Last week, I wrote about our prenup shoot at Casa San Pablo. I mentioned in the credits that we managed to pull off the shoot with DIY make-up and styling. For those who are considering the DIY path for their prenup shoot, allow me to share with you how I managed to look decent in the pictures (haha!).
When Poch and I were looking for wedding venues, we chanced upon a garden reception that was featured on Bride and Breakfast. It looked like the kind of place we wanted – rustic, simple and intimate. So we scheduled a trip to the venue for the following weekend.
When we arrived at the destination, that immediately concluded our search. We fell in love with Casa San Pablo instantaneously and we did not consider any other place anymore for our wedding reception.
Casa San Pablo is a bed and breakfast situated along Colago Avenue in San Pablo, Laguna. The 2-hectare recreational site was the brainchild of Boots and Ann Alcantara. The couple envisioned a place where people could flee from the busy and fast-paced life of the city and appreciate the peace, silence and simplicity of the local rural scene.
What makes Casa San Pablo unique is that everything about the place tells a story, from the food and furniture pieces, to the room design details. Boots and Ann took inspiration from their travels abroad and from the many characters in San Pablo. The soul of Casa San Pablo is built upon these experiences and encounters, all of which have been carefully translated into different parts of the compound.
What truly captured us was how the place felt like home from the first time we set foot in the open garden. We were greeted by an array of pine trees, lush flowers and a quaint brick and wooden house – the kind that looked as if it popped out from a storybook.
Our prenup shoot with a good friend, Mario Mundo, captured the beauty of this little haven in San Pablo. Here are some of my favorite shots of us in Casa San Pablo.
In my previous post, I mentioned that one of the masks I love is one with aloe vera as a main ingredient. After several weeks of using this, I explored other aloe vera-based products and am now hooked to 3 of them. The non-greasy yet superior moisturizing and healing properties of aloe vera is really an outstanding benefit.
All those who have known me since puberty will attest that my skin and I have gone through a lot. To this day, my skin remains to be extra sensitive. My skin is very oily but as soon as the weather changes, I notice dry areas. This imbalance commonly leads to breakouts here and there.
Summer here in the Philippines has been terribly hot and just as predicted, the extreme weather condition resulted in dry areas in my jawline and forehead and breakouts in various areas.
When I went to Korea, I learned a great deal about skincare. Koreans take EXTRA care of their skin, men and women alike. They meticulously undergo strict daily regimens that comprise of a whole set of products (a different set for the day time and a different set for night time). One of the important parts of their regimen is applying facial masks. Facial masks moisturize the skin and depending on the kind of mask, offer additional benefits such as exfoliating, or whitening and the like.
I went out to search for perfect facial mask that would fit my sensitive skin. I didn’t find one, but I found a number of them. Let me share with you my favorite finds.
I have entitled this entry as such because it best sums up my two trips to Japan and Korea early this year. You see, I’ve never been good with the cold. I’m known as lamigin, a local term used to describe someone who easily feels cold. That’s me. I don’t like direct ventilation from an electric fan, more so, from an air conditioner. Trips to the movie house and even the mall sometimes require a cardigan. I easily freeze when visiting Baguio or Tagaytay during the “Ber” months.
The last time I was abroad in a cold country was way back in 2007.My family spent New Year’s in Hong Kong. I remember walking in the streets and getting numb all over. I enjoyed the trip but I didn’t enjoy the cold. It was just too cold.
Last March, I was set to travel to Japan and Korea for two consecutive weekends in a row. March, I was told, was still going to be very cold. Luckily I have a mother that prepares for the worst, and even better, she knits. She made me all sorts of cute hats and scarves to keep me warm. She also made sure I packed a lot of warmers..
When we got to Japan, it was just as I expected – chilly and windy. I got myself bundled up as soon as we hopped off the plane! It was about 8 degrees Celsius, VERY COLD by my standards. But hey, thanks to my mom’s scarves and hats, and all my layers, I survived the trip and enjoyed it very much.
Here I am with Mt. Fuji behind me, a rare occurrence, we were told. (The chances of seeing Mt. Fuji is said to be 3 out of 10. I consider myself very fortunate!)
Micki Josue 