THINGS THAT MADE ME SMILE TODAY

Hello Everyone:)

Hope your day is full of smiles. As I looked around today, I saw so many things that make me smile. I thought I'd share. I had more photos but for some reason blogger wouldn't let me upload them. That didn't make me smile:)

 Meet Sunnee. He is a blue and gold Macaw. I have had him since he was a baby, when I used to own my pet shop. I had to hand feed him with a huge syringe. He was supposed to be for sale in my shop but I fell in love and  the rest is history. He talks quite a bit. I just love him and he makes me smile daily:)

 LOVE, love, love plants and statues. I love the way they look, the way they smell and I even enjoy watering them.

 Beautiful Birthday flowers:) They make me and my kitchen smile:)

And speaking of the kitchen. My kitchen makes me smile. Even when it is messy which is daily;) It is bright and cheerful and where everyone seems to gather.

What made you smile today? I'd love to know:)

`Till next time.........................

~Debra XXX

Product Review: Muji Moisturizing Milk

But there are cases where as much I don’t want to use them, my skin demands for it. I need to moisturize my skin especially during those times that I drank less water making my skin too dry like a chalk board. I am not too fair skinned, that is why a mere scratch on my dry skin is really visible. :p
Thanks to my best find (and probably the only one) at Muji – a bottle of moisturizing milk which served as my savior during my “dry” season. The top selling point for me is the non-greasy effect once it glides on my skin. I need not to worry when I’ve mistakenly poured in more than what I need in my hands as the product just seem to adjust to my skin’s needs!

Supplementary reason why I love this product is the simple and conservative approach of the packaging. As much as I love pastel colors and girly designs, I also equally like a touch of minimalist sometimes. Muji hits this theme with their all neutral color products. The bottle of the moisturizinf milk tops this minimalist thing. I love how it exudes serious ambiance because of its transparent bottle and purely white product. It is just very neat.

This bottle does not break your financial life as well. I only bought this at less than 400 bucks (not sure though if this has already increased). This is perhaps one of the few soundest prices in the entire Muji store. It is really worth the buy and the price.

Overall, I'd say that Muji moisturizing milk gave me an option to try out other alternatives other than the traditional lotion or body butter!
So, will you try this one, too?

BLOGGERS' BODEGA SALE

ADVERTISE HERE FOR FREE EVERY TUESDAY!

EVERY TUESDAY IS "BLOGGERS' BODEGA" WHERE SHOPPING IS A FUN AS BLOGGING!!!AND THIS WEEK MAISONSTGERMAIN.COM IS OFFERING 20% OFF OF EVERYTHING!!! JUST ADD 20OFF AT THE CHECK OUT!






IF YOU SEE ANYTHING YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, IN MY LAST POST FROM OUR SHOW, LET ME KNOW. WE MAY STILL HAVE IT AND YOU CAN TAKE 20% OFF TOO!!!!!!!!!
Tuesdays are dedicated to you the shop keeper with an Etsy, on line shop or on line boutique like ours MAISONSTGERMAIN.COM. Also it is dedicated to you the shopper as these are some of the best shops on -line. Here you will find the most unique things. So, grab a cup of tea and relax while clicking on our many different friend's shops. ENJOY:) All we ask is that you grab our button and post it on your blog that you have joined. The more people that know about all of us the better it is for everyone. And since this is world wide this is even more exciting:)

VVV May 2011!

Sunday 29th May 2011

12pm - 5pm

The Vintage Vixens are back with a bigger and better event!

Stay tuned to be a part of the bruha!

For more information please email us at vintagevixengirls@gmail.com or check out our FACEBOOK PAGE

PHOTOS OF OUR SUNDAY SHOW

Hi Everyone:)

I hope you enjoyed your weekend:) It was cold here but we did enjoy it. We went antiquing and I bought a table that I have been looking for, for a while. I am going to paint it and will show you before and after photos this week. ( hopefully;)

Let me just say THANK YOU to Don for fixing my laptop. He took care of the 'blue screen'. He just called me a "blogging maniac" for the first time in over a week. That makes me feel so cozy;)lololo

Last weekend Nicole and I did an Antique Show in Winsted CT. It took place in a beautiful school. This is the school that has farm animals!!! We did this show last year if you remember. Wish they had schools like this when I went. Being that is was in the gym there is only so much you can really do to dress it up for one day. I wish the shows were two days. It takes everyone so much time to load and unload their wares and then set up for one day. And we really enjoy doing them and meeting so many great people. We have a nice following too which always makes me smile.

So I wanted to share some of the things we brought.

                                           Vintage clothes.

Great black chair, top hat and pretty pillow.

                  Suitcases to start your collection with:)

 Vanity just jam packed with hand mirrors, brushes, girly things, market bags, jewelry.........

 People know us by our mascot "Big Mama". She is on our business cards etc. We always dress her up and you can see her from across the room. When we first bought her we were going to sell her but fell in love with her charm so she is part of our team now:) Beneath her are baskets of jewelry, purses, pins etc. Also a basket full of pillows on the floor.

Pink ladder full of goodies and wooden archectural pieces.

Part of our back table.  Look at that paint sampler on the right. I love that piece.

Vintage photos, lampshades, wood wheels........

It was a fun show. Thank you everyone who stopped by to say hello:) We will see you at the next show.

'Till next time.........................
~Debra XXX

Product Review: Evolution Of Smooth (EOS)

Every face of my vanity life, I do have something that I am drooling on. At the moment, I am in my lip balm hauling. Well, it all started when I was in dire need of a solution to my cracked lips. It’s been going on for weeks and it irked me more and more everyday. Then I met Carmex. It solved my problem. I thought that was the end of my search for this product behind a good lipstick application. No, don’t get me wrong, I am all praises for Carmex. It is just the “hauler” in me that I cannot sit down with only one brand for a type of product. Yes, that is me.
 

My ever reliable online shopper, the CareFreeShopper, bursted once again with a brand called EOS. As the women behind the shop confessed, it is their favorite. Add up a friend who is really not into these kinds of vanities but managed to like EOS, it awakened my curiosity on what these raves are all about.

EOS redefined the shape of lip balm. While the traditional ones are in tube, or in a small jar which you need to dip you pinky finger and dab on your lips, EOS packaged their product in a spherical shape, with a very smooth texture. Yeah, the texture itself denotes how smooth the real product is!

Twisting the sphere clockwise, you’d see a dome shape lip balm (although they got one in a traditional tube). It actually felt weird when applying it as unlike the typical lip products, I felt that a lot goes beyond my lips when applied. It is because of its big shape. But after several tries, I figured out it was designed to be rolled over you lips, not minding that it may “go beyond” since in the first place it does not have any color like a lipstick. LOL. The gliding on is a total experience. You could do it like forever!

Another thing that captured me was the scent. It just seems so natural. It is friendly for my nostrils.

Best if all, I woke up with an oh so smooth lips! Now if you ask me I permanently changed my heart from Carmex to EOS, I did not. It is sharing my heart to both!


Note: EOS can also be bought separately.

Fat? So what!

I deal with weight issues since I first dealt with teenage life. It has been part of my system. I have the ability to gain and lose weight – easily. I can bloat or in an instant just like a balloon. Case in point:

Nah, spare me from telling you my diet schemeS. It will take me like forever to jot them down. In this piece, I want to lay down the “tricks” I have which make me feel a lot better when my torso is becoming like a cabinet and my clothes act like an aluminum foil wrapping an embutido. :p

So how I choose to be “sexy” when I’m not? Here!

1. Wear red nails

2. Wear curly hairs

3. Wear a statement lips

4. Strike a pose!

5. Wear a high-end bag

6. Wear that killer shoes!

... and that's it! How about you? How do you battle out figure issues in an instant? :)

Charles and Keith ties up with Louis Vuitton

I got this link from an FB friend. Charles and Keith is now 20% owned by the luxury brand LV!!!

I've learned some things from the article that I only knew now. So Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Dior, and Sephora are some of the brands that are under the expertise of LVMH. Yeah, my second learning is that the complete name of the company is Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH). How to pronounce the last two? That I don't know. LOL.

I love seeing successful businesses. I love how they think globally, and put all those plans into reality! Two thumbs up to the Wong brothers!

Now you guys keep all those C&K stuff you have. Technically, you already have an LVMH stuff!. LOL!

Hair Remover: Sticks and Pulls

I do sacrifice for beauty, but I don’t go beyond “hurting” myself just to suffice my vanity. Waxing tops this. I was first introduce to getting rid of my leg hairs when I was in my third year in college with my partner in crime – Rolla. We shaved our legs for our upcoming escapade that time. Since then, I regularly use shavers to smoothen my legs as hairs become more and more evident.

I’ve had one or two attempts, too, to use shave’s counter part – the waxing. I remembered buying one of the random brands at Watsons and tried it. Gosh, it was a punishment for me! I absolutely did not like the pain it gave me, plus the fact that I really did not get a very good result. Leg hairs were still there, thus I resolved to use again shavers. That moment, I knew I won’t be looking back again to any of those products.

But after several years of being contented with shaving my legs (like almost everyday!), I finally gave waxing a second chance. This, in the product named Nanny Rose’s Sticks and Pulls.

We are now in a league of natural disasters, but I recognize that I am not a full-fledged concern citizen. However, in my own little way, I do help – like supporting products which use a more earth-friendly material. I love how this is packed! The pink font perceives a feeling that what you have inside is carefully prepared by your grandma. Well, I do remember my grandma’s own handwriting with this!

 Now running down through the product, one thing I noticed is that the jar is only half filled. It is for me a waste of the packaging and also seems like cheating on consumer. I hate products being packed to appear bigger.

I actually don’t expect much from the product. I thought it is something not so different from other non-effective hair removers. But I was wrong! The pain was bearable, and the hairs? REMOVED!!!

gross, i know! :p

You just need to allot more time and patience when doing the ritual. The product itself is too sticky that you need to put an effort in scooping it out and apply to hairy areas. Then there is that putting it in small amount in relatively smaller area so as to put concentration on when pulling the cloth.

This is the first time I've tried an effective hair removal so as of today, this tops my list!

BLUE SCREEN

Hi Everyone:)

Just wanted to let you know that I am still here;) My laptop has a strange blue screen on it after not even using it for 2 days. How does this happen? Don is working on it so hopefully it will be up and running soon. Hope you are all having a wonderful week. We are getting SNOW AGAIN!!!!! I hope you are enjoying some nice warm Spring weather:)

'Till next time....
~Debra xxx

Product Review: Asian Secrets Body Scrub

I first knew about this product through Liz of Project Vanity. I do love body scrubs, not because I am desperate to get "white", but because I love the feeling of being clean. In this product though, I was not that keen on trying it as I felt it might just be some sort of "advertising" as the mentioned blog got a sponsorship from the brand.

It was when I visited Watsons last time that I've seen these tubs of Asian Secrets which brought me to curiosity. The tub is an eye candy in white and green packaging and the price was too affordable (at 80 ph)for a body scrub. I grabbed one, tried it, and the rest, they say, is history!

I am on my third tub now and I am still loving it! The selling point for me actually is the scent, the texture, and the effect it gives on my skin.

SCENT. Upon popping up, you will be welcomed by a very luxurious scent wrapping up your senses. It is not strong, neither too artificially scented. There is a pang of natural smell that would let you dip your hands on them and lather on!

TEXTURE. Unlike other scrubs, it is not sandy that would cause your skin to become reddish when applying. Its creamy texture makes you lengthen your "lather moments" which enables you to rub of more dirt. I specially like this when I feel too cold of a morning shower that I start my bath by lathering Asian Secrets on my skin. It does not feel awkward having the product on your body without letting the water run first on your body. You see, it can actually save you time!

EFFECT ON MY SKIN. The after bath is soothing. It does not dry your skin, in fact I feel like I am mositurized after! Yeah, another factor why it saves time - you don't need an ample amount of time to put on lotion through out your body!. =)

To sum it all, this product is such a steal! I would definitely continue to use it!

From coffee to tea

I grew up in my corporate life with coffee running through my system. It has been part of my any time of the day whenever I feel like pulling my blanket on my head or just simply just got nothing to do. I am adventurous, but when it comes to my beverage, I used to stick with coffee instead of nurturing my relationship with coffee’s friend, the tea. I did try some brands but I just find it too bitter that I cannot stand having a relaxing cup of something unfriendly to my taste buds.

It was until I tried one of the tea bags at Shangri La last time. It has such a great taste!

My most favorite is the peppermint flavor (in green pack). The minty flavor evens out the "bittery" taste. I also felt having a "modern" tea than the traditional one. It has been a week since I started replacing my cup of coffee to tea. I find it most suitable after I had eaten a big meal. The tea, as they say, speeds up your metabolism. I've also tried having an iced tea with Splenda as substitue for my sugar. Well, I do this if I am in my healty mode - and it's not that bad! I love it!

Now, here is my greatest dilemma. My hoarded packs from the hotel is depleting. I don't know where to get them. I've search in several supermarkets but I found none. Too bad....

I want my tea!!!

BLOGGERS' BODEGA

ADVERTISE HERE FOR FREE EVERY TUESDAY!
EVERY TUESDAY IS "BLOGGERS' BODEGA" WHERE SHOPPING IS A FUN AS BLOGGING!!!AND THIS WEEK MAISONSTGERMAIN.COM IS OFFERING 20% OFF OF EVERYTHING!!! JUST ADD 20OFF AT THE CHECK OUT!




Tuesdays are dedicated to you the shop keeper with an Etsy, on line shop or on line boutique like ours MAISONSTGERMAIN.COM. Also it is dedicated to you the shopper as these are some of the best shops on -line. Here you will find the most unique things. So, grab a cup of tea and relax while clicking on our many different friend's shops. ENJOY:) All we ask is that you grab our button and post it on your blog that you have joined. The more people that know about all of us the better it is for everyone. And since this is world wide this is even more exciting:)

Dessert hunting: Goya Splendor

If you are looking for a cheap and readily available dessert, you try out Goya Splendor! It is a crushed almond in milk, white, and dark chocolates. =)

I love how Goya is nicely repackaged now, and I love more how they have improved the taste of their products. They are certainly still in a long way to go head to head with foreign brands but it is refreshing to see how they keep on innovating.

neatly packed no?

It is good to taste our own delights right? =)

A token of appreciation

I am a self-confessed moody blogger. I write when I want to. I don’t if I can’t form even just one or two creative sentences. For me, writing is something that should be different from normal combination of words – and this is where I am stressed about when my creative taste does not kick in.

But it is pleasing to know that even though I had this love-hate relationship with blogging, there are still some people who choose to visit and read my blog. Few as they may seem, still I am grateful to those who appreciate my little space in this endless world called the internet. I may not know it, but I feel that there are a handful of people who find this blog a little worthwhile to read – and I thank them for that.

And so with this, I want to show my appreciation to one hell of a cool woman who click the button and became the first ever follower of Barprov! I got some goodies for her!

I am in my generous mode so I want to extend this little give away to the next nine followers! To make things even easier, you may opt to follow me on twitter! Just put your twittername on the comment so that I can check it. I’m excited! No, nothing major but just small items which I personally pick for you. =)

Again, thank you Aya for following this blog! =) More power!

Landmark and what it has to offer

I went to Landmark after a full day of training at Shangri la Makati last week to unwind and drop by their ladies' counter at the ground floor. I was again surprised to see a more sophisticated Landmark (after I discover that they do sell Longchamps). I have seen high end nail polish and scents and other things a kikay girl would actually love to see! And yes, it was nostalgic to see angel's breath one of the shelves. Even Levy commented that he remembered his childhood with that cologne.

I shed a few hundred bucks for the stuff I found interesting there. Here's the list of what I think are worth sharing:

1. Carmex Lip Balm
Oh yes! They are here in the Philippines, and Landmark is the best place to get it for Makati-based     people. I've found good reviews about this product and I am glad I set foot in Landmark to get a tube for me. I was kind of desperate to resolve my long-time problem on cracked lips and I've tried a lot of brands but to no avail. But lo and behold, Carmex is now my holy grail! This cost 99 bucks, not bad.

2. "Magic"curlers
Different from the traditional curlers, these curlers come in one piece with no outer clamp. It holds the hair through its velcro. It's creative but I would still recommend the traditional one since it holds more than this type of curlers.

                                                             this is what i mean

3. Bath and Body Works PocketBac holder and sanitizer

It was actually my dear Alsace who introduced me to this new way of handling your sanitizer. Gah, I'm losing a grip on what's "ïn". Yeah, old age I may say. lol! I envied her holder that I immediately grab a cute light pink with glitters when I spotted BBW shelf. I got the warm vanilla sugar scent since the other types are too "scenty" for me. Holder and sanitizer cost 99 php each. Carefreeshopper has a cuter version of holder. The one with rhinestones and it costs 272 php! Sanitizers are at 75 php. Not bad!

4. Elianto Nail Polish

I was eyeing for the Orly Nail Laquers when I swept my sight on the counter of Elianto. They have a generous sale on some items, nail polish included! each bottle costs 59 php, somewhat same price to the other local brands we have. I thought it was a good deal so I bought two pastel shades and a colorless one.

A quick polish swatch. I'll update once I had my nails done in a salon. =) 

How about you, what are your recent vanity haul?

Dessert Hunting: Starbucks' Pops

These cute little chocolate pops and a venti of chamomile blend tea made my afternoon a delight!!!

I love how Starbucks constantly surprise their clients with good coffee and diet-killing desserts! Their flourless brownies is such a winner, too! Okay, so those sweats I let loose earlier this morning are gone! ;p

Happy Sunday!

Hello Everyone:)

Hope you are all having a great day! The sun just came out!!!!!!!! That makes me so happy:) You have no idea.

 I am also happy to report that Nicole, Manuel and the girls were able to move back home. They have been cleaning up from the flood and decorating as if they just moved in. Nicole is thrilled with the results and told me she hasn't felt this creative in years. Their home looks so pretty and I am going to do a post on it.
 It was fun to have them here. We shared lots of laughs and fun and even the stomach flu;) Eeeewww ..really. The girls can laugh and run around nonstop all day. I wish I could bottle up some of their energy:0

 So.... it is back to blogging.  Have you gotten your roses yet? Suzan ,of Old Grey Mare Primitives creates these beauties and they are a must. She has them in other colors too:) I am either going to put them on a top I am making or on a pillow.Hmmm... I just may have to order more....

 I purchased this fabulous sign from RU PIPER DESIGNS. Isn't it great?Now all we have to do is hang it;) They sell many different kinds of signs and other things. Don and I are going to London and Paris this year so I am hoping to see many of the places on this sign. Check them out, you'll be glad you did. I
OK.......Look at this gorgeous, to beautiful to just put on a gift, yes I am being stingy, tag!!!I am going to put this into a shadow box frame. Cindy from Whimsical Musings Magazine surprised me with it:) Look, she even put a 'D' on it!  And I love the ribbon. She is a talented artist and features artists and other lovely blogs in her on-line magazine. Stop by to see her and say Hello from me;)

Well I am off to do some things around the house now that the sun has perked me up. Hope you are enjoying the week. What have you been up to?

'Till next time.............
~Debra XXX

EVERY TUESDAY IS "BLOGGERS' BODEGA" WHERE SHOPPING IS A FUN AS BLOGGING!!!AND THIS WEEK MAISONSTGERMAIN.COM IS OFFERING 20% OFF OF EVERYTHING!!! JUST ADD 20OFF AT THE CHECK OUT!

Tuesdays are dedicated to you the shop keeper with an Etsy, on line shop or on line boutique like ours MAISONSTGERMAIN.COM. Also it is dedicated to you the shopper as these are some of the best shops on -line. Here you will find the most unique things. So, grab a cup of tea and relax while clicking on our many different friend's shops. ENJOY:) All we ask is that you grab out button and post it on your blog that you have joined. The more people that know about all of us the better it is for everyone. And since this is world wide this is even more exciting

At 2:00 a.m. I HEARD HARPS....

.....harps because that is the ring tone I selected for Nicole's phone. One never wants to hear their phone ring at 2:00 a.m. Sleepily I answered "Hello" and on her end she said "Mom, we are being evacuated" "The Firemen and Police are here and our house is flooded."(They live on a river) "OMG come here." "OK". Her kitchen had about a foot of water in it and there was no stopping it. I put the outside lights on and waited and waited but they never showed up. Then I got another phone call from Nicole telling me that our street was flooded and the water was running directly into her yard, house. She lives right at the end of our street directly across from it. They were not going to let her chance coming here. She, Manny and the girls had to sleep in the Firehouse all night where they set up cots for them. Can I just say right now how WONDERFUL the Woodbury Firemen are!!!!!!!! All of the streets that lead to our street were blocked off because they all have bridges that run over the river.

 They were able to come here after the water started to recede.

Thankfully everyone is just fine. They are staying with us for now and it is crazy but I like it;) On top of that Don has been in bed with a stomach flu, poor thing. The cleaning up has started and Nicole said she is thinking about redecorating now that she is starting over again:) Oh, and everyone on her face book was happy that she saved the 90 cases of Girl Scout cookies that we had picked up last weekend:) Gotta look on the bright side:)THESE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN after the water receded..

Nicole's back yard. The water covered the walk bridge.

                             Her side yard.

NO, that is not a lake!!!That is a huge beautiful field where the kids play,people walk their dogs and crops are grown. It is across the street from Nicole's house. The water had crossed the road.

The field, unbelievable.

The field is across the street from this car.
The currents from the water were so strong that the car was washed off of the road right in front of the house. It must have been so scary for the driver. It had to be hard to get out of the car without being swept away too.

The ruts that the water made. The water rushed in so hard into this garage that it knocked everything inside over. What a mess.

                                             The field.

The side of Nicole's house.

I am very grateful that things turned out the way they did. It could have been a lot worse. Possessions can be replaced, loved ones can't and that is what matters in the end.

'Till next time.....

~Debra xxx