Shopping tips for the frugal fashionista

I found this article really interesting. If you love to shop 'til you drop like me, here's an article for you. Article taken from The Philippine Daily Inquirer 7/17/2008 issue

Apples Pickings

Shopping tips for the frugal fashionista
By Apples Aberin Sadhwani
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:52:00 07/17/2008

MANILA, Philippines—With the prices of basic commodities—not to mention gasoline—increasing exponentially, it’s good to think twice about spending your hard-earned money on other items like clothes, shoes, bags or accessories.

During this time, it’s wise to know a few simple tips on how to make the most of your bucks when shopping for wardrobe essentials plus a little extra:

Weed out your closet

Start out by going through your closet and throwing out—or better yet donating or selling—pieces you don’t really need or wear.

Keep tried and true classics like a crisp button-down, basic black blazer or trousers that you can easily update with the use of accessories. Then and only then can you determine what else you need to complete your basic wardrobe and how to maximize the use of the pieces you already have.

Make a list

Before you go out there and shop, try to figure out what you need based on your current wardrobe. Then make a list and try to stick to it! Do you really need yet another dress in your overstocked closet? Will another pair of pumps really make a difference? If the answer is no, avoid swiping that credit card.

Dress for your body type, personality and age

Buy pieces that look good on you and you feel comfortable in—not because they look good on a model in a glossy magazine or they’re the latest must-have item.

Size matters

Don’t buy anything that’s a size too small because you’re hoping to lose those extra five pounds. Choose items that fit you and look great on you now.

Impulse buys are no-no’s

Put things on hold if you’re not really sure about purchasing them. Chances are, you don’t really need such pieces. Wait a day or two to see if you really want to spend on a particular item so there are no regrets.

Update with accessories

Want to update that little black dress or other classics without spending too much? Try doing so with the use of trendy but inexpensive belts, bangles or strands of necklaces. Department stores like SM, Robinson’s or shopping meccas like Divisoria, for example, offer cheap but chic finds.

Try vintage

Ukay-ukays are treasure troves for fantastic finds. Try to go with an experienced friend so she can guide you through the maze that is the vintage market..

Watch out for sale season

This is the perfect time to buy whatever else you need to create a well-rounded wardrobe. Expensive but well-made pieces that you normally can’t afford might be available at half the price or even less. Now’s your chance to pick up that classic trench that’s ideal for traveling or the perfectly tailored pantsuit that you need for work.

Just a little caveat: Make sure you don’t get carried away with all the other marked-down items you’ll find during sales. Stop yourself from impulse buying and stick to your list, as much as you can.

Chillin'

Hi everyone! It's been two weeks since I have been out of work, and I have never felt so rested in my whole life! At least now I do not have to worry about getting late for work (or think about going to work for that matter). I sleep late at night and wake up at whatever time I want, and go back to sleep when I feel like it. Hehehe. I also did some shopping and just last week, I saw 2 movies, Get Smart and Mamma Mia (the latter I saw twice! please see the review I made for these 2 films) and I am so excited to watch The Dark Knight, the second episode of the Batman series under acclaimed director Christopher Nolan. Why am I excited? One answer: Heath Ledger. He seemed to be so good in this movie, that he is a strong contender for an Oscar next year (in the supporting actor category). He may no longer be around to see this film, but at least he left us with a memorable performance. I wonder if The Oscars would give a nomination, much less give out an acting award to an actor posthumously. I have never heard of it being done before, but if they did give an award in Heath's memory, it would be history in the making. And, I liked the prequel, Batman Begins because it is much different that the previous Batman films directed by Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher. Christopher Nolan gave the current Batman franchise a more polished and adult look. Well, that's all for now. I am just so happy to really have time for myself and 'til the next blog!

I'm Fine, Thank You

Hey everyone! To those who read my previous blog and for giving me kind words of encouragement, I thank you! So far, it's been 5 days since I've been out of work, but I am doing fine, thank you. I get to catch up on sleep and a few things in between. My 2 sisters arrived in town and they are about to leave for Tokyo this week, so this gives me the chance to spend time with them. I also get to do things I never had time to do, like clean the house and organize my stuff. I have been tagging along my sisters wherever they are. I was really flattered that my sisters and my brother-in-law took me out to dinner Saturday night at this Chinese restaurant in Binondo called Emperor. We had shabu-shabu and the food was fantastic! Too bad the place is about to close by October, so I guess I should come back there before it closes down. Early today, I attended the career transition thingie that Dell enrolled us in, to prepare us for a career transition. DBM, the company that is handling the career transition thingie, is gonna help us create a more effective resume and give us tips on how to ace an interview, plan the next steps we need to do with our career. The people there are very nice and accomodating. They can also provide us with workstations where we can type and print resumes and search for jobs online. The program is good for 30 days, so instead of me just being idle at home and doing nothing, going there is actually a nice idea. I may not get to go online as much as I did before but I'll still be blogging from time to time. I am taking this time that I am unemployed to rest and think and reflect about what I should do as far as work is concerned. Don't worry friends, I do not wallow in self pity and make myself feel that I am worthless. Moving on has never been this easy, believe me

A New Dawn

After the night comes a new dawn. There has been alot of changes that happened to me during the last 24 hours. I am officially out of Dell, the company I worked for at least a year and a half. No, I wasn't terminated on any serious offense nor did I commit any violations against the company policy. It's kinda hard to explain but to make everything short, what happened to me was a "redundancy of work". I do not belong to any team after going thru the arduous technical assessment I took a few weeks back to cap our technical support training. Unfortunately, I did not make the cut along with 3 other people. So we were placed in a team wherein what they did was to analyze the cases and the calls that the tech support reps made, we check if their cases were closed properly or if there are any markdowns. Since the job grade I had was a supervisor level already, we cannot take calls or we cannot be designated as frontline agents. I understand that it is a management decision. For the past few months, it's kinda hard to go to work every single day not knowing what to expect. And without a team to support or assist, how am I gonna be rated if I do not have a direct superior. I think it's kinda fair that I was kinda wanting for it to happen, to be offered a severance package. And honestly, the amount that I'll be getting is super substantial that it can allow me to take a few months off from work. I think what Dell did was the most humane thing to do. I am just relieved that finally, I am free from any physical, emotional and psychological stress that comes with the line of work I have. Finally, I can have some savings that I can put in the bank. I am finally free from Dell! I cannot anymore elaborate what happened, I won't bash the company or badmouth my former bosses, but I am just relieved. What saddens me the most is that I'm gonna miss the friends I made in the company, and I consider them my lifelong friends. I know I'll still see them, but I won't be able to chat with them or receive funny email threads. But, I am just happy and relieved that finally, we got what we wanted ans we'll be paid accordingly as we part with the company. My initial plans? I plan to take a rest for a month, explore my other options and then send my applications in between. I have been working straight for 4 years, and I will be taking this time to rest and rethink about my career options. Is working abroad an option? It is, but I wanna see what's in store for me here, before I try to fly and look for work abroad. Singapore and Japan are on my list. I also plan to put the money I'll be receiving in the bank and not intend to spend it, unless there is an emergency. I also intend to splurge a bit, maybe get myself a new cellphone or go out of town to relax. I just wanna take things easy. I wanna thank my friends in Dell, for being a shining beacon of hope for me, for the encouraging words and for the friendship they've given me. They were the people who kept me going everyday, eventhough they know that there were times that I wanted to give up and give in. And, I thank God for always guiding me during those trying times I had in Dell. I know a new dawn awaits me. It's time for change. It's time for me to move on. Thank You so much, Dell International Services. If not for the company, I wouldn't reach a certain level of maturity I have when it comes to work, and I am glad to have the pleasure of working with one of the biggest computer and IT companies in the world. There may have been rough, shitty times but it's life and it's part of it. This is just the beginning, only the beginning for me.

Americans are world's top drug users: study

Not so good news for the Americans. Tsktsktsk

Article lifted from the ABS-CBN news website July 2, 2008

Americans are world's top drug users: study

Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - Americans are the world's top consumers of cannabis and cocaine despite punitive US drug laws, according to an international study published in the online scientific magazine PLoS Medicine.

The study, released Monday, revealed that 16.2 percent of Americans had tried cocaine at least once, and 42.4 percent had used marijuana.

In second-place New Zealand, just 4.3 percent of study participants had used cocaine, and 41.9 percent marijuana.

The research was conducted at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, based on World Health Organization data from 54,068 people in 17 countries.

Rates of participation differed from country to country, and researchers noted uncertainty over how honestly people report their own drug use.

"Nevertheless, the findings present comprehensive data on the patterns of drug use from national samples representing all regions of the world," a PLoS statement said.

A vast majority of survey participants from the United States, Europe, Japan and New Zealand had consumed alcohol, compared to smaller percentages from the Middle East, Africa and China.

The data also revealed socioeconomic patterns in drug use. Single young adult men with high income had the greatest tendency to regularly use drugs.

Drug use "does not appear to be simply related to drug policy," the researchers wrote, "since countries with more stringent policies toward illegal drug use did not have lower levels of such drug use than countries with more liberal policies."

In the Netherlands, where drug policy is more liberal than the United States, 1.9 percent of survey participants said they had used cocaine and 19.8 percent marijuana.

Twelve US 12 states including California permit medical use of marijuana, but possession and use remains prohibited under federal law.

And despite the US government's massive anti-drug efforts, the United States remains the world's top drug market, one amply supplied by South American cartels.

The US Drug Enforcement Agency has observed ever larger quantities of illegal drugs pouring into the country.

"We are seizing greater quantities of illegal drugs than ever before," said a DEA statement last week.

In 2007, agents seized 41 metric tons of cocaine in just two raids, and denied drug traffickers record-breaking revenue of 3.5 billion dollars for the year, it said.

Top 10 Unusual Place to Stay

Lifted from the ABS-CBN News website

Top 10 unusual places to stay

LOS ANGELES (Reuters Life!) - From converted train cars to converted prisons, travel Web site VirtualTourist.com has come up with its picks of the 10 most unusual places to stay.

"With limited vacation time, there's no reason your lodging shouldn't be part of the travel experience," said VirtualTourist.com general manager Giampiero Ambrosi. This list was prepared by VirtualTourist and is not endorsed by Reuters:

1. Edisto River Treehouses - Canadys, South Carolina

For those who refuse to grow up, a stay in a tree house is a dream come true. Not only is it fun, but it's clean, safe, and very reasonable.

2. Celica Hostel - Ljubljana, Slovenia

If you've always wanted to spend a night in the slammer, now's your chance. Once a military prison, this happening hot spot is now an art gallery/youth hostel

3. Schottenstift Monastery - Vienna, Austria

If the bellboys look like monks, you're not imagining things. This hotel is actually a functioning monastery where your wake-up call might just be chanting.

4. The Red Caboose Motel - Strasburg, Pennsylvania

All aboard! Although they once traveled from city to city, these little red cabooses now function as private hotel rooms. Needless to say, kids go crazy for this place.

5. Propeller Island - Berlin, Germany

Art lovers rejoice! From upside-down rooms to levitating beds, it's the next best thing to spending the night in a museum.

6. Schlosshotel Schönburg - Oberwesel, Germany

For a true fantasy experience, nothing beats a night in a genuine castle. In spite of its long history, all modern amenities, including Internet service, are available to guests.

7. Ariau Amazon Towers - Near Manaus, Brazil

Connected by a series of catwalks, eight buildings comprise this compound, which has become a favorite of celebrities and everyday travelers alike.

8. Hotel Sidi Driss - Matmata, Tunisia

The force was with the cast and crew of Star Wars when they filmed at this out-of-this-world property. The amenities are minimal, but at less than $20 a night, so is the price.

9. Euromast - Rotterdam, The Netherlands

A tourist attraction by day, this imposing tower becomes an exclusive hotel at night. Those wishing to give it a go should book early; the tower's two suites fill up three months out.

10. The Giraffe Manor - Nairobi, Kenya

Don't bother with a "Do Not Disturb" sign. The long-necked visitors who peek in through the windows of this extraordinary compound will just ignore it.

100

Time flies so fast. I remember setting this account up April of last year primarily just to download songs I can save in my office PC. I never thought about posting pictures in here or making friends because I have always had my Friendster account for that. I didn't tinker this Multiply account of mine I have because I was never aware about how it works before and I thought Multiply was just a music and media sharing site. I didn't even bother to change the theme or add a picture here. But, there came a time that downloading music from Multiply was no longer allowed. An attempt to do so will be blocked by the office firewall. My attention then turned to beautifying my Multiply account, added friends and other contacts here. And then I tried composing a blog. I know that a blog was some sort of an online journal, but I never really bothered about blogging because even if I had the knack for writing and stuff, I never really had the time to cpmpose one blog. I did try to post blogs in my Friendster account but it was just a seasonal thing. I only had less than 10 blog journals there. Their blog page is not easy to operate. I remember posting my first blog back in November of 2007. I was able to post one blog out of complete boredom here in the office. And since then, I have always made it a point to post a blog everyday or every other day. During the time Multiply was blocked by out IT department, I had to go to an Internet cafe just to blog. I was checking my Media Locker earlier and I saw that from November 2007 'til yesterday, I have posted a total of 99 blog entries here in Multiply. Amazing! And what a way to celebrate it is to create my 100th blog. That's why this current blog is just aptly titled 100. Milestones should be celebrated, right? I know my blogs are not as influential as Perez Hilton's or Bryanboy's, but I am composing blogs just because I want to share a piece of my mind and heart to everyone here. I consider blogging like writing a journal in your old-fashioned diary. I get to express my thoughts and feelings on certain issues, I get to pour my heart out if I feel sad and blue, I get to share my happiness and joy as well in a high tech, digital way. Sometimes, I do run out of ideas to blog about. I remember posting a blog about me suffering from what I invented as a Blogger's Block, similar to a writer who's suffering from writer's block. I have never really cared if one person or 100 persons view my blogs. As long as there are people who are interested in the blogs I post, I am thankful for that. I would like to thank the people who always view my blog entries. I hope you were able to get something from it, learn something about me and I hope that I always make sense with the blogs I post. As long as there are things that inspire me to make a blog, I will always keep on posting blog entries. Blogging is like a therapy for me. As I mentioned in my early blogs, blogging keeps my sanity in check. This is just the beginning of more blog entries. Thank You my friends who always take time to view my blogs, I appreciate it. Thanks to Multiply for allowing people like me to post blogs online. On to the next 100 blogs!