When it comes to trying out something for the first time, I’m almost always excited, happy, anxious, and just a little nervous and I think most people have felt the same way at least once. In recent weeks I’ve been blessed enough to be able to do and try things for the very first time. Some of them seemed a little scary at first but I’m glad I never said no, not once. In fact, these firsts of mine have become my happy thoughts on not so good days. Before I blab on too much, here’s the reason I’ve been quite giddy lately…

I was able to meet both Troian Bellisario and Partick Adams thanks to this oh-so-awesome job. The cherries on top of it all? I was able to take these photos with them and even work with one of them. How cool is that?

I got to style my very first fashion editorial! It was such a great experience and I can’t wait to share more of it! For now, just keep logging on to Candy to see what I’m talking about.

With the March issue out, I was able to see and feel my very first article on the magazine with Macy and Patty! It’s a definite bonus that I had loads of fun looking for really cool fashion and beauty sites. Want to see more of the web special? Make sure to grab a copy (forgive my shameless plugs hehe).

Speaking of Macy and Patty, here we are at the Candy Staff shoot—my first ever since I joined the team back in July of last year! It was super fun getting all dolled up with my favorite girls.

Lastly, I had the pleasure of contributing to one of the sites I constantly visit. What I liked about it was that I was able to write about something I’ve really been into lately—sneakers!

Those five are definitely on top of my list of happy thoughts lately and they keep me thinking positive. If you’re not having a good day, week, or month, try listing down all the things that make you happy and think about what you wanna do for the first time and go for it! I promise you, a smile will magically appear on your face.

Posted in Blogroll, Bond, Girl!, Candy | No Comments »

Well, technically, it was Angel who learned how to cook—and we taught her! She’s getting married this month and Ines (I’m pretty sure you remember her) had a brilliant idea of throwing her a cooking shower. We all brought out our favorite recipes to show Angel how to make them. Steph made a lovely cook book so Angel can recreate what we did last Saturday afternoon. It was super fun: food, drinks, and lots of kwento in between.

Here’s a little video I put together with scenes from the Cooking Show(er) as so aptly coined by Marla. (:

Got any fun and easy recipes to share? Leave a link in the comment area below!

Love,
Macy

Posted in Bond, Girl!, Candy | 2 Comments »

With my sister’s family visiting the country, I’ve appointed myself as their official tour guide and fun generator. This means taking them to exciting places, making them try new dishes, and giving them one-of-a-kind experiences worth sharing with their friends back in Canada. So far, two of my best moments with them include ziplining over trees in Tagaytay (my sister let out a shriek of terror while Jared enjoyed looking down!) and having a beach encounter with a dolphin in Subic (one of my lifelong dreams!).

Can you suggest where I should take them or what I should do with them next? Feel free to share below!
Mimi

Posted in Bond, Girl!, Candy | No Comments »

I’m always excited about making things with my hands. From cookies to friendship bracelets to nail art, I’ve always been drawn to crafty things.

Last year, I joined a watercolor crafternoon with Life After Breakfast‘s Alessa Lanot. It was tons of fun so I was looking forward to joining another one. Luckily, last weekend, Alessa together with Hey Kessy‘s Mansy Abesamis had a rubbercut crafternoon at Fully Booked. Was so thrilled when Alessa signed me up (I kept forgetting to do it myself, haha!).

We each got a kit that included carving tools, rubber blocks, and paper.

We drew our designs on tracing paper so we could transfer it easily onto our rubber blocks.

Of course I had to make a cupcake. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to carve out those swirls for the frosting! Here was my first cut—I could barely breathe while carving!

I managed to finish it just in time.

And lookie! I also made one of my “brand” to put on my baked goodies. What do you think? I love that it looks a little rough and imperfect.

Here are two of my seatmates getting tips from Alessa.

And here’s my other seatmate who won with her awesome 3-layer friendship bracelet stamp. She’s the bracelet master behind Berry Books’ The Friendship Bracelet Book (do you have a copy?).

I had so much fun that I tried making another stamp while waiting for the coding window the other day. One of my favorite furry fashionistas (okay, my only favorite furry fashionista) in V-Day mode. So excited to make more!

What about you? What have you tried making lately? (: If you’re interested in joining crafternoons too, sign up here!

Love,
Macy

Posted in Bond, Girl!, Candy, Candy Rap | 1 Comment »

This month marks the beginning of a new (and hopefully long) relationship. Let me start off by saying that I’m the type of girl who believes in forever—the type who won’t give away an old ratty, stinky shirt because of the memories it has witnessed through the years. When it comes to gadgets, I feel exactly the same way. I hold on to a cell phone until the keyboard has literally collapsed from the pressure of my Mercury retrograde-charged fingers. To this day, I still have my first iPod Photo tucked away in one of my drawers. If it wasn’t for its unresponsive click wheel, I think know I would still be using it (which would surely illicit a snort of laughter from my more up-to-date techie friends).

Now that I’ve found a new gadget to call my own (it has been dubbed… the iPad Mimi. Haha!), I can’t wait to explore the world with it. I’m still waiting for the owl-dorable case I ordered online though, so its public appearance has been rare and few. (This is actually the first time I’ve taken it out!)

I love my new toy because of its sleek (black chrome, baby!), portable and fun nature (hello, countless games to play like Steph and Angel’s new obsession!). I also love dressing it up by finding wallpapers for it like this cool, vintage-looking Viewfinder illustration.

Most of all, I love it because it helps me stay connected with my sister (my fellow iPad mini buddy) through iMessage and Facetime. Koko even introduced me to this nifty photo stream that allows us to share pictures instantaneously. Brilliant!

I haven’t been able to explore all the features of this gadget yet, but I’m so excited about the endless possibilities…

Mimi

Posted in Beauty & Trends, Bond, Girl!, Candy, Reality Bytes | No Comments »