That Girl: Vina Marcela Co

Height doesn't matter, yes. If tall girls can turn heads, well, petite girls can break necks.

She is my cousin's old flame. She is my godsister's best friend. She is close to my family and almost close to becoming a part of it (but that's totally a different story!). We used to have drinking sessions together with the rest of my cousins and eat at Julie's after party. She is very bubbly, charming and always full of life--dumb moments with her is definitely impossible.

She is sometimes your typical teenager who takes a lot of pictures of herself, posts everything on Facebook and she will instantly be an internet sensation a la Tricia Gosingtian getting a lot of hypes, likes and comments minutes after.  

 She has a regular routine of spending time at coffee shops with friends like everyone else.

Of course she has her "wacky" photos...

...but only her can do the "wacky" pose very wacky. Pak! [Original caption:

YAN ANG WACKYYYYY!!! Ano baaaaa!! :))))))))]

She plays role in front of her web camera too, in a royal way. (Her crown matches the Royal Wedding I'm watching right now.)

She has her "make-me-beautiful" moments...

...as well as her "naturally-beautiful" times!

THAT GIRL is VINA MARCELA CO. :)

Get a Tan at Bataan!

Another late post since I never had a hold of Shorty over the holiday...

I had my sun, sea and sand craving last week just like everyone else. We actually didn't plan to go to any of the beaches near the metro--well, we actually planned. It's just that I didn't realize that we're going to push through with the first beach trip with some of my Marcial cousins. It was a choice between Batangas or Bataan but since we're from the north and Ruth Abad's photos in Pamarta Bali attracted me, I insisted to go to Bataan instead.

Welcome to Bataan beach! We stayed at Coralview Beach Resort because all the good resorts there are fullybooked. We insisted to stay at the new resort nearby, Phi Phi, but there's no available villa anymore. Coralview is a good choice though, we spent overnight in a single room to think that we're 7 adults + 1 child! The resort has such a friendly staff, thank you! :)

The Monkey, The Pig and The Cat. Meet my awesome sisters, Mamai and Miming!

It was our another "first beach bonding experience" as young adults! Hehe. We used to go to the beach, particularly in Palawan, when we were kids but we didn't get to enjoy it because Mom wouldn't allow us to play under the sun. Ate Mai and I went to Boracay in October last year and so of course we missed our kitty!

Aside from the usual sand castle, my sisters and cousins made my dream of becoming a mermaid come true! Ariel, Dyesebel, Mutya, Dyosa Agua, Alakdana... call me whatever you want! Hahaha! :)

And of course, beach volleyball shouldn't be missed! It's Marianne-Ebok-Miming team vs Paolo-Mamai-Symon team. Guess who won? NONE.

A picture with my sweetiepie... :>

And more! This "burst" pictures with Paolo freaked my Mom out on Facebook. Check out her hilarious comments on this album.

Photo: Gian Gancia | Post-processing: Marianne Marcial | Bikini top: Sunkissed by SM Department Store | Bikini bottom: Freeway | Yellow blouse: Cherie | Flipflops: Havaianas

It was a very short trip for us because we stayed there for only 14 hours. My cousins Symon and Ebok with our nephew Roddick and his mom Ate Lauren joined us. I feel like going back there whenever I have free time instead of going to Batangas because it's closer (I'm from the north)!

♥♥♥

The day after we went home from Bataan, I received a call from Paolo asking me to go with them in... Bataan. Again, ha! Of course I couldn't say no because he joined my family outright when I asked him to so I said yes. Good thing I didn't unpack my bag the night before so I just filled in some stuff I already used (like sachets of shampoo + conditioner, towel, some clothes, etc).

I snorkeled again (the last time I snorkeled was in Bohol, 4 years ago) and man, I got scared! Haha. There were big, big, big waves! I am scared of waves!!! But I still jumped because Paolo already jumped. Booya, my head hit that bamboo pole! Major headache but I'm OK!

These photos above show how painful hitting the pole was! As I've said, I'm still OK!

Photo: Gian Gancia | Post-processing: Marianne Marcial | Bikini top: Sassa | Leopard-printed shorts: Landmark Department Store

If ever you're planning to go to Bataan, I recommend staying at a.) Coralview Beach Resort because they have the friendliest and most accommodating staff plus they got a relaxing ambiance! No "crowded" vibe despite the high peak season. You can also try staying at b.) Phi Phi Beach Resort, a recently-opened resort with a la Boracay amenities. Call 0917-8131228 for more details and look for Engineer Roel.

Toto-ong Kaibigan, Maligayang Kaarawan

You know it's better for surprises to be given late than never.

Belated happy birthday, Toto! I am 6 days late, 1 day before I become 1 week late. Sorry if I have to say putangina mo... I recall you said you want to be badmouthed on your birthday to make it different, compared to the usual "Happy birthday!" greetings. 

Ang TOTO-ong kaibigan, sinasamahan ka kumain kahit saan.

Ang TOTO-ong kaibigan, lagi kang tinutuksong bilihin ang mga bagay na hindi mo naman talaga kailangan.

Ang TOTO-ong kaibigan, sinasabayan ka mag-order para hingian kayo ng barya kapag kinulang ka o kaya para magpalibre pag walang pera.

Ang TOTO-ong kaibigan, masarap kainuman... at lagi mong kainuman!

Ang TOTO-ong kaibigan, palagi mong kasabwat sa lahat ng kalokohan.

 Ang TOTO-ong kaibigan, sinasamahan ka sa oras ng pangangailangan, kawalan, kalungkutan at kasiyahan. (Naaalala mo ba 'tong dalawang larawan na ito? :D)

Thank you for being my best gay friend on earth. Thank you for cursing my haters, thank you for being the bitch in behalf of me. Thank you for almost 17 wonderful years of friendship. Thank you, thank you, thank you! A million thank yous will never be enough but I know you deserve to be thanked for.

Your TOTO days are spent with me. Remember when we used to push-pull our little chairs under our table when we were in Kinder 2? I will never forget your smile during those days, I bet you're giggling over our former classmate, Joel Galang. :>

You're one of the very few friends I give my complete trust to, not to mention my dark, little secrets (wait, do I have some? HAHA). I know you're going to blackmail me eventually but just in case you change your mind not to do that connivance with Jec anymore... thanks a lot in advance! 

 Happy birthday and I love you, TOTO-o kong kaibigan! :)

Always,

Shoppergasm

I love SM Department Store! I tweeted about this several times already and I really, really want to share you how much I love this store. Shoes and bags from Parisian, everyday clothes from GTW (Girls Teen Wear) section particularly Betty, Red Head, Shopaholic and True Love, and formal wear from Soiree, wallets and other accessories from What Women Want and Make it Complete--gaaaahd, I ♥! Having a petite body is such an advantage for me because I get to choose from the wide collection that SM offers. For the latest trends, I regularly check out GTW and prices range P399-up. Amazing, right? Walking inside SM Department Store gives me instant shoppergasm, it motivates me to work harder! :)

Last Monday, my colleague and I dropped by TV5 head office's annex, SM Novaliches (HAHA!!!), for lunch. We went around SM after our meal so yeah, a new collection of swimwear from Coco Cabana welcomed me. I checked out every single pair hanging there and I found a gorgeous hot pink bikini top. I'm about to buy it but I saw a poster from afar and this is how it looked like:

The colorful animal prints bandeau caught my attention. I hurriedly asked the sales lady on where I can find it or if it's available in SM Novaliches, she said yes! I ran toward it seconds after she pointed out the direction! Omg, price starts at P299! Unfortunately, the animal prints bandeau type was not available but of course, I didn't go back to work without carrying a shopping bag with me. Guess what I bought? I bought the graphic bikini set (look for it in the photo above) and a yellow/purple tribal bikini set both from Sunkissed. Total bill was P699 but since SM I have P100-worth vouchers, I only paid P599. Yipee!!!

I also took home LW/GTW summer series catalog. Included in the catalog is a hundred peso discount coupon in every P1000-worth of items from Coco Cabana, Summer Salt and Sunkissed. Promo is until June 2011 so what are you waiting for? Come to the nearest SM Department Store and ask for a catalog.

That floral maillot with orange straps is a steal! I really want to try wearing maillots but I don't think I can flaunt it the way others do! I have a straight figure!

Neons and brights are so in this season so I didn't hesitate to buy the yellow/purple tribal bikini set for only P399. Yes, it's a pair!

They also have vintage and nautical pieces aside from the usual animal prints and floral ones. And of course, when you say summer special, it does not only pertain to swimsuits alone. SM Department Store completes summer with cover-ups, sunglasses, maxi dresses, hats and other accessories.

Truly, SM has got it all for us! Good finds at very affordable price. My savings and closet definitely agree! For updates, follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook. :)

Photos from SM Department Store Facebook/website and Redhead Facebook.

This is Philippines

I just want to show the other beautiful side of my beloved Philippines. While I'm on a quest to find the perfect getaway this summer, might as well help those who are on a quest too! Come and join me! :)

The photos below are definitely the country's most popular beach destinations. Tipong unang tingin pa lang, alam mo na kung saan.

BORACAY

PALAWAN

BOHOL

SIARGAO

CEBU

DAVAO

Now take a look at these:

Can you guess where these photos were taken? THIS IS PHILIPPINES. You need not to be surprised. We live in such a beautiful country, a country consists of 7,107 islands. God's masterpiece, something Filipinos should brag about. Aren't you glad that there's no need to secure a Visa to get in here, that you don't have to worry about culture shock and the like. So what are your answers? (Clue: These destinations are the same as above.)

I've been to 5 of these 7 places so I'm really looking forward to see the other 2 this year. I have actually bought 2 new pairs of bikinis earlier today so imagine my excitement. It's a score to buy travel essentials prior to your trip to make your expenses a little lesser. Score that!

Going back, while I was doing a research about where to go this summer, I stumbled upon these two new next big thing in the tourism industry.

 

BELLAROCCA ISLAND RESORT AND SPA in Marinduque. A Santorini-inspired resort located in the southern part of Luzon, approximately 30 minutes away from Manila via air passage. Managed by Genesis Hotels and Resorts Corporation (Astorias, One Tagaytay, etc), Bellarocca opened last 2009 and became fully operational just last year. One extra good thing about the resort? It is composed of all-Filipino management team contributing to social, economic and personal growth of its community.

I'd really love to visit this Filipino paradise, another world-class beauty in our native land. To know more about Bellarocca, check out their website.

Pilipinas, tara na!

Answers: Panglao, Boracay, El Nido, Cebu, Pagudpud, Davao and Siargao.

Images from various websites searched through Google; Bellarocca images from bellaroccaresorts.com