sunnysideup finds: My Red Shoes!

A few months ago, I found this unique pair of shoes. It's designed by a Filipino and makes use of pure leather for the shoe and tire rubber for the sole. I just love it's unique design - sort of like the fusion of a gladiator shoes and ballerina shoe.

There are several colors to choose from but I chose the bright red - my current favorite color. I noticed that a red bag or red shoes can always spruce up your simple attire. I've used this in several of my travels.

By the way, I bought my pair in a shop in Eastwood. It's in the floor below the cinema of the first mall/old building.

MESSAGE FOR THE SHOE DESIGNER: I just adore your shoes! One quick suggestion though, please improve on the sole. Maybe you can add some cushioning inside. Although the comfort of not wearing a shoe is there, the thinness of the shoes sometimes causes slight discomfort: I can feel the stones, the roughness of the floor, even the heat or cold of the floor. :)

Thank you series: My first 3k run!

I've noticed the steady increase of organized runs in Manila. Since last year I've been wanting to join and finally hubby and I got to join our first ever run last weekend, it was the Slimmerun event. This will be the first of our many runs to lose the "happy couple" and "winter" weight we've gained in China.

'The crowd gathers as we wait for the go signal!'

'In the middle of running I just had to pause and take a picture!'

I'm a newbie and this is my first try. My next goal is to join the 5k, then the 10k and finally hopefully join trekking/ marathon events. I've always had a love for active outdoor activities but before all that I'll head of to the gym as I need to get back in shape.

By the way, kudos to the Slimmersworld team for a great event. It was a great start for me and I definitely enjoyed the event - even the marketing booths ala free taste centers. :)

Looking forward to other organized runs this year! By the way, if you're interested to see schedules of running events, you can checkout http://www.takbo.ph/, it's an online community for Filipinos.

sunnysideup finds: One-of-a-Kind Oil Paintings and other Great Summer Deals

If there's one thing I never thought I'd enjoy that would be going to the malls Handyman DIY section and Home Decors. As a young kid my mom would literally have to drag me to convince to me to enter the shops but now I can stay there for hours looking for the best organizer cabinets, carpets, bathroom fixtures. Needless to say the price should be good.

Anyhow now I'm so into home decor and I feel so greatly accomplished having been able to furnish and make our room so comfortable and cozy at a friendly cost. Thanks to the 50% sale on curtains at Robinsons East Mall I only spent Php1200 to purchase 3 60x60 curtains, 2 pairs of brackets plus 2 pillow with cases for accent. I did recycle our old rod but it wasn't bad or shabby. Plus a small yellow spotlight on the side definitely makes the room more cozy. I still have more plans to accomplish for our room but so far I'm happy with the initial results.

My hubby on the other hand also got a great deal with his 32-inch LG Fully HD LCD TV purchase. Not only did it come with a P10,000 discount for cash purchase we also got freebies like a free Samsung DVD, a free Genius speaker and TV wall brackets. If you're wondering why so much sale and discount apparently there are low sales in Televisions since most appliance purchases are Aircons. Make sense huh!


TIP: So if you want a good deal on LCD's buy it on Summer when sales for TV's are low and Airconditioner sales are high.

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Oooh by the way, an artist friend of mine is selling some of her One-of-a-Kind Oil Paintings. Her oil paintings are perfect accent pieces for your offices or homes. Prices range from Php3,000- Php15,000.


Here's a group shot of the collection.

For more details on her paintings please visit her website or send her an email.

Sunnysideup finds: Purple is the dog!

In one of our trips to Coloane, Macau my hubby and I were seated outdoors savoring our very delicious desserts from Lord Stowes...and then I spotted this dog. :P

It's just sooooo cute and adorable. I just couldn't help myself but take pictures. The dog was not camera or people shy. I even think it was using it's charm to get us to give him a treat. :)

Note: I still wonder how it got it's purple. Was it an accident or the artistic style of it's owner? :P

Sunnysideup Perspectives: Goodbye to China (for now)

I’m back! My hubby and I left Mainland China last March 26 so here I am back in my hometown and back to blogging. My blog posts have been intermittent, well even nonexistent since the blocking of blogspot late last year.

In China I learned and observed much about their people, food and culture. There were times when I had to adjust and adapt to some of their ways but overall the experience was interesting and worthwhile. As a newlywed who decided to settle in a foreign land with a language I am not able to speak nor understand, my first few months were challenging. I initially felt like a fish on land, but looking back I will always value these moments because it made us closer as a couple. At the same time the relocation taught and reminded me of wifely values and traits like humility, adaptability, selflessness, openness and thankfulness. I am grateful to have had time to experience and focus on being a wife - a fulltime housewife - with lots of quiet and relaxed time on my hands. It actually felt like a 2 year summer vacation for me.

Anyway this entry marks my return to blogging and soon corporate life. There is so much to share having missed blogging for months. That said, expect that some of my upcoming posts will be about the experiences I had during the half of last year.

And so, let me end this article by enlisting the top 10 things I will be missing in China.

#10.Cooler Weather. Being back in my home country -one that is located in the equator, I definitely miss the fact that I don’t need airconditioning for months.
#9.Our rented apartment which became our home for a while, I just love everything about it - the glass windows, the view of the nearby mountain, the man-made waterfalls below us and the noisy frogs singing at night.
#8.Photo perfect places and things. I think I took thousands of photos during my stay here in China.
#7.My evening walks with hubby. It’s daily our time to bond and talk while exercising.
#6.Shitake Mushroom and KiatKiat Oranges. I just can’t enough of this.
#5. Their yummy steamed dumplings and meatballs which we usually buy at the grocery on weekends.
#4. Bread, Bread, Bread. I don’t know what it is with Madeli and Cai De Xuan but everytime we pass by these stores the smell is just so good. It’s like the Pied Piper hypnotizing the rats.
#3. Pasta by Papponi and Cheese cakes (especially the Japan Cheesecake and Cappucino Cheesecake) by Tiramisu.
#2. Our new friends and Catan playmates Victor, Janna and Jonette

and...

#1. Milk Tea/Nai Cha. My ultimate favorite drink. I’ve tried several brands from MTR, Comebuy, AH-2, EDO. Each one with it’s own distinct taste I’ve come to adore.