Lavender & Coffee Stains

October 31, 2009

Books In A Sentence Or Vice Versa?

While I was sorting my books, I noticed this particular set:

It's cool to discover books in a pile forming a sentence, no matter how weird they may sound.

The reader bringing down the house extremely loud & incredibly close, absolutely normal chaos.

Can you form your own sentence using 3-5 books from your bookshelf?

October 27, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays For Oct 27

by Ivÿ, in Weekly Meme

Dear Me,

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

I can't seem to stay away from Steve Berry.

Here's my chosen teasers:

"Whether the image was that of Christ remained solely a matter of faith. Personally, Michener found it difficult to accept that a piece of herringbone cloth could stay intact for two thousand years, and he thought that the relic akin to what he'd been reading with great intensity over the past couple of months concerning Marian apparitions."

~ page 71, The Third Secret

October 24, 2009

Hour 2: A Slow Start

by Ivÿ, in Personal Dailies + Musings

Dear Me,

I can't seem to focus. I'm all tied up and I didn't expect things to go a little off. I thought I was ready but I couldn't seem to put my mind at ease.

I have my books in one pile so I wouldn't be searching the house and waste time. I bought snacks and drinks in prior so I wouldn't need to sneak out in the grocery in the middle of the night. I had some house chores done so I wouldn't have to feel uneasy about my cluttered space. I even requested hubby to take care of our little boy for a day so I could flip the pages of my books faster.

I even signed up to cheerlead other readers.

Well, it seems like I am the one needing it. *bonkself*

I will be signing off for a few hours and clear my head. *sniff*

October 24, 2009

Hour 1: Getting To Know

by Ivÿ, in Books + Reading

Dear Me,

I just refreshed the readathon page and pop the first mini-challenge.

Where are you reading from today?

I am currently reading Neil Gaiman's Odd and the Frost Giants.
3 facts about me:

a) I love Margaret Truman's books; b) I have a 2 year old adorable boy; c) I wish to publish my own book.
How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?

I only have 5 books.
Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?

Supposedly but with the little boy sick and the hubby going out, I may have to back down. Although, I would love to cheer other readathoners. I would not feel bad or guilty not finishing my small target for bumping into nice book bloggers. :)
If you're a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?

I am not a veteran read-a-thoner. I still believe in enjoying what you read, relishing the fun instead of finishing a lot and missing the good parts. :)

It's dinner time so I'm taking an early break. :)

October 24, 2009

October 2009 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

by Ivÿ, in I Heart + Favorites

Dear Me,

In two hours, I will be engaging in a marathon. A reading marathon that is...for 24 hours.

I have been participating in this race-to-read-as-many-books-in-24-hours since October 2008. It's a challenge where you devote your time to reading books that have been piling up high and taking quite a room space in your house.

The reading challenge was initiated by Dewey for bibliophiles. My participation was all due to her.

In her honor (she died in late 2008), this year's read-a-thon was renamed after her.

This year, I am not only participating as a reader but also as a cheerleader.

The books I am supposed to read in this marathon are those that are included in my challenges for this year (see sidebar for reading challenges). But most of them are heavy stuff and require flipping through thick pages.

Here are the books I am targeting to finish in the reading marathon:

I am not sure if I will be able to finish all these books. I won't be able to update as much I would love to. My little boy is not feeling well and hubby is slated to leave the house with a client meeting. Too much in my hands but don't we all?

Cheers to everyone! :)

PS. Here's the official 24 Read-A-Thon homepage for more information.

October 22, 2009

My Book Model

by Ivÿ, in My Growing Angel

Dear Me,

I am guilty.

I am having fun taking snapshots of my little boy. It is a lot more fun when he poses for the camera.

I requested hubby to pick up some of my parcels in the local post office last week. Most of them contained my most-coveted books.

After lunch, I opened my packages with much delight. I was beaming with happiness. On the other hand, my little boy was doing the same thing. Book after book, he was checking them out for inspection...like the customs officer from the post office. Hehehe.

Anyway, I told Miguel to hold my most favorite book from the batch and pose. :)

There goes my little book model!

October 21, 2009

Wordless Wednesday - In Their Honor

by Ivÿ, in Weekly Meme

Dear Me,

Here's my entry for this week.

For clarity (as written in the memorial slab):

Erected to the Filipino and American fighting men who
gave their lives to win the land sea and air victories
which restored freedom and peace to the Pacific Ocean area

For more Wordless Wednesdays,
take a peek at the WW Hub and 5M4M.

View More Wordless Wednesday Participants here.

October 20, 2009

Teaser Tuesdays For Oct 20

by Ivÿ, in Weekly Meme

Dear Me,

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Since I am trying to catch up with my reading challenges for this year, I am squeezing in Iris Johansen.

Here's my chosen teasers:

"He turned and she stared up into his shadowy face only dimly lit by the flickering flames. She screamed."

~ page 2, Firestorm

October 20, 2009

Hide and Seek Film Review

by Ivÿ, in Reviews + Opinions

Dear Me,

After Typhoon Ondoy ravaged the metro and nearby areas, my family and I were left unscathed, unlike other families.

Save for a few stuff (some boxes of cds, dvs and books) that were placed in a covered terrace, we were lucky not to experience horrifying encounters with the said typhoon.

Anyway, I am spending a couple of my free hours checking out boxes containing hundreds of cds and dvds.

Three days ago, I watched Hide and Seek, which I think was shown way back 2005.

Synopsis:

After the sudden death of his wife, David Callaway (Robert De Niro) takes his traumatized daughter, Emily (Dakota Fanning), away to find peace and to start their life again in a new home. Emily fails to settle in well, with David becoming concerned as Emily identifies with Charlie. Someone who David has never met before, but who likes to play hide and seek.

Hide and Seek was a horror-cum-psychological thriller movie with my favorite Hollywood people, Dakota Fanning and Robert De Niro.

When the movie started, I felt like hitting the remote control for the stop button because of its dragging flow. I allowed some scenes to run and didn't realize that I finished viewing it.

I deemed the movie not scary at all. It would more like be getting so suspenseful at some scenes that I couldn't help but scream from utter surprise. Sometimes, I also felt confused as to where the storyline was going.

Dakota Fanning who portrayed Emily commanded such a terrific presence on-screen. Even without dialogue (where she stared blankly in the woods), her face evoked much credibility. For a girl so young, I couldn't believe how well she could be so dark and eerie.

I could not imagine how devastating it would be for a child to witness her own parent die. To process such tragic event in her young life would be much harder for her than any trained medical professional, even if it was her own father. I had read about imaginary characters being conjured up by little ones after horrible instances in their lives. They turned to the imaginative being as their only friend whom they could talk to and confide their naked thoughts and emotions.

Robert De Niro as David the psychologist and Emily's father, well, I sort of did not approve. For one thing, wasn't he too old to be Fanning's pop in the movie? Second point was that I couldn't feel any vibe that he was her father. There was no unseen bond or connection of their relationship as father and daughter. David seemed distant.

The movie had a lot of sudden turns like who Charlie was (not just a figment of Emily's imagination) and who developed a "new" personality.

Over-all, it wasn't a great horror movie that would deter me from shoving popcorn in my mouth. It was a lousy movie to start with but Dakota Fanning gave life to it.

October 17, 2009

My Little Book Lover

by Ivÿ, in My Growing Angel

Dear Me,

When my little boy, Miguel, is awake, it is either he plays with his toys, watch his buddies like Barney, Bob, Dora and Roary or browse his books.

One day, I was busy tending to Cafe Ivianka (in Cafe World) while he plays with his new toy cars. From where I was standing, I could see him so preoccupied. As he drove his toy cars in my direction, I loosened a bit (at his age, he is pretty naughty and tends to get into situations where he can get himself hurt).

When I checked on him again (he was behind me; I was standing while he was in the floor), I found him so quiet and...busy.

he managed to bring down all his books
from his shelf to the floor

browsing his books

checking out Barney

decided that it wasn't Barney day

checking out if browsing trucks would be interesting

trucks were more interesting than Barney

I used flash when I shot these photos. He sensed the flash and looked back where I was. I resumed my position and pretended unaware. I tried hard not to laugh so I wouldn't be caught in the act. Hehehe.

I was not able to take shots of him facing the camera because I preferred not to disturb him. I candidly snap shots of him while he was doing his thing.

As his mom and being a book lover, I want him to grow up with books. We can travel together and enjoy the wonderful world of knowledge and excitement. :)

October 17, 2009

Jollibee's Newest Treat

by Ivÿ, in Reviews + Opinions

Dear Me,

I wasn't really a Jollibee fan. Among the fast-food stores around the metro, I still favor McDo (grown to love it dating back during my university days) and KFC.

I added Jollibee in my list when my little boy "seemed" to love their sweet spaghetti and yum burger. I don't want him to eat fast-food on a daily basis but there are times that he will only open his mouth if he sees Jollibee.

The point is, I come to love Jollibee now. I love their burgers and chicken because they're not bland and dry (well, most of the time).

I wasn't aware of Jollibee's latest addition in their menu: Chicken Barbecue. Hubby brought one home for me to have a taste test.

At first, I was sort of adamant to taste it since I wasn't fond of chicken barbecues for they only normally taste good on the outside and utterly dry inside.

I guess it is a hit and miss when tasting for the first time the latest food offering off the menu. Sometimes it will be a sure-fire hit or simply such a put-down. In my case, the first time was the former. I love this Chicken Barbecue from Jollibee!

I loved it because:

the chicken served was bigger in size than the usual.
it was grilled in a way that the chicken skin was charred to be tastier and not burnt to be bitter.
the chicken meat was tender and juicy inside which surprised me. I deduced that it was marinated long enough for the seasoned mixture to seep in thus capturing the flavor.
if you couldn't get enough from the chicken barbecue itself, part of the meal was a savory dip of thick barbecue sauce.
the java rice that came with it did not disappoint me. It did not only boast of its bright color but also complemented the yummy taste of chicken barbecue.

I just realize that I will be contented and looking forward when we enter Jollibee. Happiness will not only be seen in my little boy's eyes but mine, too! :)

price for 1-pc & 2-pc chicken barbecue meals

October 15, 2009

Booking Through Thursday - Weeding

by Ivÿ, in Weekly Meme

We're moving in a couple weeks (the first time since I was 9 years old), and I've been going through my library of 3000+ books, choosing the books that I could bear to part with and NOT have to pack to move. Which made me wonder...

When's the last time you weeded out your library? Do you regularly keep it pared down to your reading essentials? Or does it blossom into something out of control the minute you turn your back, like a garden after a Spring rain?

Or do you simply not get rid of books? At all? (This would have described me for most of my life, by the way.)

And–when you do weed out books from your collection (assuming that you do)...what do you do with them? Throw them away (gasp)? Donate them to a charity or used bookstore? SELL them to a used bookstore? Trade them on Paperback Book Swap or some other exchange program?

Dear Me,

If I think about it, I have always been over-hauling my books because I have to move them from another corner to another room or transferring them to a new shelf or simply to sort them out according to my favored collection, accessibility and for a number of other reasons.

With countless books in my big shelves, in the bedroom, in the living room, in the kitchen, in the floor, in nooks, in boxes and paper bags, I can't recall a time that I ever finished sorting them out. I would sort them out for two straight days and I would stop because I had to attend to some more pressing matters. Days will pass by and the book organizing task has been completely left unattended, if not forgotten. Soon, more books will come and the sorted pile will soon be just another growing tower of paperbacks and hardcovers.

On the other hand, when I do sort my books, I try to purge a few out from my collection. If I have read it already and not really a book I would consider as a treasure, I would either donate them or give them away in a book-swapping site like BookMooch.

I think any book lovers will agree with me: we would rather spend our precious time reading than managing our books which are in total disarray.

October 15, 2009

Buttered Corn & Carrots

by Ivÿ, in My Growing Angel

Dear Me,

My little boy is such a picky eater. At his tender age of two, he still prefers eating bread, biscuits, cookies instead of rice and meat. He does eat (but sometimes don't want to) veggies but only potatoes, carrots and squash. It is quite hard to nourish him when it is always a struggle during feeding time. All I can do is make sure that he drinks more milk than the usual when he doesn't take anything at all.

I feel like a bad mother when a day goes by and he doesn't eat anything that I offer him.

Sometimes, dining outside makes you discover things that can help you with a certain dilemma.

One weekend, we decided to have a family lunch-out at Kenny Rogers'. Aside from the honey bourbon baby back ribs I love so dearly, I am also a great fan of their tasty side dishes such as the coleslaw, potato salad and corn & carrots.

Miguel never liked to munch on what we had but he got pretty hyped up when we gave him corn & carrots. It was probably the bright colors of yellow and orange that lured him to have more. It might also be how this side dish appealed to his palate. He finished half of the serving and it sort of gave me the idea to try to fix something like it at home. I have no idea how it was done but I tried to figure it out based on how I tasted it.

Ingredients:

Directions:

Melt butter in a frying pan.
Saute the carrots over low fire for two minutes.
Add the well-drained corn until a little tender.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I think adding a quarter of a cup of cream will make the serving yummier. :)

October 14, 2009

Can I Slenda My Way To Fitness?

by Ivÿ, in Personal Dailies + Musings

Dear Me,

I won Hearty's Haven Slenda Giveaway! I wasn't really expecting it but when the package arrived at my doorstep, I was convinced.

Honestly, I don't really believe in taking stuff just to lose those super extra fats from my body. I'm a skeptic.

What I really believe in is that you have to work hard to shed the excess weight. I believe in balanced diet and body work-out.

I dislike the idea of depriving myself too much of something and in exchange, take some kind of meds or supplements. I don't think that will help me in the long term.

I am not supposed to be so concerned about my current body frame. But sometimes, things have to move on, like my post-preggy fats have to go. My little boy is now two years old. Being a little bulgy because I gave birth is no excuse anymore. Besides, I'm having problems with my wardrobe. Most of my clothes have decided to desert me. Hehehe.

I'm giving myself a chance with Slenda. I read through the little printed paper in the box. It's a supplement made of a mixed blend of herbs (Polygonum cuspidatum = Japanese Knotweed = resveratrol, Camellia sinensis = green tea, Lagerstroemia speciosa = banaba, Curcuma longa = turmeric of the ginger family). As far as I know, each ingredient is acclaimed for its own health and medicinal benefit.

Starting tomorrow, I'll take Slenda before each meal. Each meal means moderate intake of food (not yet on the balanced diet stage) and my own version of work-out (running the stairs like what I do in Philamlife Tower years ago) which I've been doing lately. Oops, I can also take a peek in the Slenda DVD that comes with the box of capsules.

I am hoping to Slenda my way to a fit body. :)

October 09, 2009

Krispy Kreme's Ondoy Fund Raising Efforts

by Ivÿ, in Food + Cravings

Dear Me,

My current favorite donut shop, Krispy Kreme is not just all about the sweet things. It is doing its share in helping the typhoon victims by holding a fund drive.

Krispy Kreme Philippines is one with the country during this time of need – giving priority to seeking ways by which it can provide assistance to those who have been affected by Typhoon Ondoy.

Among one of the most immediate actions it has taken was to give away free doughnuts to typhoon victims and relief operation volunteers.

But as the past days have shown, no one could do it alone. That is why it is encouraging everyone to help them in their fund-raising efforts to provide relief for Ondoy victims, by simply purchasing an Original Glazed doughnut this coming Sunday, October 11, 2009.

For every Original Glazed doughnut you buy, the sale will automatically go to Krispy Kreme's relief fund which will be distributed to the Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya.

Together, let us join hands in rising from this occasion and prove that heroism is truly a Filipino trait.

Visit the following stores on October 11 to join the fund raising:
Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall, Greenhills Drive-Thru, Trinoma, SM MOA Main and Drive-Thru, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Ground Floor & 4th Floor, Glorietta 4, The Annex SM North Edsa, SM Fairview Annex.

October 02, 2009

Laura Freeman's Somersault Season

by Ivÿ, in My Growing Angel

Dear Me,

My little boy is turning two in a three days. I noticed how fast he grows up. He moves with such alertness and never seems to get tired. He is so bouncy.

Little Miguel loves to sing and dance. Whenever he hears music, his body gets attuned to it. It was such fun to see him do incredible stuff.

Anyway, I am looking for new kiddie music compilation that he will also love to groove into. He is still into the Barney and Baby Einstein stuff kind of music. I would like to expand his 'repertoire,' so to speak. Hehehe.

As I was looking around the internet, I discovered Somersault Season by Laura Freeman.

Want to act like a Monster?
Sing like Frankenstein?
Slide down a Glacier?
Listen to these action songs
that keep kids busy all year long.
March, shake and skate through the seasons.

Themed about the various seasons and the changes they bring, Somersault Season seems like "to keep busy active bodies moving all year long."

This sounds like a perfect dance collection for my little boy. :)

Lavender & Coffee Stains

Books In A Sentence Or Vice Versa?

Teaser Tuesdays For Oct 27

Hour 2: A Slow Start

Hour 1: Getting To Know

October 2009 24 Hour Read-A-Thon

My Book Model

Wordless Wednesday - In Their Honor

Teaser Tuesdays For Oct 20

Hide and Seek Film Review

My Little Book Lover

Jollibee's Newest Treat

Booking Through Thursday - Weeding

Buttered Corn & Carrots

Can I Slenda My Way To Fitness?

Krispy Kreme's Ondoy Fund Raising Efforts

Laura Freeman's Somersault Season

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