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Papaya clothing is one of the competitors of Forever 21 in the US. They've also got great clothes in really great price points! Check them out! They're having a Valentine's Day sale and FOR MEMBERS ONLY, they're offering $2 shipping until February 14, 2010! So sign up at their website to take advantage of this great offer!

Don't Stop Believing

I was watching Oprah last night and her whole episode was all about never giving up and believing in your dreams. She wanted to emphasize this most especially in the face of the global financial crisis that it is possible to overcome even worldwide challenges to come up on top. 

Her guests were are very own Arnel Pineda of Journey and Khadijah, a girl who went from Skid Row to Harvard University.

I literally couldn't keep my eyes off the screen for very long. I was so mesmerized by the story of Arnel Pineda. Arnel Pineda grew up in an underprivileged part of Manila. His mother died when he was still very young so early on he was left to fend for himself. He was homeless and he would sing to earn money for food. For years he struggled to make ends meet. He transferred from band to band singing for money.

Then one day, his big break came. Someone had posted a video of one of his performances at the Hard Rock Cafe in Makati and the rest is rock and roll history so to speak...

The Journey band on the other hand was going through their own struggle. Their lead singer had left them and they had started to feel that their search for a new singer was hopeless. It was the unique voice of their lead singer that had given the band their unique and signature sound. They were about to give up when
one of the members of Journey had chanced upon Arnel's You Tube and was absolutely blown away. They had found the new voice of The Journey.

Watching Oprah's interview with the group was absolutely awe inspiring. It was so apparent that all the members of the band, though senior to Arnel, had an undeniable respect for him as a person. They, in their own words, were all genuinely inspired by this person in front of them. They saw in him a genuinely talented and hardworking person who in spite of all his new found fame and success was still by all means so humble and still so down-to-earth.

I hope his story has inspired you as much as it has me. Although he had never in his wildest dreams ever dreamed that something like that could happen to him, his dream life still found him. It's stories like these that allow me to continue to believe that dreams come true (even the ones that you've never thought of). Just be open to a wonderful life and it'll find you eventually.

I'll leave you for now with the lyrics to The Journey's Song "Don't Stop Believin' " so you won't ever stop believing in your dreams.

Don't Stop Believin'

Just a small town girl
Livin' in a lonely world
She took the midnight train goin' anywhere

Just a city boy
Born and raised in south Detroit
He took the midnight train goin' anywhere

A singer in a smoky room
A smell of wine and cheap perfume
For a smile they can share the night
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Working hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin' anything to roll the dice just one more time

Some will win, some will lose
Some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Strangers waiting
Up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlight people
Living just to find emotion
Hiding somewhere in the night

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on
Streetlight people

Don't stop believin'
Hold on to that feelin'
Streetlight people


- designstudentny

P.S.
Watch out for part 2 of this blog entry for Khadijah's story.

**Photos are from pinoywired.com and Oprah.com

You can also read the article about the interview on Oprah.com or copy this link on your browser:
http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Dont-Stop-Believing-in-Journey


Want to listen to Journey or know more about Oprah? Check them out here:

Heart's Day Coming!

Valentine's day is coming!

And I've decided to make something from the heart to my loved ones' heart instead of getting him something store bought.

This is what I'm making! Check it out!

Photo courtesy of www.tvlesson.com

The recipe is below and it's from ourbestbites.com. It looks sooo good! Wish me luck!

Molten Lava Cakes

Recipe from ourbestbites.com

4 T  real butter

1/3 C sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 C flour
1/4 t salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate*, melted 

*8 ounces is about 1 1/3 C of bittersweet chocolate chips.  Make the 1/3 cup a little over-full and you should be good 

Additional Ingredients:
conf. sugar for dusting
sweetened whipped cream for serving 

butter and sugar for preparing pans  

You can either bake these in a muffin tin, in ramekins, or even a oven-proof mug.  If you use a muffin tin you'll get 6 cakes and depending on the size of the ramekins you'll get 4-6.  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   

To prepare pans, use your fingers (or the butter wrapper) to rub butter in the muffin tins or ramekins.  Sprinkle in some granulated sugar to coat the entire inner surface and tap out any extra and discard.  

In a bowl with a mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy.   Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.   Combine flour and salt and slowly add it into the butter mixture just until combined.   Stir in melted chocolate by hand, just until combined.  Don't over mix.

Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups or ramekins and then place them on a baking sheet.

Bake just until tops of cakes no longer jiggle when pan is lightly shaken, about 8-10 min for a muffin pan, and 10-12 for ramekins.   Remove from oven and let stand 10 min.   

If using muffin tins, invert the tin and place an idividual cake on each serving plate.  You can do the same with the ramekins, or just serve them as is.   Dust with powdered sugar and serve with a dallop of sweetened whipped cream.

Happy Valentines!

- designstudentny

P.S. Here are some of my favorite cookbooks: