Hello, how's your hump day coming along? Are you excited for the long weekend? I'm looking forward to resting, painting, watching movies, and writing.

If you're a first time visitor of this site, thank you and welcome! Early this year, a group of new authors and I wrote a Thing each, and now these Things have been published as ebook bundles. I participated on the Buqo YA blog tour organized by Dianne and will be featuring excerpts from all the bundles on this site for five Wednesdays, and we're starting today.

Buqo YA Bundle 1

Taking Chances

Whether looking for closure, proving their worth, or wondering what happens after a moonlit night, the characters from these stories will invite you to take a chance for love. Will they find what they’re looking for? Or will their hearts get broken? Step into their shoes and find out.

A Portrait of Jade by Justine Camacho-Tajonera

Jade Alverio is dying to get to summer art camp in Baguio, far away from her demanding parents and her ultra-perfect sister, Ruby. She thinks it will be a haven of likeminded spirits until she gets her first critique from Alexander Santamaria III, who seems to have converted all female camp members into his groupies. 

Things get worse when she's paired up with him on a major project. Will she survive dream-turned-nightmare art camp, or will she go running back home, the very place she wanted to escape in the first place?

Justine Camacho-Tajonera was born and grew up in Cebu City, Philippines. Despite starting a corporate career in telecommunications, she pursued an M.A. in Literary and Cultural Studies to keep her close to her first loves: reading and writing.

Her poetry has been published in several anthologies and local publications and she has published two books: Artemis Lets Go, a novella, and Gift, her first collection of poetry. She maintains a poetry blog, Claiming Alexandria.

She works full time at a corporate job promoting e-reading in the Philippines, is married, and has two children.

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Loving You All My Life by Rafael P. Pascual

Isang ulirang estudyante, kaibigan at anak si Danielle Natasha Lastimosa. Ang kanyang pagsisikap, talino at kabutihan ang nagdala sa kanya sa Philippine Institute of Arts, Entertainment & Culture (PHINAREC), ang pinaka-una at natatanging paaralan para sa mga nagnanais makapasok sa larangan ng sining, kultura at libangan. Maayos na sana ang kanyang buhay-estudyante nang isang Jairus Roman Vera-Perez ang biglang nagpagulo rito. Ang lalaking iyon ang anak ng may-ari ng PHINAREC, pero ito rin ang pinakalider pagdating sa katamaran, kayabangan at kakulangan ng disiplina. Pagtatagpuin sila ng isang kakaibang proyekto para sa kursong kanilang pinag-aaralan. Maging mitsa kaya ito ng lalong paglala ng kanilang bangayan, o ito na kaya ang magsilbing daan para sila ay maging magkaibigan – at magkatuluyan? Masabi kaya nila sa isa’t isa ang katagang “I’LL KEEP ON LOVING YOU ALL MY LIFE”?

Rafael P. Pascual is a 20-year old Mass Communication student at Universidad de Manila. He is a reader of romance, teen fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery and history. He is currently writing under the username raffythequizzard on Wattpad.com.

He also loves to read Wattpad books, particularly those published by Summit Media's Pop Fiction imprint. He has attended the Wattpad seminar at the 35th Manila International Book Fair, the Pop Fiction Academy at the 1st Philippine Literary Festival, and the 3rd Pop Fiction Festival.

He currently lives in Navotas City with his mother and six other siblings.

Twitter | Instagram

Never Too Late by Jen C. Suguitan

When Cass goes to a trip to Corregidor, she thinks that it’s the key to finding closure over her sister's death. But things change when she gets mixed up with the wrong tour group where she meets Noah, a budding filmmaker and photographer who wants to relive his grandfather’s war stories through the tour. 

As they explore the historic island together, will Cass and Noah find what they are looking for? Or will they find something more, like a chance to fall in love, too?

Jen C. Suguitan is a PR practitioner by day and a storyteller by night. Her love affair with words and letters led to a Journalism degree and stories cramped in her hard drive that the world has yet to see. She started writing professionally for a local broadsheet when she was seventeen, and she doesn't plan on stopping anytime soon. When she's not writing, she's probably thinking of what to write about next.

Twitter | Instagram

Second Sight to Forever by Racquel Sarah A. Castro

At the first week of January, the Salazar family went back from Hong Kong. While unpacking, Daniel took a deep breath before uttering a word to Martha. He admitted who the spy was.
“What?” Martha displayed dismay on her husband. “What are you thinking? Is that why you are so generous to Sasha? You have done something so bad, honey. She will feel betrayed.”
“I know, I know . . .” Daniel sighed while Martha walked out on him. 

***

RTM – First Day of School after the Christmas vacation
“I heard that mom already know who Dad’s spy is.” Sasha talked to Joshua.
“I have something to tell you . . .” Joshua got so neurotic that she assumed he was the spy.
“You are the spy!” She slapped him and walked away.
Joshua whispered, “I just want to say I love you.” He wept and thought he wouldn’t have a chance to say what he felt for her.
From that day, he spent RTM alone. Being without the other half of the SJ Duo was the hardest thing for him. He tried to focus on his studies so that he could have a chance to be the class valedictorian.
Joshua tried to reach out to Sasha but she ignored his text messages. Week 2, Ryan invited Joshua to join them for the quarterly study group session but he refused.
Sasha talked to him to return the toy ring and the bracelet. She focused her time studying at the rooftop away from Joshua. Joshua was on the other side and just loved in a distance.

Racquel Sarah A. Castro is living with Cerebral Palsy. She graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology in AMA Computer College-Binan Campus. She always wanted to inspire people in all ways. She also desires to prove the goodness of God through her life.

Racquel is living with her parents in Binan City, Laguna, Philippines. She is a geek, a math tutor, a food addict, a web designer, and a freelance programmer.

Her family is currently a ground volunteer of Basics Global, a non-profit organization based in Dubai, UAE. She also leads a music ministry branch in Jesus Christ Rules Bible Christian Church. She aspires to be an emissary of People with Disabilities. She started the campaign on Novel Cerebral Palsy Awareness Drive by featuring her disability on her works.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

After the Moment by Six de los Reyes

Under the most normal of circumstances, Aria de Luna could never imagine herself kissing the boy she has always considered to be miles and miles out of her league. She’s known as their year’s resident emo-girl and she plays the part flawlessly with her violet hair, scuffed boots, and her alleged angst from living under the shadow of her over-achieving, perfect, older sister. Meanwhile, Kristoffer Li is living the perfect life. He’s popular, next year’s captain of the basketball team, attractive, if maybe a little too frowny for people’s liking, but he looks very pretty on a chocolate-milk drink carton. 

So it is only under the most unusual circumstance that Kris shows up at the Arts and Culture Festival Aria has been looking forward to all year. But does a morning of awkward conversations, an afternoon of provoking discussions, and a moment under the moonlight really change three years of oblivious coexistence? Or will everything go back to the way it was after the moment?

Six de los Reyes has been reading and making up stories for as far as she can remember. In fifth grade, she learned to wield dragons and phoenixes through written word. Her day job has absolutely nothing to do with creative writing, and she wishes it did.

Twitter

When a KISS Falls by Kaye Dee

Do you know someone tagged as a KISS? 

Nastasha and Stefano are both aware of the uncanny relationship they have as best friends. Nash has always been the KISS or knight-in-shining skirt - always so protective of Stef. In her, Stef found a personal on-call heroine. Stef, on the other hand, is often seen as vain, weak and feminine, making him the perfect bully target. Until one day, Stef realizes it should be the other way around. It is time to switch their roles and be his best friend’s protector and defender. But being the strong-willed girl that she is, Nash just cannot deal away with her tough nature. 

Will Stef prove his worth and fulfill the new role in their friendship? Will this be the bridge that can take their friendship into something more?

Twitter | Instagram

Follow the blog tour by clicking the banner below.


And hey! A giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Taking Chances is available on Buqo at a special price of only $0.99 so I really, really, really hope you guys can check it out and support new Filipino authors! I guarantee that these stories will give you kilig feels and make you remember being young and falling in [puppy] love. ♡

Until next Wednesday's blog tour stop! (That is particularly special to me because my story is included in that bundle.)

Another long weekend is coming up, and for those of you who are planning to go to the beach or hike up a mountain or basically do any outdoors-y stuff and get exposed to the sun a lot, here's a hardcore sunscreen I recommend.

What a mouthful! For the purposes of this review, let's just call it Shiseido WetForce.

Typical sunscreens slowly lose effectiveness once you dive into water. However, Shiseido WetForce is made with new technology that actually works with H2O. How does it work? According to Cosmetics Design, it is the first ever sunscreen that "interacts with the minerals in water and perspiration, becoming more uniform, smoother, and stronger upon contact with water or perspiration, creating a more uniform UV shield with about 120% higher protection effect." Good job, Shiseido's research and development team!

The SPF rating is a measure of the fraction of sunburn-producing UV rays blocked, while the PA system was introduced by Japan Cosmetic Industry Association to measure UVA protection.

Shiseido WetForce is one of the many sunscreen bottles I brought to my most recent beach trip. I liked it because it's very light with a runny consistency that blends and get absorbed by the skin easily. It is also non-greasy.

Barely noticeable, yes?

It comes in a 50mL bottle that's so convenient to bring anywhere. I was confident to use it in the beach with minimal touch-ups and not worried about wrinkles because I knew all about the WetForce technology. I didn't burn at all and got an even tan instead.

My only qualm about the Shiseido WetForce is probably its price. At P2,100 per 50mL bottle, it is not that affordable. The girl who gets a free sample from Sample Room is very lucky!


If you have the money to burn, I recommend getting Shiseido WetForce because it really is a wonder product. If not, you don't have to fret because you can use other sunscreens just the same. Just be mindful to reapply constantly to keep the harmful sun's rays at bay. Enjoy your long weekend!

You, probably: Are we done talking about Buqo YA now? I hope we're done.

Me: NOPE.

You, probably: Ughhh.

LOL sorry guys, but the effect of last Saturday's launch hasn't worn off yet. If anything, it reverberates even more now that the initial comments from people who were the first ones to get their copies of the Sweet Complications bundle that contains my story Once Upon a Sticky Note have already started coming in! I am absolutely floored by the attention it has been getting, and I am so thankful. ♡


READING
Plain Vanilla by my bundle-mate Ines Bautista Yao. I bought all the Buqo YA bundles but of course I got started with ours! I am alternating this with Alternative Alamat, a collection of short stories by contemporary authors of Philippine fantasy. I've always found mythology so fascinating, even more so with Philippine mythology looking at how rich and diverse our folklore is.

WRITING
Still my Spark NA novella. I may or may not have started panicking already.

LISTENING TO
Nate Ruess. He has a new song called AhHa and he's immaculate.


THINKING
Whether or not I should get that cup of milk tea. I have been having this internal debate for hours, heh.

FEELING
Swell. Everything's grand, everything's magnificent.

LOVING
That in just three days, our ebook bundle is now ranked #1 in the Young Adult category and #3 overall! NUMBER THREE! THIRD! I am so happy I want to cry!


WANTING
To stop procrastinating and put my writing cap on. Stat.

NEEDING
More time? LOL.

WISHING
That you guys like Once Upon a Sticky Note as much as I enjoyed being brought along by Nate and Tanya's story. That readers can rate or review my work constructively. That I get to finish my Spark NA novella in time.

Wish me luck. Have a pleasant week ahead, everyone! Take care of your hearts. ♥ 

Yes.

Yesterday was a particularly bookish day as I went to two launches: Mina Esguerra's book launch for the nationwide release of Welcome to Envy Park, Never Just Friends, and The Harder We Fall in Powerbooks Greenbelt, and the launch in Greenfield District of the buqo YA bundles that contain the stories my classmates and I wrote under Mina's supervision. 

My heart leaped when I checked my Buqo app and saw them available already! Buqo is a free app available on the App Store and the Play Store, and you can use your credit card or Smart/ Sun Cellular load to purchase books and magazines! It is also available to everyone worldwide!

The story I wrote, Once Upon a Sticky Note, is in the Sweet Complications bundle together with stories written by Ines Bautista-Yao (Plain Vanilla), Sassy Fova (D'01), Charm Lee (Same), Irish Fleur (Travel of Two), and Amae Dechavez (One Lovely Summer Day).

I was the only one in my bundle who was able to go to the launch, so I prepared a special treat for buyers.

People who know me in person know how awkward and shy I am especially in front of people I don't know, so you can just imagine how panicked I felt moments before I went in front to read an excerpt of my work! 

Still, I did it. And it was surreal.

I would like to thank my friends who carved the time out of their busy schedules to support a girl chasing after her dreams on this very special day!

You guys truly went above and beyond. Thank you so much! My heart is grateful. ♡

The Sweet Complications bundle is currently number one in the Young Adult charts and number six in the Buqo library overall!

Thank you so much Maxin, Mina, and Buqo for this amazing opportunity!

And of course, to everyone who have already bought a copy and are sending me screencaps and sharing their feedback to Tanya and Nate's story with me, I would like to shout out a loud THANK YOU! You guys make me so happy I feel like my heart would break. This still feels like a dream to me - one I never thought would ever happen - but it did, AND WE'RE HERE! THANK YOU.

Writing is a solitary activity in that a writer is almost always alone with his/ her thoughts, but the Buqo YA class (and the currently ongoing Spark NA class) taught me that it's fun to be solitary together with other writers. Here are more photos from the two launches yesterday.

With fellow Buqo YA author Six Her story After the Moment is in the Taking Chances bundle!

With #romanceclass classmate and fellow Buqo YA author Justine Her story A Portrait of Jade is in the Taking Chances bundle!

With Mina, during her book launch

Never have I met anyone more generous with her talent and time

With the very supportive Pau-pau

With my friends Alex and Ed

Once Upon a Sticky Note is just a short story, but I couldn't have done it without the support of other people. With that, I would like to share the Acknowledgments section with you.

Nate and Tanya’s story is a product of three weeks’ worth of over-thinking and less than twenty hours of mad writing sessions that mostly happened from 11 PM to 3 AM. There was a lot of self-doubt, but magic started to happen when my fingers touched the keyboard. Thank you to Niel, Dianne, Ed, Jamie, Sunshine, and Kristel, for reading the early drafts of Once Upon a Sticky Note and for giving me important feedback; to Vlad and my Breakfast Clubmates Chum, Shiela, Mike, and Ralph for giving me the push I needed; to Anne, Alvin, and Alex, for pointing out the kinks I missed and for helping me fix them; and to Mina, for paving the way for writers like me who do not want to keep another unpublished manuscript rotting away in our hard drives. 

Thank you too, dear reader, for picking up this story and giving it your time. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed discovering where Nate and Tanya (and the pure joy of walking down the memory lane of young love) would lead me.

I still need someone to pinch me sometimes. If you would like to read Once Upon a Sticky Note and the rest of the other Young Adult stories we wrote so you can feel the feels~, I suggest you get them soon because the $0.99 price is for a limited time only! If you have read my story, your reviews will be much appreciated! I would love to know what you thought/ felt about it! Tweet me, leave a comment, or send me an email!


Happythankyoumoreplease. My heart is grateful.

In this age of smartphones and needing to be online constantly, powerbanks have become extra valuable to extend the battery life of our gadgets. For someone like me whose one of work's biggest requirements is to be on the loop 24/7, a powerbank became another extra appendage.

Great news! Lazada will hold another exclusive flash sale for the 16,000 mAh Mi Powerbank with a price tag of Php 1,299 tomorrow, 12NN.


Utilitarian and no fuss, this makes for a great gift to your sibling/s and frends.

Meanwhile, Lazada will also be launching Redmi 2 on April 28. My brother has the first Redmi and he loves  it, but I bet he'll love this new phone even more because it is thinner, lighter, and faster.

Are you getting anything? Enjoy shopping!

Last Friday, we had a meeting with a new client in their office. Guess where their office is?

It's in Fully Booked in BGC, one of my favorite places in the world!

Oh man, I could just imagine going to work there and walking between endless aisles of books, art supplies, and DVDs every break-time. So convenient, but I could also imagine how antsy or distracted I would be!

Plus, low enough as it is, I'm sure my shopping EQ would be diminished to almost nothing! Case in point, here's my newest buy, grabbed from the shelf and paid for instantaneously:

When it comes to impulse buys, I am the best/ worst. In my defense, at least I wouldn't have to wait for two to three weeks before I get my copy.

Someday, I'm going to have my own bookstore, and it would carry my books that I would write. ♡

Speaking of books, I'd like to thank Alvin for his "Congratulations, you're an author!" gift to me!

I love books, movies, and books about movies This is perfect! Thank you!

Aaand speaking of author-things, I have already signed the contract for Buqo to distribute the Young Adult story I wrote as part of a bundle.


There will be a launch event for the Buqo YA bundles this coming Saturday, April 25, in Greenfield District. If you would be so inclined, I hope you guys can come and support me new Filipino authors!

Another way to show your support [if you want to, we're not twisting arms here] is to join the Buqo YA blog tour if you have a blog! Go here to sign up if you would like to review the books or post excerpts or author interviews. My story is part of the Sweet Complications bundle whose blog tour schedule is slated for May 4 to 8. ♡

Now I'd like to reveal the cover Vlad Jocson made for me, as well as the blurb for Once Upon a Sticky Note.

Nate and Tanya have been “talk all day, every day” best friends for years but on the eve of Nate’s birthday, Tanya realized she has started developing more-than-platonic feelings him. They’re going off to college soon so confessing anything that might make things complicated between them doesn’t sound like a good plan, especially now that Campus Sweetie Armi has entered the picture. What would Tanya do? Could she? Should she? Grab a sticky note and place your bets.

It's a short story that you can finish in one sitting, but I hope the "feels" satisfy you. I can't wait for you guys to read it and tell me what you think!

I'm equal parts excited for and terrified of Saturday. ( ⋂‿⋂’) It's gonna be a long week!


READING
I just started with 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff. I needed something not romance-centric; I don't need other fictional worlds mixing with my Spark NA-thoughts, heh.

WRITING
Still my Spark NA novella. I don't think I have hit my stride yet but the elements are coming together quite nicely. I just really hope I get to finish this and get a stab at that publishing deal!

LISTENING TO
Fun. because Nate Ruess's voice gives me life.

WEARING
Sleeveless cotton tank top and shorts. IT'S SO HOT AND HUMID IN MANILA RIGHT NOW.

THINKING
Of what to wear tomorrow.

FEELING
Okay. I'm anxious yet excited due to reasons stated above, but otherwise, yeah, I think I'm okay.

LOVING
How a project gives birth to other projects.

WANTING
That Batman: A Visual History book.

NEEDING
That Batman: A Visual History book.

WISHING
For that Batman: A Visual History book. And that you guys like Once Upon a Sticky Note  as much as I enjoyed exploring Nate and Tanya's journey to young love.

Have a pleasant week ahead, everyone! Take care of your hearts. ♥

Hello. This morning, as I was running along MoA's Ocean Drive for the Watsons Challenge: Color Manila Run, I decided I will make a Tiny Letter account. I have been mulling over this for so long as, really, how many social media sites do I really need? But then, I thought that hey, this could be a good writing exercise for me.

Thus:

This is especially for the readers who only like personal posts. I promise you that it will not contain any event posts, reviews, or product placements - just plain ol' stream of consciousness weaving thoughts and feelings into words.

Subscribe to my Tiny Letter here [if you want to]. The first Sticky Note will be sent tonight.

Do you have Tiny Letter, too? Post your link on the comments! Thanks, everyone. Take care of your hearts. ♡ 

"Has anyone been in love?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

Associate Biology Professor Matthew Craig said, "I'd also want to be careful not to get so scientific about it that we forget about just the pure joy of the mystical aspects of love. There's something there that may be evolutionary mechanisms, and there's certainly about chemical mechanisms, but somehow, there's a little bit of magic to it, too."

Books and movies are two of my most favorite things in the world but I've been having a problem consuming them lately because I end up being consumed by them. I've always found myself empathizing with the fictional characters a lot but this started to prove to be a problem for me because I end up investing too many feelings. This also happens when I talk to friends about their personal issues. Wanting to be a sounding board, I become a sponge and absorb everything, resulting to myself getting emotionally (and sometimes even physically) drained easily. It's good for the story I'm writing, but I'm not sure if it's good for my general well-being. These days, the only things I can manage are bite-sized chunks of fiction, like the Kikomachine Komix and episodes of Will & Grace and Survivor. Actually, scratch Survivor off the equation because my favorite Joe has already been voted out and there is no else left to root for. 

Anyway, as per my friend Ed's recommendation, I watched Paper Heart today because I needed to put my mind off some things, and I loved it.

Okay, I didn't love love it, but I was charmed by it.

Paper Heart follows Charlyne (Charlyne Yi) as she embarks on a quest across America to make a documentary about a subject she does not understand: love. She and her good friend (and director) Nick (Jake Johnson) search for answers and advice about love by talking to friends, strangers, married couples, chemists, romance novelists, divorce attorneys, and even children. They each offer diverse views on modern romance, as well as various answers to the age-old question: does true love really exist? While filming, Charlyne meets Michael (Michael Cera), an awkward boy who may well be the answer to Charlyne's question. It's a quirky film with quirky characters, matched with quirky puppets and animations that match the tone of the movie.

Michael Cera and Charlyne Yi are sooo adorable that it's easy to believe this is not a movie but a real documentary. I am a fan of movies that don't need fizz, bang, and pop to make an impact, and simple in its premise as it is, Paper Heart charmed me right out of my socks. It's forgettable, yes, but it's fluffy and sweet and was exactly the antidote I needed.

I also liked the title. I actually considered it as a possible name for my future stationery brand but Ed said it's the title of a movie, leading to him telling me to see it.

Who would say no to shopping? Who would say no to shopping at 50% off? Keep calm? Who could keep calm at deals and discounts as huge as these?

NOT ME, FOR SURE.

At 6PM to 9PM only for five Wednesdays, SM Woman and GTW by SM are treating us women by offering EVERYTHING on the racks at 50% off! Note that this includes the freshest merchandise and not just pieces from previous seasons! The first SM Ladies' Night was held in SM Makati last Wednesday, and oh boy did we all have a great time.

Since our team got there early to prepare for the event, I had the sneaky plan of going around the mall at around 3PM to check out the pieces available so I would already know which racks and aisles to make a beeline for the moment the clock strikes 6, but I should have known better. Work comes first, so I wasn't able to do that.

I was expecting it to be chaotic, to be honest, but as it turns out everyone was as cool, calm, and collected as possible given the 50% OFF tags all around. I could only speak for the aisles I was able to check out while the sale was going on, though. My other blog friends had other stories, hee. (Ana said she had a Confessions of a Shopaholic movie-moment where she and another lady grabbed the last piece at the same time!)

Aside from the massive discount, SM Woman and GTW by SM also offer instant Fashion Rewards, where a single receipt purchase worth P1,000 gives you a P100 cash voucher, a P2,500 receipt gives you P300, and a P5,000 receipt gives you P700! Ah-ma-zing!

With my classmate and friend from college Kaye, who won my SM Ladies' Night giveaway! I was so surprised when her username appeared on the Randomizer!

GTW by SM also generously sent me an outfit to wear to the event I love this romper because it looks so chic and classy! Would you believe it only costs P799.75? With the discount, this would amount to less than P400 only!

I wasn't able to shop that much because I was already feeling exhausted by the time 8PM rolled around. (Shopping in heels does that.) But still, I am SO HAPPY with my loot!

I mean, who wouldn't be, after seeing all those 50% discount tags on the receipt?

I got a jumpsuit (last piece in XL but it's nothing my Mom can't fix), a floral dress I wore to the Wingstop launch, a green cropped top, a tight floral midi-skirt, a Batman top and shorts, and lots of underwear!

Would you believe that the total cost of my SM Woman/ GTW by SM haul amounted to P2,398 only? I wanted to kick myself for not grabbing another piece just so total cost would go up to P2,500; I could have gotten an additional P300 voucher for that! Oh well.

Because I have the shopping EQ of a pillow, I am so excited to know where the next SM Ladies' Night will be this coming April 22! Did you go to the first one and are also eager to go again?  Or did you miss it but would want to check out the next one? Follow SM Woman on Facebook and Instagram for updates! Enjoooy!

Today my emotions ranged from being spontaneously happy to sad to WTF? to excited to furious to elated to every little feeling in between - not necessarily in that order. Unlike Ron Weasley, I do not have the emotional range of a mere teaspoon. It was a wild ride, and it's only Monday.

CURRENTLY VOL. 15

READING
Kikomachine Komix Blg. 11: Mga Kirot ng Kapalaran by Manix Abrera that I got last Easter Komiket. I am taking my sweet time, because after this I would have to wait for another year or so again before a new book comes out. I have all volumes of this comic book series and I'm very happy with how the characters and Manix's style have developed over the years.

WRITING
Act One of my Spark NA novella. For the uninitiated, Spark Books is an imprint of Anvil. They sponsored a class under Mina Esguerra where everyone who can finish a contemporary New Adult novella by June 6 will be eligible for a possible book deal. The requirements are sent via email. For those who were able to go, we had our first face-to-face class last Saturday in National Bookstore Cubao. Images of having a book under my name out there consumed my brain that I was so inspired to work on my story!

Part of my outline, if you can see it after I intentionally made my penmanship incomprehensible blurred the image

I just hope I really get to finish it.

LISTENING TO
Mostly songs by Yellowcard.

WEARING
My heart on my sleeve.

THINKING
Of how I shouldn't let my heart override my thoughts and my emotions dictate my actions.

FEELING
All sorts of emotions, as stated above.

LOVING
That we now have new interns in the office, because I like it when there are new people around; That our event slated for this Friday has been moved to a later date, giving us more time to prepare for it; That I have friends I can talk to anytime I feel like I'm going crazy.

WANTING
Wednesday to come around soon because I'm excited to shop at the first ever SM Woman Ladies' Night!


For 6PM to 9PM only, EVERYTHING from SM Woman and GTW by SM will be available for 50% off! This is happening for four Wednesdays at different SM Malls, and their first stop is in SM Makati on April 15. I've been looking to update my wardrobe with more age-appropriate clothing so this couldn't have come at a better time! I hope to see you there! (I also have an Instagram contest where one of my followers can get P3,000 worth of SM Woman GCs! Please check the hashtag #GTWByKrissyfied to see how you can join!)

NEEDING
Peace of mind, wisdom, and clarity.

WISHING
To be more careful of what I wish for. For the past few weeks I have been feeling concerned because I was feeling nothing. Empty. Hollow. Nada. I wanted to feel. And now, this. A barrage of emotions I can't keep track of.

Have a pleasant week ahead, everyone! Take care of your hearts. ♥ 

#KrissyfiedMakes is the hashtag I use on Instagram for my watercolor paintings and various DIY projects. And because I'm all for saying your dreams out loud, here it is: someday I'd like to put up a stationery brand with this name and sell products that feature my art. I just need to improve my skills and paint more. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)

Yesterday, this took on a different meaning.

O hai, Saturday! You look like a fresh set of possibilities!

Positively beaming with excitement

Wearing Browhaus Bi-Liner in Midnight Blue and L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Lipstick in Lincoln Rose Win one of five L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Electric Lips lipsticks here!

Krissy Makes. Literally.

Krissy Makes Art

I went to the Woman, Create event in Top Shelf, Fully Booked BHS yesterday to support Marika's passion project. Woman, Create is an art and fashion fundraising pop-up event that mainly aims to gather and empower women through art, creativity, and (fun) discourse. There were workshops, a bazaar featuring artsy stuff and fashionable pieces, and live music. It was fun! I got there a little before 12 and found the place buzzing with activity.

I participated in Mawee Borromeo's Basic Portrait Illustration Workshop and sucked. LOL.


Mawee was a great teacher. Her live tutorial was absolutely fascinating and I was mesmerized! It's just that I really don't know how to draw. I can paint and I can write but I can't draw, heh.


I TRIED, GUYS. I really tried. Feast your eyes at the hair peeking behind the portrait Mawee made. I won't show you what I drew anymore because it looks like a failed cartographic sketch. I'll stick to writing and watercolors.

Buuut, Meream, ever so sweet Meream, messaged me this:

"Don't give up drawing! It takes practice, trust me. It's a lot like writing, really. It's basically memorizing nose/ear sizes in reference to the face shape, or where the light/shading goes, the same way we "memorize" subject-verb agreement or proper sentence structure. Practice, draw every day." 

Thank you, Meream! I will!

Mawee and I

I had to leave early because I still needed to go to National Bookstore in Cubao for the first Spark NA face-to-face class. It doesn't seem obvious, but I learned so much! Thanks, Mawee! It was great meeting you! And congratulations, Marika! I feel bad we didn't get to take a photo together.

I didn't leave before getting a Mawee Borromeo print, though! She accepts commissions. Check out her other works/ contact her via Instagram!

Krissy Makes Up a Story

I was stalled by a bit of EDSA traffic (even on a Saturday! Horrendous.) that the class has already started when I got there.

Mina addressing the class

We introduced ourselves and our Main Characters to our table-mates, and were given the chance to speak up one by one about what makes us buy books. When my turn came, I said I'm an impulse buyer and I have a loooooong list of books in my stash I need to start reading stat. What makes me notice a book are its blurb and reviews. I also like pop culture references, stories within stories, witty and sharp dialogue, passionate and headstrong characters, and lyrical writing. I could only hope to apply these to the story I'm currently writing.

This is my romance class/ buqo YA/ Spark NA notebook I can have nice and neat handwriting, but, you know, my thoughts are faster than my hands. I can't let great ideas go just because I'm too concerned about my penmanship. The problem is, sometimes I can't even decipher my own notes. I'm sure The Next Great Novel is in there somewhere... In hieroglyphs or codex, probably.

Activity 3: Outline is due today. Wish me luck!

Krissy Makes Friends

I am terribly shy and it doesn't seem obvious (at least I don't think so) but speaking to new people takes much pep talk in my part. Still, I'm glad I made new friends at Spark NA class today!

With Amae Her YA story One Lovely Summer Day and mine are bundled together! See the blurbs and sign up for the blog tour here.

With Nina and Rei

With Chrissie Author of All's Fair in Blog and War, which I loved!

Fun and inspiring day that boosted my creativity and confidence and reminded me why I love doing what I do. (Not that I need reminding, but still.) Now we're off to Malabon to celebrate April birthday celebrators (mine included, yay!) but I'll be bringing my writing notebook with me to continue working on my outline, heh. Hope you enjoy your day today!