How sad my life would have been without my sisters.

Unlike most of the eldest siblings I've met, I did not ask for a younger sister/brother. I want my Daddy and Mom's attention all for myself. My 3 year old brain probably thought that I did not need any since I have two older cousins next door to play with. But whenever it was time to go home, my heart felt alone cause I'll be sleeping by myself. 3 years old pa lang dumadrama princess na? Haha.

Unfortunately (jokes), out of my parents love for each other Keiko came. I can still remember how cute she was. She was so adorable that I can't contain my gigil-na-gigil self. So, I bit her mittens. :) And yes with her tiny fingers inside. DISCLAIMER: I did not have any idea and it was unintentional. Her scream and cry filled the room, then the entire house. That was when I realized, I'm the typical evil ate that will bully her little sister. As expected, that happened.

After four more years when Kith was born, I promised myself that I will be a better ate for the next one.  I became Mom's first line of help to make my baby sister's milk, to watch her while she's sleeping as we watch TV, and be her personal stylist. I gave up my seat and passed the crown to her.

As the three of us grew together, we squeezed out almost all the best potentials and worst attitudes of one another. It is still crystal clear to me how our 3-way imagination went broader. There was this one summer afternoon, while all of  Q.C.'s population were on the edge of the Philippine peninsula, we had a pictorial inside our self-made resort wearing our beach outfits. Keiko even edited some of them and posted them online pretending that we were in Puerto Galera. Those were the days that I was very thankful to have them with me. We can magically turn any boring day to a fun-filled holiday.

I have tons of girlfriends but my relationship with my sisters is incomparable. I know that despite our misunderstandings they whole-heartedly accept and love me for who I really am. Having 2 beautiful sisterettes is not just about sharing clothes, shopping, secrets and stuff, it is a God-given friendship of a lifetime that I will always and forever be grateful for.

did you smile today?

Page 45 of 366. Valentine's Day.

It's the first time in 8 years that I'm not scheduled for a date on the 14th of February. I'm not even bothered by that cause I know this day would be awesomely different. In fact, I did not anticipate anything special for today but good things come when you least expected it. 

At 12mn I was with the boys. We were together last night for the love of mmm.. BEER! Don't get me wrong, it is not just the drinking sessions that bring us together it is also the happiness we get while we laugh about anything silly and nasty under the sun and moon (most of the time our sessions are at night time). Our personal issues also made our friendship tighter. I believe that they are the people whom I can trust with everything. 

There are 3 advantages of being friends with guys. 

1. Less drama. They will smash you with harsh yet honest realities that are needed most of the time than soothing words. They'll beat you straight to the point. 

2. Less pressure. They are the most simple creatures ever. No arte! I can be make-up free!

3. I feel safer. I can risk walking through the deadly streets of Cubao very early in the morning (like 3am early) just to satisfy our Jolly spaghetti craving as long as they are with me.

The brothers I never had / early Valentine's day dates

The icing on top of the cake!

<3

"I will always keep you in my heart. I'll never forget you because I love you." - This is the sweetest message I received today!

Our Valentine's day dinner

Valentine's day has always been a family thing. I cooked mom's spaghetti recipe. Bab bought cake. Mama cooked roasted chicken. Rams washed the dishes. I'm blessed to spend this day with them. They are the most special people in my life not just because I'm single right now. They've always been my inspiration and strength.

And to end this love-filled day, someone asked me if I'm ready to go out on a date again. Why not give it a try? God is the master of restoration, taking the broken and damaged and making them beautiful again.

my baby is now a lady

After just 3 months of preparation, super typhoon-like brain storming, Skype meetings, heaps of e-mail attachments, images of dresses shared, misunderstandings, window shopping, screen sharing, and secrets kept the most awaited day has come. I swear it will be imperfectly perfect no matter what! I'm so glad that I'll be able to celebrate her 18th with the rest of our family and friends.

Page 31 of 366. My Special Day.

How to make the 1st day of your 25th year extraordinary:

1. BE IN A DIFFERENT TIME ZONE.

It's my birthday and I'm celebrating it for 27 hours for the first time! Sydney is 3 hours advance. 9 pm pa lang sa Pilipinas birthday ko na dito. And tapos na birthday ko dito, 3 hours pa sa Philippines. Amazingly true!

2. DO SOMETHING ILLEGAL

It's a no-no here in TOL-woods (short for Tolentino woods - the house where I live right now) to stay long in bed. I was nearly half-day asleep y'all! That's the only illegal thing I can do so far.

3. CHEAT

I'm trying to shed off the unwanted weight that I gain from being a "tourist" for 3 months. But hey, it's my birthday so it's a cheat day! They have the best stuff I ever tasted and that keeps us from coming back. A must-try for meat/calorie lovers!

Beef Burgundy Pie

Where to buy the best pies in Australia!

4. AFFIRM THE ADORATION but DON'T FORGET TO BE THANKFUL

I received bazillions of flattering birthday greetings from family and friends and their excessive use of adjectives such as pretty, beautiful, sweet, and gorgeous. This year, the theme is to praise me. (praise talaga? haha) Kung maka admire akala mo may mga kailangan. But seriously, I'm overwhelmed with the abundance of love today. Or maybe they are just sugarcoating the fact that I'm away from everybody else.

    "Happy birthday my dearest Guendelyn Kay De Castro ,it's not everyday that you meet a heart this beautiful, loving and cray cray =)) love yaa!" - Rikka Rivera

    "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! our one and only.. the bodacious!!!, titillating!!! Guendelyn Kay De Castro!! Wooohooo! Parteeeey!! see you  soon I LOVE YOU!! I MISS YOU!!" - Ate Jay Camacho

5. PLACE YOURSELF UNDER FOOD COMA

We had dinner at The Seat Hometaurant (South East Asia and Thai), Pennant Hills. They serve Thai-riffic dishes and the service is superb!

Thai Cuisine

The Tols plus Daryl and me

6. BE GENEROUS TO YOURSELF.

Give yourself a gift. Make an impulsive purchase. Do whatever you want to do. Delete the word regret from your vocabulary today. Besides it's the one and only day that you are allowed to do everything your creative mind can come up with. Make the most out of it because tomorrow you'll be back to the reality that you are no longer exempted in having a f*d up day/life. As for me, I fearlessly published my previous entry about freedom and I let myself indulge to the best but most fatty combo in the universe - cupcake and milkshake!

chocolate overload - a surprise treat from Tito Nonoy and Tita Joyce