ASOS Shopping and Shipping to Manila

Sharing my experience shopping at ASOS -- for the first time! I had my apprehensions (for good measure, more on this later) since I was concerned that I was going to have a hard time at customs. 

February 24, 2019 - I received an email from ASOS that my order has been dispatched. No tracking number was provided because I availed of the Standard Delivery. According to the site, not all Standard Deliveries are provided with a tracking number. 

Price for Standard Delivery is £6.00, but it's free if you spend beyond £30.00. 

March 18, 2019 - I sought their help on tracking my package because I have not received a notice from the Post Office that my package was available for claiming.

On my first try to reach out, they told me to wait until the first week of April to get a notice from the Post Office. If I still don't, they told me to reach out again.

The first week of April came and went -- still no notice. So I messaged ASOS again. I don't recall the exact message, but they appeased me that they would look into the matter and try to check where the package could be stuck.

April 8, 2019 - They emailed me to say they are replacing my order! They didn't give an explanation as to what happened with my initial order, but I was really very pleased that they replaced it! I got the email the following day saying it was dispatched already. At this point I was losing hope already. I was just grateful that I did not spend a significant amount. 

BUT!!! On April 30 (or was it May 1) I got my notice from the Post Office that I could pick up the package at the Pasay City Central Post Office! 

May 6, 2019 - I went to the Pasay City Central Post Office in Tramo. I was expecting to get my package at the EMS/CMEC Post Office at Domestic Road because a number of colleagues said that's where they got their packages from overseas, but for some reason I got mine from Tramo. FYI, I got mine from the Pasay City Post Office because the address I placed for my order is in Pasay.

I went to pick up my package at around 4:30 (Office hours are from 8AM to 5PM) and there were just two people ahead of me. I paid just P112 for Customs Exam Fee, as stated in the notice. I wasn't given a hard time at all--no under the table payments or anything! So that was a relief.

Parking at the Pasay City Central Post Office in Tramo: None--there's a small driveway enough for one car, and if you're unlucky, you might not be able to secure this spot. I went there via Grab, which was a good idea because in order to get to the Post Office, you need to pass through a skinny street, enough for one vehicle to pass through at a time.

Post-Shopping reflections:

Would I shop on ASOS again? Definitely. Customer service was hands down, very very good. I really appreciate the swift action on my order. What I'm concerned with however, is buying something that's not my size and having to return it... Maybe that's for a separate post.

I hope you found this informative!

Pom-pom Pretty

It's been a while since I last did an interiors post! Sharing with you these pom-pom throw pillow covers I recently got. I wasn't actively seeking out new pillow covers, but I chanced upon one of the posts of the seller on Instagram and thought I'd check out the account. Saw these designs and thought they were just too cute. These throw pillow covers are P320 each from The Nifty Decorator.

Is it just me? Or is the minimal style on its way out? Or maybe I'm growing out of of my minimalist phase and slowly embracing color. Our living room is where we usually spend most of our time. I've slowly veered away from white, gray, and brown (Oh and black-- Kevin's PS4 Pro and Xbox) and incorporated little elements to spruce up the area. Our huge couch is gray and our walls white so I thought the contrast of these two colorful pom-pom throw pillow covers serve a nice little contrast.  

While I like to keep our bedroom white, clean, and bright (I think Kevin thinks so too because he rarely stays in the bedroom even though we have a TV there. Once I've made the bed he'll prefer lounging around in the living room)--I'd like our living room to look cozy and inviting, and adding pops of color looks like it certainly helps. 

What do you think of the new addition? 

Three Things to do More Of and Less Of

MORE

1. Sleep more. Gosh this has been on my to-do list and my new year's resolutions SINCE I WAS A CHILD. But, I really need to work on this one. I'm lucky my husband goes to sleep early and is slowly influencing me to do the same. Prior to getting married I can stay up until 2 or 3AM. Now though, my latest is at 11PM. Or maybe I'm just getting old?

2. Incorporate more vegetables in home meals. This is more for my husband than for me, really. Whenever I'm in the office I'd usually order a dish that's heavy on vegetables. Whereas my husband prefers fast food whenever we are not at home and I'm not monitoring his meals.

3. Read More. As a child I grew up surrounded by books. My parents made it a point to fill my childhood with as much books. Growing up, they supported my habit of reading (they're pretty big readers, too) which started with picture books, moved on to graphic novels, and on to novels. I was fortunate to have gone to a school with the latest book titles so a huge chunk of student life was spent at the library. In college however, reading for pleasure was taken over by required reading. I'd still be able to read books, but the quantity has greatly diminished. That continued until the day I started working. My current job requires us to read, read, read that reading has become work to me. That I would rather watch or do something else on my spare time. But lately, I've made it a point to start reading again. In fact, I have made it a point to take note of books to include in my reading list. 

LESS

1. Complain. I have this bad habit of making small talk by starting with a complaint normally about the weather (Always a safe topic though not the best conversation-starter). Though I've never been one who's excellent with conversations anyway. But hearing someone complain can be annoying, especially if a complaint is the first thing you'll hear from someone you meet. Also, complaining can be quite counter-productive as you just tend to dwell on the negativity rather than look for a solution.

2. Hold on to Stuff in my Closet. I've always been sentimental / a bit of a hoarder. I had to put a stop to that when Kevin and I moved in to a condo (Most of my stuff are left at my parents'-- which I will purge soon) since cleaning is a pain. What I failed to put an end to is the auditing of my closet. With a small space, I need to just stick with what I really use and let go of things that might come in handy when I go to the beach or in the future.

3. Phone. I don't know when it started--might have been since I moved in with Kevin who is so particular with internet speed--but I've been super hooked on my phone as of late. Constantly scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Even when Kevin and I are binge watching a TV series or on Movie Nights. Kevin has pointed this out twice already so I'm making an effort to disconnect when I need to.

I bet my husband would have preferred if I included "Shop" under the LESS List-- HAH. NOPE.

I'd like to know if you have your own More of/Less of! Do share in the comments section below.

Just Begin

It feels weird to be writing about this topic. A few posts ago, I wrote about what's been keeping me busy lately (apart from my day job, of course). 

In 2014, after having just finished a commissioned wedding invitation suite, I revisited the idea of making my own social stationery and paper goods. Obviously I did not act on that idea right away. I have a strong tendency to overthink, I can also be a big worrier. From that point on, until around October or November of last year, the idea of making my own stationery would pop up. I'd think on it--but the things that I would have to consider just overwhelmed me-- and so the plan of setting up a stationery business would be shelved. 

At the last minute in December 2017 however, I thought, I'd take a chance-- come up with some designs and see if anyone would patronize the designs I worked on. AND OH BOY WAS I SURPRISED. Not only did I get orders from friends, but also from complete strangers! So now, looking back, I'd like to share some of my realizations on working on a new venture / taking a leap / or whatever it is you'd like to start on.

01. The Right Mindset. I am all about planning and not just rushing into things. But, I wouldn't recommend planning so hard as I did that it was detrimental to me just starting on my stationery venture. December of last year was when I told myself "No time like the present". What do I have to lose? Well, a significant amount of money, but... I didn't want that stationery business idea to remain just that. I wanted to see for myself if it would do well. 

02. List them down. It helps to do your research. List down all the things you need to learn or find out about, then slowly work your way through that. Making a list of what I had to do or have beforehand made the jump a bit easier. Having all these thoughts in my head made the task so daunting--but listing them down (in pretty stationery, of course) made them easier to tackle. 

03. Be Passionate. It's easier to keep pushing if you are passionate about what you are doing. If you just started because everyone's doing it too and it seems easy enough, then that might not be a good push for you. Chances are, after you've mustered up the courage to take a leap-- there will be several hurdles still down the line. Your passionate for your venture or project will fuel if you'd still go through the hurdles or just give up. 

I'm a firm believer that milestones--big or small, should be celebrated. Having a tendency to overthink and worry, just taking a  leap with social stationery means a lot to me. I'd like to know about what hurdle you've recently gone through or if you've had the same experience about starting on a new venture!

Marriage, A Year Later

And just like that, KFC (Kevin and Fran Cruz) is officially a year old! We just celebrated a year of married life and I still cannot believe how quickly a year went by! I thought it would be apt to share some things I've learned during my first year as a wife:

I set some pretty lofty expectations for myself pretty much right after we got back from our honeymoon-- which was immediately after our wedding. I had this idea that in order for me to be a good wife, I should be able to prepare breakfast before my husband wakes up, clean our tiny home, shower, dress up, look pretty, prepare his attire for the day, make him coffee, then come home on time to prepare dinner. BOY WAS I DISAPPOINTED. I couldn't even make breakfast in the morning because I was rushing to get ready for work! I was so disappointed with myself that I told my husband how i felt like a failure. Luckily for me, he said that he did not expect me to accomplish all these AND THAT HE WAS WILLING TO HELP OUT AROUND THE HOUSE. <3

I think it's important to sit down and talk to each other on what your expectations are, and also, what you can both do around the house. 

Also, I don't know why I haven't learned in spite of being in a relationship for 10 years, that I should not expect him to know what's on my mind or what I'm feeling. MARRIAGE DOESN'T CHANGE THAT. Boys / Men need you to talk and speak your mind. 

Not to be a drama queen, but I was BUMMED when we had our first disagreement. I thought, we were still in our honeymoon stage so why are we like this? Well guess what, disagreements are bound to happen! People will tell you that it's all lovey-dovey during the first year. And it's true, but since the first year is usually the adjustment period, it's inevitable to have a fight or two. 

To be honest, it took a while for me to accept this. The whole "honeymoon stage" made me expect that we will be on Cloud nine all the time-- which of course was not the case. During the initial part of our marriage, a fight would make internally freak out about the state of our marriage--and of course Kevin would just be soooooo calm about everything. Pissed, but nowhere near my thoughts of breaking up (I have a tendency to be dramatic). 

But as soon as I had a more reasonable approach to marriage, I treated disagreements as lessons on how Kevin and I can get along better--not little proofs that Kevin should just tell me to go back to my Parents'.

In relation to point no. 2, marriage, as with other relationships, is give and take. There will be times when  you will be irritated with some things, but you have to choose when to turn it into an argument or to let it slide. For instance, at the start of our marriage, I've asked Kevin to hang our towels after every use in order for it to dry properly-- there are times when he forgets to do so and leaves it in the bathroom. It does not make sense to fume over and pick a fight over something as petty as that. 

Also, there are times when he will be extra tired from work and he won't be as chatty when he gets home, or he might be cranky--whenever this happens, I make an effort to not snap and attack him for being cranky. Not that I'm being a doormat, but I've learned to not match his anger whenever his patience is noticeably shorter than usual. Not that I'm being a doormat or anything, but sometimes you have to let things slide. 

Another thing, learn to say sorry. Between us, I'm probably pretty sure I'm the crabby one. There are times (usually around that time of the month), I have a tendency to be irritable and to snap--I know that in spite of being my boyfriend for 10 years prior to getting married, he hasn't fully understood how this happens and though he tries very hard to be understanding, he gets hurt sometimes. When my hormones have calmed down, I make sure to apologize. 

AH THIS. I rolled my eyes when I made the header for this point. Fresh from our honeymoon, one of our principal sponsors, upon seeing me, looked at my face then looked at my belly right away. Then asked, "wala pa ba?" / "No baby yet?"

This is a question we get asked SO OFTEN that it gets soooooooo annoying it's hard to stay polite when we try to explain that we are not trying yet. I read one tip that instead of saying you're not trying to conceive yet, just say, we cannot conceive. LOL. 

I have no tips for this (apart from the above mentioned that we have yet to try), but to try, try, TRY very hard to be patient as people will use this as a conversation starter very, very, VERY often. 

I'd like to know, what were your realizations on your first year of marriage? Leave them on the comments section below x

What's Been Keeping Me Extra Busy Lately

When I was much, much smaller-- and well, younger-- I was extremely fascinated with pretty paper and writing. I collected and swapped scented stationery and metallic pens (these were all the rage in fourth grade) with my friends and classmates. Aside from the pens, I never used the stationery. I just loved looking at them. I would reserve them for more importance use and for extra special recipients. That would happen once a year for the annual school recollection/retreat. 

The love for stationery went on until I was in high school, this time, colored post-its were part of my fascination, and with better motor skills (I guess), doodles had filled out my notebooks and the notes and letters I would give to friends. 

Having gone to a non-sectarian University, there were no recollections or retreats to save and use stationery for anymore. Doodling persisted and a collection for pretty notebooks ensued. 

When I started working, notebooks were replaced by notepads. I collected, no hoarded, pretty notebooks that I did not use until I decided to get into calligraphy. My doodles graduated into beautiful letter forms! 

My calligraphy projects turned into commissioned works for weddings (our own included!), but I felt limited. So late last year, very close to Christmas, I thought I'd venture into designing my own notepads and other personalized merchandise. Luckily, I had supportive friends and colleagues who trusted me to make for them (and for their friends and family!). 

So now, apart from working as a researcher, I'm inching my way towards setting up a stationery business. And this has been making me blissfully extra busy, and happy, lately xxx

Sharing some of my works below xxx And if you're looking to buy bespoke notepads, ribbons, or thinking of someone to help you with branding, hit me up on Facebook. xxx

 (Photo by Daniel Talavera)

 (Photo by Daniel Talavera)

 (Photo by Daniel Talavera)

 (Photo by Anne Naig Photography)

  (Photo by Anne Naig Photography)

  (Photo by Anne Naig Photography)

  (Photo by Anne Naig Photography)

 (Photo by Anne Naig Photography)

 (Photo by Mediarama Creatives)

 (Photo by Mediarama Creatives)

The Week that Was

I'm back to blogging! :) Taking this opportunity to start a new weekly thing incorporating the high and low points of the previous week :)

1. Spent majority of my Saturday with friends from high school. We spent hours reminiscing about our teachers, simpler days at our alma mater, and the petty issues that came with being a high school student. 
2. Finally got around to cleaning our condo after arriving from Tokyo a week ago!
3. Finally found a good health care plan for my family! As I've gotten older I realized the value of good health!

1. Having to wait another week until I get to see my pug. This is a pretty low point every week, to be honest.
2. Got a text message from my Mom saying my pug seems to be extra sad after I left this afternoon...
3. Not being able to cook again! Ever since January rolled in I've been telling myself to get back to cooking since I preferred home cooked meals as they're healthier. 

I'd like to know what your high and low points are from the previous week! Let me know on the comment section below!

x Fran

Plant Lady

My plant care journey has been pretty long and challenging. I tried with succulents first-- I thought those were easy to care for-- they're not. I tried loving succulents five (5) times actually-- failed at all attempts. 

And then this year-- because I really wanted to have plants in our condo-- I took care of air plants. I read maaaaaany articles saying that air plants can withstand neglect and are easy to care for-- THEY'RE NOT. You have to figure out how much light and water they need-- where to hang them and how long to soak them, etc. In the end I realized, it's such a needy plant it's not for someone who's busy. 

My Mom has a green thumb and growing up I thought I'd inherit that-- I obviously didn't-- until she persuaded me to get these ivy plants; I clearly don't have a green thumb because I don't even know the exact names of these two. But I love them because they are so easy to take care of. I just spritz them with water every morning and place them by the window with the curtains down. I don't want to risk burning them/drying them out like I did my air plants...

If you're considering having plants in your home, and not too happy spending too much, do give these a try. I bought these two for just P35 each and it's such a worthy purchase. They're both growing and the one in the pot is ready for cutting and eventually repotting. 

Finally a plant lady!