Kodak Photo Printer PM-210

  When I first saw the video of a pocket online, I immediately wanted to buy one. The only problem of mine was that its pretty expensive, and after that I haven't given much thought about it. It was not until the end of this year that I have decided to buy one after buying a craft, and die cut machine.

The Kodak photo mini printer is available in black and white. The mini printer is priced approximately around $52 (P5990). Mine came with a free cartridge. I tried printing a photo today, and I am happy with the result. The photo will pass in and out four times. The Kodak mini can print a photo in less than a minute. It is not as fast as the rival pocket printer but the quality is good. The mini printer is quite bulky compared with the other pocket photo printers, but still you can still bring it with you anywhere. Kodak recently released the mini printer 2, and the size of it is much smaller, and the design is nicer compared with this one. The size of the photo print is credit card size. It is larger compared to the rival photo printers. If you want hassle-free and instant photos, why not buy one. No need to go to the photo studio/shops to have your photos printed. You can print your photos in a snap!

Managing Your Personal Finances and Be Debt Free

  It was truly an eye-opener for me when my officemate spoke to me with regards to my handling of my own finances. I admit that I am not good in budgeting money. I mentioned before that I like to splurge, and buy books. I am also generous in treating my officemates, and those who are close to me. So I realized I needed to change, and have a different mind-set. I'm not really a fad follower. I don't buy high-end gadgets just to keep up with others. The expensive bags that I own are not that expensive. It was a gift to me usually. Like my Kipling bags, and my Cath Kidston bag before was a treat for myself. Same with the branded watches, and foot wear. I just buy on rare occasions.

My officemate adviced me to read Mr.Chinkee Tan books. I first came to know him when I watched Nick Vujicic in Araneta Coliseum, 5 years ago. I was not that interested in his talk before, wherein he said that we must avoid negative people. Mr.Tan, is a life coach, inspirational speaker, and a financial adviser also. I bought his 'ipon kit,' in English it means Savings Kit. It comes with a can (coin bank), and 3 of his books, (Diary of a Pulubi, My Ipon Diary, and Keri Mo Yan). I got all of these from a reseller online for just P500 Philippine Pesos. I'm in my late 30's now, and I really want to be serious in saving money. We may never know when we are going to be sick, or when we are going to die. I do not want to be a burden to those whom I will leave behind. These books are easy to read. It's for the Filipino masses, since the book's title is in Tagalog, and taglish was used in some parts of the book. It is not really boring to read. In fact you can finish all the books in one day since its not very thick. It's never too late to start now! Better grab a copy of these books, and share them with your loved ones. Think positive!

The Face Shop (Korean Cosmetics and Beauty Store)

  The first Korean BB cushion that I have liked and used for quite a long time now has bid farewell January of this year. So now, I switched to The Face Shop. I came to know this Korean cosmetics and beauty shop, through my former Korean students. They have given me gifts from this store. I have not tried the products here because I am not familiar with this shop. Also, I was thinking if this make-up is suited for my skin. Maybe, you have read my previous posts that I am a Maybelline girl. Anyway, even if I have not used any of The Face Shop products, I patronize because this is where I bought my 'thank you' gift for my Mandarin teacher wayback.

I really did not splurge this time. I just bought what I needed. Since my BB compact cushion was running out, I have decided to try The Face Shop new cushion compact, which is the Multi-Swing Cushion. When I first saw it in their fb page, I know that I must have it. It is an anti-darkening blush concealer balm. So you get 3 in 1 benefits in one cushion compact. The compact is ultra-stylish in design. I got the V203 Natural Beige shade (P1,595). No need to carry a lot of make-up when you have this. I also bought their Glossy Touch Lipstick in Noble Violet shade (P795). Lastly, I bought The Face Shop Herb Day Lip and Eye Make Up Remover Tissue (P195). I also read the ingredients used in the BB cushion compact and lippy. I read that they use natural plant, leaf and flower extracts. That's why they have a tagline of natural story. What I love about Korean shops is that they have freebies. I got this Dr. Belmeur advanced CICA Skin Care Kit.

The Face Shop has a wide array of skin care products. If you are a fan of Korean cosmetics, I suggest you try and visit The Face Shop.

Laneige (Korean Make-Up)

  Two years ago, I have discovered this nice Korean make-up brand. I came to know this make-up brand in one of the tv commercials of Song Hye Gyo, wherein she uses a BB Compact Cushion. I really splurged a lot before when I bought a few Laneige make-up. The compact cushion that was recommended by the sales clerk was the anti-aging BB cushion in the shade of Sand. It comes with a free BB cushion of the same color. It is SPF-50.

Next, I bought a blush-on to go with it. I like the light color so I chose the no. 5 Glow Pink shade. I like it because it has that glittery effect. I have also tried their 2 tone lipstick which is called the lip bar. It is a moisturizer and a lipstick in one, in no.1 Cotton candy shade. I just made a mistake of choosing this lip color because its very light. It seems like I am just wearing a lip gloss. I also bought their 2 tone shadow bar, no.2 golden rose. All in all, I spent around $260. By far this is the most expensive make-up that I have bought. Since, my bill reached to up to P5,000.00 Philippines Pesos, I have received a freebie or giveaway. A small sampler of Laneige White Plus Renew Original Cream, and White Plus Renew Skin Refiner.

I am happy with the BB compact cushion. Right now, I am still using it. I'm done using the 1st compact, and the one that I'm using now is the free refill. It is almost gone now. Also, the blush-on is almost empty. I haven't really used the 2 tone shadow bar because I rarely wear eyeshadow.

Sadly, Laneige Philippines has closed its doors last January of this year. I have read that you can still order online in a few reputable online stores, but I really want to shop in a store where you can really see the products.

I will definitely recommend Laneige cosmetics. Because I am a satisfied user. I haven't experienced any break outs, and allergies on the duration that I have used their make-up. So its a 2 thumbs-up for me. (Since Laneige has no stores now locally, I switched to another popular Korean make-up line).

Lippies and First Make-Up Choice

  I would like to share with you all my budget-friendly choice of make-up. You could say I'm a Maybelline girl. It's a foreign brand, from the US. I think I started using it when I was in college. I started with Johnson & Johnson compact powder, a few Avon products, and then I shifted to Maybelline.

My first compact powder was from Maybelline, clear smooth shine free face powder in nude beige. It is in a light green compact. I like it because it has SPF-15. Then, the foundation that I have used for years is the dream satin liquid foundation.

I have also tried using other make-up brands like The Body Shop, lip and cheek tint which was so popular back then, but I do think they are really expensive, and the make-up is not suited for me.

Other lippies that I have used for a long time was from Maybelline, I really love their Water-Shine lipstick MF21, and my not so latest purchase from them was their colorsensational 410 in Blissful Berry. I like smooth moisture rich lipsticks.

I also have an Avon lipstick, True Color Perfectly Smooth Lipstick SL100 in Playful Rose color. It also glides nicely, and smoothly. With regards to the lip color, I prefer the dark plum shade. I think it is a mixture of red and violet.

A few months ago I have also tried a local cosmetic brand, Ever Bilena because of Ms. Kris Aquino. She launched her own style of affordable but high-quality make-up. I'm not really a fan of Matte lipsticks. I just bought it because its Ms.Kris Aquino's line of make-up. Plus, I like the nice pink color. Also, the lipstick is not your usual matte lipstick that is dry. It is somewhat smooth when applying.

I'm currently using Korean make-up brands now. Check out my upcoming reviews.

My Pet Poodle: Happie

 Today is quite a special day. Today, I met my baby! My superior at work brought my puppy today. I bought my poodle from Gamochaa Toy Poodles house. You can check out their facebook page. The owners are a husband and wife team, who loves dogs. My superior said that poodles are nice, and that they are intelligent dogs. I prefer a male puppy because there's no problem with the monthly period. Still, I got a female poodle. My superior told me that a female poodle is easier to train than a male poodle. The birth date of my poodle is on May 26, 2018. The color of the coat is apricot.

It was cuteness at first sight. My puppy is 2 months old. She already has anti-parvo shots, and has been de-wormed. I was able to carry her for the first time. I do have phobia with dogs because when I was a kid, 3 big and scary looking dogs chased me. This is a memorable event for me so I decided to blog it. This is my first time to have a pet dog. So I will really try my best in taking care of this lovely creature. Study shows that having a pet can help in improving your mood, and helping you de-stress. Poodles are hypo-allergenic too, and kids friendly. Dogs also love unconditionally. A dog's purpose is to love his/her master.

UNIQLO Kaws x Sesame Street and Doraemon

Today was the launching of Uniqlo's Kaws x Sesame Street apparel (limited edition). Last year, I splurge in buying Kaws x Peanuts stuffs. When I saw UNIQLO's ad in their fb page, I was really excited. If Filipinos have Batibot tv show, kids all over the world are familiar with Sesame Street. Who does not know Ernie and Bert, The Count, Oscar the grouch, Elmo, and Cookie Monster. I have not seen Big Bird in the designs. I only saw Kaws original character design. They also have the pocket shirt designs. Wherein the characters are printed in each pocket shirt. Another reason why I'm buying this limited ed. t-shirts is that my Chinese idol, Prince of Pop, Singaporean native, JJ Lin, has Kaws x toys, and I came to the conclusion he likes Kaws. So I guess, we are now the same.

I also saw other t-shirt designs. Like the popular Japanese cartoons for kids, entitled Doraemon. JJ Lin has a Doraemon plush. I did not see any Doraemon plush at the store so I just bought a t-shirt. I find Doraemon cute. I suddenly remember another Japanese cartoon character named Mojacko which I like.  They are both cute and adorable.

UNIQLO t-shirt designs are really nice. That is why their store is a huge success here in the Philippines. I love how updated the  designs in every shirt was. So if you are a fan of those things that I have mentioned above, better head on to your nearest UNIQLO store.

Avengers Infinity War Tumblers and Die-Cast Figures

A week ago my mom, my nephew, and I had a movie date! We watched the Avengers Infinity War. I am familiar with the Avengers because my brother during our younger days, used to collect Marvel comics and trading cards.

We made a movie reservation online. After buying tickets for the movie, (It was great! by the way. I became an instant fan of Doctor Strange.) We also bought the collectible tumblers, all 4! The characters that were featured are Thanos, Spiderman, Ironman, and the Hulk.

After that we found out about the Die-Cast Avengers desktop figures that Petron launched. The promo started last April 15 up to May 15, 2018 only. Each toy figure is priced at 450 Philippine Pesos. For a 500 pesos receipt at Petron you can buy one Avengers deskstop figure. We have all the 6 desktop figures. I thought at first that there is no more available toy figures because my nephew called and said its not available anymore. When he got home I saw him carrying the boxes. It turned out he was just only kidding me. he!he!he! The figures are really of good quality. I can say the price is right. Each figure has a unique feature. A usb connector, cellphone holder, charger, memo pad, lamp, and electronic message board. My favorite die-cast figure is Doctor Strange.

Book Depository U.K Tolkien Book Haul

  Hello everyone! Last February I was able to shop online via Book Depository. I decided to try shopping there because I have seen, and read good reviews of people who bought their books there. 

I bought Tolkien's

Kullervo, The History of Middle Earth boxed set (The Book of Lost Tales I and II, The Lays of Beleriand, The Shaping of Middle-Earth, The Lost Road and Other Writings). I also bought supplemental books, like The Inklings (biographies of Lewis, Tolkien and their Friends), Tales From the Perilous Realms (this is a compilation of J.R.R. Tolkien's other works such as Roverandom, Smith of Wooton Major, Leaf by Niggle etc.). All the books comes with a free bookmark (Peppa Pig etc.)

The first 2 books arrived at my doorstep (The Inklings, and Tales from Perilous Realm), while the other remaining books, I asked my mom to get it for me at the Main Post Office which is really a hassle to get. The books are cheap here, and its free shipping. What I just don't like is the other books are not delivered at my doorstep. So I'm not sure if I will order from them again. It almost took 4 weeks for me to get all of the books that I have ordered. Over-all Book Depository purchase has been satisfactory for me. If you want to save, and you love books (a lot of titles are available) try ordering from them. 

Tolkien's World From A to Z The Complete Guide

   Yesterday, I went to the mall together with my mom, and nephew. I went to my favorite specialty bookstore which is Fully Booked. I ordered this book 2 months ago, and finally now I got it! The book had a small damage, the front cover at the right side on top was torn. Because of that I was given a 10% discount. I have the choice not to take the book, and order another one, but the small damage is fine with me. I can just cover the book nicely.

I ordered this book because I have read that this is an indispensable book. A must-have for all Tolkien fans out there. This book was compiled and edited by Robert Foster. Christopher Tolkien also uses this book for reference. So if you are a Tolkien fan like me you should get this. This is a sort of Tolkien encyclopedia.

Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' by: Corey Olsen

   After buying my Lord of the Rings themed style t-shirts from a local clothing store. I proceeded to my usual favorite place which is the bookstore! I bought Prof. Corey Olsen's book, entitled, Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit. If you don't know who Corey Olsen is. I have seen bits of his video in YouTube, and he's known for promoting the works of our beloved J.R.R. Tolkien. I also share his endeavor because as an official member of The Tolkien Society (U.K.). It is our joy to spread and promote the works of the late J.R.R. Tolkien. Aside from The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, he has written a lot of books. Through the expertise, and dedication of his son, Sir Christopher Tolkien, all his works are now made available for all of us.

Anyway back to the book. I still haven't read The Hobbit, but I have seen the movie/s. I plan to read if after I have finished reading The Silmarillion. I bought this book as a supplement to The Hobbit. I am sure that I will also learn how to scholarly digest a book through this work of Prof. Olsen. He is also the founder of an online learning institution which is the Signum University which he founded in 2012.

From amazon.com, I got this description: "An admirable and thought provoking consideration of the underlying themes of The Hobbit. This is a fun, thoughtful, and insightful companion volume designed to bring a thorough and original new reading of this great work to a general audience."

So if you are interested in reading and buying this book. There are a lot of online book shops, and there's a local specialty bookstore wherein you can request for a special order of books not available locally. As always, Happy reading!

Lord of The Rings Themed T-shirts

   It's Saturday, and this morning I went to the mall. I picked-up my order of Lord of the Rings t-shirts from a local clothing design store. They sell popular movie and tv merchandise, ranging from Hollywood movies, and Japanese pop culture. I got my Bioman shirt from them before, and I also got my Harry Potter Slytherin silk necktie, and scarf from them. They have a lot of Harry Potter merchandise from fidget spinners, stickers, keychains, and wands.

Now, I'm into LoTR. I think I'm going to stick with this one. Their Lord of the Rings merchandise are t-shirts only. I don't think that they will be replenishing their LoTR stocks, because the sales staff told me that they're just selling the last stocks.

There are 3 designs available. The Gondor shirt, the design is the white tree of Gondor with a small logo on the side sleeves, available in black color. The next shirt design, is the Riders of Rohan, included in the design is a prancing horse, the color of the shirt is dark blue green. Last, is my favorite, Rivendell also with a logo on its side sleevem. The shirt design, is Arwen's pendant, the color of the shirt is Navy Blue. My most favorite design among the 3 shirts is the Tree of Gondor. Theme wise I am of course biased on Rivendell. If you want to check out the store. Just click on this -> The Perfect White Shirt 

(Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with The Perfect White Shirt store. I am aware that this is not an official J.R.R. Tolkien store. I just bought these shirts because I am a fan of anything related to Tolkien, and LoTR.)

My Favorite Children's Book (Pt.2): A Little Princess Novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett

  Yesterday, I bought a classic children's book entitled, 'A Little Princess,' written by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I really love the story. I used to watch the Japanese animation dubbed in our native language when I was still a teenager. I also first saw the film adaptation, the one where Ms. Shirley Temple starred. It's a bit different from the book. There's also another movie adaptation in the 90's but it is also not the same as the story told in the book, again it deviates a little bit. The setting was in the U.S.A., instead of London, England. My favorite version is the one starring Amelia Shankley. I read its quite faithful to the novel.

Why do I like this novel? Aside from showing another country and culture like India, and England. (Very interesting that the author uses these 2 countries, since British colonized India before). That is why you can see an Indian man in the movie, and also read it in the book. The character of Ramdas, a sikh, he is the one wearing a turban. I believe it is diffirent from the middle eastern honorific title word, which is the sheik.                 

                       
I can say, firstly its very true. It portrays the harsh realities of life wherein if you don't have money, you will be treated as a nobody. That in this world, there are heartless, and abusive people like Ms.Minchin, who is only concerned of what she gets or what profit she can get from others. That's why she treats them nicely, and if she can't milk anything from them, she just treats them badly. Also, there are reasonable, good people like Ms. Amelia, but are just too afraid to voice out their opinion. Another is that there will always be people who are jealous, and envious over others, even if the person that they are jealous with doesn't have anything to do with them. But despite of these things, despite of the hardships, and difficulties in life. We can still hope, and things aren't always as bad as they seem. We just need to have faith. Believe that there are still a few good people out there. No matter what, we should always be good, and never forget the good values that we have learned as we grow older. Treat others kindly, even if you will not get anything from them. That speaks a lot about your true character. Treat other people the way you wanted to be treated.

The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun

    Yesterday, I bought another J.R.R. Tolkien book, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun. Previously, I already bought all of the J.R.R. Tolkien book titles in our local specialty bookstore. I had this book reserved for me. This book was available only in their other store branch. I waited for this book for around 2 days. I haven't started reading this book. I still have a lot of Tolkien books in my list to read. If you are interested in this book please read the information I got from Harper Collins UK online.

Unavailable for more than 70 years, this early but important work is published for the first time with Tolkien’s ‘Corrigan’ poems and other supporting material, including a prefatory note by Christopher Tolkien. Set In Britain’s land beyond the seas’ during the Age of Chivalry, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun tells of a childless Breton Lord and Lady (the Aotrou’ and Itroun’ of the title) and the tragedy that befalls them when Aotrou seeks to remedy their situation with the aid of a magic potion obtained from a corrigan, or malevolent fairy. When the potion succeeds and Itroun bears twins, the corrigan returns seeking her fee, and Aotrou is forced to choose between betraying his marriage and losing his life.

Coming from the darker side of J.R.R. Tolkien’s imagination, The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun, together with the two shorter Corrigan’ poems that lead up to it and which are also included, was the outcome of a comparatively short but intense period in Tolkien's life when he was deeply engaged with Celtic, and particularly Breton, myth and legend.

Originally written in 1930 and long out of print, this early but seminal work is an important addition to the non-Middle-earth portion of his canon and should be set alongside Tolkien’s other retellings of myth and legend, The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrn, The Fall of Arthur and The Story of Kullervo. Like these works, it belongs to a small but important corpus of his ventures into real-world’ mythologies, each of which in its own way would be a formative influence on his own legendarium.

I already browsed through this book. The one that I've got is a hardbound. It has a nice sort of leaflet cover, and the spine of the book has a gold embossing title. The famous Tolkien insignia is included of course. The paper quality is really good, and the font (text size) is good, very readable. It is a sort of a poetry book. I think this is not a sort of story style novel, but it is a story told in poetry style. This is something new to me so I decided to purchase it, and this work of Tolkien deviates from his Middle-Earth works. Personally I think, this is a must-have for Tolkien followers.

My Favorite Children and Young Adult Books (Pt.1)

       Yesterday, I bought 2 classic children, and young adult books. The first book that I'm gonna talk about is the Nancy Drew series. I got the title no.1. "The Secret of the Old Clock." I remember I used to borrow these books during my elementary days in the library, along with my favorite big book of Fairy Tales. Eversince, I was a kid I love books. I guess, that back then we were fortunate that during our childhood days, the kids are not that very tech savvy. We just have a game and watch, wherein there's only one game, and its not colored. We have the battery operated one, and the solar powered. I remember we have a game and watch, wherein a seal would balance the ball. We can play it near the flourescent light, or outdoors since its solar powered. Then came pc games. I really feel good visiting our school's library always. Aside from the Nancy Drew Series, I also like to read the Choose Your Own Adventure. Wherein you get to be the lead character and you choose what's going to happen next.The writer of the Nancy Drew series, I just found out wasn't really Carolyn Keene, but it was sort of an alias used by the writers of the book. Along with Nancy Drew Series came another young detective book named, Hardy Boys. These books were a huge hit and there was even a tv show before with the same title, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. The show ran from the year 1977 to 1979. A movie was made in 2007 starring Emma Roberts. I think that these books and tv shows inspired the many detective tv series today like CSI etc.

The other classic children's book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I only came to know during my adult days. But I have seen the old film starring Gene Wilder before during my younger days.I haven't read the book so I decided to buy it. Also, I cosplayed before as Willy Wonka in our workplace, so this story was really memorable for me. The latest movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's novel was starred by one of my favorite versatile actor, Johnny Depp (he starred in Edward Scissorhands, as a pirate in Pirates of the Carribean, a vampire in the movie Dark Shadows, Alice in Wonderland as the Mad Hatter, Chocolat, he also starred in suspense thriller movies like the Secret Window, Sleepy Hollow and many more) who played Willy Wonka. What I like about this story is that it teaches us about hope, and kindness. That no matter how hard life is, there's still a rainbow in the end. It also teaches us to never give-up. Just try and try. Also, greed, and other selfish acts does not end in a happy note.

This is just the part one of my favorite classic books. I'll just update when I have a new one coming-up!

The Tolkien Society

     I can say I'm a certified bibliophile (a person who collects and love books). These days I've been so fascinated with Tolkien's works. I bought a few of his books, and they are a bit pricey, but its all worth-it. I'm very proud to say, and to share with you dear readers of this blog of mine, that I'm an official member of The Tolkien Society now. I was accepted last week. Why did I join? Because, I wanted to feel how it is to be a certified Tolkienist. One of our group member in a social page (local Tolkien group), commented why did I say I'm not a certified Tolkienist. Well, like what I have written in my English fan blog. As a former member of Jane Austen Society in Australia, I joined the group because I wanted to belong to an organization or group that shares similar interest with me, and I also what to belong to a group officially and the status quo of course.

In our local Tolkien social group page, someone asked me what are the perks of being a member. I pointed out to them the society's web page. I was hesitant before, if I should go on and sign-up as a member. I'm afraid that I will not exhaust all the benefits of being a member, since I am not from the UK. Anyway, the prestige of being a member is enough for me. The membership fee is, £30. So that is equivalent to 2000 plus Philippine Pesos.

What are the perks of being a member? You can choose the student, postal or online membership. I chose the online membership because I dread to wait for the stuffs that's going to be mailed to me. Since its from the UK, its gonna take a long, long time for it to reach me. You also get Amon Hen their bi-monthly bulletin, and Mallorn their annual journal. Plus, you get online access. For online membership category, you get instant access to the society's publication. But a postal membership is also good, because you get a hard copy. If I'm not that impatient, I would have chosen the postal category. There is a "For Members" only access page in their website. Aside from that you get to join a worldwide fellowship who shares the same passion for Tolkien, and you get to promote his works too! According to their website it has 1,000 members from around the globe, in over 30 different countries. Also, you get discounts in their affiliated institutes like Mythgard Institute that offers fantasy, and Tolkien studies/courses.

So if you are interested in joining too, here is their website just click on this. -> The Tolkien Society

To those who do not know who J.R.R. Tolkien is here is his short info. about him.

Prof. J.R.R. Tolkien C.B.E. was a renowned scholar of the English language best remembered for his works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which have become two of the most well-known, best-loved and biggest-selling books of all time. He is also a poet, and philologist.

I really admire Tolkien, because he was a brilliant story-teller, and writer. He devised his own language called Sindarin, the language spoken by immortal elves in his stories about the Middle-Earth. He also created his own insignia. The famous Tolkien symbol. If you have not read his works and have only seen the movies, I suggest you grab a copy of his books. I'm sure you will also be a fan! 

For more info. just visit The Tolkien Society page.

(Update, I just got my membership ID card and welcome letter this 23rd of March.)

Map of the Middle-Earth

 

Today, I just got my very own map of the Middle-Earth. I purchased this online, for less than a thousand bucks. This map is made of cloth. The feel is similar to silk.

Middle-Earth, is a fictional setting created by J.R.R. Tolkien. If you have seen the movie, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and have read the books, then you surely know what I'm talking about.

The term Middle-Earth was not originally from Tolkien, it comes from Middle English middel-erde. I believe that Tolkien got some inspiration from Beowulf the classic epic poem of English/Anglo-Saxon origins, that he had worked on. From the LoTR online Wikia, it says there that there are a lot of parallels between Beowulf and Tolkien's work.

There are a lots of inhabitants in the Middle-Earth. Iluvatar (origin of everything, the creator, The One) created the Ainurs, they were angelic beings who made beautiful music for Iluvatar, but one of them rebelled and his name is Melkor. I see a parallel here, the story of creation in the bible, and the fall of Lucifer. Next are those who entered the world, the Ainurs became Valars, and from the Valars came lesser spirits called the Maiar. The Maiars, worked for the Valars. For example the spouses Osse and Uinen, ruler of the seas, acted under Ulmo. I suggest you read the Silmarillion for better understanding of Tolkien's world and mythology. I had a hard time grasping it at first. So I made notes, and I also listen to the audio in YouTube. Over-all, as I read and learn of the writings of Tolkien, I am really impressed day by day of his works. I know that I should not make him an 'idol', God should always comes first. But in learning more of Tolkien, and other brilliant men like his son Christopher who continued the work of his father and because of him we have the Silmarillion, and Beren and Luthien among many others. I thank God for these men. All these came from Him anyway. 

So much so about that, going on other inhabitants of the Middle-Earth are, the Elves (my favorite is Legolas Greenleaf), they are intelligent beings created by Iluvatar alone, the first born. There are many clans of Elves, there are the dark and light elves. But the dark here doesn't mean they are evil. They would just never see the light of the 2 trees in Aman. Because, they remained in Middle Earth, dark elves are called the Avari, and the Eldar. The 2 main languages of the Elves are called Quenya and Sindarin. Physically they resemble human, but are beautiful, and they have pointed ears. They are agile and quick-footed, and are taller than men. Though they can be killed, they are immortal, they can die of grief too. 

Men are the second born of Iluvatar. They are mortal, ageing and dying quickly. Men, are less beautiful. Next are the Dwarves, who were said to be created by the Valar, Aule. They are master craftsman. Their language is known as Khudzul, a secret language for their own use. They are mortal, but live longer than men. Also, male and female dwarves are identical in their appearance. They are smaller in size too. Next, are the Hobbits or Halfling, according to Tolkien, they are offshoot of the race of men. They were generally half the size of men. They speak the Mannish tongue Westron. There are 3 kinds of hobbit, The Stoors, Fallohides, and Harfoots.

Other races were the Ents, shepherds of trees. They speak, and move. Created by Iluvatar, at the request of Yavanna. Treebird, in LoTR was the oldest Ent. Evil creatures such as Orcs and Trolls were created by Melkor also known as Morgoth. They are mockeries of the Children of Iluvatar and Elves. Other animals like the Eagles also live in the Middle-Earth. There are also giant spiders that descended from Ungoliant, also dragons are present here like Smaug. Another are Wargs, they are species of wolves allied with Orcs. In the Hobbit movie, one creature that I cannot forget was the skin-changer names Beorn, a man who could assume the form of a great black bear. I think he is the last of his kind. There are a lot more creatures in the Middle-Earth. (All the information here I got from Wikipedia and LoTR Wikia.) 

Back to my review of my Middle-Earth map. The small characters are not that very clear, but when viewed from afar, over-all, its nice to look at. It is great for a room decor, either in your own room, or in your living room. I'm sure Tolkien fans and visitors will be amazed if they saw this hanging inside your place. If you are a Tolkien fan this is another must-have. 

My Jareth Funko Pop Toy

  Finally! After waiting for almost 3 weeks. I received my Funko Pop Jareth. If you are wondering who Jareth is, he is one of the main character of the classic, 80's movie, Jim Henson's Labyrinth. This movie has left a mark on me. I really can't forget it. Before, I even bought the book that I saw in a local second-hand bookstore. Inside that book are Labyrinth movie photos. Too bad, I left that book in the house where I grew up.

Now, I have the Labyrinth vcd. The part that I remember fondly is the ballroom scene, wherein Sarah, wearing a beautiful gown, dances with Jareth. I find the character portrayed by the late David Bowie, kinda attractive. That's why I have a crush on Jareth. I also like storyline, Jareth the goblin king fulfills the wish of Sarah. I think Jareth has feelings for Sarah, its just that Sarah is oblivious to it. Argh! If I were Sarah, I'll go with Jareth, and we can be happy together with my baby brother Toby! He!hehe! That is... if I was Sarah!

Back to my new vinyl toy. This is kinda a huge Funko Pop for me. Because my first Funko Pop was the pocket pop keychain, Peanuts edition, Charlie Brown. This is the Labyrinth edition, Funko Pop Movies no. 364. Over-all I like the appearance of this Jareth, Funko Pop. Nice details on the jacket, necklace and the eye-shadow of Jareth is cool! Jareth is a goblin king, but I also have this theory that he's not a goblin. He is an elf. He is tall for an elf, and handsome too!

I also love all the songs performed by David Bowie in the movie, and I also love the ballroom scene, as the song 'As The World Falls Down' plays on. This is a kid-friendly movie. For me, this movie has also nice special effects because, it was the work of the late Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. If you have not seen the movie, I suggest you see it now. You are definitely missing something!

Leuchtturm1917 Notebooks/Journals

 My quest in finding a good, and long lasting notebook didn't cease. I was disappointed with my previous experience regarding another brand of a popular luxury notebook. It has not met my expectations.

I am happy with my Leuchtturm1917 journals. I can now say, the search is over! I have two. Each regular sized notebook costs around a thousand Philippine pesos. I have no complain about this notebook or journal. Leuchtturm is known for their high quality notebooks, binders, and portfolios. Leuchtturm1917 is made in Germany.

I bought two lined notebooks. One in metallic silver and another in metallic gold. These are special editions. They are both hardcover. It also comes with stickers, for the spine and for the title cover of the notebook. It also has a built-in bookmark, and a flap jacket inside. It also has a blank table of contents. From the look and feel. It is indeed a sturdy notebook/journal. I chose a lined notebook because I'm really going to write down my notes. I am studying Tolkien's Silmarillion now, and I am enjoying writing down my notes in these eye-candy journals. These journals also look posh. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.

Moleskine pocket sized notebook

  My first luxury notebook was Moleskine. Heard a lot about this popular brand of notebook that's why I decided to buy one. I bought two pocket-sized plain notebook. It costs less than a thousand pesos. A few of the pages are detachable, they can be teared easily because of the paper line marks. This notebook comes in black and dark blue color.The covers are cardboard like. I think it has approximately 50 leaves. These first Moleskines of mine were not that impressive for me.

My other Moleskine minis are colored purple, and black. These two costs less than a thousand Philippine pesos. The purple dotted mini journal has a thin cardboard covering, while the black one, which is a mini-sketch pad has a hard cover. These Moleskines for me were just fine. I used the purple dotted one as my 'note' book. I use it for writing down episodes from my favorite classic cartoon,The Charlie Brown and Snoopy show, and the other one I used as my sketch pad. These 'notes' are more sturdy compared to the first one.

Over-all, I just don't feel like buying any Moleskine mini notebooks or journals in the future. Like most of the reviews that I read and saw online. It does seem like the quality of Moleskine has dwindled these days. Moleskine is designed in Italy but manufactured in China. Anyway, if you always like to write and jot down things. These portable mini Moleskines are for you. You can take them wherever you go, and they can be easily stored in your bag.