• Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • The Tinacious Writer
  • Lifestyle & Beauty
  • Portfolio
  • About Tinaciouslee

Tina Lee

2020: The Year in Review

January 3, 2021 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

I greeted the year 2020 with optimism because 1) I was about a month pregnant last January and 2) it’s 2020, 20 and 20. To me, that year feels like double in luck, you know? Turns out, the year was very different from what I – we – all expected. The pandemic thing happened and there wasn’t much going on for the most part of the year. Here’s my annual look back at the year that was!

In January, I found out that I was pregnant with baby number 2.

Pregnancy Journey: Here We Go Again!

I spent pretty much the next few weeks in shock simply because we didn’t think we’d have another baby this soon – I only had one working ovary at this point. But we were ecstatic nonetheless!

Then, I celebrated my birthday last summer – quietly. I didn’t really go out and saw friends because I was in the thick of the first trimester and wasn’t feeling like going out. Mind you, I never had to deal with morning sickness with this one but I still felt tired all the damn time. I will come to regret failing to celebrate my birthday properly because… a week after my birthday, everything pretty much went to hell.

Pregnancy Journey: Every Pregnancy is Different, Indeed

The lockdowns happened and we were unable to go out for 4 solid months. I had to suspend my business operation because none of the couriers were willing to deliver the packages to the city. We spent the long weeks in quarantine at my parents’ house because we want to keep Damien away from possible infection.

From April to August everything was a blur guys. I was dealing with a lot, the pandemic, losing clients, bearing the full brunt of the pregnancy, being pregnant in the middle of a health crisis. Yoikes.

On top of that, my husband also lost some of his clients so it’s extra challenging. But! There is always a rainbow after the rain, things were not as bad. In fact, by September, things are mostly back to the way it was. Most of my clients stood by me through it all, something I am very grateful for. My business continued after the lockdown.

Because my husband lost some clients and he’s taking it very hard, I gave him a gift that keeps on giving: a new business. I put together a home and decor shop. We monetized our garage, which is sandwiched in between two stores. Our house sits in the middle of our town’s business district, you see. So instead of letting the garage go to waste, we used it to build our makeshift shop.

The business is still in its infancy as I write this but so far, it’s been making some profits. I’ve always wanted to have my own home decor and gift shop so this is something that’s been a long time coming. The only thing was, I didn’t think about opening shop right in the middle of a health crisis! The economy’s in the shitter, to be honest, and it’s a miracle that we are able to sell stuff at all.

That, my dears, is my husband’s rainbow. Mine was our second son, Rocco Dorian or Rocky, who was born on the first day of September. I chose this date specifically because I love the BER months and sapphire is my favorite gem. Yes, unrelated to the pregnancy completely but who cares, we’re in a pandemic.

I love everything about my second, he’s so even-tempered and very smiley! Despite the struggle of being pregnant during the time of COVID, we made it.

After the pregnancy, I started doing lots of home improvement works. We had the bathroom renovated, then the garage. We also installed security cameras in and around the home. By November, the bathroom’s done!

December was pretty chill. There’s a new virus strain that’s more than 50% more infectious but who gives a fuck at this point. We’re still quarantining at home but we travel to the city once a month to restock the decor shop.

My online business is definitely booming from November to December and it pretty much funded all the home improvement projects we had. It’s also the reason why I was able to go ahead with my jewelry projects, which I will feature soon.

And there you have it, a quick review of what came down during 2020 here in our humble abode. 2020 was… an interesting year and I was so incredibly lucky that I was able to survive it without losing my life savings, my job, my businesses, and my sanity. It’s been hard for everyone else so I try to give back as often as I can. Thank you papa Jesus for all the blessings!

Here’s to hoping for an amazing 2021, everyone. After last year’s trials and tribulation, the next year HAS TO be amazing. Cheers to the new year!

Filed Under: The Year In Review

A Belated Push Gift: From Me to Me!

December 29, 2020 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

Oh hey! I’m back buying jewelry pieces online hahaha! As you know, my husband got me a push gift when I had our first son. Thanks to COVID-19 and its soul-crushing uncertainty, my husband was unable to get me a push gift for our second… for now!

I guess it’s up to me to get myself something nice for bringing another life into this bleak world, right? And you know there is nothing more I love than getting myself a gift. So yes, here it is, I finally got myself a new ring! Behold:

The gems are genuine sapphires, about 5mm each in size. I had these sources specifically for this ring. As for the jeweler, I had this customized by Gawa Alahas, an Instagram-based jewelry shop based in Bulacan.

I chose this shop because the price is reasonable and the craftsmanship is fantastique. I had the ring done in yellow gold because I noticed that most of my rings are done in white gold. Most of the sapphires in the set are in warm reds, yellows, and oranges so I went with something complementing instead of contrasting if that makes sense.

I’ve always wanted a proper eternity ring – unapologetically chunky, full eternity, and eye-catching. I’ve had my heart set on rainbow sapphires for a while now but because we’ve recently opened a new biz and the pandemic thang, this project was set back several times. I was planning on getting this a few days before I gave birth but I decided to delay it until after the holidays.

Overall, I like the new ring. I feel that the gold is very thick, it doesn’t feel flimsy at all. I love that the prongs are holding each gem as opposed to a shared prong style. The gems are more secure this way. It does take a while to get used to wearing a chunky eternity ring just because it’s quite thick. And the gems go all the way so it’s not as comfortable as a half eternity band, but hey, not complaining at all!

I still have three other ring projects in the work, two of which involve my wedding set. I will write a different review because they were updated by different jewelers!

Filed Under: Accessories, Shopping

Life of an Entrepreneur

December 3, 2020 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

Selling gemstones online is so fun, it’s a side hustle that really fired up my love for shopping imagination. It’s amazing how much the store has grown. I wish I could offer customization services but that will be the future of the brand. What I didn’t expect is that my store would lead to a new business.

Well, the idea has been at the back of my mind but I never really took it seriously until my husband needed more work. Despite the pandemic and all, we opened a new business.

I didn’t really think that our new venture would take me places but it did. Every week, we’re on a road trip going from one supplier to the next. I like it although traveling is still tricky these days.

So far, the business is growing. We’re now getting more orders online and via our physical stores. The earnings are still fluctuating but it’s rare for us not to get at least one sale these days. I spend my days between this shop and my online shop while also working as a writer. It’s amazing how many things I could accomplish in a day, let me tell ya.

I still have so many ideas. My plan is to build another business two years after this one. My goal is to manage several businesses by the time I hit 45 without quitting some of my online gigs!

Filed Under: Just Sharing

Bag Care and Maintenance: How I Clean My Bags

November 27, 2020 by Tina Lee 1 Comment

I haven’t used most of my bags during the quarantine for obvious reasons, I rarely ever go out. Now that the contagion is somewhat contained, we’re starting to see businesses opening up and there are now reasons to go out – although we only do so when absolutely needed.

There’s been a lot of construction going on in our house right now. After the bathroom renovations, we are getting our garage ceiling fixed which means the kids are sleeping at grandma’s house. Now that we have more time to ourselves, I’ve decided to finally clean my bags. I haven’t cleaned them in over a year guys.

Granted, most of my bags could pass off as brand new. I am very, very careful with my bags and I know how to take care of them properly.

Here is my entire collection:

As you can see, I love blue bags, hahaha!

To clean my bags, I use the traditional process of clean, condition, and protect. I use these products:

Step 1: Clean

I start with the Collonil Clean + Care – it’s a foamy leather cleaner that lifts dirt and grime off leather materials. It’s a lovely product, very light and very effective. In fact, this was the only product that was able to remove the stubborn leftover jean stains off my vachetta leather. Prior to using Clean + Care, I used two different Collonil products to remove the leftover stains to no avail. This was able to remove the stain completely, it was amazing!

Pump about a dollar size of the foam on a soft clean cloth. Apply directly on the leather material and work that ‘ish in. You’ll start seeing the cleaning cloth getting dirty as you work the product in but there’s no color transfer unless you are removing the jean stains.

Step 2: Condition

I used to have the Delicate Cream and I use it to condition my leather bags but when I ran out, I bought the more potent cream – reinigungs creme.

According to Collonil PH, this product is meant to clean and condition the leather material. I use it mainly to restore the suppleness of my bags. I store my bags in our bedroom and most times, the AC is on so the leathers tend to dry out much faster. This cream adds moisture to the bags without the shine.

The cream is quite heavy and it smells lemony. Just apply directly onto the leather. I don’t apply too much because I don’t want the bags to feel greasy although this dries down completely.

Step 3: Protect

One of my favorite Collonil products is the Carbon Pro, an aerosol-based waterproofer because it protects delicate leathers from liquid spills! I first used this on my Nightingale and then on my pristine vachetta leathers and it worked like a charm. What’s so amazing about this waterproofer is that it does not leave unsightly streaks. Of course, don’t apply too much because you don’t want to oversaturate the material with the stuff.

Thanks to Collonil Carbon Pro, I was able to finally buy a neutral bag! I used to avoid light-colored bags because of the jeans stains (I was always in jeans and I wear black trousers most of the time). The product won’t stop jeans stains but it acts as a barrier so that when you clean the bag, the jeans stains lift right off.

I usually apply two coats of Carbon Pro so yeah, I spend a lot of money on this waterproofer. I apply the first coat, leave the bag to air dry and then wait until the next day to apply the second coat. This way, I’m sure that the material is evenly coated with the stuff.

Storing My Bags

Maintaining the Bags’ Shape

I don’t have a walk-in closet – hehehe – so I just store my bags in my closet. I fill the bag with crumpled tissues, rolled tees, anything to stuff the bag to retain their shape. Then, I store them in their dust bags but I make sure that the handle is not in contact with the body of the bag. This is super important, sometimes the extra pressure from the handle leaves a mark on the bag itself. This is especially true for the LV mono and the Prada Galleria.

My Galleria, in particular, is prone to sustaining marks because of the soft leather so this one is always sandwiched between two structured bags to keep its shape. The handles are also stored upright. I do this by kinda twisting the dustbag strings around the handles.

Lots of Silica Packets

I then add at least two bags of silica packets inside each bag and within the dustbag. I also filled two small rayon baggies with more silica packets for good measure and stored these in my closet. THEN, I also bought several big bags of charcoal dehumidifier bags and set them near the packed bags. You really want to minimize humidity to avoid mold growth guys. Super important!

… and basically that’s it. I try to air out my bags at least twice a year. This year, my bags were neglected but they’re still good as new with zero trace of molds because they were stored properly!

 

 

Filed Under: Bags

The Bathroom is Finally Done

November 24, 2020 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

The bathroom was finally completed last week. It’s been a long 3 weeks guys, but it was finally over.

Let’s be real, I didn’t know how expensive it will be, renovating a small bathroom. Damn, no wonder a small house costs millions to build these days.

As you can see, the completed project is hardly the bathroom of my dreams but you guys, it’s so much better looking now than before.

For this one, I stuck to a taupe, white, gray, and cream color scheme. I chose white marble tiles for the walls, a taupe accent wall, and off-white tiles for the flooring.

For the fixtures, everything was done in white. I had several shelves installed, one can be seen above the throne, lol. It was set up a bit too high but ah well.

To match the white, gray, and taupe color scheme, I bought several VESKEN shelves by IKEA. These are so nice because they’re sturdy, water drains away, and the design is so versatile.

Photo Credit: ikea.com

I’m still in the process of installing fixtures here and there but for the most part, the bathroom has been completed and we’re happily using it, hahaha! I wish the space was big enough for a bath tub tho. That would’ve been amazing.

Filed Under: Home Improvement, Just Sharing

Bathroom Renovations

October 19, 2020 by Tina Lee Leave a Comment

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before but we live in an old house that’s been left empty for years. As you can imagine, the overall look and feel of the house are outdated. Often, the design goes against my preferences and you know how I love to surround myself with beautiful thangs. Anyhoo, the bathroom is the worst offender, I hate it to bits.

My mom had it made into a maroon mess and the tiles are too dark. The tiles were discolored because the space hasn’t been used at all. Anyway, we’ve been living in this house for a good 2 to 4 years and the bathroom suddenly had a leak and we had to get the piping changed.

I was told that the entire floor will be replaced so I took this as an opportunity to renovate the entire space to the chagrin of my mother. My mother thinks that getting that ugly wall replaced with new tiles is a waste of time. She belongs to a generation that hates changes for aesthetic reasons, apparently. I hate the walls enough to spend a small fortune on it, to be honest, and this was a long time coming.

Here’s how our bathroom currently looks like right now:

Ugly, right?

Initially, I wanted to create a white and gold color scheme but then I realized that we won’t live in this old house all our lives. It will be a waste of money if we suddenly moved out ten years from now. All that money wasted on getting all the gold hardware. So my plan is to stick to a simple white and silver color scheme and simple silver hardware. Once we have our dream house, I’ll do the white and gold!

Here are some of my pegs:

Simple, clean, and sleek.

The kids are at grammy’s house and we’re on day 2 of the renovations. The house is a mess and so am I. I hate it when all my stuff is in disarray, le ugh.

It’s funny because a few days ago, I was thinking about starting to save up again. We’ve recently opened a new business, a home decor store, and I was looking forward to getting a quick break from spending money and now we have this.

I do feel, however, that it will benefit us the most anyway so might as well get this over with and just accept that 2020 will be a shitty year no matter how I try to stay positive about it. Hey at the least the bathroom’s getting a makeover.

 

Filed Under: Just Sharing

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • …
  • Page 208
  • Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • 2020: The Year in Review
  • A Belated Push Gift: From Me to Me!
  • Life of an Entrepreneur
  • Bag Care and Maintenance: How I Clean My Bags
  • The Bathroom is Finally Done

Recent Comments

  • Maureen on Bag Care and Maintenance: How I Clean My Bags
  • Tina Lee on What the Heck is a Beauty Fridge (and Why You NEED One Right Now)
  • Othy on What the Heck is a Beauty Fridge (and Why You NEED One Right Now)
  • Kris Jan on Bag Talk: Mystic or GV3?
  • Tina Lee on Reveal and Review: YSL Toy Lou Lou

Archives

  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007

Categories

  • Accessories
  • Adventure TIME!
  • Affiliate Marketing
  • Amazon Listing
  • Angels and Pornoland
  • Bags
  • Balik Alindog Program
  • Beauty
  • Books
  • Car Insurance
  • Creative Writing
  • Credit Card Articles
  • Credit Card Debt
  • Crushies
  • Cute Critter
  • Employment Tips
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Health
  • Hitched
  • Home Improvement
  • I Quote You
  • Internet Marketing Articles
  • Just Sharing
  • Life Insurance
  • Make-Up
  • Marketing
  • Mortgage
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Networking
  • News Write-Ups
  • Opinions
  • Parenting
  • Payday Loans
  • Pets
  • Pregnancy Journey
  • Press Release
  • Product Articles
  • Product Review
  • Quips
  • SEO
  • SHOES!
  • Shopping
  • Sick Site Network
  • Skin Care
  • Software Posts
  • Tax Debt Articles
  • Tech
  • The Pork en Chop Chronicles
  • The Year In Review
  • Thought of The Day
  • Uncategorized
  • What Came In The Mail
  • What I Really Want To Say

Get In Touch!

Additional Resources

EBOOK: AFFILIATE MARKETING STARTER KIT

Contact Me

© 2017 Tinaciouslee!. All Rights Reserved. Built with love and devotion by GoSmrk