2. I’ve been working in corporate for 10 years. I was an Account Manager of a digital marketing agency, a Marketing Manager of four beauty brands, an Editor-in-Chief of an online beauty magazine, a Managing Director of a content marketing agency, and a Managing Editor of a global beauty brand’s publication. Currently, I’m the Managing Editor of a local parenting magazine. When I’m not writing or producing content for my own platforms, I help run my mom’s backyard business, Mama Jessie’s Kesong Puti. Apart from these, I offer workshops and services on makeup, content marketing, and more!
4. Greta’s Junkyard all started when one of my best friends and the artist behind the little kid inside the trash can (my blog’s logo) introduced me to the wonderful world of Tumblr in 2009—which then served as literally a dump site of all my thoughts and feelings. After contributing to online publications and gaining experience as an intern at Summit Media, I decided to focus on my own and expanded Greta’s Junkyard in 2013 (with the help of my boyfriend-turned-husband, Cayo) to a blog that focuses on my favorite things—mostly beauty, travel, pets, home, and lifestyle.
6. I belong to a very tight-knit family, and part of that family is my super spoiled Shih Tzu, Booboo, and his sister, Bellatrix, a Persian Doll Face named after Bellatrix Lestrange. You can follow their Instagram @boobooandbellatrix or check out the hashtag #FraggyFour to see what it’s like living with a dog and cat as best friends!
7. I was a softball player from grade school up until college (I played for the Poveda Varsity Team, the International Little League Association of Manila, and the University Athletics Association of the Philippines), and a competitive Ultimate Frisbee player from high school until college. I still play Ultimate for fun—when my asthma, allergic rhinitis, and scoliosis aren’t bothering me. When I’m not playing, I love doing yoga or going for a good run around our village.
9. I love Harry Potter, but only because I ship Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. This means I read a lot of Dramione fanfiction! I have yet to finish writing a full (original) novel but until then, I secretly write short stories and fanfics to fulfill the dark and broody fictionist in me.
1. My name is Gretchen, not Greta! Greta is a nickname my cousin uses to tease me! I’m an INFJ, an Enneagram Type 3, and a Pisces—so I guess I’m a creative, sensitive, and introverted idealist. Haha!
3. I studied in Saint Pedro Poveda College from kindergarten all the way until high school, before acquiring a scholarship and taking up Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines Diliman. After two years, I transferred and finished my studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. I also took up a certificate course in Fashion Makeup at Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and finished a diploma course in Marketing at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. Every year, I make sure to take the Google Analytics Individual Qualification Exam to keep my certification up-to-date.
5. Before Cayo and I got together on December 13, 2013, we were teammates and co-captains in Ultimate Frisbee for a few years and were really close! 13 is a special number for us because it was his jersey number in basketball, and my jersey number in softball as we were growing up. We eventually fought over who was going to get it when we became teammates in Ultimate. If you’re on Instagram, catch our adventures together by searching #TeamCatch13.
Cayo and I tied the knot in our village church on September 13, 2019 (also a Friday the 13th!)—you can read more about our memorable and meaningful wedding. For a while, we rented a studio unit in Makati before eventually moving into our forever home, the Fraggy Home.
I gave birth to our daughter, Cambria, on December 21, 2021. She’s named after our favorite band, Coheed and Cambria, as well as my favorite font to use in writing my short stories!
8. When I was younger, I was forced to take up piano lessons—something I did my whole grade school life. I didn’t quite enjoy it back then, but I sure am thankful for it now! I also play guitar, and was once part of a punk rock band. Way back when I had no interest in makeup and all I wanted to do was dress up in baggy clothes. Did I mention that I’m a huge WWE fan, too? My favorite wrestlers are Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Hardy Boyz, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Sasha Banks.
10. I love travelling, and I really hope to see more of the world! I’ve been to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, the United States, Canada, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Korea. Locally, I’ve visited dozens of our country’s most beautiful places including Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, and Bohol. You can find more of my adventures on Instagram when you search the hashtag #GretasJunkyardAdventures.
1. My name is Gretchen, not Greta! Greta is a nickname my cousin uses to tease me! I’m an INFJ, an Enneagram Type 3, and a Pisces—so I guess I’m a creative, sensitive, and introverted idealist. Haha!
2. I’ve been working in corporate for 10 years. I was an Account Manager of a digital marketing agency, a Marketing Manager of four beauty brands, an Editor-in-Chief of an online beauty magazine, a Managing Director of a content marketing agency, and a Managing Editor of a global beauty brand’s publication. Currently, I’m the Managing Editor of a local parenting magazine. When I’m not writing or producing content for my own platforms, I help run my mom’s backyard business, Mama Jessie’s Kesong Puti. Apart from these, I offer workshops and services on makeup, content marketing, and more!
3. I studied in Saint Pedro Poveda College from kindergarten all the way until high school, before acquiring a scholarship and taking up Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines Diliman. After two years, I transferred and finished my studies at the Ateneo de Manila University. I also took up a certificate course in Fashion Makeup at Fashion Institute of the Philippines, and finished a diploma course in Marketing at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. Every year, I make sure to take the Google Analytics Individual Qualification Exam to keep my certification up-to-date.
4. Greta’s Junkyard all started when one of my best friends and the artist behind the little kid inside the trash can (my blog’s logo) introduced me to the wonderful world of Tumblr in 2009—which then served as literally a dump site of all my thoughts and feelings. After contributing to online publications and gaining experience as an intern at Summit Media, I decided to focus on my own and expanded Greta’s Junkyard in 2013 (with the help of my boyfriend-turned-husband, Cayo) to a blog that focuses on my favorite things—mostly beauty, travel, pets, home, and lifestyle.
5. Before Cayo and I got together on December 13, 2013, we were teammates and co-captains in Ultimate Frisbee for a few years and were really close! 13 is a special number for us because it was his jersey number in basketball, and my jersey number in softball as we were growing up. We eventually fought over who was going to get it when we became teammates in Ultimate. If you’re on Instagram, catch our adventures together by searching #TeamCatch13.
Cayo and I tied the knot on September 13, 2019 (also a Friday the 13th!) in our village church—you can read more about our memorable and meaningful wedding. For a while, we rented a studio unit in Makati before eventually moving into our forever home, the Fraggy Home.
I gave birth to our daughter, Cambria, on December 21, 2021. She’s named after our favorite band, Coheed and Cambria, as well as my favorite font to use in writing my short stories!
6. I belong to a very tight-knit family, and part of that family is my super spoiled Shih Tzu, Booboo, and his sister, Bellatrix, a Persian Doll Face named after Bellatrix Lestrange. You can follow their Instagram @boobooandbellatrix or check out the hashtag #FraggyFour to see what it’s like living with a dog and cat as best friends!
7. I was a softball player from grade school up until college (I played for the Poveda Varsity Team, the International Little League Association of Manila, and the University Athletics Association of the Philippines), and a competitive Ultimate Frisbee player from high school until college. I still play Ultimate for fun—when my asthma, allergic rhinitis, and scoliosis aren’t bothering me. When I’m not playing, I love doing yoga or going for a good run around our village.
8. When I was younger, I was forced to take up piano lessons—something I did my whole grade school life. I didn’t quite enjoy it back then, but I sure am thankful for it now! I also play guitar, and was once part of a punk rock band. Way back when I had no interest in makeup and all I wanted to do was dress up in baggy clothes. Did I mention that I’m a huge WWE fan, too? My favorite wrestlers are Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Hardy Boyz, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, and Sasha Banks.
9. I love Harry Potter, but only because I ship Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. This means I read a lot of Dramione fanfiction! I have yet to finish writing a full (original) novel but until then, I secretly write short stories and fanfics to fulfill the dark and broody fictionist in me.
10. I love travelling, and I really hope to see more of the world! I’ve been to Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Japan, the United States, Canada, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Korea. Locally, I’ve visited dozens of our country’s most beautiful places including Boracay, Cebu, Palawan, and Bohol. You can find more of my adventures on Instagram when you search the hashtag #GretasJunkyardAdventures.
Blogging is a way for me to do what I love most, which is to write. It allows me to document my many adventures and experiences, share with the world my opinions and random thoughts, and meet fellow beauty junkies, adventurers, WWE Fans, Potterheads, and Dramione Shippers!
Interested to collaborate? You can contact me by emailing gretchen@gretasjunkyard.com.
