Cheska’s Pride

Okay, I was reading a men’s magazine I borrowed and came up with this idea. Take note that these are not really lies but are phrases that could mean a different thing. So guys, if you’re reading, watch out for these.

I’m breaking up with you. Hold it! It’s not really the end of the world right then and there. Sometimes, us women say this just to check if you really do love us. I admit, I said this a couple of times. I like being pursued by my boyfriend. There’s just something I want to hear him say and that line sometimes gets him to do so. Of course, it could REALLY mean we want to break up. But hey, don’t give up so easily.

You know, you’re a nice guy and all… Or, “you’re like a big/younger brother to me…” Well, a lot of us say this because of one thing: we’re not really aiming for a relationship with you but we still like to have you as a friend. We can’t really just blurt out, “No, you’re not exactly boyfriend material. I’m sorry.” Else, how do you think you would have reacted from that?

We’re actually just friends… Weeeell, another similar line would be “He’s actually gay.” But we could be saying that (especially to a suitor or rival) just so we don’t hurt anybody’s feelings. And no, I won’t let you check my messages (from him) or even hear our conversations - you’ll be a lot more confused with that.

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Bags are a part of us, women, as our clothes and shoes. When we go shopping or traveling, it’s always part of our list. Now, of course some bags are better than others in different aspects. Here are three tips when choosing a bag.

Make sure it’s durable - Of course, no matter how wonderful the bag looks, it’s nothing if it falls apart too quickly. Before purchasing, make sure to check everything down to the straps.

Style - Like I said before, bags are a part of our fashion. So of course, what bag we bring depends on how it fits with our clothing. When choosing a bag, make sure you have an attire that goes with it. If not, go get some clothes that would.

Security - Another important factor but something you can do without IF you are feeling confident. Anyway, hello? You do know that we put in important stuff in there like our cellphones and other gadgets. We can’t really afford having a bag that would allow something like rain to seep through and wreck havoc in there would you? Some more compartments would do as well to prevent thieves from easily grabbing our stuff.

So are you thinking of dressing up your pet real nicely? Or is there an occasion where you want your pet to fit? Well, here are some fashion stuff for your pet (mostly dogs and cats) you might want to consider.

Tuxedo - Have your pet wear formal clothing for occasions where it would fit nicely. Top Hat completes the look. Hopefully, your pet tries to keep it on the whole time (usually, they’ll try to remove it if they’re not used to it). Costs around $20.

Source: http://www.mypethaven.com/dog_formal_wear.htm

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Harness Dresses - Oh, so your pet is female and would also like something to wear? Well, you could try out some dresses like the one on the picture. Give your pet the attention it needs with a lovely dress. The dress costs around $34.

Source: http://www.mypethaven.com/small_dog_dresses.htm

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T-Shirts - For that casual look on your pet, give him or her a shirt. Like the above, these can be worn by cats too, although cats take a lot of time to get used to clothing like these (in my experience).

Bags, especially handbags, are as much a part of women as their clothes. We all like our bags, especially since it’s the most visible accessory in our fashion. As much as we treat bags that way, there are some designers who like them weird. Aside from these weird bags, here are some other weird bags that I found while browsing.

The Face Bag - Yoshimi Ezura certainly designs some unique leather bags and one of them is the face bag. Put it on the desk and it will just sit there smiling. Cute but a bit creepy. *shivers*

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Punching Glove Bag - Don’t ask me where these came from. I just found it at JustElite while browsing. Anyway, wear these like a regular bag when walking around or wear it as boxing gloves when your boyfriend does something to displease you and sock him. Just kidding.

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Handcuff Bag - Here’s another one that had a weird premise. What better way to protect your bag from thieves than to…wear it like a handcuff? The black leather bag is perfect when you’re wearing an all black attire. Just like in the picture.

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Doggie Bag - This one is created by artist Meryl Smith for the Honey Space Gallery in New York. She made it using leather and papier-mache. And it sells for $3000! Unfortunately, it looks weird to me so I’d rather not have this one.

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No! Shopping Bag Bra - Now this is what I would call weird. But the creators certainly have a purpose in mind. According to Triumph International Japan, it is designed to reduce plastic bag consumption. Since Japanese shoppers use around 30 billion plastic bags a year with 30% not being reused, it contributes to environmental problems. Curious about how it works? Check the pic! Source

Trees are amazing. They reduce pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide and give off oxygen in the air which we can breathe. They prevent flooding by absorbing water from the ground and holding the earth with their roots. Above all is their aesthetic value. They stand there looking beautiful - their blossoms swaying with the wind. Here are 3 of my favorite blossoming trees.

Rescue Apple-Crab - These ornamental apple trees are very beatiful and are common in Canada. Their color can vary from yellow, red or whitish. They prefer sunlight and well-drained soil.

Russian Olives - These are native to southern Europe and to western and central Asia. Their life expectancy in the US is only around 50 years so they are considered short-lived. They also rarely reach 30 feet.

Cherry Blossoms - My absolute favorite. These trees are part of Japan’s culture. In 1912, Japan gave some of these trees as a gift and have since lined the shores of Tidal Basin in Washington. The sakura, as they are also called, attract a lot of tourists and have been part of many festivals llike the Sakura Matsuri or the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival.

So I was dressing up my dog so it would look reaaal cute. Pets should look fashionable too, you know. So then, I took her out for a walk and a neighbor told me she looked absolutely wonderful. She has a pet cat that wore a beanie (with holes for the ears to go through), which it promptly removed after a few minutes of wearing it. Then it hit me, how many people actually dress their pets to look lovely? As I searched for an answer, I came across not only that, but a few funny ones as well.

• Around 21% of pet owners dress their pet nicely.
• 58% of pets are included in family and holiday portraits, while 70% of owners sign their pet’s name on greeting cards.
• The most pet dogs — being owned by almost one in three families — are located in the U.S. and France.
• In the U.S., approximately 1 million dogs have been named as the primary beneficiary in their owner’s wills.
• 79% of owners give their pets presents for birthdays and holidays.
• If you look at your dog while it’s sleeping, sometimes you’ll see its eyes move and twitch under its eyelids - meaning they also have dreams.
• Dogs can smell a thousand time better than humans and can hear noises that are cannot be heard by human ears. Cats have a sense of smell that is fourteen times stronger than a human’s.

Sources: http://www.thirteen.org/extraordinarydogs/funfacts.html
http://www.bestfriendspetcare.com/pet_facts/index.cfm

I found an interesting article a while back when I was in Richmond. It talks of how a child can be compared to a dog, and when he or she grows into a teenager - to a cat. I was able to relate to the article especially when I recalled how I was when I was still growing up. During my teen years, my world revolved around my friends so I rarely paid attention to my family and relatives (don’t we all?).

Anyway, read the essay or article and tell me your thoughts. I still haven’t found the one who wrote this - even after searching on the Internet - so if you know, kindly tell me (with proof) and I’ll edit this post to give credit to the author.

The Cat Years

I just realized that while children are dogs - loyal and affectionate - teenagers are cats. It’s so easy to be a dog owner. You feed it, train it, boss it around. It puts its head on your knees and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting. It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it.

Then around age 13 your adorable little puppy turns into a big old cat. When you tell it to come inside it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor. Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won’t see it again until it gets hungry - then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen to turn its nose up at whatever you’re serving.

When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.

You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed. It won’t go on family outings.

Since you’re the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong. Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave. Only now you’re dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result. Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps on the counter. The more you go toward it wringing your hands, the more it moves away.

Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you have to learn to behave like a cat owner. Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you. But remember that a cat needs your help and affection too. Sit still and it will come, seeking the warm, comfortable lap it has not entirely forgotten. Be there to open the door for it.

One day, your grown up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, “You’ve been on your feet all day. Let me get those dishes for you.”

Then you’ll realize your cat is a dog again.

To end things. Here’s a nice video of a cat that looks like Puss in Boots from Shrek. Cute!

Ghosts are believed to be the spirits of dead people. According to people who have seen them, they take the form of when they were still living and haunt the area where they died. Hotels are no exception.

I was initially planning to visit Texas to take part on some of the events there. However, while looking for hotels I could stay in, I managed to find some interesting stories, or rather, “ghost” stories regarding some of them. I don’t really believe in ghosts but some of you might be interested. Here are three of what I found. Feel free to comment and add to these while you’re at it!

Baker Hotel, Mineral Wells TX - The Baker Hotel is already defunctional and is already placed in the National Register of Historic Places. It was very popular since its construction in 1929 and a lot of celebrities had stayed there. It had the first Olympic-sized swimming pool in the US as well.

It’s also famous for being haunted.

A lot of people claim eerie stuff could be heard from the place a long time before it shut down. There’s a story about a woman on the 7th floor who was said to be the mistress of the hotel manager. Apparently, she committed suicide by jumping off from the top of the building.

Another story involves the elevator operator who was said have a minor part in a prostitution ring. Guilt apparently led him to report it to the authorities which, unknown to him, had some involved with the ring as well. As a result, he was laid off but was called back in a few weeks. He died after being torn in half from an elevator accident. People claim to have seen the boy lurking in the basement area with only his upper body visible.

Source and additional reading material.

Crazy Water Retirement Hotel, Mineral Wells TX - Another old hotel in Texas (built in 1927). It was built on the site of the third well dug in Mineral Wells. It was also pretty famous and had served a few celebrities.

A girl was reported to have been sighted by employees in the kitchen. She wore a pink frilly dress and liked to play in the kitchen area. Often times she just watched as the employees prepared food. The girl was not the only ghost that was sighted in the kitchen, a man in a trench coat also appeared and vanished. Voices were also heard around the basement.

Source

Jefferson Hotel, Jefferson TX - One of the oldest buildings in Jefferson and was built in 1851 as a cotton warehouse. Ghost stories in the hotel have been passed on through the years.

Footsteps were said to be heard in the halls at night. What’s weird was the floor was entirely carpeted. Children were also heard laughing and crying when there were no kids in the hotel. Doors kept shutting and closing, furnitures being dragged were some more of the weird sound that were said to be heard by various employees throughout its history. Various rooms have had different sightings and sounds coming from the spirits of those who stayed.

Source

Ever wondered how the clothes you wear started out? Well, most of them started appearing during ancient times. Underwear, for example, didn’t appear as they are today. They were developed to fit the culture and views for a certain period of time. Let me show you some of the facts:

Brassiere - The earliest bra recorded were shown being worn by Minoan women around 2500BC. The bra-like garment exposed the breasts but held them upward. Later, the Greeks were shown wearing garments that prevented the breasts from moving while walking. The Romans copied it but designed it so that it would prevent the growth of young women’s breasts or to hide large breasts. These were similar to corsets. During the medieval period, It was only until around the 1920s or 1930s that bras were developed to hold the breasts instead of flattening them.

Underwear - Unlike bras, women’s drawers only started to appear around the 17th century. They were made up of two seperate leggings that were attached to the waist or corset and reached the calf. And yes, it doesn’t cover anything between the legs.

Shoes - During early times, Roman soldiers were shown wearing sandals called the caliga. Later, they developed a style more suited to British weather called gallica. The difference? Caliga exposed the toes while the gallica was closed. During the 17th century, women decided that pointed toes (on the shoes) were more feminine. It was during that time that buckles were used to fasten the shoes. Women used ribbons instead of buckles. Boots began to gain popularity during the 19th century, and in the 20th century designer shoes became prominent.

Sources: http://www.jenellerose.com/htmlpostings/history_of_the_bra.htm,
http://www.northampton.gov.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?categoryID=1482&documentID=142