catching up

New Year, New Books! :)

But before I go into my TBR for the first quarter of this year, I still have to write about the books I managed to finish for the last quarter (more like last half) of the past year.  I was not actually able to finish some of the items on my TBR since work kinda caught up on my reading time (excuses...excuses...).

Anyways, I had some time to catch up on my reading last December since I underwent major surgery and was on medical leave for a month.  So that was one achievement I had during my recovery period (and house arrest haha!).

Below are some of the books I finished:

I will write more about them in the next few days (promise!).  All I can say is that I really loved them all (pang-artista lang :P).  Cuckoo's Calling was a surprise, though I really don't have any doubts about JKR's writing. But all I can say is that I was pleasantly surprised by it.  House of Hades did not disappoint, at this point it only increased my impatience waiting for the next book.  Divergent was also good, but I need to take a breather first before delving into Insurgent.  Thus, I picked up The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which I couldn't put down.

So there.  Now, am currently reading A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness.  Am thinking if I should read Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy) by Leigh Bardugo next or do I move on to reading Insurgent :) (hmm... decisions, decisions...).

Till next time! - M

One Day

Happy Monday ! :)

I am currently loving this song, All of Me by John Legend.  I am (still!) hoping that one day (fingers crossed) someone will sing this to me ... and that would be just awesome (insert fluttering eyelashes here hihihihi) :)

Okay, I think my meds are affecting my brain cells... I have to go now before I say any more ... 

All of Me

John Legend

[Verse 1:]
What would I do without your smart mouth
Drawing me in, and you kicking me out
You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright

[Bridge:]
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

[Chorus:]
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

[Verse 2:]
How many times do I have to tell you
Even when you're crying you're beautiful too
The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood
You're my downfall, you're my muse
My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues
I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you

[Bridge:]
My head's under water
But I'm breathing fine
You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

[Chorus:]
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

Give me all of you
Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts
Risking it all, though it's hard

[Chorus:]
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
'Cause I give you all of me
And you give me all of you

I give you all of me
And you give me all of you, oh

lyrics from www.azlyrics.com

Till next time! - M

belle de jour 2014

I am on a roll today :)

I would just like to share how happy I am with my Belle de Jour Planner :) 

Let me tell you how I got one:

I was actually part of the population that collects and redeems stickers to get planners offered by coffee shops in the metro in the past years, so this is actually the first time I got my hands on a BDJ Planner.  I was not able to collect and redeem anything for this year since I underwent major surgery last December and I spent the whole month recovering and mostly stayed at home.  

My friend Ayie, who also went through a medical procedure (yes, our schedules were only a week apart :P), came up with an idea that instead of drinking and spending on coffee, why not just buy a planner? Plus, it IS more budget friendly :)  Soooo, what she did was buy 3 planners (BDJ, Navi and Everything is Possible) and gave them to us as gifts.  She tied each planner's vibe to our personal characteristics :)  I got the BDJ power planner, Ayie got the Everything is Possible planner for herself and the Navi Planner was given to Gen.

I like how the whole planner is set up plus there are other features that I really love like the vacation planner, and the cash flow and bills tracker.  I love the space alloted per day on the weekly spread as well as the fact that there is a Most Important Tasks space on top of each day... I'm kinda OC so that helps a lot haha :P

Plus the coupons ... don't get me started on the coupons!!!!  well, obviously I am happy with the coupons.

We all loved our planners and I have Ayie to thank for this :)

Now, I am itching to buy me a set of colored pens so I can customize how I write entries on my planner ...

Till next time! - M

Live Life

My resolution for this year is to Live Life.  I want to be able to enjoy everything that life has to offer. Along with that, I need to be able to learn to accept things and move on when I need to, laugh and/or cry as each situation unfolds; share and teach what I know and learn from others as well; listen with both my heart and my ears and at the same time be confident enough to voice my own opinions and my feelings when need be.  Love with my whole heart, accept the pain of loss, grieve, pick myself up and face the world again.  Accept pain and feel the intensity of being hurt, enough for me to learn from it and move on from it, but not so much as to trap me in its web.  Experience hardships and trials and revel graciously in success once achieved.  Be humble and kind but still know my worth and not let others trample and take advantage of me.  Find happiness in the small and simple things of life, be grateful for what I have and learn how to accept defeat, when,  after doing and trying everything possible to change the situation and come out victorious, the cards still do not fall in my favor.  But at the same time, know how to pick my battles and fight for what I believe in and not easily give up even when times get tough.  I also want to be able to upgrade my knowledge and skills not just for my career, but more for myself.  Travel, laugh, be in awe of the wonders of nature and of things I haven't seen or done before, play, run, read, sing, dance, look at the clouds and stars, swim, sit still, sleep deep and well, experience peace.

There are a lot of things I want to be able to experience, and all may not happen in 2014 but in which case I want to start now.  I am not getting any younger and I think I have the right now to cast a bit of my careful nature aside and take risks, both in life and in love.  But still, I need to remind myself periodically that while living life to the fullest, there still needs to be balance.  An acceptance that there are things, people and situations that belong and do not belong in my life, regardless of how I feel and how much or how deep my investment is in a person, a project or a career.  I still believe in a higher power, and ultimately both the universe and the Man Upstairs will deal my cards the way it is supposed to be dealt, whether I like the outcome or not.

I Lived by One Republic somehow sums up what I had in mind for 2014, so I figured this can be my song to start off my year.  I would just like to share the lyrics with you and maybe, the song can be your song too :)

Cheers guys! Have a great year ahead! :)

                                                                         "I Lived"

                                                                     One Republic

[Verse 1]
Hope when you take that jump
You don't fear the fall
Hope when the water rises
You build a wall

Hope when the crowd screams out
They're screaming your name
Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Hope that you fall in love
And it hurts so bad
The only way you can know
Is give it all you have

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain
Hope when the moment comes
You'll say...

[Chorus]
I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second
That this world could give
I saw so many places
The things that I did
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived

[Verse 2]
Hope that you spend your days
But they all add up
And when that sun goes down
Hope you raise your cup

I wish that I could witness
All your joy and all your pain
But until my moment comes
I'll say...

[Chorus]
I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second
That this world could give
I saw so many places
The things that I did
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived

[Bridge]
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Oh
Oh
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived

[Chorus]
I, I did it all
I, I did it all
I owned every second
That this world could give
I saw so many places
The things that I did
Yeah, with every broken bone
I swear I lived

[Outro]
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Oh
Oh

Lyrics from www.azlyrics.com

Image from my.englishclub.com

Till next time! - M