Choose Happy - Part 9

TRAVELS

MALDIVES – a piece of heaven on Earth

Ahh! Maldives vacation! A piece of heaven on earth is perhaps the best way to describe The Maldives. Nestled in the heart of the Indian Ocean all the way to the Equator, Maldives has the bluest skies and brilliant turquoise beaches. The beauty of Maldives is truly spectacular, I’ll run out of adjectives to describe it.

I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate my 27th birthday with a splash, a Maldives’ splash! I never thought I could travel to this beautiful place. It’s a big big item checked off of my bucket list…and i’m DEFINITELY coming back! I am also very grateful to celebrate this big time life experience with wonderful people closest to my heart.

Allow me to take you take you in an oasis of tranquility and sheer bliss. Here are the highlights of my vacation to Maldives. Every spot is so full of wonderful surprises.

1. Fifty shades of blue or something like that

2. On our way to Bandos, Island

With my super charged crazy friends Mysh, Roel and THE MIKE!

My happiest! We were deliriously happy, it was only a few seconds away from our first Maldives splash. Continue Reading

TRAVELS

The Taj Mahal ~ Love can be expensive

Breachelle

Love can make you laugh and cry…and it can make you build the Taj Mahal. You’ll have to forgive me but the only expensive item I can give love is a branded T-Shirt.

Incidentally, the Filipino term for Love is “Mahal”. Taj Mahal means “Crown Palace” or the “Place of the Crown”. It is a tomb built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third and favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum.

It took 23 years to complete this beautiful masterpiece and the overall design of Taj Mahal incorporates traditions of Islamic, Persian, Hindu and earlier Mughal architecture. The tomb is the central attraction of the entire building.

We were not allowed to take a photo of the tomb, actually we were not allowed to take a single photo (while) inside Taj Mahal…so the next photo you will see is a product of someone violating the rule….lookie! sssh

The long queue outside Taj Mahal….hey people, you waited for hours and you don’t get to take a picture inside.. trust me!

Like many other places, Taj Mahal has its share of myths like – Shah Jahan got the hands of his sculptors and architects cut off so that they would never be able to build a monument as magnificent and beautiful as the Taj again and he even got their eyes pulled out so that they would never be able to witness anything bigger and more beautiful than the monument that they had built during their lifetime. (tajmahal.com)

At least that is what historians have recorded and for whatever it’s worth I still have my hands….

When Shah Jahan died, he was also buried in the mausoleum next to Mumtaz Mahal. At present, Taj Mahal is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World….AND…. I touched it hihihi.

TRAVELS

BORNeo This Way – Visiting Borneo

Breachelle

I don’t remember holidays being spent inside my room. Ah that familiar feeling…when you’re looking for things to do, you’re bored and it’s a holiday season… and you just want a weekend trip to very unfamiliar places.

Well this time we went to Borneo….

It’s a good thing to walk on an ancient path that has a rich spot in Philippine history. If my memory serves me well, the early Filipinos migrated to the Philippines from Borneo and Sumatra. I guess later on they have regretted that decision 😛

So here I was, standing (posing) in smiles behind a big, big tree which I would like to call a pine tree.

If there’s an advice I can give, one that I learned during this experience, it would be to “Never wear wedges inside a jungle”. It will hurt your feet and people would pity you.

I’d like to stress though that at the time we went to Borneo, we had no fixed itinerary and literally don’t know where to go. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be “spontaneous” I guess.

Another place that we visited at random was this oceanic island in the Celebes Sea. Continue Reading

LIFESTYLE, OPERATION HAPPY VIBES

Handmade with a Smile

Breachelle

Yay. I had an opportunity to turn my passion into a FUN/Fundraising event here in Singapore.
It’s wonderful that you can have a fun event and raise funds at the same time.
The experience was humbling, rewarding, joyful, exhausting, and just wow.
I’d like to thank Ate April, Joy, Michelle and my brother for their support in making my fundraising project happen.

Allow me to introduce you to my new passion. Tadaaaan, handmade accessories!

I always have a thing for “BOHO Chic” designs. Bohemian styles simply look “timeless” no matter the decade…or let’s just say an accepted fashion trend of any given period. I can assure you that 50 years from now, my designs won’t look “pre historic” at all. Gahaha 😛

Five weeks before the bazaar sked, I started waving my magic wand creating these sweet little pieces. I literally had zero after-work happenings and used my valid weekend-party-excuse-coupons for those five straight weeks. Letter E for Effort.

All at insanely affordable prices….glad the people enjoyed shopping for charity.

What did I learn from this experience? Continue Reading

OPERATION HAPPY VIBES

Happy Tears

Breachelle

Today I received an unexpected gift….one that did not come wrapped in fancy paper.

It’s a gift from the people who has made a positive difference in my life. Modesty aside,

The opportunity to make a profound difference in a child’s life is the best gift I could receive.
I know this doesn’t make me a superhero, it’s enough that I’m given a chance to put an additional rainbow in someone’s life. Thank you for touching my heart, it has grown so strong and happy. Thank you for your letters and drawings, they remind me of my life experiences.

Happy tears 🙂 🙂 🙂

Life is not a race, it really is about the journey.
Work hard. Travel hard. Live well. GIVE back.

While the word charity means many different things to many different people, nevertheless, GIVING is always a good thing to do. If you’re considering “sponsoring a child”, do visit Save The Children website today. Put a smile on a child’s face and brighten up his future. A little help will go a long way. Happy Vibes 🙂

LIFESTYLE

I am wearing the smile you gave me

Breachelle

The most romantic love story is not Romeo and Juliet who died together, but Grandpa and Grandma who grew old together. Ooh the love month. I am wearing the smile you gave me. Happy Valentine’s Month loves ❤

SKIN CARE & COSMETICS

My underarms have feelings too.Regina IPL hair removal treatment.

Breachelle

Whoever decided that women should shave their underams must have an underarm as smooth as the face.

Today I had my first IPL underarm hair removal treatment and I’m very happy that I went to Regina at Suntec City, Singapore.
I’ve been meaning to get an underarm laser hair removal treatment and finally I got the time and the courage to give it a go. Due to positive reviews, I decided to book my underarms a date with Regina. Regina is the solution to every “it’s-hard-being-a-woman” dramas, specializing in hair removal to almost every part of a woman’s body. I was extremely excited to have my first laser treatment and Regina have met my expectations, from customer service, place hygiene, specialist, treatment proper, reasonable charges to patient care. I especially like the way the specialist explained the process of getting IPL-ed, plus they’re not pushy for sales at all.

They do check important aspects of your lifestyle and health history before deciding whether or not you’re fit enough to undergo treatment. I appreciate this process.

I was attended by Michelle. She was very nice, polite and honest. It was very comfortable talking to her about hairy topics.

After the consultation, I was given a few minutes to think through things and this time I felt sad for the poor little hairs I plan to destroy for the rest of my life. To sign or not to sign:

And I did sign, but of course! Fast forward to where I bid my hairs ba-bye ~ the treatment room. Whatever happens inside this room stays in this room. Michelle was also my therapist, explaining to me every application to keep me relaxed. I was asked to change my upper garment and wear what looked like a pair of goggles.

How did it feel? A lot of rubber band snapping and heat sensations! The whole pinching feeling was tolerable and it only lasted 5 to 7 minutes.

After the first treatment, Michelle advised me not to shave, pluck or epilate. The hair will still grow but will ‘fall off’ on its own. I will need to have 4 to 6 sessions before my superunderarms become totally bald. Continue Reading