HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE! LolDogs Salut!

The Mardi Gras Puppy On Loan For Photo Op

So I went with the boy and my German friend Steffi to last weekend's Halloween Scaredy Cats and Dogs costume contest at Eastwood City Walk, and I ended up getting a ton of great pictures. And what's a bunch of great dog pictures without some awesome loldogs-style captions? :D

(Note: Please forgive my corny sense of humor. Puppies in costume just bring out the worst in me, I guess.) :D

My very first dog was a hotdog. I named her Twinky.

I love Chow-Chows. They look so... dumb. Lol.

Gorgeous, evil huskies.

Sleepy shi-tsus are LOVE.

This puppy made me want to pick it up and eat it. :D

Aaaaand that's a wrap, folks! Happy Halloween and don't let the bed bugs bite! Or something. Lol.

Freeway Art: National Artist's Collectors Series Features Ang Kiukok

The Line-Up

There are few things I love more than art and fashion, and when the two are combined I am in absolute bliss. "I Draw For A Living" was lucky enough to be invited to Freeway Art's runway and press event for their latest national artist's collection, and I was completely floored at how well they melded fashion and the legendary Ang Kiukok's art.

National Artist Ang Kiukok's easel and brushes on display

I'm always a little in awe of cubist painters, and the layering of Kiukok's work atop such contemporary pieces worked very well. Assymmetry was the word of the night, as even the juxtaposed clowns on the too-long hoody (without the hood, haha) were artfully disarranged.

My favourite piece of the collection!

As my readers will know, I'm absolutely in love with girly dresses, ruffles, and lace, so I guess it's no surprise that the pieces I want to highlight fall in that vein. There are, of course, the requisite colorful prints on ultra-soft t-shirt material, but since those are fairly common to the art world (Tokyo Design Festa comes to mind), I'll skip to the good stuff.

First up is this *gorgeous* little dress. I love everything about it-- from the lovely little lace collar to the length to the simple, stark clown print perched asymmetrically from hem to hip. Maybe I don't quite have the guts to pair it with hot pink tights, but I can think of a million things I could wear this gorgeous number to.

Next up we have this long top/mini dress with the lovely puffed sleeves. Yet another supremely versatile piece that every girl should have in her closet-- you can wear it with leggings and flats, formal shorts and heels, a black mini skirt and a thick belt... the possibilities are endless!

On the other side we have one of those simple art print t-shirts that I was talking about earlier. You don't really want anything too crazy on your man (or brother, or dad), so I thought this was a perfect blend of wild and wearable. Bow-tie notwithstanding, of course. ;)

Women's print t-shirts and samples of how to wear them! I really love how the middle shirt's sleeves are super short. If I were to put this into a more wearable combo, I'd pair it with a black pencil skirt, blazers, and heels-- perfect for a day at the office!

What's a collection without accessories? Check out these gorgeous little clutch bags and totes-- each piece is produced in limited quantities, so it's the perfect unique gift for that special someone.

Yours truly modeling "Clowns". Love, love, love!

Lizz's Pick of the collection: Can I just say again how much I love this no-hood hoody? The fact that it's slightly longer than most hoodies means that your torso looks that much longer while you wear it, and it's funky enough to ensure that you stand out in any crowd. This style is limited to 286 pieces ONLY (I have number 82 out of those 286 pieces), and for a reasonable P1,795 you could own a piece of artistic history in your hands.

So what are you waiting for? My photos are merely the tip of the iceberg for this truly unique and innovative collection. Head on down to any Freeway branch to see these gorgeous pieces for yourself.

For store locations, news, and info about the collection, please check out their website at http://www.freeway.net.ph

Breast Cancer Awareness: The Importance of Knowing

A family member was very recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

The news was overwhelming for me, and in the span of two weeks she had gotten the diagnosis, surgery, and is currently in post-op recovery. We are not sure if she needs chemo yet, but we are in good spirits. To those who pray and to those who don't-- please keep my family in your thoughts.

While our story seems to have a happy ending in store for us, I wanted to share my experiences with others who may be in a similar situation.

I have never been so grateful for the internet, as knowledge about breast cancer, its stages, what type of tests to take and what kind of symptoms to expect has provided great comfort for us. It has been difficult for me to keep my head straight the past couple of weeks, but simply knowing about how bad breast cancer is/isn't has been a great help.

That said, I would like to share the following pieces of information that provided me the most comfort:

1) 1 in 8 women develop breast cancer. 1 in 5 of those don't beat it.
2) Early detection saves lives.

Stage	5-year Relative Survival Rate
0	100%
I	100%
II	86%
III	57%
IV	20%

*She was stage I/IIa, and so this simple chart went a long way in assuaging my fears.

3) Be strong when speaking to/being with the patient. This may seem like an odd bit of advice, but my personal experience was that I was incredibly emotional. However, crying in front of the person or expressing too much worry isn't a good idea, and if you need to let your emotions out, you should do it in front of someone else.

4) Listen, and don't tell her what you would do in her position. Letting the person you love make their own decisions about the whys and wherefores of their treatment is a must, even if you would personally do something else. Again, this may seem like a silly bit of advice, but when you're in my shoes and you want nothing more than your loved one to be well, you'll probably want to start calling the shots. Don't.

5) Other helpful links: http://www.cancer.org, http://www.locateadoc.com/articles, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breast_cancer, http://www.breastcancer.org/

Please help promote breast cancer awareness. I cannot stress how important early detection is, and how grateful I am that she caught it sooner rather than later.

(Back from Hiatus!) Flavors of Spain 2009

I'm finally back from a 4-day vacation at Boracay (obligatory vacation post to follow)! I was also sick for a week afterwards (damn you, oysters, damn you!), but let's not talk about that. Instead, let's talk about food.

Last September 24th (coverage had to wait because Ondoy hit right after the event), several bloggers were invited to go to Tower Club in Makati to sample fine wine and Spanish cuisine. The food was unlike anything I'd ever had before, and everything from the paella to the cold meat and h'or d'oeuvres were pitch perfect.

Quail eggs and/or meat on bread = heaven

A movable feast! (Because it's on a lazy susan, get it? No? :P)

A fine selection of meat.

The biggest paella I have ever seen in my life.

Our compliments to the chef!

Red and white wine by Bestworld Beverage Brands Inc. = love

Happy, tipsy bloggers at the end of the feast!

The event was hosted by Fuego Hotels and Properties alongside the Economic and Commercial Office of the Spanish Embassy.

To celebrate the event, Taal Vista Hotel, Pearl Farm Beach Resort, 7Stones Boracay Suites and Club Punta Fuego is offering falvorful Spanish buffets for the entire month of October!

National Thank You Day Philippines and Toblerone!

There are many things to be thankful about during the past few days. If we don't dwell on corruption or tragedy brought on by greed, we can get to the bits where our neighbors save lives, where people we don't even know give up their own lives to help others, and for the help that volunteers have given people in the devastated areas.

The aftermath of Ketsana may not seem like the best time to say "Thank You", but we should never forget the heroes that stepped up during the floods and give them our heartfelt thanks.


Spearheaded by Swiss chocolate brand Toblerone, the 2nd National Thank You Day on October 20, 2009 aims to bring people together to honor extraordinary and inspirational people in the Philippines who deserve to be shown the sincerest appreciation.


You may cast your votes for who you think the Philippines' should thank at www.thankyoudayphilippines.com