I am back!

Hello, bookish buddies! How have you been?

I am finally back from a long hiatus.
And just to give you an idea of what went on.

Tadaaaa!

Photos by +RV Mitra Photography

Hair and Make Up by Diana Santos

I got married! Woohoo! 

Quick Update

Hello, lovely book buddies!

Pardon the lack of posts these past weeks, I know I have been neglecting my book blogging duties.
Personal life has gotten in the way of my reading. (the nerve! LOL). It's a few more days until my wedding so yeah.. I won't be blogging anytime soon yet.

I'll be back by next month.. with more reviews, book hauls and all bookish glory. Also, hopefully with the new design for the blog that I've been working on.

(rough draft of new image design for the blog)

Happy reading!

^_^

Upcoming Mid-2013 Book Events in Manila!

Hello there! It's the 4th of July! So while the US is celebrating Independence Day, here in the Philippines we are celebrating Phil-American Friendship Day! Warm greetings to all! :D

Now, you see that title above? Each year I grow even more obsessed with books, so yeah, I for one love to attend book events. So here are some of the events I will, hopefully, get to attend:

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AUGUST

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First up this 3rd of August, Kiera Cass will be in Manila. I want my books signed of course. Who doesn't love signed books, right?

You can check NBS FAQs here and Kiera's here.
Follow National Bookstore on: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Follow Kiera Cass through the following: Facebook, Twitter, Website, Goodreads.

News and Updates

Hello there! How have you been?

I apologize for the lack of posts these past few weeks (I only got 2 posts for 2 weeks). I've been on out of town trips over the weekends and work has got me completely occupied during the weekdays.

Also, [if you're following me on Instagram, you probably know this already] just last Wednesday (May 8th)...I got engaged!!!

Written inside: "I would rather spend one lifetime with you than
face all the ages of this world alone" - Arwen
Will you marry me!

If you're wondering which book that is, it's The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. How very apt is that proposal, yeah? Although I did kind of blurt out that he murdered my book when I should have said 'yes' first. Ah well, talk about bookish people's problems. LOL.

Quick Update

Image Source: http://www.walkingtogetherministries.com

Hello everyone!

In observance of this Holy Week, I will be abstaining from logging on the internet until Easter Sunday. I'll be back by Monday, April 1st. 

So in case you've sent me an email or posted comments (may it be Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads or my Blog), I swear I'm not ignoring you. LOL. I will be getting back to you by Monday.

Thank you.

Have a good day and happy reading! ^_^

Ramblings #10: End of the Year Updates

Hello everyone! How are you doing? It's only 2 days before Christmas, are you excited? I sure am... excited to get the holidays over (what a Grinch, right? LOL). Well, I've been incredibly busy with the holiday preparation that it's really taking its toll on me.

Pardon me if my post would be all jumbled up thoughts, I'm rushing on doing this because I've got an errand to run in a few minutes.

So let's get started. If you follow me Instagram, you've probably seen this already. :P

LOOKIE MY NEW SHELVIES!!! My books look gorgeous displayed like that. Before I had to stack them in since I barely got room for them all. But now they boast of their beauty!!! *happy dance*

It has been a crazy few days. I just barely got off work (I was granted a holiday leave from December 21st until January 1st. Yay me!) but I didn't get the liberty of relaxing. First, my family and I were prepping up for our house blessing (we got our house renovated). So I apologize if I haven't been able to reply to your emails and/or comments on the blog. I barely got to access my computer because of the renovation... and my books have been packed up since I had my bookshelf remade.

Ramblings #9: The Bad and the Ugly, Philippine Weather Today

Hello, everyone!

I'm in a bit of a worried state today. The rain has been pouring since last night and well, things aren't getting better [yet] as of today.

For those not residing in the Philippines and are unaware of today's condition, here is what's happening right now:

Ramblings #8: A Simple Greeting

*I'm going to be doing some sentences in my native tongue today. Translations are provided below every Tagalog/Filipino sentences.

Maligayang pagbati, mga kapwa mambabasa!

(Hello fellow readers! )

Kumusta kayo sa napakagandang araw ng Martes ngayong ika-labing dalawa ng buwan ng Junyo sa taong 2012?

(How are you on this lovely Tuesday, June 12th of 2012?)

Narito ako upang magbigay na maikling pagbati:

(I am here to do a short greeting:)

Ramblings #7: A Certain Mentioning...

I actually posted this on Instagram recently. I was reading the Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa a few days ago and I came across the sneak peek of her upcoming novel, the Lost Prince, which is a spin-off to the Iron Fey series. 

I felt a rush of pride over finding these few words:

Ramblings #6: Guilty As Charged and Now Serving Time

-This is a non-book related post-

Forgive me book bloggers, readers, authors and all other bibliophiles, for I have done something terribly wrong that I feel might be deemed unforgivable... okay, just exaggerating *devious grin*... but I have done something that I berate myself of, and so I here confess my fault... I HAVE NOT READ A SINGLE BOOK FOR AN ENTIRE WEEK. *gasp* There! I said it.

Alright, I’ll stop with the drama now. LOL.

Well, as you’ve noticed the Blair Book Project has gone on hiatus for over a week. And I’m so sorry for that. I have perfectly good excuses for it, I swear.

For one, I got sick. Even though I’ve been going to work, I would drop dead on my bed as soon as I got home after, hence not getting to read any of my pending books and no posts of any sort on my blog. Second, it was a busy week of work, as it always is. But since I was not feeling very well, it was hard to focus and it took me more time to finish up my tasks than usual.

And my most important reason of all for going AWOL is that... MY DOG JUST GAVE BIRTH!!! *happy dance*

Let me do a little recap of the experience:

I took our family dog, Miley (I swear I didn’t name her, my sister did... and the name just grew on me eventually), to the vet two weeks ago for her ultrasound schedule. I was so happy to see two cute little critters moving in her tummy. But when the vet started telling me what to do when she gave birth, from signs of labor to the birthing process, I went stiff. I didn’t think I would be able to handle it. I was even willing to take her to the clinic when the time came and just have professionals do it because I was really, really scared! To think I knew how pricey it would cost. 

Miley during her ultrasound schedule *

 So anyway, even though that was the plan, I still did my research. Just in case. I read through articles on the net and watched a few videos (thank God for youtube and the internet! I will never again take you for granted).  

Then the time arrived. Our cars were unavailable for transport, and the vets from the nearest animal clinic were booked for the day and are unavailable for home service, it was up to us to help with the whelping. When Miley started getting restless and all that, I grew more and more nervous by the minute. She was in labor for about 9 hours.  When the first puppy finally started coming out, Miley yelped in pain! I never heard her sound that hurt before ever since she came into the family, so I was crying and shaking and just totally FREAKING OUT! I had to assist her with the birth sac (whatever that’s called) and I waited for her to bite on the umbilical cord, but when she didn’t, my mom (who had earlier phoned the vet for other instructions) told me I had to do the cutting. I wanted to faint! Summing up all the strength I had, I followed the vet’s instructions and cut the cord. I did the same procedures with the second puppy, which came out an hour and a half later by the way, but fortunately I was calmer by then and Miley was more relaxed. Thankfully we got through the day; Miley’s doing fine and the puppies are healthily born.

The puppies (both girls), Hungry[the dark brown one] and Sleepy[the brownish black with white on her neck] (we haven't decided on their names yet, for now that's what we call them), being fed by their mommy. *

*Exhale heavy sigh* Wooh! What an experience.  I wanted to be strong for my dog but since I was completely new to all of this I was absolutely terrified! Miley had to do a few licking and sniffing on me like she was the one consoling me even though that was supposed to be my job. My mom was laughing her head off with how I reacted. Believe me if there was a video, I’d burn the camera after (no, not just the memory card, the camera has to go too).

Well there you have it. Again, I am so sorry for my absence. I’ll be posting new updates for the Blair Book Project in a few days, along with hopefully new banner design and a new layout. And since I am accountable of not reading any books last week, I will be serving time with my TBR pile and finally trim them down. Until then, happy reading! 

Note: Sorry for the grainy and grungy photos. I didn't have time to grab my digicam so I settled with my phone camera. 

Ramblings #5: Greetings and Updates

Woah! How time flies! I've been busy preparing for the Christmas, as I'm sure you guys are too, so I wasn't able to post anything new yet and I won't be doing much posting until the holidays are over. So for the mean time, I'll give you an update of what's to come here at THE BLAIR BOOK PROJECT.

Here they are:

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & EBOOK GIVEAWAY.

Who's the author you might ask? It's a surprise! *evil laugh*

BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY.

My birthday is a month away so I'll be giving away book/books worth $15.00 from the Book Depository.  Info and mechanics will be provided... and did I mention it's INTERNATIONAL?! ^_^

BOOK REVIEWS.

Ah yes, I'm behind my reviews already so of course I will get to posting them as soon as I can. 

2012 DEBUT AUTHOR CHALLENGE LIST.

So I am participating in the 2012 DAC hosted by the Story Siren, and I haven't gotten the chance to post my list yet. I have my partial list ready though but I'm still working on the photos I'll be attaching.

NEW BLOG LAYOUT.

Well, this one's still undecided. I want to give the Blair Book Project a new look but I have a lot on my plate right now but hopefully I get to do this.

So those are my updates for all of you and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Ramblings #4: Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

-This is a non-book related post-

This is definitely a good day for me. I just got back from visiting a school I attended a year ago for a short course I was interested in and got this:

Oh, good things really do come to those who wait. It's a relief to finally earn this after the pain of waking up early morning to attend class (I'm really not a morning person), working long hours in front of the computer, and all the stress that comes with anything you want to accomplish. 

Thank goodness a shorter deadline wasn't yet implemented during my time or I wouldn't be granted a certificate with how long it took me to accomplish my final requirements.

So anyway, here's what I submitted to earn that sweet piece above:

And now you know what I do when I'm not drowning in books. Of course I know I still have a lot to learn and I'm really excited to explore the world of 3D Computer Graphics. Also I'm off to look for a job now that I'm all done with school again. ^_^

Ramblings #3: Falling Behind on Book Reviews

Ugh! I've been busy lately that I hadn't had the liberty to post... and write reviews of the books I've finished for the past few days. Hence the emptiness of my blog for this week. Poor blog. I may be up-to-date on my reading challenge but definitely falling back on the blog posts.

So to make up for it, I'm posting the books I've finished reading just recently and giving a little insight on what I felt about them just until I get the chance to write a full review of each.

Here goes:

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

- Really enjoyed Werlin's book Impossible so I gave this a try too. Sadly, as great and captivating the title of this book is, it didn't surpass the beauty of Impossible.

Eve by Anna Carey

-A surprisingly good book. I actually enjoyed it even with all the mixed reviews, I'm glad I gave it a shot.

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

-A book outside my comfort zone that actually pleased me.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

-Cute, light and engaging! I really liked this one.

Well that's it for me. Four read books without reviews. It bothers me really. I don't even know why.

Rambling #2: Once Upon A Time Collection

When I was a kid, I've always been fascinated with fairy tales. I grew up watching the disney princesses and other mythical cartoons, and I've read a handful of fairy tales too. To this day, it seems that I still haven't outgrown that love for it. 


This leads me to this week's rambling topic: the impulse of trying to collect the entire "Once Upon a Time" series published by Simon & Schuster. It's a collection of books that retell the classic fairy tales we've known when we were kids. 


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think there are 19 Books from this series. The first book I've read from this collection was "Before Midnight" by Cameron Dokey. And after finishing it, I was so hyped up to find the others.


Here are the ones I've got so far:

The Crimson Thread: A Retelling of "Rumpelstiltskin" by Suzanne Weyn

The Night Dance: A Retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by Suzanne Weyn

Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" by Cameron Dokey

Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" by Cameron Dokey

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of "The White Bride and the Black Bride" by Nancy Holder

Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" by Cameron Dokey

Midnight Pearls: A Retelling of "The Little Mermaid" by Debbie Viguie

The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights" by Cameron Dokey

Snow: A Retelling of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" by Tracy Lynn

I've managed to buy 10 of them and I'm still hunting the remaining. I didn't enjoy some of them but I still find that they are great books to collect, plus there are those that stood out than the rest which I found to be truly memorable retellings. 

I do wish that the publication settled with the artwork rather than changed them into human portraits. It would've been nice to have my books with matching covers and I find the artwork really beautiful and unique.

Rambling #1: Serenity today, anxiety tomorrow.

-This is a non-book related post-

So for the past few months, I've been sitting in front of my computer for more than eight hours a day, working on my school project. After finally getting to the point of almost finishing it, I took a break for the weekend on a trip to beautiful island of Boracay, Philippines with hubby and his family.

SERENITY TODAY

Walking along the shore of
White Beach, Boracay

Yay! Finally getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life, three days on the island was really relaxing and fun for me. Although the monsoons/typhoons kicked in some rain showers and strong winds, not to mention the high waves, we got to experience a lot of activities on our short vacation.


So what'd we do? 

DAY ONE. Upon arrival, we did the basics: checked into the hotel, had a late lunch, did a little exploring and of course took a swim at the beach.

Quite a view, isn't it?  I would've loved to see that sun set but we had to go back to the hotel and get some rest since we have had quite a day with traveling and all.


DAY TWO. This is when all the fun began. We woke up at 7:30AM and claimed our free breakfast at the hotel. After that, we headed for our "Island Hopping" activity. 


First, we headed for Crocodile Island and went snorkeling. I don't have any good pictures to show of that, so sorry. 

Next was getting to Crystal Cove Island, where we explored the two small caves underneath that beautiful view were you get to have lunch. 




You can even take a short swim too. 

Feeding the fishes.
There's this annoying little blue fish
that keeps biting off my skin. Grrr!

We also tried the Helmet Diving activity, where I almost chickened-out for fear that we'd be going way deep down the sea. 


Turns out it wasn't that deep. Silly me! 


When we got back to our hotel, hubby and I also tried out checking the bars at night and walking along the shore.


DAY THREE. Got us all hyped of trying to make the most out of our last day. We went for a banana-boat ride, and shopped for a few souvenirs before we packed up and headed home. 

ANXIETY TOMORROW

After a day's rest upon arriving back to Manila here's what greeted me.

• Finalizing my animation project (I'll try to post as soon as I'm able to.)
• Doing the chores and/or errands my mom asked me to do before I left (which is probably piling up)
• I've got to have my passport renewed for my upcoming job (which has expired in 1994. Sheesh!)
• I've got a freelance work that I need to tweak on.
• Got to submit my final requirements at school ASAP.
• I need to take my dogs to the vet for their boosters.
• Have my dogs groomed soon since they can't see with all the fur blocking their eyes.
• I've got to get back to sketching for a sole project I'm planning on doing. It's book related, I hope it turns out amazing. ^_^
• What's worse is I'm three books behind on my reading challenge :(

Nevertheless, it's still good to be back home!