Eight years ago when I started blogging, I would write little vignettes about life-changing realizations that are numerous when one is 17. They were poorly written and attempted to be deep and thoughtful. I enjoyed writing them but like an old pair of flimsy but well-loved shoes, I put them away. There are many other things to write about, things that are useful to people other than myself.

I still have a personal diary of sorts though - that's where Instagram comes in. Pictures in particular convey the daily texture of my life more conveniently than any other medium. Not better but Instagram does take less time; I like remembering things.

Here are some pics from last week!

Woke up to a misty sunrise today. I'm lucky the window faces east.

My perfume and accessory storage. I place them in my armoire. They're together because they are the last things I wear before I leave the house.

I told you, I would be posting A LOT of Instagram photos now that I have a new phone with a great camera. :P That said I had a busy weekend going to events and spending time with my family. My gahd, can I just say, it's such a hassle to shop these days! But there are so many new drool-worthy pieces that I just sucked it up and fell in a loooong line at the cashier. I didn't even go to the fitting room anymore!

Here are some of the things I got. That stringy object is a skirt. It looks terribly fun to wear, but I hope I won't regret it when I have to make it work! I'm also on a pastel kick, again. Conversely I'm trying to find more emerald green clothes/shoes to wear because that's the color of 2013. However, it looks like most local brands haven't caught up yet.

I'm curious, does the Pantone Color of the Year appeal to you? I mean, do you buy stuff in that color?

And this my dears is Benefit's newest product: Fine One One! It's a lip and cheek tint that has a highlighter on the side. Yes it's three shades in one tube but the colors blend easily as they're meant to be initially sheer. Fine One One is coming out on January so look out for it then. ;)

In the perfect world, I'd be in a beach right now sipping juice, smelling like a walking column of sunblock and loving it. But I don't drive, and I don't know anyone who would go with me without me having to pay for everything (hotel, air fare, etc.). So. It's a pipe dream, at least until I get around to finally putting my driver's license to good use.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I had the chance to visit the Magniflex showroom along Connecticut Street in Greenhills. Now I know I don't blog about mattresses or furniture, but when you live in your own place then you know how crucial these details are. I wanted to see what Magniflex has to offer in case I want to get a new bed!

I was really touched and overwhelmed by the comments some of you left on my post about confidence last week. Many of you have gotten over their confidence issues, but there were some who are still trying or haven't even started. So, I thought I'd share some of the ideas that help me feel more confident about myself and the things I do!

1. You don't have to prove anything to anyone but yourself. Why? Because no one truly cares. Sure some people might outwardly pressure you to be this and that, but they're doing it for their personal gratification - not yours. Do what makes you happy and fulfilled. That's something that no one else can define for you, so stop listening to everyone who says you can't and shouldn't. Fuck them. Just do it!

2. You're never as ugly as you think you are. We are our own worst critic most of the time, and we endlessly cut ourselves to pieces comparing ourselves to this "perfect" girl we know.

I don't know why but I woke up today thinking of Young Adult, this film starring Charlize Theron and directed by Diablo Cody. There's a conversation in particular that stuck to me. Context: Charlize's character, Mavis, is a 37-year old woman who still thinks the world is one big high school and that she's still the queen bitch. In one scene she talks to an awkward woman who idolized her back in school (Sandra). Mavis feels that she needs to be a better person, but Sandra convinces her otherwise. 

Mavis: I need to change, Sandra. 

Sandra: No you don't. 

Mavis: What? 

Sandra: You're the only person in Mercury who could write a book or wear a dress like that. 

Mavis: Yeah, but most people here seem so happy with so little. It's like they don't even seem to care what happens to them. 

Sandra: That's because it doesn't matter what happens to them. They're nothing. Might as well die.

I can relate to Mavis, minus her nastiness. We're both vain and we both have pomeranians! Lol. But seriously it's her ennui that I can relate to the most.

It's the start of the work week and I'm feeling fine! Maybe mostly because I've stocked a week's worth of my, er, hyper juice. You know that Nescafe iced coffee in cans? It keeps me charged without making me dizzy like the usual coffee. Amazing. Anyway here are some videos I started my day with - two of my favorite songs from college. 

I love Sarah Bettens because she's a great song writer and her voice is just incredibly raw. She always writes about things that are almost in your hands - almost there but not quite. I think discontent is a human body part. We're all always discontented, it's lodged right up there near our appendix. The key to being happy is accepting that it will always be there and appreciating that other things in our life are working just fine.

I love looking at DIY tutorials but I never get around to actually doing them. I'm all fired up today though! Must be the caffeine! I'm hyper inside! Wil be stepping out in a while to buy materials and turn myself into the next DIY Queen. Kidding. Maybe. Don't listen to me!

You need to know this though: there is an awesome craft store that sells stamps, punchers, and other specialty products somewhere in the Greenhills area. Must visit. Read the Quaint Desk for the guide!

Photo via Quaint Desk

Anyway, here are some cool DIY ideas that I am bookmarking for you (and myself). Tell me, which one is your favorite? :D

Sunglasses with plaster rosettes ala Dolce & Gabbana

You can get a pretty good idea of what a person is really like when you check his or her Instagram feed. Pictures do speak a thousand words, and I so enjoy listening! In a sense.

Here's what peppered my week.

Cooked grilled rosemary and lemon chicken for dinner.

Tried using this sea sponge with warm water to remove my makeup last night. Think I need more practice!

Dreaming of salmon.

Last Friday I received another pink box from Etude House. I was just about to vamoose out of the door for work, so I HAD to patiently wait all day before I can come home and open it! Well, the suspense was worth it I think. Here's what's inside!

I have so much fun Instagramming, I decided to do this every week. Think of it as my diary of sorts! Here are some of the things I am loving right now.

Trying out the @DaphneOP Homescent in mint jasmine. Smells fab but not obnoxious.

Oh gosh! I've been looking for these two for over half a year now. Just found them in an old bag. 0_0

I've been using Instagram a lot lately. It's a fun way to capture moments, a state of mind if you will, and share them visually. I like it because I get to remember the little details of my life without having to write down 300 words to do it.

Here are the photos I took this week! 

I want to have a pink bike someday.

Snaps the ridiculously photogenic pomeranian looking out the car window. Like a monsieur. 

Kris Aquino is on Preview magazine's cover this May! Saw it on Twitter the other day and I was instantly transfixed. We've seen Kris in ball gowns, elaborate cocktail dresses, even smart casual wear, but never in a menswear-inspired look. I think it's a fresh and interesting take on her, even though "gorgeous" is not the first word that comes to mind.

Try "whoa".

More behind the scenes photos from Stylebible!

Found an interesting fashion blog over on Twitter called Aaron Did Fashion. People were initially laughing at him, but from what the hashtag #TeamAaron is showing, people are admiring his guts. And why not?

There is something about this boy. His enthusiasm in showing off his outfits and doing the du jour fashion blogger poses is...poignant. Honest. The top fashion blogs are all run by beautiful shining people in trendy, mass-produced clothes. I don't hate them for it, but they are sometimes tiring to look at, perhaps because the whole thing looks contrived and semi-professional.

I admit that I don't read magazines regularly. Why? Because everyday I am bombarded with beauty and fashion information from innumerable sources that when I finally get hold of a magazine, I find that the content there isn't new to me anymore (however well-executed or well-written). It's definitely different for other people - those who confine their online activity to Facebook, chat, maybe a bit of Twitter.

That is not to say that print is dead. Magazines like Preview and Cosmo have very active online counterparts with communities that are engaged and ready to rumble. These two magazines, I think, have successfully combined print and digital to deliver up-to-the-minute, high-quality content. The thing is at the end of the day, print will always mean considerable prestige and exclusivity to anyone who's in it, so as long as there is that factor magazines will not die (among other factors of course).

So! While I don't read magazines much, I do see magazine covers on my Facebook timeline. That's why you see me posting about covers once in a while. Recently, two covers caught my eye, and here's what I think of them! Share yours too, I'm interested. ;)

First up, we have KC Concepcion for Cosmopolitan's March issue.

The cool thing about my job is that I can work anywhere most of the time. It means that I can multi-task and shoot down errands whenever I need to! I just have to be connected to my email accounts (five of them) at all times, which my Blackberry takes care of. For heavier work like Facebooking, blogging, editing photos, or anything involving documents, I turn to my ever reliable Macbook Air.

A few weeks back, we had our condo fumigated, so I had to bring Snaps to the day care for a few hours. Try Pup Culture btw, if you're looking for a great day care center for your dog. Anyhoo! That day I decided to kill three birds with one stone: take my dog to Pup Culture, do my bank errands, and work. For the latter I decided to park myself at Bubble Tea. I love their tea and the Japanese food!

It's in the tiny bubbles!

It's an old, old war. White skin versus dark skin. In popular media, white is thought of as pure and expensive, while black/dark skin is considered dirty and plebeian. When will it end? When will Filipinas, specifically, finally be free from the all-consuming idea that only white is beautiful?

Well, FHM is not helping for sure. Their cover shows a shining white Bela Padilla in the midst of grasping black-skinned women. She is "stepping out of the shadows", that is, stepping out from the undersirable status of being obscure.

I spend serious time taking product photos that I even have it down to a science. So understandably I'm not happy whenever an online store filches my photos to earn money. I mean, how hard is it to take your own product photos or even just ask permission from the owners? 

Those are my Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter photos. Do not approve  ಠ_ಠ

Not meaning to be a bitch here, actually. I'm not mad, just baffled. All my photos are under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-SA 3.0) license. It means that:

I think that the Internet should be a free place to share our ideas and output, and to police it by banning people from using your photos is just pointless.

Can someone please explain business card etiquette to me? Some of the people I've met extend their business card carefully, with two hands and a little bow. I'm wondering if that's how it's really done. Then they leave your card on the table respectfully, as if they're considering it. As for me I simply give my card, then slip theirs in my bag after checking it out.

Whatever the accepted practice is though, I think it's important to have a stylish card case. It makes one look more professional and keeps the cards from getting all frayed swirling around a bag. Practical, in other words.

I got this case from Avon. It's actually a set that comes with a compact mirror.