Cross Process - the feature I like to use.

News for Picnik Users

I have a bad news and a good one. I bet you want to hear the bad news first, aight?

Well the bad news is – Picnik is closing down. (I’m really so sad for this one.)

Yet the good news is – Picnik Premium is for free until April 19, 2012!!!

What is Picnik?

Picnik is a very useful photo editor. I use it oftentimes for my blog pictures. Whenever I want to add something cool to my snaps – I head out and do “picnik-ing” – corny term (I know).

Go ahead and create your own wonderful pictures with Picnik. Take note, all its features for the Premium account are free.

Why is it closing?

It’s an ant invasion, that’s what I know. You can visit their site to know the real story though.

For those who have files in Picnik, you can request for a “take out.” The Picnik team will send your photos in a zip file.

Pictures I’ve created using Picnik

Using Lomo-fication

Before the Lomo Effect -

1960's vibe

Before enhancing the snap

Just wanna insert this >>>

My guy bought me one of the best BOOOOTS ever! I can wear it high or low. So sick!

Thank you, boyfie! <3

If you haven’t Picnik-ed ever, you can still catch up before it closes!

Closing time is on April 19, 2012.

Note: I own all the pictures posted here. Yeah sure, you can grab ‘em. But be sure to link the pics back to me! Thanks. 

The comment that started it all...

Venting Out

I am not really the type of person who gets easily offended whenever “regionalism issues” are brought up by someone (unless it’s really below the belt).

Since I’ve moved to the Metro after living in Bacolod for more than two decades, I’ve had a lot of adjustments not just in terms of the environment here (traffic, pollution, etc) but also when it comes to Manila’s culture and language.

Well, for the most part I love being here. I don’t care about the thick traffic (as my office is just a fifteen-minute ride from home) and the pollution factor too is I guess – a worldwide issue.

On the other hand, when it comes to culture, I think I have adopted some of their views, though I do keep my own “probinsyana” values intact. Yes, I did experience a few linguistic challenges here in Manila such as in the pronunciation of some words. However, it doesn’t really concern me that much if I mis-pronounce some Tagalog terms.

I don’t give a damn if I pronounce “trisikel” as “trisikol” or “sparkel” as “sparkol” and though my Tagalog friends would most of the time mimic how I say these words and slightly crack a joke out of it – I don’t really get offended. I guess my history teacher did quite a good job in opening my mind about “diversity.” Though I may sound “baduy” sometimes, for me it’s nothing to be scared of. Like what? Would it make me less of a person that I am if I sound a bit awkward? People may say what they want to say, attach epithets to the word “Bisaya” and label us as “baduy” – but I’m still going to be a proud probinsyana no matter what.

However, I just want to express my disappointment with Ahcee Flores, the girl who commented on a Yahoo site wishing that Visayans get killed in the earthquake/tsunami because they are “baduy.”

I don’t really know the whole thing she said because  I wasn’t able to see the original site where her comment appeared, but  judging on what I’ve read from blogs, news, and Facebook links, this Ahcee Flores of some sort posted something really offensive, malign, and negative towards Visayans, enough to make it a trending in Twitter and Facebook.

She generalized Visayans to be “baduy” and she even asked for people to pray that a tsunami will indeed strike in the Island and wipe away all Visayans.

When April, my friend, told me about this thing my blood really rose up to my head. Like how can a fellow Filipino desire ill towards her own kind? If she hates Visayans, then she’s not worthy to be called as a Filipino… because being a Filipino means loving your whole country, not just the region where you came from.

I saw her picture at this Facebook page – it’s complete with comments and hate messages. 

I’d like to consider her rude attitude as a result of a bad experience with a Bisaya in the past. Perhaps she got dumped by a guy before or what – yet it’s not a reason for her to wish a tsunami wave to come towards the Visayan island. If she only knew what is happening at the south right now, she could probably have thought twice before she posted those inconsiderate comments.

Maybe she just wanted attention. . Nevertheless, she’s most probably hiding under her sheets right now whoever and wherever she is as I’m sure that a mass of Visayans carrying knives, guns, curses, and a whole lot of sh*t are hunting her down – all fired up to skin her alive, burn her down, rip her body to pieces and suck the life out of her. Errrrrhhhh. . . I’m just exaggerating. Well whoever you are, Ahcee Flores – goodluck!

P.S. I hate to say this, but they say that her real name is Gladys Lumantes Delos Santos. 

Darn, we have a name in common. 

Know the Story More:

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/-ahcee-flores–is-newest-target-of-net-attacks.html

http://showbiznest.blogspot.com/2012/02/ahcee-flores-wishes-victims-of.html

http://www.braincontour.com/2012/02/06/ahcee-flores-real-name-is-gladys-lumantes-delos-santos-or-is-it/

Note: I don’t own the picture posted here, it is linked to the source site. 

Be good to your feet.

All is Perfect But the Fit

I always have a problem with shoes – My shoe size is six and a half. Shoe stores do not always have half sizes, and so I end up either wearing a little bit tight or a little bit loose shoes. Oftentimes, I opt for a tight pair because I am more uncomfortable with loose ones!

I’ve bought a pair of flats at the little things she needs. It’s weird but their size 37 is like a size 36 in other shoe brands. As much as I like the craftsmanship and the design of the shoes, it’s such a pain to feel my feet being squeezed every time I wear it. Although I can still walk my feet off, I can’t deny that there’s a slight discomfort.

Damn, the flats almost fit my feet, but for some reason, it isn’t just my shoe size. I blamed myself for buying the pair. I’ve always been a “comfort over fashion” kind of girl, but the flats’ design is too tempting I forgot about my mantra.

This big question dawned on me as I raised the pair of shoes up with my hands: What would I do with these?

a. Give it to my niece

b. Wear it (and sacrifice) until it gets bigger

c. MAKE IT FIT

I realized that I can actually scout for resources on how to make shoes bigger. I thought that with the amount of information  available on the Internet, there sure is someone out there with the same problem as with me.

… With a couple of clicks, I did find my answers!

I’ve learned that there are actually many ways on how to make shoes bigger by stretching them. I came across this site that talks about how to transform a tight shoe into a proper fitting one. In addition, I’ve also learned that there are shoes which literally “reform” to follow your feet’s contours if you use them over time.

If you have a “sized-up” problem with shoes, MAKE IT FIT!

P.S.: Uh-oh! I’ve realized that I haven’t updated my blog for more than a month! (Guilty look)

Note: I don’t own the picture posted on this post, it is linked to the source site. 

Belated Merry Christmas everyone! Here’s my present – the winner of my Belle de Jour Power Planner Giveaway!

The long wait is over!

I should have picked the winner yesterday but I was so caught up in the holiday craze that I was only able to spare some time this early morning to lay all entries on the table and pick the luckiest one!

In summary, there were 42 individuals who joined the contest; they generated 347 entries in total.

I used random.org to pick the winner.

Procedure:

• First, I randomized all of the entries submitted so that each name of a contestant is evenly spread out.

This is the random list of name generated. The list goes on until 347. Names were tampered for confidentiality.

• Second, I chose a number from 1 to 347 using random.org.

The random number is 237. Therefore, the name alongside this number is the winner.

• Last, I checked out who the lucky winner is…. (drum roll please)…. Arra Morta!

Congratulations!

I sent a message to Arra stating how she can claim her prize.

Thank you so much for joining my first-ever contest and for supporting my blog!

As a late Christmas gift, everyone who joined this contest (except for the winner) will automatically have 2 entries for my next giveaway! Just keep your settings stable; keep following and subscribing – my next giveaway will be exciting!

Once again, Merry Christmas everyone!

Christmas, Festival, New year | Forward this Picture

Forgive me! I haven’t posted anything for several days because I was so much caught up in the tangles of my schedule! I’ve recently joined another line of work – just think of interviews, meeting new friends, resume-making, complying with requirements, and on top of that I’ve also got a lot of deadlines for my online job. I know I shouldn’t have excuses but I’m really, really sorry!

By the way, since I have another workload to shoulder, I think I couldn’t keep up with my daily blogging schedule anymore (sad face). Yeah, I know I said I’ll try my best to really have one post a day, but the circumstances right now are really waaaay too messy for me to handle and so I’ve decided to blog maybe at least once or twice per week. I hope all of you will be fine about that. But will you miss me? I just hope so.

Anyway, as part of my “coming-back” entry, I’d like to splurge about the things I did on my birthday! Uhuh (eye rolling) I know, this is waaaaay too late for my post-birthday narrative. But then, I have to spill my BIG DAY before I ran out of time and before I know it – it’s 2012!

It's weird seeing your facebook profile look like this for a day!

November 21, 1988

At around 11:47 in the morning, a baby girl was born – and she’s destined to be sitting, all poised-up in front of her virtual boyfriend (laptop), typing away all the things she finds amusing after twenty three years – and that’s like, RIGHT NOW.

It’s almost a month after my natal day but my memories are as fresh as newly-picked strawberries. (Oh, I love those!) Anyway, enough of fluff – as for my birthday, these are the things which kept me happy and thankful to dear God that He gave me another year in my life.

The Number 21

Obviously, my favorite number is 21 (and 6). As the clock struck twelve on my birthday eve, I don’t know what magic happened but my peepers were crazily alert in spotting any number with a 21 on it. Here are the evidences:

Crazy about 21, huh?

Spotted another.

I was kind of amazed at myself during that day; thinking about how sensitive I was to the number. In fact, I even glanced back at my laptop’s screen and found these “vital signs” at the right top-most corner and instantly took notice of the 21% battery  - I took a very small screen shot of it:

Ooops, need to recharge!

Here’s another thing – I took note of the 21st person who greeted me for my birthday! Thanks, Kimmy!

Birthday Launching

Aside from my peculiar addiction to the numeral, t’was also on my birthday where I’ve launched the Belle de Jour Power Planner Giveaway! I just felt like it was the perfect timing to open up my first-ever giveaway. I’ve noticed that the number of entries for this contest seemed to have risen during the past week, thanks so much for participating!

Click to join the contest! Ends December 25

Fellow Birth-mates!

I’m so grateful to have friends whom I share the same birth date with! Perhaps those Chinese Zodiac Horoscopes really do work because I’m extremely fascinated at how I can somehow relate with the personalities of my “ka-birthdays.”

For instance, my college clinical instructor who’s very diplomatic, smart and orderly (someone who’s cool but also tough) was also born on November 21 – and seriously, I also am a little inclined to be a pedant than a pragmatist sometimes. Then I have another friend, who also share the same passion with me – writing! It’s so funny how we found out that we yearly celebrate the same day. She’s the blogger behind Incoherent Ramblings, Inc.

I also know two other friends who are proactive and pretty people – just like me! Wink, wink.

Note: I’ll try to contact these people and ask if I can post their WANTED pictures here. Haha!

Malling

I’ve spent half of the day strolling at the mall with someone (wide grin). I wore red and posed like no one’s watching just to capture myself on that memorable occasion.

LOMOFIED in RED

A Simple Ending

Towards the bottom of the day, I bought sampaguita from a little kid at the sidewalk, had dinner with family friends, and prayed at exactly 21:21 or 9:21 pm! I just thought that was a lucky minute for me.

This lei made me feel special on my day.

I prayed at exactly 21:21 - even my iphone wasn't spared from the 21 craze!

Gifts

As for my presents, I didn’t receive much, actually. But that’s just really okay with me. A simple birthday greeting is enough to make me feel loved. Speaking of greetings though, my digits got really so tired because I painstakingly replied to all the Facebook wall posts I’ve got! Wow, I just so wish the Facebook team will invent a “reply to all wall posts option” to make replying as easy as one click. On the other hand, I’ve made a wall post entitled “A Litany of Thanksgiving” for everyone who remembered me on that day.

A gift from my friend - Nang Pam.

My special someone gave this gift set as a surprise! Thank you! <3

I will make a follow-up post featuring this Tea Tree Set from The Body Shop!

To wrap everything up, my day ended up so well, I have a giant grin on my face. Though I didn’t get to celebrate my special day with friends and family (since I’ve moved into a new place), I still do feel the warmth of their love. Well, I can say that I am BLESSED.

Now that I’ve shared my birthday experience, I’d love to hear your birthday story too. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you have any special event or routine on that day such as going to Mass, throwing parties or having an outreach? I would love to listen.

Lastly, every November 21 is the Feast Day of Our Lady of the Rule.

Note: All pictures are mine except for the Tea Tree Set (official product photo of TBS). Please do not use the snaps – as I know they’re not that “usable” too. =)

This image of Tom Sawyer and his friends inspired me today!

Right there and then, I remembered Mark Twain and was reminded that today is his 176th Birthday! On top of that, it’s also Sir Andres Bonifacio‘s Day (the Filipino hero I admire the most). And so I guess even if Mr. Holmes is my favorite, he’d be happy to give way for these two people who deserve to be featured today.

Happy 176th Birthday, Samuel!

I knew it since high school that Mark Twain is just a pen name, that’s why I’ve always regarded the creator of Tom Sawyer by his real name – Samuel Langhorne Clemens. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is his famous piece, placing his name on literature’s history. After the Tom Sawyer hit, Samuel followed a sequel,”The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” that also earned him great honor as an American novelist. Every time I think about Tom Sawyer, I instantly see a cute but guileful boy dressed in the old American fashion way. I think his character greatly embodies what it feels like to be a tyke during the late 1800s.

Mark Twain; November 30, 1835 - April 21, 1910 (74 yo)

By the way, this post is entitled as such: “Should Bonifacio Be Our National Hero?” because I want to know the views of other Filipinos about this stand. I just included a little about Samuel Clemens because a) he’s my idol, b) it’s also his birthday today, and c) I was inspired by the “Tom Sawyer painting the fence” image at Google.

Happy 148th Birthday, Andres Bonifacio!

If it weren’t that Jose Rizal has kept a journal of his thoughts, achievements, and adventures and if it weren’t that he has the influence and financial stature, I’d say that Andres Bonifacio deserves the title of being the Philippine’s National Hero. I’m sorry Rizal fans, but even the RA 1425 (aka Rizal Law) mandate couldn’t change my perspective about who should gain merit for the independence of the Philippines.

Like yeah, Rizal used the power of his pen to incite the people to a revolution, but without the actual hands of Andres Bonifacio who brought the revolution into reality, did we ever achieve something? Even if Rizal was the inspiration of the Katipuneros, Bonifacio was the real force. And I do think that Bonifacio is also wicked smart. Sans any formal training, he was able to devise ways on how to strengthen the Philippine team revolting against the Spaniards.

Andres Bonifacio; November 30, 1863 - May 10, 1897(33 yo)

Anyway, those extra hours studying the life of Rizal also paid off – I do appreciate his efforts, his skills and most importantly, his heart who loves our country so much. On the other hand, I don’t really see Jose Rizal as the ultimate nemesis of Andres Bonifacio for the title. In fact, Rizal supports Andres Bonifacio. But there’s this one person whom I think was really unfair and inconsiderate towards the lowly President of the Katipunan – Emilio Aguinaldo.

If I do think that Bonifacio deserves the title of Jose Rizal better, then you should double that conviction if I say that Andres Bonifacio deserves to be the first Philippine President and not Emilio Aguinaldo. It’s just so much heart-piercing that even at the start of the true Filipino regime, political assaults and corruption are already present. Yeah, I wasn’t there during that time and so I really don’t know what truly happened. Yet I think I believe the assumption that Aguinaldo ordered the execution of Bonifacio. And by the way, where are the real bones of Andres Bonifacio? Historians say t’was already found and is now on display yet I doubt it. I just do hope that no dog is already sinking its teeth under my hero’s bone shafts!

There, there. I’m quite happy that at least, I’ve shared what my thoughts are regarding Andres Bonifacio. I guess if my History teacher in college will read this, he’ll be really happy to know that he’s influenced me so much. As for my Rizal teacher, maybe she’d also appreciate that though I’m pro-Bonficaio, at least she was able to influence me to be cool with Rizal. How about you? Whom do you think deserves to be the real Hero of our beloved country? Take my poll!

“In the fury of your struggle, some of you might die in the midst of battle, but this is an honor that will be a legacy to our race and our progeny. – El Supremo”

Wow! Two geniuses were born on November 30! I guess this is one lucky day – Happy Birthday to everyone born on the same day as with Samuel and Andres Bonifacio!

Note: I linked all pictures to their respective sites, except one which is mine. Please be reminded that everything in this post is purely my opinion.

Related articles

• Tributes to Andres Bonifacio (senorenrique.blogspot.com)
• Remembering Bonifacio (akosijcmasajo.wordpress.com)
• Andres Bonifacio: My Occupy Philippines National Hero (lodrose.wordpress.com)
• Andres Bonifacio: The Rightful First Philippine President (socyberty.com)

The last of the twelve months isn’t just the celebration of the Yuletide season. For busy people, December is also the time to scout for fresh and innovative planners to keep them company the following year.

I’m not really a very busy person anymore (after graduation) but the habit of organizing and planning my day is still surprisingly stuck in my system. Even if I can just laze around, I still do think that I need to jot down my to-do list for that day (including lazing around). OC much?

Anyway, I do believe that planners are really handy and helpful objects to keep around. They remind us of things to do, delegate, or follow-up. They keep us updated of what day it is, since we sometimes do forget and say “What? Friday na pala? Bilis ah!” And most importantly, planners do help us keep our whole life well-pulled together even if our ropes are not that strong and we do shake-up sometimes.

If you are on the lookout for the perfect planner that best suits your personality, work attitude, and lifestyle, perhaps you’d benefit from the following list I’ve generated:

Take Your Pick from these 2012 Planners

Starbucks Planner

Perfect for: Caffeine Addicts

Coffee Lovers get the chance to own a limited edition Starbucks  planner as a gift for completing a sticker collection. You can choose 2 options for your quest. In option 1, you need to gather 9 stickers by buying any Starbucks Holiday Featured Beverage and another 8 stickers of any core beverage. In option 2, you need to gather 23 stickers which equates to buying 23 core beverages. I’m not really a regular at Starbucks and I roughly have 2 stickers in my collection. Being a sticker collector is really the last of my priorities, and drinking coffee is even not on my list. Unless you’re really an avid coffee addict, mark X beside this planner on your Christmas must-haves.

Made of wood in 5 colors (Bamboo, Poplar, Cherry, Spruce and Oak), Starbucks Planners are so much unique - but they're hard to catch!

Don’t ever bother doing the math, it’s pretty obvious that you’ll spend a lot on this planner if you’re going to buy coffee just to have it. Good news though, if you’re really jonesing for this book, you can buy them at about 1,000 – 2,000 Php. Check out sulit.com and go the easy way.

Belle de Jour Power Planner

Perfect for: The modern IT girl

I can’t stress any further how much I love and adore the BDJ Planner – it’s pretty obvious in my posts. BDJ Planners are in favor with females though. But don’t worry boys, you also have your Navi planners. If you’re a sophisticated gal living and breathing in the jungles of the metro, BDJ will be your trusty compass to help you navigate your way smoothly towards success this 2012!

Belle de Jour, 598 Php

Navi 2012

Perfect for: Male Travelers

The male counterpart of the BDJ Planner. Navi is the perfect planner for globe-trotters and vacation magnets. It’s also jampacked with coupons and tools that’ll help you reach your dreams!

Navi 2012, 520 Php

 Awesome Planner

Perfect for: Food Lovers

Awesome Planner, 588 Php

 If you love to go food trippin’ – then you should dig this Awesome Planner made by the creators of Our Awesome Planet. This book is specially designed to whet your appetite and let you taste the delicacies of the best restaurants, bars, and even fiestas in the Philippines. Indeed, this planner is for certified foodies! Find out how you can grab this one.

Paulo Coelho Moments Agenda 2012

Perfect for: Deep Thinkers

Paolo Coelho Moments Agenda 2012, 495 Php

When I first saw this planner at National Bookstore, I automatically found myself torn between BDJ and this. I’m one of Paulo Coelho’s admirers and this planner will really keep me boosted with inspirational quotes from him. The book’s also filled with great artworks from Catalina Estrada (a Colombian Artist). So why did I opt for the BDJ planner and not this? I felt the kind of paper that was used on this planner and it’s really silky! I’m not used to writing on that. If I bought this planner, I wouldn’t really use it because I’ll be too scared to ruin its “cuteness” by my sloppy handwriting.

Filed 2012

Perfect for: College students

Filed 2012, 545 Php

What rock was I hiding under? I never knew this planner existed! Okay, so now that I’ve met this, what are my thoughts about it? First, I find the cover a perfect camouflage of a notebook. It’s neither too bulky or anything, you can stash it effortlessly inside your bag or just carry it in style. Second, the wacky doodles inside the planner are so twee! Too bad, I’m over my college days already! Third, the planner comes with a Pen Bandolier – no more missing pens! Students will really like the monthly layout, the expense tracker (where they can keep track of their allowance budget) and the doodle page (perfect when you’re bored) of this planner. I so wish I’ve known about this when I was in college! Anyway, you can catch FILED at their website or like them on Facebook for a more detailed introduction.

Moleskine 2012 Planner/ Daily Diary

Perfect for: Executives/Journalists

Check out Moleskine

The over-all look and feel of this Moleskine planner speaks of serious professionals. If you have that boss who doesn’t have a planner yet, or a friend who’s  into mulling over the complexities of life – this planner is the perfect choice. The simple yet classic design of the book leaves little to the eyes, but more to the imagination.

More 2012 Planners

Can’t seem to find  a planner for your personality? Here’s a random list of less popular planners – check out the links please.

Get Organized: Over 20 Planners and Organizers for 2012

9 Planners To Guide You Through A Fantastic 2012

Happy 2012 Planner Searching!

Related articles

• Planners Here, Planners There, Planners Everywhere! (theladyisin.wordpress.com)
• Signs that the Starbucks Planner Season Is On! (rikkicustodio.wordpress.com)
• Belle de Jour Power Planner 2012 Take Flight – Preview (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)

Feminine Tops

kitschbykat.blogspot.com

If you wanna go girly without putting so much effort, go for lacy tops and pair it with plain pants or skirts to balance the outfit. This cute top above is so simple yet it’s very charming. I’d wear this during a date! The one below is definitely a classic – it’s so elegant and so feminine yet it isn’t over the top. You can pair it with jeans and hills to pull out a girly-rugged look.

Forever 21

Spotted at www.sodahead.com

Above cardigan definitely looks good on top of a black plain spaghetti strap.

Fashion Shoes

Spotted at www.highsnobette.com

I don’t personally dig the color purple, yet won’t you agree if I say that these pair of Air Life shoes from Nike will keep your feet feeling girly while on the go? I love the “3D effect” of the lace on this one. Wanna grab it, yet I’d go with pink and black though.

Wedding Gowns

Even vampires will love this dress on you.

Does this wedding gown look anything familiar to you? If you watched the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn installment, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) dons this  simple yet ultra-elegant dress while nervously walking down the garden aisle. Designed by Carolina Herrera, replicas of Bella’s gown are sold at about $799.

Earrings and Bib Necklaces

One-of-a-kind earrings

Perfect for plain tops

If you wanna enjoy wearing these two accessories above, the Green Eyed Monster will teach you how to make them yourself!

DIY Bracelets

I made this one!

I’m proud to say that I made this bracelet out of lace! This will be my featured craft on Thursday!

Awesome!

Okay, so this chic lace nail art just blew me away! I can’t help but admire the nail design and wish that I can make one too!

Laces aren’t just for curtains, tabletops, wedding gowns, lingerie, and back to basic fashion pieces – in time, it has evolved to fit the preference of the modern generation too. Almost anything right now can be “lacy-fied” in a snap. There is no exact detail of how lace came into this world. History tells that this kind of fabric came into being in the early sixteenth century in England.  Anyway, whoever made this romantic thing up, I’m so much thankful – and I know you are too!

Note: I don’t own the pictures posted here, except for one. I linked all images to their respective sites.

Safely shipped!

For those who are clueless about this thing I’m talking about, here’s a little scoop. Belle de Jour (say bel-duh-zhoor’) is a term that originally means “beauty of [the] day” in French. Internationally, someone uses Belle de Jour as her pen name and there was a Belle de Jour film way back in 1967. However, here in the Philippines, Belle de Jour is a popular brand of planner.

According to Viviamo! Inc. (the producer of the said planner) Belle de Jour means:

1) French fashion lingo for “it” girl, 2) the modern-day renaissance woman who dares to achieve her goals, lives her dream life, makes a difference in her community, while doing everything in great style.

Honestly, I like the alternative meaning of BDJ better.

Belle de Jour Sneak Peek

I’m not making you jealous, but if you haven’t grabbed your BDJ Power Planner for 2012 – you better hurry! Don’t let your eyes turn green of envy and order your BDJ planner online! Purchasing online is very easy, you can choose between paying via Gcash, BDO or BPI. I chose Gcash. The staff members (especially Ms. Rona) is very friendly and once you’ve confirmed your payment, the shipping is free! You’ll just have to wait for about a day or two and viola! Your bestfriend this 2012 is right there with a knock!

Anyway, since I’m really in love with this planner, I’m going to divulge the things you’ll fine beneath its covers. In short, I’ll take you to a sneak peek of what’s inside! Ready your peepers, Bellas!

 The Cover and Over-all Package

BDJ comes in two forms: the book-bind version and the double wire. I bought both versions and compared each one from the other. Here’s what I’ve found out:

Read BDJ 2012 Book and Double-Wire Comparison and Contrast!

Coupons

Aside from being just a planner, BDJ went the extra mile and offered us coupons worth approximately Php 20,000! I’ve always been keen on freebies and discounted stuffs that’s why I’m really drawn into BDJ! If you want to know more about what coupons are up for grabs next year, read my BDJ Coupons Galore post and boost-up your purchasing power!

Monthly Tools

Every month is going to be a breeze with the monthly jam-packed tools of the planner. I’ll take you on a quick tour of what the monthly pages are all about. Read my Belle de Jour Monthly Tools: A Quick View post!

 Weekly Layout Features

Next year’s weekly layout features are simple but easy to follow. As expected, you get a regular dose of powerful quotes to enliven your spirit. For an in-depth preview of BDJ’s weekly layout features, read my BDJ Weekly Layout Features post!

 Special Pages

What’s so special with these pages? The mere fact that they help you become a better person. Most of this year’s special pages were also carried forth unto next year, but there are new additions! Come, let’s check it out: read my A Look on the Special Pages of BDJ 2012 post!

 Lifestyle Card

If cards are clothes, then the BDJ Lifestyle Card is what you’d call the signature item! BDJ is giving away a lifestyle card to all Bellas! If you ordered online, this will come free. If you grabbed your copy from bookstores, you need to have it shipped. Don’t worry, it’s free!

Visit my BDJ Lifestyle Card page for details!

 Notebooks

Aside from the planner, I also hopped some BDJ notebooks on-board! You can catch my ramblings about it on this page – Belle de Jour Forget-Me-Not Notebooks!

BDJ Online!

Visit www.belledejourpowerplanner.com

Belle de Jour has invaded your computer screens! You can now catch the latest dish about this wonderful planner at their website. Come join the fun! Visit my Blog-spotting entry featuring the Belle de Jour Power Planner website!

 Belle de Jour Power Planner Birthday Giveaway

Last November 21 (my birthday), I launched my Belle de Jour giveaway! If you wanna join you can follow the link.

See my contest details > Chopstick Lady’s Belle de Jour Power Planner 2012 Birthday Giveaway!

Note: I own all the pictures posted here. You can grab ‘em if you want, but do direct the links to me. Photos were taken via iphone, sorry if they are a bit fuzzy. 

Related articles

• BOTW: Belle de Jour Power Planner (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• BDJ Lifestyle Card (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• Belle de Jour Forget-Me-Not Notebooks (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• BDJ’s Weekly Layout Features (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• A Look on the Special Pages of BDJ 2012 (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)

So what I will do is to compare and contrast these two forms. To compare is to site their similarities and to contrast is to site their differences. First of all, let’s take a look at their similarities:

Similarities

• Obviously, the front drawing or image is similar.There’s that cute girl (Bella) in a pink dress and polka dot black hills who’s as if she’s dancing though her feet are crossed. She’s dancing to what tune? I have no idea. But if you are to ask me I’d say it’s a romantic song. I love the travel trunk complete with stickers from different places. The Eiffel Tower looks really amazing (and it’s another reason why I think the song’s from a romantic genre). For some time I found it weird that Bella is wearing a cocktail dress though the theme is about travel. Isn’t she supposed to wear comfortable clothes? But then, I’ve realized that traveling doesn’t equate to the wearing of flat boots, plain shirts, and capri pants nor the bringing of a large bulky backpack. It took a while before it dawned on me that you can indeed travel in style! Oh! That was an eye-opener.
  

  Side-by-side

• They’re both hard-bound.
• Both have secret pockets at the back! I like this additional feature. I can keep all my scratch papers and scribbled notes inside this little pouch!
  

  It's a peek-a-boo back pocket!

Differences

• The size factor. In terms of width, the double-wire is much wider. In terms of height, the double wire is slightly longer. However, in terms of thickness, the book version gains the upper-hand.
  

  I stacked the book version on top of the spring one and the latter is indeed wider!

On this side, you can't tell which is thicker.

.

But on this side you can tell which is - the book.

• Ribbon placements.In the book version, the ribbons are attached at the center while in the spring version the ribbons are tied at the back.
  

  Book Version

  

  Double-Wire Version

• Coupons are easy to detach in the spring version.

With just one zip you can instantly detach your coupons!

Which is Better?

For me, both versions are just as sweet and lovely. The subject of which version is better depends upon the personality and the preference of the owner; some prefer the book and others the spring. If you really aren’t sure what to pick, you can ask yourself whether (in school) you like scribbling notes on composition notebooks or the spring ones.

Who wants to own a Belle de Jour 2012 Power Planner – double-wire?

I’m sorry, I love writing in composition notebooks so the book-bound version stays with me. But, for those who are into springs: you can win my BDJ giveaway!

See my contest details > Chopstick Lady’s Belle de Jour Power Planner 2012 Birthday Giveaway!

Note: I own all the pictures posted here. You can grab ‘em if you want, but do direct the links to me. Photos were taken via iPhone, sorry if they are a bit fuzzy. I wasn’t paid by BDJ to make this post. 

Related articles

• BOTW: Belle de Jour Power Planner (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• A Look on the Special Pages of BDJ 2012 (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• Belle de Jour Forget-Me-Not Notebooks (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• BDJ’s Weekly Layout Features (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)
• BDJ Lifestyle Card (chopsticklady.wordpress.com)