Yoga Journey

One weekend at Sonic Yoga. This space feels like home.
(Image courtesy of Lisa Diebold Smith)

When I started the 200-hour teacher training at Sonic Yoga three months ago, here in New York City, I honestly had no desire or intention to teach. I simply was after the discipline and structure that would result from having a schedule to follow for the duration of the training: alternating full weekends from nine a.m. to six p.m.; weekly Monday night conference calls; and weekly Thursday evening classes. As the training unfolded, I would find out that I also had to complete "non-contact" hours on my own, which included practice teaching, papers, observations, and more.

I felt lethargic that first weekend, although I did take plenty of notes. Fast-forward to today, three months after, my classmates and I have just completed our written and practical exams, and spent one fantastic, heartwarming, and fabulous final weekend together! Just a few more assignments and classes away, I can request for my certificate of completion and apply for the 200-hr RYT at Yoga Alliance. I can't wait! (RYT stands for "registered yoga teacher"; and yes, I've just Googled that!)

My light bulb moment? Midway through the training, it clicked: I wanted to teach yoga. It could have been the educational anatomy weekend, learning about Ayurveda, the peace, love, joy, and camaraderie among my co-teachers-in-training, the humor and talent of our teachers, or the accessibility and heart-centeredness of this 5,000-year-old practice... Somewhere along the way, my desire to teach manifested itself, so that's where I am now.

It's an ongoing journey, I've come to learn. Many of us will continue to study and be part of the community: There's the Mentorship Program, 300-hour training, working as a Karmi at the studio... or even as simple—yet profound—as creating a steady and consistent home practice.

Where do I go from here? I will be doing at least one of the above as soon as I finish the rest of my requirements. It truly is an unbelievable journey filled with love for one's self and others. By tapping into the physical aspect of poses, here is a practice that can open up the heart and mind and lead one into a more spiritual, kind, and loving place.

Hooray!

Vania Romoff!

From Vania Romoff's Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Her super adorable, sophisticated, and girly pieces made me want to Pin and blog!

While checking out this new website called Kristn.com from back home, I read a piece written by one of my good friends, Ana Kalaw, who is a columnist for the site. In "7 Designers That Shone in 2012," she showcases some of young designer Vania Romoff's creations. If I were still the event-going person that I used to be (magazine editor days), I would definitely make a beeline for her atelier. Well, on our next trip to Manila, I plan on dropping by anyway!

Loove... Oh where to wear this lovely dress?

I know it's alread Fall/Winter out here, but it's never too late to find a pretty summer—or all-weather!—
dress and designer!

Images courtesy of Kristn.com and Vania Romoff (opens to her Tumblr page)

Yoga Minutes

Almost a month into my yoga teacher training (for the 200-hour certification), I'm happy to see that I'm embodying the lessons—albeit at a slow pace, which should be fine in the yoga world.

 Case in point: Last night, as my husband was getting to bed, in my half-asleep state, I turned to him and said, "Twisting is good for digestion."

"What [are you talking about]?" he said.

"Oh, in yoga. The twists..."

And then off I went back to sleep :)

In class last night, we learned about some seated poses and twists: When you move your torso/upper body/shoulder in one direction, keeping your base grounded, that's supposed to engage your core and build "fire" to help with digestion. It's also not too different from wringing a wet towel to "freshen" it up.

Something About Aerin

I saw this last night…

…and immediately thought of my D.I.Y. Design post from August of last year!

What a lovely coincidence, right? Beauty mogul Aerin Lauder and I have something in common, hahaha! At least when it comes to that nice azure hue on one's walls. (These were from my old apartment, by the way.)

Oh, and Aerin's new beauty line is quite adorbs too. I read about it in Glamour mag's October issue and I'm quite curious about her Lipstick in Pout, which, by the way, is sold out on Esteelauder.com.

Inspiration Snippet

At my previous job, I kept a daily "progress list" document—a simple Wordpad file listing received artwork waiting to be proofed, ongoing items, approved, and so forth. At the bottom I kept a quote written by inspirational author and speaker Dr. Wayne Dyer. It read:

SUCCESS IS AN INSIDE JOB. 
Being relaxed, at peace with yourself, confident, emotionally neutral, loose, and free-floating—these are the keys to successful performance in almost everything you do.

This is something nice to keep in mind, especially now that I've moved on to the next phase of my career here in New York—that stage where everything is new once again and there is much to be learned.

Thinking of printing it or putting it on a Post-it as a daily reminder!

Sprinkles of Fun

Now one of my favorite NYC stopovers!
Sprinkles Cupcakes, 780 Lexington Ave. New York, NY 10065

Speaking of happy, vibrant, and colorful things, on a recent trip to California, my sister-in-law got me into Sprinkles Cupcakes. Here's what the brand says about their delectable concoctions:

"Since we opened the world's first cupcake bakery in Beverly Hills, our freshly baked treats have inspired long lines of devoted Hollywood stars and serious epicureans alike."

I first bought their red velvet, raspberry, and S'more cupcakes at the Newport Beach branch and then went on to happily devour the delicious little cakes at a nice mini-picnic patch by Laguna Beach, while enjoying the picturesque views with family. What set these cupcakes apart were their moist texture and not-too-cloyingly-sweet frosting. Whereas most cupcakes here in the U.S. are pretty, some are sugar bombs with dry, crumbly interiors. Sprinkles ranks first on my plate in terms of presentation, flavor, and texture. It's also a plus that the shop only makes 12 variants a day and comes up with limited-edition specials, such as this month's vanilla hazelnut chocolate cupcakes.

Back in New York and back at work, I couldn't stop raving about these treats. THEN a coworker mentioned that we do have Sprinkles in town, right by Bloomingdales on 60th St. and Lexington!

So guess who's gone back more than four times to date?:)

Perfect for picnics! Red velvet and S'more cupcakes. 

Cute cupcake "schedule" card!

Keep at room temperature, do not refrigerate, eat within two days.
(For more info, visit http://www.sprinkles.com/about-sprinkles-cupcakes/faq/#)

Fashion's Night Out version! 

What's not to love?

Bottom, left: limited edition raspberry cupcake from August—absolutely delicious!

Last Call for Summer

Pink ribbed tank, Uniqlo; pink and purple printed
shorts, Target; old gold and white bead necklace,
made by a former editor turned accessories designer;
cuff, Happy David; bangles, "secret" accessories

store in NY

Summer in the city is my absolute favorite season of the year for the simple reason that I'm not freezing and I can get dressed in five minutes flat. Bright and airy fabrics, vibrant prints, and happy florals make up my warm-weather wardrobe. But alas—come September first, summer would be "officially" over. There's that no-white-pants-after-Labor-Day "rule" (why not???) and already, sweaters and boots filling up store shelves. So what's a busy New York bee to do? Blog! …About the fun and fab summer clothes that I'll definitely still be wearing next summer. They're a mix of old and new pieces, high and low finds (or more like "medium" and low) and accessories culled over time.

Cheers to a summer well-enjoyed!

Calypso for Target mixed-bead, multi-layer necklace.

Very, very old Gap tank from my mom;
Topshop shorts circa Summit days;
same accessories as opening photo.

LOVE this dotted, bright melon ball skirt from Zango!
Wooden bead necklace, an old gift from Kat;
bronze Havaianas sandals; Fossil watch from my husband.

Hello, Pucci!

What's not to love?:)

Source: guerlain.com via Mariel on Pinterest

Snap-happy!

I was testing out the Snap Widget plugin the other night and it generated a nice montage of my latest Instagram pics.

And below is the original screenshot (because the above thumbnails will change as I continue to upload photos onto the app):

Remembering Beau Dela Cruz

Given that I skim Facebook updates and rarely ever linger (we all know what it's like to get caught up, keep scrolling down, and lose track of time), I tend to miss out on major news such as friend's birthdays AND engagements. But one thing that completely came out of left field was finding out that Beau, a friend from my sport/rockclimbing days, passed away in April.

I met Beau some 15 years ago at the local climbing gym near school. He was funny, charming, caring, generous, and sweet. I found out about Usher through the song "You Make Me Wanna" for the first time, because Beau liked to turn up the volume on his earphones that whoever was sitting next to him could hear what was playing. Way before everyone else scoured Ukay-Ukay [flea market-like] stores, he knew of this place that sold Roxy, Billabong, Unionbay, and other like-branded items. He would go there early in the morning and when he got to the gym in the afternoon, would happily share his latest finds. I remember him handing me a pair of climbing shorts from one of his shopping trips.

And no—our friendship was purely platonic. Back then, the sport had a ratio of maybe 10 guys to two girls, and those guys treated the girls like sisters. Beau, Gax, Jonas, Doods, Simon, Ruben, Chonny, Levy, Jason, Ferdie, Astro, etc. easily became like second family. We all went on climbing trips, surf trips, road trips, and it was awesome, wholesome fun.

While eventually people did  couple up in some form, I definitely wasn't in "circulation"—for lack of better term—due to the fact that I looked like a prepubescent boy at the time and was the 'baby' in the group. (Remember: this was years before I'd get all glammed up and glossy from my magazine job.) It's been a while since I've scaled a wall, and even with all the time that has passed, I still look back fondly at those days, and credit the friendships and experiences from that time for so many wonderful things that followed. 


Earlier today, I stumbled upon an update from Beau's wife, Anna, that sounded a little bit intense. My first thought was maybe one of them had been diagnosed with cancer: I opened her page and there I opened a can of worms. I spent almost all afternoon catching up on her Timeline and blog, Surviving Beau (http://rockmaven.wordpress.com), a tribute to her husband and a sounding board for families of victims of suicide. It definitely is heavy stuff and while I'm no stranger to the subject of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks, I'm still wrapping my head around the gravity of what happened. I am also deeply saddened for Anna—nobody in a loving relationship should ever be widowed (if it were up to me, husbands and wives should die together peacefully, in their sleep). But then, I am not God. I can only pray for Anna's strength, faith, and continued hope…and for her to be able to take it a day at a time amidst this tremendous loss.

Anna's blog is excellently written (she's a TV producer for a big network, after all). It's heartfelt, gritty, and very real. She digs into the science and psychology of suicide—getting rid of the stigma, understanding the sense of helplessness of those who succumb to it, experiencing grief—and even touches on the 'meta'…all of which threaded by her faith in God and strong, steadfast love for Beau.

To Beau, wherever you are, I wish you peace and lots and lots of good vibes. I hope you're in a place free of whatever plagued you in this life. If it's true that love carries over lifetimes and goes beyond our physical forms, I hope that one day, you and Anna meet again and simply pick up where you left off.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Love Emma and Andrew!

Amazing Couple. (Arf!)

If there's a Hollywood pairing that I absolutely adore, it's Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield. In a world of "arranged" celebrity couplings, it's refreshing to see two people who look truly in-love and have extraordinary on-screen chemistry. Saw The Amazing Spider-Man last night and the kilig was palpable.

Oh, and yes—the movie was quite awesome too.

Here are lovely pics of Emma and Andrew courtesy of Teen Vogue:

She's a trooper…and the real deal!

Absolutely adorbs ♥ (Love the embellished orange-red coat too.)

He's American-English, with a stellar theater/acting background. Legit!

Summer Instagram

Photos from a warm, happy Friday afternoon/evening :)

It rained early Friday morning, so I went to work in black rain boots…only to step out mid-afternoon in 91-degree weather. HOT! Hence, the instant sandal purchase!
(A good deal, at $18, from a store called Afaze near Herald Square.)

And speaking of footwear, Alvs and I met up at K-town for dinner at Woorijip, and ended up strolling the 10+ blocks to Bed Bath & Beyond in Chelsea. En route, we stumbled upon the new Nike store in Flat Iron, and the not-so-new (and still fabulous) New Balance store where everything was 25% off! Come one, come all! 

Before meeting up with the husband, I actually spent time with two coworker-friends and went accessories-shopping. I picked up the gold hammered(?) button earrings from Afaze, and proceeded to their "secret" haunt in the area.
(Sorry! My lips are sealed!)

My coworker handed me these and said "They're you." Agree. Heart summer colors; heart summer things!

Waay before the shopping and fab finds, my other coworker was headed to a Yankees game and showed me this.
Of course I HAD to try it on! Who can resist full-on, frilly HRH goodness?

Happy Summer, everyone! Hopefully, more blogs in July!

Making Time

I want to...

read books
write books
bake
blog
write for magazines
learn the piano
play the guitar
keep house
kickbox
practice yoga

I get eight hours of sleep, eight hours for work...and eight hours to hopefully get to do all of the above, and then some.

I have a recipe in this book! And how I'd love to work on more of these…

(and blog more often!)

Fragrant Pause

I rarely blog about beauty…because I work in beauty! It's the makeup and cosmetics version of a bus driver's holiday: If I muster up the energy to go on the computer by the time I get home (ideally, after a snack, nap, dinner, laundry; not necessarily in that order), the last thing I'd want to talk about is how you can perfectly apply eyeliner or what your lipstick is made out of. I would much rather talk about food and other things. And, maybe at some point, write an inspiration post, or maybe blog about things I found on Zara.com.

That said, I did chance upon two intriguing, blog-worthy scents, courtesy of the May issue of Vogue, with Scarlett Johansson on the cover.

First, Elie Saab Le Parfum. The bottle somewhat reminds me of Hilary Duff's With Love Eau de Parfum, they're a bit similar in shape—the flat, rectangular top and the jewel-like, faceted body (whereas Saab's is more diamond and Duff's, citrine). Eliesaab.com describes the fragrance as "an ode to light [that] celebrates, the splendor and the brilliance of radiant femininity with a floral solar woody theme. Orange blossom, jasmine absolute, and cedar woody notes unveil an elegant, enveloping trail like the train of a Haute Couture dress."

I should drop by the counters one of these days to catch a whiff.

Second, is Valentino Valentina Eau de Parfum, which actually came with a scent strip in the mag. It's been a long time since I've had to work on beauty awards, meaning, it's been years since I've had to sit in a room for an afternoon perusing bottles and bottles of perfume in between sniffing coffee beans and attempting to dodge an imminent headache. This one is easy on the nose, with a sophisticated-sweet lingering finish. It contains notes of bergamot, white truffle (how does that translate into a scent?), orange blossom, jasmine, cedar, and vanilla. More than its scent, it's the bottle that caught my eye, with floral appliqués that either look like smooth, posh ceramic—or delicious icing sugar flowers.

Images courtesy of Fragrantica.com

FitFlopping

Now I get why millions have already bought FitFlops!

FitFlops seem to belong in the category of mass-produced footwear wonders—e.g. Crocs, Toms and so forth. People either think they're fantastic…or downright (f)ugly.

When it comes to these mega-popular ped picks, I had always been on neutral ground, with the exception of the first version of Crocs—to me, they're only cute on children. But, to each her own, right? That said, newer styles, like the Carliana Peep Toe Ombré blue-green shoe below, would actually look pretty on adults. As for Toms, I've tried shopping for them on several occasions, but for some reason, it hasn't worked out. Whether it's the size, color, or simply the mood, I have yet to find the perfect pair. I'll probably end up with something sparkly, like the Pink Women's Glitters below, or their classic red.

As for FitFlops, here's a bit of a backstory:

Marcia Kilgore held a series of random jobs before becoming a personal trainer, and then a facialist…with a seventh-month waitlist in her New York City studio. She later on founded the popular Bliss Spa and was somewhat responsible for changing the image of spas from matronly and antiseptic, to chic, comfortable, and cozy. A Vogue feature came along, so did a slew of celebrity clients, culminating in a multi-million dollar deal with Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) for a stake in her company. Bliss eventually expanded to include a line of skin and body products. And in 2007, Kilgore went on to create FitFlops—with the intention of having a slipper that can give your legs a workout when you wore them. Brilliant. According to this Asia Tatler article, over 12 million pairs have already been sold to date. (Read a detailed, pre-FitFlop biography for Kilgore here.)

Fab or flop?

AT some point, Kilgore also launched the kitschy/retro cosmetics brand, Soap & Glory. But that's a whole blog topic altogether.

About two years ago, my cousin-and-law, accessories designer Happy David, told me how comfy FitFlops were—that she had walked in them for four days in Washington DC. On rare and random occasions, I've passively tried on the purportedly cushiony sandal, finding that they looked funny on my feet…until yesterday. While walking around and shopping in SoHo, I chanced upon this one:

FitFlop Women's Hooper Thong Sandals

It must have been the hot weather and my feet having been enclosed in sneakers and socks all morning and early afternoon, but it instantly felt wonderful slipping into these sandals. Of course, I did the renegade trying-on-a-few-pairs and cementing the fact that I don't look good in most of them, BUT, when it came to this model—and another bright white style on the display wall—I was compelled to get them because apart from the ahh factor, they actually looked good this time around. And now, looking at the other pairs on the brand's website, it looks like I'm going to be hooked!

Tried to get a good solo shot but I guess our doggie wanted in on the photo-fun!
Here, I'm wearing an old top from Forever 21, Gap shorts, and my new, supercomfy Fitflops.

Model and product images courtesy of Fitflops, Toms, Crocs, and Footsmart.com

Food Mood

I do miss writing inspirational blog posts, but those take time, contemplation—or even a vacation—to churn. For now, while I learn to manage this hectic NYC schedule, here are some photos of what I've been up to from a food (and gadget!) perspective.

 (And, yes—I will find time for an uplifting post, or two, similar to those in the Inspiration Series. Stay tuned!)

Before I get to the food, let me just announce that I now am a proud owner of a Dyson DC35 Digital Slim! It's "the most powerful cordless vacuum" around and one of the best investments one can make for the home. (Yup, my husband loves me! By the way, Dyson has a 20% off sale going on until Sunday, and—you guessed it—those awesome blade-less fans are part of it!)

Remember the fish market I had mentioned in the "D.I.Y. Fish Fillet Sandwich" post? The store also sells (fried) porgy on-demand. Quite convenient, if you ask me, since that means I don't have to deal with hot oil—and that ubiquitous fishy smell—in my own kitchen. When paired with lightly toasted bread and a dollop of mustard, you've got yourself a simple, yet super-satisfying, dinner or snack.

Speaking of simple—and healthy!—here's a fresh fruit platter of fresh mangoes, raspberries, and strawberries that I recently prepared for Alvs, who usually prefers something light for dinner especially when we've both had a lot to eat during the day.

I recently made Pinoy-style chicken curry and these good-for-you veggies, red pepper and celery (including carrots and potatoes) were aromatic and delicious additions to the stew.

And, the pièce de résistance for this food post is the Valrhona cocoa powder I found earlier at Whole Foods. It's
a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I made fudge cupcakes with it and topped them with ganache made with Trader Joe's dark chocolate (true—as with fashion, mixing high-low pieces yields one-of-a-kind results) and they were superb.

D.I.Y. Fish Fillet Sandwich

Homemade-takeout hybrid.

At 380 calories per serving, the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwich is one of the more calor-rific items on the menu—that's 130 calories more than a Hamburger, or 80 more than a Cheeseburger… Not that any of that has ever stopped me from enjoying the "fishy" fast-food find every now and then.

Crispy, chewy, cheesy…overall scrumptious!

Although these days, whenever I have a hankering for fried fish fillet spliced between two slices of soft bread, smothered with tartar sauce, and topped with a square of cheese, I've taken to the kitchen for the surprisingly easy-to-make treat.

Building blocks of a great sandwich.

The breeziness of the "homemade" version, I credit to the nearby fish store that sells both fresh and cooked seafood—including an assortment of deep-fried fish for the latter: tilapia, flounder, porgy, and more.

And, here's a bit of trivia: When food is fried at the right temperature, the hot oil acts like a "seal" for moisture that steams the food from the inside, which results in minimal oil absorption. Too low of a temp means you have yourself a grease sponge. So, whip out a thermometer and reap delicious—even healthy—results! Or, like me, enjoy a homemade-takeout hybrid meal once in a while, and use the best ingredients you can find. Plus, you know the drill: everything in moderation.

Chomp, chomp, chomp.

Hello, Friends!

I am not forgetting about this blog (or my blogging and online life in general)! My work life has just been extra-extra hectic lately that what usually happens when I get home is one or a combination of the following:

– tinker around the apartment/kitchen

– do laundry (or postpone laundry for yet another day)

– hang out with my husband and our dear doggie; go for a walk

– have dinner, work on a deadline (for the things I do outside of my day job)

– watch a TV show, pass out, wake up in the morning, and do the hustle all over again

I know I shouldn't be making any excuses. I've said this time and again, my writer and editor friends multitask and do all of this with aplomb. Case in point as always: Frances, who at the moment, is due to give birth soon to her second child, keeps house, helms the local edition of OK! Magazine, writes blogs, goes to events…the works.

Anyway, I do have a bunch of food-related posts in the backburner with pictures ready that I just have to sit on and write. There are those long overdue hazelnut brownies, a scrumptious D.I.Y. fish sandwich, and more.

Soon, friends. Soon.

Web Window Shopping

While doing research for an article, I stumbled upon this supercute illustration:

Courtesy of Lancôme.

Makes you want to shop, doesn't it? View the deets over at the Lancôme website.

One-bowl Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

See what's cooking over at Allmysugar.com!

Unbelievably easy to make!