Lanvin for H&M

Still on dresses, this collection is all over the internet and will be available on the 23rd. These are perfect for the holidays! I'm drooling over the yellow dress. It would be perfect for me. Sigh. How sad that there's not one H&M store in Texas.



Little Black Dress

 

3/4 Sleeve Sheath Dress by Juicy Couture 

Ruched One Shoulder Dress by Kenneth Cole

Long Sleeve Black Dress by Penumbra

Twist Dress by Pencey


Creston Dress by BB Dakota


Apocalypto Gathered Dress by Kirrily Johnston

Aren't these LBDs fabulous? The holiday parties are almost here! Time to whip out those cocktail dresses. I have two parties that require me wearing something formal. What is more appropriate than a little black dress? I have two in my closet, but one no longer fits me since I gained some weight. The other I just wore last year and I can't be wearing the same thing to the same annual party, can I? I'm gearing towards one shoulder dresses, but I haven't made up my mind yet. I still have a month to look for the perfect dress. So exciting! Something to look forward to in the midst of a hectic school semester.



Meet Zoey

Dear Hubby surprised me with a kitten! I've been wanting one for sooo long. We kept on checking Craigslist and finally, last Friday, he made arrangements to pick the kitten without telling me. She is so lovely. Such a sweet, playful and smart cat. She's one month old. Hubby is so smitten with her looks. He says she's got a nice profile. I'm glad she's got a nice temperament. I hope she stays this way 'til she grows up. She's our very first pet so she's pretty special. It's amazing how a pet can bring so much love, tenderness and laughter in one's home. It's been only three days since she graced us with her presence, but she fits right in.

Here she is, our cute little Zoey.

San Antonio River Walk

Had a wonderful weekend in San Antonio with Dear Hubby. We attended my sister-in-law's baby shower and strolled along the River Walk after. It's a four-mile path along the San Antonio River lined with cafes, quaint shops and hotels. It's a lovely sanctuary within the city. I love the beautiful landscapes, the waterfalls, the gorgeous pathways. The place is teeming with vibrant energy. If you're in the area, you HAVE to go to River Walk. It's perfect for walking hand in hand with the one you love. If you come with the whole family, you can take the River Cruise and have a nice dinner after. There's plenty of restaurants to choose from.

Here are a few photos we snapped:

A Letter to Our Future Babies

Dearest Jet and/or Tala,

Emphasis on the word and. We'd feel equally thrilled should God permit either of you to come into our lives, but we have to admit that we've been toying with the delicious thought of having both of you at the same time. Wouldn't that be amazing?

Yesterday, your father and I went to see Ms. Hayes at Darnall Hospital. She's a fertility specialist. We've been trying to have you for more than a year so we figured we had to speed things up. We have to undergo several tests to help us have you soon. Mommy is giving up coffee, junk food, sugar, and bread, amongst other things. Same with Daddy. A half hour exercise everyday is also in order.

We feel blessed to live the life that we have. It's not perfect, but we have a lot to be grateful for. Mommy is enjoying school and is looking forward to being a nurse in the future. It's a lot different from her previous career, but Mommy's definitely up for the challenge. Daddy, on the other hand, is just a year away from retirement. He can't wait to start over again. The navy has been good, but it's time to try new things. We have the best family, the best support system, and great friends. But we're ready for the pitter-patter of tiny little feet!

We can't wait to meet you and see your faces for the first time. Our dreams and prayers revolve around starting our little family soon. We know that in His time, it will happen. We're full of hope. Meanwhile, we're trying to be the best persons that we can be. We're constantly learning and improving. This way, we'll have a shot at being good parents to you when it happens. We know that you'll find your way to us eventually. You're already in our hearts. One perfect day, we'll hold you in our arms.

P.S. It's definitely okay if you Jet want to be first, or Tala. You don't have to come at the same time ;p

Love,

Daddy and Mommy

First Day of Fall

The leaves are changing colors. The air is turning crisp. The holidays are nearing. The temperature here in Texas is finally in mid-70's. Who wouldn't love Fall? It's definitely my favorite season. Time to break out the boots and the sweaters.

internet photo

Weekend Bits

My weekend was nothing special. I had exams so I spent the bulk of it studying. I was able to shop though. I can't believe it's almost Fall. I bought a sweater and a long-sleeved shirt from Gap. I was looking for tees, but all they had were sheer ones. I'm tired of all things sheer already. They only work for women with flat tummies which I certainly don't have. But oh, how I wish!

DH wanted to go have a drink tonight, but I told him to put it off 'til tomorrow after I take another exam. We did have a yummy dinner though courtesy of my mother-in-law.

MIL's meatloaf

The Bigger Picture

This quote puts it all in perspective.

"Each of us has seen individuals become wealthy or successful almost instantaneously—almost overnight. But I believe that even though this kind of success may come to some without prolonged struggle, there is no such thing as instant greatness. The achievement of true greatness is a long-term process. It may involve occasional setbacks. The end result may not always be clearly visible, but it seems that it always requires regular, consistent, small, and sometimes ordinary and mundane steps over a long period of time. We should remember that it was the Lord who said, “Out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”

- Howard W. Hunter

That Nagging Feeling

You know when you get that feeling that something's off, but you can't point your finger at anything specific? That's kinda how I feel right now. There's a tiny knot in my stomach; a little dread that's unsettling. I have a lot of questions that can't be answered for the time being. So I guess I just have to be patient. I hope all the pieces fall into place eventually. 

For now, I'll just keep on keeping on.

Have a Relaxing Weekend

Here's my DH at breakfast this morning, being his usual dorky self :-)

We made peanut butter and jelly pockets using Cut-N-Seal from The Pampered Chef. It's so simple to use. You just place filling between two layers of bread, then cut and seal. Perfect for kids and kids at heart! I definitely will make some chicken salad ones to take to class. Hmm...what can I make to take to picnics?

In case anyone's interested, here's a photo of the Cut-N-Seal. Enjoy your weekend!

Bits of My (Labor Day) Weekend

We spent the weekend in San Antonio where DH's side of the family lives. We finally met the latest addition (beautiful baby Leah), heard mass with grandma at our favorite little church, lunched at our go-to mexican restaurant, and enjoyed Labor Day barbecue at my sister-in-law's. Can we please fast forward to 2012 so we can move to San Antonio and stay there for good?

Our weekend in pics:

isn't she a dream?

had to get out of this room after 5 minutes to preserve my hearing.

the kids were having so much fun and were waaay too loud

ate too much chips with this yummy guacamole

alaskan salmon

beef kabobs right off the grill

the best spanish rice prepared by my brother-in-law. must try his recipe

An Afternoon at the Lake

Last Sunday, DH and I went swimming at the lake after bookshopping. We had other plans but it was just too hot! The only way to enjoy the rest of the day was by frolicking in the water. We discovered Westcliff Park, a nice camping site on the south shore of Lake Belton, thirty minutes away from our house.

We stayed for a couple of hours. Long enough to relax, destress and recharge us for the week ahead. I love the calming and soothing effects of the water; be it ocean, river, lake, etc. There's something liberating in just submitting yourself to its flow.

The Joy of Reading

If there's one thing that I value the most out of all the things that my father has taught me, it's the love of reading. I have always enjoyed reading for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a house filled with books and novels, owing to my father being a former high school English teacher. He loves to read and write. I was bound to love the same things.

Looking back, there was this book of poems that delighted me the most: Wider Than The Sky. It has a lot of lovely classic poems. I would leaf through the pages, taking in each beautiful word. It inspired me to write my own little poems, weaving words out of my young mind. I think that book sealed the deal for me. I can live without TV, I can live without people (to a certain extent), but I can never live without books.

A good book can transform a dull day into a magical one. It can transport you to places you can only dream of. It trancends time and space. It broadens your horizon; takes you out of the box. It makes you realize that people are so much different, yet so much alike.

I love the classics: Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger), To Kill a Mocking Bird (Harper Lee), Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevski), Little Women (Louisa May Alcott), Dracula (Bram Stoker), The Metamorphosis (Franz Kafka), Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility (Jane Austen), The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (J.R.R. Tolkien), The World According to Garp (John Irving), Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)...the list goes on and on. Some of the recent ones I enjoyed are The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz), The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Muriel Barbery) and Saturday (Ian McEwan).

I can go to a bookshop and stay there all day, with a huge smile on my face. If money were not an issue, I would have a copy of all the books that are dear to me. I'm slowly building my stack, hoping one day to have enough to merit buying a proper bookshelf. I left all my books at home when I moved to Japan, then to Texas.

Yesterday, I went to Barnes and Nobles to get the books that I need for Fall Semester and ended up buying a spy thriller I've been meaning to read for only $5.98. I'm a happy shopper.

The Monster of Florence is the most fascinating serial killer of the 20th century, murdering 16 people between 1968 and 1985. According to the authors Preston and Spezi, the killer is still out there. The Hannibal Lecter character was also loosely inspired from the events in Florence. Can't wait to crack this one open; haven't read a mystery novel in years.

checking out The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; next on my list since I thoroughly enjoyed the movie

someday I'll put up my own bookshop :-)

Free as a Bird

Finally! Today was the last day of my Anatomy and Physiology 2 class. This is exactly how I felt after taking the last exam. So happy and free!

 Sasebo, Japan back in 2008

That was the most gruelling 5-week class ever, I tell you. It was a 4-hour lecture/lab everyday except Friday, but I put in more hours of studying each day when I got home. I had a better time with Anatomy 1, but I took it during the regular semester so I had more time to process everything. It didn't help that my professor was a slave-driver, and that's putting it mildly. To his credit, I probably did learn the most from him compared to my previous instructors.

Now I can just chill, watch my shows and do a bit of reading. I have ten days before Fall Semester starts so these days are gonna be precious. I intend to go swimming and kayaking and most importantly catch up on zzzzzzs. Oh and exercise. I neglected that for one whole month. No wonder I feel bloated and out of shape. No more coffee for me too for a month. I overdosed on brewed coffee trying to stay awake during my midnight study sessions. My body is just so abused and needs better nourishment.

DH was so sweet during this whole ordeal (not really but I just wanna be dramatic ;p). Each morning, he would fix my coffee and  make me a sandwich to take to class. I'm so spoiled. I'm just glad it's all over. I can go back to cooking more and taking care of my DH.

My Little Red Bike

I haven't hopped on a bicycle since grade school, so yesterday when I did, boy did it feel so good! DH and I went to the park where we bicycled to our hearts' desire. I felt wobbly the first few seconds, but after that, I was off like a pro. Summer heat in Texas is unforgivingly humid but thankfully there was a little breeze yesterday. I'm looking forward to Fall so I could bike without breaking into sweats.

I'm sorely in need of exercise so redicovering biking is a good thing. It's the coolest form of exercise, at least for me. It's the only form of exercise that I actually enjoy, besides walking. I stopped running for almost a month, I think. Life got in the way. I'm so busy with summer school that I barely have energy to run even in the treadmill. I know, my bad. My other excuse is that it's just so damn hot.

After biking, we spread a blanket under a tree and had our little picnic. We brought wine (locally made), cheese, pepperoni, salami, crackers and grapes. It was fun just sitting there, relaxing, chatting with DH about silly stuff. Next time, I'll bring books and pillows so we can take a nap.

I'm glad that DH shares my enjoyment of the simple pleasures of life. I love that I can ask him to come with me to concerts at the park, thrifting adventures, and second-hand bookstores when I'm in the hunt for good reads. I don't care what other people say, but to me it's best when couples have a lot in common. It's okay to be different in some things, but not a lot of things! I guess the most important of all is to be in the same wavelength.

So here's a few snapshots of our biking adventure. Some pics are off-center since we were just relying on our gorilla tripod.

This is the japanese bike that DH gave me for my birthday back in 2008.

It folds in half for easy storage. One of my keepsakes from my 8-month

stay in Japan.

Yay for a stress-free weekend!

                                                                   Dear Hubby working it ;p

He rode his bike to work last Friday and got home sweating buckets.

Gratuitous couple photo-op

Wanna do this every weekend.

A little snack to cap our day.

In the Thick of Summer Classes

I'm back! Did anyone miss me? Hehe. Maybe it's time to start telling friends that I have a blog (or maybe not :D)

I've been busy taking my first summer classes in a long while, and coping semi-successfully with the accelerated workload. The tricks that I used last Spring Semester are not working for me this summer. In other words, I have to study more. Ack. Okay, I will stop boring you with my academic pursuits.

I'm reviewing for my exam, but summer thoughts keep popping in my head, vying for attention. I can't believe it's already August! I want to do gazillion stuff, but I'll be happy if I could at least do the following:

*Swim in the lake (went to the lake with the nieces but didn't get to swim)
*Bike around the neighborhood (I may have to wait for Fall since it's too hot right now)
*Kayak (tentative birthday plan)
*Picnic at the park (already bought a picnic blanket, gotta buy a basket)
*Go tubing
*Go to the newly opened nearby water park (it looks fun but always packed)
*Go camping (I'm ok with renting a cabin but hubby wants the whole shebang. We don't even own a tent)

Wish me luck! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the summer. Now let me get back to my anatomy books. Tata!

The One About Loving Husbands

I accidentally chatted with my friend's husband through YM earlier. I got excited when I saw Sam online as it rarely happens that we're on at the same time, but it turned out to be Paul, the husband, who was actually logged on her YM. I rarely get to communicate with Sam since she's in London while I'm here in Texas. We belong to the same circle of friends in high school. The others, I get to chat with on Facebook from time to time. She's not on FB, and our emails are far and few in between so I'm happy to be updated with the going-ons in her life.

Paul told me that Sam was out shopping, and the kids are doing fine. Martin, my godson, is now 8 years old, and Maria, the youngest is 3. He also said that Sam is studying to be an accountant. He shared a lot of family vacation pics which was nice coz I didn't realize the kids are this big already!

such beautiful kids!

What struck me the most about our chat was how much he loves Sam! I know a husband is supposed to love his wife, but I get thrilled whenever husbands are warm and open when they talk about their partners. He  cracked a lot of jokes and pretend complaints about Sam that just showed how happy he is with her. He said that in the ten years that they've been together, he has lost all of his magic powers so every decision is now her's. I told him to come and visit us in Texas someday and he quipped "lock all the guns first", then blurted, "but I have Sam; she's better than a .45."

Isn't that the sweetest? There are many things in this world that can easily turn us into cynics, but whenever I encounter a husband like Paul, I feel that there is hope for us yet.

Ps. I feel so blessed that I have a loving husband myself.

Chocolate Cake

Baked my first chocolate cake today. It didn't turn out perfect but it still tastes delish. I messed up in applying the frosting. I should have heated it first so it would be easy to spread. No wonder my cake looks sloppy. Hehe...

I made it for my mother-in-law's birthday. I wanted to bake a real cake (from scratch) but I figured I better just stick to using cake mix since I'm a newbie baker. I used Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Fudge. I made spaghetti with meatballs too but I didn't take a pic.

Two years ago, the kitchen would have been the last place in the world where you will find me. I just didn't have the slightest interest in cooking. Well, here I am now gradually warming up to it. It's been almost two years since I got married. I guess it comes with the territory. It took me forever but I am now discovering the joy of cooking...and yup, baking.

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