Here we are again, October! Oh, how I love thee. Two more months and we'll all be decking the halls with boughs of holly again. I'm pretty happy I was able to accomplish a lot during your time. 

If we're talking about accomplishments though I do not consider this as one of them. I started October on a rough patch - curled up in a hospital bed in the ER due to abdominal pains. We're all still not sure what the heck is wrong with me but I'm continuing my doctor visits nonetheless.

Remind me to take better care of myself; I don't fancy getting punctured multiple times in the hand. 

Once that's over and I'm back on my feet later that week I was able to meet up with my high school friends for a short send-off. 

Lucky for Nikki, her company's sending her to train in Japan for 3 whole months! That means our food trips will be set back by a couple of months, too, but that's fine as long as she brings home lots of omiyage!

PS: Anyone who's going to Japan too and would like to send me gifts, mochi is the way to my good graces! :))

After lunch at Yutaka Izakaya in Sta. Mesa we headed over to the local mall to watch Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Eva Green has always been a girl-crush of mine, and I've heard really good things about the book as well so we decided to give it a shot. Good thing the cinema wasn't that crowded and we got some great seats, too~ We enjoyed the movie immensely and I recommend that you watch it whether you're alone or with a friend!

Right after I celebrated my birthday I went on to don another fancy costume: 

I was fortunate enough to be chosen along with 15 other lovely ladies to participate in Animax Carnival PH's Oo-kun Maid Cafe! (Whew, what a mouthful!)

I've been part of a maid cafe before but I served as the maître d' for that event; this is my first time to participate as an actual maid. :> As someone who shies away from crowds and strangers I figured it was time to step out of my comfort zone and be outgoing for once - and it paid off big time! I met a lot of new friends and reconnected with my old ones from the cosplay scene. ♥ I even ran into a couple of familiar faces! 

It was definitely a refreshing change of pace, all in all. *purrs*

Of course I saved the best pic for last:

10/10 would join this again just for another photo with T-Rex-kun! :)) Thank you for the experience, Animax PH!

After that crazy weekend Jed and I had a lunch date at Yabu to "celebrate" my maid cafe stint, lol. Everything was a blur at this point mostly because the endorphins are still working their magic, plus I'm with my no. 1 source of good vibes! :P

About a few days later we went for a stroll around their village and chanced upon The Nook Cafe while it was still semi-empty - so of course we had to go inside and have some of their butterbeer!

We also ordered some bacon-wrapped chicken for snack, because BACON! Haha.

It's customary for one to take a picture wearing their House colors! One should never leave the cafe without a shot or two, I think!

In the end, this month had been one stroke of luck after another. I may have gotten off the wrong foot with October, but I'm waving goodbye to it on a high note. There's still a month and a half left until Christmas, still, so let's see what kind of luck I'll run into next!

Attribution: Blot title photo by averie woodard

About a year and a month ago I told myself I'm fine with us being 'just friends'. (But I wasn't.) 

And I thought that didn't really bother me. (But it did.) 

Because, really, I was happy to be called his best friend. (But I wasn't.)

So I went on with my days and told myself I wouldn't think too much about it. (But I did.)

Exactly a year ago I decided I wasn't fine with us being 'just friends', and now here we are. 

To celebrate our first revolution around the sun as a couple, Jed and I decided we'd try out Loreland Farm Resort and Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa. We saw their page in Facebook and thought it was quite beautiful we had to book right away! 

I made my reservations for Loreland via Agoda and paid with a card, but you can call them directly to get a room reserved and have your payment method arranged. I think you can pay via bank deposit or transfer. 

For Luljetta's though you'll have to call them in advance and let them know when you'd like to book for a visit, especially if you'd like a massage included in your package. You'll also have to pay them in advance so that your slot is reserved for you.

Although you may walk in they'll accommodate you according to how many people have reserved for that day and if there are any free slots left, so best make sure you'll be tended to by calling ahead of time - plus it's polite y'know!

If Jed were to write a blog post, the first entry would probably be about Rossa. This is the second bunch he had bought from them and he would always rave about their exemplary service, from the inquiries down to the delivery. I'm quite flattered he thinks I'm worthy of receiving bouquets as beautiful as this! ♥

Snaps below are a mix taken from both Loreland and Luljetta's btw!

Antipolo Suman + Lemongrass Iced Tea - apparently a house specialty, this dessert took me back to my childhood! As a kid we used to make frequent trips to Antipolo to attend the mass - a practice well-ingrained in the Filipino culture. You can read more about it here, or consult your good friend Google. Anyway, back to the suman: we used to hoard these in large batches because we couldn't possibly get enough! You can enjoy them by simply dipping them in sugar, but the addition of cashews, mangoes, and latik really brought its flavor to a whole 'nother level, and pairing this with lemongrass iced tea was pure genius.

The Infinity Pool at Luljetta's offers a stunning view of the cliff side and a glimpse at Laguna de Bay. You can also see the Angono River, and parts of Taytay. It gets more stunning at night when the city lights up and the expanse of land is dotted with twinkling lights from houses and buildings.

This place is seriously so photogenic. And don't forget the stunning view from Luljetta's infinity pool! We were so happy with our 3-day stay we decided to book another visit for Jed's birthday. Lol. Can't wait for November!

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Loreland Farm Resort | Luljetta's Hanging Garden and Spa
Brgy. San Roque, Antipolo City, Philippines 1870
Website | Loreland Farm Resort
Website | Luljetta's Hanging Gardens and Spa
Book via Bienvenido Tours 

And just like that, here we are - halfway through the year already. How's everybody going?  

... At least, that's what I think of birthdays. :)) That's why I'm not too fond of my own, even though I love October in and of itself. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. 

This month started out with this lovely invite: 

18 years, plus 12 years of experience for this lovely lady! I adore how quirky the concept was, haha! She reasoned it's because she never got to celebrate her debut properly, and this might be her last chance to do so. Me, I'm all for it - any reason to celebrate a good friend's naming day!

Fast forward to the party itself: 

I'd normally try to write something profound about reaching this milestone, but really I'd just like to focus on the fun for now. 

For now.

Blot title photo attribution:

You'd be surprised by how fast grass grows if you're not paying attention. :))

We started off the month with a lunch date with my college buddies - a rarity no one should miss (yet someone did, but oh well). What started out as playful banter over Facebook quickly became something more, and only then did we realize how much we missed each other. I don't think I'd have fond memories of my time there if not for these lovies!

We're missing one more person, but there's always next time!

It was quick, but lighthearted and fun. ♥

The next morning Jed treated me to that tapa place he'd been raving about when we passed by going to Pam's gig. 

Good stuff, I'd say!

Blog title photo attribution: