Hi y'all!

This is just a very quick post. I'm doing my rounds of blog hopping and I decided to sneak in a short post here as an outlet for my giddiness. Yep, I am giddy with excitement because tomorrow is THE DAY! In 10 hours, more or less, we (my brother, SIL, myself and my nephew) will be trooping to the airport to pick my parents up.☺ Gosh, it's been 5 1/2 years since I last hugged and kissed both of them and I am so excited to all that to my parents again! I'm also excited for them because it's their very first time to see my nephew Keoni in the flesh.

My BIL texted me around 10 this morning to tell me that they were already checking my parents in and his last text was to tell me their all set to board. So now I am counting the hours, ever so slowly IMO. I'm hoping to be more active in updating this blog as well as my Princess blog and youngest blog in the coming days. Until then...☺☺☺

For the 1st time ever, I ordered a couple of stuff from an online shop I found in Facebook. The seller's product really interested me, plus the thong sandals she was selling was in purple so I knew I just had to order. Anyway, it was a fast transaction. I ordered the stuff I wanted, she gave me her account numbers and then I provided her with my shipping address. That same day (which was a Wednesday), I asked my brother to deposit the payment for me and after I confirmed to the seller that the funds have been transferred, she told me to expect the items the following day.

Thursday came but there were no signs of the items I ordered. This part surprised me a bit because I knew the seller was sending the items through Xend and Xend has delivered items to my house twice already. On both times I got a call from a representative of Xend to ask the exact location of my house and if it was possible for me to wait for the courier outside (to which I happily obliged). I was expecting the same thing to happen but Thursday came and went.

This morning (Friday), I called up the seller to ask for my tracking number. She, too, was surprised that I haven't received the items yet. She called Xend and she was informed that my items were put on hold "due to an unlocated address". Hello? They have delivered friggin' twice to my house! I called Xend and told them the same thing but they had a lot of excuses. I told them they should've called or texted me to inform me that they were already withing the vicinity so I could've given them exact directions. Ugh! So now I have to wait until tomorrow for my items. Blasted Xend!

As I mentioned before, my parents would be coming home soon. Actually, their arrival is on the 1st of November. Hence, we’ve been busy preparing the house. We’ve made some improvements in the living room. It now has a homey feel to it unlike before when there were no displays whatsoever. My SIL bought some pretty candelabras and some scented candles and even a few centerpieces for the center table in the living room and the coffee table. Our kitchen also underwent a major makeover. The cabinets and cupboards have been repainted a crisp white, we’ve installed a large mirror in the dining room and even bought a few kitchen furniture like a kitchen island made of wood and tiles, a rice dispenser that doubles as a pantry and a few organizers. Since my mom loves to cook, it goes without saying that the kitchen will be her sanctuary so we’re prettifying it. Since we still have a few days before their arrival, we have ample time to spruce the kitchen up and we’re going to shop some more for kitchen furniture, probably a buffet table or a small china cabinet, this weekend. I’m just keeping my fingers crossed that everything will be ready by the time they arrive.

I am a certified coffee lover. I can go without food the entire day, but never without coffee. If I fail to drink coffee, I end up with a very bad headache which eventually becomes a full blown migraine. Anyway, my love for coffee has extended to other things related to coffee. Like coffee makers, coffee mugs, and a lot more. Coffee has also become the bond that binds me and my friends together. We talk, cry and laugh over coffee. I love coffee so much that I am even planning on influencing my non-coffee lover friends to change their notion of coffee. How do I intend to do that? Well, I plan to give them coffee jugs as gifts this coming holiday season. I think a coffee jug is a great gift idea because the recipient can take it anywhere, anytime and aside from that, delicious coffee stays warm. You might want to consider giving coffee jugs as gifts too. It would be nice to know that every time our friends would drink from their jugs, they would be reminded of us. I recently came across an e-commerce shop where anything related to coffee are sold – from coffee machines, to coffee beans and a lot more – and since they operate online, it would be a cinch for me to order from them.

I have been handed this award by Vera a few days back and it's only now that I got around to grabbing it and posting about it here. Much as I want to be one, I don't really consider myself as a versatile blogger.☺ But  I really appreciate the fact that someone on the blogosphere, like Vera, thinks I am. Thank you so much Vera!☺

Upon receiving this award, I have to post 7 random things about myself. I have actually already shared these 7 random facts about me in my other blog (part of the rules for an award I received from another blogger) but nevertheless, I'm sharing it again here:

1. I don't know how to ride the bike. It seems weird that I should list it here but it's something about me which most friends don't know.

2. I'm scared of cats. Cats scare me more than dogs do. I blame that on Stephen King's Sleepwalkers.

3. People, especially those who've just met me, think that I'm a snob but I'm not. I'm actually just a shy girl who's afraid of rejection so I tend to keep to myself at first for fear that others won't accept my hand of friendship. But once I warm up to you, you'd think otherwise.

4. People say I'm mataray. I don't think it's being mataray. I think it's part of my defense mechanism, something to show others that they can't take me lightly and I'm not someone they can just put aside and downplay.

5. My first taste of freedom (read partial independence from my parents) came when I was 27 years old. Can you believe that?

6. I'm already 33 but I still think I'm missing an important element in my life. Honestly, I don't know what it is.

7. I was held up by a guy who was pointing a balisong (a type of knife) at me and he took my cell phone. No one tried to help me (I was riding the bus) so I screamed and screamed as loudly as possible. Guess what? The hold-upper returned the cell phone to me.☺

 So those are my random 7. Now to whom shall I pass this award? There are so many versatile bloggers out there so whoever wants to grab the award, by all means, please do! Just please let me know that you did so I can check your blogs out.☺

Sunday Stealing: Another 50 Questions Meme, Part Two Indeed!

26. Do you like someone? - No.

27. The last song you listened to? - Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars.

28. What time of day were you born? - I think around 10 in the morning, hence my name, Sunshine.

29. What’s your favorite number? - 6.

30. Where did you live in 1987? - Still the same area I'm living in today, a city in Metro Manila, Philippines.

31. Are you jealous of anyone? - No.

32. Is anyone jealous of you? - I hope not.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened? - I was getting ready to go to work. I learned of what happened because the morning news in the Philippines were giving blow-by-blow reporting of what's happening then.

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? - If there's a maintenance man nearby, I ask for his help. If there's none, I just walk away. No sense losing sleep over that.

35. Do you consider yourself kind? - I'd like to believe so.

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be? - Somewhere inconspicuous. Perhaps on my hip.

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be? - French.

38. Would you move for the person you loved? - Yes.

39. Are you touchy feely? - Yes.

40. What’s your life motto? - Live like it's the last night of the world.

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times? - My cellphone, a scrunchy, my flash disk.

42. What’s your favourite town/city? - The city where I live in. It's near a lot of great places.

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? - Groceries.

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? - Can't remember. I think 4 years ago.

45. Can you change the oil on a car? - No.

46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her? - Geez. I can't even remember who he is. LOL! I guess first love does die.

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry? - Oh boy. I do know that I have a bit of Spanish blood from both sides but as far as tracing back my roots, I can only go as far as my great-grandparents.

48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy? - Had to attend an important church event.

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now? - Yes. But it's a monthly thing.

50. Have you been burned by love? - Over and over again.

Saturday 9: Spooky

1. Does anything about Halloween “spook” you? - Honestly? None.

2. What is the favorite costume you have ever worn for Halloween? - I went to a party as ME and I think that was the best costume I've ever worn.

3. What is your favorite thing about Halloween? - Candies, candies and candies!

4. What one topic is (or was) the most painful to discuss with your parents? Why? - My foolish shenanigans with boys.

5. What was the happiest day of your life? Do you think you'll ever top it? - All the days I considered happy turned out to be preludes to living nightmares. So I've changed my take on that.

6. What animal would you like to be able to communicate with? - A cat. I'd ask him why he scares me so, why he keeps on meowing and why it seems as though they speak to me sometimes.

7. In what way do you come nearest to perfection (as you define it)? - I know that nobody's perfect so I really have no basis for defining perfection. 

8. Do you have any recurring nightmares? - Yes.

9. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be and why? - I won't change anything. I'd like to believe my parents raised me the best way they possibly could and I am so thankful for that.

In two weeks, my parents would be arriving from the USA. Actually, if they hadn’t extended their stay, they would’ve been here since 1st week of October. But anyway, I was talking to my dad the other day because he was asking me to check out which among the banks here offer the best interest rates for dollar accounts. He also wanted me to start canvassing for affordable rates of company letterhead because he needs them for his travel agency.

I still haven’t gotten down to that second request of him but I do know of an online company which is popular for custom-made letterheads. I’ve seen their designs and I can definitely say that they know how important it is for a business letterhead to reflect the cause of a particular business, hence, the quality of their works. That’s exactly what I want for my dad’s letterhead. I know just how scrutinous my dad can be and he’s one that’s always after class and quality so their letterheads will definitely work for my dad. Plus, with a fast turnaround time of 3 days, I’m positive that the letterheads will be ready just in time for my parents’ arrival on 1st November.

A few days ago, my brother sent me a text message telling me that he was going to do some paint job in the house today, Wednesday, and that I would have to man the shop. True to form, he was all geared up to take on the painting job since last night, even sleeping early so he can start early.

I woke up around 9 this morning to the smell of paint thinner and paint, I wasn't sure if it was lacquer or enamel. I came down to make my cup-of-Joe and saw my dear brother hunched near the staircase. Supposedly, he was trying to mix both together. Unfortunately, he wasn't handy enough and ended up spilling some of the paint thinner, much to my SIL's chagrin.☺

I wanted to stay and drink my coffee while mocking my brother on the side but the smell of paint was too overwhelming and I could feel my temples starting to throb so I went up to my room and just finished my coffee there. Afterwards I took a shower and left the house which was great because I didn't have to endure the smell of the paint.

A few hours after, my dear brother calls me up and tells me he's given up on the job. He said the smell made him dizzy and he was starting to see stars. Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor him. I guess he's not such a handy man after all. LOL!  

No, I am not getting married yet.☺ I wish but I don't even have a boyfriend right now. LOL! I chose this song, which is more of a wedding song from a father to his daughter, because I want to dedicate this entry to my dad. He's my hero and I love him for everything he is and everything he's not.

We were chatting through IM the other day and I was caught by surprise when my daddy complimented me on my writing. It turns out he regularly reads one of my blogs through the feed it provides on Facebook. I have never really shown my works or the articles I write to my parents and having him pay me a compliment was like, well, music to my ears. Coming from him, it surely meant a lot to me.☺

There's two things I know for sure:
She was sent here from heaven and she's
daddy's little girl.
As I drop to my knees by her bed at night
She talks to Jesus and I close my eyes and
I thank god for all the joy in my life
Oh, but most of all
For butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer;
sticking little white flowers all up in her
hair; "Walk beside the pony, Daddy, it's my first ride."
"I know the cake looks funny, Daddy, but I sure tried."
In all that I've done wrong I know I must
have done something right to deserve a hug
every morning and butterfly kisses at night.

Sweet 16 today
She's looking like her mama a little more everyday
One part woman, the other part girl.
To perfume and make-up from ribbons and curls
Trying her wings out in a great big world.

But I remember
Butterfly kisses after bedtime prayer; sticking
little white flowers all up in her hair.
"You know how much I love you, Daddy, But if you
don't mind I'm only gonna kiss you on the cheek this time."
With all that I've done wrong I must have done
something right to deserve her love every morning
and butterfly kisses at night.

All the precious time
Like the wind, the years go by.
Precious butterfly.
Spread your wings and fly.

She'll change her name today.
She'll make a promise and I'll give her away.
Standing in the bride-room just staring at her.
She asked me what I'm thinking and I said "I'm not
sure-I just feel like I'm losing my baby girl."
She leaned over...gave me butterfly kisses with her mama there,
Sticking little white flowers all up in her hair
"Walk my down the aisle, Daddy-it's just about time."
"Does my wedding gown look pretty, Daddy? Daddy, don't cry!"

Oh, with all that I've done wrong I must have
done something right.
To deserve your love every morning and butterfly
kisses-I couldn't ask God for more, man this is what love is.

I know I gotta let her go, but I'll always remember
every hug in the morning and butterfly kisses.

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. Rules are simple. Leave ONLY the actual post link here and grab the code below and place it at your blog entry. You can grab this code at LadyJava's Lounge Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Sunday Stealing: Another 50 Questions Meme, Part One (perhaps)

1. When you looked at yourself in the mirror today, what was the first thing you thought? - I need to have my eyebrows threaded.

2. How much cash do you have on you? - Seriously? About $15.00. My money's in the bank.

3. What’s a word that rhymes with DOOR? - Uhm...moor?

4. Favorite planet? - I think Earth.

5. Who is the 4th person on your missed call list on your cell phone? - Aww...I only have 3 people on my missed call list. Sorry.

6. What is your favorite ring tone on your phone? - Usher's OMG.

7. What shirt are you wearing? - A pink tank top from No Boundaries.

8. Do you label yourself? - Nah. If I do then I would just be like the people I hate who put labels on other people.

9. Name the brand of the shoes you’re currently wearing? - My feet are bare right now.

10. Bright or Dark Room? - Dark. Definitely.

11. Did you do anything to celebrate John Lennon's 70th yesterday? - Sleep.

12. What does your watch look like? - It's pewter, about an inch and a half wide and looks like a cuff.

13. What were you doing at midnight last night? - Watching TV and browsing Facebook and Twitter using my cell phone.

14. What did your last text message you received on your cell say? - It was from my brother. He was telling me to cook rice. Uh-oh! Do I smell something burning?

15. Where is your nearest 7-11? - Just outside our village.

16. What’s a word that you say a lot? - I can't write it here.☺

17. Who told you he/she loved you last? - My nephew.

18. Last furry thing you touched? - My nephew's Spongebob Squarepants stuffed toy.

19. How many drugs have you done in the last three days? - I took 3 Ibuprofen pills the other day all at the same time. That's it.

20. How many rolls of film do you need developed? - I use a digicam. Sorry to burst your bubble.

21. Favorite age you have been so far? - 25, that was 8 years ago. That's why I always say I'll forever be 25.

22. Your worst enemy? - Myself.

23. What is your current desktop picture (extra points if you post it.)? - As if we score points here.☺ I don't know what it's called, it's a bunch of different characters that changes every so often. I don't know if it comes with the Windows 7 OS I'm using.

24. What was the last thing you said to someone? - Quiet. That's to my nephew.

25. If you had to choose between a million bucks or to be able to fly what would it be? - A million bucks and then I'll just buy a jet pack.

Saturday 9: Hush

1. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? - Definitely listener.

2. Do you take compliments well? - I think I do although I find it embarrassing when other people pay me compliments. Is that weird?

3. Are you judgmental? - Sad to say, a bit.

4. Do you think more about the past, present or future? - I tend to think a lot about the past and the future. I find that weird for someone who lives life one day at a time.

5. What do you hate? - Liars and egotistical people.

6. Use three words to describe yourself. - Sensitive, loyal and a fighter.

7. Do you celebrate Halloween? Explain: - Nah. I don't need Halloweens to indulge on sweets when I can do that everyday. ;)

8. If you were mixing up a witches brew, what would be in it? - Frogs' eyes (instead of a newt's), cockroaches, rats' tails, puppy dog tails, licorice...

9. If you're in a room with two beds, which one do you sleep on? - The softer, bigger one and the one that's farthest from the door.

1. My favorite month is March because it's my birth month and it marks the start of summer here in the Philippines.

2. What I need right now is to breathe in a fresh breeze.

3. I love to sniff my nephew's head.

4. Bacon, waffles and a steaming mug of coffee are what I like to have as a treat for breakfast.

5. The hobby I enjoy most is reading

6. Oh me, oh my!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a good movie, tomorrow my plans include looking for additional work and Sunday, I want to just take it easy!

I am not a big fan of America's Got Talent. But when I chanced upon this particular season of AGT where Kaitlyn Hamer was one of the contestants, I was hooked. This kid is so adorable! I think she was the youngest ever contestant of AGT, at 4 years old. The crowd loved her, Jerry Springer (host) always planted a kiss on her forehead after every performance and the judges were enthralled by her. It wasn't surprising that david Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne, two of the judges, fell in love with the charming kid. What's surprising was that Kaitlyn was able to draw a sweet smile from the 3rd judge, Piers Morgan who is somewhat Simon Cowell's AGT counterpart.

This video of Kaitlyn singing What a Wonderful World is her audition piece for one of the top 40 spots. Incidentally, she made it through to the top 20. Unfortunately, she failed to make it to the Top 10. But I guess that's alright. Anyway, she's too young to succumb into the pressure of being in the Top 10. I do know that this young girl has got a very bright future ahead of her.

I've always been a huge fan of Dove Chocolate. It's one of my favorite chocolate brands and since I'm a certified chocoholic, I have a lot of favorites.☺

Anyway, I have mentioned in the past that my parents are coming home. Actually, they're supposed to be home already but they decided to extend their stay for another month so they can spend more time with their granddaughters. Since they know that they will be doing more shopping, my parents decided to have some stuff shipped already so they won't get into trouble and won't have any "excess baggage" problems. 5 boxes arrived last week, mostly my parents' stuff. But daddy did manage to include some chocolates for me!☺

One of them was Dove Chocolate which, based on the looks of the wrapper, was their Valentines edition.

They called it the Martha Stewart thingie (can't remember because I literally devoured the yummy chocolates!) because inside each wrapper was a Valentine tip from Martha Stewart herself. Here are two of the tips inside:

"Rewrap a store-bought chocolate bar in a love note."

"For a quick whipped cream topping, use a chilled bowl and whisk."

I was a tad disappointed because I was hoping that the wrappers would reveal wonderful love quotes, but I was happy nonetheless because I finally got to satisfy my Dove Chocolate craving!☺ I hope the stuff they'll be bringing home on the 1st of November would include some packages of Dove Chocolate again.☺

Dark clouds fill the sky with gloom. Rain is falling unrelentingly, dampening my spirits as I stay confined in my room. It's hard to see what's beyond the horizon as darkness fills the skies with haze. But I still strain to see a sliver of hope for me to go on. Looking out the window, something caught my eyes. A halo of colors contrasting the darkness. Amidst the storm, a colorful umbrella stands. A spark of hope, I deem, for life's turmoils. Reminding me that with faith, I can always reach for God's hands. An umbrella, it seems, will be the fuel I need to make my hopes rise.

Sunday Stealing: The Time Traveler Meme

Emily's Rules:

1. Depending on your age, go back 10, 15, 20, or even more years.

2. Tell us how many years back you have traveled and why.

3. Pretend you have met yourself during that era, and tell us where you are.

4. You only have one "date" with this former self.

5. Answer these questions.

Okay, as we start, what year is it and how old are you? - 1990 and I'm 13 years old.☺

1. Would your younger self (YYS, from here) recognize you when you first meet? - Definitely. Except for the weight, nothing much changed.☺

2. Would YYS be surprised to discover what you are doing job wise? - No. I've always wanted to be a writer.

3. What piece of fashion advice would you give YYS? - Stick to the basics and always remember: QUALITY not QUANTITY.

4. What do you think YYS is most going to want to know? - If I am married yet. LOL!

5. How would you answer YYS's question? - Haven't found one who's deserving of me yet.

6. What would probably be the best thing to tell YYS? - It's better to screw up while you're young because you still have a lot of years ahead of you to prove what you really are.

7. What is something that you probably wouldn't tell YYS? - I wouldn't tell my YYS to regret the decisions she makes, whether good or bad.

8. What do you think will most surprise YYS about you? - That I am still single. Hahaha! (When I was younger, my cousins said I will be the 1st one to marry and look at where they are now...all married and they weren't even able to fulfill most of their dreams.)

9. What do you think will least surprise YYS? - That I preferred to bid the corporate world early and just concentrate on working from home as a freelancer. I've never been "employee material".

10. At this point in your life, would YYS like to run into "you" from the future? - Definitely.☺

Saturday 9: Friends, Again

1. Do you make and keep friends easily? - I don't make friends easily but it's easy for me to keep my friends...the true ones.

2. Who was your very first friend? - There's this girl, she's 5 years older than I am and we became friends when I was about 8. Her name's Marinor and although we rarely see each other, the friendship remains and I know that we'll always be a major presence in each other's lives.

3. Who has been your friend the longest now? - I have 2 cousins whom I consider my best friends but outside of family, I'd have to say Marinor. We're the sort who always picks up right where we left off. We've been friends for 25 years.

4. Tell us about your best friend. - She's as different from me as night is to day. But even so, we still click and until now I'm still trying to understand how and why we do. 

5. Tell us about the friend who gets on your nerves the most, and why. - It's not so much as really getting on my nerves but I have this friend who has this annoying habit of talking over others. It pisses me off big time.

6. Tell us about the last time you let a friend down. - I can say, with my head held high, that I have never let a friend down ever. (Well, at least not yet and I'm hoping I won't.)

7. Tell us about the last wonderful thing a friend did for you! - Called me because according to her, she missed hearing my voice.

8. What was the last 'friend' thing you did? - Listened to a friend who was ranting and raving.☺

9. Have your ever been jealous of a friend's S/O? - Yes.

1. My back is aching because I'm sitting on a stool right now and have nowhere to rest my back.

2. Good girls often go wild.

3. Leaves are falling all around, and they make an annoying sight.

4. Lately, I've been falling prey to forgetfulness.

5. Healing is moving on and recovering from a slump.

6. Self-assessment is what I've been up to lately!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching a great chick flick, tomorrow my plans include tidying up my room and Sunday, I want to just let my hair down and chillax!