101 Grams of (Eye) Candy

5 Days, 5 Loves - Day 4.

2012-02-28T09:06:00.000+08:00

Curator Schmator. :)
Sometimes, the coolest found objects are in my kids' pockets. I title this series "Things I Find In My Girls' Pockets Whenever I Do The Laundry".

An empty box of Nerds, Size 4 paper (do they still call it that?)

with lecture notes + doodles.

This is quite common...

Daughter 4 copies her Ate who carries her own comb :)

I don't know where she gets these sponge animals, I've pulled out a lot of these already.

And this note is my favorite of all, from Daughter 3.

What do you love today?

:)

Wolf-whistling

2012-02-25T16:57:00.000+08:00

Vicente Wolf

Check out Vicente Wolf's apartment in New York Social Diary.
Coco+ Kelley's interview with VW here.

Obsessed.

2012-02-25T00:04:00.000+08:00

15 years later, I still want her hair, her blue tight round neck tee, the sneakers, the lone wrist accessory, the make-up, the voice...the song...

She's Sharleen Spliteri, lead vocalist of the Scottish band Texas. (But to me she'll always be Texas.)

Texas with Wu Tang Clan. This is one cool chick. Major girl crush.

You have to see her live performances, she has an AMAZING voice. I love Breathless, and she did Soft Cell's Tainted Love too. :)

That's it. I'm cutting my hair. For real. See ya!

Friday thought.

2012-02-24T16:49:00.000+08:00

Date night tonight? :)

From Rue Magazine, 2011 Anniversary Issue.

5 days, 5 Loves- Day 3.

2012-02-24T14:08:00.000+08:00

I love these Ritz crackers and cheese snack packs! Surprisingly, my kids don't like them ( so I have this box all to myself!). I have Skyflakes and Cheese Whiz at home ( they're basically the same thing except the Ritz cracker is saltier) but these are cute and handy to carry in bags for those emergency 'I-need-to-eat-something' moments. I handed these out to hungry nieces the time we watched the 'Mamma Mia' musical. (Such a mommy, eh.)

And speaking of snacks, any new discoveries at the grocery lately? Please share. I find it hard to pick 'baon' for kids even if there are hundreds of snacks staring you in the face ( "pick me! pick me!") in just one aisle.

One day, I was unusually adventurous, I picked these new items for my kids to try.

Lemon Square Power Pops. These are cereal grain bars, in peanut flavor. I like them. They remind me of the Quaker Chewy Granola Bars.

Presto Cakes. This is similar to the inipit snack, but instead of the custard filling, this has peanut butter ( and you know how I love peanut butter!). Daughter 4 loves this too. :)

It's amusing how I would open up their lunch bags when they get home from school and see other snack wrappers in them. Ok, so they like to trade. One time, I bought the same snack daughter traded for, thinking she would like that for her own 'baon' but it's not the case. It's simply the fact that kids are being kids -- they just like what they don't have. :)

What do you love today? :)

5 Days, 5 Loves- Day 2.

2012-02-23T16:36:00.002+08:00

A wallet as a gift is always appreciated. This was totally an unexpected one ( I love surprises!) . I love everything about it...

even if it is very similar to my old Coach wallet (item #9).

Read about my imaginary bag here.

I've always wanted a zip around style wallet, like the one I've mentioned here before, the YSL YMail continental style wallet...

I love that there are no screaming logos and the gold plate is just the right size.

If you're shopping for a new wallet, here's a wallet round-up from Rue Magazine, Jan 2012 Issue.

Funny that it took me a long time to finally use this new wallet because I had to wait for the right time to transfer my things, like I wanted to observe a proper ritual for it. Is it just me, or are all girls like that?

What do you love today? :)

Do You Remember...

2012-02-22T18:36:00.000+08:00

baby-faced Juliette Lewis in the 1991 Scorcese thriller, Cape Fear?

Catch her now in the TV series, "The Firm".

( Remember the 1993 movie? Yes, the one with Tom Cruise!)

not as baby-faced anymore :(

Based on the best-selling novel by John Grisham, "The Firm" is a new drama series that continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere who, as a young associate 10 years earlier, had brought down the prestigious Memphis law firm of Bendini, Lambert & Locke, which had been operating as a front for the Chicago mob. After a difficult decade, which included a stay in the Federal Witness Protection Program, McDeere and his family now emerge from isolation to reclaim their lives and their future -- only to find that past dangers are still lurking and new threats are everywhere. Written by NBC Publicity

Queen of Hearts.

2012-02-22T17:42:00.000+08:00

Who wants to do prom night all over again?

All by Nina Ricci ( photos from Style.com).

Here's more,

maybe not prom worthy frocks but just as pretty...

*zzzzzzz....*

I'm loving this combination -- chocolate brown and crimson red.

Makes me want to dress up for a date ♥.

Five Days, Five Loves - Day 1.

2012-02-22T09:23:00.000+08:00

I love my new Murano glass rosary. This was a gift.

I am taken back to my college days. I used to wear a Murano pendant, with my initial 'P'. It was a gift from my then soon-to-be MIL, which she brought home from her European tour ( probably the first, of the many tours she would take with my FIL). It became my 'signature' accessory, and I loved it to bits.

Later on, I would see these kinds on the necks of other girls...

Murano Millefiori Pendants

So beautiful. I hope one day, I can buy one for each of my girls -- not online, not in our local malls, but from Venice, Italy. *sigh* :)

What do you love today?

Giveaway Winner.

2012-02-19T15:39:00.000+08:00

Sorry! I'm late for the draw!

Here's everybody who joined my giveaway...

*shake*shake*shake*

We have a winner!!! ESQUIRE!

Please email me where I can send you the repositionable sticker sheets!

Thanks for joining! :)

All You Need Is...

2012-02-14T11:05:00.000+08:00

P E A N U T B U T T E R ! ! !

My favorite peanut butter is from my FIL's home province. It is so good! I take my waffles and pancakes with PB. Oh, and sooo good with soft, hot pandesal fresh from the corner bakery (which I terribly miss)!

And since red is in today, can I just tell you that I've just been served the dreaded RED QUESTION MARK on my daughter's diary? You know where the blank that says 'Parent's Signature'? A red pen is just cruel!!! Ok, so I'm guilty of not been reading and signing my kids' homework entries (thank you to the big sisters who have been tutoring the little ones!), but don't judge me. I wish I could answer your big red '?'...

Hey, give me credit here, I made them heart shaped waffles this morning!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday Style.

2012-02-13T11:07:00.000+08:00

Ladies, the GOAL is to look as put together as these two.

Oh well, there's always tomorrow.

Sasha Adler and Lauren Gold of Nate Berkus Associates. More from So Haute.

Stick 'Em Up.

2012-02-09T19:17:00.000+08:00

I love these jars by Bormioli Rocco (Fido Collection). You can find them in Landmark or in SM Department stores. There are cheaper ones available but I don't trust the flimsy metal hardware they have. Anyway, this post is not about the jars. :)

You can tell from this photo I am about to make labels. I have my puncher, soft chalkboard sticker, white chalk and, our new product, white re-positionable sticker.

So I stuck the chalkboard sticker onto the re-positionable sticker.

I tried to punch it with my circle shaper

I just damaged them.

Instead, I traced the circle form onto the back of the sticker, and just did manual cutting.

Here are the labels now

I stuck them onto the jars. You must be wondering why I had to do the double stickering bit...

See, the re-positionable sticker under the soft chalkboard paper converted it to a removable one! Very useful when you need to take them off when you need to wash the jars , or if simply you do not want to commit to permanently sticking them and deal with residue later on.

As the name implies, you can peel and re-position it to anywhere you like!

Here they are now on the lids...

Again, peel off...

stick on anywhere!

Imagine what you can do with a desktop printer, some quality printable sticker sheets (available in bookstores) and the re-positionable sticker. Decorate your laptops and your walls with DIY decals! Use it for your crafting and organizing projects, just think of it as a giant Post-It converter!

Peels off easily!

And to prove that I'm not playing tricks on you, you know I wouldn't dare stick it on my hubby's phone if I knew this would leave an icky residue...

Email me if you're interested. I'm selling these in sheet sizes 8"x11" and 12" x 18". They are not inkjet-printer compatible (meaning you cannot print directly on them with your desktop printer, that is why I resorted to double stickering). Just be creative ( you can draw directly on them with markers!) and the possibilities are endless. Remember, you saw it here first! :)

I'm giving away 5 pcs of 12" x 18" sheets of these white re-positionable stickers to one reader, just leave a comment to tell me what project you plan to work on with these. Give away ends February 17, Friday!

Email me for orders and inquiries: 101gramsofeyecandy@gmail.com or mmi@pldtdsl.net
( I also offer direct printing on re-positionable stickers for corporate requirements. Print is water-proof.)

Space Invaders.

2012-01-24T18:36:00.000+08:00

Tired of the old wire twist?

How about...?

The turtles are coming!

From Office Warehouse, P45/pc.

CandyGrams.

2012-01-20T08:30:00.001+08:00

I'm on Day 23 of a maid-less life -- and loving it!

I feel connected again to my home. I'm loving the privacy and freedom. I'm organizing like crazy, planning routines and creatively devising ways to make tasks easy. I feel like I'm on my way to an ISO certified home! Haha. Is there such a thing?

First thing I did was to organize the...

laundry/ utility room.

These grids are the UGLIEST things but I have to say they're the most hard-working.

There are a lot of hooks ( even tray/ caddy accessories) available for this metal grids system. With 2 long extended hooks, I was able to devise a way to hold my brooms. It saved me from buying those expensive mop/ broom holders! At the same time, hanging the brooms help them keep their shape.

Using the same style, I was able to find a way to hold my hangers too. It was always a bother finding space for hangers, until now :). This actually holds a lot more than what the picture shows ( and you can just use 1 hook). I also have a lot of S-hooks to hang my mini-broom and dust pan, my window cleaner, and some other stuff with. Hanging below are my big and small laundry basins (not shown) layered one on top of the other, as well as a duster. I have pinned my cleaning gloves, and my spray bottle conveniently hangs up there. I also love how this system frees up floor space. This makes cleaning the floor from time to time easy, without having to bother moving things around. Everything is within reach -- a good start to an efficient system of cleaning. I'll share the rest of the space when I'm done.

Next, I installed a simple rail from Ikea ( from 5 Corners, a local Ikea seller) with it's compatible basket accessory. Again, I love freeing up counter top space. It's a joy to leave the kitchen free from counter top clutter!

I have different brushes for different purposes. Nice to have them accessible and within reach.

Dear readers, meet Chefel. This was my MIL's gift to me last Christmas. We've been microwave-less since our microwave conked out on us last August. Since then, we've managed. This made my life easier! Heating food is a breeze with Che-fel. ( I just love saying 'she-fel'!)

I just put in the food, close it, turn on the stove, then food is heated in a couple of minutes. Because of the pan's shape and size, it's very convenient to put in different kinds of food and heat them all at the same time ( no smells mixing together, amazing). Also, because of it's clamshell-style body, you can even flip the pan over for a much even heating. The surface can be easily wiped clean with a paper towel if there are more food lined up for heating. When I'm all done, then I give a thorough washing with soap and water. I haven't tried cooking with it ( which is really what it's for, haha) so this is the most info I can share. My MIL though has cooked macaroni, cooking pasta with no water at all. Magic.

I don't recommend buying this. It's expensive. Get it only when you win it in a raffle, like my MIL did. Yeah, she's lucky like that.

When we moved, I lost control over our kitchen. I got lazy and left all the fixing up to our maid. Now I was able to move things and put stuff in the proper places. While digging through the cabinets, I found these containers which I forgot I had. Steel pots with glass lids. Instead of those microwaveable plastics, I store cooked food with these now. Slowly, we're trying to eliminate use of plastics. I still don't know about our water pitchers though. We still use plastic ones since my kids get their own water from the fridge. I'm afraid of shifting to glass because it might slip from their fingers when they handle it. Any suggestions?

You've met Chefel, now meet Jeeves, my clothes butler! Another hook type accessory for the grids system except I used this for our metal rack. It is not a perfect fit but it still holds up. This particular hook has even spaced stoppers. Uniforms are prepared the night before so everything is ready in the morning. I have S-hooks too for the metal rack to hold hair-ties, shoulder bags, school-IDs, etc. Having a place for everything is key, as well as training the children to put things where they belong.

Do you know what this is?

It's a clothesline to keep your hanger-ed clothes from weighing down the line, sliding and sagging to the middle, making the clothes bunched up. This keeps clothes spaced out evenly when you hang them out to dry. This is totally for the OC in you.

Speaking of OC, I'm dedicating this post to my dearest friend, OC Mom In Manila who turned a year older last Wednesday! Happy birthday!!!

This post is so long, but I hope you picked up a few tips and tricks. I'll try to post more of my maid-less adventures.

Some cheat confessions: I iron only my kids uniforms, my mom picks up the rest for the 'Iron-ing Lady'. Aah, life in the Philippines. :)

Happy Feet.

2012-01-19T09:19:00.000+08:00

Truly.

Calendar 2012.

2012-01-17T11:51:00.000+08:00

Printed my 2012 calendar. Thank you to 505 Design +Paperie for the free printable template ( it's editable too!).

Ok, I know, I know, it's time to retire the clothespins and twine bit... ( last na!)

How about rings to keep them all together? Pages can be flipped when it's time to change months.

What I'd really like to do is frame the prints, one month at a time. Should I keep the glass on so I can use a dry-erase marker?

Except I can't show you the finished product since framing it was an after-thought. The prints are too big for the frame :).

Click here to download http://505-design.com/pdfs/2012_calendar_free.pdf.

Tuesday Candy.

2012-01-10T12:19:00.000+08:00

We went out to buy plants last Saturday for our little patio. I'm so excited, they will be delivered today. The plants are not here yet but I already want to go back to Manila Seedling Bank and get some more!

For the meantime, my husband found these herbs and bought some. From blogs, lifestyle channels, movies, we have grown accustomed to seeing herbs in little pots by the windowsill, so all the while we were choosing a small plant box for the herbs we got. The lady who sold us these, with wide eyes exclaimed, "wala ba kayong balak palakihin?"(dont you have plans of growing them?). LOL. She was right. That brought us back to reality. They, um, actually GROW. Haha. So here is our plant box, they still need to be removed from their pots, and the planter needs to be filled with soil.

Of course I'm itching to make cute labels for them.

Let's see how this goes. :)

Ooh here's breaking news...
my plants are here! The guys are starting to bring them in...yay!

Herbs from :
Manila Seedling Bank
Quezon Avenue Extension
Corner E. DeLos Santos Avenue,
EDSA Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

Others from Cubao, near Farmers.

All You Need Is...

2012-01-06T10:05:00.001+08:00

Happy Friday! :)

Do You Remember?

2012-01-05T09:05:00.000+08:00

What 5MB of storage looked like in 1956 :

This photo shows what 5MB of hard drive storage looked like in 1956. The IBM 305 RAMAC hard disk was state of the art, weighed just shy of a ton, required a forklift to be carried around, and was composed of 50 separate 24-inch discs that occupied 16 square feet. The annual cost of using it was a staggering $35,000 — steep even in today’s money. Nowadays most RAW photos outweigh the storage capabilities of that behemoth of an external hard drive…

By Michael Zhang, from PetaPixel.

What's in the Package?

2012-01-04T12:48:00.000+08:00

Remember this?

It's my gift to self...

Meet my new toy -- Melissa & Doug wooden alphabet set

with big and small letters. I love the punctuation marks!

Fearless Forecast.

2012-01-02T15:14:00.000+08:00

The columnar

note book

paper

the new

kraft

paper

( yeah, you can quote me on that).

1) Columnar notebook (16 columns), P66.00 National Bookstore; 2) 'P' Monogram Stamp, my cousin got from Michaels 3) Sealing wax, P100.00 Megamall 4) Happy New Year Stamp (with 3 other designs), P150.00 from Fully Booked.

Cheers!

2011-12-30T16:42:00.000+08:00

Cheers to the freakin' weekend...

don't let the bastards get you down

life's too short to be sitting around miserable

people gonna talk whether you doing bad or good

got my ray-bans on and feelin hella cool tonight

i drink to that

H A P P Y N E W Y E A R !

Stay safe this weekend. Don't drink and drive. :)

Quick Post.

2011-12-22T12:55:00.000+08:00

Hello.

Let me interrupt my usual eye-candy posts with this.

I thought I'd share this with you. Most of you would be buying new gadgets, phones, cameras, etc. this season. In case you're thinking of purchasing from online buy and sell sites, please be careful. Remember when I wrote about our stolen stuff here and here? A few days after the incident, I was on detective mode and found our items being sold on tipidpc.com.

All I did was search for Leica V-Lux...

and there she is.

Ok, it may not be mine... but...

selling it , on the same account, with a similar Canon camera that we lost too?? Ok maybe these can not still be ours. So I dug deeper into the seller's Photobucket account and what did I find?

lens exactly the same as ours.

We went to the nearest police station, with this big a lead only to be told we have to do it ourselves, to arrange to buy it back in the nearest mall in our area, and just tell the mall guards when the items are proven to be ours. WTF??

Anyway, off we went to CIDG (big big thanks to my friend ACB!) who facilitated the entrapment operation. By the way, with or without connections, you can walk-in at the CIDG office to report a crime. To make a long story ( believe me, it was a long story even after the operation) short, they indeed were ours. We were only able to retrieve the Canon camera as the lens and Leica were already sold by then.

So, be careful. If you're buying second hand always ask for the receipt and warranty cards for proof of previous ownership. Sellers should also be willing to post the serial numbers of the items they're selling.

As for the long story...

click to enlarge.

after more than a year, we decided to cut it short. We were quite vigilant early on, but it was too stressful. The fiscal was right. People get caught but go back to their old ways because nobody would pursue a case till the end. I've sat through hearing not-guilty pleas in the courtroom ( at most instances, the accused was caught red-handed) while waiting for our turn. It was really sad and frustrating. As my friend would say on court proceedings, the victim becomes a victim all over again. *sigh*.

Let's go back to regular programming, shall we?

Shooos for Li'l Ones!

2011-12-14T11:13:00.000+08:00

My kids are lucky to have a "shoe fairy" :). These are from Tita F., 'Just for Li'l Ones' shoes :

They'll totally go with these Crewcuts (from J Crew) outfits.

(That little girl in jeans would be me. *yeah*)

Some more looks to steal...

Visit 'Just for Li'l Ones', Greenhills Stall CBA 08! :)

Night Project.

2011-12-07T22:02:00.001+08:00

I've been waiting all day to start on this! Finally! I worked all day, crammed through a review ( turbo boost!), signed and checked homework notebooks, client still texting me at this hour??... ok texting back in between...So excited to share, sorry for the poor lighting...

Got this bright idea of doing ~~semi~~ hand-made blank label plates to give to my kids' teachers at school...

I'm trusting they're imaginative enough to find uses for these plates.

How about eyelets + nylon cable ties...

Not bad, not bad...

Clips...

Or just plain mounting tape...

Am I crazy for wanting to do these first rather than decorate our still bare tree??

Anyway, there are just two things to expect: 1) They would appreciate these or 2) they'd think I'm such a cheapskate.

Dear Teacher,
If you happen to be reading my blog, and get this set from my daughter, please let me know if you liked it. Thanks!

Now to work on the wrapping... :)

EDIT: The plates are made of water resistant PVC type boards, and not cardboard. The print is water resistant as well.

Quick Tip.

2011-12-04T16:00:00.000+08:00

...just get a bottle of ink refill and save from buying a new one. This bottle, which comes with a dropper, is P62.75. With only a few drops, your dried-up marker will be as good as new. If you're just about to buy a marker, get the one labeled 'refillable', this is the kind you can unscrew the tip's base from the body and add the drops inside. If you happen to have a non-refillable type, you can squeeze a few drops direct onto the marker's tip. Make sure you get the refill for whiteboard, because there is also refillable ink for permanent markers :).

Oh, and speaking of markers, remember the dustless chalk markers? I found similar ones in Office Warehouse. They carry Schneider 265 Deco Markers and are labeled as liquid chalk. I don't exactly remember the price, but I remember not buying one because it was not cheap :).

Here are other marker related posts:

Acrylic sheet and markers for reviewers

Dustless chalk markers

The Considerate Ribbon.

2011-12-04T15:58:00.000+08:00

Does this happen to you? You're too excited to open a gift, but as soon as you pull the ribbon, it stops at the knot? ( and the knot is too tight to untie, bitin!)

Surprise your recipient with a ribbon that "falls off the box in one glorious pull".

See how Eddie Ross does it :)

Happy wrapping!

What's In My Shopping Bag.

2011-12-03T11:43:00.000+08:00

I went for a look-see trip to Tiendesitas last weekend. It's to assess if it's worth a trip back, to mentally note items, and do a mapping of the place (I'm sounding like OC Mom now). Here are some items I found (prices indicated are post-haggling and 'buena mano' costs) :

Multi-strand beaded necklace.

This comes in one piece. I can imagine it over a printed flowy dress, or even on a casual striped bateau shirt. Price, P400.

Pen Holder /Home Accessory.

This pen holder has the feel of elegant horn boxes and trays. Use it as a holder for make-up brushes too or as table decor. You can find other items in similar type finish -- decorative balls, bowls and trays. Pen holder, P250.00.

Woven Table Runner.

I love this plain, shimmery runner. I added a black bow for drama ( and since I can't take a picture of it fully spread out!) Runners can instantly dress up the table. More designs available. Price, P250.00

Prints.

Lithographs of Philippine churches. Add a nice faux gold gilded or slim black frame for that 'expensive' look. Browse through real paintings ranging from P700 to P35,000. Lithographs, P100 each.

A lithograph print of Carcar Church, Cebu, signed by the artist.

Connie's Sun-dried Tomato Pesto.

We love this pesto spread from Connie's Kitchen, they go best with crackers. 1) Just add a ribbon and gift tag, or tie a fancy spreader along with it to hand out to your foodie friends and relatives. 2) Arrange in a fabric lined basket ( there are a lot in Tiendesitas!), with a bag of crackers or bread, a dainty tea towel, and a set of pate spreaders.

There were still so much too see but it was h-o-t there. If you live near the area, it's perfect for a quick trip when you need those last minute gifts. They have a paid parking area, or you can park in SM Hypermarket's basement parking. Visit the website for more info www.tiendesitas.com.

Oh, and all items featured here are proudly Philippine-made!

Enjoy the crazy weekend!

Time (Sound) Machine.

2011-11-25T23:33:00.048+08:00

I swear, this will bring you back in time.

Even if you only listen to the first 40 seconds...

Get ready to be transported.

See if you can find your first ever swatch here.

Office Glam.

2011-11-25T09:09:00.000+08:00

Everyone must have read the Lonny office makeover by now. It was featured in their May/ June issue.

Do your offices look anything like this?

Now, get to watch a video tour (courtesy of Fox News online)! Here you can actually see how small the space is. You get to feel the scale when there are actual people in it. It is possible to create a functional and glamorous small office space.

Happy weekend!

The Secret Works.

2011-11-24T09:02:00.000+08:00

(or should it be "Be careful what you wish for...").

When I was featured in Mia's lovely blog, A Matter of Taste, as her September girl in her "She Blog" series, I mentioned about wanting a chandelier for our home.

I wanted something similar to what Jenna Lyons has in her home.

Well, I got one

in all it's dusty, 70's glory.

It came with the condo we are renting. ( Pardon the ugly flesh colored moldings. I figured it is every contractors' default 'neutral' choice of paint color). Actually, there are 2 of them. Same as those in Jenna's home -- one in the living area and the other in the dining.

Amazing! 'The Secret' works! I got what I posted, and more!

I didn't know there were 2 chandeliers in Jenna's home. I even got the molding details!

Anyway, I finally got around last Sunday to take down some pieces for cleaning. I thought I would do them in parts in case I got lazy. Fast forward to today, I still haven't put those pieces back.

As soon as I get them all cleaned and put back, I'm going to copy how my friend, Joanna*, decorated her chandelier with Christmas balls last year.

Sorry, I didn't get a full photo of the chandelier, here's a closer look:

It's simple, classy, and most of all easy.

Hanging ornaments will instantly add that festive touch to the home.

Do you have a chandelier? How do you keep it clean? Pls. share.

*I wrote about Joanna's side table here.

Monday Style.

2011-11-21T08:48:00.000+08:00

I h a v e

a n i r r a t i o n a l f e a r

o f w a s t i n g a g o o d o u t f i t

o n a n i n s i g n i f i c a n t d a y.

Whatcha doin' today? :)

Photos 1&3 fr Garance Dore, 2&4 fr Neotraditionalist.

Friday Thought.

2011-11-18T09:22:00.000+08:00

from tumblr

Weekend Project Idea.

2011-11-17T15:04:00.000+08:00

I found some cute cheap frames at the 88-pesos Japanese Store (do you know the actual name of that store?). I grabbed a pair because I do have a weird habit of collecting frames. In fact, I already have a few up on my walls even if they still do not have prints or photos in them! ( Hey, but I don't leave in the cheesy photo when I hang them!)

So, here it is (with cheesy photo). It fits an 8" x 10" print, for P88.00.

Look at the fancy details!

Can you tell what I'm going to do with them?

I'm thinking of doing a framed chalkboard, inspired by the chalkboard here :

The fancy frames are for my daughters' room. I'd like a silver framed one in our kitchen too. I chanced upon these soft chalkboard stickers in SM Department Store, on sale at P50.00 for a set of 2, at A3 size!

They don't look like they're going to last long though. I couldn't fully erase my first scribbles. For the other frame, I'd like to make a cork board, wrapped in fabric with a pretty pattern ( which I'm printing myself).

I'm imagining they would look like these:

Moms, what are your favorite salo-salo 'food-to-bring' for school, er, aside from doughnuts?

Enjoy the rest of your Thursday!

Like!

2011-11-17T08:48:00.000+08:00

Follow me on Facebook and get updates on my new posts, shared links, and just stuff that I'm up to! 'Like' my page, let's stay connected! See you! :)

Click here to land on my page:

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A Designer's Home.

2011-11-15T08:27:00.000+08:00

Here is an old issue of Real Living I saved from 2005 because of a designer's home I liked. ( All photos are just snapshots from my copy of Real Living's December 2005 issue, sorry for the quality).

This is the home of Leo Almeria, a native of Tacloban, Leyte, a multi-awarded interior designer and an active member of the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers. All I know of his work is purely from this magazine. I couldn't find anything on him from the web back then, not only until today, did I see that he now has a website of his design firm Leo Almeria Design Studio.

A painting by Ivan Acuna hangs above the daybed.

Don't you sometimes feel that some designed spaces, though very easy to like and seem quite put together, sometimes lack character and personality? For example, as if the furniture where all bought at the same time, and most likely everything in one same store at that. Another example is where everything seems to match ( I can bet those pieces would probably be all in wengue finish, if not real wood, laminate!).

This space is different.

I couldn't find words to describe how I feel about this space and maybe that's what makes it speak to me. I cannot put a label to the look, unlike other spaces where themes are taken too literally. It reminds me of Vicente Wolf's thought that a room is about "emotions, and not pretensions" (and if you know Vicente Wolf, you would know where he is coming from -- he's dyslexic, a very high profile interior designer, with no professional training). I love how Mr. Almeria's home makes you want to spend time just lingering about looking at the owner's found objects, his loved furniture that must have been collected over the years ( but who knows, maybe these are all new and custom made, but they don't look it), his personal art collection, or just simply figuring out the formula for his masterful art of mixing items to create beautiful scenarios.

Though there is a play of wood and iron in this area, everything still feels light and breezy.

You don't feel the elements being too heavy.

In the dining room is an interesting chandelier made of carabao yokes. According to the magazine, it was made by Leo and his father. The antique dining chairs were purchased for P500 each (!) from an international office which auctioned off their furnishings when it closed down.

You can see the pedestals in most rooms. I found out these pedestals are being sold in Mr. Almeria's studio. Above are the powder room and the master's bath.

Remember, these are from 2005. Everything still works even to this day, don't you think? (Well, maybe we can do without those bamboo sticks now.) I can see red, black and even green walls adding a modern touch, amidst the antiques and traditional pieces.

From left to right: the bedroom, the dining room again, from another angle looking out to what seems like a courtyard, and another interesting vignette by the entrance.

Mr. Almerio's profile pic from his site.

I wish there were more local works and designer profiles available around the web for us to see, the same way international design blogs has made it accessible resources of such. Have you stumbled upon any?

Photos are snapshots I took from my December 2005 copy of Real Living magazine.

From the feature titled 'Mix Master' by Chinggay Labrador, pictorial direction by Gwyn Guanzon, and photography by Rene Mejia.

Please take me...

2011-11-04T22:25:00.001+08:00

to The Talented Mr. Ripley.

madewell hat, persol glasses,blue shirt, ruffled top, two-toned circle skirt from j.crew,

book, stella mc cartney shorts, vintage striped bateau, philip lim front-tie romper

tory burch bag, black espadrilles, lulu dk wallpaper as background pattern

Upcycled.

2011-11-03T15:51:00.000+08:00

Before you throw them out, why not...

via

Ok, maybe NOT from a Madeleine book, a magazine page perhaps?

Or how about...?

via

NY Minute.

2011-11-03T15:27:00.000+08:00

Could it really be...??

Hmm, last time I saw her in office appropriate clothes was as Jane Ryan, the uptight, straight-A student in 2004's New York Minute.

Nice.

Oooh...and did you see Passport to Paris?

Yeah, I watched it. So what? (*defensive*)

image from prettystuff

CandyGrams.

2011-10-25T11:21:00.000+08:00

1 and 6. Segundo Piso (Pasong Tamo Ext.)
2. Breakfast at Pancake House.
3. A Plants vs Zombies birthday at home.
4. Passing the 'Jesus alone Saves' neon sign along EDSA.
5. My attempt at logo design. :)
7. Parisian inspiration for a new project.
8. Remembering that rainy day drive to Batangas :)
9. Using a projector at home.
10. Little stickies! I didn't have change for parking one time, so I looked for the cheapest item at Landmark to break my bill and found these for P29.75. They'd make cute flags and markers!

Monday Reminder.

2011-10-24T07:22:00.000+08:00

Shake off the Monday blues, be a cool boss today.

#talkingtomyselfagain

my snapshot from ELLEments of Personal Style.

A Prelude.

2011-10-22T14:53:00.001+08:00

..later!

Let's Try This!

2011-10-18T13:43:00.000+08:00

25 Ways to Wear A Scarf.

Cutest.instructional.ever. What's your favorite? :)

via Creature Comforts.

Identity Crisis.

2011-10-17T22:22:00.000+08:00

Excuse me, I need these plaid pants, now.

See one more here.

...

You might remember her from here.

...

So, how preppy can you go?

Go far as Ja-Rule would! (lol!)

See Ja-Rule go prep in my fave Ashanti song. :)

Photos from Habitually Chic, J.Crew Fall 2011 Collection.

Sunday Rewind.

2011-10-17T14:42:00.000+08:00

Hope you all found time for play. :)

Quick Tip.

2011-10-14T08:32:00.000+08:00

Shut off the air-con a few hours earlier than your usual to save on electricity, and make use of the still cool air by circulating it with your humble electric fan.

Ok, so there's nothing new about this right? But how many of you refuse to set the air-con timer on because you know you'll all be sweaty and uncomfortable by the time you wake up. Or like me, you don't want to be bothered in your sleep just because you need to turn on the fan.

[Enter frame] -- amazing gadget.

You can use this plug-in timer to keep your fan on standby while the air-con is on. When your air-con shuts off, this automatically turns on the fan if you've set the timer correctly. That gives you your undisrupted sleep. Imagine the savings when you sum it all up.

Don't forget to pick and press 1, 2 or 3 (hehe) when you leave it on standby mode.

We've actually forgotten that we have this. This was recently unearthed from one of our mystery boxes. You can use this especially for the kids' room. Since they wake up early for school, maximize the use of the remaining cool air from the time the air-con shuts off and the early morning weather. By the time they wake up, they won't notice the difference.

If you're planning to get one, download and print this photo to show to the store personnel ( try Ace or True Value). My hubby remembers buying this with no box, brand, or special packaging. It didn't even come with an instruction pamphlet/ manual!

Happy weekend!

Exhibit 1-A.

2011-10-13T10:23:00.000+08:00

Exhibit 1-A.

Every morning, we wake up to a patio strewn with cigarette butts. Some irresponsible tenant from above thinks our patio is one giant ashtray.

I don't really want to fuss about this, because, (*ehem*) we might be target of complaints later on ( formula : spacious outdoor space + four kids at play = noise , or spacious outdoor space that is a potential party place + guests = noise). We're being careful and laying low on this.

So just for fun, can you profile this user?
- it's always this brand we see every morning
- looks like he lights up only at night or in the wee hours of the morning.
- last Saturday, he may have a companion as there were Marlboro butts too ( or was it another different tenant?)

Sitting Pretty.

2011-10-10T13:48:00.001+08:00

I bought four different chairs in a span of 45 days. Chair 1 is a knock-off of the Eames DAW chair made for Vitra. ( I want to keep this post light and easy, so I won't go discussing about an original vs. imitation purchase). For the price, there was nothing really deep to think about. I think it looks fun and cute, especially with kids in the house :).

Chair 2 is from Ikea, bought from one of our local Ikea sellers. Got it for our desk, remember our sawhorse desk?

Note the blank canvas of a wall. What to do??

I love chair 3! I'm planning to get one more. It looks sturdy ( I find myself sitting on it), and the design is functional for stacking too! I'm replacing our kiddie folding chairs with these.

...thought I spotted similar chairs at Sunnyside Day Care :)

And chair 4, I bought in Robinson's Metro East. Why? Because I was going to line up then for my NBI clearance and I knew it was going to take hours! The waiting chairs would only accommodate around 50+ persons. The rest would have to wait in line, snake-style, no chairs. I saw people on the floor and I didn't want to stand all day!

A sneak peek at our still empty patio.

The small folding stool might be good to bring to field trips or other activities which require lining up, or maybe at events with heavy crowds where you won't find a place to sit! This could easily fit in a light nylon bag.

Here it is for scale.

Chair 1, from Dimensione Rockwell, Chair 2 from that Ikea store along Wilson, Greenhills, Chair 3 from HandyMan ( also available in True Value ), Chair 4, 88-peso Japan Store.

(On getting my NBI Clearance: Based from my experience last August, Metro East I think is the best place to get your NBI clearance. I think it's the only NBI office left in a mall ( no more in Megamall). The trick is, come early, way before the mall opens. They will do a headcount in the parking area so you know if you're in the 300 limit for applicants. The 300 is filled waay before their office opens so don't bother coming anymore during mall hours, they'll just shoo you away. Another good thing is (aside from the air-conditioning in the mall) , when your number is 150 and above, they will tell you to come back in the afternoon. As long as you have your number, you will still have your place. That way, you don't need to stay in line the whole time. At least you get to kill time around the mall ( that's why I got to buy the stool at the P88 Store). I went on a Sunday (yup, they're open Sundays) at 8:00am (that was late already, people come as early as 2am!), and I was lucky to be number 275! (Maybe only a few knew about the Sunday sched?) Even so, it was such a hassle. My horrific NBI experience didn't end there though. I hope the system was improved since then.

I hope you enjoyed looking at my happy chairs! Enjoy the rest of your Monday! :)

We Are Moving.

2011-09-30T13:01:00.000+08:00

Dear Friends,

Thank you for checking back every so often. Sorry I haven't been around. We've been packing ( more like throwing things into boxes) , storing ( more like dumping old things in our office ), and at the same time unloading stuff at our new place. I'm sooo tired. I didn't realize moving can be this hard. The first time was easy because we didn't bring a lot as our owned home ( which was converted into our office extension) was just five minutes away from our rented apartment. I was able to transfer things a little at a time at my own convenience. Moving out of the apartment was a different story. This time, I could not leave anything behind. I had to pack and go. Much of it is my fault, I PROCRASTINATED. When the time came, I literally just threw things into boxes ( no sorting, editing, categorizing, disposing!) until I totally emptied the apartment. I could not believe I did not put out a single marker to label the boxes, me with the 55-colors Sharpies pack. Tsk tsk.

August and September were our most trying months. Thank you to our friends ( you know who you are :)) and family who helped us make it through.

I hope we fully settle soon because I'm itching to push my 'restart' button. There's still so much candy to share, until then, please bear with me.

See you!

Pat

Five Days, Five Loves - Day 5.

2011-09-21T20:55:00.000+08:00

After finding out how much these kind of bins at you-know-where cost, I immediately wiped out the shelves at Saizen for these wannabes. For now, they will remain empty until we settle into our (not-so) new home (yes, we're moving! -- we're saying goodbye to our attic *which we never finished decorating*, but in exchange, saying hello to a patio! More on that soon!).

I think I'm going to have fun with these clear ones!

While mine are still empty, check out how OC Mom put hers to good use:

Read about it here.

5 Days, 5 Loves - Day 4.

2011-09-19T15:50:00.000+08:00

I'm starting the week easy, starting off with a good deal of a facial. Clarity Aesthetic Center Shangri-la has an ongoing promo, offering a choice between their facial and diamond peel services at 50% off (that's only P500 per service!*cash basis only*), for appointments booked between 8:30 am to 10:00 am only.

The place is clean, staff are courteous and professional (you don't see them huddled together, gossiping about), they are properly dressed and made-up, and one room per client only -- privacy is a must! You won't see any cheap tarps or streamers screaming out their promos, retaining the classy facade of the place. The attendant will 'assess' your face and try to sell some other service, but I don't mind that since I'm comfortable saying no (and I know what she's saying about my face is true :)). I don't know what makes a facial better than another, but for the service, location and price I paid, I'd say it was a pretty good deal. :)

What do you love today? :)

Clarity is at 5th level. Shangri-la Mall, Edsa

Clipart from google images.

Clarity photo from Shangri-la mall site.

Five Days, Five Loves - Day 3.

2011-09-17T14:27:00.000+08:00

I know she's happy and excited we did this for her! My daughter is into anime. She's been visiting stores showing us 'original' costumes, and wow, they really cost a lot! Being the ~~cheapskate~~ resourceful moms that we are, my MIL bought some fabric and found a seamstress who could make the dress, while I, on the other hand, scoured SM for the accessories, finally using a ribbon and purple beads unstrung off a bracelet for the hairpiece and shoes.

The character she chose is from the series K-On. The main characters are a bunch of schoolgirls,

who turn into this fab group of musicians. :) ..that's all I know.

Have you fulfilled any of your childhood fantasies? :)

Thoughts.

2011-09-16T20:47:00.000+08:00

Seriously.

J.Crew
last photo via Habitually Chic.

5 Days, 5 Loves- Day 2.

2011-09-16T08:40:00.000+08:00

Fragrance is the easiest and cheapest way to experience brands I can't afford. A spritz or a dab evokes a feeling of luxe, glamour, pampering, and indulgence. It's an instant pick-me-upper, mood enhancer, even sexy-in-a bottle. I also love it when my kids come closer, hug me, try to take a sniff and tell me I smell good. Suddenly, I get a nostalgic feeling because I was that way too with my mother when I was a kid. :)

What do you love today?

5 Days, 5 Loves - Day 1.

2011-09-15T08:58:00.000+08:00

Did you know that the whistling kettle has existed for centuries and remains popular to this day?

A basic whistling sound is created by forcing air through a narrow opening. If this stream of air is divided by a solid object, it vibrates the object audibly, amplifying the sound and changing its tone. The whistle alerts the user that the water inside has reached a boil.

Isn't it amazing to know that this simple, even primitive, device is used for heating water in cultures all over the world? :)

from wisegeek.com

There's something about taking time to boil one's own water for coffee (or tea, to some). I enjoy this slow, morning ritual. The whistling sound is much like a runner's signal for a race, a signal to start a productive day. :)

Good morning!

Eye Spy.

2011-09-12T15:30:00.000+08:00

From Muji, the OJOKEESUS Suitcase Eyes.

These are stickers for your suitcases. Available in four (eye) characters.

They'll keep an eye on your stuff :)

via Swiss Miss, HypeBeast.com.

She*Blog.

2011-09-07T20:58:00.000+08:00

A Matter of Taste

I'm borrowing my title from Mia, of A Matter of Taste (formerly CAT Wife in BKK). I'm her featured blogger today! Read about me here.

And while you're there, explore her beautiful blog which she put together herself! It's very well-thought of, there's lots of good reads -- art+lifestyle+inspirations+home, and interesting finds and stories living in Bangkok by a fellow Filipina. Enjoy!

A Cozy Nook.

2011-09-06T09:59:00.000+08:00

Here's a cozy nook from up high.

Here's what's outside. The window scares me. It just has the regular latch type lock, no grills. Please dear kids, don't play here.

It's a good use of space: there's storage at the bottom,
and serves as extra seating and sleeping area.

We're visiting MIL at her condo unit.
~~Her designer~~ She has a thing for 'secret' doors and walls.

The slatted not-so-secret door opens to reveal her kitchen appliances.

Can you figure which one opens to the bathroom? :)

But really, I just want to open up a topic:

Condo dwellers, how do you find condo living? We're looking for a new place, and I'd like your thoughts please.

Or would you rather rent a house, apartment or townhouse?

What are the pros and cons with these dwellings? My number one issue is security. Where is it safest? What do you think? Please share your experiences. Thanks! :)

Benvenuti!

2011-09-03T11:39:00.000+08:00

This decal photo has been in my ideas folder since 2010. I have not forgotten this since it was something I'd like to put up at home.

If I am not mistaken (feel free to correct me), this means 'Welcome, come in, make yourself at home' or something to that effect, in Italian :). So now, I'm bringing it out again because it's time I come up with one for myself -- and a lucky reader. Yes! I'm including this wall decal as part of my give-away. I know, it's taking so long. Please bear with me, I'm trying to round up a few more interesting things.

So I did my lay-out :

It can be a nice addition to a pretty vignette in your foyer:

(note: decal has been superimposed on photos for visuals, may not be to scale with the actual give-away item)

How about in the dining area?

In the kitchen :

or wherever you please. Try on a mirror?

or even on a glass cabinet? :)

or maybe even on your front door!

So, please visit often, and soon, I'll be posting everything up! Thanks and have a great weekend!

Photos from Absolutely Beautiful Things, Domino mag, Lonny, Apartment Therapy.

YES PLEASE.

2011-09-01T08:01:00.000+08:00

Since I saw this guy and his sneakers from the Sartorialist, I can't stop thinking about getting myself some new kicks. So I daydreamed a bit, dressing from the shoes up. :)

1. White shirt (Old Navy) -- rolled up sleeves, check.
2. Jeans from J. Crew.
3. Oakley Jupiters.
4. Tag Heuer Carrera -- in Washington stores, commonly known as 'yung Brad Pitt'. Lol!
5. LV Cabas Tote -- niice.
6. Details September Issue --ditch the Vogue!
7. Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 -- just the right hint of bright for my neon fix. :)

I Serve_Part 2.

2011-08-29T11:05:00.001+08:00

I serve friends who've taken the entrepreneurial route.

Or should I re-title to 'I serve amazing moms!'?

I love that with my client friends we can talk business, exchange ideas, share stories (work rants included!), and inspire each other to do better in our work. I originally wanted this post to showcase some print projects I've done for them, but later on realized it was a also a good opportunity to share their inspiring stories.

1. Business partners Kris and Jenny, having had 13 years of brand experience behind them, gave up the corporate world and put up Your Brand Story in 2004. Working with them opened me to the world of marketing, encountering terms as SKU, USP, brand activation, and my favorite--RTB (reason to believe) (wha..??).

Some exciting projects with YBS --Dove and GluControl (with Gary V as endorser!)
print and display materials.
Visit their site : www.yourbrandstory.biz

From Jenny ( who also pens the blog, mymommyology.com):

I wanted to have time to do other things; my previous job was consuming all of my life and I just felt that there was more to that. Now while I am still busy, I feel a lot more relaxed and that I have more time for important things, like my girls and my health!

From Kris :

We started YBS in 2004. Our mission was to give clients and brand managers a break by providing the services of a competent extra brand manager (that would be me and Jenny -- who was at Unilever at the time). Our first project was the 21st death anniversary event of Ninoy Aquino. I was still working in corporate but managed the event and had meetings with Tita Cory (Naks!) after work hours and on 1 vacation leave. Even though I was so tired working so long, I was enjoying myself more than when I was doing my day job. That's when I knew I had to resign and I haven't regretted it since.

2. Still the same Kris, (yes, of ocmominmanila.com!), put up another business, Aquasana Store.

We printed that beautiful custom wallpaper in their office. (That's their CEO in pink!)

There's a beautiful stucco texture detail of the material when you see it (and touch it) up close.

Visit : www.aquasanastore.com.ph
Aquasana on Facebook

"I discovered Aquasana in Canada when my pores became smaller and my hair actually behaved. I had a few email exchanges with the US manufacturer then visited them in Texas. It really convinced us to bring it over to the Philippines because it was such a great discovery not to share." - Kris

3. And Karrots:

Did their company profile set, standees, biz cards, gift certificates, posters, etc
Visit : anthologyshoes.com
Anthology Shoes on Facebook.

From Karrots :

I'm honestly just trying to get by from day to day. My work allows me to spend mornings with my special child in his various therapy centers. Come afternoons, when he has his home therapy, I can leave and do what I love: product dev, marketing and creatives! I'm kind of not an entrepreneur in the sense that I'm working for someone else, but I run the brand in most aspects. Sans production, operation and all the boring stuff. Collection? Ew.

I'm in the constant search for balance because when things go wrong at home, things at work go well. And vice versa.

(She blogs too, karotitay.com)

4. Bessie is another mompreneur. Here's her story:

"I was a corporate slave for 12 years specializing in Marketing. 10 years of this was with Colgate-Palmolive. In 2008, after I had my first child, I decided to start this home-based mommy and accessories business while still employed. In 2009, upon celebrating my 10th year anniversary at CP, I decided to make a go for it and focus on the business full time.

While the business remains small, my products are now distributed in a number of retail stores including Babyland and Robinson's Galleria. I join bazaars too, but only those that cater especially to mothers and babies" - Bessie

Did this set for Nursing Mom --tabletop display standee, labels, and packaging band.
Visit: nursingmom.multiply.com
Nursing Mom on Facebook

5. Jesica, she is 1/2 of Karrots (yes, Karrots being the other half) cases team (circa 2005?), had a stint as Executive Director of the Ateneo Alumni Association, and now pursuing her current project, Essence of Renaissance.

A few of the materials I made for AAA, and one of the tags of their Karrots line of products.

Business card/ tags for her beautiful vintage jewelry pieces.
essenceofrenaissance.multiply.com

From Jesica:

I love projects! That's it. Great ideas excite me, whether it's mine or a friend's. I love mapping it out and planning it from start to finish and seeing it through to implementation. I like turning ideas to reality. :)

I hope my business minded friends inspired you today! :) Have a great Monday!

Note: All design/ artwork for the print materials were provided by my clients.
Please feel free to email me for your print inquiries and requirements :).

Friday Thought.

2011-08-26T10:47:00.000+08:00

Have a groovy weekend, everyone!

Oh, behave.

Keep It Together.

2011-08-21T11:30:00.000+08:00

I have traded my bulky plastic container...

(after a bit of editing)

for this.

I love how compact, flexible and organized it looks. There are repositionable dividers that can be put in place using Velcro-like attachments. The clear cover makes it easy to see the contents, and the handle to carry around with ease.

See how much space I saved.

Found this bag at Landmark.

Chuvaness writes about one from Make Room, as her gadget charger organizer here.
Daphne has similar from Beabi, read about it here.

But wait..PRRRRRRT! I'm not yet done!

How about a nice, compartmentalized envelope for your stationary, notecards, labels and tags?

Make sure to use those pen slots to hold dedicated pens for writing quick notes on gift tags! (May be best to throw in one of those little tapes with dispensers in there too.)

So, will you still be writing your gift notes in the car on the way to that party, or at the venue, at the back of your business card with a pen that is not even yours? :)

That's all.

Do You Remember?

2011-08-20T09:01:00.000+08:00

Choose Your Own Adventure.

Spotted in Bibliarch, Glorietta.

:)

Hmm...

2011-08-17T18:02:00.000+08:00

Trying to decide where this should go...

Should I hang in my office?

Maybe the kids' room?

Or better yet, to a lucky loyal reader who will join my way-overdue-anniversary-giveaway?? :)

Stay tuned!

(For pick-up only!?)

Craft Corner.

2011-08-16T22:09:00.000+08:00

I accomplished a lot today! With a bit of free time, I went out to take a short break.

This is what happened. A photo session.

I hope you like balls of twine and wooden clothespins...

Just took pictures even if I was itching to do some crafting.

They make good subjects, don't they?

I got the jute twine ( pack of four) and the wooden clothespins ( pack of 36 pcs) at American Bazaar, each pack for P60+ only!

The many uses of twine and clothespins!

And if you don't have the time for crafting, maybe just having them around would bring you enough delight.

Put the balls of twine in a tin bucket,

or the clothespins in a vintage jar, for a pretty rustic feel.

Just curious, how do you spend your break time?

Top photos by (eye)candy.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Tuesday Candy.

2011-08-16T08:43:00.000+08:00

"Her mind traveled crooked streets

and aimless goat paths,

arriving sometimes at profundity,

other times at the revelations of a three year-old."

- Toni Morrison

Shanghai
Aug/ 2011
Photos by : (eye)candy

Monday Style.

2011-08-15T07:54:00.000+08:00

from J. Crew.

Quick Tip.

2011-08-12T07:55:00.000+08:00

All you need are round head eye screws and a few inches of nylon cord. No special tools necessary, just carefully hand screw them to the sides of the frame, and make the necessary knots to attach the nylon cord.

So, there. Photo frames that are intended for table-top use can now be conveniently hanged. :)

A nice picture for our bathroom. :)

On a craft related topic, I received an informative comment in my Shirt Tales post from We Love Sewing. I clicked on the commenter's link and was happy to find a Manila-based blog resource for sewing related projects! She is Dutch and married to a Filipino, and is a qualified seamstress. She conducts sewing classes, and as indicated in her profile, is very flexible that you can work on a project of your choice. (I hope I got that info correct.) I wanted to share this because a long time ago, I did take sewing classes and had a hard time finding a teacher. I hope this helps those who've been planning on learning to sew but just don't know where to start. :)

Shanghai.

2011-08-10T10:48:00.000+08:00

Shanghai, China

August, 2011

* Can't believe it's been a year of blogging! I'm going to prepare my anniversary give-away. Thanks to those who followed me from the very beginning, and of course, am still sending a warm welcome to my new readers! For a teaser, I'm giving away a beautiful print of one of my Shanghai photos that you can hang as is, or let stand alone against a wall. Sponsors are welcome too ( that's me putting on my thick face!).

T H A N K Y O U!

- Pat

Mushy Wednesday.

2011-08-03T06:51:00.001+08:00

It's amazing how you can

speak right to my heart

without saying a word

you can light up the dark

try as I may I could never explain

what I hear when you don't say a thing

the smile on your face lets me know that you need me

there's a truth in your eyes

saying you'll never leave me

the touch of your hand

says you'll catch me whenever I fall

you say it best

when you say nothing at all.

Bacause of the bench in Notting Hill, we want one too. A love bench is in our checklist when we get to build our own home. What's your favorite movie bench scene?

Of course, this post is not complete without the Ronan Keating video.

Happy Stuff.

2011-08-01T17:37:00.000+08:00

I was saving this set of photos for a fellow blogger (for a guest post) but because of her new site format, she might have no use for this now. I'm going to share them with you instead.

These are some of my everyday things, you must've seen some of them already in my post, My Imaginary Bag.

Little details make me happy -- the nautical knot detail in a bag, the curly tail in my piggy tape measure, soft grain leather for a pen holder, a bling-y bambi bag hook, polka dots, and the hot pink lining in my business card holder. Happy stuff.

How was your Monday?

The Secret Life of Yayas.

2011-08-01T15:49:00.000+08:00

There are tooth fairies... and there are door ding gnomes.

I can personally claim sightings of the latter. I've been door-dinged TWICE already, in two different instances when our car was just parked in our kids' school. The culprit? Yayas who go down from their cars, opening their doors without a care in the world (ding* ding* and ding*). Lucky for them I am not one to run after them and create a scene.

I always remind our househelp and my kids to look before they go down from the car. If they can manage to go out the side where cars do not pass, then that's better. It is difficult these days because an innocent accident or mishap can turn into something else. Better be on the careful side.

Door ding gnomes are magical gnomes who put the dings in our car doors with special hammers and picks when no one is looking ( according to Gary Larson of 'The Far Side').

Photo from Gnomeo and Juliet.
Yaya is Filipino for nanny.

In My Lootbag.

2011-08-01T12:44:00.000+08:00

In my lootbag are fun toothbrushes that come with a built-in 1minute timer. Hello Kitty (and Mr Firefly with the glitter floats) lights up and the other plays a tune for a minute (Remember my kitchen timer post?). Teach the kids not to rush their brushing, use a timer to practice this habit. :)

If you read my post on toothbrush storage and the 'morning meest', then the Steripod might just be the answer to my problem. It's a clip-on casing that is actually a sterilizer. It contains thymol tablet that kills bacteria on the toothbrush ( which effectively does for 3 months). I love that it's a clip-on ( reminds me of the hair clamps) so there's no fumbling opening and closing it.

Thank you to my OC friend, OC Mom in Manila for the lootbag goodies!

Thanks to Firefly too, of course. :)

Firefly brushes range from P129.75 (original) to P189.75 (Hello Kitty Flashing TB).

Steripod, pack of 2, P314.00.

Available in Watsons and SM Dept Stores.

Quick Hello.

2011-07-28T12:23:00.001+08:00

Hello! Sorry for the long absence. I hope someone's still out there. Helllloooo?

I just wanted to share this book with you. If you're on the hunt for a decorating book, get this. If you loved Domino, you'll love this too! Decorate from Holly Becker ( founder of Decor8) and Joanna Copestick.

This is my favorite spread. In fact I have this exact home photo in my inspiration folder ( which I sent to Triboa Bay to inquire if they have a similar table because they make these iron and wood furniture --and they do!).

The floor plan was a smart inclusion. I've always noticed that about our magazines, they don't include floor plans. A floor plan helps you visualize the scale of the space vs furniture, and helps too if you're planning a lay-out for a home if you find it similar to yours.

"When you put pictures on the walls,

you see the greatest change in a place."

- Rita Konig, designer

So I did put pictures on my wall. Remember my office here and here? (Oh wow, those were from a year ago and my 1-year-of-blogging anniversary is coming up!)

I started with these...

haha, still with the plastic on!

and finally, here they are!

I've been taking baby steps working on the space. On the side are my cabinets. Before: antique-y looking handles and old, scruffy paint.

After.

Good job, me! These little details made a whole lot of difference. Now what to do with that green wicker chair...

I got my 'Decorate' book from National Bookstore (P1,545). My reliable Fully Booked 'textmate' from Eastwood, Libis said it's now available (P1,575). ( Fully Booked staff really do text you back, and keep you updated about your inquiries so I love that about them! But thanks to National who had them first). :)

Friday Blog Hop.

2011-07-22T13:39:00.000+08:00

I'm guest blogging over at Mikka's fabulous blog A Mischmashed Life. See you there!!!

Read my guest post on my easy, breezy recipe for motherhood here.

Quick Tip.

2011-07-17T10:00:00.000+08:00

I know a lot of moms who make their own reviewers and practice tests for their kids when it's time for long tests and exams. There's a lot of time and effort involved in making these, so instead of a one-time use for the printed material, why not make them reusable, literally for practice?

I used two sheets of clear acrylic ( scrap material from our office), had them cut into 8.5" x 13" size.

Just put your printed test paper between the 2 sheets --'sandwich' style, use a bulldog clip to hold them in place. Put out your whiteboard marker and eraser and you're good to go!

You can save and collect your long test reviewers and re-use them for the the final period exam. That way, you don't have to make one all over again! I even reuse answered activity sheets in school. I just cover up the answered portions with strips of paper, with a small piece of tape (you don't need much because they will be pressed between the acrylic sheets anyway).

Isn't it a nifty tablet? If you feel your child needs more practice, just wipe 'em out!

I used two sheets so I can do back to back. My fifth grader has longer and detailed tests, so I can let her do it all in one sitting. I used 8.5" x 13" size because tests and activity sheets in school are printed on legal size paper. Re-using activity sheets is a quick and easy way to review for quizzes. :)

If you're the kind of mom who likes to do things in advance ( you know who you are!), you can use a sheet over the book pages to answer the exercises or chapter reviews, before they answer them in school. The teacher won't find out about your little secret! :)

Practice makes perfect.

You can find acrylic sheets in hardware stores or home depots but they sell it in 4' x 8' sheets, a bit big for this project. You can try the shops that make signs, maybe they have scrap they're willing to sell, or email me and I'll see what I can do :).

Note: I'm new to using acrylic sheets as a write and erase tablet, so I can't say yet how much writing abuse they can manage before they all get scratched up. Prior to this, I used our glass sliding doors in our previous home, I just tape them on the opposite side of the door, with the printed side facing them. They like to do pretend school, because they answer them standing up, like how you would on a black board!

This might also be of help to teachers and tutors who do one-on-one tests and reviews. :)

Day 5: 5 Days, 5 Loves.

2011-07-16T08:58:00.000+08:00

'Tis the season!

What do you love today?

Day 4: 5 Days, 5 Loves.

2011-07-15T08:55:00.001+08:00

I love my blog because it accepts me even when I skip a day (or even days) of posting!

Sorry about not posting my day 4 love yesterday. I'm posting one today, so my day 5 will be tomorrow.

I'm putting in my blog today because, really, who wants to hear me talk about the things I love ALL THE TIME? I'm sure you pick friends who to discuss motherhood, crafts, work, design, etc. with. You can't just babble away, say in a dinner gathering or a party, and talk about furniture to the person sitting next to you! I love the freedom this blog gives me to talk about my passions and interests. What is most important though is, I love that YOU are here to listen. (awww..im going to stop now before this gets cheesy and be added to my list of 'posts im considering to delete'.)

What do you love today?

Day 3: 5 days, 5 loves.

2011-07-13T20:00:00.001+08:00

The latest issue and a cozy home to come home to.

My Elle Decor arrived yesterday. Guess who's on the cover? Courtney Cox! So cool to see how the real person behind Monica Geller really lives! ( Judging from the feature they did of her home, I feel a big part of her IS Monica!)

A Penguin book cover as art!

And just for fun, if you say you're Monica in 'Friends', please click my like button. :)

Note: do not mind the drink, i just used it as a prop :) Not my choice for when you just want to relax and read.

Commercial.

2011-07-12T23:52:00.001+08:00

My husband shared this with me. 'The Howl and the Fussyket'.

If you have 12 minutes to spare watch it here : http://youtu.be/0323YBGFdtg

The rest of the Nestle 100 Years Kasambuhay, Habambuhay Short Film Anthology here:
http://nestle.com.ph/FeaturedStories/Pages/KasambuhayHabambuhayOnline.aspx

Nice one, Nestle!

Day 2 : 5 days, 5 loves.

2011-07-12T07:00:00.001+08:00

Everyday, I work with color. :) It's A M A Z I N G.

What do you love today?

Day 1: 5 days, loves.

2011-07-11T08:09:00.000+08:00

July edition.
I decided to do the series again! It's a good way to take notice of the little things to be thankful for :).

I'm loving my early morning calm, with Krispy Kreme and a cup of coffee. The kids are in school, it's raining outside. I'm loving the peace and quiet -- while I squeeze in a short post here :). A little me time to charge me for the week ahead.

What do you love today?

In the Navy.

2011-07-09T10:42:00.000+08:00

Thinking about blue and nude these days, thanks to this coco+kelley post :

Read her post here.

And some looks I've rounded up. See the Duchess, always looking perfect. Less is more.

I want nude heels too! (Kate 1 2)

BUT the real reason that got me started, I wanted to justify my recent purchase.

Who couldn't resist these?? They were on sale at Zara. I remember eyeing them then (at regular price) but walked away. When I saw them marked down, I grabbed the last pair and was lucky they were in my size!

Will wait for the sun to come out before I take them out for a spin! :)

Playtime.

2011-07-08T11:05:00.000+08:00

source

Friday brings an extra spring in our step..

...and allows a bit of time for play. :)

Make your own art at www.jacksonpollock.org. Try it, it's fun and easy!

Here's mine :)

Morning Meest.

2011-07-06T13:28:00.000+08:00

Just curious, where do you keep your toothbrush/es?

I need new ideas on toothbrush storage. We only have two bathrooms at home. My kids use the one along our little hallway, so that makes it the guest bath as well. We can't avoid having toothbrushes in plain sight, but is there a creative way to keep them as inconspicuous as possible? I want them covered too, well, because of the 'morning meest' (more on that later), protection from creepy crawlies, and doesn't it just feel weird having guests see your personal hygiene stuff out in the open?

1. I got this from Make Room. It fits six brushes and one toothpaste tube. This takes a lot of space, it does not fit on our little glass shelf ( we do not have a countertop) so I place it on a separate shelf away from the sink. I like how it holds everyone's toothbrushes, I can easily tuck it away somewhere when guests are coming. Downside is, there's too much work involved, especially for my younger girls! It's not accessible at an arm's reach, care should be taken when handling the cover (plus extra space involved as to where you're going to set it down), and requires discipline to put the cover back on. Not good during morning rush!

2. This worked well for some time, until the suction pegs that held the holder lost their grip from my tiles. You can imagine it crashing to the bathroom floor, spewing out the brushes (OC Mom must be cringing by now). You can see the crack on the cover. This is easier than the first one. The hinged cover made it easy to just pull out, and return the brush in place. I also mounted a sticker film ( similar to the window films, available in Ace or True Value) on the clear 'shield', to make it frosted so you cannot see through it.

3. Should I get individual toothbrush pods instead? Will it be too much trouble to pop them out whenever guests come by, or is it ok to leave them as is?

Oh, and the morning meest, watch it here. Way before Mikey Bustos, there was HappySlip. Enjoy!

And if you dare, watch the Myth Busters' experiment on the 'morning meest' theory...

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-surprise-toothbrush-minimyth.html

Hello Kitty holder photo source.

Monday Style.

2011-07-04T07:18:00.000+08:00

Aerin Lauder.

Don't forget to spritz on your favorite perfume on your way out! Happy Monday!

Photos 1, 2, 3, 4

Chop suey Sunday.

2011-07-03T18:21:00.000+08:00

CHOP SUEY,

def. chinese dish, literally "assorted pieces".

Just random stuff for today :)

1. Socks. I've always worn all white socks for school back in the day. I didn't get why people would buy socks with heel and toe colors. Now that I have four kids, I understand why some socks have to have those. Notice how different one is from the other? (My eldest gets the all-white, not in photo.) Coding is very helpful because if you're like me, I do not want to rely on my helper all the time. I have to be in the know when it comes to my children's things. When the househelp leaves, I know I can manage. Even with my kids' uniforms, I have stitched colored threads hidden by the collar. It's faster than telling by the uniforms' sizes.

2. Magic Slate. Can you believe these things are still in production?! This is still a requirement in my daughter's prep class. Even the graphics are still the same. I don't want to know what the 'magic' slate goo is made up of though.

3. CleanShine. I received these samples from my client. I tried the canvas cleaner for my daughter's stroller bag. We did not buy a new bag since the one from last year was still in good shape, but needed a bit of cleaning ( these bags are not the type to be fully washed down with soap and water since I think they have cardboard stiffeners inside, they need to be cleaned with care). I honestly don't know how different the cleaner is from the regular Joy dishwashing soap ( my choice of the 'mild soap' cleaner, hehe) but I took its word that it will not leave any of those nasty yellow, map-like stains.

4. I've been cleaning up and purging some stuff and found these. I've always known I've kept these shoes from 14 years ago. I remember that time, buying them in Rustan's for 3k. I saved up for them and they were the most expensive shoes I owned. I did not really use them as much as I thought I would because they were so clunky and stiff, LOL! I don't blame my daughter for not wanting to use them too. Still, I will keep them and I'm not giving them away, ever. :)

I love the 'hanging by the shoelaces' shot I did! I'm happy I was able to take some pictures and blog today. Did you do anything creative today? :)

Do You Remember?

2011-06-29T16:12:00.000+08:00

J o r d a n C a t a l a n o?

Claire Danes and Jared Leto in "My So Called Life".

Something about the weather today ( gloomy and about to rain) that makes me want to remember the grunge-y 90's.

101 Grams of (Eye) Candy

5 Days, 5 Loves - Day 4.

*Wolf-whistling*

Obsessed.

Friday thought.

5 days, 5 Loves- Day 3.

5 Days, 5 Loves- Day 2.

Do You Remember...

Queen of Hearts.

Five Days, Five Loves - Day 1.

Giveaway Winner.

All You Need Is...

Monday Style.

Stick 'Em Up.

Space Invaders.

CandyGrams.

Happy Feet.

Calendar 2012.

Tuesday Candy.

All You Need Is...

Do You Remember?

What's in the Package?

Fearless Forecast.

Cheers!

Quick Post.

Shooos for Li'l Ones!

Night Project.

Quick Tip.

The Considerate Ribbon.

What's In My Shopping Bag.

Time (Sound) Machine.

Office Glam.

The Secret Works.

Monday Style.

Friday Thought.

Weekend Project Idea.

Like!

A Designer's Home.

Please take me...

Upcycled.

NY Minute.

CandyGrams.

Monday Reminder.

A Prelude.

Let's Try This!

Identity Crisis.

Sunday Rewind.

Quick Tip.

Exhibit 1-A.

Sitting Pretty.

We Are Moving.

Five Days, Five Loves - Day 5.

5 Days, 5 Loves - Day 4.

Five Days, Five Loves - Day 3.

Thoughts.

5 Days, 5 Loves- Day 2.

5 Days, 5 Loves - Day 1.

Eye Spy.

She*Blog.

A Cozy Nook.

Benvenuti!

YES PLEASE.

I Serve_Part 2.

Friday Thought.

Keep It Together.

Do You Remember?

Hmm...

Craft Corner.

Tuesday Candy.

Monday Style.

Quick Tip.

Shanghai.

Mushy Wednesday.

Happy Stuff.

The Secret Life of Yayas.

In My Lootbag.

Quick Hello.

Friday Blog Hop.

Quick Tip.

Day 5: 5 Days, 5 Loves.

Wolf-whistling