Jeon Jungkook Portrait

(This is a work in progress artwork. Finished copy is already with the owner.)

A friend asked me to draw a portrait of Jeon Jungkook of BTS and this the closest I could make. I hope I didn't disappoint her (and K-pop fans as well) but she seems happy with it.This is one of the things I've been busy doing during our semestral break. I still have pending drawings, though, but hope I could find time to finish them. Oh well.

It’s National Pampering Day at Nailaholics on October 17! (PR)

The long wait will finally be over tomorrow as Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa welcomes you once again tomorrow, October 17, 2017, for another real pampering treat at the celebration of the National Pampering Day. 

Relieve your stress and make sure to drop by at any Nailaholics branch nearest you from 10 AM to 1 PM to get a free pampering service of your choice. You may choose to get a soothing manicure, relaxing foot massage or a calming foot spa. 

And best of all, by simply participating in this year’s National Pampering Day, you will be able to support the cause of your chosen organization. You can extend your help in the rehabilitation of Marawi City by supporting World Vision, help protect our country’s rich but threatened marine and coastal resources when you support Save Philippine Seas or support The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in preventing animal cruelty. 

“With all the preparations we’ve made, we are very excited to welcome everyone tomorrow and make them feel that they deserve real pampering” said Arvin Amaro, Marketing Head of Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa. 

This is a once a year treat only from the number one pampering destination in the Philippines – Nailaholics. See you all tomorrow and Happy National Pampering Day! 

Visit www.nailaholics.com to check their services and find the branch nearest you. Get updates through their Facebook Page Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa, Twitter @_nailaholics and Instagram @_nailaholics.

Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa Celebrates the 2nd Year of National Pampering Day

When it comes to pampering on a national scale, Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa holds the only spot. After introducing the celebration of the National Pampering Day last year, Nailaholics is back at it again this 2017 with an amplified nationwide celebration of relaxation that everyone is looking forward to this October 17.

The National Pampering Day got off to a good start last year where Nailaholics offered free manicure service and a stress relieving hand massage from 10 AM to 12 NN on all their branches nationwide. This year, everyone will be treated to a free service of their choice: a soothing manicure, calming foot spa or a relaxing foot massage.

“We Filipinos are very hardworking in any given aspect of our lives and a nation of energetic and industrious people best deserves real pampering once in a while. This year, as Nailaholics celebrates the 2nd National Pampering Day, we go deeper and dedicate this to everyone and remind them to take it slow, take it easy, zone out and relax for a while.” said Arvin Amaro, Marketing Head of Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa.

“With last year’s success of the National Pampering Day, we are back this year with a bigger and much more enjoyable day of pampering. In partnership with the number one salon brand and most beloved nail lacquer brand in the world, O.P.I., National Pampering Day 2017 will accommodate more guests with the extension of pampering time until 1PM. Also, the best thing about this year’s National Pampering Day is that it will be in support to World Vision, The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), and Save Philippine Seas” added Amaro.

So save the date and get ready to park away any thoughts of work because the only responsibility you have is to loosen up. Wind down and head down to any Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa branch on October 17, 2017 (Tuesday) from 10 AM to 1 PM and get yourself a free relaxing manicure, foot spa or foot massage. 

Let Nailaholics’ skilled nail technicians take care of you for a little while and walk out of this Hamptons-inspired nail salon feeling refreshed and ready to bring it on again. Grab this once a year treat only at the country’s top destination for relaxation and real pampering. 

Visit www.nailaholics.com to check their services and find the branch nearest you. Get updates through their Facebook Page Nailaholics Nail Salon and Spa, Twitter @_nailaholics and Instagram @_nailaholics.

Another Krispy Kreme Store Opens at SM CDO Downtown Premier

Krispy Kreme welcomes another addition to its growing outlets as it unveils its newest store in SM CDO Downtown Premiere. This is the 4th store in Cagayan de Oro, following Centrio Mall, CDO Uptown and the Hot Light store in Limketkai. Krispy Kreme SM CDO Downtown Premier is set to delight their fans beginning on August 21. 

With the opening of its new store, Krispy Kreme brings a monthlong celebration of everyday moments as it offers a lineup of delightful treats. Krispy Kreme combined forces with the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company to create the deliciously satisfying Ultimate Chocolate Chiller. This cool quencher is made with unique premium, Ghirardelli chocolate doused with milk and whipped cream, sprinkled lightly with Ghirardelli chocolate chips and drizzled in rich caramel. It’s definitely a crave-worthy flavor experience that chocolate enthusiasts wouldn’t want to miss. Krispy Kreme also highlights a well-loved doughnut flavor when it released the Kit Kat Green Tea doughnut. Their newest doughnut flavor has already made waves for its doughnut fans, now making it a mainstay offering. 

Apart from these sweet treats, August is a special month for Cagayan de Oro as it celebrates the annual Higalaay Festival. Krispy Kreme joins the CDO community in celebration of the feast day of St. Augustine as it throws another delicious treat alongside opening its new store. Krispy Kreme is offering 3 Original Glazed doughnuts and any 3 Cake doughnuts for only P150 in all stores in Cagayan De Oro from August 25 to 28. Doughnut lovers are sure to get excited for more craveable melt-in-your-mouth moments with Krispy Kreme. 

These are just some of the many things to look forward to as Krispy Kreme opens its newest store in SM CDO Downtown Premier. The brand continues to bring a delightful experience to its customers through its indulgent doughnuts, great-tasting beverages and exciting creations. Discover your own #KrispyKremeMoment and visit their newest store at the Ground Floor, SM CDO Downtown Premier.

One Oasis Blogger Meeting Experience.

Good morning, people. Guess who's back from the dead.

I was given this opportunity to write down about the blogger meeting which took place in none other than One Oasis. To be frank, I was just there for the blogger sign-up, food and pool. And the view...oh, yes. The view, if only it wasn't a gloomy day, but overall, it was a great get-to-know you experience within the blogger community.

Let's get down to business, to write down the many wonders of this particular inland paradise!
 

One Oasis, CDO, is located at Rosario Limketkai Avenue, Brgy. Camaman-an, along the perimeter fence of Limketkai Complex and J.R. Borja Extension. It is a haven for those who enjoy urban resorts in the form of an Asian-Balinese inspired community of high-rise buildings set within a sprawling 2.7 hectare property  at the heart of downtown CDO. In One Oasis, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the convenience of Oasis living, be close to neighboring prime commercial centers in the city, and to enjoy how the comfort and style seamlessly blend to create well-appointed 1-BR and 2-BR units.

As an urban oasis of lush proportions, One Oasis CDO strikes a delightful balance between stylish seven-story residential buildings and rejuvenating lush greenery. This open space is over 50% of the development which includes nature-based landscapes, wide open spaces, resort-themed amenities, and wide road networks.

Enough with the advertising, I'll just give a run-through with the pictures below.

That's pretty much it for the selected pictures, thanks for reading! Chloe Orteza signing out~☺

SM CDO DOWNTOWN PREMIER EXPERIENCE

As much as I love Centrio, SM City and all the other malls in Cagayan de Oro, I guess it's time make way for the newest urban mall in town, otherwise known as SM CDO Downtown Premier!

Your argument is invalid. 😎

Photo URL: http://www.smprime.com/

It's easy to imagine what the opening of SM CDO Downtown Premier looks like, if you're used to bustling crowds. Have you seen Tokyo, Times Square and other metropolitan places in reality or even in the movies? Their crowds must have been pretty messed-up, right? Ever saw a bird's-eye view of Metallica's concert audience? Not even close. So, good luck on your first trip! But if you haven't been at SM Premier yet, at least let me help you give a tour around Cagayan de Oro's newest urban development based on my experience or what you see in the pictures.

 Stage one of shopping apocalypse...(photo by Mindanao Daily)

http://www.cdodev.com/2017/05/12/random-shots-day-1-of-sm-cdo-downtown-premier/

 OH MY GOD...!!!! 

Photo credit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFI871ZaREE

Residents in the City of Golden Friendship have more to smile about when SM CDO Downtown Premier opened its doors last Friday, May 12, 2017. SM CDO Downtown Premier brings an uptown vibe to the downtown area with its eclectic mix of shopping, relaxation and entertainment. It is a vibrant retail intersection where one can find global brands like Forever 21, Uniqlo (to open on June), Miniso, The Body Shop, Watsons, Ace Hardware, Crocs, Giordano and Oakley, as well as well-loved Filipino brands like National Bookstore, Bench (to open soon) and Penshoppe.

Now, skipping the formal advertising, I shall blog about my experience.

To be fair, I didn't expect much of SM CDO Downtown Premier at first. I thought of it as another small-town mall, like its uptown twin. It was at first of tiny significance to me, until, of course, she told me that my Tito Cyril was coming along.

The sight of the glowing yellow lights, the subtle yet vibrant color, the sheer size and its beautiful glass assets felt like an insulting smack to my face, as if the whole building told me, Look who's talking! Nonetheless, I was amazed. It is basically the mall of my dreams...erm, sans the bustling crowd and the fact that I forgot my jacket. The first thing that caught my eye was not a fancy boutique, or a toy store. It wasn't even a resturant in all of its scrumptious glory. It was the cosplayers of the main cast from Guardians of the Galaxy: Mary Poppi--erm, Yondu, Peter Quill, Drax, a still-an-adult Groot and Gamora (don't ask about Baby Groot and Rocket Racoon). 

  ...seems legit...right?

But of course, time doesn't pass by without me being hungry. Terribly hungry. Thankfully, mum was kind enough to let Tito Cyril and I hang around in Starbucks for a bit. Change of plans, though--Starbucks was crowded and we had nowhere else to go except Coffee Bean. For the whole time we basically killed time through a famous ritual called Getting-To-Know-You. I can't talk about it, it's irrelevant to this topic.

Anyways, back to the story! Our next target was Greenwich, and oh, man...I did not expect the lechon to be served.There was also chicken, lasagna, carbonara, caramel bars, it was the perfect paradise for a big eater, like me. There was even a colossal pizza, but sad to say that was not meant for customers. What a waste of perfectly good food.

 You, sir, are a delicious ray of sunshine.

 

Also the both of you.

Let me tell you a fact: I barely able finished my meal in just a few seconds before going to Forever 21, and sad to say, their giveaway snacks were consumed. Never mind that--the products were great and, along with a large discount. All of them were just twenty-one percent off. They had my type of clothes. They were the whole package, and what made it better was that I had an accidental run-in with my closest friend from our old school. I would've bought everything else I liked but well, what we had was enough.

   

  Forever 21 products (21% off only during the soft opening, sorry!)

Here are a few bonus pics of my SM Premier experience:

 Bow to the First Order!

 Spread the  news, fellow bronies!

 Miniso products ^_^

BOW TO THE POWER OF KAWAII!

Killing time before wasting some more :P

Welcome to Downtown SM CDO , the whole package of a a rich and upscale shopping paradise. And if any of you are complaining...well, you don't know what you've missed.

MY YOLO EXPERIENCE: PARAGLIDING

Chloe again, back to writing after several weeks of absence and a vacation in my way (sorry, not sorry). As I've said, I'm going to narrate an utterly unforgettable experience, which, if you were in it, will have you either regretting it, enjoying it or...like me, craving for some more.

Curious? Very well, I hope you can learn something from this sky-high experience.

It started off as a normal day for me, with the summer art classes and whatnot, going home and expecting a home-alone break time for me. Surprise! Dad informed me that Mom cancelled my tutorial appointment in Ready Minds Learning Center, so I got to go on the free trip with her. Yay! Being in a blogger meeting for the first time, I expected there to be boring talk, then food. But Poseidon's underpants, I was wrong.

Dabmaster is back XD

Instead of personal private transportation, we got to ride in a giant van cramped up with bloggers everywhere, but it was fun. If you define fun as not-knowing-anyone-and-not-talking-to-them-with-earphones-on, yeah. Things got a whole lot interesting as we arrived on an elevated area, only to see nothing but a barren fountain and an attractive glass terrace. Who cares--the skyline view was glorious. The day was hot, yes, but none of that mattered. Being that nature-loving kid over there, I stayed on the top floor longer than others, besides my mom.

What made my day better was the cafe and diner at the lower floor, with its soothing, homey feel and meals, and the scenic view of the horizon. There, the pilots welcomed us, inviting us to a paragliding adventure--but what's an adventure without the rules? Well, first of all, you have to make sure there's a lot of wind blowing in. Second, you've gotta have a licensed pilot with you, even if you're already good at paragliding. Third, (no offense) they will prioritize those who are approximately 50 kilograms or a few more. Me being me, I don't take track of my weight, but, oh well!

Waiting for my turn didn't bore me out--in fact, it it entertained me, watching the reactions of the other bloggers--some screaming, some gleeful, some utterly nervous up to the point they signed out. I wasn't really nervous, or excited--in fact, it felt like a normal day. Mom, being mom, gave me a tight hug once it was my turn, and I asked her to owe me a chocolate frappe once I go back (during that time, I was assuming I'd return. Oops).

Paragliding was not how I expected it to be. I was so stupid to think we'd jump off the roof, go Peter Pan, weeee...! You had to take minutes to prepare, and wait for the wind to come across. I was given instructions to keep running in mid-air, and was told that jumping may be the worst option. Oh, and I forgot to mention, Sir Titoy was my assigned pilot that time. He was a nice guy, actually. I'd thank him for the experience I am now about to tell you.

What is it like above the air, you ask? Some people require extra guts and glory to enjoy it, but me being me, I walked off the roof without any qualms, nor a negative thought on what may happen next. And WHOOSH! A brightly decorated parachute flies off not far from the horizon, caught by the updraft of winds, Was it scary? Not even zero percent. It was, and is, and always will be gloriously amazing (with a slight nausea on the side). I felt weightless, and by following the instructions I felt like I was god ol' Jason Grace, soaring above like a bird. It wasn't scary, even. It was the best feeling ever...despite the fact that the ride will only last three minutes. The landing was soft, even. But just staring straight ahead felt as if time stopped--and I loved it.

I got my frappe after all, anyways. It was delicious...although a little too sweet, but tasty nonetheless. Dinner didn't really help my post-aerial stress, but the spicy chicken wings were enough to satisfy my partially empty stomach.I may have drunken all the water back there,I'm sorry, but how else was I supposed to relieve my headache?

Chillin'...literally.

Woops, I forgot to mention that they have the best sunsets, right? No words could describe it. Heck, it was beyond description, and it was enchanting, timeless and it gave me a nostalgic feeling. I don't know how many photos I took, but if the camera's out of memory, I don't regret it.

Thank me for this fabulous photo, fellow hombres :)

Welcome to Sierra del Oro, folks. The upscale and sky-high soon-to-be paradise of your dreams.