peace Lola Binyang, I know you are in heaven now with my little sister Kim, watching over us. We love you, and we will always remember.

... and shopping with friends.

Just a little note on how this week went: If you remember, I was whining last week about how no one wanted to see Despicable Me with me. This week I saw it, twice! One was last Wednesday with my gay friend Joner (who must have read my post and invited me to see it with him) and the other was the following day, Thursday, with Mich and Dane. I am a happy soul. And I want my own Minion ;D Thursday as well, I was invited by my friend Ed to an event by Century Tuna with my second-biggest local celebrity crush Gerald Anderson but my request for a half-day shift was not approved. My manager, TL Carlo, felt bad for me so he treated me to lunch. I have the most wonderful TL and teammates (except for two LOL). Ana was able to come, though, and her retelling of the event made me feel as if I was there as well. Next time Gerald, next time XD

Back to the original topic I wanted to blog about :)

Yesterday Mich and I met with Mae at TriNoma because she needed my help with her band's personal website. She bought her own domain from Google as well but there seemed to be a problem as she can't access the site. I looked at it, but too bad it is beyond my limited knowledge as (thankfully) I didn't encounter that problem when I bought my own domain. Sooo, I was not able to fix her site, but we did manage to do a lot of eating.

This was my Sunday:

I also remembered this relatively new desserts-place that I read about from a blog so I suggested it to them since Mae wanted cakes. Mich and I already had Red Mango yogurt earlier in the day so cakes are a welcome treat.

Introducing a place I am certain I will go back to, Parvati.

If ever you find yourself in TriNoma and craving for decadent cakes and pastries (and free coffee!), you should visit Parvati. It is located at the first level, beside Gourdo's and BreadTalk. Truly, dessert-heaven in every bite. Everything's so yummy I sweat chocolate and sugar until now ;D

I did mention something about shopping with friends...

Desserts + Shopping + Friends sprinkled with funny and (at times) tear-jerking stories = a fun and lovely afternoon. I am blessed.

Have a fab week ahead, everyone!