#dm me if you want more recos

[benefits1986]

DM Slides

There’s something about the chaos that keeps me up all night and lucky, too. 

After a DM to my OG marketing tatay, I got a reply. He told me he remembers me and asked coyly why nabuhay ako. Still thinking of a comeback because amidst the chaos of daily life, all I have in mind is the weekend spent with my OG marketing dad while catching up over Shakey’s pizza, mojos, chicken and of course, mugs of cold draft beer. For sure, tatawanan na naman ako nito plus his signature one liner na IKAW PA BA? Damnnn. I miss spaces like the space he curated for me. It’s safe enough to commit mistakes in the same manner that he demands nothing less than above average progress and delivery. Syempre, magiging mahabang usapan na naman kung bakit wala pa akong boyfriend or girlfriend. Tapos, tatawanan na naman ako dahil sa mga reasons why ko at ako na naman ang sisihin sa topic na ‘to. For sure ‘yan. Tanggapin ko na ba mga reto and recos niya para matapos na? :D Maging open-minded na lang ako maging housewife na possibly may kids from an XY na malinis ang papel sa previous relationship? LOL. Just before midnight, I got another super curious DM. What got me to skim is the part that says “empowered female leaders” plus a few more lines that make me hope that after the storm and the drought, there’s more to this life, mhie. Ako na lang bahala saan ba ako tutungo. Ako na lang bahala paano ko ma-marry ang realities and challenges. After all, I am really excited for a new chapter whenever, wherever. ;) All endings are fresh starts. All endings are dead ends, too. So, kapit lang, mhie. Kapit lang. All endings lead to detours after a long hike and bike. Minsan akala mo ‘yun na, pero ‘di pala. Tanong na lang talaga is how badly do you want that new chapter to unfold? How far will you go to make things happen while staying truest and kindest to yourself even when the burn and the bash come your way? Actually, this is a test of self-worth at its finest. :) Mhie, powered by Brene Brown na tayo ngayon because na-eat up na natin sina Godin and Greene. Na-max out na natin sila.  I also remember V and am reminded that life is but a dream, a dragon, and a choice. Gagi ka, V. Kung kelan naman kailangan kita, saka ka pa nagpunta sa Other Side. Then again, thank you, V. Your last choice on earth keeps me on my toes for better reasons, I guess. Kung andito ka, sasabihan mo lang ako ng RELAK and that I got this plus ‘wag ako masungit and maldita. HAHAHAHA.  Ungodly hours like this also reminds me of mother dragon’s wrath and warmth. She will most likely tell me to just keep at it. Period. May kasamang pinong kurot. :D Currently hanging on to mother dragon’s Beatles PL. Pota. Nasa ganung level na ako and funny how, I tap my foot and shake my head to mom’s daily sanity pill.  Mother dragon would probably tell me that like the moon, I come with my phases. And that, all things will happen. All things take time and effort. And that I need to stop na akapin ang mundo na naman. LOL. I can’t do all things even when I can do a number of things. Lagot. Palo sa pwet. I am downing this right at the spot where mom spent her last breath. I guess this is it. I guess this is the end and the start, too.  Taurus szn, you little shithead. Matapos ka na. Para focus na ako sa H2 ko. Also, fuck you and love you, Tito Taurus as your Bread fave plays right at this moment. Nasa This Is Beatles PL ako, bakit napunta ako sa PL mo? Alam ko namang mix ito pero marami namang kanta ang Beatles na dapat mauna muna, ‘di ba? Magkampihan pa kayo ng nanay kong Taurus with your smirks and harsh comments. Wala akong pake. Nae-excite ako sa mga susunod na kabanata and I will choose myself, first and foremost. Maiba naman.  Okay back to the world of the living. Sabi nga, mas matakot ka sa mga buhay kesa sa mga patay and zombies. The world of the living is the world waiting and wanting to die. Fight me if you can. Tara!  XOXO, B

[leng-m]

(Short) OPM Masterpost

I just heard someone say SB19 is all they know about OPM (Original Pilipino Music), and I died a little inside. (I've got nothing against SB19, but to condense all of OPM to just them is a tragedy). And as someone who credits Tagalog OPM as one of the reasons I'm still fluent in the language, I decided to make a list to help out those who want to dip their toes in Filipino music.

(Note: this is a very, very short list of even the ones I know of, since Tumblr apparently has a 100-link limit to their posts. I kept to those who have released something in the last several years, while trying to find a balanced mix of mainstream artists and lesser known ones.)

Pop IV of Spades (x) (x) Morrissette Amon (x) (x) Mark Carpio (x) (x) Shanne Dandan (x) (x) Sarah Geronimo (x) (x) Juan Karlos Labajo (x) (x) Jeric Medina (x) (x) TJ Monterde (x) (x) Inigo Pascual (x) (x) Quest (x) (x) Angeline Quinto (x) (x) Nica Del Rosario (x) (x) Unique Salonga (x) (x) KZ Tandingan (x) (x) Moira dela Torre (x) (x) Thyro & Yumi (x) (x)

Acoustic (Soft-rock/folk-rock/pop-rock -- not sure how to describe this genre, but this is what I would actually consider the "signature" OPM sound.) Agsunta (x) (x) Autotelic (x) (x) Ben & Ben (x) (x) Callalily (x) (x) Yeng Constantino (x) (x) December Avenue (x) (x) Ebe Dancel (x) (x) I Belong to the Zoo (x) (x) Magnus Haven (x) (x) Silent Sanctuary (x) (x) SUD (x) (x) The Juans (x) (x) This Band (x) (x)

Indie Hans Dimayuga (x) (x) Arthur Nery (x) (x) Syd Hartha (x) (x) UDD (x) (x)

Rap / Hiphop / R&B Allmo$t (x) (x) Alisson Shore (x) (x) Because (x) (x) Ex-Battalion (x) (x) Gloc-9 (x) (x) Karencitta (x) (x) Shantidope (x) (x)

Vispop (Visayan) Karencitta (see above) Kurt Fick (x) (x) Jacky Chang (x) (x) TJ Monterde (see above) Meunnie (x) (x) Like I said, this is a really short list. It doesn't include 90s and '00s megastars that really made their mark in the industry like Regine Velasquez, MYMP, Gary V., Aegis, etc.

Please don't expect Filipino music to be like western pop or east Asian pop, that happens to be in a different language. While some artists and their songs do have that "international" flavour, Philippine music in general has a different vibe. Yes, even when the song is in English. Don't expect multi-million dollar production budgets. OPM is characterized first and foremost by hugot (that feeling of tugging on your heartstrings), not flashiness. Also important are vocal ability and creative wordplay. Most of our singers write their own songs.

I also suggest digging past the mainstream pop idols, who tend to recycle old hits and cover other songs. There are a lot of indie gems in OPM, the ones who are really producing music with spirit and strength and good messages. Social media has allowed these artists to reach a mass audience, so they're not difficult to find. We're in a great era in OPM, where more and more songs in other regional languages are being written and produced. There are pop songs now in Kapampangan, Bikol, Tausug, etc.

Also, while many of the musicians on this list are people I genuinely enjoy listening to and support, there are some I've included to show the wide breadth of music in the country, but whom I do not particularly endorse. Like many people in the entertainment industry, some individuals/bands featured here are embroiled in controversy, and I don't necessarily condone their actions.

Feel free to add more!

[avaycarter]

#ad - {Calling All #Fashion Lovers! #GIVEAWAY} Ascending Butterfly is bringing back our "Featured #Handbag In The Spotlight" with a #DesignerHandbag from @claralumeshop and a Valentines Day Themed Twitter Party too! + EXCLUSIVE Discount Code! #ClaraLumé

DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post and part of a compensated campaign for Clara Lumé

  After the major fire I dealt with last year, I have found myself very much in a 'starting over' position. Not exactly a fun place to be. That actually was just one of many challenges on my plate last year. My handbag collection was one of my treasures and having to start that again from scratch feels like an incredibly daunting task. 

I started this empowerment community in 2008, because nothing like it existed at the time. I was looking for empowerment that wasn't necessarily spiritual, I was a long time life coach looking for my own inspiration. I couldn't find it, so I created it. 

'Blogging my way through it' has really been my therapy, and in doing so, I found my tribe. People who wanted a place to turn that was positive. A moment of light. 

With Valentine's Day swiftly approaching, I wanted to find a way to give my butterflies a gift and bring back my all time favorite regular feature! 

I have decided this year I do not want to stick with what I know, I do not want to play it safe, it is time to turn heads! And this Valentine's Day Recommendation and our first Featured Handbag in the Spotlight for 2019 is definitely going to help me achieve that goal.

I have a few Valentine's Day Recos, but I can't help but to start with this one and when you see the bag you will totally get why!

There are several passions I have often dreamed of turning into a full time business (and in some cases have been approached to do so):

Handbag Design (I have been approached about this, but haven't found the right partner yet)

Creating my own Scent (I sort of do this already, I also do it with lipstick)

Owning a Winery (Champagne or Prosecco Please!)

Owning a Casino (I have been enjoying 'Casino-Cations' for years now, in different places, I can take the best from each and avoid the mistakes I have seen along the way, I'd be good at this!)

Some of these being a bit more do-able than others, but all vision board worthy!

One of the things I love do when I collaborate with Designers is pick their brain. I love to know what inspires fellow creatives. How dreamers bring their visions to life.

Five minutes with Richard Hofer of Lucent Wear LLC: 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - When was Clara Lumé  formed? 

Development of the Clara Lumé bag started in April of 2017. The product was released publicly in September of 2018. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  What was the inspiration for the design? 

The original inspiration for the Clara Lumé bag was from Burning Man. I have been many times and I absolutely love the culture. Light up fashion is popular at the event and I found it very inspiring. Over the years I have developed and shared a number of art projects at the event. One of these projects was a set of light up coats. They were amazing, but they weren’t something that could be brought directly to the market for everyone to enjoy. They were just too expensive to build, too heavy, too hot, and too fragile for the general public. So, I looked for a way that I could share some of that fun but in an affordable and durable product. And that’s where the Clara Lumé bag came in. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Can the fur be water treated like footwear to prevent stains? or is it just the leather that can be treated to prevent stains and make it easier to clean? 

We do not recommend treating the fur with stain preventers. They often change the feel of the fur, and it’s not really necessary anyway. During development we tested many different fur products and one of the reasons we chose the one we did was because of its ability to resist staining. We tested red wine, cola, beer, and several other staining substances and found that they all could be easily removed with water alone. The fur fibers are very stain resistant. If something does get on your bag we recommend spot cleaning with a damp cloth and a small amount of soap. Do not wet the fur all the way through as this can loosen the fibers. 

 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Will you offer interchangeable straps? 

We are certainly planning on offering different length straps and other styles as well in the future. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  What is your typical day like, are you involved in other businesses in addition to Clara Lumé?

During development of the bag Clara Lumé was more than a full time job. Once the product was released and production was lined out, the work load started to decrease. As of the last few months I have been taking on other outside engineering consulting contracts to fill my time. As sales increase with Clara Lumé I suspect I will have to devote my entire energy to the business once again. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Please consider making matching vests and boots! :) 

Boots are on the horizon, but I need to get this product rolling steadily first.

I got my Clara Lumé Aurora bag all set up this weekend and it is making it's debut for New York Fashion Week events this month! This bag is well crafted, super soft, and the unique light show feature is going to turn heads. I have had so much fun playing with the app and picking light shows for it that match my personality like Yin and Yang, Cross, Sensual Hearts and She's on Fire! (And don't think I wasn't pumping Alicia Keys' 'Girl on Fire' in tune to the light show on my Aurora!) WIN IT: You are cordially invited to win your own Clara Lumé AURORA Handbag at our #ClaraLumé Valentine's Twitter Party being held on Thursday, February 7th, at 9 p.m. EST - that's 6pm in California for our West Coast friends! This party is for a half hour, so be sure to be there on time and use the hashtag #ClaraLumé to play along! Using the hashtag is your entry! So the more questions you answer and the more times you use the hashtag the more entries you will receive. This one is open internationally! All USA, Canada and International Readers are very much welcome to join us! Are you swooning over Clara Lumé as much as I am? Here is a chance to RSVP, do some extras like additional social follows and earn some extra credit: a Rafflecopter giveaway Look for our post about the party on Instagram, tagging friends there will get you extra credit as well! It's in the rafflecopter, just remember you need to be following both https://twitter.com/claralumeshop and https://twitter.com/Tracy_Iglesias so it will be easy to DM you should you be the lucky winner! (And please note, if I get thrown in Twitter Jail for tweeting too much, yes this has happened, I will switch to the Ascending Butterfly Twitter Account so follow it too just in case: https://twitter.com/Ascending1) DISCOUNT: Ascending Butterfly Blog is honored to have the very FIRST and very much exclusive Discount Code! Can't wait for the party? Nab 10% off at Shop Clara Lumé by using the code: BUTTERFLY10

"Sensual Hearts" Light show - Clara Lumé Aurora Handbag

My Take: I love that the Aurora Handbag has the light show on BOTH sides, and lets me express a wide range of moods at any given time. For my animal lovers, it's FAUX Fur, while it feels soft like a rabbit, no rabbits were harmed in the making of this handbag. It gives me ski bunny realness and you are going to turn heads wearing this bag that's for sure! I will post a photo of myself soon rocking my new Aurora handbag soon (Hmm....or maybe I will save it for the Twitter Party on Thursday!) Hopefully in honor of our partnership they will develop a butterfly light show on the Aurora just for me! Readers: Are you joining us on Thursday for the Valentine's Day Twitter Party?

·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is both a sponsored and compensated campaign, and all opinions are 100% my own!  The love however is genuine! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

#ad - {Calling All #Fashion Lovers! #GIVEAWAY} Ascending Butterfly is bringing back our "Featured #Handbag In The Spotlight" with a #DesignerHandbag from @claralumeshop and a Valentines Day Themed Twitter Party too! + EXCLUSIVE Discount Code! #ClaraLumé published first on https://vsguides.tumblr.com/

[avaycarter]

#ad - {Calling All #Fashion Lovers! #GIVEAWAY} Ascending Butterfly is bringing back our "Featured #Handbag In The Spotlight" with a #DesignerHandbag from @claralumeshop and a Valentines Day Themed Twitter Party too! + EXCLUSIVE Discount Code! #ClaraLumé

DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post and part of a compensated campaign for Clara Lumé

  After the major fire I dealt with last year, I have found myself very much in a 'starting over' position. Not exactly a fun place to be. That actually was just one of many challenges on my plate last year. My handbag collection was one of my treasures and having to start that again from scratch feels like an incredibly daunting task. 

I started this empowerment community in 2008, because nothing like it existed at the time. I was looking for empowerment that wasn't necessarily spiritual, I was a long time life coach looking for my own inspiration. I couldn't find it, so I created it. 

'Blogging my way through it' has really been my therapy, and in doing so, I found my tribe. People who wanted a place to turn that was positive. A moment of light. 

With Valentine's Day swiftly approaching, I wanted to find a way to give my butterflies a gift and bring back my all time favorite regular feature! 

I have decided this year I do not want to stick with what I know, I do not want to play it safe, it is time to turn heads! And this Valentine's Day Recommendation and our first Featured Handbag in the Spotlight for 2019 is definitely going to help me achieve that goal.

I have a few Valentine's Day Recos, but I can't help but to start with this one and when you see the bag you will totally get why!

There are several passions I have often dreamed of turning into a full time business (and in some cases have been approached to do so):

Handbag Design (I have been approached about this, but haven't found the right partner yet)

Creating my own Scent (I sort of do this already, I also do it with lipstick)

Owning a Winery (Champagne or Prosecco Please!)

Owning a Casino (I have been enjoying 'Casino-Cations' for years now, in different places, I can take the best from each and avoid the mistakes I have seen along the way, I'd be good at this!)

Some of these being a bit more do-able than others, but all vision board worthy!

One of the things I love do when I collaborate with Designers is pick their brain. I love to know what inspires fellow creatives. How dreamers bring their visions to life.

Five minutes with Richard Hofer of Lucent Wear LLC: 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ - When was Clara Lumé  formed? 

Development of the Clara Lumé bag started in April of 2017. The product was released publicly in September of 2018. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  What was the inspiration for the design? 

The original inspiration for the Clara Lumé bag was from Burning Man. I have been many times and I absolutely love the culture. Light up fashion is popular at the event and I found it very inspiring. Over the years I have developed and shared a number of art projects at the event. One of these projects was a set of light up coats. They were amazing, but they weren’t something that could be brought directly to the market for everyone to enjoy. They were just too expensive to build, too heavy, too hot, and too fragile for the general public. So, I looked for a way that I could share some of that fun but in an affordable and durable product. And that’s where the Clara Lumé bag came in. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Can the fur be water treated like footwear to prevent stains? or is it just the leather that can be treated to prevent stains and make it easier to clean? 

We do not recommend treating the fur with stain preventers. They often change the feel of the fur, and it’s not really necessary anyway. During development we tested many different fur products and one of the reasons we chose the one we did was because of its ability to resist staining. We tested red wine, cola, beer, and several other staining substances and found that they all could be easily removed with water alone. The fur fibers are very stain resistant. If something does get on your bag we recommend spot cleaning with a damp cloth and a small amount of soap. Do not wet the fur all the way through as this can loosen the fibers. 

 Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Will you offer interchangeable straps? 

We are certainly planning on offering different length straps and other styles as well in the future. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  What is your typical day like, are you involved in other businesses in addition to Clara Lumé?

During development of the bag Clara Lumé was more than a full time job. Once the product was released and production was lined out, the work load started to decrease. As of the last few months I have been taking on other outside engineering consulting contracts to fill my time. As sales increase with Clara Lumé I suspect I will have to devote my entire energy to the business once again. 

Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ -  Please consider making matching vests and boots! :) 

Boots are on the horizon, but I need to get this product rolling steadily first.

I got my Clara Lumé Aurora bag all set up this weekend and it is making it's debut for New York Fashion Week events this month! This bag is well crafted, super soft, and the unique light show feature is going to turn heads. I have had so much fun playing with the app and picking light shows for it that match my personality like Yin and Yang, Cross, Sensual Hearts and She's on Fire! (And don't think I wasn't pumping Alicia Keys' 'Girl on Fire' in tune to the light show on my Aurora!) WIN IT: You are cordially invited to win your own Clara Lumé AURORA Handbag at our #ClaraLumé Valentine's Twitter Party being held on Thursday, February 7th, at 9 p.m. EST - that's 6pm in California for our West Coast friends! This party is for a half hour, so be sure to be there on time and use the hashtag #ClaraLumé to play along! Using the hashtag is your entry! So the more questions you answer and the more times you use the hashtag the more entries you will receive. This one is open internationally! All USA, Canada and International Readers are very much welcome to join us! Are you swooning over Clara Lumé as much as I am? Here is a chance to RSVP, do some extras like additional social follows and earn some extra credit: a Rafflecopter giveaway Look for our post about the party on Instagram, tagging friends there will get you extra credit as well! It's in the rafflecopter, just remember you need to be following both https://twitter.com/claralumeshop and https://twitter.com/Tracy_Iglesias so it will be easy to DM you should you be the lucky winner! (And please note, if I get thrown in Twitter Jail for tweeting too much, yes this has happened, I will switch to the Ascending Butterfly Twitter Account so follow it too just in case: https://twitter.com/Ascending1) DISCOUNT: Ascending Butterfly Blog is honored to have the very FIRST and very much exclusive Discount Code! Can't wait for the party? Nab 10% off at Shop Clara Lumé by using the code: BUTTERFLY10

"Sensual Hearts" Light show - Clara Lumé Aurora Handbag

My Take: I love that the Aurora Handbag has the light show on BOTH sides, and lets me express a wide range of moods at any given time. For my animal lovers, it's FAUX Fur, while it feels soft like a rabbit, no rabbits were harmed in the making of this handbag. It gives me ski bunny realness and you are going to turn heads wearing this bag that's for sure! I will post a photo of myself soon rocking my new Aurora handbag soon (Hmm....or maybe I will save it for the Twitter Party on Thursday!) Hopefully in honor of our partnership they will develop a butterfly light show on the Aurora just for me! Readers: Are you joining us on Thursday for the Valentine's Day Twitter Party?

·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•●♥ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥●•●•٠·˙

FTC Disclosure: This is both a sponsored and compensated campaign, and all opinions are 100% my own!  The love however is genuine! I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255 - Guides Concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising, you may check our Giveaway and Disclosure Page for additional information regarding Ascending Butterfly Disclosure.

#ad - {Calling All #Fashion Lovers! #GIVEAWAY} Ascending Butterfly is bringing back our "Featured #Handbag In The Spotlight" with a #DesignerHandbag from @claralumeshop and a Valentines Day Themed Twitter Party too! + EXCLUSIVE Discount Code! #ClaraLumé published first on https://vsguides.tumblr.com/