Eating and Trotting before Leaving

Well, it's just days to go before I leave Manila. I am excited and terrified at the same time. I hope my airplane would be the friendly kind. I've been "practicing" sitting on a plane inside the bus - weird. Traveling is one of the greatest things you can do except the flying part T_T

I made the most out of this week though. I'll miss the blogging scene for a month and all the craziness of our daily schedule.


Sampling the afternoon tea at Bizu Patisserie.



At the Asian Institute of Management with bloggers and marketing practitioners. Azrael was one of the panelist and I was unusually proud of him *lol*


With Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet, Jonel of LetsgoSago.net, Me of StyleandRelax.net, and at the back is Reg of Raquedan.com


And finally, attending (shopping in) the Adidas Store Opening.


Nice photo by masrapido.multiply.com

Today, (it's 3AM now as I write) I'll be hosting the first Fashion and Beauty bloggers tea party of StyleandRelax.net - it was very last minute but I thank my sponsors for their overwhelming support and love <3

After this mayhem, I shall pack *light* and get ready for an awesome adventure!

My Shopaholic Confession

Hi My name is Lace and I'm a Shopaholic!

Shopping at The Venetian in Macau

There’s something about carrying a posh shopping bag on my right hand. Actually, I slip their delicate handles to hang on my right elbow as I turn the hallways of a mall into a runway. Magically, the shopping bags make me feel taller and safer from the prying looks of lipstick jungle’s inhabitants. How could a 19 year old college student afford to shop every week just to feed this fetish of hanging shopping bags on her elbow?

Shopaholic's Closet

Blame it on the college fair when a super hip music video channel tied up with a bank that’s just across the university. Everyone in my class was given a form and in less than a week, I had a shiny magic plastic card to feed my shopping frenzy.

Suddenly, my shopping bags had more popular names and they became a staple to my everyday outfit. I will never go on a date without stopping by a boutique to complete my outfit. The boys I dated grew fond of my shopping addiction and they said they found it “cute”.

Shopping carts ready at Singapore's Duty Free!

Shiny plastic card and I became best friends reaching shopping destinations like Singapore and Bangkok where I acquired International shopping bags from almost all the shopping malls in Orchard road. My closet and room was filled with piles of clothes, bags, accessories and gifts that I intended to give in some unknown occasions.

12 midnight, flea market in Bangkok, Thailand

Though my friendship with shiny plastic card was expensive, I skipped lunch and snacks just to keep it alive and kicking with credit. I sold clothes to relatives but annual fees are so much more expensive. My shopaholic days were counted and days passed when my outfit was missing its centerpiece- the shopping bag. I had to say good bye to my best friend and ritually cut it in half like a broken-heart. This also happened when I was in the middle of reading Sophie Kinsella’s first book – Confessions of a Shopaholic.

Signal no. 5 in Hongkong won't keep me away from Louis Vuitton!

Yet, I still received letters from shiny plastic card reminding me to pay BILL. Breaking up with a credit card can be so agonizing! I promised myself never to retain credit again but save so I can shop with a peace of mind.

I learned so much from being a shopaholic and opened up a blog called Pinay Money Maker to help other recovering shopaholics veer away from excessive use of credit cards and to focus on saving. Being a shopaholic also pushed me on how to become stylish sans the debt and become more creative when it comes to fashion. This is one of the reasons why I also opened the Style and Relax blog. Being a shopaholic has never been this so enlightening!

Catch "Confessions of a Shopaholic" in Cinemas on February 18, 2009!