Must Read Blogs

I know I still owe you the part two of my Holy Week Vacation but please understand it is summer break and on Thursday I will be back to university for the new term and new academic year... Soon enough I will be back to stress and busy mode. I took a lot of photos during the Holy Week and I have to arrange them, divide them and pick out the good photos. I also have to watermark the photos before posting them to make sure no copyright infringement so please do bear with me.


Anyways, I want to talk about blogs that are certainly worth reading...

Arissa Cheo is the co-founder of Carte Blanche X and she is based in Singapore. She has an amazing fashion sense that you will surely fell in love with. I know I did!

Arissa Cheo featured in Prestige Magazine Singapore

I always enjoy reading her blog... I also enjoy the music playing on her blog. I suggest you go and check her blog out on Carte Blanche X! (You may click on her name above and it will also link you to her blog. By clicking "Carte Blanche X" above, you can open the Carte Blanche X's website. Who knows you might enjoy shopping! Remember it is in Singaporean Dollar.)


Next up is one of the faces of Carte Blanche X, Rigel Davis...

She is based in Shanghai (according to her profile in her Carte Blanche X blog. She actually has two blogs. One is under Carte Blanche X and the other one is what I am thinking as her official blog. It is actually fun to read her blog because she has a very amazing fashion sense just like her friend Ms. Arissa Cheo and at the same time you can see pictures of her trips. It is like a photography diary of her experiences and her fashion sense. The picture above is what I believe to be Her Official Blog. Her Carte Blanche X blog is also updated so I suggest you check out both of her blogs.

(Click on "Her Official Blog" to visit her blog. Click also on "Her Carte Blanche X blog" to visit her blog on Carte Blanche X. Both blogs are updated by her! She makes blog posts on both blogs with the same contents and pictures but at times she updates Her Carte Blanche X Blog later than Her Official Blog.)

Stephanie Er is also one of the faces of Carte Blanche X. If you like travelling, I seriously suggest you go and read her blogs... (Yes! She also has two blogs!) She travels a lot and takes a photo of her travels so simply speaking her blog is a "Photo Travel Blog Diary" I guess. Just like Ms. Rigel Davis, both of her blogs are updated.


She owns The Pootsville Times (her official blog). She also has a very nice fashion sense just like both her friends Ms. Arissa Cheo and Ms. Rigel Davis...

I believe she posts the same contents and photos on Her Carte Blanche X blog.

By the way, I forgot to mention that Ms. Stephanie Er is based in Singapore.

Carte Blanche X actually lets the faces for the site posts their looks in their own blogs' lookbook... (It's the icon with the dress. ) How about you check out their lookbooks? The links are below. I also suggest you go and check out the other faces of Carte Blanche X by clicking the "Faces" button on the header.

Arissa Cheo's LookBook

Rigel Davis's LookBook

Stephanie Er's LookBook

I'm all done with my favorite faces of Carte Blanche X. Time to talk about Fashion Bloggers outside of the Carte Blanche X circle.

Jessica Ricks is a fashion blogger based in Bay Area, California. She is half Japanese and half Caucasian. I actually found her blog through LookBook.nu while looking for a fashion blogger to follow on Twitter and to bookmark fashion blogs.

I actually love reading her blog and looking through her photos... I also love her banner. (Click on her name to visit her blog!)

Her blog looks simply and clean. It is very pleasing to the eyes.

She has a good fashion sense and the looks that goes with it. She is extremely talented!

To tell you all the truth, I fell in love with her blog to the point that I decided to read all her blog posts... I am serious! I read all her blog posts from her very first blog post ever to the recently posted one. I am glad that I gave time to read all her blog posts and I actually finish reading all of them so now I am simply waiting for her new blog posts. I was so happy to actually be able to go back to her very first blog posts because I decided to read in a descended order and thought I would give up in the middle since I had a long way to go before I can reach her very first blog posts. However, I did not give up and I finished reading them. Right now, I am reading her recent blog posts and waiting for her to make a new blog post.

I suggest you follow her blog and bookmark it! It is so worth it so go visit her blog!

By the way, Jessica Ricks also has a Tumblr... Go and check it out too! >>>> Jessica Ricks's Tumblr

Another blog that is a total MUST READ is by Peony Lim. I also found her through LookBook.nu... She is based in London and she works as a blogger and stylist.

She has a very nice fashion sense and she also blogs about her experiences when she goes travelling. She attends fashion shows like the London Fashion Week... I am so envious! *Laughs*

Another interesting thing to find in her blog is food. Delicious looking food! Oh yes! I forgot to mention that Ms. Peony Lim owns an online boutique that is super worth checking out. (Peony Lim Big Cartel)

You should also check out her Tumblr. >>>> Peony Lim's Tumblr

Jenny Ong is a blogger based in Orange County, California and her blog is entitled "Neon Blush". She owns an online shop named "Shop Neon Blush."

Let me just say, I am so sorry for having only one photo of Neon Blush. I got tired of getting the print screen, pasting to Paint, removing the Bookmarks Bar in the photo and cropping the unwanted tabs out the photo... *Laughs*

Next up is Chiara Ferragni. She is a blogger and designer based in Italy. What I like in her blog is she writes in Italian and in English... I cannot read Italian but I would surely love to learn it. I also like the title of her blog, "The Blonde Salad." Let me just say she has amazing fashion sense and she is one great designer. If only I have money! *Laughs*

I only have one photo of this too... Same reason as the one with Jenny Ong. Neon Blush and The Blonde Salad were the last blogs that I print screen. *Laughs* Oh yes! The reason I did not post the link to the shop of Ms. Chiara Ferragni is because I could not find the link. Sorry about that!

That is why the last blog that you should read is by Camille Co. A Philippine based blogger and designer. She is a very good fashion designer... Check out her shop "Coexist" >>>> Shop at Coexist

Wow! Making this blog posts took up all morning! Now if you would not mind... I will go watch some TV and read some blogs.

I have a lot of blogs bookmarked but these are the top bloggers and blogs that I completely fell in love with and I do not think I can print screen and that many blogs. These blogs are my top choices and what I love to keep on checking and coming back to every single day!

Note: The photos are owned by the blogs that I mentioned above and the bloggers themselves. I do not own them!

♥

Practicing Photography

This post is simply going to tell you my experience with photography so far... As I have mentioned in a blog post before, I stopped taking photos for a long period of time but lately I have been continuously bothered to take photos so now I am taking photos after getting a Nikon D70S DSLR from my dad. (It used to be his! *Laughs*)


Anyways here are the photos... I mostly like taking photos of nature. (I seriously do not know why but ever since I can remember I love taking photos of the beautiful nature this world have.)

Dear Neighbors, please forgive the fact that your houses are here. *Laughs* I wanted to take a photo of the sky but it is just so hard with the window bars. Does the sky look yellowish or something like that? Sepia?

Please forgive me the window bar... It is quite hard for me to take photos through the window because all of our windows have window bars (it is the design of our windows!). After the "sepia-like" color of the sky, it turned red like flaming red. It really is summer!

After it became reddish, this is the photo I took. As one may notice it is starting to become dark already.


This is probably the hottest summer I have experienced. At least the previous summers were not as hot as the one we are experiencing today... I can actually feel like sun's ray is actually burning my skin. When I walk through the sun, I notice my skin starts to redden and itch a lot. It is like I am allergic to the heat because it is simply too much!

The nice darkening sky. So many colors! So pretty! Sorry about the reflection. I took a photo through the window and the flash reflected so there is a somewhat shadow of a board and a lamp...

Is it me or this photo looks a little haunted? This thought came through my mind as I upload this photo to my laptop.

Anyways, I want to talk about the part two of my previous post ("Vacation + Manuscript Editing Part 1") because it is taking me a while to post it due to me learning photography using a DSLR + A Summer Reading List for next term + Driving School, I find it hard to squeeze in the time and watermark the photos. It is a lot of photos and I also want to sort them out so I will need more time with it so please have some patience and bear with me! I guess my friend is right. I am a workaholic! *Laughs* I am not actually the type of person to do nothing. It is very seldom for me to get bored and have nothing to do because I always look for something new to do like for this summer driving school and photography.


In relation to the one paragraph above, I also want to talk about the Revised Draft of my other blog post ("The Cruel Fate"). As you all know I did this manuscript as part of my Creative Writing in Fiction class and we have to revised it but I never posted the revised draft here but I posted it on my Wordpress Blog (can be found on my "About Me" Page along with my Tumblr Blog) since my Wordpress Blog is specifically for my works only. Anyways, here is the link ("The Cruel Fate Revised")

♥

The Cruel Fate

I do not know anything about myself. Is this even real? Who is this couple standing in front of me? What is this place? Why is this place covered in blood? It is so cold and so unfamiliar to me. Over and over again I see a faceless couple and a man’s back who seems to look very familiar to me. I thought how it resembles Cyrus’ back. The couple keeps on telling me, “You know the truth. The truth is with you all along. Remember it! Accept the truth.”  Those words linger in my mind over and over again and their voices are familiar to me yet I do not know who do they belong to? They frighten me because I think that the truth may reveal a horrible past. Suddenly, I feel a presence that warmly comforts me. I hear a voice calling me from a far, a voice of a man. The man’s voice sounds very familiar and sends an electric wave of warmth to all over my body. His voice is so warm, loving, and caring that I forgot for a moment about the couple.

“Jane, wake up. Jane sweetie, please wake up or else we will be late. Come on Jane get up! Please!” The man called. I slowly opened my eyes and I saw this tall, handsome young man sitting in the corner, near the window of the porch, putting his book down on the table beside him. I am awed by his hard, lean frame. I can only gaze at his magnificent physique. He just looks at me with his beautiful hazel browned eyes that simply captivate me and makes my heart skip a beat. His auburn brown hair is just so heavenly. As he walks towards me, I can only think of how perfect he looks. He sat beside me and looked at me with his piercing eyes as I am still lying around the bed. He runs his fingers through my hair and asked me, “Did you sleep well last night?”

I replied, “Not really. I had that dream again. I was lost and saw a faceless couple and a man’s back that looked so familiar to me. It resembles your father, Uncle Cyrus’ back. The couple was standing in front of me telling me over and over again that I know the truth already. What is even weirder for me is the fact that the couple’s voice sound so familiar to me but I do not know to whom they belong too. Clyde, I really feel scared and unease. I have been dreaming about this a lot lately and every time I try to take a glimpse of their faces, I just cannot see them. It really frightens me.”

Clyde lies down beside me and hugs me tightly, I can hear his heartbeat. The sound of his heart soothes me. Every heartbeat seems to comfort me. It is like his heart is talking to me, telling me not to worry because he will always be there for me, keeping me safe and protecting me. It is so amazing how he can calm me down so easily. He always knows what to do at times like this… He sat back up and said, “Jane, you need to get up for breakfast. We still have an eight-o’clock meeting to attend too and we are already late for it.”

“Clyde, can we just stay home for today? We have been working non-stop and I really just want to spend an entire day beside you.”

“Is it possible that my lovely girl is missing me?”

“Of course, what do you expect? You spend more time on work than with me. I barely go to work with you since you always prefer I stay at home and rest. When I do go with you, you spend most of the time in meetings.”

“I let you stay at home and rest for a very good reason and that reason is simply because it is not good for your health to do anything straining.”

“How is spending time with you straining and bad for my health? Besides you do not bring me anywhere anymore…”

“Yes I do. Do not forget you are my date for the parties and speaking of parties, we need to attend tonight’s party at the Facor’s Manor.”

“Do we really have to go?” I asked as I get out of bed and kissed him.

“Yes. We have to… The Facor Corporation is an important business partner and client.” Clyde smiles at me and I know the look he has is telling me ‘we are going to attend the party, I know you want to stay at home and trust me I do too but I am a president of a well-known Incorporation. Please bear with it my love!’

“I get it. I will meet you in the dining room as soon as I get dressed.” I replied and went straight to the bathroom to freshen up. After that I went to the walk-in closet and picked a violet dress and grab a pair of Louboutin pumps. Before leaving the room, I grab my purse and my laptop and went down stairs right away to have my breakfast. When I got to the dining room and saw Clyde waiting for me and reading the newspaper. I looked at him and said, “Clyde, what did Vance tell you? Has he found out new information that can help me find the truth about myself?”

“Jane, don’t rush him. He is doing his best. He said that there is a couple who can help you.” When I heard him said ‘a couple,’ I suddenly remembered my dream… Clyde reach out his hand to mine and said, “For now let us put that topic aside and enjoy this wonderful meal and beautiful day. We will talk about it later when we get to the office and see Vance. Okay?”

“Fine, I get it. By the way, are you planning to let me stay in your office all day long again?” He looked at me with a big grin on his face. He looks like he is suppressing his laughter and I think I know why. I bet the word ‘if so then I will be bored to death’ is written all over my face… Well it is not like he does not know how I feel staying at his office for an entire day. Every time I go with him, he is always busy and I do not wish to get in his way so I pick out a book on his bookshelves in his office and just read for an entire day. At times I even fall asleep… I guess the only thing I get to do well when I go with him is I can do my work. I always bring my laptop with me so I can research and do my manuscripts that my editor has been rushing me to finish.

When we got to his office, I sat on the couch and set up my laptop. His office gives you this warm, comfortable feeling. It has couches and a coffee table in the center of his office, behind it his office desk and chair. Everywhere I look I only see bookshelves. He really loves to read a lot and it makes me giggle just imagining what he looks like when he is not that busy and just sits in the couch and read. He sat on his chair and turns on his computer and called his secretary to bring the documents he needed to sign and to review for the meetings today through the speakerphone. His secretary knocks on the door and opens it and greeted us. I smiled at her and said, “Good morning Hanna! What is Clyde’s schedule for the entire day? Please do not tell me he will have meetings one after the other…”

“No. Today sir’s schedule is not very tight and hectic. He only has to attend four meetings but two of those where canceled already since the other party cannot make it.” Hanna smiled at me and I smiled back at her as a way of thanking her then went back to researching for materials I can use in my story. As I read through the Elizabethan era, I saw Hanna handing Clyde the documents then left us alone again. Since Clyde was so busy with work and I wanted him to finish early, I just remained silent and continued reading and researching. As soon as I found the materials I needed for my story, I started typing the draft for my manuscript.

After an hour or so, Hanna knocked on the door and opened it then informed us that Vance was back again. Clyde told Hanna to let him in and once Vance was in, Hanna left closing the door behind her. I saved my draft and Clyde sat beside me putting his arm around me. Vance sat down at the couch across us and said, “You are late. I was here this morning but Hanna told me that you were not in yet so I left and went back my office and came back here again. You two are causing me a lot of trouble.”

Clyde and I smiled at him then I said, “Sorry about that! That was my fault but then again Clyde did not wake me up earlier. By the way, Clyde told me you wanted to talk to me about a couple that can help me?”

Vance replied, “Oh yes! A couple’s corpse was found just last week in the forest near the place where you said you were found by Uncle Cyrus. Which I am thinking that maybe, just maybe, the couple is someone you know from your past.”

“Wait! The couple’s corpse was found? Then that means they are dead. If so then how can they help me?”

“Jane, I got pictures of the couples and I was hoping that if you see what they look like you will remember something. Here look at them.” Vance placed the images of the couples in front of me and as I looked at them closely I feel like a lock was suddenly opened in my head. All of a sudden I see my memories that I could never remember before. Now I know that the couple that I have been seeing in my dreams is my parents.

Clyde looked at me and said, “Well Jane, do you remember anything?”

I replied, “Yes. They are my parents. They are the couple that I have been telling you about that I constantly see in my dream.” Clyde and Vance stared at me. I can see in their faces that they are surprise as I am.

“Are you sure about that?” Clyde asked me. I nodded my head as a reply and Clyde gave me a hug to comfort me but all of a sudden he releases me and says, “Jane, what is the matter? I know you are surprise and maybe bewildered by this new discovery but why are you shaking.”

I looked at Clyde and said, “I am scared. This is my parents who were murdered right in front of me when I was younger by none other than the person who found me and took a good care of me. I remember I saw Cyrus drag my parent’s body out of our manor into the forest and burying them deep in the forest. I wanted to scream but no voice came out of my mouth then the next thing I knew our manor was on fire. After that I believe I fainted and when I woke up I was already in Cyrus’ manor all dressed up and do not remember anything about the incident and myself. I think I blocked everything out of my memory when I fainted due to fear.”

Clyde and Vance was speechless and I know what I said is something unbelievable even I am in surprise because I trusted Cyrus and treated him like my own father already but I remember that night clearly and there is no mistake that Cyrus killed my parents. I do not know why he spared me or why he did kill my parents. Right now, I do not know what to think anymore and to think the man beside me who means the world to me is the son of the man who murdered my parents. I am so confused and I know Clyde and Vance are also confused themselves.

Clyde all of a sudden let go of my hand and stand up. He looked at Vance and said, “Thank you for the help but I think it will be better if you leave us now.” Vance understood what he meant and left the room. As soon as Clyde heard the door shut, he spoke once again “Jane, I really do not know how my father can do this. I do not know anything anymore. All I remember that night when father came home there were blood stains in his coat and you were also covered in a lot of blood that I thought it was your blood over my father’s coat. Jane, I am sorry and I know that this is not enough but if you wish to leave me I will understand.”

After hearing him say that, I looked at him and said “Clyde, you are everything I have now but right now I feel like my entire world just crumbled into million pieces. I do not have any grudges on you since it was not you but your father who killed my parents but I think it is better to be apart from each other from now on. Right now, I will go and leave maybe go and see the world and find answers for myself and maybe I can also find ideas for my novels. I just want you to know that I love you way too much and I know my love for you will live on and it will never die. I do not know if our paths will ever cross again in the future, I leave that up to our fates... All I want to say to you is I really love and I will always love you no matter what. It is too late for me to turn away from my love for you since I have fallen so deep in love for you. For now, good-bye Clyde and I love you!” I gave him a kissed and hugged him then left him. All I can think about is that might have been the last time I can see him, touch him, hug him and kiss him and all I have left are the memories we made together.

This is a story that I made for my Creative Writing-Fiction class. It is my first draft and it still needs to be workshop by my entire class and I will have to revised it afterwards to create a better final output. By the way, I also posted this on my other blog >>>> Jeansha's Weblog: The Cruel Fate because I thought it will be convenient for my other classmates who do not wish to photocopy this and to print it by themselves or to read it here and my other blogs. I only give permission to my classmates to print this and/or photocopy it. Copyright still belongs to ME! I just want to make sure that is clear.

© Sharm

♥