My OC Fair Experience: CAKES

When I saw these, I just had to take pictures! The creative mind is an amazing thing to behold. I've had my share of cake-decorating experience, but these creations just take the cake (pun intended *grin*)! So here they are....ta-da!!!

A wacky music-themed cake

Fit for a Sweet 16 party, perhaps?

Simple, yet elegant

And the beat goes on...Yeah!

Recreating the turntable

A treasure trove

It's a picnic

Hilarious Smart-a$$ Answers

A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets. As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed her. Without missing a beat, she said, 'Sir, I need to see your ticket, not your stub.’

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?" The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."

The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said. The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could." When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.

My OC Fair Experience

The last time I've been to the fair (the LA County Fair, that is) was more than 10 years ago. So this recent trip to the Orange County Fair was almost like a new experience to me. Boy, was it a feast! A feast to the eyes, the nose and, of course, the stomach! After all, where else can you find Deep-Fried Snickers? I have to confess that I haven't tried it...tempting though. Maybe on my next trip, I'll brave one. :)

Now, as I was saying, the OC Fair is all about the senses. Your ears will get overwhelmed with the sounds from people talking to each other (sometimes shouting), booming announcements from vendors advertising their wares, and screams from children and adults on the thrilling rides. Well, you get the idea...

And, oh, the smells! When we entered through the gates, the smell of animals immediately hit us. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, just....distinctive. Needless to say, we didn't venture to that part of the Fair.

What was really fascinating about the Fair was the countless booths and exhibits. The visual display of artwork, crafts, woodwork and various products is so amazing! One day wouldn't be enough to really explore each and every one of them.

Sad to say, I was too busy enjoying the various culinary delights at the Fair that I completely forgot to take a picture of them. I did have sweet potato fries, blooming onion and lemonade. And how could I forget the ice cream? Yum! In the heat, I had quite a time licking the ice cream before it melted in my hand! :)

Stay tuned for more OC Fair delights!

Tarot: Do you believe in it?

Have you read your horoscope lately? I haven't, but I used to read them regularly. They are fascinating, though not necessarily entirely true. You can choose to believe them, if you want. Like everything else in my life, I take them with a grain of salt. They are guidelines to what could happen, but, in the end, you are the master of your fate and all that.

Today I received a free Tarot reading by email. Apparently, based on my birth date, my Life Symbol card is the Tarot Trump. Now, I don't know anything about Tarot cards except they represent something in your life. But I do like the way they put it...that this is my Personality Motivator Card.

So here it is...

Like your Astrological Sign, you have a Tarot Trump (Major Arcana) card that is assigned to you for life according to your birth date. This life card describes who you are to the outside world, your tendencies, personality type, potential, challenges, motivations, expectations, or how others may see you. We refer to it as your Personality Motivator Card (PMC).

(Upright) 

You are a person of strong conviction, persuasion, determination, and great courage, and you may thrive on, or be confronted with an inordinate amount of challenges or tests of character. You've been there and done that, and you understand that setbacks, suffering, or loss can either make you or break you, and you aren't going to let anything hold you down or cause you to give up. Having more responsibility, dignity, willpower, or obligations than many, you are an example of inspiration or perseverance, and you may have little tolerance for those who don't take responsibility for their lives, blame bad luck, make excuses, or have a victim mentality. Remember that compassion, especially when you think you're the only one going through difficulties, will be the greatest show of strength.

(Reversed) 

Jealousy, bad luck, shame, blame, insecurity, or a victim mentality could reflect an inability to accept responsibility for your own choices or decisions. When things don't go your way, you may resort to threats, violence, retaliation, revenge, or strong-armed tactics of manipulation in order to get your point across or get even. Being too controlling, getting in other people's faces, talking over others, or going "off" on them, only pushes them away or demonstrates a lack of self-control or willpower. Playing to the crowd not only turns the situation into a circus, but can cause others to question your self-respect. It only takes one act of true courage to inspire transformation of character.

Vegas Trip

Vegas...the city that never sleeps.

I just recently got back from a trip to Vegas. Too bad it wasn't for leisure this time. The weather was scorching hot, so I mostly stayed indoors and took these pictures from the car.

The new City Center

Caesar's Palace

It's THE Hotel

Statue of Liberty...in suburban Vegas

The big 3: Trump Tower, Encore, Wynn

New York, New York - Las Vegas

Room with a view

A view of Encore from my grimy window :)

Common Courtesy

Common courtesy is an almost extinct concept nowadays. You hardly see it anymore. At least, that's my opinion and experience. Will it ever be revived? I doubt it. Especially with the explosion of social networking sites online, courtesy (and discretion, I might add) has become so foreign. Well, I just thought I'd share what I felt on the matter...


Now here are some quotes I gathered about common courtesy.

"Life is not so short but there is always time for courtesy." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Don't flatter yourself that friendship authorizes you to say disagreeable things to your intimates. The nearer you come into relation with a person, the more necessary do tact and courtesy become." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

"I place a high moral value on the way people behave. I find it repellent to have a lot, and to behave with anything other than courtesy in the old sense of the word - politeness of the heart, a gentleness of the spirit." - Fran Lebowitz



"No one is more insufferable than he who lacks basic courtesy." -Unknown


"When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible." - Mohandas Gandhi


"There will always be someone else with a different view than you. I appreciate them and would never say that they are wrong. I hope that they would give me that courtesy also." - Melissa Etheridge
 

A Friend of the Truest Kind

I've been rummaging through my stuff lately (a very belated Spring cleaning :) )...and found this little book that a very dear friend gave to me a few years back. The Treasure of a Friend by John C. Maxwell is brimming with heartwarming stories, poignant poems and unforgettable quotes about friendship.

I found this piece, and I thought, "I wish I had more friends like this." LOL! Hope you enjoy it, too.

A Friend of the Truest Kind

A friend...

...is someone who keeps your secrets and never divulges them, even if tortured--or worse, tempted with chocolate.

...is someone who quietly destroys the photograph that makes you look like a beached whale.

...is someone who knows you don't know what you're talking about, but allows you to reach that conclusion on your own. 

...is someone who goes with you on a diet--and off it too.

...is someone who doesn't say, "I told you so," no matter how tempting it might be.

A friend of the truest kind is kind and true to you.

"In prosperity our friends know us.
In adversity we know our friends."

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Bohol, Philippines

After 11 long years away, I finally had a chance to visit my home province, Bohol, Philippines. Despite the hot and humid weather, I enjoyed every minute of the trip. Two weeks is a short trip, considering I've been away for so long, but I still had a chance to visit (or re-visit) some familiar spots and see amazing views. Here are some of them...

The white beaches of Panglao Island, Bohol

Somewhere between Manila and Bohol

Tarsier

DISNEYLAND

It's great to be in Disneyland on a warm Spring day. Had a chance to enjoy such a day recently. Thought I'd share some photos I took of the Disneyland Main Street Parade. Enjoy!

2010 Naked Fireman Calendar

Sorry, I just couldn't resist...

You just had to look, didn't you? :)

The Lenten Passion

In honor of Holy Week, I would like to share this video of clips from the movie, The Passion, set to the beautiful and moving song, We Are The Reason.

Fate...Destiny...Kismet

Do you believe in fate? That some things in life are predestined? To some extent, I do.

Don't you ever wonder what guiding forces led you to meet the people who have now become your friends, your enemies, your lovers, your spouse? Granted it is indeed a small world after all, but of all the people in the world, how is it that you meet and connect with this certain group?

There must be some hidden, unknown force behind everything that happens. Some may call it the divine force, God. Others, simply destiny. Call it what you will, but the real question is what to do with the hand that destiny dealt you. As Karl Wilhem von Humboldt said, "How a person masters his fate is more important than what his fate is."

In life, each of us is dealt a different hand. And I do believe that it is all predestined. What matters is what we do with that hand because that determines character and, in the end, our future.

Friends

"Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend." ~Plautus

The question is, how do you know a friend is really a friend? In this day and age, it is very difficult to do so. In my life, I have tons of acquaintances; Real friends, only a handful.

FRIEND. The word is so broad and means differently in various contexts. For me, a friend is someone you can laugh with, cry with and have comfortable silences with. A friend accepts you in spite of who you are. You can emotionally lay yourself bare to a friend without fear of censure or awkwardness. A friend gives without asking for anything back. A friend is someone who may not always be there, but will be by your side when you need him/her most.

For all I consider friends and all who consider me their friend, Thank You.  This is for you.




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My new website...check it out!

My new website is up! Check it out at www.kristel.jamcee.com.
And don't forget to post your comments on my Guestbook.

What Love Means

Hearing what love means from a child's perspective is just so priceless. This is from one of the circulated emails I received.

Touching words from the mouth of babes.

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4- to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?"
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore.
So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love..'
Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4


'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5


'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6


'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4


'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7


'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that.. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'
Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate.'
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7


'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5


'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'
Chris - age 7


'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4


'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image) Karen - age 7


'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'
Mark - age 6


'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8

And the final one

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

I guess love is being there when you're needed the most. 

One Hello

This is a song by Randy Crawford.  I just love the melody and lyrics. Thought it might be in time for Valentine's day. :)

If you're not afraid
Of what love brings
Then endings are beginnings
Of beautiful things
It's a chance you'll take
It''s a chance you'll win
If someone's gonna find you
First you gotta let them in

Coz love begins with one hello
The hardest part is over
Now it's easy letting go
One hello is how it starts
You might win it all or lose your heart

If you're not afraid
Of what you feel
Then try and keep it simple
Or try and keep it real
And if being real
Means you'll someday say goodbye
Remember my friend
Goodbye's not the end
It's a circle you know
And it starts with one hello

Love begins with one hello
The hardest part is over
Now it's easy letting go
One hello is how it starts
Remember my friend
Goodbye's not the end
It's a circle you know
And it starts with one hello
It starts with one hello

Hallmarks of True Love

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I'm posting this list by Newell W. Edson:

Hallmarks of True Love

1. A genuine interest in the other person and all that she or he says and does.
2. A community of tastes, ideals, and standards with no serious clashes. 
3. A greater happiness in being with the one person than being with any other.
4. A real unhappiness when the other person is absent.
5. A great feeling of comradeship.
6. A willingness to give and take.
7. A pride in the other person when comparisons are made.

"We are the World" 25 years later

Catch the premiere of "We Are the World" tonight at the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies! I listened to Lionel Richie's radio interview earlier about the song. There are 82 performers involved this time. And they are including a clip of Michael Jackson's voice, interspersed with Janet Jackson's. Can't wait!

To download the song, donate to the Haiti relief fund through the song's official website: www.world25.org.

What is Life?

"Life is like a hot bath. The longer you stay in it, the more wrinkled you get."

Thought I'd share this. :)

Heaven and Hell

While walking down the street one day a Corrupt senator politician was tragically hit by a car and died.

His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the Senator.

"Well, I'd like to, but I have orders from the higher ups. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity."

"Really?, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Senator.

"I'm sorry, but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the Filipino people.

They played a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and the finest champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who is having a good time dancing and telling jokes.

They are all having such a good time that before the Senator realizes it, it is time to go.

Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises...

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens in heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him, "Now it's time to visit heaven."

So, 24 hours passed with the Senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well, then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The Senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulders.

"I don't understand," stammers the Senator. "Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there's just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil smiles at him and says, "Yesterday we were campaigning ...Today, you voted."

Do You Remember

I love this song by Jay Sean...love the beat...

How to add "Share on Facebook" button on your website or blog

Have you ever wondered how to add that "Post/Share to Facebook" button on your website or blog? It's not as hard as you think.

1. Open your website or blog for editing. On Blogger or Blogspot, go to Customize or Layout and choose Add A Gadget. Choose the HTML/JavaScript widget from the pop up menu. Leave the title bar blank in the widget window.
2. Go to http://www.new.facebook.com/share_partners.php
   Make sure you are logged into Facebook to access this page. Copy and paste the Facebook html code for the button of your choice into the Blogger widget window. 
3. Save the gadget and then save your changes to the layout.
4. The Facebook icon will appear on your site. Now, by clicking on the Facebook icon, readers (or yourself) may post your article to their Facebook Wall.
5. Note that the steps above will add the Post to Facebook button to your blog page. Your profile and entire blogsite will be shared on Facebook.
6. To add a Post to Facebook button on each blog post, add the Facebook html code to the end of each of your blog post. 
7. On the New Post window, click the "Edit HTML" tab after you've typed in your entire post. 
8. Go all the way to the end of your post and paste the Facebook html code. Publish your post. You should see the Post to Facebook button at the end of your post.

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Longing

I thought I'd share one of the poems I love. It's by Matthew Arnold. I first heard it in the soundtrack to Beauty and the Beast: Of Hope and Love, the TV series back in the 1990s.  Isn't it a beautiful poem?

Longing

by Matthew Arnold

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to all the rest as me.

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth;
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say: My love! why suff'rest thou? 

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

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Share my posts on Facebook

Now you can share my posts on your Facebook wall! Just look for the button at the end of each post.