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My lola turned eighty-four years old yesterday. She’s my dad’s mom and the only living grand parent I have now.

Let me list down five reasons why I love her.

1. When I was a kid, she always came to the rescue when my brothers would gang up on me.
2. I remember sleepovers in her house in Iba, where she would make these chicharon-like cubes that we paired with everything.
3. She’s a great cook! Her homemade ube and leche flan are the best. Her adobo is something I always look forward to. The one who cooks it at our house can’t ever get it to taste the same way!
4. She’s bionic. She fell down a couple of times now, but she can still walk! Well, she gets lazy sometimes but I am still amazed that at 84, she can get around (although now, she walks with a cane).
5. Even though she easily gets annoyed these days, she’ll still smile and give you a big hug when you greet her.

How much do you love your grandparents? (:

Macy :macy:

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Hi, Candy Girls!

I’m back from a five-week vacation in Canada and the US with my family, and I missed all of you. Towards the end of the trip, my parents asked me and my siblings what our favorite place was out of all the ones we visited, and I didn’t have to think twice about my answer: I fell in love with Whistler, and I will definitely be back someday.

Whistler is a ski resort town in Canada, at the foot of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. It’s a two-hour drive from Vancouver via the scenic Sea to Sky Highway, and it’ll be the official host venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

I’ve always loved places with old-school charm, and Whistler feels exactly like a storybook setting. You can probably spend hours walking around and taking photos of the beautiful structures, or sit on a bench underneath a tree and get some writing or reading done. You can also do some shopping in the many stores scattered throughout the community (I got a pretty bag with gold studs), or indulge in a creamy slice of cheesecake in one of the coffee shops. The weather was pleasantly cool when we were there, but if it gets too cold, a cup of hot chocolate or a big bowl of soup from any of the restaurants should warm you up in no time.

Here are some my favorite shots from our visit:

I think Mia would adore the vintage feel of this place, while Macy would love to open a cafe here and give the guests a chance to taste her yummy cookies and cupcakes. Angel, our resident athlete, would enjoy skiing and biking. As for me, I wish I could stay long enough to write a novel (or even just a short story)—I’m sure the lovely setting and the various visitors will give me plenty of material and infinite inspiration.

But for now, it’s great to be back.

Big hugs,
Marla

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Hi Candy Girls!

Guess what? I’m dressing up as a pirate tonight for a very early Halloween party! I’m asking you to keep it a secret because I want to surprise the attendees with my homemade masterpiece. Haha! However, I’d gladly let you in on my inspirations.

1) Captain Hook
I’d love the opportunity to see the world and travel the seven seas by stealing Hook’s pirate ship! But for now, I copied his infamous steel hand contraption and incorporated it into my casual duds.

Can you guess what I used to make my hook?

The top part of a hanger which my driver pried out of a tough plastic casing! It took me about two nights to whip up the props for my costume. And instead of a douche-y moustache, I wanted a cool eye patch.

2) Tokidoki’s love and bones
There was a time I was so into skull and bones images, but to this day, I find Simone Legno’s version too cute for words. I ripped off the top part and placed it on my pirate hat, so you could say I steal hearts and not gold. Haha!

What do you think? Did I do it justice?

3) Limousine’s “Very Busy People”
Since I’m all for putting modern twists on things, I’ve decided to add the ultimate accessory around my neck: a USB flash drive! I don’t know if anyone from my group would get it, but I took the idea from the lyrics of a song:
I’ve got an iPod like a pirate ship,
I’ll sail the seas with fifty thousand songs I’ve never heard
And all the best of them go la la la la la la…
Incidentally, I’m providing the music for the shindig tonight, so I really need to bring my iPod pirate ship. Haha!

So what do you think? Do you think I’ll be a great pirate? I’ve got a good feeling about it!

Yo ho (a pirate’s life for me),
Mimi

Posted in Candy | 6 Comments »

Yesterday afternoon, I went on a radio tour to promote Candy‘s October issue. What’s to love about this ish? Well, first of all, it’s got the Jonas Brothers on the cover! So if you’re a fan, you’ll definitely enjoy our four-page special on them. Second, this is our big HOW-TO issue. We teach you everything from how to score points with mom, make your blog stand out, impress your crush in one minute, dress like a pro, and much, much more! Have you grabbed a copy yet? Tell us what you loved about it in the comments section below!

The Candy team and I have been on countless radio tours before, but what’s special about this one is that I was joined by The Bloomfields’ Louie Poco and Rocky Collado—who also happen to be Candy Cuties! Their goal was to promote their upcoming benefit concert for the survivors of Typhoon Ondoy. Here we are with DJ Jerome of Wave 89.1.

The benefit concert, entitled “Here Comes the Sun” will be held on October 22, 830 pm at Bagaberde Bar, Boom na Boom compound, Roxas Boulevard corner Buendia. Aside from the Bloomfields, there will be special performances by Jan Marini, Angelie, the Bembol Rockers, and Pops Fernandez. Tickets are P250 each and it’s all for a good cause! For more details, log on to thebloomfieldsband.com or text 0917-5300640.

Here we are with DJs Jessica and Andi9 of Magic 89.9. They were more than happy to promote the October issue because we featured them there! (Check it out on our new section called “All Access” on page 40.)

So there you go, guys and gals! Two awesome things to look forward to this month: reading Candy‘s October issue and having fun while making a difference through the Bloomfields’ benefit concert.

Still spreading the love,
Angel

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The facts were these: one Macy Alcaraz, 26 years, 11 months, 5 days, 14 hours, and 22 minutes old, was dreaming awake one Tuesday morning.

She was surrounded by different kinds of boxes that seemed to light up when touched. Some were heavier than others, some lighter and smaller. They showed pretty graphics whenever they lit up.

The screen spoke. Make, dot, believe, it said.

What does that mean?

What is make? It is to do, build, and design. Believe? It is to think, dream, and imagine. What is the dot? That’s where the beautifully-designed “boxes” come in, courtesy of Sony. Sony is the dot—uniting both make and believe—resulting in the dreamy computers and laptops surrounding Macy. (Wait, just so we’re not confused—that’s me!)

Mimi and I were at the Makati Shang Rizal Ballroom to witness the unveiling of Sony’s thinnest and lightest netbook ever: the Sony VAIO X. Designed for ultimate mobility, it is barely an inch thick! (They all gave us VAIO notebooks—as in the literal kind—and we swear, those were thicker and heavier than the VAIO X!)

Just look at how thin that is! And don’t think this tiny thing can be destroyed so easily. Its housing is made of carbon and its palm rest molded out of a one-piece aluminum plate that ensures the durability of your VAIO. Check it out in stores at the end of the month (you can reserve and check out the VAIO X at select VAIO stores starting tomorrow: VAIO Shop Megamall, Mall of Asia, or SM North EDSA Annex). Christmas is just around the corner, maybe you can add it to your wish list.

Wishing for my own VAIO,
Macy :macy:

PS

I totally fell in love with the pink model from the VAIO CW series. Look, you can even get a matching laptop bag. It would so match with my KitchenAid, haha!

Posted in Candy, Candy Rap | 4 Comments »