On the night of December 31, 2015 at around 6:00 PM, I wrote:


"In just a few hours, I'll be saying goodbye to 2015 but not to everything that came with it. The valuable moments spent with family and friends, places traveled, fears conquered, goals attained and lessons learned from mistakes and failures will all be part of who I am and who I'll be. I will cherish every piece of memory that lead me up to this day."

"A fragment of who I've become is reflected right here at My Kikay Stuff (MKS). I have to admit that initiating a blog was a cinch with all the tips and traded secrets about it revealed on the net but keeping it wasn't duck soup either. There were times when my mind went blank that I couldn't write a decent entry. Good thing my love for story telling unfailingly prevailed each time."

A Whole New Journey

Hey guys! In my last post, I mentioned having a life-changing event which is one of the reasons why I missed updating my blog in the past couple of months. You might be wondering what it was but I guess seeing the image above already gave you an idea. Yes, I got married to my fiance of 5 years on December 6, 2014 at Fernwood Gardens. 

This lovely creation was by Global Invitations and I really love the way it turned out. I wasn't expecting it to be so intricate yet simple and classic.

We stayed at Luxent Hotel, a fairly new establishment in Timog Avenue, Quezon City. Luckily, we got hold of the Luxent Suite which includes this expansive living room, a dining area, kitchen and mini bar. 

Living Room

They have such lovely decorations that I can't help but take pictures. 

Dining, Kitchen, Mini Bar, Powder Room

The Luxent Suite also has 2 master's bedrooms, each having a vanity area, office space and private bath. 

Master's Bedroom #1's Private Bath

Master's Bedroom #2

Master's Bedroom #2's Office Space

Master's Bedroom #2's Private Bath

Oh did I mention the outdoor jacuzzi? Just what every stressed individual needs before a big event. 

Here's a view of the city at night from the living room and below is how things look like on a good day.

My wedding gown and mothers' gowns were created by Edward Teng who took the time to swing by the hotel the night before. This guy is really a professional, so friendly and accommodating to all his clients. I will be doing a tell-all about how we came down to the final design of my wedding gown really soon. 

The gowns included several accessories for the ceremony like the veil, cord, arrhae, ring/bible pillows and a very lovely pouch. 

The morning of our wedding, my mom, brother and best friend had a few minutes to lounge around. You might be thinking how on earth did we manage to look so unstressed. Well, we just allowed the day to pass and went ahead with the flow. 

The first ones to arrive were Edward Teng's crew and they immediately went down to business and unboxed my dress. By the way, I was strictly told not to open the box the evening before so I only got to see my wedding gown in the morning. 

So that's what gowns hide underneath. No wonder they stay fluffy the entire time. 

I was already having my makeup done when the crew finished putting my gown on the body form. I can't remember who took this shot but good thing it was on my phone. This awesome creation and craftsmanship never fails to make me gasp. 

My lovely friends and family who stood by me through it all look so gorgeous don't you think?

My equally fabulous "ninangs" also stole glances with their beautiful aura. 

I would love to share more pictures of us with our families but my phone only have these shots. I'm guessing the battery went dead early but I'm still very thankful the one holding my phone took the liberty to capture every moment. 

If you're planning your own wedding and you want to ask anything about preparations, I might be able to help so just comment down below and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you so much for reading my post and have an awesome weekend!

♥♥♥

Get Polished!

Hey guys! I can't believe it's been ages since my last post. I've been wanting to write an entry to welcome the month of December but I was so busy I couldn't even decide on what to write about. Good thing I just had a mani-pedi/foot spa that I enjoyed so much it's definitely blogworthy.

I visited Get Polished at the ground floor of Mezza Residences along Araneta Avenue, Sta. Mesa Q.C. It was a rainy Friday afternoon and there were no other clients so I got seated right away.

There were around 5 couches inside the salon and they had no waiting area so better set an appointment for a sure spot when you come in. Although you may also visit them on their lazy hours which usually fall between 1:00 to 5:00 PM. 

A very pretty chandelier greets you at the entrance. They offer an array of services and I got the regular manicure coupled with pedicure and foot spa. 

The base and top coats are both exclusive products of the spa.

There were tons of nail polish bottles to choose from but I was dead set on having a subtle nude color for my finger nails. The receptionist suggested this nail polish from CUCCIO. I don't frequent nail spas as much as I want to but I knew right away that it's a new brand of nail color. The label didn't say what the shade is but it's near nude.

The lady assigned to do my manicure did a really great job! I love how she effectively removed dead skin surrounding my nails and beautifully layered the polish.

As for my toe nails, I chose OPI in Malaga Wine which is a darker shade of red, perfect for the holiday season.

Excuse my chubby toes but I just want you to see how gorgeous the shade turned out. Hooray to OPI!!! 

I also heard OPI polishes don't cause nail discoloration so you might want to try OPI if you've noticed cuticle darkening with your usual brand of nail polish. 

I also want to commend the lady who did my foot scrub and pedicure for the awesome work! She was so persistent in removing every dead skin she could scrape off my feet. I also noticed her unsealing a new scrubbing pad and sticking it on a metal handle. I learned later that they use a new pad for each client which I think is very important for hygienic purposes. 

After my manicure and pedicure, my nails were treated with a drop each of their HALF TIME  Polishing Dry Accelerator. It looks and feels like oil which is why my nails look a bit greasy on the images but the results were worth it. In less then 10 minutes my nails were good to go. 

Overall, my experience with Get Polished is so satisfying that I will definitely come back. I love that their services are fairly priced, I only paid 520 Php in total. Get Polished Nail Spa has several branches around the metro, you may visit their website for more information. 

Thank you for reading my post and have a joyful week ahead!

♥♥♥

R&R Forever

Hey guys! I haven't been blogging at my usual pace on what seems like my busiest week this year. Two of my closest friends just got hitched and I had several meetings plus my daily clinics in between. So yes, life is hectic but still fun especially when blessed with blissful occasions.

Image courtesy of Ian Celis

Anyway, I want to share with you my friends' destination wedding (turned weekend get-away) at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Bagac, Bataan. The couple loves anything vintage so it wasn't a surprise when they chose a rustic theme.

The venue, Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar, is a heritage park featuring the Filipino culture. This place is considered a living museum since it showcases Philippine customs and traditions via their 18th century-inspired community. Visiting this site is like being transported back in the Spanish colonial era.

Casa Jaen II

Casa Meycauayan

They have several houses or casas in the vicinity for overnight reservations and we were fortunate to have occupied two different casas. We spent our first night at Casa Jaen II and our last at Casa Meycauayan.


The Catholic wedding ceremony was held in a chapel within the resort followed by a Christian service at the garden area in the afternoon. Cocktails were served by the pool area and was concluded by a spectacular display of fireworks.

The reception was equally beautiful with good food by the resort's in-house caterer complimented by the best entertainment from The Bloomfields. This band has truly captured our hearts with their invigorating performance.

Additional perks of being a guest/bridesmaid? We were given these lovely gifts! A 16gb USB flash drive which resembles a Swiss knife by Victorinox and a bottle opener that looks like an antique key.

The next morning, we had the luxury of time to immerse in the beauty of the place via a guided tour. The view was breathtaking! You can pretty much see what I'm saying through the images. 


Overall, this once in a lifetime event was successfully and beautifully executed thanks to the joint efforts of the lovely couple, their supportive families, friends and dedicated suppliers. Speaking of suppliers, I can't keep my lips zipped on a certain unfortunate incident that the couple undeservedly experienced from their wedding coordinator. They originally hired Ms. Chinkie Agregado because she's one of the best out there but to the couple's dismay, her performance as a partial coordinator didn't go well. Her inability to make her presence "felt" especially nearing the event is an understatement. She may have been an effective coordinator in her other projects but definitely not with this one. Still, the couple wished her well before officially terminating her services.

Image courtesy of Ian Celis

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderful couple, Roygien and Rochelle, for allowing us witness and celebrate this momentous occasion with them. Thank you for your unparalleled generosity and genuine kindness. I am eternally grateful to have both of you as my friends. Cheers to a happy life! We love you.


♥♥♥