ONE FINE DAY | VBA AND LIEBSTERS

Heaps of gratitude to Danielle of Midnight Blues for awarding me with the Versatile Blog Award and a Liebster Award, and to Rikki of Young Modern Invaders  for awarding me with another Liebster!! My blog is just 4 months old and I must say that I`m proud of what my blog has already achieved, no matter how small it may be. I`ve gained a handful of friends through this blog and I wish to share this with you. (Please have the patience of scrolling down through this post as I am trying my best for this post not be boring.)

Now, I`ve compressed the 2 awards in this post — the Versatile Blog Award (VBA) and the Liebster Award. They both have different rules and I will try my best to make everything clear.

Rules for both awards are simple as giving credit to the one who awarded you, answering the questions (VBA – 7 things about yourself; Liebster – 11 questions provided by awarder), nominating another set of 11 bloggers, creating your own 11 questions to be answered by the ones you tagged, and notifying your nominees.

The VBA requires for the awarded to post 7 things about his self. Here are mine:

1.       I`m pretty vocal about my thoughts. I`m not really afraid of saying what I want, even to my parents. Some people might not like my bluntness but I can`t help but say what`s on my mind. I make sure I won`t step on anyone`s feet though. I make sure the things I say are constructive criticism and not just careless judgments.

2.       I hate watching horror/thriller movies but I love reading within the genre. In fact, I don`t read novels that are not horror, thriller, or mystery-themed. Don`t get me wrong though, I love reading — just not those sissy rom-com novels that are popular these days.

3.       I`m very much clingy to my friends. I make it a point to check on them most of the time, if not every day. You can pretty much say #sepanx is written all over my face all day, errday.

4.       Oh! You can`t fool me with those magic tricks anymore. My boyfriend`s pretty good at magic now, well, cardistry (commonly known as card tricks) and the magic that used to amaze me before, gets me bored now. “Meh, I`ve seen that already. And I can do it too! See?” — my life

5.       Send me photos, videos, gifs of dogs all you want, I won`t mind. I love each and every single one of those cute, cuddly creatures!!

6.       lol but I used to do television commercials and shows when I was younger. I stopped though because I wasn`t feeling the life of being woken up at 3am on a weekday just because there was a taping.

7.       I don`t have a favorite color. I swear. Maybe it seems that black is my favorite but it really is not. I love it though, but I can`t say I have a favorite color because every color is beautiful. No shit. So when people ask me what my favorite color is, I first ask “for what?” because it all depends on what the color is being used for. Then and there I would decide which color suits that particular thing most.

Meanwhile, The Liebster Award requires the awarded to answer questions given by the awarder.

Here are Danielle`s questions:

When and how did you start blogging?
I started blogging back in 2009 using Tumblr. It originally was for personal use but laziness got to me and it just became a blog for reblogging mostly. Then December 27, 2013 (yes, I still remember the date)came and something inside me just wanted to start a serious blog and tada! Here it is. It`s currently 4 months now — and counting!

What thing/s will describe you the most?
Things? Well… Uh. Things? I can`t think of any particular object but I really like clothes and food and magazines. And dogs. And just really pretty, fancy-schmancy things. My answer is so not helpful, smh.

Who is/are the person/s you can't live without?
My mother, my best friends, and my boyfriend. And my dog, George.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
France, United Kingdom, Scotland, Ireland, Italy — YEAH OKAY EUROPE. The US. Brazil. JAPAN!! India and South Africa. Egypt too.

If there's a chance you'll have a power for one day, what would it be and what will you do with it?
Being an avid-reader of conspiracy theories, I cannot decide fully which power I would like to acquire even just for a day. If I base it on my fondness for the tv series Heroes, I will say phasing which is the ability of a mortal to pass through solid objects. But I`d really love to read people`s thoughts too!

Are you willing to do anything for someone you love? Why?
Eh, it depends lol but most probably that`s a yes. If it`s my mother we`re talking about, I`m willing to die just to save her.

Do you believe that even the most intelligent person can be fooled when it comes to love?
“Fooled” is such a strong word. I`m assuming most of our lives revolve around love. Love can be defined in many ways though. Love can also be towards your craft, or towards spiritual belief. Love doesn`t just mean being romantically in love with another person. Sometimes, all you need is love to get by. Without love, nothing is complete. (HAHAHAHA hello, Ms. Universe)

Describe your type of friend.
My type of friend would be someone who is willing to try new things with me and is someone whom I can talk to anything about with #nofilters. My best friend and I talk about anything you could imagine. That`s the friendship I want to keep: full of honesty and helluva fun.

What kind of music do you listen to?
I mostly listen to metal, pop punk, hardcore, hiphop, r&b and EDM. Exact opposites but I make it work.

Which will you prefer as gifts, material or written letters?
Written letters! Anything handmade is the perfect gift.

What is your favorite food?
Anything edible *wink kidding! I love lasagna, ice cream and peanuts with toasted garlic, yaaas. I also like dipping anything into ice cream like isaw (chicken intestines) HEHEHE they taste good, I swear.

Here are Rikki`s questions:

Which superhero would you most want to be?

I really like Poison Ivy. She`s too damn hot.

If you found yourself in a battle to the death, which supernatural creature would you prefer to fight: a. vampire, b. zombie, c. werewolf?

Probably a zombie? Just double tap that mofo and it`s dead..

If your life was a movie, which would it be?

Ha, I don`t really know but it`s either Almost Famous, Mean Girls or Coach Carter. Or The Devil Wears Prada.

Favourite book?
Hard to choose between Dan Brown and Dean Koontz`s works but I have to say Songof Kali by Dan Simmons hehe *peace!

Would you rather be rich or famous?

I`d rather be rich. Fame can be a 15-minute, one-hit-wonder thing but money, when handled wisely, could go a long way.

It’s movie night, what flick do you choose: Pretty Woman, Fight Club or Halloween?

A tie between Fight Club and Halloween.

Favourite brand of make-up?

Smashbox! From their foundations to their eyeliners to their primers, Smashbox hasn`t failed me yet.

Favourite actor/actress and why?

Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp and well, Leo DiCaprio. I love love love Cate Blanchett too. They`re all masters of their craft. Need I say more?

Favourite TV show?

Skins. I wrote about that here. 

 Favourite line from a movie?

“..And my axe!” —Gimli

Jeans or dresses?

Dresses! The ratio of me wearing a dress over jeans is 6:2

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

Wynne of WynnePrasetyo

Cielo of TheGirl Behind The Pen

Cha of Queenof Black

Chezka of STYLE.CHE

Althea of T[]EAPOT

Sara of IndustrialBarbie

Jannine of Dressupdolly

Bettina of Bouquetof Clumsy Words

Yani of AsNowhere As I could Be

Andrea of Collars& Bones

Guen of DollifiedDreams

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU

Why do you blog?

Where do you see yourself 5-10 years from now?

If you could choose another person to manage your blog, who would it be and why?

Who is/are your style icons/life heroes?

What`s so great about 2013?

If the world is literally coming to end tomorrow, what would you do for your remaining 24 hours?

I`m giving you a one-way ticket to anywhere in the world. Where would you go?

If you could wear only one color for the rest of your life, from head to toe, what color is it and why?

Which do you prefer: lots of acquaintances or a very few but great friends?

What is #1 on your bucket list?

Top 3 artists you could listen to anytime?

On the other hand, I chopped off about 5-6 inches of my hair. I was hesitant although I`ve been thinking about chopping my mermaid hair off as it was getting heavier and I was starting to get bored of my same old hairstyle. Keeping long locks while living in a humid country was really frustrating and I`m glad my hair has more ventilation now. I`ve been getting compliments too, so I think I`ll be keeping my hair like this for quite some time ;)

As for my outfit, the dress is already in a bold shade of purple so I opted to keep the rest of my outfit in black. My fedora also complements my short `do, don`t you think?

Much love, 

Jia

AGUINALDO SHRINE PHOTO DIARY

 For our 10^th month last May 6^th, my fun-loving boyfriend finally had the idea of visiting a museum. I`ve been bugging him for quite a while now about visiting museums and to be honest, I found it really cute that this was his plan, as opposed to just hanging out at his place.

Our day started by taking a mini bus or a really huge jeep — or a “jeebus” in my terms — to Kawit, Cavite where the Aguinaldo Shrine is located. The cool breeze from the open windows felt really refreshing as I was used to the polluted atmosphere of the metropolitan. He had to run errands though first which was just a couple of blocks away from the shrine, so we had to walk under the sun for a good 15-20 minutes. No fuss though, I love walking and it`s best enjoyed when shared.

Upon arrival at the shrine, I wasn`t expecting it to be deserted. I`ve already been there twice, if I recall correctly, for educational trips in school. Obviously, I was with a lot of people before but then, being alone with your main man in a museum was a new experience. No teacher restricted us to explore, so I really took the chance to look into the exhibit better.

Lo and behold, a hidden medicine cabinet I didn`t know until he told me it exists!

"Look! Old aged Toms.."

The Philippine map

"The Aguinaldo Shrine is the national shrine located in Kawit, Cavite in the Republic of the Philippines, where the independence of the Philippines from Spain was declared on June 12, 1898. To commemorate the event, now known as Araw ng Kalayaan or Independence Day, a national holiday, the Philippine flag is raised here by top government officials on June 12th each year. The house is now a museum.

The shrine is the ancestral home of General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the First Republic of the Philippines."

Our day was great, if you ask me. I`m looking forward to more dates like these.

Have you been to any museums lately? Let me know!! ☺ 

SEXY IS A STATE OF MIND

As a woman nearing her twenties, used to be overweight, is a self-confessed bookworm, and was bullied throughout high school, I couldn`t agree more with this article. Hey, confidence is really sexy and I have to say every lady should know this.

I really am appalled when I hear my friends say they`re not pretty, sexy, hot or beautiful enough for the guy they like, the clothes they want and/or —believe me or not— their friends. The harsh truth is that we all can`t help but compare ourselves to other people but let me tell you that it isn`t healthy when you always do. Comparing is unavoidable but it really isn`t necessary because we all are different human beings. We have, know, and do things that other people don`t and they have things that we don`t. You may say that life is “unfair” just because someone has what you don`t. Hey, why don`t we all just look at the good things we have and stop frowning at someone`s Instagram feed just because they recently went shopping and is having the “best weekend ever!! ♥ ☺” at this beach? My point is, we all have our highs and lows and whatever they are, it is what makes us unique. So what if you don`t have a thigh gap? So what if you failed math class this semester? So what if the guy you`ve been eyeing isn`t really talking to you? Learn from your experiences and mistakes. We can`t always get what we want but there is always a time for everything. If you feel so bad about yourself, you can always work with it. Make changes only because you`re doing it for yourself; not because you don`t want people to look at you like this or that. Do everything for yourself first and the rest will follow. Don`t get me wrong though, giving your all to anyone or anything isn`t really bad. Just know your limits. Do it because it`s your choice and not because you feel like you are obliged.

I don`t really believe that being sexy is all about your physical being. Sexy is a state of mind. The media portray skinny girls as the idea of beauty yet we all know we have something to feel good for. The only problem is that we are scared of judgments to be made by people who only know you through Facebook. We are so afraid to just be ourselves just because people may not like what we post and not hit the “Like” button. Remember, the number of likes on your photo does not determine who you are.

Popularity is not everything (it can actually be stressful). I remember starting my first blog solely because everyone had a Tumblr. It didn`t last long due to the fact that it wasn`t mainly my passion yet. Time passes and I believe I had received my calling. Keeping a blog is a bit tough, but now I do it because I want to. And I quote Gurkin from the movie Sydney White: “[Peoplespunisher.com] is not about being read; it`s about being written.” I always keep that in mind. Your passion isn`t always determined by how much attention you get from it but it should be how you execute it. Again, everything will follow.

I guess you`re wondering why I talked about blogging? I did because it`s my thing. It`s what makes me happy. It`s what makes me confident and sexy. It`s what I use to reach out to people. Ladies, and gentlemen if you`re reading this, always know that what you got is what you got yet there is always room for improvement but never, ever lose yourself. What media says what beauty is may not be beauty for you so keep it that way. We all have our quirks. Life ain`t easy but it`s worth helluva living. As Drake said, “Everybody dies but not everybody lives,” and living yours would be the sexiest thing you can do.

TAGGED, YOU`RE IT!

I`ve been tagged! Andrea of Collars and Bones tagged me this "Tumblr Challenge". This might not be Tumblr but it`s still my blog and rules are rules.

Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules

2. Answer the questions the tagger has set you in their posts, then make 11 new ones.

3. Tag 11 people then link them to your post.

4. Let them know that you've tagged them.

Her questions and my answers (duh):

What`s your favorite song at the moment?

            This is a hard one but I have to say Fancy by Iggy Azalea. I listen to different genres but out of all my current favorites, Fancy really is the one. I even named a blog post after it! Iggy`s bringing it with that track. It`s catchy and perfect for when you`re prepping up with your girls before going out or when you`re actually dancing! *twerks HEY HEY HEY HEY

What’s the song that you’re so annoyed of hearing? (I’m already out of questions)

            Best Day of My Life by American Authors. I`m sorry but if the radio station I`m tuned into starts to play that, my fingers automatically hit another station`s speed button.

What inspired your blog name?

            My blog name used to be “A Sudden Rush of Genius.” But changed it because upon Googling, someone has already taken it. One of my anthems is Settle Down by No Doubt and my favorite line from that song is “I`m a rough and tough; nothing`s gonna knock this girl down.” It just speaks a lot to me. Hence the name, “ROUGH & TOUGH.” I`m rough and tough, aren`t I?

Have you ever faked your name in Starbucks? What did you change it to?

            At least once in every person`s lifetime have they changed their Starbucks name into something else. I have and it was “Carlee”. I was in high school and my friends and I had alter egos. No, you don`t want the whole story.

DID YOU CRY AT THE LAST EPISODE OF HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

            YES. I watched this with the boyfriend and it`s funny and cute that we both cried to almost every “big moment.” The one that really got to us was when Barney held his daughter in his arms and promised to give her everything. Oh my god, I`m about to cry now. Also, it was such a moment-breaker when in the middle of all the sweet sentiments, Marshall said the gang could call him Fudge Supreme. Sigh.

Do you think someone’s taste in music influences the way they dress?

            I do. Music sets the mood and affects your emotions but I guess it`s more of the attitude we`re talking about here. I sometimes dress so girly even though I`ve been listening to some post-hardcore music yet I still have that angst within me. We all have different interpretations with music and fashion but I can say that the two go hand in hand, one way or another.

What’s the first law you would pass if you become president?

            A law that would make the homeless sheltered.

Do you have a favorite word? If so, what is it? 

Sorry for the profanity but it`s probably “fuck”.

What course are you taking on college?

            Will be taking up Multimedia Arts/Advertising then Fashion Design. Gotta have some background first cause we all know the fashion industry ain`t an easy one to move around in.

 What trend do you think is probably the most ridiculous?

            The fake Bebe shirt, denim pants and thong heels trend. Based bitch.

What’s your favorite line from a movie?

            “I`d rather see you up there shakin` that thang.” I`m sorry, I just can`t think of a sensible one right now. How I wish the question would be about song lyrics.

My questions for you:

What is your favorite conspiracy theory?

Worst first impression someone thought of you?

Best “kill me now” moment?

What`s the most vulgar pickup line you can think of? Yo mama jokes also accepted.

What do you regret searching on Google?

Godzilla vs. Smaug, who would win?

I need you to recommend me a great restaurant. Go!

What is one song you love listening to secretly?

Happiest day of your life, so far?

Name one band and a song of theirs that you think you`re the only one who knows they exist.

Who or what would you like to go as for Halloween?

The chosen ones!:

Jek of http://insatiablekitten.wordpress.com/

Bettina of http://bettinaonhigh.blogspot.com

Roneth of http://myblueheav3n.blogspot.com.au/

Kae Trisha of http://xkaetrisha.blogspot.com.au/

Althea of http://theamazingtikipoots.tumblr.com/

Bea of http://beatriceharpst.tumblr.com/

Jow of http://onahyperdrive.wordpress.com/

Lea of http://leabolante.tumblr.com

Ate Camie Juan of http://wild-spirit.net

Nadine of http://nadine-felice.blogspot.com

Abby of http://abbyramirez.blogspot.com