Step Aside, All Other Literature, Clockwork Princess is HERE!

Alright. Here is the tale of my search for this book.

First, a little background. Cassandra Clare's Shadowhunter Chronicles have been one of my favorite series since I first picked it up about two years ago. I've hated it, loved it, swooned, shipped, bonded with my best friend Samii over it, shouted for joy when news of a film floated around, gasped when I found out the cast, waited for the next book, and the next book, and the next book.

So when a couple of weeks ago Fully Booked put up posters that declared: Clockwork Princess-March 19, I jumped for joy. I didn't bother to reserve, because I thought, let's face it. They're not going to actually run out of copies, eh? So I just reserved on the 18th. Then the morning of the 19th, I stopped by the Fort branch before work to pick it up. I was literally there counting down the minutes till opening time. When I dashed in, they gave me the news: they only received 5 copies, so they would give it to the first 5 reserved. I went to Rockwell, checked National AND Fully Booked, and they gave me similar answers.

I even sent an ask to Cassie's Tumblr, and tweeted her.

Then today, when my dad got home, my mom tossed me a Giordano shopping bag.

And the Clockwork Princess novel was there!!!!!!!!!!!

Like my mom and my bestie Nicole said, "Dude. It's just like that scene from Devil Wears Prada."

Back To Reedley

Yesterday, I attended the high school graduation and awarding ceremony of my alma mater, Reedley International School. I ran into the best high school teachers you could ever ask for, and some of the undergrads. I tell you, it made me quite nostalgic for high school.

With one of the coolest, nicest Kuyas around, Kuya Ramil!

I was there to accept an award for attending the Obama Inauguration, along with 3 other Reesians. Just being with them brought back memories from the DC trip.

                                                

I was kind of going for a Duchess Kate engagement outfit thing, if you can't already tell by my blatant ripoff. 

:) 

Dress from Celine, shoes from Evernew, ring another ripoff of Her Highness herself. :)

                                                                 All I need is the prince.

I was also very happy that I finally received a statue-award, not a medal, not a piece of paper. I felt like I had just nabbed an Oscar

51-Day Book Challenge: Day 11, What Is Your Policy On Book Lending?

I actually love lending books; I want my friends to enjoy the books I've read as much as I do.

Right now, I've got one permanent lender from the Library of Salve, and she's one of my best friends: Samii Sarda. I got her into reading sometime in our junior year, and ever since, she's been borrowing my books. I completely trust her not to mess up the books; she takes really good care of it. And every now and then we do a Book Purge and Binge: She'll return all the books she's borrowed in the past 6 months (which usually literally arrives by the sackful), and load up again from my bookshelf. Together, we've joined new book fandoms like Divergent, Delirium, and The Mortal Instruments, and we're crazy excited for the film adaptations (on a side note, we were 100% disappointed with the I Am Number Four film. Alex Pettyfer, dear, you are a gorgeous example of male specimen, but you can't act for peanuts).

One person who I dearly love but will never trust with one of my books again (I'm...only half-joking) is Tippy dos Santos. She's got about 2 Book Body Counts on her, i.e, she's lost two of my books. I...kind of understand, because she's usually out taping, and stuff can get misplaced in the hustle and bustle of the show business world. But I've told her, and she totally knows too, that I will never lend her a book again. Of course, I still love her dearly.

So that's my policy, I guess. Lend to everyone except celebrities. :)

Putting Off The Book Challenge For A Week...

Because the next question is where my favorite place to read is. And I want to make that post worthwhile, pictures and all. So, I actually have to trek to my favorite place first.

51-Day Book Challenge: Day 11, Can You Read on the Bus?

In a moving vehicle, heck to the yes. In fact, I can't iPad, but I can read from Manila to Tagaytay.

Dear Friend

I just finished watching The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I surprisingly liked it. I thought it would be one of those hipster I'm-too-cool-for-you kind of things, but it was good.  Logan Lerman was perfect, and I cannot wait to see him back as Percy Jackson in The Sea of Monsters this May. He was one of those guys you really root for. Of course, I root for any pill-popping, mentally unstable-but trying to keep it together- character.

I could totally relate to this quote near the end: "I don't know how to not notice it. It never stops. Do you understand?" Charlie asks his doctor as he wakes up in a hospital room.

Another favorite quote of mine was: "There were some bad days. And some surprisingly beautiful days."

I guess I'm hoping for some surprisingly beautiful days in the future.

51-Day Book Challenge: Day 10, What is your reading comfort zone?

Like I said:

-A pint of dystopia
-About two cups of fantasy--one cup fictional kingdoms, one cup Greek mythos reimagined.
-Just a sprinkling of chic-lit
-A teaspoon of historical biography
-A quart of supernatural romance

I Don't Know About You, But I'm Feeling, Erm, 21.

Excuse the beyond lame pun, but T-Swizzle's new single 22 is my friends' and my jam for this week. I just had to include it. Corny as it is, I found my title ever so witty.

Instead of posting one OOTD, I decided to hit two birds with one stone, and just make an I-love-Forever 21-so-much post.

Blazer and dress from Forever 21, shoes from Guess, ring
 from Louisa

Dress from Forever 21, cardigan from ukay-ukay, heels from Evernew,
butterfly necklace from Acceessorize

Wore the red dress to my short-lived day at work yesterday at SoFA. Usually I'm there 11-5, but yesterday, there was literally nothing for me to do, so my mom pulled me out early. Lesson of the day? Never wear dresses to work. Comfy pants all the way.

The other outfit I wore to my cousin's graduation. I hadn't seen them in quite some time, and I was so surprised to hear him say "HELLO" <cue deep voice>. It's so weird how all of us are growing up.

Francesca Mikhaela, if you're out there, we need to do a collab on ukay-ukay shopping, alright?

Yes. Every summer since freshman year of high school, my friends from Poveda and I take a trip to Tagaytay. You've got your usual ghost stories, sleeping till noon, ice cream sundae-making contests, and a Song of that Summer. 2009 was "We Don't Need No Buried Treasure" by Kenny Rogers. No, I am not joking. 2010 was the Biebs' "Stuck In The Moment". "Hero" was for 2011. The Bieber fever struck again in 2012 with "Boyfriend". And a special Christmas trip last December led to "Good Time" by Owl City feat. Carly Rae Jepsen being our first Song for the Holidays.

But I digress. I really want to talk about the other tradition we've had for the past 3 summers: Ukay-ukay shopping. Some people might find it gross, but it's actually delightful. I mean, I'm of the "boil it till the bacteria dies" mindset. And you find the coolest things. One of my first purchases was a Singapore Airlines stewardess top, which my mom never let me wear out in public. Over the years, Cheska, Nicole and I have developed our own ukay-ukay style. Nic goes for the basics--polos, tanks. Ches goes for the overrun designer stuff--she once found a Juicy blazer for 500 pesos. And another time she found this crop top with a funky zipper for 10 pesos. Yes. You read that right. As for me, I go for the truly vintage.

My mom wants to keep it hush-hush that I go ukay-ukay shopping, but it's too cool to keep quiet. I'm proud of every find I've...found.

Next week, I hope I can post more stuff since...drumroll, please, Samii and I are going to HK Disneyland!
We've already got our theme park-reading books by the pool- Vampire Diaries marathon schedule all planned out.

51-Day Book Challenge: Day 9, How Often Do You Read Out Of Your Comfort Zone?

Not too often, I'm afraid. I'm very happy in my reading bubble of dystopia-fantasy-the occasional chick lit- historical royal biography books. 

That being said, I do wish I could find a good mystery novel. Something Nancy Drew-like (Oh, why did they ever stop publishing those?) 

I have been trying out classics for a while now. I'm still in the middle of Pride & Prejudice (Hi Ms Ng! :D ).

Speaking of comfort zones, I have been playing tug-of-war with myself over whether or not I should start reading this series: Bad Girls Don't Die. It's one of those straight-up Little Girl Gets Possessed series, with which I am very intrigued. Is it worth the nightmares? 

Going Native

Dress from the States, boots from Chinese Laundry, cuff from Claire's

homemade bracelets

That was the day I visited Sunny Dale Preschool and volunteered to be a teacher's assistant. My goodness, those kids were adorable. One particularly chubby chubster reminded me of my brother, sando, crew cut and all. When he was in the middle of taking his exam, he caved into the pressure and started crying his little precious heart out. My second day there, one little girl squealed "I remember you!" then proceeded to prod the teacher: "Teacher Joey. Teacher Joey. Teacher Joey!!!" "What, Iya??" "Look, I made a new friend." Cue Salve's heart melting.