I was away from home the entire week. It was the longest time I stayed in a hotel not for vacation, but work. The tasks were manageable, my room was great, except that I miss home. After a day, my body demanded a different scenery. I spend the remaining hours of the day in the nearby mall. I wasn't familiar with the place so it took me several attempts to figure out the cheapest way move in and out of the hotel. Speaking of cost efficiency, having dinner in the mall everyday is the easiest way to ruin your weekly budget. :p My taste buds and stomach were rejoicing, but my mind and pocket are suffering. Added to this, I miss the company of some great people. I was counting the days to be with my family and friends. Now that everything is over and done, I'm enjoying my slow and quiet time at home. Pajamas, popcorn, movie marathon, and family are priceless. I have waited for this the entire week.

Meanwhile, here are the beautiful things that happened this weekend 


Weekend mess - It feels like I'm aging backwards. I'm obsessed with stickers, rubber stamps, and different stationery items. But my weirdest addiction is collecting vintage items such as movie tickets, classic bus tickets, and brand labels. Should you find something online or offline that sells cheap vintage paper items, please tag me! :)


Treasure from Book Sale - While I can easily google the origin of stamp collecting, learning everything from the book is way better... coming from the old soul in me. What I miss though is scoring old postcards from Sta. Cruz Manila. My go to store has been operating in an on and off basis. My research skills are longing to be practiced. I miss the challenge of tracking the real owners of used postcards.

Another treasure from Book Sale - An addition to my collection, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies!!! I still have a long way to go. Hoping to complete this classic layout edition of Beatrix Potter's collections.



Manila Hotel's Cafe Ilang Ilang buffet is one for the books.  - I cannot remember when was the last time I flooded my blog with food posts. 


Twinning with my friend :) - I'm excited to give this pouch to one of my greatest girl friends. Advance happy birthday A! Enjoy your upcoming trip. Thank you for being one of the best women who never fails to empower me. 

During the past week, my Twitter and Facebook feed were filled with events about the National Women's Month #BeBoldForChange. Every now and then, I encounter articles, stories, quotes, to advocacies aiming to empower women. While I'm in support of anything that will benefit women populace, part of me feels the need to improve of  how women treat each other. Unfortunately, I have been a witness and sometimes, a victim of women who underestimate, discriminate and devastate other women.

On the positive side, I have been and continuously inspired by women who chased their dreams and opened opportunities for other women. One of my favorites is Beatrix Potter. She defied restrictions and the traditional belief that women are only meant for marriage. 

The past week was also filled with some unexpected learning and realizations. Loyalty, honesty and hardwork will never be enough to gain that much needed trust and confidence. Some things are destined and manipulated not to work out. Sad reality. Although this one sounds too cliche, much of life's disappointments can be eliminated if expectations did not come in.

Sunday is about to end and looking at my notes, I have another long week ahead. Wishing everyone a Beautiful Sunday and a great week ahead!