Christmas and Love.

Christmas is the best time to give lovely gifts.  And those lovely gifts must shout LOVE! to the special persons who will receive them.


Here is my gift to husband who worked his ass off during 2011.

Here is my gift to self... I, who sort of had a roller coaster ride in 2011.  It will seem to continue in 2012.  But what the heck... that's life... and now, I have this.

(It matches my Kate Middleton ring, by the way).

Family Day at Nuvali.

During one of the long weekends, hubby and I decided to go on a joyride down south and visit Nuvali.  The new changes that we have been hearing warranted a quick visit.  Aside from that, we have been wanting to spend a family day together... just the 3 of us (with our angels).


Our first stop was the EvoLiving Center.  Architecture is somewhat futuristic and the space around is wide... much like what similar building in other countries would look like.  Think modern American and European museums.  Inside are the sales offices of the different developments within Nuvali and lessons in sustainable living -- the main theme of this Ayala project.  I read that the building is eco friendly and consumes far less electricity.
The orange stuff that you see in the picture above are gazillions of koi fish that are definitely the "un-shy" folks of Nuvali.
Nuvali has been known to keep lots and lots and lots of them.  You can buy fish pellets for Php15, feed them and watch them kick each other's fins just to grab a bite of the yummy pellets.  My little boy was so engrossed with feeding them, he never wanted to go anywhere else.
One more thing visitors can do in the EvoLiving Center is enjoy a short boat tour of the man-made lake.
It was not really that marvelous but for Php30 per head, it was not that bad.
Lake is not as big... so don't expect much.  It is a good ride for kids though.
We capped the Nuvali family day with a tour of the Solenad 2.  It's a community retail center with stores like Payless, Nine West, etc.  It has a Robinsons Supermarket and True Value.  Several restaurants have also opened here.  We ate lunch at Gerry's Grill, finished off the day with Serenitea.
I must say that the tour was short but sweet.  That long weekend was time well spent with the family.  I do hope there are more things to see in Nuvali... pretty sure something new will come up the next time we visit.

December... I Love You.

Our Christmas Tree is up.
And so is my spirit.  I love December and everything Christmas.  For one month, I forget  the challenges of life, my disappointments, my fears.  I just celebrate and laugh and eat.


Back to back parties and get togethers are tiring indeed but I never mind.  I am happy to have family and friends who want spend the holidays together.


I am on leave for the next two weeks and have tons of stuff to do.  I am ready for you, December.  Let's get it on.

Halloween For Real...

I have been missing out on blogging again because there really is so much on my plate now.  We have no cable at home today (waaah!) so God must have been pushing me to get back into writing again.
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It was technically his third Halloween but this is the first TRUE BLUE celebration not only for my little boy but also for us.


Last year, my little boy attended the Office Halloween only where there were a gazillion other kids waiting for candies and stuff.  He was Handy Manny which was the least creative since his only props were a hard hat and the tools/toolbox.  To top it all, Handy Manny was not his favorite.


This year, we made it a bit special... yeah, still not creative, but at least he was a superhero.  Meet our SUPERMAN!
And this time around, we had the authentic Trick or Treat activity where houses were decorated in scary themes, village kids wore their tributes to the Halloween and adults were excited to give out candies / treats.  Of course, because we are Pinoys... we always give the Western culture a twist -- there was a pre-Trick or Treat party/show for everyone to see.
See how our neighbors made their places as scary as can be.
And here's how our place turned out so Halloweeny...
The bats - drawn, traced and cut by me (with the help of my angels).
The gravestones - conceptualized and made by, again... me.

Hubby's contribution... but with no picture... A Friday the 13th doll seated in the car right next to the candies.  Cool, huh?


There were tons of candies/treats.  Everyone was excited since this was the first ever Trick or Treat in our place.  Most importantly, the little guy had the best time ever... feeling like Superman even for just one day.

Menu for Tita Lei.

Tita Lei, my mom's sister, recently came home to the Philippines for her annual motherland visit.  Everytime she goes home, she makes sure to have a blast.  This visit was no exception -- she went to Singapore with Tita Amy and my cousins... and wore her smashing swimsuit at the top of the Marina Bay Sands!

As usual, hubby and I were so busy with work and a lot more stuff... we never really got to spend time with her.  So, when Mom asked us to host a lunch / dinner party for Tita and Tito Joseph, we said yes right away.

It was a good thing that the Mom and the Titas (and Dad) are always the best when it comes to potluck events.  We were able to come up with sumptuous, very Filipino and somewhat healthy (?) menu.

Pansit from Tita Baby.  Inihaw na Samaral from Daddy.

Hipon from Daddy.  He is really into seafood...

...and greens.  His Talbos ng Kamote dipped in bagoong.

There was also Ensaladang Mangga and Steamed Okra (also dipped in bagoong).

My Mom's specialty - Dinakdakan.  It's Inihaw na Baboy with ginger, onion, kichay (?), with calamansi or suka.

For dessert, there is the classic saging...

...and the good ol' Mango Float made by moi.

Not caught in pictures but equally yummy are Tita Amy's lumpia, puto, and kakanin.

We had a great time that day.  Everything ended late that night.  I hope Tita Lei and Tito Joseph had loads of fun, too.  The next time they come for a visit, perhaps, a dip in the clubhouse pool would be part of the menu, too.

*pictures grabbed from Thea Esteban.

This Must Be The Purpose.

I have changed roles again... for the second time this year.


From my team of 5 years, I jumped to another last January.  Then this October, I transferred again.


I seem to be lost.  But not really.  I just think that my tour of duty is done... I have done what I came for.


My new job... well, my heart first said no.  What I had was very good, why leave?  But my mind said yes.  The tug-of-war went on for weeks until my mind convinced my heart that this is the best thing to do.


I am here now and I am seeing the reason why I was brought here.


I go home early so my little boy is happier.  I have uninterrupted time for myself and my kid for most of the month except maybe 2 / 3 days.  I am able to do house projects to beautify our home.  The longer time in the house takes my mind off work effortlessly.


This week, my little boy and I had a cut and paste activity.
It's Paw Pilot, Special Agent Oso's trusted assistant.
He had it on his wrist the whole night... he slept with it, actually.
I am missing my old team already (and even my older team).  They are a happy set of people.  I am very thankful to have worked with them.
But, perhaps, I need a Mommy job, for now, so I can be with my little boy during the weekdays... while he is growing up.


It's been 3 weeks, more or less.  Things, although new, are not very much different.  I am excited about the learnings and the opportunities on this side.  I have actually learned a lot already... I am not even here for month.  I have made friends already, not as close but they are also a great bunch.  And I am ready for the challenges that will come my way.  Deep in my heart, I know this will also be very good for me... so help me God... again.

Lovely Weddings.

It is always nice to see two people very much in love... And being part of the day when they vow to spend the rest of their lives together is a privilege that I truly cherish.

In a matter of one month, I attended three weddings of 3 good friends.  The celebrations were all lovely so I was lucky to be part of all of these.

Chrissie's wedding reception was held in Fernbrook.  The theme was Alice in Wonderland so the venue was a perfect fit.

This is just the entrance... I immediately felt I was in Wonderland
Great setup.  Check out the mirror at the back of the couple's table.
Table centerpiece is a masterpiece.  They have carefully thought of the celebration indeed.
I love the wedding gown with a pink ribbon.  Even the groom wore pink. Congratulations, Chrissie and Red!

Marianne's wedding was held in Tagaytay, her dream venue ever since.  Sonya's Garden represented Marianne and Pierre through and through... lovely and cozy.  See the beautiful fusion of the drapes and plants.
Cute chandelier.
Love, love, love the capiz windows beside the mirrors.
I bet the Master DIY bride made the seat number.
Here they are with the single ladies and "boys"... having LOTS of fun.  Marianne's gown was divine.  Congratulations, Marianne and Pierre!

Owen's wedding was simple but super exclusive and super fun.  This time around, my little boy was able to tag along.  Since there were not so much guests, hubby and I were able to spend a good deal of time with the couple... Wiwit was even playing with the little boy. I was not able to take a lot of pictures because my son was obsessed with the iPhone, my batteries were barely charged.  I, however, had a chance to take a shot of the wedding cake made especially for the couple by Bake Happy.  Super nice and super delish!  Congratulations, Owen and Wiwit!

Weddings are indeed one of the best things ever invented.  It is a day not only for the couple but also for family and friends... everyone gathering to bless and celebrate the love of two people.

God bless the three couples.  And I wish them forever happiness.

Steve.

I know that this is supposed to be all about bright and beautiful stuff... which is why even with his death, I thought he still fits very well in this blog.

Two days ago, Steve Jobs died.  And while he never really was someone that consciously idolize, his passing greatly affected me in a personal way.

I am loving the iPhone for more than two years now... 


Targeting an iMac purchase in the next 6 months.

And while I love my pink netbook, I still dream of owning a Macbook Air 11' someday.

These nice gadgets were really just tip of the iceberg.  They represent all that he did -- opened a whole new world for all of us, inspired others and changed lives.  His words were not far behind his work... for they, too, were extraordinary and well thought of.

Come to think of it... he never really died.

Thank you, Mr. Jobs.  You will be missed.

Project Curtain

The truth is... the house move in has kept me away from blogging for the past 3 weeks.  I am still tired actually... and the things to fix in the house do not seem to end.  But I am loving it -- putting things in order and beautifying the interior (with a very limited budget).

The latest accomplishment is completion of the window curtains.  Thanks to SM, Landmark and Market! Market!... their curtains are cheap and nice.  Gone are the days when you have to buy yards of textile, have it sewn by the seamstress and wait for a few more days.

See how the curtain project panned out.

Living Room.

Dining area.
My boy's room.  Took advantage of the Market! Market! sale.  Only Php280 per panel -- 50% off!
Family room.  From Market! Market!
Bedroom 3.  Market! Market! curtain still.
Stairway.
Master Bedroom.  Notice the white curtain with green trimmings.  Nice find in SM for only Php399 each panel.

Next project... wall decorations!