As you may or may not know (actually, I think only my 4 readers know this) I am a Pizza Afficionado (see Twitter Bio). I refuse to consider myself a pizza "addict" as I am not "addicted" to pizza as I am a lover of it (okay I may be slightly addicted). I could eat pizza all day, everyday and I fear that one day I will become as round as a pizza. But until then, I shall keep munching on.

Now being a pizza pro (I will not be humble about this), I've had my fair share of the good, the bad, and the GLORIOUS. From S&R's delicious and gooey pepperoni pizza, to Shakey's thin crust chorizo madness that is the Castallana, I have listed in my head (and heart) my all time favorites. And I honestly thought, I had a good roster of "go-to/holy grail" pizzas.

That is until... I ate in Motorino. *cue James Bond-esque music*

Thought I would do a quick little entry on a lunch I had with my Mom a few days ago. Mind you, this isn't anything exciting as we always tend to eat in this Japanese restaurant whenever we're in Rockwell. Powerplant sadly has a very limited selection of restaurants and I really wish they would learn to expand more. But on the plus side, Zaifu is definitely a classic fave for my family and I and the food is not only reasonably priced, but the quality still hasn't changed (in a good way).

I love having lunch or dinner with my Mom. I know it sounds so cheesy and lame but I really do. Even if we have some of the worst fights ever over the silliest and littlest of things, I can't help but looooveeee this woman to death. She is the epitome of selfless and lovely and I could only hope to be half the woman she is.

If you guys only knew (which I cannot and wouldn't share because it isn't my story to tell really) just how much my Mom has been through, you would be SHOCKED that she's still standing, and that she even smiles (her smile is gorgeous, btw).

See?? I can't help but gush! And even if it was one of those ordinary days and lunches that we have on a regular basis (plus side to me working at my own schedule), I thought I'd blog about it simply because I love my Mama Hihi :)

All photos are taken with my iPhone. I'm still waiting for Apple to send me an iPhone 6 or for Samsung to gift me a camera Hihi *AHEM AHEM* ;)

One of our faves- the Salmon and (cream) Cheese rolls.... YUMMEH

Life's a beach, ain't it? (And no, I don't literally mean the sandy and beautiful kind- I meant the other kind of... beach... *cough btch cough*) But one thing I learned about life is that at the end of the worst, most horribly unfair, disastrous day- it all comes down to PERSPECTIVE.

As you all know, I am a big believer in jotting down the numerous and various ways I like to go about life- I do this as well on a little journal (yes, may diary pa rin ako) to remind myself constantly that life is all about growing up and getting better. So I thought it was about time to bring out that lil notebook and share with you all 2 little "ways" on how I've sort of changed the way I see, think, and handle things in life. More specifically, the CRAPTASTIC days we all have every once in a while (or in some cases, straight days of doom and despair)

Hope this helps give you a little laugh at the very least :)

Focus on improving yourself, instead of spending all your time hating on others

Wooooaaaahhhhhhh!!! Easyyyy Karla, no one said anything about "hate" - assuming ka ata eh. I'm not a "hater."

First thing's first (I'm a realist) let me explain what I mean about "Hate" in this point. I could basically tell you:

a) Don't compare yourself to others
b) It's not a competition of who has more or gets more opportunities
c) Life is fair, just wait your turn

But... no. 

I'm going to talk about that annoying little sadness, bitterness, jealousy or whatever else feeling we some times get when we see someone having it a whole lot better than us. And yes, for this specific point, I will call it "hate." Let's face it, there will always be someone out there that we may tend to stalk admire from a safe distance. And it gets hard to try and "not compare" ourselves, I mean, we're only human and that's sadly what we do sometimes. But at the end of the day, it's our choice on how we feel about that other person and their life.

We can choose to "hate" on them and be:

1) Jealous for the rest of our lives
2) Bitter that they have what we don't or want
3) Annoyed that they get everything they want and we can barely get our act together

We've all "hated" at some point- I know I have (damn you, Behati Prinsloo) and the one thing I realized is that I may not always be able to just brush it off and not compare myself or feel bad about the situation, but I can sure as heck try to improve what I do and how I go about things. Think of it as a competition (kala ko sabi mo hindi nga competition ang life?) but with yourself. Be better than you were yesterday. Work to be the best possible version of yourself. Continue to grow.


Set Small Goals for Yourself
I love setting goals. Goals are great. They make you feel excited about life, make you dream big and think of all of the fun and awesomeness they bring once you've accomplished them... but setting your goals and accomplishing your goals are two VERY different things. And it's more difficult, really, to do the latter.
I love goals that seem more attainable. I think these goals are great in helping us enjoy life just a little bit more and make us feel worlds better about ourselves. There's nothing wrong with setting "small goals." Now here's why:

Small Goals are more realistic and may be quicker to accomplish. 

Makes sense right? There's no shame in making little, simple life changes goals.

[] Don't eat rice for merienda
[] Finish your project a day or two BEFORE the deadline
[] Set aside P100 pesos a week in your savings
[] Don't shop every weekend
[] Make baon

The possibilities are endless! That's what SO great about smaller goals- they make you able to change up your life little by little and for the better. Take some time to re-evaluate your life and see what little changes you can make. You can even make them one goal a week. Another reason why I love small goals is because they prepare you for the bigger goals you're ready to set.
All those pesky New Year's Resolutions that NO ONE gets to do suddenly get done, because we were able to prepare ourselves and change ourselves to commit more and dedicate ourselves more to goals in our lives. :)

I tried to make a witty blog entry title... I really tried. A for effort? Haha


So I actually don't know if they truly "changed" up their menu but my family and I ate at Hatch 22 last Saturday in Rockwell (THANKS FOR TREATING US TRIN!) we were surprised by the revamp of their menu. Some classic faves like the Bangus Belly and such were removed and were replaced by new breakfast faves like Bibingkoy and main dishes like Fish and Frites and even new sandwiches. Not gonna lie, I panicked at first then got really excited!

I'm not gonna lie, I had a hard time thinking of the proper title that would perfectly convey the message of this entry. I really always try to make my titles catchy but at the same time true- to make them as "me" as I possibly can, whatever that  means.

Lately, I've been dealing with a lot of "waiting" in my life- not just in my life specifically, but in the lives of my friends and family. And I don't know, I always find myself reflecting and thinking about what they're going through, what I'm going through, and if it'll ever get any better. I guess that's why this entry was born.
Please note that I am not a "life expert" or a trained psychologist or anything like that. I'm just like everyone else, someone who goes through life's ups and downs and tries to survive it as best as she can. And if anything, strives to become better because of the struggle. But in reality, life is tough not just because of the challenges it brings, but because of the WAITING that is needed. Especially for the blessings to come.

I hope that with this entry, you can somewhat find comfort in the fact that I too, along with people I know and love, go through life struggles too, and try as best as we can to get through them and become better. Sometimes we just really need to know that someone out there is experiencing and feeling exactly what we are. There is comfort in that.

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

So here we go, my take on "The Art Of Waiting"

Hey guys!


So I thought I'd make a girly type of blog entry (there are only a handful of these up on this blog I've come to find) about some of the products/things/places I have been loving over the past month/s. I'm thinking of starting a series of these monthly- what do you guys think about that? :)

Most of the products I'm featuring in this post however, are makeup- for the past few months (thanks to a million YouTube videos I've been watching #addict) I've gotten a little and by "little" I mean WAY TOO MUCH carried away with makeup and I've found myself collecting tons of new things and learning how to use them. I guess you can say I'm a bit of a "late bloomer" but I've never really found myself using a lot of products due to my terribly sensitive skin. Luckily, so far, these products have been great on my skin and haven't caused me to break out which is always a plus.

I hope you enjoy this little girly venture I'm trying and please remember that NONE of these products are sponsored- I got these all on my own and am using them throughout the months of September and October and I know I will be using them for months to come. :)

Hello everybody!

It feels soooo good to be blogging right now- I feel a renewed sense of self (#naks #anodaw #boom) and I've got loads of energy (might be from the coffee, sweets and constant napping) and I just feel like blogging cause to be honest, I love being able to share my thoughts on this "little outlet/platform of happiness" (maybe I should change my blog name to that Haha!)


Anyhoo, back to the "coffee, sweets and constant napping" bit, my family and I were able to escape Manila whilst still staying IN Manila (ooohhh soo cool of us #rebels) for the Halloween weekend. I must say, it was my first ever "staycation" and I had SO much fun. I think it really helped that a lot of people went out of town for the weekend which helped make Manila seem less... Manila-ish aka NOT CROWDED. :)

Escaping Manila!!!! ....In a Makati Hotel Hahaha

With that being said, I thought I'd share with you all (my 4 loyal readers), a bunch of pictures and a little bit of what we did from Friday to Saturday. All my pictures were taken with my iPhone and my sister's so sorry if the quality isn't "blogger-esque" but hey, I never really considered myself a "legit" blogger to begin with. ;)

Now I am by no means an expert at makeup. I, just like thousands of other girls, go on YouTube and watch numerous tutorials over and over again until I can somehow "master" a certain makeup technique/look. I never really cared much for makeup before I started hosting events and having little stints on TV. For me, baby powder and brow powder was all I really needed (and I actually believe these should be staples in anyone's makeup kit). It's amazing how a few videos on YouTube can get a person hooked.

Finally deciding to up my makeup collection and really learn how to properly (and decently) apply makeup, I started saving up for makeup brushes. I never realized how EXPENSIVE they were until I started canvasing. P 1800 for an eyeshadow brush? P 2,800 for a powder brush? Synthetic vs real hair? Mac vs Sigma?

... wait REAL hair???? Ain't nobody got time fo that!!!

Luckily, due to my YouTube addiction (seriously, they need to put up some kind of rehab because I am speaking like a girl from a Youtube video on most days and I think my family and boyfriend are starting to "unsubscribe" to me if you know what I mean HAHA... Huhu :'( ) I came across a couple of brands that seemed reallllyyyyy good quality and were a fraction of the cost of a Mac or Sigma brushes.

Now if you don't care much for makeup or brushes, then you can skip this entry cause it'll just bore the pants right off of you. But if you're like me, and are looking to start making investments in the makeup department (parang bahay/big life decision lang noh? Haha) then hopefully this entry can help you. :)

Made this myself YAHOOO!!! #learnin Haha

So I'm sitting on my desk, staring at my screen with the biggest smile on my face as I type this. I don't know but even with everything that has been happening lately, from personal problems to traffic, to the negative news on TV and weird weather, I can't help but be, happy.

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I guess in order to survive this life, we really need to learn to just be, well, happy. So I thought about a couple things that I've been doing that me become less annoyed/sad, and just happier. Hopefully this can help you reevaluate things and maybe try to be happier instead of letting life's challenges get you down. :)

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd blog today seeing as I'm sitting comfortably on my couch like a chubby piglet with my trusty nose pore strip on (ever since I started buying these I've been addicted, I honestly think they're the best things EVER) and I've been able to fully process everything that happened yesterday.

A month or so ago, I was invited to speak at the UST BlogCon 2014. Now, I had never ever been invited to speak about my blog anywhere, so I was a little hesitant at first to say yes. I did end up saying "Yes" (parang proposal lang noh?) because:

1. I love the UST community (I've been lucky enough to meet a lot of UST students and alumni and they've been nothing but sweet and amazing)
2. It was an honor to even be asked to speak at a school planned event (considering I don't even consider myself a "legit blogger")
3. It was something new for me to do (bucketlist, check!)

Hello to the wound on my foot! Haha

Last week, after 5 gruelling days of not seeing Nics (he flew to Tacloban and Cebu for PBA games and team commitments) we finally went on our much awaited date to Resorts World.

Now let me first point out that Nics and I tend to fall under the category "Creatures of Habit"- we like staying in or going to malls near us (he has basketball training really near my house) to watch movies, eat or get massages. Very rare (and I say this in all honesty, without any exaggeration) do we go to Makati, let alone the MOA/Resorts area for dates. This trip in itself was an adventure for us already.

Hey guys! It's been quite a while since I've last blogged and I gotta say, A LOT has happened since then. Please expect this to be quite a rambly entry... but with a point!



Lately I've been finding myself struggling a lot with where I see myself going career wise and what I want to do with my life. I know it's such a funny thing to hear from someone who a little over a year ago said that she was "set" on a certain path and was hoping for the best. Maybe it was my mid-life crisis coming in a bit early? Who knows. All I know is that I just have those days where I feel uncertain and down and I know a lot of you out there feel the same way sometimes (So hopefully this helps in a way).

I was struggling quite a lot the past few weeks. I'm not going to lie, they were brutal for me. I would get up, go about my day and wait. Wait for another hosting gig to come up. You know that saying "If it's right for you, then it will be yours"? Well, that phrase was definitely being put to the test in how I was feeling. I love working and I love keeping myself busy so when I get a little idle, I tend to go crazy. I know it's weird, but, you guys know how I am by now (I worked two crazy jobs last year to prove it!) With all this being said, I just want to show you guys how our prayers and hopes do not fall on deaf ears. The Lord listens. He listens to us no matter what sins we've committed or how ungrateful we've been. He proved this to me this entire week. He answered my prayers. :)

As promised, here is Part II of our Cambodia Trip. On these days we treated ourselves to a delicious dinner followed by drinks at The Raffles Hotel in Siem Reap (we showered eh, para di naman sayang ang effort Haha joke!), whole day tour of Angkor Wat and many more adventures along the way.

I know how LONGGGGGGG overdue this post is, but I only found my memory card reader now and a working laptop to blog on (thanks Mom!)

I thought I'd share with you guys some pictures from my 2013 Cambodia trip with my sister Trina and our Mom. Trina and I planned this trip early 2012 and we couldn't wait until we could finally go. I've heard so many beautiful things about Cambodia, from the structures of the temples, to the friendly people and the amazing cultural experience it had to offer. And I have to say, it did not disappoint.

We visited so many temples in our 4 day stay and we were dead tired by the end of every single day. The experience was amazing. I'm not going to lie- after a while all the temples looked alike but just to be there and walk around the area and through the halls was breath taking. I was so in awe of how intricate all the details were and how many hours of labor were spent just creating these masterpieces.


It's sad though that through the years and millions upon millions of tourist visits, the temples are slowly falling apart. Although we've been told during our tour that measures are being taken in restoring the temples, I sincerely hope it can be done whilst still keeping the authenticity of the structures.

Anyhoo, prepare yourselves for a PICTURE HEAVY (you've been warned!) of just some of the temples we visited. I will save Angkor Wat for another entry very soon.

Oh and excuse our outfits and how we look- we decided to dress for comfort since we knew we would be walking (and sweating) a lot! All these pictures were taken with my Nikon D40 SLR and none were photoshopped. That's just how BEAUTIFUL Cambodia was.

Hi guys!

Thought I'd do a blog post on something really exciting that went down this September. I know it's kind of the end of September but I figured what better time to blog about this than now! (I'm weird, I know).

statusmagonline.com

Hello to my 8 blog readers!!! Did ya all miss me? (feeling? Haha)

I think I must explain why I haven't been able to blog in so long before I start this entry.

1. My computer has been busted (but it's working now, yay!)
2. A lot of crazy things have been happening in my life
3. I went through a self crisis and I didn't know how to get out of my funk

So now that I'm actually writing again (it feels sooooo good to be typing on a keyboard again... Am I weird?) I decided to explore everything on my laptop and see what's been chilling on the "blog side" of things. ANO DAW.

I can't wait to start writing about everything I've been feeling lately and experiencing. I promise you all (8 lang naman kayo, so feel ko kaya ko ikeep yung promise Haha jokes.) that I'll be sharing A LOT of it. May drama (rejection, self-doubt, financial woes, identity crisis-ish) and may good times rin (travels, dates, clothes, makeup, hobbies, etc etc etc) and I know that through this blog, I can again start to feel like my old self. I've missed this and I've missed having an outlet for my Random Ramblings :)

SO ANYWAYYYYYY long introduction aside, I stumbled upon this entry I wrote and saved on my laptop. I reread it and realized, wow, this totally still applies to me now *high five past Karla who wrote this way back* so I thought I would share it with you all. Hope you enjoy this little "I'm back" piece :)

I wrote this a whileeeeee back and I thought I'd share it with you guys. Maybe some of you can actually relate and maybe some of you actually have this kind of a relationship.

I guess I'll never stop writing about things like this. Hihi :)


To My Future Husband

Hi.

I may not know who you are. I may not even have met you yet. Or maybe I have, and I just don’t know it but I am so excited to be with you. I cannot wait for our lives to intertwine in ways that I feel could only be imagined or dreamt of. I dream of the day when I can feel your love for me, a love that I know will last.

A kind of love that makes me smile. Not a perfect love. Not a fairy tale love. Just a love that I know in my heart is the right love. The love that people who are truly happy talk about. The love that makes a difference.

I’m not expecting you to be perfect. I know you’re not. I know you’re not some Prince Charming. But neither am I (well I’m a girl, so having “prince” for a title is definitely a no). I’m not perfect, I’m far from it. But I know that through our imperfections will come a perfect fit. A fit that God made especially for you and me. Something that feels like magic but is actually real.

I cannot wait to have conversations with you. I cannot wait to smile at you when I see you in the morning. To laugh at your silly jokes (I know in my heart you’re hilarious). To have little and insignificant adventures with you- whether it’s hunting down the best chocolate cake at restaurants or finding the best little coffee nook we can sneak into when we want to disappear from the world.
I cannot wait to get to know you. Because I know the moment I do, every bad memory, every hurt, every tear, every little piece of my torn up heart will fade. I will be okay. Not because I’m expecting you to fix me, no. I am fine. I can handle my hurts and problems. But I know that when we meet everything will be okay. Not because you will save me, because God already has. And meeting you will be the concrete proof in my petty human eyes that God does answer the most selfish and superficial of prayers. Because He loves us. And because He wants the best for us. That’s what you are to me- the best form of human love close to God’s love. Different from the love I receive from my mom and sister, from friends and strangers- a love so deep and true that it could only be because we finally found each other.

I cannot wait to have arguments with you. I know how crazy that sounds but it’s true. I cannot wait for us to fight because in those fights we grow, more in love and in understanding. I will get to know you and myself more, and together, we can strengthen our relationship.
I cannot wait to love you.

Hope to see you soon. I know God has a plan. Until then, I’ll be right here, waiting for you.

Love,
Your Future Wife

Wow! Talk about a hiatus! Actually, it's only really a hiatus if:

1. I actually really had a HUGE audience/group of blog readers who missed me (Hellloooo 3 blog readers! Haha)
2. I was never really online (which I have been, as you can see from my Twitter and Instagram posts)
3. I needed to get away to reflect about life

Number 3, is, however, kinda accurate. I have been reflecting on life and I've been doing a lot of thinking about where I am and where I want to be in my life. I've also been crazy busy (two jobs = no joke). So here I am now, on a Monday night, face filled with makeup (still haven't showered from taping earlier. Ew.) writing. Reflecting.

I think it's great to have Bible Study every Monday night because it really sets me up for the week. Tonight's Bible Study was very powerful because it tackled the topic: "What to do when you don't know what to do." Gaing noh? I wish it had given me a list of concrete things to do (don't we all just wish things came with a manual/survival guide?) but instead, it left me to reflect and ponder about how I am especially when I'm feeing lost or tired from life.

God speaks to us in the most unique and random ways. But nevertheless, His ways are always perfect. Tonight, after my dinner, I went on Tumbr and started scrolling down through pictures of delicious food, girls in bikinis (it's summer okay I follow summer themed accounts- I'm not a pervert!), shoes, Rihanna and Kardashian updates and of course, some spiritual and God themed accounts. I couldn't help but be moved when this post showed up on my dash. Allow me to share it with you all:

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:16, NLT.
Did you know that God has already recorded every part of your life from the beginning to the end? He knows every disappointment, every loss, every challenge; and the good news is that with Christ, your story ends in victory! God has written out a plan to bless and prosper you. When you choose His plan, your final chapter concludes with you fulfilling your God-given destiny. Here’s the key: when you go through a disappointment, when you go through a loss, don’t stop on that page in your life. You’ve got to decide to keep moving forward. There’s another chapter in front of you, but you’ve got to be willing to take the next step.

Sometimes, we get so focused on what didn’t work out that we stay stuck, reliving the disappointment. If that’s you, recognize that you’ve been on that page long enough. It’s time to let it go and turn the page to the new chapter God has in store. You may not understand, it may not have been fair, but remember, the next chapter is full of blessing, full of favor, and full of victory! Make the decision to let go of the old so you can move forward into the abundant life God has in store for you!

It's amazing how things speak to you, how things touch you and move you especially on days when life just seems to be getting harder, instead of easier. Reading this post made me reflect in my own ways, how I feel about MOVING FORWARD in life. And here's what I've come up with:

Hey, you.

Wow. Who am I to even address you as, well, you. I just really don't know where to begin or how to express how I'm feeling inside. I guess the title says it all. I am, for lack of a better word, grateful.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do what I love and learn from it everyday. Thank you for giving me chances and opportunities that some people can only dream of. Thank you for choosing me, despite how unworthy I truly am.

I guess I never really can ever thank you enough for all that you've given me. Despite how flawed I am. I want to really thank you for everything because at the end of the day, if I only get to do this for a couple more months, well, I want you to know how grateful I truly am and how happy it has made me.

I can only do my best and try to learn from my mistakes and the challenges I face every single day and hope that it makes a difference. I may not be changing the world or fighting hunger and poverty, but I'm trying my best to contribute in society with these opportunities you've blessed me with.

So thank you. Again, thank you for everything.

xx Karla

I've gotten a couple of emails asking me what exactly is in my makeup kit and to be frank, I never really bothered making an entry on this topic because:

1. I was lazy to take pictures
2. I like makeup, but I never really learned how to apply it properly
3. I have REALLY sensitive skin so I didn't know if the brands I wanted to buy were good for me
4. I was lazy to take pictures

But ever since I became a VJ, I learned a thing or two about applying makeup and what shades and kinds of makeup suit my face (at least I think I do, so far, I don't look naman like espasol HAHA).  I also watched a ton of YouTube tutorials and took note of the many different brands of makeup out there. I also did my research (ugh so dorky) on what brands of makeup were good for super mega sensitive skin like mine (seriously guys, I am like, the epitome of sensitive skin HUHU) and after getting a bunch of brands of makeup that I felt comfortable in (and wouldn't make me breakout in hives) I decided to finally make an entry on the makeup that I bring around with me in my bag. Granted I don't use these everyday, I feel a sense of security (ano daw?!) when I carry them around with me. So, here you go! :)

I had promised myself that I would update this blog again... but I have obviously failed at that promise, too. So I decided to make a new promise to myself- to blog about my 2013 travel adventures before 2014 ends. HAHA!

No but seriously, it's about time that I start blogging again. I've just been so busy with life that opening up my laptop has been more of a luxury than anything else (my iPhone has become my third arm, really) so here it goes, my pictures and experiences at my second home- HELLO KITTY TOWN, Malaysia!

Hey guys and welcome to 2014! Yahooo!!! It feels SO good to come into a new year- new lessons, new challenges, new blessings and new beginnings! I always feel so happy and "clean" when coming into a new year, we can try new things and improve on things we know we should.

With that being said I've decided to make a little "Mood Board" post about a bunch of random pictures and quotes that inspire me and make me excited for the year ahead. This is going to be my January Mood Board post because these are some of the things I am currently obsessing loving and getting inspired over. From a room makeover to an actual shoe cabinet that isn't falling apart, I'm excited for what 2014 has in store! :)