ARBIE Almalbis, lead vocalist of the group Barbie's Cradle, used to have a hard time resting in her own bedroom. This was because she would end up listening to music and playing instruments until the wee hours.

"I never got enough sleep," the pretty singer told Inquirer Entertainment. "Then I read somewhere that one's room should be just a resting place and all other activities should take place elsewhere. So I took all the musical instruments out."

Barbie transformed a small area beside her bedroom into a music room. She had all the walls soundproofed, and the cabinets painted blue and pink. She decorated the room with snapshots of her friends and with her own paintings.

Tucked inside the cabinets are a couple of portable pianos and an accordion that she borrowed from her granddad. On the floor are a small stool and her guitars.

"It worked for me," she said of the new setup. "Recently, I installed a radio and speakers in the bedroom, but I turn the radio off when it's time to sleep."

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. "The first musical instrument I played was my grandparent's piano in Roxas City . I still have my first electric guitar, a 1989 Fender-Stratocaster. My dad bought this for my birthday back in high school. But 10 or 11 days before my birthday, I did something bad in school and I got suspended, so I didn't get it exactly on my birthday. It's still my favorite. I'm really happy that my dad found a really good-sounding guitar. I use this for all of our band's recordings.

"I also have a Fender Squire Mini; it's only a week old. Top Suzara of Freestyle has a friend in the States whom I asked to buy this for me. This really fits me. People say it doesn't look 'mini' if I'm the one using it.

"I've been using the acoustic guitar a lot lately. But this black electric guitar is what I use for gigs. It's a Parker Fly. When it first came out, it was advertised as being the lightest guitar in the world. It weighs only five pounds. It's made of graphite, which is lighter than wood.

"Different kinds of wood give different sounds. The darker the color of the wood, the warmer it sounds. I also have a Taylor Guitar, a very good sounding acoustic guitar. It's been with me for about five years now. Michael Villegas encouraged me to buy this. He said this is really rare. Taylor does not use this particular wood anymore."

GADGET. "I have this tiny amplifier that I use when I practice. Its so small but it really works. (turns the amp on) It gets really loud when I used to sing inside my room."

BOOKS. "I got this book, 'The Ultimate Guitar Book,' for my birthday last year. It has a very detailed history of the guitar, pictures of different guitar designs, and stories of all the famous guitar makers.

"I also have a book on Joni Mitchell. She is one of my favorite songwriters. Before she pursued music, she was actually a painter. She left art school for music, where she really made a dent. The book contains a collection of her paintings and lyrics of some of her songs.

"I have a wall calendar of Van Gogh's works. Once, when Joni Mitchell was very disappointed about what was going on in the music industry, she expressed her feelings by painting in Van Gogh's style. Van Gogh cut his right ear, so Joni Mitchell painted herself with a bandaged right ear. I bought the calendar at Tower Records."

JACKETS. "I like this jacket because it's unique. I first used this for a magazine pictorial. It's leather. It's quite thick. I still use this, but only when it's really cold.

"This denim jacket is one of my favorites because of the Marilyn Monroe design. Not so many people have this. I got this from an ukay-ukay (flea market) in Baguio ."

PANTS. "This is a pair of real army pants. My former band mate, Ricky, bought it in the States. I think he found it in a thrift store. This is really old. It fits me well. I didn't need to have it altered. They probably have small soldiers, too (laughs).

"I use this when I go to practice, usually with a shirt or a tank top. It's very casual."

SKIRT. "I've been getting a lot of clothes lately from A Store With No Name. They're my friends. They pretty much know my taste. The clothes there are all customized. Like this skirt made out of excess fabrics. The designer knows my personality. I like the color combination.

TOPS. "This top is also from A Store With No Name. The design is very unusual. I like what it says: 'If you don't have anything nice to say, it better be funny.' It's already very stylish so I match it with my denim skirt.

"This blouse came from India . I got it from a friend. I wore this in one of our videos. It's very beautiful. I like the design. I like the fabric. It was my favorite for a while. Now I'm letting it rest.

"I like this other top because it reminds me of Cyndi Lauper in the '80s. I bought this from a friend, too. I'm really into supporting a lot of local stores and designers. This is not locally designed but I bought this from a friend who owns a store."

TOYS. "This is my Radio Flyer wagon. It carries some of my stuff. I'm into wheels. I also have this miniature car that I use as my guitar pick holder when we practice. Even my CD rack resembles a small truck.

"I got my Mickey Mouse toy car from a thrift shop that sells second-hand stuff. The miniature red car was a Christmas gift from Julius, the band's production assistant, two years ago. This looks exactly like the car we used in the 'All I Need' video.

"The toy train made from tin can is from Starbucks. I bought this in the States. It has a small battery-operated car inside.

"I also have a small car that eventually became the subject of one of my paintings. Initially, I wanted to glue it onto the paper, but I decided to just paint it. I bought this in Baguio . It's so cute. I think I bought this for P5.

"Why wheels? I have no idea. I guess it's because I want to learn how to drive. I know how to drive in the province, but I've never tried driving a car here in the city. That's one of my goals for the first half of the year. I will learn how to drive."

SHOES. "I always wear my pair of black leather shoes to school. It's made by a Filipino designer. I bought it in Firma two years ago.

"For shows, I like wearing black boots -- a staple in my wardrobe. I feel like I have to buy a new pair kapag nasira ang isa (when one gets worn out). I asked a friend who went to New York to buy a pair for me. I'm not very particular about the style. I have boots that are square-toed, pointed and round. When I buy boots, I make sure I feel comfortable. I also consider the quality of the leather; it has to be really sturdy. I'd rather invest in expensive but good shoes than buy cheap ones that get damaged easily.

"I have two pairs of rubber shoes from Converse that I really like. One pair is similar to what boxers use. Converse found out that I had long wanted to have a pair like this, so they gave me one. The other pair is what I use to go to school. It's very versatile. And it's pink.

"I've had this pair of Doc Martens for 10 years. I still wear it because it never goes out of style. This brand is really reliable. This is really worth your money."

ACCESSORIES. "My current favorite is this silver hip-hop pendant from my aunt. I think it's a bling-bling. It's so cute.
"I like colorful accessories. I'm also fond of wearing leather straps for gigs.

"Most of my watches are gifts from my dad, mom and friends."

BAGS. "This sling bag is from Warp. It's actually made from rags. Ronald Passion of Warp made this. I've had this since 1998.

"I also have a little black bag that I use when I only have to bring minimal stuff. It's so small, it can carry only my cell phone and wallet.

"I bring this Samsonite backpack to school everyday. I've had this for only two months. I was with my mom at the mall when I bought this. It has many compartments. It's actually made to carry a laptop. If you want to listen to music, it has a hole for the headphone. And I think it's made from a material that keeps water out but allows the air to come in."

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