Monday, January 28, 2008

Psych!

Thank God for free tv! Now, we get to watch our favorite cable shows minus the fee! Yay!

I know it's long overdue and the news may be too late but for those of you who are not aware, ETC, ETC second avenue, and Crime/Suspense are now on free tv! They've already been bought by local tv stations SBN 21, RJTV 29 and RPN 9. So instead of the local channels you'll be seeing the cable channels instead. Isn't it the greatest ever?!

Well, I am really happy about it, especially now that I get to gossip about my favorite shows with my non-cable subscriber friends! So girls, let me share with you one of my favorite ex-Cable shows: PSYCH!

Psych is basically a crime-solving program. Its twist however is that its main man, Shawn Spencer pretends to be a psychic. I say pretend because he really is not! He just has an amazingly keen eye for detail which he got from being instructed by his police officer father. After Shawn calls in a tip on a crime to the police, he is actually accused of committing the crime. To try to clear his name, Shawn convinces the police that he is a psychic and he begins solving cases for them.

The show is great because it's funny too. You would find yourself laughing off your couch because of Shawn's antics and weird statements. But you would be amazed as well once he points out details overlooked by the police. He's one hellavu crazy guy but he's genius too!

His sidekick Gus is also fun to watch as he portrays the sane, ever-supportive friend of Shawn. He himself is very intelligent and helps out on the cases. The two guys are so fun to watch together because they act like kids sometimes that you would forget that they are actually brilliant.

James Roday plays Shawn Spencer really well. The first time I saw him, I said, "who the hell is James Roday?" I thought he was just some lame actor Hollywood found in a small theater. But no! I was so wrong! Turns out he has been in the business for a while already appearing in shows like Miss Match and The Dukes of Hazzard. Plus, he is not a bad actor! He is actually really brilliant! I haven't seen acting skills like his since Johnny Depp played Edward Scissorhands back in the day. I tell you, he is brilliant beyond words! It's like, you ask yourself how he manages to act like he does and still make it look natural on screen. It's either he's a really good actor or he might really be like that in real life. Whatever the reason is, it works! He is perfect.

Psych is really a promising show especially for mystery buffs. It's fun watching shows like these because they are so old school. No advanced gadgets, no autopsies, no fancy detective work. Just good old sleuthing a la Sherlock Holmes! :)



Psych is shown on C/S every thursday, 8pm

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Nationalized

Have you ever found yourself inside National bookstore just so you could pass time? Well I have. Not just once but a hundred million times before! It's just the smell and look of new stuff that excites me! Well, I'm not here to rave about National bookstore or any other office/supply store out there. I'm here because I want to share with you girls some little fun things I have discovered using stuff from supplies stores!

Fablon wraps. Okay, okay, it's not really called Fablon anymore. Fablon is actually a brand of vinyl sticky covers from the UK and unfortunately we don't have that in the country (yet!). Still, I can't make myself use a different term for it. Besides, calling it Fablon sounds so much sophisticated, don't you think?

Well, what am I talking about? Transparent Sticky back plastic covers! Since S and I got our Belle de Jour planners last year, we have been looking for that something to cover it with because its matte surface was starting to get a lot of scratch marks already. We tried looking for Fablon in local hardware stores (co'z it's vinyl) but to no avail. Well, well, well! Guess where we found some? Yes! correct! At National Bookstore! We laughed at ourselves when we found them because we have literally been looking for them everywhere. A roll costs about 52 pesos and is big enough for your books. It looks like a plastic cover but it's sticky like a sticker pad so you don't need to have any tapes.

There! Finally! I got my Belle de jour fablonized! yay! Don't you think it's so much cooler now? Well, even if it wasn't, I still love it because it screams ME in every way. =)

Dermatograph This I say is one of the very few amazing finds from a bookstore. I saw my close friend using this once as a highlighter and got really intrigued! It's called a dermatograph. It's basically used by medicine students to mark corpses (or was it bones? I'm not sure). It's really weird, I know! But I tell you, it's one of the greatest stuff ever! So like I said, I use this as a highlighter. It's fun because it's just like a crayon so your markings wouldn't be too bright. You also wouldn't need to sharpen it because it has this really cool feature that you simply have to peel it.

I can't describe how, just check it out for yourself. Last thing, dermatographs are fun because they're small and handy. You also won't risk any stains on your blouses or in your books as they won't write on any surface unless you deliberately put pressure on them (don't worry, they are a hundred percent easy to use!) And for the price of only 7 pesos per piece, this one is definitely a really great find!

^ that's my own dermatograph. If you'll use it for highlighting, I suggest getting yellow instead of the neon ones. The neons are fun too but I think the yellow makes the text pop out better :)

Rubber erasers. I know, I know! These are not really a great find since they are naturally found in bookstores but I just wanted to add them here because they have been really helpful to me since my high school days. If you think erasers are used for pencils only, well, you're wrong! You can use them for pens too! Don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying they can erase pen writings, they can't. What they can do however is erase any smudge marks from your pen. See, I'm the kind of writer that whenever I use ball point/sign pens, my writings get smudged on the page making it look really messy. I used to hate it so much that's why I would hate writing with pens. But not anymore! Now, I'd have an eraser within reach to erase the smudge and trail marks from my pen. It works wonders, I tell you! My notebooks have never been so neat and clean! Ha!

There you go PK girls! Just some little something something to make your lives easier as a student.

So, doesn't bookstores sound so much cooler now? *wink!

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Disney on ice


Growing up, I've been exposed to Disney cartoons. I've loved each and every fairytale princess they've introduced. From Snow White to Aurora, and Jasmine to Ariel. Last Friday, NJ and I reconnected with our childhood heroes. We were given the opportunity to watch the Disney on Ice...Mickey and Minnie's Amazing Journey!


I tell you, if you're a big Disney fan (...or even if you're not) watch this, you won't regret it. We were very excited about the fact that they'd be acting while ice skating. Mickey, Minnie and the gang acted as the narrators of the show's story. They explained that they were in a savannah. The first Disney story they enacted was Lion King. The second one was 101 Dalmatians. Before the intermission they showed my favorite, Little Mermaid! I loved how they used inflatables during this portion for 'effects'. When the show resumed, Mickey and the group came out still dressed in beach wear. The first cartoon they enacted after the intermission was Peter Pan! This portion was simply breathtaking. We loved the fact that they tried their best to make Peter, Wendy, Michael and Little John look like they were really flying. The last cartoon they showed was Lilo and Stitch. Yes, we love the cartoons version but this somehow disappointed us. We were expecting a cuter Lilo! haha. They ended the program with a blast (they used faux 'fireworks') and a roll call of all the lead cartoon characters.


Okay girls, enough with the story telling...I suggest you head to the Big Dome with your childhood friends and go see this exceptional production. It's time for us to reconnect with our 'nene' days! Watching Disney on Ice would surely bring back your childlike ways too. Now, don't forget two things. First, don't forget to wave at the characters. Finally, just ENJOY ENJOY ENJOY!



Event Date/Time:

January 19 - January 27, 2008


Disney on Ice Promo: For Organizations/Associations/Corps: 10% discount – minimum of 200 ticketsFor more info, please direct call to Kevin Tecson, Uniprom Inc – Sales Executive at 9113101 local 8335 or 09104014321.

Seat and Price:

Patron VIP (104, 115, 1st rows of 105-108, 111-114) (Reserved Seating) 1340
Lower Box VIP (200-201) (Reserved Seating) 1340
Patron (Reserved Seating) 1100
Lower Box (Reserved Seating) 1100
Upper Box A VIP (Reserved Seating) 900
Upper Box A (Reserved Seating) 640
Upper Box B (Free Seating) 350
Gen. Admission (Free Seating) 150


Please call 911-5555 for ticket details and inquiries. Thank you


Monday, January 14, 2008

Smile, you're on camera!

Capturing moments has never been this easy! Gone are the days when taking pictures were only done on special occasions. When cameras were as huge as ice shavers and taking good photographs still relied on skill and expertise. Yes, gone are those days. Now, even a 4-year old can take decent pictures! (I've tried it and they can!) It's no wonder more and more people are turning into camwhores. I mean, we're handed everything! Webcams, Digital Cameras and of course, the greatest of all inventions-- the camphones.

Camphones are for me the coolest inventions ever because it makes life so much easier for cam-addicts (such as me and S!) But then here's the biggest concern of all: what would you do with your camphone if you don't know how to take good pictures with it? Yikes! Well, don't fret girlfriend! That's why we're here! Let me share with you a couple of tips to maximize your picture-taking sprees via your ultra cool phone :)

1. Get a good camphone
Of course, it all starts with the right equipment. It pays to invest in a gadget that's gonna stand time and defy trends. I'm not saying you should go get the most expensive nor the newest model out there, what I'm saying is you should look for a gadget you're sure to still want to use a year from now. Research is the key!

Well, of all the phones we've tried (we have tried all brands!), we believe that the best camphones to use (regardless of model) would be that from Samsung and Sony Ericsson. They both produce good pictures which is comparable to that of digicams. They're also great because they can stand the test of time unlike Nokia which spins out models like a spider spinning out web. You just have to be patient in learning how to use these brands but I tell you, it's gonna be worth it!


2. Get to know your camphone!
Tinker around with your baby and check out the settings of your phone. Explore the effects you can use, know how to turn on/off the flash function (if you have one), check the delay time, etc.

3. Make sure your camphone is set to the highest resolution.
When you check the settings of your phone, check whether you're using the highest resolution. The resolution is the size of your image. It appears like: 640 x 480, 1600 x 1200, etc. It is important to set it to the highest resolution because if your image is small, when you transfer it to the computer/print it, it would get pixelated (be blurry and have "dots"). This is because the image would be "stretched" making it less clear. The key is to take pictures in the highest resolutions then resizing it after the shot.

4. Clean the lens!
Most camera phone lens don't have covers so it's prone to getting dirt. Always remember to clean it before taking pictures. There are already lens cleaners in the market but then you don't really need it. Just a piece of cotton bud will do the trick :) And oh! Don't, don't ever wet it with anything!

5. Good lighting= good pictures
It's the cardinal rule to always look for good lighting. But if you can't find one, remember that your camphone is equipped with settings that would help you here. Turn on the night mode, change settings to "cloudy, fluorescent, etc." choose which setting works best for the shot and USE it.

6. Avoid using flash
If you can help it, don't use the flash function! Most camphones has not perfected this function yet and you'd end up with bad quality pictures with uneven lighting in the images (some areas are lighter than the others). Notice the difference between having the flash on and having it off, I'll bet you a penny, it'll be better without.

7. Avoid using zoom
Instead of zooming, just get closer! It will make all the difference!

8. Keep it still!
Yes, yes! A steady hand is key! Also, like I said before, note the delay time of your camera as most camphones don't save images as soon as you click the button. If you move too quickly, the image might get distorted so it's best to steady your hand until you have made sure that the image has been saved already.

9. Use effects!
Sometimes taking good pictures is also dependent on the camera effect. Some scenes are best taken in black in white, sepia or natural. You have to know when to use the effects because they can maximize the look and quality of your picture.

10. Edit your picture
After uploading it to your computers, don't be afraid of editing it. Adjusting the contrast and brightness of the images would make a huge difference in its quality! Crop parts to create a more balanced look. Play around with it to improve your picture.

Well, I hope you picked up something from the simple photo-taking pics I have listed above. So, there's nothing else to say now but Enjoy! And don't forget to flash that 1000-megawatt smile-- you never know who might be falling in love with your adorable little lips and sparkling pearly whites! *wink!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Movie Review: Sydney White and the Seven Dorks

Hi-ho! Hi-ho! And Sydney White and her seven dorks has got me singing! Yes girls, Sydney White and the Seven Dorks is now showing in Philippine cinemas!

S and I got the chance to catch the first show on the very first day of showing. Talk about really excited!-- well, yeah we were! We've been waiting for it since the start of the year and we cannot wait a week longer!

What first appeared like another of those mediocre Disney-remakes, Sydney White took me by surprise by actually being pretty good.

In this movie, Amanda Bynes plays Sydney, a naive tomboyish girl off to college. Her story focuses on Sydney's desire to follow her late mother's footsteps by pledging in the same sorority as her. But after some time, she realizes that the sisterhood is not what it used to be. She then finds herself living amongst seven dorks in a dilapitated house at the end of the street. With the help of her socially challenged friends, she campaigns to take back the rights of the unpopulars and correct the social hierarchy in the campus.

Sound familiar? Well, yeah. The story is not original nor is it spectacular. I think what really got to me though is the dialogue and the acting. Amanda did a pretty good job playing a tomboy as it suited her to the letter. She was boyish but cleaned up pretty well in scenes where femininity is needed. She was definitely perfect for the role. The one thing that I found disturbing though was her fake tan. It was so obvious and it made her look like she hasn't taken a bath in a long while.

Sydney's prince was played by Matt Long who you might remember as the young Ghostrider. S and I was definitely blown away by his looks and acting skills! I was really impressed at him! I didn't know he had it in him to play Prince Charming roles. The movie poster did not help establish him as a hot prince. The first time we saw the poster, we were even asking why they picked him for the role as he did not have the "spunk" and charm we were looking for. Well, we were wrong! You have to watch him on screen to know what we mean :)

The seven dorks are the most adorable bunch of geeks ever! They are so cute with a capital C! They played the dwarves' roles very well that you would actually believe them to be Snow White's dwarves from the original film. They didn't look too bad either. I, for one think Jack Carpenter as Lenny is one very hot dork.

The movie itself reminds me of a lot of other chick flicks from the past. It's like a combination of the lessons from Legally Blonde, the makeover from Princess Diaries, the camaraderie from the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, the comedy of There's something about Mary, the good old fashioned teen flick appeal of Lizzie McGuire and of course, the magic of Disney. :)

Overall, I say Sydney White and the Seven Dorks is a pretty good movie to start '08 with. It is very light and wholesome but still has enough spice and "awww moments" to keep you hooked on the screen!

PK rating: 7/10

Restaurant Review: Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant

Even if the holidays is over, it doesn't mean that you can't treat yourself to some delicious meals and desserts. If you've been to Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant during the holidays, it would've been very hard to order a box of cake due to the really long line. However, lucky for us, the crowd has gotten back to its normal size. It is now time for us to head back there and order their slices of heaven. Their bestseller, Mango Bravo, would really make you want to shout 'Bravo!' and 'Encore!' The cake's different textures would surely keep you wanting for more. Another cake that is just dee-lish is the chocolate overload. As a chocolate addict, I proudly recommend this to every fellow chocoholic out there. I swear it's just soooo chocolate-y. ;)

If you're not that into sweets, do not fret. Conti's also has great salads, rice meals, sandwiches and pasta. I've already tried the following meals during my several visits: Cesar salad, Kani salad, Gambas, Cheesee Macaroni and Tanigue Steak. I hear that they have a to-die-for Baked Salmon there, too!



What's even better about Conti's is that it won't leave a hole in your pockets. It is not only exquisitely delicious, it is also surprisingly affordable! An order of a whole Chocolate Overload cake would cost you less than 500 bucks, almost the same amount as the commercially produced cakes in the market.

Are you drooling already? Quick, go to one of the branches listed at the end of this post. Don't forget to tell us about whatever you order, okay? :) Enjoy!



Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant
61 President Ave.BF Homes Commercial Center Parañaque
850-5852, 850-5853, 842-5265


Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant
53 Connecticut St.Greenhills San Juan
744-4184, 0917-8266848, 0922-3306721


Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant

Serendra, 1C-17 Ground Level Mc Kinley Parkway,
Fort BonifacioBonifacio Global CityTaguig, MM
856-2352 to 53, 0922-847-3005

Friday, January 4, 2008

Look thinner instantly!

It was when my really thin cousin showed me her arms (which has now become unbelievably fatter!) that I realized that more and more people are getting weight issues as they grow older. Adieu to the joy of eating junk without gaining weight! Now, you have to watch everything you eat as anything you put in your mouth will end up adding a slab of fat to your thighs.

The holidays are over and I'm pretty sure most of you girls have gained some if not a lot of weight after gorging on those glorious food on the dinner table. Am I right? *wink! Well, what to do?? Simple! Diet and exercise! Weeeeell... yes, those two are the age old solution to our weight problems but then the entire process of losing the fat takes a lot of time and effort. I mean, you don't lose the bulge in a day right? So what are you going to do while you're waiting to slim down? (hey, being temporarily fat is not an excuse for being unglamorous!) You go alter some things about yourself to temporarily "hide" the fat! :)
HAIR
Yes girls! You now have another reason to sport a new 'do for the new year! The right hairdo can do wonders, I tell you!

1. Get layers! Yes, yes layers! But do go for a softly layered cut rather than a blunt one like that of koreans. Think, "sexy hair"
2. Part your hair at the sides instead of the middle. It will take the attention off your round-er face. Look for the natural arch of your eyebrows as guide and part your hair directly above it.
3. If you want or already have bangs, do sweep them to one side and try to tuck them in behind your ears. The less bangs you have, the less emphasis on your chubbier face.
4. Pull your hair up in a ponytail or any other style that would show off your neck and shoulders. This would make that area appear longer.

TOPS
1. For now, try to stay away from fitted shirts as this would give emphasis on the belly area, your love handles, and your kimono arms. Also, it would make you look fatter than you really are!

2. Wear V-neck shirts to open up the neckline and elongate the neck.
3. Do go for empire cut tops as this would hide the belly and give emphasis on your "much bigger" humps.
4. If you have *Kimono arms, and still want to wear sleeveless tops, choose tops where the armhole is cut away from the end of your shoulder. (*click here for what a kimono arm looks like. Note how fat fans out to the side of the arms making it look "bumpy")
5. Wear it long! Yes, time to take out your long tops as these would enlongate the body, giving a thinner and slicker look. If your shirts are short, try to wear a very thin sleeveless long top at the bottom to lengthen it.

BOTTOMS
1. Go for dark bottoms! The darker the color, the better! Stay, stay, stay away from white or light colored pants as they will make the thighs look so much thicker.
2. Take out your bell bottom pants as you will be needing them again. The flare at the bottom will balance the thickness of your thighs and behind and make it look thinner.
3. Go for stretch fabrics as they will allow you movement plus, it will eliminate the usual, "fat overflows" just directly above the waist of your pants.
4. Wear flowy skirts! Yes, flowing or A-line skirts would do the trick! It's better too as most skirts like these are garterized.
5. Wear capri pants below the knee or a few inches above the ankle. This would show more skin and make you look "longer" and less stouter.

ACCESSORIESYes the accessories count too!
1. The longer the better! Wear dangling earrings and long necklaces (or blings!). They'll add to the vertical illusion. Just make sure to keep them rather simple, avoiding "chunky" pieces as they will add more weight to your look.

2. If wearing belts, try to keep them the same shade as your pants. Yes, yes, it would take the focus away from the belt but that's actually good! You don't want to draw attention to your tummy or wide hips during this period.
3. Avoid tight bracelets and watches for a while. Try bangles instead!
4. Wear large, square, oversized sunglasses. This would frame your face and make it look smaller.
5. Steer away from oversized bags for a while. Use medium-sized ones instead. It also helps to use mailman bags or across body bags as this will draw the attention away from your body. Just try to pick medium or small sized bags as again, the bulkier your bag is, the thicker you'd look.
There, there, there! Just a few tips to help you hide the bulge while you're working on losing all the fat. If you have any questions or tips to share with other PK girls, feel free to comment. :)
Here's to a slimmer and no-matter-what-the-weight-I'm-still-fabulous you! *cheers!*

Related Posts

Blog Widget by LinkWithin