Fashion Experts' IN and OUT List This 2010

Although I'm not into trends, I have compiled pictures of what's hot and what's not in the fashion world this 2010. For the trendy fashionistas out there, you may want to update your look... or not.

Of course, I had references. For more information on fashion outlook this year, you may go to:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=7208966
or
http://www.piercemattiepublicrelations.com/2009/10/the_official_whats_hotwhats_no.html
or
http://www.canada.com/life/fashion-beauty/what+what+world+fashion+2010/2407381/story.html
or
http://www.fashionising.com/trends/b--Spring-2010-Fashion-Trends-Womens-SS-2010-1288.html
---posted by Shirl

Best Months to Visit Philippines & What to Wear

The Philippines being near the equator only has two seasons: the dry season and the rainy season.

Travel books and most internet sites say that dry season in the Philippines starts in December and runs through to about June. Maybe ten years ago that was true but now the real dry season starts in January and runs through about May. April being the hottest month.

June is the beginning of rainy season in the Philippines. July to September will be like typhoon months. December will be a combination of rainy and sunny days.

Our pick for the best months to visit the Philippines is January to March.

BECAUSE 1. Rain is seldom almost none. 2. The heat is tolerable unlike in April.

3. The beaches aren't that crowded yet.

So what clothes should you bring? Depending on which month you'll be visiting, there's really just two types of clothing you can wear in our country. First would be summer clothing and second will be rainy days clothing.

Philippine summer(third week of March to second week of May) can be very, very, VERY hot. Temperature can go up to 40°C/ 104°F. So for summer clothing, it's best to bring sleeveless or short sleeved shirts and shorts. Denim jeans or denim trousers are also okay. Please don't forget to bring your sunglasses and summer hats.

Rainy days clothing in the Philippines = SUMMER CLOTHING + JACKETS. Even if it's rainy season, it never gets cold in this country. The coldest will be around 22 °C/71.6 °F. So for the jackets, it's best to bring the waterproof and hooded ones. Don't bring those thick jackets-they will keep you TOO warm and will be very uncomfortable. Also do NOT forget to bring a pair of rain boots that can go with any of your outfit. Some areas in Metro Manila become flooded during heavy rain. The water from the floods are dirtier than they look. It's safer to wear boots.

Let's say you're going to Baguio which is probably the coldest place in the country. A shawl and that waterproof jacket will be enough to keep you warm.

Hope this post helps. Bon voyage!

Shokojo Seira (Japanese version of A Little Princess)

A Little Princess is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. There have been different film and television adaptations of it and we're pretty sure all of you have seen at least one of them.

We've seen them all (oops except the 1917 film, ayt- so not all then!) and we think the 2009 Japanese remake "Shokojo Seira" is the best we've seen so far. It's a 10 episode drama series.

This remake is not faithful to the novel but this is like the 6th television version. They had to spice it up a little bit. We think the modifications made sense and we loved how the screenwriter established them.

Anyway, for more info about the film and tv adaptations please go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Little_Princess

There are different "fansubs" and here's one of them:
http://timelessub.org/all-projects/shokojo-seira

Shirl's Matron-of-Honor Outfit

Traditionally, it's the Bride who picks the bride's maids' dresses. It's one of the nerve-wracking decisions she has to make. And no matter how organized she is, a busy bride will always have the tendency to overlook a few detail. So as principal attendant, it's your duty to remind her about things gone wrong and have the initiative to fix them.

Perfect example is the yellow empire-cut dress that the bride has picked for me. When i got it, the bronzy gold bow at the back was skimpy. Even if you haven't seen the original design, you can tell that it's not right. Another error was that the bow at the back and the waist band in front were not the same color. The band in front is too pale- it makes me ask why it's there if it's supposed to be unnoticeable like that. So I had the bow and the bands fixed. The original bow was satin. For the replacement, I chose a coarser and stronger fabric to make the ribbon look sturdy. Check the differences.

After the bride, the maid or matron of honor is the one whom wedding guests look at. Remember as maid-of-honor, you are representing the bride's taste in fashion. So you have to take a step ahead in making yourself look beautiful but should not seem to compete with the appearance of the bride.

Spruce up your maid of honor outfit with appropriate items that will best work with it. Make sure that the accessory you choose doesn't overpower your outfit. Look at your outfit’s colors, feel, and texture when choosing accessories.

Since I'm so Disneyholic, I'm going for that yellow-blue color palette. Even if it's so last year, i think blue nicely sets off the yellow. Even Snow White thinks so. ;-)

I love it when my shoes match my bag and when my jewelry compliment whatever i'm wearing. Although it seems like they came in pairs, every piece was actually bought separately from different stores/brands. Pretty cool huh?

shoes Mario d'boro, clutch bag Landmark


earrings and bracelet SM Dep't store, bangle Cinderella

Here's my overall look. Hope you like it. :-)

Digicam Photography

Since the anime convention, Shirl has been so eager to learn photography. She has not only been asking Naldo to teach her but she's been reading a lot about it and she's also been befriending her digital camera.

Things she has learned so far:
1. It's very important to learn the camera settings.
2. There's such thing as MACRO settings that you can turn on for small subjects.
3. Digital Cameras CAN take GREAT photos. It's all about perspective, having a steady hand, good lighting and simply being keen.
4. Take several photos of the subject -one ought to be right.
5. Practice makes perfect.

Here are some of the shots Shirl has taken using a Sony DSC-W110 (7.2 megapixels).

Here are some shots by Naldo:

Thank you for reading this post and hope we've inspired you. The world is absolutely beautiful. Go see it through your digicam. Have fun!

How Sweed It Is To Be Loved By You!

One December afternoon as they were strolling down the village, Naldo picked and handed a light brown thin-walled, papery, inflated capsule-like fruit to Shirl. He then asked her to open it for the surprise it contains. Shirl opened it slowly making sure not to drop the surprise for she was certain that it would be small. Inside were THREE black seeds with white PERFECT HEART markings on them. Shirl smiled. Naldo got a kiss.

These seeds are from the plant called Balloon Vine with the scientific name Cardiospermum grandiflorum ("fuusen-kazura"). The brown fruits of the Balloon Vine always have 3 seeds inside- perfect for saying "i love you". Those 3 little seeds will truly be appreciated by your special someone. It's simple, sweet and naturally impressive. So if you come across this weed, don't forget to pick one balloon. Make sure you get the BROWN one because the seeds in the green ones aren't fully developed yet.

That's all for this post. Thank you for reading!

Discovery Channel Magazine

We highly recommend that you buy the Discovery Channel Magazine. There's no need to say how informative it is. What actually makes this magazine tick is that it's VERY easy to read. They show lots of photos. The ads aren't annoying and they aren't that many. The magazine is actually something you'll read cover to cover.

We got this copy from 7-11 store. You can most likely get it from any bookstore.

The Discovery Channel Magazine December/January 2010 issue comes with a neat 2010 Calendar.

Pricelist:
SG $7.90
RM 14.90
PHP 250
HK $45
NT $180
TH 190
JP Y1050
KRW 9000
AUD $6.70
NZ $6.70
US $10

For Online subscriptions:

Asia: www.discoverychannelmagazine.com

Australia: www.readersdigest.com.au/discovery

New Zealand: www.readersdigest.co.nz/discovery

How to prevent blisters caused by new shoes

When shopping for ladies shoes, comfort comes before style. I know that. But there's something about new pairs that ALMOST always cause blisters at the back of my ankles.

To prevent that, I get myself these Scholl heel leather liners. I discovered this product like a year ago but the other day I just found out that not everyone knows about it.

This Scholl heel liners are really helpful. It does exactly what it says on the package.

It is made in India (one of the few that's not made in China-lol!). This leather heel liners cost 213 pesos per pack. One pack contains one pair. There's actually a gel version which is definitely more comfy but it's twice the price. Scholl has other kinds of products for shoe comfort that you may need and they're available at any Watson's, Mercury Drugstores and ladies' socks section of SM Dep't stores.

Now if you find this too expensive, you can always use band-aids or gauze strips and improvise. I just wanted to share that there is such product as Scholl just in case you didn't know. Peace!

This post by: Shirl

Naldo never had any problem with his shoes. I don't think men ever do, now... do they?

Beast Player Erin

Beast Player Erin (Kemono no Sou-ja Erin) is an anime about a green-eyed girl who can tame creatures with the use of her harp.

We like how everything (characters, setting, timeline, plot, etc.) is presented. It is so simple but not at all draggy. Since the chapter titles already give hints on what the episodes are about, then it's really silly guessing what's going to happen. What we're trying to say is that this is not a "guess-who-the-real-villain-is" or "guess-the-ending" kind of show. This anime gives you more than that. This show is so full of heart which you'll have to see for yourself.

Anyway, here are photo clips and quotes from each chapter. All quotes are from the subtitle, we didn't change a word of it. The subtitle isn't perfect but it's understandable. :-)

Chapter 1:Green-Eyed Erin

This isn't really a quote but we love the closing song specially it's last two lines.

Chapter 2: Soh-yon the Healer
The girl is Sah-ju - Erin's bestfriend in Akeh Village.

Stringent -adjective 1. rigorously binding or exacting; strict (definition from dictionary.com)

Chapter 3: The Fighting Beast

This is Dahmiyah - the Shin-oh's nephew.

Chapter 4: Secrets in the Mist
All workaholics think about is work - SO NOT TRUE! Just one of the things that this chapter reminds us. So if you live with one, don't forget to thank them for working so hard for you. We all have our ways to express our love and as they say just because it's not the way we want doesn't mean they don't.

Chapter 5: Erin and the Egg Thieves

Chapter 6: Sohyon`s Warmth

Chapter 7: A Mother`s Whistle
These are Nugan and Shunan - the Grand Duke's sons

Chapter 8: Joh-on the beekeeper

Chapter 9: Honey and Erin

Chapter 10: Birds of Dawn
This is Ia-lu - a sehzan or bodyguard of the Shin-oh and the royal family.

Chapter 11: Inside the Door

Chapter 12: The Silver Feather

Chapter 13: Valley of the Beast King (Ohju)

Chapter 14: People of the Mist
This is a recap episode of chapters 1-13.
This is Na-sohn - watchman and explorer of the People of the Mist.

Chapter 15: The Two's Past
These are Nuk and Mok.

Chapter 16: Ialu the Seh-zan
We think it should be "turn our backs to all...".

Chapter 17: Shin-oh in Danger
This is Princess Seimiyah - heir to the throne, granddaughter of Shin-oh Harumiyah.

Chapter 18: Master Esal
Master Esal: "This isn't Tamu-Yuan. At Kazalum, the Grand Master spends most of her life here. You won't be able to do your jobs, if you had any ambitions."
(Although this quote may seem odd, you'll understand what she's really trying to say once you watch the series. The "ambitions" has deeper meaning. )

Chapter 19: Friends at Kazalum

Chapter 20: The Ohju named Lilan/Lelang
There seem to be more than 1 person translating. Watching the series, we have noticed a lot of the names (spelling) change. Although we don't really mind it. We're just happy that Japan is able to share this with us.

Chapter 21: The Disappearing Light
This is Tomura -one of Kazalum's top students and a friend to Erin.

Chapter 22: The Harp's Sound

Chapter 23: The Oath of Kazalum

Chapter 24: Song of Grief

Chapter 25: An Errand for Two

Chapter 26: Lilan's/Lelang's Feelings

Chapter 27: Fallen into Hikara

Chapter 28: Joh-on's Death

Chapter 29: The Beast's Fangs

Chapter 30: The Fourth Winter

Chapter 31: Luminous Sky

Chapter 32: The Great Crime

Chapter 33: Flying

Chapter 34: Ia-lu and Erin

Chapter 35: A New Life

Chapter 36: The Graduation test

Chapter 37: Birth
This is Shiron- the third girl student at Kazalum.

Chapter 38: Shin-oh Harumiyah

Chapter 39: Tohda Attack

Chapter 40: A Nation in Shadow

Chapter 41: The Truth of Shin-oh
Shin-oh Harumiyah: "You have such composure. Even if the pond was murky, you would surely still be able to catch the fish swimming in there. "

Chapter 42: Seimiyah's Tears

Chapter 43: Beast Healer

Chapter 44: Akun-Meh-Chai

Chapter 45: Caged Bird

Chapter 46: The Bond Between the Two

Chapter 47: A Pure Night

Chapter 48: Dawn of Tahai-Azeh
We think the snow effect in this episode was too much.

Chapter 49: Final Battle

Chapter 50: Beast Player
(Ending)

Here’s a link to the official site (it's in Japanese but you can "google translate" it):
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/anime/erin/

Here's where you can watch the complete series: http://www.crunchyroll.com/library/Erin
Downside of this site is that if you're not an anime member, you'll have to experience a lot of ads.

FYI: This is a fan-post. We do not own any of the Beast Player Erin images. Thank you!