My Short Story, Artizia, at the Top 20!

Heya Dearies! Recently, I have been practicing creative writing. So to challenge myself further, I joined contests! Believe me, it was really hard conjuring up a good plot, making characters, and incorporating all those other elements. But it was something I enjoyed. 😍

Last month, I joined in a writing contest called Misty Moon hosted by Jahric Lago. It was in the Fantasy genre, my forte. So I grabbed the opportunity to try and submit an entry. Fortunately, my short story made it to the Top 20! Yay! 😀🥰

Artizia is a story about a mermaid whose decisions would determine her future, something uncertain but of which she is sure to take. 

Read the excerpt here --> https://www.wattpad.com/883224006-jahric-lago-presents-misty-moon-online-voting

And if you like my story, please vote for it. Online voting is 20% of the criteria. Your support matters a lot. 

Many thanks, Dearies! Hope you enjoy reading Artizia!

Hope and Flowers

Have you watched Mulan? The animated one? As much as I was looking forward to seeing the live-action movie, it has been put on hold because of the Covid-19 pandemic. On that note, how are you, dearies? I hope you are doing fine. Please stay at home. I always pray for your safety and for everybody who is still out there working. 

It has been a morose month for us. Negativities surround the news and our social media timelines. I have been struggling to cope up. So for now, I have lessened my Facebook time. Being at home helped me realize a lot of things about life. Like having a second source of income, having an ample amount of savings, and spending time with family. I have also picked up a few hobbies to continue: like reading my TBR pile (I know right! Haha~), working on a coloring book, or even gardening. 

I have always collected cacti and succulents, placing them by the window or in my room. When I was busy working, I didn't observe my plants and see how they're doing. But now, they have taught me one important lesson: To have hope. 

My blooming Black Gymno

My cactus, a Black Gymno variety, has bloomed! And the flower looks so happy. It makes me smile just by looking at it. 

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And my cactus bloomed, reminding me of hope. 🥰❤️🌵 #blackgymno #gymno #cactus #plants #flower #bloom #cactusandsucculents

A post shared by Angel Mariel (@myangelmariel) on Mar 25, 2020 at 1:21am PDT

And only one quote entered my mind: "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all."

Yep, that's from the original Mulan animated movie. It's one of my favorites, especially the part where Li Shang sings, "Be A Man". That song is about toughening it up when times go bad and seeing your true potential to survive.

image source

So yes, my dearies, we can get through this together. Even Mother Nature gives us hope in the form of a blooming flower. Don’t give up, dearies! :D 

The 2020 Starbucks Planner

As promised in my previous planner post, I will now share what I use at work. For business tasks, I use the Starbucks Planner. I leave it in the office and doodle on it my daily tasks. Having two planners helps me focus on things... to only do them one at a time. And well, if left undone, schedule them for some other time, right? Hahaha~

It's now February and I've used up the January pages of this beautiful planner. And so, without further ado, please welcome... The 2020 Starbucks Planner in Frost Grey:

The 2020 Starbucks Planner in Frost Grey

The whole set comes with a 2020 planner, a case, a bookmark, and a set of stickers. The color is perfect for business related stuff. One thing that stands out is the fabulous texture! Tough, leathery, embossed and debossed at the image. For this version, the siren's tail is featured, but the highlight of it all is the cup of coffee. The velvet case is something to drool at, too. 

See the Siren's tail debossed and embossed at the covers!

A close look at the bookmark and stickers.

The details at the velvet case.

Love this zipper featuring the Starbucks Siren icon.

Come! Let's flip through the pages... 

Gotta love this page... this is the first you'll see after flipping the cover.

More information on coffee. :)

The monthly dividers give us understanding of all things coffee! Wow!

Some reminders on Holidays...

The weekly planner spread. Tasks on left and Notes on right.

Subtle details at the side page: highlights on the day and a mini calendar.

And of course, I use this regularly... great deals with the Starbucks coupons.

Starbucks Planner 2020 coupons galore! :D

So what do you think? Isn't it gorgeous? Quality Starbucks workmanship at your fingertips! I feel so inspired just seeing this everyday, it makes my work day better! What about you, what planner do you use for work? :D