First Concert, Second Kiss

OK, so the photo isn't that great. But there's a story behind it: Girl is fully resigned to the fact that she wouldn't be able to watch the Usher concert because she would be working that night. The very evening of the concert, girl finds that she can watch the concert after all! Girl is caught unprepared and camera-less. Girl watches concert with boy--the first one they see together after nearly 10 years of being a couple. Girl is sad that she doesn't have her trusty golden digicam. Boy whips out camera-phone and snaps away.

Lesson learned: Be prepared--whether this means looking presentable, having your digicam, or being game for anything--because you never know when something special is going to happen!

Good Housekeeping's September Ish Is Out!

It's actually been out for over a week! Do grab a copy of our latest issue (and help me keep my job)! Beginning this issue, we've got 12--count 'em, 12!--additional pages every month, all for the same price of 100 pesoses!!! A few things we've got inside:

• Newly elected Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez (gorgeous, isn't she? I couldn't stop staring at her during the shoot!) talks about her 12-year romance with husband Richard Gomez. Kilig! And for those who are curious, Lucy is suuuper pleasant and easy to work with! Even if she wasn't feeling well during our shoot, she still soldiered on.
  
• A marriage manual, with issues, stories, and tips for every phase of married life. This one's by former GH editor Jing Lejano. Cute illustrations by creative director extraordinaire Carlo Vergara.
• A disaster preparedness guide. It's been a year since Ondoy--are you any more ready for a disaster this year than you were last year? Where should you go if your area starts getting flooded? What should you do when an earthquake hits? We've got loads of info, from what to include in an emergency kit, to emergency contact numbers you can cut out and post on your fridge. (P.S. Did you know that our marriage contract was Ondoy-ed? Long, ugly story. But til now we don't have our marriage certificate!)
• Chocolate recipes! Yum yum yum! And they're not what you think. Sure, we've got dessert in there. But chocolate in a main course? Intriguing, isn't it?
• P90,000 worth of prizes! Grab a copy to find out how you can get a piece of the pie!
  

And LOTS more! Available at newsstands, supermarkets, bookstores, and wherever else magazines are sold.

House Arrest

A few years ago, I wrote about my need to write lists when I'm feeling particularly overwhelmed. I like making lists because it makes me feel like I'm in control. (Did I just hear God guffaw?)

Right now, one of the things I'm stressed out about is that our house--despite our having lived there for nearly a year (more, in Hamil's case)--still isn't picture-perfect. See, I had two little goals: to have a wedding pretty enough to be featured in Martha Stewart Weddings (check!), and a house cool enough to be featured in Real Living Magazine. That second goal remains unfulfilled. Sigh.

Don't get me wrong. I love our house. I relish going home after a long day at work, and know the true meaning of "home sweet home," most especially after a weekend away. It's comfortable, and it is probably above-average in terms of style. (I don't know a lot of people who have gold and black chairs in their living areas.) But, well, I want it to be as near to perfect as it can be. And so, my list of things to do to get our house shoot-worthy:

• Mount Vitor on a birdcage stand. I intended to just have a birdcage for decorative purposes. But Hamil kind of...doesn't get it ("Anong ilalagay mo do'n?").
  
• Clear the junk under the stairs.
• Fix our entryway! I need a console table or a slim shelf. Also "need" a Victoria Ghost. Har.
• Corral our yoga mats and umbrellas into a big, attractive basket or something.
• Come up with an interesting tabletop tableau for the living area.
• Spraypaint a crow lamp that the Space Encounters peeps gave me as a gift. In gold.
  
• Prettify our first-floor bathroom. Possibly add a teeny chandelier.
  
• Create an accent wall on the second floor--I intend to paint black and white stripes on it. And then hang a bunch of photos in identical, sleek black frames.
• Hang our MDF chandelier.
• Get the damn heater fixed.
• Replace the doorknob on the door of the second-floor bathroom.
  
• Clear the dressing room of crap. (I have way too many old bills and receipts crammed into nesting baskets.)
• Hang pretty prints in dressing room.
• Cover frame of full-length mirror with fabric (inspired by London home store Squint). Think this can be done with fabric scraps and a glue gun?
  
• Get a duvet filler. And new beddings while I'm at it!

Sigh. So much to do. Who has the time? I guess I just have to figure out which stuff I can do in a flash, and get those done before tackling the bigger projects. Wish me luck.

Kiss #1: Wedding Day

This is where The 100 Kisses Project begins: our wedding day, almost exactly one year ago!

Highlights:

• Hamil and I exchanged our vows (and our first kiss as husband and wife) in front of a packed church!
• We had a very pretty, Martha Stewart Weddings-worthy wedding--from my peacock- and ostrich-feather-festooned bouquet, to the black spray-painted doilies on the tables, the accordion frames with our sponsors' pictures and table numbers, the very chic setup and yummy food by Kaye Cunanan, the black lace surrounding the three tiers of our (free) pristine white cake...sigh.
• Modesty aside, I think we had one of the most fun weddings I've ever been to! A number of our friends actually got sloshed, we had pizza delivered at midnight (wiped out in five minutes flat!), and people danced til 2:00 AM!

I gotta say though, the wedding was fun, but the marriage so far--it's a total blast!

Holy Ant Invasion, Batman!

I am seriously stressing out over our ant problem at home! For weeks, I've been noticing trails of ants on the floor, near the stairs, in the kitchen. And please don't think it's a lack of hygiene on our part because we're quite good at cleaning up after ourselves! I've followed a few trails and they all lead to little holes in the wood--in the kitchen cabinet, in the bathroom doorway. So I'm assuming they're nesting somewhere in the bones of our home. AND IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS!!!

Hamil pointed out that we have two kinds of ants. While I'm manic about killing them, no questions asked, he's all about knowing his enemy ("We have red ones, and we have black ones"). I keep attacking them with moist paper towels (die, ants, die!), and they retreat for a bit before coming out later on when that mad, five-foot-one-and-a-half giantess is gone. I've tried wiping their trails with vinegar, I think I've even tried petroleum jelly, and they've worked to some extent. But these home remedies aren't a permanent solution. And I'm not too happy about having a first floor that smells like suka.

Good Housekeeping managing editor Kat theorizes that ants are seeking shelter indoors from the rains--apparently the little critters are everywhere these days. I know Hamil and I have more than enough space for two people, but I do not want to share quarters with a battalion of ants! I'm tired of doing the "good enough" way and am seriously considering calling in the pros. I've got a number already, but if you've had an ant extermination experience, and can recommend a good exterminator, please please leave a comment!

In the Bag

I was fortunate to be invited to the Aranaz private shopping party. As far as I know, bag designer Amina Aranaz Alunan (one of the most mesmerizingly beautiful people I know) holds this sale every year during her birthday month (August)--everything is 50% off!

I don't really need a lot of clutches or teeny bags, since I don't really go to a lot of evening events. What I need are massive bags with space for all my unedited everyday "essentials" (bulky wallet, two phones, kikay kit, notebook, pen...). At first, I was thinking of getting the black version of this RIIR bag...

"Modeling" at our batch reunion/fundraiser. We had another batchmate, Macky (aka Isabel) Roces teach us how to work the runway carrying a bag!

...but I decided that 1) I liked it so much better in lime green (not available), and 2) I would get more mileage out of this bag...

I'm not really a big fan of brands, but I gotta say that I absolutely love Aranaz bags. I remember even back in grade school, (or high school? It's been a while!) when Amina's mom was exporting bags, they had these canvas bags that everyone wanted--what stylish schoolbags they made! And since my birthday was right around the corner, Amina gifted me with one of the coveted bags. I was ecstatic!

That bag is long gone, but I now have three prized Aranaz bags, all of which have gotten lots of compliments (and one of which is actually on, er, extended loan from my mom). And I hope to add to my collection! In time. In time.

Well, At Least One Person Finds Me Entertaining...

I gotta say, I was floored to find myself on Frances's personal list of Emerging Influential Blogs! What she says about Here, Tishie Tishie:

"New wife and new Good Housekeeping editor-in-chief Tisha Alvarez-Angluben is living the life! Her blog is filled with all sorts of fun stuff--dance, food, sports, prizes she won in raffles--reading Tisha's blog is like reading about the girl-next-door: familiar but she always seems to have more fun than you!"

Pretty cool, huh? I don't think I'm going to make it onto the final list, but whatever. Being recognized by a fellow writer/editor is reward enough for me!

I'm also on the lookout for new blogs to add to my reading list (I am horrible at surfing), and am raring to check out Frances's other picks. While we're at it, can you guys recommend other blogs that I should visit? I like reading blogs that are witty and that have an upbeat vibe (because I find that snarkiness breeds negativity, which I have no room for in my life)--no particular topic, because I like being surprised by things outside of my own little world. Suggestions?