I Thought I Love the Color Pink...

My dear Krissy tagged me and asked me to take pictures of 7 pink things in my home. Although I'm awful with these blog tags, I think I owe it to dear Krissy to at least find seven pink stuff in my home. After searching my home though, I only came up with a measly three. I thought I loved the color pink but aside from my underwear, I can't really find anything else. I'd rather die than display my underwear in this blog, so I'm posting my three pink stuff.

This jewelry box from my sister. I absolutely love this box because it's pink. I don't use it as a personal jewelry box, but it has seen thousands of pesos worth of silver jewelry. When I had a silver jewelry business about five years ago, I used this to carry around those accessories. It's wrapped in black velvet inside. I felt like Paris Hilton in one of her "A Simple Life" assignment. Lol! I may be selling stuff, but I did it with style. Based from my scribbles, I had a very lucrative business. People would get silver jewelry from me without any down payment and every pay day, I would make the rounds and they'd pay for them in installments. Everyone settled their accounts and I've never experienced anything negative from that business venture which bolsters in my belief about humanity, in general. Some people do keep their word. Today, this jewelry box is now the repository of my daughter's marbles and other what-nots. It's hers now so technically, this is not even mine anymore.

I got this pretty Nine West purse from an office exchange gift. An author of the most romantic Tagalog romance novels gave it to me so it's extra special. I wanted a pink purse because I had a bag with a black interior. My purse then was black and I had a difficult time finding it. So I loudly hinted that I wanted a purse that is any color other than black for Christmas. Of course, I would be absolutely thrilled if that other color was pink. And I got my wish. It pays to be very specific when Christmas time comes. I always tell everyone what I love to have for Christmas. (In exchange, I always ask my friends and family what they want for Christmas because it's such a hassle to go gift-hunting for something they might just store or re-gift) It may not be the classiest thing I can do, but at least, I get what I want, right?

This is my coin purse and I love, love, love this. In fact, I was so smitten by this Victoria's Secret purse that when my daughter asked for it, I refused. (She thinks that the gold heart is real gold.) I told her that she'll inherit it when she's older, but not now. I think she's too young to appreciate the immense "kikayness" of this little coin purse. It used to house miniature bottles of Victoria's Secret lotions and shampoos and smells like them still, but now, it's my little treasure chest of coins.

I don't have a single pink thing in my closet, would you believe? I attribute it to my skin tone. I'm warm-toned and any girl knows that jewel tones do not particularly flatter warm-toned gals like me. On the other hand, my husband has two pink shirts in his closet because I have a penchant for men who wear pink and still look masculine in it.

I'm not really sure how this tag works, but Joybeth, Tiara, and Tara of Chronicles of Vanity, I hope you'd oblige me and show us some orange stuff from your home. 

Selling My Absolute Sandman Volume 1 by Neil Gaiman

Because Neil Gaiman had the audacity to marry another girl, I am selling my Absolute Sandman Volume 1 for only P3,000.00 with Free Shipping! It's a way for me to cope with this sad, sad loss.

I'd like for this book to go to a wonderful owner who'd appreciate it, so if anyone is interested, please check out my Ebay listing . (The free shipping is only for the Philippines, though.)

Neil Gaiman, you broke my heart...


Okay, enough with the drama. I could now imagine my husband giving me dagger looks because he never quite understood my school-girl crush on Neil Gaiman, Pablo Neruda, and Conrado de Quiros.

Who the Hell is Amanda Palmer and Why Is She Marrying My Neil Gaiman?

Okay. I was just in Neil Gaiman's blog and saw that he's getting married to Amanda Palmer. Heart broken... pieces everywhere.

Then I went on an Amanda-Palmer stalking spree and I found her blog and I think she's cool. So I've forgiven her.

Besides, it's not like I'm waiting around pining for Neil Gaiman. Plus, they love each other. So there.

Suze Orman's "Women and Money": The Book That Started It All

I first started reading Suze Orman's "Women and Money" from Rochelle, the force behind Pinay and Money. Since at that time, I was making more money that I have ever had in my life, I was interested in anything that will make it grow even more. So I grabbed a copy and started reading.

Let me tell you that "Women and Money" was the second book that I read about personal finance. The first one was Kawasaki's "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." I liked "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" until it got to the part about real estate. Then I dropped it. Suze Orman's simple style makes you feel that you're with your financial expert friend, giving you no-nonsense advice about your money issues.

The only thing that barred me from reading personal finance books before was that I didn't understand the lingo. You know that feeling? When my husband launches on explaining anything technical such as changing the spark plug or what a spark plug is, I basically zone out and think pretty "pink-and-blue" thoughts. That's exactly what I do whenever I read personal finance books. Since I'm not that interested in money issues, there was no personal finance book that held my attention that long, except for Suze Orman's "Women and Money."

The title itself is catchy. It's like Rosalind Miles' "Women's History of the World." Since I'm always interested in anything gender-related, I gave "Women and Money" a try. From the very first page, it was a compelling read. You know that feeling? When you're in complete rapport with someone? I find myself nodding at what Suze Orman is saying. Although there were several sections in this book that didn't apply to the Philippine setting, there were several practical advice that applies to the regular Filipina. Sometimes, the books goes all inspirational, such as in the chapter "The Eight Qualities of a Wealthy Woman" which made me guffaw. I always get this way when reading inspirational literature. It also has entire chapters that dealt with US-based readers such as the 401(k), etc. But most of all, it left me with several ideas that stayed with me, such as:

Learning What An Emergency Fund Is. Considering that both of my kids were unplanned, you could say that I've lived spontaneously. This goes without saying that I have not thought about emergencies, at all. So the concept of having an emergency fund which is technically a savings account containing eight months of living expenses (Orman's definition) is totally alien to me. I honestly didn't think about what my family will do if we got laid off, one of us drops dead, falls sick, or whatever.

Thinking About Money Does NOT Make You Evil. I've been raised thinking that money is not essential to your happiness, mainly because we didn't have much of it going around. So whenever money comes up, I get all saintly and horrified thinking that when you think about money, you are being greedy or materialistic and the thought of money making you happy is evil. Now that I'm married with two kids, I'm realizing more and more that money is essential to our happiness. The stress from not being able to make ends meet is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy (you know who you are!) and I also noticed that my husband and I tend to fight more when resources are tight. That doesn't make us evil.  Suze Orman opens your eyes to the TRUTH that it will take money to make you happy simply because it provides for your family's needs. For a woman, knowing that your family is secure is ultimate happiness. Suze Orman allows you to think about money, making more of it to make you secure and happy, and she helps you accept that fact without getting queasy.

It's Better to Save Up for Retirement than Your Children's College Fund. Yes, that's right. That doesn't make you a bad parent. The way Suze Orman laid it out was quite logical. It's better to prioritize your retirement than your children's educational fund. Sound selfish? Not the least because you are doing this for your children's benefit. You don't want to depend on them when you're already old and sickly. By that time, they'll have a family of their own to care for. You don't want to burden them with that. A college fund is optional because your children can always get scholarships or work to study, but you? Where will you get money for your living expenses when you're too old to work? And don't tell me that you're investing in your children so they can take care of you when you're old. A completely selfish thought.

So that's what I got from reading Suze Orman's book. This is the reason why I'm suddenly interested in making money and saving it, instead of just spending it.

How about you? Have you read this book? Can you suggest other personal finance book that didn't make your nose bleed?

Budget Pretty: The One When I Reveal That My Financial IQ is a Negative

One of the best realizations that I had in 2009 is to learn how financially illiterate I was. To give you a picture of how clueless I was with personal finance, here is a list of my ignorance:

• I don't know how much money I have in my wallet at any given time. Literally. You can steal from me and I wouldn't even notice.

• Whenever I shop, I don't look at the price. I just pick what "moves" me aka what looks the prettiest.I'm just lucky that I didn't have to suffer through the embarrassment of returning items just because I didn't have enough cash. 
• After working for a year in the US, I rewarded myself with Neil Gaiman's Absolute Sandman Vol.1 that I rarely read because it was so bulky and a Nikon D80 that clocked in only 2,000 actuations before it broke down. Useless things that could have bought me a serviceable secondhand car that would have compelled me to drive so I wouldn't be completely useless in an emergency.  (Although I must admit that I still get a delicious thrill whenever I hold Absolute Sandman and harbor secret dreams of being a professional photographer.)
• While going through my mother's letters to me when I was in college, it was filled with all versions of "Please budget your money because we're not rich." And I didn't even remember that she wrote that in every letter she sent me.
• I didn't know how credit cards worked.
• While decluttering, I read this note from a friend in Japan that said, "Hey is Y2,000 enough to sustain you for a week? I don't want you to starve." Yep, folks! I was in a foreign country without any money that someone had to loan me her allowance.

I can list other stuff but you get the picture, right? Suffice it to say that my financial IQ is probably a negative. I thank my lucky stars that I didn't drive myself to financial ruin because of my ignorance.

I am no money expert. In fact, anything that has to do with numbers makes my eyes glaze over. I have difficulty doing mental math and I lunge at a calculator like a drowning victim grabbing to a lifesaver whenever I hear numbers . So what am I doing blogging about money? It's basically to show people that yes, even a person who can't mentally solve 3578+4569 still need to grudgingly but inevitably face money issues everyday.

And since I have difficulty grasping personal finance in plain words, I have to translate it in terms of something I understand, beauty. Because if I have to ace personal finance, I have to budget pretty (forgive the grammar) or fail. Care to join me?

Uncluttering Me

I have an overactive brain. My days are spent thinking about what I want to do. When my brain goes on overdrive, I rarely sleep. I dream of grand plans for my future. In fact, I get so stressed out trying to think of a million things to do with my life that I never get to do anything. My husband is always the steadfast soundboard of the myriad of ideas that crowd my brain. Then he said, "Those are great ideas but you never get to do them." He has a point.

I have three huge white and gray boxes that are ready for uncluttering my room.But I haven't started yet. I have pending assignments to finish and I'm afraid to begin. I have seven years worth of memories to scrap and I only have two layouts to show for it. I have a million things to do, but I'm paralyzed because I don't know how to begin. Then I realized that I have to unclutter my mind first before I need to do anything else.

I am reading Leo Babauta's The Power of Less and he said that more focused energy is the most powerful. He has a point, too.

I have to learn to focus so that I can be productive. For now, this means getting my work done by 5:00 PM so I can concentrate on my family, my daughters especially. In the end when all's said and done, they're the ones who really matter.

We are Amadeus!

Of all my Baltimore days, the ones I cherish the most were the long drives from Baltimore to New York City in a blue Prius with my mentor, Eleanor. What I thought were friendly conversations turned out to be mini-training sessions on leadership and preparing me for the responsibility she was about to give me after my Baltimore stint.

One day, we were talking about how she came to New York City in the seventies and how she became what she is now, financially independent that she can do whatever she wanted without worrying about whether or not she’s going to pay her bills,  a consultant for various firms in educational publishing. She told me that what made her what she is right now is not really her brilliance (and believe me, she is the most brilliant person I have ever known ever) but because she was in the right place at the right time. Of course, you have to be prepared to step up when that time comes.

And it was in that aspect that we are the same. I have had so many wonderful opportunities in the past that came to me so effortlessly that I thought that I didn’t deserve them. Shouldn’t we strive for it with our blood and tears like so many other people often do to reach success? Mine came to me like gifts, wrapped in beautiful paper.

Then she said, “After all, we are Amadeus! Loved by God”

And I couldn’t say more. Yes, I am Amadeus, loved by God. Every opportunity comes to me not because I deserve them but because there’s this mysterious force that bestows them on me out of love. As I start the year 2010, I am giddy with anticipation. What paths will I blaze for this year. I am Amadeus and I hope this year will be an Amadeus year for you, too.